Category: Uncategorized (Page 3 of 150)

It’s been said by many before me that we are a sum total of the 5 people we hang out with in our lives. Not a real surprise I suppose. But, what is a surprise to me is how very different our day-to-day can look when the right people are in our lives.

For me, I don’t notice the other people I surround myself with quite as much until I witness the kindness, generosity and Love first-hand. And when I do, it’s overwhelming for me.

An example of that was when I was down with the flu, a sinus infection and eventually pneumonia. I was doing my best to get back online, but I just couldn’t fight it off on my own. I ended up in the ER where I was prescribed a double-dose of antibiotics which did the trick. In the meantime, I was texted by someone – who I didn’t recognize their number – wondering if I was home in order to drop something off on our front porch. Embarrassingly, I responded and let them know I didn’t recognize the number. She replied that it was “Mary” the Grandmother of my 16 year old son’s friend and classmate. She wanted to drop off some homemade Chicken Noodle soup because she heard I was struggling to get back on my feet. Now, yes we do know “Mary,” but we don’t necessarily see them on a regular basis. Maybe school events and such. It was such a sweet gesture for her to go out of her way – not just to think of me and reach out – but to make homemade soup from scratch (and you could tell, it was delicious) and drive across town and deliver it to my house with fresh bread and a whole lotta Love. It was incredible. I was so touched I cried.

That single act of generosity and Love has won me over. I will do anything for Grandma “Mary.” Maybe we all can be a Grandma “Mary” today. No doubt, you will touch someone’s heart in the best way.

P.S. I asked her if I can adopt her as my Grandma. She said “Yes.”

What if we were to accept exactly where we are in this moment? Would that be a recipe to help eliminate anxiety? Possibly. What if we were able to stay present in the moment? Could that help with stress? Fear of the future? That eventually can lead to procrastination? Maybe.

It would seem to me that when we get pulled out of where we are right now and drift to the future to what could happen or what might occur, we have given up the wheel to allow someone or something else to steer our vehicle through our own lives.

We may or may not be content with where we are in the present moment and that’s okay. But, nevertheless here we are. There’s clarity in knowing the path that lay in front of us. And so it begins one step at a time.

It must be my age or my bitterness of being a seasoned veteran, but I feel that when it comes to my life, I concern myself with the plight rather than the outcome nowadays. Don’t get me wrong, I love a great result. Who doesn’t?! Especially when putting in the effort consistently after a well-thought out plan and when the horizon appears to be quite bleak – but we chose to continue on – only to reveal the sweetest of finished products.

What seems to capture my attention now is the long walk in the ‘valley of death’ prior to the end result. What is that? It’s the repeated and mundane tasks/habits we do (most of the time along) repeatedly over time in order to attain the results we intended.

This is where the pro’s are separated from the amateurs. This is the ‘life-hack.’ There is none.

I’ve found over the years that being as honest as possible with others I care about is most beneficial to everyone.

Here’s why: When I share myself with others – not inappropriately – but rather in the context of our relationship, it builds trust, empathy and respect between us. Again, I’m not talking about being rude or disrespectful by saying each and every thing that comes to mind, nor am I talking about gushing my short-comings hoping to elicit empathy by playing the victim. I’m talking about trusting others and finding a way to connect with them by sharing my fears, perspective and yes flaws.

More times than not, it opens the door for reciprocity between us and a way to relate to each other as human beings. Another words, “I’m just as broken as you are. We all are” would be more in tune with the message I’m conveying.

But, the good news is we’re all in this together! So, find someone to lean on.

Loving people who we care about can be a challenging road to navigate on a daily basis. Especially when you have children. It can take many forms, strategy’s and approaches.

I do know this; the actions we take and how we speak to others has a direct effect on them. Another words – as Darren Hardy said – we cannot stop the ripples that move outward and envelope the entire pond once you have cast your stone. The question is; Is it a positive stone or a negative one.

I also know this; I don’t want to be responsible for the negative effects from what I put out into the world. I would much rather see ripples of positivity. Another words, I would much rather inspire, support and contribute than take the easy road of being a ‘Debbie Downer.’

What say you?