Big Love

Sayings and musings that helped me get through 2023

Reflecting on this past year today, New Year’s Eve, something stood out. Sayings, musings, lessons from my therapist, poems, and lines from movies and music were instrumental in helping me to get through each day. For example, the song Lipstick has a theme that resonates for me when I think about a future relationship and learning from my past experience. Lipstick starts “If you gonna love somebody/ yeah you better love somebody/ who ruins your lipstick, not your mascara” by Runaway June. Enough with the ruined mascara…

One of my family members who would listen to my challenges in navigating the new landscape that is now my life would advise me from time to time with the saying “When you are going through hell, keep going.” Along with ” The only way out is through.” And in those dark moments, the line from spiritual teacher Adi Da, “I am the light to those who call for light.”

When faced with scary and difficult new situations, I was advised by my therapist to practice self compassion. She told me to “Talk to yourself as you would speak to a little child.” I tried to be more mindful of my self talk and used the line “I can do hard things.” When our sessions end, she leaves me with “Take good care.”

Overwhelmed and/or in a procrastinating headspace, the story from the children’s book Frog and Toad called Tomorrow comes to mind. Toad is laying in bed, overwhelmed by the number of chores he is in need of accomplishing. He decides to put them off to tomorrow and take life easy in the meantime. His friend Frog notices something is wrong. Toad tells him that he knows tomorrow is going to be a hard day, then decides that if he tackles one thing at a time, it will be a better day. Yes, he falls into bed after cleaning house – but, he goes to sleep with a lighter heart.

“Prepare for the worst, expect the best.” This has been immensely helpful. I motivated to update pivotal paperwork should the worse happen.

Picking up litter in my new neighborhood, the saying “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” This gives autonomy and action, two very helpful attributes.

It will be interesting to see which of these sayings remain and which fall away.