Archives for November 2015

If the only prayer you ever said was “Thank You,” that would be enough.

Most of us have incredible family members, friends, and other loved ones who love us back.  Learn to appreciate what a miracle that is.  Most of us have good health, which is another miracle.  Most of us have eyes, with which to enjoy the amazing miracles of sunsets and nature and beauty all around us.  Most of us have ears, with which to enjoy music – one of the greatest miracles ever.

We may not have all these things, because we can’t have everything, but we certainly have plenty to be thankful for.  To an extent, we know this already, and yet we forget.

Sometimes Marc and I get so caught up pursuing the next big thing, that we forget to pause and appreciate the things we have, and the things we’ve experienced, learned and achieved along the way.

In other words, we forget to give thanks continuously, for all things.  Since every step we have taken has led us right to where we are, and all things have contributed to our development, when we finally do pause to give thanks, we try to include ALL things in our gratitude.

So that’s what I want to reflect on today – some quick reminders about the things you, too, likely forget to say “thank you” for:

1. “Thank you for life’s surprises.” – Notice and cherish life’s surprises.  Just because it’s not what you were expecting, doesn’t mean it’s not everything you’ve been waiting for.  So take a deep breath when you’re rejected from something good.  It often means you’re being redirected to something better.  Be patient.  Be positive.  Keep going. [Read more…]

YOU, as much as anyone in the entire universe, deserve your love and respect.

Life is hard sometimes.  It’s impossible to live well without encountering struggle, and there are some seasons in our lives that are especially heartwrenching.

For Angel and me, one such season occurred over the course of 15 months when we were in our late-20’s.  It was a period of profound loss, beginning when we lost our jobs and our livelihood in the downturn of the economy.  It was a scary and financially uncertain time for our family.  “Unhappiness” is the simplest word to describe how we felt.

As we were learning to navigate our new reality, we were hit with a devastating loss: the death of a mutual best friend from sudden cardiac arrest.  The loss of such a key figure in our lives was intense!  And just as we were beginning to get back on our feet, Angel’s brother passed away unexpectedly as well.

With so much loss in quick succession, there were days when getting out of bed was our biggest accomplishment.  This is the nature of struggle, but as the days [Read more…]

It’s not what you say out loud to everyone else that determines your life – it’s what you whisper to yourself that has the greatest power.

If you feel unsure of yourself sometimes, I know exactly how you feel.  I used to be incredibly unsure of myself…  and sometimes I still am.

But it’s not all bad.  Heightened self-consciousness, anxiety, an inability to join in, and feeling “different” – they’re really not all bad.  Those inner battles have been my angels at times.  Without them I would never have disappeared into literature, language, the mind, passionate work, and all the wild intensities that made and unmade me, and shaped me into the person I am today.

But a harsh truth remains: The enemies we encounter in life, especially our own inner demons, use the things we’re insecure about against us.

Which means we can’t hide forever.  We have to emerge.  We have to grow through our insecurities.

At some point we have to free ourselves and take our power back by being secure in who we are – flaws and all.

This isn’t easy, of course – it’s a journey.  And as you embark, here are some important things to keep in mind:

1. The story you tell yourself is the story you live by. – Everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head.  Every day.  All the time.  And that story makes you what you are – it lays the foundation for every action you take or don’t take.  You build yourself out of that story.
2. Every belittling, insecure thought is unreliable and changeable. – Once you become self-conscious, there is no end to it if you don’t address it; once you start to doubt yourself, there’s no room for anything else until you make a change.  You’re going to have to let truth shout louder to your soul than the lies that have infected you. [Read more…]

by Joshua Becker

There is no exercise better for your heart and mind than reaching down and lifting people up.

Generosity makes our world happier and healthier.  Every act of giving directly improves the lives of both the receiver and the giver.  Yet, despite the incredible benefits, generosity is still far too rare in our world today.

Instead, our society craves and pursues more at every turn – more money, more possessions, more power, and so forth.  We seek enjoyment by directing the majority of our energy and resources toward our own pursuits: possessions, accumulation, comfort, and luxury.  Meanwhile, incredible opportunities for generosity surround us in every moment of every day.

We have to stop missing these opportunities!

In order to reorient our thinking in a consumer-driven world and begin taking greater advantage of the abundant benefits of generosity, we need to shift our mindset and our worldview.

Consider these nine life-changing ways generous people view the world, and how these realizations can spark more generosity in your life too:

1.  They know there are enough resources to give back and share.

The mindset of competition and hoarding—that my resources only grow when someone else’s shrinks—is based on a faulty premise.  It assumes there is [Read more…]