Confession

Hi everyone,

I hope somewhere in last week's jam-packed week you found contentment...

Well, they say that confession is good for the soul ~ so I'm going to confess to you today. There were moments last week when I did not feel contentment. It wasn't that I was comparing my home, clothes, finances, or car to anyone else. So comparison really wasn't the issue. It's just that last week, life was ... well, hard. Not as hard as it has been in other times and certainly not as hard as many people have it.

It was just a week of "stuff" ~ Guy having a test done at the hospital and an inconsiderate remark by the technician causing some real depression - for both of us. I'm going to physical therapy twice a week (with the accompanying insurance deductible each visit!) to try to clear up a bum shoulder - and avoid surgery. Some job issues didn't work out the way I had hoped which is not all that unusual since I'm self-employed, just not what I needed last week on top of the other things that were happening. For some reason, I missed Abby (see my post about her from a few weeks ago...) more than ever.

You all (or y'all, as they say here in Florida!) know how it goes. I'm sure you've been there a time or two - and maybe you're even there right now.

But remember a few posts ago when I talked about "moment-by-moment?" Well, that's what I finally remembered toward the end of the week. I had a great time with some folks during an online workshop I conducted on Thursday - and the more I thought about helping some of those people and others I'll help in the future, the better I felt about life in general. The better I felt about life in general, the more I've been able to carry that feeling with me over the last couple of days.

Aha! Confession! I was focusing on me, me, me during the rest of the week, when what I really needed to do was to look around, or at least not look at only me. In this case, I saw that I could help someone else feel better. Granted, a workshop may not seem like a big deal, but since it's what I do for a living and I love it, it helps to know I really do help some people. I carried that feeling back to my "work" when the session was over and somehow it has made a difference. Maybe what really made the difference was that I quit looking only at my circumstances.

I guess what I'm saying is, none of us is perfect in trying to be content, not comparing ourselves to others, living in the moment, or any of the other things we've discussed these past few months. What I have found is that if I confess my feelings to myself and figure out how and why they're happening, I can move forward a little quicker. If I can remember to not focus on me, I can find more contentment... maybe you can too. And of course, as you've heard me say before, it's all about awareness!

Blessings,

Linda

Linda@LindasWorkshops.com

http://www.lindasworkshops.com/

Contentment

Hi everyone and welcome to my new readers ~ I know Candee Rose, Robin, and Priti are recent additions and some of you who read the blog but don't show up in my "followers" - welcome to all of you!

So how did you do last week pondering what is vital to your soul? I took a step toward taking care of that today when I visited a local nursery that helps support disabled folks in our community ~ and took home several deep pink plants to brighten my patio - and my life! Visually beautiful things seem to be vital to my soul. When I look at a passion flower or a brilliant red cardinal at the bird feeder, I feel at peace. I hope that over the past few days, you too have re-discovered something that does that for you.

Today's word is contentment. When I read about something THREE times in one day, it's a pretty sure indication that I should write about it in the blog :-)

The word "content" or "contentment" really did appear in 3 things I read today, but the phrase that really caught my eye was in Dr. Charles Stanley's monthly publication called In Touch. He made the comment that "comparison steals contentment." WOW! Three little words with a whole lot of meaning...

Maybe you've been there...

...someone else lost the weight and you seemed to have found it ~

=goodbye contentment

...a friend just spent your monthly food budget on a gorgeous new outfit ~

=goodbye contentment

...another friend got a beautiful new car ~ and yours runs on duct tape ~

=goodbye contentment

...the neighbor just remodeled and added that stunning sunroom you've always wanted ~

=goodbye contentment

...her husband just did the sweetest thing for her ~

=goodbye contentment

...he just got to play golf for the 5th time this week ~

=goodbye contentment

...their bank account makes yours look like the change you get at McDonald's ~

=goodbye contentment

...they're on schedule to retire early and you'll be working until you're 112 ~

=goodbye contentment

...she just got a promotion...and you just got laid off ~

=goodbye contentment

We could all add dozens, if not hundreds, of other comparisons to this list and not a one of them will make us feel good about ourselves. Comparison does indeed steal contentment.

So let's look at life from a different lens...

Have a headache today? Find contentment in your general good health...

Wishing you had more money in the bank? Find contentment that you HAVE money in the bank...

Your spouse/significant other takes you for granted? Find contentment in the fact that you are with someone who cares for you, even when they don't show it the way you'd like...

You'd like to have a new outfit that WASN'T on the 80% off rack? Walk into your closet and find contentment in what is hanging there - I'll bet there's plenty...

Can't lose that 10 pounds you've been fighting? Find contentment in being able to enjoy every bite of a delicious meal...

You drool when you see the beautiful new sunroom...or kitchen...or carpet...or anything...she just got? Find contentment in the beautiful blue sky, flowering blossoms, and deep green grass that we all get to share - for free!

You get the idea - STOP comparing anything in your life to someone else's life. It's just too easy to get caught up in it and let our contentment drain away.

Challenge yourself this week to FIND contentment in your circumstances ~ and let me know what you found!

Blessings,

Linda

http://www.lindasworkshops.com/

Linda@LindasWorkshops.com

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

Simplicity - right??

Well, I think I lost a week or so in there somewhere! Here it is, 2 weeks after my last post - something I was sure would never happen.

The amusing thing is that I spoke to a client about 10 days ago and she made an innocent statement: "I just want a simple life." I told her she had just given me the word for that week's post - simplicity. Then life happened!

A husband with a pulled muscle in his back, a car that won't quit (Literally! It would NOT turn off!), a puppy who the vet says is probably within days or weeks of leaving us, 2 doctors' appointments for hubby, several new programs to prepare for along with a week-long business trip coming up, new technology equipment in my office (yuk!), and the list goes on - as I know yours does, too. I guess the simplicity gremlins heard what I was going to blog about and decided to make sure that didn't happen!

So I have been reflecting (when I have 37 seconds to do so!) on how I can gain some simplicity in my life again. I'll be honest here - I'm not sure it's going to happen for me in the next 2 or 3 weeks and I have to be willing to admit that without carrying any guilt around about it. I'm pretty sure July will be a little "lighter" for me, but who wants to wait until July???

And yet, if that's what happens, it's what happens. I need to have PATIENCE, the same word I mentioned on my last blog. However, I also need to be AWARE (there's THAT word again) of how full my schedule is right not and not say "yes" to anything that is not vitally important to me. It's so easy to do, isn't it? A friend wants you to stop and have coffee, someone wants you to do "just this one little thing," a spouse asks you to handle a minor errand - and yet, it can all become just too, too much.

So I think the next blog word will be vital - as in, what is the difference between what is vital to you and what's urgent?

A little food for thought - until next time :-) In the meantime, let's all try to have patience - with ourselves AND with others!

Blessings,
Linda
www.LindasWorkshops.com
Linda@LindasWorkshops.com

Patience, PATIENCE!

Hi everyone,
Here it is Tuesday already! I hope you had a blessed Easter holiday weekend.

Who did you appreciate last week? I got a very sweet note from my sister telling me she appreciates me :-). She already knows I appreciate her. I wrote about her generosity and kindness in a story that got published last year - she's my hero when it comes to helping others...

What did you appreciate this past week? I appreciated a game of Scrabble with my husband on Sunday - and the chance to watch one of my favorite TV shows this weekend - "As Time Goes By." I don't watch TV much, so I "save up" to really enjoy the couple of favorites that I have.

And this week's word is...patience!! Either I am running out of it or people have started a conspiracy to see if they can grab it away from me, ha!

I live in a retirement community - no, of COURSE I'm not old enough, but my husband is :-) Anyway, most of the people here are...retired - surprise, surprise. The thing is, I think many of them really need to go back to work or find something constructive to DO with their time. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that for the past 4 days I have heard the leaf blowers out in surround-sound (front and back!) no less than 4 or 5 hours every single day. The leaves get blown into the street for pick up and as they're being blown, more are falling. So out comes the leaf blower the next morning - and the next - and the next. It can be a very irritating noise, let me assure you. Add to that our regular lawn maintenance crews weed-whacking and mowing and it's a constant drone. And so...I try to be patient.

But then I go to the grocery store that is right out in front of our community - and guess what? They got bored with leaf blowing and now they are standing in the middle of the aisles...picture it: cart, husband, wife - stretched across nearly every aisle of the grocery. No single file here, no siree Bob! And so...I try to be patient.

I recognize that I am blessed to have wonderful neighbors. They happen to like yard work a wee bit more than I do (I still can't understand why they are willing to pay a hefty homeowner's association fee that includes lawn care!) and I need to be more tolerant of that. And so...I try to be patient - at the mailbox, on the street, at the bank - wherever.

My little crippled cat just ate and is sleeping peacefully - until his "brother" starts agitating him. Then they are sparring like middle-weight champions and I have to stop what I'm doing and referee to make sure the crippled guy doesn't get beat up. And so...I try to be patient.

My elderly pup just went out 10 minutes ago - but guess what? She needs to go out again. I stop what I'm doing and take her out, where she - guess what? Stands smelling the wind! And so...I try to be patient.

My husband - well, let's not even go there, LOL. After 31 years, that is one area I HAVE developed SOME patience in!

My question for you is...where and with whom do you need to have more patience? I know people have to be patient with me at times and it's only fair that I return the favor. And, honestly, it's not going to hurt me one bit to be more patient. Actually, I think it will do me a world of good... how about you?

Blessings,
Linda
www.LindasWorkshops.com
Linda@LindasWorkshops.com

Appreciation

Hi all!

So...how's your attitude been lately? Mine has improved after a stern lecture from ...me! It is so hard to believe that March is almost over and when I think of that, it reminds me that time is flying by. I just don't have any extra to spare to give to a bad attitude :-)

And this week's word is "appreciation." WHAT do you appreciate? This week, I am really appreciating sunshine and a bit of warmth after a long winter. I am appreciating the spikes of a few gladiolas coming out of the ground in my tiny little patio garden. I love seeing that perhaps this colder-than-usual winter did not kill my 3-year-old avocado plant, although it certainly is looking worse for the wear after spending some time in the garage during the last cold spell (probably 10 days longer than it needed to because I forgot it was there!). I appreciate the opportunity to visit with a long-time friend next week. I appreciate the fresh cup of coffee from my Keurig brewer that greets me nearly every morning. I appreciate that my 15 2/3-year-old puppy is still with us, still taking a walk every morning, still following me around from room to room when I'm working in my home office.

Next question... WHO do you appreciate? I got an email from a workshop participant the other day that was signed, "Your faithful fan". I couldn't get the grin off my face all day. That made me feel downright good! And I sent her a note to that effect. I sent another note to a client last week who makes my job so much more fun by being easy to work with. I told my husband I appreciated his cleaning up the dishes after lunch with company on Sunday (no, of COURSE he didn't do it the way I would have, but I still appreciate the effort!!) I tell him often that I appreciate how hard he works at his music store, his personal integrity, and the effort he puts forth teaching classes online. Okay, so I don't appreciate the way he gets lasagna sauce on the fresh dishtowel - or the way he hides the dog's treats in places that leave crumbs :-). Why dwell on that? There is so much more to appreciate than to get upset about...and lasagna sauce washes out and crumbs get swept up...

So I'll ask again - WHAT do you appreciate? Why not stop a minute and just enjoy whatever it is?

WHO do you appreciate? Why not tell them or drop them a note?

And this week, why not look around and see what else - and who else - you can appreciate?

I appreciate EACH of you! Thanks for "listening!"

Blessings,
Linda
www.LindasWorkshops.com
Linda@LindasWorkshops.com