Vital!

Hi everyone,

Thanks for indulging my sporadic postings the past few weeks. I feel like I can finally get back on track with a weekly posting of "words to live by."

This week's word is "vital." There are probably a dozen definitions depending on the dictionary, but the one that really strikes a chord with me is "tending to renew or refresh the living." Of course, there's the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink. But I'm talking something that is vital to your soul.

When I conduct programs on "Returning Balance to Your Life," this is one of the issues we discuss. What in your life is urgent? You know, those pesky cell phones, the email beep, the kids tugging on your sleeve, the spouse wondering when dinner will be ready, the mortgage payment that is due tomorrow - yep, all important things, but maybe not vital to your soul.

When I think of what renews and refreshes me, a couple of things instantly come to mind: my workshops renew and refresh me ~ not the workshops themselves, but the comments I receive from attendees telling me that I have helped them make a change in their lives. The things I learn from researching and continually improving my workshops are vital to me. Quiet time is vital to me.

Let's take people out of the picture for a moment...what is absolutely vital to you? What feeds your soul and makes you feel that all is well with the world? What renews you? What refreshes you? What nurtures that deep place inside that keeps things right in your world?

So...here's the hard question: What have you been doing to make sure the vital things in your life become urgent, demanding immediate attention ~ and what have you been doing to make sure the things we normally say are urgent don't overtake your life??

Blessings,

Linda

http://www.lindasworkshops.com/

Linda@LindasWorkshops.com

Loss

Hi all,

Yes, I know my next word was supposed to be "vital." And I know it's been far too long since I posted. The business trip has come and gone, hubby's pulled muscle is better, some doctors' appointments have been checked off and others added, programs are progressing, and life goes on.

But life doesn't always go on, does it? Tuesday, May 11, we lost a member of our family - our beloved Abby, the BEST dog ever. "Sweet spirit" are the words that keep coming to mind as Guy and I reminisce about what a jewel she was - for all 15 years and 9 months of her life. If "dog years" are really accurate, that puts her at about 110 years old and I think she was feeling it the last few days.

Somehow she knew "mommy" was out of town but would be back in time to say goodbye. Somehow she knew that when we picked up her leash Tuesday morning, she should head to the garage door where the car was, rather than to the front door to walk or the back door to go potty. Somehow she knew it was okay to go to the vet this time - there was no trembling as there usually was on the ride there - just riding in the back seat with mom, all windows down and a beautiful breeze filled with wonderful smells. Somehow she knew that she could eat as much of the cantaloupe as she wanted at the vet's office (yes, that was her favorite food and I took a bowl of it along for her). Somehow she knew she could trust our wonderful vet, Dr. Alan, as he gave her a sedative to just relax her. And somehow she knew as we sat stroking her beautiful coat and talking (rather loudly, since she had trouble hearing), that she could not have been more loved over those nearly-sixteen years.

So this post is a tribute to Abby and all the wonderful fur-covered family members many of us have. There will forever be an Abby-shaped hole in my heart.

Goodbye, Big Dog. We will always love you.

Blessings,
Linda (also known as "Abby's mom")
(The picture shows her with the proverbial "lampshade" as she was dealing with itching from an allergy last year, but I wanted you all to see her beautiful face!)
http://www.lindasworkshops.com/
Linda@LindasWorkshops.com