Recharging….

Take time to recharge your batteries.  It’s hard to see where you’re going when your lights are dim.  H. Connelly

These days tired moms and dads are often tempted go and go until they drop. When we are in the “race” for the long haul, pacing is critical…. Or we may end up crawling to the finish line.  Only you can decide what your spirit and body can take, but it is the healthy person who stops to refresh along the way.  A 5 minute meditation, a short walk around the block, even pausing to take a 5 minute mental trip to the mountains has shown to lower blood pressure.  Listen to a soothing DVD on the ride home in the car; take care of yourself first.   Taking care of our battery makes the “ride” much smoother!   How can you nurture others when you are running on empty?

Seeking Light

A little gratitude changes your whole outlook, like lighting a single
match in a dark room. You see things that were there all along and
realize how amazing your life already is.  Soulseeds

Now is the time to take a look at where you are on your pathway — light the match, see those hidden things and change your outlook if needed or ramp it up a bit more.  Be grateful for what you do have in your corner.

This past week has brought so much to light for us.  There could be so much more going wrong — but there isn’t.  I’m grateful for what we have going right and trusting that the what and where will lead us to answers we have been seeking.  We are being blessed in so many ways, there are the temporal things: health, a home, food on the table, a job that is still paying bills, friends, the freedoms to say these things in a forum such as this, and so much more.  There are also the spiritual things as well – these are very private and personal feelings at the moment yet intertwined in every aspect of who I am.

Another blessing to lighting your pathway, is that you are also lighting the way for others to follow — who are you reaching out to help today?

Related articles

intensity is a good thing, embrace it!

“Wisdom, Happiness, and Courage are not waiting somewhere out beyond
sight at the end of a straight line; they’re part of a continuous
cycle that begins right here.   Benjamin Hoff

Greatness begins with you and it begins right now with this very breath.  In Howard Glasser’s, You Are Oprah we find;  Greatness is not about feeling JOY all the time.  NHA®   is not about “one note response” to everything.  Some people are afraid to acknowledge real emotions, perhaps because they don’t have effective methods of dealing with them.  NHA®   embraces the full range of emotions; we simply don’t shy away from them.  We can tap into the enormous fuel locked inside us all:  unlike fossil fuel, this kind of fuel (life energy) is renewable!  (Oprah, p 152)

Make today a greatness filled day!  Take some time to embrace your emotions whatever they are. Your “intensity” is a good thing – it is your life energy!  Embrace it.

a new day

“Trials, temptations, disappointments — all these are helps instead of hindrances, if one uses them rightly. They not only test the fibre of a character, but strengthen it. Every conquered temptation represents a new fund of moral energy. Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.” James Buckham

Recently we’ve been personally bombarded with a series of what I would consider “challenges.”  I’m hoping we’re weathering them relatively well.  We have a couple to face in the months to come and hope they’re not as insurmountable as they first seemed to be when we first heard them. Maybe they’ll soon only become “blips” on the radar screen of life as we learn the lessons we need to, find other ways of dealing with them and solve that challenges we’re currently facing move on to the next phase of our lives whatever that may be.

What makes it easier is that I have a companion to face them with and know that I also have a Heavenly Father who loves and cares for us as well.  We can pray and seek help in our decisions and we’re not alone as we move forward together as a couple facing the future together.  Our prayers are heard and often answered.

One thing I’m absolutely sure of is that WE are stronger together than alone.  WE ARE a couple united and working together!  I’m truly grateful for that and for our walking and working together the past 18 years.  What a blessing that has been.

take stock…

“ A pebble held close to the eye appears to be a gigantic obstacle.
Cast on the ground, it is seen in perspective. Likewise, problems or
trials in our lives need to be viewed in the perspective… Otherwise
they can easily overtake our vision, absorb all our energy, and
deprive us of the joy and beauty intended us to receive here on
earth.” Richard G Scott (paraphrased)

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, maybe it’s time to stop, breathe, drop our burdens even for just a few minutes and take a new look with a new perspective and see what we can do to handle them with new eyes and thoughts.  When our eyes are clouded and we can’t see beyond the this very moment – we need to stop and just let go.

It’s time to pause and listen. Take stock of what you do have, what you can do or would like to accomplish or more importantly is essential.  Who knows, that miracle you’re looking for, may be just around the corner — or in the next moment.  It is all a matter of perspective.

Marvel at the Greatness

“Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a
little flower.”  Hans Christian Anderson

I’ve always marveled at the beautify of a sunrise or sunset. The colors and formations of the clouds and how magnificent and amazing each is and none equals another. Do you remember the days as a teen when you used to “bake” to get the perfect tan every summer?  And now you cover up but still love to feel the “heat” of the rays of the sun on your face even if it’s just for a few gentle seconds – turning just so to get that perfect “zap”  because it feels so good!

Or do you pause in your garden and marvel at the miracle of a budding flower as it gently unfolds noting each petal, curling outward in magnificent color and beauty and uniqueness?

Behold you!  Grow in your own greatness, look towards the greatness that is you!

an inner love

“The love, or lack of love, we give ourselves and share with others
will determine whether life is sweet or sour. It determines the fabric
and texture of our relationships and how others perceive and receive
us.”  Jon Gordon

Our own self-perception is the aura we share with others.  What is it that we share when we walk in the room?  Does the lighten or darken?  Is the air sweeter or more fragrant?  Are we a joy to be around or do people shrink when we approach them?

What am I doing well now?  What can I do better?  What do I need to change?  What steps will get me to those goals?

reach out

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
Charles Dickens

Today is YOUR day to reach out.  I promise you won’t be disappointed and the person(s) you help won’t be either. And maybe, just maybe they’ll reach out and extend a hand to someone else in return to pay it forward as well in  an expanding circle of ripples.

growing responsible

“If you make it a habit not to blame others, you will feel the growth of the ability to love in your soul, and you will see the growth of goodness in your life.”
— Leo Tolstoy

Take control of your responsibilities and challenges.  Make it your choice today; from this point forward – it really does feels good from the inside out. Try it on for size today. Wrap your arms around it.  Make it your goal today and for the rest of this month to see the best in yourself and be responsible for your actions.  If you make a mistake, take ownership of it.  It’s really okay.  Reset. Take a breath and start over from there.

Let’s keep it simple. Journal the next two weeks.  Notice the changes.  Come back and visit this entry….and answer the following:

There’s a change in your stature, what have you personally noticed?
Personal relationships shift – family, friends, and colleagues – are you noticing a change in any of these since you’ve taken a stance? Have you been keeping a journal of any of these?
How does this new responsibility feel?
What have you learned?

Your GREATNESS is growing!

 

 

twinklings… don’t miss them!

Universe Today

“In the external scheme of things, shining moments are as brief as the twinkling of an eye, yet such twinklings are what eternity is made of — moments when we human beings can say “I love you,” “I’m proud of you,” “I forgive you,” “I’m grateful for you.” That’s what eternity is made of: invisible imperishable good stuff.”  Fred Rogers

These are the exquisite moments that exist every day.  Hundreds of moments, maybe thousands of moments often overlooked because we’re too busy, hurried, harried or occupied.  These are our “teaching” moments with our children. A “loving  or sharing” moment with our spouse.

Sharing a Recognition of Greatness with a family member or even a stranger can often make the difference in their day for good or bad.  Often these statements only take a mere five to ten seconds of your time and if you really want to get wordy, 30 seconds of your time by adding on values and traits you want to see that person exhibiting or admire in that person.  For an example of this, see this blog.  Wouldn’t you have loved to be on the receiving end of Howard’s recognition?

Next time you’re out and about, take a few seconds to say thanks for a job well done in a very specific way.  Not just “thank you” or “good job.”

Don’t miss an opportunity for a  “twinkling” today – share one with your loved ones