MAKING SPACE FOR MIRACLES

Life’s a delicate dance of side-stepping, tippy-toe here, a stomp there, falling down and rising up as an array of inevitable moments manoeuvre into our days. Inevitable moments like the feels of a first kiss or the comfort of nursing an infant, the thrills of achievement or excited adrenalin, the joys of adventure, but also the melancholy and heartaches of loss and unmet expectations. This game of life is definitely one of duality, I’m sure you’d agree!

Up and down.

Good and bad.

Happy and sad.

Love and loss.

Confident and afraid.

Stagnant and ever-changing.

Growing and dying.

If you’re searching for certainty, bank on the uncertainty of life! You can be sure there’s going to be hard days. But I hope you remember this. Life is 50:50. It’s 50% devastating and 50% wonderful. If you’re living the hard things now, I’ve a feeling you may not believe me, and goodness, so many people have been living the hard times during the last two years.

Giving into the belief that all good is gone, life is hopeless and there’s never going to be a brighter day is creating a much smaller percentile for joy, happiness, wonder and connection while simultaneously increasing opportunity for suffering and pain. The late Stephen Covey was onto an important concept when teaching the Circle of Influence, a concept lasting the test of time for coaches and leaders around the globe. You may have seen it in social media posts reminding what you can control and what you can’t control, like controlling what you wear, read or eat compared to things you can’t control like the weather, a global pandemic and other people’s behaviour.

Making your mind find the people and experiences you consider on the ‘good’ side of the 50 is the best way to make room for miracles. The Brittanica definition of a miracle is “that which causes wonder and astonishment, being extraordinary in itself and amazing or inexplicable by normal standards”.

That definition sounds so appealing, reading it makes my heart beat faster. Do you feel wonder and astonishment in your days? Good astonishment like the beauty of a flower, not the-permanent-marker-artwork-your-three-year-old-added-to-the-kitchen-island astonishment!

Sadly, many of us fall into the trap of adulting that’s so busy burnt-out and over-stretched we run out of time to stop and smell the roses. To literally stop and smell the roses, then be in awe of the delicacy and variety right before our eyes.

But we NEED to.

It’s time to seek out wonder and astonishment and to be AMAZED at the world around us.

Deliberately and with the purpose of increasing dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin – your happiness hormones – increasing energy and enthusiasm, while promoting calm and connection. And guess what a by-product of seeking out the 50% of good will be? Your children will be watching how to do this. Bonus!

What are we waiting for? Let’s make space for miracles by raising our vibration now. Grab a pen and paper, open notes on your phone, a word or google doc and list 20 things about the world that are positively astonishing. Even choosing to believe there are beautiful people and experiences and then using language such as wonderful, extra-ordinary and amazing will bring more joy to your days. What a gift for yourself and your children.

Remember, the combination of your days equals your life, so choose wisely my friend. Choose gratitude and wonder and a belief that miracles happen.