The other day, a friend of mine sent me this video. I was amazed at this wonderful lady and all that she has accomplished and the beauty she has created in her life with the immense challenges she faces. And she handles it all with one of the most positive mental attitudes I have ever witnessed. Kind of made me think twice and even a third time about my complaints I make on a daily basis. It’s nice to have a “splash of cold water in the face” from time to time to get your thoughts and priorities in place.

Enjoy this wonderful, incredible video!!

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At this time of year, I always love to read inspirational stories and poems. They remind me just how miraculous life is. And what they teach in just a few short phrases or paragraphs, is amazing.

Over the next few weeks, I am going to share some gems I have found. I hope you like them as much as I.

Here is the first I have found entitled “A Family Tradition”.

It was mid-October when I first spotted them. They were nestled in next to the candy and Halloween costumes as I walked through the store. They were the first Christmas decorations of the year. It was the beginning of the 10 week period when the stores do all they can to get us to buy all we can. It was the great Christmas shopping rush and the bigger the gifts the better. I shook my head sadly and walked on, but then a wonderful memory came back into my mind.

It was late-December from several years earlier. I was shopping alone trying to pick up some thick Winter socks to warm my frozen feet. As I rounded the corner in the store I saw a Christmas tree full of paper angels. On each angel was the name of a needy child whose family couldn’t afford to buy them a gift that year. Shoppers who picked an angel could buy a simple toy or gift and the store would wrap it and send it to the child that Christmas. Around the tree I saw a teenage boy and girl picking out several angels apiece. Their mother was smiling while she watched them. I walked up next to her and started talking with her. She told me that her children started this several years ago when she first explained to them what the Charity Angel tree was for. Each offered to give up one of their toys that year so that a needy child could have one. It didn’t stop then, though. Each year since the kids had saved money they earned throughout the year and bought more and more children the gifts they wouldn’t have otherwise. It had become a family tradition. I smiled when she finished, walked over to the tree, and picked out a few angels too. I left the store feeling in touch with God, Christmas, and life once again.

May we always remember that life is about the love you share not the money you have. Life is about the people you help not the things you own. And may we also see that it is never too late to start a family tradition that makes the Father of us all smile.

~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~

You can get Joseph Mazzella’s book, “WALKING THE PATH OF LOVE,” at www.amazon.com
[ by: Joseph J. Mazzella Copyright © 2011]

Everyone experiences the ups and downs of life and what challenges and rewards it can present you from day to day. You can be on an ultimate high one day and then feel as if the rug was pulled out from under you the next.

With the latter, it is often more difficult to recover and get back on track with your life. This is especially true if you are a solopreneur or sole business owner. It’s just you running your business and making it flourish. If you are derailed by a major life occurrence, then this could lead to a slowdown in your forward momentum which, in turn, could lead to other issues.

Over the last three months, I have experienced not one but two of these major life moments, both in the form of a serious family crisis, first with my mother-in-law and then my husband, and know firsthand the challenges they presented to me. It was difficult to put any thought into working while being so involved with them. The energy and focus for work was gone. I felt guilty that I was letting my clients and myself down. When I would try to get work done, I was numb and could not get my mind off the situations and all the emotions and physical effects I was experiencing. Luckily, I had the support of family, friends and associates to help me through and make sense of the lessons I have learned from these experiences and am very grateful to them. I now know these crises were opportunities presented to me to grow and develop even though at the time it felt so very far from it.

As it so often happens with me, my synchronicity with the Universe led me to an awesome article written by my colleague, Rhonda Hess called, “7 Steps to Get Back on Track when Life Derails Your Coaching Business”. This article does a superb job in giving you the information to help you through your life issue and is pertinent to not just the coaching profession but to any business.

I highly recommend reading her article in full to obtain all the helpful information contained therein, but in the meantime, here are her steps:

1-Align your expectations with your commitment
2-Accept what is
3-Determine what must be done
4-Clear the slate
5-Call in resources
6-Look for the gift
7-Make yourself over

I must say Rhonda is dead on accurate in these 7 steps. I did not find her article until I was in the 7th step (which is where I am now) but can attest to these being exactly what is needed to get you through your life issue. Thank you Rhonda for your insight!

In the coming months, I will be “making myself over” as well as my business. Life issues bring with them clarity to your existence like no other which I am fully embracing.

So stay tuned for the exciting changes!!

Do you find yourself frustrated in your progress toward whatever goal you have set for yourself? Does this lead to you pushing forward to the point of forcing this goal to happen only to have the outcome not be what you wanted or expected?

Here is a simple analogy. I have often been in backed up traffic on the highway and saw a person switching lanes to move forward more quickly. It usually happens however, that I get to where they are going just as fast by going with the flow and not forcing the outcome. The other person, upon seeing me, usually just has their frustration doubled and they get angry for all their wasted effort.

It is the same way in life as on the highway. Yes, you need to purposefully move forward to achieve your goal but do so in a manner that does not force the outcome. Often when you have a goal, there are pieces of information and/or things you need to do, or learn how to do, to fully achieve the goal. Rushing forward, getting ahead of yourself, can cause you to cut corners or totally overlook this needed information. In turn, it may seem as if you reached your goal but, because you have not set up a firm base and learned along the way, it has a greater chance of not lasting and being all it could have been.

By forcing, you are setting up negative energies and possible blocks that will only drain you and cause more discomfort and frustrations along the way. If you stay in the flow of events and be aware of all that is happening around you by paying close attention, you will learn more along the way and have more ease in getting there.

Take the time to flow and learn through your process to be more successful and better prepared when you reach your desired outcome.

I recently had the honor of being interviewed by Marcy Neumann on her PWRN Radio Show called “Mastering the Art of Becoming”. The show each week takes you on a journey through the process of expanding your consciousness and intentionally becoming the Master of Your Life! Each segment brings timely, useful information, to help you hone new skills and hear from experts that are dedicated to providing quality information that supports a positive transformation.

Marcy Neumann is a registered nurse, spiritual minister, certified hypnotist, Reiki Master level teacher, dynamic speaker, radio personality and author. She is the creator of CELLpH (Self) LOVE, a unique and cutting-edge ‘self help’, health and wellness program. In addition, in 2007, Marcy created her company, Heartlites Incorporated, which manufactures her award winning spiritual/personal development products, programs and educational materials based on the ‘Law of Attraction’ principles.

I invite you to take a few minutes to listen to this broadcast entitled ” ‘School of Hardknocks’ Becomes Honors Program for the Right Students!”. In the interview, I tell how I learned at an early age that the ‘school of hard knocks’ can be demanding, demoralizing and destructive. However, I also learned that these lessons have hidden agendas and serve other purposes as well. They can also be utilized to transform and strategize the creation of new life and productivity, and the choice to do so is one we make daily.

You can also access this interview at pwrnradio.com/?p=15074  and while there, please check out some of Marcy’s other stellar interviews.

Have you triumphed over struggles or overwhelming odds in your life? Do you have an inspirational story to tell? Please share your story with us here in the comments so we all can learn from you.

If you prefer not to share it publicly, please contact me at elaine@elainelockard.com . I am always interested in hearing stories such as these.

My brother often sends me funny jokes and such by e-mail which I am sure you too often receive.

Recently he sent one which was not funny but rather very thought-provoking. It was supposedly written by an old gentleman in a nursing home and found by the staff in his possessions after he passed away. Whether it was actually written by such a person is unknown. However, it carries an important message on how we perceive people and judge them accordingly. It allows us to understand how our flawed perception can lead us to treat others in an erroneous and possibly disrespectful manner.

Can you think of the time in which you may have improperly perceived and judged a person? How might things have been different if you had realized your error at the time?

Here is the poem entitled “Crabby Old Man”:

What do you see nurses?….What do you see?
What are you thinking….When you’re looking at me?
A crabby old man….Not very wise,
Uncertain of habit….With faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food….And makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice….“I do wish you’d try!”
Who seems not to notice….The things that you do.
And forever is losing….A sock or shoe.

Who, resisting or not….Lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding….The long day to fill?
Is that what you’re thinking?….Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse….You’re not looking at me.

I’ll tell you who I am….As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding….As I eat at your will.
I’m a small child of Ten….With a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters….Who love one another.

A young boy of Sixteen….With wings on his feet.
Dreaming that soon now….A lover he’ll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty….My heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows….That I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now….I have young of my own
Who need me to guide….And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty….My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other….With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons….Have grown and are gone,
But my woman’s beside me….To see I don’t mourn.
At Fifty, once more….Babies play ’round my knee,
Again, we know children….My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me….My wife is now dead.
I look at the future….Shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing….Young of their own.
And I think of the years ….And the love that I’ve known.

I’m now an old man….And nature is cruel
Tis jest to make old age….Look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles….Grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone….Where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass….A young guy still dwells,
And now and again….My battered heart swells.
I remember the joys….I remember the pain.
And I’m loving and living….Life over again.

I think of the years, all too few….Gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact….That nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people….Open and see.
Not a crabby old man….Look closer……….See ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet an older person or any person who may seem different from you. Do not judge them without looking more deeply into who they really are.

It is said that the best and most beautiful things in this world can’t be seen or touched, they must be felt and filtered by your heart.

You never know, when one day, you will be the person being looked at!

Like many of you, I will miss Oprah and her weekly teachings she has brought to us over the last 25 years. I consider her to be one of the most inspirational people of our times if not THE most inspirational person. Everything about her was so down to earth. She was able to tell it like it is on a level everyone could understand.

Her last show was very moving. I was particularly interested in how she analyzed what she had learned from her guests and the public during her time before us.

She pointed out, which I most definitely agree with and is one of the focuses of my work, the importance that everyone needs validation and their own sense of their worth. So much pain and confusion in our lives come from a lack of these two things. Others through the years have tried to make us understand these very points but by having her say these now, after her 25 years of preparing us and showing us how valid these points are in small digestible increments, drives the meaning and importance of them finally home to our hearts.

I taped her last show and have watched it over a few times. I have written down some of her observations and conclusions which I call “Oprah-isms”. I would like to share them with you now as my final tribute to this wonderful teacher!

“I wanted to encourage you to be more of yourself.”

“Your real job in life is to find out what your calling is and to get about doing it.”

“A calling is a passion. It lights you up and lets you know you are exactly where you are supposed to be, doing what you are supposed to be doing.”

“Live from the heart of yourself.”

“Know what sparks the light in you so that you in your own way illuminate the world.”

“Each one has their own platform where ever you are.”

“When you get that you are responsible for your life, you get free.”

“There is a difference between thinking you deserve to be happy and knowing you are worthy of happiness.”

“Your being alive makes worthiness your birthright.”

“We often block our own blessings because we don’t feel inherently good enough, or smart enough, or pretty enough or worthy enough.”

“You alone are enough.”

“Everybody wants and needs to be heard and validated.”

“Embrace your light and use your light to serve the world.”

“Nobody but you is responsible for your life.”

“You are responsible for the energy that you create for yourself and you are responsible for the energy you bring to others .”

With peace and gratitude until we meet again dear lady!

We all need a few minutes of quiet time to relax, refresh and renew from the daily stress we encounter. Even better is to have pleasant scenery, soothing sounds and music to comfort us.

Over the next few months, I will be placing videos here on my blog, to help you de-stress and relax after a long day or just to take a break.

Enjoy this Havasupai Indian Waterfall Relaxation Video!

If trying to maintain balance in your life makes you feel like a tightrope walker, you’re not alone. Most of us have so many demands on our time and energy, life can feel like a three-ring circus. Take this quiz to see how well you are meeting responsibilities, while also recognizing and fulfilling personal needs and wants.

Answer each statement below with True or False as it applies to you:

1. The only way I can successfully manage my life is to take care of myself physically and emotionally.

2. Nurturing myself enlarges my capacity to help others.

3. I eat healthfully and exercise regularly.

4. I get check-ups, go to the dentist, and take preventative precautions.

5. I set aside personal, quiet time for myself, whether I’m meditating or simply letting my thoughts drift.

6. I experience the gifts of each season: ice skating, sledding, bundled-up beach walks; gardening, hiking, more time outside; camping, swimming, barbeques; harvesting the bounty, gathering wood, spending more time inside.

7. Creativity nurtures me, too. I do what I love, whether that’s cooking, drawing, painting, writing, dancing, singing or another creative pursuit.

8. Reaching out to others enriches my life. I spend quality time with family and friends.

9. Contributing to the world provides connection and purpose, so I give my time, energy and experience where it is most useful.

10. I notice and heed the emotional signals that tell me I’m out of balance: irritability, overwhelm, resentment.

11. If I feel that I’m catching a cold, I realize I may have stressed my immune system with overactivity, so I stop and take care of myself.

12. When I need or want to, I say no to requests for my time.

13. I listen to and honor the requests my body makes for such things as a nap, a walk, green vegetables, hot soup.

14. If I have something planned for myself, I don’t just toss that aside when someone makes a request of me.

15. I’m busy, but I find time to do the things I want to do.

16. I’m happy. I regularly experience well-being, contentment, even joy.

If you answered false more often than true, you may want to take a look at the statements to which you answered false and see if you can incorporate something of its message into your life. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you’d like to explore this issue further.

Author’s content used under license, © 2011 Claire Communications