9 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,D ecem ber 26,2019 insidehalton.com 1200 Speers Rd., Unit 12, Oakville, Ont. L6L 2X4 (905) 845 - 1408 | Fax (905) 845 - 5931 | ricky@rickywong.ca Ricky Wong CPA, CA, MBA, B. Eng Ricky WongRicky Wong DIAMONDDIDIDIDIDIAMAMAMAMAMONONDIAMONDONDIAMONDONDIAMONDONDIAMONDONDIAMONDONDIAMONDONONONONONDDD DIAMONDDIDIDIDIDIDIAMAMAMAMAMONONONONONONONDDDD Voted Best Accountant by Oakville Beaver Readersoted Best Accountant by Oakville Beaver ReadersVoted Best Accountant by Oakville Beaver ReadersV for 11 Consecutive Years For more information please check our website www.rickywong.ca •Accounting •Auditing • Taxation Pud bySteveNease Canada's Largest Golf Show February 7-9, 2020 International Centre TICKETS ON SALE torontogolfshow.com • DEMO RANGE • LEADING INSTRUCTORS • GIVEAWAYS &MORE! PRESENTEDBY O and K. Those are the letters. O and K. Together they say acceptance, approval and non-judgement, and they can be a huge asset to our own mental wellness and make a difference to how we support others. So, how can just two little letters mean so much? Think about these ideas: • However you're feel- ing is OK. We will all feel stressed, down, over- whelmed, angry and any other range of emotions at one time or another. We may also come down on ourselves when we think we are feeling a way that we shouldn't and call our- selves things like "weak," "dramatic," or "too sensi- tive." Remember that feel- ings are individual, real and always changing, and naming and accepting them can help us cope and be kinder to ourselves. Something like, "I'm feel- ing overwhelmed ... and that's OK," or, "I'm feeling hurt because my friend didn't call me ... and that's OK," can help us let go of negative thoughts. . Reassuring others that their feelings are OK is OK. Just like we can ac- cept our own feelings, we can accept others' as well. If someone chooses to share with us that they are experiencing chal- lenges or mental health problems, one of the best things we can do is listen and validate. Something like, "You're feeling really down. That's OK. Tell me about it," can bust stigma and create a safe space for them to talk and share without feeling that they're being judged. • Not reaching a goal is OK. Our best plans can go awry and we may not ac- complish something we wanted to or do it as quickly as we wanted. Again, cue the potential self-criticism: "I'm lazy," "I didn't try hard enough," "I'm a failure" - thoughts we can likely all relate to. But, falling short now and then is OK as long as we learn from it and focus on making a new plan. The new plan may even include ditching the goal if we decide it wasn't worth it after all - and that's OK. • Taking a break is OK. Give yourself permission to care for yourself and slow down when you need to. I often get funny looks when I tell people that I went to bed at 9 the night before (something that happens frequently). They're surprised that I missed watching a TV show, missed doing the dishes and missed mak- ing the next day's lunch. But to me that's OK, be- cause I needed the extra sleep. I hope you found this OK. If not, it's OK. Melanie McGregor is the communications and advancement specialist at the Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch, which provides mental health/ addiction community support and education. Visit www.halton.cmha.ca for more information and follow @cmhahalton on Twitter. OPINION THE POWER OF 2 LETTERS PUT THEM TOGETHER AND THEY CAN SAY SO MUCH, WRITES MCGREGOR MELANIE MCGREGOR Column ANIMAL TALES This flock of Canada Geese recently took flight at sunrise after spending the night in Bronte Harbour. If you have a recent shot of Oakville wildlife you'd like to see in the Oakville Beaver, send a high res photo to news editor Steve LeBlanc at sleblanc@metroland.com. Margaret Nelson photo