The Elderly. Do we really appreciate them?

Once upon a time the eldery were considered the most important part of our society. Nowadays, we have no time, tolerance and patience for them. We have forgotten to listen and appreciate them.

Some of us, take the time to visit from time to time. Nevertheless, it seems most of us are there more out of guilt than real pleasure. Our society has forgotten the value of this magnificent people. We have excluded them because we have decided they are no longer productive and sadly valuable. Is this really true?

The elderly have something that we do not. They possess knowledge and experience. They can help us live. They are living history. They know how to live. We have so much to learn from them.

Nevertheless, spending time with them is not an easy task if we do not have the practice. The great thing is that as everything in life, the more we do it, the easier it becomes and the more we enjoy it.

Sadly to say, spending quality time with them is not a habit I possess. On the contrary, I lack the patience, openess and creativity to interact with them. I never take the time to really listen to what they are saying.

We do not have to go far to find them. We all have a grandparent, an older aunt, a family friend, a neighbor that we tend to be nice, but avoid. Today, is the time to leave our judgements behind get past the wrinkles and just appreciate them.

Challenge of the day: Who have I been avoiding? What can I do for him/her? How can I start building a real relationship?

Being Sick vs Acting Sick

When we dont feel physically well, this affects our entire self. We need to take special care of ourselves during these times. Being physically sick disrupts our balance. However, sometimes we just have to take care of ourselves and nurture back to health.

We must not try to ignore our bodies symptoms. In addition, the body is wise and tells us when we need to rest. In our modern times, it is difficult to provide and grant ourselves with time to heal and relax. There are a million things we need to get done everyday and for some of us staying home is not an option. But, is this really true? Are we really succeeding in our day when we feel ill?

There are sometimes, that we even extend our illness. However, we try to believe we are stronger and that there is no reason for us to be sick. Nevertheless, I believe that the worst part is the kind of person that we may become when we don´t feel great.

I noticed the last time I was sick; many habits I have been trying to quit just came back in full force. I became judgemental, intolerant, unappreciative, just an awful person! I was on an attack mode, me against the universe. At the end, it wasn´t the universe attacking me; but, it was myself attacking me.

I guess what I am trying to say, is that most of the time it is us fighting ourselves. No one is really attacking us, except ourselves. We must realize that we must stop fighting with the mirror. It does no one any good, and it is time and energy consuming. If we really analyze it we will realize it is just plain crazy.

Challenge of the day: When I feel defensive, I will analyze who is attacking me.

Perseverance leads our way...

Perseverance is to remain constant to a goal. Perseverance is what helps us turn that dream into reality. This is what keeps us going, what builds our path to success. Perseverance means not giving up whatever the circumstances may be.

Most of us start with dreams. We turn those dreams into projects. We are excited and hopeful at the beginning. However, many of us quit along the way. There are very few who finish and succeed. What makes some of us quit and others keep on going? I believe is perseverance.

Those who have changed history persevered. Thomas Edison said that genius is “1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”. Unfortunately, many of us forget our goal once we start encountering some obstacles. We get discouraged, lose confidence and at the end abandon our dreams.

How many times have we wanted to get in shape, learn a new language, scrapbook or get a better job? At the beginning, we are fueled with excitement, hope and the feeling that we can accomplish anything. It is sad to see how fast all those feelings are replaced with frustration and defeat. The problem is not feeling frustrated or as a failure, the problem is not getting over those feelings. If we fall, we should get up; dust ourselves, review our course of action and start again.

It is easy getting up after one or two times. Nevertheless, it is not quite the same getting up on the 10th time. Here, is where we need to persevere. I believe a great way to be able to keep going is surrounding ourselves with material that shows the importance of perseverance.

We must read inspiring stories about people who never gave up on their dreams. Two great examples are Walt Disney and Steve Jobs. In addition, we should keep the material close to us so we can renew ourselves with new faith and this faith will help us get up and keep on going.

Wars are won one battle at a time. We must keep in mind that we might lose one battle, but we want to win the war! Failing gives us the opportunity to discover new things; to be able to succeed in ways we did not even imagine. Therefore, the next time we fall; we must learn from that experience and keep on fighting.

Challenge of the day: I will review my goals and dreams and start trying.

Stopping Procrastination...

Procrastination is a bad habit many of us have. Procrastination does not happen only at work. It takes part in almost every aspect of our lives. Procrastinating leads us nowhere; in addition, it leaves us feeling tired and guilty. Why would we still want to put ourselves through it? Today is the day to put an end to it!

Why would we want to avoid something that needs to be done? There might be many reasons, like lack of motivation, fear, habit; however, no matter what the reason is it still needs to be done. Furthermore, everytime we delay a task the task seems to become more difficult.

We are always complaining, we do not have enough time during the day. We are always wishing we had more time. However, if we learned to prioritize and stop procrastinating, we would end up with extra time. As all bad habits, this one is just making our lives duller and consuming. It is time to free ourselves.

So, how can we avoid procrastinating? There are many ways. I will say we have done the most difficult part, become conscious of our bad habit. As everything, we take each day at a time. We must start each day with a to do list and prioritize it. This prevents us from thinking and thinking and gets us right into action. A list is a great tool because it helps us to get organized and manage our time. In addition, it feels great every time a task is done.

The list must include breaks. Breaks are a magnificent way to refresh ourselves and be productive. However, we need to keep our lists challenging, but at the same time realistic. Furthermore, if we dont finish all of it, the next day we must revaluate if it was to ambitious or if just did procrastinate a bit.

Challenge of the day: Today I will tackle my tasks. I will keep in mind that procrastinating keeps me form growing.

Humility and trust

I used to think humility was being modest. As I practiced modesty, I thought I was then a humble person. I was far from that, but why? One day a man told me that humility is obedience. I almost fainted just by hearing this last word. Of course, I had never been humble, if I was as rebelious as they come.

This man´s lesson helped me to start practicing humility. Humilty starts by surrendering to God, recognizing that only through Him we can achieve. If we see God as He truly is, then it is not difficult to be humble. However, most of the time we forget that He is our creator and that His will is our will. As we forget this, we become arrogant. We do what we want to do and we dont really trust Him.

I believe the best way to practice humility is to follow the example of Jesus. Here is a man of flesh that was the true meaning of humility. He always obeyed his Father, no questions ever asked, even to his death.

In other words, to be humble is to depend on God. For us to realize we are not the center of the universe. To accept his guidance and to trust that His decisions are made with love and far better than any decision we can make. I mean He can see the big picture, He knows all; how do we still try to compete and rebuttle that?

So what is God´s will? God wants us to follow the steps of his son Jesus and befriend him. God wants us to pray and ask for wisdom. God wants us to listen to the Holy Spirit. God wants us to have faith in Him. In addition, God wants us to achieve our maximum potential so we can use our talents and abilities to serve Him and others.

As all our other changes, we must remember that it is a process. This process requires practice, more practice, love and patience. We must be kind to ourselves and keep in mind that all we can do is our best and the rest is up to God.

As we get to know Jesus more and more, we cant deny the peace and treasures we receive. There is no losing in trusting God. Even knowing all of this, there are many times when I completely forget about my Father and just do what I please. In the end, I always come back. Nevertheless, with practice and consciousness there are less and less situations when I choose my way.

Challenge of the day: I will trust my day in God. I will be conscious on the issues I am most relentless to let go.

Have you shown your appreciation today?

Sometimes we are so involved with ourselves that we dont even realize what is going on around us. Other times we just take for granted what others do for us. We might say thank you for the big things, but how about the little things?

How wonderful is it to receive a smile from a stranger when we hold the elevator door, or a thank you note from a client, or even a hug from a loved one. Receiving is wonderful, but how about giving?

Just in one day, many people work towards providing for us in one way or another. In addition, there are our loved ones that are our most important relationships. We must nourish them if we want them to grow as we do. We should never assume that people know how grateful we are to have them in our lives (actually, lets try never to assume anything about others, even if it is really difficult).

A sign of appreciation is such a magnificent gesture. However, most of the time we never do it. The funny thing about this, is that it does not take much to show our gratitude. It is just a matter of deciding to do it and how to do it.

Easiest way is just saying it. People in our lives might know how much we appreciate them, but hearing it makes their heart melt. Dont pick a day when they did something for you, but preferably do it on a day where you can just say I am grateful for having you in my life. If we are not ready to say the words, send them a note, not an email, but a handwritten note, this makes it personal.

Another way is to give them a gift. Not an expensive gift, but a thoughtful one. Surprise them with their favorite flowers, favorite dessert, tickets for a show or just anything that will make them feel special.

Other gestures are doing something for them. Fix something for them, babysit, spend some quality time, take them out to dinner. The possibilities are endless. We will never go wrong showing our appreciation, it might be ackward at first, but it will always be fulfilling.

Please dont forget those who usually go unnoticed. In the morning, buy an extra cup of coffee for your secretary, buy a chocolate for your cleaning lady, or just congratulate the traffic man for doing his job. A smile works wonders on everyone. A smile is like shining onto someone!

Challenge of the day: I will show my appreciation just to one person.

Criticizing, judging and gossiping...

Criticizing, judging and gossiping seem to be a part of friends´ reunions. However, they dont have to be a part of our reunions. Since I started my path of self-discovery and growth, I have realized how judging and gossiping stop me from growing. On the contrary, it feels like they make me take a step backwards.

Judging seems to come naturally to me, as gossip does. Nevertheless, they are not part of my true self. They make walls towards our inner beauty and cut communication with our divinity.

It is far easier to stop from gossiping and criticizing if we are alone. But, when we are in a group it is a challenge not to do it. We start listening to our friends criticize and suddenly without realizing it, these horrible negative comments are coming out of our mouths. Afterwards,I just end up feeling guilty and empty.

Why do I gossip or criticize? I used to do it sometimes to avoid my low self-esteem. Another reason was to disguise my inferiority complex. Then other times I just felt plain jealous. At the end, it just becomes a habit and do it for all and no reasons.

How do I avoid situations where people gossip? We can try and change the subject. This is a great tool. Nevertheless, if it doesn´t work just walk away. Change means action.

If we dont like to be judged, why would we do it on to others? If we are focused on our innerselves, then we have no business focusing on others´ actions.

Challenge of the day: I will stop my mind before a judging or gossiping comment reaches my mouth. I must learn to know the difference between judging and giving someone a constructive criticism.