Life keeps happening...even on your Anniversary!

"LIFE IS TEN PERCENT WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU AND NINETY PERCENT HOW YOU RESPOND TO IT "
I have heard this saying many times in my life and I believe it is true!
Today started out fine, I got a few things done around the house, then headed off to my Physical Therapist in hopes that he could give me some relief from my back pain lately. The appointment was in Bellevue. After that appointment...I was suppose to meet a friend and then on the way home I was going to stop and get a card and stuff to make a special dinner for Jeff tonight. After all , it is our 34th wedding anniversary!!!
But as I was heading to the appointment, only blocks away from the PT's office, as I was turning on the green light, someone coming the other way ran through the red light and hit me. I kept thinking as I saw him come closer ...that he is going to stop, but then when I put on my brakes, I realized that there is no way he wasn't going to hit me and he did. After we got to the side of the road and I called 911 and the insurance, I was still shaking. My neck hurt, my knee hit the dash board and my lower back was hurting. I first thought ...what are the chances that I would get hit ...on my way to the PT for back pain in the first place? Then I thought...am I going to have neck and back pain for my whole life? From then on the thoughts were getting worse and coming faster.
After all the calls and exchanging of numbers and insurance cards...I headed back to the PT office and told him what happened, he worked on my back and neck.
It was after the appointment when I was sitting in my car for awhile (because I still felt light headed and a headache was coming on)...that I thought...I am very lucky that I was able to see my PT right after something like that happened. I was blessed that it wasn't worse. I was grateful that the man did stop, admit he ran the red light; and that he had car insurance.
So even though I have a headache and a pretty bad neck and back ache, I realized that I am blessed. It could have been way worse.
Jeff and I will have to celebrate our anniversary later, but I just came home and laid down and have been keeping ice on my neck and back.
Though I am blessed to have had 34 years with Jeff by my side. Have they all been blissful and wonderful...nope, but we have continued to work at it and he still is my best friend and the love of my life! We truly have had many wonderful years!
I just need to remember this quote again today, life is still good and we have much to be thankful for.
Good Night dear friends!
P.S. I have posted this article before, but I feel like it is worth reading again!

A LOVE LIKE THAT

I was 23, and all the way to the hospital I'd been composing what I would say to Mama before they took her to cut into her heart, whose center I supposed myself to be; hadn't she told me all my life I was the most important thing in the world to her?

Threading my way through the hospital corridors, I practiced my opening line, which  had to strike just the right note. Who but I could give her strength and confidence she would need? Whose face but mine would she want to be the last one she saw before they cut her open and died probably? Whose kiss but mine...?

I turned a corner and there was my mother lying on a stretcher in the hall, waiting for them to come for her. My father was standing over her. Something about the two of them made me stop and then, as I watched, made me keep my distance, as if there were a wall between us, and around them.

It was clear to me at that moment that for them, nothing existed outside them, nothing; there was only the man, the woman. She didn't see me, nor from the looks of it care much whether she did. They weren't talking. He was holding her hand. She was smiling into his eyes; and they were, I swear, speaking a language that at 23 I hadn't begun to understand, much less speak myself. But I could see them do it, literally see them, and I moved closer to see more, stunned, fascinated, very jealous that I had fallen in love with someone, married him, divorced him and never once come close to what I was looking at in that hall.

Next time, I said, I will know better. I will love like that.   ~ Linda Ellerbee

Follow the Light!

A talk that Jeff and I heard on Sunday during General Conference that made us stop and think. In that talk we were challenged to pick out one verse of scripture each week and Ponderize on it. The speaker went on to say that Ponderize is not in the dictionary but his explanation of the word was it is more like a combination of 2 things.. the first is 80% should be pondering about this scripture and the other 20% was in memorizing the scripture. Then he went on to explain how to do that in 2 simple steps, here they are...

First, choose a verse of scripture each week and place it where you will see it every day.

Second, read or think of the verse several times each day and ponder the meaning of its words and key phrases throughout the week.

Imagine the uplifting results of doing this weekly for six months, a year, 10 years, or more.

As you make this effort, you will feel an increase in spirituality. You will also be able to teach and lift those you love in more meaningful ways.

If you choose to ponderize weekly, you may feel a bit like a person who has enjoyed snorkeling in the past but has now decided to try scuba diving. With that decision, a deeper understanding of gospel principles will be yours and new spiritual perspectives will bless your life.

As you reflect on your selected verse each week, words and phrases will be written on your heart.⁴ Words and phrases will also be written on your mind. In other words, memorization will take place easily and naturally. But the primary goal of ponderizing is to provide an uplifting place for your thoughts to go—a place that keeps you close to the Spirit of the Lord.

The Savior said, “Treasure up in your minds continuallythe words of life.”⁵ Ponderizing is a simple and edifying way to do just that.

I have to admit, there are so many negative things in the world that floods our minds on a daily basis, through, Television, Radio and Internet. It is easy for our thoughts to become worried and discouraged. Why not have a higher place for our thoughts to go? It was a brillant idea and Jeff and I wanted to try and incorperate that in our day. Here is the scripture I picked...
St.John chapter 12

 35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

 36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. 

When I think of light, and people who have light in their lives, I am grateful to have them in my life. I am drawn to people who have that light, that hope, that happiness, that kindness that truly makes you want to be with them as much as you can. People who have that light, truly are the happiest people I know. I think that is exactly what type of people the Lord expects us to be at all times, not just on Sunday or when we know someone is watching us!
So this was one of the great spiritual message that I got this weekend.
I will let you know how it goes!
Good Night dear friends!

You can watch or read it yourself HERE:

With Wisdom and Experience!

Yesterday I taught a lesson in church about the taking care of the Elderly, whether that be yourself, or your loved ones. It was a lesson that was close to my heart since I was very close to one of my Grandmother's and actually took care of her in our home when I was a teenager. Many countries respect and honor their Elders, but that is not always true where we live. We should though because they have gained so much wisdom and experience throughout their lives.
So here were some of the things that I taught that could be helpful I think to many of us and our families.

First what are some things that we help someone make the most of their Senior Years?

1. We could Collect and Write Family Histories.... Many times you alone have within you the history. In few ways will your heritage be better preserved than by your collecting and writing your histories.

2. Try to establish family reunions. Bringing your family together, can be a wonderful tradition that everyone looks forward to. If your family is close and happy, it can be like creating a bit of heaven on earth.

3. Plan for your financial future. Be cautious in your advancing years and about "get-rich" schemes or investing in uncertain ventures. Proceed cautiously so that the planning of a lifetime is not disrupted by one or series of poor financial decisions. Plan your financial future early, then follow the plan.

4. Render Christlike service. When you lose your life in service to others, you will find yourself. Peace and joy and blessings will follow those render service to others. It can make our lives sweet.

5. Stay physically fit, healthy and active as you can! Doing even something little can make a big difference in how you feel each day.

For those who have lost your spouses, sometimes there is for some of you a feeling of uselessness and aloneness which can be almost overwhelming. Try to remember how much you are needed and how much you have to still give!
If you sew, crochet or knit then you could start making blankets for each of your new grandchildren, or for someone getting married in your family or for your friends. Write letter on Birthdays or attend school and athletic events of grandchildren when you can. You could compile albums of pictures of each grandchild or family members on their birthdays. You could volunteer at your local hospitals or in other places in the community. Many have found fulfillment in serving and helping others like this.
The key to overcoming aloneness and feeling of uselessness for one who is physically able, is to step outsde yourself by helping others who are truly needy.

In times of illness and pain, we can remain strong in attitude and spirit. 
Those who are ill and suffering pain and the vicissitudes of this life, our hearts and prayers should go out to them. If it this happens to us, we need to strive and remain strong in attitude and spirit. We know it is not always easy. We pray that those who now do for you tasks that you no longer are able to do for yourself will do so in love, in gentleness, and with a caring spirit.
We hope you continue to generate good thought and feelings in your heart and mind and quickly dismiss those which are harmful and destructive to you. Pray daily even hourly if needed, for help, courage and hope!

I remember the honor of taking care of my Grandmother in our home. I feed her, bathed her and tried to help her keep her dignity in the process. It was an honor to take care of her, I loved her so much. Years later after I was married, my Grandmother was placed in a Nursing Home near my home. The kids and I would try to go by nearly every day to visit with her. I wanted to make sure the ladies that took care of her knew who she was and how important whe was to me and my family. I worried that they just saw her as another old lady to take care of.
This poem is something that I found later, but definitely would pass on to anyone that takes care of the Elderly! May we all give to our elderly parents, grandparents or even neighbors and friends ...the love, care and attention they deserve.
Read it, it is amazing!
Good Night dear friends!

.

See Me

What do you see, nurses, what do you see?
Are you thinking, when you look at me –
A crabby old woman, not very wise,
Uncertain of habit, with far-away eyes,
Who dribbles her food and makes no reply,
When you say in a loud voice — “I do wish you’d try.”

Who seems not to notice the things that you do,
And forever is losing a stocking or shoe,
Who unresisting or not, lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding, the long day to fill.
Is that what you’re thinking, is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse, you’re looking at ME…
I’ll tell you who I am, as I sit here so still;
As I rise at your bidding, as I eat at your will.

I’m a small child of ten with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters, who love one another,
A young girl of sixteen with wings on her feet.
Dreaming that soon now a lover she’ll meet;
A bride soon at twenty — my heart gives a leap,
Remembering the vows that I promised to keep;
At twenty-five now I have young of my own,
Who need me to build a secure, happy home;
A woman of thirty, my young now grow fast,
Bound to each other with ties that should last;
At forty, my young sons have grown and are gone,
But my man’s beside me to see I don’t mourn;
At fifty once more babies play ’round my knee,
Again we know children, my loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead,
I look at the future, I shudder with dread,
For my young are all rearing young of their own,
And I think of the years and the love that I’ve known;
I’m an old woman now and nature is cruel –
‘Tis her jest to make old age look like a fool.

The body is crumbled, grace and vigor depart,
There is now a stone where once I had a heart,
But inside this old carcass a young girl still dwells,
And now and again my battered heart swells.

I remember the joys, I remember the pain,
And I’m loving and living life over again,
I think of the years, all too few — gone too fast,
And accept the stark fact that nothing can last –
So I open your eyes, nurses, open and see,
Not a crabby old woman, look closer, nurses — see ME!

This poem was found among the possessions of an elderly lady who died in the geriatric ward of a hospital. No information is available concerning her — who she was or when she died. Reprinted from the “Assessment and Alternatives Help Guide” prepared by the Colorado Foundation for Medical Care.
To read my whole lesson HERE:

Notes in the shower?

Ever since I can remember, I have scribbled down notes on any kind of piece of paper I can find. The funny thing is, I know what you are thinking...why not just get a notebook and keep all your notes in there? Well, I have done that too, the problem is, there is a notebook in the kitchen, and one in the car, then another one in my sewing room, and on and on. Then I try to combine them and just end up forgetting to write in the main notebook because it is somewhere else and so I get yet ANOTHER notebook.

Last week when Lee was home for a short visit, we were at Target and you guessed it...all the school supplies are on sale...NOTEBOOKS for only 17 cents! I couldn't help myself, I got 10 of them and then the next day without him ( because he gave me such a hard time ) I purchased 10 more!

I realize at the age of 56, chances are good that this isn't issue of mine probably isn't going to change! :)  I have told the kids and Jeff for years that I need help for my Paper Issues, but do they get me help? No, they would rather just have something to tease me about... family! :)

But thinking about it tonight makes me smile... because I have a friend who has chocolate hidden or stashed all of her house, I shouldn't tease her because when I pass away, think of all the notebooks and pieces of paper that my family will find. And what they probably don't know, is that even though something is written on the back of a gum wrapper, top of junk mail, back of newspaper or even on a piece of napkin, it was something important to me at the time..maybe a new sewing idea, someone's name that I met at the store and didn't want to forget, a phone number, someones birthday, a quote that I just heard, or even a memory that I just thought of and knew I should write it down.

So what do you get for the person ( like me ) that has this problem? Well I think I figured it out, I found it on Pinterest...this would be great, I have thought of a ton of ideas when I am in the bath or shower! Glad to know that someone is trying to help my out with my issues! :)

check it out HERE:

I agree...except it this quote should say Keep NOTEBOOKS! :)
Night dear friends!

This is harder to do, than one might first think!

We are all very different, everyone would agree on that. But for some when certain situations happen, it can let others not only feel bad about what happened ...but also wonder if there are more things they have done wrong. For others, they can let things roll off their backs and not take it personally. But for those of us out there that live life very PERSONALLY...it is hard not to feel bad or disappointed.
For me, I have to realize that I need to be a bit more like a Duck, and let things roll off my back without getting so upset, offended and or hurt. I need to look at the situation and the person for what it is, and if I didn't do something on purpose...then I need to let it go and learn from it.
I am 55 years old and believe it or not... I have have a rubber duck in my medicine cabinet ( that a dear friend gave to me ) as a daily reminder to live the best way I know how, and not to take things so personally!
But some days it is much harder to do than one might think!
Still it is a daily goal of mine!
Thanks for listening dear friends and Good Night!


Maybe I should even get a tiny one like this and wear it around my neck all day! So I really don't forget this principle! :)

Just a thought!

I read this quote today and had to laugh! Normally it would have been motivational but today...I just laughed. The reason I did was because I have been down sick all day with the flu. My cold took a turn for the worst last night and it has been one LONG DAY AND NIGHT!
All day I just used a 1000 tissues, too many cough drops and kept turning up the heat and laying down and then wake up sweating. So I am hoping that what I did today WON'T be what I get tomorrow!



Here are a couple of other quotes that happen to be very motivational and true!
Good night dear friends!

     

Positive thinking

This quote is a post in and of itself! My friend and I were talking about this very thing yesterday!
Good night dear friends!

Date Night

This was the perfect quote for me tonight. I have been struggling with my thoughts and feelings, and I know it is because I feel so bad. I am usually a upbeat, happy and half full type of girl but...this bug or whatever it is ...has been tough on my thoughts and feelings. I just really feel bad and I am struggling to breath and that wears you out too!
Hope to start feeling better soon.
Tonight is Date Night and I think we are going to stay home and just watch a movie, no complaints from me. Grateful to just have the time together.
Good night dear friends!

Powerful thoughts!

Loved this quote, oh how true it is!
Good night dear friends!

A NEW DAY!

I am glad to know that this can be true, if we want it to be!

Being alone with oneself!

It took me years to truly understand this quote and what it. means. I usually didn't ever want to be alone, especially with myself. Why? Because being alone with myself meant I a had to be alone with the thoughts I had too. I didn't really like myself very much for years, and so once I did learn to love myself and to control my thoughts and fears...I actually enjoy spending time with  ME !
Good night dear friends!

Let's be gentle with each other!

Great article and also a great reminder to us all!
Hope you have the time to read it. Good night dear friends!

Let’s be gentle with each other. Let’s read each other’s signs.

Melody Ross Thursday 4 April 2013 6:10 am

http://www.mamamia.com.au/news/her-husband-had-an-accident/

Found the article HERE:

After a dear friend telling me about a hurtful experience she’d had this week. I began thinking again about a story I have told a few times…. a story that my children will tell to their children, and maybe even beyond that… because it was such a learning experience in our family, maybe even a turning point.
It’s a story that I think about often because we were the main characters in it 3 or 4 years ago, and even though it was something that lasted less than 15 minutes it changed all of us and now I see others differently, especially when it seems that they might be main characters in the same story…or one a lot like it. I used to be too embarrassed to tell this story… but I am not anymore. This is a human story that everyone needs to hear, I truly believe this. I hope you will stay with it, it’s kinda long.
As we move along… I want you to think about some of the big signs with big messages that I bet you wish you could wear around your neck sometimes so that people would be more gentle, or even that you could put around the neck of someone you love — so that you didn’t have to go into a big long story to defend yourself or someone else– so that people would just stop judging and and just be kind.

I need to start this story by giving you a little bit of background. You see, my husband had an accident in 2004 that injured the frontal lobe of his brain. It has taken 6 years to get him back, but in the middle there, between 2004 and now, lots and lots of stuff happened. He was essentially out of it, but not just that, he changed to someone else, we lost him.
His personality changed completely, he could not work, he was angry and depressed and could not cope with human beings.  He did not feel love or affection, really he only felt anger, rage, and he was suicidal most of the time. He did not remember a lot of things. He could not take care of our family or even himself, really (and I want to mention again that through lots of miracles, he is 100% recovered now…we are so thankful….he is even BETTER than he was before his accident).
But during that time he would have these confusing and amazing glitches of time when he would be totally normal. It was bittersweet. They would last for an hour sometimes, and sometimes for days or even weeks then he would sink back down into that horrible place. When he was sick, I protected him fiercely. I didn’t want anyone to see him like that. I had faith that someday he would recover but man oh man it was lonely. I wished every single day that I could just walk around with a sign like this…

because on the outside I looked like I had EVERYTHING GOING FOR ME I looked like I might just have a perfect life but I was hiding a very painful secret…
Well, a lot of other things happened too. You can imagine what might happen over the years while we have a 7 acre farm, a pretty big international business that we own with lots of employees, a life that  HE managed before his accident, while he just let me do the fun and creative stuff. Now we had lots of medical bills, lots of sorrow and lots of distractions, we also had LOTS of kids — and no one competent managing the business.
Well, after a few years, I couldn’t hold it all together. Our business was suffering for all of the reasons listed above and a few more reasons on top of that and we discovered that we were really SINKING. Well, one day when he was partly lucid…he was THERE…he was coherent — I told him the condition of our life.
He kind of panicked and he went straight to work figuring out what he could do. It was insanely heartbreaking when he would “wake up” after weeks or months and I had to tell him how much things were deteriorating financially, etc. It was very hard. But when he could, he did what he could before his mental illness sucked him back into the prison it kept him in most of the time.
He called a sign place and had a huge sign brought out to our house…the kind that you can put letters on, and it was electric and lit up. He put it by the road in one of our horse fields. Then he drove our Suburban, both of our trucks, my classic Thunderbird that he got me for my birthday a few years earlier, our tractor, all of our tractor implements, the boat that I worked 10 years to get for him (and that caused his brain injury, incidentally), and he lined everything up along the fence and he put a price tag on every single thing. Then, he put the letters on that big huge sign and plugged it in.
You have to understand that we had worked for MANY years for those things. We started a business in our twenties and we sacrificed everything we had for all of those years to make it work. We owned almost all of it outright, but, when I told him that the business was struggling, this is what he did.
Sooooo…there it was. All in a row. All of our stuff –out in our field.
All of the neighbors driving by, our friends, the community, people who knew us most of our lives and people who knew nothing about us…we were just the young family who lived in that beautiful little farm house on Beacon Light road with the perfect lawn….or what USED to be.
You see, in addition, for months, our once beautifully manicured yard started to be filled with weeds that were now several feet high. I just couldn’t keep it up. The lawn was a nightmare. Everything was just falling apart all around me and my heart was broken over my husband, too. It was humiliating and exhausting and horrible, really.

Well, the sign was not up in the field for more than a few hours, when my husband’s phone rang. It was someone who saw all the stuff and my husband’s phone number on the big huge sign. We were sitting out in the yard while he was still coherent and he was feeling devastated about the condition of our lawn. I was apologizing that I just couldn’t do all of it. He was so heartbroken at his limitations and that he had left me to try to handle our life alone. We were trying to make a plan.
He answered his phone. I saw that he was just listening. I could hear that the person’s voice was getting louder and louder and louder. My husband just listened. He turned his back to me a little so I wouldn’t hear. But I could hear it. It seemed to go on and on and on.
These were the things I could hear on the other end of the phonecall:
“You are bringing down the value of my property with that ugly sign!”
“What are you doing?”
“That is the most obnoxious sign, do you have a permit to have that out there?”
“Are you starting a used car lot?”
“You have got to get all of that moved and out of here or I am calling the authorities”
I sat there, mortified, embarrassed, humiliated, mad, sad, devastated. I was certain that this would snap my husband back into his dark hellish place.
But, when the man was done ranting, my husband waited a second and then very calmly said something that I will never, ever forget.
“Sir,” he said, “There was a time in this country, in this community…when if you drove past your neighbor’s house and saw every single thing they own was for sale in front of their house…and that their lawn had not been mowed for weeks….that you would stop and say….WHAT IS GOING ON, SOMETHING MUST BE TERRIBLY WRONG, WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP YOU?”
The man was silent, and then my husband went on to tell him a few details about what was going on with our family.
The man waited a moment and then his tone changed. He apologized. I mean, really apologized and then said:
“I am going to call all of my friends and see if any of them need any of this stuff….”
***************************************
I wish with everything in me that we could have put a sign up on that big stupid lit up billboard in our field that said OUR LIFE IS FALLING APART, but all that we really could put up is a sign with the price of everything that we owned that was worth any money.
WHAT IF we could all wear a sign that said what WE REALLY MEANT? What if we could go straight past the small talk or the masks, and we could actually go straight to the heart of the matter. What if our friends and family wore signs like this?

…we would treat each other differently.
I think we should just try to imagine it. That when a friend is quiet…or not showing up to stuff she usually shows up to, or acting a little “off”, or a family member is wearing pajamas to the grocery store for weeks on end, or not answering the phone, or the lawn is not mowed…

whatever it is…
IT IS A SIGN. It is not a sign that can be read in words and letters, but it is a sign that someone needs to be treated gently. That they need help. Most of all, that they need love, understanding, and that they DEFINITELY DO NOT need to be judged.
Every time I think of this story I want to be better. I want to do better, I don’t want any silent signs to go unread before my eyes or my heart. I don’t want to make up my own answers to what must be going on. I don’t want to assume…

Let’s be gentle with each other. Let’s read each other’s signs.

Aqua Mandie and I are back together again!

My back has seemed to been  hurting a lot, after my trip. It was a great trip but I did sit and walk and do things more, that were different than my normal every day routine. I think the  3 hour time difference is taking a toll on me too. Woke up at 4:00 this morning hurting and then just wrestled with my pillows and bedding for the next 3 hours....trying to get comfortable. By 7:00 am I had had enough and decided to just get up. Still my back is hurting, actually I was hurting all over.
Today of course was going to be Lauren and I's first day back at the pool since my trip, although I did swim while I was in Hawaii). Didn't feel like I should go ( or I should say I didn't want to go feeling so bad ) but still I felt like we needed to start sometime, so off we went, late but we went.
So making use of the time we had we took right off, we did a 1/4 of a mile today, I know that isn't much but it felt like a beginning. It has been almost 10 years or more since I swam a mile a day, wow... a lot has changed since then with my body and my stamina. Oh well, just decided to put on Aqua Mandie ( my swim prosthetic ) and  go swimming today, it is something I need to do and the only exercise that doesn't hurt my body, so I need to just do it. Sooooo glad we did, even though I was still hurting, it felt good to get some exercise. I forgot how tired you get from swimming throughout the day until you build up your strength and lung capacity.
I did swim in Hawaii at the club we were staying at, but I ended up not being able to wear the new swimsuit that I got ( for my B-day and especially for this trip ) because Aqua Mandie kept moving around too much when I swam and it was a bit obvious that something didn't look right. So I used my old swimsuit which I didn't feel as comfortable and normal in, and that played a bit with my mind and thoughts.
I have struggled my whole life with liking what I see in the mirror. Having had a mastectomy has been a constant struggle to just be OK with what I now see in the mirror. Don't get me wrong, most of the days I do fine,  and even can joke about it. But in Hawaii around so many people with both bodies ( as my granddaughter calls it ), I had a hard time not feeling sorry for myself or even feeling like I was enough. It seemed like everyone had a normal body but me. So you can see that sometimes a situation that you weren't even worried about ...can trigger destructive thoughts. I know what they are, I know what they feel like and yes...I am working on my thoughts and self esteem ....yet once again.
 What is so dangerous about feeling this way? Well, it is dangerous in lots of ways actually, it seems to taint all of your other thoughts, and pretty soon your whole perspective is out of whack.
I only mention this, not to have you feel sorry for me, but to share with you things that maybe others have experienced too and if you haven't, then ways to help you avoid these situations in the future.
I am working on it, I am tired and hurting anyway, and so that too takes a toll on your perspective, seems like it will feel like this forever.
So where do I go from here? Back to the basics, get enough sleep, eat right, exercise each day, read my scriptures and other uplifting books, be a keeper of my thoughts, pay attention to the thoughts that come in ( almost without me knowing ), have happy thoughts ready to replace them. Then I get down on my knees everyday and say thanks for the body I do have left, thanks for the health I have and on and on. Gratitude is a great defense to bad thoughts and hard days, and last but not least....Serve someone else, that makes a huge difference on how you see your life, when you look or share the struggles of others.
Sounds like I have done this before ...right? Oh yes, and I am pretty sure that it is something I will have to continue to work on for my whole life. That's ok, at least I know what to do.
Good night dear friends, hope this true confession has helped someone?  



                                                                                                                                                                    

Motivating Thoughts!

10 tips on learning how to change yourself for the better!

I loved this article and especially this quote ...

“As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world – that is the myth of the atomic age – as in being able to remake ourselves.”

That is so true, it is important that we look inward when thinking of changing things. I love the 10 tips that Gandi gives, you can read the whole article.here:

"If you change yourself you will change your world. If you change how you think then you will change how you feel and what actions you take. And so the world around you will change. Not only because you are now viewing your environment through new lenses of thoughts and emotions but also because the change within can allow you to take action in ways you wouldn’t have – or maybe even have thought about – while stuck in your old thought patterns."

Gandhi's 10 Rules for Changing the World

1. Change yourself.
2. You are in control.
3. Forgive and let it go.
4. Without action you aren’t going anywhere.
5. Take care of this moment.
6. Everyone is human.
7. Persist.
8. See the good in people and help them.
9. Be congruent, be authentic, be your true self.
10. Continue to grow and evolve.

"The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems." --Mahatma Gandhi


.

Do we ever say these questions to ourselves?

 

Well, I just arrived home today...feels good to be back. I started right away emptying my suitcases, cleaning out the fridge, working in the garbage, laundry and then Jeff and I went and got groceries then watered the flowers...yes...I am tired...so it must me I am home!  

I was thrilled to read Jason Wrights new column this week. I think he is an incredible writer and what he talked about today was certainly motivational...so that is what I am posting for you tonight! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Good night dear friends!

Jason Wright addresses the Alpha Delta Kappa Convention in Washington, D.C., on July 5, 2013.

Oakli Wright

 

 Questions that haunt — Am I loved? Am I beautiful? Am I divine?

 

As I traveled from Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley to the nation’s capital for a recent speaking gig, I imagined a woman sitting in the audience with three haunting questions that would not go away: “Am I loved? Am I beautiful? Am I divine?

Have you asked yourself, "Am I loved? Am I beautiful? Am I divine?"
Last week I spoke to one of my favorite groups — Alpha Delta Kappa. ADK is an international honorary organization for women educators. They have chapters in all 50 states plus Puerto Rico, Australia, Canada, Jamaica and Mexico.
I’ve addressed their local chapters, state and regional events and now their international convention in Washington, D.C. This is an inspiring group of women that does a lifetime of good each day before I’ve polished off my first bowl of Lucky Charms.
I agreed in principle to this latest speaking gig — giving the keynote at their international convention — one year ago. I signed a contract and began putting together rough notes and ideas 11 months back. Six months ago, I got more serious and started sorting through stories to share and possible object lessons. With a week to go, I finalized my plans for the 45-minute presentation.
Then, in the car on the way to the venue, everything changed.
I was sitting in the backseat with my headphones on and my laptop open as my wife and oldest daughter rode up front and chatted and giggled about mother-daughter things. I enjoyed the final chance to review my plan for the evening and an unusual object lesson I was excited to unveil for the first time in front of the crowd of more than 1,500 teachers.
As we cruised from Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley into the nation’s capital, my mind’s eye saw a sad woman sitting in the audience with three haunting questions that would not go away:
“Am I loved? Am I beautiful? Am I divine?”
I shook my head and tried to rattle the nameless face out like a stubborn pebble in a tennis shoe. "That’s not my message," I thought. "My program is about following dreams. It’s about finding your niche and relying on others to make your passion a reality."
Moments later I again heard the silent worry, the kind that follows us like shadows that will not go to bed with the sun.
“Am I loved? Am I beautiful? Am I divine?”
Virginia’s lush green hills rolled by, but the questions did not fade over my shoulder.
I’m not ashamed to admit in time, tears gathered in my eyes as I considered that someone — a teacher, mother, wife, sister — might be hiding in the audience that day with those three questions burning a bridge between their hearts and minds.
I scrolled back through my presentation with fresh vision. By the time I was done with the virtual red pen, I’d slice and diced half of my material and completely reworked the ending. I asked myself, "If there is even just one woman waiting for me in the audience who feels this way, don’t I owe it to her to answer these questions?"
Two hours later, I launched my presentation with the admission that something had happened to me — that I felt the need to deviate from months of preparation to share a message that might only apply to a handful in the room. Or, perhaps, it might apply to just one.
Are you loved?
“You are!” I nearly shouted. There are people everywhere who care for you, who believe in you and rely on you. They may not say it often enough, but they do love you.
Are you beautiful?
“You are!” You’re a creation of a loving Heavenly Father. No matter what magazines or blogs tell you, they do not own a copyright on the definition of beauty. Beauty is about the contents of the package, not the wrapping. You deserve to know this and to never forget it.
Are you divine?
“Of course you are!” Like all of us, you were created in his image. If God painted a canvas, it would be divine. If he sculpted a piece of art, it would be divine. If he created a woman, she would be divine! God has eternal and divine consequence, so wouldn’t his children?
After posing and answering these fundamental questions, with a lump in my throat, I stated the obvious. “Some in this room feel broken. Marriages have ended in pain, spouses and children have died, sickness has hit, jobs have been lost and homes have been taken.”
Do those facts change how much heaven loves us? Jesus Christ suffered all pain so ours could be healed. Whether physical, emotional or spiritual, there is healing available to us if we’ll simply knock.
Surely some in the audience then, and some reading this column now, wonder, “Can I overcome this? Am I capable enough? Am I talented enough?”
To them I exclaimed, “Yes, you are!” And to you I say the same.
You cannot do it alone; you’ll certainly need some help. It may come from friends, family, professionals, neighbors or strangers. You might see your angels, you might not. But they are waiting to assist you through life's trials, and more importantly, so is the one who sent the trials in the first place.
“Am I loved? Am I beautiful? Am I divine?”
Yes, you are! Now go tell a friend they are, too.
You can read more of Jason's words here: 

How you see yourself ...does matter!

I love this picture and quote...so true! I continue to struggle some days on what I see in the mirror.  When I do struggle that hard, those are some of my toughest days and I realize that I am a bit out of balance. When I get grounded with my thoughts, start taking care of myself  and start to think about others...then it really helps.
 I also have this quote ( below ) on my mirror, to remind me daily that I am a Daughter of God. With that knowledge and sweet reminder...I get empowered and remember that I need not spend time on such negative thoughts. And by remembering who I am, I also remember that it is my responsibility to be the best of who I am, to become everything I am suppose to be. Then and only then can I truly help others and make a difference for good in the world.  It was a good reminder for me tonight!
Good night dear friends!

Thoughts for the Day!

What are you thinking about?

Our thoughts are very important in our every day lives. I have written and spoken about how important it is for us to learn to control our thoughts. I heard a reporter talking on the radio the other day, about treatments that are out there for those who have suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. The report was about the success that they were having with a certain type of therapy... that helps the victim with their thoughts about the trauma, for many times they said that it is their thoughts that keep them held hostage for years with PTS Syndrome. I read a bit more about it here:
Anyway, this is a MOTIVATIONAL blog, so I will try to tell you why I mentioned such a dark subject?  I guess because I have been there and done that. I was a child of incest and suffered for many, many years with PTS Syndrome, although I had never heard of that in my life. I suffered many of the symptoms that they mentioned in the article, and even every now and then find myself haunted ( if only for a moment ) by a few of them but that Far and Few Between....all the good that I have in my life.
 How did I get help? Well,  you can go back in this blog and read about all of this ( just put the word abuse in the search engine ) and I don't need to repeat it but, it was when I finally told someone ...and they believed me! That was the beginning of my going and getting professional help. That is where I began, that is where I started to not only learn how to live a happy life, but I learned how to help others by sharing my story.
So like I have written many times in my blog, it is vital that we know what are thoughts are, that we learn how to control them and that we learn how to keep and continue having more and more happy thougths in our minds. Our thoughts are very powerful ...for good and bad. But we have the final say one what we continue to act out on the stage of our minds. I personally had to find and study some really important things about thoughts to realize that I have control over them. When I found that out and really started to believe that...then life became good! And I was no longer a VICTIM!
So if you can, stop and think about your thoughts...are they good, happy, sad and depressing? Do you want to change them? Would you be willing to learn how to do that? You can find a few articles that I have written or put in my blog about this very subject. (Just put the word Thoughts in the search engine.)  If so, there are counselors out there to help, there are books out there to help, there are churches out there to help. Yes, there is a ton of help out there, if we would only allow our thoughts to believe that we are really worth helping! I promise you ...that you are!
Good night dear friends!

put down the glass

 I am pretty sure that I have used this cute story before, but I think for me at least ...it bears repeating. I recently have been carrying a glass of water ( a stress ) around with me. And yes, I carried it way too long, when I finally decided to put it down I realized that I really should have put it down much sooner. I know better... but sometimes I forget this simple, sweet message. I was grateful for the reminder today!

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?”
 
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.”
It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!
Found photo of glass of water here:
So these are some quotes that  I need to remember more often!
Good night dear friends, hopefully you can sleep because you have put down the glass too!