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.

Daily Gratitude: Boy, is this such an important concept. Our conscious memories are limited but our brains receive, process and interpret everything that happens to us. It’s the strongest computer in the world. One great big database. Your brain has taken in all that happens, decides if it is a potential danger or safety and catalogs every experience in that database. This is why we have anxiety attacks but can’t figure out why. It’s most likely because something has entered your environment that has happened at some point in the past no matter how long ago. You probably don’t recognize it as a repeat but you can bet your brain does. And if it’s reacting like that, it has at some point considered those circumstances as a danger. You may not need to know what it’s all about at the time. You just have to learn techniques to soothe your nervous system (which we have talked about many times). If nothing else, you can softly talk to your brain and say “there’s no danger”, “we’re safe” and practice your breathing. This applies to chronic pain as well.