November 28, 2013

Gratitude Is The Best

Gratitude is the best. I have been thinking about what it is to be grateful and how it feels to be grateful and what it feels like to receive gratitude. “Gratitude is the best” is the phrase that keep popping into my head. Now Thanksgiving is tomorrow so it would seem logical that my thoughts about gratitude coincide with Turkey Day; however, timing is coincidence.  I was actually thinking about what intangible things make people happy and gratitude kept coming to mind.  Is it possible to feel anything but warm and fuzzy after saying thank you as a result a kind, polite, selfless or generous gesture? You are reminded of a kind gesture when you give thanks and the other person’s kindness is acknowledged. I have been unable to think of a situation when an expression of gratitude results is something other than a positive outcome or feeling.  Saying thank you is effortless and it shows appreciation and is easy to do.  It is rewarding, courteous, thoughtful, appreciated, welcomed, valuable and positive.  I think gratitude can be a win win for all parties involved.

When I was in my first month of college as a freshman, I received a package from my friend Darah. It was a big tin of homemade chocolate chip cookies with a colorful handwritten sign of encouragement.  Kind of like those that we used to create for each other to decorate lockers before tennis matches, basketball games and lacrosse games. I thought it odd that she forgot to sign her name and there was no return address on the package but recognized the handwriting as Darah’s, or so I thought (I did send a thank you note, since I am writing about gratitude).  Fast forward to Christmas break when I  saw my friend Jen.  I told her about the special delivery of cookies I had received from Darah a couple months back.  Jen look at me with disappointment and surprise.  She said, “Those cookies were from me!!  I thought you never received them because you never mentioned them!” Oh awkward!  I sort felt like a dolt and I am sure Darah found my thank you note perplexing since she knew nothing of cookies! My gratitude had good intention behind it but had been misplaced! Jen has likely forgotten the cookie scandal after all these years but I have to stored in my brain as it was a lesson for me.  Of the many things in life to get right, knowing where and when to show gratitude is very high on the list!  Thank you can be very meaningful to the giver or doer as these two words tend to produce positive results.   It is one of the easiest ways to put a smile on someone’s face, in my opinion.  Who does not smile when they say ‘you’re welcome’ or ‘it was my pleasure’?

My mother taught my brothers and I from a young age to write thank you notes so it is just something we all do.  It is always funny (not funny ha ha) when someone says, ‘Thank you for your note, it is so nice to receive a handwritten letter.’ In this day in age, we do some many things with technology that an email or a text message may lack the same meaning as something handwritten.  There is much to be said for taking the time to sit down with pen and paper write your thanks after someone has taken the time to do something kind, polite, selfless or generous.  On the flip side, there will be things for which we never receive thanks because they are done with good intention and the anticipation of gratitude.  I was in the mall recently and walked by the children’s wish tree.  I thoroughly enjoy helping a child see their Christmas wish come true so I selected the tag for a girl who was hoping for an Easy Bake Oven.  I always wanted one (who didn’t) and know how exciting it is to open the thing you want most on Christmas Day (excluding any live animals like puppies or ponies – not good gifts).  I will never meet this young girl and she will never know who secured that pink and purple Easy Bake Oven but it is enough for me to know it will make someone happy.  Indirect or anticipated gratitude is good enough for me.

Consider those things for which you are thankful as often as you can, not just with turkey and mashed potatoes.  Go out of your way to thank someone when thanks are appropriate – it goes a long way. Be thankful for the intangible and the tangible things, the people in your life, opportunities, your latte.  If you send someone a message right now and say, “Thank you for being my friend” – you might just make someone’s day.

Thank you for reading this blog!

Filed Under: gratitude, Life Lessons, thepageofaquarius Tagged With: , , , , , , Leave a Comment
November 15, 2013

The Skeletons Can Be Helpful

Have faith in what will happen. It just popped into my head  and I started thinking about various events in my life.  When I reflect back on where I have been and where I am now, there are so many things I never expected or never anticipated. Writing that sounds ridiculous to me on some level. There are so many unexpected things that happen in life.  It is necessary trust in the idea that there is a reason behind everything that happens and the timing of things will be what it needs to be. Maybe some people ponder this often but I tend to reflect when something reminds me to do so.  How did you get here?  What decisions did I make or did I not make?  How have I changed? What has changed me or what has been the impetus to change? Here is what was happening 1 year ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago.  The things in the present that were never on my radar in prior years are most interesting to me. 10 years ago I never would have imagined I would be working where I am today.5 years ago I would not have believed I would still be working where I am. It is interesting to reflect on the people who were in my life and those who have drifted in a different direction and the new people I have met along the way.

There is a saying I have read that I will misquote and it goes something like,  “Do not think about the past because you do not live there.”  I tend to look at the past as the way to learn how to avoid repeating those things you prefer to never again repeat.  You can say you will never do something again but I believe until you determine why you did something or examine what was happening in your life at a specific time, you may repeat things.  You have to look at the matter, understand why it happened, what role you played and what you can do differently next time.  I have a friend who says he nevers likes to think about the past.  He does not like to think about mistakes he has made or “stupid” things he has done.  Avoidance only leads to more of the same.   Facing yourself and taking accountability for things that have happened can be difficult and uncomfortable.  I tend to think once you take a hard look at something and you learn something valuable.   I think avoiding the past is like being chased. I think of a cartoon character running with zombie skeletons in fast pursuit.  Once you stop and turn around and address each skeleton by name and find out why you are being chased, the skeletons vanish.  We learn lessons from past actions by virtue of  facing things and setting them free.  If we choose to face a lesson or take a lesson to heart, it can only be a helpful lead-in to change. The past does not define us.  It can help us figure out who we want to be moving forward. We make mistakes, we make less than ideal decisions, we do weird things, hang out with various people and it all happens for a reason. I guess sometimes you have to visit the past and then move on versus living in the past and dwelling or letting the past continuously tap you on the shoulder.  It is like going on a weekend trip.  You visit, you look around, you experience things and then you go back to your reality.

Learning is an ongoing experience, we never stop learning whether we like or not regardless of age.  Well, perhaps on some level learning is choice or admitting there is something to learn is a process.  I was talking to a friend recently about a specific situation and I said I had nothing to learn from it.  The next day I was driving to work and realized there was something big I had been ignoring – kind of like an elephant in the room.  When you least expect it things can reveal themselves and teach you something new.  I would guess in a year or 5 years I will look back again and be amazed about what has changed in my life.  I tend to think things change in our life if we pay attention to signs and messages that lead to the lessons.  Some lessons are harder than others and some result in really positive things.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog.

Filed Under: experience, healing, Life Lessons, Listening, motivation, thepageofaquarius, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , 1 Comment
November 13, 2013

Just Wait

Like it or not, things happen for a reason.  When you think you have all the answers, things can just turn around and surprise you.  I do have a habit of  jumping to my own conclusions here and there.  I can say I have been guilty of making assumptions to try to figure something out and drawing conclusions based on observation or partial information.

I like to have the answers to things even when I may be lacking detail or information.  It is far too easy to add my own pieces to a puzzle to create a full picture.  This ‘technique’ only leads to a puzzle full of odd holes and spaces and wrong assumptions.  It is sort of like drawing a map and then being blind folded half way through. The user of the map will likely end up lost since the path will only partially serve its purpose. There are times when my intuition helps me and instances when I ignore my intuition and results are usually varied.  It would behoove me to listen to my intuition as often as possible as it is a good internal map whatever the path I take in life.  I had two instances this week when I decided to listen to my intuition and the outcome was to my advantage.  I have two instances a few weeks back when I said, ‘this is my desired outcome’ and oddly, the outcome just recently played out just as I had hoped. I have one instance in which I ignored my intuition and about 6 hours later thought to myself, “I should have listened…”  I definitely had an AH HA moment.

My lessons are repeating themselves or maybe evolving.  Okay, repeating.  It is necessary to be patient even when it feels impossible to exercise patience.  Answers will come forward.  Information will surface.  Clarity will present itself.  The timeline may be short or long and it is likely outside reasonable control.  Sometimes it is better to sit back and observe instead of drawing conclusions.  Sometimes it is better to wait something out when waiting feels like the right thing to do, even if waiting is really tough to do.  Sometimes trying to figure out everything on your own is the wrong way and letting things come to fruition is the better way. Sometimes trusting your instincts is the only clear path to figuring out the answers you seek.

 

 

Filed Under: experience, intuition, Life Lessons, Listening, perspective, thepageofaquarius Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment
November 5, 2013

Patience, patience

I have nothing specific to write about yet lots of different thoughts in my head.  I have been thinking about patience as a learned skill.  I am not sure if we are born with patience.  I think we develop patience over time, based on experience. I know I can be a patient person inherently and I know I  have had to spend many years working on new levels of patience because it is impossible force things to happen. The invisible clock that determines when things will happen in life is something that forces us to be put the brakes on.  Your way may not be the best way. Sometimes, no matter the avenue you take, the steps you take, or what you try to change,  your only option is to follow the process, whatever the process is… Go one step at a step no matter how slowly versus racing to the finish for immediate gratification.  I have learned you cannot always kick doors open. You have to wait for the right time to unlock the door or wait until the door opens on its own based on your own actions.

Little things can open doors. When you piece all the small steps and little things together, you will find you have come upon something bigger, more answers, new perspective.  It is sort of like sculpting a stone.  Precise movements with a chisel or other tools help shape a sculpture.  If you rush, you may find you have hacked off a chunk of stone or have cracked the stone and have to start from the beginning or scrap the project entirely.  Rushing to the finish is not always the answer though tempting.  Sometimes you have to take a step back, evaluate your work, listen to your gut and then proceed.  I have been working really hard on my day job, on projects and had to just take a step back for a few days and let the energy settle around things.  I suppose I disconnected from it all for a few days and did things like shop and shop and shop some more. Things I definitely do not do on a regular basis, however, it was time for a little break.  I went to the mall and actually enjoyed it versus finding shopping to be a chore. A little retail hiatus is what I needed to clear my thoughts and reset my thought processes.

Getting back to patience.  Sometimes you have to follow a process to get to your end result.  Sometimes that process may take more time than you prefer.  Sometimes the process may seem illogical.  Sometimes that process may only reveal itself with each little thing you do which means you may be at the end of the process when things become clear and you have a moment of, “Ohhh so that’s what it was all about.”  I suppose learning patience is about learning a life lesson and teaching yourself to change your ways or slow things down or to follow what you cannot see.

Filed Under: Believe, blog, direction, Go with the flow, Life Lessons Tagged With: , , , , , , , Leave a Comment
October 28, 2013

Liebster Award

A Liebster Award

I was so surprised when my friend Carissa reached out to tell me that she was nominating this blog for a Liebster Award. It is a nice way to introduce others to new blogs and writers and it is so nice to know someone reads my blog.  In my eyes, new can be new to you and me or brand new to to everyone.  Everyone has a point of view to share so discovering a new blog usually means learning something new.

Carissa and I became friends in college through friends we still have in common today.  We ended up in the same study abroad program and she proved to be a true friend when I needed one and a fun, adventurous travel companion.  She can probably do a far better job of a telling a story about a crack of dawn train ride through Austria during which there would be no sleeping in our train car.  I decided to keep her awake blabbing about something on my mind…about which I now have no recollection.

Anyway, Carissa is a talented writer with rich stories to tell about life and her adventures with friends, family and her four fabulous children.  She is a regular writer for the Huffington Post which I feel is incredibly impressive since she is an example of: you never know where a creative venture can take you.  This is just the beginning for her so let’s see where she is in 5 years.   Here is a link to her blog  http://www.carissak.com/ and here is a link to her Huffington Post column http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carissa-k/.  She is officially a published online writer – how cool is that?

That said, with the nomination came questions she asked me to answer:

What inspired you to start blogging?

During most work days, my brother and I are in contact via Google Talk.  I could not really tell you what we chat about but I can say, there were many times when he would say, “You should blog about that.”  I was unsure about the blog thing and he set me up with access to Word Press, told me to start writing, and eventually I did.  Though I was unsure what the theme would be and started out with nothing in terms of a design, I figured my brother would read my blog and one reader is a good start!


How about a round of Rose and Thorn?  What was the best part of your past week, and what was the worst?
The best part of my past week getting off the plane in Atlanta, GA and deciding I would pretend I was on vacation while in there though I was really there for business.  I figured I better make a game of it since I really had no interest in being there.  I started out with a Pinkberry frozen yogurt as I walked to my red VW Jetta rental car.  When I checked in at the hotel (somewhere I had never previously stayed) I was told I received an upgrade to a 900 sq ft luxury suite that was like a high rise apartment.  It was like being on the vacation rather than imagining I was on vacation!  I had a concierge, a living room, dining room and a view of Buckhead and downtown Atlanta.  It was a nice surprise for an otherwise ordinary business trip.  The worst part of me week last week was the end of the movie Gravity – the new Sandra Bullock/George Clooney flick.  The last 2 minutes of the movie were over the top and kind of silly in my opinion.
How is the way you grew up playing a role in your current adventures?
My current adventures are encouraging me to rediscover my creative side.  Up until about the age of 12, I did all things creative and artistic.  I went to yoga while at Montessori School.  I painted, wrote “books”, I  doodled and drew and had drawing pads and coloring books, I loved art class. I learned to bake and to knit.  I used my imagination to pass the time quite often.  Somewhere along the lines, I lost that and I often wonder where I would be today had I kept developing that side of me versus sending the creative me off to hibernation.  My blog and other things have made me rediscover creativity and it is a valuable escape from day to day life.  Who knows how I will use creativity in the future.
What was the last book that you read?
The last book I read is:  The Game of Life and How To Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn.  It was written in 1925.  Someone recommended it to me and found it interesting because the power of positive thinking has been around for a long, long time!
What do you collect?
I seem to be collecting LuLu Lemon workout gear.  If LuLu Lemon had clothing that were appropriate for the corporate environment, I would buy it.  Alas, it is best for the gym and working from  home.
If you could take a cross country road trip, who would you invite to join you and why?
Well, this is a difficult question for me because I can think of several people with whom I would make this trek.  I might stuff my entire family into an RV and see if we make to the the other side of the country without trying to toss one another out of the RV onto the side of the road.  Plus it is something my Dad has always wanted to do and my Mom might protest and would be glad she did in the end.  I might also take 3 of my college friends on a road trip because it would be the closest I could get to all of us living in the same town/city again.  Lastly, my friends who are twin sisters.  We went on a trip together a few years ago and I declared myself a triplet because we had such a great time together.  And we look so much alike – me blonde, blue eyed and they are brunette, brown eyes.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Definitely the caramel sauce drizzled on top of my latte at Starbucks.  I have been known to lick it off the top if it gets stuck on there.  I also like watching Grey’s Anatomy and the Long Island Medium when I want to disconnect my brain from reality.  Also Pinkberry frozen yogurt right next to gate A9 in Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
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I am supposed to nominate another blog friend for this award but I do not really have any “blog friends” other than Carissa.  I will share other blogs I read often because with an open mind, you can often learn something from others:
http://nicoleandtheangels.com/blog-2/   A blog written by a very talented spiritual guide to anyone who needs something other than the usual day to day.
http://ohhappyday.com/ a blog inspired by colorful, creative party planning and design ideas and DIY party projects.  Anything called Oh Happy Day is worth reading in my opinion.
http://pinchofyum.com/ a food lover started this blog.  Her photos will make you want to eat pancakes or any other recipe featured.
http://www.sherocksfitnesstx.com/ DIY workouts for a good butt kicking and a down to earth read about food and life in general.  I have learned some good things here.
http://www.yettas.com/ a photo a day by a photographer who I feel produces very good work and also my brother (nevermind any bias) and a member of my personal advisory board.
There are many more blogs I really like and visit often – I suppose going back to the what do I collect question – I collect blogs. Perhaps I need to start a blog roll on this site as many people have very interesting content and perspectives.
Thank you for reading this blog and the blogs of others!
Filed Under: art form, Believe, blog, Inspiration, motivation, passion, perspective, potential Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments
October 26, 2013

That Clock Is Chasing Me!

Do you ever find your approach to organizing your week ends up being the approach you take for your weekend?  During the week, everything I do is according to what time I have to be somewhere, what time I have a conference call or a meeting, and by what time I hope to get to bed at night.  I need less of that on the weekend and get into such a routine of living by a schedule getting away from that on the weekend can be challenging.

I had to travel to Atlanta for work this week.  As I was on my way to the airport to fly home, I was sitting in traffic on 285W thinking living on a timetable can be exhausting.  I spent my day in meetings with an invisible clock looming over my head.  90 minute meeting with one group, 30 minutes for this person, can I afford to eat lunch, 5 minutes with this person and if I leave the office later than 2:30pm I might miss my flight.  I spend a lot of time mentally calculating the minutes as I rotate through meetings and whatnot so I can fit everything in.  As I was sitting in traffic, the clock was still looming.  It kept reminding me traffic was in the way of my perfectly timed return to the airport, rental car return, and the circus that is security at the airport. I was in such a rush I bought a late lunch in the terminal and found myself eating a chicken sandwich that I would probably normally throw out ( waste not want not, what?).  In retrospect, I think cafeteria food would have been better.  I was so hungry and felt I had no time to give thought to anything except getting to the gate.  When the plane finally boarded, I just inserted myself in the boarding line.  Normally my attitude is, everyone will get on the plane so who cares when I get on the plane.  Yesterday, I wanted to sit down so badly and disconnect my brain, I was one of those people who was ready to bum rush the plane.  Living the rat race life for sure.

I woke up this morning and revolted against myself.  My whole week involved a schedule that had nothing to do with me and only what I must do to do my job.  It was wholly exhausting and time consuming.  Usually I push myself out of bed on a Saturday morning to get things done.  Today I stayed in bed till 10:00am because I decided who cares what I need to get done, bed is better.  I resolved to do nothing today requiring an agenda and decided to ignore the clock and my nagging pragmatic self.  What difference does it make if I do not get “stuff” done?  I did, however, decide to do things I have wanted to do all week versus needed to do.  A day of, “oh this is what I WANT to do right now.  Now I WANT to do this.”  Instead of “I need to get this, that, and the other thing done and how do I find the time.”  What I want to do takes very little effort; often anything I need to do is a chore so I opted for “want to do” today.  I find the days when I can ignore the clock that normally chases me to be much more relaxing and perhaps even more productive.  My brain certainly seems to be bouncing around less than it was and the numbing feeling that is created by keeping on top of everything has subsided.  (Maybe numb brain is only unique to me when the brain is on overload; however, I really feel like my brain is frozen sometimes).

I often say my brain is just going to quit on me or move out and find a new home.  I run it ragged.  I am sure many people have the same problem.  My brain must feel like it runs an ultra-marathon every day.  Recently one of my friends said she wishes her brain worked like mine because it is always “working” on something.  Funny thing is, I laughed at that statement and told her my brain is exhausting.  I am not sure if it is enviable!  I suppose it is just another reminder that I have to hit the stop button sometimes and just be less regimented. Do what I want and do what I enjoy; instead of requiring myself to meet timelines or to do things in a specific way every day of the week.  I always try to remind myself: if the words should or have to are part of my day, I am probably doing something as a result of some obligation or requirement either placed upon me by my own doing or something else’s.  I prefer ‘I want to’ because it usually proves to be energizing versus tiring.  And even when ‘I want to’ is tiring, it is usually satisfying and positive.

That said, I want to stop writing now because I want to go to the gym.  I have one place I am going later today that requires adherence to a schedule – the movies.  I can live with that!  Thank you for reading this blog!

 

Filed Under: balancing act, Life Lessons, perspective, power, practice, thepageofaquarius, time Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment
October 23, 2013

The Power of Positive What?

Where does confidence go when it leaves? I have times when it is tough to convince myself “I can do it.”  Maybe it is a normal part of life?  To feel clueless or unsure of how to accomplish a task or tasks at hand can be quite discouraging.  I read a quote today, “if you cannot change your situation, change how you think about it.”  This is very sound advice, however, sometimes changing the way you think can be challenging, for me at least. I realize we control our thoughts and we control our destiny, but I cannot discount the days, when I wake up thinking, “Not this again.”

When confidence goes, it is hard to be positive.  It is a domino effect that you have to keep in check so it is never gets out of control. Oh yes – revert to the power of positive thinking.  It works miracles,  most of the time. However, sometimes, I just need a few days off from the power of positive thinking.  There are so many things around us outside of our control and many things we just have to accept and roll with.  It can be really challenging to be a ray of sunshine on days when pulling the covers over your head feels like the best escape from…well…nothing.  Nothing ever resolves itself by hiding under the covers so I opt for just leaving the positive thinking to others.  Sometimes it just has to be that way.  I was talking to one of my friends today who said, “Maybe I could  just win the lottery instead of going to work every day.”  Always a good business plan regardless of whether it’s realistic. Who can say they have never had a lottery dream?  Her follow up comment was, “Oh the power of positive thinking!”  I told her I would have to leave the positivity to her today and I would just sit on the bench.  It works well sometimes. Just sit on the sidelines for a little while with a big “BOO, HISS” sign and let people around you provide the cheerleader effect.  You can do it!  This too shall pass!  Just let it go!  It is good to have friends to trade off with at times.I know I try to find the good in every situation, no matter how annoying my friends may find it…especially when they would rather sit on the sidelines and leave the positivity to me (I better ask Google is positivity is actually a word).

This too shall pass is what my Mom has said since I was a little kid. I have adopted it myself and find it to be a relevant statement in many situations.  I know I get bogged down in day to day things and sometimes I feel like I am dragging a boulder behind me.  The boulder just drags everything with it.  Confidence, positive thinking, rays of sunshine flat as pancakes.  (I have the image of those words being flattened by a giant boulder in my head).  I wonder what it would be like to look at me right now, from an outsiders point of view.  Would others know about the pile of word pancakes I am dragging behind me?  I guess it would be better to pick up those pancakes, fold them up, and stick them in my pocket (or my laptop bag, as the case may be).  Inevitably, I will unfold them and let them fly again so why drag them in the dirt?  I think an itty bitty bit of positive thinking just creeped out of me – not sure how that happened – as I thought it was gone for the week.  Maybe this too shall pass will be around 7pm Friday night.  Or maybe when I wake up on Saturday morning.  I think I will set a deadline for myself and go do something to occupy my time until I feel like tackling the world of all things possible again.

Thank you for reading this blog!

Filed Under: power, practice, success Tagged With: , , , Leave a Comment
October 15, 2013

How To Not Be An Adult

What to write. What to write.  That keeps happening to me.  What to write.  I have ideas and nothing seems compelling to me.  In fact, I have started a few things and returned a day later and found what I wrote was less than inspiring to me!  I have a hard time posting something unless I feel it is “right”.  I guess I am having a lot of that right now.  I have been working hard on designing a new project and am finding graphic/creative design is quite challenging.  I think I need to go watch some episodes of The Magic Garden or Reading Rainbow to regenerate the imaginative part of my brain.  It may sound odd but when I was a kid I never ran into any creative blocks and wonder when that started to happen to me.  I used to write and illustrate stories, paint, and draw whenever I had a chance.  I used to doodle on everything and I made cards for people and decorated letters I wrote. When I was younger I spent so much time using my imagination and doing things that were creative outlets – why back then did I lack the cognizance to keep that going?  I even used to read books and then imagine what it would be like to fly or to read minds because I found the stories other people created so interesting.

I had a paper route when I was in elementary school and as I rode around the neighborhood flinging papers, I would occupy my time imagining what it would it be like to create a machine that would produce any food item you wanted.  I delivered papers around dinnertime so my stomach was usually grumbling and I consistently started with orange soda and chocolate mousse as the first creations from this machine (I still live by dessert first, less keen on orange soda).  I remember thinking Future World in Epcot Center was the coolest thing I had ever seen because the futuristic displays were unlike anything I had ever seen.  I even wrote a book about it for my 4th grade class – I have to go dig that up because I know it is in a box somewhere.  It is really interesting to reflect on how I used my brain as a kid and how I use my brain today.  I still love food and I love to read about food and even find cooking to be a very therapeutic activity when my brain needs a rest..from me.  I was thinking I need to be more creative but the creativity is probably already there, it just needs to be unclogged, further.  I say further because I have gotten to a certain point and now I need something new to open up in the pathways of my brain to help my vision for my project and other things to come.

I am sure not all people lose the creative imagination we develop as children, though I wonder how we lose it or stuff it away in a box or drawer of our mind?  It is almost a shame because as I sit here, I wonder how corporate America, the government, education, all the foundational elements of society would be different if everyone had a teaspoon of sparkly stuff or elements of childlike wonder in every day activities.  Mandate: every person must take 10 minutes out of their day to sit in childlike wonder.  Take out your colorful pencils or model trains or look up in the sky.  Perhaps everything would be less serious and also covered in bright colors? Or maybe there would be more amazing, new ideas brought to light.  I have two 1 year old nephews and you can see their wonder in everything they do.  One loves airplanes and when he hears an airplane above, everything stops, and he strains his neck to see it.  It is awesome to watch.  To me, that is chidlike wonder that many of us take for granted.  The other nephew is an explorer, he likes to stand on top of tables and run around because everything is an adventure to him.  I hope from today forward they keep their sense of wonder and adventure as I know I will do my best to encourage it.  When they are my age, my hope is they will have all those creative pathways open in their minds and have ways to use them; unlike their Aunt who is working to find the keys to doors to all those pathways that somehow were shut along the way.

I may go find this book that my Mom had when I was growing up, How To Eat Like a Child.  I never appreciated the irony of it till now, sitting here typing.  It is about revisiting the joys and ploys of childhood.  A guide for adults!  As an aside, I was listening to an NPR interview with Delia Ephron this morning and low and behold this book came to mind just now and she is the author. An odd coincidence. Ok I digress.

Out of the blue I have finally written a blog post that feels right after several attempts in the last few days.  Pathway open though we will see about creative design ideas.

Thank you for reading my blog!

Words of Wisdom - Hand-Cut Silhouette Papercut

Filed Under: passion, thepageofaquarius, vision Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment
October 10, 2013

The Good Apple

One of my friends stopped by to visit after work last Friday. It was such a nice surprise I must say. It was something outside my usual Friday night routine and it was a fun distraction after a less than entertaining work week. It reminded me of a few things: 1. Remember the little things are often the best things 2. Show gratitude and appreciation for the little things delivered by someone else 3. Be grateful for the reminders we are given to appreciate the little things.

It is always nice to spend time with a friend and wonder where the time went while talking and listening. This is something I appreciate about a good conversation and find it to be a gift in of itself.  I have never been a person to have a myriad of superficial friends; rather, I have always been the type to have a group of close friends.  I remember thinking about my friendships when I was about 9 years old. Even at that age, though I was friendly with many people, I could see the difference in my friendships. There were people who more or less flitted around like butterflies and people who were like “pillars” as far as connections with friends go. Everyone needs those pillars, the people who will stand around, next you, behind you, in front of you, or pick you up when you need support. The people you can always count on, who believe in you, and will tell you the truth when you need to hear it (even if you do not want to hear it). I always value honesty as I always prefer to hear what will help me or what will give me reason to pause and think differently.  I can often tell when someone is saying what they think I want to hear and that just never works for me.  The quality and type of people in your life can be really important. Who you choose to have around you can be very telling and can help you or hurt you or teach you.

(No one is perfect.  Perfect is like beauty – in the eye of the beholder.  Just needed a little disclaimer before continuing on)

I was recently discussing some perplexing behavior demonstrated by someone I know with a friend of mine. She is often my voice of reason when I am confused or need clarity about something.  After explaining a few things, she said, “Sometimes you just pick the wrong friends.” I actually laughed out loud because she is probably right.  I tend to overlook other people’s agenda when I see good qualities in a person. I am learning sometimes a good apple can have some bruised, mushy parts under the skin and sometimes, that apple needs to go back in the pile.

When push comes to shove, you (should) know who your friends are when a need truly arises. The same friend (mentioned a few sentences ago) always says I contact her when she needs to hear from me. I can only say on those occasions, I have found myself thinking I should contact her and did so because I tend to think when someone pops to mind, there is a reason. Have you ever been thinking about someone, reached out to them and received the a reply like, “I am so happy to hear from you! I have been thinking about you all week!” Have you ever met someone and felt like you have know that person all your life?  People do share intangible connections and the people with whom you have connections always rise to the surface or show up when you need them most.

 

Filed Under: Life Lessons, Listening, perspective, thepageofaquarius Tagged With: , , , , Leave a Comment
September 30, 2013

Why Does Fear Bubble Up

Fear.  It is an obstacle, a clog in the drain, the thing you run into like a brick wall and it sets you back.  I was sitting here with the inclination to type and figured I had writer’s block; though in reality the topic on my mind was fear.  The fear of the unknown and things that have yet to transpire. Things that may never transpire or things that may transpire in ways I never imagined for that matter. I guess I did not really want to write about fear because I do not know what to do with it. I do not really understand the source of it when I am just doing mundane things like folding laundry.  Why does it creep up on me when I think about things to come? All of the things I fear without reason to fear.  Someone said to me recently, “You have all these fears and you have no idea what you are afraid of.”   It was one of those ah ha moments because it is true.  My fears have nothing to do with “knowns” like the dark, heights, critters or scary movies.  Any fears I have are purely about me. What will happen to me?  Where will I end up?  What will I become?  What if I am stuck in the same job for the rest of my life? I fear the unknown and I have no idea why. I fear what I do not know. I fear not doing the right thing.  I fear missing the proverbial boat.  It is like waiting in a hallway worrying about what is going to come around the corner or like waiting to go out on stage without any idea of how the audience will react. I am not sure what else to say about that other than I fear things that are intangible.

I wish I knew how to find the magic button to push to clear fears out of the way.  I clearly lack the magical insight to understand why fears pop up out of the blue.  Perhaps it is just a case of letting the mind wander too far? Perhaps it is caused by feelings of uncertainty?  At this moment it is likely futile to try to figure out the answer.  I feel it is an answer much bigger than a few sentences on the computer screen.  I try to do things every day that will change my course a little bit or as much as I can.  Maybe that is what causes fear to creep up.  Pushing the boundaries of the comfort zone causes discomfort. Does that mean if you break the boundaries, all fear dissipates?  Since I fear things that are intangible, do I really need to do something to scare the you-know-what out of myself?  I feel this is something I have to work on and something I need to figure out, because I frankly find it annoying to carry this around with me.  I do not always have all of the answers and sometimes it takes time for the answers to appear.  It is challenging being human sometimes, that is for sure, especially when you cannot decipher your own behaviors.  Maybe I have to go back to what caused me to fear the unknown or perhaps if I sit here writing long enough, the answer will come to me.   I hope I can figure it out.

 

Filed Under: Fear Leave a Comment
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