uplifting

May 10, 2017

Joy

I’ve been thinking a lot about this subject this year. A lot. Here are some things I’ve discovered:

Joy is a choice. A choice that a person must deliberately and constantly make if joy is to be had.

Joy is a habit. So are cynicism and negativity. It’s easy to fall into our old thought habits. Which ones do you fall into? Joyful thoughts or negative ones?

Joy really has very little to do with what is going on around me. I can be in a pit, but how bad the situation feels is directly correlated to how much joy I allow into that pit with me.

Joy is the most attractive quality a person can possess.

It’s never too late to choose joy. Try it. Try it right now.

Do this: pay attention to your thoughts for as long as you can. Look at them as they flit across your brain. Are they joyful, negative, neither? If you come across a negative thought, pay attention to it and try to reframe it as a positive thought. For example: If a car cuts me off in traffic and I notice I’m thinking negative thoughts about that driver, try to change that anger or bitterness to something positive, such as, “I wonder if that driver realizes s/he cut me off? I hope s/he arrives safely.” Or, “That person doesn’t seem to be having a very good day. I hope his/her day turns around.” Give others the same benefit of the doubt you would wish for yourself. Send those positive vibes or prayers out. You may be amazed at the transformation you feel when you start doing this. I was. I continue to be amazed.

En-joy!

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December 8, 2016

Self-Differentiation (Staying Above the Fray)

Have you ever been in the situation where you were roped into a conflict without realizing it? This used to happen to me all the time. My son would be running late for school, unable to find his sneakers, for example, and meltdown. (He’s an adolescent.) The next thing I knew, I was arguing with him about putting his things where they belong and why he didn’t set them out the night before, etc. The argument escalates and you both part angry.

You know the script. You’ve probably done this routine many times. What had started out as a perfectly serene day for you is now full of conflict and irritation. Do you wonder why this happened? If you think it’s just because the other person is irresponsible, disorganized, (fill in your own adjective here), etc. think again. The problem is that you were drawn into the situation, seemingly against your will. Why and how did that happen?

November 10, 2016

United We Stand

Wow. What a week it’s been. Could anyone have predicted this election cycle, including the plot twists and turns that happened weekly during the past two years? Like many Americans, I can say that I have never experienced the divisiveness and hatred that I’ve witnessed during these past two years. Like most Americans, I can also say, “I’m glad that’s over.” But is it, really? Something ugly was stirred up in our collective reality. Can we ignore it? Can we afford to? I can tell you from painful experience that ignoring a festering wound by covering it with a Band-Aid just makes things worse.

May 19, 2016

Making a Difference

Sometimes when I’m brushing my teeth before bed I think, “Wow, it feels like I just did this.” It’s true. As we age, the days feel like they are rolling by faster. Sometimes I wonder what happened to the day. Do you ever feel like that?

Then I wonder what I did during the day. Was I just a slave to my schedule? Did I do anything that really mattered? Did I make a difference? Or was I just taking up space today?

(Now, I realize that I matter to my family and friends, of course, but I’m talking about something bigger.)

April 15, 2016

Impact

Who has made an impact on you, on your life? It doesn’t have to be the most significant impact or the most profound influence. Is there someone who comes to the surface of your mind when you ask yourself that question? Are you still in contact with him? Does he know what an impact he had on your life? When was the last time you told him about his influence?

I challenge you today. Right now. Take a moment and put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and write a letter to that person to tell her how she has impacted your life; what a difference she has made in your life.

What would happen if you called that person to tell him what he has meant to you and your life? Would it be a big risk? What is holding you back? Now, call that person. Right now. Don’t put it off. Read your letter to him. If that person is no longer alive, read the letter to someone he loved.

Now, how do you feel? If I were a betting person I’d say you feel pretty great. How would it feel to be on the receiving end of that call?

What’s holding you back? Don’t wait. You’ll be glad you did this! To see this in action, watch the video below:

January 21, 2016

Law of Attraction

Have you heard of the Law of Attraction? Wikipedia says:

“The law of attraction is the name given to the maxim “like attracts like” which in New Thought philosophy is used to sum up the idea that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts a person brings positive or negative experiences into their life.”

Is it possible? Is it true? Does it exist? Does it matter? What if it is, if it is, if it does, if it does? Can we act as though it is possible and true? What does that mean?

December 3, 2015

Why Do We Buy?

Why do we buy? There are so many reasons, if we want to be thorough, but primarily, I think we buy things to solve a problem. The problem may be that we need food, that we need clothing, that we need transportation, that we need medical care. It may, of course, be that we need a gift for someone or that we need a pick-me-up. Perhaps we need to maintain the items we’ve already bought or that we already own, such as an oil change for the car or a haircut. No matter the reason, we all buy things. We also usually have a choice about where we buy. That choice is the crux of it all for a business owner.

November 10, 2015

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is fast approaching. It’s catching me by surprise this year – again. Is Thanksgiving still relevant? Is it important to set aside a day – one day – each year for the task of giving thanks for all that we have been given?

I say, yes! Each of us, no matter how wealthy or impoverished, has much to be thankful for. Maybe it is that we woke up on the right side of the grass today, as we like to say in my family. Maybe it is that the leaves are indescribably beautiful as they change. Maybe it is that no one in our family has had a trip to the E.R. in the past week, the past month, the past year (well, okay, the past month then). Maybe it is that my parents are still alive and in reasonably good health. Maybe it is that our country is not in a civil war at the moment. Maybe it is that there was food for breakfast this morning. Maybe it’s that I can get myself dressed each day without assistance. See, there is so very much to be thankful for.

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