Daily Gratitude: This seems so simple doesn’t it? But in today’s world with all its distractions, it’s not so simple and it’s not that easy either. I find myself getting distracted by those “reels”, scrolling to see if the next one will be another husky video. Next thing I know, way too much time has passed. What if every morning we decided what the “main thing” was for today. And every morning we repeated this at least once an hour “I keep the main thing the main thing!” Are you willing to try this and see how it works for you? I have been all over the place lately, not getting much done and it’s created an unsettling feeling in me. Yesterday , though, I decided that as soon as it got light, I would start packing my car to go to the race AND when that was done I would work solely on my death doula homework so I could turn that in before I leave. Oh and I also had to finish reading the book for our book club. Yes that was three main things but I had determined I would start and finish then in sequence. If I hadn’t done that I would have jumped from one project to the other and maybe not have gotten any of them completed. It was amazing how this worked and has given me more motivation to do it again. Just an aside, if you can do this planning the night before, it will be even more effective since it will give your resting brain an opportunity to work on the plan while you’re asleep.

Daily Gratitude: Isn’t this the truth. It’s ironic too. And sad. We always hear that people have to reach rock bottom before they change. That’s the desperation. Others can read an inspiring story about how a normal person up and did something they would like to do. Somehow it strikes them that “maybe I can do it too. I can see what that person did and do the same things”. It may or may not work but it’s a place to start. In my opinion, it’s ok to start from either place. Just start!

Death

Daily Gratitude: When death is upon us, there are only certain things we can control. One of which is preparing all the necessary documents ahead of time. 70% of people in the US do not have a valid will or trust. The best gift you can give your loved ones is to ensure all the “t”s are crossed and the “I”s are dotted. I don’t know about you but when I used to hear the word “advanced directive”, I thought it was just one piece of paper that I had to fill out. But guess what? It’s many documents depending on your circumstances. For instance do you have a document designating your “digital proxy”? I’ve wondered about this when I’ve seen active social media accounts of people we all know have passed away. What about your pets? Did you know you should designate backups to your medical proxy (medical power of attorney)? Do you know what documents have to be notarized and which just need witnesses. There are different papers for each state so you need to know about that. Is your next of kin in another state? This and so many questions. Here are two websites to check out: https://endoflifearts.com and 5 Wishes. In Texas you can also check out the Texas health and human services website. One of my 2025 goals is to have all my end of life documents created.