As you read these lines, if you have been subscribed to this newsletter for a while, you may wonder why you didn't get February's issue...

Well, I didn't send one. I got caught up with life in the week leading to the 17th, then I got the flu two days before, then when I was well enough again to think clearly it felt to me that it was too late to send it. So that was a breathing break for you and me I suppose :)

Life seems to have gained speed, I observe. The range of experiences and feelings I go through has grown exponentially and no day in my life is similar to the previous one. Changes occur rapidly and sometimes unexpectedly.

Observing this constant influx of changes has made me notice a few things, which I'm sharing with you in the Thought of the Month below.

I notice that there is a perfect way of handling all the chaos that seems to appear... and that is playing with it without resisting it. May we all keep increasing our flexibility to life ;)

I have lately been through a period of heightened learning. I have gone through lots of new information in the form of videos, talks, interviews, books, documents, experiences, thoughts, and feelings.

The experience of going through so much new information gives way to a sort of temporary chaos where mental structures change and sometimes we see that reflected in changes in our physical lives.

Observing the quick changes that give rise to waves of joy and sadness helps you develop a sort of healthy detachment, where you don't get too carried away by either turn of the game anymore, but you rather observe with curiosity and try to go with the flow as much as possible.

Here are a few key things that I have distilled from observing changes, and that I want to share with you:

• Most of us are addicted to drama. We say that we want to live a happy, easy life - but there is a part of us that has an addiction to the drama of life - because it makes us feel like we are alive.

  When we fall into our addiction to drama we then invest our emotional energy in whatever is going on, whether it's exhilarating or painful.

  And that's ok, it's all part of the game. Should you however decide at some point that you've had enough of the drama and want a peaceful time, just start noticing when you get trapped into the drama.

  Noticing is the mechanism itself by which you step back from the drama a little. By the way, when you do that then the drama starts to resolve itself, I found.

• Most of us play the role of victims in one way or another. In truth it appears to me that most of us have gone through some difficulty in our childhood which made us feel like a victim, and we carry that familiar feeling into adulthood. Feeling not loved, not given enough attention, criticized - all of it can contribute to the 'poor me' stance.

  Which again it's part of the game of life you and I are playing. But also, if you found yourself at some point having had enough of feeling 'poor me' and like you're not getting what you want out of life, then just observe when you start going into the 'poor me' stance.

  This will be, I can promise, an interesting exercise - not to talk about the feeling that you are then no longer powerless, but that it's now a matter of taking conscious decisions about what you want, and still flowing with what comes.

• ...So what is the point of life? Everything passes. Some day we will die. Then it won't matter how much money you make or how many beautiful dresses you have.

  It will matter how you grew through the journey and how you interacted with others. It will matter the amount of love and joy that you contributed with.

  Don't you think?

  My point is that we're always having the chance to turn to what's important in life. Right this moment.

• There are rhythms. A good friend reminded me the other day that there are rhythms to everything. So life for you has its own rhythm - you can sense when it's a 'happy stage' of your life and when it's a 'difficult one'. I find that connecting to these rhythms helps to bring equanimity when looking at anything going on at a certain time of life.

In a state that I can only describe as grace you see everything come and go, you see the good times and the bad times, and you stop trying to grasp life in the way you want it, but rather you flow with it in the way it comes while becoming clearer in your mind about your preferences.

You remain, if you like, an actor and spectator of your own life at the same time.

May we keep flowing gracefully ;)

This month I'm sharing with you a short video (barely three minutes long) of a man in the US who has been helping people for forty years doing something he likes, out of his own will: Helping people for forty years.

When I watched this video I felt gratitude for all the people who act on their good feelings and intentions towards others and thus contribute to joy, lightheartedness and laughter. May we all feel inspired to keep acting on our good feelings!

I believe that being grateful for something is one of the most powerful tools to feel better immediately. Here are the two thanking bits of the month:

Thankful for... toilet paper. My friend Munawara posted an status on Facebook related to toilet paper - and we started a funny brief exchange about it. We came to point at how useful toilet paper is - I seem to recall that it was Munawara who mentioned it - and yes! Have you stopped to think about it, and how easy your life is because of toilet paper? We have! :)

Thankful for... my easel. I have just started taking drawing classes. I asked the teacher to give me some exercises to do at home. And then I found myself setting the easel and the chair at my studio, and feeling thankful for such a fancy, useful thing that an easel is :)

What are you thankful for? Share your gratitude on this page and read what others are thankful for!

Care to send me your thoughts about this issue's topics? Email me and let me know!

If you enjoyed this newsletter, please pass it along to your friends, family and colleagues, or send them to the Dare To Play It Big sign up page. I thank you in advance.

Stay well,

Cristina

P.S. Feeling stressed and worried because of problems at work? Then check my handbook "From Conflict To Calm" - based on my own experience with conflict with my boss, my handbook gives you the keys to move from a powerless situation to one of peace.

P.S.S. Tired of procrastinating? Wish you got more out of your own life but you don't know how? In my handbook "Power Over Procrastination" you will find the exact plan, techniques and tools I use to get things done easily - leaving procrastination behind altogether!