The arrival of about 120 perennial flowers required 7 hours of planting time last Wednesday, when I normally would have sent you a newsletter. The picture above is evidence of last November’s bulb-planting event. Wow, nothing like color in the garden!
This week’s tip: If you haven’t tried being outside in Nature this Spring, it’s time. There’s nothing as soothing to your nervous system as having your bare feet (or leather-soled, not rubber-soled shoes) on the ground. The effect is similar to being at the seashore, “down the shore” as we say in this part of the U.S.A. You feel grounded, soothed, and strengthened, and all in about 20 or 30 minutes.
I’ve noticed again, how complicated and dishonest many of our modern systems are. Two subsidiary companies of a major insurer had been paying me using ‘paper credit cards’ and making me pay the charges to process the credit transfers. They were, in other words, taking about $3 out of my hourly pay for every session. How about that for nerve! They hope you don’t notice that they’re pilfering your wages. To fix that problem required an hour of my work (unpaid of course).
This makes modern life so obnoxious. If you want to stop these major corporations from stealing your wages, you have to jump through all kinds of hoops. Sound familiar?
Part of my growth this season (to match my garden’s) is to announce that I’ll be leaving all insurance networks by the end of 2021. I’m also going to plan to retire as a Licensed Professional Counselor sometime after that and am already transitioning into new roles as a Mentor and Elder. After 2021, all my work will all be based on sliding scale rates, donations, or barter for goods and services. I love my work so will make it affordable for you.
New Roles: I love the definition of Mentor that I found: (from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary): 2a: a trusted counselor or guide (a mentor) who, because he is detached and disinterested, can hold up a mirror to us— P. W. Keve. An elder is someone who has the experience of learning from suffering and can open up and hold a space for your pain to be expressed, so that you can discover the way to end the patterns that cause pain. Then you can begin dreaming a new reality into existence for yourself and the world. You’ll find more details at: http://www.simplyawake.com/our-work-together/.
New Offerings: Also, I’m starting to offer groups in-person in the office again. They’re called “The Transformation Place.” We have one running on Thursdays but, I’ll be adding as many as I can. We have lots of fun, it’s very relaxed, and I serve tea. Details for the group are at http://www.simplyawake.com/local-groups/.
Have a wonderful week and get outside.
Sending you lots of ‘unconditional positive regard’ (which is how therapists are ‘allowed’ to say love),
Jon