Hi my dear friends,

I’m sending all my love to you as we bring in this new week. I feel almost like a broken record saying this all the time, but as we navigate through these challenging times, please know that we are here for you and understand the plethora of emotions that arise every single day.

This week, I want to share what I’ve been thinking about, in my own life, about life, it’s cycles, the whiplash of it all, and things that have really helped me maneuver through it.

Life isn’t easy. In “normal” circumstances it isn’t easy, but in these very chaotic times, even more so. Please know this, and hopefully allow this truth to let yourself off the hook for any struggles you might be feeling, or judgments that you may be having.

Last month, I was feeling a lot of different feelings and emotions. I think the end of the year does that to me. I reflect a lot, I try to close old chapters, and prepare for the new. And even with all my tools and practices, sometimes I just feel down and defeated. Sometimes life feels very empty, and the inner work that we do, futile. I go through these phases, and they are very real, and I think it’s completely normal. Because like I said, life is challenging.

Of course, there are times where it feels like everything goes your way, and you are unstoppable. We love those times, we know how to manage those times.

Why I wanted to talk about this today is because I realized something recently. In cultivating a deep sense of self-awareness, and perhaps, as a result of so much quiet time home alone during this pandemic, I’ve started to intimately become aware of these emotional cycles, and feel like I have a stronger sense of how to manage them.

We tend to feel at our worst, when we feel like we have no control of life and its happenings. This past year has proven that to be true. When we start to think about this truth, as it relates to our lives and our emotional cycles, we can start to clearly see that, feeling like we are constantly at the mercy of our own minds and emotions, can make us feel out of control.

While I believe we are never able to fully control life and what takes place, I know that we can manage our reactions to it, and I know that we can be prepared and ready to act accordingly when a new life cycle comes in to play.

WIth that being said, I start to think about my low moments a little differently, because I understand them differently. I know that these moments are finite, they usually last a few days, and will make me feel very down and depressed. Because I know all of this, I’m kinder, more patient, and gentler with myself. I hold back on making big decisions and rash actions. I do my best to create a sense of balance.

The same goes for the highs. I honor those feelings and I feel so much gratitude for them, but I know that it won’t last. I know the cycle.

There will be times where you feel on top of the world, and that absolutely anything is possible. And there are excruciating moments of despair. But the key through all of it, at least in my experience, is knowing that the time of each cycle is finite; it will begin and it will end.

So with all of this in mind, how can we start to really understand ourselves on this deep level, to know how to take care of ourselves during these intense waves of life? How can we tap into our feelings and emotions deeply enough, to be able to remind ourselves, that this too, shall pass? What acts of care can we take to keep ourselves feeling safe and secure, regardless of what’s happening around us?

I encourage you to think about these questions and notice the answers that come up for you. I’ve been sitting with this lately, and it’s been such a relief for me.

Sending lots of love,

xo, Michelle

Michelle Maros is Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life's Creative Director and resident writer. She has a degree in Journalism from Indiana University and is also a certified holistic health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and registered yoga teacher with trainings with Anuttara Yoga Shala and Strala Yoga. Michelle has a deep desire to help people find happiness in all areas of their lives, and truly believes the Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life movement will bring lasting change to the world. Michelle splits her time between Florida and New York City and loves connecting with people from all over the world. If you'd like to contact her, she can be reached at 

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