A “Hopeful” spin on Eat, Pray, Love

By Sarah Green

January 25, 2012

With Valentine’s Day coming up, I began to think about some wonderful people I know who are not currently in a romantic relationship.  Often, “single” people receive a lot of pressure from parents, friends, and even society in general, to be in a relationship.  This can often leave a “single” person feeling “less than”, or unsatisfied in life.  Here are a few thoughts I offer to the single person, during this season of hyped-up, glorified romantic themes.

While I don’t agree with all of the messages that the movie, “Eat, Pray, Love” provides, I loved and was inspired by some of the imagery I discovered as I watched Julia Roberts (masterfully, I might add) move through the different places and phases of the movie.  I propose we can draw from this imagery, and as a single person, ask some powerful questions…

Eat

What can I do to put more “spice” into my life?  Meaning, how can I view the things in my life as not just “eating” to survive, but actually relishing in what I am experiencing?  How can I slow myself down and take in the “flavor” of life that I am experiencing?  What passions do I have that I can pursue, unhindered?  Where have I believed the lie that “I can’t enjoy this life unless I am in a relationship”? 

Pray

How can I connect in my relationship with God?  Where can I go to experience His beauty, and let His “artwork” fill my spirit with wonder?  What can I listen to that will move me and inspire me?  Where can I go to find that quiet place of rest and peace?  And what is stopping me from these connections?

Love

How can I make the most out of the relationships I already have?  What can I do to enjoy the people in my life?  What relationships have I overlooked, in my business of life, or in my pursuit of “romance”?  What needs do I have that I can meet through the relationships I already have?  And how can I pour love into others, and in doing so, fill my own “love cup”?

I said at the beginning that this is an article directed at single people during this sometimes sad and disappointing season.  I would like to propose that these are lessons and questions we can all ask ourselves – whatever stage of life we are in – single, married, or divorced.  Eat, pray, love, and enjoy live the life you have to the fullest.

"Hopeful Tips for connecting with your Kids

This is an article I wrote for homework in my coaching class.  I'd love to  hear your thoughts.

“Hopeful” Tips for Connecting with your Kids

by Sarah Green

January 16, 2012

Parenting is a challenge, today more than ever!

We live in a world where connecting with each other gets more and more difficult.  Gone are the dinners around a table, where kids talked with their parents and learned skills of bonding and connecting.  Now they are entertained by their parent’s ipads or iphones, their Dsi, or some other gadget.  Parents, weary from a long day’s work, are thankful for some peace and quiet; the kids are happy, because they’re not bored.  But what we are sacrificing in this scenario far outweighs the benefits.  And simply, that is connection.  Connection with other humans is one of the most important human needs.

Here are some other factors that contribute to the disconnect we face:

• A culture that is engrossed in gaming; our kids spend hours and hours isolated in their rooms, playing video games.
• A culture where our teens spend more time texting than they do talking.
• A culture where we connect through social networks like Facebook, instead of face to face interaction.

We are quickly becoming a nation of islands – people living their lives in isolation and disconnected from those around them.

Here are a few tips from Coach Sarah on how to break this cycle, and connect in significant ways with your kids – whatever their age.

1. Talk with your kids
• What was their day like?  Who did they spend time with?  What are some good things that happened in the day/things they liked about the day?  What happened that day they didn’t like? 
• What happens in your child’s life may not be earth-shattering news, but it’s important to them, and asking them how their day was goes a long way in connecting with them where they are at.
2. Spend time with your kids
• What do they enjoy that you can spend time doing with them?  Throw the football around, play monopoly, laugh with them while watching their favorite show, play a video game with them, read them a book, build a sandcastle or a snowman with them, etc.
• Teach them things – how to make scrambled eggs, bake cookies, mow the lawn, how to throw a baseball, how to change the oil in their car, etc.
• Spending time with your kids will strengthen your connection and bonding.
3. Validate your kids emotions
• This is one of, if not the most important thing you can do to connect and bond with your child.
• Whatever your child is feeling, don’t be in a hurry to fix it.  Spend time  with them in their emotion.  Let them know that whatever they are feeling is not only okay, but that you will be there with them in that emotion.
• Once they feel safe that what they are feeling is okay, and that you are with them, they will begin to be receptive to working on “fixing” the issue (if they are sad/mad/etc.)

It is definitely harder in today’s world to connect with our kids, but it’s not impossible.  In fact, it’s fun!  And there’s nothing more rewarding than investing in your child, and feeling that bond and connection grow!

This article written by Sarah Morales-Green, for more tips and coaching help, please visit hope-coaching.blogspot.com

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