Did you have a vibe that you wanted to create for 2020, that you consciously thought about during the New Year’s celebrations? I sure did. I even bought a felt “reminder board” for my home office with the three key words I wrote with the included plastic letters. Since my home flooded and we were displaced to a hotel almost all of 2019, in 2020, by contrast, I wanted to experience: JOY, EASE and FUN.
Did I just hear my little board laugh at me?
I have left my board up, right here next to me daily, even though JOY EASE and FUN seem distant and even frivolous given the pandemic. Are they?
The Master a Positive Attitude spoke of my Well-Being Wheel, is one of my inherent gifts, so I have been determined to find, conjure and create FUN, EASE and JOY in my life. Here I am going to share what made my life happier and easier this week. These might be just the thing you need too:
1) Home delivery services that make life healthier and easier:
- Purplecarrot.com – organic, vibrant, plant-based recipes with the exact ingredients, delivered every Tues to my door. I never used to cook, but Amelia and I made smoked portobello mushroom tacos this week. Delish.
- JavaPresse.com – organic coffee bean delivery club founded by gifted Austin entrepreneur and dear friend Raj Jana. My fav blend is called “Happy Place.” Why yes it is.
- DryFarmWines.com – organic, additive-free, no sugar, artisan wines delivered (I am in the Rose Club)
Are you getting something delivered that has been a godsend? Tell me about it!
2) An unexpected “carbon offset” to scary stressful thoughts or just the shitstorm in general:
I believe that little joys are more essential than ever to our well-being. Some days are harder than others being the only parent (in this house) to two spirited teen girls (16 and 18) who miss their formerly varied and colorful lives. During the day, our group desk (which seemed like such a lovely idea during the remodel) is ground zero for me delivering excellence in my wealth management career (I am busy) and I also assist one daughter with most of her schoolwork. Sometimes, tensions run high.
We brainstormed about how we could find more JOY, how we could manipulate it and bring it more consciously into our home. We three adore Broadway shows (sending love to NYC) and agreed that the opposite to a pandemic would probably be a musical– yep, a movie version of our favorite musicals where there is singing, dancing (who doesn’t love a kick line?) and most of all, it would provide an escape from reality.
So, we watch a musical together every night after dinner. This week, we watched Barbra Streisand in Hello Dolly and Funny Girl, and Dick Van Dyke in Bye Bye Birdie. Total escapism.
What would this customization look like for you? How could you “offset” the stresses of your world right now? What is an “opposite” that might be doable?
3) Increasing understanding and compassion
In my wealth management firm each morning, we advisors and our client associates have a daily coffee all-hands zoom with our area leader, and he recommended a book on Thursday that is helping me quell my judgments about other people and how they are behaving.
Re-released on April 28th, the bestseller, Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions and Hurtful Acts is teaching me more about cognitive dissonance, confirmation bias -and how people justify themselves. Astonishingly soothing to my frustration around the divisiveness in our country.
Question: What is bugging you? Is there something you could read, a documentary that you could watch, a topic you could research or something you could learn more about to quell that angst? Therein lies a well-being improvement.
4) Seeing a service-minded opportunity to help
I was a guest on the following 6 podcasts within the last two months, loved being on them, and I invite you to enjoy these free conversations while you do your dishes or workout. It has been my honor and give-back to our well-being and success community:
- My Quest for the Best with Bill Ringle #256 (Top 50 iTunes Business Podcast) -amazing interviewer, brilliant business mind
- Mindvalley SuperHuman At Work: Focus on What Matters – with Jason Campbell, expert on workplace culture and sunny, great person
- Mindvalley Superhumans At Work: Preparing for Social Distancing – with Jason Campbell (the trailer alone got 51k views in a single day) – we rocked and rolled on this
- NextFem: Leverage Well-Being for Success with Tara Padua, soul-sister type who interviews successful women business leaders- this is a chat that touched on spirituality
- Corporate Talk with Charlie and Eva: How to Protect your Most Precious Asset – New York vibe, two wellness @ work advocates, so much to say and we packed it in
- Mindful Impact with Justin Francisco: Protecting Your Asset super conscious host, newer podcast, great vibe
Being of service elevates our JOY, because we are using our unique talents and trying to match that with what the world needs. The intersection of those is where the magic happens.
JOY, EASE and FUN can be ours… with a little extra conscious work.
Please feel free to connect with me on my personal email, which is megan@meganmcnealy.com Let me know what is working for you!
