I have this really cool demonstration I want to share with you. The demonstration involves a clear glass jar, a shallow bowl, water, rocks, and a change in perception. If I were more technically savvy I would make a video of it and put it in this article so you could watch it. Unfortunately I haven't learned how to do that yet so we're going to have to make do with me describing it. Hopefully I will do a good enough job so that you can understand it. For those of you who are visually inclined, you can get the before mentioned items and try it for yourself as I describe it.
Take a clear glass jar and place it in a shallow bowl that allows you to see most of the jar above the rim of the bowl. Fill the glass jar until water just begins to overflow. This ensures that the jar is completely full. The bowl will catch the overflow. The rocks you use will need to be able to fit into the jar, about the size of ice cubes will due. Now you are ready for the demonstration.
Looking at your jar of water, I believe we can agree that the jar is full. Take a rock and place it into the jar of water. What you will notice is that as the rock enters the jar some water will overflow from the jar. The jar is already completely full. When you add the rock the jar does not become any fuller. What happens is merely an exchange; you trade water for the rock. The jar is just as full as it was before; you have simply exchanged the content of what is inside. No matter how many rocks you add to the jar it cannot be any fuller than it already is, you can only change the content of what is inside.
Now comes the change in perception. Are you ready?
You are like this jar. When you were born you came into this world clean and clear. You also came into this world being enough. You are not here to be enough or prove your enoughness, you are simply here to create the content of the person you desire to be. Just as you exchanged the water for the rock, so are you exchanging the content of who you are through everything you choose to partake of. Whatever you partake of be it person, place, thing, thought, or emotion; whatever you take in becomes a part of creating the content of who you are.
Your being enough is the gift that was given to you by the one who created you. To me this is God my Heavenly Father. I listened to a woman on Dr. Wayne Dyer's show "Wishes Fulfilled" speak about her near death experience. She said when she died she realized that we were not separate but that everyone was connected. She said we were all facets of one. I believe that each of us is a facet, an expression of God. We are of God and God is in us. It is this that makes us enough.
Genesis 1:27 says, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him." Take a dandelion that has turned into a white fuzz ball. When you blow off one of the seeds you will notice that it looks like a miniature of the plant that it came from. Look at a child. A child has received the DNA of its parents when it is created. There isn't anything a child has to do to receive the DNA. There isn't anything the child has to give, accept, be, or prove to have the DNA. It is simply theirs, something that is willing given to them by their parents. And so it is for us. There isn't anything we have to give, accept, be, or prove in order to be enough. We just are because God has made it so.
What we are here to do is create the person He knows we can become. We are to take all of the gifts, talents, and blessings He has given to us as unique individuals and make in us a person who can live in His presence. Trying to be enough, prove our enoughness, or feel worthy of being enough is merely a distraction from developing the content we truly desire in us and our lives. The clothes we wear, the car we drive, the house we live in, the job we have, and the friends we keep do not make us enough or help us become enough. Just as with the jar of water nothing we add will make us more enough. We are enough just by being us. These things do not make us enough but they do help to create the person we are. The things we choose to partake of either help us to be in alignment with God or not, nothing more.
Trying to be enough in the eyes of the world is never satisfying because you are already enough. It is a hollow victory. It is like trying to pay twice for something you have already bought. So you can fill your jar with trash or you can fill it with treasure, the choice is yours.
How does knowing that you are enough change the way that you look at yourself and your life? Are there other things you could be doing with your time, energy, and resources that can truly bring you happiness? When you are ready to accept this; start thinking about who you really want to be because being enough isn't something you have to worry over.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
The Noticer
I just finished reading a new book today. It's called The Noticer by Andy Andrews. I found this book at a second hand store a few months ago. I love reading and I love finding great books for little to nothing. Sometimes when I shop I have a specific book in mind and other times I just keep an eye open for what looks interesting. The Noticer happened to be a book that just caught my eye. I have found some true gems this way and I am pleased to say this book is one of them.
I took the book with me today since I had to have blood work done and the process was going to take a few hours. The full title of the book is The Noticer: Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective. It's a story about an old man named Jones who notices things in the lives of some people in a small beach town in the south. Jones takes the things he notices and uses it to help people have a little perspective about the things that are going on in their lives. This perspective he offers them ends up being the difference between giving up and moving forward in their lives.
I know it is a fictional story but it is told in such a way that you feel these people are real and you are right there with them. These are my favorite kinds of stories, the ones that draw you in and make you forget that you are reading a story. The author also uses such real life experiences in the lives of these people that you know people like that or who are going through an experience like that. The only difference is their name. And maybe it isn't someone you know who's like that, maybe it's you who is like that and it draws you in deeper because you want to know what the solution to it is not just for the character but for yourself.
This book was full of some wonderful eye opening perspectives for me. Some that I have been made familar with through experiences or other books and some new ones that I hadn't come across yet. It was a tender and humorous read. It is a book that is now dear to my heart and one I will read again and again. It was a wonderful reminder of the strength of perspective in our lives and how it is life changing and lifesaving. In the end a little perspective can make all the difference and it's never too late to gain some.
You can find a copy for yourself here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Noticer-Sometimes-person-perspective/dp/078523232X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345165483&sr=8-1&keywords=the+noticer+by+andy+andrews
Here is an excerpt:
"Most folks figure a true friend is someone who accepts them as they are. But that's dangerous garbage to believe. The kid who works the drive-through at your local fast-food restaurant accepts you for who you are - because he doesn't care anything about you. But a true friend holds you to a higher standard. A true friend brings out the best in you. A best friend will tell you the truth...and a wise best friend will include a healthy dose of perspective."
I took the book with me today since I had to have blood work done and the process was going to take a few hours. The full title of the book is The Noticer: Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective. It's a story about an old man named Jones who notices things in the lives of some people in a small beach town in the south. Jones takes the things he notices and uses it to help people have a little perspective about the things that are going on in their lives. This perspective he offers them ends up being the difference between giving up and moving forward in their lives.
I know it is a fictional story but it is told in such a way that you feel these people are real and you are right there with them. These are my favorite kinds of stories, the ones that draw you in and make you forget that you are reading a story. The author also uses such real life experiences in the lives of these people that you know people like that or who are going through an experience like that. The only difference is their name. And maybe it isn't someone you know who's like that, maybe it's you who is like that and it draws you in deeper because you want to know what the solution to it is not just for the character but for yourself.
This book was full of some wonderful eye opening perspectives for me. Some that I have been made familar with through experiences or other books and some new ones that I hadn't come across yet. It was a tender and humorous read. It is a book that is now dear to my heart and one I will read again and again. It was a wonderful reminder of the strength of perspective in our lives and how it is life changing and lifesaving. In the end a little perspective can make all the difference and it's never too late to gain some.
You can find a copy for yourself here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Noticer-Sometimes-person-perspective/dp/078523232X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345165483&sr=8-1&keywords=the+noticer+by+andy+andrews
Here is an excerpt:
"Most folks figure a true friend is someone who accepts them as they are. But that's dangerous garbage to believe. The kid who works the drive-through at your local fast-food restaurant accepts you for who you are - because he doesn't care anything about you. But a true friend holds you to a higher standard. A true friend brings out the best in you. A best friend will tell you the truth...and a wise best friend will include a healthy dose of perspective."
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Quotes to live by
"Your friends mean everything...they can bring you down to depths you don't think you can get to or they can take you to heights you could never imagine. Friends are the most important thing in my life. Friends and family. The value of friends makes all the difference in your life." ~ Listen: 5000 days project
Friday, August 10, 2012
Love Yourself
The busy chaos of summer is starting to wind down here as the kids get ready to head back to school. It has been busy and long. Even though I am excited about them heading off to school I will miss them and having them at home. I have been finishing up the school shoping and getting things ready for their first day.
As I have been busy doing these things for my family I have been putting aside my wants and needs either because of time or money. Instead of doing something for myself I talk myself out of it because I have to think of the family. Even though it is true that we must sometimes put aside our own needs for the needs of others it is unhealthy and unbalanced when we do it all the time. It is good that we help and serve others giving of ourselves and our resources, especially when it is our family or people that we care for. But when we completely neglect ourselves over and over in favor of giving we drain ourselves.
I like to think of a family as this great machine that has all these cool features and moving parts that can do amazing things when it is used correctly. But like any other machine it has batteries and when you completely drain the batteries it stops working. It doesn't matter how great the machine is or what amazing things it can do, if it doesn't work it isn't any good to anyone.
We are each of us in some kind of family and have our own sphere of influence in life. It doesn't matter what talents and skills you have or the amazing things you can do, you are not going to be any good to anyone if your batteries are drained. When we neglect ourselves too often for too long we can become resentful and feel unappreciated. I think these feelings that we often direct outwardly towards others has more to do with us than them.
In the scriptures Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves. How can you give to the people in your life if you are not giving to yourself? When you are not giving to yourself it is reflected in what you give to others. When we help and serve others when our batteries are empty we tend to give some negative stuff as well. We may end up giving frustration, resentment, and many other negative feelings to those we are giving to and can risk losing the joy that comes with giving.
It's not that others shouldn't help and serve us or say thank you. But ultimately, aside from special needs, when we are not taking care of ourselves we are the ones not getting the job done. It is up to us to recharge our batteries by setting aside time for ourselves. Now time for ourselves does not have to mean a week in Hawaii, which would be totally awesome. It could be anything from setting aside 10 minutes in a day for a nap or journaling. It can be a few hours every couple of days to read a good book or exercise. It may even be one day a week to disappear and go hiking in the mountain or go see your favorite team beat their rivals. It can be anything you want it to be. You are the one who decides because it's about making time for you.
In doing this you are not being selfish or greedy. You are simply loving yourself so that you can in turn love your neighbor; the people in your life that you love and have influence over. Giving to others does not mean neglecting or completely ignoring your own needs. Giving is about helping and serving others but that also includes helping and serving yourself.
So take some much needed time to recharge so that you can be the person who does something amazing for another without the baggage of negativity.
As I have been busy doing these things for my family I have been putting aside my wants and needs either because of time or money. Instead of doing something for myself I talk myself out of it because I have to think of the family. Even though it is true that we must sometimes put aside our own needs for the needs of others it is unhealthy and unbalanced when we do it all the time. It is good that we help and serve others giving of ourselves and our resources, especially when it is our family or people that we care for. But when we completely neglect ourselves over and over in favor of giving we drain ourselves.
I like to think of a family as this great machine that has all these cool features and moving parts that can do amazing things when it is used correctly. But like any other machine it has batteries and when you completely drain the batteries it stops working. It doesn't matter how great the machine is or what amazing things it can do, if it doesn't work it isn't any good to anyone.
We are each of us in some kind of family and have our own sphere of influence in life. It doesn't matter what talents and skills you have or the amazing things you can do, you are not going to be any good to anyone if your batteries are drained. When we neglect ourselves too often for too long we can become resentful and feel unappreciated. I think these feelings that we often direct outwardly towards others has more to do with us than them.
In the scriptures Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves. How can you give to the people in your life if you are not giving to yourself? When you are not giving to yourself it is reflected in what you give to others. When we help and serve others when our batteries are empty we tend to give some negative stuff as well. We may end up giving frustration, resentment, and many other negative feelings to those we are giving to and can risk losing the joy that comes with giving.
It's not that others shouldn't help and serve us or say thank you. But ultimately, aside from special needs, when we are not taking care of ourselves we are the ones not getting the job done. It is up to us to recharge our batteries by setting aside time for ourselves. Now time for ourselves does not have to mean a week in Hawaii, which would be totally awesome. It could be anything from setting aside 10 minutes in a day for a nap or journaling. It can be a few hours every couple of days to read a good book or exercise. It may even be one day a week to disappear and go hiking in the mountain or go see your favorite team beat their rivals. It can be anything you want it to be. You are the one who decides because it's about making time for you.
In doing this you are not being selfish or greedy. You are simply loving yourself so that you can in turn love your neighbor; the people in your life that you love and have influence over. Giving to others does not mean neglecting or completely ignoring your own needs. Giving is about helping and serving others but that also includes helping and serving yourself.
So take some much needed time to recharge so that you can be the person who does something amazing for another without the baggage of negativity.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Quotes to live by
"If you are not smiling it doesn't really matter what you do with your face." ~ Meg Johnson
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Keeping A Secret
We can keep secrets about anything but the kinds of secrets I wish to talk about today are the kinds that we keep to ourselves. The ones we keep hidden and dread anyone else finding out about. It may be something that we have done or something that has been done to us, but in either case it is something we go to great measures to hide from the world and sometimes from ourselves.
There is an ugly truth about a secret that I think most people are unaware of. The truth is; you don't keep a secret, a secret keeps you. The walls that we so carefully build up to hide a secret is actually a prison we build around ourselves that keeps us trapped and apart from all that we want in life.
I came upon this idea because I was keeping a secret, a secret that I was afraid for anyone to know. If someone had found out about my secret I would have been devastated. And over time my secret began to control and dictate my life. Now what I was afraid for anyone to know compared to someone else's secret may not seem so bad, but it was to me. And in the end how we feel about something determines its painfulness or the hardness of it. Where it may be hard for one person not to smoke another person will never give it a second thought. We are all different and what may be hard for one person may be easy for another.
My secret was that I was suffering from hair loss. Luckily it was a slow process but it was devastating to me none the less. At first it was barely noticeable that only required a small change in how I wore my hair to conceal it. But gradually it increased and it became harder to hide. I stopped going swimming, which is something I love to do, because it was noticeable when my hair was wet. I panicked when it was windy or rained because it might do something to my hair. Where I hardly used hair products, I became best friends with hair spray so I could style my hair to hide it and then glue it in place so nothing would change. I dreaded haircuts and I didn't let anyone play with my hair anymore, not even my children.
I remember seeing other women who were experiencing hair loss and were not hiding it as I was. I used to wonder how they were able to be so brave while I was so ashamed and embarrassed. The worst part was the depression. I believe the depression was due to the fact that I was letting this secret completely control my life. I wasn't free; I was chained to keeping my secret hidden. I wasn't keeping my secret, my secret was keeping me. It was keeping me from doing the things that I loved and from living life completely. My life was dictated by the limits of my secret.
When I came to realize the power my secret had over me and my life I was dumbfounded. I had never thought a secret could control me the way this had for several years. And when I realized how devastated I would feel if someone found out about my secret I began to see the trouble I was in. I saw that I had to do something about this now or it could very well ruin me and my life. It was then that I decided I would no longer keep a secret. I am a private person and I like my privacy but I would no longer live my life with a secret that I was hiding. I decided to have my privacy but live my life with the belief that if anyone found out anything about me I would be okay. If someone knew something about me I wouldn't be afraid any more. I wouldn't be afraid to talk about it or afraid of anyone else talking about it.
When I decided to do this I was hesitant at first and it was scary. But it was also liberating and freeing. You are never really able to understand the weight upon your shoulders until it is removed and once it is you feel lighter than you ever felt before. In the end I know I made the right decision for me. I now let my children play with my hair again. I have started going swimming again and I love it. Some of my hair has started growing back and some of it hasn't. But come what may I have decided to love it and just enjoy living without the heavy unnecessary burden of a secret. I highly recommend it.
Whatever your secret is, let it go and take back your life. Do not let it keep you anymore.
There is an ugly truth about a secret that I think most people are unaware of. The truth is; you don't keep a secret, a secret keeps you. The walls that we so carefully build up to hide a secret is actually a prison we build around ourselves that keeps us trapped and apart from all that we want in life.
I came upon this idea because I was keeping a secret, a secret that I was afraid for anyone to know. If someone had found out about my secret I would have been devastated. And over time my secret began to control and dictate my life. Now what I was afraid for anyone to know compared to someone else's secret may not seem so bad, but it was to me. And in the end how we feel about something determines its painfulness or the hardness of it. Where it may be hard for one person not to smoke another person will never give it a second thought. We are all different and what may be hard for one person may be easy for another.
My secret was that I was suffering from hair loss. Luckily it was a slow process but it was devastating to me none the less. At first it was barely noticeable that only required a small change in how I wore my hair to conceal it. But gradually it increased and it became harder to hide. I stopped going swimming, which is something I love to do, because it was noticeable when my hair was wet. I panicked when it was windy or rained because it might do something to my hair. Where I hardly used hair products, I became best friends with hair spray so I could style my hair to hide it and then glue it in place so nothing would change. I dreaded haircuts and I didn't let anyone play with my hair anymore, not even my children.
I remember seeing other women who were experiencing hair loss and were not hiding it as I was. I used to wonder how they were able to be so brave while I was so ashamed and embarrassed. The worst part was the depression. I believe the depression was due to the fact that I was letting this secret completely control my life. I wasn't free; I was chained to keeping my secret hidden. I wasn't keeping my secret, my secret was keeping me. It was keeping me from doing the things that I loved and from living life completely. My life was dictated by the limits of my secret.
When I came to realize the power my secret had over me and my life I was dumbfounded. I had never thought a secret could control me the way this had for several years. And when I realized how devastated I would feel if someone found out about my secret I began to see the trouble I was in. I saw that I had to do something about this now or it could very well ruin me and my life. It was then that I decided I would no longer keep a secret. I am a private person and I like my privacy but I would no longer live my life with a secret that I was hiding. I decided to have my privacy but live my life with the belief that if anyone found out anything about me I would be okay. If someone knew something about me I wouldn't be afraid any more. I wouldn't be afraid to talk about it or afraid of anyone else talking about it.
When I decided to do this I was hesitant at first and it was scary. But it was also liberating and freeing. You are never really able to understand the weight upon your shoulders until it is removed and once it is you feel lighter than you ever felt before. In the end I know I made the right decision for me. I now let my children play with my hair again. I have started going swimming again and I love it. Some of my hair has started growing back and some of it hasn't. But come what may I have decided to love it and just enjoy living without the heavy unnecessary burden of a secret. I highly recommend it.
Whatever your secret is, let it go and take back your life. Do not let it keep you anymore.
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