You Gave Me Wings

A poem about me written by my oldest daughter.  She gave this to me as part of my Yule present last year.

You gave me wings and helped me fly.
Your soul flutters through my veins,
am I yours and you are mine.

More than a label

Several weeks ago I posted about my "labeled" kids.  I shared about each one and the challenges we face as a family.  I've been thinking it's time to share how they are all more than a label.  They are my blessings and bring great joy to my life.

My daughter, the ladybug, is a very kind, caring, and empathetic young lady.  I honestly think all her anxieties and struggles have helped her to understand where many of her peers are coming from.  She is fiercely protective of her friends, especially if another child is teasing them.  She comforts others who are in need.  For the last two years, Ladybug has asked for food donations, for those in need, instead of gifts for her birthday.  I am often amazed at the young woman she is becoming.

My oldest son, the monkey, is also very kind, helpful, and loving.  He joined his school's mentoring program at the beginning of the school year.  Currently he is mentoring a younger student who also has ADHD.  He is always quick to help younger children when they are struggling.  Monkey is also always ready with a hug or a kind word to anyone who is feeling sad.  I am so proud of his nurturing ways.

At seven my youngest son, the potato, is still growing into the person he will become.  He is a goofball and loves to make you smile.  He also really looks up to his brother and tries to follow Monkey's example.  Potato is a cuddler, he'll climb right up and snuggle in next to you.

These are the things I try to remind myself of when we are having one of "Those" days.  It helps me to focus on the joys they bring into my life.  We take each day as it comes, the good and the bad.  I tell them how much they are loved and how proud they should be of themselves.  Sometimes I mess up, especially when I'm having a bad day myself.  Then I go back and apologize for the hurt I may have caused them.  I'm thankful I can be a part of their growing process.  I'm even thankful for their "labels", because each child is unique and their experiences help mold them into the person they are becoming.

~Your Earthy Mom

Wednesday Wisdom

Honor the sacred.

Honor the Earth, our Mother.
Honor the Elders.
Honor all with whom we
share the Earth:-
Four-leggeds, two-leggeds,
winged ones,
Swimmers, crawlers,
plant and rock people.
Walk in balance and beauty.


Native American Elder

Wednesday Wisdom

Treat the earth well.

It was not given to you by your parents,

it was loaned to you by your children.

We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors,

we borrow it from our Children.

Ancient Indian Proverb

Wednesday Wisdom

With enough hard work and dedication dreams can become a reality.  ~Patricia Zhou

Wednesday Wisdom

You can only become truly accomplished at something you love.  Don't make money your goal.  Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can't take their eyes off of you.
~ Maya Angelou

Resolutions

I know it's not New Years (Traditional or Pagan), but I wanted to get my resolutions written down and out to the world.

1. Exercise

   Ok so I've hit the "comfortable" place in my relationship with my fiance.  I first noticed it, when I saw pictures my family posted of me on Face Book.  This is not ok, with my wedding coming in April.  I don't want to look "comfortable" in my wedding photos.

   Since my fall and shoulder injury in November 2009, I've been significantly less active.  I also have a Major sweet tooth and lower metabolism.  Time to Get Up and Get Active again.  Oh yeah and find some healthier sweets, like fruit.  My mom gave me the new Wii Fit game for Christmas this past December.  I've used it several times and had alot of fun.  Now I need to become more consistent.  My boys started taking Karate classes, last week, at the Community Center in our town.  They have an exercise room which I plan to put to use while the boys do Karate.  And when this "lovely" New England winter weather is done, I'll be getting back on the trails to go hiking and letterboxing again!

2. Organize
    Lately I feel like my brain is Swiss cheese, full of holes.  Being a working parent or stay at home parent comes with a Big To Do list.  With the kids, working, planning a wedding, and the general day-to-day stuff, I definitely need to be more organized.

   When I worked full-time outside the home I used to have a "Control Journal", thanks to my FLYing lesson's with the FLY Lady.  So it's time to start a new one to keep myself on the right track.  I haven't been FLYing for a long time, so I restarted with the "BabySteps".  I've let all routines go out the window since I've been home on a more full-time basis.  FLY Lady is great at teaching you how to create routines and get control over your life again.


3. Focus on Work

   I have let my Home business (and life) fall by the way side over this past year. 

In March of 2010 my father was admitted to the hospital for a brain bleed.  Over the course of the six months doctors found that his brain was bleeding due to minute holes in his spine that was leaking fluid.  The leaking fluid also caused low brain pressure.  The doctors patched the holes and eventually my dad came home.  Shortly afterwards he was diagnosed with Intestinal cancer and a heart condition was found while prepping for cancer surgery.  Post surgery he had complications from the abdominal surgery.  He is home now and we're all keeping our fingers crossed that he continues to heal and stay well.

    I put my life on hold to deal with this situation, be there for my dad and to help and comfort my mom and sister.  Now it's time to focus back in on my awesome WAHU team!  So not only am I a mom of four, which is a full time job in it self, I also work two other jobs.  And one of them has been feeling very neglected.  It's time for No More Excuses!  Organizing my time better should help me get WAHU back on track.

4. Quality Family Time

   Most importantly, I want to spend more Quality time with my family.  I'm ashamed to admit it, but too often I'm "too busy" to spend time with my children.

    My little Potato is always asking me to play a game with him, he Loves board games.  I hate that recently nine times out of ten I tell him "no" because I'm doing    (fill in household chore/job)   .  My girls got these awesome nail painting/design kits for Yule.  I want to sit down with them and have some girl time, yet I haven't.  My Monkey boy keeps wanting to show me how to play his new Wii game.

  We have just recently started a family dinner and movie night.  Usually on Sunday or Tuesday, when my step-daughter is here.  Dinner is buffet style and we eat in the living room (a treat since I don't allow food out of the kitchen) while watching a family movie.  I would like to also spend time with each of the kids individually.  I've been making use of the car travel time to activities, by turning off the radio and talking, listening, and laughing with the kids.  With a busy life I know it's not the amount of time I'm spending with them, but the quality of the time we are spending together.

~Your Earthy Mom

One week reflection

I'm trying to figure out what went wrong.  The first day was good, almost easy.  So why on day two did I cave and start smoking again?  I think part of the reason is fear and part of it is because Day 1 was so easy. 

I'm afraid of being a non-smoker.  I've been a smoker for seventeen years and it's become part of who I am, part of my life.  The last several years I've hated it, feeling like my life is dictated by my addiction.  Standing outside in the winter freezing and shivering to get my fix of nicotine.  Stepping out during social engagements and missing opportunities to have fun with my friends.  I hate the smell on my clothes and feeling self conscious when I meet new people, because I stink.  So it's totally insane that I'm afraid, but the truth is I am.  I'm afraid I won't know what to do with myself with out a cigarette.  I realized that first day I had alot of 'extra' time on my hands.  It's sad how much time in the past seventeen years I've wasted on my addiction.

Honestly the first day was great!  I had a couple times when I wanted to smoke, mostly when I had nothing to do.  I tried to keep myself busy all day.  When I did think about smoking, I reminded myself how great it is to be a nonsmoker!  It was so easy that I thought it wouldn't matter if I just had one, I could stop again anytime I wanted.  But that one turned into another one and another one, until I was hooked again.  I felt like a failure and that I would never be rid of this evil addiction.

So now it's just over a week later.  I've looked back to see what went wrong and how I can change it.  I've put my fears and concerns down in writing.  I've re-read my Easyway book.  My father just lent me his quit smoking hypnotism CD, which is what helped him quit.  I also have found a website that offers advice and support for quitting smoking.  You can also read and post in online forums.  With all these resources in place I'm feeling less afraid and more ready to be successful in becoming a nonsmoker with a new quit date.

I'll be using my blog, friends, and family to help keep myself accountable and stay quit.

~Trish

Stuck in my Pajamas

   I was sitting at my kitchen table eating breakfast and watching my boys play the Wii, in the pjs they've been wearing for the last few days.  It then suddenly occurred to me that I too had failed to change out of my pjs for the second or third day in a row.  Of course now I've started thinking how often am I too lazy to get dressed in the morning, since I'm not leaving the house.  I now hang my head in shame, knowing I'm lazy about getting dressed far too often.  And I'm teaching this laziness to my children by not having them get dressed and not setting the example.

   Getting dressed from head to toe each day is also about helping yourself to feel good.  As a WAHM you'll gain confidence and posture from being dressed head to toe.  I know most likely no one but the husband and kids will see you, but if you're the makeup wearing kind of gal, put a little makeup on too.  Just this simple act can change your day around.  You'll go from "Oh great, another day I have so much to do."  to "I feel Great!  I can't wait to meet today head on!"

   Some of my SAHM friends tell me they don't bother to get dressed just to do house work.  It makes sense that you wouldn't want to get your nice clothes dirty while taking care of the house.  But I still think SAHM's should get dressed from head to toe each day anyway.  So go ahead throw on your jeans and a t-shirt, add a little make up and feel good about the day ahead. 

   It's so easy for us mom's to forget about ourselves with everything else we need to do for our family.  One thing we can do for ourselves is dressing head to toe each and everyday.  This small little bit of "Me" time will help in so many ways.

• You'll feel more confident
• You'll feel pretty
• Your kids will notice the good example your setting (They may never tell you, but they'll know)
• Your spouse will notice (He may tell you with actions instead of words)
• You'll reduce your stress by feeling good about your self

I'm going to challenge all you mom's who are home full time, to get out of your pajamas, get your clothing out of the closet, and get dresses from head to toe everyday!

Thoughts for today

I was on a training call a couple days ago and wrote down a few quotes I wanted to share.


Get out of your own way.
Too often we are the biggest problem when it comes to achieving our goals. Everybody has the ability to reach their goals and beyond. Some of you will, and some of you won't. For those who won't, it will be because you get in your own way.

Ignore the voice of doubt.
We can live with doubt – and forever limit our actions.  Or, we can learn to ignore the voice.  Shout affirmations and your voice of doubt will whisper.  You will have success in whatever you desire.

Keep moving forward.
Life can come at you hard.  It’s about having the will to continue in spite of the obstacles thrown at you. 
"Around here we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things. – Walt Disney
Staying out of stuck.
Life is too short to stay stuck in a place that doesn't work for you.  Step into your dreams and don't let the road blocks of life get in your way.

This is the story of our Mothers and Grandmothers who lived only 90 years ago

This is an email I received from my aunt.  Although my posts are generally about family and being green, I thought it was important for us to remember what women have done to give us the freedoms we have today.


Another struggle we often forget about......

Never knew it was this terrible. Just to get the right to vote.

Remember, it was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.

The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the vote.

(Lucy Burns)

They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air.

And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.'

(Dora Lewis)

They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.
Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote. For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms.

(Alice Paul)

When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.

So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because - why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?

(Mrs. Pauline Adams in the prison garb she wore while serving a sixty-day sentence.)

Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.

(Miss Edith Ainge, of Jamestown, New York)

All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient.

(Berthe Arnold, CSU graduate)

My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She was--with herself. 'One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,' she said. 'What would those women think of the way I use, or don't use, my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn.' The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her 'all over again.'

HBO released the movie on video and DVD . I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.

(Conferring over ratification [of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution] at [National Woman's Party] headquarters, Jackson Pl[ace] [Washington, D.C.]. L-R Mrs. Lawrence Lewis, Mrs. Abby Scott Baker, Anita Pollitzer, Alice Paul, Florence Boeckel, Mabel Vernon (standing, right))

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy.  The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'

Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the women you know. We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party - remember to vote.

(Helena Hill Weed, Norwalk, Conn. Serving 3 day sentence in D.C. prison for carrying banner, 'Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.')

History is being made.
 
As I said, this was passed on to me and I think it's important to share this story of these strong and courageous women.  I know a lot of my inner strength comes from my mother and grandmother.  These women were mothers and grandmothers too, perhaps they will inspire us not only to vote, but to stand up for a cause or belief that is important to us too.

Thought for today

It is easy for us to get caught up in looking at how far we have to go in reaching our goals instead of celebrating how far we have come. —Joyce Meyer

Survivors and Thrivers

One of the most-watched television shows of the past several years is Survivor. We admire those who survive! We tune in every week to see who makes it next. But even better than being a survivor is to be one who thrives!



What are the differences between someone who survives and someone who thrives? Here are a few:



A survivor gets by, a thriver gets ahead. Do you feel like you are just getting by? You don’t have to. You can actually get ahead! You can be out front! You can thrive!



A survivor is tired at the end, a thriver feels full of energy. When you are finished do you feel tired? You can thrive and be filled with energy! You can thrive!



A survivor has barely enough, a thriver has an abundance. Do you have more month left over at the end of your money? You can have more money left over at the end of your month! You can thrive financially!



A survivor is always on the edge, a thriver is on firm ground. Do you feel like you could fall over the edge at any time? You can get back on solid footing! You can feel firm about where you are. You can thrive!



So how do we shift from being a survivor to becoming a thriver? Here are a few steps to put you on your way!



First, start with some good input. Subscribe to as many good magazines and e-zines that will change your outlook and inspire you to thrive! And don’t just subscribe to them—read them. Devour them. Get great audios and videos and listen to them and watch them. The principle here is to renew your mind to become a person whose mindset is one of a person who thrives.



Second, get around people who are thriving. Join clubs and groups filled with people who are already thrivers. Develop friendships with them; take them to lunch or coffee. Pick their brains and learn from them. Mimic their habits of thriving.



As you commit to these first two, you will see the time you spend watching and listening to junk go out the door. You will see that you are spending less and less time with those kinds of people who just want to survive. This will be the launching pad for your success.



Third, make a personal evaluation of your skills. What areas do you need to grow in? Now, get to work on those skills. Skills are what take you to the top. An old quote says that the race isn’t always won by the fast or the strong, but that’s the way to bet! I’ll take the person with skills to be the one who thrives every time. It won’t work like that every time, but it will most of the time.



Fourth, make a commitment to a long-term, tenacious outlook. We have to do this in order to turn the ship around. If you are just a survivor, you can be a thriver, but it may take some time. Remember, this is for the rest of your life. There will be times of weakness. There will be times of hardship. If you are tenacious, you can, and will, thrive!



Fifth, understand that thrivers are almost always people of methodical discipline and order. They know that they have to have order in their lives and the order is what produces the ability to thrive. They thrive financially because they discipline themselves to save and invest rather than spend. They thrive physically because they are disciplined in what they eat and in how they exercise. Discipline will make you thrive!



Yes, you can THRIVE! Take the above and get to work. Make these principles a part of your life and they will create in you an ability to thrive in everything you do. You will no longer just survive. Instead, you will thrive! And that is going to feel great!

by Chris Widener

Be DEAF when people tell YOU that you cannot fulfill your dreams!

Once upon a time there was a bunch of tiny frogs.... who arranged a running competition.
The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower.
A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants....
The race began....
Honestly:
No one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower.
You heard statements such as:
"Oh, WAY too difficult!!"
"They will NEVER make it to the top."
or:
"Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!"


The tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one....
Except for those, who in a fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher..
The crowd continued to yell,  "It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!"

More tiny frogs got tired and gave up....
But ONE continued higher and higher and higher....
This one wouldn't give up!
At the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for the one tiny frog who, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top!

THEN all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it?

A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal?
It turned out....
That the winner was DEAF!!!!


The wisdom of this story is:
Never listen to other people's tendencies to be negative or pessimistic....  because they take your most wonderful dreams and wishes away from you -- the ones you have in your heart!

Always think of the power words have.

Therefore: ALWAYS be....
POSITIVE!
And above all:
Be DEAF when people tell YOU that you cannot fulfill your dreams!

Eat the Frog!

Recently, I heard a funny story of a woman who died and went to heaven.  When she arrived at the pearly gates, St. Peter was there to greet her.  She said, "Is this really heaven and do I get in?"  Upon which St. Peter replied, "Yes it is, and your entry is dependent on your ability to spell one work correctly."  The woman asked, "What word?"  "You can choose any word; you decide." replied St. Peter.  So, she thought about it for a few seconds and said, "Love, and it's spelled L-O-V-E."  St. Peter smiled and said, "That's correct.  You an enter Heaven.  However, you must now take my place and do the same thing for the next person to come to heaven.  Then, pass the gatekeeper job onto them."

 As the woman waited, lo and behold, along came her ex-husband.  When she saw him she said, "What happened to you?"  He said, "I had a heart attack.  Is this heaven and do I get in?"  Upon which she said, "Only if you can spell one word correctly."  "What's the word?"  He asked.  She paused for a long moment and said, "Czechoslovakia!"

Well, that's kind of how life is.  It's the difficult things we do, like spelling, that give us the big rewards.  However, for man of us, the most difficult things to do are usually the things we put off doing the most.

Consider this example: People often set a goal to lose weight, but when the alarm sounds at 6am on the following day, it's just too hard to get out of bed and get to the gym.  It's too easy to put it off until tomorrow.  We naturally procrastinate doing the difficult things.  But if we can rise up and get to the gym each day, our weight loss goal is likely to happen.

Mark Twain said, "Eat a live frog every morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day."  Imagine going to your pantry in the morning to find food for the day.  There you see several options.  However, at the end of the shelf is a live frog.  You know you have to eventually eat it, but it's not appetizing at all!  So, you put it off and off.  Well that's exactly how thing never get done.

In the book Eat That Frog, Brian Tracy talks about doing the most important activity in our business each day first.  He says when we "train ourselves, through repetition and practice, to overcome procrastination and get our most important tasks done," we will succeed.

With Work At Home United, we can "eat the frog."

We have Seven Critical Business-Building Activities.  They are:

1. Keep Building Your Contact List
2. Set Appointments
3. Make Presentations
4. Hold 48-Hour Follow-Up Meetings
5. Celebrate Success
6. Always Be Involved with Fast Track
7. Lead By Example

If you were to ask me, I'd much rather make a presentation or celebrate success than set appointments.  But we have to eat the frog!  That means we need to work our contact list and set appointments each day and prioritize them ahead of the other critical activities.

Imagine if you "ate the frog" each day before you did any other activity.  Imagine if everyone on your team was working their contact list and setting appointments every day.   Your business would consistently grow each month.

Frank has invited everyone to make one contact for an appointment every day.  These contacts are not emails.  They're done in person or over the phone.  Now, making one contact a day doesn't mean every day we're successful at setting an appointment.  Once in a while, we will get a "no."  Regardless, each day we'll be making a contact leading to an appointment.

On some days, you'll do more than one contact or set more than one appointment, but the goal is to do at least one contact daily.

Most of all, commit to one contact for an appointment each day.  If you'll do this and "eat the frog" daily, you'll have an endless number of customers coming in to your business!

Written By:  McKay Christensen

Just changing the words

“There was a blind man who sat down on a sidewalk beside a beautiful city park to beg from those who passed by. It was a lovely day in early May.

On a piece of cardboard, he crudely wrote in chalk, ‘I’m blind. Please help me.’ He set his hat in front of him. By noon, he had collected only a few pennies.

A businessman, walking to lunch, peered at the meager offering the blind man had received. The businessman stopped long enough to write another chalk message on the backside of the cardboard sign, and then continued on his way.

The blind man held the new message for others to see. Then something strange happened. The blind man’s hat quickly filled. After lunch, the businessman returned and remarked on the difference.

‘What did you write on my sign?’ asked the blind man.

‘The same thing you wrote,’ replied the stranger, ‘but with a few different words.’”

You may wonder what the businessman wrote.

IT'S SPRINGTIME AND I WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE IT.

Weekly Thought: COMFORT ZONE

I used to have a comfort zone, where I knew I couldn’t fail.

The same four walls and busy work were really more like jail.

I long so much to do the things I’ve never done before.

But I stayed inside my comfort zone and paced the same old floor.

I said it didn’t matter that I wasn’t doing much.

I said I didn’t care for diamonds, furs and such.

I claimed to be so busy with the things inside the zone, but deep inside I longed for something special of my own.

I couldn’t let my life go by just watching others win.

I held my breath and stepped outside and let the change begin.

I took a step and with new strenght, I never felt before.

I kissed my comfort zone good-bye and closed and locked the door.

If you are in a comfort zone, afraid to venture out,

remember that all winners were at one time filled with doubt.

A step or two and word of praise can make your dreams come true.  Greet your future with a smile, success is there for you. 

Just a few inspirations for today

~Never part without loving words to think of during your absence. It may be that you will not meet again in this life.
Jean Paul Richter


~Success in life, in anything, depends upon the number of persons that one can make himself agreeable to.
Thomas Carlyle


~To win without risk is to triumph without glory.
Corneille


~Three, helping one another, bear the burden of six.
Latin Proverb


~When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.
Ethiopian Proverb