Do you feel the love?

 

February 13, 2023 Regenerate Your World  Build the future you want to live in. I know these times aren't the easiest for all of us, but I am an optimist - I see the glass as half-full, instead of half-empty. To brighten up your days, I publish the Regenerate Your World newsletter coming to your inbox on a bi-weekly basis. Let's Get Empowered! Do you feel the love? Hello, Regenerate Your World Readers! Life moves fast and seems to move faster by the day. Sometimes it can feel like we are spinning out of control with no end in sight. As the pace of life speeds up you may feel drawn to activities that can slow life down. One of these activities is meditation. Thich Nhat Hanh a Vietnamese Buddhist monk defines mindfulness as being fully conscious in the current moment. Thich Nhat Hanh believed mindfulness was the secret not just to happiness but to being authentically alive and who doesn't want that?!  Traditional meditation has many benefits, with practice you will begin to see the benefits of meditation including the management of anger, and social anxiety, improved concentration, and memory recall. Meditation is not always easy, be patient with yourself and you will soon see the benefits.  I remember the first time I tried meditation. I took a class in college called Suffering and Christian Healing. My meditation experience didn’t go very well and I stayed away from meditation for several years after this experience. Every Friday for 16 weeks we would go to a small cold chapel on campus, lay on an itchy woven mat, and listen to a guided meditation our Professor would read to us. (I really liked my Professor just not this part of the class).  Most Fridays, as I lay on my mat I was trying to keep warm and not fall asleep. I did not understand the process of meditation. After 50 minutes I got up off my mat feeling like I had just wasted my time doing nothing.  I didn’t know, “doing nothing” and “just being” is the point. I am glad I had this experience because I know now how important it is to be patient with myself when practicing meditation and when teaching others about meditation there are many points to share that will help explain the process of meditation. Jumping right into a meditation practice without direction isn’t very helpful. When I teach others about meditation I often share this experience because I always felt meditation is just natural and I should be able to meditate easily. Meditation is far from easy for me however I can adjust a few things in my meditation practice that make it easier.  For example, it is important to know  meditation involves the breath,  non-judgment, and  releasing attachment to any particular outcome.  Remembering to breathe and letting go of judgment helps me to stay in the present moment. While I still struggle with meditating for long periods of time and I continue the practice because I have seen the benefits in my life when I incorporate it into my day-to-day life. Meditation has helped me become less reactive to situations. I take pause before I respond instead of jumping to conclusions and making assumptions. A few additional points that have helped me are,  I try meditating in the same space and I make it easier by setting up the space ahead of time.  I like to practice meditation in the morning so I am not as distracted and not too tired. I try to be in a quiet space and it helps if there is a blanket available to keep me warm. I also remind myself to breathe and relax my jaw and lower my shoulders. Once I prepare mentally and physically it is much easier for me to meditate for a few minutes.  Have you ever tried to meditate? If so, what works for you? How have you incorporated meditation into your life? What types of meditation have you tried? There are many forms of meditation. One that has been particularly helpful for me during difficult times with others and when I am feeling disappointed is loving-kindness meditation.  During loving-kindness meditation, you focus on moving loving energy toward yourself and others.  Take a few minutes of your day to practice loving-kindness through meditation. To sign up for a free loving kindness video go to www.empowerpossible.com/p/loving-kindness-meditation-free-video How can you take a few minutes today and every day to show yourself some love?  In honor of Valentine’s day let’s do something to care for ourselves. Maybe it is meditation, maybe it is going outside for a walk, or it could be sipping your favorite tea or coffee whatever it is make time for it today and tomorrow too! “The object of your practice should first of all be yourself. Your love for the other, your ability to love another person, depends on your ability to love yourself.” ― Hanh Nhat Thich, True Love: A Practice for Awakening the Heart Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Click here to get your own subscription. Poem about Love By Kailey Brennan August 22, 2019 Loving yourself is tough. Waking up every day with a proud sense of who you are can feel exhausting, or even impossible. But we all know, deep down, we can be the best versions of ourselves when we love ourselves fiercely and freely. Sometimes it takes mantras and prayers and sticky notes on the wall and chats in the mirror to make self-love stick. Poetry can help too.  Here is a poem about love. accept yourself as a work in progress the continue  to build yourself into the person you’re dreaming to be; the person you have all the potential to be.  accept your flaws, accept your truths. accept your past.  and make light of them. no one can tear you down if  you make peace with who you are and where you’ve  been.  if you are going to focus on the negative at all, focus on turning them into positives.  focus on growing.  sometimes, often times, our minds are the scariest  place to sit.  it’ll trick you into comparing yourself  to others and it’ll trick you into believing you aren’t  good enough. but you are.  you have always been and you always will be. you’re much more powerful  when you believe in yourself.  if you don’t love all of you, who will?  give yourself time to blossom.    —Reyna Biddy  In the Media Where can you find EMPOWER Possible? Besides posting on my own social media I also collaborate with other entrepreneurs.  Most recently I was a guest on Positive Impact TV. Check out the episode linked HERE to learn more about strengths and how to build them. I even highlight Gitchi Gami (Lake Superior) during the conversation! EMPOWER Possible Free Resources Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress — such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. It means "bouncing back" from difficult experiences. Resilience is part of an emotional skill set. Complete this worksheet to start building resilience today. Click the link to download. Building Resilience Take a few minutes to relax and envision an empowered future. The act of visualization helps you to practice and imagine the future you would like to have. It directs your mind to focus on your goals for the future. Click the link below to get started. Empowerment visualization Connect with me on social media! Copyright © [[account.name]] [[account.address]], [[account.city]], [[account.country]], [[account.zipCode]] EMPOWER Possible is dedicated to empowering individuals, organizations, and communities to organize and act together to regenerate our world through Self, Social, and Systems transformation.  info@empowerpossible.com \ Website \ Mission You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in my work—thank you! You can change your email preferences or unsubscribe at any time.  Edit preferences or Unsubscribe

Arete: The Pursuit of Happiness: What does happiness mean to you?

 

January 30, 2023 Regenerate Your World  Build the future you want to live in. I know these times aren't the easiest for all of us, but I am an optimist - I see the glass as half-full, instead of half-empty. To brighten up your days, I publish the Regenerate Your World newsletter coming to your inbox on a bi-weekly basis. Let's Get Empowered!

Arete: The Pursuit of Happiness Arete is a word the Greeks came up it carries with it one of the greatest pursuits of humankind. Arete means “to exist to your full potential”. In past newsletters - https://empowerpossible.blogspot.com/ , I mentioned my training in positive psychology. I have attended many workshops and lectures about the various aspects of positive psychology and in turn have led many workshops on the topic. According to founders of positive psychology, Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi positive psychology is "the scientific study of what makes life most worth living",  or  "the scientific study of positive human functioning and flourishing on multiple levels that include the biological, personal, relational, institutional, cultural, and global dimensions of life". There are always many lessons I learn each time I present a workshop. There is one lesson in particular that stands out to me related to this topic. After leading a workshop series one of the participants mentioned in the last week of a 10-week workshop that she was very skeptical of this topic. The name of the workshop was called Happy Hour and she felt happiness is frivolous. I asked her to say more and she shared that she felt “there are many more important things in life to focus on than happiness. Yes, happiness is nice but I don’t feel like I can waste my time focusing on my happiness I have more important things to do”. After she shared I had to take a breath because we had just spent an hour a week for 10 weeks discussing the importance of happiness in our lives and developing skills to incorporate the lessons we discussed. I was feeling like I failed. While thinking about her statement she continued, “but after attending this class I see now that happiness is more than a frivolous feeling it is an act. My happiness means more than I thought. If I am happy it means that I am more fulfilled, and I am a better mom and co-worker. It doesn’t mean that life is perfect or that I am ignoring my problems it means that I can address my problems without letting them consume me”. As soon as she shared these statements I was glad that I didn’t rush to defend myself and the course content. I realized she did a better job summarizing the material than I could. I saw others in the room begin to nod and they continued to share how their perception of happiness has changed. They realized happiness is a skill. When I begin the Happy Hour workshop I start by sharing the concept of Arete. The definition of happiness that is the foundation for the workshop is happiness is achieved by striving to reach your full potential. Happiness is not just a mood it is work and work is not the opposite of happiness. Authentic Happiness allows us to experience the full range of human emotions, happiness is engaging in meaningful activities that we enjoy That doesn’t mean life is not stressful or that we do not need to work hard is simply means happiness is more complex than a yellow smiley face. Studies show that people who view work as less of a “job,” which is a chore and takes away from their free time, and more as a “career” or “calling” are exponentially more likely to feel fulfilled. These same people also invest more time in their work and are usually more successful. Researchers suggest you rethink each of your daily tasks. If you are a health professional, for example, and paperwork usually drains your energy, consider the purpose of the task. If you think of it as documenting the progress of a patient and making it easier for other health professionals to step in later, then it becomes easier to view your actions as contributing to the greater good. Now that we are beginning a new year it could be a good time to reflect on the past year.  Below are a few questions that can help you reflect ( no need to overthink, just write down what comes to mind): What contributed to your happiness last year, what moments brought you happiness, and what themes do you notice (nature, travel, food, friends, family)?  What would I like to have more of in my life? Start by brainstorming, but then try to go very specific. What do I need less of in my life? Get specific. What beliefs around happiness do you currently have?  Do these beliefs help you reach your full potential?  What's one thing that really helps you when you are feeling down?  Consider what beliefs support you in reaching your full potential and what beliefs you may need to shift. You have this one life to live and I know that you can live a fulfilling and happy life I FEEL THAT IN MY ENTIRE BEING. How?  Ditch the belief systems that tell you you can’t. Look for representations of what is possible and stay aligned to *that* Consider your support system- are you a rule follower or breaker-how do you set yourself up for success- does guidelines (setting a bed time, move by 3pm, 5-7 fruits and veggies a day) feel liberating or constricting?  Take a workshop or course about happiness and develop your happiness skill set. Go to EMPOWER Courses  Get a coach to help support you.  Lastly, what can you do today? Right at this moment to get started? Maybe it is writing down your commitment to the concept of Arete and reaching your full potential. Or it could be listing 3 things you are grateful for and why or taking five big deep belly breaths and releasing each breath with a smile. Whatever it is take a moment right now to do it. I am also here to support you. Please send me an email noting what steps you are going to take today to info@empowerpossible.com. The photo above is from a presentation I delivered at the MidWest Health Promotion Conference last year when I still worked at the College of St. Scholastica.  Something that helps me reach my full potential is delivering conference presentations. I used to despise public speaking. I even determined which grad school to attend based on schools that had non-teaching graduate assistantships. If I had to speak in public/teach that school was off the list. I since have overcome my fear of public speaking and it is something that I can find some joy in.  In order for me to overcome my fear I focus on the benefits that will result from doing what I am afraid of. I think about how my audience will benefit from what I have to share and that the audience is there because they are interested in what I have to say and want me to succeed and deliver a good presentation. This is an example of an activity that makes me happy but is also a lot of work. **Disclaimer - I do believe happiness in the context of arete is achievable for everyone and I would like to acknowledge mental health is on a spectrum ranging from clinical diagnosis to no clinical symptoms. Mental health is also different from mental well-being. Mental well-being is also on a spectrum from unwell to well. All of us fall somewhere on both spectrums and where we fall on the spectrum changes. Where we fall on the spectrum will affect us and our ability to achieve arete. Please do not be hard on yourself if arete does not come easily to you. You may need to focus on other areas of your well-being and mental health before focusing on arete.  Take care this week and always. Thank you for your readership! Together we can regenerate our world, Julie

The Choice Is Mine  By Abimbola T. Alabi I've had my share of troubles in life, though not as much as some have had. But I've discovered that happiness - or a lack of it - never really comes from my friends or foes. Although they do influence it, it's really up to me. Happiness Poem Life may not let me choose my lot, But whether I'd be happy or not... That is my choice. To leave hurtful memories behind Or allow them to bother my mind... The choice is mine. To fret over a mistake when it's done Or learn from it and move on... The choice is mine. To be bothered by all that people say Or ignore them and go my own way... The choice is mine. To hide my feelings, pent up, unspoken, Or say my mind and ease the burden... The choice is mine. To enjoy what I've been able to gain Or ungratefully regard it with disdain... The choice is mine. Sometimes I won't get to pick my lot, But whether I'll be happy or not Will always be my choice. Click to review EMPOWER Possible Free Resources

Connect with me on social media! Copyright © EMPOWER Possible 4912 Idlewild St., Duluth, United States, 55804 EMPOWER Possible is dedicated to empowering individuals, organizations, and communities to organize and act together to regenerate our world through Self, Social, and Systems transformation.  info@empowerpossible.com \ Website \ Mission

What A Ride!

 

January 16, 2023 Regenerate Your World  Build the future you want to live in. I know these times aren't the easiest for all of us, but I am an optimist - I see the glass as half-full, instead of half-empty. To brighten up your days, I publish the Regenerate Your World newsletter coming to your inbox on a bi-weekly basis. Let's Get Empowered!

What a ride! When dreams come true. The photo above is from the Team Alicia celebration dinner.  Greetings! Per Minnesota Statute 3.011, the Ninety-third Session of the Minnesota Legislature will begin on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. House Floor Session. - Members-elect take their oath of office. - Election of Speaker of the House. - Election of Chief Clerk of the House. - Election of other officers of the House. The above were the proceedings at the Minnesota State Capital that marked the beginning of my friend, Alicia Kozlowski’s term as MN House Representative for Section 8B. January 3rd was the beginning of a dream for Alicia, the completion of a dream for me, and the ending of a wild ride to the capital.   On June 3rd, 2022 I received a text from an unknown number asking if I would like to get involved with Alicia Kozlowski’s campaign. I knew my friend Alicia was running to represent Minnesota Section 8B. After attending a campaign event and speaking with Alicia about the campaign they intended to run and their goals for the time in office I offered to help support the campaign. I replied to the text sharing I am interested in learning more. After meeting with the campaign manager, I was the new Volunteer Coordinator for the campaign. I  served on another friend's campaign team a few years ago I had an idea of what is involved in running and volunteering on a campaign team. I knew it would take a lot of time and effort to help with the campaign and I knew if Alicia was elected Minnesota would be better (read the Duluth New Tribune Op-Ed article posted at the end of the newsletter for more information about why). Back in June was the beginning of my involvement with Alicia’s dream to represent MN and my dream to help the candidates I believe in elected to office.  This leads me to the question, what does it take to make a dream a reality? This is the question I have been pondering as I have wrapped up several projects in 2022 and as I am heading into 2023. I noticed in order to be successful in making a dream come true it takes a community,  a community of people willing to take time from their lives to support a greater cause, a community willing to share progressive ideas that challenge the status quo, a community that cares,  supports each other, and forgives each other. During my time serving on the campaign team, we built our own community as a team and also engaged with the greater community in Duluth, MN. During my time with the campaign team there were times of joy, fun, frustration, sadness, grief,  (Alicia lost their Dad during the campaign), and relief. Some of these moments were expected and some unexpected.  One lesson I learned from my time on the campaign team is how important it is to communicate community expectations. Have you ever noticed how when you go to a new place for the first time you might look around to see what others are doing? Think about the last time you tried something new. How did you learn how to do it? Did you watch someone else do it first? This is called social cognitive theory, developed by Albert Bandura. Basically, it proposes, learning occurs in a social context with the interaction of the person, environment, and behavior. It is essential to set community expectations because other people model the behavior they see. In order to build the community and encourage the community to know your expectations you need to communicate the what (experiences), the why, and how (beliefs and practices) behind your community expectations. How can the communities you are involved in support your dreams?  What are your expectations for your community?  Do the members of the community know your expectations? When I graduated from North Dakota State University with my Master’s degree a friend gave me a framed Henry David Thoreau quote, "Go Confidently In The Direction of Your Dreams". I appreciated the gift and over time, I have gained a sense of appreciation for this quote as I have found myself in situations where I have questioned my dreams wondering if I have what it takes to make this dream come true. When I start to question my dreams I think about the other times when I have been successful, I also think, "what is the worst that could happen?". If I try and it doesn't turn out how I thought it was going to then it is a lesson learned and I try something else. Asking these questions helps build my confidence and then when I decide I want to move confidently forward I ask myself if it is worth it. In other words, are achieving my dreams worth what it takes to achieve them?  I had a dream of working to successfully elect Alica to the MN House however I also have a goal/dream of maintaining my well-being.  In order for these two dreams to not be in conflict with each other my work on the campaign can't take away from my well-being otherwise it is not "worth" it.  Every dream takes work but when the work starts to interfere with my well-being I need to think about how important this dream is to me. As my interesting ride with Team Alicia ends I learned in order to make a dream a reality, I need to work in community with others, I need to communicate my needs with my community and I need to set dreams that complement each other and don't work against each other.  As you think about your dreams think about the questions Alexandra Franzen posed in their latest newsletter, "What do you want to be celebrating 100 days from now?" That's April 26, 2023. Think about projects you want to complete, experiences you want to have, milestones you want to reach, or how you want to feel. Enjoy the ride! What actions will you take—today—to create the future you want?  How can your community support you? I am also here to support you. Please send me an email noting your dreams to info@empowerpossible.com.  Also, don't forget to check out the freebie section. I created digital downloads and would like to share them with you! Take care this week and always. Thank you for your readership! Together we can regenerate our world, Julie Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Click here to get your own subscription. Duluth News Tribune Article  By Alicia Kozlowski By all statistics, I shouldn’t be who or where I am today, but as an elder always tells me often, “Gego Wiikanendankayn. Don’t ever give up!” As a kid running the streets of Duluth, I recall thinking to myself, “I’m going to MAKE HOPE so our future is brighter than this.” Flash forward to election day where my strong standing daughter pulls me close and whispers, “our super power is making our own hope and joy!”  The last five weeks have been rewarding beyond measure envisioning a state government that has our backs. The era of gridlock is over as we walk into the most diverse Minnesota Legislature in history and a majority in the house, senate, and governorship. As we gear up for session, I’m dialed in to Duluthians needs and abundant strengths, and already fast at work for the people of Minnesota.  Together, we organized, trusted, and believed in our collective power and flourishing future. As Minnesota's projected budget surplus soars to over $17 billion,  we need a budget that holistically puts people's lives and this land at its center. This was affirmed by a panel of previous legislators who shared wholeheartedly with our incoming class, “Be bold, spend the money, and do the most good for the most people of Minnesota.”  The time is here and now for unmatched energy and political will to pass policy solutions and desperately needed investments that support workers, families, and our communities. This is our opportunity to fully fund our schools, publicly funded childcare, bold investments in housing and mental health supports, help Minnesotans with rising costs and tax relief, prevent gun violence, invest in critical infrastructure and our dynamic workforce, and much more to pave our own path towards thriving again. Door by door, we heard loud and clear that it’s time to rein in corporate greed by ensuring fairness in taxes, and move us towards universal and comprehensive healthcare so our loved ones can afford their lives. These issues braided across racial, economic, and climate justice drove me as a candidate and will guide my values-based priorities as your State Representative.  Not only did we gain a trifecta of legislative and executive power, we elected the most diverse legislature in Minnesota’s history. November was a rainbow wave across the state and country.  I may be our state’s first nonbinary state legislator, but I promise you I won’t be the last! With the launch of the new Queer Caucus, we’ll mobilize a historic class of 12 LGBTQIA2S representatives to advance the movement for queer liberation. Together, we’re already working on grassroots solutions to protect rights, expand access to resources, and invest in LGBTQIA2S youth, people, and families. Despite Minnesota’s projected massive budget surplus, there remain stark and unacceptable inequities throughout our state. Black, Indigenous, and Minnesotans of color are counting on us to seize this moment and deliver a transformative agenda. That’s why I’m incredibly proud to have been elected Vice Chair of the  House DFL Indigenous and People of Color (POCI) Caucus. We’ll build upon the groundswell of community-led work to continue strengthening community crisis response and ban no knock warrants, growing wealth through BIPOC entrepreneurship and economic mobility, invest in deeply affordable housing and pathways to homeownership for communities of color, and much more. This is the transformative work Minnesotans elected us to deliver. We’re wide-eyed and laser-focused on using the people’s surplus to advance legislation that urgently improves lives and protects the people, land, air, and waters of Minnesotans for future generations to come.  Duluth, keep your relentless hope, unmatched dreams, and a community of people who never give up coming in the new year.  Now is the time to urgently drive forward the necessary solutions to help our neighbors stand taller and breathe lighter as we move into a brighter, more just future for the long run. Onward!

EMPOWER Possible Free Resources Have you heard of information overload? Yes, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. There are so many options when it comes to online learning it can be hard to know where to start. We can get overwhelmed and end up doing nothing. Click the link below for a few tips that help me move from doing nothing and overcoming information overload by moving into action. How to get started with online learning Take a few minutes to relax and envision an empowered future. The act of visualization helps you to practice and imagine the future you would like to have. It directs your mind to focus on your goals for the future. Click the link below to get started. Empowerment visualization Upcoming Events What: MasterClass Group Where: Virtual Meeting When: Saturday February 11th, 9am-10am  Why: Maximize learning integration in a community of lifelong learners who also support gender equity.  Cost: Free! What: THRIVE: Overcome Burnout Duluth, MN Community Education Class Registration opens January 2023  When: February 2023 Why: Participants will learn the signs of burnout and how to overcome and prevent burnout. Cost: $29.00

Connect with me on social media! Copyright © EMPOWER Possible 4912 Idlewild St., Duluth, United States, 55804 EMPOWER Possible is dedicated to empowering individuals, organizations, and communities to organize and act together to regenerate our world through Self, Social, and Systems transformation.  info@empowerpossible.com \ Website \ Mission You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in my work—thank you! You can change your email preferences or unsubscribe at any time.