Not sure where the words came from but there they sat in my consciousness.
~~~~~
In the Spring of 2015, Laurie and I made reservations to celebrate our 40th anniversary (February 2016) in Jamaica. A few months later she was diagnosed with breast cancer and our plans, obviously, changed. Rather than toasting our anniversary on a Caribbean island, we were thankful when Laurie completed her final chemotherapy treatment two days after our anniversary in February of 2016.
But we never lost site of the future—ever. Laurie’s resilience and focus kept both of us centered and grounded. We rescheduled our trip and arrived in Negril, Jamaica in December of 2016 to celebrate our anniversary. Ten months late—but still in the same year!

During that trip, I began in earnest my daily meditation practice. Sitting on our balcony before sunrise, I recited quietly to myself a Deepak Chopra mantra:
Peace. Harmony. Laughter. Love.

It, too, helped ground me.
During a mediation this past week, a new mantra of interconnectedness popped into my mind:
Healthy Outlook
Healthy Mind
Healthy Actions
Healthy Body
Not sure where the words came from but there they sat in my consciousness. Guess it is part of the mindfulness process. And they took me back to 2015-2016. And they resonate today and what we all face daily.
Our outlook and actions affect our mind and our body. And all will affect our dreams. Which brings me back to Jamaica in 2016.
On one of my early morning beach walks I came across a boat anchored just off shore. On its canopy three words:
Live Your Dreams

Our outlook and our actions not only impact our dreams, I take the position that they create our dreams.
Interconnectedness.
Video recommendation for the week.
A short, guided meditation with Deepak Chopra on Peace, Harmony, Laughter, and Love.
Make it a wonderful week and HTRB has needed.
You will find my latest book, Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit, in
eBook ($2.99) and paperback ($9.99) format. Click here.
My dog Roxie gets top billing on the author page for this work. Without her, there would be no story. Please, check out her blog.
And you can still order:
- Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at the above link.
- Stories about Teaching: No Need to be an Island (2017, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. One college’s new faculty onboarding program uses the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same. The accompanying videos (see the link above) would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.
You can find my podcasts (all fifty episodes) here.
You will find more about me at www.stevepiscitelli.com.
©2022. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®
Atlantic Beach, Florida
Happy Anniversary – soon. And prospects for a great 2022 for you and Laurie!
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