Build It With Care

How do you prepare to cook a meal? How do you prepare for your daily work out (okay, maybe your weekly work out)? How do you prepare a long lasting marriage, a fun family trip and on and on? 

A satisfying meal, a productive work out that does the body good, a marriage of two people who compliment each other now and in years to come and bringing the family together from near and far to have fun all require preparation. The other day it occurred to me that learning, I mean deciding to really learn also requires preparation:

  

Clear your study space

Listen to Classical Music (it awakens your brain)

Ask questions and if you don't understand the answer...ask more questions in person, via email or set up a time to meet with your instructors

Take detailed notes that YOU will understand later

Use the internet to learn a little more about your subjects (time consuming I know, but this is only if you are determined to learn)

Do your homework (yes every assignment)

oh and...Go to class & Tune In!

The Keys required for Success in almost any and every endeavor you take on are: your time, creativity, commitment and preparation...this is your education, your dream, your life...Build it with care...Muah

 

 

Get and Do more of what you Really Really Want!

It's the most wonderful time of the year, loved ones are near, homes all aglow with festive lights, holiday decor and music are everywhere and the hearts of others are filled with giving and good cheer. You would think with all this warm and fuzzy stuff abounding, crime and sadness would be at an all time low, right?  But even with all that we see, hear and do this time of year, many of us are still not at peace and where there is no peace you will (too often) find people more prone to chaos and carrying pieces (if you get my meaning).

Perhaps, just maybe if in the midst of this magical season, we could get a glimpse of what we are (at our core) really yearning for we could then truly work for and grasp peace.  Most (perhaps not all) of us really really want a few basic things: Joy, to be heard, to be understood, to be really loved for who WE ARE, recognition for our talents, to matter, to be relevant, to be proud of the people that we are on a daily basis and have those who matter to us be proud of us and our accomplishments and to have GOOD CREDIT (lol lol had to throw that in).  We also want to be at peace with our thoughts and our choices, therein lies true bliss like joy.  That being said, we often strive to have and do stuff that fills in the gaps of these things, we spend money without much thought on a variety of people and things, we put on airs, we do all sorts of things that we THINK will make us feel and be Successful.  There is nothing wrong with trying daily to improve on you and be a better you than you were yesterday but life was meant to be more and when we slow down and ask ourselves (and listen to the answer) what am I really really yearning for and in response to your soul's answer begin to Get and Do more of what we really really yearn for we will find ourselves right in the middle of a much more enriched, truly successful and God pleasing life.  

Happy and Joyous Holidays to You all....therefore go forth, each and every one of you, Get and Do more of what you Really Really Want!

From My Lovely Morning View

Today on this "Thankful Tuesday", I am reflecting on being a mother, woman, business owner, daughter, friend, worshipper and a few other things that are not coming to mind at the moment. 

Life is full of unknown moments, scary and exciting moments and the daily challenge is to be open enough to walk the journey and learn what you can from each experience.  The experiences mold your character and create your life interactions with those around you.  These interactions contribute to our views.  Our views of what is or is not acceptable and what Success looks like.  As I walked this morning, I carefully pondered this very thought and from my Lovely Morning View

I realized that Success Is: Setting achievable and  seemingly impossible goals, staying in God's Presence, Walking in Forgiveness, Being a humble Student of Life, Being a Cheerful Giver, Focusing on the Good, Directing your Energy towards a more loving and brighter future not only for yourself but for others, Determination, Perseverance, Looking for solutions instead of dwelling on the problems and Keeping it Moving instead of making excuses! 

You Are A Success, from my Lovely Morning View.

Want Change? Invest Time in your Children

I have come to believe that society has fooled many women, and some men, into believing that the true measure of success is how big your house is, how new your car is and how many vacations you take each year. Sure people expect you to get married and have your 2.5 children but no one really expects you to actually raise them yourself. The conventional school of thought is to find the best child care available and as soon as you give birth you must shrink back down your pre-baby size and get back in the work force. While I have no problem with women working outside of the home I do have a problem with a society that requires it of its women.

I am the proud mother of a one year old and I love her to pieces. It took a few failed pregnancies, the loss of a Fallopian tube and 3 months of bed rest  before she graced us with her presence. Like any modern American woman I found the best daycare I could find for her and when she was 11 weeks old we put her in daycare. It wasn't as hard for me to leave her there for 40 hours a week because I had convinced myself that this is the way it had to be. However every week I began to resent going to work while these other people had the chance to mold my daughters mind and personality.

As she got older she became smarter and had learned some sign language and other great things but she also was picking up some habits that I didn't care for like having full on lay on the ground tantrums and, because a child had bitten her a few times, she started biting. Now I'm sure these are things that most children experience but I know that these were learned behaviors instead of just personality quarks inherent to her because one day she wasn't doing these things and after I observed another student exhibiting these behaviors a few days later so was my sweetie.

Well as fate would have it I was laid off from my job of nearly ten years with a lovely severance package and now I was going to be a work from home mom (I also have a home based business). The idea was liberating. Now I could instill all of the values that I wanted my child to have and have a chance to be the type of wife I never had the time to be before (dinner on the table, clean house, laundry done, etc.). Well those first few weeks I fell into a bit of a depression and I couldn't figure out why. Then one day it hit me. I had been working for someone else for over half of my life and I had lost my sense of purpose without a job. Sure raising my daughter full time is a great purpose but did I really know what I was doing? Was I really qualified to teach her numbers and shapes? Would she get the socialization that she would need to continue to be ahead of the curve mentally?

Once I realized that these things were just lies that women have been told for many years I shook off that fear and took on the challenge of making sure that my daughter would not only thrive but enjoy our time together every day. I created a routine for her, established and enforced a nap time daily, starting next month we will be taking a mommy and me dance class and going to free library story time and a drop in play time at our local community center. She is learning shapes, numbers and letters and loves to dance and sing. I am so blessed to have a husband who supports me and to have my home based business that gives me the adult interaction that I need to still feel like I'm a part of society.

While I know that not every woman can or wants to be a full time parent I think that it is important that we start to redefine what parenting looks like and make our children a priority again. I fully believe that a large part of the reason we have so many issues with young people today is because there are too many other things that are being held in higher esteem then our children. If we want our children to thrive then we must find a way to make them more of a priority then we have been. Otherwise things will never change.