“If you let go a little, you will have a little peace; if you let go a lot you will have a lot of peace; if you let go completely you will have complete peace." Ajahn Chah 

When I heard this quote the very first time, it stopped me dead in my tracks. 

I knew it was true.

But I didn’t have much experience with letting go.  

I come from a family who loved to keep things. Everything, actually. 

There wasn’t a whole lot that got thrown away. Letters, old bank statements and checks for years and years, clothes that no longer fit, even empty boxes...because, well, the idea was that we might need these things SOMEDAY.

And yes, my parents were of the Depression-era. I get it.

It was a time that affected that generation for their entire lives and my parents and grandparents were deeply impacted along with everyone else. They didn’t believe in getting rid of anything. 

So I grew up with the mentality of keeping things, unaware...

Today I had this imaginary conversation with a friend or (maybe it was myself.) It went like this: 

Hey Amelia,

Did you know that that blah mood you're in is normal?

And that you're not the only one?

Did you know that you've been feeling tired because your brain is tired?

Yes ma’am it is.

It's worn out from trying to cope with covid, with fires out of control, smoke, political upheaval, along with all the day-to-day stressors you have and it's been going on now for over a year.  

You didn't notice anything at first because you were too busy adjusting, putting on your mask, avoiding crowds, staying inside.

You didn't realize that your brain was on overdrive trying to keep you and your family alive.

The mental and emotional impacts of COVID

Yep. It was over a year without going anywhere except maybe to the grocery store. And you woke up most days thinking...it's another day of the same. The same. The boring old same freakin' thing.

You didn't know how long...

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."

Barack Obama

Today is about not putting your life on hold and waiting to do the things you love.

If we don't live the life we want now or we're waiting to be happy, then we die full of regrets.  I am a woman living in my 70s so I ask myself every day, what am I waiting for?

When is the best time to do what you want?

Is it when the bills are paid off, you have enough money, the kids leave home when you have more time?...you fill in the blanks.

We wait for the "right" time. For the best job, for the next raise, the perfect house, the best time to do what we want. 

My 13-year-old grand-nephew was diagnosed 4 months ago with a brain tumor. It was malignant. The day before he was diagnosed he was a normal kid playing baseball.

Life can turn you completely upside down. And inside out.

One minute you could be sitting on your...

 "When our souls are tired, we don't need sleep, we need to get away and just be.”

It happens to all of us. We push and push and grind, and the truth is, we don't always take the best care of ourselves. Soul exhaustion creeps up, and then it's time to address our self care in a big way.

How Do I Know If My Soul Is Tired?

Have you ever felt a weariness that seems to seep into your very bones?

It's a kind of exhaustion that sleep alone can't cure because it's a profound sense of fatigue that envelopes your entire being.

Even a full night's sleep can leave you feeling drained of energy and lacking motivation. Excitement for life feels far from grasp.

It's a scenario many of us are all too familiar with. Some call it "soul tired."

When we're exhausted, our body is working hard to just keep up with the daily tasks. When our brains are tired, we can't put anything else in.

This is where I was. Totally blah. Tired and wired. Sick of everything. No pizazz. Dull.

Soul Exhaustion...

Summer is the best time to feel like yourself. And, after we've been cooped up for a year, it’s a perfect time to savour every day.

Summertime has the potential to help you:

1. Reset and restore
2. Have fun
3. Get creative 

When we're having fun, we put aside the worries, the goals, the stress, the have to’s. We can look at where we’ve been and where we’re going. 

Let's start with what you want 

Sometimes, we're so busy, we don't even know what we want and we don't take time to figure it out.  

Start here:

Ask yourself these questions:

What would make this an unforgettable summer? 

What if it was the first summer I got to ________

If I had all the free time I wanted this summer, I'd ________

The best summer I ever had was _________.

These questions can give you clues to what you're longing for and what makes you happy. 

Sit down right now and write it out.

I give you full permission to dream. 

Want to go to Hawaii? To some...

Read the article and follow me on Medium.

Read the article on Medium: 

https://medium.com/@johatcher/privileged-and-safe-reflecting-on-my-childhood-in-the-south-c31b39d55fbd

Taking time for yourself with my online retreat could lead to the greatest transformation you'll ever have

During this unprecedented time, you will be under more pressure. 

You might be stuck at home with the Covid-19 restrictions, and having to deal with being around your family 24/7.

You might be trying to juggle work and family.

You might be a caregiver, responsible for your children or your parents.

You might be facing uncertainties in your career or future. 

You might be alone struggling to find ways to deal with loneliness and how to connect with others.

Either way, you're dealing with more pressure which is creating more stress and anxiety.

This makes it even harder to solve problems, be patient with your loved ones, and concentrate at work. It makes it harder for you to stop and listen to what it is you need and want right now.

This is where I can help.

My online retreat for women is designed to give you the structure,...

 Africa was completely and utterly fabulous. It was the trip of a lifetime and I wouldn’t change a thing. I could write a book about my two-week experience on safari in Tanzania.

It was AMAZING.

Get a load of these pics!

At times it was surreal. Deep, wild, emotional. Being this close to animals in their natural habitat was beyond anything else I've done in my life. 

I came home from Africa with stars in my eyes, refreshed, and alert even after a 41-hour trip home.

I left again after two weeks.

First to Manitou Springs, Colorado, to be in a circle of 13 women from all over the country… the Green Women’s Leadership retreat.

We came together with our hearts wide open to learn about the climate crisis and how each one of us can make a difference. We talked, we cried, we connected and we realized just how desperate things are in the world. We each made a commitment to our own self-care so that we can be up for making...