Maria Connolly, LPC
Grief and letting go: when your body won’t get the memo…
Erin spent months preparing for her move to a new city, a big promotion, a fresh start. She’d said all the right goodbyes, packed her apartment, and mapped out the next steps for her career. On paper, everything looked perfect.
Improving quality of life depends on change. Because if nothing changes in your life…nothing changes! The most impactful changes are often very small like making your bed, as Karen discovered. You’ll get a peek into her story below.
We all hear the reports that the rate of health problems such as obesity, depression, and heart disease are increasing. I believe many are in crisis. They just don’t know how to get started and stay on track.
Perhaps you’d like to exercise more, eat healthfully, or develop more resilience. But you just can’t maintain your good intentions. Rather than be in a “let life happen mode”, a “take charge of life” mode will be more helpful. Something as simple as making your bed can help.
When people think about sustainable living they often focus on living green or minimalistic. They know the earth’s resources are limited so they try to use them sensibly. It makes sense to take care of the planet we live on.
However, the same people treat their personal resources differently. They push, use, hustle, rush, and demand more of themselves than their bodies and minds can handle. That creates a huge disconnect in their approach to sustainable living. Because if we can’t sustain our own lives, how can we sustain the resources of this planet? Somehow, at some point, the commitment to living sustainably will break down because… it’s not sustainable!
Every December, I engage in a powerful ritual called Best Year Yet. It’s a time when I pause, reflect, and realign my vision for the year ahead. This process often reveals something profound, a shift in how I understand myself in connection with performance and potential. This new understanding is the foundation that helps me adjust my Master Life Plan.
I created my Master Life Plan years ago with the intention that it be flexible — allowing me to grow or rest as I need. It guides me throughout each coming year, making it better than the last. Do you do something similar to get ready for a new year?
There’s something profound about returning to the places and people that shaped us. Recently, I went back to Italy to visit my family, spending time with my mom and my brother—who holds a special place in my heart. Being back in the home I grew up in was a comforting experience, but it also stirred up a mixture of memories, both joyful and challenging. I felt firsthand how deeply the body remembers, holding traces of these formative experiences even when we aren’t consciously aware of them.