by Maria Sirois

Sorrow lifts. Joy fades. After the darkness comes the light. As Pema Chodron reminds us, things come together, then they fall apart. Nothing lasts forever. Accepting this reality is empowering. Positive change requires nothing short of a fierce clarity about life as it really is—always in flux. With this knowing we are free to let go of some of the tension that haunts us on the difficult days and free too to choose how to savor the delightful days, for they can be fleeting. We can stand within ourselves steady as a tree of clear thinking and open heartedness as the world shifts around us. We can become that which is rooted and grounded and not expect the world to do that for us or to us. We can embody this through mountain pose, return to this place through mindfulness practice, become wiser about allowing our emotions and thoughts to flow, remember that they are just feelings, just thoughts, not necessarily the truth, and we can anchor our healthy relationships with nourishment so that they anchor us in return. Everything external changes … this is true. But in facing this head on … we become free.

Dr. Maria Sirois, PsyD, is the Vice President of Curriculum at Wholebeing Institute and an inspirational speaker, seminar leader, and author who has worked at the intersections of wellness, psychology, and spirituality for nearly 20 years. As a wellness guide, Maria has been invited to keynote throughout the country at conferences for wellness centers, hospitals, hospices, philanthropy, business, academic and corporate institutions, as well as for the general public. She has been called both a “true teacher” and “an orator of great power and beauty.” Her book, “Every Day Counts: Lessons in Love, Faith, and Resilience from Children Facing Illness, was published in 2006.”