Slow down in order to speed up

Slow down in order to speed up

by | Jul 26, 2024 | Belinda's Thoughts, Friday Inspiration, Mindfulness, Resilience

Slow down in order to speed up

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

Bridging the gap to community

Bridging the gap to community

by | Jul 19, 2024 | Belinda's Thoughts, Challenge, Community, Growth, Mindfulness

Bridging the gap to community

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

Looking for the good stuff

Looking for the good stuff

by | Jul 12, 2024 | Belinda's Thoughts, Friday Inspiration, Gratitude, joy, Mindfulness

Looking for the good stuff

My house is sagging. Literally.

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

The art of being present

The art of being present

by | Feb 2, 2024 | Belinda's Thoughts, Friday's Inspiration, Gratitude, Mindfulness, Self-Awareness

It is February 2nd – Groundhog Day.

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

Magic Lamp

Magic Lamp

by | Jan 26, 2024 | Belinda's Thoughts, Friday's Inspiration, Love, Mindfulness, Wellbeing

 

A few years ago I purchased a magic lamp for our Christmas table.

I loved it so much that I began bringing it out at the beginning of the month and illuminating the kitchen each night as we gathered for a meal.

It also proves to be handy for power outages, bringing a sense of wonder to what otherwise could be a cold evening.

My colleague Deb Eaton was so moved by it’s magical glow, swirling snow and vibrant red cardinals that she too had to have one. She shares that on cold days it makes her feel warm inside, bringing back memories of yesteryear. Deb bought a second one for her mother, as I did last year for my father.

I should really think about buying shares in the company given that such a simple item can bring such immense joy.

It’s a true gift to find joy in small packages and unexpected places. Do you have any items that do the same for you?

Warm thoughts,

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong

The powerful interesectin of creativity and resilience

The powerful interesectin of creativity and resilience

by | Dec 1, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Creativity, Friday's Inspiration, Growth, joy, Mindfulness, Recovery

The powerful interesection of creativity and recovery

Look at what happens when we trust what good things lie within.

Inside each of us is a hidden artist, with a creative spark waiting to be released. It may not yet know how to express itself, but it lies dormant, waiting to be discovered.

As those who are injured begin to get better, they often reconnect with their creative selves. We see it at Maker’s during our monthly Maintaining Health groups; we witness it in our staff team meetings as people’s hearts take watercolor shape on paper. Most recently, this has been revealed in our waiting room, when Fern proudly showed us an incredible piece of her art – a handcrafted, felted, Islandic inspired wool carpet, which she magically produced in just 3 days.

Such is the power when creativity and recovery intersect.

Warm thoughts, 

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong