"Today is a gift. That's why they call it "The Present." - Eleanor Roosevelt Isn't that such a beautiful quote. Okay, now stepping outside of my therapist bubble, I'm going to tell you how I REALLY feel about that right now. BLECH!! That quote is an aspirational goal for all of us - clients included - but tbh, right now, the present feels.... not very comfortable. As mentioned in the last edition, I'm going through all kinds of shifts right now. For me, change is not just hard but like pushing-string-up-hill exhausting. Annndddd I bet I'm not the only one. If change is difficult for you, know that you're not alone. Fear of change keeps us stuck in jobs, relationships, or even a mindset that we KNOW isn't healthy. And, don't think that just because you're a therapist, you should be immune to these feelings. We're human. We are scared. The even suckier thing (IMO) is that most of us are even more aware of our feelings and our liabilities than the general population, making us feel even worse about having all the feelings. Because I try to set an example for you all and don't ask you to do anything I wouldn't, I am following through with the promise of doing a sandtray around my values and how those are playing out in this present moment. If you recall, the last edition, I wrote all about Brene Brown's work on how "Our Values Light the Way" As a refresher, we all have a set of values that guide us, whether we are aware of it or not. The hope is that if we can become aware of the connection between what we do and our values, we can live more in alignment and become the best version of who we were meant to be. Of the list that Brene provides, my two values are listed below. Independence Authenticity As promised, I created a sandtray around each of these values to really wrestle with how they are playing out in my life and if my actions are indeed lining up with my values. Ok, here goes nothing:) First - we have the Authenticity Tray Before reading the description, take a minute to look and pay attention to what feelings come up for YOU. Hint: This is a tip if you get stuck with your client - Go back to the body. Prompt your client to notice what and where they feel things in their body after building the tray. | 
