The Daily G.I.F.T. from The GratiDude

I hear what you are feeling, so come over here and give me a hug.

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Gratitude

Intention

First

Things

The G.I.F.T. Today

Grateful-for canine vibes the last 24 hours as Dekker the goofball poundpup came for a sleepover.

Intention-water all the flowers blooming in order of importance

First-switch yoga

Things-week plan

Morning Platitude from The GratiDude

Your tight squad that is energetically connected and plugged in will know just by the way you say “hello” if something doesn’t seem right.

The energy in the tone even in a phone call can come across very clearly as I have experienced over the last year personally through feedback from others.

Specifically, my Irish twin brother Sean, who is 11 1/2 months older than me and lives and travels out of Colorado, could hear the change in the timber and tone of my voice going back about three or four months that I was coming out of the toughest year in my life and starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel .

He is the one that taught me the saying that “if it still hurts, that just means it ain’t over.” So, when my voice didn’t sound quite right or possess the energy or pep that it often has, he knew that I was struggling and suffering and doing the work to get through a chapter in my life that was a natural progression of my spiritual evolution and my personal and emotional growth.

They call it shadow work for a reason.

It’s dark in there and lonely, however, as my friend Jim says there’s no other way to get through it other than through it. You can’t take any shortcuts through your own personal work and the processing and the integration of your own trauma and life experiences.

This is one that is quality over quantity.

You’re never going to have twenty-five people in your life that are ready to drop whatever they need at a moment’s notice and be your 3 AM crew that answers the bell no matter what time the call comes in.

However, not everybody shows their cards so clearly and wears their heart on their sleeve like I do so don’t be afraid to ask questions that are very specific in regard to someone’s current state health wellness so you don’t miss the opportunity to be there when they need you.

You can also look for physical signs in people that will clue you if there may be something a mess in terms of how they’re feeling such as weight gain or weight loss, their complexion, and how calm they might appear or not, could tell us a lot as to what’s going on behind the scenes.

Yes, asking someone how they are doing can positively impact their emotions by showing that you care, creating a space for them to share if they need to, and providing a sense of support, which can help them feel less alone and more connected to others; essentially validating their feelings and experiences.

Key points about asking “how are you”:

Sign of concern:

Simply asking the question demonstrates that you are interested in their well-being and want to know if they are okay.

Opens communication:

It gives them the opportunity to express their feelings, even if they are struggling, which can be a crucial step in managing emotions.

Builds connection:

By actively listening and showing empathy, you can strengthen your relationship with the person.

Reduces isolation:

Knowing someone is checking in can make them feel less alone and more supported.

However, it’s important to consider:

Genuine interest:

Ensure you are truly interested in their response and ready to listen actively if they share something personal.

Appropriate context:

Depending on the situation and your relationship with the person, you may need to adjust how deeply you inquire about their feelings.

Following up:

If someone expresses concerns, be prepared to offer further support or suggest ways to help.

When you love someone unconditionally and you support them unconditionally you’re not being a snoop or invasive by asking these questions because they’re coming from a place of care and concern.

If anyone gets upset, simply explain your thought process and what you were doing and ask for understanding and that you simply love them very much. I want to make sure that they are OK.

Nobody will have a problem with that approach.

How about we use this video as an opportunity to do a quick audit of the emotional state of some of our closest friends specifically the ones that we haven’t talked to you in the longest amount of time as those might provide the opportunities to recognize some shifts and changes from the last time that we talk to them or interacted with them. Obviously, if they are remote, a Zoom call or a FaceTime call is much better so that you can see facial reactions in their eyes and things like that which just like playing poker makes it a lot easier to see what’s really going on with people.