Personal Development Archives - Page 3 of 6

Beyond Perfect

March 29, 2012 No Comments

One Small Note . . . Beyond Perfect In our culture, we are so programmed to look for and expect perfection. Before we buy something we make sure it has not even a tiny scratch, and if it does have a flaw, we expect to pay far less for it. Imperfection, after all, decreases its value. Younger and younger children are encouraged and expected to excel in a sport in order to be in line for success. More and more students are taking the SAT exams several times to get a score as close to perfect as possible in order

Fear is Like a Fox

March 24, 2012 No Comments

No matter who we are as parents, teachers, care-givers, or, as I often say, shepherds of our children and youth . . . there are “those” moments when we “lose it.” When this happens it is usually the fear factor that sneaks up on us like a fox. Our primitive brain is programmed for survival and when we “lose it” it is because something (even if just a thought) ignited that old fear factor. At such moments, fear floods our brain and we become negative, unreasonable, and reactive or we withdraw, pout, and brood. Whichever style we tend to lean toward,

Sip It & Zip It : Savor Each Moment

March 14, 2012 4 Comments

This morning’s blog idea comes out of my kitchen cupboard. . . I have many mugs, in fact more than I would care to count. But I have a personal favorite that “says it all.” It is a small white porcelain mug that is so well used that its glaze is slightly cracked on the inside, only adding to its personal value. This mug also has a little lid with a tiny honey bee on it and the lid can serve to keep the tea hot or as a coaster to put under it to protect the furniture. It

Rice, Money, and Honey . . .

March 7, 2012 No Comments

Wednesday’s Wisdom What do rice, money, and honey have in common? I wanted to share some wisdom for a midweek pick-me-upper. And as I thought about it, my mind took interesting twists and turns, much like following a trail in the woods, knowing it was all enriching but not sure where it would lead to. My mind went back to that day in November when on our mini-retreat we did an exercise in which three people were asked to fill their fists with coins from a bucket. With full fists they were then invited to receive a nicely wrapped gift. You

Back to Parenting 101 . . .

February 29, 2012 No Comments

Have you ever experienced amnesia? You only have amnesia if you know something and forget it. And it feels worse when you really, really know something and you forget it . . . like last weekend when I experienced a case of parenting or relationship-building amnesia. And I believe that parenting is first and foremost about building great relationships and modeling them for our children. Because it offered me an opportunity for personal growth and reminded me of how basic skills really are in building quality relationships, I am going to be painfully transparent in this article.

Horton, the Elephant, Models Faithfulness

February 15, 2012 No Comments

I think I have a cure for anyone who harshly judges teachers and “kids these days.” The cure is inexpensive and refreshing. And in your local schools. At least it works for me. Every time I go to a performance at a school, from kindergarten programs to senior plays, I come away with a renewed respect for kids and their teachers. Unfortunately, I usually only get around to going when a child I know is in the performance. That is too bad because they are public and they are most often amazing. Last weekend included. My husband and I went

I Ate a Sub, Now I Feel Like One!

January 28, 2012 No Comments

Last night I ignored my Inner Voice of Wisdom and threw caution and good sense to the wind. The very opposite of the message in my last two blogs! I went down a path of self-indulgence, and paid for it by awaking in the night. Here is the story. They say “we are what we eat.” They also say, “we are what we think.” Hmm. At two o’clock I woke up so hungry I thought it was time to get up and have breakfast. This almost always happens to me when I over eat the night before, but I had conveniently

Love, Live, & Let Go! Part 2

January 27, 2012 No Comments

While these words are very familiar, they mean different things to each of us. They are subjective perspectives as well and typically rather unscientific. Heaven knows, there are books, poems, and songs galore written on the topic of love alone. So, I will be using these terms only in the context of what they mean for my own 2012 focus. With heavily used words that most people have assumptions about, I have sometimes found that saying what they do not mean is easier than what they do mean! I will do both here. LOVE: (Plugged in to our Power Source)

Love, Live, & Let Go in 2012!

January 15, 2012 No Comments

While I deny making those proverbial New Year’s resolutions, heavens knows I have tried and tried to set goals. Although I am the better for it in some ways, my failure to follow through successfully has often derailed my sense of emotional well being. I am tired of setting goals and failing at them. But I both need and want to change several things about myself. I ask myself, “What will that take?” Can you relate to this cycle of promise-to-self followed by defeat? What actually motivates me to change? What motivates you?

On Top of the World

November 28, 2011 No Comments

Have you noticed that children feel things deeply and often follow the impulse to express those feelings? Do you remember when you were young and bursting with life? Did a parent or teacher or minister ever say something to squelch your fervor? Today’s article is another personal story. The picture below captures the essence of the entire story that took place when I was seven and a half .. . and on a day when it felt to me like the “sky was the limit.” Last month I wrote about Halloween right after my seventh birthday. This month’s story

The Shared Journey

Category: Personal Development