How Is YOUR Day Going To Be?

FB Post, Saturday, May 25, 2013

Good Saturday morning!  Where did Friday go?  :P
I was talking with a friend of mine yesterday and we were talking about my posts about Mr. Rogers.  She said, it may sound silly but, some days she starts her day humming "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood..."  She said she does that to help set the tone for the day.  I LOVED that!  What a great thing to do; start your day with an attitude direction in mind.
We have all started our day on the proverbial wrong side of the bed.  It happens!  So why not try to make a conscious effort to decide where your day is going to go regardless of how it starts or what happens?  Happiness doesn't come from the things around us but from how we see things.  And when we rely on our environment to make us happy, we are at the mercy of everything that happens in the course of a day.
I am so much happier since I have started to look at obstacles as challenges or opportunities.  As another lady I spoke with yesterday said, as hard as it is to see our children go through all the trials of childhood, she reminds her kids how strong they'll be when they come out on the other side!!  Okay, so they may not buy that now but, one day!  :)
Today I've already decided it's going to be a great day.  God forbid something tragic should happen (those are the REAL challenges).  But I will focus on solely what is within my control: where there is sadness I will do my best to bring joy, where there is negativity, I will bring a smile, where there is frustration, I will bring understanding.  I can't "make" another person feel a certain way any more than I can be made to feel a certain way.  It is a choice, how we see things and feel about them.  When we really, really understand that, it is the most liberating thing in the world.  But it's a hard place to get to.  At least, it has been for me.  But SO worth the effort!
I pray you come to find peace inside of you faster than I have discovered the key to peace inside of me.  It will happen when you are ready.  Of course, it's not a destination; it is an ongoing journey.  Obstacles are everywhere every day.  But are they something to be defeated by, go around, or climb over?  Will you do it joyfully, peevishly, or fiercely?  You get to decide.  How awesome is THAT?  Peace.  And I hope you make you day great!  :)

Teachers

Good Thursday morning!!  Busy, busy day.  Just waiting for my coffee to finish brewing and need to figure out what to get Holly's teacher for end of year!  I don't know if you can ever thank a teacher.

Do you remember a particular teacher who made all the difference in the world to you?  I think we've all had the amazing teachers and we've had the teachers that....perhaps should have retired 5 years before.  :)  I remember my grade 3 teacher, Mrs. Jarvis, who was just so kind.  When I had my tonsils out she had the entire class sign a card for me (I still have it somewhere!).  My mother-in-law never ceases to inspire me when I see her teach; she is of a good English stock - stiff upper lip and all that boff - but when she talks about her students from years ago she always gets teary-eyed and it is the most wonderful thing to witness.  She has such a passion for education and for child development.  

We are all teachers in one way or another.  And, whether we like it or not, we decide what it is we want to teach and what we want to learn.  Do we take away from a lesson the good things that where taught, or the negative things?  Two people will have the same teacher and attribute two completely different views, even though the exact same thing is being taught to each person.  So is the same with life.  How I interpret a scene has little to do with what is going on and everything to do with what is going on in my head.  How I choose to see things.  

So, what are you being taught today?  What are you going to teach?  I hope to teach compassion.  I hope to teach acceptance.  I hope to learn how to better love and show patience.  I'm going to look for it.  We tend to find what we are consciously looking for.  So perhaps the better question is HOW are you going to learn today?

Have a great day everyone.  Love where you are, even if it's in traffic or with someone you aren't particularly fond of.  There's ALWAYS an up side.  If you look for it.  :)  Peace.

Be Kind

FB Post, May 22, 2013

"Be kind whenever possible...It is always possible".~~Dalai Lama
Good Wednesday Morning! Just got my coffee. Note to self: empty the coffee carafe from the previous day BEFORE making a new pot. Doh! Thankfully, the coffee on the counter was amazingly retained by some invisible force-field that kept it from running off the edge of, or under any of the things on, my counter. Sweet!
So, kindness. Have you been kind lately? Do you try to be kind? Or do you see it as a weakness? I had someone say to me once that they didn't like to smile TOO much because they felt it made them look "simple". Shoot; then I must look pretty dang daft most of the time! I thought that was a peculiar translation of smiling. Smiling at another person is a leap of faith. You have no guarantee what kind of a response you will get but, done with sincerity and kindness, has the power to brighten someone's entire day. I know because it has happened to me!
Are you kind to only those that are kind to you? I used to be. But then I thought what a waste of kindness. If I only give it to those that are kind to me, I'm limiting myself to a potentially very small circle. BUT, if I show kindness to every person I encounter (I've never been mugged so, if I am, I'll have to see how that goes!) I am opening up a channel for kindness. For love, really. We have little problem showing kindness when there is a great tragedy (prayers and strength going to Oklahoma) but every person I meet every day is, has, or can be experiencing their own tragedy. So why not show kindness to them too?
Assuming the best in people seems to have become a novelty in our society. We hear about all the bad things people do. (I LOVE when “good” is reported. Success stories, triumphs, love found where there seemed to be none, etc.) I hear people say all the time “I would NEVER day that!” or “What is WRONG with her?!”. Well, everyone has a story. When we seek out to see the good in people, we build a bridge. When we stand back and see what is wrong with people, we build a pedestal of “me vs. you” upon which we stand and look down and everyone looks like insignificant ants. When we do that, it’s difficult to have a connection and therefore easy to judge. I’m not sure why this is the norm. But it doesn’t seem to be helping us as a community.
Do I have to like everything everyone does? Heck no! I have no idea why some people do the things people do! But I can try to understand. Even those who appear prejudiced or self-righteous or just "rude". I know that’s just fear. When we don’t understand something we tend to fear it. It is close-minded and people hide behind their “truths” to put themselves back up on that pedestal where, once again, we break the connection with our fellow humans. Because, for whatever reason, that feels safe.
So, today, maybe, be brave. Be kind. Even if someone is mean, nasty, unkind. When you are kind to them, you are taking away their power to poison you and giving them the tools to know what kindness is. Maybe they’ll respond positively, maybe they won’t. It’s not my job to save anyone. It’s not my job to judge. It’s only my job to love. Love my fellow human for the child of the universe that we all are. That’s not idealistic. That’s conducive to a well functioning society.
Have a great day everyone! I enjoy seeking connections with you every day. Peace.

Positive Affirmation - That's Okaaaaay

Good Tuesday Morning!  So, I was thinking about how I am a person of affirmation.  Saying things to my kids, and people around me, that are positively affirming.  But if you don't believe it yourself, does it really mean much?  I mean, it's certainly nice to hear compliments and kind things - I love it! - but when you doubt yourself can something someone else says really bolster you if you're just not believing it yourself?

My mother, my WHOLE life, has described me as beautiful.  "Isn't she beautiful?"  I am NOT fishing for compliments here, because I've always had difficulty seeing myself in that light.  I see myself as kind of peculiar looking, yet nothing terribly remarkable.  And that's okay!  As I've gotten older, I've become accustomed to my face.  J  But I never thought I was "beautiful" no matter how many times my mother told me, or anyone around me. 

So, why would I, someone who could not relate to something as simple as that, be one who believes in positive affirmation?  Because, when we are at our lowest, it is nice to hear that someone else loves us?  Someone else appreciates us in a way we can’t appreciate ourselves?  I would agree with that.  But there is a need for more.

So here’s my goal.  I don’t go out in the world and just say to a stranger “Oh, I love your dress” or “nice shoes” (well, I DO say that too but I’m getting to my point!); when I say I like something about a person what does that really mean?  That “I” like something about that person.  But what really matters is what does that person like about himself or herself? 

So, I’ve begun to more actively focus on admiration and a person’s ability.  I say to my kids (this was just yesterday): “Ooooo, I like the way you solved that problem.  You are turning into a great problem solver.  Would you help me with a problem some time?”  It’s not enough to just pay compliments.  I mean, of course it’s nice!  I love to hear nice things!  Compliments, and kindness, are the threads that keep us connected in the light.  What keeps our relationships full of life.  I just think, sometimes it is important to take it to the next level; to empower someone.  To offer a connection between the person with whom you are engaging and their gifts.  I think that is one of the keys to helping someone realize his or her full potential. 

At the end of the day, what does it matter what I think of your shoes, or dress, or façade?  What matters most is what is going on in your head.  What YOU think of you. 

That has been one of my focuses when I write my daily notes and cards; to emphasize my addressee’s talents and how they have directly impacted my life. 

We are all connected to one another whether we like it or not.  But how are you connected to yourself?  How do you influence you?  How do you see you? 

I think you are beautiful.  I’m talking to each of you.  Because I’m pretty sure the person reading this is human (well, monkeys ARE getting smarter and smarter!) and therefore a child of God, nature, the Universe - however you want to see it.  I hope you know you are beautiful; not just because I told you so, but because you believe it with every fiber of your being; that you know you have your own meaning and place in this grand design.

“You are important, and what you do, MATTERS!”  J

Peace. 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

FB Post, Sunday, May 12, 2013

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! I know I am one of the most blessed people on the planet because I was given my mom, Jean Kelly. 
She was born in 1935, second youngest of 13 kids in a small mining town in Nova Scotia. When she was born, there was a mission priest who had come into port and her mother brought her to him for a special blessing. That effort was not wasted. 
In her youth she would sing at morning mass every day before school for $10 a month, which meant the world as they didn't have a lot of money. Plus she loved to perform! In an effort to improve her social standing, after completing grade 11 (nobody in her class wanted to stay beyond that), she went to nursing school. She and her girlfriends had all planned to go to San Diego where nursing jobs were plentiful to start their new exciting lives. All the plans were made and she was all set to go! And then her father got sick and was in hospital. So, she told her girlfriends to go ahead and she would join them once her father was well enough to go home. My mother’s father was so proud of her that he had her nursing graduation picture on his bedside table in his hospital room. A young doctor at the hospital saw the picture and inquired “Well, who’s that lovely lady?” Long story short: my dad was that young doctor and my mom never made it to San Diego!
For the next 14 years they built their lives and our family. First in the small town of St. Lawrence and then to the “big city” of St. John’s, Newfoundland (remember where Titanic hit the iceberg? It was off the coast of there!). I love that my parents took so many pictures of us as we can see how much joy they had in their lives with us kids. Sadly, my mom was widowed with 6 children at the age of 37 when my dad passed away from cancer. I think about myself in that situation. What would I do? 6 kids?? Holy shitake mushrooms!!
My mother raised all 6 of us to be human beings that I would want to know even if we weren’t related. She has been a pillar in our lives, each of us having our own unique relationship with her. For me, she has been a spiritual guide and showed me the joys of loving freely. She showed me how to be strong and that it’s okay to need a helping hand sometimes too when things are tough. But mostly to be the helping hand. I see the love and generosity in my family and I know that comes from my mom. And though we, my siblings, generally attribute our senses of humor to our dad, my mom is pretty funny too! Lord knows she’s had to learn to laugh at life with our crowd pulling her in so many ways!!
So, whatever your mother’s story is, even if you don’t get along well with her, know that she has a story too. She’s lived and had trials. It’s cliché, but being a mother REALLY IS one of the hardest jobs in the world and really not one you can truly appreciate until you yourself become responsible for another human’s life.
Thank you, Mom, for all you do, and for all you have done for me and us “kids”. I don’t know what I did to have been given you as a mom, but, as we say, “I must have done something good.” 
Have a wonderful day all you mommies!! Sending you love, peace, patience, kindness, and compassion! Those are the tools required. (A little wine never hurt either!  ) Peace.

Love is Our Connector

Goood Saturday Morning!!  Dress in layers this morning if you're gonna be out because baby, it's cold (for Texas in May) outside!

Here's something fun.  Last night I took this picture of Holly (on the left) and it immediately reminded me of something but didn't give it much thought until I sent it to my sister and she said it reminded her of some sort of 1950's Hollywood baby star - and then it hit me!!  I was looking at a picture of my dad when he was young (on the right)!  Aren't genetics amazing?!!  (Well, especially in my case since members of my immediate family have full-on afros (see pictures from the 70's for evidence) and little Asian babies keep showing up in my kids' photo folders based on facial recognition - what are you not telling us mom!  Because looks like we have an awesome and diverse lineage!)

But aside from the actual genetic likeness, what really strikes me about these photos is the spirit that seems to jump off the page in each photo.  There's such joy in each of their faces. 

I started listening to a course series yesterday by Marianne Williamson for The Law of Divine Compensation: On Work, Money, and Miracles and she starts out talking about universal spiritual themes and how before we are born we are love, and after we die we are love.  Love is eternal.  She says enlightenment is when we are aware of our spiritual knowledge.  When we are reality driven – 3D – it confines us.  When we are spiritually driven, we open ourselves up to infinite possibilities.  And I’ve only listened to the first 7 minutes!!  And this is not about religion.  It’s about our connections in life and how important they are.  We are connected to our past and our future.  And we are connected to each other. 

I look at this picture of Holly and my dad and think how they have never known each other but each has known me.  I am their connector.  And though he left to take care of us from a loftier vantage point when I was just 2, I know in his short time his spirit left an indelible mark on me that I am hopefully leaving with my children.  My mom always talks about how much my dad loved his children. 

I hope my spiritual knowledge leads me to succeeding in spreading the love that has been given to me and know that it is limitless.  These faces show me how relentless it can be.

Have a great day everyone!! Peace.

Jesus is Fierce, Not Arrogant

FB Post, Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Jesus is fierce. You know what makes Jesus fierce? What makes him fierce is his passion for love. Jesus, back in his day, was fierce about loving one another and teaching us how to love one another. That was his mission. 

You know what also made him fierce? He hung with the sinners. He hung with the sinners because they needed love the most. They were real people dealing with real conflicted issues. 

Jesus is fierce because he wants us to love. He's not fierce because he wants to be "right". With being "right" comes a lot of arrogance and judgement and that just isn't who Jesus is. Jesus is humble. And he teaches us to love one another. Not just this person and that person, all persons. 

And, turns out, other religions and spiritual leaders also teach us to love. Thank you for that. And thank you to those that put things out there that help me reinforce my beliefs and delve deeper each day. Peace. And love. :)