Holly & Heather’s Helpful Hint: Prepare to be Unprepared

We are big on preparation: Shopping and planning before a big party, looking ahead for the day, the week or even the month for special occasions, events or happenings in our lives or the lives of those we love, arriving to work early, etc. Others may be more spontaneous: Ordering out at the last minute for that big party or get-together based on what others like, playing their days, weeks or even months by ear, getting to work in the nick of time but maybe staying late instead to catch up on things. Neither way is right or wrong, just different.

For those of you out there who are planners like us, when unpredictable events occur in our lives they can be jostling to our psyches. For as much as all our “best laid plans” are formulated, a healthy dose of spontaneity along with the ability to be flexible is necessary. If we remind ourselves to not get too caught up in the future and at the same time remember our mindfulness practice (focus on the present), moments of unpredictability hopefully won’t be too jarring in our lives.

None of us knows what the future holds with 100% certainty.  Amidst all the plans you might make (or not make!) for the upcoming summer months, plan on change occurring within those times. The best way to prepare for all the good happenings in your life is to remember to expect the unexpected and stay aware in the present moment.

Holly & Heather’s Helpful Hint: Happy Father’s Day!

This Sunday is Father’s Day and we would like to wish our dad, our husbands and all fathers and father-figures a joyous day! We hope you spend the day with love ones enjoying each other’s company. As for us, our family will be together, barbecuing and celebrating!

We love you Dad, H & H

Holly and Heather’s Helpful Hint: Love the True You!

 

As women in our 40’s, we’ve had many looks over the years. Fashion styles came and went, different makeup phases, earring piercings and hair colors. For the most part, we have embraced our straight, dark locks. As teens, dying our hair eggplant and getting a perm was for fun. Our mom, who always changed her hairstyle, was all about freedom of expression when it came to our style.

As adults our hair remained pretty much gray-free for many decades. Within the last few years a few more than usual have been sprouting up. Sometimes we choose to have a total color process, sometimes just highlights, but for the most part we usually let it grow out and go au-natural.  That being a choice, it is the true us.  So when an acquaintance one of us knows, told us we looked a decade older with our gray strands (and added it wasn’t pretty), it was very insulting.  The point of this blog is not to point out her insensitivity but to question the idea that some things others might find off-putting are actually a part of the true you.  People make decisions all the time about their appearance and to each his own.  You have to be comfortable with yourself and love the true you!

Hair color is something we can change and maybe we will, or maybe we won’t.  It’s all good no matter what; let’s be accepting of each other!

Holly & Heather’s Helpful Hint: Retain What Is Necessary

As we are continuing on this mindful journey (or trying our best – it is hard!) a counter thought to last week’s blog arose. While it is important to let go of the guilt it is also important to hold on to what is necessary. We may not think too much of keeping up with so many activities, hobbies or even some relationships but discerning what to keep up with and why is necessary.

Let’s take, for example, a relationship with an old friend. You may not see this person often, or speak with them regularly, but there is a shared past that you may feel you’d like to maintain with a present relationship. Try this experiment (we have): Keep up the communication as much as you can or want to. Call, write, text, email or visit. If you find that your outreaching is reciprocated, great! The relationship is probably just as important to your friend as it is to you. If, however, your friend does not respond to your attempts at communication and you feel like, “The ball has been in their court” for quite some time, you may come to realize that you will treasure the past in a different way (through pictures, videos, memories, etc.)

Retaining the necessary things in your life may be social relationships, physical objects, whatever you deem the most important to you. Making the discernment between what you need to live a happy, healthy life and what you don’t can bring you much peace.