Maritza Rodriguez-Arseneau, M.Ed., RP, LPC
222 Wellington Street N8A 2X9 Wallaceburg, ON, Canada

#FeatureFriday - Inner peace. Just how do you find it when it feels the whole world is spinning around you? Read on for 4 helpful strategies on how to attain inner peace in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.

#TipsTuesday - Letting go of certain things can open the door to true contentment in life--and this begins with the mental strength to do so. Here are 10 things mentally strong people give up to gain inner peace.

#SaturdaySpotlight - Welcome May! This month we are exploring INNER PEACE. And aside from what you may think, "inner peace is possible, and you don't need to meditate on a mountaintop or break the bank for a wellness retreat in order to find it." Read on to find out how to find inner peace in chaotic moments.

#SampleSunday - "Stories help you make sense of your life -- but when these narratives are incomplete or misleading, they can keep you stuck instead of providing clarity. In an actionable talk, psychotherapist and advice columnist Lori Gottlieb shows how to break free from the stories you've been telling yourself by becoming your own editor and rewriting your narrative from a different point of view." Transform your life by telling a new story.

#ThoughtfulThursday - Your power lies within. It's time to do the work. Let me help you on your personal journey of transformation.

#ThoughtfulThursday - Your imagination will take you there. Let it soar. What is about to play out for you?

#TipsTuesday - If you young people who today belong to the first generation of the 21st century make an effort now, you may be able to create a happier, more peaceful world, His Holiness advised. But you can’t take for granted that it will happen by itself, you’ll need to take action. Read more about His Holiness the Dalai Lama's "Talk about How to Develop the Heart and Discussion of Service" in the link below. https://www.dalailama.com//talk-about-how-to-develop-the-h

#SaturdaySpotlight - "When we help someone else, it ends up lifting our own spirits and easing our own pain. Here are 20 simple but gratifying ways to be of service to others."

#MeetMaritza - Wishing everyone a healthy and happy start to this New Year. This month we're focusing on the power and positivity of our IMAGINATION! What are you creating for yourself with your own thoughts? We have had a challenging year and continue to maneuver through changing times. Please reach out to me should you require any assistance with these, or your own, transitions and we will work together to help you continue to move forward. Distance sessions are available.

#WellnessWednesday - "Not a day goes by without our being called upon to help one another--at home, at work, on the street, on the phone...We do what we can. Yet so much comes up to complicate this natural response: "Will I have what it takes?" "How much is enough?" "How can I deal with suffering?" "And what really helps, anyway?" In this book of stories and reflections on service, "the authors explore a path through these confusions, and provide support and inspiration fo us in our efforts as members of the helping professions, as volunteers, as community activists, or simply as friends and family trying to meet each other's needs..."How Can I Help?" reminds us just how much we have to give and how doing so can lead to some of the most joyous moments of our lives."

#FeatureFriday - Happy New Year, friends! This month we are focusing on using our imagination! What a wonderful time to get creative and set some goals in motion by, first, imagining them! "Many of us regard creativity as an awe-inspiring, almost magical gift that some people are simply born with. But just as creativity can be expressed in many different ways, it can also be learned and sharpened like any other skill...A clever and inventive mind opens doors to success. Here are five ingenious ways you can begin training your mind to be more creative and innovative."

#SampleSunday - "On February 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave what was to be his last sermon, ‘‘The Drum Major Instinct,’’ from the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church. The following is an excerpt from the sermon set to music. If you want to be importantwonderful. If you want to be recognizedwonderful. If you want to be greatwonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. (Amen) That’s a new definition of greatness...

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy new year!

#WhatToReadWednesday - "If you want your customer service team to get creative about excellent customer service, this audiobook will do the job. An unforgettable true story about a young man with Down Syndrome who changes the culture of a grocery store."

#SampleSunday - The Gratitude Podcast is such a helpful resource! Georgian Benta reminds us that it is a conscious practice to step into gratitude and helps "those [of us] that find it harder to be grateful, to choose to live a life filled with gratefulness (or at least to get a boost of this amazing feeling) when things don’t seem to go the right way."

#ThoughtfulThursday - You cannot create joy without first being grateful for what is. Your joy is waiting on the other side. How do YOU practise gratitude? Do you keep a journal? Express it out loud? Share it with others? Let me know in the comments below.

#FeatureFriday - "Anquan Boldin made it into the NFL in spite of a difficult childhood involving poverty and lack of opportunity. When he realized he was being called to give back to those who were less fortunate, he decided to honor God by giving his time and finances to helping others." How can you give back to your own community and help those less fortunate than you, not just during this season of giving, but all year through? Merry Christmas, Everyone. Wishing you all peace and love.

#MeetMaritza - I am so grateful for my friends. Each month, we find ways to connect and celebrate our gratitude for the support we offer one another. Last month, we worked on these birch tree paintings. I'm discovering a more artistic creative side of myself...and I'm grateful for that. What are you grateful for about yourself?

#FeatureFriday - "Vulnerability expert Brené Brown talks about the relationship between joy and gratitude and offers a few tips on how to cultivate more joy in your own life."

#TipsTuesday - If you ever considered keeping a gratitude journal or currently keep one, here is a complete list of best practices including WHEN to write, WHAT to write and WHY you should write. You'll also find some helpful journal prompts along with the best 5 journals you can purchase to help you get your gratitude on!