When you choose to live in Michigan year around, you just don’t let a little bit of snow slow you down. Oh, we might moan and groan a bit, but the bottom line is that if it was really all that bad we wouldn’t choose to live here, right? Personally, I love the change of seasons. I believe it helps keep life interesting and I strive to take some time out to appreciate the best moments of each season. It is simply a matter of perception. Take an ice storm, for example. There is nothing quite as breathtaking as the early morning sun reflected from all the ice-coated trees, especially if you have the luxury of being able to stay home and enjoy the scenery. If your schedule doesn’t grant you that luxury, however, you may be more inclined to give the scene a cursory glance and grumble all the way to your car.  Our February theme encourages us to relax and recharge and to strive for balance. In a world where we all seem to need to constantly work harder in order to keep up with the ever growing demands on our time and energy, it seems like a mixed message to take time out to relax and recharge. But in fact, I can say from my own personal experience that it does work. Admittedly I tend to need a little push, but overall I feel more productive when I’ve granted myself a break in the action from time to time.

There’s a wonderful comprehensive article “Relax & Recharge,” on page 16 that covers many different ways to do just that. It would be difficult to not find at least one beneficial idea that you could put in to practice to help reduce your stress level.

If you have been curious to learn more about the healing benefits of meditation, we have just the article for you: “Meditation made Easy” by Sally Kempton on page 24. We also included some local resources that might help to get you started. I’ve heard it said that praying is when you ask God for something, but meditation is when you still your mind enough to listen for the answers.

Be sure to check out the Global Brief on page 15, “Urban Psychology – Where We Come from Counts.” I was thrilled to see the city of Detroit listed as above average in both leading with the head AND leading with the heart. It’s so nice to see that we make an appearance on some good lists for a change.

Pretty soon you will start to hear the commercials for Valentine’s Day, if you haven’t already. It’s a good reminder to do a little something extra special for your special someone, but this year I encourage you to mix it up a little. Think about all the people that you may come into contact with throughout the day that might not have a special someone. Maybe there is something that you can do or say that might brighten up their day. Sometimes it’s just a matter of taking a little extra time to really listen or smile or give a compliment. You never know, it could really make someone’s day a little bit brighter.

To quote one of my favorite songs, “What the world needs now, is love sweet love.” That’s my goal for February, to bring a little bit more love into the world. Won’t you join me?

Love, joy and peace,

Mary Anne