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Themes In Our Lives
Marilyn Orr
There are times in life when we can see themes running through our lives.
Sometimes those themes are good, beautiful and feel like gifts. Sometimes the theme is hard, with hardship after hardship.
Truly, after writing a book about resiliency I sure felt like I got to practice it, in some difficult circumstances.
I’m actually not superstitious in general but I do joke about being careful about what you write about!
Let’s ponder the idea of themes in 2 ways.
1) Scientifically.
When I was pregnant I noticed pregnant women much more than when I wasn’t. The stats didn’t change, just what was on my radar.
I would have gone through my series of stresses even if I had not written a book about resiliency but because I had both the topic and the tools to get through were top of mind.
This is part of the science behind the positive psychology practice of a gratefulness journal. We can train our minds to notice themes, to look for them.
What themes have you been seeing? Where have you been putting your focus?
2) Practically.
Whether I look through a lens of seeing God or the universe or fate or just me as the maker of my reality, I still have choices.
I remember being so struck when reading a concentration camp survivor‘s story. (Her name was Corrie Ten Boom.) She was grateful for the cockroaches or lice (can’t recall which) because it kept the guards out of her cell area.
So, a significant part of how I experience my life has to do with what I train myself to notice.
Does it take away the hard times? Nope. It lets me see beauty and love in the midst of them!
What practical practices can you add to your day that will help you focus on good things?
Until next time,
Marilyn.
Marilyn Orr, MA, CEC, PCC is an Executive and Leadership Coach with Capacity Building Coaching , holding her Professional Certified Coach designation with the International Coach Federation.
Marilyn provides professional coaching for executive and business leaders, mentor coaching for coaches, and leadership development support in the form of coaching skills training and soft-skills development.
Marilyn is author of everyday resiliency workbook “How Absorbent Are Your Shocks?”, available on Amazon .
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