Call in some Laughter

Call in some Laughter this week. Ask for it in your prayers. Think of something that makes you chuckle. Laugh out loud. Just call in the Laughter this week.

I'm grasping for something happy, something that makes me smile. I want it because I need it. Do you? Andy Rooney said, "If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it." So, try to mean it. Laughter is powerful magic. It can turn sadness into silliness, heartache into happiness, and transform a gloomy day into a playful one.

Abraham Lincoln said, "With the fearful strain that is on me night and day, if I did not laugh, I should die." Is your situation as wearisome as was Lincolns?

Never forget that" "Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects!"  Arnold H. Glasgow.  And, "Laughter is the tonic, the relief, the surcease from pain." Charlie Chaplin

If life is a stage, and you are the actor, will you be the optimist or the pessimist?  Tom Bodett said, "The difference between an optimist and a pessimist?  An optimist laughs to forget, but a pessimist forgets to laugh."

"It is impossible for you to be angry and laugh at the same time. Anger and laughter are mutually exclusive and you have the power to choose either." Wayne Dyer

All I know, is that I feel better when I laugh. How about you? I shall remember the Irish Proverb:  "A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book/"

So, remember to call in some laughter this week...

Setbacks

To be whole, healthy, and complete. That is the goal. Yet, sometimes there are setbacks. I'm referring, specifically, to setbacks in one's health, although, any setback throws one off course. When it comes to health, there are many reasons why setbacks occur. Often, the reason cannot even be identified.

Before I received the diagnosis of cardiomyopathy, medical personnel said to me, " you look fine." Meanwhile, I was in heart failure! How often do you make a judgment about how someone is feeling when, in fact, you have no way of knowing?

Setbacks are a gift, for they inform. They let you know that something is wrong with the way things are.  It's important to go to the source, YOU, and think about why it's happening. That may entail seeking the help of a professional, but, you can be sure, that you have the answer, perhaps, just not the vocabulary or ability to define it. If in healing, you are separating the false from the true, what then, is the reason for the setback? What are you doing or not doing that may be contributing? What are your thoughts about your life, and how are those thoughts causing the symptoms? 

You are too important to let a setback keep you off course. Take charge. Health care challenges can be managed. What better way to heal then to ask yourself, what do I need to do to overcome this setback?
And then, just do it. 

Your chronic condition

In coaching, we learn to better manage our lives by being our own best friend. By learning to pay attention to  what is manifesting. When we do look at our patterns, beliefs, and attitudes, we can learn where and what needs attention and/or changed.

Sometimes, we choose to ignore what is happening. How often do you keep going when your body is telling you to rest?  Are you staying in a relationship or job that isn't good for you? Are you ignoring your emotions so you don't have to face what they mean?

Luckily, we all have a body that let's us know when we are hungry, in pain, or feeling well. We have emotions that inform us as to the state of our mental health. We have relationships that either enhance our lives and promote growth, or limit our lives and disturb our equilibrium. It's when we forget to pay attention that we find ourselves facing chronic conditions. If you already have a chronic condition, then, it's crucial that your even more diligent in your self care.

So, I guess the question is:  are you managing your chronic condition, or are you developing one? Maybe two?

A sense of possibilities

So much has changed for me over the last few years.  When I consider what has manifested, I feel a sense of awe. It shows me what's possible.

When you look over the past few years, what happens?  How do you feel? What do you think is possible?

Although I'm not exactly sure what's next, I now know that much is happening. I find myself excited as I imagine what my life can look like and become. "Good things come to those who hustle while they wait."
There is much yet to discover, to learn, to create.

Can you sense the possibilities?

Plan ahead

Where will you be in 5 years? Ever heard that?

I guess some people know or at least have an idea of where they want to be. I'm not sure I do, but, it's been a topic of conversation with my coach. How about you? Do you get a sick feeling in your stomach because you don't have a clue.

Sometimes it's hard to look at where your at as opposed to where you want to be. Maybe your preoccupied and haven't taken a moment to ponder what it means. Often it seems too overwhelming to consider because there will be much to do. The awareness is intimidating and scary. That, in turn, causes anxiety and self doubt.

On the other hand, though, it's important to be your own best friend. How better to take care of yourself than to plan ahead, consider options, and take charge of your future. If you don't, who will?

Tomorrow is the 1st of July. The start of a new month. The start of a month that signifies independence. You are now at liberty to be unrestrained in your thinking. So, make that shift, and plan ahead.

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Truth in communication

It feels bad when your not feeling heard. Why don't you understand? What's your problem?
Somewhere there is a breakdown in communication, in language. Unfortunately, when this happens, it can result in hurt feelings, unkind words being spoken, and even, the end of the relationship.

Believing someone is wrong means you know the answer and have the ability to judge. That's a huge job and a position that carries alot of weight. You believe that the person isn't listening to you, and you feel ftustrated and angry.

Maybe a question:  Is my position the truth? Is it absolutely the truth? Is it always the truth? Are there mitigating circumstances?  

How wonderful to feel heard, to feel valued, to feel cared for. So, if there's a conflict, why? What's the underlying truth?

"By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth." George Carlin

And then, there's that...

Which Way?

Which decision is the right one? Can I take ownership of this decision and be okay with it? Will it be the best one for the future, for growth? Decisions are scary because they involve risk and heading into the unknown. Dr. Spock said, "Trust yourself, you know more than you think you do!"  But, what about the conflicting voices in you head? One is telling you to do it and the other says to beware. How do you know which voice to listen to?

After spending some time online and going through my library looking for some guidance, I found wisdom in Proverbs, insight from Buddhism, and ways to in decision making models. Seems it comes right down to this: which makes you feel at peace when you consider the consequences of the decision?

I did find a poem by Ernst Holmes that provided a perspective that made me feel a calm. Here it is:

  "She let go of her fear, She let go of her judgments. She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head. She let go of the committee of indecision within her. She let go of all the 'right' reasons.  Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go."

   "She didn't ask anyone for advice. She didn't read a book on how to let go...She didn't search the scriptures. She just let go. She let go of all the memories that held her back. She let go of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward. She let go of the planning and all of the calculation on how to do it just right."

   "She didn't promise to let go. She didn't journal about it. She didn't write the projected date in her Day-Timer. She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper. She didn't check the weather report or read her daily horoscope. She just let go."
 
 "She didn't analyze whether she should let go. She didn't call her friends to discuss the matter. She didn't do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment. She didn't call the prayer line. She didn't utter one word. She just let go."

   "No one was around when it happened. There was no applause or congratulations. No one praised her or thanked her. No one noticed a thing. Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go."

   "There was no effort. There was no struggle. It wasn't good and it wasn't bad. It was what it was, an it is just that.

   "In the space of letting go, she let it all be. A small smile came over her face. A light breeze blew through her. And the sun and the moon shone forevermore."

Hmm....