You seldom know when and where inspiration might blind you with light and love. This is one of the great
surprises and blessings in life- the unpredictable nature of how life unfolds for your own greatest good. Stay
open and then, savor the treasures that life offers you.
One of my daily affirmations is: "I am so happy and
so thankful that the right people come into my life at the right time". On Saturday, I took two of my kids and a friend
to lunch. We went to an unusual lunch choice for us, but I was feeling like a change. As we finished our meal, a group of
eight sat down across from us. One of the people was a woman in a wheelchair with the cutest dog on her lap. My daughter's
friend, Jessica, commented that she thought the dog was so cute. This launched us into an amazing experience. The woman was
author, Diane Dike. She suffers from a rare blood disease and has a remarkable story about her life and how she rescued "Gracie"
her service dog. Diane glowed as she talked and my children glowed in her presence. It was like a light was shining through
her. We left with one of her love and care packages- her children's book, her autogiography, and a beanie of her dog "Gracie"
with a cuddle blanket. Diane ministers to sick children because she does not want anyone to be alone and sick.
In
the car ride home- my kids read the children's book aloud. The story is about how Diane found Gracie. My eyes teared up. When
I got home, I read her autobiography from cover to cover. I am so awed and inspired by Diane's remarkable life. Her joy just
overflowed to everyone around her. I just had to blog about her. I felt like God brought her into our lives that day.
Take a look at this amazing children's book about Diane Dike and her service dog Gracie- Gracie Comes Home . I loved it and so did my kids.
Have
you ever felt shaken? Experienced moments where your trust seems shattered? It is that feeling where the
room seems to sway slightly or you feel like your mouth is too dry to talk. Yes, even people who truly strive to think positively,
peacefully, and calmly, still have those moments of feeling shaken. How do you get back on track and keep
these experiences from derailing your day, your week, your month, your life?
First of all, it is normal to feel anger. However, the challenge is to not allow
anger to rule your life and take over your life. Stop the vicious circle of replaying scenes over and over
in your mind. Find ways to release your anger through exercise, prayer, meditation, or deep breathing. Focus on what you need
and want in your life- not on trying to recreate the past into a better story. Move away from the blame game. Accept that
you may feel miserable for awhile, but if you truly try to refocus, the moments of misery will decrease and you will begin
to move forward.Pamper yourself, distract yourself, and be gentle with yourself. Get a massage. Go to
a concert. Read an amazing book. Talk with a close friend, a life coach, or a counselor if the situation demands.
Even though you may have been blindsided by your experience, ultimately you are
responsible for getting through it and moving on. No one else has power over you.You will begin to experience
joy in your life again.
Remember that you control your thoughts about your day. Even when disruptive and irritating events occur, you
still control your thoughts. Most often those disruptive and irritating events can just be ignored. Does a rude comment really
need to be addressed and take away energy from you? Only you can truly know, but most often, the answer is that you can just
let it go. Let go of the petty, minor things and focus on meaninful thoughts and activities.
If you truly have
a problem that needs to be solved, focus on the solution, and avoid dwelling on the problem. Maybe you don't have a solution
yet, but what could the solution be?- there are probably several alternatives. Explore what you would consider to be the best
case scenario, even if you do not think it is possible. What could you change to make the solution possible? You will begin
to feel better as you move away from dwelling and obsessing about the past or the problem.
As you feel better,
consider your time frame for developing a solution. Maybe the solution can wait for more information, opportunities, or alternatives.
Even doing nothing is a sort of a solution. Inaction is a choice, too.
No problem or situation
needs to completely consume you and take over your life and your thoughts. Turn your thoughts to more pleasant ideas.
If you devote energy to mastering your thoughts, you will see a great improvement in your quality of life.
"Difficulties mastered are opportunities won." Winston
Churchill
Are
you experiencing some difficulties in life right now? Have faith that these difficulties will make you stronger and most likely
a new opportunity will present itself. I often find that when I am facing a difficult situation, my vision becomes sharper
and all of my senses seem to go on high alert. I become more aware. It is almost like a jolt or shock at certain times in
our lives propel us forward and upward. Though a difficult situation is often extremely uncomfortable, it does present an
opportunity to reevaluate and possibly set new goals. You may want to pursue Plan B (hopefully you had a Plan B-if not-you
can create it now). Try to avoid the all or nothing approach to life. All of your success can never depend on just one thing
going right. So if you were counting on something and it does not happen, move on to the next goal or find a new way to make
your goals happen. You may also want to consider the idea that you will not allow disappointment in your life. (It does take
up a lot of energy and often results in circular thinking). If you begin to feel disappointment consuming you, refocus your
thoughts onto something good and valuable. Develop the will to control your thoughts. You will find yourself quickly adapting
to changing plans and life will be more enjoyable.
Do you need a miracle in your life? I wanted to share some information regarding an online community that I
enjoy- the Attract Miracles Community by Joe Vitale. In this community, members post desired or needed miracles and others
can pray and hold intentions for people's miracles. In addition, members post received miracles. The idea is that more people
holding an intention helps bring miracles forth quickly. It is such an amazing feeling to have people who are most likely
not personal friends- praying and holding your needs dear to their hearts. The community also has many resources (audio downloads,
etc) for initiating change in life. If you would like to learn more about the Attract Miracles community, I have included
the link for you.
If you or someone you know has suffered and then recovered from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) I would
love to hear your story for possible inclusion in my next book that I am writing. Please email me at coachsheri@lifeisjoyful.org
Lately, my focus has been on love, not just romantic love, but love for all people. Being truly
loving enhances everything about life. For instance, it is hard to have a bad day, when you are focused on loving everyone
around you. On the opposite side of the spectrum is how quickly the day can collapse into chaos when you are being hurtful
to others. As you go through your day, look for ways that you can manifest and cultivate love for others. Have you ever noticed
how some mothers pick apart every fault in their children? Yet, other mothers find love and amusement in their children's
behavior-even when they are on the edge of being naughty? Try to be a person who sees the value in others and appreciates
that value. I think one reason why we, as humans, tend to be critical is that so much of our lives depends on critical analysis.
Our jobs require us to perform SWOT analyses. Any project requires acute attention to details in order to perfect anything
that seems less than perfect. However, I believe we can make a mental shift when it comes to people. Love the person,
appreciate the contribution, and celebrate the uniqueness. Strive to understand that people come from different perspectives.
When you focus on love, appreciation, and understanding, you will be the biggest benefactor. You will feel good and you will
attract great things to you. Yes, the other person also benefits from your positive thoughts and reinforcements. Why not experiment
today? Everytime you feel critical of another person, try to change it into a a statement of love and appreciation in your
mind. Take notice of how your day changes in response to your shift in thoughts. "Love one another". John 13:34
(NIV) Love and blessings,
When you subscribe to Coach
Sheri's FREE Living Joyfully Weekly Ezine (Newsletter),You will receive Coach Sheri's Brand NEW eBook of her
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