You may not not have yet discovered it, but every human (and a large number of us frogs) has a creative talent. Some of us find our creative calling when we're very young, like me. I knew when I was only a froglet that I wanted to write. Others, discover their creative side when they're older. Many retired persons take up painting or photography, for example. It's never too late to release your inner creative genius. And once you have found what it is that you were meant to do, the outlet for your work will come, as well. If you write, you can publish books, write for your local newspaper, start a blog, or volunteer to write "ad copy" for area nonprofits to help them with their cause or mission. Perhaps your skill is baking. Why not open a bakery, or sell your goodies to coffee shops. You can distribute them to the homeles or shut-in neighbors. Receiving a homemade treat, made with love, would brighten anyone's day, including your loved ones. Still others may have a talent for making things out of paperclips or popsicle sticks. It may sound silly, but it's not. You have a talent and skill that others don't. Teaching young people your skill is a wonderful way to share your talent, too. Why not spend an afternoon painting or gardening with your grandchildren? In addition to spending quality time, you might instill a love of artistic beauty in them. And how rewarding would that be! So whether you think large, or think small, the possibilities are endless. The world is waiting for your creativity to spring forth. There is not another person; past, present or future, that can offer what have to give. You are unique and, therefore, your talents will be unique, too. It doesn't matter if your creativity turns out to be a vocation or simply an advocation, let your light shine brightly. We're all waiting to see it!
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Remember the childhood story of the little engine that could? This morning, that was me. I woke up feeling, and believing, that I could do anything! I was energized from my eyeballs all the way down to my flippers. We've all had days when we seemed invincible. The world seems brighter and the possibilities are endless. Wouldn't it be great if we could bottle that feeling? You know, have it available whenever we need it.
The truth is, we don't need to bottle it at all. That "can-do" feeling is in us all the time. We simply need to unleash it. How to do that? I'm not 100% sure, or I'd feel like that all the time, but I think that believing is the key. Believing that the Universe supports us in all our goals and that It wants us to succeed. What hold us back isn't fate...or the stars not being aligned...it's just the misbelief that we can't. The Universe supports us in all of our goals; It wants us to succeed. We need to believe that whole-heartedly. That belief can't be only a passing thought. No; it must be something that we feel deep down. It must be a core belief. So how does one get that belief from "lip-service" all the way down to our core? I think the way to do that is in tadpole-steps. Every time you do something new, tell yourself, "I can do this" and truly belive that you can. It might be difficult at first but, like any new skill-set, it gets easier the more you practice it. Not only will your belief in yourself grow, but it will move deeper into the core of your very being. I know I am going to try this...and I believe that I will suceed. "I think I can, I think I can..." As youngsters, we're taught never to judge a book by it's cover. Parents will tell their kids, "How do you know if you like it, if you don't try it first?" Yet adults are the first ones to make a snap judgement. Take me for example. This weekend, I relunctantly went to see an exhibit of modern art. I've never liked modern art, so I thought, but a friend begged me to go. I was shocked by the number of paintings I saw that I really liked! All this time, I'd been making blanket assumptions about the whole genre of modern art, based on my very lmited exposure. The same holds true for books. A human friend of mine has a neighbor who's a pretty well-known sci-fi author. She'd never read any of his books because she thought she didn't like sci-fi. The neighbor gave her a copy of his latest book and asked her to read it and write a review. Once she started reading, she couldn't put it down! It was awesome...well done and believable. So why is it that, even after we discover we like something that we previously "hated," we still continue to categorize and "lump" people into groups...those we like and those we don't like. It's just not right! Every group of people...frogs, too I'm afraid...have good apples and bad apples. You wouldn't say you don't like all frogs just because the one in your backyard sings a little too loudly and keeps you up at night...or would you? We shouldn't make sweeping judgements by saying we don't like a specific race, religious group...or even a species. One person doesn't define the whole lot. Everyone...humans and critters alike...deserves our respect; kind of like being innocent until proven guilty. Don't you want to be treated that way? I know I do...
Now that Halloween is over, we move into late fall. With the time change, comes a change in weather, as well. In addition to getting dark earlier, it is getting cooler and the weather can also be wetter. Activities are moved from the sunny, warm outside, to the coziness of indoors. We look for things to do that don't require us to spend quite so much time in the fall chill. Movies, either at the theatre or at home, are a great way to idle away a chilly and wet afternoon. I like going to museums, too. It's both fun and educational. For the art buffs, spending time at an art gallery is a wonderful way to view works of art by new and emerging artists. Many museums have fabulous art collections on loan from other cities and countries, too. But the best way to spend these fall days is, I think, reconnecting with family and friends. What can be better than sitting around a toasty kitchen baking cookies and drinking cider? Don't bake? Not to worry! There are numerous board games to play. You might consider popping popcorn and spending a lazy evening taking turns reading aloud from your favorite books. What about trying out a new type of tea and engaging instimulation conversation on current events...your own type of French salon, if you will. However you plan to spend your weekend, be sure to include some quality time with the people, or frogs, that you love. It will warm your heart...and make you glow. See you on Monday!
I don't like going to the gym. There. I've admitted it. But that doesn't mean I can't still get my exercise. My dear friend, I.M. Compassion, has offered another solution.
He said, "The best exercise for the heart, Irwin, is reaching down and lifting others up." I thought about and decided that, for me, it was definitely the way to go. Helping others strengthens our heart. Well, OK, maybe not medically-speaking, but it does serve to make us happier which, in turn, improves our health. It's a win-win. If you think about it, you can get your physical exercise this way, as well. Mucking out the kennels at the local animal shelter, restocking the shelves at your library, or helping build a house for a deserving family provide lots of hard work, but is far more enjoyable than lifting weights. And it benefits others as much as it does you. It's not a solitary acivity and the camaraderie is awesome...working together to imporove the world. What can be more fun, and uplifting, than that? So the next time you think up getting up off the couch to go to the gym, think about an alternative work-out, like lifting up someone (or something) and helping make the world a nicer place for us all. Your heart will thak you. "You can never go home again." This is a very over-used and worn out saying. It means that once you've left your town, city, or country you can't go back and have things the way you remember them. This is true, perhaps, on one level. Life isn't stagnant. It it constantly evolving and changing. Things will never be quite the same or quite as good as we remember them. The good news is that you never have to leave! No, you don't have to stay in one place your whole life...you can move whenever and where ever you want because home isn't a place, it's you! It's right there inside. You're always home no matter where your life takes you...as long as you remain true to who you are. Whether you use meditation or some other form of mildfulness thinking, you can travel and move about the world and always be at home. It is important to maintain your connections with the ones you love. And it's great that we can find loving connections wherever we go; new friends and new family that can support us on our journey. I love and embrace the saying, "There are no strangers, only friends I haven't met yet." By living these words, and by remaining true to your core beliefs, you can be at home anywhere and on any lily pad. As the Dharma Frog says, "Om is where the heart is." So true, my wise friend.
How do you think about yourself? How would you describe yourself to others? Perhaps you use terms like, father/mother, son/daughter, black/white (or in my case, green), rich/poor...maybe you think in terms of your profession, or the country where you live. Whatever words you use to desscribe yourself, they are only labels. They are not who you are at your inner-most core. Labels only serve to pigeon-hole us. Yes, some of these labels are true, but you should look at how these labels are impacting your life. Do you see these labels as positive or negative? How do they color your perceptions of the world? Do they limit you you are...or were meant to be? Now I could have said, "Irwin, you're a little green frog...and frogs don't write books." But I didn't. I chose, instead, to look past the superficial labels (even though all of them are accurate) and say, "Irwin,you're a little green frog and you can write books if you want to." To really and truly know who you are at the depths of your being, you must look beyond the surface by taking a deep-dive inside. It can be a little scary, I know, but it can be enlightening and freeing, too. So take those tired, worn-out, useless labels and throw them out the window. Starting today, look for new ways to see yourself; ways that are not limiting and that will support the beauty of who you are and were meant to be.
Even though there are still two months to go before the new year, I don't think it's ever too early to start reviewing our accomplishments...and our mistakes...over the past few months. Taking stock is a popular term for this action and one that many companies, as well as inividuals, commonly use. But instead of taking stock of actions, and their results, perhaps we should take stock of our thoughts. What are we thinking, both positive and negative, and how are those thoughts impacting our daily lives? I, for one, would like to see the word "can't" removed from all language. It's just so negative. It's better to say, "I will try and see what happens" with no emphasis on the outcome. If it's good, we've done something positive. If it's not good, it's still positive because we've learned what not to do..what doesn't work for us. To me, that's a win-win situation. If we tell ourselves we can't do it, we're taking a defeatist attitude before we even begin! Thinking positivelty about something increases the chances of a positive outcome; thinking negatively produces a negative outcome. Like attracts like. So why do that to yourself? Why set yourself up for failure before you even begin? We encourage our children to try new things, yet we often don't encourage ourselves in the same loving way. We've all heard the saying, "change your thoughts and change your life." This is a law of nature and something we must practice at all times. How often have you said, I'll believe it when it see it"? How about changing it around to "I'll see it when I belive it"? It's so much more positive and reminds us that we can live a more fruitful and positive life by thinking and acting in ways that support us, not ones that will only serve to drag us down.
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AuthorLand of Lily Pad's first published author. I enjoy writing fun and educational books for kids. My blog is for you parents; the kiddos might like some of them, too. As always, everything I write is family-friendly, so don't hesitate to share my messages with everyone. I hope you find them helpful and maybe even inspirational. Cheers! Archives
November 2019
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