Christmas thoughts

 

Christmas can be a challenging  time for  those who have lost loved ones and who mourn them.  But with God’s grace, we can move forward and begin to slowly enjoy the wonders and blessings that this season bestows and to remember that each day is indeed a gift.

The strength of kindness and goodness

 

 

Don’t let the unkindness of people wear you down, instead build upon the injustice, the cruelty to create a new structure that represents the significance  of  the strength of goodness,  and kindness and  their power over evil.

 

Overcoming challenges

 

 

 It is not the challenges  you overcome  that  are so important, but the journey you  travelled doing so and what you have gleaned it  to share with others  that is most significant.

 

 In 2021, in our daily lives, let us craft a pearl necklace that is  a string of hope with each orb a beacon of light, faith and love

Making a decision

You know you have made the right decision when you  feel  a sense of peace about it.

A gentle whisper

The presence of  our Creator in our lives is like a gentle whisper  upon our cheeks—soothing and peaceful.

To honour International Women's Day

Sisters of the heart

Where ever you are

 You are with us

 No matter the race, religion, or creed.

 We  are all one in spirit in womanhood

 Let us  not forget how truly fragile we are

 Without the bond of Sisters of the Heart.

Books for personal motivation and inspiration

Reading the right book at the right time can bring you  to a new level to understanding yourself, others and the pathway you are meant to travel.  Good luck and Enjoy !

Books for  Personal Motivation and Inspiration: Some of my Favorites:

Living the Seven Habits :  Stories of Courage and Inspiration by Stephen R.
Covey
Yesterday I Cried:  Celebrating the Lessons of Living and Loving by Iyanla
Vanzant
Travelling Mercies by Anne Lamott
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
The Woman's Book of Soul by Sue Patton Thoele
One Day My Soul Just Opened Up by Iyanla Vanzant
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff and it's all small stuff by Richard Carlson
The Power of Optimism by Alan Loy McGinnis
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach
Life's Little Instruction Book Series by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Five People You will Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

For One More Day by Mitch Albom

The Anatomy of a Spirit by Carolyn Myss ( to identify your spiritual path)

Books on Tapping into your Creative Soul:

Julia Cameron’s Books:  

The Artist's Way.

Walking in This World.

 The Vein of Gold

 The Right to Write

two.

Book on Multiple Intelligences:

" Seven Kinds of Smart: Identifying and Developing your Multiple Intelligences."  2nd edition.... by Thomas Armstrong.  The publisher is Canbook. You can try ordering it online at www.abebooks.ca.- textbook section. This site has some good prices for gently used books and some new ones too.

Books on Connecting with the Right Brain By Betty Edwards

The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (Paperback)
by Betty Edwards

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, Seven Lessons to Enhance Creativity and Artistic Self Confidence

Thoughts on Remembrance Day

We often forget to honour our veterans outside of Remembrance Day or Remembrance Week, in the case of this year.

  Instead, we  need to honour them each day by doing something for them and/ or their  widows and families who may be left behind from those who served in our most recent wars.

 Once a year is simply not enough!

Paying homage to them  is a  part of our daily pilgrimage..   This is our reality... This is our duty. 

Forgiveness

One way to heal a wounded spirit is forgiveness. Forgiveness is the best gift you can give yourself and others. It is one step in the process of drycleaning the soul.

We bear our own autograph...

We bear our own autograph in every word we speak and every action we take on a daily basis...so it is important that we try to examine each word and action to ensure it represents the essence of who we are and we stand for. Ask yourself the question continuously.. are we hurting ourselves or others with these words or with these actions... Consideration for yourself and for others is one of the main building blocks for developing mutually respectful relationships.

We are all intertwined

We are irrevocably intertwined, interrelated... what we do to ourselves- we also do unto others. This is something we must acknowledge and honour every day of our lives.

when your soul has a broken spirit.....

What do you do when your soul has a broken spirit? Well, you seek shelter in any place you can.. Maybe, it is in the fellowship of friends or strangers who restore your belief in humankind, in prayer and meditation, in creating music, art , or script, or simply in the soft fur of an animal – dog, cat and the like, or even a combination thereof.

 Take your time to heal your wounded spirit... everyone heals at their own rate... you need to acknowledge this fact, embrace it and work with it... In this recuperative process, your soul resonates the message that you are not working on a timeline... And one day, slowly but surely, your soul will be restored to health and you will be whole once again..

The Prayer of Serenity

The Prayer of Serenity is a motivational guiding system for many people.


Essentially, it boils down to one phrase for me... you cannot control the uncontrolable...
Accept this wisdom and you will experience more peace of mind as well as nurture a forgiving and loving spirit.

International Women s Day March 8 th

International Women s Day - March 8 th,which is celebrating its one hundred- year anniversary, is dedicated to all women , warriors in pink, who fight discrimination based on skin colour, gender, culture , age, religion, educational and socio-economic status, their weight or simply the colour of their hair.



Instead of being divided, we have to be united in our battle for equal status in the workplace, and in the world.



As we honour this significant day and remember all those who fought so hard so we may observe it, let us make a promise to ourselves that we may never turn away from another woman in need- no matter the circumstances involved.

A book to curl up with....

To continue with the theme of dealing with the Winter Blahs and stormy weather ahead-- this is one book to take the time out to spend some time with---Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life Written by Karen Armstrong .

Enjoy. :)

Journalling and the year 2011

As we begin a new year, I thought it might be nice to revisit the benefits of journalling in my life and in others.. Journalling is a wonderful way of seeing your life- both spiritually and personally- in a different light.

So here again are the main benefits of journalling

-getting clarity re: what you want in your life.

-Creating and setting boundaries.

-Ferreting out life goals.

-Beginning a journey to walking your own pathway.

-Tapping into your intrapersonal/ retrospective side by means of reflection.

-Helping you take yourself and others through the experiential learning cycle.


-Finding hidden talents and abilities within your authentic self

-Finding the positive strengths in yourself and others, and building on them

For a great guidebook on journalling, you can check out my journalling workbook at " A Year in Serendipity: A Journalling
Workbook"http://tinyurl.com/serendipityjournal .

All the best for 2011

Ways to nurture peace within ourselves and in our lives

Ways to nurture peace within and in your professional and personal life

 Count your blessings—state the most simple first and work from there
 Practice tolerance and use patience—acknowledge that you cannot change some situations but you can change your attitude to them. Practice the prayer of serenity. Accept with serenity the different opinions, practices, and attitudes of others. You may not be able to change them so try to keep an open mind – be empathetic , be respectful. Honour the diversity.
 Communicate positively and with compassion--Your words are swords or svae for other people. Words can heal wounds or alienate.. so take a few minutes in reflection before speaking. The power of the word can be a positive force.
 Practice organic communication with emphatic listening—pay full attention to the speaker and try to enter the world of his or her thoughts. Do not interrupt . Such techniques builds acceptance, and understanding for cultivating stronger workplace relationships as well as reducing stress and confusion.
 Respect yourself and others. Recognizing, honouring, trusting and believing in your own worth, you then do not need to look outside for validation. Judgement of others then loses power over you.
 Live by your own values—your inner core ones and follow your own pathway.
 Treat others as you would like to be treated.
 Forgive yourself and others. The best gift you can give yourself and other is that of forgiveness. You have to let go of grudges and move forward.



a

Face your circle of fear

The Eagles Rock Band practice in a circle--without any embellishment of their music or singing- which they have dubbed their circle of fear.. They are completely vulnerable in this circle as all weaknesses and realities are exposed.

We too in order to achieve a higher level of understanding of ourselves and of others must also face our circle of fear..

Walking the pathway to Serendipity is part of this process-- ridding ourselves of our fears and facing our realities head on.

Do you have the courage to do so.

Seeing with the heart

From the book “ The Little Prince”. “The eyes are blind. You have to look with the heart. The heart is the most important”.

In our daily travels and dialogues with people, we must seek “ to see with the heart”.