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MY THERAPY

Dear Reader, Fellow Blogger, Friend,

This site will ask you to ponder, reflect, and freely express your thoughts on different subject matter.  Sure, most of my postings may fit into the categories on the left of the page, but since I love discussion across a spectrum of topics (not debate, there is a difference), only the future can be certain of that which will transfer from my mental cache to this blog site.  Hence, my decision to entitle this site, “My Therapy.”  So, please read, review, comment, enjoy.  Tootles!

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Gratitude for Mom

www.youtube.com/watch

It’s been a while since I’ve posted but felt like sharing this through the blog site. This video presentation was my mother’s 65th birthday gift earlier this month. Very touching and well done. Sharing it in the hopes that it blesses someone else. Tootles!

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“Are You A Plus (+) Or A Minus (-)?”*

“Are You A Plus (+) Or A Minus (-)?”*

Consider:  Are you a plus or a minus….do you add value to people’s lives or do you cause others to be miserable?  Are there people in your life who you consider to be a + or a -?  Review your circle of influencers and ensure that those who remain close are those who add value to your life.  If interaction with them leaves you miserable, uncertain, or feeling negative, then you have a choice to make regarding how much time you will spend with that person(s).  Life is to be impactful and for the most part, enjoyable.  Don’t encourage or spend quality time with misery.

*concept taken from one of Dr. John Maxwell’s Minute with Maxwell

#relationships  #qualitytime

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Broken Crayons Still Color

I heard this phrase years ago and wrote a poem based on it.  Today, I came across the devotional, perhaps from where the phrase originated.  I love it, it’s still relevant, and therefore I thought I’d share it.

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“Recently, when visiting my nieces in Florida, I got down on the floor to color with them. They love the Disney princesses, and so we were coloring a picture of Cinderella. When we opened their container of crayons, a burst of colors greeted us. These were well-worn crayons that had been used to color dozens of pictures. I chose a broken and worn-out green crayon.

In our throwaway society, it would be easy to think that the work of this crayon was done. That it needed to be replaced with a brand-new crayon instead. However, as I began to color with this broken worn-out crayon, my nieces looked at me and told me my coloring page was beautiful.

Because, you see, broken crayons still color.

Just like that broken worn-out crayon, we can also feel useless to God because of the mistakes we have made or the things that have been done to us. We feel broken and ugly and useless. We think God would rather have someone else do His work. Someone with less brokenness and baggage. Someone who has it all together.

The truth is, we all have brokenness in our lives. Many times we compare our blooper reel to someone else’s highlight reel. The truth is no one has a perfect life. And just like that broken crayon, God is always able to use our brokenness to create something beautiful.

A masterpiece.

Many times what we see as our biggest mistakes and failures can become what God uses the most. However, the enemy in our minds often tells us we are worthless and no longer useful for God’s kingdom. Little do we know that God is using our brokenness to create something more beautiful than we could ever imagine.

Prayer: 

Lord, thank you that you never waste anything that has happened in our lives. I thank you that you can turn my brokenness into something beautiful even when I cannot see it. Help me to open my heart to you and allow you to bring healing and freedom. I love you. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”  From Body and Soul Publishing LLC.

#emotions  #pain  #healing  #prayer  #inspiration

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What’s Next After Success?

When you’ve tasted success, then be in the pursuit of significance.  Always remember to reach back or reach down and help another when you’ve reached your pinnacle of success.  Being a blessing to others multiplies your blessings, your impact, and your good.  Let’s be about multiplication.

#success  #goals  #multiplication

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The Purpose of Sacrifice

The point of sacrifice:  To give up what could be today for what will be tomorrow.  Daily, keep the future you want to see in mind and let it drive your decisions and your actions.  Your future self thanks you.

#sacrifice  #goals  #goal-setting

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Role Models

This is an excerpt from a breakaway moment as shared by Dr. John Maxwell.  Everyone, this is a good and worthy growth challenge.  I don’t think I could’ve said it any better.

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“…we become like the people we admire. Jim Rohn says you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with. The truth is, if you’re going to grow, you’re going to spend a lot of time with your role models and their teachings. They should be worthy examples to follow.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN

I encourage you today to consider the five people with whom you spend the most time. Ask yourself what kind of example they provide for you. Do they inspire and teach you or deflate you?

Or, if you don’t have five, make a list of the specific strengths or skills you want to improve to reach your potential and the areas where you know you need ongoing guidance. Then consider a few people you know or would like to know who can help you in those areas, even if you just ask them one question at a time.“

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Perspective

So, I have a project that I need to complete.  It involves reviewing and transferring multiple data points for 2,000 lines of data that don’t match up evenly, which means I have to view each line carefully, multiple times.  Further, It’s both quantitative and qualitative.  I want to pull my hair out (mind you, I have a REALLY close cut, so that’s not possible).  Such work is simply not my gifting, it does not bring the joy or excitement it might to others who love to work with data compilation and computation.

Thankfully, during my quiet time this morning, while reading a prayer, I was reminded of the blessings of responsibility.  I then decided to view this project as an opportunity for growth, for strengthening, and a break from the norm.  Plus, I must believe that the end analytics (an outsourced responsibility) will be beneficial for multiple reasons.  So, I’ll take my new perspective and apply it with fervency to this project.  O, and I’ve already decided that I’ll also celebrate its completion!  I am already looking forward to that day.

Turn negativity into positivity.

#perspective  #gratitude  #responsibility  #jobs

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Graduates

On yesterday evening, I paused action on my “productivity” list and decided to attend a graduation program that celebrates youth in foster care.  I was completely unsure that I would see anyone there that I knew (and sure enough, I knew NONE of the graduates) and I had no significant emotional ties to any of the staff and guests.  I only knew that I wanted to be a part of the celebration that honored these young people.  Here are some of the things I observed and appreciated:

  1. Not only were graduates honored, but so were their caregivers (foster parents, program supervisors, social workers, counselors, etc).
  2. A spoken word artist’s encouragement to embrace and share your story, no matter what it is.
  3. A reminder that all things (good and bad) work together to our ultimate good, to our ultimate shaping.
  4. That attitude is important…the attitude we choose to adopt and daily live by affects us. To my current memory, Stephen Covey referred to it as “our own internal weather.”

My fellow readers, some of these young people have faced horrors from which a lot of us were spared, but they chose to become focused and finish school.  Among them were scholarship recipients to well-known colleges, husbands and wives who’d already started families, teen business owners, singers, artists, and those who are still trying to figure out the next step.  The point:  they made it to this point, they achieved that goal and by God, they will continue to soar and achieve more.  I did not know any of them personally but I’m incredibly proud of each of them and was honored to have been in their presence.  In the words of Dr. John C. Maxwell, remember that “Change is inevitable.  Growth is optional.”  Choose growth.  Hats off to all graduates and the next step in this journey called life.

#fostercare   #ittakesavillage   #youth    #focus   #graduates   #Johncmaxwell

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The Inspiration of A Child

I’ve never heard or seen this quote before, at least not to my memory, but it is literally what happens for me when I interact with a darling…especially with respect to my children that I meet as a Guardian Ad Litem.  For a few seconds, there’s no one in my world but them.  I put on the back burner the darkness(es) they’ve faced and I see them for who they are and for who they can become.  And…it catches me off guard every time.  Gotta respect the kiddos!

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“When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments — tenderness for what he is and respect for what he may become.” Louis Pasteur, French chemist and microbiologist

#children  #advocacy  #child

“Children are the messages we send to a time we will not see.” – John W. Whitehead