Tag: motivation

My Way Mentality

When my children were younger, I took on many of the tasks of child rearing not considering what effect it had on my husband. There are many joys and frustrations that come with raising children. Many arguments usually started at times when I was tired and just didn’t know how to ask for help. I took too much on and wasn’t willing to share the load with my partner because I though it had to be done MY way. When people offer to help, let them. We get so caught of in the belief that if something is not done in a particular way, that it is wrong.

Of course at the time I didn’t know this. It is now, as a grandparent, that I realized that some of the frustration was self-induced. My husband loves taking care of our granddaughter. I can see how it has changed him and I know she absolutely loves to spend time with him.

Many people just want to know that they matter. By opening yourself up to receive help from others, you are allowing them to experience purpose and meaning in their life.

October 15, 2018
Plant Yourself a Garden

What is it about reading that I love? I was not always a reader. I picked up the habit of reading more once I turned off the television. I love to read nonfiction books. The self-help to the neuroscience. Not everything I read do I understand at first, but the more I read, the more I learn and start to understand. Slowly the information sinks in to my brain.

It has happened over many years that some of the information that I’ve read started to make sense years after I’ve read it. It’s like planting a garden. The harvest will not bloom immediately, but eventually the seeds start to sprout. I start to understand. Another way to look at it is in the effects of compound interest. We build a foundation and everything after the foundation is built upon the information that we learned previously. Each layer is helping you raise up to the next level. Each new book plants a new fruit, flower or tree.

I would also like to share that the more I read, the more my world expands. You do not have to put into action everything that you read nor do you necessary have to agree with the author’s opinion. Learn to process what works for you and let go of the stuff that doesn’t. In the end, you have a much broader harvest to pick from.

October 8, 2018
The Fill Up

When is enough, enough? There is a such thing as being there to help your friends in times of need but when your friend no longer takes responsibility for the decisions that they make. Its okay to say “NO”. It’s called self-care and there is nothing selfish about it.

Many years ago I learned that so many of us are always ready to help others but fail to put the same kind of energy into helping ourselves. We can’t pour out what we have not taken the time to pour into. I like to think of ourselves as vehicles on this Earth. We zoom around running errands for our children, spouses, and friends. As in life, we need to gas up the car in order to keep the car in motion. The self-care that we do for ourselves is like going to the gas station for a fill up. When we don take acre of the car, we run the risk of damaging the vehicle. Everyone I know, hates to see the check engine light come on. That’s the same thing that our bodies are doing with headaches, backaches and other aches.

Don’t wait for the check engine light to come on before you decide to take care of yourself. You are just as important as your children, spouse and friends. We are given this one life to live. Make is your best life by taking care of yourself like you take care of your car.

October 1, 2018
Playing Catch

Today is the day I walk with a walking club. I don’t compete but I do use other walkers as incentive to push myself. In most cases, you look for a walker who is ahead of you and you make them your focal point. Once I can find a target walker, I put my head down and focus on my walking technique and breathing. With such focus, you can usually “walk them down” in other words, you can catch them. I’ve been catch and I have caught others.

I did not try and walk anyone down today. I started late so I just focused on my walking stride and breath. I did start to pass people. After the walk was over, a gentleman can over and told me he looks for me on the trail. I’ve seen this man on several occasions but we’ve never spoken to each other before. He told me he had to let me know, he looks to try and stay ahead a head of me but he knows that I will pass him eventually.

What I’ve found most beneficial is to not worry about who is behind you. Stay focused on whose ahead. Its not about getting catch, its about making them reach.

August 27, 2018
Sharing is Caring

I started recording little videos and sharing tidbits of my story online because I read so many success books over the years. I realized that the best part of your learning is in sharing the knowledge you gain with others. For example when a woman buys a new dress and she gets a great deal on it, she will, like many other woman, she will tell you where she got it and more than likely, how much she paid for it. I do it!

Like the things we buy, holding on to it will not benefit anyone in the end. The more you share, the more knowledge we gain in return. It’s like creativity or oxygen, you simply can’t run out of it.

August 13, 2018
What’s Not Working Here?

I love to read personal development books! What I have to pay close attention to is getting sucked up in do all of what the author is recommending. Like so many things out there, these books are recommendation that the author has shared with the reader. It’s their life, their research or their opinions. You still have to put action behind your own purpose and dreams in order for them to come to fruition.

I am a firm believer in personal development but I am also a firm believer in creating a life of your own design. I take bits and pieces of the knowledge I read, and use what works and discard what doesn’t. Reading does expand your thought pattern but if your not careful, you’ll begin to live the life of the author and not your own.

I would never not recommend reading, I just recommend paying attention to how the book is making you feel. If its not helping you but stressing you out, step back, breathe and see what’s working and discard whats not.

July 23, 2018
Braving the Weather

I just made it back from my morning walk. It’s a cloudy morning which often makes me ponder just when will the rain pour down. I debated on whether to go to the gym and walk the treadmill instead. I prefer a walk in the park over the treadmill any day. I have gotten caught in the rain on several occasions in the past.

I decided to go to the park to walk. I felt a few rain drops falling. Definitely not enough for a wash out. As I walked and I knew I was going to be able to get a complete walk in, I realized I could have let the dark clouds over head keep me from doing the one thing that I absolutely love. In that very moment the clouds took on a whole new meaning.

The clouds are like the fears in our mind. The fear of what others think or say. Success comes when we chose not to let the clouds in our minds keep us from do what we love to do. Go all in and enjoy the walk!

July 16, 2018
An Audience of One

It was about four years ago when I joined Toastmasters International or TI. For those who are not familiar with TI, it is a nonprofit, educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of helping members improve their communication, public speaking, and leadership skills. The initial reason I joined was to become a better sales person because I talked too much. I could not close the sale.

Over the years, my reason for staying in the club changed. The last reason I renewed my membership was in order to become a paid public speaker. It didn’t quite workout as I planned but I did learn one thing. I had the courage to get up and give speeches at club meetings and compete in local area contests which were all positives. However, no matter the size of the audiences I would speak in front of, the biggest critic in the room, was always myself until I focused on simply doing my best. The one person you most often have to please, is the one that lives within. As the famous African Proverb says:

When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.

References:

Photo Source: http://workwithadam.blogspot.com/2015/10/5-marketing-strategies-that-dont.html

TI Information Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toastmasters_International

Quote source: https://www.inspirationalstories.com/proverbs/african-when-there-is-no-enemy-within-the/

April 16, 2018
Ride the Waves

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.

Photo credit: click here.

May 30, 2017
Only You

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!

Photo credit: click here.

May 3, 2017