YOUR LIFE A-Z:ZEALOUS

FOCUS ON YOUR GOAL

ZEALOUS

What are you ZEALOUS about?  What makes you care?  What gets your adrenalin going and get up off the couch to make a difference?  I am a child of the sixties and everything mattered, the Vietnam War, racism, personal freedoms and those causes rocked the world as we knew it.  Then I noticed that in the nineties when I was teaching that it seemed to me that no one cared.  During our first war with Iraq, not one college protest made the news.  During our second war of “Shock and Awe,” young people didn’t seem to notice that for the first time in our history, we invaded another country.  But finally, a change seems to be brewing.  Alicia Keys, the thirty-three year old singer is showing a ZEALOUS spirit with her knew song, “We Are Here” Her ZEALOUS spirit is raising a voice of compassion, connection and caring.  Her ZEALOUS energy is taking political action and beginning a grass roots movement to make a difference. Let’s face it, Maya Angelou is gone and most of the activists from the sixties are dead.  It is time for a new ZEALOUS energy to take over and bring America back and make it even greater than it ever has been.  Moving the mountains of apathy and greed is going to take thousands of ZEALOTS with ZEALOUS energy that will not be stopped until change is accomplished at the very basic heart and soul of humanity in this country.  Give yourself permission to be ZEALOUS today and join a cause, any cause, with all of your heart. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z: YIELD

SOME YIELD SIGNS SCREAM RED

YIELD

When I think of the word YIELD, I think of the yellow triangle sign above, which basically means, pause and look both ways prior to continuing with your motor vehicle.  YIELD in this sense means to give the right of way to other traffic.  The word YIELD also means to concede in an argument and let the opposition win.  In the banking industry the word YIELD is used to describe the percentage that people make on his/her invested dollars.  YIELD is important to you today in each of the above scenarios.  Where is it in your life that you need to pause and look in all directions before proceeding with your idea or plan?  Are you examining all possibilities and making sure that you are on the right of way with your goal?  Next, how many arguments are you currently in conversations about?  Why is it so important that you win the argument?  What is the worse thing that would happen if you YIELDED to the opposition? Do you find yourself refusing to YIELD just in general principle?   If so, what is the pay-off for holding out?  If your personal life is fraught with discontent in relationships because you are always trying to prove your point, then maybe it is time to YIELD and let go.  How much of your daily life is YIELDING a high return on happiness?  Are you investing in decisions, activities, relationships, and personal time in meaningful ways that are YIELDING you a crop of happiness? Get the best YIELD out of your day.

YOUR LIFE A-Z:XANTHOPHYLL

YELLOW IS A FALL COLOR SAYS NATURE

XANTHOPHYLL

XANTHOPHYLL is the substance that turns leaves yellow and it appears that the season of fall is full of XANTHOPHYLL.  Fall is a beautiful time and it is important to drink in the richness of this beautiful season.  The green tree leaves give way to the colors of the season and the XANTHOPHYLL fills the cells of many leaves highlighting the brightness and complimenting the leaves of red.  XANTHOPHYLL is capable of bringing a smile to your face and brightening your mood.  How can you copy the idea of XANTHOPHYLL in your daily life?  It is important to brighten your surroundings and dress up the fall season with a touch of inner spectacular.  It is your time to shine, changing the monotony of green around you and complimenting your mood with ever changing positive emotions.  Which inner mood needs a little XANTHOPHYLL?   Why not go back to the word, “color,” and draw a circle and color the circle full of your current mood. When you are finished, color the outside of the circle yellow.  Notice what happens to your mood.  Next, draw a different circle and color it yellow.  Color the outside of the circle red and pay attention to which color gets your attention. XANTHOPHYLL is an amazing substance and it acts as nature’s paintbrush.  Act as your own paintbrush and bring some color into your life.  It will elevate your mood.  Whatever you do please go for a drive to anywhere where you can breathe in the colors of fall and fully enjoy the beauty of XANTHOPHYLL.

YOUR LIFE A-Z: WHY

SOMETIMES THERE IS NO BOTTOM IN THE BUCKET YOU NEED

WHY

WHY is a very interesting three-letter word.  WHY is often a three-letter drug.  Often you seek answers to WHY something is happening assuming if  you could know WHY then you could control or change the outcome.  Insight as to WHY something is happening is sometimes helpful but not necessarily useful.  When you understand the WHY of something it does not necessarily help you change it.  Thus, don’t spend unnecessarily energy fretting about something when you could be best be served by changing your actions or behavior even when you  don’t understand WHY.   However, if you can let go of the addiction of always having to understand the WHY,  it frees you up to explore what you going to do about something. What action needs to be taken is more useful than the WHY.   WHY the car crashed may be useful in the long run but what needs to be done about the car crash is the first question that needs to be asked.  WHY is important to ask after the emergency has been handled.  WHY is important in this case only to learn from it.  WHY is a useless question if you are hammering your fist through the wall asking WHY God allowed this to happen.  WHY you are sick may be useful question after you have begun to heal, but it is not the first question to ask when you are sick.  When you hear yourself asking WHY listen closely and ask yourself, “Is this WHY question making me a victim?” 

YOUR LIFE A-Z:VOLUNTEER

THESE CHARACTERS ARE ALWAYS READY TO MAKE YOU SMILE

VOLUNTEER

Each of you is very busy and has little discretionary time left to give one more ounce anywhere. This blog is not about burdening you with one more thing.  First let’s look at the little things you already do that fall into the category of VOLUNTEERING.  Make a list of everything that you did this week and look for the hidden VOLUNTEERING in the list.  Did you call a needy friend?  Did you take food to a sick neighbor?  Those are actions that fall into the category of VOLUNTEERING. Give yourself praise for the small things that you already do in within your normal schedule and congratulate yourself for your small acts as a VOLUNTEER. Next, notice the ushers at museums, plays, concerts, and sporting events the next time you go.  Most of those positions are VOLUNTEER positions.  Pretty sweet deal isn’t it?  VOLUNTEERS get to see amazing performances for only directing you to your seat. Being a VOLUNTEER can be fun and relaxing.  In many scenarios the VOLUNTEER receives so much more by giving.  If your life is lacking something,  I do encourage you to make room in your life to VOLUNTEER.  You don’t have to VOLUNTEER weekly or even monthly.  You might discover that serving the homeless on Thanksgiving or Christmas once a year is sufficient for you.  I believe many VOLUNTEER’s feel guilty if he/she is not VOLUNTEERING.  If that is the case, take a break from VOLUNTEERING and go play golf or see the latest movies instead. Guilt is not the reason to VOLUNTEER and may be a sign you are burned out. Enjoy your life.