“It’s not easy to get resiliency back into our lives, but it is a quality too valuable to be lost.” ~ Dorthea Brande, WAKE UP AND LIVE! – A Formula For Success That Works
My divorce recovery resources come from many different places. Most aren’t written specifically about divorce recovery, but are instead resources that contain ideas for success in life, no matter what your circumstances may be. WAKE UP AND LIVE is one of those books. It was first printed in 1932, and was in it’s 16th printing in 1962, the date of the copy I found on my parent’s bookshelf.
The book is chock-full of simple ideas and exercises to help us live more consciously and fully. Most of the suggestions can be done throughout a typical day. Each is designed to help us focus on things we do every day without thinking at all … things we fall into … like being more negative than positive, or filling every conversation with I, me, or mine.
Do Something Unexpected
There is also advice about stretching ourselves by doing something WAY out of our comfort zone for the the creative, expanding invigorating rewards it brings. One of my favorite of Dorthea’s suggestions is to put 1 different, unusual thing on 12 pieces of paper and seal them in 12 envelopes. Then, at least once a month (and more if you prefer), pick an envelope and do it.
Here are some of her examples:
- Go eat at the unlikeliest place you can find.
- Stay up and work all night.
- Say nothing all day except in answer to questions.
- Ride the bus to a different part of the city (or a nearby city) and explore.
- Go without food for twelve hours.
Discover Your Strength!
This week, let’s all make a commitment to get out of our comfort zone. Let’s do something that gets us out of our normal routine. I’m sure we’ll discover that we are much more resilient than we realize.
Your midlife divorce recovery has already made you more resilient in lots of ways — just remember that is a very good thing in the long run! Like the RADiCAL woman in the MDR Community who posted that she successfully replaced the ceramic tile in her shower! I’m excited to write out 12 of my “wild” ideas and start trying them out! Let’s list then in the MDR Community and see what we come up with and share how we flesh them out.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” ~ Joshua 1:9 (The Living Bible)
