by Maria Sirois
Change cannot happen from the platform of the past or the misty possibilities of the future. It happens from right here, right now. It happens from the choices directly in front of us. Do we dance or make ourselves miserable with a day only of chores? Do we say hello through criticism, antagonism and indifference, or do we find a way into gratitude, kindness, and empathy? If we want to grow, we must take ownership of our moments. This moment, right now, exactly as it is. Not some other better moment when all the laundry is off the dining room table and the ants have disappeared from the den so you can finally throw away the hideous black spaceships of death with two kinds of poison for the insects and their queen. It’s this moment. Can you love life today? Can you forgive yourself this morning? Can you sing with the laundry wherever it lands, and choose with every single fold to repeat “I love and honor myself. I might not be perfect and I might not even know how to fold a perfect pile of sheets, but I love and honor myself”? Can you step away from the critical boss or peer and remind yourself of your strengths, your gifts, and your capacity to learn from difficulty? Can you choose each day to be in the present a little bit more? That is where the power of change exists. That is where we find gold.
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.”
