“We may stumble and fall, but shall rise again; it should be enough if we did not run away from the battle.”  — Mahatma Gandhi

Today marks the beginning of Holy Week.

As a child, I used to love going to church on Palm Sunday and trying to turn my palm into a crucifix or some type of animal. I also loved Holy Week because it usually meant I was out of school for Easter vacation.

These days when I go to church on Palm Sunday, though, I find myself really thinking about the significance of the day. I also find myself thinking about how fast the court of public opinion can change someone’s life, just as it did for Jesus Christ.

On Sunday, he was met with adoration. By Friday, he was dead on the cross. I mention this because if we spend our whole lives working for other people’s admiration and validation, it’s worth remembering that external validation can change on a moment’s notice.

External validation is fluid, fragile and ever-changing. What isn’t fluid, though, is one’s relationship with a higher power. That is what allowed Jesus Christ to say, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

What is constant in your life is you, and what is powerful is what’s within you. I was reminded of that this week when I heard Lauren London, the girlfriend of the late musician Nipsey Hussle, speak at his funeral in Los Angeles on Thursday.

She quoted Hussle as having said to her, “The game is going to test you, never fold. Stay ten toes down. It’s not on you, it’s in you. And what’s in you, they can’t take away.”

He was right. Life is a test. It was for Jesus Christ, it was for his mother Mary, and it is for each and every one of us.

Life will always test us. I know it has tested me, and I know it has tested you. On many occasions, I have found myself saying, “Wow, I didn’t see that coming.” Or, “Wow, I have no experience for how to deal with that.”

I have also found myself wondering at times, “Is there more coming?”

But over the years, I have also found great moments of awe and wonder and joy in life’s surprises. Time and again, these surprises have led to me discover strength within myself that I never knew existed.

I say all this to remind you that if your week starts out great, but hits a bump along the way, you can still rise again by the following Sunday.

Life will test you and it will surprise you, but you have everything you need to rise up and move forward with strength and courage. I love knowing this to be true. I love believing it.

So, enjoy Holy Week. You don’t have to be Catholic to do so. Actually, Catholics usually suffer through this week, but I’m not doing that anymore. Now I know that no matter what happens on any given day, the next day is a holy day that gives me another chance to rise up. I also know that I’ve got everything inside of me that I need to rise. So do you.

Love,

Dear God, please give me the strength to know that if I stumble or face setbacks, I can—and I will—rise again. Amen.

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INSPIRING VIEWS ABOVE THE NOISE

Special Olympics Athlete Loretta Claiborne Encourages You to Ask the Question, ‘Will You Be My Friend?’ 

I truly enjoyed sitting down with global speaker and Special Olympics athlete Loretta Claiborne for this week’s episode of my “Meaningful Conversations” podcast. Loretta is living proof that the Special Olympics does change lives and her story of persevering against the odds will inspire you to take action in your own life. and 

Therapist Lori Gottlieb Reminds You Not to Displace Your Anger on The People You Love

After experiencing her own personal crisis, Lori Gottlieb–a New York Times best-selling author, psychotherapist, and national advice columnist–ends up on a therapist’s couch herself. In her book, “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed,” Lori offers a deeply personal look behind the scenes of a therapist’s world in which her patients are looking for answers … and so is she. 

This Spring, Jack Kornfield Encourages You to Take a Second Look and View the World Anew

In this beautiful piece, SP columnist Jack Kornfield reminds us that “everything in this world is subject to change and renewal” and we all have the freedom to choose our direction, no matter the circumstances.

Author Matthew Emerzian Shows You How to Kick Off Your Week With Passion, Purpose, and Positivity

I love that author and Architect of Change Matthew Emerzian (“Every Monday Matters: How to Kick Your Week Off with Passion, Purpose, and Positivity”) has written a powerful essay exclusively for The Sunday Paper. As the founder and CEO of not-for-profit, Every Monday Matters, Matthew reveals what’s really important by helping us discover meaning and joy in our everyday lives. 

Financial Expert Grant Sabatier Explains How Being Mindful About Money Can Bring You More Happiness

Architect of Change Grant Sabatier, the creator of Millennial Money, not only offers insight into making money but how to be mindful when spending it. In his latest book “Financial Freedom: A Proven Path to All the Money You Will Ever Need,” he provides a detailed path to make more money in less time, so you have more time for the things you love.

INFORMATIVE NEWS ABOVE THE NOISE

1. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Keep the Birth of Their Baby Private: The prince and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have announced that they will keep the baby’s birth private, and will publicly reveal details of the birth only after they’ve celebrated together. I don’t blame them for wanting their privacy for such a joyous, yet personal, experience. 

2. The Gender Pay Gap For Doctors Is Widening: This is disheartening news. According to a 2019 report from the medical news site Medscape, pay for primary care physicians and specialists has risen by about 20 percent since 2015, but the increases have not been equal for male and female doctors.

3. Scientists Explain Why Experiencing Awe Can Help You Live Your Best Life: This is a great read from NBC News’ “Better” that reveals what happens when we experience “awe” and how the emotion can play an important role in bolstering happiness, health, and our social interactions. 

4. Effects of Childhood Trauma May Persist in Brain Connectivity of Depressed Patients: I found this to be an interesting piece from the site Psych Central. A study led by Penn Medicine researchers found that childhood trauma is linked to abnormal connectivity in the brain in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD).

5. Working Later in Life Can Pay Off in More Ways Than Just Income: This is a great piece from Harvard Health about why working later in life is not just good for your wallet. 

6. 5 Simple Lessons For Living in the Present from Someone with Stage 4 Cancer and a Brain Tumor: We can all learn a lot from this insightful Washington Post piece. Writer Chris Seiple offers life lessons for moving forward.

7. Yippee! Moment of the Week: When 80-year-old Haze Mabry, a janitor at Pike County Elementary in Zebulon, Ga., showed up for work, nearly 800 students greeted him to wish him a happy birthday. Yippee for Mr. Mabry! 

THE SUNDAY PAPER IS A PROUD PARTNER OF THE WOMEN’S ALZHEIMER’S MOVEMENT

Groundbreaking Alliance Between WAM and UCLA Will Provide Funding For Women-Based Alzheimer’s Research 

The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement and David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA have partnered to establish the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Research Initiative at UCLA. The initiative will fund a faculty member in UCLA’s Semel Institute, or at the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA, to conduct sex- and gender-based Alzheimer’s disease research. This exciting announcement was made at the Wonder of Women Summit held on April 11 at UCLA.

A RECIPE FOR YOUR SUNDAY DINNER

This mouth-watering recipe for Sesame Seed-Crusted Salmon With Green Beans and Orange Miso Sauce is from “The Good Gut” by Justin Sonnenburg and Erica Sonnenberg, Ph.Ds. It’s the perfect choice for your Sunday Dinner! 

A SUNDAY REFLECTION

SHOP, SHOP SHOP! AThe Maria Shriver Collection: Good for You, Your Mind, & the World 

Visit the shop on MariaShriver.com to get Maria’s book “I’ve Been Thinking,” her coloring book for Alzheimer’s “Color Your Mind,” the Maria candle, Rivet Revolution bracelets benefiting The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, her new Maria BrainHQ program, and more!

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