How to make time to find the light, and reach for uplift during good times or bad, calm or even the chaotic. We can't count on the outside world to keep us feeling lighthearted, but we can always count on ourselves. Read on to find out more.
The world outside has gotten very chaotic and, do I even say it out loud sometimes in these times, wouldn't you say?
It's even gotten pretty heavy & dark at times. So if you're finding it hard to be optimistic, to be "positive" or to find a silver lining.... I'm here to remind you: It's ok.
It's ok to feel overwhelmed. It's ok to be sad, to feel grief. It's ok to be pissed off, angry, even enraged.
But if there's one thing I know to be true, it's this:
We get through dark times not by denying our emotions, but by expressing them head on.
Whether that's in a journal, a phone call to a trusted friend, a good cry in the shower, or even a vigorous walk to let off steam. Take care of your feelings. And then...
Make time to find the light.
I'm reminded of another unprecedented time. The 1940s when Elizabeth Arden ads for lipstick implored American women to remember what we were fighting for, and not give up on it.
For them, it was the joy of lipstick and the freedom of expression in make-up.
Side Note: (Did you know Hitler did not "allow" women to wear make-up, dye their hair, or wear heels? And the rumor was that he absolutely detested red lipstick, hence the enthusiasm for red lipstick from that time. It was a way to stick it to him. )
But for you lightness might me something very different.
It could be time in your garden. Time outdoors.
It could the connection of eating a meal with your family at the kitchen table.
It could be getting immersed in another world, whether that's in the fashion pages of Vogue, or the memorizing plot of a good book.
Whatever is lighthearted to you, whatever you are being drawn to in these unprecedented times:
Go towards it.
Making time for the lighthearted is how we remember why we are here, and it keeps our hearts open, even when it feels easier to simply close them down.
1 Inspiration
Lighthearted \ adjective \ ˈlīt-ˌhär-təd \
1 : free from care, anxiety, or seriousness : happy-go-lucky
2 : cheerfully optimistic and hopeful : easygoing
Click below for the Inspiration for this week's theme.... And prepare to be uplifted & delighted.
Then pull out a journal and ponder:
"What does being lighthearted look like in my life?"
2 Quotes
“A carefree letting go of oneself, not a caution, but a wise blindness.”
- Rainer Maria Rilke
“You don't always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go, and see what happens.”
- Mandy Hale
3 ideas
Mindset
Where am I being called to lighten up and release?
Being lighthearted isn't just about what you do, it's about how you show up...
What's a heavy thought you can put down, just for this weekend, in order to lighten up? Is an anxiety? An old thought about you not being good enough?
What would it look like and feel like to put it down just for the next two days?
Remember: you can always pick it back up on Monday Morning.
Surroundings
Why don't you give yourself a visual reminder to lighten up in your surroundings?
Buy yourself a bouquet of daffodils still tight in the bud and put them on display in your kitchen
That way you can enjoy them all week long as they slowly unfurl their bright yellow faces.
A visual cue to you every morning to stay lighthearted.
Style
Spring time calls to all of us to "lighten up." And nowhere is this more true, than our hair.
Are you being called to lighten up with some face framing highlights? Click here for inspiration.
Or maybe it's time to literally lighten the load & take off some length?
But it could be as simple as asking yourself: when was the last time I went in for a trim or a blow out?
Nothing puts a spring in our step like feeling beautiful.
Now it's your turn. Pick one idea and put it into play this week. Better yet, make it your own: Where are you being called to be more lighthearted in your life? Go there!
Take a photo of how you embodied being lighthearted & share it online. Spread the joy.
Be sure to tag it with #DesireeSommer
I check the hashtag every Monday & Friday, and I can't wait to see you online.
Much love, & See you next week!
Desirée Sommer