Physical and electronic isolation from people we disagree with allows conformation bias, groupthink and tribalism to push us increasingly farther apart. Live within your values and strive to keep an open mind.
I must confess that until recently I had never heard of Phool Dei, a spring festival that was celebrated yesterday in the villages of Uttarakhand.
Children gather fresh flowers from the hills and go from house to house placing them on doorsteps, offering a blessing for the household:
“Phool Dei, Chhamma Dei,
Deni Dwar, Bhar Bhakar…” roughly wishing the home prosperity.
In return they receive sweets.
It reminded me a little of Halloween in the U.S., where children go door to door saying “trick or treat.” But what a lovely contrast. Here the children arrive not threatening a prank, or asking first, but giving first. Flowers.
In an age when we speak so much about environmental consciousness, this graceful celebration of spring and nature deserves to be far more widely known.
Just as Holi travelled across India and the world, perhaps Phool Dei should too.
For me, the children of Uttarakhand are my #MondayMotivation
The “power of the pause” can be mighty. Our tendency is to want to react. It rarely hurts to take a second and assess the landscape and our emotions before action.
Keeping calm when things agitate us is not easy. Try hard to be in tune with the signs your body gives and do what is needed to level out as best you can. Cooler heads indeed prevail.
Committing to a new idea isn’t easy. Many won’t understand, more will criticize yet should the idea eventually spawn others to take it and run with it, the hill is worth the climb.
This Is the Year You Stop Playing Small.
You already know what you’re capable of. Now act like it.
This ain’t the season for shrinking, doubting, or waiting on permission.
Stand up in who you are.
There are many forces at play in moments where we can “win” or “lose”. Much of that at times can be beyond control. What is within our control is doing our absolute best.