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Early mornings is truly the sanity of the single parent. Time for a coffee and organizing for the day before the kiddies get up is a great way to start each day. A time for yoga, meditating , a time to just breath. Spring is a great time to start this practice as it gets light so early. Try it for two weeks and I am hoping you will relish it as I do. Crack open a window to hear the birds chirping away. Can’t resist : “The early bird catches the worm”
Photo Above Of My Early Morning "Cozy" Work Area
Articles
#1
I know for myself, and I hear from many of my clients, that waves of grief and mourning for the loss of a marriage come at the most unexpected times. No matter what the circumstances that led to the end a relationship, the loss of a commitment that was intended to last a lifetime is certainly one to grieve for.
I do hope you find solace in this article from the:
GRIEF IS IMPORTANT
by Madisyn Taylor
Published in DailyOM
Change is something that happens each and every moment in our lives. Since nothing is constant, it may sometimes seem as if we are losing something whenever things do change. Understanding that this is part of our daily existence and that there will not only be gains but also losses in our lives can help us more readily accept and deal with whatever happens.
Whenever we lose something or somebody we love, it is important for us to take time out for ourselves and truly feel the weight of what we are experiencing. Although it may seem that doing so will push us into a deeper state of sadness, truly giving ourselves permission to be with whatever arises actually creates space for us to begin the healing process. This is because the act of grieving is a natural process, allowing us to sort through the range of emotions that are present in our everyday existence. Even though it may sometimes seem easier to involve ourselves in activities that take our minds off of our sadness, this will only make the route to healing more difficult. Unless we listen to where we are in the moment, the emotions we experience will only grow in intensity, and our feelings will manifest themselves in more powerful and less comfortable ways. Once we consciously acknowledge that these emotions are present, however, we are more able to soothe the sorrow of the moment. In so doing, we become more open to our natural ability to heal ourselves.
Grieving doesn't have to be a process that keeps us rooted in our thoughts of fear and sadness. For the moment we might feel despondent, but by expressing and coping with our true feelings, we face the sadness head-on. When we allow ourselves to accept and deal with our loss fully, we will then be able to continue our life's journey with a much more positive and accepting outlook. This will make it easier for us to see that our grief is ephemeral and, just like our moments of happiness, it will also come to pass.
#2
In my Family Mediation course at York University our professor called it the "Divorce Dog". I laughed at this because by that time we had accumulated two of our own (we are up to 4!!!! now- not 4 divorces, 4 dogs).
A lovely client of mine, after she told me at least 5 times that she would not adopt a dog, rescued an elderly female mixed breed from Dog Tails Rescue. I was so happy that she had adopted a dog as I knew she needed the companionship and the unconditional love, but was unsure as to why a 13 year old one? She answered, "No one adopts the older ones. I wanted to give her loving end of life years."
Whether a puppy, an older dog, or volunteering at your local humane society, the unconditional love can do so much for healing , getting you out for a walk, and always giving you good company.
I am happy to talk (for hours if you want) about how to find the right dog for you and your children. Huffington Post agrees:)
How Pets Help Heal a Broken Heart After Divorce
by Kristen Levine
published in HuffPost
04.22.2015
Click here to view the article
#3
Deciding to have Joint Child Custody isn't easy, but if both parents are on board, it is truly the best way to raise children. Figuring out all details of Shared Parenting and how to make it work for all the years to come can be make it well worth the huge effort. For some people it does not work, for many valid reasons.
Learning as much as you can about ins and outs of this type of delicate relationship will always help on this path.
Wishing you the very best with this journey
9 Rules to Make Joint Custody Work
by Kate Bayless
published in Parents Magazine
Click here to view the article
Books
No time to sit down to read? Listen on your phone
while on commute, cooking dinner, or out for a walk
Click here for information on how to download audiobooks
I was completely intrigued when I came across the book. Hey Ladies- Stop Apologizing by Maja Javonovic Phd. Could this be one of the core reasons that so many of us find ourselves at a place that we need to separate from our spouses?
Building Empowerment and Self Esteem (even when someone does not know that theirs' has been diminished) is at the base of my work. I will now be working with the philosophy that this book presensts- we need to stop apologizing.
For my Post-Divorce Business Coaching this book will certainly be top on those clients' Reading List.
Hey Ladies, Stop Apologizing
by Maja Jovanovic
From the book description:
Do you constantly doubt yourself or your abilities? Do you downplay your achievements or refuse to take credit for a job well done? Do you talk yourself out of doing something just so you won't fail? If so, then you're at the right place.
If you're not ALL IN, ALL THE WAY, ALL THE TIME, then you're nowhere.
Among the problems women face:
We play nice.
We don't ask for what we want.
We don't negotiate.
We apologize. All. The. Time.
We're people-pleasers.
We're over-thinkers.
We suffer from the fraud or imposter syndrome.
We're perfectionists.
We don't self-promote.
My mission is to bring awareness to your bad habits, to push you out of your comfort zone and into action, and to motivate you to reach up, dream bigger, and aspire for leadership positions in all areas of your life.
This is your opportunity to gain confidence and jump-start your life.
Are you ready?
Available on Amazon, Audible
Final Note:
With the goal of empowering my clients in order for them to move forward in a positive manner,
let's all keep working towards turning
OBSTACLE INTO OPPORTUNITY
Please reach out to me at any time:)