We often think of our OUTLOOK on life as looking outward or looking at our prospects for the future. What if instead we started by looking WITHIN ourselves? With mindfulness, YOU can cultivate the outlook YOU desire.
Throughout December we looked at the theme of outlook through the lens of 1) having a hope-centered mindset; 2) cultivating inner peace; and 3) embracing possibility thinking.
Your outlook is connected to your resilience. You CAN grow your hope and develop a more positive outlook - you can CHOOSE the mindset you're going to use. Having a growth mindset reminds us that anything is possible ... and that's filled with SO many possibilities!
Your outlook is likely ever-changing or evolving. If you've always wondered if you are an optimist, pessimist, realist or opportunist, here's a link to a fun (quick) quiz that might give you some insight into your outlook!
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“Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day.” ~ Alice Morse Earle
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OUTLOOK AFFIRMATIONS
Use affirmations to inspire you or reframe your thoughts
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I carry hope with me always
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Everyday I am excited by the little beautiful things that surround me
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Possibilities are opportunities for me to learn and grow
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Change can bring positive results
APPS FOR GUIDED MEDITATION
BOOKS
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How Dare the Sun Rise - This memoir by Sandra Uwiringiyimana discusses her survival of a massacre in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and how she found hope through creativity and activism.
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Ladder to the Light - This book by Choctaw elder and Episcopal priest Steven Charleston offers guidance grounded in spirituality and Indigenous wisdom for how we can find hope and courage.
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Becoming Better Grownups - This book by Brad Montague discusses how we can “fly” and “help others fly” and how by embracing our inner child, we can find joy.
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PODCASTS
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How to Be Okay When The World is Not with John Cho - Author/illustrator Grace Lin and book editor Alvina Ling discuss with Troublemaker author John Cho suggestions for how we can live in a complicated world and respond rather than react.
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Growth Mindset - Within this episode, Dr. Thema provides tips for how we can cultivate a growth mindset.
- Stop Settling - This episode encourages us to take on new opportunities and challenges and discusses embracing our self-worth, staying true to our standards, and letting go of our fear of others’ judgments.
- The Motivated Mind - The Secrets to Setting Intentions. Scott Lynch shares four key components to setting intentions.
ARTICLES
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We're celebrating! In case you missed the big announcement last week - Courage to Caregivers is now officially certified by the State of Ohio through the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS). We’re now certified to provide Peer Recovery Support through our certified Family Peer Support Specialists both individually and in group settings!
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We LOVE to learn new things and share them with you! We also love to READ! Having a Book Club has been on our "wish list" for a long time! JOIN US starting in January - whether you have a chance to read the book or NOT - for a monthly book discussion to match our curriculum's monthly theme and topics.
January's book club discussion will be on Friday, January 26 at 12 pm ET via Zoom. We'll be discussing Gretchen Rubin's The Four Tendencies. Grab it from your library or listen to the audiobook on the Libby app! "Our Tendency shapes every aspect of our behavior, so understanding this framework lets us make better decisions, meet deadlines, suffer less stress and burnout, and engage more effectively. The Four Tendencies explain why we act and why we don’t act." Mark your calendar for January 26 - here's the link!
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January’s theme is SETTING INTENTIONS, and we will focus on "mapping your journey" by creating a personal timeline related to your values and personal mission statement, managing expectations as well as open-mindedness. As we continue on the journey of discovering our true selves, setting micro-goals will guide us. With micro-goals, it’s easier to take the next right step - as Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles, begins with a single step.” Check out January's Micro-Challenges Calendar.
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SETTING INTENTIONS - 24 in 2024
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines intention as “a determination to act in a certain way: resolve; what one intends to do or bring about.” Intentions are also “a process or manner of healing of wounds.” "Intentions help us embody our practice by naming how it is we want to show up in the world in the now."
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Courage to Caregivers Breathing Practice for Signal Breathing
As we support caregivers to make breathing and meditation a practice, we're pleased to share our Breathing Meditation Facilitator Cathy and her monthly breathing practice how-to videos. You can join us for January's Breathing Practice: Signal Breathing! With this practice, we will relieve ourselves of stress and bring ourselves to a restful state. This is a great breath to use when you are in a stressful moment and need immediate relief. You can watch January's instructional video for Signal Breathing here, and remember to subscribe to our 2024 Monthly Breathing Practices playlist to stay updated each month. You can also subscribe to our Breathing Meditation playlist, where we upload our weekly breathing meditation recordings, and follow along on our Spotify Breathing Meditation playlist.
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The mission of Courage to Caregivers is to provide hope. support and courage to caregivers and loved ones of those living with mental illness.
©2023 Courage to Caregivers, Inc.
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