Sowing Seeds of Happiness

I believe that we should intentionally choose daily habits or “disciplines” that will take us where we want to go in life. Each statement below stands for a pattern or habit that I want in my life. Some of the statements get more focus or effort than others, but over the years, they all have become the habits that help me create the life I want for myself.

1. Smile more, let yourself be happy and avoid negative people when possible.
2. Ask not what others can do for you, but what you can do for them.
3. Forgive others, forgive yourself, and learn from every mistake.
4. Always focus on self-improvement but keep it simple.
5. Live your life with passion, enthusiasm and purpose.
6. Be there for others, you could be someone’s hero.
7. Live in the moment and be grateful for it.
8. Do not put things off and never give up.
9. Always give more than you promise.

What do you want your life to look like? If you do not like how life is responding to you, you may need to look in the mirror. It is not about other people changing; it is often about you changing. I encourage you to choose a few simple, positive habits that will enhance your life. Reduce them to simple actions that you will be able to perform every day. It has often been said, “You reap what you sow”. So, get out there and plant a seed, you will get back more than one seed, you will get back thousands!

Happy New Year - Good Bye 2010 Blog

I swear I am running out of steam with all the holidays galore. Whether you celebrated Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or your own special holiday, December is a whirlwind of activity capped off with a final holiday called the New Year—after which brings us a brand spanking new set of 12 months. I don't think I am going to make any New Year's resolutions this year but I typically make continuous goals that I strive for yearlong. These goals are easy, like trying to be a better wife, friend, employee, and overall person. If you want to make changes in your life, you need to start right now with something that is not that hard to change. Here are a few goals that I plan to work on this year:

1. I will try to exercise more regularly.
2. I will try to get more sleep in the coming year because 3-4 hours a night is about to do me in.
3. I will try to drink more water. I think I need to break my McDonald’s Sweet Tea and Starbuck’s Sweetened Green Tea addiction.
4. I will try to recycle more and be mindful of my footprint on this Earth.
5. I hope to do writing/blogging that is more meaningful in 2011.
6. I plan to say, "I love you" or “I appreciate you” every day to those that matter.
7. I want to be a better person. That means I will be more open and more introspective. I will listen more, preach less and lead with smaller steps rather than huge leaps.
8. Lastly, I look forward to the New Year with promise and hope.

I hope when you take time to reflect back on the past 12 months as I have, you will find happy thoughts and pleasant memories. New Year's Day means to me that we all have a fresh start with our goals and resolutions. It means that we have more chances to do the things we have always wanted to do. It means yet another year to spend with our loved ones and our friends. I am wishing you all a safe and wonderful New Year.  Happy New Year!

Self Awareness

I believe we were put on this planet to master life. However, I know the only way to master life is to master ourselves first. Lately, I have had many days where I have felt tired and burned out and moments when I wanted to wave a white flag petitioning the powers that be for a brief respite. On some days, I felt as though I have lived an entire week in one day. These feelings have caused wear on my physical, mental and emotional being. This awareness has caused me to explore the need to be honest with myself, feeling the pull to connect to the truth, and feeling the need to step off the hamster wheel. I know who I am because acceptance is the key, honesty is my tool, and my feelings are my guides.

I believe that women are the most generous of givers. We live to give and give to live. This compulsion is often to the point of complete exhaustion. Lately, I have been wondering why I am compelled to give so much of myself freely. Through generosity and hard work, I try to give to all those around me – and do so without replenishing my own soul. Realizing this, I need to make myself a priority. Rather than standing in a space of critical and harsh self-judgment, I need to soften toward myself. I need to understand that each personality trait and every quality that resides within me serves a greater purpose. Although I may not be able to see it now, one day I will realize that every one of the qualities that I judged or labeled as wrong or bad is a blessing waiting to be realized. I also plan to give myself one small indulgence each day. For example, instead of running around meeting everyone else’s needs, I am going to take some time to sip my morning tea listening to the birds with my face upturned to the sun. I plan to breathe deeply and give myself the gift of stillness. I will also work on becoming a great receiver of all that I want in life instead of waiting for someone else to fulfill the need within me.

I have learned that I do not want to tip toe through life so that I can arrive safely at my death. There is an ominous stillness in the water between the waves and when we need to regroup. I need to remind myself to move into the still, peaceful waters behind the wave and lie on my back and look at the sky and rest. May we all find our place on the wave of life and ease onto it with grace.

Life Is Too Short - Enjoy It!

How do you see life: through the eyes of an optimist, through the eyes of a pessimist, or through the eyes of a realist? This week, I had an epiphany. I finally acknowledged that I was an optimist but I like to be viewed as a realist. Although, sometimes I let pessimism get in the way of achieving my goals because my outlook on things is readjusted to fit the circumstances that life brings my way. You see, we really have characteristics of each in us, but one is more dominant.

Mostly I see the world as a grand opportunity with people, who like me, also are not perfect. I believe in the power of positive thinking and try to see the bright side of most situations. I am perhaps too positive at times, and downright silly, but that is better than being bitter and feeling like life has passed me by. For me, things do work out better this way and I am a much happier person for it. I truly want to see the good in people and situations and often am accused of wearing rose-colored glasses. Being happy really is a choice that has brought me many rewards.

We are only living on this earth for a short while and I have realized, yet again, how short life can be, how perilous our existence really is and how important it is to keep the extraneous garbage at bay. I am excited when I think about the possibilities that 2010 will bring. Life is too short to not enjoy it, so my goal is to savor and enjoy the journey and not to always worry about the destination.

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” - Winston Churchill.

Happy New Year

I wish for courage and strength for those serving in harms way. Our men and women of our armed forces represent the true heart and soul of America. We are blessed to have soldiers and commanders who are committed to the mission of making a better Iraq and Afghanistan. Wishing for peace on earth and wishing all a Happy New Year.

Goal Setting for 2010

The year 2009 is almost over and a new decade is just a few days away. If your inclination is to look at last years resolutions and just change the date, you are wasting your time. If you do not even bother planning for the New Year, you are begrudging yourself of the chance for creating the life you really want. This is the perfect time for all of us to make achievable resolutions, goals, declarations, intentions, plans, wishes, or whatever you want to call them.

During this time of year, I also like to look back across my life and review all things that I have already accomplished. No matter who you are, we all have accomplished many things for which we should be thankful. Yes, it has been a tough year, but we all have a lot to look forward to despite the economic outlook. What are the most important things to you in your life (family, money, security, or fun)? Do you even know? I am talking about values. Our values guide our life and the decisions and choices we make. Often, life takes a turn and we are not living congruently with our values. Being out of sync with our values creates undo stress in our life. So, go ahead and reevaluate your values before you decide on your new goals for the New Year. An old adage says, “Plan your work, and work your plan.” That is especially appropriate when you are setting goals.

You have everything you need to make your goals happen. You have the answers and wisdom within yourself to know the truth for your own life. We all are in a time of change, so this is a perfect time for you to live your life according to your own values — to create what you want for yourself. Surround yourself with the people you love and who support you no matter what, and you will achieve your goals for 2010! It is possible--start NOW!