November 2010

KindFULLness

Kindness is the biggest small thing we can give. It costs us little and yields large dividends. It impacts people you don’t know and cheers people you love.

Today I started out stressed beyond my skin. It’s all good, just a lot of good at once. As my day went on and I raised my white handkerchief, admitting my need for help, I noticed how the help flowed in. But what really caught me was how it flowed in with kindness…

We encouraged our daughter to ask for help from a teacher and she happily reported, “She was so nice about it!” I called an administrator about a Hebrew school issue and she agreed with my observation and frustration and said, “Be kind to yourself, you have a lot on your plate and we have dropped the ball. I’ll call you tomorrow and we’ll get back to bouncing.” And at lunch a friend gave me her perspective on a situation that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. She was so simple and kind in her observation. My breathe softened and my thoughts broadened.

All from a little kindness.

“Tis the season”, so they say. “Tis the season” for what? Lets say, “Tis the season for a little kindness.” It is the greatest gift you can give and receive. Give it to the folks in your life who need it most. You know who they are and you know why they need it. And then, stop, drop and give it to yourself.

I promise that you will find it becomes the gift that keeps on giving. And who couldn’t use a present like that?

How have you experienced MindFULL kindness this season? Let us know!

MindFULL Monday Holiday Music Playlist

The season is upon us and I for one, love it! One of my favorite parts is the music. Given Thanksgiving week kicks off “the season”, I am sharing my MindFULL Monday Holiday Music Play list this week.

Seeking great holiday music started as a gift for the marketing department at Bass Pro Shops. Behind every guy stands a great woman, and at Bass Pro Shops that woman is Bev. She has generously tuned my ear to new music throughout the years. As such, I extended my new found appreciation for all kinds of holiday music ( I know much of it reflects Christmas, but Adam Sandler’s Chanukah song is in there, too!). At the beginning of each season I search for holiday songs that one doesn’t hear in the department stores or on FM 24/7.

Below are just a few of my favorites. May these songs become part of the soundtrack to your holidays, with warmest wishes for a MindFULL holiday season!

The Chanukah Song Adam Sandler

This Christmas Donny Hathaway

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa The Jackson 5

Angel Standing By Jewel

Hallelujah k.d. lang

Deck The Halls Smokey Robinson

Winter Weather Squirrel Nuts

Blue Christmas BonJovi

Do You Hear What I Hear Whitney Houston

Cool Yule Louis Armstrong

Please Come The Eagles

Sleigh Ride TLC

Happy Xmas John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Do you have any MindFULL favorite holiday songs? Let us know!

Gratitude Attitude

On Sunday evening, I dragged myself home from a 3 week, travel whirlwind. Embedded in those three weeks was in-depth work around the emotional topic of money, a family Bat Mitzvah, a college reunion and a weekend with my mom at the Sanity Rally in DC. On Monday I cleaned my house. Thinking it was all behind, I started to relax.

On Tuesday I got word of a new project, set to kick off this week and requiring I get back on a plane for 10 more days. On Wednesday I lifted my daughters backpack into the trunk, threw my back out and started crying. I was officially overwhelmed.

You see, I had lost my “gratitude attitude”. All of the things that had me on the go, are blessings for which I am truly grateful; family, friends and good work. But I was exhausted and I forgot. And then on Thursday when my back pain subsided, a friend said, ” go forth and prosper, lunch with me will still be here when you get back” and the prospect of funding a room over the garage set in, I cried even harder. Not because I was relieved, but because I was so mad at myself for forgetting to be grateful for all I was lucky enough to be doing.

How can we remember?

One way I learned of, years ago, is to keep a gratitude journal by my bed and before going to sleep, jot down 5 things one is grateful for that day. As with many tools of its kind, I peter in and out over time. Yet when I do it, I feel better. Somehow the goodness gets recorded in my soul as I drift off to sleep. I chuckle when I look through it. Some of the same names and feeling are there, year after year. That is certainly something to be grateful for.

On the plane last week, I came across a small blurb about a website that encourages members to list five things they are grateful for everyday. You can write your thoughts, show photos and upload videos and interact with others. Check out graceinsmallthings.com

Yesterday I felt the grace in small things. Beautiful weather, two walks, a beauty treatment and a massage. I felt grateful for a husband who encourages me to take time for myself, a daughter who says, “go mom, you need some Robin time!” and a back that feels better as the days go by.

Ah yes, we all have so much to be grateful for. Now I hope I can simply remember this when I am lying in the hotel room at 2am waiting to fall asleep. Those deep dark nights are when I tend to really forget. So the question for this week is, “how can I feel the gratitude in the glow of the alarm clock?”

What are you MindFULLY grateful for and how do you remember?