"Days of our Lives"
Topic: POWER OF CHOICE
My volunteer work includes creating and offering some of the training of volunteers on a crisis line. In that role, I write a monthly news article. Today I share that with you...

What a beautiful day awaits me today as I head to Calgary for another class in the course I am taking. The sun is shining, sky so blue and I know the open roads will feel wonderful to travel over. There’s almost a sense of adventure setting out on a gorgeous day, never knowing what might lie ahead.
Life can be like that! So much potential in the day ahead to do the things we need to, as well as those that we would just love to do.
And yet life, like days, has its less than sunny moments. Some are grey and enshrouded in cloud. And it is at times like this our callers phone, lost in the murkiness of their lives, not knowing which way to turn. They look for a listening ear and an anchor to hold on to as they trod heavily through the tough stuff in life.
Our role is to encourage them, to recognize the good things they are doing and to help them find the supports they require to make the most of each day, and in particular, this very day they are living. What I have learned in my course though is this.
When we begin to make conscious change in our life, it does not necessarily get easier. In fact, it gets harder, for we are fighting the old beliefs, habits and patterns that we have lived for many years. The caller’s choice to do the things that will support and empower him or her allows for relief, but unless they have the support to maintain those changes the fluctuation from happy to sad - empowered to powerless - can be very debilitating. It’s interesting that once we KNOW what we need to do, but slip back and don’t do it, we have to deal head-on with our “own failure.” And that is harder sometimes than dealing with the perception that others don’t care or others are doing horrible things to us. It makes self love very difficult and if we don’t love ourselves, who can.
When we talk with out callers, identifying their strengths is so important, and perhaps acknowledging our frailty as human beings is also important. Yes, we have bad days! But tomorrow is another day, and like the weather it can change so quickly. The bonus is that we as humans have choice and even the small choices can make a difference. .
So, today as I make my way to Calgary, I will focus on the supports in my life, the gifts and talents I have to share, and the potential I have to live and make a difference. Like our callers, I also have difficult times. It is knowing that I can choose for it to be better and that there are people who will support me that makes all the difference to my success! I applaud each of you for making a difference in so many lives!


Hmmmmmm I am learning... smile.. now I just have to put it into practice!!!!

LIVE LOVE LAUGH

LIVE Life!!!!!
Mood:  blue
Topic: MOTIVATION
"Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it." Margaret Thatcher Former British Prime Minister My day has started and here I sit. It's like Groundhog Day... day after day after day... the pattern plays out. I wake up - knowing I stayed up too late on the computer. Did I need to? No! But between "busy work" and solitaire, once again I let the hours go by. Now I sit here again... at the computer. Working on my blog. Talking to a friend. Checking my mail. Filing articles. And the authentic me says, I SHOULD use the treadmill now. Today I'll do the bands for a workout. And still, I SIT. Talking.... solitaire.. a phone call... the hours pass. The phone rings... no exercise... no breakfast other than a snack grabbed here or there... the "authentic me" says I need to eat right...and I grab a doughnut.. a diet coke.. 5 crackers... 6 cookies... whatever my eyes see and my mind says aahaaa, I WANT that. And I eat it. And so the days pass... one after another. Yes, I do accomplish some important things. Some days I accomplish more than others. Many of those days I overdo - the quest for balance is never ending. I read, listen to tapes, write articles, follow through on volunteer work, do laundry but the BIGGER ME is largely dormant. There is so much more that I can BE, DO and HAVE. And yet I CHOOSE to live the life of a lost,unfocused woman. I have so many gifts - intelligence, love, empathy, confidence, wisdom, humor, and compassion. And most importantly, I have TIME. So much of it which I could fill with wonderful, exciting passion. I have a heart full of love, a mind full of ideas and the intelligence to make big things happen. What Margaret Thatcher says is so true. Supreme satisfaction at the end of a day well lived is SOOOOOOO within my reach. I have the tools... the gifts... and the day to work with. Living one day at a time, I can make this happen and today is the one to start with... THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF MY LFIE! LIVE LOVE LAUGH Linda

YOU CAN'T SCORE ON THE SHOTS YOU NEVER MADE
Topic: COURAGE
Courage is not the lack of fear. It is acting in spite of it....Mark Twain

I am standing on the edge of a dream. And yet an underlying fear stands in the way of making that dream happen I know it is time to use the knowledge and talents I have to become the motivational speaker and coach I want to be. And it also means acknowleding that I have the ability to do that by not allowing myself to get in my own way.

It is time for me to move forward. I have the education, the life experience, the public speaking background, the personal growth and the desire to be a coach and speaker. I now have the manual to be my guide as it lays out the plan of attack. My challenge then is to set aside the time on a daily basis to do what I must do; plan and carry out the action steps that will get me to my goal and start making this happen. I KNOW I CAN DO IT!


"Come to the edge, He said.
They said: We are afraid.
Come to the edge, He said.
They came. He pushed them,
And they flew . . ."

NURTURING
Mood:  special
"I have the innate ability to know what someone needs, when they need it, and how to give it to them. When I'm nurturing my relationship, I am gently helping both of us to heal, grow, and flourish."

This week is "Carin' Week" -(0r "Karen Week" with a huge thanks to Karen who officially designated it as such.) For Karen, it meant a week to nurture herself and to allow herself to be all she could be, after realizing that in her own quiet way she can change the world by sharing her unique gifts. Her gift to me was the song she shared at the end of our course on Sunday.

And so this week my focus is supposed to be "nurturing myself and those I love." How quickly I forget to do that when I am caught up in the daily routines of "doing." Nurturing requires a conscious mind. It means that I must know what I value and offer that to myself believing I deserve this loving treatment. My relationship with self is the starting point for my relationship with others. When I am not loving me, it is hard to love and give to them.

I say "supposed to be nurturing"... because I am less than conscious. It is so easy to know the "concept" and not act upon it. CONSIOUSNESS is something that needs practice. How many hours do we waste living unconsciously? For me, the answer is scary and sad.

Lu, is right. This blog is my journal. And yet it offers me the opporutnity to be heard as well. And I love that. Another ah haa moment has occured though for me too!

My journal allows ME to hear ME!!!! How often do I not listen to MYSELF? Is it just within the group I am not heard... or do I also not listen to my own words... my body... my soul... when they speak? If I do not believe I am worth listening to and my thoughts are not acted upon... then who am I to ask others to offer me that gift?

Yes my relationship with self must come first... and the rest will follow. Today I will love and nurture me; and from that love will come an outpouring that can take over my world..... Thank you for being here my friends and sharing my journey...
LIVE LOVE LAUGH
lINDA

CONFIDENCE
Mood:  hug me
QUOTE: "Confidence does not happen once in your life and then you have it for good. Confidence must be exercised just like any other muscle on your body. Confidence must be nurtured in order for it to grow." I DID IT!!! The ropes weekend was great. I faced my fears and trusted in myself to do what I knew I could do. The result was a wonderful day and the feeling of peace and happiness filled me when it was done. Not a high.... merely the satisfaction of "knowing." And it was great! So why only 24 hours later was I totally lacking confidence and belief in myself. Sitting in a group situation wanting to be heard and yet feeling ignored, I allowed myself to feel frustrated, angry, unloved, unimportant and the feelings only GREW from there. All sense of confidence and belief in my self disppeared totally from inside me. This is an ongoing event in my life. I speak out, or raise my hand to speak, and those around me talk over each other, interrupt each other, are so focused on their message that they appear oblivious to the fact that others may also want or need to speak. I eventually take this PERSONALLY. My REACTION is to withdraw! I pull back, close inside myself, say to heck with it and my passion goes instantly underground. How does this reaction serve me? Ah.. the important processing question. It doesn't serve me. I protect myself from feeling more stupid by pulling inside myself and immediately start to close other people out, which only leaves me feeling disconnected which was the fear in the first place. I only make it worse! What change would I like to see? I want to be heard. I want others to know that I value my thoughts enough to be heard and value theirs enough to give them that opportunity as well. This is a WIN/WIN situation. So how can I accomplish this??? I will find ways to invite that attention, to let others know that I am here and have something to offer. What form that will be I'm not sure. Truly there are many to choose from. The following are only a few. I can stand up and allow myself to be noticed, I can speak more loudly with strength, I can dress more professionally and carry myself in such a way that says I am important, I deserve respect. I can carry a whistle.. blow it.. and say, hey, the Reb needs to be heard. IT'S MY TURN! Which will work? Perhaps different ones at different times. Humor.. seriousness... either way can bring results. All I have to do is hold the conviction that my thoughts are valuable too and not give up. Remain focused on my mission and my goals... for these ARE the reasons I speak. I look back today and wonder how I could have been so "broken" by yesterday's situation, and I acknowledge that this pattern has long been repeated. It has showed up in my relationships at work; it shows up in my family, and it has shown up in other places. I need to remember... I am a VISIBLE, VALUABLE INTERESTING HUMAN BEING!!!! As long as I believe that, I can be my BIG ME!

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
Mood:  on fire
A dear friend is experiencing heartbreak and a loss of self after the breakup of her engagement. The fear and pain she is going through is unbearable at times.

This weekend I am participating in a Ropes Course, part of a personal development program that I am presently taking. When I mentioned that to her, she emailed me back asking what Ropes Weekend is. My response came from my heart.. so easily written.. and this is what I said...



Hell if I KNOW what ROPES is, grin. I just know THIS weekend is ROPES. And somewhere in my mind I have a picture of trying to get across a canyon or climb something while my "team" encourages, helps me... And I think I'm going to die!"

So what's ropes??? It's fear of the unknown; wondering how I am going to be able to do IT without even knowing what IT is..
Like you... Wondering how I will survive this unknown, not knowing for sure what lies ahead.

But I DO know there will be ROPES! And I believe I will be afraid;
have moments when I believe I can't do it. And KNOW that in the end I will do IT in spite of all the beliefs, the fears, and the unknowns. Because I have friends who will support me. I have my own strength gained from past life experiences. And bottom line, when I acknowledge I HAVE TO DO something, I will survive, achieve and excel! That's what it's all about.

And again my friend... You shall do the same thing...

Whoa... This just flowed.. It was a question that was meant to be asked.

Welcome to Life By Design
Mood:  lucky
I DID IT! I have read only a little about blogging, but am so excited to start using mine. As a life coach and public speaker, it will be my virtual office. Stop by, leave me a note and let's begin to design our lives! I will feature quotes, information for creating the life you only dreamed of, bits and bites of my own journey and anything else I think may be of interest. Share your thoughts - I'd love to hear from you. Together we can make a world of difference! TODAY'S QUOTE: "If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author and everyday you have the opportunity to write a new page."---Rusty Burkus Till next time..... LIVE LOVE LAUGH Linda