Have you had a season over the last year during Covid Care that was very demanding professionally or involved several changes in your personal or professional life? Well, I have in many ways. Last Wednesday, I made a list of ten major issues that occurred with my home over a four-month period that required attention, finances, and time.

I also made a list of ten major changes happening to me, my children, and significant others. The next list included ten blessings.

It’s interesting how we can become overloaded and burdened by the weight of everyday challenges. My good friend and colleague said to me over breakfast, “Merikay, you can choose your feelings.”

I knew that, yet somehow more sadness and stress were present over several days than happiness and productivity.

So, I made a mindset shift. I decided that instead of feeling sad and stressed I would feel joyful and grateful for the changes happening in my life. In the book Joy of Living, Rinpoche states “The Four Noble Truths” or more commonly known as “Four Pure Insights into the Way Things Are” and are summarized as follows:

1. Ordinary life is conditioned by suffering.
2. Suffering results from causes.
3. The causes of suffering can be extinguished.
4. There is a simple path through which the causes of suffering can be extinguished. (pg. 70)

Some of the exciting family changes include my youngest daughter Emma Freda graduating from high school, my middle child, Harrison just landed his first full-time job with benefits at a print company, and my oldest daughter Melinda moved with her husband to Knoxville and is pregnant.

YEP! Coach MKay will be GrandKay in September! I will also be moving this fall to Morehead City, NC and check out my update on my Coach MKay Facebook page.

As you deal with change ahead, utilize one of Dale Carnegie’s stress and worry principles: Ask yourself, what’s the problem? What are all the possible solutions? What is the best solution? Then, Take Action! Blessings to you and be a catalyst for change. #MakeEveryDayCount