Positively Inspiring

Carrie Underwood - How Great Thou Art

2011-04-26T06:41:00.000-04:00

So Often Times

2011-03-22T09:06:00.003-04:00

"So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains,

And we never even know we have the key. "

~The Eagles

Lyrics from Already Gone, Album: On the Border (1974)

Seven Blunders of the World

2011-02-27T09:17:00.004-05:00

The Seven Blunders of the World is a list that Mahatma Gandhi gave to his grandson Arun Gandhi, written on a piece of paper, on their final day together, not too long before his assassination. The seven blunders are:

Wealth without work

Pleasure without conscience

Knowledge without character

Commerce without morality

Science without humanity

Worship without sacrifice

Politics without principle

Resilience

2011-02-16T07:23:00.005-05:00

"The leaders I met, whatever walk of life they were from, whatever institutions they were presiding over, always referred back to the same failure something that happened to them that was personally difficult, even traumatic, something that made them feel that desperate sense of hitting bottom--as something they thought was almost a necessity. It's as if at that moment the iron entered their soul; that moment created the resilience that leaders need.” Warren G. Bennis

Painting: The Magpie, oil on canvas, Claude Monet, 1868-1869

Monet often thought of himself as this magpie sitting alone in a frigid art world as his soul revealed the light of impressionism upon canvas after canvas. Always perceived as one of the leaders of the impressionistic movement, he defined resilience in his time.

Destiny

2010-12-30T07:06:00.004-05:00

Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice;
it is not to be waited for, but a thing to be achieved.

~ William Jennings Bryan

Merry Christmas

2010-12-08T08:26:00.001-05:00

2010-12-06T07:13:00.004-05:00

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!

~ Goethe

The Prayer of St. Francis

2010-11-02T06:57:00.008-04:00

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

St Francis of Assisi was a Roman Catholic friar and the founder of the Franciscan Order. He is known as the patron saint of animals, birds, the environment and Italy. He lived from September 26, 1181 - October 3, 1226.

The Prayer of St. Francis is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. Regardles of your religious preference, I hope you read and integrate this prayer today. Images of St Francis frequently demonstrate his love for animals. Perhaps it is for this reason that I have loved this prayer since childhood. Today, as an adult and integrative healer, within these words I find two core values of a hope-filled and gracious life: It is in helping others heal that we are healed and While visiting, we should walk gently upon this earth.

Atomic Tom's Stroke of Genius

2010-10-17T10:31:00.003-04:00

Technology is a wonderful thing. Universal Republic's latest rock project Atomic Tom would probably agree with that sentiment after the band's instruments were stolen recently. In a stroke of genius, Atomic Tom members improvised with their iPhones. Good for you, gentleman!

Read more...

Be Yourself

2010-10-07T06:47:00.003-04:00

Be yourself - everybody else is already taken.

~ Oscar Wilde

Tao Te Ching - Chapter 8

2010-09-17T11:05:00.005-04:00

The highest good is like water.

Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not strive.

It flows in places men reject and so is like the Tao.

In dwelling, be close to the land.

In meditation, go deep in the heart.

In dealing with others, be gentle and kind.

In speech, be true.

In ruling, be just.

In business, be competent.

In action, watch the timing.

No fight: No blame.

Lao Tsu, an older contemporary of Confucius, was keeper of the imperial archives at Loyang in the province of Honan in the sixth centruy B.C. All his life he taught that "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao"; but, according to ancient legend, as he was riding off into the desert to die - sick at heart at the ways of men - he was persuaded by a gatekeeper in northwestern China to write down his teaching for posterity.

Tao = "the way" or "the pathway"

Bill Gates Explains

2010-09-08T05:27:00.004-04:00

-Whether you like Bill Gates or not...this is pretty cool. Here's some advice Bill Gates recently dished out at a high school speech about 11 things they did not learn in school.

RULE 1
Life is not fair - get used to it.

RULE 2
The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

RULE 3
You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone, until you earn both.

RULE 4
If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.

RULE 5
Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping they called it Opportunity.

RULE 6
If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

RULE 7
Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

RULE 8
Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

RULE 9
Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

RULE 10
Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

RULE 11
Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Michael Jordan

2010-09-05T07:53:00.001-04:00

Jackie is Amazing!

2010-08-11T10:44:00.000-04:00

Believe

2010-08-04T07:17:00.002-04:00

“The future belongs to those who believe
in the beauty of their dreams.”

— Eleanor Roosevelt

A friend to yourself

2010-06-11T14:31:00.008-04:00

What progress, you ask, have I made?
I have begun to be a friend to myself.

~Hecato

Inuit symbol of friendship

Daily affirmations are awesome!

2010-05-26T22:10:00.001-04:00

Freedom

2010-05-19T17:56:00.005-04:00

When we have faith in our contribution to life, we have no fear.

When we live without fear, we are authentic.

When we are authentic, we have purpose.

When we have purpose, we add to the world.

When we add to the world, we are productive.

When we are productive, we have value.

When we are of value, we have worth.

When we have worth, we are free.

In the penultimate step, we return to where we started:

when we are free, we live in faith.

~ Dr. Kenn Gordon

Center for Spiritual Living

An Amazing "Ocean"

2010-05-05T11:19:00.001-04:00

Potential

2010-04-08T09:31:00.003-04:00

Under all that we think,

lives all we believe.

Think of the potential.

Affirmations for Success

2010-03-18T10:49:00.004-04:00

"I am blessed beyond my fondest dreams."

an affirmation for success

Peace

2010-03-01T06:20:00.004-05:00

Peace evolves in stillness of mind and body.

Peace within another offers you space and a true reflection of your greatness.
Peace within yourself offers you a universe of possibilities.

7 Men Who Are Transforming the World

2010-01-22T10:46:00.004-05:00

Read about an astronaut, doctor, actor and others

who are transforming the world.

Happiness Is a Journey

2010-01-14T08:21:00.003-05:00

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness.

Happiness is the way.

So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one.

~ Souza

Dark Places

2010-01-03T09:15:00.004-05:00

"Remember...flowers grow out of dark places."

~ Corita Kent

Take a Step Into the Darkness

2010-01-01T19:35:00.004-05:00

When we walk to the end of all the light we have,

and take a step into the darkness of the unknown,
we must believe one of two things will happen:
That we will land on something solid,

or we will learn to fly.

~ A Native American saying.

Discover Your Drummer in 2010

2010-01-01T19:27:00.009-05:00

If a man does not keep pace with others,

perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.

~ Henry David Thoreau

Photo: One Man Band
Streets of Washington, D.C.
7/4/09

2009-12-30T09:16:00.005-05:00

"There is always another appointment to be met, another bill to pay, another symptom presenting, another uneventful day to be notched on the wooden wall. We have sychronized our watches, studied our calendars, existed in minutes, and completely forgotten to step back and see what we've accomplished."

~ Jodi Picoult

My Sister's Keeper

Joanna and Mitch, thanks for the quote!

Image: Interpretation of Sunset

J. Paykel ( 2004)

Infinite Potential

2009-12-22T09:17:00.005-05:00

You were born with infinite potential.

Believe it. Embrace it.

Share it.

Photo:Cottage Christmas, 2007
Joanna, Alex, Mitchell, Shayne

Leave a Trail

2009-12-19T08:23:00.003-05:00

"Do not go where the path may lead,
go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I Believe

2009-12-18T08:23:00.005-05:00

First heard this Brooks and Dunn song 4 years ago.... now, as then, it serves as a source of strength and inspiration.

The Ukele, a Little Boy and The Hippy Song

2009-12-16T08:05:00.003-05:00

Music is so amazing! The joy is apparent - even without knowing all the words!

Thanks for the post, Joanna!

Misperceptions

2009-12-13T14:24:00.001-05:00

Only your misperceptions stand in your way.

Happiness

2009-12-10T06:55:00.004-05:00

Happiness
When one's spiritual needs are met
by an untroubled inner life.
Happiness comes when your work and words
are of benefit to yourself and others.

Amazing Story About a Very Lucky Coyote

2009-12-02T20:39:00.004-05:00

snopes.com: Lucky Coyote

Posted using ShareThis
Thanks for the story, Mitch!

Our Deepest Fear

2009-12-01T22:59:00.004-05:00

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

~ Marianne Williamson

She Kicks Like a Girl!!!

2009-11-23T10:14:00.004-05:00

Kassy McCarthy isn't stopping at a state title -- she wants to be a Badger.
Moments after her Waunakee team put the finishing touches on the school's first WIAA championship since 2002, the senior kicker told reporters she intends to seek a tryout with the University of Wisconsin football team.
You go, girl!!!

What defines you?

2009-11-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

If what you did yesterday defines you,

then you haven't done much today.

~ Dr. Lou Holtz

Strength

2009-11-19T05:38:00.004-05:00

There are two ways of exerting one's strength;
one is pushing down, the other is pulling up.

~ Booker T. Washington

Make it GREAT

2009-11-03T20:30:00.004-05:00

When you consistently make average
GREAT
your dreams will become a reality.

~ Suze Orman

Today's Gonna Be a Good Day

2009-10-24T17:48:00.006-04:00

This is an amazing YouTube video that demonstrates how 20,000 people can ride the same vibe and synchronize. Truly, AWESOME!!

Chicago and the Black Eyed Peas surprise Oprah as she kicks off her 24th season.

Silence is Golden

2009-10-11T06:34:00.003-04:00

A fool is known by his speech
and a wise man by silence

~ Pythagoras

Photo: Fish in tank

Taken 1/10/09 VB VA

All That You Already Have

2009-10-06T06:11:00.004-04:00

If you just look at all that already exists in your life, all that you already have: unlimited air to breathe, ample lighting to see, music to hear, books to read, stars to dream by, trees to gaze at, floors to dance on, friends to cavort with, enemies to befriend, strangers to meet, woods to walk through, beaches to comb, rocks to scale, rains to cleanse you, rivers to float you, animals to comfort you, you do have to admit, life is good if we reach out and live it!

Bugs on the Windshield

2009-09-25T18:46:00.007-04:00

Princess Mia planned to recuse her royal position as Princess of Genovia and declined making a public speech as she had previously been humiliated by the press.

"You wouldn't stop driving your mustang because a couple of bugs hit the windshield. Would you?"

replied her grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi of Genovia (Julie Andrews) to an anxious granddaughter and Princess-heir apparent , Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) in The Princess Diaries, 2001.

I'm Yours

2009-09-01T02:42:00.004-04:00

by Jason Mraz
(just love, love, love the song!)

Hope Still Lives

2009-08-31T06:48:00.002-04:00

The work goes on,
the cause endures,
the hope still lives and
the dreams shall never die.

~Ted Kennedy
1932-2009

The Universe Conspires in Your Favor

2009-08-09T20:34:00.004-04:00

"When a person really desires something,

all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream...
Don't give into your fears," said the alchemist,
in a strangely gentle voice.
"If you do, you won't be able to talk to your heart."

Quote:
The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coehlo
published in 1988 in Portugese, translated into English in 1994

Happy Birthday, Mitchell

2009-08-02T10:27:00.007-04:00

25 years ago today
I gave birth to our eldest son, Mitchell.
What a wonderful day it was...
Peculiarly cool and rainy for an August day.
He was such a precious baby and so aware of his surroundings.
It was amazing how Mitchell would cry and cry in the nursery
but was content immediately upon hearing our voices.
The nurses dubbed Mitch "Billy Idol" due to his mop of blond hair
that extended from his scalp like it was electrified.
Little did we know,
that was a glimpse of the energy emanating from his rapidly firing neurons...
which has yet to lag.
We took him home on August 5th - a searing hot day.
And, so , our rich experiences as parents began.
We look forward to so many more.

Happy Birthday to our beloved son, Mitchell John Anthony.
You are a blessing in our lives.
Love, Mom and Dad

Picture:
Mitchell taking a bath
"getting excited"
10 months old with only 1 tooth
Menomonee Falls, WI 1985

Happy Birthday, Stuart - #46

2009-08-01T09:03:00.005-04:00

Happy birthday to the man we love and adore.
You mean the world, moon and universe to us!!

Photo: Air and Space Center
Hampton, VA
2009

Wondering

2009-07-26T12:05:00.013-04:00

"People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas,
at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean,
at the circular motion of the stars,
and yet they pass by themselves without wondering."

- St. Augustine, 354-430 A.D.

Photo:
water reflection of face
tsu_tsu @flickr.com

Be There Totally

2009-07-17T17:49:00.008-04:00

Where ever you are, be there totally.

~ Eckhart Tolle

Photo: Tom Watson
At age 59 marching towards victory
British Open, 2009

What You Do Matters

2009-07-14T22:02:00.006-04:00

"Do not worry so much all the time, my friend, about the other people, what they say. And do not have so many strong opinions, so many strong judgments. What you do matters. And what you think matters...Here is Buddhist prayer," he said, and he rolled off a few sentences in what must have been Ortyk, then struggling just a bit, translated them. "All that we are is the result of what we have thought: It is built on our thoughts, it is made from our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with evil thought, pain follows him, just like the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the...cart....If a person speaks or acts with pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves."

One of my favorite excerpts from the delightful novel Breakfast with Buddha written by Roland Merullo. This story is insightful, slightly irreverant and loving. A wonderful primer on how to live gently.

Namaste.

Stand Up to Your Obstacles

2009-07-08T17:37:00.004-04:00

Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them.
You will find that they haven't half the strength you think they have.

~ Norman Vincent Peale

Painting: Obstacles by Bruce Price

25 Years Married Today

2009-06-28T22:18:00.004-04:00

Grow old along with me. The best is yet to be.

In a time when nothing is more certain than change,
the commitment of two people to one another has become difficult and rare.
Yet, by its scarcity, the beauty and value of this exchange have only been enhanced.

~ Sexton, Robert

Photo: Stuart and Jackie 2009

Milton H. Erickson - The Father of Modern Hypnotherapy

2009-06-27T04:15:00.007-04:00

Milton H. Erickson (1901- 1980) was an American Psychiatrist who specialized in medical hypnosis. His story is fascinating and inspiring. As a young man of 17 he was stricken with polio. His incredible recovery is briefly recounted below. Not only does his story offer inspiration, but insight into experiential wisdom and application for the betterment of the human condition.

Milton Erickson was always delighted to recount that he was one of the few people who traveled East in a covered wagon. His love of doing things differently was a theme in his life as well as in the way he practiced psychotherapy. His unique approaches have impacted and changed psychotherapy in a pivotal way.

Born in 1901, in Aurum, Nevada, a long vanished silver-mining town, he was Albert and Clara Erickson's second child. When he was five, the family moved to Lowell, Wisconsin, and began farming on 80 acres. The family eventually grew to 7 girls and 2 boys, which was a distinct disadvantage in the epoch of clear male and female work roles. The family frequently "loaned out" a girl for kitchen duties in exchange for an extra hand at crop time.

Even as a child, Milton was recognized as different. His schoolmates called him "Pat" because he always had his lessons "down pat." There was a paucity of printed material in his farm community and he already had an insatiable appetite for reading. He amused himself by reading the dictionary. While still a teenager, he began his prolific publishing career, writing an article about the problems of youths on farms for a national magazine. He enjoyed writing for newspapers as a student and continued to contribute to newspapers for many years. His submissions ranged from serious editorials to humorous anecdotes.

He admired the wise country doctor, as a youngster, and planned that career for himself. Then at 17, he was stricken by poliomyelitis. He spent a great deal of time analyzing the intricacies and hidden messages of the conversations in rooms adjacent to his bedroom as he lay paralyzed. His examination of minute details of the relationships between thinking and healing and the effects of the mind on the body proved to be key elements in his recovery.

As a transition back to physical well-being, Milton planned a camping trip by canoe from the Wisconsin River in Milwaukee down the Mississippi to St. Louis. A friend who was going with him canceled at the last minute. As Milton's parents were already uncomfortable with this trip, he decided not to tell them it would be a solitary venture. He began his trip with $5.00 in his pocket and being carried to the river because he couldn't walk far. There would be many portages with his canoe, but he decided he could depend on his wits until he could develop the muscles he needed. He was confident that even alone he would manage.

He paddled home after six weeks. He still had his $5.00, was tanned and had developed enormous shoulder muscle strength. He had learned to walk again, supported only by a cane. The trip impacted him and his thinking for the rest of his life. Many nights, he had "earned" his supper by telling stories to fishermen along the river and he recognized the power of stories the rest of his life. He became even more appreciative of the power of nature to soothe and teach. Erickson always relished learning and on this trip, he was able to see other ways of living. He talked to and learned from the company of people whose life styles were totally outside his experiences.

In Erickson's youth was marked with times of isolation and solitude as well as intervals of physical hardship. His life philosophy was shaped by the resulting appreciation of the values of observation, patience, perseverance, and hard work. All surroundings provide solutions, whether the circumstances are sparse, filled with adversities or teeming with yet-to-be discovered possibilities for the navigation of life. This life philosophy, this different view of the resources available within each person and the environment shaped his professional views and created a broader spectrum for psychotherapy.

Lesson from Dad

2009-06-20T12:01:00.006-04:00

I remember many, many times my father said to me,

"You must learn to bend like a weeping willow in the wind or

eventually you'll break."

Have you ever tried to break a weeping willow branch?

You can't.

I am that weeping willow drinking from the stream of life.

Stuart Alexander Paykel

2009-06-11T21:26:00.007-04:00

They were little once.
And, now they’re all grown up – well, kind of.

Alex, our youngest son of three, graduates from high school today.
It sure is a bitter-sweet moment in my life.
I take solace knowing that he will continue to grow as a man
And hopefully use the wisdom he’s gained thus far.
I hope he understands that he can rely upon his family and best of friends
To help right his way when he strays
To celebrate his successes and passions
To support him through those difficult times when personal growth is inevitable
To love him for who he is and not who we wished he was.
Because, to me, with all the ups and downs,
The laughter, the tears, the terror, the hugs, the girls, the Alexisms
The wrecked cars, the name changes, the broken bones, the messy rooms and loud music

Stuart Alexander Paykel

has illuminated our lives.
I simply wouldn’t have him any other way.

Alex, please continue to live with passion.
Share your gifts. Do the unexpected.
And, most of all, know you are loved…Unconditionally.

Love, Mom

Photo:Michi, Alex, Alexio, Clay and Kelsey
2009 graduates of Western Branch High School

Achievement

2009-06-09T08:22:00.005-04:00

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal;

nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.

~ Thomas Jefferson

Photo: Michael Phelps

Here's a Magical Question that Changes EVERYTHING!

2009-06-07T07:32:00.005-04:00

by Ken Winston Caine

Here’s a magical question that changes EVERYTHING! Practice asking it of yourself throughout your day.

Especially ask it when feeling overwhelm, upset, frustration, and so forth. The question:

How would you like to feel right now?

Put it in the first person form, of course. That is:

How would I like to feel right now?

And be perfectly honest — and really, really sure of your answer.

And then:

Feel that way.

Allow yourself to feel the way you would like to feel right now.

And allow yourself to be vigilant about noticing and letting go of any conflicting feelings and thoughts that attempt to assert themselves. And, when you become aware that conflicting feelings and thoughts HAVE asserted themselves and are busy making messes of your internal emotional environment and mental clarity, allow yourself to pause … and ask the question again.

You’ll be surprised.

The more you practice this, the better you’ll get at it.

About the Authour: Ken Winston Kaine is a Holistic Self-Help Doc' exploring the frontiers of holistics & personal development ...Sharing 'what works, what doesn't, and what's simply freakin' fascinating

Live Today for Today

2009-06-02T07:15:00.000-04:00

"That which you think about, you create.
Thoughts are things!
And that which you think about, good or bad -
you create into your own reality."
Author Unknown

Street sense: Formerly homeless, UW med school grad has traveled long road

2009-05-31T21:25:00.006-04:00

Jennifer Jenkins took a break between her third and fourth years of medical school to practice what is called "street medicine" with an organization in Pittsburgh. She made "house calls" on the streets, handing out medicine, socks and sandwiches. And she was glad to do it. Jenkins, 35, was once there herself.

"There's nothing special about me," says Jenkins, sitting in a cafe on Willy Street just days after graduating from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. "You should see the resilience of the homeless people on the street."

Jenkins, who spent about five years in her early 20s bouncing between the streets, shelters and "benevolent couches" of strangers and friends, was born in Willingboro, N.J., the oldest daughter of a West Point graduate. Her dad moved the family between Army bases until Jenkins was 8, when they settled in Milwaukee. They didn't have much money, even when her father returned to law school and got his degree. Jenkins says her father wasn't outgoing enough to bring in clients.

Her family life was extremely unstable and touched by violence and abuse, says Jenkins, who has a brother and a sister.

"I had to grow up very fast," she says. "But sometimes when you do that, even though you may have the practical know-how to move through this world, there are social and emotional lessons that might have to be learned the hard way along the way."

After graduating high school at 17, Jenkins moved to Madison to attend UW. She was put on probation in her second year due to poor grades but left school before she could get kicked out....

Read the rest of Jennifer's amazing story

Photo:
Recent UW medical school graduate Jennifer Jenkins (left) hopes to devote her medical career to "outsiders," such as homeless men and women, as she was once homeless herself.

Silence Is The Great Teacher

2009-05-30T14:36:00.005-04:00

Silence is the great teacher, and to learn its lessons you must pay attention to it.

There is no substitute for the creative inspiration, knowledge, and stability

that come from knowing how to contact your core of inner silence.

The great Sufi poet Rumi wrote, "Only let the moving waters calm down,

and the sun and moon will be reflected on the surface of your being."

~ Deepak Chopra

Photo: Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan

Susan Boyle Wows Again with "Memory"

2009-05-24T20:39:00.006-04:00

Susan Boyle wows the judges and audience again
on Britain's Got Talent singing "Memory" from Cats.
She remains an inspiration for the world in difficult times.

Time to Blossom

2009-05-21T08:48:00.004-04:00

There came a time
when the risk to remain tight in the bud
was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

~ Anais Nin ~

A Better Way

2009-05-13T23:56:00.001-04:00

"There's a way to do it better—find it."

— Thomas Edison

Kindness

2009-05-09T09:27:00.006-04:00

Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today,

but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.

~Dale Carnegie

Photo: Jackie and Chimp
Smithsonian Theater, 2009

Safety

2009-05-06T08:37:00.006-04:00

The desire for safety stands against every

great and noble enterprise.

~ Publius Cornelius Tacitus

55 - 120 A.D.

Katie Visco - Pave Your Lane

2009-04-30T05:27:00.001-04:00

The Dalai Lama Serves Hope to San Francisco Homeless

2009-04-27T22:15:00.006-04:00

The Dalai Lama helps serve lunch at a San Francisco soup kitchen on Sunday, April 26, 2009. Addressing visitors at the Martin de Porres House of Hospitality, the Dalai Lama spoke of his position as Tibet's exiled spiritual leader saying
'Me too, homeless person.'

Life is Always Changing

2009-04-18T21:10:00.003-04:00

Life is always changing; we are always changing. We live in a river of change, and a river of change lives within us. Every day we're given a choice: We can relax and float in the direction that the water flows, or we can swim hard against it. If we go with the river, the energy of a thousand mountain streams will be with us, filling our hearts with courage and enthusiasm. If we resist the river, we will feel rankled and tired as we tread water, stuck in the same place.

~ Elizabeth Lesser
Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow

I Dreamed a Dream by Susan Boyle

2009-04-14T08:06:00.005-04:00

Susan Boyle appeared on Britain's Got Talent and
left the audience and judges awed and inspired.
Just click HERE or on Susan's photo to see the You Tube performance.

Monique and the Mango Rains

2009-04-10T20:18:00.010-04:00

Monique and the Mango Rains by Kris Holloway-Bidwell is the true story of the life and death of a remarkable West African midwife, seen through the eyes of a young Peace Corps Volunteer who worked side-by-side with her, birthing babies and caring for mothers, in a remote, impoverished village. It is a rare tale of friendship that reaches beyond borders to vividly and irrevocably unite another woman’s world with our own.

Unfortunately, Monique, who undoubtedly saved hundreds of lives, fell victim to the maternal mortality statistics of Mali. She died giving birth to her fifth child. However, this is an incredibly inspirational story that lives on. A clinic that holds Monique's name is under construction in Mali. Kris and John Bidwell have established a non-profit organization to help fund the construction of the clinic. They are still in need of donations to finish construction and equip this health and birthing center that undoubtedly will contribute to the saving of many, many lives.

Click HERE to know more about this inspirational effort

Click HERE to buy the book

Click HERE to make a donation

Monique and the Mango Rains

Excerpt from Chapter One

Monique's face was calm, her eyes focused. She began talking Kadjatou through each contraction, with Alima repeating her words in a whispered echo. "Akanyi...I be se, I be se-Good...you can do it, you can do it." Monique's tone and Kadjatou's pushing were in sync, building up and falling down like surf stroking a beach. Her voice seemed the only connection between them and the outside world. Finally, Kadjatou bore down as if pulled by an invisible force. Monique's voice grew stronger and louder, the words stretching out as Kadjatou's body surged forward and birthed the head. A big, slimy globe covered in dark, wavy hair. It hung there. I held my breath. We waited. Another contraction came, and another, each revealing more of the baby's body, until finally the whole child slipped out. I exhaled deeply and stared at the ginger-colored newborn.

Monique quickly took the baby boy and cradled him in her long, muscled arm. She gently massaged his chest with the palm of her hand, leathery fingers sliding over his fragile skin. Finally he opened his mouth, took his first gasp of air, and wailed. Monique cut the blue umbilical cord and began washing him as he sputtered loud protests. Monique's son Basil awoke on her back and began howling, a fine baritone to accompany the new arrival's soprano. Monique wrapped the baby in a towel and placed him beside the medical kit. As Kadjatou pushed out her placenta, Monique caught it in the plastic tub and began inspecting it to make sure that nothing was left inside the new mother. The babies continued their deafening duet. My mouth hung open. I didn't know what to say or think. My dress stuck to my back, wet with perspiration.

Like smoke, I drifted to the corner of the room and down to my knees. I felt overcome with awe and fatigue. I couldn't believe we all got here this way. I couldn't believe that here, in this dilapidated box, Monique, with a sixth-grade education and nine months of medical training, was birthing babies. Lots of babies. She was responsible for the future of this village. No electricity, no running water, no safety net of ambulances and emergency rooms. I knew that Mali had one of the highest rates of maternal death in the world. I'd read a sobering statistic that placed a Malian woman's lifetime risk of dying in pregnancy and childbirth around one in twelve, compared to a U.S. woman's risk of one in over three thousand. Even if one accounts for the fact that Malian women have many more children than American women, and thus are at risk for more years, the difference in the death rate is still huge. Monique was constantly battling the odds. It was so awful, so miraculous. I wanted to get up and help out, but I couldn't do a thing....

Dare Mighty Things

2009-04-06T06:17:00.001-04:00

Far better is it to dare mighty things

than to rank with those poor spirits who
neither enjoy much nor suffer much,

because they live in a gray twilight

that knows not victory nor defeat.

Author - Unknown

On Parenting

2009-03-22T08:47:00.006-04:00

To trust who our child is, and not who we think he should be or what the world wants him to be - that perhaps is the single greatest gift a parent can give. Faith in our child's own destiny, in the destiny of his soul - that's the one ingredient that will make the biggest difference in our parenting....

It is not enough just to value who they are; we must also get in their way when they don't want us to, and get out of their way when we don't want to. We must fumble around with that delicate balance between control and leniency, fear and trust, holding on and letting go, until the parenting adventure is over. The good news and the bad news is that it's never over.

Excerpt from Broken Open
by Elizabeth Lesser

Photo: Alex, Joanna, Mitch & Shayne
Christmas, 2008
Richfield, WI

2009-03-19T10:13:00.003-04:00

The Holy Longing

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Tell a wise person, or else keep silent.
Because the massman will mock it right away.
I praise what is truly alive,
what longs to be burned to death.

In the calm water of the love-nights,
where you were begotten, where you have begotten,
a strange feeling comes over you
when you see the silent candle burning.

Now you are no longer caught
in the obsession with darkness,
and a desire for higher lovemaking
sweeps you upward.

Distance does not make you falter,
now, arriving in magic, flying,
and finally, insane for the light,
you are the butterfly and you are gone.

And so long as you haven't experienced
this: to die and so to grow,
you are only a troubled guest
on the dark earth.

The Great Truth

2009-03-16T09:49:00.005-04:00

The small truth may be that you are sick today, or have PMS, or a cold, or feel feeble and weak. The Great Truth is that you are infinitely capable of doing good, thinking and saying kind words, and acting in gentle and loving ways.

~ Jeanne House & Dawson Church , PhD

Explore. Dream. Discover.

2009-03-15T17:22:00.004-04:00

Photo: Display in the Simthsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History - Washington, D.C.

Dance in the Rain

2009-03-09T06:16:00.002-04:00

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...
it's about learning to dance in the rain.

Photo: Gene Kelly
Singin' in the Rain

Happy Birthday, Dad

2009-03-05T13:10:00.005-05:00

Thank you for the laughter,
For the good times that we share,
Thanks for always listening,
For trying to be fair.

Thank you for your comfort,
When things are going bad,
Thank you for the shoulder,
To cry on when I'm sad.

This poem is a reminder that
All my life through,
I'll be thanking Heaven
For a Special Dad like you.

Photo: Dad and Mom, 2007

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Love, Jackie

The Search for Truth

2009-03-05T06:44:00.007-05:00

"The right to search for truth implies also a duty;

one must not conceal any part of what one has recognized to be true."

~ Albert Einstein

Painting: Sunset on the Seine Winter effect

Claude Monet 1890

The Rapture of Being Alive

2009-02-28T15:04:00.004-05:00

People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life.
I don't think that's what we're really seeking.
I think that what we're seeking
is an experience of being alive...
so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.

~ Joseph Campbell

Photo: Sunset over the Pacific Ocean
La Serena, Chile

It's In The Valley I Grow

2009-02-21T12:17:00.006-05:00

Broken

2009-02-18T22:26:00.006-05:00

Learn the alchemy
true human beings know.
The moment you accept
the troubles you've been given,
the door will open.
~Rumi

At this point over 100 posts have been made to Positively Inspiring. The purpose at the inception of this blog was to keep positivity flowing amongst those I missed most having been geographically separated from my husband, two sons, parents, numerous siblings and many friends to start a new job 1200 miles away. The accumulation of positive expression has been consistent. However, through many dark days, I've needed to search for even a glimmer of positivity. It is the effort applied to create the post that has offered relief - allowing me to feel a little less anxious, even somewhat better, if only for moments. Though these almost-daily entries have been helpful and the collection such that I value their reflection, perhaps it's more inspirational to be more candid, more real. Because, to put it simply, life can be hard. And, over the last year, life has been very hard.

Not all is lost, though. Stuart gave me a wonderful gift for Valentine's Day - a book (surprise, surprise) written by Elizabeth Lesser: Broken Open - How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow. This book is a blessing. Lesser puts into perspective the value of difficult times; the blessings and opportunities they represent if one is willing to engage them; to use the "broken" moments in one's life to transform and evolve from "Once-born innocence to twice-born wisdom". These opportunities should be treasured if one can see through the fog of disappointment, self-doubt and fear. I am getting better at this - far from perfect- but, I am getting better.

Live to Purpose

2009-02-13T14:36:00.007-05:00

The great and glorious masterpiece of (wo)man is to know how to live to purpose.

~ Michel de Montaigne

Photo: Traditional Birth Attendants

Phulpadar Village, Orissa, India

Read about the importance of Traditional Birth Attendants here

"I Have A Dream"

2009-02-12T17:42:00.000-05:00

We have come a long way...

How far do you go?

2009-02-08T11:42:00.002-05:00

Only by going too far can one possibly find out how far one can go.

~ Jon Dyer

Picture: Shayne learning to windsurf
2008

Teen Shields Boy from Bullet

2009-02-06T12:14:00.001-05:00

Thanks for the post, Joanna!

2009-02-05T18:04:00.002-05:00

Our ideas, like orange-plants,

spread out in proportion

to the size of the box which imprisons the roots.

~ Edward Bulwer Lytton

(The orange tree symbolizes generosity and wisdom.)

Hold your head up high!

2009-02-02T17:11:00.002-05:00

If I were asked to give what I consider the single most useful bit of advice for all humanity, it would be this: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high. Look it squarely in the eye, and say, "I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me.
Ann Landers

Consistency and Persistency

2009-02-01T06:42:00.004-05:00

As has been indicated, a little more patient, a little more tolerant, a little more humble. But . . .not a tolerance that becomes timid--this would make rebellion in self. Not a patience that is not positive. Not an humbleness that becomes morbid or lacking in beauty. For as orderliness is a part of thy being, so let consistency--as persistency--be a part of thy being.

~ Edgar Cayce

Photo: The Thinker
Rodin Garden, Paris, France

Who was The Thinker?
Auguste Rodin himself wrote about his intention:
The Thinker has a story. In the days long gone by I conceived the idea of the Gates of Hell. Before the door, seated on the rock, Dante thinking of the plan of the poem behind him... all the characters from the Divine Comedy. This project was not realized. Thin ascetic Dante in his straight robe separated from all the rest would have been without meaning. Guided by my first inspiration I conceived another thinker, a naked man, seated on a rock, his fist against his teeth, he dreams. The fertile thought slowly elaborates itself within his brain. He is no longer a dreamer, he is a creator.

Find Inspiration

2009-01-31T11:59:00.004-05:00

“As I grow older part of my emotional survival plan must be to actively seek inspiration
instead of passively waiting for it to find me.”

~ Bebe Moore Campbell

2009-01-30T14:17:00.005-05:00

Carl Jung thought about a benefit of being inspired that you may not have considered, "Nothing has a stronger influence psychologically on their environment and especially their children than the unlived life of the parent.”

Peace of mind

2009-01-28T21:15:00.003-05:00

Set peace of mind as your highest goal,
and organize your life around it.
~ Brian Tracy

Thank You

2009-01-26T19:23:00.003-05:00

Your support...
At times feels so undeserved.
Though it seems so inadequate to say,
I love you and I thank you.

Thank you

2009-01-26T19:17:00.004-05:00

Too often we underestimate the power of touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

~ Leo Buscaglia

photo: Linda, Jackie, Barbara and Myles
Classmates in Tucson, AZ.

The evolution of your consciousness

2009-01-21T21:40:00.004-05:00

Boy, am I struggling right now.
My vision is blurred...

"One thing we do know: Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment."

~Eckhart Tolle

Quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr.

2009-01-19T09:51:00.003-05:00

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

"We must concentrate not merely on the negative expulsion of war but the postive affirmation of peace."

"We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people."

"Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality."

"Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better."

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Smile

2009-01-17T23:53:00.002-05:00

"Your face is the canvas for your message to others.
Paint it with a smile."
~ Anonymous

Hope Whispers

2009-01-16T17:16:00.006-05:00

"When the world says, "Give up,

"Hope whispers, 'Try it one more time.' "

~ Unknown

Integrity

2009-01-15T06:39:00.005-05:00

Have the courage to say no.
Have the courage to face the truth.
Do the right thing because it is right.
These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.
~ W. Clement Stone

Photo: Aruban beach through our window
June, 2008