Energy

Energy - I just love that word, don't you? It seems many of us are lacking in physical energy these days as witnessed by the "energy drinks" that are on the market, but that's not what I'm thinking of.

What I want to talk about today is the "energy" we exhibit to others - as in...positive or negative....uplifting or discouraging...just plodding along or full of life ~ you get the picture!

What brought this word to mind is a conference I attended this past week. I was lucky enough to spend a couple of days with some very "energy-filled" people - people who are passionate about their work and who had a refreshing tendency to share whatever they could to make others successful. Helpful ideas and affirming statements flew around the room so fast I couldn't keep up in my note-taking :-). Now that's a happy problem, wouldn't you say?

We don't always find that, though, do we? Even just in "life" in general, many people don't really want to help us enjoy life - they tend to send negative energy out by the buckets.

Here's what I'm thinking - see if you agree... I want to distance myself from those kind of people somewhat. I think we can agree that it's tough enough to have positive energy ourselves without someone else trying to "share" their negative energy with us.

But here's the other side of that coin: which kind of energy do you "share?" Let's make a deal that for the next 30 days we try to share positive energy, what do you say?? When someone tries to "rain on our parade," we need to come back with some positive energy. When we are just weary to tears of all the little things that can dry up our energy reserves, we have to try to find something that will help us muster up just a few more drops of positive energy. Sometimes those few drops can turn into a nice little running stream. Ah, now that's a positive thought!

Have an energy-filled week and I'll "see" you next time!

Blessings,

Linda

http://www.lindasworkshops.com/

Linda@LindasWorkshops.com

Calm...ahhhh!

Hi everyone (the picture is of my daughter and her family - well really, she's my stepdaughter, but I've known her for 80% of her life!),

A few days ago, I enjoyed participating in a workshop to review a workbook written by Dr. Stephen Schacher to accompany his book, Calm.

The human mind, as you've probably figured out, is one of my favorite topics to ponder - as in, what makes us do - or not do - what we do (or don't do!!)? What makes one person react so differently to the same situation someone else is also experiencing? Why can some people tune in to others' feelings, and other people just sort of trample all over everyone - without even being aware of it?

Anyway, back to the topic. The workshop was very interesting and I found myself thinking about how to incorporate more calm into my own life. I also found myself thinking how many areas of my life are vulnerable to being "uncalm" (cool new word, eh??).

My husband Guy got a great report from his doctor this morning about the progress he has made in his swallowing issues. I got a decent report from my orthopedic surgeon last week about my progress in "thawing" my frozen shoulder. Are we both in perfect shape in those areas? Uh, NO. But it did give us both a sense of calm knowing we were "growing" in taking care of ourselves.

Finances can easily cause me to lose my "calm" - how about you? Maybe some of you are financially stable and very secure - I am truly happy for you. With Guy and I both being self-employed (and having dealt with some "chronic" health issues the past few years), finances seem to be an area where calm comes to rest awhile before it takes flight again! :-) So I've taken steps to do what I can to encourage calmness in that area. I haven't won the lottery yet (probably because I don't play, ha ha), but I have become very aware of what is important to me and what I don't need to buy to have calm in my life.

Relationships are another area that, when strained, can cause us to lose our "calm" in almost all other areas, too, just from the constant tension. That's why it's so important to try to understand what might be going on in a strained relationship, rather than just putting a label to who's right and who's wrong (since we know we're always right anyway, right? HA!).

What we do for a living can calm us or cause us to live in a state of "not calm." I believe that much of that, though is not due to WHAT we do for a living, but HOW we choose to journey through our vocation. I get decidedly "uncalm" when I get directions to a new client's location, only to find that the directions are not clear and I end up somewhere I shouldn't be. In order to eliminate some of that, I often make a dry run the day before so I know where I'm going. Ahhhhh, the calm I feel the morning of my workshop because I know where I'm headed - that's priceless to me.

And maybe that's the point...maybe we need to know where we're headed in all of these areas so we can try to keep our calm. No, let's change that statement. Maybe we need to recognize what we CAN and can't control in each of these areas to help us hold onto one of my favorite feelings - calm. But here's the deal: be gut-wrenching honest with yourself about what you can and can't control. Example - I've had people in my workshops tell me they are always tired. When we start to dig a little deeper, I find it's because they are up till all hours spending time on the computer, watching TV, or just reading. Even though those activities seem to "calm" them at the time, they also rob a person of what tends to keep us calmer all the way around - sleep!

What area of your life could use a little more calm? And what will you do to achieve that?

Let me know!
Blessings,
Linda
Linda@LindasWorkshops.com

Ah, sweet SUCCESS!

Happy New Year, everyone! And gee, I technically got this edition of the blog in within a month of the last one :-)

As you can see by the title, the word I've chosen is success. I was surprised when I looked back through the blog to see that I hadn't written about success before. I think that's because we are inundated with articles, books, blogs, emails, and TV shows about how we can be "successful" ~ and it gets a bit old, doesn't it?

The problem with all of that is that most of the time, the term "successful" is defined by the world and not by us.

I'm reading a book right now called "Permission to Succeed" and it begins with the author asking his father if it's okay if he is more successful than his dad. Weird question, eh? But as I thought about it, I thought about how many people I meet in my workshops who have never given themselves permission to succeed. And I don't mean permission to earn lots of money, get a big title, big house, big car, big yacht - although I certainly am not against those things :-). But permission to just be who we were meant to be - and to be the best at being that person that we possibly can.

As I looked back over the list of words I've written about, many of them speak to me of "success" in the true sense of the word for me. Determination, listening, encouragement, contentment, simplicity (YES!), patience, appreciation, attitude (with a capital A!), awareness, forgiveness, giving, joy, learning ~ all of those and more spell s-u-c-c-e-s-s for me.

The more of these I have in my life, the more successful I consider myself. A good book in front of the fire, a furry little friend on each side, and a mug of hot cocoa with lots of whipped cream - some days that is the perfect picture of success!

How about you? How do you spell success? And how will you find more of it in 2011?

Happy hunting!

Blessings,

Linda

http://www.lindasworkshops.com/

Linda@LindasWorkshops.com

Growth...I think!

Ahem...(wink, wink)! Aren't you proud of me? Just over 2 weeks and I remembered to post again - that's growth, right??
As you know, I tend to talk about words that keep popping up around me. Growth is the word this week. It's been in what I'm reading, in conversations, in the very few TV shows I watch...you name it, it's "growing"! (By the way, the kitten who will soon be growing is no "relation" ~ I just came across this picture and considering Guy's music store full of guitars and my affinity for critters, I decided I liked it!)
What I want you to think about, though, are the areas in your life where you would like to see some growth. Unlike most people, my hubby, bless his heart, is trying to "grow" his weight - argh!! He loses a pound or 2 and I find them!! But it's a constant struggle for him and he has become very aware (there's that word again!) that he needs to be vigilant about it. Just one day of letting his guard down and he drops a couple of pounds. On the opposite end of the scale [get it? :-)], just one day of letting MY guard down and I add a couple pounds. So, let's just agree, that's an area many of us can be more aware of regarding growth.
But what are the other areas in which you'd like to see growth? I was speaking with a client today and found myself getting really excited when we were talking about developing new workshops - I love to learn and GROW that way. It's the reason I am still so passionate about what I do after more than 10 years. I am always growing - sometimes through personal learning on my own, sometimes through ideas from participants in my workshops, sometimes from "constructive criticism" from my participants ~ but always on the lookout for ways to grow. Maybe your job doesn't give you that much excitement...what are other ways you can "grow" on your job? Dealing with people? Making more of an effort to understand "their" side (whoever "their" is)?
"Growing" my writing craft is another area I'd like to work on. Last week, I sold a greeting card I had submitted and it made me realize how much I miss writing for fun. It's on my list...just not a priority at the moment.
Of course, I would like to see my "bank account" grow, but I am finding that I am less focused on acquiring material things - gee, I just have to dust it and take care of it :-), so for me, why get it to begin with?
Others are just the opposite - they have collections they like to "grow," be it Santa Clauses, fishing lures, unicorns, angels, duck decoys, or Hummel figurines. And that's okay, too ~ I love to look at their collections :-). The key is to make sure whatever you are "growing" is bringing you pleasure.
Another area that I like to keep an eye on is my growth as a person - you know, things like...am I kinder than I used to be? Less judgmental? Less likely to "bite back" when someone is rude or just oblivious to how they are treating me? This is probably an area that I will always need to work on. You too?
Let me know how you would like to "grow" in the coming year ~ and I promise, I will do my best to come back and wish you a merry Christmas before it has come and gone!
Blessings,
Linda
Linda@LindasWorkshops.com
www.LindasWorkshops.com

Simplicity - again!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
As I come across words I want to share with you, I jot them down on a "master list" of sorts, so I don't forget them. I have quite a long list! So it may seem odd that I am re-visiting a word we discussed almost 7 months ago.

The word "simplicity," though, has popped up in conversation at least 3 times this past week. Each time, I thought, "Oh, I need to talk about that on my blog." But then I would remind myself that I already did :-).
So here we go - we are going to look at it again because, I don't know about you, but I never seem to "arrive" at simplicity. It seems simplicity is about as hard to find as the butterfly in the picture.
As I was thinking about the areas of my life, I realized that I do fairly well simplifying some areas and not so good in others. Overall, I'd say I'm about 75% there this very moment, so there's still lots of room for improvement.
But remember, I always remind you to be aware... I have become very aware of simplifying my work life. I have actually turned down jobs recently that would make my life a madhouse for a period of time (either topics I would need to develop from scratch or dates that would put me in crunch mode), although they would "simplify" my finances by adding to the coffers. I've even turned down work simply because the topic is not one I'm passionate about. I am not effective unless I'm passionate about my topic, so...okay -work life simplified? Check.
As for personal growth, NO WAY :-). I am in the middle of a learning process for myself that won't be over for years, if ever! It will lighten up, I think, and for that I will be grateful. But since I love to learn and grow, this is an area I "allow" to be a little less simplified than I would prefer.
Let's think in terms of relationships...hmmmmmm. Well, I think I have those pretty simplified as well. I could do better at staying in touch with some people I value in my life, but I don't let others "guilt" me into being involved in things that don't bring me joy or let them make me feel bad about what I just don't have time for right now - or have any control over. My husband and I understand each other very well - yep, all the quirks and sometimes-annoying habits we both have. I'm able to speak to my sister nearly every week. Email is my friend in keeping in touch with several friends and family members across the country. I even occasionally remember to pick up the phone and call some of them! So, relationships simplified? Check (pretty much, ha ha).
The next category I'll call "household" - so, NO, that's an area I don't have simplified. Because of my work and other projects I am so deeply involved in, that's an area that slides. I was discussing it with a participant in one of my classes, and we agreed - life is too short to get hung up on household chores. However, there is a BIG opportunity for me to simplify what I live with; things like knick knacks, more clothes (some VERY old!) than I could ever wear, and just plain clutter. That's something I've decided to approach in baby steps. Cleaned out a cluttered drawer? Hurray for me! One notch closer to simplicity. Started a special file folder for some important papers that may have gotten stuck somewhere? Gold star!
I guess what I'm saying is, don't let someone SPOIL your efforts to gain simplicity by telling you that you're not doing it right. Whatever works for you IS RIGHT!!!
And your challenge for the week is to 1) recognize an area you are already doing well with and 2) become AWARE if there is another area in which you could do better - then YOU decide what you'd like to do about it!
Have a wonderful weekend and a blessed Thanksgiving!
Linda
Linda@LindasWorkshops.com

Journey

Well, when they say time flies, you can certainly attest to that by the number of days that have gone by since my last post.

I got a much-needed nudge from a friend today, reminding me that I hadn't posted in ages. I was thinking, "Yeah, it's been a few weeks." Then I looked at the date on my last post and, WHOA! I had no idea it had been that long.

My apologies to those of you who check in to see what I've written. I have some valid reasons - and some not so valid :-)

The bum shoulder I mentioned has been keeping me awake at night, so it's taking all my energy just to keep up with my work. I saw an orthopedic surgeon last week and thankfully, he does not believe it would be helped by surgery. Instead, I got one of the dreaded cortisone shots in preparation for some intense, painful therapy coming up.

Which brings me to my word for the week ... journey. Odd, eh? But aren't we all on a journey of some kind? My husband and I (as well as several friends) are dealing with health journeys right now. A few months ago, my journey was one of saying goodbye to my much-loved Abbydog. I'm in the process of taking an educational journey with some classes, that, while stretching me intellectually, have also stretched me nearly too thin over the past few weeks.

You all know I'm a big believer in balance in our lives, but that's a constant journey too, isn't it? Sometimes I'm able to journey for quite some time "in balance," and sometimes I get thrown off the path for awhile.

Whether your particular journey right now is with health, emotions, career, friends, family, or any number of things, make sure you remind yourself to stay in the moment.

Remember my favorite word - awareness.

If you travel your journey unaware, you'll eventually realize that you missed some pretty special things along the way...

Enjoy your journey, friends!

Blessings,
Linda
http://www.lindasworkshops.com/
Linda@LindasWorkshops.com

Determination!

Well, whaddaya know?? It's been 3 weeks since my last post and this is one of my favorite things to do! Life has been advancing at lightning speed of late and my blog has been a victim.

The adorable little guy pictured on the blog this week is Bud, my sister's oldest cat. She lost him several weeks ago due to kidney failure. His "given" name ("given" by me when we first foster-sat him for the Humane Society) was "Charles." I told people that we called him that because he wasn't that good-looking, but he was a real prince! And a prince he was - a very special kitty who is sadly missed by his "two-legged" mom...and quite a handsome boy at that.

And so here I am again - determined to get back in the swing of things. I came across a writing "call for submissions" this week and was determined to submit something. I looked through my files for the story I knew fit the category and used my determination to get it turned in before deadline. Not sure that it will be one of the ones chosen, but I was determined not to let the opportunity to do some writing just for fun pass me by. It's been so long since I've been able to really sit and focus on my writing and I miss it. But I'm also determined to not make myself feel guilty over not writing because that takes all the joy out of it.

Hmmmmmm....are we sensing a pattern here?? I recently read a quote (it didn't say who originated it) that said, "Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try." I would amend that to say "Every accomplishment starts with the determination to do it!!" It's so easy to let ourselves off the hook when we utter, "I'll TRY," isn't it? It's a little tougher to let go of something when we have announced, "I WILL!"

As many of you know, my husband Guy has had some real health challenges the last few years. After-effects are still with us and just this week, I saw a determination in him to overcome one of his biggest hurdles to really enjoying life right now. He has trouble swallowing due to radiation treatments from tongue cancer 3 1/2 years ago. He has been working with a speech pathologist and this week they did another "swallow test." Her comment was that, "Well, you have improved, but not as much as we would like, so I'm going to send you to a doctor at Shands." (Shands is a nearby university-type hospital.) Yesterday, Guy said, "I don't care if the doctor says I am the worst case of dsyphagia (trouble swallowing) he's seen - I know I can deal with this." It was good to see that determination...

I asked the doctor who has been working on my bum shoulder for several weeks what would happen if I quit coming for the therapy. He said something along the lines of, "With your determination, I have no doubt you would keep up with your exercises and it probably wouldn't get any worse." DETERMINATION.

What are you determined to do? Forgive someone? Take up a new hobby? Be kinder to someone? Lose weight? Handle the stress of your job better? Quit worrying over things you can't control? Get your finances in order? Work on a relationship? The list could go on and on, but you get the picture. Unless you are determined, it probably won't happen!

So go and do what you have determined to do...!

Blessings,

Linda

www.LindasWorkshops.com

Linda@LindasWorkshops.com