Sunday, March 25, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Sharing the light!
Today I am going for one of my dreams from my 101 dream list. It is to reach 1 million views on my blog.
When I first started this in January, just reaching 100 seemed like a lot. I was very excited when I reached 100. But I know that ultimately I want to share my messages with the world and that includes anyone and everyone possible. I have seen the difference that these lessons have made in my life and I want to share that with as many people who are willing to hear it. I know that on my own it may take a very long time to reach my goal. But there is power in numbers and I know that with your help I can do it. We can do it together.
I am asking everyone that reads this blog; if you have found any value to the messages that you have received, please forward it and share it with as many people as you have the means to connect with. No matter how small you may think your sphere of influence is, everyone knows more people than they realize. Please help me reach my goal of sharing these powerful messages with 1 million people.
I know what it feels like to live in darkness. It can be lonely and feel hopeless. I also know what it feels like to live in the light. It is amazing. I want to help increase the light in the lives of as many as I am able to. Please help me to help as many people as are willing to listen.
Thank you.
When I first started this in January, just reaching 100 seemed like a lot. I was very excited when I reached 100. But I know that ultimately I want to share my messages with the world and that includes anyone and everyone possible. I have seen the difference that these lessons have made in my life and I want to share that with as many people who are willing to hear it. I know that on my own it may take a very long time to reach my goal. But there is power in numbers and I know that with your help I can do it. We can do it together.
I am asking everyone that reads this blog; if you have found any value to the messages that you have received, please forward it and share it with as many people as you have the means to connect with. No matter how small you may think your sphere of influence is, everyone knows more people than they realize. Please help me reach my goal of sharing these powerful messages with 1 million people.
I know what it feels like to live in darkness. It can be lonely and feel hopeless. I also know what it feels like to live in the light. It is amazing. I want to help increase the light in the lives of as many as I am able to. Please help me to help as many people as are willing to listen.
Thank you.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Quotes to live by
"Overcome the fact that some people won’t agree with your decision, but be comfortable enough, read enough and know enough that it doesn’t matter what others think..." ~ The Pelo Family
Thursday, March 15, 2012
In sickness and in health
I have been sick over the last couple of days. I believe it is times like these that can bring out the best or the worst in us. I also believe it is in these kinds of moments that we let our guard down and have to relinquish our sense of control. And I find that when we do this, it can bring out the best or worst in others. To my great joy I am able to say that this experience has been a blessing.
Over the last couple of years I have been working at showing and expressing more gratitude in life. This applies to my family as well. I wanted to stop complaining and criticizing and start focusing on what I loved about them and what I was grateful for because of them. Doing this has brought about many wonderful and amazing changes in me. And because I changed, this allowed them to react differently to my actions which brought amazing changes in our relationships.
Although this has been wonderful and this was my desired goals, we all know that we are not able to be our best selves 100% of the time or be free of making mistakes. These last couple of weeks I have found myself being more negative and less grateful, especially with my family. Needless to say it has taken a toll on not only how I have been feeling but on my family as well. I have desperately desired to reconnect with that sense of gratitude that I had felt before which allowed me to connect with my joy. But try as I might I was just not able to feel it. This was frustrating me and causing me to get into a viscous cycle of negativity I was unable to get out of on my own.
Then I became sick. When you become sick it is easy to complain and grumble because you feel crappy and you know how good you can feel instead. However, when we do this we only serve to make ourselves more miserable than we already are. And even though pain is inevitable in life, suffering is optional. So I decided instead of grumbling and complaining I would express gratitude to God for all that I didn't have to bear on top of being sick. I wasn't perfect at it but I can say it made a big difference. The biggest difference it made was in being able to see all of the great and wonderful things that my family was doing for me. It allowed me to reconnect with my gratitude and helped me to recognize how my family was serving me.
In letting my guard down and relinquishing my need for control I was able to see the best in the people I love the best. They were kind, generous, loving, and above all patient with me, my demands, and the extra burdens placed on them due to my incapacitated state. In being weak and humble I was able to be served and loved to a greater degree than when I am trying to ensure happiness by controlling things.
As I have come to this understanding is changing my outlook and causing me to re-evaluate the what, how, and why of my actions. I ask you, allow your loved ones to serve you in their own way without defining how it has to look or happen. You'll be surprised with the love you will be given and the love you feel in return for them.
May God bless you in being humble that you may come to a deeper level of love and trust with those who are closest to you.
Over the last couple of years I have been working at showing and expressing more gratitude in life. This applies to my family as well. I wanted to stop complaining and criticizing and start focusing on what I loved about them and what I was grateful for because of them. Doing this has brought about many wonderful and amazing changes in me. And because I changed, this allowed them to react differently to my actions which brought amazing changes in our relationships.
Although this has been wonderful and this was my desired goals, we all know that we are not able to be our best selves 100% of the time or be free of making mistakes. These last couple of weeks I have found myself being more negative and less grateful, especially with my family. Needless to say it has taken a toll on not only how I have been feeling but on my family as well. I have desperately desired to reconnect with that sense of gratitude that I had felt before which allowed me to connect with my joy. But try as I might I was just not able to feel it. This was frustrating me and causing me to get into a viscous cycle of negativity I was unable to get out of on my own.
Then I became sick. When you become sick it is easy to complain and grumble because you feel crappy and you know how good you can feel instead. However, when we do this we only serve to make ourselves more miserable than we already are. And even though pain is inevitable in life, suffering is optional. So I decided instead of grumbling and complaining I would express gratitude to God for all that I didn't have to bear on top of being sick. I wasn't perfect at it but I can say it made a big difference. The biggest difference it made was in being able to see all of the great and wonderful things that my family was doing for me. It allowed me to reconnect with my gratitude and helped me to recognize how my family was serving me.
In letting my guard down and relinquishing my need for control I was able to see the best in the people I love the best. They were kind, generous, loving, and above all patient with me, my demands, and the extra burdens placed on them due to my incapacitated state. In being weak and humble I was able to be served and loved to a greater degree than when I am trying to ensure happiness by controlling things.
As I have come to this understanding is changing my outlook and causing me to re-evaluate the what, how, and why of my actions. I ask you, allow your loved ones to serve you in their own way without defining how it has to look or happen. You'll be surprised with the love you will be given and the love you feel in return for them.
May God bless you in being humble that you may come to a deeper level of love and trust with those who are closest to you.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
City of Refuge Concert
Saturday was the free concert by City of Refuge. It was amazing! I took my daughter and my friend with her two daughters. We carpooled and went early so that we could avoid traffic. We enjoyed a nice walk and dinner before the show. The artists that performed were Jessie Clark Funk, Rachelle Call, Jen Marco, Aaron Edson, and guest David Osmond. The speakers were Rich Uhl and Chris. If you would like to find out more about them you can go to this website: http://stepintolight.org/who-we-are/ .
The show was directed at helping people who are recovering from addictions. They discussed how important music is in our lives and what a strong influence it is. Music, good music, can help us through the darkness that we face in our lives. They shared a powerful statistic about people recovering from addiction. A recovery center in Arizona has shown that 100% of people recovering from addiction that do not change the negative music they listen to will suffer a relapse. They suggest that in order to increase their chances of successful recovery they must change the music they listen to, to a more positive uplifting and supportive based music.
They challenged everyone to change your music, change your life. The challenge is to change the music you listen to for 30 days. The music you listen to should not have an adult warning label on it. It shouldn't have bleeped out words. I believe this is because the mind fills in the blank, especially if you've heard the unbleeped version. The music should leave you feeling uplifted and better than before you heard it. If any music you listen to leaves you feeling negative in any way, then find something else for those 30 days.
I have had this kind of discussion with my daughter for a while now. I have known for quite some time that everything we partake of has an effect on us. I liked the way they described music. They said that music is the sound of feelings. If we are listening to something that is angry then the chances are high that it will influence us to become angry ourselves. I used this analogy when talking to my daughter. If you put unhealthy things into the body like junk food, what will happen? The body will show signs of ill health such as acne, obesity, fatigue, etc. So if this happens with the body what happens if we put unhealthy things into our mind such as foul or negative music? Then the mind and even the emotions will show signs of ill health such as impatience, intolerance, anger, stress, sadness, etc. Just as the body will reflect the negative choices we choose to partake of so will the mind and the heart; for our thoughts lead to our feelings.
I appreciate the messages they had to share with us about music helping through addiction and recovery but I believe the message has far greater applications. I believe that it applies to any darkness that we find ourselves facing on our journey in life. There are many times in life when we feel that life is too much to bear. Whether that is in regards to finances, family, relationships, self-love, depression, mental illness, physical limitations, whatever the situation be, there are times when it feels to great and we struggle to find a way to continue. It is in these times when music can be the tool that the Lord uses to provide the message of comfort, of hope, or of faith that we are seeking.
Music can be a ray of light through the darkness leading the way out or it can be the means of leading us into darker things. Ultimately it's up to us. We choose if it is a means of simple entertainment, a means of entrapment, or a means to feed and uplift the soul. It can be the means of strengthening us and aiding us to resist the dark temptations in life.
I am taking the challenge. And so are my daughter and our friends. So I am going to challenge you to change your music, change your life. For 30 days really pay attention to the music you choose. Choose that which will uplift and edify. Choose that which will comfort and heal. I believe that at the end of the 30 days you will notice a remarkable improvement in your life. I also believe that after the 30 days you will not want to go back but will want to continue on with your new way of looking at what you choose to use to entertain yourself. Invite someone else to take the challenge with you; your friends, your family, anyone and everyone. There is strength in numbers.
After the 30 days, come back and leave a comment letting me know how it went. I can't wait to hear from you.
The show was directed at helping people who are recovering from addictions. They discussed how important music is in our lives and what a strong influence it is. Music, good music, can help us through the darkness that we face in our lives. They shared a powerful statistic about people recovering from addiction. A recovery center in Arizona has shown that 100% of people recovering from addiction that do not change the negative music they listen to will suffer a relapse. They suggest that in order to increase their chances of successful recovery they must change the music they listen to, to a more positive uplifting and supportive based music.
They challenged everyone to change your music, change your life. The challenge is to change the music you listen to for 30 days. The music you listen to should not have an adult warning label on it. It shouldn't have bleeped out words. I believe this is because the mind fills in the blank, especially if you've heard the unbleeped version. The music should leave you feeling uplifted and better than before you heard it. If any music you listen to leaves you feeling negative in any way, then find something else for those 30 days.
I have had this kind of discussion with my daughter for a while now. I have known for quite some time that everything we partake of has an effect on us. I liked the way they described music. They said that music is the sound of feelings. If we are listening to something that is angry then the chances are high that it will influence us to become angry ourselves. I used this analogy when talking to my daughter. If you put unhealthy things into the body like junk food, what will happen? The body will show signs of ill health such as acne, obesity, fatigue, etc. So if this happens with the body what happens if we put unhealthy things into our mind such as foul or negative music? Then the mind and even the emotions will show signs of ill health such as impatience, intolerance, anger, stress, sadness, etc. Just as the body will reflect the negative choices we choose to partake of so will the mind and the heart; for our thoughts lead to our feelings.
I appreciate the messages they had to share with us about music helping through addiction and recovery but I believe the message has far greater applications. I believe that it applies to any darkness that we find ourselves facing on our journey in life. There are many times in life when we feel that life is too much to bear. Whether that is in regards to finances, family, relationships, self-love, depression, mental illness, physical limitations, whatever the situation be, there are times when it feels to great and we struggle to find a way to continue. It is in these times when music can be the tool that the Lord uses to provide the message of comfort, of hope, or of faith that we are seeking.
Music can be a ray of light through the darkness leading the way out or it can be the means of leading us into darker things. Ultimately it's up to us. We choose if it is a means of simple entertainment, a means of entrapment, or a means to feed and uplift the soul. It can be the means of strengthening us and aiding us to resist the dark temptations in life.
I am taking the challenge. And so are my daughter and our friends. So I am going to challenge you to change your music, change your life. For 30 days really pay attention to the music you choose. Choose that which will uplift and edify. Choose that which will comfort and heal. I believe that at the end of the 30 days you will notice a remarkable improvement in your life. I also believe that after the 30 days you will not want to go back but will want to continue on with your new way of looking at what you choose to use to entertain yourself. Invite someone else to take the challenge with you; your friends, your family, anyone and everyone. There is strength in numbers.
After the 30 days, come back and leave a comment letting me know how it went. I can't wait to hear from you.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
The sun is shining and other reasons to smile
I don't know what the weather is like in your part of the world, but it's beautiful and sunny here. Almost everything is still brown but there are hints of spring with some green peeking out here and there. I just went out for a walk with my youngest that is still not in school yet. We picked up sticks and played with them. We sang and we talked. It was fun.
There are many things that we do in life every day. But most of everything we do, we do out of necessity or as a means to an end. How often are we taking time to do the things we love that have no purpose other than putting a smile on our face? How often are we stepping out of our routine to do something just for the fun of it?
There are many worthwhile things that we can pursue and this is good. But sometimes we need to take a break and do something just because. It can refuel us for doing those worthwhile pursuits. It can also help us move past some road blocks because we are refreshed and can more easily focus. Work is good and sometimes we have to work hard for an extended period of time. But we must also remember to balance it with the proper amount of rest and the things that rejuvenate us.
Just like a machine that runs on batteries, if you run the batteries dry the whole machine stops working. So take the time to recharge your batteries. Do something today that will bring a smile to your face. Find something that makes you feel like a kid. Whatever you choose, do not worry over details or perfection. Just be in the moment and allow it to be whatever it will be.
There are many things that we do in life every day. But most of everything we do, we do out of necessity or as a means to an end. How often are we taking time to do the things we love that have no purpose other than putting a smile on our face? How often are we stepping out of our routine to do something just for the fun of it?
There are many worthwhile things that we can pursue and this is good. But sometimes we need to take a break and do something just because. It can refuel us for doing those worthwhile pursuits. It can also help us move past some road blocks because we are refreshed and can more easily focus. Work is good and sometimes we have to work hard for an extended period of time. But we must also remember to balance it with the proper amount of rest and the things that rejuvenate us.
Just like a machine that runs on batteries, if you run the batteries dry the whole machine stops working. So take the time to recharge your batteries. Do something today that will bring a smile to your face. Find something that makes you feel like a kid. Whatever you choose, do not worry over details or perfection. Just be in the moment and allow it to be whatever it will be.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
My Many Colored Days
I love Dr. Seuss. There is a book that he wrote that his wife had published after he passed away called "My Many Colored Days". If you haven't read this with your child it's a must. He uses colors to associate or explain how feelings look. For example he uses yellow as very energetic like a buzzing bumble bee. Besides being fun like all of his other books, I love the way it helps a child to understand what feelings look like. It helps take something that can be confusing and undefinable for a child and puts them into a perspective they can understand and explain.
I share this with you for two reasons. One is that last week we celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday or rather Theodor Geisel's birthday for those who know his real name. He is my absolute favorite children's author. Every year I make, yes I said make, my family watch "How the Grinch stole Christmas", "The Lorax", "The Cat in the Hat", and all of the other Dr. Seuss specials that come on tv during Christmas. Even now I can hear, "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch. You really are a heel." I love reading the books with my children as well. There has never been a children's author who has been able to make the words sing and flow as well as Dr. Seuss did for me. His books are always a joy to read.
The other reason I share this book with you is because this week has been wrought with emotion for me. I have experienced so much that I feel like the title, "My Many Colored Days". It has been filled with the gamut of feelings, to the point that I have begun to feel overwhelmed. I wanted to share this with you because I want you to understand as I have come to, that it's okay when we have this kind of day, week, or even month. In all of my messages I seek to empower others to find the good and seek the joy. In sharing the empowering message this can be and the change it can create in our lives I do not want to make it appear as though we are to never feel sad, tired, stressed, fatigued, or even angry. I simply want to help you understand that even though you feel these sometimes less than ideal emotions, you decide how you will react. You control if they will devastate you or catapult you into the next phase of your learning and strengthen your life.
There is a season and a time for all things and that includes tears. There is a song that says, "what if your blessings come through rain drops, what if your healing comes through tears?" Just as rain washes everything and brings with it a sense of clean and refreshes things, so do tears. But where rain washes the outside, tears wash the inside and bring healing to the heart and soul. So if one of your many colored days brings with it tears, do not be in a hurry to rush past them or stop them all together. But rather embrace them knowing that like the rain they have simply come to clean and refresh you and to prepare you for the next part of your journey. Hopefully you will come to see them as the tender mercies of the Lord, who simply wishes to bring out the best in you.
God bless you that you may come to learn to dance in the rain and love your tears.
I share this with you for two reasons. One is that last week we celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday or rather Theodor Geisel's birthday for those who know his real name. He is my absolute favorite children's author. Every year I make, yes I said make, my family watch "How the Grinch stole Christmas", "The Lorax", "The Cat in the Hat", and all of the other Dr. Seuss specials that come on tv during Christmas. Even now I can hear, "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch. You really are a heel." I love reading the books with my children as well. There has never been a children's author who has been able to make the words sing and flow as well as Dr. Seuss did for me. His books are always a joy to read.
The other reason I share this book with you is because this week has been wrought with emotion for me. I have experienced so much that I feel like the title, "My Many Colored Days". It has been filled with the gamut of feelings, to the point that I have begun to feel overwhelmed. I wanted to share this with you because I want you to understand as I have come to, that it's okay when we have this kind of day, week, or even month. In all of my messages I seek to empower others to find the good and seek the joy. In sharing the empowering message this can be and the change it can create in our lives I do not want to make it appear as though we are to never feel sad, tired, stressed, fatigued, or even angry. I simply want to help you understand that even though you feel these sometimes less than ideal emotions, you decide how you will react. You control if they will devastate you or catapult you into the next phase of your learning and strengthen your life.
There is a season and a time for all things and that includes tears. There is a song that says, "what if your blessings come through rain drops, what if your healing comes through tears?" Just as rain washes everything and brings with it a sense of clean and refreshes things, so do tears. But where rain washes the outside, tears wash the inside and bring healing to the heart and soul. So if one of your many colored days brings with it tears, do not be in a hurry to rush past them or stop them all together. But rather embrace them knowing that like the rain they have simply come to clean and refresh you and to prepare you for the next part of your journey. Hopefully you will come to see them as the tender mercies of the Lord, who simply wishes to bring out the best in you.
God bless you that you may come to learn to dance in the rain and love your tears.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
101 Goals!
This week I went to see Jack Canfield the author of "Chicken Soup for the Soul" speak in Salt Lake City. It was amazing and he was amazing. I was able to meet him. I shook his hand and thanked him for the inspiration of his books. I was able to go with a friend which made it even better. Everything is always better when you share. I had a great time. If you ever have the chance to go see him speak, jump on the opportunity. It will be well worth the effort. Did I mention I only had to pay $15. Wow!
Anyway, he taught many important and amazing things. Some I already knew that he expounded on or gave a new perspective of and others that I hadn't heard before. One thing that I am writing about today is his suggestion to write 101 goals that we want to achieve before we die. Kind of like a bucket list. After all, a goal that isn't written will only be a fantasy. He also said to read it frequently and to share it with others. He said when you share it with others; you give people the opportunity to help you achieve them. So today I am sharing my goals with you. They are in no particular order. Being the over achiever that I am there are a few more than 101 so bear with me.
My 101 Goals
1. Travel to Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand
2. Travel to Norway and the British Isles
3. Travel to Germany and Europe
4. Take my family to Disney World and Disneyland
5. Teach the mind-heart-body connection to true healing classes
6. Teach the thought-perspective-belief-reality connection classes
7. Learn about energy healing so I can help myself and others
8. Become a facilitator of healing and help others to learn to heal themselves
9. Live in my dream home
10. Be a public speaker; sharing the lessons and messages I have received to help others
11. Travel the world as a public speaker
12. Write my book "One soul's journey in healing"
13. Be a best-selling author
14. Sell 1 million copies of my book
15. Reach 1 million views on my blog by January 2014
16. Visit all of the temples in the world at least once
17. Learn to play the piano well
18. Visit the Sistine Chapel in person
19. Swim with dolphins
20. Go whale watching
21. See a Broadway play in New York City
22. Grow a healthy organic garden that can sustain my family
23. See and climb the Statue of Liberty
24. Stand at the top of the Empire State Building
25. Visit the White House
26. Visit the memorials in Washington D.C.
27. Go to New England and eat fresh authentic New England clam chowder
28. Go snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef
29. Create my family genealogy tree for myself and future generations
30. Eat real New York pizza in New York
31. Complete temple work for my family
32. Visit all of the states of America at least once
33. Be an amazing grandmother
34. Be a favorite great grandmother
35. Read all of the scriptures in their entirety at least 10 times in my lifetime
36. Go on a cruise to tropical islands with my husband
37. Can my own healthy foods every year
38. Go to a ball and wear an amazingly beautiful dress
39. Celebrate at least 60 years of marriage with my husband
40. Make a difference in the life of at least one person every day of my life
41. Leave every place I go a little better than when I found it
42. Smile every day at least 10 times
43. Take my mother to meet Oprah Winfrey
44. Meet Leslie Householder and thank her in person for her inspiring books and classes
45. Take Leslie's FTMF and teaching classes and graduate
46. Spend two weeks on a tropical island with my husband
47. Go horseback riding on a beach
48. Go horseback riding in a forest
49. Go Kayaking in calm waters in a beautiful relaxing environment
50. Learn to speak 4 languages
51. Make a quilt from scratch on my own
52. See everyone as God sees them
53. Bear my testimony of God and Jesus boldly with love and respect
54. Live a life that shines; that everyone knows what I believe and what I stand for
55. Pet a baby tiger and snow leopard
56. Hug a whale
57. Drive the west coast in beautiful weather in a convertible through CA, WA, and OR with my husband
58. Spend one week in Carmel during the dolphin migration
59. Watch every General Conference ever recorded
60. Read every General Conference article ever written
61. Eat at The Lady and Sons restaurant
62. Walk on a white sandy beach
63. Swim in warm crystal clear water
64. Stand in a waterfall and let it wash me
65. Walk through a lavender field
66. Walk through a rose garden
67. Eat the best tasting decadent chocolate ever created
68. Fly in a helicopter over Hawaii
69. Visit volcanic grounds in Hawaii
70. Visit a pineapple plantation
71. Go to a real authentic luau
72. Go to the Scottish games in the British Isles with my husband
73. Eat scottish pies, shepherds pies, fish and chips, and custard with shortbread in the British Isles
74. Eat amazing Italian food in Italy with great friends
75. Pick fresh sweet blueberries in a large blueberry patch with my family
76. Pick fresh sweet cherries in a cherry orchard with my family
77. Have a complete 2 year food storage and 72 hour kits for everyone in the family
78. Watch a presidential inauguration in person
79. Meet and shake the hand of the prophet of my church and talk with him
80. Be a doTERRA IPC at silver rank
81. Help send all of my children and grandchildren to college
82. Have a home with a swimming pool
83. Live in a home with several acres of land surrounded by trees and nature
84. Have a healthy and fit amazing body
85. Learn to crochet and knit and maintain the skills
86. Make artisan breads from scratch
87. Have and maintain a positive outlook on life
88. Own the perfect rocking chair that sits by a fireplace
89. Watch an incredible sunrise with someone I love
90. Watch an incredible sunset with someone I love
91. Watch a solar and lunar eclipse
92. See a comet in the night sky
93. Own a flawless emerald
94. Fall in love with my husband every day of my life
95. Give everyone I met the kind of love and respect I want for myself
96. Learn to play the guitar well
97. Be someone worth becoming
98. Be the kind of friend I would like to have
99. Make sure everyone knows how much I care about them
100. Speak my words in any situation with love and kindness
101. Maintain my joy in any situation and under any conditions
102. Be brave, trustworthy, and honorable in all the things that I do
103. I want to know God's thoughts
104. Go on vacation to a spa resort for one week and be pampered like a queen
105. Be the love of my husband's life and treat him like the love of my life
106. Be a parent that my children can look up to and respect
107. Be a parent that my children can trust and confide in
108. I want the world to be a better place because I lived
109. Laugh until I cry and laugh again because I cried
110. Attend a baseball game with my uncle where his team wins
111. Eat gumbo in Louisiana
Thank you for being able to read through the whole thing. And don't worry if you didn't, it won't hurt my feelings.
What dreams are you holding locked away in your heart? Write them down even if you're not ready to share them with others yet. It's a place to start turning them into reality. Have fun, otherwise what's the point.
Anyway, he taught many important and amazing things. Some I already knew that he expounded on or gave a new perspective of and others that I hadn't heard before. One thing that I am writing about today is his suggestion to write 101 goals that we want to achieve before we die. Kind of like a bucket list. After all, a goal that isn't written will only be a fantasy. He also said to read it frequently and to share it with others. He said when you share it with others; you give people the opportunity to help you achieve them. So today I am sharing my goals with you. They are in no particular order. Being the over achiever that I am there are a few more than 101 so bear with me.
My 101 Goals
1. Travel to Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand
2. Travel to Norway and the British Isles
3. Travel to Germany and Europe
4. Take my family to Disney World and Disneyland
5. Teach the mind-heart-body connection to true healing classes
6. Teach the thought-perspective-belief-reality connection classes
7. Learn about energy healing so I can help myself and others
8. Become a facilitator of healing and help others to learn to heal themselves
9. Live in my dream home
10. Be a public speaker; sharing the lessons and messages I have received to help others
11. Travel the world as a public speaker
12. Write my book "One soul's journey in healing"
13. Be a best-selling author
14. Sell 1 million copies of my book
15. Reach 1 million views on my blog by January 2014
16. Visit all of the temples in the world at least once
17. Learn to play the piano well
18. Visit the Sistine Chapel in person
19. Swim with dolphins
20. Go whale watching
21. See a Broadway play in New York City
22. Grow a healthy organic garden that can sustain my family
23. See and climb the Statue of Liberty
24. Stand at the top of the Empire State Building
25. Visit the White House
26. Visit the memorials in Washington D.C.
27. Go to New England and eat fresh authentic New England clam chowder
28. Go snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef
29. Create my family genealogy tree for myself and future generations
30. Eat real New York pizza in New York
31. Complete temple work for my family
32. Visit all of the states of America at least once
33. Be an amazing grandmother
34. Be a favorite great grandmother
35. Read all of the scriptures in their entirety at least 10 times in my lifetime
36. Go on a cruise to tropical islands with my husband
37. Can my own healthy foods every year
38. Go to a ball and wear an amazingly beautiful dress
39. Celebrate at least 60 years of marriage with my husband
40. Make a difference in the life of at least one person every day of my life
41. Leave every place I go a little better than when I found it
42. Smile every day at least 10 times
43. Take my mother to meet Oprah Winfrey
44. Meet Leslie Householder and thank her in person for her inspiring books and classes
45. Take Leslie's FTMF and teaching classes and graduate
46. Spend two weeks on a tropical island with my husband
47. Go horseback riding on a beach
48. Go horseback riding in a forest
49. Go Kayaking in calm waters in a beautiful relaxing environment
50. Learn to speak 4 languages
51. Make a quilt from scratch on my own
52. See everyone as God sees them
53. Bear my testimony of God and Jesus boldly with love and respect
54. Live a life that shines; that everyone knows what I believe and what I stand for
55. Pet a baby tiger and snow leopard
56. Hug a whale
57. Drive the west coast in beautiful weather in a convertible through CA, WA, and OR with my husband
58. Spend one week in Carmel during the dolphin migration
59. Watch every General Conference ever recorded
60. Read every General Conference article ever written
61. Eat at The Lady and Sons restaurant
62. Walk on a white sandy beach
63. Swim in warm crystal clear water
64. Stand in a waterfall and let it wash me
65. Walk through a lavender field
66. Walk through a rose garden
67. Eat the best tasting decadent chocolate ever created
68. Fly in a helicopter over Hawaii
69. Visit volcanic grounds in Hawaii
70. Visit a pineapple plantation
71. Go to a real authentic luau
72. Go to the Scottish games in the British Isles with my husband
73. Eat scottish pies, shepherds pies, fish and chips, and custard with shortbread in the British Isles
74. Eat amazing Italian food in Italy with great friends
75. Pick fresh sweet blueberries in a large blueberry patch with my family
76. Pick fresh sweet cherries in a cherry orchard with my family
77. Have a complete 2 year food storage and 72 hour kits for everyone in the family
78. Watch a presidential inauguration in person
79. Meet and shake the hand of the prophet of my church and talk with him
80. Be a doTERRA IPC at silver rank
81. Help send all of my children and grandchildren to college
82. Have a home with a swimming pool
83. Live in a home with several acres of land surrounded by trees and nature
84. Have a healthy and fit amazing body
85. Learn to crochet and knit and maintain the skills
86. Make artisan breads from scratch
87. Have and maintain a positive outlook on life
88. Own the perfect rocking chair that sits by a fireplace
89. Watch an incredible sunrise with someone I love
90. Watch an incredible sunset with someone I love
91. Watch a solar and lunar eclipse
92. See a comet in the night sky
93. Own a flawless emerald
94. Fall in love with my husband every day of my life
95. Give everyone I met the kind of love and respect I want for myself
96. Learn to play the guitar well
97. Be someone worth becoming
98. Be the kind of friend I would like to have
99. Make sure everyone knows how much I care about them
100. Speak my words in any situation with love and kindness
101. Maintain my joy in any situation and under any conditions
102. Be brave, trustworthy, and honorable in all the things that I do
103. I want to know God's thoughts
104. Go on vacation to a spa resort for one week and be pampered like a queen
105. Be the love of my husband's life and treat him like the love of my life
106. Be a parent that my children can look up to and respect
107. Be a parent that my children can trust and confide in
108. I want the world to be a better place because I lived
109. Laugh until I cry and laugh again because I cried
110. Attend a baseball game with my uncle where his team wins
111. Eat gumbo in Louisiana
Thank you for being able to read through the whole thing. And don't worry if you didn't, it won't hurt my feelings.
What dreams are you holding locked away in your heart? Write them down even if you're not ready to share them with others yet. It's a place to start turning them into reality. Have fun, otherwise what's the point.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Lose The Label
I was watching tv the other night when a commercial came on that caught my attention. It wasn't the commercial per say, so much as what was said during the commercial. This is what got my attention that I wish to share with you today.
"It's not how others label you; it's how you label yourself. Lose the label." ~ Provo College
We have many roles in life and there are many label's placed upon us. Some of these are placed upon us by ourselves and some by others. In either case we are being put into a box. Think about it. What does a label do? It brings definition to something. As beautiful as I think language and words are, they are also restrictive and limited. Look at a mountain. There are any myriad of words we can use to describe it. We can say it is strong, massive, enchanting, breathtaking, unmovable, unconquerable, solid, majestic, etc., etc. And the list would go on and on in trying to capture in words what a mountain is. Yet all of them are limited in their ability to truly capture the essence of what it is, how it appears, what it does, and how it affects us. Even the word mountain itself is a definition that is restrictive in explaining it completely.
How many words do we use to label ourselves, good or bad, in our efforts to know ourselves better? How do we define ourselves in an attempt to move forward in life?
William Shakespeare said it best when he wrote Romeo and Juliet. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that little title." Labels are little titles. They help us bring definition to things and experiences but they are limited in their ability to fully capture the essence of anything. However necessary definitions are, as we must communicate with one another, we allow them to become to concrete and immovable. This then begins to box us in and confine us to smaller spheres of understanding and comprehension.
If we are to truly understand and comprehend all things (even ourselves) in their completeness, we must break out of the box and move past the label. We've got to see the label as merely information and not take it as absolute. For instance, look at water. In liquid form it is called water, rain, mist, etc. But in solid form it is called ice, snow, hale, etc. And yet in gaseous form it is called steam and many other names. The list could go on and on. Water is constantly changing and flowing, moving from one state to another with little thought to what it is called or how it is defined. It just is. And whether or not you have a name or label for it, it goes on being and doing just the same. And so to must our thoughts be, especially of ourselves.
For us to be able to go beyond the simple definition of anything to revel in the depth of what anything is, we must see the definition as information that aids us. We must see language and labels as water; ever flowing and ever changing. For example take a label like water, see it simply as a means to begin recognizing and comprehending it, but allow yourself to see what else it may be. Definition is not concrete and yet we treat it that way, almost like a brand.
It is when we stop using labels as information to aid in understanding and start using them as brands to define that problems arise. If you are defined by a label, what happens when that label is removed or changed? I believe this is when we see people experience life crisis, depression, or any other number of negative feelings, especially towards themselves. When a label is gone and you defined yourself by it, especially when you used it for years, there appears to be an emptiness that some do not know how to cope with and can be left wondering "Who am I?"
If you can see a label not as defining, but simply as information, you can be at peace and allow them to flow in and out of your life with little concern. A label is merely information to bring understanding to the many facets of who you are, not to define the great "I am". The "I am" that you are is greater than any title or label you will ever where. You are greater than the label of mother, father, son, daughter, friend, CEO, manager, teacher, student, athlete, smart, beautiful, etc., etc. It is as Marianne Williamson said, "You are a child of God. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone." And as such there is no label that will ever be able to capture the full glory and magnificence of who you are.
Just as Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "Compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God." (Not to fill you up with thoughts of self-importance) But you are everything and as such any label will never fully explain the greatness of who you are. So do as the title of this article says and "Lose The Label" as defining and see it as informing. Doing this will bring you peace and guide you in having a better understanding of what God sees you as, His beloved child.
"It's not how others label you; it's how you label yourself. Lose the label." ~ Provo College
We have many roles in life and there are many label's placed upon us. Some of these are placed upon us by ourselves and some by others. In either case we are being put into a box. Think about it. What does a label do? It brings definition to something. As beautiful as I think language and words are, they are also restrictive and limited. Look at a mountain. There are any myriad of words we can use to describe it. We can say it is strong, massive, enchanting, breathtaking, unmovable, unconquerable, solid, majestic, etc., etc. And the list would go on and on in trying to capture in words what a mountain is. Yet all of them are limited in their ability to truly capture the essence of what it is, how it appears, what it does, and how it affects us. Even the word mountain itself is a definition that is restrictive in explaining it completely.
How many words do we use to label ourselves, good or bad, in our efforts to know ourselves better? How do we define ourselves in an attempt to move forward in life?
William Shakespeare said it best when he wrote Romeo and Juliet. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that little title." Labels are little titles. They help us bring definition to things and experiences but they are limited in their ability to fully capture the essence of anything. However necessary definitions are, as we must communicate with one another, we allow them to become to concrete and immovable. This then begins to box us in and confine us to smaller spheres of understanding and comprehension.
If we are to truly understand and comprehend all things (even ourselves) in their completeness, we must break out of the box and move past the label. We've got to see the label as merely information and not take it as absolute. For instance, look at water. In liquid form it is called water, rain, mist, etc. But in solid form it is called ice, snow, hale, etc. And yet in gaseous form it is called steam and many other names. The list could go on and on. Water is constantly changing and flowing, moving from one state to another with little thought to what it is called or how it is defined. It just is. And whether or not you have a name or label for it, it goes on being and doing just the same. And so to must our thoughts be, especially of ourselves.
For us to be able to go beyond the simple definition of anything to revel in the depth of what anything is, we must see the definition as information that aids us. We must see language and labels as water; ever flowing and ever changing. For example take a label like water, see it simply as a means to begin recognizing and comprehending it, but allow yourself to see what else it may be. Definition is not concrete and yet we treat it that way, almost like a brand.
It is when we stop using labels as information to aid in understanding and start using them as brands to define that problems arise. If you are defined by a label, what happens when that label is removed or changed? I believe this is when we see people experience life crisis, depression, or any other number of negative feelings, especially towards themselves. When a label is gone and you defined yourself by it, especially when you used it for years, there appears to be an emptiness that some do not know how to cope with and can be left wondering "Who am I?"
If you can see a label not as defining, but simply as information, you can be at peace and allow them to flow in and out of your life with little concern. A label is merely information to bring understanding to the many facets of who you are, not to define the great "I am". The "I am" that you are is greater than any title or label you will ever where. You are greater than the label of mother, father, son, daughter, friend, CEO, manager, teacher, student, athlete, smart, beautiful, etc., etc. It is as Marianne Williamson said, "You are a child of God. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone." And as such there is no label that will ever be able to capture the full glory and magnificence of who you are.
Just as Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "Compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God." (Not to fill you up with thoughts of self-importance) But you are everything and as such any label will never fully explain the greatness of who you are. So do as the title of this article says and "Lose The Label" as defining and see it as informing. Doing this will bring you peace and guide you in having a better understanding of what God sees you as, His beloved child.
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