Identity Under Pressure June 25, 2009
Posted by Carma in Impacting Others, living on purpose, Living Well.1 comment so far
How are you in pressure situations? Do you remain true to who you are? Or, do you kind of lose yourself? I sometimes find it difficult to remain true to who I am. I don’t like conflict. I have a tendency to just let the other side win. There’s a place for that. But, it is not always the best choice. How do I know when to stand or when to get out?
I don’t think there is a clear-cut answer to that question, but I do think there are principles we can work into our lives that will help us make the best choice in the heat of the moment. I gleaned these principles from watching one of my favorite movies “Anna and the King”. It’s based on Anna Leonowens move to Siam in the mid-1800s and the influence she had in that country. Although there is controversy surrounding the accuracy of the film, there are principles within the film worth looking at. (more…)
Making a Difference June 18, 2009
Posted by Carma in Impacting Others, Living Well.5 comments
A single star can light the dark.
A single smile can warm a heart.
A single hand can lift a Life.
A single voice can speak the truth.
A single life can make a difference.
- Anonymous
The quote above comes from a plaque given to me many years ago by close friends. It speaks volumes to me, especially as a single person. But it applies to all of us. No matter who we are, we can make a difference.
Too often we think we need to do something big to make a difference. I think it can be the ‘little ‘things that make the biggest difference. Let me share how it is the little things that have made the biggest difference for me. (more…)
Life Lessons from a 90-year old June 11, 2009
Posted by Carma in Living Well.9 comments
When I run across something written by someone who has lived most of their life, I pay attention. I believe we can learn a lot about living life well from those that have gone before us. This week I am posting a list contained within an email I received from a friend. Here it is:
Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio
“To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I’ve ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 [last] August, so here is the column once more: (more…)
A Struggling Moment or a Cleansing Moment? June 4, 2009
Posted by Carma in Living Well.add a comment
What do we do when we are struggling? When we struggle with life, or with a friendship, or with…? Sometimes we may not even be sure what we are struggling with, but we feel that something just isn’t right. All of us endure such moments. It may be brief – maybe a few minutes or an hour – or it may stretch out for weeks, or months, or longer.
Such moments are times of testing. Will we succumb or will we endure? Will we turn and run from such moments or will we embrace them? I believe our response is determined by our perspective of such moments. Do we approach these moments as a battle, that we just need to fight harder? Or, do we see them as opportunities for reflection, for evaluating what is really going on inside of us? And, maybe even allow the struggle to turn into a cleansing? (more…)
A Process vs. An Event May 28, 2009
Posted by Carma in Living Well.1 comment so far
…most people overestimate the importance of events and underestimate the power of processes.
- John Maxwell
We are a quick fix society. Whatever it is that we want, we want it quickly…and we want it without pain and difficulty. John Maxwell, in his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, explains that becoming a leader is a process, not an event. I think this applies to living life by design. To align our lives with our design is a process. It is not a quick fix. It is not an event. It is a life-time commitment to continually grow and become more and more the person I was designed to be. (more…)
Chasing, Running, or Standing? May 21, 2009
Posted by Carma in living on purpose, Living Well, Our dreams.2 comments
There are three kinds of people. Those that are chasing after something, those that are running from something, …and those that are standing still. …The world opens up to those that are standing still. -Moses, a character in the book “Bad Ground” by W. Dale Cramer
I read this quote recently and it has caused me to ponder… Is there truth in what this character shares in this fictional story? Are there three kinds of people: those that are chasing something, those that are running from something, and those that are standing still? Possibly we fit into each of these groups at different times in our lives, but where do we spend most of our time? (more…)
Emotional Revelation May 14, 2009
Posted by Carma in Living Well, Our dreams.3 comments
We’re still not where we’re going but we’re still not where we were.
-Natasha Josefowitz
For those of you who have a really hard time knowing who you are—what you like, what you want, what your purpose is—this post is for you. I used to be at the same place. Years ago I could not tell you much about myself—what I liked, what were my dreams, what I wanted out of life. If you are at a similar place, let me share how you can begin to discover the real you. (more…)
The Power of Contentment May 7, 2009
Posted by Carma in Living Well.1 comment so far
Anything bugging you today? Discontent with your job, with your finances, … with where you live?! Have you thought about what discontentment brings into our lives? Or, maybe you are not discontented. Maybe you are in a season of contentment. Life seems relatively good at the moment.
We’ve experienced both sides. One drains our energy, the other fuels it. One keeps us unsettled, the other settles us within. Let’s look at each side a little more fully, then discuss ways that can keep us more on the contented side. (more…)
Growing and Moving in Silence April 30, 2009
Posted by Carma in Living Well.2 comments
God is the friend of silence. Trees, flowers, grass grow in silence. See the stars, moon, and the sun how they move in silence. —Mother Teresa
Ever thought about growing in silence, or moving in silence? Just as Mother Teresa states above, nature grows and moves in silence. Can we do the same? I think we can. In fact, I think silence has to be a part of our lives in order for us to become fully who we are.
Silence isn’t necessarily something that our culture promotes. What do we attach to silence? Do we equate silence to loneliness, or to growth? Does too much silence mean we’re not important, or, is it that we’re important enough to have silence? (more…)
Timing April 23, 2009
Posted by Carma in Living Well, Our dreams.3 comments
Have you ever had a very strong sense that you were to do something? So, you did it, but it ended up being a complete catastrophe—or at least not near what you imagined it would be? What do you do with that? What do you do with thinking you were to do something, and you did, but it flopped? Will I ever trust that inner premonition again—or will I just ignore it?
Before we discuss that, let’s also consider the other side. How many times have we thought or have heard someone say “Oh, I had that sense but I didn’t pay attention to it.” Or, “I was thinking that but I didn’t do anything about it.” After all is said and done, we realize that what we were picking up on was right on. (more…)
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