All posts by Jan

Soulbyte for Friday April 25, 2025

-Artwork © 2025 Jan Ketchel

No matter what is happening in the world around you, whether in your personal world or the greater world, you still matter. You are the most important part of your own life, for if you are not well-cared for and well-nurtured in body, mind and spirit you will be of no help to anyone else. Take good care of yourself so that you are not only in good shape to do your job but so that you are in good shape to live your life to the fullest. You can only do that if you keep yourself in tiptop shape. And you know instinctively what that feels like.

Sending you love,
The Soul Sisters, Jan & Jeanne

Soulbyte for Thursday April 24, 2025

-Artwork © 2025 Jan Ketchel

Expectations of beauty and happiness are worth carrying in your heart, just as it is good to carry love and kindness and compassion in your heart. But don’t overdo it. Save some space within yourself for your own good work on yourself. It’s never a good idea to only give. Sometimes you have to take what you so badly need too. Sometimes you have to stop and give your own body and spirit what it needs. If you are too often taking care of others, step back for a while and give some kindness, some love and some quiet time to yourself for a change. You will be better off for doing so.

Sending you love,
The Soul Sisters, Jan & Jeanne

Soulbyte for Wednesday April 23, 2025

-Artwork © 2025 Jan Ketchel

A fool once tried to get a donkey to move, but nothing they did or said would move the donkey. That is often what happens in life. Trying to make something happen is a fool’s errand. You can’t change anyone else. You can only change yourself. In so doing, you show that change is possible, and when others see this they too are empowered to change, if they are ready.

Sending you love,
The Soul Sisters, Jan & Jeanne

Soulbyte for Tuesday April 22, 2025

-Artwork © 2025 Jan Ketchel

Can you go a day without desire? Can you go one day without needing anything other than what you have? Can you sit still and just be? Every time you think to jump up and get something, to order something, to buy something, to look something up, to call someone, to text someone, sit still instead and just be. Let the urges pass. Let the needs and desires dissipate. Let the world around you pass by without your needing anything except its stillness, its air to breathe, its time to just be.

Sending you love,
The Soul Sisters, Jan & Jeanne

Soulbyte for Monday April 21, 2025

-Artwork © 2025 Jan Ketchel

Arrange your thoughts today as if you were making a shopping list. Keep the most important ones at the top of your list and the less important ones at the bottom of your list. Attend to the important ones, one by one. Ask for help as you tackle what is most troubling to you, as you work through your list and give your attention to what is bothering you or to what needs attention. Then forget about your list and just be present with the day as it unfolds. You might even notice that what you were so concerned about is no longer of much concern at all. Perhaps everything on your list is of no real importance. Use this experience to free your mind of what it thinks it has to do. Let each day show you what is most important rather than relying on your mind and your intentions, your firm knowing of what you think must happen and must be done. Spend more time paying attention to what you are being shown and you will soon see the needlessness of too many thoughts and too many lists. Just be.

Sending you love,
The Soul Sisters, Jan & Jeanne