Silver Lining Moments
A Practice of Gratitude & Resilience
by
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A moment of PET PEEVES is lined by CAMARADERIE. This one took a very conscious and deliberate effort to see the silver lining. And, it is probably one of the most trivial of cloudy moments. I was at a Costa coffeehouse in Beijing, China. A quick aside, I love coffeehouses. I am the person who goes there to read, write, work, etc. When I went to buy my drink, the barista recognized me and handed me a receipt for a matcha latte before I even ordered. Through the language barrier, he was asking me if I wanted my regular drink. I realized that I had become a regular in my local Beijing coffeehouse – even though the baristas do not speak English and I do not speak Chinese. This morning, Costa was empty. There was only one other person in the place. After ordering, I sat at a table, away from the other person to give us each some space. I typed away on my laptop. Two men came in and ordered their drinks. Although the place was empty, and there were 20 or more tables to choose from, they chose the table right next to me. They started speaking very loudly to each other. And, one was eating a croissant while he was talking, with bits of croissant flying into the air– with the tables so close, bits of croissant came precariously close to my personal space. This same guy started to drink his coffee. BUT, he did not drink his coffee like every other person on the face of the earth. No, he took his spoon, swirled it filling the air with tings as the spoon nicks the edge of the mug, and then he held the spoon up, and slurped the coffee. Over and over again. And again, and again, and again…. Yackity Yack, Croissant bits flying. Ting, Ting. Slllluuuuurrrrpppp. Yackity Yack, Croissant bits flying. Ting, Ting. Slllluuuuurrrrpppp. I was beyond annoyed. Why did they sit at the table that is practically touching my table? I considered giving them looks. I noticeably looked at the other tables with a perplexed expression on my face, which I hoped they would see. Annoyed. Then, I took a breath. Yes, this is annoying. As I was stewing over this, a quiet inner voice asks “But – what about the barista remembering my drink? That’s pretty cool.” I was now a regular here. They remembered me. They acknowledged me here. Pretty cool. That is the moment that I made the very deliberate decision to focus on the barista recognizing me. As I left Costa that day, I was no longer annoyed or frustrated. Rather, I had a smile on my face, knowing that I had made a connection with my Costa baristas. That felt good. Being tested by a pet-peeve did not dampen a sense of connection and camaraderie. Beijing, China @ 2018
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About the Book
This journal is your Silver Lining Moments practice, a place for you to acknowledge the clouds and see the sun. Through personal story-telling, blank pages, and gratitude and resilience worksheets, Silver Lining Moments: A Guided Journal of Gratitude & Resilience promotes personal healing and growth, fosters gratitude, and strengthens resilience. In this Journal, Kerry shares 12, short, personal “Silver Lining Moments” from her life. Each story has a heading showcasing the Silver Lining Moments theme, i.e. “A Moment of Falling into Despair is Lined by Angels.” Each story is followed by ten blank, lined pages, with the prompt “A moment of _______ is lined by __________” at the top. These pages are for you, the journaler, to discover and explore your own silver lining moments. After these pages, are gratitude and resilience worksheets. By sharing stories of her Silver Lining Moments practice and by giving writing space, Silver Lining Moments Journal empowers Journalers to start their own Silver Lining Moments practice. It is a practice that can help heal from any loss, trauma, or uncertainty, that celebrates their resilience, and fills them with gratitude. Having a Silver Lining Moments practice in the easy times can pull you through the hard times. Seeing the sun even on the cloudiest of days is a reset in gratitude and resilience. This journal is your Silver Lining Moments practice, a place for you to acknowledge the clouds and see the sun.
About the Author
Kerry Raleigh is the creator of: • The podcast: Silver Lining Moments with Kerry • Silver Lining Moments: A Practice of Gratitude and Resilience • The BEING Journals available on Amazon After experiencing two losses in a series of losses that were the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back, in February 2016, Kerry headed out on what she calls her PAUSE & RESET Journey with two simple goals: (1) reset her life, and (2) expand love and light while having fun. She volunteered with disabled children with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, as an English tutor with INEB’s School of English for Engaged Social Service, as a retail clerk at an Oxfam charity store, and as a field worker on organic farms. She traveled to India, Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tibet, England, Scotland, France, Germany, and China, where she met her husband, Rob. Throughout 2018 and 2019, Rob and Kerry traveled by house/pet-sitting in the USA, Canada, Bulgaria, Australia, Greece, and England. If you have a minute (or several), Kerry will share how this Journey is evidence of the love in the Universe and the good in people everywhere. While in Thailand, Kerry got clarity with her life’s purpose and passion. She wants to use creativity for good, to expand love and light with fun and laughter, and to restore and popularize humanity’s sense of stewardship for ourselves, for each other, for all animals, for the environment and our planet. No small vision. She knows “the what” she wants to do and trusts that “how” will come. Silver Lining Moments and The BEING Journals are part of this purpose. Other titles that Kerry has held include weeder, amusement park worker, telemarketer, hospital janitor, and retail salesperson; other hats she wears include lawyer, ESL teacher, podcaster, and writer; and other roles she holds most dear are wife, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. CONTACT & CONNECTION LINKS: LinkedIn: Kerry Raleigh https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerryraleigh/ Podcast: Silver Lining Moments with Kerry https://silverliningmoments.libsyn.com/ Instagram: kerryraleigh/SLM & The BEING Journals https://www.instagram.com/kerryraleigh/ Facebook: The Being Journals https://www.facebook.com/The-Being-Journals-110004154255634/?view_public_ for=110004154255634 Website: www.SilverLiningMoments.com Email: Kerry@SilverLiningMoments.com