Monday, 8/31/20: Talking about random acts of kindness, Chadwick Boseman and a quick meditation

Happy Monday!

It’s a new week, which means it’s time for your next Monday motivation newsletter. Read on below for some steps to a happier Monday, a short story and a roundup of positive thoughts to get your week started.

Three Steps to a Happier Monday

Each newsletter starts with three prompts to inspire gratitude and simple intention setting. Take a moment and jot down answers to these three questions. To give an example, I share my answers below.  

Step 1: What are three things I appreciated from the weekend? 

Step 2: What is one thing I can be excited about today?

Step 3: What is my intention for this week? 

GRATITUDE: From my weekend, I am thankful for the wonderful weather in Chicago, the live music I found on Saturday night and the new book I’m reading.

TODAY: I am taking today off work, so I am most excited about not having anything scheduled (in need of a day like that!).

INTENTION: My intention for this week is to send love to one person each day.

Okay, your turn! And if you want to share your three steps, I am all ears. 🙂

Lesson of the Week: Hoping We Are Better

It’s hard to comprehend that we are once again emerging from a week filled with sadness, anger and hate. From the horrific news about Jacob Black, shootings at protests in Kenosha and Portland, natural disasters, ongoing reminders of the upcoming election and the persistent omnipresence of the coronavirus, it’s a lot for all of us to take in. 

If there is one word that comes to mind when I think of the world right now, it’s weary. I feel like we are all in an overall state of weariness. 

Back in March, I was so concerned with how I would manage through the uncertainty in front of me. I remember thinking to myself, “If I could just know when this will be over, I can ‘mind over matter’ myself and get through it.” 

Oh man, was I naive. Can you imagine if present-day-me could tell mid-March-me about the current state of the world and all that was to come? Bless. 

While our situations are all different, I wanted to let you know I’m sending you a virtual hug today. If you are feeling weary, numb, sad, anxious or some combination of the above (or if you felt one of those ways recently or if you feel this way in the future), know that I see you and I feel you. 

After thinking about what to write today, I came to the conclusion that I don’t have the answers or insights into how to deal with the weariness. I’m in the trenches today myself and that’s more than okay. As I have to remind myself again and again, feeling negative emotions is just as important as feeling positive ones because negative emotions are often the ones that catapult us to make necessary changes. 

Yesterday I was livestreaming church and I was struck by something that was said in the homily. The presiding priest said that last week, the parish staff had been encouraged by an employee, who said the following: “I hope we are different at the end of this. I hope we are kinder. I hope we are better.” 

This resonated with me. The statement doesn’t justify any of the hard things going on right now or diminish any of the feelings we are experiencing, but it does give us something to hope for in the future. 

But what about today and right now? Well, I do have one suggestion for something I think we could all do today. This Monday (or whenever you are reading this), would you consider doing one small act of kindness? It could be anything that feels right to you, such as texting a friend, buying someone’s coffee or donating to a good cause.

One small act is not going to solve the world’s problems. But because our weary world is in desperate need of love and kindness, one small act sure does feel like an inch in the direction of the different, kinder, better world we hope for.  So, what do you say? Are you in? 

On My Monday Radar

Sometimes we just aren’t ready to jump into our Monday to-do list right away. In case you want some content to procrastinate with, here is a roundup of a few positive things on my radar:  

• Quotes from Chadwick Boseman. Like many of you, I was saddened to hear about the passing of Chadwick Boseman and spent time this weekend looking at the tributes on social media and reading articles about him. I really enjoyed this article because I loved learning more about Boseman through some of his most famous quotes. In my opinion, one of the most inspirational things about Boseman is how he was looked up to by fans in real life just as much as he was onscreen.
• If you need it this morning, check out this 5-minute mindful breathing exercise. I sent this podcast episode to a friend this weekend and she enjoyed it so much that I actually re-listened to the episode myself. I was reminded of how powerful and simple the quick 5-minute mediation is at the beginning of the episode (from the 6:30 minute mark to 11:30 minute mark). If you are feeling overwhelmed this morning, I highly encourage you take a quick beat and participate in the exercise. And if you listen to the interview, you will hear more from the person leading the exercise (wellness expert and Reiki master Kelsey Patel). While I don’t know much about Reiki, I am really into Kelsey’s overall positive message. I actually just started reading her book Burning Bright this week and can’t wait to talk about it more once I’m finished. 
• Enjoying the “Last Gasp” of Summer. Can you believe this weekend marks the unofficial end of summer?! I thought this article accurately portrayed this time we are in by referring to it as “the last gasp of summer.” That is exactly how I am feeling! I want to soak up every last moment of Chicago’s glorious summer season before it’s over. And I’m inspired to do so by some of the items in the article (I’m especially interested in number 7 – yum!)

That’s all for today! I hope you found something in today’s newsletter that sparked motivation, made you smile or inspired a positive Monday thought. Don’t underestimate the power of starting small… a fulfilling week starts with just one fulfilling day. You’ve got this! 

Let’s make it a great Monday!
Megan

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