I'm preparing to host Thanksgiving dinner for 10. I'm not stressed as I've done it before and since I think that's what I do best - hospitality. At 52, I still wonder what my gifts are, what is my purpose in life and too often it comes down to serving others, making sure others are happy, comfortable and at peace. I've never accepted being hospitable as a gift and especially not a purpose in life. As I go forward though, I feel it stronger and more apparent but I still fight it. How can I make a living being kind, caring and comforting? I don't plan on working in a hotel - ever, and I can't see myself running a large Bed & Breakfast...though I have imagined a small cozy 2-5 day retreat cottage that would bring my health coaching work more to life. Sometimes you have to stop fighting it and go with it if even just to see where it takes you. These are things to ponder, things to reach for and things that make dreams reality; but for now, I remain somewhat lost in my purpose and focused on my natural gift of wanting to help people be happy and find a slice of peacefulness in their lives. I see the cup half-full, I thrive on smiles and warm hearts and I try to cultivate peace wherever I am and with whomever I encounter. Happy Thanksgiving!
0 Comments
I've come to learn that friends are the siblings of our souls. I've always appreciated and cared greatly for all of my friends and I hold them very close and dear to my heart. I've only recently come to realize that friends are the sisters of my soul, soul sisters (and brothers for those guys who are truly and strictly friends). For so many years I felt 'left out' of the sister world but as many of my friends have been in my life for so long sharing each others ups and downs, I have opened my eyes and my heart to the fact that we are all brothers and sisters in God's eyes. My closest friends know who they are and whether we talk daily, monthly or less, we will remain soul sisters. Life is too short and too precious to take for granted. Life is important and we must be thankful for each minute and each person that has been put in our path. Some friends stay for the long-haul and others for just a while. However long each friend is on our lives is exactly as long as they should be - there's a lesson to be learned from each one, once we learn the lesson, they move on or stay. It's up to us to accept it and make use of what we have been given from that person. Some people that have come into and gone out of my life have taught me the biggest lessons; mostly about myself. For some I was heartbroken when they left but I soon came to realize that their leaving is what made me grow stronger and what helped me get myself back; their leaving was a blessing. For some others, they could not have left fast enough, and I still appreciate not so much them but the lessons I've learned from them. Friends are the ones who have been and will be there for the rest of your days...always. Those who have passed too soon, are still in our paths daily, they will never leave us. I love my soul sisters and soul brothers and I'm blessed to have been given the chance to recognize that we are meant to be friends to one another as family. Sometimes living in the moment means frustration over something big or even something small. I have learned that I don't have to respond to negativity and I don't have to respond to anything right away if at all. The best thing to do is to take a breath, step back, let my immediate emotional response sink in an possibly pass by. Some people feed off of belittling others only to make themselves feel better or smarter; that's their stuff, I don't have to let it become my hurt, neither do you.
Take the negative digs and replace them with the positive things that happen in your life. Remember those who truly love you and others for who they are and put your love and energy into them. Most importantly, be there for yourself. Nurture the little person inside who doesn't realize that she (or he) is safe and all grown up! Take a breath, smile and be. I've come to truly realize that everything can change in a heartbeat - and if it's in the big plan, it will change.
Not one thing in life is guaranteed, except of course the fact that everything changes. Change has always happened, change will always happen. So, what's the big deal? No kidding, everything changes, so?! Well, the big deal is that we have to learn to move with change; go with the flow of it - like it or not. Change is often a good thing but equally as often, some change doesn't feel good; think of weather related disasters, the loss of a pet, the loss of a loved one, breaking up in a relationship, bad medical diagnosis...the list is endless. How can we deal with those types of changes? For me, I think writing about it in my journal or in my blogs helps me to work through it. When you voice it either to someone or to yourself in the form of writing, meditation and prayer, you allow yourself to get it off your chest and out of your head a little more than if you kept it bottled up. Learning to accept and go with the flow of change is an important step as well. My yogi once told me that there's a lesson in everything and until you learn the lesson, it will keep coming back at you. I've also heard the phrase "energy goes where attention flows" and the more I notice where my energy is, the more I realize that my attention is there too - often bringing personal discord. We live our lives as though they will go as we have them planned. We soon find that most things don't go as we have planned them to be. When I was in high school I has numbers that meant a lot to me; 21 was when I would get married, working a great job, being fully and financially independent, 27 was when I'd have my first child and 33 I would have my second child while still be successful at my job, as a mother and as a wife. None of that happened. As a matter of fact, that was the furthest thing from what actually did happen but I prefer not to go back there again...ever. That experience taught me a lot about life but not a lot about myself until years later. I was timid, shy, scared and had no self-worth. Later on, after more bumps in the road, hell they were more like craters that I fell deep into than bumps but just the same, after all that, I slowly and methodically (through intense counseling) learned that I matter. I also learned well that change happens whether we're ready or not, so I better learn how to work with it instead of against it. Knowing how doesn't mean it's easy to do, it just means it's do-able and helps to keep me/you sane. When things change around you, try to see the big picture, try to see if there's a lesson, try to see the positive side of the situation. Try to think of others that are affected by the situation too and think about supporting them through it as well. You might find that by doing that, it helps you heal and go with the flow of change. Change is to be embraced. Sometimes after the initial shock of a situation, we realize that it was the best thing that could have happened to us; I can think of many instances where this is true, I bet you can too. In a heartbeat, your whole world can be different. Start to be in the moment each day and in each interesting and non-interesting thing that happens throughout your day. Embrace change. |
Hi!
My name is Dawn. I'm nutritional & lifestyle coach, hairstylist, home cook, writer, blogger, mother, friend. Archives
April 2016
Categories |