Category Archives: Thoughtful Thursdays

Reflections

May28

Thoughtful Thursdays – #95 Death and My Kids

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My children’s father passed away today just shy of his 60th birthday. He had a long battle with cancer and fought valiantly.

At this time all I can say is I am so proud of my kids. They stayed with him to the end. Their behavior was mature and showed a level of forgiveness that most people never reach.

As sad as it is to lose a loved one, they loved their father and showed it freely and generously. They will always have his spirit with them. They will always remember him with love.

I am lucky to have such brave kids and so was he.

 

 

May21

Thoughtful Thursdays #94 – Self Talk

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How do you speak to yourself? Harshly, with poison or venom. Stop it now. You must pay attention to how you speak to yourself. If you speak badly to yourself you weaken your mind, You become hopeless.

Make an effort to examine your self talk. What good things are happening in your life? Focus on that. Be kinder to yourself than you would a guest. You are the one who will take you to where you want to be. No one else can do that.

You are worth the effort. You are talented, You are more than capable in meeting any challange.

Believe in yourself.

The world needs you.

 

May14

Thoughtful Thursdays #93 Success

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My definition of success is different from your definition of success.

Perhaps you want financial success, or health success or relationship success. What ever it is you want there is one truth that applies to all success.

You have to be willing to make effort in transformation.

Transforming your self means to change. Change is not easy. We naturally resist change even when it is good for us.

Success is guaranteed by steady transforming actions. Learning from each situation will slowly bring success. Taking risks will bring success.  Getting out of your comfort zone will bring success.

The willingness to hold your own hand in personal transformation will bring success. Looking negativity in the eye will bring success.

Define your idea of success and bring up what needs to be transformed.

Be the creature you want to be. Go ahead, it won’t hurt. A little scary maybe but what you become will out weight any fear you have been holding.

Happy transformation.

 

 

May7

Thoughtful Thursdays #92 – Change

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Change is one of my favorite subjects. Change is the only thing that is consistent in this earthly life.

Nothing is stagnant. Nature does not give up on surviving. It is just creative in how to survive. Look at those creepy bugs that have been around for millennia. Or a flower growing in the ground after a volcano.

We are the same way. In a moment your life can change for the better or worse. Our survival skills kick in here and if you are the first to respond with kindness to yourself and others change is easier to digest.

Change is not easy sometimes it comes in subtly at other times it is a roaring river or tornado. Either way if you are kind without attachment to the results change is easier to go along with.

 

 

 

May2

Uncertainity

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There is a huge amount of uncertainty in living.

In a moment your life can change for better or worse.

Sometimes there are situations beyond our control.

Uncontrollable situations arise out of nowhere sending us into despair.

Even if the situation is painful,

space is being made for something better.

Space is being made for insight, intuition and understanding.

Go gently.

Align yourself with what is important to you.

You will find your way.

Apr30

Thoughtful Thursdays #91 Arguing With Yourself

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Are you unhappy with what is happening at the moment or events that have happened in the past?

That is arguing with yourself.

Frustrated and overreacting with everyday dramas?

That is arguing with yourself.

Are you over thinking, feeling stuck and have racing thoughts?

That is arguing with yourself.

Worried, fearful, stinking thinking?

That is arguing with yourself.

The antidote:

Accept what is going on right now without judgement.

There really is nothing in your current circumstances

that can stop you from making the changes you need to make to be happy.

Stop arguing with yourself.

Apr16

Thoughtful Thursdays # 90 – The Voices In Your Head

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There is one voice in your head which is the one that is constantly chatting, has racing thoughts and is fatality minded.  It’s the voice that can send you from the highest hopes to the deepest despair.  The voice in your head will automatically default to what is negative. Especially when things are going good.

But it is not you.

There is another voice in your head that is barely audible. It is drowned out by the chatting and racing thoughts etc. We can’t hear it because we don’t listen for it. This is the real you.

How can we observe what we are thinking to get clarity?

Detach from your thoughts and feelings and observe them. Thoughts are like waves in an ocean. Waves rise, crest and crash on the shore. Let your thoughts rise but don’t react to them. Let them crest observing them. Let them crash out of your consciousness.  Let them go without judgement.

Then relax. Take a breath.

In the action of daily activities this may not be possible. There are ways of carving out time for getting in touch with the quiet voice.

Meditate, go for a walk, exercise, do art, write, do something that is not part of your regular routine.

You will know that you are making progress when you feel at peace.

Happy Listening!

 

 

 

Apr9

Thoughtful Thursdays # 89 Commitment

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What is commitment?

Dedication to a cause.  It is loyalty, devotion, a promise, a pledge, an action that transform something into reality.

We can commit to pay our bills on time.

We can promise to be faithful to someone.

We can pledge to self-improvement.

So why is it so hard to transform our actions into a realistic outcome?

Because we don’t commit with our whole being. Commitment requires a certain amount of fearlessness and being uncomfortable with change. So how do we start?

Slowly, very slowly because with small changes, tiny choices one by one eventually become the commitment to change anything for the better.

 

 

Apr2

Thoughtful Thursdays # 88 – Sit With It

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I had a very interesting experience this week. I was extremely emotional. I had racing thoughts and crying outbursts. This experience was brought on by a series of events that tapped into my fears.

I remembered Pema Chodron’s suggestion. Sit with it. Sit with the feelings that are troubling you without picking up food, a drink, or any other distraction.

I did sit with the feelings and it hurt really bad. I wanted to run away, disappear, die, dive into a pie and surf the web, cry and throw up.

But I didn’t. The troubling feelings lasted about three days.

The fear I was feeling was from a past trauma. Each event reminiscent of the trauma flashed before my mind and it all made sense. All the times I ran away from feeling the fear, all the times I distracted my self, all the times I made excuses, basically to protect myself.

The fear left because I faced it. My feelings are still raw but the intensity of the fear on a scale of one to ten is a one.

Next time you are emotionally out of control, depressed, sad or troubled. Just sit with it. Don’t run away. Feel everything.

You will expand your understanding of how you operate. From understanding and knowledge about yourself changes your entire life for the better. That’s a guarantee.

Happy exploring.

OM

Mar26

Thoughtful Thursdays # 87 – Feeling Invisible

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Ever notice a time you felt invisible in a crowd? People talk over you as if you don’t exist. Your opinion doesn’t matter.

Here’s some reasons why…..

1. You want to be part of the crowd but you really don’t like the crowd.

2. You try new things but only partially, not with your full heart.

3. You don’t realize how much you have to contribute to the world.

4. You are resisting the changes you need to make to be social.

Stop waiting for others.

Organize that road trip.

Make those phone calls.

Visit others even you are resisting.

Stop resisting our own life.

Start here and now with one small step.

It’s so much more fun to be with others than to be alone.

Even if it feels strange at first.