Archive for June, 2011

Embrace the Moment

Posted: June 22, 2011 in Mama Says Namaste
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This past week I went to Roan Mountain North Carolina. Staying in a little cabin in the mountains, we had no phones, no computers, no TV, not even (gasp) music playing!! (That’s a biggie for me).

However, what we had was every single moment. It’s amazing how much time passes by sitting in front of the computer or TV. When you take it all away, you have the opportunity to see every moment. Our family needed a break from it all, to just enjoy ourselves and each other. Because, ultimately, family is what it’s all about.

Hiking up in the mountains we saw incredible views and it got me thinking about how often we are looking out to the future. I’m an advocate for positive thinking, intentionally striving to become the person you want to be, and moving toward lifelong goals.

However, don’t miss the little things. Don’t pass up the opportunity to smell the flowers, as cliche as it may sound.

Don’t miss the moment to get close with those you care about. Stoop down to see the world through your child’s eyes. Follow along with their imagination and see where it takes you. Embrace the moment.

And above all, remember that these are just moments. When they are bad (and we all have bad moments), remember that – it’s a moment. It’s fleeting. A negative thing does not have to become your identity. A moment in time is a moment to take what is and look to make it good. When it’s bad, acknowledge it and let it go.

When the moment is good, stop everything and soak it in. Truly let it engulf you. Open your heart, mind, and body to the sweetness of the now, whether it’s admiring the beauty around you, a loving embrace by someone you care about, or a moment in play with a child. This, to me, is the most important part of making those moments last.

Your words (and thoughts) are Powerful

Posted: June 11, 2011 in Mama Says Namaste
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Every person you come across will be touched by you.  What impact will it be?  Will it be words like “I’m sorry, I just am not that good at public speaking” or “My hair looks awful today” or will it be “Today is the first day of the rest of your life – how exciting!”  or “I’m carrying my sunshine on the inside – how about you?”  These may be cheese-ball comments, but at let me say this: every self deprecating comment you make not only impacts you, but it gives permission for every other person to do the same.  When you say it and your children hear, that’s what they mimic.  When you say it and your co-workers hear, you end up in a contest of who’s got it worse.  When you say it and a stranger hears, they may remember how much they hate it themselves, or feel obligated to lie and cheer up your reality in hopes that you don’t pour the rain on theirs.

Don’t deny your feelings, but by God remember that you have good ones, too.  Focus on those.  Sometimes we have to be intentional and force ourselves to have the faith and the power to speak words of POSITIVE truth in our own lives even if we aren’t feeling it.  It’s amazing how we find what we’re looking for.  Look for sadness and you can always find it.  Look for sunshine…you may just see a rainbow.

I can speak about believing in yourself so much, but I have those moments of doubt as well.  I think the biggest thing is that I purposely choose to focus on the positive.  I don’t deny the negative, but I choose to run to the bright side, to cling desperately to the good in myself, in my life, and in the people I come across.

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes.”  ~Chuck Swindoll

Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

Posted: June 2, 2011 in Mama Says Namaste
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>So now we know the strength in Family, and that we are powerful beyond measure.  So next is, be happy!  My sis-in-love wrote a great post on it in her blog, Everyday Experiments.  A short quote from it:

Happiness is power. Happiness is carbonated consciousness. It wants to spill out and radiate and be articulated. And every time we downplay our joy we confuse our synapses. Our brain is firing smiley neurons and our mouth is short-circuiting them. Repeated happiness muffling numbs our senses. If you keep it under the surface too long, it just might stay there – a light under a bushel.
So do us all a favour. No matter what the weather, the odds, the circumstances, the company, if you’re happy and you know it, by all means, say so!  If You’re Happy and You Know It

Today I am happy.  Thirty years ago today my world started, and every day has been a new adventure.  Not every moment has been perfect, but it’s been a wild ride and I’ve loved living and learning through it. We took a bike ride this morning as a family, and I was once again reminded at how genuinely happy I am with life.  Just like riding a bike, it’s tough sometimes and kicks my butt, I get tired, hot, hungry, and ready to give up, but it’s so worth it.  Life is good.  Life is challenging.  And every challenge is met with an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to truly relish the happiness when it comes.  

And it always will, so be ready for it!