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Many of us don’t feel okay. We’ve been waiting for the pandemic to be “over” but the reality is that we’re going to have to figure out a way to live with it. This process will look different for each one of us.
In April 2021, Adam Grant, psychologist, author and professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania wrote in The New York Times:
“At first, I didn’t recognize the symptoms that we all had in common. Friends mentioned that they were having trouble concentrating. Colleagues reported that even with vaccines on the horizon, they weren’t excited about 2021. A family member was staying up late to watch “National Treasure” again even though she knows the movie by heart. And instead of bouncing out of bed at 6 a.m., I was lying there until 7, playing Words with Friends.
It wasn’t burnout — we still had energy. It wasn’t depression — we didn’t feel hopeless. We just felt somewhat joyless and aimless. It turns out there’s a name for that: languishing.”
Reading Grant’s description made me feel deeply seen (hell yeah!) AND I recognized that I’d already spent enough time languishing. For me, the first question was, “How can I accept that these big hard things I’ve been experiencing are the way that they are?” Unhappiness is so often caused by wishing things were different from reality. How could I accept and grieve these big hard things while also turning more and more towards joy? How could I turn on the twinkle lights inside myself?”
As always, healing includes making things and being of service to others. So, I set out to create a course that would serve as a map out of that sad forest, back to the feeling that comes over me when I enter a backyard or restaurant patio decorated with twinkle lights. My goal was to clear a path to greater acceptance and joy.
Twinkle Light Sessions is six weeks in length and is built around stories and assignments that will invite you to think and act differently. You will be asked to reflect and dream through writing and photography, you will create a map of the life you’d like to be living, and you will detox from those self-identified factors that keep leading you away from peace and twinkle lights.
My metaphor for this course is a party so thoughtfully constructed that even the most Introverted among us (puts hand up) stay past midnight. At this magical gathering, people laugh freely, your favourite beverage and snacks are served in abundance, all the conversations are deep and interesting, and every party-goer is welcome to participate in any conversation. The folks at this soiree are curious about themselves and about you and about the human condition. You won’t have to hide out in the bathroom or on the balcony because these are your people and we’ll figure things out together.
In real life, we can’t control everything. It’s simply not possible ~ and I don’t think it’s a good goal as the uncertainty of a human life helps us learn and grow and offers many delightful surprises. At the same time, when we don’t know where we’re going, it’s hard to get there. We run the risk of staying lost, of losing hope, of languishing.
If you’re like me right now, your old life map isn’t helpful or accurate anymore. Perhaps we are in need of a new kind of mapping system. I’ve been dreaming about a map for a joyful and purposeful life where I am open to the new possibilities that pop up, and where I don’t get so attached to my route, that I sit by the side of the road rather than follow the detour signs.
In this course, each participant will create a loose set of instructions for this part of your life based on questions like these:
How do you want to feel?
What are your values and why?
What are your goals or what are you working towards? Why?
What do you want/need more of?
You will also peel away what’s not working. In fact, it’s the very first thing we’ll do.
How this will work
This is a six-week course
for tender-hearted people
who want to activate
their inner twinkle lights,
feel more joy,
dream,
plan,
and explore what’s possible
in a super supportive
and non-judgmental environment.
There is not just ONE way
to turn on your twinkle lights
but many.
You will choose the right path for you.
I’ll provide guidance,
support
and company.
Dates
Twinkle Light Sessions will run for six weeks ~ from Monday 11th October until Friday 19th November 2021.
Course Modules
Week 1: Editing how you live now
Week 2: Orientation + Cartography
Week 3: Caring for your body
Week 4: Assembling your nest
Week 5: Connecting with others
Week 6: Happier at work
Weekly Email
On Sundays, you’ll receive an email with the week’s essay and worksheets as well as links to the audio recording if you would prefer to listen to this content. Around each week’s theme, I will provide stories and exercises. You are encouraged to do as much or as little as you’d like/are able. You are encouraged to change any exercise to fit your situation or preferences. You are always invited to respond to the weekly email with any questions, concerns or thoughts.
Our Slack Group
During TLS (Twinkle Light Sessions), we’ll use a private Slack group. It’s a combination classroom and really yummy living room that we’ll create together. In this space, I will share links to resources and you can ask me to address particular questions in that week’s class. You can share your learnings, epiphanies, writing and/or photography and celebrate your cool moves. You’ll cheer on your classmates. Feedback will be positive and celebratory in nature; we’ll share what we liked/loved, what we were reminded of and/or how this piece made us feel.
You can post questions, reflections, comments, writing, struggles, photographs, inspirational quotes or poems, etc. (Really! Etcetera.)
Weekly Zoom Calls
We will meet on Zoom on Thursdays at 5 p.m. Pacific/ 8 p.m. Eastern./ 9 p.m. Atlantic/ 9 a.m. Friday in Tokyo/ 10 a.m. Friday in Sydney.
Here are the dates:
- Thursday 14th October
- Thursday 21st October
- Thursday 28th October
- Thursday 4th November
- Thursday 11th November
- Thursday 18th November
Each class will include a writing prompt, some teaching and a period for discussion.
As my classes are quite intimate and participants often share information of a private nature, I won’t be recording them but I will record and share on Slack a video of the week’s teaching and I will include questions or thoughts that came up in our Zoom class.
Private Coaching
Each participant in the class will receive an hour of coaching from Monna which can be scheduled during the course or before 15th December. We’ll talk about anything you choose; you are not limited to topics covered by the course.
If you have been curious about coaching, this is a great way to begin!
This course is for you if:
* you recognize that you’ve been languishing or not (even remotely) living your best life
* you believe that things can be better and that you deserve to feel more joyful
* you believe you are the world’s leading expert at being YOU
* you feel motivated to re-think and re-create your own story
* you are ready to take action
* you’re willing to play with writing, photography and other media in a low risk way if it supports activating those twinkle lights
This course is probably not for you if you:
* believe that there is a one-size fits all formula for feeling better
* struggle to take risks or to think differently about your circumstances
Investment
This course is available at three different price points: $300, $250, and $200 (each + 15% tax). These prices are in Canadian Dollars not USD. Please select the most generous rate you feel you can comfortably afford.
If you are Canadian and would prefer to e-transfer your tuition from your bank account, please email me and we can set that up.
{Thank you for trusting me with your twinkle lights!}