48th Edition

It's 2022 ya'll!!

Are you feeling pumped, jazzed, excited, and just enthused about all this year has to bring???

What?!

You're not so much feeling it!!??

Yeah, me neither.

And it's okay.

As we round into year two of this pandemic, we are all just EXHAUSTED, mentally, emotionally, even spiritually, especially those of us who continue to hold all the feelings for the weariness of the world now.

So, how do we keep going and focus on what we can control, even in the midst of confusing news and less than optimal outcomes with the future of the pandemic, variants, etc?

As for me, I don't just give up (and I'm betting you don't either or you wouldn't be reading this right now).

So how do we set goals and work to be our best self when the world continues to be an unpredictable (and even a bit scary) place?

We don't make to-do lists.

We don't give ourselves huge goals.

We don't beat ourselves up when we break our "resolution" by the second week of January.

Instead, we focus on what we want to FEEL in this next year.

I first learned about this concept back in 2015 from Danielle LaPorte and even wrote a blog post about how to use it in your sandtray - you can check it out here for the full blog post (complete with pictures of my sandtray back from over 6 years ago!)

Original blog post about setting soul-filled goals

To sum it up, what I want you to do now is to take just 30-60 seconds and think of one feeling word of what you want to cultivate in 2022.

Got the one word?

Great, now write it down, put it in your phone, stick it to your forehead - whatever works for you to help you see and connect with what you want to feel.

As a bonus (and challenge), I'd like you to create a sandtray around what comes up for you with this feeling. Notice what is in the tray and what is not. Who is there - what do you need to happen to feel more of what you want?

My word for 2022? Peace.

I want to cultivate inner peace about all the things - my work transitions, my relationships, my health. I want to sleep better at night and refrain from the useless worries that cloud my mind and keep me from enjoying my oh-so-blessed life.

To keep myself accountable, I'll be giving you all check-in's about how I'm doing with this peace cultivating and what behaviors and thoughts and stemmed from working to grow peace internally.

You've got this. It's hard, but you're going to make it.

In the past couple of sandtray editions, I've focused a lot of on stories of my struggles and truths rather than a list of resources and articles.

Of course, both are necessary and hopefully helpful so I'm returning to my section of "links to make you think" to make sure you get all the goods you were promised when you signed up for this amazing newsletter:)

1. Brene Brown's new book Atlas of the Heart

Ya'll. This book is gorgeous, like physically beautiful. It's almost too pretty to use or write in, but I did get over that because it's just so gosh durn useful!

In this book, Brene goes over 87 emotions and experiences of what it takes to make meaningful connections and use our feeling words to get our needs met. This goes WAYYY beyond any feelings wheel and helped this veteran therapist name the even the most abstract, difficult-to-name emotion.

Brene's metaphorical description of what happens we don't have an emotional vocabulary (shocker - most Americans don't) was a gut-punch for me and painted a picture that has stayed in my head for days now. I'm not going to tell you because I want YOU to buy it. I plan to encourage all of my clients, trainees and even family to read parts and discuss.

I predict it will be one of those must-read and must-have book for any healer ever.

2. How to embrace yourself (flaws and all) and still get to the best version of you.

I love this article so much because it makes SO MUCH SENSE and quotes Carl Rogers:) It's worth a read for those of us who are psychologically minded to help others (and ourselves of course) use the knowledge that we can't get to where we want to go using what we have now.

To be who we want to be, we're not going to be able to "dance with the one who brung ya" We're going to have to accept that we did get where we are with a set of coping skills or personality traits but those will not serve us in the future.

The interesting part comes in HOW we think about and ACCEPT who we are now so we can MOVE forward. Worth a read.

3. COMIC: How to break out of your pandemic slump

Self care is not enough.

For two years now, you've tried all the things. Baking bread, doing puzzles, focusing on what is right in the world but we are all still on the struggle bus.

This cartoon depicts this so clearly and allows me to feel "heard" and "seen" and even provides some ways to get on a lifeboat while we ride the waves of the pandemic.

It's that time of year again!

Each quarter, we at Southern Sandtray, send out curated boxes of miniatures for our Sandtray Suite PLUS members.

And to help spread holiday cheer, we sent them out EARLY (like before Christmas!)

So as to not spoil the surprise, I won't be giving away what was in this quarter's box but the theme had a lot to do with that makes the holiday season special/crazy-making!

Don't fret - I'll give ya'll a sneak peek at what was in the past two boxes with the next Sandtray Ally AND a way to sign up to get your very own blue box landing at your door step this spring!

Wondering what the Sandtray Suite program is??

Click HERE to check it out - we'll be opening enrollment soon so keep your eyes peeled on your inbox for all the details about how YOU can get in on the world's ONLY online membership training program for sandtray therapists everywhere!

Alright, in honor of our open enrollment happening TODAY for our 2022 ICST cohorts, our quiz refers to one of my favorite quotes of all time.

Who said

Often the hands will solve a mystery the intellect has struggled with in vain.

A. Carl Rogers

B. Carl Jung

C. Alfred Adler

D. Amy Flaherty

Test your skills by checking out the answer below!

The next Ally will have lots of info about a FREE training series I'm teaching at the end of the month. We've never done something like this before and it's going to be giving you all amazing, life-changing sandtray info in an easy-to-understand and FUN format.

Stay tuned for all of the things rolled out in the next Ally - you're going to want IN on this- our whole team has been working for months putting it all together so you're REALLY not going to want to miss a thing!

Talk soon!

Amy

P.S. B- Carl Jung - I even have it painted in my sandtray room and on t-shirts!

P.P.S. I love this quote below by Betty White - RIP to an amazing, funny, and strong woman. May we all live life to its fullest.