The Missing Camera
Camping trips to the Kerrville Folk Festival often included a trip to the nearby Medina River. Middle-aged Flower Children congregated there to enjoy the refreshing clear water and surrounding beauty of the Texas Hill Country. We always brought snacks, towels, water and because I love to document the fun I am having in my life with pictures, I always took my camera. My boys and friends and I had spent a great afternoon at the river and returned to the campsite at the Kerrville Folk Festival grounds. As I unpacked from the trip to the river, I realized that my camera was missing. I realized that I must have left it on the banks of the river.
One of my friends who had been raised in a rough environment immediately went to the negative and affirmed, “Your camera has been stolen. You will never get it back.” I chose not to believe that.
The next day, we went back to the river and the camera was nowhere to be found. While I didn’t have an attachment to the camera, the pictures in the camera were priceless to me. I persevered. I went to the lost and found at the Kerrville Folk Festival campgrounds. The attendant said that no camera had been turned in.
For the next 2 days, I kept seeing myself joyously holding my camera, and saw myself being elated that my pictures were safe and sound. I made another trip to the lost and found. No camera.
On the last day of the trip, the van was loaded and we were driving off the Folk Festival campgrounds. I asked my friend to stop. I was going to go to the lost and found one last time.
I went into the little building where the lost and found was located. I inquired about a camera being turned in. Nancy Lee, the owner of the ranch said that no camera had been turned in. Determined, I described the case that the camera was in. Nancy Lee’s eyes lit up and she exclaimed, “Oh we have it here! It was here the first day you came. I just didn’t know that there was a camera inside the case!”
I proudly walked back to the van. My negative friend could hardly believe what he saw. The camera had not been stolen. It had lovingly been turned into the lost and found. My determination and belief that the camera’s return was possible created my idea to describe in detail what the camera case looked like. What a wonderful success! I was glad that my sons got to witness the successful results of my believing and my determination!
We are all in a tug of war between the good, the positive, the Truth, a good life and the old teachings, the old way of life of limitation and struggle.
“A little believing goes a long way!” Michael Phelps, Olympic gold medal winner.
May determination spark you to have all that you desire in your life!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
We all have a vision for the life we would like to live. Sometimes our vision grows dim and we fall short of our dream. How does this occur?
1. We allow ourselves to become sidetracked.
2. We talk ourselves out of having what we want.
3. We allow others to talk us our of our vision.
4. Old programming sabotages our steps to success.
The following was written by a man who, to numb the pain of inactivity in a POW camp during WW11, wrote a book on toilet tissue.
Commitment
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one that would never have otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would come his way.
I have learned a deep respect for one of Geothe's couplets:
Whatever you can do, or dream you can,
begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."
W.H. Murray
I have been working on a book for almost 4 years. When I complain that Microsoft Word isn't working properly, I remember Margaret Mitchell who wrote Gone with the Wind while she was in bed because of a broken ankle. Mitchell certainly didn't have the luxury of a computer!
About becoming distracted: I was typing away on this concept about not becoming distracted when an IM from a dear friend popped up. I put the writing aside for a moment to connect with her. Then another friend saw me on line and sent me a hug on Facebook. When I clicked over to receive the hug (now that could have surely waited!) I lost everything I had written. That is how easily we can get distracted, and how doing so causes us to lose momentum!
Suggestion:
Take 5 minutes. Have pen and paper handy. Write a few sentences or key words to describe your life vision. Close your eyes, and listen. Write down any impressions you receive about action steps you can take to reach your prize.
Walt Monk, delightfully successful entrepreneur wisely stated, “Your success in life is in direct relation to your ability to keep commitments.”
Keep your outer as well as your inner eyes on the prize!
1. We allow ourselves to become sidetracked.
2. We talk ourselves out of having what we want.
3. We allow others to talk us our of our vision.
4. Old programming sabotages our steps to success.
The following was written by a man who, to numb the pain of inactivity in a POW camp during WW11, wrote a book on toilet tissue.
Commitment
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one that would never have otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would come his way.
I have learned a deep respect for one of Geothe's couplets:
Whatever you can do, or dream you can,
begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."
W.H. Murray
I have been working on a book for almost 4 years. When I complain that Microsoft Word isn't working properly, I remember Margaret Mitchell who wrote Gone with the Wind while she was in bed because of a broken ankle. Mitchell certainly didn't have the luxury of a computer!
About becoming distracted: I was typing away on this concept about not becoming distracted when an IM from a dear friend popped up. I put the writing aside for a moment to connect with her. Then another friend saw me on line and sent me a hug on Facebook. When I clicked over to receive the hug (now that could have surely waited!) I lost everything I had written. That is how easily we can get distracted, and how doing so causes us to lose momentum!
Suggestion:
Take 5 minutes. Have pen and paper handy. Write a few sentences or key words to describe your life vision. Close your eyes, and listen. Write down any impressions you receive about action steps you can take to reach your prize.
Walt Monk, delightfully successful entrepreneur wisely stated, “Your success in life is in direct relation to your ability to keep commitments.”
Keep your outer as well as your inner eyes on the prize!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Persevere
"The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change, the realist adjusts the sails." ~ William Arthur Ward
There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.
The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in
summer, and the youngest son in the fall.
When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.
The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.
The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.
The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.
The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.
The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.
He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.
If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.
Moral:
Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.
Don't judge life by one difficult season.
Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come sometime or later.
There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.
The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in
summer, and the youngest son in the fall.
When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.
The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.
The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.
The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.
The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.
The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.
He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.
If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.
Moral:
Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.
Don't judge life by one difficult season.
Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come sometime or later.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
All is Well in My World
Have you ever been afraid? It is amazing how our emotions can wreck havoc with us and how we can let fear distort our clarity about reality.
Super Storm 2011 had begun on Tuesday, February 1st. Our world here in the Metroplex was covered by sleet and snow. It was bitterly cold. The next morning I was in a very deep sleep at 6:27 a.m. when I was jolted into being awake by the smoke alarm-like sound blaring loudly from the carbon monoxide detector. I knew what that sound meant; power had gone out. My first reaction was fear. I panicked. No power? It is 12 degrees out there and I have no power? My thoughts first raced to my greenhouse with my beloved plants, some of which I have had for over 40 years. I was running 2 electric heaters out there along with a propane heater. Power outage meant I had to rely only on the propane heater, which I knew would not be enough to keep the greenhouse above freezing, and we had DAYS of well below freezing weather coming.
Next I thought of keeping myself warm. Every hotel from Granbury to Denton was booked because of Super Bowl. How could I stay here and see my clients and heat a space to do that?
My dog. How will I keep my dog warm?
What about my pipes? If there is no heat in the house except my gas stove will my pipes freeze?
How will I dry my hair? I guess I could lean over the stove and dry my hair by the flames on the gas burners. How will I take a shower without it being way too cold?
Needless to say, by that time I was fully awake. I got my flashlight and called Oncor. I reached a voice recording that described "Rolling Blackouts." I felt some relief, knowing that the power outage might be brief.
I sat at my kitchen table watching the time on my cell phone to see if it were an actual power outage or just a rolling blackout. Then it dawned on me to check my battery supply in case I needed more batteries for my flashlight. I didn't have enough.
I live 2 miles from Cowboy Stadium. I had prepared for Super Bowl in every way imaginable. I had not prepared for an extended power outage in temperatures that were in the teens.
I didn't need to. That is why it didn't hit my screen to stock up on batteries.
After about 15 minutes, the much welcomed sound of the refrigerator compressor was sweet music to my ears. All electrically powered devices were running again. I took a deep breath and relaxed. Wow. 15 minutes of panic for nothing.
What I learned from this was simple yet powerful. If I need to do something, I will get a sense that I need to do it. I had had my courier double up on groceries the week before Super Storm. My conscious mind thought it was to prepare for Super Bowl. I recall telling her that "we might not be able to get to Whole Foods." As events unfolded, the drive to Whole Foods would have been very stressful for her in that ice. What needed to be prepared for got prepared for.
Affirmation: All is well in my world. I always know what to do and when to do it. I create a wonderful life for myself here and now!
Super Storm 2011 had begun on Tuesday, February 1st. Our world here in the Metroplex was covered by sleet and snow. It was bitterly cold. The next morning I was in a very deep sleep at 6:27 a.m. when I was jolted into being awake by the smoke alarm-like sound blaring loudly from the carbon monoxide detector. I knew what that sound meant; power had gone out. My first reaction was fear. I panicked. No power? It is 12 degrees out there and I have no power? My thoughts first raced to my greenhouse with my beloved plants, some of which I have had for over 40 years. I was running 2 electric heaters out there along with a propane heater. Power outage meant I had to rely only on the propane heater, which I knew would not be enough to keep the greenhouse above freezing, and we had DAYS of well below freezing weather coming.
Next I thought of keeping myself warm. Every hotel from Granbury to Denton was booked because of Super Bowl. How could I stay here and see my clients and heat a space to do that?
My dog. How will I keep my dog warm?
What about my pipes? If there is no heat in the house except my gas stove will my pipes freeze?
How will I dry my hair? I guess I could lean over the stove and dry my hair by the flames on the gas burners. How will I take a shower without it being way too cold?
Needless to say, by that time I was fully awake. I got my flashlight and called Oncor. I reached a voice recording that described "Rolling Blackouts." I felt some relief, knowing that the power outage might be brief.
I sat at my kitchen table watching the time on my cell phone to see if it were an actual power outage or just a rolling blackout. Then it dawned on me to check my battery supply in case I needed more batteries for my flashlight. I didn't have enough.
I live 2 miles from Cowboy Stadium. I had prepared for Super Bowl in every way imaginable. I had not prepared for an extended power outage in temperatures that were in the teens.
I didn't need to. That is why it didn't hit my screen to stock up on batteries.
After about 15 minutes, the much welcomed sound of the refrigerator compressor was sweet music to my ears. All electrically powered devices were running again. I took a deep breath and relaxed. Wow. 15 minutes of panic for nothing.
What I learned from this was simple yet powerful. If I need to do something, I will get a sense that I need to do it. I had had my courier double up on groceries the week before Super Storm. My conscious mind thought it was to prepare for Super Bowl. I recall telling her that "we might not be able to get to Whole Foods." As events unfolded, the drive to Whole Foods would have been very stressful for her in that ice. What needed to be prepared for got prepared for.
Affirmation: All is well in my world. I always know what to do and when to do it. I create a wonderful life for myself here and now!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
I Choose Peace! I Choose Unconditional Love!
One fall evening I was eating dinner when my friend arrived, tool in hand, to put on my new license plates. I had bought the car that I had been leasing, and new plates had been issued. I was just a few minutes away from finishing my well earned dinner. My friend began to ask me questions about the plates. It was apparent to me that his focus was on getting the plates on whether I was finished with my dinner or not. I became irritated. I answered his questions and continued to eat while my friend went outside to change out the plates.
In about 3 minutes, my friend came back inside and announced, "Your registration doesn't expire until next May." This announcement threw me for a loop.I said, "Are you sure it's not the inspection that expires in May?" "No, it is your registration." I felt confused, abandoned dinner and began to dig through the paperwork from the leasing company to see if I could determine whether or not the registration were, in fact good for another few months, and if so, why I was charged for a full year. Something was off. Something was wrong. I am one of those intuitive people that can sense it if a cashier hands me change that is even a penny off.
I sat at my desk, reading the paperwork, looking for a clue. My friend began to tell me all the horrible things that could happen if I didn't change the plates.He went on and on and on. I was much more interested in finding the truth about the registration than hearing information that I did NOT need. I became more irritated. I am changing the plates. Why do I need my mind filled with all these negative thoughts?? He went on and on. My disinterest in what he was saying must have been blatantly obvious because my friend became angry. His anger looked ridiculous to me and I became judgmental. At that point I excused myself and went out to sit in my greenhouse where I could get myself back together, back into a loving space.
I sat affirming, "I choose peace. I choose unconditional love. I choose harmony!" Then my thoughts went to, "I wish that ##**### would take his car keys and get out of my space!" Then "I choose peace. I choose unconditional love. I choose harmony!" Then "That *#*! Who does he think he is talking to me that way!" Then I shifted back to my peace, unconditional love and harmony statement. I went back and forth.
The commitment that I had to myself was to shift to peace, unconditional love and harmony. It took a full TEN minutes of going back and forth from my angry, judgmental thoughts to my peaceful thoughts before I finally came to peace.
My friend came out into the greenhouse with a smile on his face. He announced, "It is your inspection sticker that expires in May, not your registration. Your plates are changed."
Who did I change? I stayed true to my commitment and changed myself. Knowing that he had been wrong, I could have easily slipped back into judgment. The place of peace that I had achieved felt much better so I decided to stay with the peace, unconditional love and harmony.
We are always at choice. We can always choose. What do you choose today?
In about 3 minutes, my friend came back inside and announced, "Your registration doesn't expire until next May." This announcement threw me for a loop.I said, "Are you sure it's not the inspection that expires in May?" "No, it is your registration." I felt confused, abandoned dinner and began to dig through the paperwork from the leasing company to see if I could determine whether or not the registration were, in fact good for another few months, and if so, why I was charged for a full year. Something was off. Something was wrong. I am one of those intuitive people that can sense it if a cashier hands me change that is even a penny off.
I sat at my desk, reading the paperwork, looking for a clue. My friend began to tell me all the horrible things that could happen if I didn't change the plates.He went on and on and on. I was much more interested in finding the truth about the registration than hearing information that I did NOT need. I became more irritated. I am changing the plates. Why do I need my mind filled with all these negative thoughts?? He went on and on. My disinterest in what he was saying must have been blatantly obvious because my friend became angry. His anger looked ridiculous to me and I became judgmental. At that point I excused myself and went out to sit in my greenhouse where I could get myself back together, back into a loving space.
I sat affirming, "I choose peace. I choose unconditional love. I choose harmony!" Then my thoughts went to, "I wish that ##**### would take his car keys and get out of my space!" Then "I choose peace. I choose unconditional love. I choose harmony!" Then "That *#*! Who does he think he is talking to me that way!" Then I shifted back to my peace, unconditional love and harmony statement. I went back and forth.
The commitment that I had to myself was to shift to peace, unconditional love and harmony. It took a full TEN minutes of going back and forth from my angry, judgmental thoughts to my peaceful thoughts before I finally came to peace.
My friend came out into the greenhouse with a smile on his face. He announced, "It is your inspection sticker that expires in May, not your registration. Your plates are changed."
Who did I change? I stayed true to my commitment and changed myself. Knowing that he had been wrong, I could have easily slipped back into judgment. The place of peace that I had achieved felt much better so I decided to stay with the peace, unconditional love and harmony.
We are always at choice. We can always choose. What do you choose today?
Thursday, December 16, 2010
I Choose to Embrace What I DO Have
Christmas can be a time of great joy. Christmas can also be a time of great sadness. What causes the difference? Sadness abounds when a person focuses on what they do NOT have. This was brought home to me just this last week.
Decorating for Christmas is so much fun for me! I remembered that my precious daughter in love, Tisha, had adorned a special ornament with a large bow and tied it to the leg of a table in my den. The ornament is a red ball with a dog sitting on top. My previous dog's name, Miracle, was engraved on the red ball. I looked forward to finding the ornament and tying it to the leg of the table once again. As I was tying the bow around the leg, I suddenly got this heavy feeling. I felt some sadness. I felt a sense of loss. Miracle had made her transition last December 30th. All of the goodies Miracle got to eat last Christmas was a part of our farewell to her.
Suddenly I thought, "What am I doing here? Why am I going back into the past? I have a GREAT new dog, Grace! How about I embrace having Grace instead of feeling sad that I no longer have Miracle?"
I took the ornament down and placed it back in the box. I found Grace and gave her a big hug and thanked her for being my precious doggie companion.
I choose today to embrace what I DO have instead of focusing on what I DON'T have. This is a much happier way to live!
Decorating for Christmas is so much fun for me! I remembered that my precious daughter in love, Tisha, had adorned a special ornament with a large bow and tied it to the leg of a table in my den. The ornament is a red ball with a dog sitting on top. My previous dog's name, Miracle, was engraved on the red ball. I looked forward to finding the ornament and tying it to the leg of the table once again. As I was tying the bow around the leg, I suddenly got this heavy feeling. I felt some sadness. I felt a sense of loss. Miracle had made her transition last December 30th. All of the goodies Miracle got to eat last Christmas was a part of our farewell to her.
Suddenly I thought, "What am I doing here? Why am I going back into the past? I have a GREAT new dog, Grace! How about I embrace having Grace instead of feeling sad that I no longer have Miracle?"
I took the ornament down and placed it back in the box. I found Grace and gave her a big hug and thanked her for being my precious doggie companion.
I choose today to embrace what I DO have instead of focusing on what I DON'T have. This is a much happier way to live!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Two Wolves
Two Wolves
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves.”
“One is Evil. It is anger, envy, fear, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, hate, superiority and ego.”
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,
“Which wolf wins?”
The old Cherokee simply replied,
“The one you feed.”
Energy Flows Where Attention Goes
A friend shared with me the news about a horrible accident involving an SUV going way too fast, hitting another SUV and then hitting a guardrail. The friend said, “That would be something to see. Maybe I can watch it on the news.” I thought to myself, “Why in the world would you want to watch that and have that in your reality?” Two nights later, that same friend called me with shaky voice. An SUV driving at very high speed had swerved right in front of my friend, then swerved back into the adjoining lane, hit another SUV and the 2 SUVs collided, throwing one of them into the guardrail. He got what he wanted. He got to see “it”. My friend had spoken his word and the words were acted upon by the Universe very quickly.
Today is a great day to make a commitment to watch your thoughts and your words to be certain that you are creating a great life for yourself. Feed the good wolf and let that be the wolf that wins in your life!
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves.”
“One is Evil. It is anger, envy, fear, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, hate, superiority and ego.”
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,
“Which wolf wins?”
The old Cherokee simply replied,
“The one you feed.”
Energy Flows Where Attention Goes
A friend shared with me the news about a horrible accident involving an SUV going way too fast, hitting another SUV and then hitting a guardrail. The friend said, “That would be something to see. Maybe I can watch it on the news.” I thought to myself, “Why in the world would you want to watch that and have that in your reality?” Two nights later, that same friend called me with shaky voice. An SUV driving at very high speed had swerved right in front of my friend, then swerved back into the adjoining lane, hit another SUV and the 2 SUVs collided, throwing one of them into the guardrail. He got what he wanted. He got to see “it”. My friend had spoken his word and the words were acted upon by the Universe very quickly.
Today is a great day to make a commitment to watch your thoughts and your words to be certain that you are creating a great life for yourself. Feed the good wolf and let that be the wolf that wins in your life!
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