Coping with the Weight of the World

Greetings all!

As I was cleaning my email inbox this Sunday, I came across a bookmarked email all the way from October-2023 with the subject “Coping with the Weight of the World.” It made me sad to realize that the weight of the world has not lessened in the past year and a half, and some might even say it got heavier.

If you feel weary and helpless, overwhelmed by fear, anxiety and grief, if you need a break from information overload, or if you just need a pause for self-care, check out these free CALM talks and practices to help navigate uncertain times.

https://www.calm.com/app/feeds/collection-coping-with-the-weight-of-the-world?utm_source=lifecycle&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=midweek_engagement_10142023 

Image from https://www.instagram.com/vinkashy/p/CRmMDkwBS9b/

• May we all be safe.
• May we all be free from harm.
• May we all find relief from suffering.

March 8 – International Women’s Day

https://bookriot.com/strong-women-quotes/

Have a great week! Be yourself, and if you want to sparkle, sparkle!

Source (and more!): https://www.instagram.com/momsbehavingbadly/

Thought of the week – The Paradox of Risk

“The paradox of risk:
 
(1) Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. If you lose the basket, you lose it all. 

Image from https://pxhere.com/pt/photo/818612#google_vignette 

(2) Don’t put your eggs in too many baskets. The more baskets you manage, the less energy you can put into each one. It’s risky to do things halfway.
 
Diversified, but focused.”

~James Clear, https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/april-23-2020

February 22 - National Margarita Day in the U.S.

Greetings all!

If you are looking for something to celebrate this coming Saturday, why not break out the tequila and celebrate National Margarita Day?!

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Tequila
• 1 oz. Triple Sec
• 1 oz. fresh lime juice
• Lime wedge to garnish – classic

Variations

• A few slices of jalapeno – make it spicy
• 1 oz. mango puree – make it sweet

Instructions

Shake all the ingredients with ice, strain and serve in a salt-rimmed glass. 

A little Bit of History:

1938 – If you were allergic to all spirits, except tequila, you were in luck! Carlos "Danny" Herrera created the first margarita in Tijuana, Mexico

1945 – "Margarita: It's more than a girl's name” was the slogan used by tequila brand Jose Cuervo

1971 – The first frozen margarita machine was invented by Dallas restaurateur Mariano Martinez

1982 – “We only go around two times, and then deploy a simulated Margarita before landing” was the message from the shuttle STS-8 astronauts

2008 – Margarita became the most popular cocktail  in the U.S.

2012 – National Margarita Day emerged

Bon Appetit!  

Sources:

• https://www.holidaycalendar.io/holiday/national-margarita-day
• https://nationalmargaritaday.com/ (images and recipes)

Hyvää Ystävänpäivää!

Greetings all!

What do you associate with a traditional Valentine’s Day? Do you think of chocolate, roses, grand gestures, and candle-lit dinners? Or do you feel like one of my friends, who emphatically told me the other day, “Valentine’s Day is stupid”?

Well, if you lived in Finland - do I have any Finnish readers today?! – you would definitely be celebrating something on February 14! However, instead of romance - or in addition to romance - you would be celebrating friendship!

Ystävänpäivä is translated as Friend’s Day, and I doubt anyone can object to showing love and appreciation for one’s friends.

So Hyvää Ystävänpäivää to all of my friends around the globe: I love and appreciate you - today and every day!

Source and image: https://www.gofinland.org/how-finland-celebrates-valentines-day-friendship-over-romance/

Cool Snow Sculpture Art

Source (and more!): https://pleated-jeans.com/2025/01/06/snow-sculpture-art-pictures/

A Tiny Morning Habit with a Huge Impact - “This Is Going to Be a Great Day!”

Greetings all!

How do you start your day? Do you ever wake up and say “This is going to be a great day!”? Or do you start with checking news, social media, and emails?

Image: https://www.pickpik.com/reach-out-out-to-the-world-man-sky-silhouette-rock-36933

I am currently re-reading a great book by BJ Fogg “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything” - and my main takeaway is that for any habit, you start tiny. 

So if you want to get into a habit of starting your day on a positive note, your tiny new habit is to wake up, put your feet on the ground (if that is available to you), and say “This is going to be a great day!”

You can also use a variation that resonates better for you – “Today is going to be awesome!” works just as well!

Give it a try! It takes less than a minute and might work miracles. I also like adding a smile and a stretch to the skies.

What did you think? Drop me a line and have a great day!

P.S. The author calls it “The Maui Habit” and if you google it, you will find a lot of inspirational stories how this habit improved someone’s life!