Hey there beautiful souls,

Welcome to my newsletter series. This week I’m writing to you after a full week of being in bed, mostly for recovery after an insect bite incident in the rainforest. A little brain-fogged, reduced attention span and a feeling of not being completely myself does make me a little grim, however, it also made me realise that having a full functioning health is indeed a luxury we humans often overlook and I am truly grateful for my slow recovery.

This weeks theme- the fleeting, fragile, yet profoundly beautiful dance between life and death, with the spaces in between.

Let’s step into this week’s D-A-N-C-E together

Death

We ARE dying everyday. This is the undeniable truth. Death is the only certainty in life. I think it is important to contemplate on this question every now and then-

“ If today was the last day of my life, would I do anything differently? “

The top five regrets of dying people based on the book written by Bronnie Ware, a palliative care nurse, who spent years accompanying people in their final days:

If any of it strikes a chord with your current life, perhaps it is time to re-examine how you live, because currently you are alive and you do have the power to change the course of the way you live.

Attitude

The definition of attitude by American Psychological Association-a relatively enduring and general evaluation of an object, person, group, issue, or concept on a dimension ranging from negative to positive.

Examples of negative attitudes-

Examples of positive attitudes-

If we want to change our attitude from negative to positive- we need to reframe our thoughts. For example- “ What if I mess up at work? “ vs “What if it all goes well? ”

And for every thought that occurs- challenge it with just one question- is this thought 100% true?

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.- Zig Zaglar”

Necessities

This week let’s talk about human necessities. I don’t mean the physiological needs like water, food and shelter but the psychological need of safety and actual belonging. The modern world and isolation is a well known issue, however before we blame it all on the 21st century and technology, I want to nudge a question of behaviours when it comes to providing that safety and belonging for others.

“Are YOU providing comfort?”

This life that you are currently living, with all those connections regardless friendship/ relationship/ community/ family or even strangers- do u show up as a human being with basic humanity and provide comfort for others to feel safe enough to be seen and heard? If yes, in what way? If no, would you like to extend this space for others as you so rightfully deserve as well?

I am a firm believer of interconnectedness of humans and that we ALL need each other to survive not just in “emergencies” but even in the “stillness” of LIFE.

Choice

Our lives are fashioned by our choices. First we make our choices. Then our choices make us." — Anne Frank

Everything comes back to this- choices. This is actually a very good news because every single day we can make a new choice -if we want to. We CAN change your mind and we CAN choose differently. Choice is one of the most empowering perspective in life because one different choice can change the course of our whole life.

For example- If you have been drinking coffee every single day on empty stomach, today you CAN choose to drink a cup of warm water first, you CAN choose to eat breakfast first before that coffee. There is no limit to this game of choice. You ultimately can choose to do things differently at any given day. Here’s the catch, you have the freedom to choose, but you are not free from the consequences of that choice. In this particular example, you might get chronic gastritis or gastric ulcers over the years. So, please choose wisely.

Essence

“What is your core essence?”

Human essence is a philosophical concept referring to the fundamental, defining qualities that make a person or a human being what they are.

I personally think humanity is what makes us human. It is something I cherish the most in human beings- the simple act of having love, care and tenderness for another despite differences in age, gender, race, skin colour, religion or faith. I think that’s the most beautiful thing about being human- to recognise that we are indeed the same species, navigating this thing called life, and perhaps all of us are equally clueless yet paradoxically here to support each other to survive this longlived short life.

Until next Sunday, may you D-A-N-C-E through your days — aware of death, anchored in attitude, connected through necessity, empowered by choice, and aligned with your essence.

Much love,

Dr Sharolyn

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