tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64103121597207146582024-03-05T03:05:13.923-08:00Mindfulness InThe Midst Of ChaosInsight into a therapist's own journey in trying to use mindfulness and other positive psychology tools to bring some peace into her busy life.Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-52295874682810823622022-07-18T15:35:00.001-07:002022-07-18T15:35:42.095-07:00The Raven In The Dump<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-KLHJvbPDRPr_fXKyM3V8TgH2QUyDIm8IR3t4wkLCnEe3AYWMw6G_ctKCvEkvwITGUUFeUJAuKYFZIGVnivlh5VDREb5S1YZKeKO4_d7_C_dns_2wCYiU1HyXYChx03cwzP5i2RrnDmMgzc_AvLvGK0w1iEHewptMOYgc-GRLJ6COsBktBQyuNw/s720/chihuahuan%20raven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-KLHJvbPDRPr_fXKyM3V8TgH2QUyDIm8IR3t4wkLCnEe3AYWMw6G_ctKCvEkvwITGUUFeUJAuKYFZIGVnivlh5VDREb5S1YZKeKO4_d7_C_dns_2wCYiU1HyXYChx03cwzP5i2RrnDmMgzc_AvLvGK0w1iEHewptMOYgc-GRLJ6COsBktBQyuNw/s320/chihuahuan%20raven.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As a lot of you know, birdwatching is what initially introduced
me to the Rio Grande Valley (now my home).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Birdwatching is a hobby that can lend itself to some teasing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Images of nerds, dressed in bland colors,
wearing our binoculars and sun hats, getting up at the crack of dawn in search
of a bird the size of your palm which may or may not appear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While all of that is a true description, what
you may not know is the connection between some of the mindfulness methods used
in birdwatching and mental health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
experience with the Chihuahuan Raven and the Brownsville city dump is a great
example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Most people probably picture watching birds in beautiful
scenery, mountains, forests, parks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
that is sometimes true, what is also true is that birds don’t know boundaries
and often turn up in the most unlikely places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s not uncommon see amazing birds in parking lots, drainage ditches,
water treatment plants and yes, garbage dumps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some years ago, I traveled to the
Brownsville city dump (along with several other birdwatchers) in search of the Chihuahuan
Raven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The raven is native to Mexico but
crosses the border occasionally to have a meal at the buffet we call the trash dump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you’ve never been to a city dump, it’s all you’d think it
would be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overwhelming stinky, layers on
layers of garbage, and rats as big as cats running through it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in the midst of all that, they we were,
binoculars scanning all in pursuit of seeing the raven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure enough, we were lucky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a beautiful view of him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was feeding on the heaps of garbage, and
we were amazed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that moment, we didn’t
see (or smell) the garbage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we saw
was his beautiful feathers, midnight black and shining in the sun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw how he used his beak and feet to pull
out the morsels he was feeding on. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were discussions on his size and other
markers distinguishing him from other raven and crows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were celebratory discussions for those
of us that this was a “lifer bird” (meaning had never seen one before).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, what does all this have to do with mental health?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This - we all have the ability to focus on
what we choose to focus on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even in the
midst of bad conditions, we can find beauty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Right now, the world can feel like an ugly place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a million reasons to feel disheartened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m hearing from a lot of you that you’re feeling it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But even in times of stress, we can choose what
we focus on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t mean we don’t
take action to improve our condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By
all means, do what you need to do to problem solve, get support, or ask for
help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when you’ve done all you can do
within your control, look for something to focus on that brings you joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Find beauty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Find and focus on something that gives you hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wishing for you all to find your raven in
the dump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 204.0pt;">*Note – due to climate changes the
Chihuahuan Raven is not as rare as it once was but the Brownsville dump is
still a great place to see unusual birds and even made a cameo in the movie “The
Big Year”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 204.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-67298466013774928862016-05-25T13:50:00.003-07:002016-05-25T13:52:54.254-07:00The Easy Button<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Have you seen the commercial where they question why things
have to be hard and then just push a button that says “easy” on it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wouldn’t it be nice if there really was an
easy button for life’s challenges?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I was recently walking my little dogs and noticed lots of
the little poop bags linings the trail (not empty if you know what I
mean).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I complained to myself about how it’s
inconsiderate to not pick up after your dogs, especially in this particular
park because it’s located right on the water shed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we walked it got me to thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On other trails in different parks I never
saw so many people not cleaning up after their pets and realized the difference
is that on most of our urban trails we have frequent stops with disposable poop
bags and trash bins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It really makes it
easy to do the right thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On this
particular trail though it’s more remote and while there is one stop where poop
bags are available, there are almost no trash receptacles at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Now, we might be thinking – it doesn’t matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We <u>should</u> pick up after our pets
regardless of whether it’s convenient or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know…I used my least favorite word “should”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t like “should” because it usually goes
with shame or regret and rarely leads to problem solving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So….to make that point, yes, it would be nice
if everyone picked up their dog poo convenient or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, why not make it easy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m almost certain if there were more trash
bins then we wouldn’t have little bags of treasure lining the trail.</div>
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Isn’t this true in life in general?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sometimes make things harder than they
need to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of looking for a
solution or remedy, we get stuck in blame or regret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t like your relationship?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do something to improve it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hate your job?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start looking for a new one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kids driving you crazy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get a sitter for a night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's not about never doing something hard or difficult. Sometimes choosing a difficult path is the right choice. But it is about being aware of your choice and knowing when to push the easy button.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, before every decision, ask yourself "is this going to make my life more difficult or easier?". If the answer is more difficult, make sure it's worth it. I think you'll be surprised how often we can push the easy button to create a more simple and relaxed life. </div>
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wcVtHxQKR9UyuWKQRXd19pRN2ncdSFc14cbPLjv59U1NCzulfT1Svv65X39A729ErFY0t0tftDUcvqHL0/x4IIBumiAzhugCwbEBQNUQsLZTWu6FKrBweG7Dx+1d3S+sP1+MUSVSj0oS2/dbB1Ddo2BjnHQPg46xkHHOGg3hnYtkH49mb5+9Sn0LwExPOu7FgE0joWr+ugsFy7yoApB6yu6qn3uuKl55GFS2YCku0dJYxV+EkMYN//+yx0e1BjBbV24xYdqAdzUIW+O1bn1yrjzOiibgAwSkki4sMZRIpPL5cMy2eDAwKB0QN4tG6qe9WMlD64aElf4UDVxzMPLlzqlA91d4u6evu6e3u7u3q7Ono72znstreUz/1nKhdMG1BkD6owBecaAPG3AKuVA8bRv7rV3y4eUzS1t1bdrXth7vwAiI0MGYtMJj2YOtI+DtpEwhlY+SKZ+jLueCLBfNlBx0qvQ3urRpYsveMKUhE4teDgG7htCgxHc54D0129xddUI+iEaV50tifll6rUt65UYK2g8rMLDSnpYSQ9j3O517A4L7oxltX3/tcTWZvCohyo+EV+owE0tioKCmzy4yIcLLLj/1lh5d69ENiSR9Ev6pH0SaWtv3+lZP13iwhUDdNkQKlhQvWB6U0dHR2d3Z3tXZ0d3R3tne1tHS2vb3da28vmzS9hQZsAqN2CVG1BlBlSpPlXKh6KJY6orr/fJhjq6um/cut3U0vq8GF8AUaVSKVU0xliJcc28GS18aBkHLeOgeSy0jINmfeg2FeCG+iePx/jynq3pAKcBrnw5WdYve/YZOzvFb+k90oP7Y+EBB2RLZuPBIazZQy5TqE5FBAUa8tMAbk39dFA+PEzjIYVqWKEcHFYOYiy+crXOkKrjEAN7djDN3RDGgxjLMB7CWH503+NxOh0fvE17HRtS0uI+iVjc19MjFvdJamtr0ye/dp4PFQZwyQAu6sEFLtT6eDb39bW1tbe1tre2trW0tDQ1Nd9tay9ZubSQgjIDVqk+VapPMlGmi3L5cDEuvqVP2tcnvXGr5tqNaoXi2b3fz0JkZDg0PIwx7m1tvzFpQpseNI6FxrGocSxqHAtNHBjau3n0nwwplLe/nnybB/X60EBCX2np8x9M3+KZ93lwVwd6PpmIe/swxkoaDytUwyrc0tiY9uGbpRRc1YU6E5705u0hjIeGFYNDCvmgYlBBS6Wyu19Nvk3B3Q9e6Xr0WDI01NfXJ5FI+vqkkv4BOcbK+/eV9x7Iadwrkfb09HR1dXd1dbf3ilP27UzUQqf1iHMG5EUDdNEAndOGijfH3btyuaWzq7m5uampubGx8eGjR3db2kpc7PIoKNEnyxiIemSxHlGsR2SSULB1U0NHt7RfVn2r5vK16+3tHc8k9VMQaYxVKnpYoVQolRjjh+WnKsdotRpC41iicSzZOJZ8ZAjt49i4vn70X6loWjzjm0cArTognTqFrr6ONRWN+QmSAuMuz6MNHLjPBoXfcUaAwwrl4KBiUEl3NjZdecf0mgBuGsBdbZAVFg1hLJcPy2RDMpl8YEAuxfjhOpcqFlznQK2LXbO4RyztF4t7e8S9PeJecW+vWD7UPSDv6u7p7OzqaO/s7OpqbG3KCPT2GiPM04IyfarcgHXGgDxrQJ42JM+QUGW5qKmjvbGp6eGjR/cfPLh3715DU0vRerdsCgp1UZEeWaRHFOiifF1UoIsySUiaN6v6/uNeibS2tq7i8tVrVVUSifTlEFU0xljcJ2EK4o2goOsi1GI0IkP0WAd6vnwXP9cuqQIDFLaW+OwpdZJirMJ4GOMuSe+tS+eKvA6X/frdbQE84MNwfv4gxoODCvmgQi5XDA4q5Sq6adncmwDVPGgRAb51W0bj/n6ZRNLfJ5FKJFIJTbdmZtzQhsu6cE4Apavtq65fau3q6Bb3dot7xeK+7p6erq7ujo6Oppamuvpbp3KSTtqZH9HVSuBCgS6U6VNlTJkTQqkWnKagdc60nrb2h48e3b//4O7du3fr6+88fFi0fUsGBXm6KE+E8nVRvi7K1UV5uiiTA2GfTr5YWdXW1X3/waMz5y9eqLg8MPBUyXoKokpFY4y7xOpB9dyWLdd14KERPBgD98fAw7HwQBt6503DmoaWHiU3WqM+Bca9g4N1t68X+x+P/u0n/zHa8QAVLKiZoNPAg+7UZDnGctmQXDYklw/J5YODKpWipqZ32rfiH75VRQQN01gyIOvt7e3t7RX39orFYrFU2tPeVffZWxe14IwuyuJC1MdvJm10LooNPpOXer4460xucnFyZFbAsehNLl4zv99voudJQKI25OiSRbqoTJ8s1SfLDTi3P37j3kevd/82XXX7Tlt3z72GhnsNDQ137tTV1NQ01GdtWJ3CghwRyhWhXF2UI0JZIsgUQYYW+E4cX1RY8qiltam5pfzU6fMXLz14+HB4ePgFEGka0zQtHZB1M/tXaJxrZV2lRzwwgntj1NHAg+5FsxitDauwgsYKGg8pVYMKlQLjIYwb25rOpsTEWy0+OXFMMEA6wFUdaJv1z+HgoMapn91C0HjYvR/jgQHZwMCA+rK/X0Zj5bBC0S8bwLiru6ul6VF3j7irq7unRyzu7esWi9uHBh8EeF3WJk/rEyV6RAYHwijw1qWOm4k8XjM6+or+YSPtQ3zkQYEvgkgOJOtApgjyRFCkh0r1iFJ9spyHmuyW97e1iXvEj5ub7tbV1t+prau5XXv7Vk11dXXNrRjLpQkUZIogU4QyRJAuQmkilCKCND4cNdJJjo6596ixta29tOzUmQsXLl+52tfX9wKITLFs6ejsEfdijBUyWcrcudcMWA2GUG8E9UZwxwjuaEPr9O8GVXhIhQeHVYPDKqazlQ8O379zM+fQrrCvPgzVIZIAzlDw6LvPBj0P49oajPEAxg2zfrgJUD/np05pf59UKpFIJBJJX18fozmxRNLT1yeWSKoLc4tW2bV1dbR2tt25c+NiaW5O0Ino9XYxC2aVjOOX6xFl+lSJHpErghQ+xHIhkgMRXIjgQpQ2xAkgWQdSRZApgjxdlK+LCnWJIl1UqEcU8eHya/p3L1+sv1dfV3Przu2btTdv1Nyounnt6u2qq2fPn/Kd8kEiG1JEKFWEUkSQLIJkEUoRQQof9go5Icc9au7eb25pKys/ferMuVNnzkr7+18AkXHu+48e9/b1YYxl3V1xv/5aacSpM9TsZTOCGiE8+PA1Sad4UIll8mGZbFgmGx4YGOxXqs46rIgGKOBAOQ9qJ09UnT+LVViBsQxjqUze3tt3Y960ayy4OoZXV5DXMyATi8VisbinR9wjFvd093R1dol7xHcf1kfM/yVcm8x23xzhZuX9/aceEww9+OBDQAwLckVQpk8xUaJH5uuiHF3IEkGGCNJFkC6CTBFkiSBHBDkiyNNFTOSKUJ4uytWBci7U+nrWPXpQe7O65sa121WVt65drq68eKnijP+2dce0qUQ+pIggRYRSRChZBCkilKQDCXzYokUd27at6vadR4+byk+dKS4tKy0rb21rH/mmH0ZyeVihUNH4TsM9qbQfYyxtaQ37/oeKsbx6g1EQ9eHOOHbH5SuDGPcPDEoG5NJ+uUQqlWDc4n38CgWXDFCFFtz58v2BYdWAUtXXJ+nt7e3tkz54+ODsN59c0oJLXLjw63d36mu7enu7e3q6u7u7u7u7urpb21uuXTkdaL3AhwMJWhCsBQEUBBEQxoZobUgUQoYI8nWRun0zYDgSRXqoQE0K8jT4ckSQKwLmxlzmqi5kiyCHhIqlcytvXD53Kq88P70gPSY9MiDG+9ARy8W7DQVBHIgWongdlKQDiToQr0PECYk4IRHLR2vYaLezS8XV6/fuPzh15mx+YVFxSVl19U25XP4MRFqhUMqHh2/W1Er7BzDG0sbGgO+nnjLWqjeA20ZwyxBuGcENQ7jJgwfBJ/sxlkplUqlMKh3ok0h6hxXiiopaXagUwVUB3HvXRNrW0TswIBaLu7u7u3t7q86W5bxmeEEIFfqoXAtyZ/1YGh929dLp6qpLlRfKSlMiYnes8ZjyricLEviQoQvpQsjQgTQRpIkgUwQ5IsjXRcV6BFPgSvXJUn2qWI8o0kVML6IRHeSKkBqcCOWIIFsE2SKUI0LZIjJdgJLNRL4zph789lP3TybtfnfCjlfHbdXTdqfAjwNhAhQpJKKFRIwQxQhRtJCIFqJoARklIKwIWGdhcabi8p36hlNnzublFxSXlJWfPj0wMPAURIVShTHu6e29fvMW862C9HGjz/dTU8Zq3zGAamY/pSFcNYRrbKizs+hRKPskkr4+ibhP0ivuFUsk/f2yzmlf3GLBTQCp7TKZUtXTK+7q6urs6GzuaM3auTGNB6f1ibMGZLk+mc+BGANO4Idv+P3jPa/3X/EYo3WcDcEUJAohUwT5IijQJQp0Ub4ICnShUBcV6SKm9S3WI4r1UJEuKtR9okGNnwJDLZNx1SdpTqSJqDQRmSIiIrTAm4AjBBwm4AgBx1jgxQE/bQjio1ABGSkko4VElJCIFhJRAiJCSIQLyBA+MQeB88IFJafPVN+sKT91Oic3r7CoOD+/4FmIwwoFxrits+vKtao+iRRj3N/e4Tltmo+hoEYfXTOEq4bomiFRaUBUCuDGB6+2PnrU2z8gFot7mKW7u1cuVz16PLh5rXzb+qGOzi6JpKOjo72trbOzvTwn0ee1MXk8KNenyg1YZQasMn0qTwBJHIhmQQQLYniQIIBUEWSJIE8ExXpqZCV6RIkuKtZDRXqoUE+jOKbeiSBXBLm6at1lacAxrpoqAo05qCNJBHFCiBQQIXw4yQd/PvjxwY8P/nwI5KMQARkiIMMERISQjBQQ4UIyTECGCsgQAeGnTfyAwHnB/ILi0sqr10rLyrNzcgsKi7KysiUSKTPgaSAOKzDGjW2tl65c6e3twxgP9fb6zZqxzUBQrY+uGZKVhsRlA3TJAC7rw2VtuBUR0j043NnZ2dHBREdnR0fPgLxfoZLQuL2nt7Wlpb2ttbWt+UxB6rEpk8IpKNZDZfosZjgtM2AV6ZH5uihbF2WKUJYIMYaQJ4ICXVSkp3FVXY0kGdExIUJqdrooS6Q2ljQR4wlPgRvBl6gDCToQI0RRQiKMj0L4EMyHQD6c5EMgH0L5RIiADBFQwQIiWECGCMgQAREsoIIF6CQfHdKmPiPQavMlWbl5585fKCoqzs7Jzc8vSEvPaGttewqies5rajpXcamrswtjTCsU4UsXr9QVnteDKwbM3kq4ZAAVBnCJC6d/+uJ+0+P2zq7W1rbW1raWltaW1raWlpaW5paWpua25qa21uY7d6rTAw4feW+CPwHpOlCsT5Tps9S2YMAq0X8yXeUzmSuCAnWNG3EGNTuNY6BsTcKOZGvaU+xQsgip2elAog4kCCFWCDFCiBGiKAGKFKBIAREiIEP4EMKHED4K4UMoH4UIiBABEcInggVEEB8F8dFJPuHPhwBttI7Hepcgdthap2RklJaW5RcUZmfn5OTkpKam1tc3MC3NUxDvPXx09vyF5uYW5sYUV6fpImGKLve6AXHRAJgZ/oIBcU6fKNOGsn3bH3e1t7W1tTQ1NTc1Njc1tjQ+bmlqbGx8WFNzvTAh2H/x9IO63AASknUgVxeK9IhSA6pUnyzTp0r0qWI9sliPKNAl8jXmkK8LI8iYkStHFzG2kKWLstQFDqWKIPUlukvSgQQdSNBBcUKIEUK0EEUJiSjBCD4UIUChAkKDDwXzUZBGkgF8COCjgFFp7s8HP23CnMN6l8M5sHZ1YnJyXl5ebl5eVlZ2VlZ2SnJK7Z1aZreYBqJCiTGuf3D/9Nlz9+49YG4sPbBvqkD7kIBfY8S9YAAXDNA5A+K0AVVmwCoTolxDXt6+7ddvXK6/d+f+g7sNDTXVVRdP5ycnHd7mO/O7w2P4JwgI40KiCLI03lqsRxTpoSI9olCPyB/RoC7K1yXyNanKmMOoGgdpIhgB93y2joguXohihShaCDzGOxwAACAASURBVNFCIkqNDCIERLiADGN0J0Aj7AL5iAHn99JAvnzimBb5HYucoqfr5b4nNi4uLTUtJzcvMzMrIyMzKSnp1u3bL4B4596902fO3bqp/l74WnzMz0LBIi63ykj7tAFx2uCJLZQZUCUCSOFD+DcfRdgtjlxjHWz1u8+0KR6vGx3lgS+CUA7ECiFFBFkiyBWhAl1UOKq6jb5U1zhdxPgDo7iXae2ZMhevA7FCFCNAGlcl1boTEuECFMboTkAy+IIFKJhPBI2S2+jw5SMfPnhrgzcfeWsjL23kqUVs55FvIjTzzdeDvDwjIiKSEhOzc3LT0tLT0tIT4uNv3bz1DEQFxvhOQ8Pps+cqLl1hfp3XeP36cjOTDwgyT5d9xoAqM2CVGlBMo1uqTxbrEXk6kMqGcAoCWeBPQQABoSyI0oYEISSJIFUE2SJ1huZpqOVqruaqs/VJjftjdhq5QawQ4tR9HBElICKFRKSAiBSQ4QIUISDCBUSYgBytuCABOslHAeoMRU+DU4e3NnhqoxPaxHFt4piWOg7zkBWPZQxg881XIf6+wUGBCfHx2dnZKSkpKcnJcbGxz0NUYoxr79afPneurPw00yoOSaVb/zHFBOAIn3VBs8ec2SlSrEcUMmVLBOkiSNaBRB1I0oEkHTWFNIag6AmvHE0vMjpV00WQ9tS4+iw4hl2cEGIEwEgskmEnQBECCBOgMAERJiAYxQXziWABESwgAvko8KWKAx9t5K0NPtrgpU14aiNPLXRcizjGQx5ahIcW6aFFeWiRR3jELi78k82eQJK7ly0J9vcJCvBPiI9Pz8hITExMSkqOjoq6fevpdB5WKjHGtQ0NZ86dKywqbm5pZW4Pd3Z6DWARmyrXI0v1iBI9olgXFekRhZpkZEoYU7mYSBehTBHKFEG2pvvVaA2NPOZleTqiuEQdiFezQ9ECFCkgIgUQKYAIAREhQEyqhjDgBESIAAWpyxwK4CP/l5Q5n6cVd1yLOKZFHlODIz20iCM8dJiHDvOIQzxiDxdW86g3SfILfT2/zRsCfDz9vTyTk5JSUtPj4+MT4uMjIyJqa582FqVSqcK49m7DmbPnC4tKbt5Sl8UrySlfsdmTCRQn4hTqQoEuPGnZNJPp6J7jmUgfxfcPwCWLIEmEEnUgTohiBChGiKIFKEpIRAlRlACpwfEhjI9C1R0JU+OIQIGa2vPgmDz14SNvPvLWBi9tdEILHdMiPJ5QI4+qgzjCIw7xiP08tI+L9vMIdx7aykULeOxxABYfTA4/cvDE0YOBvt4pKamJiYmxsbEx0dER4eF19Q1MGVRDZA5jrb3bcOb8hdKyU2fOnGN2Okq7uuzef88EYKsWJ1uXZMCNGkshWwMr40lu/gtbYJxhJFUTdFCcEMUIiWiNJ0QKiAgB0iiOCOWjUD4K0bALEhCBAuKF3urLBx9t8NZG3trIUwud0FKDO6ZFHNOA8xgBp0Ue4hEHecRBHnGAR+zjEXt5xB4u2ssjtnPBjUt9TlGvEsS++fNCjx05vG93aHBQcnJKfFxcdFRURERERHj448ePGfN4sitsWKlsePjgQsWlsrLThYUlLa3qjI7cuP4NgGkEihZxM5/rP9Jf3n+kaPrekWCcIU6IYoUQI4AYIcEYK6O7CCERJiTC+EhNTUCEqKcLFCwgggQEk63/OlWfokYcVQcDjjjMQwd56AAPHeAxoiP38tAeHrGbi3Zx0U4ubOfCOg5aymWbAXw/bkzopg2eB/Yc2bcrJjo6ISEhNiYmMiIiJDg4OipK3Nv71MSCMe7p63vU0lJxpbK07FRRUcm16+rvhe9VVs4w0p8IsEuLnSgi00WQIULpf9i4jSBL0EEj1GKFKEZIjCRplLqbIxhLDWVmBgEKEWjMQUAEPnHVF5c5xiW8tNEJLTimhTyekRuPOKJFMjVuhNo+HrGPR7jzkDuP2MsjdnPRTi7s4MIOLmznwjYubGSDPY/1HYscB+D27dcx+/fu37be68iBhISE2NjYiPDwiPCwQH//hIQEZp/hUxAl/f3NHR1Xrl4tKSsrLi4tLS2XSCQYY0zjw+ZLXgGYS4KvkJugg/64C0nQgQQhxAtRjLrvJaKERJQAmA4uSkBECMlwAREmQKECUsOOCBYQmh4YnRQQ/i9TnDbTyhGe2uiEFpzQQkxTMlLpGNEd4RFHtMhDWsRBHrGfR+znEft4yJ2HGGq7uWg3F3Zx0S4NuK1c2MqFbVzYxAFnDrmYy5kI8IlA4GdvfXL3jj2bVgcHBMTGxkZFRYWGhIaFhPh7e2VkZo58XfUE4oBc3tXXV3n9emlZeXFxaWFhcY3m12y3zpz5QVdnEsAGLhWow4kRoASdJ01vvJBJUogVQoyGVLRAYw4CFKlu34gwARk2ilqQgHjiqgJCIzf0TJ768JGXNnhpg6cWqGscDzzU4IijWtSIOTCiY2rcAbXiCHcesWcUNUZ327hoOxdt1eBjCG7mggsLreBxvqUII4CVn30cvXPb/k1r9u/cEh8bFxkZGREeFhx4MuhkgK+XZ/mp5/YnMv12n0x+9UZ1WfmpwuLi4uLSsvJT0v5+5hc2xyxXjAeYhcBdmxMkZEXwmSRF0UKk1poQRT6ZUhlzICOEpEZuZAifCOYTwXwUxEcB/BFXfbHifLXBSxu8tJGnNjqhhY5rkce0kIe6lVNrjbk8zCM0NY44wDgsj9jLI/by0B4NtV2abN36otjChS1c2MwFVwqsuOzfOKxXAd7T1jpqbem/ZePW1Q4Bvl6J8YmR4eGhQYGB/n7+3t5+Pj5V1TdlsueUiDGWygarbt0+deZMQWFRUXFJQUFR9a1bDMSHt2t+Gmv0JoADhQ7wuYECKkKAmKY3Un2JwgUoVEBoQr1PiWnlmAKnmRxeAE49PGirdeephUZauVGpSh7VIg/ziIM8csRV96srHenOIxl7ZfzhmUr3MnabuLCBCxu44MYCGw61gMP+lEBGACu//Dx488Zdq+z37diYmZ4eFxMbHhYW6OcT6O/vefRIaHBwa2vbs9+xMEtHV/fNO3Vnz18oKCwqLCouKi4pKirp6Opifq8cu3/fWICpCNzY5GEBN1BAhAqYEZUMFSCGWrCAVE+pAiJIQATyiZdRY8ZVX3UTB55ayFMbHWeGh1GTg4fGWI+qFUfs55Hu6iAYc9jDI3ZzYdcoxb2M2mZNMODWM8EBNxbYsslFXPaPFGEEMMVQ/7C91Ym1LhucLJPioosLCxPiYsNDQ/y9Pf29vTwO7k9MTBz5guVZiL29fXcfPT5fcamgsCi/oLCwqDi/oOhixWXZ4PCwih4akFl+/aUBwGIS1nDIowKePx8FaXqRYAEZpBm2/DWlzfdFeaoe70dSVZvQGCv1VB/HY3pgNEp0DDVyDxcxHckuHrGDixhwDLsX4tvMhY3PgOPCeg6s5cBqNriywJ5FLuVyZlDEGwjMCMJlxo+ebk4brZZ6HXGvvHypuCA/OTEhKMDP58RxL48jHof2F5eWjT404ymISqWyvavr/KXLxSWlubl5+QVFhYXFeXn5tXX1A8MKJcZ1Vyo/1BG+AbCSRGvY1GE+10dbvU/pZXLz00z4zNhwXEstN0ZlHjy1sTKpqmmA0UEesZ9H7uOhvTzCnUe6c5E7j9zDI3aNytM/EB0jt01Ps1vHhXUcWMOGNWxYzYY1bFjFRs4ssGNTS3jcWRT5MUnoA8x5760DDpa7bVZscrG5fP5sddW18pKilKREf28vnxPHDrvv9vXxul1bK5MNvhgixrint+/8pctlp07n5Obm5ubl5xcUFBQVFhU3trb1yQcxxmn+/mMB/oHAhkKrOdRBAfe4FuGj/VQr58tHGnDIS90Ak8efkhvhoUUcUVsqOjjKVfdx1a7KFLjd6jaY2DmK2suydYTa+lHg1nNhLQfWcGA1G9zY4MZGq9jIlY1c2ciJQvZs0oLHmU0RX1OEPsCXBvqbFv3mbrfSZfn83PTE1qZHtdVVF86VpyTEBvh4e3kcdt+xOSYmRiKVjj588jmIYnHl9evlp8/m5eVnZWXn5eXn5xfk5RWUnzrd1tPd0z8whPF+RwddgB8IsCFhNYdy53OP8IjjWshLWx2e2sQJrdEFjlGcOk9Hj1wHeGg/F42euhhL3aXxhx1c9AfgRvxh49Opuo4DaziwhsNQA1cWrGKjVWzkwkKuLOTKRs4UOLKQHZtcwmHPpojvKWIcwCQe1+Xn73auXOyyYGag5+Gutub25saH9XcqK84lx0cH+Xkfdt95YO+uouKSP/ppHcZYpVI9fPy49NSZgsKizMzM7Oyc3Ny8vPyC3JzcCxcrWru6xTJZd1+fzbQfdQF+JpEtCW5sYpc2d78WdZCHjmmRx7VHtEZ6ME0cD2mGfHSQhw5pCpxm6iI0U9cTZ9iu7uZejIwR3aYXsVvLUeepKxu5MshY4MICFxZyZSMXFriwwIkCRwpsOazFHPZsEn6kCBOAiSzWiikfbjKf57ZwlvtG18Z79b1dHR0tTc0P7lVePJeenBAc4Ltn6wZ/X5+GhrvPHI7xgl/KdnV3F5eVF5aUZudkp6WlZWfn5OTk5ubmZWfnXLpS2dTe2SGR1tU3zP/0Uz2GI4VcWWirFmevNsudiw7xiKPqMsfMqupU3T+q+93LI/Y8mVhhZGj9g1RlzGH9KGpMjWNiJFtdNbpzYSFnFjirCYITC5xYyIkCJwqcWIQ1lzOfRf1Gon9S5CsIvUKS5u+/tWber27zZqy3Mb9ZWSHp7uzpaO1ua2m831B58VxeVupJnxPuO7akpqY9fwjvCyDK5fLrVTfyC4tzcvPS0lLT0tKysrKzs7NzcnKzs3MuVV592NzS3C2+dO787Pcn6QP8TBK2FHJiofVcarc2Zw+P2MtF+5+yVJJpffcwfRyP2MmFnVy04+ky90LdbXrOWNdxYB2bSVXkxobVat2BKxu5sgkXNnJhIRcWMRqfI8UEcqSQA4dlyeXMY1GzCfiBIswQeoUkl7410enXqc5zf3FZPPtMUa64o03S09nb1d7T3vKw7nZ15cXSojyvI/s9PY5cuXpV/tyBGC8+eqCnR5yTl5+bX5CekZGcnJSekZGZmZWdlZ2dnZOdnXPh0uW6+w/rG5uLs3NmTXrbEOB7krCiCEcK3DjkNi32bi3WDi7s4oJGbozWmDKHRiz1ZWVu83OpOqK4tRrFrRrJWTZyYasrnSZ51SnsrCHoQIEjBU4swobDXsRhz6bQLBK+o8jxABNY1JI3Jtj/+KXdrH86Lpiemxzd/PBeT0drX3eHVNzZ0fz4YX1Nw62qkrysA7u2JiQk9Ekkzx+R/2KIg/LB8+cvZOXkZGZlJicnJyUlZWRkZGRkZmmW8jNnb96pu15bnxUTs+TDyUYAUxBYUMiBAhcWWs9lbddmb+cRjL62a/xhOxe2PT2xPlPpNr4sW9mwWi26kWAIji52ao4uLHBlgTMLOVLIkYUcKXCikCOHZcHlzGWRswmYRaIvKNIY4F0uZ8VbE+ynTrH85VuHeb9kxoXdq73Z+uh+R0tjX3dHT3tL84N7j+/VN9yuCvE95nFo/8WKisHBP30cC8ZYKulLS0vPzMpKTU1NSEhITExIT09PT0/PyEjPzMzKzMzMLyq+dK3qXOXVlOAgxy8+H49gEsB8CtlSyJFCrmxiI4+9XYu9XYt8odxGjxDP+8N6Lqxjq6Xnpm5NRuFjMT4LmtBc1UB0ZiFHFuFIgRMFjhzKksNewGbNItFvBPxMER+Q5BiAfwj5VpPesPv2c4ufvnZeODM9JqTmWsWDutuN9+rbmx93tja1PLzfeLfuUX1NSU7qjg1uySkpfX2SF55g46UQFQrFxfMXUlJTU1PTEhMS4mJjkxIT0lJTU1NT09PSMzIyMtIzsrJzys6eLSw/neDns/vnHz7ha5kC/EQiC4qwo5ATBavY5AYee5sWezuPfD55n0/bkUFiRIOMV6xiqQmq05atltsIyhE9OrPAkYUcWYQTCzmyKSsOewmbmkOi3wiYRaLvKHIiQuNJ8pcxBvaT37L59vNl//xitfm8pKjgC+VFN69cqLt57UFdTdP9hsd36x7cuXW/9mbluTL3LWs8j3lcqbz6slNr/NFRpgP9/SnJiSkpqYkJCfFxcbEx0YkJ8akpKakpKWmpqenp6RnpGakpqZk5uWnZuRHHjvr+PmuBiZEZwGSAuSSypJA9i3CkkCuLWMthbdFib9eitvGIzZoG5YUER5c/Rn1uowTImC8jPZcnMgRNCoMThZxYhB2LXMkiF1Hk7ySaS8AcEv1CEZ+QhDGg97W4i18xdvj4XcvvPrf48avN9haxYSdzUuNPFWRXnCq6fvFMbdWV2uuXa65eqrl+ufJ8uc8R923r3XLy8uXywZed5+WPICqVyppbN2NjohMTEuLi4mKjo6OjIhPi41OSk5OTk1NTUtLS0jIzMlOSkuITEqPj4k4ePRy8fOH2D9/+XJs3HuBLAi2gCCsK2VHgQCEnFuHGJtdxWZt57C08ajOP2DgaHzNasJ8UwdEEXTUesoqNXNiEK5twYSEXNozKaHBmIXs2Yc2mzCliIYXmkWguCfNINIMivqCICQi9zqKmGerZvDPRZsoHK6dOsZr+/Z51zpHBvgmRwekJUZmJMQWZKWeL886X5p8rzb90qvhsSV5EgOca+xWRkRH1DQ3PHwP0pyBijIeGhjLTUmJjomNjY6OjoqMjI6IjIxNiY1MSE1KSElOTk1OSkzPS09NSU2OiI4OCAr0O7ve3s/T//kubV8ZN4rBeA/iGgPkUWsEibChkRyE7FnJkEa5sag2HtZ7L2sRjbeSR67mIkSETzxDUyFCtO1cWWsXSCJOFnNmEA5u0ZpPLWAQjPSbmk2g6RXxFEm8RaAJJfi0SLn/N1OHjSdZffbLin184LZ59aOfGk95HQ/yORwf7RQb6xISdTI0LT4uPzEiMyU9PzEtLiArydbVacuLo4TNnz+FRB43+ZYg0Tcv6JWHBAbExMVGRkVGREVHh4VHhYfEx0ckJ8ckJ8SlJiSlJiakpKRlpaXExUf5+Pof37jzqaB342y8nPnt/yTiDdzns1wH+gWA2iZZQaAWFrClkQyFbEuwo5MAinNmkK4twYxOrOcRaDrGWg9Zy0DoOWsNGbmzEjLoaiEwLjRzZhD2LsGGRK1nkMha5iEILNOwWkGgOiX6liC9I4k2CeIMivxBqLx4/1uG9N+2mfLDyu8+tZny/yWGlx74dJw7u9jy0x89jv/cR9wDPw8G+x0N8j4X6n4gO9o8LDQj1O7HG1nzX5nU5uXn9/f1/fE6SP3UijZqbVYF+3jHRUZFhoVHhYVFhIZGhIXFRESnxscnxcckJ8alJicmJ8ekpKWnJSSGB/gf3bNvtbHt80dygn74+/MFb5saGn2hxJiI0GcEPJJpDosUkWk7CCgpZsZAlBdYkWFFgRSErEmwpZMtCtizShkXYUsiGhawpZM0irFikFYVWkGDBIpazCHOKWEKiRRRaSMJ8Es0j0TwSzSLRVJL4kCDeIIh32eypukLz8ePs3n3d9rP3Lb/51PLnb1yXz9+zcdWR3VuO7NpydM+2Qzs37t+67vDurR7uOzzct3vs3+lzxN3PY7/nwT1r7ZavdbRMSkq+f//+vzxV0589L05RXtZJ7+PRkeHhIYGRIUERwYERwSdjwkOTY6OT4mKS4mKTE+KT4+OSE+LSU5ITY2N9TxzZtX7VjhWLjs+e5j91ypGP3nZ4ddyPIsH7HNabBPEBQlMJNJ1Ev1PEEhItJ8GCQispsKLAkkKWFFpJwQoKWbCI5RSyoNByCi2jCHMSLaPAnELmFFpCoQUkmkei30g0g0TfkegjAr1DEO+wWP/ga88co2fxmqndu6/bfPq+1TefWU37xnnJ3G2rHfZuXb9n87p9W9bu27p+90a3nRtW7dzgtmO96/Z1rns2uh3csXH/9k17Nq9xs1nmtHJRZETElcqr/5rOXzpXWHxksL/XsciwkNDAgPBA/4hAv/CggKjQoMSYiOTYqMSYqKTY6OS4mMS46KT42NSkxNjoCK+jB3a62e9cMvfQ9B88v//H0c/f3/zOqxamRtP0BJ/xOO9R1PsE+hjBVwT8SKAZJJpLogUkWkQRi0lYpF5BC0hiAYXmk+h3Es0l0UwS/UqifxLoSwJ9SqD3CeJdkvyAw/5KoD3TSG/ZK+Ns355g+8Hb1lM+sPr2c+vpU52Wzt3sart70+pdG1ZtX++6Y8Oq7etctqx23LbGcesap/XONmsdLNc5WW1d7bjFzWGjq52L5WLbpXNOBvifOnMG/2Ep/MsQaZrGmA72Pe7jcTAqNCg0wCc80C8iyD8yyD86NDAxKjQ5LiopJiopJiIxJjIhJiouKjw+OiI5PiY2Kszf8/C+dS47l83fO/OnAz98dejrT3Z/8u7GSa/Zv2ayZKzedD3BN3zeZ1z2xyxqMkW+TxIfEugTAn2G0McE+pRAnxLoEwJ9RKAPCGIyQbxPkpMp8mMOe4oW51uh9gwD0SITQ6sJJg5vT7D74G3rT9+3+uoTqx+/spv786oVCzevst2x3mX7Wsdtq+22r3HYtsZxo4vNRmfrza62651t3OxWutosd7Fe5ma3wsV6mYv1ckeLhdaLZvt6nSguKRkeHv6T51z7C0qkaVom6/c9dvD4wb3hQQFhAT7hgT6RQX6RQf7RIQHxEYHJMeGp8VFJMREJUWEJ0eFxkaGx4cGx4cHxUeFx0eGhAV7H9213d7Hdu3je3uk/7vn+q11ffbb18w82fTRp3XsTXd8cbzfBeKWZ0VJjg9+NRLMNdGboCX/RE/6sK/xZJJimK5yuJ5xtoDNvjN5iY8NlpkbWE4zt3xjvMOk1h8lv2X3yrs2UD6y+/czqp69t50xzNp+3zt5iy2r7rasdNq+y2+Ris2WV7WZX2/VO1uscLTc4WW1wtl5tb+liY+FsZe5svczJytzWfJ69xUL75b9bLZrpfdyjsLBY0veCGflvgMhwHOiX+hzdd2jXltCTvmEB3uEBnpFBvtHBfjEhfvFhAUnRIenxEelx4ckxoYlRIQmRIQmRwbFhgdEhAVGhJ2MjQ6LCgoJ8Tnju23ForfN+q2W75/+2Y8aPm3/4ev1Xn639x8erP5vs9tEktw/fdvvgrVXvv+H63kTX9153eXeiy7sTnd9/w3Hymw4fvGX/8Tu2n75nM+UD668+sZo6xXraN7azfnRcOGvVyoXrHFZsWmW7xc1+k6vtRierDU5WG52tNjhZrXWwXG23co295TpHq9X2K11sljtZLnVcsdjJcqnDikVWi3+zX77Adulcq4UzfTyP5RcUjvw+5N8CEav1KPc/fmjPRrdA72PhJ70jTnrGBHnHhfgmhvolhvmnRp7MjAvJTQzPSghPiwlOjgpOjAyOjwiMCz8ZHewXftI7PMAz4qR36EmvIL9jvh77T7hvO7p5zQEX2z1W5juWztv6+4xNs39eO/2fbr9MdZn2rctP3zj99I3DtG8cfv7W4depDjN/sP9tmtP8GS6Lf3O1WLDa2nydw8qNrtabV9lucrXZ6Gy1wXHlBkfLDY6W6x0t19qvcLO1WGVrscp2xWr7lW62Fi5WS51WLra3WGhvsdDBYqH1kjmWi2Y7WCy0WjjTZskcfx+vgsIisVj8V890/D86MS9NK5TKsJPeW1fZnTjkHn7SOybIMyHIMznMNzXCLyPKPyP6ZE5sYH5iaFFKZGFyRE58SFpMYFpUYHLEycRQv9hgn8iAE2G+HsHeRwJOHPY/fsjv2H4fj73eh3edOLj9mPuWIzs3HNy6Zt9Gt73rnHevsd+52m7Harvtbrbb3Oy2utltXeOwxc1+i5v95lV2m1ysNzpZbnBcud7BYr29xXqHFescVqyxt3CzXeZqbe5ibe5ivXyVzXJXa3OnlYsdLBbYL/vd1nye3bL5tubzVi6YYb14jv3y+RZzf3a2XBQSFFh++nRPd/f/4FzR//NTRGOM05MTNq+y3bt5daDn4bggr9Rwn4wI35yYgNy4wPz4wIKEwKKkkLLU8FOZUacyo8rSwwuSQnLjAjKj/FPDfZNCveMDT0T5Hw3zPhh4fJ//0b3eB3d67tt2bM/mo7s2Ht6x4eC2tQe2uO3b4rZn06pdG1x2rHPavsZh62r7za62m5ytmWzdoCa4cr3DijV2y91slrlYLXWxWuJiZe5qbe5itdRp5RLHFQsdls+3M59ns3Serfk8myVzVi6cuWLBDNtl82yW/GY+64cNrnaxMTFnzp67c+dOT4949IHM/16IIxyvXK7Yu2n1BocVR3ZvCff1yAj3zYn2K4g/WZIcXJoSUp4Wejoj7HRG+LmsyIu5MRX5sRdzY85mRZanhRYmBObE+KWHe6WGHE886RHjdzDc60DwcfeAI7u8D2w9sXfzsT0bD29ff2DrGvdNq9w3uuxZ77RjreP2NQ5b3ew2u9pucLLa4Lhynb3FWrtlq23NV9suc7NZtsrafJWNuav1MherpU4rFtovn2+3bJ7t0rk2S+fams+zMZ+7cuFMi/nTrRbNtjOfu3zOTyvm/XJw9/aU1LTKyqu3b9+uqKi4ffv21avX//j0an8nxBGUXV1dgb4nVtuYb3S2Pu6+PSbAoyDO/1RayNms8As5kZfyoipyIy/mRl7Ki6osiL5eHFdVEl9VGn+tJO5yftS5rLBTqUEFcf7ZEZ4pwUfj/Q9Fe7uHHd9z8vAO3wNbPd03Hdu94fC2tQc2r3Lf6LRrneO2NfZbVtltcrHZ4Gi53mHFenuL9fYW6+yXr7Nbvtp22SrrpS6Wix0sFtiZz7NZOtdm6RzbpXNtl861WTpnxfwZy3//1XLhLNulcywXTF8yY6qr5ZKTfj65+fl3797FGFdX36yoqLhy+UpdXV1H+0tPdvRvgYg1kjxVVrJ78xrnFQs2Otsc37slKejY6fSwysKYa0VR/dUDNAAABgpJREFU10riqkrjqkrjqspib5THVZfH3TwVf/NUws3yuOqy2BulsVcLoytyI89khJQm+efH+mSGHUsOPBzr4x5+fFfg4e1++zZ57V5/dOe6w9vcDmxy2bvecfc6x+1u9ltcbTc4Wa63t1hjY77KaomL5WJHiwX2y363M59ru3Su7dI5dkvn2CyevXLBDIv501cunGmzeLblghlLZ0y1/P3XfTs2JyQknDl7tr+/n9k9U1VVdf369do7dyorK6VS6b960383RGZRquiurq746PCNLjb25nNX21kc2rE+1v/Q6fTg6vKEugvJ9RdT6i6m3LmYWnsh+c6F5NoLyTXnkm6fSbh5Ov5medy1otgr+ZEXc0LOpAcVJvjnxXjmhHsknzwc5+MedXx78JFtvvs3e+1ae3jLqv2bnHevc9zuarfJ0XKd/fI1tuauVkucVy5yWrHQyWK+w/L59st+t1s613rR7JULpq9cMMNq0UybxbMsF0xfOnPqslk/blrlEBIUmFdQeKeujjljA7P9Uqn03t179+7da2lp+avv/e/8pzbMBtXV1YWc9FnvuNJ2yW9OKxZuW+0QcGRHXpxPVWlcQ0Xqg6sZ96+m361Mv381815lRv2l1NoLybfPJlafirteEnO1MPJidvDp1ICSRN/8aM+MkCNJ/vuiPXeHHtlycv9G791rj25zO7DJec86hx1utlucrTY6Wq61s1htY+5mtcR55SIHiwV25nNtFs+2WjjDauFM60UzbRbNXDHv5yXTv1s2+8f1Ttb+vl4ZWVmVV68NDg79mZPF/snl7//3SgzKW7duhQf7b3azs13ym/XCWc4rF+9c5xh4dGdOrFdlcfTdK+nNt/Jabuc9rs55cC3z7pX0+ktpNecTb56OqyqNvpQXfi4jsCzJryjOKyf8aGrgwTjvPREe24IPbvT+f+3dW1MSYRzH8XeWFlkCchJWWVZgWcFFVkUzPJtFSVmWRjWaKbiWoSimRTaOHdBJyik7N02eqqumKUHYfR7AXaCLZpqmuqgZ7DDD5yV85z/z3D0/e21XS1VHPXXYVt5WTTZQhI3UWY2YBS8mdUgZpjChMpNaYiwWG1RCTCpQC3fghfkNVnPPWefk1NT9xcXNSARC+I8uA32H4/hUOr2+vubzjhxra6wk1AZErC8UmTSK/WZ9R7OVdtpnRs8uzgy+XPCuPZh4szS5/vDK8r3xV3e9LwKepRk6ePXC/ETPzZEzfnfnxHmHx9nm6mzpba9zHqjuaKq015qbK0ptpM5q1FB6hMQUZRrZl3YlUgEqysEkAosWOdxkc/X3Xbs+vfTocZRhfusL8l+3vZNzyWSS4/iNUCi4sEAPnD/SbKsq1RCIuESWh8nycKSA0iENlMHRVHmmvW7w9MGxPsek+8T0pe6Z4a7rQyf9g8cn+hwe50G6s7mn3dbdWnWsvrzNStSXa2uIYkqnJFFpaZEYV+7VygQacY5GlKuX76H0Ra111edOd3nHvLcDgdfLy7F4POPX960/MX6YSqUSia0Ex73/8CEYDI4MX+w+3t5SS1USamNRgVa2Gy3YqRbnopJdmCxPrxSWImISlZKY3FIiLy+RmzE5iUpNaglRJMKV+TrFHq1MoJHkoqIdqChHI9mJF+ZbtKq6irIOe2t/b4/P57t9J/Ds+ctQOAwA5LgMrlH93B/dMk0mkxDGOD65GYkur6zOz8/5xkYv9J47ddR+qHFfQ5VpX5mW0qnMmMJYXEAgQgMiwpVCXLnXoBISiNCgEprUEhJTVBjUNWa8scbiONDkPHVicKDf5xufvXXrwdKj9bfvIpEowzDxeHy72331d1Z1U6lUIpGIRpktjmdY8HEj9Hpl9fGTp4G5uRs3pqcmr4x6Ll8aoodo95DbRbv6adcA7XZdpN2ey8O+8XG/3z87e/PuQvDps+crq2sfP22wLGAYhmVZnt/2u/vR354mTqfT6TTP8/H4FoCQYVkWgPDmJoSxWDwBIAQAsgAwLGABBAACGAMAhkIhhmXC4TAAYJveit/yT0T832UjZkA2YgZkI2ZANmIGZCNmQDZiBnwGsgfv2A9SsrUAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" 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Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-75334769297594083982016-04-01T17:42:00.003-07:002016-04-01T17:42:38.817-07:00The Cat versus the Monkey<div class="MsoNormal">
On a recent vacation with my son to Costa Rica, he formed a
close relationship with the ho tel owner’s cat.
While we were staying there the two were inseparable, the cat even
sleeping in my son’s bed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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At the same time, the whole reason we were visiting Costa
Rica was my son wanted to see monkeys.
We were really excited when we discovered the hotel grounds were full of
them, especially the mischievous white face monkeys (the ones known to steal
cameras and food out of backpacks). <o:p></o:p></div>
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Near the end of our trip we talked to the hotel staff about
the close relationship my son and their cat had formed. My son was devastated to find out one reason
the cat had attached himself to him was that the monkeys had been trying to eat
the cat. Evidently after several
attempts at being carried away, the cat had learned to hide out in the guest
rooms.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This new information caused my son a great internal
dilemma. He loved watching the monkeys
play but now knowing they were a threat to his new cat friend, he was
struggling with his feelings about them.
It reminds me of a lot of some of my clients around the holidays. They love their family, but some of the
things they do or have done drive them crazy.
The struggle between loving someone and not loving what they do can even
be conflicting. This conflict can be
created even within ourselves. How do we
love and accept ourselves after we’ve made a mistake or done something that we don’t
approve of?<o:p></o:p></div>
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In discussing this situation with my son, we talked about
the circle of life, how the monkeys were not malicious but responding the way
only they knew how. I think most people
are the same. They’re not malicious,
they don’t mean to be harmful, they’re just responding the only way they know
how. Hungry animals need to eat. Hurting people do hurtful things. By building compassion and depersonalizing their
behavior, we can maintain our bonds and connections even with those we don’t
agree with or have very different belief systems. Even more importantly, we can love ourselves
even when we don’t like ourselves.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the end, my son and I were able to enjoy the monkeys and
at the same time love on the little cat. (Needless to say the little cat spent a lot of
time in our room). It greatly helped
that the monkeys we saw were only eating mangos. So.…don’t feel like you have to choose
between a monkey or a cat. You can love them both.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-17630627668687151422016-03-07T11:59:00.001-08:002016-03-07T11:59:09.492-08:00Cliffs Notes of Our Life<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyone else remember Cliffs Notes from high school or
college? Or study guides where all
information you really needed to know was condensed into one place. That way, you really didn’t have to read the
whole book or study everything in a particular subject – all you really had to
do was to know the condensed version.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I recently had a conversation with my son because he was disappointed
in a test score. His frustration was
that there was information on the test that wasn’t on the study guide. It wasn’t fair he kept saying, because he didn't know all the questions in advance. We talked
about how study guides and Cliffs Notes were great tools but that they didn’t cover
everything. There were no guarantees that
the test wouldn’t include material not in the notes. My
poor son who values predictability (and good grades) was not happy with our
discussion since I really didn’t give him the sympathy he was hoping for. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This discussion got me to thinking – life is kind of like
that. We usually have a blueprint for
our lives, some idea or maybe some goals in mind, maybe even a strategy to
reach them. Then, something comes up
that wasn’t part of the plan. It’s not
that life isn’t fair – it’s just that we just have an abbreviated version of
what we think is to be. We don’t know
every factor, every potential outcome, every turn our journey might take. If we embrace that we don’t have all the information
– all we have is the Cliffs Notes - it helps when we make a mistake or have to
change paths. We can acknowledge that
our mistakes are not always personal shortcomings but a lack of
information. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I know for me, I’ve had a number of times in my life when I
thought I had all the info I needed only later to find out I had made a wrong
choice, chosen the wrong direction, invested in the wrong person, etc. I
think by remembering I made the best choice I could at the time with the info I
was provided, has given me the confidence to keeping moving forward. So
remember – we’re just working with the Cliff Notes, the study guide, not the
whole picture. We don’t have all the
information so we have to give ourselves some grace when we make a mistake….including
my son for not studying as well as he could have <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVsSLyIXprINprQqhSwbrs6g8cOgY55gsQSGCgNw_o5U7RcUnCDE4odOpFGhr5LFjGb9hWP3f4ptDYgMsoOqaRhEpDeeQoN_V4NCgS1CbqFfmwtG7VK9bHooZDMc_mBXiL3lC80RjdA/s1600/cliffs-notes.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVsSLyIXprINprQqhSwbrs6g8cOgY55gsQSGCgNw_o5U7RcUnCDE4odOpFGhr5LFjGb9hWP3f4ptDYgMsoOqaRhEpDeeQoN_V4NCgS1CbqFfmwtG7VK9bHooZDMc_mBXiL3lC80RjdA/s320/cliffs-notes.gif" width="246" /></a></div>
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Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-82236860785240139962016-02-22T09:56:00.001-08:002016-02-22T11:26:08.618-08:00You Can Be Happy Regardless Of Who Is Elected<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Oh the drama
of election season. I’ve had several
friends this week mention how one of the candidates is either going to make their
life terrible or great. People are
un-friending friends on social media due to political comments or jokes made. There was a report of a business that refused service to
someone with a t-shirt on for an opposing political party. People are arguing and loosing sleep over the debates. There are even those threatening to leave the US
if the elections don’t go their way (though famous people have made those
threats before and to my knowledge never followed through). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There is one
thing I want to say about all this – and it’s not support for a specific
candidate. It’s this – there is <u>NO</u> person who is
going to make your life great. There is <u>NO</u> person that is going to make your life horrible. (I have to remind myself of this every now and then). Yes, political leaders have great
power and can affect things we really care about. But haven’t you lived through a term of a
politician you didn’t like? Did you
survive? If you’re reading this I’m guessing so. Did life as you know it stop? No, it didn’t. You still were able to enjoy time with
friends and loved ones. You created
priceless memories. You might have even
reached important goals or achievements.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My point is that only <u>you </u>are in charge of your happiness. Isn't that better? Does that mean you just ignore the
elections? No. I think just the opposite. You can’t control the outcome but you can
control how you contribute to it. Vote,
give money to a candidate, join groups that support the causes you care about. I've even been known to participate in marches and protests. Do whatever you feel you need to do but know
that the outcome doesn’t determine your future happiness and our social
relationships and connections are more important than our political ones. If your candidate doesn’t win, life will go
on. You can be happy….you might just have
to try a bit harder :-) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztxK67wUufmLyU0IMqgUZNZpEhZtISKLih0nwUQ51M5WQZkiRQsWZMtazxrCAzLkgjXua4QqaBYXX5q9VpJTV04eBZwuHTWyVldb47GkGRLMIu7L2bNaA63uvoU4WLbXsFUfneKuoIQ/s1600/voting_cartoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztxK67wUufmLyU0IMqgUZNZpEhZtISKLih0nwUQ51M5WQZkiRQsWZMtazxrCAzLkgjXua4QqaBYXX5q9VpJTV04eBZwuHTWyVldb47GkGRLMIu7L2bNaA63uvoU4WLbXsFUfneKuoIQ/s320/voting_cartoon.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-62151477135659772322016-01-19T10:24:00.000-08:002016-01-19T10:24:28.900-08:00Life Lesson from a Purple Scarf<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I’m one of those people that make year’s resolutions every
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year I’ve been hard at work
de-cluttering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I’m even working on a
new book on how our environment – home/work space - effects our emotions).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the first projects was my closet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not a big shopper but I do love accessories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m kind of like a crow – attracted to shiny
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point I got frustrated
with the number of scarves I had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They’re a pain to either hang or fold, especially when you have way too
many. </div>
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<br /></div>
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About a week after my big closet clean out, my son and I did
our monthly Mobile Loaves &Fishes volunteer activity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Mobile Loaves & Fishes has a truck they
send out with food and donated clothes for the homeless).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an unusually cold night and by
coincidence one of the things on the truck to distribute where scarves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Evidently I wasn’t the only one who cleaned
out closets and donated scarves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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One of our stops was in a parking lot where some of the
homeless panhandle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the ladies
there was so excited about the scarves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She was running her hand through the soft fuzzy fabrics and admiring the
pastel colors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’d think with the cold
weather she’d be more concerned with gloves or heavy sweaters but she was
totally focused on the scarves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She reported
people often mistake her for a man (short hair, baggy clothes).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a big smile on her face she chose a purple
fluffy scarf and said now everyone would know she was a girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See, the very same things that were a nuisance
to me meant the world to her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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I learned a couple of life lessons that night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One, no matter what our circumstances, our
self-identity is important. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all want
to physically express who we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
this young lady, creativity and self-identity was as important as her physical
needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two, the whole time I was cleaning out my
closet, I could have had a spirit of appreciation and gratitude instead of
annoyance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was frustrated at the chore
of having so many things that I didn’t have enough space for them all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of those scarves had served a purpose,
kept me warm or dressed up an outfit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
doesn’t mean I should have kept them, it just means my attitude about
discarding them could have been better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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So for this New Year, I wish you all a spirit of
thankfulness and appreciation for the things you have as I continue to work on
my attitude of gratitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, never
underestimate the value of a good scarf!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR79L369mUdW_Eaz1ZTY3Vq2T5xM1vxDToFKM3ikyEQCNdN0xmptyK8udWJlUgAtuZrA1LDimzl8sPTL9Oykr6-POXksxbC1R9DTiAAa2L-4nkGmZ1MHB7sND59sdLVLbJDvwAh-SmNQ/s1600/purple+scarf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR79L369mUdW_Eaz1ZTY3Vq2T5xM1vxDToFKM3ikyEQCNdN0xmptyK8udWJlUgAtuZrA1LDimzl8sPTL9Oykr6-POXksxbC1R9DTiAAa2L-4nkGmZ1MHB7sND59sdLVLbJDvwAh-SmNQ/s1600/purple+scarf.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-46822645851217633102016-01-11T11:19:00.000-08:002016-01-11T11:19:39.744-08:00The Lottery Curse or Curse of The Lottery?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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As you may have heard, there is a huge Powerball lottery drawing
(over a billion dollars) pending for Wednesday night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(For fun I just bought two tickets, one for
myself and one to put in a friend's birthday card).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There has been so much discussion about what
people would do with that much money if they won.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Answers ranged from cursing out their boss and
quitting their job to traveling the world (hopefully their boss wasn’t watching
the interview).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sad reality is that most
lottery winners journeys don’t end that well.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I saw a TV special one-time about lottery winners and how
their lives were changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very few were
positive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most had very sad stories of a
life out of control, drug abuse, family estrangement and even suicide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a theory about this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of us at one time or another have
thought “If only ____, then I’d be happy”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know I’ve fell into that trap. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually whatever obstacle the blank represents
(paying off debt, getting a house, owning a car, not having to go to a job we
don’t like, etc.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>can be fixed with a
huge sum of money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once that blank is
removed, we should be happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
happens when we’re not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think that’s the dilemma of a lottery winner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do we do when we banked on this one
thing making us happy and it doesn’t? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Or worse, we buy into the idea this is the
only thing that will make us happy, and it doesn’t happen).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think
we all need to remind ourselves that happiness can’t come from outside
ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know it sounds cliché to
say “money doesn’t buy happiness” but the lottery is a great example of why
this is true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mike Rowe (from the TV
show Dirty Jobs) does a great Ted talk about how he discovered some of the
happiest people he met were ones doing horrible jobs (we’re talking septic
workers and jobs most of us would avoid).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He discovered it was the person’s
attitude and outlook that made them content.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Their ability to find joy and meaning (even in dire circumstances) was a
better indicator of happiness than their income or job status.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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So, if I win Wednesday I’ll have a great time spending it –
probably lots of travel and birdwatching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>AustinPetsAlive – where my pups came from - would receive a big bonus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if I lose, that’s OK too – because I
understand my happiness is not dependent on some outside circumstance I can’t
control. Odds of winning are one in 280 million- not odds I want to bet my
happiness on!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good luck to all you
lottery players but remember, your happiness is not dependent on the little
colorful balls falling into place Wednesday night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTavm2d_LTJxGc2R-trOLnGKlnSatRbJCbbBGyUf7ms7W6-zzOyYkz_o1DcvyokLG_88AA23-D9C2r11CB4Hx9O0x8oCz3esfHzLucUP0TkddcjNevkmD5m5JN0yXz0C8Q3yA2gmwSA/s1600/lottery+balls.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTavm2d_LTJxGc2R-trOLnGKlnSatRbJCbbBGyUf7ms7W6-zzOyYkz_o1DcvyokLG_88AA23-D9C2r11CB4Hx9O0x8oCz3esfHzLucUP0TkddcjNevkmD5m5JN0yXz0C8Q3yA2gmwSA/s320/lottery+balls.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-35201027146036581842016-01-04T09:49:00.004-08:002016-01-04T09:49:33.331-08:00I'm Back!
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Happy New Year!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rarely have I ever wanted a new year more than this year.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I want to apologize for my lack of
writing.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I just looked at my blog and
realized the last time I wrote was shortly before my health deteriorated.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As most of you know I have had to take some
time off to recover from a very unexpected health challenge.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since this whole purpose of this blog is to
share my own struggles, I probably should (I hate the word should) have written
during my struggle but instead focused my energy on my family, my clients, and
my own recovery.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Writing just had a take
a back seat.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">BUT…..I’m back!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not a huge terminator fan but I think we can all relate
to his character is the movie.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He gets
shot, blown up, ran over, amputated limbs, etc. and every time he comes back to
life with the famous line “I’m back”.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">While thankfully my health issues weren’t anything that extreme, when I
started feeling more like myself I did think “okay, I’m back”.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know
a lot of you can relate, whether it’s a health issue like depression or anxiety
or a situation that is overwhelming.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There comes a time at some point, sometimes dramatically sometimes
subtly, when we realize we’ve overcome it.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For me, boredom was catalyst to me realizing I was feeling
more like myself.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I was sick, I was
never bored.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I could do very little
work, sit around watching TV or reading (even napping – I’m not a napper) and
never think of it as boring.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For me the
transition back to myself was pretty dramatic (and recent).</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All of the sudden I realized I was doing
massive cleaning projects, changing the furniture around, cooking like I was
feeding an army, etc.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At one point I had
baked so much that things were going spoiled before we could eat it all….AND I
was feeling bored.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That’s when I
realized…..I’m back!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, I know some of you are in the bad spot and are worried
that you’re never going to feel like yourself again.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I want to encourage you.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Feelings are temporary, circumstances are
temporary.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you know you go through
these cycles, remind yourself of the times you’ve come out on the other
side.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If this is new to you, get help
and get support.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I certainly did.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I often say it’s OK to go through bad times,
just don’t park there.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Keep going.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lastly, a huge thank you to all of you for your support and encouragement.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can’t tell you how much it meant to
me.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In this new year, let’s all take
advantage of having a new beginning.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A
new start.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A new way of doing things.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wishing you a Happy New Year! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdmrnktizB7fveqbNIqNHtRNkDJD3PqobV44TkjqCLj9oozVSOuNRlvSrlvjhM9glHpihOdI3mnD56MlePDAeDnSohSwwq3h2kTseqhayeoN77kDxJzL5rr-wK23_MiQ9r7wqOR02lQ/s1600/terminator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdmrnktizB7fveqbNIqNHtRNkDJD3PqobV44TkjqCLj9oozVSOuNRlvSrlvjhM9glHpihOdI3mnD56MlePDAeDnSohSwwq3h2kTseqhayeoN77kDxJzL5rr-wK23_MiQ9r7wqOR02lQ/s320/terminator.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-51687214150670020062015-05-27T12:49:00.003-07:002015-05-27T12:49:22.969-07:00More Than Enough<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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As you probably already know I have two small dogs that rule
my world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing I’ve noticed (since
this is the first time I’ve had 2 dogs at the same time) is that they’re
terribly jealous and competitive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
seems whatever one has; the other decides they need (even if they’d had access
to it before and never wanted it).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite
the fact that I consistently give them the same treats, attention, etc. they
continue to act as if they’re at risk of being “cheated”, constantly monitoring
me to ensure things are being distributed equitably. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 463.5pt;">
What I wish the pups understood is
that when I love on one of them, it doesn’t mean I love the other one any less
or that because I gave one attention that means I have less to give to the
other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I call this behavior the “attitude
of scarcity” – the feeling that whatever it is, there might not be enough of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember growing up when there were hurricanes;
you could witness this in “panic shopping”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You’d see people buying up groceries with the fear we might not have
access to the grocery store but it wasn’t always rational.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People would buy up enough
food for a month where the reality was we’d never need to have that much food
stored up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>While storing up canned peaches or tuna with the fear of not having
enough might be harmless, having this same "attitude of scarcity" about things
like joy, love, patience, forgiveness, etc. can have very negative
consequences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can find ourselves limiting what we’re
willing to give with the fear being we have a limited supply or we get jealous
when we see someone else receiving these things with the false belief that because
they got it, it limits our ability to receive it also.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 463.5pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have had people tell me things like “things have been
going great so something terrible must be around the corner”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This implies that the universe has a quota on
happiness so that if something good happens that has reduced your quota.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or I’ve heard, "I’ve met someone who seems
great but nothing lasts so I’m sure we’ll break up".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like all the beautiful things in life
like love and joy are measured in a cup and anytime we feel it, we lose a
little bit out of the cup. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">With that thought comes the belief that eventually the cup will be empty. </span>I challenge
that the cup is never ending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not
running out, it’s running over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can’t
use it up fast enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>You can’t love too much, laugh too hard, or
have too much joy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, today smile and give someone a compliment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tell the people you love that you love
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Forgive anyone that has caused you
pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not because it will benefit them,
but because your cup is overflowing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now
I’ve got some puppy bellies to rub simultaneously because my two pups don’t
understand that I’ll always have more than enough love for both of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqFXsacJClYAEyqyU8UyCl3lb1TjFaHIaRoQR12gIXo08G61kxJN9jrYIdySxeqXYxKBM3soBoQuMeTbq7w3rnYHWmyFw4mcZYY5xshxgwAI-JySZEHr-nwR9GO8G-EPJ_X-A4uEwBw/s1600/20150521_163820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqFXsacJClYAEyqyU8UyCl3lb1TjFaHIaRoQR12gIXo08G61kxJN9jrYIdySxeqXYxKBM3soBoQuMeTbq7w3rnYHWmyFw4mcZYY5xshxgwAI-JySZEHr-nwR9GO8G-EPJ_X-A4uEwBw/s320/20150521_163820.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-48430879762976733082015-05-03T07:59:00.003-07:002015-05-03T07:59:46.890-07:00Everything Is Better With Cheese <div class="MsoNormal">
I love food. Love to
eat it, read about it, study it, etc. I recently was watching a documentary about
the famous Italian chef Massimo Bottura. (He currently has the 3<sup>rd</sup> highest
rated restaurant in the world). That’s
where I heard for the first time the story of how he saved his community with a
recipe using cheese.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Evidently in 2012 his small city of Modena, Italy was hit by
an earthquake. Huge storage buildings used
to house parmesan were collapsed and the
cheese wheels were broken. Worried no
one would buy the broken pieces of cheese, local jobs and the town’s economy
was at risk. Massimo came up with the idea of promoting a
recipe that called for the small pieces of Modena parmesan cheese. The recipe (Risotto Cacio e Pepe) was
promoted all over the world and the parmesan cheese sold so quickly that the
town was able to sell their cheese, maintaining jobs and preserving their
beautiful craft of parmesan cheese making.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What does parmesan have to do with positive living besides
the fact that everything is better with cheese?
Because while Massimo might be a positive thinker, when disaster stuck
he didn't just say “let’s think positive”.
He used positive thinking to lead to problem solving. Not
only problem solving, but problem solving using his own personal strengths and
resources he already had available to him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How many times do we think about our problems and think “if
only______”. If only I had more money,
then I could solve this. If only I had a
supportive spouse, then I could overcome this.
If only I could go back in time or forward in time, then everything
would be OK. Instead, if we shift to: What skills do I have to solve this? What resources are available to me
today? What can I do that’s within my
own power to make things better? When we shift to thinking in the present based
on what we have, we feel more empowered and in control. Massimo didn’t think about earthquake
engineering or economic planning, he thought about his own skill set (cooking)
and how he could use his skills to help. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll think differently
every time I reach for the parmesan cheese now.
Now instead of just a delicious topping for spaghetti, it will be a
reminder to tap into my own strength and resources to problem solve. Arrivederci! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
(Picture below of 2012 earthquake damage to cheese wheels).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYG9LLY28r7_P-JLgeatPbA-EqqhaCkJZ5s5CHBcLoSntJP_rR2hJGQI6-1wqexLhANTEjtusV35Tf6R3w29yf4PYZKYm6sHix1ANUK96grvaytDptTWsMNko7i48EnM2JrH_H-crnA/s1600/cheese+collapse+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYG9LLY28r7_P-JLgeatPbA-EqqhaCkJZ5s5CHBcLoSntJP_rR2hJGQI6-1wqexLhANTEjtusV35Tf6R3w29yf4PYZKYm6sHix1ANUK96grvaytDptTWsMNko7i48EnM2JrH_H-crnA/s1600/cheese+collapse+2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-61033821363781973222015-04-15T08:51:00.001-07:002015-04-15T08:51:57.330-07:00A Child's Advice: "When I do bad, I feel bad"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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One of the many aspects of my job that I enjoy is that I
have the opportunity to work with a wide range of ages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have clients as young as 6 years old all
the way up to senior citizens planning their “second half”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along the way, I’ve learned a tremendous
amount from all of them but this quote from one of my 9 year old clients has stuck
with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“When I do bad, I feel
bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I do good, I feel good”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounds simple but I’d challenge if we all
went by this motto, we’d be much better off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The kiddo who originally said this was confessing about some
things he’d done behind his mom’s back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My job as a therapist sometimes feels a little like a priest at
confession time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all make mistakes
and there is some biology behind some mental illness, but in general feeling
depressed or anxious can be a direct result of how we’re acting, the choices we
make, and how we think about ourselves and others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I recently found trash in my outside bin that wasn’t
mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I immediately (in my mind) blamed
a neighbor and came up with a million very negative thoughts about them and the
situation (they’re lazy; they’re cheap and trying to fill my bin versus theirs,
etc.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later I found out that the trash
was my dear mothers who had selflessly been at my house taking care of my dogs
and home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now all of a sudden the trash
was no bother at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lesson….my
thoughts…all the blaming and labeling….made me feel crappy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trash was the same; it was my attitude
and thoughts that had changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if
the trash had been someone else’s….my thoughts, actions, choices determined how
I felt about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Bottom line, when I think positive thoughts,
when I’m kind and compassionate, when I choose to do the right thing…I feel
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I don’t, I feel bad. </div>
<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
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A great teacher once said “Keep your circle positive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Say good words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think good thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do good deeds”, but I think my nine year old
client says it just as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“When we do
bad, we feel bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we do good, we
feel good”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the way, the same client
also said my hair looked “old” so I think it’s time for a fresh dye job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Got to love kids!</div>
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYY-Qba-R8uTlDTd0dkiuhirCThpYHDQTttHpcanjEFqZt8UOFwb_pOGnBJfRqcS7XTixibDd_rr_jDWIcqAPnSL83SQQQJppB0K2OfXcBLNr8zHN4RDDS-73xD059fMT2rloFOLhHTQ/s1600/trash+bin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYY-Qba-R8uTlDTd0dkiuhirCThpYHDQTttHpcanjEFqZt8UOFwb_pOGnBJfRqcS7XTixibDd_rr_jDWIcqAPnSL83SQQQJppB0K2OfXcBLNr8zHN4RDDS-73xD059fMT2rloFOLhHTQ/s1600/trash+bin.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-23550931310186697542015-03-13T13:29:00.001-07:002015-03-14T06:15:18.090-07:004 Life Lessons I Learned From My Dogs<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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As most of you know I’m terribly attached to my two little
dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m one of those obnoxious people
that take my dogs in the car, to outdoor restaurants, they sleep with me at
night and I have even been known to dress them in clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that said, I really do believe I have
learned some great life lessons from them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here they are:</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Attitude is
everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>OK, so both my dogs are
small but they have very big spirits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of mine did all the training with me while I was getting ready to
hike in Peru.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She (at only 9 pounds)
hiked every week with my hiking club (sometimes twice a week) over 10 miles at
a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She not only hiked, she would
wade in the creeks, dig holes, chase squirrels, etc. meaning she actually hiked
twice as much as I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think she was
able to do it because there were much bigger stronger dogs in the group and she
saw them do it and assumed she could to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No one told her she couldn’t or treated her any differently so there she
went.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot of times our thoughts about our
abilities (not our abilities themselves) is what limits us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How much more would we attempt if we assumed
we could accomplish it?</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Have a zest for
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Have you ever seen a dog go outside to
play after being cooped up for a couple of days?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s amazing – they run, jump, sniff
everything, dig, and roll in the grass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We recently had a couple of rainy days and after being in doors most of
the time I let mine outside to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
thought with the cold temperature and wet grass they’d quickly want back
in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No…in fact, it seemed they were
never happier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They made the best of the
situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes our circumstances are not the
best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all face difficult situations
at some point in our life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The goal is
not to avoid difficult situations but to not let those situations limit of
enjoyment of life.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Be brave</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though they’re small, both my dogs are
really gutsy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a piece of food falls
on the ground, they grab it up quick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
they don’t like it they’ll spit it out but they don’t want to risk missing
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there’s a toy they want, they go
for it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would never let a bigger
dog bully them at the dog park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there
is some unknown object in the yard, they don’t run or hide – they go explore
and seek it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes our fears
limit our choices – we only want what is predictable or safe when there are
great things out there that just require us to be brave to reach them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Only trust people
worth trusting</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a little sad
but one of my pups will still flinch if I make a move towards her too
quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(They’re both rescues).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though I’ve never done anything scary of
hurtful to her, she learned early on in her life some people aren’t
trustworthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not cowardly to make
people earn our trust, it’s smart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
a gift to open up and be vulnerable to someone – we have to make sure they
deserve it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also have to be
trustworthy to those we love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to
work every day to prove to her that I’m trustworthy and would never hurt her.</div>
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(My two pups even like selfies - both rescue pups - adopted through AustinPetsAlive)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefszqbKK6ZKNJ_7IrE1hX8VPfsVXbLWm3KKbkU0N3Ql2KvGlWSQa_m3fSC9AfXOehoJctvzp0JTpqPAmoSlMGoqK4hdORfwE-Y_0lJHOWx7CiYGhVCv8wXW34i-VGO7LrWX4Rhiolnw/s1600/20150123_213248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefszqbKK6ZKNJ_7IrE1hX8VPfsVXbLWm3KKbkU0N3Ql2KvGlWSQa_m3fSC9AfXOehoJctvzp0JTpqPAmoSlMGoqK4hdORfwE-Y_0lJHOWx7CiYGhVCv8wXW34i-VGO7LrWX4Rhiolnw/s1600/20150123_213248.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-28330112632185863192015-02-25T09:57:00.002-08:002015-02-25T13:09:06.453-08:00Contentment Versus Competition Scuba Style<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Last year my son and I decided to take scuba lessons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our
class were a father (who promptly felt the need to tell all of us about his
past military experience and what a strong swimmer he was), his teen age son
(who made it clear he didn’t want to be there), his younger son (who look
terrified), myself and my son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
class was going to be challenging and choosing to do it in open ocean (versus
in a pool) added to the difficulty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
make matters worse, it soon became very apparent that the father of the other
group planned to make everything a competition.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unfortunately pretty quickly our little group began is
crumble under the stress of the open ocean training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The little guy was the first to quit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had about a 30 minute crying spell the
first time salt water got in his mask and it quickly went downhill from
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dad in all his wisdom tried
to beg, plead, guilt trip, etc. with no avail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mom was called in and the little fellow was out of the program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dad was not happy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next came the open water swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>teenager about half way through the swim,
announced he thought “something was in the water” – my guess he’s right – a lot
of fish – and he was out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now the dad
was really frustrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this had been
a competition (and there was no reason for it to be) he was losing to a middle
aged, fairly out of shape woman and her teenager.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the last activity of the day, our instructor made it a
little game where we were going to see who used the least oxygen (indicating
slowest breathing – a good thing in scuba). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end, who used the least……me (it’s all
that meditation).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not saying that to brag, but to explain
why at that point the father lost it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
got very frustrated, complained his gage wasn’t working right, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was he really mad about the last silly
test?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, he was mad because his two
sons both quit and he was out a lot of money due to rest of his party not
completing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I’d challenge his
biggest frustration was he went in with the perception that this was a
competition and he was going to win.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The point of all this is that competition is a fine
emotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It pushes us to do well, think
creatively, learn new skills, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
when competition became a barrier instead of a benefit (preventing him from
identifying when things were getting too tough for his youngest son or that he’d
over-estimated his teen son’s desire to participate)it went from beneficial to
a deterrent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were in beautiful water experiencing
the opportunity of a life time and instead of enjoying it, he was angry and
bitter. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve always said our circumstances don’t determine our
well-being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How we think about our
circumstances, our perceptions and how we manage those perceptions and thoughts
determine our happiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He could have
chosen at any time to think differently about the situation, adapt to the new circumstances
but instead kept on the same course and missed an opportunity to just enjoy
what was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile, I’m happy to report
we both got certified and are planning our first dive trip over spring break.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Happiness is a choice, not a result” ~ Ralph Marslo</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQ4-ml_b3Xq8CGtQSxoqPkAjRtXoLhmIhtwhIexZJX7dGXQicVFYMnAld4oFTte4kPNIVCy9w91GTPUurRpexjDScRIgfV-iJTOJvO5gGQocz-29zCvtX9kxkVimYV3LtIE4oKZdYsg/s1600/fish+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQ4-ml_b3Xq8CGtQSxoqPkAjRtXoLhmIhtwhIexZJX7dGXQicVFYMnAld4oFTte4kPNIVCy9w91GTPUurRpexjDScRIgfV-iJTOJvO5gGQocz-29zCvtX9kxkVimYV3LtIE4oKZdYsg/s1600/fish+pic.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-10298289999954307382015-02-10T12:14:00.000-08:002015-02-10T12:14:53.481-08:00An Object In Motion Stays In Motion<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve been told I say a number of quirky southern
sayings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are not to be said in good
company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully they’re inspiring or
meaningful in some way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve also
learned a number of sayings from my clients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of my clients often says “an object in motion stays in motion”
meaning whatever they’re working towards; they’re not going to stop pursuing
it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I thought of that saying this weekend as I participated in a
fun run with my sister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not really a
runner but I enjoy the comradery of a fun run and I love spending time with my
sister (who unlike me is an avid runner).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Along the route they offer water, Gatorade or even better (since this
one was the hot chocolate fun run) candy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even though stopping seemed like a good idea, it was much more difficult
to get back on track after stopping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Where I hadn’t noticed as much before, after stopping I felt the
soreness in my legs and the fatigue throughout my body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A trainer once told me, if you feel like you
can’t run any further, swing your arms and your legs will follow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guess
he was also a believer in the “object in motion stays in motion” theory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think this idea of movement creating movement is a great
one for our personal development as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If we’ve set a goal for ourselves and we’re always pushing forward, even
if we’re not always successful,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>just by
continuing to move forward we’re much more likely to be triumphant than if we
stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Is there something you want to change?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some goal you were pursuing and have given up
on?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe what you need is some
movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are there some things you
could do (however small) to start working towards that change?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few action steps that you could incorporate
into your schedule?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>know for me one goal I have is to do a little
more training so these fun runs are more fun and less work. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good luck in your goals and keep moving!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">(Picture of my sister and I, 2015 Hot Chocolate Fun Run, Dallas TX)</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxq6U1TwxBA1Ax-OtDJwHviF-zMrKxLYg_v-0zBGrgRBVVJuy0m2Vq-HuG-19Ztush1uq7_zIzXwYTxSK9mnVK8Y0zyDY9r_8ZLRkLZdJ5YgFP-PKVn1a0moLkbR5AM3y6HF47xedEZQ/s1600/20150207_071126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxq6U1TwxBA1Ax-OtDJwHviF-zMrKxLYg_v-0zBGrgRBVVJuy0m2Vq-HuG-19Ztush1uq7_zIzXwYTxSK9mnVK8Y0zyDY9r_8ZLRkLZdJ5YgFP-PKVn1a0moLkbR5AM3y6HF47xedEZQ/s1600/20150207_071126.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-89300018319870138812015-01-07T10:07:00.000-08:002015-01-07T10:07:45.673-08:00A Chef's Guide To The New Year
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many of you may not know but several years ago I took a
sabbatical and left the mental health field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While most people use a year off to travel or take on a journey of
self-discovery, I enrolled in the patisserie and baking program at Le Cordon
Bleu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an experience I will never
forget and even though I now only bake for fun, I learned some lessons that are
still applicable today.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you have any romantic visions of what culinary study
looks like, let me dispel them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
sometimes felt as if I spent as much time scrubbing floors, washing dishes, and
treating burns as I did baking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
foundation of our training was “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mise en
place</i>” which in French means “everything in its place”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Culinary students tended to be more
creative and artistic than the average person so our lean was to create, not
plan, prepare, and clean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our chef
instructors quickly corrected that (hell kitchen is more realistic than I’d
like to think).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were judged not just
on our dish, but on our organization and cleanliness of our work station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From this experience, I discovered three aspects
to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mise en place</i> that can apply to
our everyday lives.</span></div>
<br />
<ol style="direction: ltr; list-style-type: decimal;">
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prepare -
before you start, have a vision (recipe) of where you want to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have a goal, a clear vision of what you want
the end product to look like. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Decide
what tools or support you might need to get there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
class we’d have to submit a drawing or written description of what we were
going to create before we even started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is your goal for the year?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How do you want things to be different?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What do you need to put in place to reach your goals?</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in;">
</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
Create – even if you’ve gathered all the
ingredients, the meal isn’t going to cook itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have to do the work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes we have to be creative, adapt, be
flexible but we can’t give up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
school, we had to present something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you made a cake and it totally fell, you had to get up in front of the whole
class and present a fallen cake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
was no out, no do-over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life is that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have one go around, one opportunity to
create the life we want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in;">
</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
Clean As You Go- While creating, we make a mess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have things that didn’t work out, tools
we needed at one point but no longer need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If we don’t clean as we go, the dirty dishes and tools get in the way of
our new project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our past is that
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep the memories and lessons that
are helpful moving forward and get rid of
the ones that are just getting in the way.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0in;">
</div>
</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, for this New Year, get everything in its place and make
it the best year yet!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Happy new years
from me and my family to you and yours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-63690799133239061282014-12-02T10:18:00.002-08:002014-12-02T10:19:42.975-08:00Apple Cider Versus Coffee<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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During this time of year, a lot of us (including myself)
spend some time reflecting on the previous year and what our hopes and
expectations are for the New Year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some
people (unfortunately not me) clean out closets or file cabinets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a time of renewal and new beginnings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes it’s more than old clothes or
papers we need to part with but also old experiences. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I recently had a funny incident with my niece and
nephew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had taken them to the blue Santa
parade (an Austin tradition) the Saturday after Thanksgiving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought as a special treat I’d take hot
cider and cookies to snack on during the parade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While watching the bands and floats go by, I
offered some cider to one of the kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He quickly said it “smells funny” and refused to drink it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, this kiddo is a picky eater and is
known to refuse to eat perfectly good food so I ignored his complaint and gave
cider to his sister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His sister quickly
made the same complaint and refused to drink hers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I was getting frustrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being the good aunt that I am, I decided to
prove them both wrong and drink it myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What do you know….it did smell funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Turns out, I used a thermos that I normally used to transport my coffee
and what the kids smelled was old coffee residue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It became clear that the thermos was of need
of a deep cleaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The whole situation reminded me that sometimes things that
have happened in the past can influence our experience in the present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though the coffee had long been gone, its
influence was still present. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are there
some situations that you experienced this year that need to be eliminated from your
sphere of influence so they don’t carry over into next year?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grudges that need forgiven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wrongs that need to be dismissed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pains that need to heal?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so,
purge them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Decide that you are not
going to allow them to effect your future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Take whatever steps you need to take so that any negative experiences
from this year do not have the power to take away your joy in the New Year. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for me, I have to
apologize to two of my favorite people and hopefully make it up to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a feeling they’ll never want cider at
my house but maybe I can make it up to them with Christmas cookies?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vcV_1gE0URNwUAtpfJP1DoQ8CEXGz6CKuwuizzBBE3TW_CL_vMnfbxmDy95dOEgYy2WS5t8avWWvDJQS347JZW5nnDxXSfq7J7K2IxqOd8Hj3E3dJaRs_vNtLmVpGVFJARYaFbrAAw/s1600/apple+cider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vcV_1gE0URNwUAtpfJP1DoQ8CEXGz6CKuwuizzBBE3TW_CL_vMnfbxmDy95dOEgYy2WS5t8avWWvDJQS347JZW5nnDxXSfq7J7K2IxqOd8Hj3E3dJaRs_vNtLmVpGVFJARYaFbrAAw/s1600/apple+cider.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-73621107220830373792014-11-03T08:34:00.002-08:002014-11-03T08:34:19.710-08:00When Life Gives You Lemons, Make A Berry PieEver have one of those days when the stars are misaligned and everything that could do wrong does? I had one of those this week, 24 hours of mishap.<br />
<br />
It all started when I came home from work and noticed that my grass had gotten terribly over-grown and one of my kitchen lights had burned out. After I’d assembled everything needed to mow, I realized there was no gas in the mower. Later that evening, Dax (my foster dog) decided I was going to slow for him and bolted and spent half the night running amuck the neighborhood (me chasing behind him in my pajamas). After carrying the big dog home and having only a couple hours of sleep, I decided to make quiche for my son and me for breakfast. After thawing out the pie crusts and warming the oven I discovered I was short the number of eggs needed. Then the final straw, I went to get my morning coffee and all that comes out is a small amount of very dark brew. Evidently the coffee maker wasn’t working. That’s when I had the poisonous thought “It’s going to be one of those days”.<br />
<br />
We have to be careful about what we label things. One of my favorite sayings is “Our mind seeks to confirm what it already believes to be true”. So, if I decide that a day is going to be filled with negative events, I’ll notice every negative thing that happens. Maybe it’s a traffic jam, a spilt cup, a slow checkout line at the grocery store. But I could have the exact same day with the expectation that it was going to be a great day and I’d notice all the nice things that happen. I might notice the beautiful weather or how much I enjoy my lunch. It’s the same day….the only difference is the expectation and intention.<br />
<br />
So, as I sat there with my tiny bit of overly-strong coffee looking at knee high tall grass, I declared, “Oh good, now all the bad stuff is out of the way so I can have a great day”. Then I went and made berry pie with the pie crust meant for quiche in my dim kitchen. My son and I had a delicious berry pie for breakfast. And you know what? It was a good day. Our thoughts are powerful; let’s use them to make us feel better, not worse.
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<br />Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-71205010884207604682014-10-13T16:12:00.001-07:002014-10-13T16:16:11.841-07:00What’s The Difference Between A Feeling And An Emotion….Just A Story<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One thing I struggle with is impulsivity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not always good about restraint and assessing
all options before leaping. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has
brought me some great unexpected benefits and some painful moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This weekend my son and I received
information regarding a dog that was at risk of euthanasia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re both animal lovers and without any real
planning we went and picked up this un-adoptable, very scared dog. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure if this is one of those “great
idea” moments or “what was I thinking” moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What I do know is this pup is terribly scared of people (not loud
noises, other dogs, storms, etc.). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s
doing better now but he spent the first 48 hours cowering in a corner scared to
death.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was reading an
article the other day that discussed that the only difference between a feeling
and an emotion was a story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example,
if someone cuts us off on the highway, we’re angry (feeling) but later that day
we’ve completely forgotten about it and it holds no real meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A friend betrays our trust and causes us
great pain and we may still be angry about it five years later (emotion).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s an interesting concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Makes me wonder what story my foster pup
has.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s not just experiencing a
feeling, he’s experiencing an emotion – somewhere on his journey he experienced
a very scary story.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, what do you do with a pup that is so afraid of human
contact he cowers in a corner?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You give
him a new story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You show him every day
how people can be a source of love and compassion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You speak in soft, re-assuring tones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re patient when he runs from you for no reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t take his rejection personal because
you understand, he’s got a story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
our job as dog foster parents to help him replace his old scary story with one
that will benefit him, not keep him paralyzed in fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all have stories but if we have one that
is taking away our options, affecting our future, and providing a negative
emotion (fear, anger, etc.) we need to replace that story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for the pup, I’ll let you know how it goes
but I’m hoping he’s able to create a story that allows him to bond with a loving,
forever family.</span><br />
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Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-86385541011285742822014-10-07T10:58:00.002-07:002014-10-07T10:59:56.406-07:00Hunger Is The Best Sauce<div class="MsoNormal">
With the fall season upon us, my son and I usually do some
camping. Recently I was having a
discussion with a friend about how food always tastes better when you’re
camping. Even simple food that I
routinely eat at home, like instant oatmeal.
Somehow it tastes different when eating it in the car on route to the
office versus on a cool morning outside my tent. My friend said “hunger is the best
sauce”. It was a phrase I hadn't heard
but it fit perfectly. You appreciate
something the more you’re aware of how much you need it. On my recent hiking trip in Peru, I had to go
four days camping with no water. When I
got back to the hotel, I took a long, hot shower and appreciated every minute
of it. (Anyone within smelling distance
of me probably appreciated it even more).
Usually a daily shower is just routine, something that I hardly notice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I think life is that way, right? It’s like the country song, “Live like you’re
dying”. If we take the time to really
notice and appreciate what is around us, we have a new sense of gratitude. There is a lot of research about how having a
sense of appreciation or gratitude can make us happier. I know for myself, I sometimes get so wrapped
up to the to-do list of the day that I lose all sense of appreciation of what I
have in that instant. There are small
opportunities every day to remind me to be grateful for the moment. The feel of a breeze on a hot day, the taste
of the perfect cup of coffee, the smile of a child, a hug from a friend. I’m going to try to make a conscious effort
to slow down enough to catch those opportunities for contentment. I think I might also make dinner time later
at my house – maybe if “hunger is the best sauce” my little guy will complain
less about what I've prepared if he’s a wee bit more hungry <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>. </div>
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<o:p></o:p>Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-77798154125013204282014-09-22T08:16:00.001-07:002014-09-22T08:16:29.671-07:00Got Pain? Put A Band-Aid On It!<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I hate the saying “no pain no gain”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it insinuates that it’s somehow noble
to suffer through pain, or even worse, that seeking relief from pain is somehow
a sign of weakness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I've had people
tell me, “Why should people get counseling because of this or that, part of
life is experiencing pain”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hear “death
and grief are just reality”, “life is meant to be stressful”, “everyone feels
sad”, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to challenge all those
thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, trials will arise, but accepting
the pain and suffering through them doesn't have to be part of it.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As most of you know, I recently returned from a challenging
hiking experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As someone who is not
into physical challenges, it required a lot of pre-planning and training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing I learned is that foot care is
extremely important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One little pebble
that feels like a small nuisance can turn into a huge painful blister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the hike at nearly every stopping
point, I’d take off my shoes and inspect my feet to make sure there were no
signs of redness or rubbing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there
was any sign of a problem, it was immediately addressed with ointment or
blister protection Band-Aids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
thought being, I’m going for endurance. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I could continue to ignore that little
tender spot except in the long run that tender spot will bring me unnecessary pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could I push through a blister?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, but why endure that pain if there are
ways to comfort it. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Will life present hardships?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sure, I agree that part of the human experience is unexpected turns in
the road, situations we didn't expect, losses that are painful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I challenge is the idea that when those
hardships occur, we somehow benefit from “pushing through the pain”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I challenge that a better approach would be
to prepare for them, get support when they do occur, and use whatever skills or
resources are available to you to ease the pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you need some extra support or skills to
help, that’s where counseling might come in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I always say counseling is a sign of strength, not weakness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s an aware person, one who is monitoring
their own health and can identify what they need, that seeks counseling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Life is about endurance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We want to enjoy the journey, not suffer through it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the next time I hear someone says “counseling
is just a Band-Aid” – I’m going to take it as a compliment. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anything that relieves or prevents pain can’t
be all that bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have a great week!</span><br />
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Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-57650469463477206042014-07-21T10:38:00.000-07:002014-07-21T10:38:01.656-07:00I Bird Watch So I Don't Choke People
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Facebook has all of kinds of faults but one of them lately
is the “targeted advertising”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
actually tempted to buy a product being advertised on my newsfeed the other
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a t-shirt that said “I bird
watch so I don’t choke people”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I
resisted due to the fact that I would really never choke anyone or encourage
others to, as a birdwatcher I thought it was cute and emphasized the relaxing
aspect of bird watching. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We face stress every day, me included.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things like traffic, annoying coworkers,
relationships, financial strains, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While I don’t have a boss, some days I feel like I have multiple bosses
– their names being United, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every insurance company questions my
treatment plan, diagnosis, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re
just doing their job, but it’s frustrating just the same (especially when you
sit on hold for twenty minutes or even worse, talk to the computer operator......which never seems to understand me…..maybe it’s my southern twang?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we have to have some ways to
replenish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use the analogy all the
time of a Styrofoam cup with all the stress representing holes in the cup and our
emotional energy representing what is being lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we have to refill our cup.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve received some criticism due to some personal choices
I’ve made to refill my cup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love to
travel and have tried to pass on my fondness of travel to my son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve enjoyed visiting beautiful locations
all over the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that said, I
don’t have the kind of budget most world travelers have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t have a large savings account, I drive
an old car, and I don’t own any fancy clothes or furniture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My other hobbies are not considered “cool” or
“hip”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hike, read, bake, and of
course…..bird watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mention this
only to say, refilling your cup is priceless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nurturing ourselves is what gives us the strength to nurture others, to
be compassionate, and to be patient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is a Buddhist saying “If your compassion does not include
yourself, it is incomplete”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think
sometimes the fear of being selfish gets in the way of us doing the very things
we need to do so we can serve others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So….what refills your cup? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is there a hobby, a pleasurable activity you
enjoy, or a little splurge that you can do for yourself?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When was the last time you did something to
nurture yourself?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you feeling
overwhelmed and drained?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so, it might
be time to do some good self-care before you feel like choking someone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, I’ve got several trips planned and if
you see someone at the park with binoculars…..it maybe me bird watching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-35823406495239565002014-06-19T13:35:00.001-07:002014-06-19T13:35:23.553-07:00Compassion Overboard
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Recently Bill Murray crashed a bachelor party and gave some
great advice to the groom to be – travel with someone and if your relationship
can survive the trip, marry them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
couldn’t agree more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Travel can be very
stressful and you really get to know someone when you’re with them 24/7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
most of you know my son and I recently had a 10 day vacation ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As much as I’d like to say that I handled it
like a pro, at one point on our cruise I threatened to leave him in Jamaica
(yes, that’s the loving and compassionate parent I am).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully I decided leaving him in Jamaica
was probably not a good idea and we both made it back safe and sound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I arrived Monday to my office one of the
first emails I opened was one about compassionate parenting (oh no).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I often talk a lot about the importance of compassion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In EEGs they can actually see a shift in the
brain when someone is performing an act of compassion (the prefrontal region of
the brain – happiness area - lights up).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What I don’t always remember is that one way to be compassionate is to
accept someone as they are and not allow my own “perception” of how things “should”
be to get in the way of acceptance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not anyone else’s job to make me happy,
nor is it my responsibility to be in charge of their emotions. When we have
concern for others it actually increases our own sense of well-being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I lost compassion for my son (hence the
threat of leaving him in a foreign country) it caused a loss of happiness for
myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With this lesson fresh on my mind, I think I might manage
our conflicts a little differently in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not that it wasn’t OK that I got
terribly frustrated (you try traveling with a 13 year old that thinks deodorant
and showers are optional, rarely listens, and needs to eat every 2 hours) – it was
that I allowed my frustration to get in the way of viewing him with compassion
which robbed me of my own joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Before you call child protective services, please know that I love my son my than life itself and would never actually do anything that would cause him harm. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will, however, consider springing for the larger room next time </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-77234029265118464472014-05-19T10:32:00.001-07:002014-05-19T10:32:27.588-07:00Pollyanna - It's Not Just A Movie - It's A Way Of Thinking<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">As a client was walking out of my
office, she reported “you know some people think positive statements are just Pollyanna”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew what she meant, which lead to a good
discussion on productive positive statements vs unproductive ones (which I’ll
talk more about later). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The discussion
lead to me question what did we mean when we say someone or something is “Pollyanna”?
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Turns out, Pollyanna was
originally a character in a novel, then later a movie, about an orphan with the
gift of an optimistic spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was able
to cheer up even the grumpiest of townspeople.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the story she has to overcome
her own personal obstacles and she does so by finding a way to create a positive
perspective in difficult situations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today I don’t think it’s used in that way, today we use it as a negative
term.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, in several on line
dictionaries Pollyanna is defined as “</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">unreasonably or illogically optimistic”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think this is what my client was referring
to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unproductive positive statements go
against reality and ignore what our circumstances are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">As some of you may know, I recently had a really yucky summer
cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s only the second time in three
years I’ve closed my office due to being ill (the other time it was food
poisoning).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would have been silly for
me to be thankful for being sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
not a good thing that I was sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
made me miss appointments, miss fun weekend plans, and took time away from my
son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would have been totally
unproductive for me to think “I’m glad I’m sick” or “Even though I’m running
fever, I’m not sick”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, what I
kept telling myself is “It’s inconvenient that I’m sick but whatever challenges
it presents, I’ll find a way to meet them”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In other words, I’ll re-schedule appointments, catch up on work when I
can, and not worry about things out of my control (like being sick).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t have to be thankful for being sick to
frame my thoughts so it’s not so stressful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is productive positive thinking about a circumstance.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">You know the saying “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t say, “If life gives you lemons,
you have to eat lemons” (and enjoy them).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In other words, accept the circumstances for what they are but work to
make the best of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my case, I
caught up on several seasons of trash TV that has been sitting in my queue for
months that I hadn’t had a chance to watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While I would have rather been feeling well, the reality was I was sick
and there wasn’t anything I could do to change that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Giving me productive positive statements
about my ability to catch up on work and to overcome challenges made missing work
and being ill less worrying.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Good news is that I’m now feeling better and resuming my normal
routine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next time you face a
challenging circumstance, I hope you you’ll remember to keep your thoughts positive
AND productive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll have some difficulty
using the term “Pollyanna” in a negative way now that I know the “real”
Pollyanna was a great role model for positive thinking! </span><br />
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Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-24428767963005003002014-05-13T12:27:00.000-07:002014-05-13T12:27:05.088-07:00How Many Therapist Does It Take To Change A Lightbulb?
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have you seen those articles that list the worse paying
degrees?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Counseling is always on the
list, usually at the top. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve never
seen a conversation stopper until you’ve seen someone in a group announce that they’re
a therapist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How about the philosophical game where you
list a bunch of professions in a life raft and you have to decide with limited
resources who can stay and who gets thrown over. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is usually a hot debate about whether
you’d want a doctor or a carpenter, both needed if you need to start life on a
deserted island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is NO debate
about the mental health professional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re
tossed over immediately without any debate at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
are so many shrink jokes that there are whole websites dedicated to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So with that in mind, why is this blog entry
about me being thankful for my job?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Because I’d counter that I have the best job ever and I’m incredibly
grateful for it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kids are brutally honest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Sometimes even painfully so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
I get a new hairstyle, I can always depend on my kid clients to let me know
their frank opinion about it).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, when I
tell a kid that my job is to listen to people and help them solve problems,
they think it’s the coolest job ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to agree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get to see people overcome obstacles so
they can reach goals they never thought were possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get to see a struggling artist leave their day
job to pursue the artistic career they’ve always wanted. I’ve held the hand of trauma victims as they’ve
found the strength to move forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
witnessed couples moving beyond their problems and recommitting to their
relationship, parents repairing relationships with their teenager, and a child
getting their first A because they’ve learned new tools to help them focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While I enjoy being able to be a part of someone’s healing,
I also feel it’s an honor to see them through some of their most difficult
moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have the privilege of being the
one to lend an ear to the employee that just lost their job, to the new mom
that’s at her wits end, to the spouse that just buried their loved one, to the
gay son who just came out to his family, to the teenager that just found out
they’re pregnant or to the parent that just found out their child is using
drugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While these moments are painful
for both me and the client, I feel it’s a huge compliment that they feel
comfortable enough to have me accompany them on their journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So in closing, I want to thank everyone who has been a part
of my journey that has led to where I am today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m incredibly thankful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And to
my clients who have shared their best and worse times with me, thank you for
trusting me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wherever
your journey takes you, I hope that you are in better place having dedicated
your time and resources to improving your mental health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I can't think of a better job. </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can’t close without at least one therapist
joke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So…how many therapists does it
take to change a light bulb?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just one,
but it takes nine sessions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have a great day!</span></div>
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Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6410312159720714658.post-61220066283581398542014-05-02T10:43:00.001-07:002014-05-02T10:47:16.277-07:00Enlightenment On A Spring<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My niece and nephew got me a great gift for my
birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a stick-on statue of a
smiling Buddha, kind of like a bobblehead, for my car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The box was labeled “Enlightenment on a Spring”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They know I drive a lot for my commute and
they knew it would make me smile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now
every time I look down to shift gears, etc. I see a smiling fat Buddha bobblehead looking up at me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard to be
angry, even in the horrible Austin traffic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s amazing how much one thing can change your
perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Opra Winfrey a while back
promoted vision boards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A display of
photos or pictures that represented what you wanted to incorporate into your
life (fun, money, family time, peace, etc.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The idea being the more you looked at it, the more likely we would feel
invested to make it come true. Or, remember the little starfish is the movie Nemo. Anytime something stressful happened, she'd say she was "going to her happy place" meaning she was visualizing something better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same
concept as my Buddha toy, what we see effects how we feel and act. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With this in mind, do you have a vision of what you’d like
more of in your life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Maybe a positive change you'd like to make in your future? </span>Do you want to
jump start your career?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you want to
make peace with your family?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you want
more organization in your life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is there a picture or scene that would help
remind you of that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember, what we
see effects how we feel and the choices we make.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If nothing else, if you travel in heavy
traffic, I highly recommend a fun bobblehead. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Keri Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101976776678359017noreply@blogger.com2