Hello,
As we move into November, everything is quickly shifting. Just as nature is doing, this is a time to slow down, pull your energy in, and reflect on what’s important to you. Express gratitude for your blessings and celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends.
Mercury goes retrograde November 9 through November 29th. You know the routine by now: slow down, allow more time to get to appointments and between appointments, avoid purchasing electronics and signing contracts, carefully choose your words and avoid allowing others to trigger you. Communications tend to go awry during this cycle. Yes, things can get crazier than they have been! Avoid getting drawn into the fray. A
good practice is to observe what’s going on without engaging in the chaos.
I’m including links to some recent articles that captured my attention. They may interest you as well.
An October 28th Forbes article, How Replacing One Word Can Boost Your Motivation and Well-Being, contributing author, Nicole Lipkin, highlights how eliminating the word “should” can make a big difference in your life. Madeline Gerwick and I discuss this and many other words, in Chapter 10 (“The Power of Words”) of our book, Money Is an Energy Game. During November, you can purchase two paper copies for the price of one on the book’s website, or get a Kindle digital copy from Amazon.
Another article highlights a study from Cornell University that began in 2019 that focuses on whether or not making a contribution to something you care about, leads to higher
levels of purpose and happiness. It turns out that it does. About 1,200 high school and college students who received $400.00 to make contributions to “pursue what matters most to them ... something that benefits their community, family or even themselves.” – tested higher than non-recipients on measures of well-being, sense of purpose, feeling needed and useful, and emotional balance, after six to eight weeks.
A third
article presents a twist on journaling as a gratitude practice. This is a NYT newsletter article, so hopefully you can access it. The twist is to write about what you’re grateful for and include how it came about and who was involved along the way. For example, I’m grateful
for a book that I recently received as a gift. The story take place in Florence, Italy and reminded me of our recent trip. I’m grateful that the company my husband works for gave us the trip as a gift, to thank him for 18 years of service and for helping to carry them through some challenging times. My husband is grateful to them for working from home for 18 years, long before it was popular! You get the gist … you give thanks for something special to you, and you explore the web of
related connections. It’s a cool process!
A fourth article is Help, I Hoard Things: The Science Behind Why We Hold Onto Possessions and Expert Tips on Letting Them
Go. Clutter is not your friend. It bogs you down, clogs your mind and emotions, and stops you in your tracks. It comes in a variety of forms. We all have it to some degree. Read or skim the article if you’d like to pick up a few tips.
The last article is about sustainable, net-zero energy, hurricane proof homes that are being built in Florida. They could be a good model for the future, given the patterns of more frequent storms. The initial homes have a high price tag (over $1 million). The economics may shift over time as more homes are built. These are a good start though.
Enjoy November and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Peg
(You can schedule services or a 15-minute complimentary session with me via Calendly.)
