JANUARY THEME: SETTING INTENTIONS

"I don't have any control over what actually happens except for that I have full control over my will for myself, my intention, and why I'm there. That's all that matters." ~ SZA

Each new year greets us with possibilities. Possibilities for ourselves, for our loved ones, for our communities. In December, we examined how we can take advantage of hope and opportunity and channel our inner calm to prepare us for the challenges that come our way. Now, at the beginning of 2025, we are ready to reflect on what we already have inside of ourselves and SET INTENTIONS that turn our possibilities into reality.

So how do we begin? Setting intentions does not need to be difficult. By looking at the strengths and skills we already have within us, we can recognize the tools we can use to foster our growth such as creativity, compassion, and dedication. Additionally, we can use "I will" statements rather than "I want" or "I won't" phrases so that our intentions can be shaped by what we already have and provide us the opportunity to grow. By crafting clear intentions, we can guide our decision-making and behavior to align with our goals.

3 TOOLS FOR SETTING INTENTIONS

Find Your Inner Peace. Start with the person you are in this moment. Remind yourself of who you are, what you value, and how you can leverage your strengths.
Remember, You Have the Power to Design Your Own Life. You get to decide what your life becomes! Reflect on your values and strengths to see what areas you would like to focus on this year.
Practice Self-Compassion. Obstacles are bound to happen! Be gentle with yourself and remember that, you are doing everything you can in this moment with the knowledge and resources you have. Progress is the goal, not perfection. You got this!

Our intention creates our reality.

-Wayne Dyer

THEME AFFIRMATIONS
Use affirmations to inspire you or reframe your thoughts

I am worthy of my love and acceptance
I let go of unrealistic expectations for myself and others
By being open-minded, I open myself to growth
I appreciate the uniqueness of my journey

APPS FOR GUIDED MEDITATION

Coach.me - This app allows you to track your habits and set targets and reminders for your goals. When you reach certain milestones, you can get “high-fives” from your friends and the coach.me community.
The Hopeful - This app provides writing prompts, inspirational quotes, and mood trackers designed to help you with a wide range of mental health topics.
Way of Life - This app is a simple habit tracker that encourages health routines.
Lifetick - This browser app allows you to create SMART goals that relate to your core values. Additionally, you can keep a journal and chart your progress!

BOOKS

Four Points of the Compass: The Unexpected History of Directions - This book by Jerry Brotton explores the history of the compass and different cultural connotations to various directions.
Definitely Better Now - This novel by Ava Robinson looks into the journey of a woman after she has been sober for an entire year.
To The Moon - This short book by W.R. van der Hoop explores how we can set goals and achieve them.

Resist: How A Century of Young Black Activists Shaped America - This book by Rita Omokha looks into the history of civil rights advocacy, resilience, and unity.

PODCASTS

Living Purposefully - This podcast episode examines how we can live purposeful lives.
Manifesting Success: How to Focus on What Could Go Right - This podcast episode discusses positive thinking and how we can move out of negative thought patterns.
The Value of Variety and Novelty - This podcast episode dives into how having diverse experiences can increase our happiness.
How to Be More Organized: Everything You Need to Create A Personal Productivity System - This podcast episode shares how you can manage productivity while finding time to do what you love.

ARTICLES

Journey Mapping 101 - This article provides examples of journey maps and describes how we can use them to accomplish our goals.
How to Manage Expectations to Maximize Happiness - This article examines how we can manage our expectations in order to be happier.
How to Be Open-Minded and Why It Matters - This article explores the benefits of being open-minded and how we can become open-minded.
How to Accomplish a Huge Goal (One Step at a Time) - This article explores how breaking up a goal into smaller pieces can help us accomplish our goals.

February's Book Club will meet on Friday, February 28, 2025 at 11 am ET. We will be discussing the podcast - Finding Contentment - hosted by the American Institute of Stress. “Journey to Yourself” Recognizing What Causes Stress.”

Mhoire McGrath Cade is the new Courage to Caregivers Board Chair. Mhoire was a caregiver for her mother who was diagnosed with MS when Mhoire was a child. She has experienced firsthand how the medical community focuses on the patient, but the caregiver is left to fend for themselves. She is excited to be a part of an organization that provides caregivers support and helps them discover new self-care strategies. Mhoire is a retired financial services marketer.

Devan Adams is our new Board Secretary/Treasurer. Devan is an experienced Principal Analyst with innovative problem-solving and excellent collaboration skills. Devan effectively uses proven market research and analysis techniques to successfully develop market research services designed to meet specific client needs. He will be using his keen teamwork and mathematical skills in his role as Courage to Caregivers’ Secretary/Treasurer. Devan currently works at Omdia (part of Informa Group), a technology intelligence and advisory firm.

Rachel Ciomcia joins the Courage to Caregivers Board as Director. Rachel is the Chief Program & Impact Officer for the Cleveland Leadership Center. In her role, she provides oversight for the design and implementation of all CLC programs, along with the center's evaluation and community impact work, and development of custom programs and strategic opportunities. She is a certified TetraMap® Facilitator, Strategic Doing™ Certified Workshop Leader, and IDI® Qualified Administrator, and she has presented nationally on evaluation, impact, and engagement.

February's theme is SELF-DISCOVERY. By finding joy, identifying our strengths, and practicing self-compassion, we can learn more about what we need to move forward in our lives. With micro-goals, it’s easier to take the next right step - as Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles, begins with a single step.” Check out February's Micro-Challenges Calendar here.

Courage to Caregivers Breathing Practice for February: Smiling Breath

As we support caregivers to make breathing and meditation a practice, we're pleased to share our Breathing Meditation Facilitator Cathy and her monthly breathing practice how-to videos. You can join us for February's Breathing Practice - with this practice, we can relieve feelings of being overwhelmed and panicked. This breath is particularly helpful as a prelude to sleep. You can watch February's instructional video for Smiling Breath here, and remember to subscribe to our 2025 Monthly Breathing Practices playlist to stay updated each month. You can also subscribe to our Breathing Meditation playlist, where we upload our weekly breathing meditation recordings, and follow along on our Spotify Breathing Meditation playlist.

The mission of Courage to Caregivers is to empower and equip carers to navigate their journey. We envision a world where healthy carers lead to healthier families and communities. We're in the caregiver burnout prevention business!