As a survivor of many different hurdles placed in my path I have noticed a few attributes that all survivors seem to have in common.
1. I believe we all have Faith, faith in God or some higher power. We have an inner knowing that we are being watched over. We know that whatever adversity we face, we do not face it alone.
2. We all have Hope. Hope that is a combination of assurance that everything will be fine coupled with the reality of what is and the knowledge to know what to focus on. What we focus on grows.
3. Love, love of family and friends, love of life. These are the love "potions" that give us reason to survive.
4. Changeability, helps us to let go of what was and create new strategies for our new reality. We know that when everything changes, we need to change everything.
5. Resilience and Flow, we bend just like a tree in the wind and flow like the mountain river moving through the rocks. We have a "never give up" attitude.
6. Heart and Compassion, heart lets us handle the pain and keep moving forward. We always get back up one more time than we fall down. In the face of any adversity we reach out to those in need with the knowledge that in helping others we help ourselves.
You may be reading this and wondering how do these things apply to your life if you have never had cancer or dealt with a hand such as mine. Think about life and what you face on a daily basis and ask yourself, how many times have I needed to apply these attributes to an everyday situation. Although you may not have ever dealt with cancer or any of the things I have mentioned that I have been through, I am sure that you have found yourself a "survivor" on more than one occasion in life. Inspiration and solutions are everywhere, just listen and look and they will be revealed to you.
I would like to invite all of you to go to the resources page and find the Cancer Solution Center, I am honored to be able to call the leader of this team my friend. They have teamed up with 7-time Olympic Medalist, Shannon Miller and are offering a free book by Shannon on her journey with cancer. For all of you who are reading this that are undergoing cancer treatment, know someone who is, or have finished treatment they have an amazing line well worth looking into. If you have read "Anti-Cancer" you will most certainly want to take a look at PhytoFusion. This is a product I would recommend even for those who just want to give their health a boost with some phytotherapy in a great tasting drink. I do hope that all of you check out Shannon's free book!
Enjoy life, you are amazing!
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Showing posts with label change. Show all posts
Showing posts with label change. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
The importance of One!
All change begins with one, and that one is you, that one is me. If we each resolved to make a shift in our thinking, in the way we do things, and in our daily intentions, we would have a collective of intercultural cooperation.
I will give you examples of those shifts from my own life. Have you ever heard this when you were a child, "You need to eat everything on your plate, we don't waste food, there are children starving in other countries."? At the time we all thought, but gee I don't like it and more importantly we couldn't identify with those starving children. Even better, we would have gladly given them that food. Now we are adults and we know all too well the reality of children who are starving in other countries. The first step to ending world hunger; be more mindful in your own home and at your dinner table. As I learned the power of the message I was given as a child, I realized how important it was to only take what I could eat and even more importanatly to share the bounty with others. When is the last time you made food to share?
Another great shift in my life came as a survivor of multiple types of physical and emotional abuse and being able to not only survive those realities but also come out a stronger woman. I first had to bring peace into my heart. There came a point in my life when I no longer let the fear and self doubt control my life and what I knew I needed to do. I learned to love myself so I could live. I came to accept that those things happened to me, however, they did not define me. I believe that if we want to see an end to domestic violence, child abuse and to see world peace we must first shift our hearts and homes to a peaceful mindset.
I wear many different coats in the physical realm. I am a mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, aunt. I am a survivor of domestic violence, rape, molestation, and several serious health issues. The list goes on, yet who I really am is simply Spirit. All those other things are nothing more than roles I play on the stage of life and this is no dress rehearsal. There are no second chances. So my question to you is how will you make a shift?
I would be ill serving if I did not say to those of you reading this who may be struggling, it can and will get better when you intend it to. If you need to talk it through, I encourage you to use the Say Hello page and send me a note. I am here to inspire.
I will give you examples of those shifts from my own life. Have you ever heard this when you were a child, "You need to eat everything on your plate, we don't waste food, there are children starving in other countries."? At the time we all thought, but gee I don't like it and more importantly we couldn't identify with those starving children. Even better, we would have gladly given them that food. Now we are adults and we know all too well the reality of children who are starving in other countries. The first step to ending world hunger; be more mindful in your own home and at your dinner table. As I learned the power of the message I was given as a child, I realized how important it was to only take what I could eat and even more importanatly to share the bounty with others. When is the last time you made food to share?
Another great shift in my life came as a survivor of multiple types of physical and emotional abuse and being able to not only survive those realities but also come out a stronger woman. I first had to bring peace into my heart. There came a point in my life when I no longer let the fear and self doubt control my life and what I knew I needed to do. I learned to love myself so I could live. I came to accept that those things happened to me, however, they did not define me. I believe that if we want to see an end to domestic violence, child abuse and to see world peace we must first shift our hearts and homes to a peaceful mindset.
I wear many different coats in the physical realm. I am a mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, aunt. I am a survivor of domestic violence, rape, molestation, and several serious health issues. The list goes on, yet who I really am is simply Spirit. All those other things are nothing more than roles I play on the stage of life and this is no dress rehearsal. There are no second chances. So my question to you is how will you make a shift?
I would be ill serving if I did not say to those of you reading this who may be struggling, it can and will get better when you intend it to. If you need to talk it through, I encourage you to use the Say Hello page and send me a note. I am here to inspire.
Monday, August 8, 2011
How is being a survivor just like riding a bike?
This post is for all of you who have asked how did I get through the life experiences I have had and come out with a positive outlook. It is also for those of you who are struggling to find answers.
I would first have to attribute some of my ability to staying positive through adversity to a gift. At a very young age I discovered that I was able to separate who I am from my physical being, with the knowledge that what is happening to my person is not happening to me. This I truly believe is a gift from God.
I also know that some of the credit goes to watching my father. Having 8 children and many unexpected hurdles, to this day he just has faith and does whatever it takes to get through.
My life isn't just about surviving, anyone can do that, all you need is a pulse. My life is about living and not giving my life's energy to the negative things or negative people that come along. It is about awareness and about being here now. Does that mean I am never hurt, disappointed or have a bad day, absolutely not. I am just as human as the next person. What it does mean is that I don't live in those hurts, disappointments or bad days, I live through them to get to the other side and back out into the sunshine.
What can you do, well here are a few things to look at. What kind of energy are you surrounding yourself with? Studies have shown that we tend to become like the people we choose to spend our time with. Is it time for new friends, more positive friends?
What are you feeding your brain? What books are you reading or are you reading at all? Are you spending mindless hours in front of the tv? Are you learning new things? Here is a fun exercise for your brain; for one day do everything you would normally do but with your non-dominate hand, brush your teeth, comb your hair, do the dishes.
How are you caring for your body? Are you eating healthy? Are you moving each day? How about annual exams? Are you taking time for yourself?
Maybe you look at your life and all you see is stress. Determine is it dis-stress or eustress, is it bad or good. A bad stress would be a constant fearfulness, a good stress would be the excitement you feel when you walk into a gathering of friends and family who have surprised you for your birthday. If you are unsure how to deal with dis-stress contact me for suggestions.
Now you have a place to start, a new way of looking at the hurdles life throws in your path. No excuses.
I recall when I was about 7 or 8 years old my father was teaching me how to ride bike. He held onto the seat and I started pedaling. Of course, as any child would, I thought he would protect me from falling. I was so wrong, he let go and I landed in a rose bush. I was crying and scratched from the thorns. My father reached out his hand, helped me out of the bush, and said get back on the bike. At the time I had no idea that would be such a life lesson for me. When life throws you into the rose bush and leaves you wounded, get up, and get back on. The freedom I felt when I got back on and learned to ride is the same freedom I have every time I get back in to the game of life.
Being a survivor for me is much like riding a bike. The pedals on my bike are a reminder that I am the source of the power. God helps those who helps themselves. If I don't pedal, I go nowhere. The gears allow adjustments for the climb and help me to accept that change is a positive thing in life and it is there to help with the climb. The handlebars are clearly for direction and the knowledge that I can choose the direction my life goes. And last but not least, my helmet, my protection. This represents so many things. Friends, family, an organization that supports me in my time of need, and so much more. Most of all it represents the love I give myself everyday and in turn the love I have to share with others.
Share your love everyday, you will always get more than you give.
I would first have to attribute some of my ability to staying positive through adversity to a gift. At a very young age I discovered that I was able to separate who I am from my physical being, with the knowledge that what is happening to my person is not happening to me. This I truly believe is a gift from God.
I also know that some of the credit goes to watching my father. Having 8 children and many unexpected hurdles, to this day he just has faith and does whatever it takes to get through.
My life isn't just about surviving, anyone can do that, all you need is a pulse. My life is about living and not giving my life's energy to the negative things or negative people that come along. It is about awareness and about being here now. Does that mean I am never hurt, disappointed or have a bad day, absolutely not. I am just as human as the next person. What it does mean is that I don't live in those hurts, disappointments or bad days, I live through them to get to the other side and back out into the sunshine.
What can you do, well here are a few things to look at. What kind of energy are you surrounding yourself with? Studies have shown that we tend to become like the people we choose to spend our time with. Is it time for new friends, more positive friends?
What are you feeding your brain? What books are you reading or are you reading at all? Are you spending mindless hours in front of the tv? Are you learning new things? Here is a fun exercise for your brain; for one day do everything you would normally do but with your non-dominate hand, brush your teeth, comb your hair, do the dishes.
How are you caring for your body? Are you eating healthy? Are you moving each day? How about annual exams? Are you taking time for yourself?
Maybe you look at your life and all you see is stress. Determine is it dis-stress or eustress, is it bad or good. A bad stress would be a constant fearfulness, a good stress would be the excitement you feel when you walk into a gathering of friends and family who have surprised you for your birthday. If you are unsure how to deal with dis-stress contact me for suggestions.
Now you have a place to start, a new way of looking at the hurdles life throws in your path. No excuses.
I recall when I was about 7 or 8 years old my father was teaching me how to ride bike. He held onto the seat and I started pedaling. Of course, as any child would, I thought he would protect me from falling. I was so wrong, he let go and I landed in a rose bush. I was crying and scratched from the thorns. My father reached out his hand, helped me out of the bush, and said get back on the bike. At the time I had no idea that would be such a life lesson for me. When life throws you into the rose bush and leaves you wounded, get up, and get back on. The freedom I felt when I got back on and learned to ride is the same freedom I have every time I get back in to the game of life.
Being a survivor for me is much like riding a bike. The pedals on my bike are a reminder that I am the source of the power. God helps those who helps themselves. If I don't pedal, I go nowhere. The gears allow adjustments for the climb and help me to accept that change is a positive thing in life and it is there to help with the climb. The handlebars are clearly for direction and the knowledge that I can choose the direction my life goes. And last but not least, my helmet, my protection. This represents so many things. Friends, family, an organization that supports me in my time of need, and so much more. Most of all it represents the love I give myself everyday and in turn the love I have to share with others.
Share your love everyday, you will always get more than you give.
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