UPS and DOWNS…

Have you ever had a week with it’s ups and downs, from great to not good, from hurtful to thankful, to being in pain to having relief? It’s like hearing the tragic news of another school shooting and then witnessing the fairy tale wedding of British royalty, all within the same week. 

How confusing life can be, but yet so much to give and take in at the same time. Hold on, and continue to move on.

As I reflect, one may think of Rudyard Kipling’s poem- IF. 

 

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream- -and not make dreams your master;
If you can think- -and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build them up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on! ‘

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings- -nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And- -which is more- -you’ll be a Man, my son!

Woman’s version- you’ll be a Woman, my daughter!

Rudyard Kipling

Compliments of poemhunter.com

May you have more ups than downs, and more smiles than frowns in your weeks ahead.

Thank you reading my thoughts and allowing me to share the works of other individuals that I admire.

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April Snow Showers

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Even though you may be disappointed with Mother Nature’s choice- see the short lived beauty of the moment or have a laugh after reading a cartoon from Glasbergen.  Just trying to ease the pain a bit…

 

April Message-Healing the Spirit

Walking on water at sunset

First I want to say- thank you for continuing to follow my blog and welcome to new readers that have viewed some of my posts these past few weeks. I haven’t written in awhile due to my current schedule of work, but I hope to be more active in the coming months.

It’s been one of those days. I had planned to go to church but I slept in due to being up late and needing the sleep. I also have been looking for a night service with my beliefs and spiritual upbringing in mind, but I haven’t been successful. I then went to go on line to a favorite church of mind, but much to my dismay, they wouldn’t be broadcasting today due to being off site.

So I thought I would listen to sermons on line to consider churches in the area for future reference. If you are looking for a church-it’s a great idea to listen first to a sermon. I realize that the minister, priest, pastor, etc. doesn’t entirely make a church but listening to a message based on god’s word is important. How the message is delivered is also key. If I am unable to understand the sermon, you have lost me. I want to reflect on the message and put it into practice in my own life. 

Spirituality is so personal. It looks and feels differently to everyone. I just recently discussed spirituality with a close friend who is a psychologist and she sent me this article- she has a practice that she helps people in many different ways. I enjoyed the description of spirituality and how it’s important in healing and making yourself a better person.

Healing the Spirit by Anna Deeds

Spirituality can be an important part of your life, and it’s often neglected. Spirituality is not necessarily about any particular religion – it can be about believing in something bigger than you or it can be about personal well-being and personal development. Here are some ways to heal spiritually.

• Attending regular services and participating in religious activities may help you heal spiritually.
• If you are unsure what you believe in, you can try going to different churches and learning about different religions. Research churches in your area online and find a couple that feel right to you. Try going to a different service each week until you find one you feel good about.
• You can choose to work on your personal development as a part of healing your spiritual self. Look for things that you feel will make you a better person. Try new activities and learn more about the world. Think about your values and beliefs. Ask yourself questions like, “What can I do to better myself and my world?” and “What are my values, beliefs and morals?” Think about who you are as a person and who you want to be.
• Having a purpose in life can help heal your spiritual self as well. Try finding a cause that you believe in. Doing volunteer work can help you work toward a purpose. Or find something that you believe in that you can work to improve.

I know that healing your body, mind and spirit may seem overwhelming. However, you have plenty of time to work on healing your whole self. It is an ongoing process which you may work on over your entire lifetime.  The important thing is to continue working to improve yourself and your life.

Spirituality has always been an important part of my life in good times and bad. It brings me clarity, calmness and peace. It’s funny how things work, my blog has been my church today. Have a wonderful day and my best wishes to you in the coming week. 

 

 

Things that you need….

Respect

Respect is such an important characteristic in our daily life. The term is used with children, friends, loved ones, or significant others when describing a value that is needed in any type of relationship.  What does respect mean to you? Are you being respected?

The truth is that, when love or care lacks respect, it may be self-serving. Definition of self-serving-serving one’s own interests, especially without concern for the needs or interests of others.  A disrespectful individual is concerned with how you make them feel, how you can serve them, how you reflect on them.

A loved one will respect you, and value you for you, as a full-fledged, thinking person. Someone who respects you will take joy in your independence and honor your boundaries.

Wondering if you have relationships built on respect? Here are signs of respect:

1. 1. You are listened to.  A sign of respect is that someone really listens to what you have to say. He or she isn’t just using the time you spend speaking as an opportunity come up with his or her next point; rather, instead they are listening to you carefully and responding accordingly.
   2. One is proud of you as a person. If you are respected, one is proud of you and proud to be with you, independently of how you make him or her look.
   3. They take you seriously.  For example, a friend may ask you for advice. They might not take your advice, but they take what you have to say under serious consideration.
   4. Your friend respects your wishes or boundaries, and stops when you say, “Stop or please don’t do that.” If someone respects you, he or she will honor your wishes when it comes to you saying no or stopping.
   5. Your friend is honest with you. A friend will respect you and will not lie or try to shield you from uncomfortable news, nor will he or she insult your intelligence by lying about their own actions.
   6. He or she doesn’t waste your time or disregard communication. Being constantly late, unresponsive, and unreliable are signs of disrespect. A good friend won’t make you wait around for hours when you have something planned, nor will he or she ignore your communication such as texts and calls.
   7. Your friend or loved one doesn’t control your free time or tell you who you have to be with. They let you make choices. If your friend or loved one doesn’t trust you, it’s an indication that he or she doesn’t respect your ability to make good choices and to keep promises. You will be respected as an independent person and will trust you to handle yourself.
   8. When he or she has a disagreement, you do it with dignity. As friends and loved ones, you argue at one point or another. Disagreements are natural. But you need to be respected,  even when you’re angry with each other.  When you’re arguing, a partner who respects you will try to listen to what you have to say and understand your point of view, even when it’s really, really difficult. That means not being mean, and no physical violence, ever.

Being respected is very important to any relationship. Are you being respected? You deserve to be respected!

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!

 

When I think of the 4^th of July, I think about the importance of respect for our country. Please remember the lives of those who gave us our freedom and who are still fighting for it!

 

Fourth of July

Have the sense of freedom,

Have the sense of joy,

I am proud to be an American,

And I am proud to be free,

But I won’t forget the great men and women,

Who also died for me! Happy 4th of July!

 

Taken from: http://www.wishafriend.com/4thofjuly/id/8021/#6HFzteLOgii0mmrZ.99

 

Acceptance

 

This week I truly understood the word acceptance. I learned it in my workplace, I learned it in my personal life and I learned it in decisions and choices that may have come to me but were out of my control.

Once you have acceptance, then you can have peace of mind, with clarity, of knowing to live one day at a time.

It is clear in the following poem that we can all live by:

“Serenity Prayer”

by Reinhold Niebuhr

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

 

 

How timely to have the realization of acceptance with the coming of spring which brings to us new life.  As a wise person told me, “Winter may be in my head, but eternal spring is in my heart.”

Have a great day, a wonderful week, an extraordinary month, followed by years of astonishing!

P.S. Don’t forget to tell your family and friends how special they are and how much you love them.

 

 

 

Happy New Year! in your own Time!

Choices for New Year’s 2017

The New Year is upon us. What will be your goals for the next year? Or should I say choices. I hope that you see next year as an opportunity, not as something to avoid. I see some people focusing on the “what if’s” versus the “what can I do?” We have all been there. Time is precious. Wise people have said, live as though it’s your last day. Sounds simple in theory, but not so. We all want to do the right thing. Some procrastinate, some don’t want to take a risk. Not saying that being careful is not a good thing, but not doing anything at all can be paralyzing.  I think I like the saying, “Be all that you can be.” That statement allows for imperfections but celebrates your strengths and talents. I envy the young, not because I want to be young, but for the opportunities and experiences that are in store for them. As I use to say to my children, “Close your eyes and make a memory, remember this feeling and this wonderful moment in time.” Yes, there will be ups and downs, curves that take you right and left. But take hold of the great times. The exciting part of your journey is what you do along the way.

I read this article and I thought what better list of choices to use for our future resolutions. We can only meet our goals if we can first overcome and succeed at the following traits as a person. One step at a time….

Can any of these tips help with your Choices for 2017?

10 Ways to Be a Better Person–

Practice gratitude. This speaks both of the power of the mind/body connection and of gratitude. Gratitude attracts more goodness and positivity into life.

Let go of defensiveness. Save yourself and everybody time by skipping the excuses. Beware of denial, intellectualization, rationalization, projection and look at yourself and your life honestly. It is only when we let down our defensive wall that we can truly do our deeper work and grow.

Practice acceptance. Don’t be reactive. Don’t expend energy fighting or resisting what you can not change (other people, their feelings, their behaviors, etc.). Instead, empower yourself to change what you can (your thinking, your behaviors, your boundaries, etc.).

Forgive and let go of resentments. If for no other reason than for yourself, forgive to untether yourself from the negative experiences of the past.

Be authentic. Be genuine and real. Have the courage and confidence to be yourself. Do not say things that are false, even to yourself.

Reflect empathy. Let go of the need for judgement. Have the ability to put yourself in somebody else’s shoes, consider how they might feel and reflect that back to them as appropriate.

Be direct. Say what you mean and mean what you say. The truth will set you free. Talk with the person you have issue with, rather than triangulating others. Avoid passive-aggressive tactics to get your message across (not responding to emails or calls, etc.)

Be kind and compassionate. Only say things if they are kind, necessary and true. Be of service to others. Consider the needs and feelings of others before any action.

Have integrity. Do what you say you are going to do. If things have changed and you are moving in a different direction, be honest and clear with others. Be reliable and consistent. Admit when you are wrong. Apologize and make amends as needed.

Love yourself. Practice self-compassion and self-care. Understand you are exactly as you should be and are perfectly lovable as you are. Forgive yourself and understand you are human and nobody is perfect. Celebrate your life, your unique spirit and gifts. Take excellent care of yourself and surround yourself with people who love you, want the very best for you and will help you grow.

The ten ideas came from Huffington Post.com an article written by Joyce Marter; 10 Ways to Evolve and Be a Better Person.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bountiful Harvest Season

Yes, I am still here:-)

Thank you loyal followers. I have received a new position that has changed my free time for writing in my blogs. I so miss it, but I hope to write more throughout the holidays.

I saw this prayer that I found so fitting for this time of year when we are together with family and friends. I am so very thankful for my family, friends, my health and happiness.  May everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving, may that wonderful giving and thankful spirit last throughout the year.

Harvest Prayer from the Plymouth Colony

Please be gentle with yourself and others.

We are all children of chance,

And none can say why some fields blossom

While others lay brown beneath the harvest sun.

Take hope that your season will come.

Share the joy of those whose season is at hand.

Care for those around you.

Look past your differences.

Their dreams are no less than yours,

Their choices in life no more easily made.

And give.

Give in any way you can.

Give in every way you can.

Give whatever you possess.

Give from your heart.

To give is to love.

To withhold is to wither.

Care less for the size of your harvest than for how it is shared,

And your life will have meaning and your heart will have peace.