Push Yourself Because No One Is Going to Do It for You When I was thinking about what to share this week, I tussled with a few ideas that I wanted to use to encourage you knowing that there are a lot of things going on in your life right now. So, understanding that you are busy, let me be your personal motivator to remind you to continue to push yourself because no one is going to do it for you. Whether it is getting the family ready for school, or re-organizing your life for the new year or simply […]
Productivity
Let Go or Be Dragged
I’d like to take my thought from last week, about givers and takers, and go one step further and encourage you to start on a more level emotional life path, and here’s my thought for this week–some of you need to let go or you’ll be dragged. Seems simple enough to let go, but–oh my–how many times have you given someone just one more chance? In reality, their 54th chance, but not like you’re counting or anything. And you–by constantly caving in to their emotional outburst or hurtful words or accusations–you let yourself be dragged through the emotional pain that […]
Start Wading
When I was a child, there was nothing I liked more than to wade into the cold creek and look for crawdads and frogs and other creek life. Then we started taking our summer vacation to Isle of Palms on the coast of South Carolina, and my creek became an ocean. Back then the island was row upon row of summer beach homes (not the spectacular ones you see nowadays). Our beach bungalow was easily recognizable since we were very close to the “famous” island house called Tickled Pink, and yes, it was bright Pepto-Bismol pink. (My brothers would have […]
I don’t know a single successful person
I don’t know a single successful person that leaves their shopping cart in the middle of the parking lot. I freely admit that I am probably in the 2% of people who love to go grocery shopping. I always have a list, but I also like to wander the aisles to see what else is in the market. It’s not that I have to buy anything; I’m just fascinated by packaging, current must-have mineral waters, acai berry teas and live lobsters in the tank with the little rubber bands on their finger-crushing claws. I tend to shop everywhere because of […]
The Emotion of Frustration
I am continuing with my series on emotions. I started the series with the emotion of anger because anger is a cancer to your soul. So, to have any chance for a successful and happy life, friend, you have to let it go. Then I talked about the pain of personal shame. Shame is a Failure to Meet Your Own Standard of Behavior, and this emotion will wreck your life if you’re not careful. And I added in the thought that you should stop thinking that others have to accept your forgiveness for you to be forgiven. They don’t. Once […]
The Emotion of Jealousy
I am going to continue with my theme of emotions, which are causing you harm… because I want you to understand that you are more than how you feel, and you can (with help) heal the damaged places in your heart and mind. My first lesson was about anger, last week I talked about shame and this week I want to talk about jealousy. Oh, jealousy, the green-eyed monster that will wreck your perfectly happy home and make you (a normal person) become insane with rage and keep you at night fretting over things you can’t control. Other words for […]
No Act of Kindness Is Ever Wasted
No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted! Aesop Well, I am back to my favorite theme again—kindness. And I am pretty sure you’ll agree with me, that the world at this very moment could use a little bit more kindness. Why? Because, friends, kindness matters—today, tomorrow and the next day. We just had Mothers Day, and I hope you took the time to show kindness toward mom, whatever your relationship. Today I want to talk about not only the value of kindness towards others, but also for you, as well. I love the quote that No act of […]
The Most Dangerous Risk of All
The most dangerous risk of all–The risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later. Today, I want to simply remind you that time is running out for you, my friend, and no matter how much you wish it would all slow down, so you can get your bearings and hang on the truth, time marches onward, whether you like it or not. The world is spinning, and if you’re like most people I talk with, you’re just hanging on for dear life…hoping to not get […]
A shoulder to lean on
I am a bystander – a new friend – and an American colleague who has come to work in her country. Just for a moment, in the late afternoon’s dusty air settling on a few minutes’ worth of freshly fallen rain, we are family. It can happen to anyone. The police report said he had come from the eye doctor and had his pupils dilated. Instead of waiting for the appropriate time to allow his eyes to see clearly, he got up from the hospital bench and walked into the street. Not being able to judge distance with his fractured […]