Empowerment.Vitality.Evolution.
Each morning we are born again. -Buddha
I was feeling STRESSED!! Crazy employee with weird questions and/or responses to question we’re making me want to bang my head against the wall.
Then, like a ray of sunshine on this gloomy, irritating afternoon came a funny Planner Sticker to make me LAUGH OUT LOUD!!!
Thank you, Happy Planner, for turning my “frown upside-down”
#laughteristhebestmedicine #adultingishard #openandbrave
Kindness goes a long way toward smoothing out life’s rough edges.
One of life’s IMPORTANT LESSONS is learning to Agree to Disagree.
HELLO! Not the end of the world if someone you know, love, or don’t know, disagrees.
PLEASE! The world will NOT stop spinning. Nothing BAD happens when you disagree… *UNLESS you take it personally.
Our differences in experience, religion, politics, social culture, race, country, interests are what make us unique individuals!
Get to know each other BEFORE you judge! OPEN your mind and heart to learn something new!
*Be Nice.* Be respectful of opinions and choices different from your own. Our differences are what make life interesting!
Differing opinions often come from having different life experiences: growing up in a different culture, or a different time (WWII, the 70’s.), being from a different country, experience with a different religion. *None of these are BAD or GOOD. They simply ARE, they EXIST.
*Be kind.* Treat the world with kindness, and you will get kindness in return.
If you approach life, and people with an open mind and heart (kindness), the places new knowledge can come from are infinite!
When something someone says makes you question, or think about, your previously conceived thought, feeling, opinion… Do some un-biased research: look at it with new eyes. This is called learning. It’s how we grow, evolve, understand, and become more understanding ❤️.
#openyourmind #alwayslearning #bekind #evolve #openandbrave
There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book. —Frank Serafini
This morning, when I got up and let the dog out, there was an eerie mist over the yard. It made me yearn for an English Yorkshire Moor, often referred to in The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
The Secret Garden always stands out in my memory: Fourth Grade our teacher, Mrs Hitchock, read The Secret Garden to us. I remember looking forward to the day of the week that she read to us, she did ALL the voices. She must have practiced for years… she did read it every year. Mrs. Hitchcock made that book come alive in away I had never experienced before.
I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve read this book! During one of my moves I realized I had bought 10+ versions of the book over the years. I still have my original 4th grade paperback book, missing cover and all. I can’t let it go. The Secret Garden sparked my future as a reader. I was immersed in a magical world of a dark, intimidating Manor House with a multitude of endless hallways and mysterious doors and staircases. The grouchy gardener, Ben Weatherstaff, and his Robin who leads the way to the magical secret garden, and the terrifying housekeeper, Mrs. Medlock. Of course, I think most everyone LOVED the charming Dickon, the Yorkshire Moor boy who can talk to animals; and his canny sister, Martha, Mary Lennox maidservent and friend. The story is rich with mystery “the mysterious moaning and crying” that turns out to be Mary’s cousin, Colin Craven. The mysterious and solitary uncle, Archibald Craven, widower and master of Misselthwaite Mannor. While Mary is exploring the 100 room manor, she finds rooms locked away with treasures including the mysterious key to the secret garden.
I could wax poetic about The Secret Garden because it opened the world of books to me. After The Secret Garden came Little House on the Prairie, Anne Of Green Gables, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys and a future of loving fiction.
Its amazing how a misty morning can flood me with memories of a favorite book, a favorite teacher, and the moment in time that opened my mind to the world of literature and fiction and a love of reading.
Are you a reader? What was your first Book? Did it spark your love of reading?
#readerforlife #booklover #openandbrave
Motivation Monday: Motivation for Mondays – The Solstice Blog
— Read on ryanmarciniak.com/archives/845
Always looking for ways to be motivated on Monday.
#openandbrave
I’ve done quite a bit of self-reflection, reading/processing,and reaching out to new people and resources lately. What I have learned about me (because I don’t know YOU), is that perfectionism is the “thing” that hides my fear of failure and justifies my procrastination. I mean, Hey! If I can’t do it perfectly right out of the gate… why bother even trying? This has been my philosophy for too long.
This year (2019) has been a HUGE year of consistently PUSHING myself out of my comfy place of “perfectionism” into that uncomfortable place of: “I don’t know how to do it, but I’mma do it anyway!” …and mess up and figure it out on the way.
Needless to say, these past 7 months have been UN-COMFORTABLE. I mean A lot. Like, every day I want to hide and quit, but I don’t. I push forward knowing that I am capable. I will figure it out. I will achieve my goals. Everyday, I will learn and try something new (well, almost everyday). AND… it’s ok if it’s not PERFECT!! Doing it, whatever that means for the day, is the “perfect” part... the results, Eh… not so much. I leave it and know I did my best, for today.
I don’t know if everyone struggles with the Perfectionist Monster the way I do. Maybe your fear monster is something else. That’s ok. It’s ok to acknowledge that there IS a “Fear Monster” keeping you from your goals and dreams.
The first step in any healing process, or overcoming process, is acknowledging and accepting the challenge standing between you and what you want.
I’m going to keep being uncomfortable… until I’m not uncomfortable anymore, with THIS goal. Then, I’m sure I’ll be uncomfortable with something else. At least now I know, the thing standing between me and my dream is my expectation/need to do it perfectly right outta the gate. I ALSO know… that ain’t never gonna happen. There will always be that “one more tweak I should have known/done/said” that will be there for the next time.
I hope you conquer your “Fear Monster” whatever it is! I hope all your dreams (and mine) come true!
#openandbrave
My life, as of late, has been on a great upward swing. Which is WONDERFUL! Right?
This is what I’ve been working so hard for: The courage to Blog, A permanent job, growing my skills and stretching beyond my comfort-zone boundaries. I. AM. THERE.
So, WHY… today, when I was supposed to be writing this Blog (with a previous idea that, for the life of me, I cannot remember), did I spend my time frittering away my day, feeling squirrelly and doing NOTHING to change it?
I‘ll give you one guess…. YUP, The Title says it ALL. I was knee deep in self-sabotage. Of course if you look up the topic of Self-Sabotage, there are plenty of articles on the topic. The question, is how do I (or We) put all this great advice into action when mired right in the middle of it? Or better yet, see it coming and STEP. OUT. OF. THE. WAY!!
Nope, I always get hit by the self-sabotage freight train at full speed. Then, when I’m sitting there, dazed and confused… wondering how I ended up battered and bruised by self-sabotage AGAIN, I feel helpless.
Today was different. I didn’t end up battered and bruised, just very listless and uncomfortable: irritable, really. So I talked it out with my other half (amazing man that he is), and after that conversation, a few texts and calls to friends, then making myself SIT in my uncomfortable skin and get quiet… it HIT me! I was in self-sabotage mode! I realized it BEFORE the damage! WIN!!!!!
I can’t say I did it on my own, that would be grandiose. No, I received outside inspiration (from Bossbabe, Inc. on Instagram) AND my HP. Yep, good ol’ Higher Power… Carrying me, smacking me up-side the head (when I need it).
This SMACKED me between the eyes! I literally jerked to attention: “Hello!” THIS IS ME. I am at a place where everything I want is within my grasp. I just have to WORK IT and hold on to it. Holy CRAP! It was like God hit me with lightening… “You said you wanted this. I’m giving it to you. WHAT are you going to do with it?”
So, I stopped stressing about this self-sabotage thing and got moving: Made dinner, finished up some work, then sat down to write this Blog. I hope it resonates with someone… I don’t think I’m the only one on the planet who struggles with self-sabotage. All those articles, remember?
I’m also REALLY thankful, that I didn’t fall down the rabbit hole. I side-stepped that possible disaster: a fight with my daughter or husband, dropping the ball on the last-minute work thing, eating a ton of food that would make me hate myself, NOT write my Blog (which would make me beat myself up). Basically, I avoided the self-sabotage train TODAY. I’m not cocky enough to assume this will be my last run-in with my ugly foe. Hopefully, today’s lesson will be waiting in the wings, though, the next time… and I’ll get better at side-stepping instead of getting flattened.
P.S.: If you need help with Self-Sabotage with simple steps and instructions… check out: https://increasingselfworth.com/5-steps-overcome-self-sabotage/. This was a great article.
Here’s hoping we ALL beat that self-sabotage locomotive!
#openandbrave
This is the question I’ve been asking myself since last Friday (July 5), when I interviewed for an interesting, out of my comfort zone job.
A little background: I have been job hunting and temping for A LONG TIME… like YEARS. I even went to school for a certification to increase my chances of obtaining a full-time, permanent job.
This has been Life Lesson experience for me: Stepping outside my comfort zone to grow, Confidence in my abilities, Faith that I made the right choice, Choosing to move forward in a new direction. Each of these things are STILL difficult for me, even after YEARS of practice. Okay, so I don’t have tons of practice in stepping outside my comfort zone… but I do have tons of practice in having faith, making choices, and learning confidence.
I did the interview. I received the Job Offer. I met with the owner to go over details. I added up the pros & cons and came to the conclusion that this is the right move at the right time. Ultimately, I chose this job.
There were some things I really wanted: To do a job where I am helping people live a better life (check). To use my skills both on-going and currently acquired (check). To make a decent salary (check). To get OUT of my HOUSE (half-check). To have some flexibility (double check!). To learn new skills… a job a could grow into and with (check). So WAY more pluses than minuses, CHECK!
So NEW JOB… YEAH!!! Overthinking, nervousness, and excitement.. CHECK!
My husband pointed out an irony in this new job: I will be hiring people. It’s new for me, but that’s not the irony… did you get it? It’s the job! I spent so many years applying for jobs, now I will be on the other end… accepting applications, interviewing potential workers, hiring!
Life definitely has a WICKED sense of humor.
I did differently these last 2 weeks: set my intentions (always), BUT I wrote them down. With an actual DATE. As in, I will have a job by THIS DATE…. and I BEAT my deadline!!! Are you amazed? I was. Even though I have experience manifesting, I have not had any experience recently. Hence, the LOOOONG Job search.
So if you’re a skeptic, wondering if manifesting works, HERE’S your PROOF! BOOM. It works.
#openandbrave
This week has been a struggle. I have felt like I’m barely keeping my head above water and then I’m drowning. I truly believe God carries me, when I can’t carry myself. This has been one of those weeks. I could give you a list of reasons, but they don’t really matter. What matters is how I deal with the struggle.
Let me preface by saying, “Yes, I struggle with depression.” I don’t like to say this often because I don’t want “depression” to define me. I like being a positive person. I like looking for the best in every situation. However, sometimes the ugly monster gets the better of me and life IS a struggle. I feel like I’m drowning.
That’s how depression feels for me… like a monster trying to drag me under. Then I have God. God carries me when the monster is at my heals. The Monster says, “You’ll never succeed, no matter how much you try.” God says, “I’m here, and I’ll carry you until you’re strong enough to try again.”
This is where I’ve spent this week. In a tug-of-war between the Monster, trying to pull me down; and my Faith telling me not to give up just yet. My favorite poem (by John Greenleaf Whittier) reverberates through my head:
"...Don't give up, though the pace seems slow, you may succeed with another blow! Success is failure turned inside out, the silver tint on the clouds of doubt. And you never can tell how close you are, it may be near when it seems afar. So stick to the fight when your hardest hit. It's when things seem worst that you MUST NOT QUIT."
I’m fighting the good fight. I’ll do my yoga, eat a healthy breakfast, shower and dress… even though I want to sit in my PJ’s all day and veg in front of the TV. I will make a list and get stuff done. I will spend time with my daughter, on her summer break. I will do my best to BE in the moment.
Then, maybe tomorrow, or the day after… this dark cloud will have passed and I will feel like “ME” again. I will be back to my “Can-Do” attitude. I will emerge from this cocoon of despair a stronger ME, knowing that I am stronger than anything that tries to set me back, tear me down, drag me under. #openandbrave
What INSPIRES you?
For me, Quotes offer so much inspiration… I can ponder a quote for 5 minutes, 15 minutes, an hour, a day: Picking it apart and discerning what it means to me, basking in the glow of feeling understood, or just make me laugh out loud.
There’s nothing so moving as a great quote, an amazing photograph, or piece of art.
Words are so meaningful, and I LOVE them. I have a running dialog in my mind all the time. I could be having a conversation with God, a conversation with myself (usually trying to change old thinking), or imagining some beautiful picture or future – as yet undefined.
Some of my favorite words come from Maya Angelou, Buddha, Dali Lama, Mark Twain, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King. Ironically, none made it into this post. I often see their words in pictures, visions in my mind’s eye: full of vibrant color, overpowering emotion, a profound truth, or beauty of humanity revealed.
As much as I love words and language, I feel like I often fumble when communicating. I am a life-long sufferer of “Foot-In-Mouth” Disease. It has plagued me my entire life. Some of this is due to my tendency to retreat into my own inner-dialogue and loose track of the conversation of others around me. The rest is due to an over-eagerness to get my thoughts out, thus skipping the ALL-IMPORTANT Mind Filter.
As a life-long sufferer of “Foot-In-Mouth” Disease, I am always second-guessing my conversations: Did that come out right? Did I offend someone? Did that though come out completely inappropriate? (as in, did my inner dialogue slip out?) Then worrying I’ve hurt feelings, over-apologized, or berating myself endlessly over fear of loosing a friend.
Some of the best quotes have given me a deep breath followed by a huge sigh: AHHH! I’m not alone! Someone else has felt this way too!… AND recovered, healed, moved on.
Art is MY favorite form of self-expression. I know, I just finished saying how much I loved WORDS, and I DO. I often use words in my art. I will share one here. I was inspired during the period I was getting clarity on my goals for EVE and my purpose in pursuing it. I’m leaving it here. It makes me smile. I made it on a rainy day when my daughter and I had fun pulling out ALL the art supplies and playing.
Empowerment.Vitality.Evolution. 