PhD in Being Me

Tag: well-being

  • Changing landscapes

    An intensely bright pink, early morning sky
    Early morning glory

    Today is the last day of 2023, and I am feeling self-reflective.

    I have long wanted to write about how the view outside of my front window changes depending on the time of day and the weather and season. The photo above is from early in the morning last week. I awoke to a warm pink glow through the curtains and I jumped up to grab my camera to capture the spectacular glory that I got the honour to witness.

    Early dawn light shining through trees on a cold winter morning.
    The same view on a different morning

    This photo is of the same view on a different day and is still lovely. The changing view reminds me that I don’t have to expect myself to always be the same. I may be able to shine my light brightly one day, and other days, it may still be bright, but shining at a different intensity, or perhaps more inward.

    I love how the view outside my window teaches me to treat myself with more compassion and gentleness. I don’t expect the view out of my window to be the same every day, so why would I expect that of myself?

    Even in the early, early morning, the view out of my window is spectacular. May that help us all to know how lovely we all are, even on days where we don’t feel our best or things aren’t going the way we hoped or needed them to.

    We learn different things through all the ways we feel and show up each day, and none are better or worse. They just are.

    Dark, early morning sky, with a few stars and clouds.
    Dark, early morning sky, with a few stars and clouds.
    Dark, early morning sky, with a few stars and clouds
    The same view very early on a different morning

    So whether you are ready to seize the last day of 2023, or if you just want to stay in bed, you are lovely.

    Whether this has been a disastrous or painful year for you, or if you’ve had some fun through the hard times, I see you.

    No matter the changing landscape of circumstances and feelings in your life, you are very worthy of being seen and validated.

    May the changing view out your window remind you that change is guaranteed in our lives.

    May we all relax into change more freely and let go of judgment and expectations around who we should be at any moment and rest in how we are, with self-respect, love and care.

    May you be well. Thanks for reading and big hugs!

    © Bradlee Zrudlo 2023. All Rights Reserved.

  • Empathy is my super power

    A beautiful sunset sky with purple, yellow, pink and orange clouds.

    The other day, I was having a conversation at work, and I said some very wise words that helped me to know that empathy is my superpower.

    We were talking about some people who seem superhuman because they can work 16 hour days for long periods of time. My colleague seemed like they were judging themselves for not being able to do that, and I said something like,

    You have superhuman powers at work even if you don’t work 16 hour days. You bring empathy, compassion, and understanding to your employees, and that is a superpower.

    I could tell it helped my colleague for me to recognize their awesomeness and it sure helped me. It is easy for me to judge myself for having chronic fatigue syndrome and for not having bountiful amounts of energy. It isn’t always easy to remember the wonderful ways that I contribute to the lives of those around me thanks to my empathy, compassion and understanding. I was grateful for a chance to be reminded of that.

    Living with empathy and leading with kindness and compassion are true bad ass ways of living. It is much easier to judge others, push them away or to “other” them. I know that because over the last 20 years I have been unlearning those habits and have been opening up to the wellspring of light, love, care and compassion that were always within me, just waiting to be discovered.

    If you are reading this, I am smiling at you! I am encouraging you and cheering you on! What might your superpower be? Are you up for taking a moment to acknowledge the good you do just by being exactly as you are?

    If you don’t know what your superpower is yet, may you have a joyful time discovering it. May you get a PhD in Being You each and every day as you get to know yourself better.

    I send you big hugs!

    © Bradlee Zrudlo 2023. All Rights Reserved.

  • Choosing consciously

    5 stacked rocks on the shore of the ocean with a colorful sunset in the background.
    Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

    A note: This poem is a follow up to the post I published the other day about living with presence and bringing more of my care, attention and awareness to life. I have cycled through being more conscious and present in my life and I am coming alive to my life once again. No matter where you are on your journey of mindfulness and presence, I wish you well and may you show yourself compassion. Big hugs!

    Choosing consciously – a poem

    If I do something and

    feel like I don’t have a choice,

    I will be drained, hopeless and exhausted.

    If I do that same something

    but bring myself to the task

    and choose to do it

    because I want to,

    I am no longer choiceless.

    If I know that taking the garbage out

    and washing the pots are the last thing I want to do,

    but I do them anyway,

    I age, decay and slowly die inside.

    If I recognize that I don’t

    want to do those tasks and

    be gentle and caring with myself,

    instead of forcing my way on,

    I blossom, heal and nourish myself.

    It is a very subtle distinction,

    but I do believe it is

    the key to ending cycles of abuse,

    by using our free will even where

    it seems like we don’t have any.

    May we all find the little ways in which we can liberate

    ourselves from choicelessness of all forms,

    one conscious choice at a time.