My late husband taught me to slow down and enjoy life. It is something I am truly grateful for because it allows me to appreciate all the small things that bring joy to one’s life. Before I met my husband I didn’t take the time to enjoy the journey. I simply was driven to successfully complete the task at hand. Completing the task gave me a sense of accomplishment, but I missed all that life offered around me. I never knew or worried about what I was missing. I had a goal and normally figured out the most…
This week I was reminded of the beauty that comes from a loving union. One of my favorite couples shared an anniversary this week. The social media posts made me smile and gave me an opportunity to be reminded of all the joy they share. This couple radiates love and kindness in everything they do, but particularly in their marriage. It is almost as if there’s a selflessness about their acts of kindness. The acts of kindness are to each other, but somehow that magic radiates to all those around them. They are an example of how good union…
It seems like the appropriate time, blog #200, to write about the things I like to remind myself of daily. Things that when temporarily missing change the whole trajectory of my day and me as a person. Love I chose love as my #1 daily reminder. Redefining the word love totally changed the way I respond to everything in my life. When I started approaching life with love I found myself understanding compassion at a deeper level. It became clear to me that I know very little about why things are happening. When I am frustrated with what is going…
Do you foster love and encouragement or live in a world of despair? Do you have hope or do you allow yourself to stay discouraged? Do you utilize prayer or rely on your strength and knowledge? When times are tough I remind myself that I have a choice as to how I perceive myself in the world in which we live. I have been one that has had an abundance of strength, hope, and faith. I choose to find hope as I move through my day. When we struggle to function, it is important to understand that we still have…
Are you ready for a new beginning? I smiled to myself as I started to type this blog. Why? Because I was walking in the rain on a cool fall day thinking about new beginnings. “New Beginning” seems like a great title for a springtime blog, but for now, I will accept that this is the perfect time to blog about new beginnings. Do we even know what we are searching for when we talk about looking for a new beginning? How do we know where to start or how to proceed to find our next steps? What are the…
It seems so easy to say the words focus on Jesus. But what does that mean? How do I do that? The truth is I have not found the answer. But I have made strides towards achieving that goal. I have not been given a formula for a simple step-by-step process. However, I am hopeful because I have had success in building a more abundant life concentrating on my faith, being prayerful, thankful, and more open regarding love. Prayer has become something I choose to focus on throughout my day. At first, I had to train myself to…
Are you open and ready for a healing from God? One of the most difficult things for me to watch as I move through my journey is people not thinking they are worthy of healing. Sometimes it is thinking the request is selfish, other times it might be finding the courage to be open to the idea of healing. Healings can come in all sizes and are often undetected for some time. I have experienced healings of the heart, of the mind, and of the body. Relationships with friends have severed and been repaired. Emotions have run strong and been…
One of the things I love about thinking of others is that it directs me away from dwelling on my own issues. It takes the spotlight off what is going on in my life and brings a new perspective to my thoughts. When I think of others compassion seems to rise to the surface and brings out qualities that are positive to both the people I am thinking about and to me. As I was compiling thoughts for this blog I saw a post on Facebook from one of my “friends”. Typically I pause to read the posts from this…
In most companies where I have been employed, I would consider the people I worked with a second family. A group of people supported one another and worked toward a common goal with concern for both the company and the individuals that make up the team. We may not have been friends, but we respected each other’s talents, utilized each other’s strengths, and genuinely supported each other’s accomplishments. As a team, we may not agree all the time, but we have each other’s best interests in mind, all working toward a common goal. When people…
I found myself reflecting this week on how people choose to live their lives and how that reflects back on those who connect with them in some way. On one hand, I was reflecting on all the joy that can develop from those who spread kindness and love. I was also reflecting on situations where kindness was a missing ingredient in the puzzle. I was picturing all those who benefit from authentic, kind experiences and all that is lost when kindness is missing. I often wonder why someone would take the time and energy to be toxic when kindness and…