Archive for Journal Thoughts
As the New Year Begins…A Celebration.
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We are Celebrating a New Year and all the new things that are to come!
As you new year begins, what dreams and goals do you have planned for 2011?
What new adventures will you be taking on? Where will you change habits? Where will you stretch and transform yourself?
What parts of your life will you be focusing on?
Most importantly…. what steps or goals do you have planned out to lead you to success?
Changes can quickly get overwhelming if we don’t focus on the small daily steps that become our new routine. Create short routines to keep you focused on your real reasons for change and the everyday moments that make that transformation possible. Create a mission statement for yourself. Post it somewhere you can see it everyday.
Some other tips to keep you on track:
Start a journal: keep track of progress, frustrations, joys, ideas
Share your journey with others: being accountable is important for success
Don’t try to change everything at once: pick several new changes to focus on for each 3-4 month period, implementing more throughout the year, as those goals become routine
Treat yourself: set small rewards for yourself each time you reach a milestone in your journey- it will keep you motivated and reward your efforts
Be gentle with yourself: Don’t be too hard on yourself if you slip-up. We are all human. Re-focus and get back on track
Remember…
The things that don’t come easy or challenge us beyond our comfort zone, are those that are most worth the efforts. Nothing of value comes without some effort. So keep focused and surround yourself with those willing to support your dreams and steps along the way. So go ahead, dream big and remember you are fabulous!
Let us be one source of support for you here on this blog… let us cheer you on and dream big with you.
Share the steps you’ll be taking for 2011 here…
(photo from Southern Accents entertaining)
A Week for Gratitude…
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There are so many things to be thankful for- we live in a country and a time where we have so much more than the rest of the world. Yes, we have struggles and stresses, but in general, we are a very blessed nation.
What are some things that you are grateful for?
I am grateful for things both big and small. I am grateful of course, for my family, for all that we share and that we can spend each day in relative safety and are healthy. I am grateful for my friends, who make me laugh and cry, sometimes over the same thing. I am grateful that my husband still has a job and that he goes to work each day to make a life for us. I am thankful for my wonderful clients and associates so that I too may go to work each day doing what I love.
I am grateful that I have been able to travel to so many places, to see the world and the way people live in each place. I am grateful for books, as I love to read, learn and experience things that I would never have been able to do without them. I am grateful for the moments with someone special that connect our hearts and minds.
I am grateful for my faith in God that sustains me in every situation and gives my life eternal value. I am grateful that I am able to help others with my own gifts of time, talent, and treasure.
I am grateful for the many simple pleasures of each day, including sitting down to dinner with my family, taking care of our home, and the managing of our household. For without those simple tasks, it would mean we wouldn’t have a family to make a home for.
Gratitude starts in our hearts- it’s not just “oh, that makes me feel good so I am happy for it”, but a genuine love for something that is in our lives.
What are you grateful for deep down in your heart that makes your live and day better?
Please share your gratitude for the things in your life in the comments below…
Have a blessed Thanksgiving week and a very full heart.
A Quote for Your Day…
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“To accomplish great things,
we must not only act,
but also dream,
not only plan,
but also believe.”
- Anatole France
Happy Thoughts…
Posted by: | CommentsWhat are the things that make you smile, recall a special memory, fill you with joy, or make you feel alive?
Do you have those little thoughts that sneak into your day and divert your attention to something special? 
They are for the most part, unplanned little serendipitous moments that often catch us off guard. They provide a little “vacation” from the ordinary moments of our day.
We might recall our small children splashing in the tub with exuberance while we are cleaning it. We might be driving near a bakery and the smell of fresh baked bread takes us back to our grandmother’s kitchen. The scent of rain in the air can make us recall a childhood memory of dancing in the rain. The sound of the ocean can make us remember our special trip to the islands. A song can take us back to our first love. Creating a special gift for someone can make us feel alive with the act of creativity.
These are all special moments that we are to claim, embrace and even savor. They are life’s memories that are meant to connect us to our past, those we share this life with, and the reasons we are here. They are mini-vacations into our live stories that we need to connect with to stay hole, happy and complete. They are God’s gift to us.
Next time you have one of those happy thoughts, stop to really enjoy it. They are one of the ways we can celebrate life everyday and to make the ordinary special. Happy thoughts…
Remembering my Great-Grandmother
Posted by: | CommentsAs I was driving through a neighborhood today, I passed a home with an elderly woman out tending to her chores. I only caught a brief look into this woman’s day, but it has stuck with me all afternoon, reminding me of memories I haven’t thought about for a long time. This woman was out in her summer housecoat with her apron, white socks, and black shoes as her attire. Her frail frame indicated her age was possibly in her 90′s.
This snapshot stirred up memories of my own great-grandmother, who also dressed in her summer housecoat dress when it was hot outside. She also wore dark shoes with white socks, not caring that they weren’t fashionable, because they were practical and suited her simple lifestyle. I remember my great-grandmother’s simple way of life- to get up each day doing the necessary chores to sustain life and enjoying family in between. She wasn’t a fancy person, her home even reflected her simplicity of life, a few special pieces here and there, but nothing to distract from what really mattered. She didn’t even speak English, just Finnish, although my mother and aunts think she could have if she wanted to… she just chose not to. She smiled often and always slipped us kids some pink chalky candy. She rarely even left her home, living on a quiet farm in the middle of Minnesota, she let an honest life that is very rare to come across these days.
My great-grandmother has been gone for more than 30 years, but once in a while something from this life, stirs a memory from her life. Thanks Grama for being an example on how to live a life that is not concerned with the worldliness of today’s society. To just enjoy each day for it’s beautiful simplicity.
