Sep 25, 2024
I think about death every day. I once read that there are people who think about death every day and people who don’t. So, I was happy to know I wasn’t the only one in what some may perceive as rather morbid thinking. I am a student of Tibetan Buddhism, and the lessons on impermanence are very close to my heart. When I was raising my kids, death was a teacher. “Do you really want to send them off to school ticked off at them, when maybe they will never come back? Do you want them to go to bed at night feeling scolded about something?” My life has been mostly easy in terms of good health and the ability to work in a career I love. I am careful not to take that for granted. As I know, any day, especially now at my age, I could drop dead or get a terminal disease. I even think about how I keep my home, decluttering so my kids don’t have much to go through when I die. I have a will; I have everything as organized as possible. All because I think about death every day. And as far as life, living my life, I know that change is inevitable, nothing is permanent, so therefore, I cherish my days and am grateful that my family members are alive and healthy and happy as well as my friends (given that we all have our good and bad moments). Death is my teacher. It teaches me to remember how fleeting life is, that death is always near, and to be grateful for all the days I am still here.
Dec 13, 2022
Curiosity is the explorer in all of us to build a bigger life, to stretch our thinking and our interests to the millions of lessons we can learn about the world we live in.
To be curious is to not know which is the highest emotional intelligence we can possess. By not knowing we are open to exploring new ideas, concepts, history, the future, science, health, and all of the variety of people, cultures, lifestyles, religions and spiritual paths in our world, just to name a few.
Curiosity is the main attribute of open-minded people.
People who are close-minded know as opposed to not knowing, they have all the answers and are not particularly curious in learning anything more outside of what they already know. They have it all locked up and decided.
Are you a curious person? Are you passionate about learning, exploring, and being open to new ideas? Do you love asking questions to the people you meet or have known forever, that will enhance your learning about them and their world?
Are you a lifelong learner? Are you willing to go out of your comfort zone to try out new experiences, and learn new information about topics you may not have even considered before?
The opposite of being curious is boredom and stagnation. And with google at your fingertips, access to media, books, the classes and events that your community offers and the people in your life, you really have no excuse to be bored.
Be active in your curiosity., explore, you will live a more fulfilling, passionate and stimulated life!
Dec 24, 2020
The heroes of last year, those who were the most important people in our lives, were our doctors and nurses, our nursing home health care workers and any and all of those in the health care profession who risked their lives to save ours. Our public health officials (at times actually dealing with threats against their lives and nasty emails and letters) have worked tirelessly in educating government officials and the public on staying as safe as possible during this global pandemic.
As a mental health professional, I am very aware of the toll this past year has taken on people’s psyches and well being. I am aware of the toll it has taken on my own well being, though, I count myself as one of the lucky ones health wise, financially, and thankfully, I have not personally suffered the loss of a family or friend from COVID. I decided to open my practice back up to support people as the small part I can play in navigating the COVID emotional tsunami.
It did not take long until clients poured in. I provide services for Employee Assistance Programs and the employee referrals have been endless. The clients I see are doctors, nurses, public health officials, college age students struggling with their isolation, couples struggling with too much stress and time together, parents, teachers, and even a nun who provides ongoing hope, prayer and care to the patients she comforts. It truly is a wake up call for me, when a young doctor can only cry through the session, from long hours, no personal relief time and being in the center of patient care with COVID. My one hour of support a week isn’t very much considering the entire life of these clients, but it is something I can do to support them and I am grateful I can contribute at least some support and relief.
2020 was the year that globally we all were negatively impacted. Some much much worse than others. But, it was also the year of bringing out our humanity and compassion, of standing up for lives that are marginalized and disadvantaged by our systems, for voting out politicians who divide and bully and only self serve. Love and compassion, behind the scenes of all the nasty politics that dominated the media, love and compassion were at work, every minute of every day. As I look back on 2020 I am grateful for the steady stream of care from our health care providers who worked to save lives, give extraordinary patient care hour after hour and the compassion they showed as they comforted the dying when family members could not be there at their loved one’s last moments. Looking back on 2020, it was a wild ride. I am deeply grateful that love and compassion are still the centerpiece of our humanity. Thank you to all of you who helped get us through this past year.
Dec 2, 2020
We live in a world full of unanswered questions, we put faith and trust into things we have no evidence for with our five senses, we get confused as to why bad things happen to such good people, and we are interested in explorations into outer space to find out what is beyond our life on planet earth, to name a few of the mysteries of life.
You know that you have had experiences you can not explain. You have had coincidences that are, well, beyond coincidence, you have heard messages through songs, or thoughts or dreams or from a sentence you read or a conversation you have had, messages where you find an answer you had been searching for. You have experienced having ESP or a hunch or intuition and you were right. You have had many experiences in your life where you simply could not explain it, it came from somewhere else. All of those experiences are from the Mystery.
My two friends and I were sitting out on my patio in AZ on a beautiful warm fall evening. Our conversations turned to our moms as both of my friends had recently experienced grief from their mom’s passing. As they both were talking about their mom, a praying mantis flew in and sat on a pillow right next to us. It was the most surprising thing! We had never been so close to one, nor had I ever seen one in AZ. If you have the good fortune of being next to a praying mantis-they are eerily personable, in that, they have big eyes and they turn their heads to look at you. This one did just that. It sat between us and moved its head as to say go on I am listening. Within a few more minutes another one flew in. With the coincidence of two praying mantises joining us at this time in our conversation, we knew that the mothers had just come to join us. They flew in to message their daughters that we are ok, we are free of our human bodies, but we live out there in the Mystery. We have flown in to join you in your conversation and as a reminder that we are still within reach.
Many people I have known who have lost loved ones tell me that they are visited by them again in the form of birds, hummingbirds, or feathers are found near them when thinking of them. We knew that the two mothers visited us embodied in the visiting praying mantises Their timing was perfect, as they joined us and became part of our conversation. One of my friends told me she has never had such a better relationship with her mom until after she passed, as that they talk every day. Another friend is visited by his late wife for coffee each morning. The Mystery is as real as our daily five-senses reality. However, one has to be open to the Mystery to see and experience it.
For those of you who prefer a more grounded Mystery-watch the beautiful documentary My Octopus Teacher, you will see before your eyes the many unexplainable Mysteries of ocean life and one particularly fascinating relationship between a human and an octopus. The Mystery is beautiful.
As you are waking wise today, be open to the unexplainable, that which defies logic, the intelligence in our universe, the extrasensory experiences, and embrace the Mystery with whatever name you wish to call it. It is everywhere if you are open to life beyond logic.
Oct 21, 2020
It has been a while since I have been in touch with you! I needed some time to recoop and refill which is what I recommend repeatedly to the women I work with. Women are givers and it is important for your evolution with your own soul growth to step back and check-in to see if you are on the course you wish to be on.
I am personally giving a lot of thought to living a retired lifestyle in the sunshine of AZ, moving from my home state, (which sadly will be away from my family and friends) to start a new chapter in my life with my husband without work tying us to a schedule. Knowing my own self, I will not stop working, as my work brings me joy and fills a part of me that no one or anything else can fill. Though I do foresee much more playtime than work time.
Every one of us is in some sort of transition and/or is feeling stagnant or stuck. I think especially with COVID, feeling stagnant and stuck can often run the show, especially for the extroverts and for those of us who crave contact with our friends and family. It will be a long winter, especially for those of us in colder climates who don’t have more of the freedom to meet friends and family outdoors.
How are you planning to cope with the oncoming winter with the virus still running so much of our social and business lives? What strategies will you put in place to create, to inspire and to guide you? Depression and anxiety are running rampant in the world, as we are all getting more fatigued with the lifestyle change from the pandemic. How will you support yourself and others?
Waking Wise is living consciously and deliberately, with intentions and goals which can help define your journey and result in more joy and satisfaction. Use your creative self during this time. Want to learn a new language? Want to take some classes? Join groups on zoom? Start a group? This is a great time to grow by adding some new interests. I have personally taken on cooking, as I am not much of a cook, so I have been having some fun learning new recipes and trying them out on my family (I know, poor them)!
I am also offering a master class for women who want to stay in touch with their own feelings and thoughts and who want to grow during this winter season. Who want to PLAN to grow, to make it a part of their intention for the months ahead. If interested here is the link to check this out, love to have you!: https://mailchi.mp/gailmanahan/high-functioning-woman
Life is always changing, nothing is permanent. Within your own evolution, learning to listen to the deepest parts of yourself and re-choosing who you currently are, what you are interested in now and what new possibilities would you want to explore? All of this means taking a risk and stretching outside of what is comfortable. However, that is where learning and growth reside. How will you create joy, passion and excitement during these fall and winter seasons?
Love to hear from you!
Kindly,
Gail
