We have quite a few friends of various ages who have been having a rough time lately. Whether 23 years old or 73,  it seems that no one is exempt from the stresses of a society that values individuals for their “profession”, and an economy in which it can be very difficult to find work — and expression — that pays. To antidote the feeling that “I am not enough“, and “there is not enough (money, time, etc)“, we forged a few reminders for starting the week:

The first is that it’s okay to feel joy even when the shit is hitting the fan.  We recommend listening to Edwin Hawkin’s Singer’s Oh Happy Day while you read…

We believe Stefan Sagmeister is right: “Every exit is also an entrance”…

AND

…life is change…so the rough times WILL get better

…there are possibilities and answers we can’t imagine…

We found some mind-shifting examples of possibility thinking from reading the copy of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and The Chocolate Factory we found in the park. Here are just a few of the amazing Mr. Wonka’s creations:

We saw another clear sign the other day in the park: these tiny buds poking through the ground thinking that Spring was near. And then the temperature dropped and it snowed. We wondered if they’d make it through the rough weather.

…Somehow they did.

Sometimes it takes while for possibilities to appear, but if we show up and stay open, they always do…

You should never, never doubt something that no one is sure of.

There was one other thing that the grown-ups also knew, and it was this: that however small the chance might be of striking lucky, the chance is there. The chance had to be there. — Charlie and The Chocolate Factory

For another dose of joy, here’s Aretha Franklin and Mavis Staples singing Oh Happy Day…