While walking home from work the other day, this beautiful sight caught my eye. Some people might see a sidewalk. For this little girl, it was a canvas waiting to be painted.
Our thoughts really do become our reality. They shape our world.
If I wake up in the morning fearful of the bad things that might happen in my day, I’m surely going to selectively attend to the unpleasant aspects of life. If on the other hand, I wake up thinking of the world in technicolor, this too, can pave my reality as the day unfolds. The day begins before we get out of bed. It often starts the night before, by the way we put ourselves to sleep.
What loving practices, self-care routines, or aspirations do you build on to set yourself up for a colourful day of abundance?
Warm thoughts,
Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych. Executive Director, Landing Strong
Don’t get me wrong, I love our iconic Canadian feathered friends, but I don’t love their poop.
Despite my best efforts, the lawn at our lake house is covered with their dark tarry mess. I bought an owl, designed to scare them away. It seems this plan backfired. This owl soon became their best friend. I come home from work only to find the geese nestled lovingly beside her, their numbers growing with each passing day.
Many people are hesitant to join our programs, thinking they may, like the owl, scare others off. Perhaps there’s a fear of not fitting in. Newcomers to Landing Strong frequently report how quickly they felt at ease and settled into our group programs.
Once you arrive, you too may quickly learn that birds of a feather, flock together. We may look different, but underneath it all, our shared experiences unite us.
We’re currently enrolling for our Identity & Transition program, as well as our brand new Community Connection program.
As always, our monthly Maintaining Health series is open to all members of our community.
Warm thoughts,
Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych. Executive Director, Landing Strong
When I stand in line at the ice cream parlor, I order a single scoop, but I’m secretly hoping the server will be generous with portions. I understand that if they rush in serving the outcome won’t be as satisfying.
The principle of being prepared to wait for anything worthwhile extends beyond ice cream. It also applies to recovery from injury. Recovery isn’t always as quick as one might hope.
I was speaking with a veteran recently, who reminded me of the principles of close-quarter combat. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
In any tactical training, we know it’s important to take time to settle and focus before forging ahead. There’s a period of stillness required in order to achieve maximum gains. The bottom line is we often have to slow down in order to speed up.
What habits or practices help you pause and appreciate your inner calm?
It’s a beautiful time of year, with opportunities abound.
Warm thoughts,
Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych. Executive Director, Landing Strong
It’s not always easy knowing how to fit in. If a time comes when we must step away from work, it can be hard knowing what to do next. Many people who are injured cope by staying at home. The problem is, the longer we isolate, the harder it can become to reintegrate into civilian life. Venturing out into the community might feel incredibly difficult.
An important part of any transition is building an identity for ourselves separate from the uniform. We are very excited about the launch of a new program series called Community Connection. This program focuses on bridging the gap between our old identity and the new one which we are creating for ourselves.
Every two weeks we’ll have a different activity planned. It’s an opportunity for light-hearted, good old-fashioned fun and connection. It’s open to all members of our Landing Strong community. To kick off the series, we are hosting a special event, extending an invitation to family & friends.
Come join us as we share laughs and camaraderie at OnTree Adventure Park. We will cover all costs. There are both beginner and advanced courses to ensure everyone can participate at a level they find comfortable. Some may choose just to cheer, and that’s fine as well.
Spoiler alert: This is just one of many great events planned! Keep an eye out for upcoming Community Connection days, as we explore activities such as: fly-fishing, wreath-making, bowling, a meditative nature walk, water-color card making, and visiting local coffee shops just to name a few. Feel free to sign up for one, or several of these half-day group programs.
If you have ideas of activities to explore please drop us a line.
We hope you will join us!
Warm thoughts,
Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych. Executive Director, Landing Strong
This last weekend while the roof was being replaced, torrents of rain found their way gleefully down through the ceilings and walls of the century-old house. We returned from the cottage on Sunday night only to realize that our home was far from habitable.
It’s been a slog sorting things out. Luckily the team from System Care is tending to the cleanup, dehumidifying, sealing, and inflating our house like a hot-air balloon.
It is at times like this that life can feel a little bit overwhelming.
I was shopping for groceries last night and purchased some Bok choy to add to an Asian stir-fry I had planned for dinner. My strategy was to overcompensate in nutrition which we lacked in physical comfort this week. Of course, I may have thrown in a couple of pieces of double chocolate fudge cake for dessert. Here in lies the yin and yang of the universe.
Sitting at the lake house last evening, enjoying the pastel cloud reflections on the still water, I couldn’t possibly have enjoyed my cake more. For at least that moment, all seemed well in the world.
When we have those hard weeks, and things feel like an uphill battle, it’s important to build in small moments of joy. In your journey of recovery please take the time to notice the good stuff. Even if it’s something as small as enjoying a good piece of cake.
Warm thoughts,
Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych. Executive Director, Landing Strong
Legend has it that if the groundhog emerges from its den and sees its shadow, it will retreat, and winter will slog on for another six weeks. If it doesn’t see its shadow, spring will arrive early. Judging by the amount of snow we’ve had this week winter is far from over.
In the early darkness of winter evenings, I sometimes catch myself wishing the days away, yearning for the warmth and light that come with spring. Dark winter nights can have a distinct Groundhog Day feel to them.
As much as I’m excited for the sunshine ahead, I’m determined to appreciate the season that I’m in. This past Monday brought with it a slate of school closings, a massive dump of snow and sporadic white out conditions. After considerable debate about whether we should go out for our lunchtime stroll, Mackenzie and I forged out to enjoy a surprisingly pleasant walk through the winter storm. From the inside it looked foreboding, but once outside we were able to appreciate the beauty of fresh snow, enjoying the squeals of laughter rising from children playing gleefully in a snowbank as we passed.
I feel the bite of winter air as I step out each morning and am reminded of the gift it is to wake up and commute to work on foot.
Don’t get me wrong – I’ll take blue skies over grey and a surplus of sunshine over shovelling snow any day of the week. But I’ll continue to practice presence and find gratitude on even the coldest of days.
Regardless of whether the groundhog sees its shadow or not, I hope you will join me in practicing the art of being present, and find some little ways to be grateful for the season that we are in.
I don’t believe that chunky rodent is clairvoyant anyway.
Even in the greyest of winters, we can find windows of warmth and light.
I hope that now you have dug yourselves out from under, you too are able to pause and catch glimpses of the unexpected beauty that surrounds us.
Warmly,
Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych. Executive Director, Landing Strong
