knowledge

I’d like you to know that there are those in this world that love indiscriminately. 

* Today, I’d like to challenge you to create a focus word. Write down your focus word where you will frequently see it as your day progresses. This will serve as a reminder of what you’d like to evoke, or attract.

A small reminder to stay focused on your desires can go a long way. 

I find repeating my focus word aloud really helps to inspire me.

I login to Facebook to see offensive content, almost daily; content that I so strongly disagree with. This content isn’t being posted by vulgar strangers with criminal histories, but by family members. That aspect might be the most difficult one to deal with. 

If they were ‘bad’ strangers with a severe lack of empathy, I could easily disregard their posts. It would be as simple as unfriending them, or muting their posts. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple, and unfriending them may result in missing monumental life events that I’d like to be a part of.

I like to think I’m like most, in that if someone disagrees with me, I blame it on their extreme lack of personal growth. This doesn’t apply when disagreeing on a movie, or perhaps what to have for dessert; more so when it comes to political views, human rights issues, racism, and things of that nature. You see - I’m a little strange in that I genuinely desire for all humans to be treated equally. Crazy, huh?

Sadly, there are members of my family that don’t share those same values.

All of this begs the question; in the age of social media and oversharing, is it now more acceptable than ever to openly hate? 

My brother recently shared racist and transphobic images that have all had thousands of ‘likes’. The fact that these posts have that many ‘likes’ is terrifying, but the idea that every ‘like’ signifies someone who proudly wears their hatred on their sleeve is just appalling.

Am I taking this all too seriously? Do any of you experience a similar situation? How do you handle it? 

I’d love to hear from you. 

Let’s stop and take a moment to acknowledge that in a matter of a second, this blog entry can scale the planet. In one second, it can reach the eyes of someone on the very opposite side of Earth. 

I am fortunate enough to find beauty in all things. For that reason, I’m constantly inspired by everything around me. Often times, this leaves me with a sense of discouragement. I like to think of this feeling as an artist’s catch-22.

You see, I am quite often overwhelmed with inspiration. It’s not unusual for me to begin a project before being inspired by something else, and discontinuing said project.

As a self-proclaimed artist, I battle with mediums, ideas, and thoughts. Blogging, writing, designing, painting, inventing, crafting -- creating. It’s as though I want to do so much, that I frequently do nothing at all.

I find myself desiring a sense of focus, desiring a need to start a project and finish it.

This stops now.

I will no longer allow myself to wrestle my thoughts, and challenge my dedication. I will no longer question my expressions, or judge myself for being too inspired. I will remind myself often that there are those who lack inspiration; there are those who do not see beauty in all things. 

Hello, all! This morning I found myself complimenting my coworker’s blouse, and I couldn’t help but notice that this is something I do frequently. I would venture to say that I compliment at least one person a day, and what a phenomenal realization this was.

Complimenting someone can positively impact both of your lives. When you’re able to see the positive in someone else, it impacts the way you view yourself.

* Today, I would like to challenge you to compliment someone. This person can be a stranger, a friend, or even a family member. The only thing that matters, is that you mean it. Notice how it makes you feel, and remember that it cost you nothing.

The inspiration for this morning’s blog post comes from a thought I had yesterday evening. The theme is change, the time is now, and the subject is you.

So often it seems we make minor adjustments to our lives. Some of us seek to change our diets, while others may work on their negatively perceived habits. 

I thought I would remind you, as well as myself, that when we set out to make these adjustments, we always keep in mind that we may not always remain consistent.

Believing that a change in lifestyle can or will be like toggling a light switch only leads to setting yourself up for discouragement and potential failure.

*Today, I’d like to challenge you to focus on a change you’d like to make in your life, and commit to it. When you commit to this change, I want you to be of the mindset that you will likely have setbacks. There will be occasions when you may not feel like committing to this change. Know that this is normal, and something that we all go through.

Greetings, all! This morning my mind has been focused on all the ways we can communicate with those who speak other languages.

Signaling seems to be the most common way we attempt to communicate with those who speak a language different from our own. While it may occasionally get the job done, I can’t help but have enormous admiration for those who know just enough to express basic messages.

Whether it’s giving someone directions in their native tongue, or simply saying “hello”, knowing the basics can really bring a smile to someone’s face.

Knowing a little bit of multiple languages is not only helpful, but it sends a message of acceptance and wisdom.

* Today I would like to challenge you to research the basics of any chosen language. Devote fifteen minutes out of every day to rehearsing these phrases and within a week or two, you’ll notice that you’ve expanded your ability to communicate with the people who share your world.

Want to go the extra mile? Learn a bit about the culture that closest relates to the language you choose, and tell me what you learned. I would love to read your input!

When someone in our lives is having a rough day, often times it becomes evident in the way they treat those around them. As humans, emotions often impact what we say and do. If you feel upset because of another person's actions, take a metaphoric step backward and decide if this person deserves the privilege to change the quality of your day. Much like the ripples caused by a single droplet in a large pool of water, many can be impacted by the way one person chooses to act.

* Today, I would like to challenge you to evaluate who in your life possesses the ability to impact the quality of your day.