Awaken the Genie Within

Big Deal!

When I saw this video I had to share it with you. You will witness a family who have shut down their Gremlin, embraced their Genie and changed their story. And the fact is, they could have easily allowed the Gremlin to rule their lives and chances are people would have understood - feeling great sorrow for them. Are sacrifices being made? Absolutely! But sometimes it's the sacrifices we choose that can change our life and deliver our greatest joy.

In the video the son says: "God made me blind and unable to walk - big deal. He gave me the musical gifts I have and great opportunity to meet new people."

The two words that struck me deeply were: big deal. And it's that attitude from him and his family that made them who they are today. 

May you be inspired to turn what you believe to be your limitations into opportunities to learn and create something greater.

In a Rush

Yesterday I was in quite a rush when leaving my home to get to an appointment on time. As I pulled out of my driveway my neighbor was standing in hers. The moment I saw her my Gremlin started screaming, "Don't stop to ask her, you're going to be late and this meeting is too important to be late for!" Now, when my Gremlin gets that demanding I tend to take a breath and think twice about what It's telling me. So in that moment I breathed deeply and sure enough my Genie's voice gently said, "Take the time. You'll be fine." So I did.

You see, my neighbor's husband had been rushed to the hospital a few nights prior and although I wanted to find out how he was doing I also know she is a talker and it's never a quick conversation. Nonetheless, I stopped the car, rolled down the window and engaged in a conversation with her. Here's what was interesting to me. She told me she only had a moment because a friend was picking her up to get her car at the mechanics. Then she quickly filled me in on how her husband was doing and told me that it meant so much to her that I took the time to inquire about him and that it really did make her day knowing how much my husband and I care.

Within a matter of 2 minutes her ride showed up and we were both on our way. As I drove away I thought about how disappointed she might have felt had I not stopped and how silly it was to think I didn't have the time. 

The truth is, so what if I was late for this business meeting. It would have been a matter of minutes - maybe! And there's no reason I couldn't have told her the truth about needing to get to a meeting and cut the conversation short if it was necessary.

In all our rushing here and rushing there, our Gremlin is more than happy to tell us we don't have the time to stop and connect with another person. Just tell your Gremlin to stop rushing you and do what your Genie knows best - take the time. You never know when your simple act of kindness will make someone's day.

What Love Is

This was sent to me and there was no way I wasn't going to share it with you. If you've seen it I know it's worth a second read.

What love means to a 4-8 year old. Slow down for three minutes to read this. You'll be glad you did.

Touching words from the mouth of babes. A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4-8 year olds, 'What does love mean?' The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:

'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time even when his hands got arthritis, too. That's love.' 

Rebecca - age 8

'When  someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.'
Billy - age 4

'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other. 
Karl - age 5

'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your french fries without making them give you any of theirs. 
Chrissy - age 6

'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.'
Terri - age 4

'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is okay.'
Danny - age 7

'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss.'
Emily - age 8

'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.'
Bobby - age 7 - This blew me away!

'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend you hate.'
Nikka - age 6 - Absolutely brilliant!

'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.
'Noelle - age 7

'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.'
Tommy - age 6

'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.
Cindy - age 8

'My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night. 
Clare - age 6

'Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken.'
Elaine - age 5

'Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.'
Chris - age 7

'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.'
Mary Ann - age 4

'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.'
Lauren - age 4

'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.'
Karen - age 7

'Love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.'

Mark - age 6

'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.'
Jessica - age 8

And the final one - Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. 

The winner was a 4 year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. 

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.       

When his mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, 'Nothing, I just helped him cry.'

Go out and be Love today.  

             

Love Is All You Need

This video is beautiful and will remind you that the world is a much nicer place than the news would like you to believe. I found myself watching it several times and pausing in spots just to look more closely at the people, the background and where they are all from. There were several places in the world I had never even heard of. What a gift to learn that these people and places exist!

Enjoy!

Hit Your Default Button

If you've ever been annoyed or angered by someone in your life because they asked you about your whereabouts or why you did a certain something, it's not unusual to find yourself jumping on the defensive - especially if you're reading into a tone in their voice that has you believing you need to defend yourself.

Well, I'd like to invite you to think about this in a new way and hit your default button, so to speak, so you can actually consider that there's something good stemming from his or her question or questions. Now you may be thinking, what good exists when someone is asking you, "Why did you go there without telling me?" or "Why were you gone so long?" or "Why did you have to give her that, today?"

Take a moment and think, what good intention lives within those questions? 

If you're thinking, "Well, maybe he or she was worried about me?" or "Maybe he or she wanted to be included in the giving process and was hurt that I did this alone," you're absolutely correct.

Whatever the other person's reason is, you have the ability to defuse the situation by the way you respond. Come from a place of defensiveness and you only escalate things. Come from a place of curiosity, giving the other person the benefit of the doubt, you can diffuse a possible argument. 

The people in our lives who love and care about us aren't out to hurt us intentionally. When we're willing to hit our default button, look for the possible good in the situation and respond from that place, it's amazing how the communication can shift and how the other person will respond in kind.

You might respond with, "You sound like you were worried about me. If that's true, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Or "Did I misunderstand that you wanted to be there when I gave her the gift or is something else upsetting you about this?"

Get your ego out of the way for a little while and just allow yourself to be responsible for possibly not understanding the need of the other person. I know we can't read someone else's mind and it's frustrating when people don't say what they want to say, clearly, but it can start with you to create a better understanding between each other.

I can't think of a better time to practice this than during the holidays, when we're spending more time with loved ones and often feeling more stressed than normal. So get your finger warmed up and start hitting your default button.

May your holiday season be filled with joy, love, peace and compassion.

So Beautiful

The following was sent to me by a friend and it moved me to tears.

This was written by a Metro Denver Hospice Physician:

I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die - I barely managed to coast into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn't even turn over. Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the quickie mart building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay.

When I got there, it  looked more like she had  been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up to give it to her. It was a nickel.

At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban crammed full of stuff with 3 kids in the back (1 in a car seat), and the gas pump reading $4.95. I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying 'I don't want my kids to see me crying!,' so we stood on the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California and that things were very hard for her right now. So I asked, 'And you were praying?' That made her back away from me a little, but I assured her I was not a crazy person and said, 'He heard you, and He sent me.'

I took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling, walked to the next door McDonald's and bought 2 big bags of food, some gift certificates for more, and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the car, who attacked it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and talking a little.

She told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City. Her boyfriend left 2 months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet. She knew she wouldn't have money to pay rent Jan. 1, and finally, in desperation, had called her parents, with whom she had not spoken in about 5 years. They lived in California and said she could come live with them and try to get on her feet there.

So she packed up everything she owned in the car. She told the kids they were going to California for Christmas, but not that they were going to live there. I gave  her my gloves, a little hug and said a quick prayer with her for safety on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, 'So, are you like an angel or something?'

This definitely made me cry. I said, 'Sweetie, at this time of year angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people.'

It was so incredible to be a part of someone else's miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem. I'll put it in the shop tomorrow to check, but I suspect the mechanic won't find anything wrong.

Sometimes the angels fly close enough to you that you can hear the flutter of their wings...

Looking For the Fun!

While waiting in the check out line at my grocery store on Halloween day I noticed the checker had on a silly costume and an even sillier wig. I smiled and then looked around at the other employees to see what crazy costumes they were wearing only to discover that no one else was in costume.

When I got up to my checker I asked him why no one else was wearing a costume. He said at first he was feeling really awkward when he got to work and realized this. But then quickly decided not to let that ruin his day and that's when he chose to believe that the others just didn't have as much fun in their spirit as he did! He also said, "This is who I am. Just someone looking for the fun any chance I get!"

How great is that comment! "Looking for the fun any chance I get." The fact that he was the only one who dressed up and decided not to be intimidated by being in the minority speaks volumes about this person.

How often are you willing to look for the fun and not be intimidated by what others might think? It's not an easy thing to do on a daily basis but I'll tell you what, I've been inspired to follow this person's lead and look for the fun any chance I get no matter what anyone else thinks - especially my Gremlin!

A New Friend

I have a new friend. When I became friends with her I thought I would be the one serving her, keeping her spirits up, supporting her in any way she needed support. Boy was I ever wrong! As it turns out, she serves me so much more!

She's gracious and joyful and always glad to see me. She never complains and always looks on the bright side of life. She never judges and simply takes life in stride. Her name is Ann.

Ann became my friend when I started volunteering at a home for the elderly to spend time with people who don't receive many visitors. Turns out I hit the jackpot having the opportunity to be in her presence every week and listen to the stories about her life - a life that wasn't easy at all. But that didn't stop Ann from being happy.

As she told me, "It's my life and moanin' and groanin' about it ain't going to make it any different. So I just decided to accept whatever came my way and do my best to keep on goin'. A long time ago I figured out that when I smiled even the heartache seemed a little less painful and eventually the sun was shining on me again, never fails."

Ann is living proof that that attitude not only makes a difference in how we feel but in how we look. When I first met her she asked me how old I thought she was. When I said about 80 she just gave me a sly little smile and proudly said, "I'm 100 years old and in December I'll be 101!" I was speechless and in that moment I knew I was in the presence of someone very special.

When I grow up I want to be just like Ann!

You Can't With Some People

Those words were spoken by a gentleman as he was leaving the office of our chiropractor, Kim. Now Kim doesn't do traditional adjustments, although when absolutely necessary she will. But for the most part, she brings you back into alignment by clearing any negative energy and emotions stored in your body enabling you to heal more deeply.

The words she said to the man leaving were, "Stay joyful and peaceful while you're with them." To which he responded, "Well, the fact is you can't with some people and when I'm with these people there's no chance of being joyful or at peace." And then he was gone. 

Now Kim knows the work I do with my clients and in that moment we just locked eyes and gave each other a knowing smile. A smile that said, "Actually, you can, when you're willing to take responsibility for your own emotions and not let others control how you feel."

For this man, he was right because it's his truth. I'm going to assume he's never known it to be any other way when he's with people who are difficult or unpleasant. But what he doesn't realize is every time he allows himself to go to that unpleasant place with them, he's giving all his power away because he believes he doesn't have a choice.

The bottom line is this; you always, always, always have a choice as to how you want to respond to someone. How you want to feel. How you want to behave. Is it easy to stay in that place of peace and joy during challenging situations with others? Absolutely not! But that doesn't mean it's impossible. 

Does it take work? Yes! It requires a lot of practice. Taking several deep breaths in the moment. Taking a moment to gain your composure before you speak. And doing your best to not take things so personally. All of these things gets you on the road to gaining control over your emotional energy - moving from your Gremlin thinking into your Genie awareness. It is living in that new awareness that will support your highest good and bring you the peace and joy we all strive for in life.

A Perfect Mirror

While attending a small dinner party at a girlfriend's house I was faced with something that actually surprised me. One of the women I met that evening brought up all sorts of emotion in me - and I'm not talking about the happy, peaceful kind. I'm talking about the kind that makes my heart contract instead of expand. Quite honestly it took all my power to not let my evening be consumed by her, so I didn't miss out on all the other people I was enjoying so much.

As the evening went on something occurred to me - she was a perfect mirror showing me my past behaviors that I have worked so hard to transform and realized that some of those behaviors I am still working on transforming. Now, I'd like to tell you, that once I realized this, I found myself in a state of peace with her and my heart expanded tenfold, but that would be a lie.

You see, although I realized she was being a perfect mirror for me in the moment, I still wanted to strangle her at times. Yes, I'm obviously a work in progress and I know I always will be.

It's been a few days since meeting this woman and I have put my energy into being grateful for her revealing more of me to myself. I continue to open my heart toward her but more importantly toward myself - allowing me to continue to work on and transform that part of me that lingers within so I may move into greater love each and every day.

It's so much easier to make other person the bad guy. But when we find ourselves reacting really strongly to someone's behavior and allow it to consume us for hours, days, weeks or longer, I promise you, it's always something in us that we haven't transformed or come to peace with yet.