You and I have both perfected this virtue; however, I know that I have not yet mastered PATIENCE. Man oh man, this is a hard one but I know that mastery is around the corner. I can smell it and know that it’s just about here. I only wish it would hurry up and settle in so I can be assured that it will always be by my side when I need it most.
The proof of perfecting patience, for most of us, came from our childhood. Think back to when we were children on Christmas day. We drove our parent’s crazy asking them how many more days until we could open our presents. Some of us even negotiated with them saying if we opened ‘just one’ we would quit pestering them (ya…right!!). Christmas Eve was the worst because we simply could not contain our excitement. It was almost impossible to fall asleep because our imaginations were running wild anticipating what gifts would be coming our way. Fast forward to today and I think it’s safe to assume that we have taught ourselves how to be patient on Christmas Day. We can now actually hold off opening our gifts until late morning or early afternoon. Wow! Who would have guessed?
Patience is like a huge muscle in our body. We have to exercise and practice with it daily. If we don’t, it won’t be strong enough to serve us when we need it the most like when we are reaching under the tree for the gifts that we want most out of life.
Every once in a while something will grab my attention that makes me want to jump up and say, “Right on!” My friend, Paula posted something on Facebook that did just that.
Meet Boomer model, Cindy Joseph who started her modelling career at….get this…59! She is beautiful, confident and secure about who she is and what she wants out of life. Honestly, this story is so refreshing and uplifting I could not help being inspired and felt the need to write about it.
Not everyone has been blessed with Cindy’s genes to become a model but so what. What’s stopping any of us from doing whatever it is that makes us happy NOW? Fear, laziness, doubt or people telling us that our dreams are ridiculous?
I am loving and rejoicing where I am in life right now. You could not pay me enough to go back to my 20’s or even to my 30’s. Why would I want to go back to a time where I struggled with insecurity, doubts, fears, jealousy and envy? Do I have any interest in climbing the corporate ladder? Not really. I am enjoying calling the shots and having the creative freedom to do what my heart is telling me to do.
Do I have it all? Not yet, but I know this. I am definitely on my way.
Perhaps it’s an evolution thing, a growing thing, a living thing or the dreaded aging thing. I don’t know what it is but I just have to get it out. We were told so many wrong things when we were children no wonder why we spend most of our adult life trying to re-wire our brains.
Think about some of these things we were told when we were younger:
Never talk to strangers. Okay, that is a good one but it should have been told to us like this. Never talk to strangers until you are older, a better judge of character or you can easily defend yourself. Look, our best friends were strangers to us at one time, were they not? Let’s not forget about the explosion and popularity of social media. Billions of strangers are talking to each other every single day…and some of those strangers are becoming life-long friends.
If you tell me the truth you won’t get in trouble. Well, I think we all fell for that one. I’m only speaking for myself, but this one taught me how to become a pretty good liar very early in life. This one was a big one to re-learn. Truth. How much truth do we share with the ones we love? I will tell you how much. 100%. I would rather be disliked for always telling the truth than to be liked or even worse, loved for telling someone lies just to make them feel good.
Stop day dreaming! This came from our parents and even worse, our teachers. Do you believe it? This one is SO wrong. The majority of dreaming SHOULD BE done during the day. I mean really, do you remember all of your dreams when you wake up? I don’t and quite frankly, the ones I do remember are all messed up anyway. As adults, we should be taking some daily dream time to imagine and envision what possibilities are out there that we perhaps need to explore. Yes, day dreaming is highly recommended for everyone.
When I made the decision a few weeks ago to go back to school I was giddy like a little school girl (pardon the pun). Tomorrow is the first day of college and now I am a bit nervous. Why? Well, I just did the math and I have not been in a classroom setting for 27 years. Is it the number of years away from school that has me feeling timid or is it the fear of the unknown?
I think it may be a bit of both but there is something underlining that calms me down and assures me that my decision was a good one. I have FINALLY figured out what I want to do with the remainder of my working years. My commitment in wanting to guide others to live the life of their dreams is undeniably my life’s passion. So, it took almost 50 years for me to figure it out but who cares. The point here is that it is never too late to evaluate where you are at in your life and decide that it is perfectly okay to go in another direction. Reinventing ourselves is within our personal right to do so.
They say that the 40′s are the new 30′s; so I’m guessing that the 50′s are the new and improved 40′s. All I know and I am strictly talking from my own personal experience is that I would never go back to any other age than where I am at today. If I am the oldest person in class, then so be it because I know I have every right to chose where and what I want from life. I would almost venture to guess that this 50 year-old will be passing with flying colours. Why? Because I am telling myself I will, and that too, is within my rights.
Imagine that your life is a painting that hangs on your wall. When you cast your eyes on that piece of artwork does it fill your heart with joy or do you feel that something is missing from its canvas? If the painting is incomplete, when will you decide that it is okay to remove it from the wall to rest upon your easel and with your paintbrush, add the colours you feel will enhance your work of art?
It all comes down to choice. There is nothing wrong with letting the image remain as it is. It’s still a beautiful piece of artwork that you can admire. If you are happy with what you see, that is all that matters in the end. Maybe your illustration only requires a few paint strokes to add to its already existing beauty. On the other hand, you may want to create a brand new work of genius. The point that I am trying to make is that just because your painting hangs on a wall does not mean that it is necessarily a finished piece of art. There should be no guilt associated with wanting to see a more colourful picture that represents your life. The paintbrush is in your hand. You are the artist and in complete control of the masterpiece you wish to create.
There is a funny line that we always say when either meeting someone or being presented with a wonderful experience and we simply cannot find the words to describe our good fortune: ‘Talk about being at the right place at the right time’. I have finally come to understand that we are ALWAYS in the right place at the right time and Sunday was a perfect example of this divine timing. The first magical moment was when a past Angel innocently walked into City Looks Salon & Spa just to see what all the excitement was about. This local business was having a community fundraising event and I was their special invited guest. This little girl innocently walked in and, for some reason, came directly to me. The moment our faces met, I knew my Angel did not walk into this venue by accident.
To give you some background about my special friend, I need to take you back in time. I dedicated a blog to this little girl 14 months ago. I didn’t get her name the first time she graced me with her presence, so I simply named her Angel, because that is who and what she is. You might be wondering why I was excited to see her standing in front of me this past Sunday. Well, when we first met she told me without any hesitation that she was dying of a rare brain disease. Doctors could not say for certain how much longer she would live. Was I shocked to still see her very much alive? Absolutely not! Angel’s positive outlook and love for life is what is keeping her from leaving us. I had the opportunity to talk with Angel’s grandmother, Saddie, who told me that time was definitely not on their side. But something tells me that Angel will continue to surprise everyone around her. I am forever grateful that our paths crossed again so that I could let her know how much she inspired me and how I thought she could definitely teach so many people the key to living a happy and loving life no matter what cards you have been dealt. Of course, there was one more reason I was happy to see my little friend again. I could finally ask her what her actual given name was. I would like to keep her real name to myself and just have you always remember this little, inspirational dynamo as Angel.
Still on an emotional high from seeing my precious tiny friend, I was not expecting any further magical meetings to occur. But here is a great example of what you can attract when your heart is full of gratitude and you are willing and open to receive the gift of connection. I have been asking the universe for ideas or ways that I could give back in a unique and tasteful manner that will contribute to improving self-esteem and confidence that so many are searching for. Well, ask and you shall receive. It is too early to go into any great details about who I met, but let’s just say that I am thankful that the universe continues to do the job that it always does for each one of us. The universe delivers exactly what we truly asking for. This delivery just happened to be a very exciting opportunity that may allow me to serve many people in ways that I never imagined.
I have been hovering in no-man’s land for the past few weeks. You know that place I am talking about. You are not down and you are not up. You are simply somewhere in the middle. But for someone who lives a good portion of their daily life in a constant high; that middle ground can be unsettling. I have been questioning and wondering what this ‘in-between’ time means, not just for me, but for all us.
I would venture to guess we all know what is causing us to experience the highs and lows in our everyday life. There usually is some kind of activity going on to bring about those feelings. But when we find ourselves in this bumpy territory it usually means that nothing significant is happening. It’s quiet. It’s hushed. It’s silent. I believe it is this silence that makes us uncomfortable. We have conditioned ourselves to have a lot of activity going on in our lives and when it gets quiet, we think that something is wrong or even worse, is it the calm before the storm? I have finally figured out that there is nothing to fear when we find ourselves standing in this middle terrain.
This quiet and intimate time allows us the opportunity to reconnect and listen to nothing but the sound of our mind. It is a time for us to reflect and think about where we are going and what we are going to do next. It is a time to explore other possibilities for our life. If we free our minds from all the noise and simply listen to the silence, we may ignite the spark that lies within our hearts to be what we were truly meant to be in this life…our best self.
I look forward to posting daily motivational messages on my Facebook fan page. I will confess that I am not only doing this to motivate others, but I am posting these to keep myself motivated as well. I posted this quote from Margaret Mitchell: ‘Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect’. I love this quote because when I think of all the treasures I have received over the past decade my greatest joys have usually come from the unexpected.
Do expectations lead to disappointments? Are we being too hard on ourselves when we achieve something smaller when we initially set out to accomplish something bigger? I am asking you this because I learned a very valuable lesson the other night about setting high expectations. You would think that I would know better because I just stated that the best gifts most often come when we least expect them. Posting this quote was no accident. If anything, Ms. Mitchell’s words saved and protected me from a major disappointment.
If there is something that I know for sure it is this. Trying to estimate book sales from events (big or small), being interviewed on radio, social media and website exposure is absolutely pointless. There are so many outside influences that can drive people to or away from what you are trying to accomplish. A few nights ago I appeared at a fabulous fundraising event with the mindset that by the end of this lavish function, I would be writing a cheque to the founder of this charity for at least $1000.00. When the doors opened and the invited guests started to fill the ballroom, Margare’s quote played over and over in my head. I knew within 30 minutes of the event starting to get into full swing, if I did not re-examine my expectations I would feel like a failure by night’s end.
BINGO! I had an ‘aha’ moment right there in front of a room full of guests wanting to see and check out the BIG ticket items that were up for auction. Even though I sat with my beautiful display of my award-winning and best-selling book for all to see (and they did)…I knew that I was a very small fish in a very big pond. My inner dialogue changed gears quickly and for the remainder of the night I stopped expecting big and settled for welcoming in the small.
Was I able to donate money to this very worthy cause? Absolutely! Even though it was for a much smaller amount than what I originally expected to donate, I was proud to hand over a contribution in any amount. But what I am most proud of and will always remember from this experience is this. Be realistic with the expectations we place on our goals. When you are walking into the unknown, expect nothing and then relish in the joy when the unexpected happens.
Over the last few weeks I have been planning out my work schedule. For some reason when filling my calendar with appointments, subconsciously, I am leaving April 29th open. Why is that I wonder? Oh, I know. I am going to a wedding and not just any wedding. William and Kate’s nuptials have been coined as ‘the wedding of the century’.
Wow! Talk about pressure. Not only for the couple (and their poor wedding planner) but I’m feeling a little stressed out too. Here’s my dilemma. I’m not sure if I should set my alarm clock for 4:30 am to watch this event live or should I simply stay in bed to get a good nigh’s sleep? Oh, who am I kidding? With all the media hype, this wedding will be aired on every channel and pictures will be plastered on magazine covers for months. Problem solved. I will wake up at my usual time, jump out bed and dash to the living room to turn on the TV. I hope it will be shown in HD so that I really feel as though I am right there with them.
Millions of people are so intrigued and willing to support the Crown especially when major events as weddings, births, and sadly, deaths occur. There are many who feel the monarchy should not even exist in this day and age. But throw a wedding together and watch how quickly people become fans of the Royal Family? Let’s put the whole fairytale story aside for one moment and think about what this epic day will bring financially to the U.K. Some economic forecasters have projected that this wedding will bring about $1.6 billion into the economy through hospitality, lodging, and retail sales. I am sorry to raise this point and take away from the romance of it all, but after a year in which the GDP in Britain sunk by 5%, the timing of this event could not be any better.
Let’s resume and get back to the fairytale at hand. With all the pomp and circumstance surrounding William and Kate’s special day, I wonder how they are truly holding up. Can you imagine the pressure these two are feeling right at this moment? For Kate, the decision on her dress is one thing but knowing everyone is expecting her to fill the shoes of her late mother-in-law to become the 21st century’s People’s Princess is another. And then, there is William. Battling his shyness, horrific memories of his mother’s untimely death and publicized hatred for the media, how will he protect his and our future Queen from the same terrible fate? The stress that these two individuals are facing is unimaginable. But like with all good fairy tales our hope is that this real-life Prince and Princess will end up living happily ever after.
I was proven once again, this past weekend, that music is the tie that binds us all. I innocently posted a favorite song to convey how I was feeling for all my friends and fans on facebook. I was not expecting to get such an outpouring of emotions and sentiments about a song made popular by Glen Campbell from 1967. The song posted, that may perhaps stir pleasant memories for you as well, was Gentle on My Mind.
What is it about music that connects a person who lives in Canada, the USA, Japan or Australia? Is it the words, tempo, a particular instrument or is it something much deeper that pulls us in? Music has been credited to enhance intelligence, mental health and improve the immune system. It can reduce stress in patients with heart disease and continues to have a positive impact in the lives of children with autism. What is beautiful about this powerful form of artistry is that it does not matter if the genre is country, rock & roll, pop, light jazz or classical. All I know (and many research studies verify this) is that music appeals to both our conscious and sub-conscious minds.
Music allows us to talk openly and honestly about our emotions. A melody can stir up feelings of love, happiness and joy but it can also remind us of days of regret, sorrow and pain. A song has the ability to transport us back in time. We can remember with a clear vision what we were doing, who we were with and what happened to us at that particular time in our lives. Music in many ways is the fabric of our lives and defines the state of the world around us. It reminds us of how things once were, indicates how things are and gives us a view of where the world is heading. Music entices the listener to imagine and create whatever they want to when listening to their favorite tune. When you hear a song that makes you stop whatever it is that you are doing it can provide you with an escape from reality for just a few minutes. But, the biggest benefit that music provides to each and every one of us is that it makes us feel ALIVE!
The proof of perfecting patience, for most of us, came from our childhood. Think back to when we were children on Christmas day. We drove our parent’s crazy asking them how many more days until we could open our presents. Some of us even negotiated with them saying if we opened ‘just one’ we would quit pestering them (ya…right!!). Christmas Eve was the worst because we simply could not contain our excitement. It was almost impossible to fall asleep because our imaginations were running wild anticipating what gifts would be coming our way. Fast forward to today and I think it’s safe to assume that we have taught ourselves how to be patient on Christmas Day. We can now actually hold off opening our gifts until late morning or early afternoon. Wow! Who would have guessed?
