Month: March 2018

Poor Man’s Fertilizer

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pexels-photo-86580.jpegThat’s what Spring Snow is called by some.  Some poor chaps trying to find the Positive as these “Pretty at Christmas” snowflakes fall.  From what I understand, the Snow picks up compounds from the atmosphere as it is Falling to Earth and as it falls on the thawed ground it seeps into our soil.  A Rich Fertilizer for our Poor Hungry Ground. Producing those little blades of Green Grass that give us a surge of Joy when our eye happen to spot them. That make us turn our faces upward to the Sun, and feel it’s warm welcome Rays.

So as I Consider this, I say “Welcome” to Another Snowfall.  I know By Noon, the Sun will peak out and Little Spring Streams of Melting Snow will start to Meander down my Sidewalk.  The Little Neighbour Girl will have her Pink Polkadotted Rain Boots on and Her Jacket Open to the Air.  Out for a walk with Gramma.  And she will Once Again remind me to Be Childlike.  And embrace Spring Snow. The Poor Man’s Fertilizer for Our Hungry Ground.  We’ll Take It.

 

Flip Side

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pexels-photo-965982.jpegThere’s always a Flip Side.  Another Side to the Coin. A New Perspective.

How often do we Sit in the same old used-to-be-comfy Chair. In the Same Corner of our Minds. Letting the Cobwebs continue to Spread over the Brochures of New Perspectives. Piled in the Corner. Quietly offering us a Doorway into Better Life.

The Price of these Priceless Adventures is Letting Go of our Resentments. Our Inertia. It means Standing Up on our Feeble Knees grown weak from Fear. Grown Stagnant from Lack of Personal Accountabilty. From waiting for a Fairy to wave her Wand and make us Strong. Motivated. Brave.

For Me, Too Often, Too Long. Today, I Dusted Off the Pamphlet. It’s Bold Bright Writing said “Free” ….Offering Today Only

Time and Opportunity to Garner Unlimited  JOY …

***only restriction is your own willingness to Show Up

Today I’m On an Adventure. In My Own Everyday Life. For Every Day Should Be Treated with the Same Intensity and Sense of Adventure as we do when we are on Vacation. Let’s Leave that Old Arm Chair in That Dusty Corner of Our Minds.  Walk into Our New Perspectives.

Xoxo

 

 

 

Frame Of Mind

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In speaking with my Darling Niece this morning, it was mentioned “The Difference is Our Frame of Mind.”  How True.  We hear the expression “The same water that softens the potato, hardens the egg.” How do we handle Hot Water?

Depends on my Frame of Mind.  And everyday, sometimes moment by moment, that can Change.  Some would want to make a Mental Illness out of it.  But it’s called Daily Building Materials.  What are They?  What did we Order from the Hardware Store today?

Did a shipment of Entitlement show up?  Along with Pride and Self Pity? That’ll be a fun thing to Build with!  And what a Dwelling Place to live in!  I’ll tell you One Thing, it won’t stop the Rain from Coming In, and the Toxic Black Mould that ensues will Make You Sick.

How about Humility.  Gratitude and Hope.  Faith and Mercy.  Long-suffering and Kindness.  How about Joy.  Now that is the proper Skeleton to Frame your Mind.  That is the Materials for a Sound Mind.

I don’t know how Yesterday went for you, but man, I ordered the Wrong Supplies.  So this  Mornings Meditations and Help from Dear Sweet Co Builders we Tore that Rotten Structure Down, and Man I’m excited to Build Today.

Thank You to my Community of Master Builders.  I love your Quality Craftsmanship.

 

xoxo

 

 

 

Making Lemonade

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Yes, there’s many connotations and meanings to this Title.  But actually, this blog is about actually Making Lemonade.  For me, it is a right of passage into Spring.  For several years now, I celebrate Spring by Making Lemonade.  I love the Process of it.  Picking out the Lemons at the grocery store.  Out of the pretty yellow Pile of Sunshine.  I press them to my nose like the woman in Under the Tuscan Sun.  With the duckling pressed to her face. Unashamedly.  Yes, and I Don’t Care.

When I get them home,  I  put them in a wicker basket.  Yep.   And I Crack the Window.  I cut all the lemons in half and place them Artfully on my Counter.  The pungent  Citrus fragrance starts to Float in the Air in my Tiny Kitchen.  I take my time juicing them and letting their juice trickle into the Pyrex with the red lettering on the side.  Picking out the seeds as I go.

There’s something so Satisfying about Stirring the syrup.  The Repetition and the Breeze floating through the Window.  The chirping of the happy birds.  The Smell of Lemons.  And the Heat off the Stove.

So Yes, the very act of making Lemonade is Healing for the Soul.  So is Making Lemonade in Life, as we all know.  But Try It.  Make Lemonade this Spring.  It really is a Happy Drink.  Kinda Like Liquid Sunshine.

 

 

Under Construction

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My whole street is blocked off.  There’s concrete pump trucks and construction workers.  Orange pylons and metal fences.  Jackhammers and generators noisily working.  For months now.  It’s Annoying.  Isn’t anything that’s Half Built?

Half Built Dreams.  Half Built Education. Half Built Relationships.  Half Built Careers.

There’s a Period of Time in anything of Value where it’s Messy.  Dirty and Labour Intensive.  It looks nothing like the End Product. All you have is a Vision.  And lot’s of times it doesn’t come to Fruition very fast.  The only thing to keep morale up and motivation strong is Vision.  The Desired Outcome.

Every day we need to Tap into Visualization.  Visualize your Life where you want it to be.  What we Visualize  we Become.  See yourself as a Failure, and that’s what is Manifested. Keep telling yourself you’re Lazy, Unorganized and Crazy, you will be Disappointed.

Today, tell Yourself you are Under Construction.  And Dream of the Outcome.

Happy.  Strong.  Focused.  Ambitious.  Brave.  And most of all Kind.

Now that’s A Beautiful Building.  A Beautiful place to Reside.

Happy Building!

xo

 

Romance The Dark Out of Everything

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I admit,  I’m a “Romanticizer“. I Romance the Heck out of Everything.

 In My Life. And Yes, In Yours too.

The Rose Coloured glasses are here to Stay.  I don’t like Ugly.  That doesn’t mean I don’t like the Truth.  It just means, I’m going to find a Way to make it Pretty.  I firmly believe in the Ultimate Good.  Some days it’s a Struggle out here.   Sometimes to Breaking Point.  Some Days there’s  Failure .

I am not a Failure and  I don’t see You as a Failure either.

I see Beautiful Humanity.  I see the Beautiful Intricacy that makes You, You.  Your Handicaps Intrigue Me.  Your Frailty Warms Me.  Your Struggle makes me want to Battle for You.

But I first had to Learn.

Learn to have my Handicaps not make me feel Shame.  I had to Learn to feel Kindness towards my own Infirmity.  I had to Learn to Battle Against Myself for Myself. I Learned to Show Up for Myself.  And in Learning that I Learned to Show Up for Others.

Some would say maybe I still have a Long Ways To Go.  And they’re Right.  But I don’t Look at the Distance with Fear, nor do I look at my Progress as Slow.  Because I’m busy Smelling Roses on this Journey of Life and Scattering Rose Petals ...

all over my Crazy and Yes, Yours Too.

Love you all. xo

How to Manage Your Anxiety in an Anxious World

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Dr. Eric Perry’s Blog

Written by Dr. Perry, PhD

“Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.” ~Leo F. Buscaglia

Millions of us are living lives disproportionately full of worry. This excessive worrying outweighs the possible impact that the occurrence of the anxiety-provoking event would have on our lives. We are not able to manage or control the thoughts that flood our minds. We are consumed with worry about family, health, work and everyday life events. While a certain amount of worry is a healthy reaction to life’s stressors, individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) have uncontrollable and excessive anxiety over such events.

According to the National Insitute of Mental Health (NIMH), anxiety disorders affect 18.1 percent of adults in the United States. This is approximately 40 million adults between the ages of 18 to 54. Research suggests that anxiety is the number one mental health issue in Northern America. According to…

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Tension

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There requires a certain amount of Tension on a musical string for Melody to be made.  For muscles to grow and maintain their Vigor. This applies to all areas of Life.  Tension is Good.

We’re always looking to be Stress Free.  And yes, Stress in crazy amounts Kills.  No Question.  But also so does Stress Free.  Our Lives like our muscles and musical strings go Slack.  They don’t perform to their best Capacity.  We need a little Tension.  Without it Passion ebbs, Drive diminishes and Sparkle refuses to Ignite.  We’re Wired for Battle.  From the Beginning of Time, there has been a need for Survival and even more so to Thrive.  To Soar. To Climb.

All these wonderful States require Pressure.  Resistance.  So Lets Lean In.  Feel the Adrenaline.  Make a Plan. Rosin the Bow. Put your Runners On. Stack the Weights.  Push to Failure. We ALL have the Capability for Amazing.  Thanks My Amazing Friends. Thanks for Inspiring Me. I Love You.

 

Home

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The purpose of our homes is to be a Sanctuary.  We want to be able to open our doors and feel our blood pressure drop.  I don’t know about you, but my home for a “longish” while ceased to be that for me.  In my efforts to figure out what a Home should be, I kinda hit both Ditches.  When I was newly married, I was Obsessed with Cleanliness.  Tidiness and Organization.  I was going to BE Martha Stewart’s nemesis dang it.  I was going to show HER what’s up.  I was Strung Out and Anxious.  Tighter than a Fiddle String.  Then I looked at my Kids and I had this Epiphany.  They Don’t Care.  But they do Need Me.  So I let it all go.  The laundry piled up and the dust.  The cat litter box overflowed.  I hugged my kids a lot and was present. I finally felt like a Good Mom.  But I also felt like a Lousy Housekeeper.  I was Embarrassed of my Home.  The messier it got the more overwhelmed I felt.

So now, it is about Balance.  That Fine Line.  The Tight Rope Walk.  I tune into my Feelings.  When my Home is where it needs to be for my comfort level I also am a Good Mom.  I feel like my kids have a Home they can be proud of too.  Also when all else fails, there’s nothing to make a home look better faster than Lamp Light.  Tulips by the Sink.  And Jazz floating gently in the air.  Mingled with a Mild Amount of Dust.  And tinkly Daughter Laughter.  That’s Utopia to Me.  Thank You Life.  I Love You.