Thursdays are for Kindness

Research has shown that when you offer a kindness to someone, your seratonin levels (the “feel good” brain chemical) rises. The person who has received the kindness, their level rises as well. Best of all: anyone who witnesses or hears about your kind act, their level goes up, too. One act of kindness can ripple out and impact others far beyond yourself.

Don’t believe me? Go on the internet and find a heartwarming, “good news” story. Notice how you feel before and after reading it. You will notice the warm feeling in your tummy (or is that the tacos you ate for lunch?)  Maybe you will have a smile on your face or find yourself suddenly wanting to sing Walt Disney’s favorite song, Feed the Birds, from Mary Poppins.

Now imagine, if just reading about a kind act can create this kind of “buzz,” imagine how you will feel if you are actually the provider of the kind act. It doesn’t have to be grand, even a small gesture can reap big rewards.  So feed the birds, open a door, come over and do my ironing…small acts add up to a seratonin surge so big that you may even find yourself dancing to Chim Chim Cheree.

Wednesdays are for Gratitude

Adopting an attitude of gratitude is the quickest way to improving the way you look at life. Whenever I am in a funk, I start to list all of the things that I am grateful for until I feel better. Here is a sample list: I am grateful for: a good hair day, my electric toothbrush, my dog that makes me smile, having a car to get me places because I could never walk that far, a day without rain, a warm coat, a good friend, frozen yogurt with toppings and Gilligan’s Island.  By the time I get to Gilligan, I am starting to smile and to find the blessings that are so abundant in my life.

Start a gratitude journal and write down three things that you are grateful for. If not every day, then at least on Wednesdays.  Don’t save giving thanks for Thanksgiving. Every day is a holiday, if you count your blessings and know that “grat is where it’s at.”

Weekends are for Chocolate!

Chocolate days are ahead of us every weekend. Time to rest and take in all of the rewards for our weekly efforts. Hot fudge, Hershey Bars and a cup of Hot Chocolate are at the ready.  How about a long hot bath, coffee with friends, sleeping in, working out or reading a good book?  Those are also chocolate moments.

You see, chocolate really refers to indulging yourself. Not just in the high calorie, high fat,, but totally worth it tasty treat. Indulging yourself means losing yourself in those things that make you feel good. Really good. The kind of good that allows you to truly exhale, relax your shoulders, dance a jig and chillax completely.  Yeah, that good.  Now that is a chocolate moment.

Fridays are for Forgiveness

Yikes! This is the hardest day of the week. To forgive myself and others is not the easiest of tasks. To carry a grudge – easy peasy, but to let it go and forgive, well that takes an entire day of practice. My favorite quote about forgiveness is by Mark Twain, who wrote, “Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet leaves on the heel that has crushed it.”  Pause- take a moment to re-read that sentence. It is powerful and profound. Are you that violet? I’m not, but I am trying by practicing crushing non-living things, like crumbs and cotton balls, under my shoe and then seeing if it forgives me.

Yet we know that to carry a grudge does nothing but poisons us. The bitterness eats away at our soul and keeps us from feeling the true joy in life.  Forgive and forget? Well, I may not forget, but I sure will practice forgiveness on Fridays.

Tuesdays are for Flexibility

Flexibility is not just for yoga practitioners. If you want to stop stressing, start practicing being flexible. No need to put your leg over your head like a pretzel. No plan to stick to. Just let the day go and let it flow. When others intrude on your day, let them. When computers stop “playing nicely,” take a breath and then tackle the issue.  When the dog wants to go out and play, go out and play.

If you resist the way the day is going, you will only create stress in yourself and you will accomplish less on your “to do” list. There is no reason to let a perfectly good day pass you by.  By practicing flexibility, you may be surprised at how the day turns out when you are finally ready to lay your head down on your silk pillow (after eating the chocolate left there by your “turn down” service.)  Sweet dreams….

Monday is for compliments

Day by Day the Laughter Club way, teaches us to devote each day of the week to a different value. I now do these things every day, automatically, but it is wonderful to review these from time to time with others.  Living with these has changed my life for the better, and I know that by putting into practice these simple tasks, you will also get value beyond your imagination.

Mondays are for compliments. This means not only giving, but also receiving them. Make sure they are sincere compliments, as people can spot faux flattery and it will not be well received. However, liberally sprinkle compliments throughout the day and watch people light up. It is known that being acknowledged and validated is human nature. Call it “ego stroking,” call it “feeling good,” call it “spreading sunshine,”- no matter what you call it, know that you are making someone’s day….and that is the very definition of a good day. 

Resolution or Intent?

By now most of us have already stopped trying to acheive our New Year’s Resolution list.  It sits in a drawer, unaccomplished and we may even beat ourselves up over our lack of commitment. Stop!  Resolutions can never work by their very nature.  When we resolve to do something, it is usually something we don’t really want to do (stop eating sugar, go to the gym) but we feel we must do.  We must power through our urges and cravings and rely upon inner strength to not do the one thing we want to do.  It creates an inner power struggle.  This is a fight we cannot win.

However, if instead we set intentions, we can achieve what we desire. Intentions are in alignment with what we really want. “I intend to eat a healthier diet,” we say to ourselves or “I intend to stop watching so much television and read more books.”  We are in agreement with our desires. Instead of pushing against something, we are working with ourselves to accomplish our goals.

I start each day setting my intent for the day. Before I get out of bed, I mentally review my day and state what I would like to have happen with each item on my schedule.  Before I am even vertical, I have already begun the process of having a day filled with great moments.  Try it tomorrow morning. You may just find your day running more smoothly and your life becoming in alignment with who you truly want to be. 

 

50 Truths of Life….or my birthday gift to you!

Today I am five decades young, half a century, two scores and ten, 18,250 days old, not even at the half-way point….50!

  • My body is plumper than I like.
  • My business is slower than I’d prefer.
  • My bank account is leaner than I’m comfortable with. 
  • My work load is heavier than I can keep up with. 
  • My eating habits are not as healthy as I’d like.

Yet, I’m happier than I have ever been! Life is great and just keeps getting better and better.

 In my 50 years, I have learned a few things along the way… so here are my 50 Truths of Life:

 

HEALTH
  1. A pedicure in winter is the best, especially because it is your own private treat.
  1. If you eat whatever you want and you do not go to the gym, you will gain weight. I have tested this

theory a million times and I always get the same results.
  1. Laughing each day is the best way to keep moving forward.
  1. Weight training takes a long time to see results. Muscles hide under all of the fat and don’t emerge

until long after I have given up on trying to see them.
  1. Most exercises make us look awkward and ungraceful. 
  1. When we were kids exercise was just called playing. 
  1. here are recipe follower and there are cooks. I am a recipe follower.
  1. It takes days to put on pounds, but weeks to take them back off.
 
ODDS and ENDS (MOSTLY ODDS)
  1. Build in 15 minutes for getting lost…
  1. And don’t trust your GPS to get you there.
  1. Some jokes just are not funny. It is not in the delivery, but in the message.
  1. Honor your stupidity daily. Learn something new each and every day.
  1. Admit when you don’t know something.
  1. Don’t trust the internet to give you correct information.
  1. Work is not really work if you love what you are doing.
  1. Time falls away when engaged in activities that are your passion. 
  1. Time drags when forced into sitting through something you hate. Avoid these moments by saying,

 “no” to invitations if you don’t want to go. 
 
RELATIONSHIPS
  1. Friends you think are forever, may not be. .. and people you barely know may become your best

friend at your time of need.
  1. Do more for your friends than they do for you.
  1. Make time for friends or you won’t have any.
  1. Phone calls are not a substitute for in person get togethers, neither is skype….or a Facebook message

…or a text, but all of these will work between visits.
  1. Geography is not a factor in friendships. Love travels across state lines…and across time…always

and forever.
  1. People continue to teach you lessons even after they are gone. 
  1. Memories sneak up at the strangest of times and sometimes leave you crying, but often leave me

 laughing. We remember the good times, far more often than the bad.
  1. Never use words to hurt someone. They will never forget what you have said and how you said it.
  1. Scars on the soul take longer to heal than those on the skin.
  1. Only say, “I’m sorry” if you mean it…otherwise you just sound condescending.
  1. Words chosen carefully can convey a powerful message.
  1. Say “hello” to everyone you encounter and share a smile.
  1. People disappoint you only if you have expectations.
  1. Unconditional love means appreciating every aspect of that person.
  1. Self-care is not self-ish. Caring for others can only happen once you learn to care for yourself.
 
SPIRITUALITY
  1. Set dreams higher than you can imagine and then watch as you achieve more than even that.
  1. Never compromise on your dreams. They are yours to imagine and no one can take them away

from you…unless you let them.
  1. Dreams do come true and miracles happen every day.
  1. Wish upon stars, when going under a bridge with a train on it and when you blow out your candles.
  1. Tell everyone your wish and let them help you make it come true.
  1. Don’t waste wishes on other people…you cannot wish for others, as they must find their own.
  1. Never doubt the power of a simple prayer.
  1. Always say a prayer when you hear a siren for the people who are serving on the ambulance, fire

truck or police car or pray for those they serve.
  1. Always be “terrific” or “incredible”. “Good” days or “fine” days are a waste of precious time. 
  1. Go ahead and spend time doing nothing. Just don’t do this too often or for too long.
  1. Achievements do not come from lack of effort and the law of attraction is a law of action. 

So take some time to rest and restore, then get back to work.
  1.  “I don’t care” is a waste of words. Care, care deeply and passionately about something or someone

or, even better, care about yourself. 
 
PETS
  1. If you want to be greeted enthusiastically with great love when you come home, get a dog. People

are too wrapped up in what they are doing to notice and cats only care if their food bowl is empty. 
  1. Brussel sprouts are for bunnies, not people.
  1. Turtles eat smelt so people don’t have to.
  1. Pet snakes are able to hide in walls for months at a time.
  1. Our pets lives are so short, yet they teach us so much in the time they are with us.
  1. Cats will always hack up a fur ball on the carpet…even when the bare floor is a few inches away.

 

In honor of my special day, go out and make someone laugh, share a smile, offer a hug and extend a helping hand. A very happy un-birthday to you!

It’s a Wonderful Life

I don’t consider it the holiday season until I get a chance to watch the timeless classic It’s a Wonderful Life.  Finally had the opportunity on Christmas Eve.  The message of this movie is so powerful, yet I continue to wrestle with the inherent theme – namely, would I give up the life I wanted for one of obligation to family and friends?  I teach and preach that we each have our own unique passion and talent that we must share with the world. It is by pursuing our authentic calling that we can impact others in a way that is lasting.   This movie makes me wonder if there are others ways to do this as well.

It is said that the one thing people want to do in their lifetime is to feel that they have made a difference in some way to some one.  The more lives we touch, the more meaningful our lives are by this measurement.  If that is true, then George Bailey made a big difference to many people and to his town. Yet the sacrifices he made in order to accomplish this were great. He had to set aside his own dreams and desires for others.  He used his talents in ways that benefitted his family, the bank and his community. He never saw Paris or had the adventures he had hoped for, but he was surrounded by love and, in the end,  that it what truly adds up to a wonderful life.

Katie’s Key Ring

When you first meet her, she seems quiet, almost timid. Then she smiles and laughs and suddenly you realize that you are in the presence of someone very special. Her eyes light up and the weariness of the world melts away.  She is a nurse and a caretaker and yet she has few people to take care of her.  She walks slowly with a limp that comes from too many hours on her feet at the hospital where she works.  Her days are filled with work and her evenings with her cat. She seems to live an ordinary life until you notice her key ring. It is full of keys that hang from oddly placed rings one attached to the other.  Too large to fit in a pocket, too heavy to place in a purse, she carries the key ring in her hand. “What beyond her house and car key could possibly be on there?” I wondered. The answer reveals her true nature – one is for a neighbor she is watching over as she recovers from surgery. Another is for a friend whose dogs she watches from time to time. Some are for work, others belong to neighbors and people she helps out – the elderly, the infirm, the lonely.  Katie’s key ring is more than just a collection of keys. It is proof to me that angels truly do walk the earth.

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