2013 Daily Encouragement Thread

[FallenAngel]

2013 Daily Encouragement Thread

Elliesmom;1459729 wrote: Don't think you're in an echo-chamber.

.... If I can ever find something worth contributing, I will - but I just wanted to say thank you! :thanks:

And Thank YOU Elliesmom!
"Echo-chamber"... you hit that one dead-on! :H When there's no feedback, I never know if what I post is of any interest. These are topics that are close to my heart, so I keep posting, hoping that someone will find them helpful. So, thank you again. :l
I look forward to reading one of your contributions!

[FallenAngel]

2013 Daily Encouragement Thread

February 10th


In The Stillness




Silence is the space in which sound can exist. Stillness is the space in which life comes to life.

If you listen only to the sounds, only to the noise, there is much that you will miss. Listen also to the silence, to the space between the sounds.

Listen to the silence, and what you?ll hear are the limitless possibilities. Experience the stillness, and you?ll discover how it feels to be fully aware.

It?s great when life is filled with sounds, colors, activity and excitement. It?s even better when all that activity of living is grounded in real and meaningful purpose.

In silence you come to hear that meaning. In stillness you come to know that purpose.

Make a place in each day for the peaceful stillness. For it is the place where all that is possible takes shape.

? Ralph Marston

[Kradle123]

2013 Daily Encouragement Thread

FallenAngel;1458123 wrote:
Which are you?



A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.

Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

~Author Unknown

I love this Fallen! :h I really want to present this to the kids only I'll have to use a tea bag instead of a coffee bean! :H

:l

[FallenAngel]

2013 Daily Encouragement Thread

Kradle123;1460522 wrote: I really want to present this to the kids only I'll have to use a tea bag instead of a coffee bean! :H

Let us know how it went & what their reaction was, ok?

[FallenAngel]

2013 Daily Encouragement Thread

February 11th


Starting a New Life: The Courage of a Seed






?When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.? ~Lao Tzu

At lunch the other day, a new friend and I were discussing changes in our lives and how everything feels very new and different.

I remembered the most beautiful description Mark Nepo wrote in The Book of Awakening. Mark is a poet, and he sees the world through such a lovely light. His work opens my heart to images I?ve never thought about that are so compelling.

I can see the way Mark describes the process of change in my own life. He compares change to the immense bravery of a seed being forced into the ground. He describes the painful experience he imagines the seed must endure, as it splits apart and becomes something entirely different.

Still deeply under the earth, the seedling struggles to find light, water, and nutrients for life. And one day, it emerges, not recognizable to those who only knew it as a seed. Yet it remembers the journey?the journey to something larger, but unknown.

I, like the seed, have felt the darkness of the unknown, the claustrophobia of being in a space I did not understand, the anxiety of being in a place I did not feel I had chosen.

Without a job, without my identity in the world of business, I felt I might disappear, like the seed deep in the soil of my life. I struggled to trust my eventual transformation, feeling alone and yet filled with expectations for the future.

Then came the experience of cracking open?figuring out what my heart wanted next. It felt painful at first. What if no one understood? Even worse, what if no one listened?

As my heart cracked apart, it also contained a seedling?a vision of who I might become. At first I wanted to protect it. It felt too fresh, too new, and too vulnerable. I needed to guard and nourish it.

I become acquainted with this very new self quietly; I wrote in my journal about what I was feeling, what I desired. As I sat in traffic or in meditation, I gently explored my new loves. I found books from others who had already traveled this path.

As I learned more about myself and honored the path that called to me, the seedling became stronger. As I spoke up and stated my truth?at first somewhat timidly and then more clearly?my seedling began to grow into something larger and more identifiable.

I came to see who I was becoming.

I stepped out into the light. I offered my gift to the world. I let go of trying to control the result and honored the moment. As I became more authentic, my life began to take shape.

I met other people on similar paths. Some found me while seeking their own answers. A new circle began to emerge, one based on this new growth?my sturdy little seedling.

And like the seed, I remember the journey. I do not discount the dark days spent waiting for the emergence of my self. Those days have given me valuable information that I can share with other people on this path.

As I remember my seedling self, carefully coming into being in my own time, my own season, I know this is what others are experiencing. Perhaps I can help to provide nourishment for their seedling.

I?m excited as I feel this beginning taking hold and surfacing. I?m embracing change and trusting that the process of cracking the old shell is so worth the sweet tenderness of the new sprout.

Mark says, ?As a seed buried in the earth cannot imagine itself as an orchid or hyacinth, neither can a heart packed with hurt imagine itself loved or at peace. The courage of the seed is that once cracking, it cracks all the way.?

This metaphor calls to my heart. When I look at nature, I see our lives reflected. We truly are one. I feel all the process, the splitting away of the old and the beginning of a new life that is so unfamiliar and yet so strong, bravely traveling into a new world.

I invite you to join me in the courage of the seed, surrendering to a process we cannot see; knowing that what will ultimately appear is beyond all imagination.

~Karen Mead

[Slaythefear]

2013 Daily Encouragement Thread

Your encouragement posts have been spot on and wonderful, FA! :thanks: for posting here.

[FallenAngel]

2013 Daily Encouragement Thread

Slaythefear;1460899 wrote: Your encouragement posts have been spot on and wonderful, FA! :thanks: for posting here.

Thank you Slay, that means a lot :h :l

[Mein Sonnenschein]

2013 Daily Encouragement Thread

Hi All. I've been following this thread and I love the concept of encouragement! I would like to contribute.

I'm a big music fan and some music just "speaks" to me or makes me feel like someone out there in the world understands. I recently created a "positive support" playlist that I listen to in the morning to remember that I'm not alone. I would like to share the lyrics of one of my favorite songs on this playlist. I like to think of this song as me talking to myself, for the sad, depressing, AL version of myself. Me being my own caretaker, so to speak.

"Fix You" by Coldplay

When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face, and I...
Tears stream down your face I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face, and I...

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

:l

[Slaythefear]

2013 Daily Encouragement Thread

Thanks for you contribution, MS. I gravitate toward musical lyrics as well. I have quite a few, but yours made me think of this one I've posted before.

Alicia Keys - Brand New Me (When AL leaves a person's life, they certainly become a 'Brand New Me'.

It's been a while, I'm not who I was before
You look surprised, your words don't burn me anymore
Been meaning to tell you, but I guess it's clear to see
Don't be mad, it's just the brand new kind of me
Can't be bad, I found a brand new kind of free

Careful with your ego, he's the one that we should blame
Had to grab my heart back
God know something had to change
I thought that you'd be happy
I found the one thing I need, why you mad
It's just the brand new kind of me

It took a long long time to get here
It took a brave, brave girl to try
It took one too many excuses, one too many lies
Don't be surprised, don't be surprised

If I talk a little louder
If I speak up when you're wrong
If I walk a little taller
I've been on to you too long
If you noticed that I'm different
Don't take it personally
Don't be mad, it's just the brand new kind of me
And it ain't bad, I found a brand new kind of free

Oh, it took a long long road to get here
It took a brave brave girl to try
I've taken one too many excuses, one too many lies
Don't be surprised, oh see you look surprised

Hey, if you were a friend, you want to get know me again
If you were worth a while
You'd be happy to see me smile
I'm not expecting sorry
I'm too busy finding myself
I got this
I found me, I found me, yeah
I don't need your opinion
I'm not waiting for your ok
I'll never be perfect, but at least now i'm brave
Now, my heart is open
And I can finally breathe
Don't be mad, it's just the brand new kind of free
That ain't bad, I found a brand new kind of me
Don't be mad, it's a brand new time for me, yeah

[FallenAngel]

2013 Daily Encouragement Thread

February 13th





Fill Your World with Color and Beauty


Fill your life and your world with the colors, textures, scents, and objects that are beautiful to you, that have meaning to you. Remember that we are connected to our environment. The objects and the colors in our world have energy and meaning. They have an impact on us.

The more we see how connected we are, the more carefully and thoughtfully we may want to choose the items we place in our home, or our space at work, if we have a special area, because these objects and colors can reflect how we feel about ourselves and what is important to us.

Objects have energy. They have energy already in them when we obtain them, and they have the energy and meaning we attribute to them. Choose carefully the possessions you want around you, for they tell a story all day long.

Fill your world, your life, with objects that are beautiful and have special meaning to you. What articles and hues have you surrounded yourself with at home, at work? Is there a special article you want close to you, on your desk, in your locker, in your pocket? What story do these things tell about you, about what you're going through, about your place in your journey?


Choose objects and colors that make your heart smile.

~Journey to the Heart by Melody Beattie

[Slaythefear]

2013 Daily Encouragement Thread

February 14, 2013

Fill your soul with peace, tranquility, and acceptance.

Peace

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usp0Z9uQRno[/video]]Hallelujah- Constance Demby - YouTube

Tranquility



Acceptance

“I am my own biggest critic. Before anyone else has criticized me, I have already criticized myself. But for the rest of my life, I am going to be with me and I don't want to spend my life with someone who is always critical. So I am going to stop being my own critic. It's high time that I accept all the great things about me.”
― C. JoyBell C.


Be good to yourself today!:l Attached files [img]/converted_files/2053439=7418-attachment.jpg[/img]

[FallenAngel]

2013 Daily Encouragement Thread

Happy February 14th





Valentines


Chad was a shy quiet boy. Many times his friends teased him and made fun of him. He was never included in their company. One day however he arrived home and announced to his mum that he will be making a valentine card for all his classmates.

The heart of his mother sank. She thought, "I wish he wouldn't do that!" She knew what was going to happen. He would be giving his companions a Valentine card and he will get none in return. Her son will be devastated.

However, hoping against hope that she may be wrong, she decided to go along with her son and she purchased the paper and glue and crayons. For three full weeks, Chad dedicated all his free time to compose thirty five colored valentine cards. He was so excited!

Valentine Day arrived. He carefully put all the cards in his bag and dashed to his school. The mother was in a panic and to soften what she taught would be a total disappointment, she decided to bake his favorite cookies so that when he came back, she can somehow raise his spirits.

She was really anxious that afternoon. The cookies and milk were ready on the table. From the sitting room window, she saw it all. The boys and girls were walking gleefully while her little Chad, as usual, was at the back, on his own. They were all pleased and sharing the cards they had received. Her son's arms however were empty. He knew it! She fully expected him to burst into tears as soon as he got inside.

So, you can well imagine her surprise when he walked in with his face all aglow. He was excited as he repeated to his mother over and over again, "Not a one. Not a one." A feeling of hopelessness enveloped her. But her despondency turned to delight when she heard him saying joyfully, "I didn't forget a one, not a single one!"

~author unknown

[Slaythefear]

2013 Daily Encouragement Thread

A sweet story, FA. :h

The mother's behavior coincides with a scene in a show I was partially tuned into last night while doing other things. The parents were worried and struggling with a similar situation with a boy. The father made the comment that as parents we want to protect our children from everything, but it's hard to let go when we realize we can't protect them from everything in the world. I know that feeling so well as a parent. They must grow up and face the world and all that it brings with it. We all have to.

[Slaythefear]

2013 Daily Encouragement Thread

February 15, 2013...Energy Leaks

Are You Leaking?

Written by Christine Kane

If you get overwhelmed or scattered or unclear ? especially when making changes in your life or setting more powerful intents ? then maybe you?re leaking.

Or, if you?ve watched The Secret, and even though you?re thinking better thoughts, things keep falling apart, and you?ve said, ?This stuff doesn?t work,? then you might be leaking.

Or, if you have absolutely zero idea what your ideal life would look like because every time you turn around some new clump of organic matter has hit the fan, and you?re just trying to get through it, then you could be leaking.

What are you leaking?

Your own precious energy or life force.

What does that mean?

It means this: Part of creating an authentic, powerful, serene, present-moment life is actually practical. It has to do with your energy and your focus. You want your energy and focus to be in the present moment. The present moment is where you create. It?s where you visualize. It?s where you shift your thoughts. And it?s where you find gratitude. If you?re continually losing your focus and getting scattered, your energy might be shooting outward to other places and thoughts and things.

So, what exactly is a leak?

Your energy and focus get zapped out of the present moment by many things. Some of these things are easily fixable. Some of them will take more time to clear up. This post is about those things that are fixable. The leaks.

In the world of life coaching, these leaks are called Energy Drains. A leak or an energy drain is any incomplete task, to-do, idea, or memory that drains your energy ? even a little bit ? when you think of it, or when you see it. It might be the thank you note that you keep forgetting to write to someone because you don?t have the right note cards. It might be the pants in a heap on your closet floor because they need to be hemmed. It might be the phone call(s) you need to return to potential clients. It might be a honkin? full email box. It might be something scary, like a health situation you?ve been ignoring while hoping it will go away. It might be a conversation you need to have with a coworker. It might even be something you keep telling yourself you?ll do, like research a beginning yoga class.

These things seem harmless. But think about it. If you have lots of incompletes in your life, then your energy, your self is still connected to those things. You are still giving to them ? even if it?s just by remembering they are still undone ? until you choose to cut off that connection, until you choose to get complete. You really can take care of them and get yourself in the present moment.

And even though some of these items may seem small, you will probably notice a huge difference in your life when you start completing them. When they are fixed or completed, you will notice a higher energy level and deeper sense of your own power. More opportunities will show up, and you?ll have more clarity and peace.

How do I begin fixing leaks?

Here?s a step-by-step process that I used when I first started working with the leaks. I still do this, especially if I?ve just gone through a lot of travel and I come home to a whole lot of incompletes and things I?ve had to set aside. I?ve learned to complete them quickly because I know the impact that these can have on my state of mind and on my creativity.

1 ? Get a partner who will cheer you on. Or meet with several people and plan to check-in with each other once a week for two months as you start to get complete.

2 ? Get a blank piece of paper and pen. Start a list of any items that come up that feel undone, incomplete, and leak-y. You?ll probably have several items that come to mind right away.

When you feel like you can?t think of any more, then stop for now. But carry that piece of paper around with you for two days. Any time something nags at you, or drains your energy, put it on the list. Here are sample areas to ponder: Car, Home, Office, Pets, Partner, Kids, Friendships, Work Relationships, Finances, Clients, Computer (updates, emails, back-ups, systems for backing up, etc.) And don?t forget the things you keep telling yourself you?ll do, like: plan a vacation, have an adventure day, start a gratitude journal, or create a vision board. You don?t have to do anything yet, just write everything down in one unorganized list.

3 ? When you feel that the list is complete for now, then re-write it so it looks nice. If you want, you can put items in order from easiest and quickest to more challenging.

4 ? Start with the easiest things to do. Take the pants to the alterations place. Then cross that item off your list. Get the oil changed. Cross that off your list. Answer all the emails. Cross that off. Call or email your partner(s) any time you complete something. Remember about that one thing we always forget to do!

5 ? As you go through the list, some things will start to feel harder, especially if you?ve included unresolved issues in your relationships or health. The momentum you?ve gained will help you get through these in surprising ways. And some things might take a much longer time, especially with resentment or engaging in gossip or needing to forgive. (Remember: intent is a great place to start with these kinds of things.)

6 ? Once you get clearer and more energetic as you complete items over a period of time, you?ll have less tolerance for things that take that kind of energy: old friendships that feed on negativity, certain clients that drain you and no longer align with your values, rooms in your house that no longer please you. This is what happened with me. The entire process took on a bigger and bolder meaning, and I began to get even clearer about the parts of my life that were no longer serving me. If this starts to happen to you, this is good! It?s an indicator that you?re growing and shifting.

7 ? At some point you?ll start crossing things off your list before they ever make it on your list. I will close with an example of this kind of clarity. At my retreats, we spend several hours going through this idea of energy drains, and each woman has a chance to get clear about her own leaks. After the last retreat, the women formed a Yahoo Group so that they could stay in touch and cheer each other on in their quests to live more authentically. On the Monday morning after the retreat, one of the women wrote in the following humorous and victorious email:

My ?Service Engine Soon? light went on last night.
First Thought: ?CRAP!?
Second Thought: If I keep ignoring it, the light is just draining energy from me.
This morning I scheduled an appt and I?m dropping the car off at 2!
(Normally I?d drive around trying not to look at the light and praying I wouldn?t get stuck in the middle of the road!) Small victories?.!

[Elliesmom]

2013 Daily Encouragement Thread

Hello --- I'd promised to contribute something when I had something worth it...(I DO read this everyday!), but I rarely come across anything as powerful as what you post here. But now that music lyrics are on the table (thanks, Mein!), there is something that I'm going to share that hit me deeply, on my 3rd day AF. So full disclosure -- I'm a fairly well educated middle-aged mom/professional who is secretly still a closet metalhead. I'll listen to grown-up music but when alone I prefer the hard stuff (same way I preferred my liquor!) I usually stick to listening to it on my iphone when exercising or alone.

This song might not be so relevant now, but for someone in the early throes of quitting or in the midst of a powerful craving and struggling, this fits. At least it did for me, and I cried the first time I heard it on Day 3. If you like rock, it's worth listening to on Youtube and hits hard. It's by Linkin Park and called "Somewhere I belong". I promise to find something that's actually encouraging and uplifting soon - but in the meantime, am just sharing this because it had a huge impact on me when I was in the deeps.

"Somewhere I Belong"

(When this began)
I had nothing to say
And I get lost in the nothingness inside of me
(I was confused)
And I let it all out to find
That I?m not the only person with these things in mind
(Inside of me)
But all that they can see the words revealed
Is the only real thing that I?ve got left to feel
(Nothing to lose)
Just stuck, hollow and alone
And the fault is my own, and the fault is my own

[Chorus]
I wanna heal, I wanna feel what I thought was never real
I wanna let go of the pain I?ve felt so long
(Erase all the pain till it?s gone)
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I?m close to something real
I wanna find something I?ve wanted all along
Somewhere I belong

And I?ve got nothing to say
I can?t believe I didn?t fall right down on my face
(I was confused)
Looking everywhere only to find
That it?s not the way I had imagined it all in my mind
(So what am I)
What do I have but negativity
?Cause I can?t justify the way, everyone is looking at me
(Nothing to lose)
Nothing to gain, hollow and alone
And the fault is my own, and the fault is my own

[Repeat Chorus]

I will never know myself until I do this on my own
And I will never feel anything else, until my wounds are healed
I will never be anything till I break away from me
I will break away, I'll find myself today

[Repeat Chorus]

I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I?m somewhere I belong
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I?m somewhere I belong
Somewhere I belong