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PURPOSE, JOY AND POSITIVES

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BEAUTY:

The picture of this full moon doesn’t really convey the absolute beauty of the night, but the idea is there. I just had to stop, get out of the car and capture the image. My day had been a little off kilter, but seeing the beauty and magic of this moon capped my day with a  tender feeling that all was well.

Isn’t it funny how something so simple can do that for us? I wonder in any given day how many instances of beauty we miss? It is a lot like GRACE that I wrote about earlier…..we have to open our hearts and our minds to beauty and GRACE.

So, how do we get an ‘open heart and mind’ to see and feel these moments? I think it begins with a POSITIVE approach to life rather than being negative. This means we have to ‘ditch’ the old mantras of self-bashing and the recreating of unhealthy past scenarios. These two negatives will block one from being able to see, feel and fully experience the wonders of beauty and GRACE. For sure, other’s words and behaviors can be hurtful and sometimes we love to hang on to them. (How dare he/she talk to me like that!) However, this only serves to wound us and distort our thinking in negative ways.  Cognitive behaviorist’s suggest that we engage in consciously using positive mantras/remembrances each time the negatives we are holding pop up.

For me, another important approach to an open heart and mind is being grateful for what I have and accepting myself for who I am in this chapter. After all, I am still a work in progress! Being able to accept yourself for where you are and how you got there gives you ownership and blaming others will not be a part of who you are. Gratitude for what I have been given and not pining away for what my friend has, or I think he/she has, leaves one’s heart and mind space to see, feel and experience those moments of beauty and GRACE.  I spend a few moments every morning verbalizing what I am grateful for and asking for the GRACE to remain grateful.

This is one of my favorite quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting.”

At the end of your day, think about any moments of beauty you experienced and how it felt in your heart.

 

 

PURPOSE, JOY AND POSITIVES

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SEASONS CHANGE: ENCORE YEARS

Just as the change of seasons usher  in new temperatures, colors and general weather, so  also are the seasons of our lives. The season of youth is a time of great experimentation and learning, hopefully, gaining wisdom as we move toward adulthood. Adulthood brings its own challenges as we learn to navigate the world we live in without constant  supervision and guidance. We learn to make our own choices and suffer the consequences, be they positive or negative. Live and learn becomes the motto.

We have a season of career where we stretch ourselves to become the best that we can be, continue learning, and gain upward mobility, possibly recognition for our contributions. Most importantly one would hope to find a peace with their career choice and a true love of what they do each day. At the end of this season, we move into our retirement years, or as I like to call them, Encore Years. For me, it means that once again I stretch myself to learn new things, experience events  I have always wanted to do, learn more about the world through travel, grab as many moments as I can with family, and sit with my morning cup of tea.

For me, ‘sitting with the morning cup of tea’  includes prayer, meditation and reflection, thinking about living in this present day and letting tomorrow take care of itself. Sometimes present moment living is easier said than done and requires some contemplation and practice. I am still a work in progress on that one!

Here are some other things that show up for me in this new season of Encore Years:

  1. Breathing in the wonderful smells of nature as I do my slow walking.
  2. Chewing my food slowly to discern all the wonderful flavors.
  3. Taking in the gifts of my grandchildren in their smiles, hugs and their beings.
  4. Basking in sunshine any day I can for at least 20 minutes, even if it is cold out.
  5. Smiling at as many people as I can each day.
  6. Not cooking everyday, but when I do, relishing the recipe and the challenge.
  7. Being able to take days of ‘retreat’ to sort of disappear from life and drive to a new destination of a place  I have always wanted to visit.
  8. Reading a great book every night instead of preparing for work the next day.
  9. Changing how I dress from the corporate look to a casual, comfortable but sometimes elegant mode.
  10. Last but not least, counting my blessings daily and being grateful for each and every moment in the day.

“Change is one of God’s greatest gifts and most useful tools”  from Shauna Niequist, author.

Where are you in the season of change? What do you want to do next to enhance your current season?

PURPOSE, JOY AND POSITIVES

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GRACE:

There are several meanings of the word GRACE, one of which is ‘unmerited Divine assistance given to humans’ (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). It is freely given and filled with numerous blessings. It cannot be earned, stolen, nor is it based on our worthiness. GRACE …. just is simply GRACE with no attachments, surrounding us, waiting for us to be aware of GRACE, experience it, and use it.

I recently had lunch with a dear friend and we were talking about prayer and how we have developed our prayer life and changes we have added/deleted over time. She reminded me that we should include asking for GRACE in our daily prayers. As I pondered our conversation on the drive home, I realized that I have sort of been taking for granted that I am praying for GRACE automatically in my prayers, that  it is an all inclusive deal in prayer.  However, as I thought more about this, I realized I am wrong about that. I need to specifically ask for GRACE …….and so I started doing just that. It has been interesting to me to note that a few things have happened in the last couple of weeks that I believe were the direct result of the Lord answering my prayer for GRACE.

Our response to GRACE is to live our days here on earth showing GRACE to others with a sense of gratitude, generosity and kind gentleness with those we come in contact with. Our heart and soul can be filled with as much GRACE as we can be aware of. There is no limit. But we must indeed return it to others in our world and beyond in all ways.

“Life is measured in love and positive contributions and moments of grace” ( Carly Fiorina, American business woman and author).

Write down your moments of GRACE each day for five days and then review at the end of that time. I am sure you will find “Amazing Grace”.

 

PJP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PURPOSE, JOY AND POSITIVES

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NECESSARY, POSSIBLE AND IMPOSSIBLE:

Life certainly is full of all the ‘things’ we must do; things we would like to do; and things we think we will never be able to do. We need to streamline the ‘things’ in that order to help lift us up to creating the impossible, right?

I will use myself as an example of this idea. I set up a new schedule for myself to streamline my week. I do my necessary tasks on Monday for five hours. This includes cleaning, getting groceries, paying bills, watering plants, drugstore items and general errands. One day of the week is for my volunteer work; three hours per week for clients; one half day is for an art class; and two hours per week for yoga class.  The rest of the week is divided into half day slots for my possible…..watercolor painting and writing.

There was a time about 14 years ago that watercolor painting and golf were on the impossible list. (Golf is still moving toward positive possible…not there yet!) Watercolor painting  became possible through classes and practice, and now I would say that it is a necessary part of my life. I want to do it: I love it: I am pulled nearly everyday with the desire to head downstairs to the studio. The point is that by DOING it regularly, what I once thought was impossible, has moved from impossible, to possible and necessary.

Now on to my impossible: writing of the book and the journal article.  For several years, I have had two book outlines and researched material  in my head and information sitting on note pads, along with a journal article that has been only partially completed. Writing a blog used to also be in the impossible category until January of 2017.  I committed to  start writing, continued and now it is not only possible, but it is moving toward necessary for my personal fulfillment of the authorship goal. Point again is that by working and committing yourself to the impossible, you can make it not only possible for yourself, but also necessary for you to thrive. I must now start real work on my impossible category.

St. Francis of Assisi from The Book of Change: “First do what is necessary, then do what is possible and before long you will find yourself doing the impossible”.

Set aside some time today to write down your necessary, possible and impossible. Now make a plan to move the impossible to the possible category.

Have a great fall weekend!

PURPOSE, JOY AND POSITIVES

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VALUE OF OUR GIFTS……..

I often like to sit in beautiful gardens that I spot on my journeys and reflect. The one above happens to be in Door County, Wisconsin, one of my all time ‘perfect spots’ to spend some time, be it days or hours.

I have several grandchildren of various ages that love me unconditionally and bring great JOY and PURPOSE into my life. My idea of present and future is always filled with how I can teach them, share with them, and model for them values that I hold dear. Yes, of course they hear it from their parents, but a grandparent is a different entity. We hold a different type of weight with them than parents because we aren’t around everyday and are not involved in the daily trials and disciplines. (Thank you very much).

I recently read  an article published by Lorene Hanley Duquin  in Word Among Us entitled “What Makes Your Grandchild Special?”  The topic was about teaching your grandchildren to value and appreciate their different gifts and talents. At young ages, it is about helping them value  the gifts of sight, hearing, smell, speech and touch and how to use them to help each other and make the world a better place. The article also spoke about gifts that can turn out to be weaknesses if used inappropriately.  One example would be if a child has good athletic abilities and physical strength but uses this gift to ‘bully’ others.

For older children, Duquin talks about the gifts of knowledge for a desire to learn; the gift of wonder to help them appreciate the mysteries of life; the gift of judgement to help them know the difference between right and wrong; and the gift of understanding to help them ‘know’ what lies deep within.

As I read the article and reflected, it came to me that it probably is not just the children and grandchildren in our lives we need to share thoughts of valuing our gifts; perhaps there are adults in our lives that we should focus on their gifts to us rather than the negatives.

What special gifts do I have and am I using them to the best of my ability? What gifts can I share today with someone?

Duquin says:  “Gifts are like pieces of a puzzle. We can’t see the picture unless all the pieces fit together”. 

PURPOSE, JOY AND POSITIVES

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ONCE AGAIN: LITERACY

As many of you know, literacy for  young children is a dear subject in my brain and heart. This week was Book Fair Week at my grandchildren’s school. All four of the grands  know, without a doubt, that  Nama will be purchasing one of the books on their list as a gift to them. A book is always a part of every occasion I can think of for each of them…….to build a lifetime appreciation of books and a love of reading.

Here are some interesting facts about literacy:

1) Young children  exposed to early language and literacy events have been found to be good readers. This includes not only books being read to them and pictures described, but also conversation, stories told and writing….maybe a note to Nama!

2) The first three years of school are the critical time for learning basic literacy skills…..oraientation to books, sound/letter knowledge, decoding skills, basic reading to answer literal comprehension questions.

3) If these skills are not mastered by the beginning of fourth grade, the child will most likely struggle with advanced informational reading required to be successful in school.

4) One in four (1 in 4) children in America grow up without learning to read at a basic level.

With our children being the HOPE of the future, it is only right and extremely important that we teach them to love books, reading, and support them in any challenges they have with literacy.

Dr. Seuss: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

By the way, when I present workshops  to different school entities about language and literacy, my presentation ALWAYS  begins with reading the Dr. Seuss book “Oh,  the Places You’ll Go” , which I relate to language, literacy and learning.

What are you reading this week? Do you have a TO READ list? Do you have a special  little someone in your life that you can gift a book to?

 

PURPOSE, JOY AND POSITIVES

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CHILDREN: HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

Yesterday was the first day back at my volunteer job at the school where my grandchildren attend. This is the fourth year I have volunteered there one day a week to provide speech, language and literacy assistance to those students in need.

As I walked the hallway checking out new displays, the above caught my eye:  “Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future”  John F. Kennedy.  I will share my reflections of the day from that quote.

As we watch children grow and pass from grade to grade, each year increasing in knowledge, resourcefulness and hopefully confidence, it is truly a pretty amazing event to witness.  They are so young, impressionable, and like blank slates. We as teachers, parents, grandparents, godparents, aunts, uncles, older cousins and family friends have unique opportunities every day as we encounter the children in our lives to help them grow in their resources, skills, and plant the seeds of greatness. They are THE FUTURE! They will make their mark on the events of the world, the environment,  and contribute to society in ways we of this generation have not even considered. Each child, no matter what struggles they may have in the education system, WILL make a unique contribution that only they can make.

So, let’s not let any opportunity pass us by that we might influence, inspire, and support these young students. Talk your talk and walk your walk as a role model for each child on your journey. You never know what words or actions from you that may be exactly what the child needs that will move them forward.

No other quotes needed for today. John F. Kennedy said it well.

Look for opportunities each day to make a difference in a child’s life……..it doesn’t have to be  monumental, just make the difference.

 

PURPOSE, JOY AND POSITIVES

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Turning to fall!

With the beginning of the school year and the turning of the calendar to September, I can already feel fall fast approaching. The stores are filled with  dark sweaters, scarfs and warm comfies instead of the light weight soft pastel colors of summer. Just last week, I saw Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations in one of the local decor stores! No matter what I may think, fall will arrive.

Inspite of my grousing about the end of summer and the anticipation of fall, I do really enjoy the season……..once it gets here. Things I love the most are the beautiful multicolored bright leaves, walking on a crisp morning breathing in the smell of evergreens, building a fire on a slightly chilly evening, exchanging my sandals for my favorite fall classic shoes, though still open toed (LOL), planting mums around the border of my perennial garden, looking for perfect pumpkins with my grandkids, and decorating the house with a few treasured fall items.

Fall also somehow inspires me to clean closets, unclutter my desk, cull the bookcase and organize in general. It gives me a renewed sense of order and helps me create a new schedule of discipline for writing on my book and watercolor painting. By the end of summer, my schedule of writing and painting gets a little off as I try to grab every last minute of all the things I wanted to ‘play’ at during summer. So, here we come Fall…..ready or not!

F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “Life starts all over again when  it gets crisp in the fall.”

What do you love about fall?

 

Purpose, Joy and Positives

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BACK TO SCHOOL

Today is the last official day of vacation for my grandchildren as tomorrow the new school year officially starts at 8:30 AM!! It reminds me of an appropriate book called: All I Really Need to Know I learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulgrum (2004). Don’t let the title fool you! There is a wealth of knowledge in this little book.

Fulgrum says this is what we learn in Kindergarten:

“Share everything; play fair don’t hit people;  put things back where you found them; clean up your own mess; don’t take things that aren’t yours; say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody; wash your hands before you eat; flush; warm cookies and cold milk are good for you;  live a balanced life; take a good nap every afternoon; when you go out into the world watch out for traffic hold hands and stick together;  wonder; goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even a little seed in the styrofoam  cup they all die so do we;  then remember the Dick and Jane books and the first word you learn….. the biggest word of all LOOK; everything you need to know IS in there somewhere”.

Wow… a mouthful and a brain wave full of info in 16 phrases! These most likely were messages and experiences each of us were exposed to in Kindergarten (and before in our families). How many of these do we still struggle with as adults???? I think my favorite is: “Remember the Dick and Jane books and the first word you learn… the biggest word of all LOOK”. Because when we truly LOOK at ourselves, our lives and our dreams, we as adults still have much to learn, to experience and to develop so that we can become that best version of a Kindergarten student  we can be!

Robert Frost, my favorite poet, says, “I am not  a teacher, but an awakener”. 

Which one of those Kindergarten learnings do you still struggle with as an adult??

 

PURPOSE, JOY AND POSITIVES

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CHALLENGES!

Life is never short on challenges! Would you agree? At times, it seems like if it is not one thing to manage, then it is another.  Various ways to look at those periods in our lives is that these challenges could be hidden opportunities……depending on how we rise to the occasion. If we face the issue head on, then we have a good possibility of resolving and overcoming, depending on our line of thinking, positive or negative. Contrarily, if we avoid the matter at hand, it either gets worse or in time gets slightly better,  but usually does not resolve itself. Funny thing about that!

The interesting note about life’s challenges is that after the crisis and one has time to reflect (and this could be a long time after), one may find that the permeating issue has morphed into opportunity, in which a new path to growth and inner development forged into a change for the positive path/direction in life.  The reality is that often we may come to realize that this would most likely not have happened had we not been faced with the original challenge and did the work to resolve it. In other words, we would not have sought out the new direction on our own…….we needed guidance and enlightenment to see it. What is it they say about our hindsight……often clearer than our foresight!

“The challenges that come our way in life are simply opportunities to change, to grow,  and to become  the-best-version-of-ourselves” Matthew Kelly, Dynamic Catholic, from The Seven Levels of Intimacy.

How do you view your current challenge and could it be an opportunity for growth?