Good morning,
I'm Susan Guttridge,
And I'm so pleased to be starting this day with you.
Before we begin,
Take a moment to stretch your body,
Breathing into every sleepy part of yourself,
And then just settle back into a comfortable position.
Isn't it amazing that it can be so hard to get comfortable when we want to fall asleep,
Our body restless or hard to settle,
And yet when we wake,
We find ourselves in the absolute most comfortable position.
If only we could replicate this exact position when falling asleep at night.
You're here now,
In a comfortable position,
Just breathing in deeply,
Exhaling out,
And just allow yourself to gently arrive in this new day.
For your morning inspiration,
I'd like to share a quote with you from Janice Whitlock and Elizabeth Lloyd-Richardson from their 2019 work.
They write,
Remember that there are two sides to every coin.
This allows us to open our minds to the possibility of hope where there may have only been darkness.
Just take a breath here and sit with that idea.
Two sides to every coin.
To me,
The quote speaks to the duality of life,
Especially in the context of depression.
It reminds me that even in the darkest moments,
There is still room for growth,
For understanding,
And for healing.
Just as a coin has two sides,
Our emotional experiences do too.
Despair may be present,
But so too can the quiet possibility of hope.
Pain can be the starting point of deep personal insight.
Even on the hardest days,
There can be a glimmer of joy or a moment of peace.
Depression,
While heavy,
It's not the whole story.
It might be where we are right now,
But it is not the destination.
So,
If you're in a difficult place this morning,
I hope this quote could be a gentle reminder for you.
The pain you may be feeling is real and it is valid.
And even still,
It doesn't cancel out the possibility of hope.
You don't need to force joy.
Just leave a little room for the idea that things can change,
Even if only for a moment.
As you start to turn your attention to what this day will look like for you,
I invite you to consider that perhaps if there's a moment today that feels a little more peaceful than the others,
Sit with it,
Notice it,
Let it be present.
It could be the warmth of your mug of coffee or tea,
The hush of the morning light,
Or the soft quiet just before the world fully wakes up.
That's the other side of the coin.
Not everything has to be okay for something to be okay.
So,
Here's your gentle call to action.
Today,
Could you notice one small thing that reminds you life is happening,
Even in the midst of it all?
Perhaps it's a kind gesture from someone who cares about you,
A deep full breath,
Or a quiet moment in the middle of a too busy day.
You don't have to change how you feel.
Just notice,
Stay curious,
And most importantly,
Stay kind to yourself.
You don't need to have it all figured out.
Please just stay open to what's next,
One step at a time.
Thank you for listening,
And be well today.
