Giving is the title of Bill Clinton’s book, which I have not yet read.  But I agree that giving can be a great healer during times of stress. . . .   I mentioned somewhere on this site the wonderful homecoming I had when I returned from a trip to find my entry loaded with gifts, carefully and artfully placed, by my neighbors.  And I recall one Christmas when a friend, who was having a particularly hard time, found anonymous gifts on her front porch on each of the mornings of the Twelve Days of Christmas.  She later found out it was a family who ‘adopted’ someone each Christmas for a similar bevy of anonymous gifts.  How wonderful!  And I recently read that Tony Bennett opened his door to a choir of singers, engineered by a musical friend.  It was his first Christmas alone and his friend knew it.

Our nation is in chaos, but if we all step up and begin giving rather than taking, we will be a better nation and better people for it. . .

Category: Bits and Pieces · Spirit & Soul

Oprah.com had a list of what Oprah knows for sure.  I have selected some of my favorites and redefined them to apply to my own beliefs:

• You define your own life.  Write your own script.
• Love doesn’t hurt—it feels really good.
• What you put out comes back all the time.
• The past has no power over you, if you choose not to give it power.
• Worrying is wasted energy—use that energy to do something.
• You become what you believe.
• Trust your instincts and intuition.
• Let passion drive your profession.
• Every day brings a chance to start over.
• When you don’t know what to do, get still.  The answer will come.
• Trouble doesn’t always last.

And from me:

• Most things have silver linings.  Search for them.
• Find your own Truth.
• Turn problems into opportunities.
• Change provides opportunities.
• Follow the Golden Rule.

Category: Bits and Pieces · Spirit & Soul

There are a few websites, projects, and resources that I check on now and again, to get me out of the old Self and into a new Self. For example, www.TheDreamMovie.com is inspiring. It was sent to me by a guy, who said it was a bit of a “chick flick,” but he thought it was also empowering. The video was produced by Stacey Mayo, a life coach. Stacey, also known as “The Dream Queen,” was the 2005 Georgia Author of the Year, Best Self-Help Book, for I Can’t Believe I Get Paid to Do This. She is a Master Certified Coach and has been in that business for 20+ years (www.BalancedLiving.com).

[Read more →]

Category: Bits and Pieces · Spirit & Soul