Daily Thoughts

6/12/21

Creating Permanent Change. I spent hundreds of hours during my 59 years reading, listening to tapes and CDs, watching videos, and participating in workshops that focused on self-improvement and growth. Each of them has had an impact on my life at some point over those 59 years. Getting the information from my head, to my heart, and then into action hasn’t always been a smooth transition. Sometimes, it never made it to action. Sometimes it didn’t even go from my head to my heart.

Rewriting and rewiring for permanent change requires consistency. I free write – a stream of consciousness writing – for about 10 minutes every morning. This is something that I learned more than 20 years ago, but I wasn’t consistent with it until the last 6-8 months. From that free writing, I am able to process through some of the thoughts from the day before and thoughts for one ongoing to be doing that day. From that free writing, the inspiration for my daily blog entry reveals itself. These have both been instrumental in creating a change in routine that has helped me to feel more grounded and connected.

What is one action that you can implement in your life that can start you on a path toward achieving that permanent change in your health, relationships, and/or career? As the saying goes, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

From where I sit, I see change coming as we become more aware of our connection to each other and to Divine Source.

Daily Thoughts

6/11/21

Core Values. One of the exercises I enjoy sharing with my psychology classes is called the Value Card Sort. From a list of 50 concepts of things that people value, you are asked to narrow it down to six core values. What are some of the things that are of value to you? How do these values inform your daily decisions? Are you on autopilot and just reacting when things happen, or are you making choices based on those core values? These are questions I ask myself every day. It is part of my routine for developing my self-awareness. Here is a link for an online version of the Value Card Sort.

https://www.think2perform.com/our-approach/values/new

From where I sit, I seek to live my life by my core values.

Daily Thoughts

6/10/21

Maintaining Boundaries. I’ve been thinking about self-protection and how difficult it is to maintain boundaries. Growing up in a small town, everyone knew everyone and knew about everyone. Secrets were very difficult to keep. Boundaries were almost nonexistent. As I have grown older, I have learned how important it is to establish and maintain boundaries. Not everyone needs to know everything about me. It’s my choice what I share. We can’t let people paint themselves into our picture, nor can we try to paint ourselves into someone else’s picture. When it works, we paint a mutual picture that can become the masterpiece of our lives.

From where I sit, I establish and maintain healthy boundaries. I think the picture of what my life is and only add people into that picture who respect my boundaries as I respect theirs.

Daily Thoughts

6/9/21

Perseverance. This is a word that can be used to describe a lot of people that I know or know of. Within these people, there is a knowing that something better is coming. The process of breaking down barriers, going the extra mile, or seeing the good in everything and everyone is a key characteristic for someone who perseveres. Look at your role models of perseverance. What is something that they do that you can identify with? How can you incorporate that into your daily routine? More importantly, how can you live more authentically through the process of perseverance?

From where I sit, I see a world full of people who are breaking down barriers, going the extra mile, and looking for the good in everyone and everything. It is a beautiful world because you are in it.

Daily Thoughts

6/8/21

Making It Up. Every day is a new opportunity to create a life that we want to live. As I start each of my days, I take the time to write in my journal, do my daily blog, and do my exercises. I also keep the thought in mind of how I want this day to look and be. The power of creation is within me, and if I want something positive, that’s what I focus on. It doesn’t always arrive when I want it to, but it comes when I need it the most. What is something that you really would like to see happen in your world? Envision it. Focus on it. When you hear doubts and naysaying, switch them around and change the narrative. Every day you have the opportunity to make it up – to create the life you desire.

From where I sit, I’m making it up. I am creating with my thoughts, my words, and my actions. I invite you to join me in this journey. Let’s make this world a good place for everyone.

Daily Thoughts

6/7/21

Today Is Yesterday’s Tomorrow. That is the title of one of my favorite songs by Michael Buble. If you think about it, not only are we the products of the things in the actions that we taken in the past, but we are also the product of procrastination. Many of us say things like “I can do that tomorrow” and “When I get older, the money, etc., I will…” I’m not saying that planning isn’t important, but once you’ve made your plans, it’s time to move to the next step. Trust in yourself. Let go of the excuses as to why you are where you are or aren’t where you want to be. Those are just roadblocks that can be gone over, around, or through. If it’s important enough to you, you’ll find a way through.

From where I sit, I see the roadblocks, and I am devising a path over, around, or through.

Daily Thoughts

6/6/21

Stinking Thinking. It is estimated that we have over 60,000 thoughts each day. It has also been shown that we have about 95% of the same ones today that we had yesterday. There is also evidence that shows that the more we think about something, the more likely it is to occur. If our thoughts are focused on the positive, positive things are going to happen. If our thinking is stinking, then what is most likely to happen is something negative. I know it seems hard to do, but it is important for us to take control of our thoughts. Changing the stinking thinking habits begins with awareness of what our thoughts are. Getting quiet and letting go of those things that hold us back will put us on the path to changing our minds which will change our worlds.

From where I sit, I let go of the stinking thinking and embrace the quiet awareness that brings peace.

Daily Thoughts

6/5/21

Being Caretakers. In the book of Genesis, Adam is told that he is to be the steward of all of creation. That is the task that humans were given. We hold the intelligence and intellectual capacity for caretaking. We hold the potential of compassion within us. We are called to take care of the earth and all of its creatures. We are called to take care of each other regardless of skin color, language, religious background, or culture.

When did it become fashionable and appropriate to decide who and what are deserving of being taken care of? When did compassion become a commodity that someone had to earn? When does the message change from being our brother’s keeper to being our brother’s judge and jury?

We are called to be caretakers. We are called to compassion. We are called to reverence of all of creation. Every religious doctrine tells us that we are to take care of the “least of these”. From where I sit, I revere every aspect of creation and seek to fulfill my duty as caretaker.

Daily Thoughts

6/4/21

Alignment. The majority of us have been in a vehicle whose wheels out of alignment, and the ride is not very pleasant. The same thing goes for the ride that we are taking through life. When our heads and our hearts are not in alignment, the ride gets pretty bumpy. The lack of alignment comes from when we pay attention to what others believe we should be doing rather than what our hearts are telling us to do. I work with teacher candidates, and I have had far too many of them tell me that they started out studying another career because they had been told that teaching is not a good career option. I have had students who have completed a degree in another field who are coming back to school to become a teacher because that’s what their heart told them to do. What is it that your heart is telling you to do that goes against what family and/or friends are advising against? As long as your heart’s desire is not to harm other people, what’s stopping you from pursuing it? How can you find the way to pursuing that desire? Are you willing to listen and align your head and your heart in the face of opposition from others in your life?

From where I sit, aligning my head and my heart has taken time, but I am happier because of it. If we all came into alignment, how different this world would be.

Daily Thoughts

6/3/21

Creating the Good. Every moment of every day we have the opportunity to either create good or create fear. I have had people ask me how I can maintain the positive attitude that I have, and my response is that I look for the good in every situation. Recently, I have begun to take that a step farther and know that I can create good as well as just seeing the good and beauty in things. Let me give you an example. Dandelion season is upon us, and we can choose to see those dandelions either as a weed or as a beautiful creation. In reality, they are both. The bright pops of yellow that evolved into tufts of cottony white have greens that many Southerners believe to be a delicacy.

Another example is the life and writings of Victor Frankel, medical doctor in Nazi Germany who was interred in one of the concentration camps. His family was killed. His belongings were taken away from him. On the day they took his wedding ring – the last item of life before the concentration camp – he made the decision to take control of his own thinking. They could take the things away from him, but they could not take the good that lived within him. From that, he provided us with some tools for coping with the events in our lives that could either destroy us or define us. He created good from evil.

From where I sit, I know that I am the only one who can control my actions and interactions, and I seek to create good in the midst of negativity.