Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens

As we talk about all things aging, let’s remember that while research shows that we may experience a mid-life dip in happiness, there are benefits to getting older that are valuable in the way they can lead us toward our purpose.

Mid-life can be a time when we’re burdened by caregiving, health problems, and financial worries. It sounds all “doom and gloom,” but there’s also a “flowers in bloom” side to aging – and that’s what I want to explore.

This episode offers a roadmap for building a more purposeful life when you make time for building community, feeding your soul, giving to others and exploring your creative passions. Let’s remember that as we age, we also get smarter, we get more clear about who we are and what we want, and we have the internal strength to make things happen.

In mid-life, let’s stay close to our true self, express it, share it, and find our purpose.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Have a listen, then connect with me at lettheverseflow.com to sign up for my newsletter and receive journal prompts and resources on creativity and personal growth.

Poem: Old & Divine

Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and have the courage to put it out into the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Songs in this episode: Cronut Holes by Sam Barsh; Winning Streak by JeesGuy; Bae Day by Ivy Bakes; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

LTVF Season One Music Playlist: Check out the songs, like Green Day’s Good Riddance, that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.

Resources:

Why We’re Unhappiest in Our Late 40s

Why Midlife Is So Hard–Especially Now

How to Find Your Purpose in Midlife

Journal prompts:

1. What’s something that you do better at this age than you did when you were younger, and how does it impact your life in a positive way?
2. When you are quiet and can listen to your inner thoughts, what types of activities do they direct you toward? Could these activities be an indication of your path toward greater purpose?
3. Write about a character trait of an elder family member or friend that you either share or admire. What do you admire about it and why?

Related Episodes: Losing My Mother: a Catalyst for Personal Growth

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Comparison, especially comparing ourselves to the images we see on social media, can rob us of the ability to hold court with our personal strengths and abilities. We compare ourselves to a facade of perfection and find our lives lacking. While small amounts of comparison may help motivate us or provide a standard of sorts with which to reflect our growth, most times, it makes us feel less than. We’ve got better things to do. Listen in as I discuss some alternatives, all designed to help you bathe in the light of your achievements. You can grow faster and stronger from this positive place.

In this episode, I touch on:

• Upward and downward social comparison theory
• The negative effects of social comparison on self-esteem, mood, and mental health
• Ways to reduce social media consumption with restorative and self-affirming activities like gratitude journaling, building supportive friends, and finding a creative, social network through in-person events.

Poem: Not a Redwood Tree
Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and have the courage to put it out into the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Songs in this episode: Quartz Crisis by Sam Barsh; Winning Streak by JeesGuy; The
Astronaut by Neon Beach; Uptown Shuffle by Lunareh; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

LTVF Season One Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.

Resources:

Social Comparison Theory in Psychology

5 Ways Meditation Is Like a Monet

BRIC MediaJournal Prompts:

1. What situations, people, or accomplishments have made me feel grateful today? Examine your list and take a few moments to connect to each grateful moment.
2. When I am mindful of gratitude, how does it color my mood and change my thinking?
3. Write about something that seems small or simple but adds to your life in big ways. Why are you grateful for that small thing?

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

What do I mean by a personal growth practice? What are the components of self-growth and how do we build our capacity for it? Personal growth is not a one-and-done, it's a practice that we build over time and in stages. In this episode, we’ll think about where we are in the journey to knowing ourselves, dealing with our struggles, and taking those first steps to look for better days. Those better days start with single better moments. Topics covered:

• Tapping into personal growth as a natural tendency that you can build into an everyday practice
• Setting an intention for personal growth, and why it’s important to assess whether you are ready to grow. Are you at a stage where a growth mindset is possible?
• Using meditation and self-talk/affirmations to set intentions for new habits that support personal growth
• An outline of coping strategies and skills that can help divert our attention, engage our social/interpersonal sides, offer cognitive support, release tension, or help us through spirituality or by setting limits

Have a listen, then connect with me at lettheverseflow.com to sign up for my newsletter and receive journal prompts and resources on creativity and podcast episodes.

Poem: No Rush of Falling Leaves

Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and have the courage to put it out into the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Songs in this episode: Thank You by Demure; Winning Streak by JeesGuy; 432hz Crystal Meditation by Roze Sound; Fade by Nu Alkemi$t; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

Resources:

Self-Growth: Definition, Examples and Tips

10+ Coping Skills Worksheets for Adults and Youth

Why Growth Requires Struggle

Journal Prompts:

1. Am I ready to see the growth potential of a challenging situation or personal struggle? If not, where can I find motivation for personal growth?
2. Am I open to a growth mindset right now? What would that look like for me? If not, what healing needs to happen first to prepare me to move toward a growth mindset?
3. Write down two coping skills and strategies that you think could facilitate your personal growth. Then, jot down a simple plan to implement one of those coping strategies.

Related Episodes: Calming Down with Mindful Breathing & Creative Grounding (#9); The Road to Brighter Days: Building Resilience (#10)

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Grief and gratitude can be two sides of the same coin. They do a sort of dance, especially as we contemplate the loss of a family member or loved one during the holidays.

Find out how a simple fingertip pulse oximeter box sparked great sadness in me, and then deep gratitude. As my mom transitions into advanced dementia, I’m struck by how often my sadness turns to gratitude. For if we love deeply and have been loved deeply, we are privy to one of humanity's greatest gifts.
The price we pay for our lover’s soft hand, our uncle’s legendary bear hugs, and our mother’s nurturing gestures is the grief we feel when we lose them. But if we reflect on that grief we find that it wouldn’t exist if we weren’t blessed by their love in the first place. If we accept the love, we must accept the grief and hope that we recognize our blessings with gratitude. We come full circle and manifest our purpose.

In this episode, I touch on this dance between grief and gratitude and offer three quotes to use as journal prompts to help you reflect on how these emotions play out in your life.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Have a listen, then connect with me at lettheverseflow.com to sign up for my newsletter and receive journal prompts and resources on creativity and personal growth.

Poem: A Smile Remains

Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and have the courage to put it out into the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Songs in this episode: Where Do We Go From Here (Feat. Jessie Villa) by Nu Alkemi$t; Winning Streak by JeesGuy; Sencilla by Cast Of Characters; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

LTVF Season One Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.

Resources:
Grief and Gratitude

Are Grief and Gratitude Mutually Exclusive?

Quotes on Grief & Gratitude for Journaling:

1. Grief and gratitude are two sides of the same coin, reminding us that even in loss, there is the currency of love. (Rumi)
2. Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them. (Leo Tolstoy)
3. Come back. Even as a shadow, even as a dream. (Euripides)

Related Episodes: The Loved Ones We Carry (Episode #6); Dealing with Dementia: Caregiver Tips & Journal Prompts (Episode #13)

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Dealing with a loved one’s dementia, or handling other difficult transitional times in our lives requires that we give ourselves some grace -- and create a formidable community of support. We may have to handle the logistics of moving our loved ones out of their home, arranging for care, managing finances, and caregiving. This is adulting with a capital “A.” Here are some inspirational tips and resources to help you handle this heavy load.

The most essential takeaway: feel however you feel and surround yourself with people who support all of the emotional states and stages that you will experience. Once you have settled into new routines, and hopefully made peace with this transitional time in your life, these people who make up your support system will become the little gems that you add to your gratitude list.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Have a listen, then connect with me at lettheverseflow.com to sign up for my newsletter and receive journal prompts and resources on creativity and

Poem: 792: the Memory Door

Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and have the courage to put it out into the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Songs in this episode: Endless Sleep by Lost Ghosts; Winning Streak by JeesGuy; Echoes of the Mind by Shimmer; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters
LTVF Season One Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.

Resources:

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care: Help for Family Caregivers

Journal prompts:

1. How has a loved one’s health crisis or transition changed the way you think about your life? How has it changed how you see yourself?
2. Write about a special memory of your loved one or a memento that reminds you of them, and consider how you can preserve and carry the good feelings these thoughts bring.
3. Who do you want to surround yourself with during this time in your life, and how are you making time for them?

Related Episodes: Sitting with Shitty Feelings; The Loved Ones We Carry

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com