Substance of Living

Thank you, dear readers, for sending us thoughtful emails such as this one below. I believe in angels and that once a parent, always a parent. A drunk man in an Oldsmobile   They said had run the light   That caused the six-car pileup.   When broken bodies lay about   And blood was everywhere,   The sirens screamed out eulogies,   For death was in the air.   A mother, trapped inside her car,   Was heard above the noise;   Her plaintive plea near split the air:   Oh, God, please spare my boys! She fought to loose her pinned hands;   She struggled to get free,   But mangled metal held her fast   In grim captivity.   Her frightened eyes then focused   On where the back seat once had been,   But all she saw was broken glass and   Two children's seats crushed in. Her twins were nowhere to be seen;   She did not hear th...

Creating Your Destiny You can begin controlling your life's destiny today.  It doesn't matter where you are in your life, your career, or anything else as long as you begin believing in yourself today.  Sure, there will be slips down the slide but each time you will come back stronger and healthier.  Healthier in the belief that you are on the right path. So, remember that your destiny begins with your thoughts.  That means no more negative self-talk or putting yourself down because you made a mistake. Who was it that first said we must take care of ourselves before helping others ?  I'm sure I'm paraphrasing but if we don't take care of ourselves and get ourselves on the right path, who are we to help others?  Here's a prime example: If you are dirty from working outside and don't wash up or change your clothes before bathing your children, who are also dirty from being outside, won't you get them dirty all over again after they get out of the b...

Homeless The woman who slouched down in the front seat of the bus distressed me.  Her hair was matted, her face dirty, and though it was a cold night outside, she was wearing only a flimsy cotton dress and a blanket through which she had torn holes for her arms. What should I do?   I wondered.  She was so obviously in need.  And at Christmastime too.  Wasn't there some shelter I could direct her to, some place where she'd get all the attention she required?  No, I finally reasoned, her problems were too much for me. As I pondered -- and rejected -- possible solutions to the woman's plight, the bus came to a stop.  A young man, poorly dressed but neat, rose to leave.  He had got out and the bus had started up again before I really noticed what he had done.  He had slipped off his black knit gloves and laid them on her lap. John R. Sisley, Jr. ______________________________________________ I copied this sto...

Vision Boards are a visual To-Do list for your future.  It works with your subconscious to keep your goals in front of you and remind you of all you deserve.  You can be as specific as you'd like - what your wedding dress, cake, bridal party will look like or exactly how you'd like to furnish your each room in your home to a broader spectrum - a beautiful sunset on the beach to represent vacation or peace or strong words such as "Success". Creating a Vision Board is fun and can be done alone or gather some of your friends or colleagues and sit down.  You might create a Vision Board for your department and hang it in the conference room or lunch room.  Then watch how you turn your dreams into goals and create your future. There is a quote that goes something like " You must be able to visualize where you are going or you will never get anywhere. "  I guess that means that we must know our destination in order to get there or we will end up somewhere else...

Earlier this year DH and I decided it was time for us to put down some roots and leave the highways to someone else.  We've sold all our toys, had a beautiful home built, and now in the process of moving.  In fact, we've been "moving in" for about a month now and still have two storage units of stuff and need to figure out where we are going to put everything. Originally, about 10 years ago, we put our belongings in storage until we figured out where we wanted to live.  We kept out the necessities and moved from city to city.  We thought it might take a year or so.  In fact, some moves lasted a few years while other moves were only a couple months.  We like to call the latter moves "vacations". Here is what we knew we wanted once we settled down: Park-like setting Community involvement Great neighbors Close to the city, hospitals, shopping, dining, etc. Far enough away from everything and the traffic to feel a sense of calm The list goes on....

What kind of day, week, month, or life are you having?  Are you excited to get out of bed in the morning or are you still struggling after your third cup of coffee?  If you're nodding your head, so am I.  I've been in both places. When life is great, how can we make it better?  When we're not feeling "on top of our game", how do we find the energy to even care?  It seems that our natural instinct is to curl up in bed or hide in the house.  Well, GET OVER IT!  Get up!  Get dressed!  Get moving!!! That seemed pretty harsh, didn't it?  I only say it because I've been there and I care. I'm not saying that it's not permissible to have a moment or to have a pity party.  We are allowed to have them.  Just as we are allowed to celebrate.  The problem comes when we turn the party into wallowing or celebrating into gloating. I'm not a doctor, nutritionist, therapist, or anything like that but I am a person who has found that...

Do you find yourself questioning your thoughts or goals?  Are you frozen and unable to make a decision?  Are you who everyone else thought you are supposed to be? We've all been there and possibly there again and again throughout our lives.  Here are five quotes or mantras, if you like, that have helped me out.   “Whatever you are, you are.  Be proud of it.” – Yogi Tea “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Emerson "Let a series of happy thoughts run through your mind. They will show on your face." – Unknown "And if not now, when?" – Talmud "A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow." – General George S. Patton Which quote seems to be talking directly to you?  Do you have any quotes you use as daily affirmations? P.S.,  Please share your mantra in the comments section below. Please share me with your friends! Please forward this post t...

My health My family is ALWAYS there for me Having wonderful friends Waking up this morning My husband Knowing that I will meet new friends before the end of this week The drink I’m sipping as I type My Internet Connection My Beautiful New Home All the Websites that have helped me decorate my home All the times my mother allowed me to “help her” in the kitchen (even though it probably took at least twice as long to cook) The fact that my husband has a job in a time that so many people are without My passion for life The upbringing and safe environment my parents provided Charitable Organizations that help so many people The endless hours people put in to save the lives of strangers and animals The hand written good morning notes my husband leaves me for no reason except to say thank you or to let me know he is thinking of me Today The rain, sun, wind that all help the plants The four seasons My education, the blessing that I am fortunate enough to read and write ...

Although I look more like my mother, I am truly my father’s daughter.  He taught, and continues to teach, me to believe in myself and fear not what lies ahead.  One of his favorite quotes is “I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today” by William Allen White.  Not only is this one of my dad’s favorites but he also lives his life in this manner. Daddies should be every little girl and boy’s hero. My dad is still my hero.  I remember my dad removing a splinter from my finger and all the while talking to me so that I didn’t even know he was done.  I still smile at this memory.  As a teenage girl, my dad was the one that I went to when I needed advice about boys. These days there are a few miles and a phone between us but I still run to my dad when I need advice or to discuss my bountiful load of ideas.  I am very fortunate that my father is still alive and very much a part of my life.  “I have...

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Tomorrow, Thursday, June 14, 2012 is Flag Day.  When I was growing up, I don’t ever remember hearing about this day.  As an adult, I’ve grown to appreciate this day more than July 4 th .  There isn’t a National Holiday, parade, or even a neighborhood celebration and yet the flag, along with the Bald Eagle, is a symbol of freedom recognized throughout the world. The Star Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming; And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was st...

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbour.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover" - Mark Twain Have you ever wondered what it would be like to feel the lightness of being?  I imagine it would feel like the in-between stage of sleep and wakefulness or the freedom of simply sailing away to new destinations. Experiencing new things in life is scary but it's also so refreshing.  When the fear of letting go or forgiving yourself steps in remember the amazement children experience when they see something for the first time. I've heard the saying that "we are our worst critic" and it is so true.  We are also our BEST cheerleader. You are an amazing person. Give yourself the approval and forgiveness to let go and move forward in life.  What do you love to do?  What do you ...

"Don't Let Life Get In The Way Of What You Want" -- Marie Lee (This is my daily mantra) Steve Jobs gave a compelling speech that we all need to hear.  We may not incorporate his words into our daily mantra but they are epic nonetheless. Many years ago I was asked when I was going to settle down and remain in one job.  My response was that I was looking for something that I love and when I find it the money will come.  In the meantime, I had enough faith that everything would take care of itself.  You know what?!  Some how there was always enough money at the end of the month to pay my bills.  I never gave up following my heart. I didn't allow employers, family members, or friends pigeon hole me into something I wasn't.  I knew they were concerned and I loved them all the more.  I had to live my own life. My life hasn't been the straight and narrow, clean cut life but it is mine and it has made me a better person.  I...

"Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world." -- George Bernard Shaw Choose any five (5) days a week to do the following projects.  Try to do at least two items a day and to ensure that they are done, schedule them in your calendar.  Over a month's time, everything should have been done at least once, if not more often.  Some items won't be done at all due to the time of year. I have not scheduled the amount of time each task will take because the size of rooms, number of people in a house, etc.  The first time you do each task mark down how long it took so that you know approximately how long it will take next time.  You will probably find that each task will end up taking a little less time as you get better organized.  You might be able to complete a load of laundry in while you clean the tub, sink, toilet, and floor! Clean out the refrigerator while you're getting dinner ready or or...