Goals

"If you do not have goals, you will be fulfilling the goals of those who have them."
Quoted on Noeline - 3 Talk SABC TV

Joyous Life

"If we want a joyous life we must think joyous thoughts"
Louise Hay

Protect myself...

A good question to ask regularly:

"What can I do to protect myself from foolishness and confusion?"

Soweto Stake Speaker - Florida Ward Sunday June 24th, 2012

Truth:

An observation by physicist Niels Bohr:

“There are trivial truths and great truths.
The opposite of a trivial truth is plainly false.
The opposite of a great truth is also true.”

Live Deeply

Embrace new experiences: go beyond your comfort zone.  New experiences are life. Live deeply. Be who you are: What are your dreams? Your goals? Your loves? Who are you? Be that person.. Let Go of the Past: The past is good for two things: the happy memories, and the lessons it provides. Forgive. Let go. Be here now, and go forward. Be Kind: Recall those many times where you made mistakes, where you reacted out of negative emotions instead of responding from who you really are. Recall how you felt, or how you would have felt, if others responded to your mistakes with kindness instead of harsh criticism or a cold shoulder. Empathize, and choose to be kind. Be responsible for yourself: Whatever happens, only one person is responsible for how you respond to it: you.. You wish others were a certain way? You wish the world were a certain way? Be the example. Nurture relationships: Think of your most joyful moments. Think of all you have learned. Think of what has helped you grow. Chances are great these all involve other people, and other relations such as pets and nature too. You can choose to be lonely, but you are never alone. Recognize all you have and be grateful for it: If you are alive, if you can read this, if you can walk, talk, see, smell, taste, or feel, you are fortunate. Focus on all that you do have. Be grateful to be great. Do what inspires you: Painting, singing, writing, biking, swimming, gardening, reading, dancing, walking-what is your flame? What ignites you, inspires you, enlightens you, restores your life? Do it, and do it often. Remember that happiness is a state, not a circumstance: Happiness is a state of being, not merely a moment of pleasure or joy. By committing to your happiness you acknowledge and accept that there will be times of challenge and suffering, but by staying true to who you are you will not just endure but thrive. by Brian Vaszily, Founder of IntenseExperiences.com

Dust if You Must

This is an email I received from Sharon Niemand:
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LADIES!!!

Remember...a layer of dust protects the wood beneath it.

'A house becomes a home when you can write 'I love you' on the furniture.'

I used to spend at least 8 hours every weekend making sure things were just perfect - 'in case someone came over'
Finally I realized one day that no-one came over; they were all out living life and having fun!

NOW, when people visit, I don't have to explain the 'condition' of my home
They are more interested in hearing about the things I've been doing while I was away living life and having fun.

If you haven't figured this out yet, please heed this advice.

Life is short. Enjoy it!

Dust if you must ...
But wouldn't it be better to paint a picture or write a letter, bake cookies or a cake and lick the spoon or plant a seed, ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time ...
With wonderful things to eat, rivers to swim and mountains to climb, music to hear and books to read, friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must,
But the world's out there with the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, a flutter of snow, a shower of rain. This day will not come 'round again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind, old age will come and it's not kind...
And when you go - and go you must - you, yourself will make more dust!

Share this with all the wonderful women in your life.
I JUST DID.

It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.

I remember how charmed I was when Patrick talked about "Designer Dust" in his home... Thanks Patrick!

Kaizin

"Do the right things.
Act with integrity.
Be guided by your cleansed heart..
Live a simple life."

Kaizin = Constant and Never-ending Improvement

Question and Answer

Gretchen Rubin: Do you work on being happier? If so, how?

Gabriella Blair:

I guess I work hard on anything that's important to me, and happiness tops every list. Over the past few years, I've realized how much of me feeling happy is a choice. I'm still just figuring it out, but I try my best to make that choice every hour of every day. When I'm feeling negative emotions, I take responsibility for them and acknowledge that I can actively choose to feel happier that very minute. That very minute! How empowering is that?

I can usually create a clean slate in my mind if I sit still for a moment and offer up a quick, silent prayer. I try to envision how I would be behaving if I was happy. Then I do my best to behave that way. It sounds simple, but most of the best ideas in life are!

Really, life is so much more enjoyable when I'm happy. It makes my skin glow, too.

(from: Gretchen Rubin's Blog "The Happiness Project") www.happiness-project.com

An Hour a Day

"An hour a day keeps the dirt at bay."

Source unrecorded

Bounce Back - Idea 10 - Realize You're Not Alone

"The human spirit is remarkably resilient. We fall down - or get knocked down - yet somehow, most of the time, we manage to bounce back. But it can be hard.

When disappointments crowd in on you, sometimes you feel so alone, and so unable to go on. But when you look within yourself, way down deep inside, you come to the realization that you're really not alone."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrnXbCd9kmw&feature=colike

Bounce Back - Idea 9 - Learn From the Hard Times

"Be glad for the challenges that come into your life. They're difficult to appreciate when you're trying to deal with them. But those are the very times when you grow.

Life is a series of good things and not so good things, and you need the bad to appreciate the good. Hard times build character. Negative events become positive lessons that better equip you to cope with future trials.

And it's during the hard times that you really get to know yourself. You are forced to look closer at yourself to find the hidden reserves of strength it takes to overcome adversity.

No person or thing can make you happy. You have to find happiness and joy within yourself."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUYiWjEyFxc&feature=colike

Bounce Back - Idea 8 - Accentuate the Postive

"The way you look at a situation has a lot to do with how you respond to it. It's the old question og "Is the glass half-full or half-empty?" A little creative thinking and a conscious effort to see things in a positive way can often turn your attitude around.

Ordinary things like a flower, a sunrise, or a friend's smile can become a source of great happiness if we take time to look at them in a positive way.

When the ordinary becomes extra-ordinary... a stumbling block becomes a stepping stone."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqEXZ5jNtaU&feature=colike

Bounce Back - Idea 7 - Talk to Your Family

"Talking about your problems is a good way to Bounce Back... especially when you can share them with people who care about you. It might be a close friend or someone in your own family.

Your family loves you. They care about what happens to you... and often want to help. Sometimes even close families have problems communicating, so be careful to choose the right moment to talk. If it doesn't work the first time, try again... and again. Remember, communication often takes practice, so be patient. Developing good communication with your family can be a great source of comfort when the going gets tough."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieXNnYXuA3s&feature=colike

Bounce Back - Idea 6 - Get a Move On

"Don't put your life on hold waiting for your hopes and dreams to come true. Just because life has "cheated" you out of something you thought you deserved, doesn't mean you have an excuse for not living up to your potential.

There are many exciting possibilities, so many wonderful things to do and learn.

Each life is precious. It's far too valuable to waste just sitting around. The more you do nothing, more powerless you feel, and the more you feel that life is living you instead of the other way around."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHh0jW6We84&feature=colike

Bounce Back - Idea 5 - Give Yourself a Break

"More often than not, people are more concerned with what's wrong with themselves than they are with what's wrong with you. They don't spend all their time looking at you trying to discover your weaknesses.

The only real observer of your problems is you. And you know something? You're not half bad."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtU7dUewn4I&feature=colike

Bounce Back - Idea 4 - Give of Yourself

"One of the very best ways to overcome your difficulties is to reach out and help others. It can help in two ways. First it's impossible to constantly dwell on your own troubles when you're concerned about others, and second, it can help you put your difficulties in better perspective."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3U4T0Wwkow&feature=colike

I love this music!

Bounce Back - Idea 3 - Pick Yourself Up

"Most of the time you'll have to take the iniative to get yourself out of the dumps. Don't wait for a friend to call to cheer you up. You make the call.

Sign up for an art class, take a tour of the city, try out for a play, invite friends to dinner. The important thing is not what you do, but that you do something.

It's funny how when you look for the positive, you find it."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL_rdHOXlvs&feature=colike

Bounce Back - Idea 2 - Be Realistic

"There's nothing wrong with making big plans for the future - even if they sometimes get into the realm of pure fantasy.

What's important is that you are able to keep your expectations realistic. For instance, a great job is not going to come looking for you. That's going to take some effort on your part.

But once you make up your mind about what you want, go after it, look out, World!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrjcmv57R_s&feature=colike

Bounce Back - Idea 1 - Be Your Own Best Friend

"Its hard to bounce back when you don't feel good about yourself. Developing a good self-image can help you see yourself and others in a positive way. A high self-esteem can help you overcome feelings of sadness and depression, and can give you the desire to try again.

When you're honest with yourself and present yourself honestly to others, you start to feel good about yourself. You realize you are a good person, an important person. You've broken that downward cycle, and you've started to bounce back."

These ideas were on a casette tape way back in 1985 onwards.
They have been very important to me.
I can't find them anywhere on the internet so I decided to put them down for whoever comes across them.
Be blessed by them.

I just went onto YouTube and... I feel so glad to find the series! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60IuNIvPsc0&feature=colike

Focus on MY path

"I need to focus on my path - if I don't show up to walk it, it's going to remain vacant."
Lira

Celebrity

"Celebrity is just obscurity biding its time."
Carrie Fisher - "The Letter Writer"