Peace and Tolerance......

Today as I have enjoyed a day off work in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  I am reminded of my own personal thoughts about peace and kindness in the world in which we live.  One of Dr. King’s famous quotes is:  “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

 Many times we spend more of our time fighting over opposing views than we do loving each other and practicing tolerance.  We need to embrace our similarities instead of fighting over our differences.  We need to have passion and celebrate what we are for instead of condemning others for what they believe.

How do we teach peace?  We teach peace by living our life with tolerance and understanding.  What would our world look like with less hate and more love?  I want to make love my life’s mission, would you join me?  My personalized license plate says “LUVWINS.”  I want to live in a world of love and peace where love wins!  We can make a difference with one gesture at a time. 

The truth is, we judge what we don’t understand.  My challenge to you today is to talk less and listen more, seek first to understand and then to be understood and show passion for your beliefs without extending hateful words to others.  In everything you do find a way to show tolerance and peace.

“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends” Martin Luther King Jr.

The time is NOW.....

I often find myself putting off to tomorrow what I need to do today.  Today I make the commitment to start anew every day.  No more waiting until the beginning of the month, the beginning of a new year or when the time is most convenient for me.  The time to make change and start anew starts NOW.  Every day is a gift and we must treasure these moments without regret and without waiting for when the timing is better.  The time is now....

With that being said…. I want to share with you my thoughts on my last three day.  My last three days on the military diet.  This diet for me was more of a jump start in to better decisions and more accountability.  In three days I lost 8lbs.  I wanted to know how I would feel after this diet and if I would feel hungry.  Surprisingly the diet was successful. I told myself that I could do anything for three days.  The diet consists of a lot of protein and lots of fruits and vegetables.  I had lots of energy on day one and two.  Day three was a little more challenging (I had to eat a whole can of tuna and I couldn’t add mayo)!  The good news is I got to eat vanilla ice cream each night for dinner. 

Some things I learned in three days…

·         Eating healthier is a must.  The saying “we need to eat to live not live to eat” was the perfect mantra for these three days.  Healthier food gives us more energy.

·         Appreciation of the small things.  With this three day diet I looked forward to the ice cream at dinner.  Any other time I would have never looked forward to a half a couple of vanilla ice cream. 

·         Portion control.  Everything was measured these three days.  I didn’t realize how much a “cup” of something was.  I would guess before and would likely think that I had a cup of “potatoes” but it really was probably at least double that.

With this “jump start” and with lots of prayer, I plan to change my diet.  With that I mean I will be more conscience of portions, enjoy treats less often (you don’t enjoy them unless they are a special treat) and challenge myself to have “military diet” days.

 With this blog as I continue to offer up a challenge to readers, my challenge to you is to realize the time is NOW.  The time is now to eat healthier, go back to school, follow your dreams, make a difference in the lives of others, and enjoy life to the fullest!  Today is a gift that is why we call it the 

present :)

Let your journey start now..... (a year in review)

As I sit and ponder the holiday coming and going and a New Year beginning; I think about what has transpired in 2012.  In this blog I share these highlights and encourage you to begin a new day with a new outlook..... a new journey.... a new beginning. 

Many things happened in 2012 that are blog worthy.  Some of my one word important events are as follows:

Baptism

Graduation

College

Empower

Disney

In July of 2012 I got baptized by pastors Chris Vanbuskirk and Matt Kysor.  This was a very important event in my life.  My walk with God began many years ago but became more personal in 2009 when I nearly experienced a nervous breakdown.  During that time in my life I made the commitment to begin a more personal walk with God.  He alone was able to pull me from the darkness of fear, anxiety and near destruction..... to freedom.  Once I made that commitment, I immediately began watching changes in my life take place right in front of me.  Although I am not perfect, I am forgiven.  The peace that God can give is unlike anything else I have experienced.

Also in the middle of 2012 my daughter graduated from high school.  Sometimes it seems like yesterday that I brought this 8lb 5oz girl home.  A strong independent young woman emerged from that 8lb 5oz bundle.  Lexie graduated 6th out of 222 students.  Her senior year in general was at best exhausting.  She applied to approximately twelve colleges and applied for many scholarships.  I spent a lot of the year proof reading and helping in the scholarship and college application process.

  In the end the important thing was to look for a college with a good chemical engineering program as well as a school that "marched" flutes or piccolos in their marching band.  Through this process we visited colleges and met with the music and engineering departments.  In the end the decision was down to Boise, Purdue and Toledo.  With the process of elimination and being smart about the money offered, the University of Toledo became her new "home" on August 10th 2012.

The thoughts of Lexie going to college were difficult for me.  I was a parent who knew where my child was at all times (mostly anyway) and I couldn't imagine the thought of her being "on her own."  However on that August day I took her 3 1/2 hours away and left her in a dorm.  Lexie didn't come home until Thanksgiving.  I had peace in the fact that she would make good decisions and excel in her studies.  Lexie landed a 3.5 her first quarter with a lot of classes and lots of commitments so I am more confident that she will continue doing well.

Another adventure that started in 2012 was my adventure with Danielle Ratcliff and Empower Life Skills.  I met Danielle in 2011 and we discovered that we had a lot in common,  including our passion for educating others and "coaching' others through life.  Empower Life Skills looks at helping individuals grow personally, professionally, emotionally and/or spiritually.  The goal is to help people meet their full potential in life.  I am excited as to where this journey will take us in 2013 and beyond.

Lastly, we had a great trip to Disney in 2012.  This trip was magically and stress free.  We were able to experience Disney's four parks and also we visited Cocoa Beach.  Lucas experienced his first plane ride.  This was a vacation to remember and even though Lexie didn't get to go, we were able to Skype with her through the week.  Disney makes vacationing magical, even for adults.

Now that I have shared my five highlights of 2012, I encourage you to think about your highlights as well.  One thing I realize is that family is the foundation of our highlights. I challenge you to start making memories today.

Let your journey start now......

"The Struggle" of Change....

Through a lot of transition,  I am trying to embrace change more than I ever have.  My personality is very change oriented but sometimes the idea of "change" isn't always for the better.  Sometimes our hard work is yet a memory when change comes around.  What I have learned the most is that the Serenity Prayer has become my new motto.  "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference."  The key words are accept, courage, and wisdom.

Let's talk about these words a little more.  Sometimes we need to accept the fact that our vision is not the vision of others who lead.

Accept is defined as "to receive something, especially with favor."  It is an action verb.  For me, accepting things I cannot change is a matter of letting it go.  Even with a heavy heart it must be done.

Courage is defined as "The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery."  This one I struggle with a little more.  When you know that you can make positive changes but have been "put in your place" so to speak, it is often hard to try to continue making such argument.

Finally wisdom is defined as "The ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; insight. Common sense; good judgment: "It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things."

Sometimes in the end we have to sit back and watch to cookie crumble and the walls fall.  It is in the struggle that we can find strength.

This reminds me of the story of the butterfly struggle......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqy00il0wac

One of my favorite quotes is "Be the change you wish to see in the world."  Sometimes being that change comes from making decisions and prayerfully considering the alternatives. Often times this can require us to struggle, leave the familiar and move on.

My challenge for you today is to think about the idea of change and answer these questions......  Are you doing what you can to be the change you wish to see?  Are there things/people that are holding you back from being such change?  What are some steps you can take to open up to new opportunities and new adventures?

How can we grow through our struggle?

The Extra Mile.....

I have had this blog topic on my mind for sometime now.  I saw a quote that said "it is never crowded along the extra mile."  I felt moved by this quote and I felt it to be worthy of a blog.  As I was traveling to a friends house along a road that was not frequently traveled I starting thinking about the poem by Robert Frost.  

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

...Robert Frost

The very last two lines strike me to the soul.  "I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."  My challenge to you is to take the road less traveled, as it is never crowded along that road and that is where you can make a difference. Embrace the challenge along that road.  These challenges often are what makes us stronger, dream bigger and love deeper.

This means to take a risk.  Speak to others who need a simple hello, be a shoulder for another.... travel that road in love and you never know what difference you can make!

An Attitude of Gratitude

 People often think it will come from having some great luck or fortune, but truly it is about having the right frame of mind.  The frame of mind of having an attitude of gratitude.

Your life is better when you feel blessed, when you can look around and say "Thank you, God." When you see life as a wonderful gift, your experience is a richer one. Imagine going through life like you're a child, and every morning is Christmas.

Of course, it is easy to think that gratitude comes from having what we want. We might imagine ourselves giving thanks if we had money, a loving family, and maybe a house on the beach. But we know there are ungrateful, unhappy people with these things. We also know that there are poor people full of gratitude for what little they have.  So where does this feeling come from?

An attitude of gratitude arises from how we look at things. It is the natural feeling that comes when you recognize the real value of the people and things in your life. Focus on the good and you cannot help but have a better attitude and experience of life. Gratitude, then, is something you can encourage, something you can learn.

The first step is to stop and smell the roses. How can you be thankful for something you don't notice or enjoy?

The second step is to make this appreciative approach to roses and life a habit. You don't need to ignore the ugliness in the world. Just consciously choose to see the good and  beautiful things, until doing so becomes automatic.

My challenge to you is to start writing down every positive thing that happens to you. Continue this until you start automatically seeing the good things in life. If you've ever bought a white car, and started seeing white cars all over, you know how awareness and focus can alter your perception of reality. In the same way, once you are aware of the good, and start looking for it, you'll start to see wonderful things all over.

When you are in the habit of "counting your blessings," gratitude, and a much richer experience of life is the natural result. You will have an attitude of gratitude. 

Invisible...........

This time last week I was in downtown Chicago.  The goal of the trip was to spend some family time with Lexie before she headed off to college this August.  We had a great time.  We enjoyed a Cubs game, the Museum of Science and Industry, all the different parks in the city; we ate Chicago pizza, checked out the Rain Forest Cafe, played cards, swam and enjoyed the tours of Chicago.  With that being said, I found myself at the end of the trip feeling guilty. 

I felt guilty for not helping the homeless more in Chicago.  My theory in life "The Starfish" is that we can make a difference to some, but not all.  The homeless situation in Chicago was devastating.  I found myself passing by many without even making eye contact.  When caring about people is such an important part of who I am, why did I walk by as if they were invisible?  It was not realistic to give to all, but I could have made more of a difference.  I could have smiled. I could have made eye contact.  I could have offered a caring word of encouragement and yes I could have given more money.  The weather was hot and many were asking for something to drink, I could have bought water.  I feel very selfish that I continued to consume my $67.00 pizza, $31.00 dessert and I did not do more......

I am not completely blind to the fact that many homeless are dependent on substances and/or have mental health issues, however it is not my place to judge.  We need to reach out and help others.  I failed to do this to the best of my ability in Chicago.  This was an eye opener for me on many levels.

We will be doing our own homeless count in Chillicothe this week.  I know that locally people have ill feelings towards those that panhandle, but my question to you is, do you ever get the stirring feeling to do more?  If you do I am asking that you listen to that feeling and consider making a small difference in the lives of others.  In the mean time, listen to this song because even those homeless individuals had "Moments."  My challenge for you today is simple, hand someone in need a cold water, a blessing bag of hygiene items, a dollar or a sandwich.  You never know when this small act of kindness could mean so much.  "To the world you may only be one person, but to that one person you may be the world."

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQXtZ-kZWDI