Have you been feeling like it’s all a bit too much lately?

I know I have. With everything going on in my life and the world, my capacity to focus, retain things, stay motivated, and take on anything new has diminished significantly.

What’s helping me the most?

Boy, the anxiety & overwhelm just keeps ramping up, doesn't it?

With the second wave of the pandemic upon us, lots of people unemployed and underemployed, racial violence still happening, and the U.S. on fire in so many ways, it can be easy to spend much of our days feeling anxious, enraged, overwhelmed, terrified and in despair - this on top of the daily stress we all experience.

But, as many Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving last week, we got a much-needed opportunity to unhook from the craziness and reflect on the places in our lives that feel rich with meaning, goodness, beauty and love.

This morning I was walking with my four-year-old, when he tripped and fell on the pavement. At first he started wailing, but then he and I quickly worked our magic together to move him from that initial shock and unbearable stinging to feeling calm, cool and collected.

What was the magic we used?

"I am angry."
"I feel angry."

What's your internal experience when you read each of these statements? Does number one feel heavier or more intense? Do you feel less attached to the emotion in the second one? I know that's true for me.

Why do we use the words "I am" to describe how we feel? When we do this, we're essentially claiming the emotion as part of who we are.

It's become clear that we humans don't deal well with extended uncertainty. When given the choice, I'm betting most of us would opt for knowing a negative outcome now over waiting indefinitely for an unknown outcome. We wish to know how the story ends.