You Get Out What You Put In

Like your bank account, your balance only reflects what you have deposited.....You cannot deposit ten dollars and expect to withdraw ten thousand....Likewise, you can't plant corn and expect to grow beans...In life, relationships, education, jobs, etc...we get out of these only what we are willing to sacrifice, deposit, and put into it....I personally want to get the very most out of everything I do and so I strive to put forth my very best efforts and I then can expect positive results....This is of course is still no guarantee that everything will come up roses...but we have a much greater chance for success in all that we do when we put forth our best efforts and there is satisfaction in knowing that I have done my best instead of leaving things in my life to chance....Every beautiful garden in life requires work at every stage...we must clear and prepare the ground, enrich the soil, plant the seeds, fertilize and water, and once we have results we must still continue the work of maintenance in weeding the garden and continue to fertilize and water to keep the beauty coming....I want beauty to continue to grow in my life and I am willing to do the work to get the most out of it!

The Mental Diet

Just as we curb our food intake and exercise our body for better performance and health reasons, we should also exercise our minds and curb our thoughts and thought patterns to eliminate negative, taxing activity that has no benefit for us and only serves to deplete our energy stores and create stress....The mental diet is the way to go! Start by writing down all the positive messages that you would love to hear from others or that you might want to say to yourself and place them in view, tape them to your mirror or magnet them to your fridge....Look at these messages everyday, several times a day and read them aloud to yourself...Your brain believes what you tell it and when you are feeding yourself positive, healthy thoughts and words, your mind and body begin to react to this in a very positive manner....Just as your physical body reacts to good nutrition and exercise, your mind will do the same with nutritious words and thoughts! You have nothing to lose (except the negativity and the stress it creates) and EVERYTHING TO GAIN!

Reduce Your Expectations, Reduce Your Stress

We should only have expectations for ourselves, and perhaps for our children...But when we put expectations on others I believe that we are only setting ourselves up for disappointment, possible heartache, and stress! Life is so much smoother when we truly "go with the flow", otherwise, when we place expectations on others of productivity, timeframes, events, places etc...we are putting pressure on them to perform to our expectations....there is not anything wrong with having expectations on others it just in our reaction when they are not able to meet our expectations....I continue to learn over time that I can only expect of myself and that I have less stress when I do not thrust my expectations off on others....I get along with them much more harmoniously, I do not create tension for myself or with them and I can just relax and let everything come as it comes, surprises and all....this is difficult to let go and just flow but let me tell you it is so much nicer to let people just be themselves and to be able to enjoy others and our environments without the added stress of unrealistic expectations!

Never Burn Your Bridges

We spend our lives building pathways and bridges linking people and places throughout our journey...During our travels we are always working to propel ourselves forward, to progress, succeed, to learn and to grow.....but life, never predictable and always peppered with mishaps, disappointments, and failures, we sometimes re-visit our past and re-trace our steps due to these less than fortunate events that cause us to go backwards in our lives and perhaps back down the ladder which we have climbed and we sometimes need to go across some of those old "bridges" which we have built be it in friendships, contacts, or familiar places...We never know when we will be in need of something, anything that will be helpful to us, maybe not today...but someday...so, be wise in your choices and wise in your words...never speak unkindly to or about anyone because it may come back to haunt you when you least expect it....and you never know when you may need your bridges to carry you back to safety in your life so make sure you never burn them down...

Letting It All Roll Off

If I spent my time "emotionalizing" about everything that could potentially sap my time and energy I would literally have nothing left for myself or for my family....Every frustration, big or small, gives us the opportunity to either go down the tubes with it or to stand above it and let it go and not allow it to take you with it....This morning I have already had the opportunity to get lost emotionally in something that is truly out of my control and so I stop and think to myself...what can I learn about myself from this situation....or just what can I learn period...Everything that happens in life is a potential learning experience and I want to progress and not regress....I don't want to waste my time worrying about other people, timeframes, money, or whatever it may be that pops up and creates "an opportunity" for us to grow, change, and progress in our lives...I have control only over my responses and only over my expectations....I don't have control over other people, nor do I want that responsibility or that burden....I don't want to set myself up for disappointment so I adjust my expectations to only include expectations for myself and to do my best to respond to stressful situations with grace, peace, and wisdom.....I then do a blessings count to restore a modicum of peace and joy to my core and work from that because if we truly ask ourselves about any situation......what is this going to mean in a hundred years....or even tonight....is it worth losing our peace over? Probably not! So I am going to move through this and stay focused on what is truly important to me, smile, and think positively.....I want to learn and grow in life and do it with grace and joy!

Blessings in Life

This link is "visual therapy" coupled with words of wisdom....please enjoy and be blessed!
http://www.bettertobless.com/movie1.html

Feeling Overwhelmed and Letting Go

I am reminded by myself that I frequently bite off more than I can chew and end up doing a little choking on my own self-inflicted schedule...We recently moved into a new house, so setting up house again the unpacking, the re-organizing, etc....both children home, my littlest is turning two in just a few weeks and my oldest is home for the summer between kindergarden and first grade....I just started my PhD program today....I really need a new computer as I have called the University tech support line three times since last night and the juggling of it all has been a little overwhelming today! I am reminding myself that I do love the crazy of it all and I have difficulty sitting still for anything but re-adjusting to a new environment and a new schedule with cooking, cleaning, dirty diapers, reading, writing, assignments again, working.....Calgon! take me away!!! Inhale.....Exhale.....Serenity NOW! I know that tomorrow will be a new day and I will clean my mental slate, take each moment as it comes and remain calm, thankful, and joyous! I made it through today and I will make it through tomorrow with a better attitude....Attitude is ninety %, and everything else can be conquered with a positive attitude....So I am taking inventory of all that I have to be thankful and grateful for and smiling....I am taking a deep breath and relaxing.....I am picturing a successful and relaxing evening and riding that on into tomorrow....I am letting go....Positive thoughts all around :-)