Be a rainbow in somebody else’s cloud. ~ Maya Angelou

Life is, well, LIFE, and it’s getting more extreme and complex as the days go by. Each week my intention is to provide a metaphorical rainbow to your journey through my PGG essays (which now include an introductory note with a complementary Instagram post and YouTube video 😉 )

I take a look at what’s going on in the world, my life, my clients’ lives, or usually a combination of them all, and I think about what theme might offer a little help, hope and/or happy to your day. Perhaps it’s some food for thought or a new perspective as you head into each weekend. Or maybe it’s just knowing that you’re not the only one experiencing and feeling the things that you do at that moment.

And this last week in December is when I do a review of all the new PGGs I wrote over the past year and YIKES, it looks like there were only two?? (However, since last year I do write new content with a specific message in the “Note from Kristina” section above which counts a bit, plus I am working on my second book …. okay I don’t feel so bad now!) Anyways, I can’t believe that we are here.

Regardless of the lack of “new” PGGs in 2019, the fact is that there are folks being added to my list all the time, so the approximately 150 essays in rotation will always be new to many of you, and for those of you who are getting a rerun often didn’t read it the first or second time around, or maybe you did but now is when it really resonates and makes sense for you. It’s pretty cool how that works, and amazing I can republish so many that feel as relevant today as when I first wrote them.

And guess what?? Next week will be PGG’s TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY! That’s nuts, but true. January 5, 2010 was my first PGG email blast. More on that next week, and I would love for YOU to be a part of the celebration!

Throughout the decade many of you have shared with me that a particular PGG was exactly what you needed to hear, or it inspired you to take action or it helped you feel better somehow. I would love to hear from as many of you as possible so that I can share some PGG stories in my anniversary email next week. Here is the survey link for you to let me know how you have benefited from PGG 🙂

I’ve also included a section below for all the ways you can show your gratitude and support for me and my work; any or all of the suggested items would be much appreciated.

Below are the two original PGGs from 2019, but please know that you can always go to my blog to see the archive from every week/month/year, and there are also several on my Medium page, which are great for sharing 🙂

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From Tiny to Mighty

I’m always saying “the acorn doesn’t become an oak tree overnight,” but I never really thought about what it takes for that oak tree to continue to grow and withstand the multitude of external forces once it becomes a tree.

Click here to read more

Major League Player

When asked what her secret is, she says it’s not about the number but about how young you are in spirit. And also, a big key is to be interested in others: “In order to be interesting you have to be interested in other people.”

Click here to read more

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Thanks for all your interest throughout the year and don’t forget to see below for 5+ ways to show your support and interest in my work and keep PGG going and growing!

In case you haven’t noticed, change is in the air. It has been for a while now, but the pace is accelerating faster than you can say Speedy Gonzales.

Whether we are experiencing change via technology, elections, economic shifts, loss of loved ones, the effects of global warming, natural disasters or, in the most extreme cases, living in the midst of or fleeing war and/or genocide, it’s important to have as much clarity and strength as possible to weather such turmoil, and to have an inner resolve of peace and harmony that can carry us through when all around us has been anything but.

I recently saw the films The Promise and Their Finest, which take place during some the most tumultuous times on our planet, World Wars I and II, respectively. Although they are set in the past and in foreign lands, unfortunately the themes and similarities are all too close for comfort in the current political climate. Watching them only confirmed my sense of urgency about doubling down on living in the present, stopping even more to smell the roses and appreciating all that we have while we have it. Essentially focusing on our positive feelings, which at the core helps to maintain a state of peace in all its relative forms.

This is why practices like mediation, yoga, affirmations and other mindful activities I often prescribe to my clients are so important, now more than ever, not just for wellness, sanity and self-care, but for building up a muscle you don’t even realize exists until you are required to flex it in times of crisis and chaos. This is what will sustain you when the goin’ gets tough.

Another way you can build up that foundation of calm, centeredness and strength is to be continually conscious of the present, and really feel each good, joyous, peaceful moment as you experience it — not just by observing or having a positive attitude, but by integrating and absorbing them into your cellular memory so they can be recalled as needed down the line, and when you might least expect it.

Take advantage of every glorious encounter — even small but meaningful things like soaking in the sun on a warm spring day or having a good laugh with your bestie — by staying awake to your own existence, absorbing its essence and expressing gratitude for it on every level. This creates a storehouse for when the storms and stress arrive — as they inevitably will, such is the cycle of life — but you can then be more fortified and less influenced by the accompanying toxicity and dis-ease when they do.

Become hyper-aware of when you are enjoying moments of pleasure, connection, joy, love, beauty, justice. Although they, like everything in life, are always temporary, when you allow yourself to experience them more viscerally on all levels of mind, body and spirit, you are building up an internal stockpile that will serve you when they are in short supply.

Be sure to rest whenever you have the opportunity, and be disciplined about recognizing, seeking out or making it possible when you don’t.

Embrace and savor fully music, dance, food, conversation; listen deeply to your friends, kids, parents, spouse, partner, neighbor, strangers. Really hear and interact with them with every cell of your being. This is what builds up your reserves for those more isolated or disorienting and dehumanizing times. Remember your humanity.

Clean up and stay clear of any emotional, mental and physical clutter, so when situations and crises arrive, you can be fully present and deal with them by standing in the most enlightened, compassionate version of yourself.

Sink into the present as if the past and future don’t exist, because technically, at this moment they don’t. Learn from and then let go of the past. You cannot change what has already transpired, so no reason to regurgitate and relive it over and over, especially if it was a painful or negative situation — this is where forgiveness comes in!

Get out of your head so you can be open to and grounded in the possibilities at hand. Therein lies our empowerment and salvation: our current thoughts, words and deeds are our building blocks, and the more aligned and aware you can be in your present intentions and interactions, the more fulfilling and peaceful your destiny will be, since you are the one creating it.

By being fully present, we can weave a future to be proud of and comfortable to live in, even in our darker hours. In other words, liberate yourself today by being in the here and now, and you will ensure a better tomorrow, even if it’s only your ability to cope more easily and successfully with whatever that future beholds.

In need of a little Ray of Light to illuminate the positive and keep it from flying by? Give me a buzz and I’ll help you slow things down and focus so you can feel like you just got home to enjoy the universe of goodies contained within it!

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. ~ Jimi Hendrix

If you have been receiving PGGs for a while, worked with me individually or come to one of my group sessions, you know that I talk a lot about love. But the love that I talk about is not some airy-fairy, namby-pamby, hippie-dippy notion one that has been misused, watered-down, misunderstood, or simply lost its meaning with lip service.

Real love is the real deal. As Mahatma Gandhi says “Love is the strongest force the world possesses, and yet it is the humblest imaginable.” Fifty years ago we witnessed an era where our civil rights leaders and all those who were part of that struggle dug deep and called upon this force within themselves to withstand the immense opposition and cruelty they experienced on a daily basis in order to transform society as it existed at the time.

More recently we could not have had a more immediate, direct and tangible example of this phenomenon when one single woman, Antoinette Tuff, used it to save the lives of over 800 people, most of them children, from a lone, heavily loaded mentally ill gunman in Decatur, Georgia. If you do not know the story, or haven’t seen this extraordinary woman talk about what happened, you must learn about her. (Google the numerous stories, or watch one of many interviews and listen to the 911 call)

As humans we are all built from the same stuff. Love doesn’t know race, sexual orientation or religion – if you are human you can love. If you are human you respond to love. As Antoinette and Michael Stipe say, Everybody Hurts sometimes. Everyone needs connection and affection. Compassion and empathy are palpable and are the best antidotes to fear and pain.

If you’ve seen me speak, you know I am always mentioning the fact that the root of the word for courage is Latin for ‘heart’. Which means that true bravery is about connecting to that part of yourself, knowing its innate power, and having faith in a force greater and wiser than yourself (or beyond your ego/brain).

So the next time you find yourself in a challenging situation or being attacked in some form, whether it be mental, emotional, or yes, sometimes even physical, instead of using violence to counteract violence, why not call upon the most powerful weapon at your disposal: L.O.V.E.

Need a little help harnessing the heft of your heart? Give me a buzz and I will show you how to give it a good work-out, because at the end of the day love like is a muscle – the more you use it, the stronger it will become – and who knows what miracles will occur in your life or the lives of others because of it!

This time of year, with its emphasis on excessive merry-making and gift-giving, combined with cold weather, shorter days, and a challenging economy would cause even the jolliest of Santas to pack his sled and head back to the North Pole to hibernate just like their grizzly neighbors so wisely do.

Our focus is on parties and socializing, yet our natural tendency is to go inward for the winter; we are pulled to do all of these external things in a very short amount of time when we should be winding down and checking in with ourselves and preparing for the New Year. As a result, we find ourselves off balance in a big way. It’s no wonder anxiety and stress levels skyrocket and we just try to do our best not to crack under the pressure of the ho-ho-ho!

So how to make it through the holidaze intact? We need to be extra-mindful, stay centered and connected to ourselves, and not go to extremes or make any major decisions. Have an extra dose of patience with yourself and others; take deep breaths; laugh it off; do lots of yoga, tai-chi and meditation; use Rescue Remedy; have a massage; make soup; get some fresh air; spend quality time with good friends; cuddle with your loved ones; and most of all be kind and gentle to yourself.

Another idea is to give yourself the gift of having a session with someone (like me!) who can offer an unbiased, positive perspective; someone to help put you back on track and in balance wherever you need it. Because being able to identify what’s is going on in your head and ridding whatever is ho-ho-holding you back will enable you to enjoy a truly peaceful and joyous holiday season and beyond!