by Jennifer on January 17, 2012
photo courtesy of urbanmkr on flickr
An apostrophe (‘) and a space ( ) make all the difference…
A dot with a little hook and nothing at all. Two things that seem non-essential, yet are very profound when we allow them to be.
I remember the first time I heard the shift from “impossible” to “I’m possible”. It caught me by surprise and naturally I thought how stupid it was. It’s just a silly play on words. It can’t possibly make that much of a difference. Besides, “I’m Possible” doesn’t make much sense anyway.
Or so I thought.
We are conditioned on so many things and one of them is to see the word impossible and allow it to stop us. If we are told that something is impossible, often we don’t question the validity and instead just assume that it holds true.
Yesterday we celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. day and I’m certain that he heard the word impossible many times throughout his short life. Imagine what a difference it would make if he didn’t realize that what he wanted to do was possible, he just needed to insert himself (I’m).
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says “I’m possible!” ~ Audrey Hepburn
When we shift from impossible to asking what is possible, we shift from stopping to going. We shift from no options to an open book. By simply adding an apostrophe and a space, our entire world opens up to new possibilities. Read more...
by Jennifer on January 10, 2012
Ugh. I’m NEVER sick.
As the statement comes out, the word wizard in me says “I mean, I’m ALWAYS healthy.”
Well, almost always.
I usually find myself highly attached to the tissue box approximately once every 2 years. What I’ve learned is that the box comes a callin’ when it is time for me to take some serious, often hard, action toward creating the life I desire.
Maybe you read about my non-conforming dislike of resolutions and found that this year I’m focusing on being ‘intentional’. I’ve also shared how I’m very specific and pay close attention to my environments (everything that surrounds me – people, places, things) and that if it doesn’t serve, I let it go to make room for something new. Taking these two things into consideration, I KNOW I have a couple hard (uh-hem…challenging) decisions to make. In fact, in my head, I’ve already made them. I just need to voice them and share the news with the people that my decision may affect.
Enter sore throat turn stuffy head turn sinus infection turn cold. (think dry, cracked and painful nose)
What does a ‘cold’ have to do with self empowerment lessons?
EVERYTHING!
The Universe likes quick action. I made those decisions that I KNOW will serve me best and I haven’t actually taken action yet. In comes the Universe to basically pull a “Dr. Phil” on me and tell it like it is. Read more...
by Jennifer on January 3, 2012
As the excitement and buzz die down from the New Year’s Eve parties, we are left standing with one foot in 2011 and one foot in 2012.
What’s next?
What does 2012 hold?
What do I want to accomplish over the next year?
Why does is matter?
Do I really need to care about it?
You may be asking yourself one, all or none of these questions. I would venture to guess, though, that you, like most people, are at least considering some thoughts as you step forward into the New Year.
Of course, I’m the same way. I ask the questions, consider my options and ultimately decide on choices that make sense for me. This year, like last year, I’ve decided on a theme to how I want to live out my life over the next year. (**Insert crazy and loud drum roll**)
INTENTION
This year I am choosing the theme of intention. Within this theme, I will focus on 3 main principles.
- Forgiveness
- Gratitude
- Love
It is my intention to have every action be based in forgiveness, gratitude and/or love. I know that each leads to the next and to step forward the way I would like, I am choosing to be very intentional about how I live my life. Read more...
by Jennifer on December 27, 2011
Gratitude.
As I take some time to reflect on the year gone by, the first word that comes to mind is gratitude. How fitting that it is the first word since that was my focus this year.
Two a half years ago I attended an event and one of the many gifts from that event was the realization that I didn’t know how to receive. I was quick to give but unable to receive. I remember vividly how I rationalized not taking from anyone. If you were to offer me something, anything, I would politely (because that’s what Mom taught me) say “no thank you”. I had the firm belief that by not taking from you, I was actually giving to you.
How selfish.
That’s what I realize now. It was actually selfish of me to not be a gracious receiver when offered something. I held so tightly to believing that I was serving you that I didn’t see how I was actually taking away from you. I always knew that when I offered someone something, I deeply wanted it to be accepted graciously because I had wanted to give it to them.
What I had never considered was that if I am not graciously accepting, I’m taking from you the piece that I love so much when I give to others. Read more...
by Jennifer on December 20, 2011
Why does EVERYONE keep saying that!?! Ugh.
This was the exclamation of my daughter’s response to someone yesterday at school immediately AFTER saying “thank you.” As she shared this with me this morning in the bathroom while getting ready for school, I could hardly hear her words.
She had a tone of disgust, frustration and bewilderment as to why people would be saying such a thing so often. Of course, as her Mom, I had always known these words to be true, as did close family and friends. In fact, she had heard the compliment many times before over the course of her short 14 and 3/4 years.
This was different.
All of the sudden, she was receiving the same compliment on nearly a daily basis and she didn’t understand WHY.
It only takes a moment to recognize the truth behind the compliment. As you look into her eyes, you would probably agree as it goes something like this…
“…Jasny, wow! You have such beautiful and piercing blue eyes!”
Of course she has been taught how to be a gracious receiver and as I know, that isn’t always the easy option nor is it the option that we are most comfortable with. Like many, we are still learning just what being a gracious receiver means. When she first began receiving the lovely compliment, she would graciously accept it and say “thank you”. As I learned this morning, that has shifted quite a bit. Read more...
