I have an elderly neighbor who holds onto everything. She gives me things that are more than thirty years old sometimes. I appreciate the gifts but I wonder why is she holding on to the stuff or better yet what does she plan to do with it once she passes. It may sound like a morbid thought but it always brings me back to the decisions I make for me and my family. I want to leave my family with more than just debt! I realize it is the memories that last. We are all passing through this time and space, if we chose to let go of things, we could begin to hold on to love.
Photo credit: http://www.ilanelanzen.com/personaldevelopment/the-many-meanings-of-holding-hands/
My granddaughter loves picking up long sticks and playing with them when she is outside. I used to take them away from her because I was afraid of her hurting herself. Now a days, I let her pick them up and watch her closely as she swings the sticks around like magic wands. I want her to always know that she has the right to create the life of her choosing. The magic is within each and everyone of us.
Life is about balance. As with any up there is a surely a down or vice versa. Without the rainy days we wouldn’t enjoy the sunny ones. These ups and downs are the waves that either bring or take away things for our good, even if we don’t realize it. Like our breath, the up and downs simply means life.
With every action there is an equal or opposite reaction. In many instances, so many of us can find fault in the behavior of others but rarely take a moment to ask ourselves “how did my behavior contribute to this?” It was a hard reality for me to face and I didn’t always like the reflection that I got back but I was able to see things in me that I could work on. Change begins from within and we all have the same opportunity to be the change we wish to see.
I am an avid walker but I have learned to pay attention to my body’s warning indicator signals like sore knees or pinched nerves. As much as I don’t like to stop walking, I know it’s my body’s way of letting me know I need to slow down. This is the only body I have, and as with anything, to keep it working and functioning the way it needs to, it requires self-care. Take time to relax, renew and refresh yourself, you are worth it.
Everyone will have an opinion of what you should do or what you should not do. When we try to please others the one person who gets hurt in the end is you. The biggest challenge is to keep going in the times of adversity. In times of strife, remember “tough times don’t last, tough people do.” It is all about developing your mental toughness.
They teach us in Toastmaster that in order to be a great speaker you have to be a great listener. Not everyone is a great communicator and sometimes the message gets lost in translation, but one thing is for sure, everyone wants to know they matter. Sometimes the greatest gift you can do for someone is to open your ears and close your mouth. Just listen and learn.
We can be our own worst critics or we can be our own biggest supporter. It comes down to your self-talk. When I started writing, I would find myself saying “I don’t write like any other blogger” so for the longest time, I was afraid to share my writings. I was comparing myself to others. What I come to realize is that it’s not what others think that can make or break us but what we say about yourself to ourselves. Only you can be you!
When doubt starts to set in, remember why you started in the first place. It’s inevitable to feel like you’re going nowhere, but when you take a moment to reflect back on how far you have come, you will see that you are making headway.
It was another cloudy day today, and I pondered going for my walk. I was afraid of getting caught in the rain. The forecast did not call rain until later on in the evening, but the gray clouds were not floating away. I decided to go for the walk. The wind was blowing and the trees were swaying as I headed towards the park. I got my entire walk in without feeling one drop of rain.
Sweet N Social 
