G.R.A.C.E - 5 key takeaways

Grace, I've found, to be the concept I fall back into when faced with challenges and uncertainty about the next steps. Grace is the unconditional love and mercy bestowed on us by the universe, for no other reason than that we are human. Just because we are human. There is nothing we can do to orchestrate or bring about higher levels or more perfect grace. There is no struggling or grasping that can give us what we already possess. This is such an important reminder when I find myself straining and scrambling to bring about outcomes I've set my sights on. Instead, I can ease myself into the flow of grace and remember that I am okay, that my kids are okay, and that I will be taken where I need to go.

Key takeaways

The letters of the word grace also lend themselves to five key takeaways for guiding and connecting with our kids, especially when they are struggling.

G.Gratitude for the journey. Appreciation for the difficulties we face, for the pain we experience seems ludicrous when we are in the midst of it. With every bone in our body and every breath we take, we wish that our life was anything but THIS. And then, little by little, we become aware of our eyes, our minds, and especially our hearts, opening. Then light starts to peek through the storm clouds, gradually at first, until the sky is a tableau of breathtaking pink gold. And if you are still in the eye of the storm, trust, stay open, choose love over fear, and await the light.

R- Recognition of our role as co-creators, and rarely victims. This is maybe one of the hardest lessons to swallow. That nearly everything in our life is there because we contributed to it, through a decision we took, or how we show up (consciously or subconsciously). The more we can look inside ourselves, become familiar with our stories, false beliefs, fears, and strengthen our relationship with our own voice, the more we can be deliberate and mindful about what we are creating.

A. Awareness. So much starts with this. Awareness of what our kids' true needs are, of what emotions from our past murky the connection with our loved ones, of what is really happening in any given moment, that lets us know when the most aligned next step is.

C. Compassion is the master key that opens the doors to our healing and theirs. Self-compassion is perhaps what we most struggle with. It seems like an afterthought at best, and at worst an indulgence, but it creates the foundation for everything else to follow.

E. Energy is what we are all made of. It's all around us, and learning to manage it connects us to a force to help us make it through the most difficult moments, feeds our creativity, and opens up possibilities. To start, just breathe, look around you, feel your feet on the ground.

A tool:

The Five Senses

When you can't get out of your head and things start spinning, try:

See - Name something you can see. Take a deep breath.

Hear - Name something you can hear. Take a deep breath.

Touch - Name something you can touch, Take a deep breath.

Smell - Name something you can smell. Take a deep breath.

Taste - Name something you can taste. Take a deep breath.

Then ask you self, how could I see this differently?