When the going gets tough, as it has been for the past few months, one of the best things we can do is to be the best humans we possibly can. We often see this in the face of tragedy—the heroes that run into the […]
In 1637, Descartes stated, “I think, therefore I am.” The intention of his statement was to help us understand our ability to attain certain knowledge as human beings. However, might it have also blunted an equally important part of being human… our ability to feel […]
EMM Friends.
Again, in the spirit of delivering messages that are relevant, we are making the theme for May – Monday Gets Mindful. We first did this theme in November 2017. Check out the video again to see just how on-point it still is today.
We did, however, create different Mondays than we did in 2017. This month they are:
- Enjoy the Now
- Feel Your Feelings
- Choose Civility
- Turn the Page
The terms mindfulness or being mindful have become more prevalent in our world. Maybe, it’s in response to what used to be our increasingly fast-paced lifestyle. Maybe COVID-19 has even brought more attention to our need for mindfulness. There are books about being mindful. There are websites dedicated to mindfulness. There are mindfulness therapies and coaches. There are apps to help and remind us to be mindful. Mindful resources are within our reach to help us create more meaningful moments. And life is truly amazing, when we are able to be mindful and present. But this isn’t necessarily easy and there is a good reason why. Our conscious brain processes 40-50 bits of information per second. That may or may not sound like a lot, but it is estimated that our unconscious brain has the ability to process 11 million bits of information per second. Our eyes process 10 million bits of information. Our skin senses 1 million bits of information. Our ears and noses take in 100,000 bits of data. Finally, we process 1,000 bits of information with our sense of taste. All of this can happen within one second, and our phenomenal brain compresses all of this down to a consumable 50 pieces. Not only does it inform us on why it is so challenging to be present, it also illustrates our need to create moments of peace and quiet and presence. Being mindful matters.
This might seem like a strange weekly theme at a time like this. So much has changed and so much is still uncertain because of COVID-19. Sure we see glimmers of hope and positivity, but most media and news coverage is far from joy-filled or […]
It’s the topic of nearly every #1 music single. It’s the stuff that makes up many blockbuster films and best-selling novels. And, it’s the thing our heart yearns for more than anything else. It’s love. Arguably the most powerful combination of any four letters in […]
During a crisis, whether it is a natural disaster, an act of aggression or terror, or even a virus, often times our first inclination is to hunker down and take care of ourselves. This is just something wired in our DNA—the fight to survive and […]
As complicated as we are as human beings, we are also pretty simple. We all have basic needs—a roof over our head, shoes on our feet, food, water, and safety. In addition to these “survival needs,” we also have “human needs,” or needs of the […]
Ask a barista at Starbucks what their least favorite part of their job is and, for the most part, they will tell you the same thing. No, it’s not waking up at 4:30 to open. It’s not taking out the garbage or restocking supplies either. […]
EMM Friends, Fans, and Loved Ones.
For the next few months, we have decided to revisit some monthly themes from the past that we think are super timely right now. We did Monday Gets Compassionate in June 2018, and we need compassion now more than ever. It’s actually amazing to see how relevant this video is from almost 2 years ago. His words are true today as ever. Thank you for journeying with us and for spreading compassion. You matter.
It’s easy for us to get caught up in our “stuff.” We have things to do, places to go, people to see. And then we have our emotions, which can be overwhelming, to say the least. Before we know it, we have spent most of the day doing things for or thinking about ourselves. This might sound a bit self-centered or selfish, but we choose to see another perspective—a kinder point of view. Maybe we all get a little self-focused not because we don’t care about other people, but because life throws a lot at us and we are all doing our best to stay on top of things each and every day. Does that feel better? We hope so, because it’s true. But now that we have offered some loving grace and compassion, we also want to get real. We are all experiencing a strange and challenging time right now. We are still trying to adjust to this new normal and trying to find our personal way through it. Fair enough, for sure; but we can’t get too self-focused in times like this. We still need to show concern and empathy for others and our world. Let’s spread more love, kindness, and compassion than ever before. It’s the only way we will move through this together and come out better for it in the end. Being compassionate matters.
When we have a cut, we clean it. When we have a bruise, we ice it. When we strain a muscle, we rest. But what happens when our wound is not physical? What do we do when we have an emotional wound? What do we […]
