Walking My Own Walk > January 2009

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Notes to Self: Lessons Learned

If I have learned anything at all, the one thing I have learned is to pay attention to the lessons presented or else they will keep reappearing until you do. Here are just a few lessons placed in front of me most recently and I hope to have mastered them.

1. When you are truly ready to let go of anything that no longer works for you, fits you, or is in alignment with the person you are, releasing is not as scary as it may seem and is actually rather freeing.

2. Acknowledgment is wonderful and we all want/need to be acknowledged, but not at the risk of compromising our own integrity.
3. It's OK to stand out rather than fit in. Standing out helps to demonstrate that there are other options available.
4. When there is a block or a feeling of frustration, the best thing you can do is let go, be present, ready to take action, and see what bubbles to the surface.
5. Practicing patience isn't as easy as it looks, but worth it.
6. One can still offer support without getting involved in the drama. And the last was something my own coach shared with me...
7. "Wanna make God laugh? Share your plans with him/her." (Translation=See # 4.)

Thank you all for reading and for allowing me to continue to share. Have a wonderful week!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Every Single Second Is Precious

As an adult I have come to terms with the fact that time goes by rather quickly. How in a blink of an eye years will pass where one minute it seems that you are this small child climbing trees and making mud pies and then in time warp fashion you are all grown up with a home, a child, and adult responsibilities. What I had not truly come to terms with was just how quickly time changes the things we hold so near and dear and sometimes take for granted. To explain...

I am very blessed to have one of my two parents live in the same city as I do. While I miss seeing my mom on a regular basis it is lovely to be nearby my dad. The other night I was shuffling through some pictures while at a party that my dad was throwing for some of his cigar and pipe smoking friends. As I looked at each one it suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks; my dad is no longer the man that I see in my mind's eye. Years have replaced his dark hair with grey (as it does), time has left it's calling card in the form of wrinkles (again, as it does). Age and arthritis have replaced the spring in his step with some slowness and pain. None of this comes as any great surprise, the surprise was the impact that reality setting in had.

And in comes my head on collision with reality...

On the drive home my son and I were talking about time and how quickly it goes when all the sudden I burst into tears. Why? Because it was at that moment that I TRULY realized that my adorable dad, with his warm smile and penchant for story telling is indeed getting older. My sweet son in his reassuring way turned to me and said, "Mom, don't cry. Grandpa is going to be with us for at least 25 years." (You see, I made my dad promise that he would live to be 95 and I know he will because he has NEVER broken a promise to me.) My response through tears went something like this, "Yes I know, Honey, but 25 years, while it used to seem like a life time when I was a kid, as an adult 25 years is just a blink of an eye. The last 25 years for me has gone by in lightening speed and that is why we need to take advantage of every single second of every single day."

And we do. And I need to. I don't want moments to slip by where I didn't tell someone I care about just how special they are to me. I don't want to look back over the course of 25 years and realize that I missed out on opportunities to share the good stuff with the people I love most.

Starting today, I am making a commitment to treat time as the precious commodity it is by...

... being as present and in the moment as I possibly can.
...establishing priorities.
...avoiding drama.
...leaving past hurt in the past.
...and making damned sure that I don't take for granted the time I have with people that I hold so near and dear, that I let them know as often as possible just how much I love and care for them.

My dear friends and readers, time truly waits for no one so I hope you will join me in your own commitment to make the most of every moment. Please don't waste any time. Please treat every moment as precious, because in a blink of eye it truly does fly by.

Much love and peace to all of you.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Share Some Love

“It's not about how much you do, but how much love you put into what you do that counts.” - Mother Theresa

One of my intentions for the New Year (since I don't make resolutions) is to approach my day from the most loving place possible. I have found (most recently, actually) that by approaching my day (including situations, stress, even hurt feelings) with love my day flows in a much more positive vein. I don't get caught up in any drama, things that might appear annoying on the surface don't ruffle my feathers; frankly, I'm just a happier person all together.

At this point you may be asking; "Oh, that's nice, Pam...but what the heck do you mean that you approach your day from love?" The best way I can answer this question is to give you an example.

Recently, I have been dealing with a situation that has had me a bit topsy turvy; my gut has been tied in knots and I have found myself on a few occassions getting emotionally upset at the most inopportune times. The emotional rollercoaster and topsy turvyness of it all had to stop, because it was interfering with the positives I was creating and it was distracting me from seeing any of the potentials that were in front of me.

To stop the knot tying and the ups and downs, I decided to send love to those involved just by saying to myself, "I am sending you love and much happiness." Doing something that simple took the emotional charge away and stopped the roller coaster ride. I also had the opportunity to try this new little technique in traffic and it worked. Someone cut me off, as I was in a hurry to get home, and rather than get upset and call the person a "stupid jackass" I said, "I send you love and well wishes for getting to your destination safely." Wow! What a difference it made! As a matter of fact, the person who cut me off switched lanes and cleared the way so I could drive ahead.

So the next time you find yourself emotionally charged over something or someone, try sending out some love.

Friday, January 02, 2009

Daring to Dream and Dream Big

My latest vision board. :) It was great fun to make. In 2009 I am not only daring to dream big, but I am daring to live out loud, to be a rock star in own life, and to take chances. What are your visions for this New Year? If you have a vision board, take a picture and post a link to it; I would love to see it.