Life is a collaborative effort

"It is important to choose our partnerships consciously. Sometimes forged quickly during times of need, we may find ourselves rushing into unions with perhaps not the clearest intentions. Partnerships created from those starting point might serve our immediate needs, but the repercussions of a union so quickly fostered without much thought can be difficult to recover from.

Granted, there is something to learn from every relationship, but looking to another to fix or complete us can turn a partnership into a dependent bond. If we can stay clear about what we want and what we need in a partnership, while staying grounded and remembering that we are our own source of happiness and fulfillment, we can create partnerships that support and enhance the best of who we are. 

Everyone in our lives is a mirror reflecting back the parts we love and dislike about ourselves. If we have the courage to recognize our reflections in each other, we can grow through our partnerships. A partnership that offers both acceptance of who we are and an opportunity for personal transformation can be fertile ground for growing a healthy, lasting union. When we find this kind of partnership, we are more likely to want to keep it, invest in it, and nurture it.

Life is a collaborative effort. Much of what we do can be enhanced through partnership. Together we are stronger because our personal power is multiplied by two. Through partnership we experience the joys of working, living, and loving together."

Source:  Daily Om

Who we choose in our relationships says so much about us.

Choosing a life partner whose life mingles with ours harmoniously is so healthy for a happy life. 

Choose your relationships wisely, whether it be a life partner or a best friend. They can make the difference between happiness or misery.  It is your choice.

My grandmother had the best advice ever . . . it is better to be alone than to be in bad company.

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Positive Self-Affirmation

"When we develop a confident mind-set and release our worries about what others think of us, we build our self-esteem and bring more balance to our relationships. 

Most often our fears about what others think of us are simply projections of how we view ourselves. When we begin to change our own beliefs to more positive, empowering ones, our fears melt away. We become stronger, happier people and begin to see ourselves in a more positive light. This causes others to do the same. 

Our relationships become better because we are connecting from a more authentic, loving place. By devoting attention to enhancing your attitude and confidence level today, you can improve the quality of your interactions with others."

Source:  Daily Om 

I could not have said it better!  

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Change . . . and the comfort zone

The comfort zone is something I am intimately acquainted with.

In bad times, the comfort zone is a place to heal and feel safe when we feel the ravages of life beating on us like the waves on the ocean. There have been many times in my life when the “comfort zone” was the only place for me to be.

Like everything in life . . . there is a time and place for everything in moderation.

The way of change for me has been intensive thinking and writing . . . and changes must happen incrementally for them to be effective because of the challenges I have faced in the past. Most of my life challenges came upon me suddenly, all at one time, and called for drastic life changes as well as personal changes . . . most of them emotional and involved the death of my spouse.

The emotions and changes have been convoluted to say the least, sometimes one would collide with the other. Hence the need for incremental changes in my case.

I've momentarily lost my comfort zone . . . and I am feeling lost.

Writing about my emotions and keeping a journal to record emotional progress is one of the greatest tools I have found to cope with life changes on the road back to “peace, love and happiness” . . .

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Happiness and joy

The happiness and joy experience:

• strengthens the immune system
• promotes general good health
• burn away the impurities in your emotional system
• disperses worries, anxieties, grief, frustration, stress and other negative emotions.
• sharpens intellect and memory
• 
  

Joy was seen as a sacred responsibility by the Ancient Egyptians, who believed that upon death two questions would be asked of them by the God Osiris and those who answered yes could continue the journey into the afterlife.

The questions:

“Did you bring joy?”
“Did you find joy?”

One of my greatest joys is putting a smile on someone’s face or making a difference in someone’s life . . . and it answers “yes” to both questions!

What are some of your greatest joys?

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Suppressed emotions

"Our tears are what happens when it rains deep inside our hearts and we cannot hold the rain any longer."

- Philippos

Sometimes we hold little things inside that build up and fester.  No matter what, things just don't seem right.  Those little things can rob our peace and joy for life itself.

When the tears start to flow, someone may ask why you are crying.  You honestly answer that you don't know.  It can be a general discontent for life as it is at the moment, yet still difficult to explain.  It is just there, residing inside like a disease taking over the body and soul.

Unresolved feelings of resentment can reside deep within our subconscious mind without even knowing they are there.  They live with us.  It happens when you sweep something unpleasant under the rug, hoping it will go away.  It never does, even when you forget it is there.

It could be something ugly said or done that hurt your feelings deeply that you have swept under the rug . . . it is still there.

Some people can experience hurt feelings, shrug it off and forget it forever.  For others, it is nearly impossible.

Suppressed emotions and feelings can be so dangerous to our mental health. While it is also dangerous to dwell on these things, they must be dealt with before they reach deep within our subconscious mind to haunt us and come out when we least expect it.

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What's happening . . .

As I rebuild this blog, it is my hope that I am not confusing everybody with the posts that automatically feed into different places on the internet and to those who subscribe by email.

A couple of weeks ago I guess I was going through a difficult time with anxiety and panic attacks about being so open about myself, my emotions, my life's journey and how it affects my life.  So I temporarily closed the blog in a not so well thought out move.

I'm having to republish each post, skipping through the years and it probably seems like I'm not doing it in an orderly fashion.  The most popular posts are going in first and I am trying to make the number of posts for each year equal.

Everything happens for a reason is my life philosophy . . . I'm trying to figure this one out since I have done this before and know how much work it is to rebuild again!

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Offering love and comfort

They invented hugs to let people know you  love them without saying anything.  (Bil Keane)



Sometimes just being with somebody,  rather than words,is all that  is needed to help.

Sometimes it is difficult to see someone we love struggling, in pain, or hurting. When this happens, we might feel like we need to be proactive and do something to ease their troubles.

While others may want our help, it is important to keep in mind that we need to be sensitive to what they truly want in the moment, since it can be all too easy to get carried away and say or do more than is really needed. Allowing ourselves to let go and simply exist in the present with another person may actually provide a greater amount of comfort and support than we could ever imagine.

Perhaps we can think back to a time when we were upset and needed a kind word, hug, or listening ear from someone else. As we remember these times, we might think of the gestures of kindness that were the most healing. It may have been gentle words such as “I care about you,” or the soothing presence of someone holding us and not expecting anything that were the most consoling.

When we are able to go back to these times it becomes easier for us to keep in mind that giving advice or saying more than is really necessary is not always reassuring.

What is truly comforting for another is not having someone try to fix them or their problems, but to just be there for them.

Should we begin to feel the urge arise to offer advice or repair a situation, we can take a few deep breaths, let the impulse pass, and bring our attention back to the present. Even though we may want to do more, we do not have to do anything other than this to be a good friend.

The more we are attuned to what our loved ones are feeling, the more capable we are of truly giving what is best for them in their hour of need. Keeping things simple helps us give the part of ourselves that is capable of the greatest amount of compassion—open ears and an understanding heart.

Embracing Others

You may be demonstrative in your affection toward your loved ones today. Demonstrating the depth of your caring could be a way to show your appreciation to the people in your life, for you might recognize that actions can be so much more powerful than words. Making a point to hug, touch, or caress someone who is close to you can not only let them know your feelings but also make your relationship even more intimate. If you are unable to physically embrace the people you care about today, you may wish to give a mental hug, imagining that your arms convey all the love that you hold inside for them. Whatever the nature of your embrace, it is important to keep in mind that even a simple form of touch can be incredibly powerful.

Hugs show the real intensity behind our warmth for others. Something as nurturing as physical touch often takes us back to a time when we were young and thrived on the affection of other people. As we grow older, it is easier to forget this aspect of our lives but just as essential nevertheless. The mere act of touching allows us to open the way for others to feel our unconditional love and to create an aura of trust and understanding. It is the ultimate means through which we are able to let others know how much they mean to us. Give as many hugs as you can today, and you will make the depth of your love wholeheartedly known.

Source: Daily Om

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