The current events in Israel have been heartbreaking. A lot of my client work the past few weeks has included talking through many parts of this. And lots of crying for us also. It’s hard to even know what to say about it here, there’s just SO MUCH. I’ll share this for now though. Recently, I went to see the film Stop Making Sense -- a remastered version of The Talking Heads concert from 1983 which was shot over 3 nights (and the film was shown in 1984). Some call it “the best concert of all time”....I don’t know about that (who’s the judge?) but what I DO know is that seeing that film LIT ME UP. It inspired me in the best of ways -- lifted my spirits and meant dancing in the streets afterwards (because it was THAT GOOD), and because we need that in our lives. I loved it so much. Music and art have always touched me deeply and inspired me in the coolest ways (more on that another time).
This joyful evening experience happened BEFORE I had heard about the attacks in Israel… Later I thought wow, how wild is it that I could feel SO inspired and joyful, dancing in the streets, while that had just happened -- later leaving me feeling in shock, achingly so -- and with many mixed feelings. We humans are capable of creating and destroying so many things.
The term “self-care” gets mentioned a lot today. To me, self care also means experiencing and honoring ALL your feelings, and very importantly, understanding what you can control/change and what you can't. And also releasing attachment to what you cannot change or control. Take whatever action you can, then get present in your own life: feeling whatever is important for you now. That doesn't diminish your care/concern for others - but it does shift the focus from reacting to events you are not in charge of, to coming back to what you ARE in charge of - your own life, actions and well-being.
I would never tell someone how they “should feel” but I can remind myself and others that we have limits in terms of our responsibility and ability and the true power we have, which is over ourselves which in-turn impacts the greater whole. What do you do when you feel “helpless”? How does the experience of “self-care” show up for you when you hear horrible news? Do you reach out to loved ones? Do you cry and make art? How do you take care of yourself when something upsets you deeply?
I am inviting you to set up a call with me! Are you ready to talk about how you can uplevel your wellness? What does “self-care” mean for you now?
Some Things To Share With YOU
Pumpkin Pie with Pumpkin Seed Crust:
Sometimes when I am feeling out of sorts I bake something fun or invent a recipe to experiment with. I love this recipe at this time of year. Here are some ingredient variations for things you may have already in the kitchen.
Variation for Crust: Use unsalted sunflower seeds or walnuts in place of the pumpkin seeds.
Variation for Filling: Use canned pumpkin.
Fine and Raw is run by a really dear friend of mine. He has cracked the code on high quality chocolate making. This is artisanal, raw chocolate produced without dairy. It uses unrefined coconut sugar to extract caramel notes, adding deeper, more vital flavors… and you can use my code JessChoko for 15% off their wonderful products.
