Circle of Gratitude

Calling all bloggers

2010-07-27T02:20:00.001-07:00

Does anyone know can you integrate blogs? As some of you know i have three, yes three blogs but to be honest i really don't have the time or the inclination to keep up with all three of them. Two of them barely seem to get many visits or atleast rarely comments so i know anyone is stopping by so I'm wondering whether i can blend them into one?!?

Food for thought - A Fanciful Twist

2010-06-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

Please take a moment to stop by Vanessa latest post There is plenty of food for thought amongst the words and journey that she takes us on. Thanks so much Vanessa for letting me share a piece of your world :)

Becoming

2010-03-04T02:54:00.000-08:00

Why Becoming an Imperfectionist Makes You Successful and Happy
by Christine Kane

"Anything worth doing is worth doing badly."
~ Julia Cameron

How much stuff do you think about doing?

How many things would you love to try but stop yourself because you don't know how to begin?

Do you avoid projects because of the pressure to do them well?

If so, feel free to join me and some of my most successful friends in our exclusive club of very special and talented people:

We call ourselves the Imperfectionists!

What's an Imperfectionist?

• An Imperfectionist is often a recovering perfectionist.

• An Imperfectionist knows that getting something done is better than sitting back and waiting to do it perfectly.

• An Imperfectionist knows that being a Perfectionist is simply an excuse NOT to take action.

• An Imperfectionist congratulates herself for taking small steps.

• An Imperfectionist buys herself flowers when she accomplishes something - even if it's not quite up to her ego's high standards.

• An Imperfectionist knows that getting a scary thing done IS the reward. Not the kudos or adoration.

You Might Need to Become an Imperfectionist if…

• You tell yourself you need to get "just a little more information" before you'll try something.

• You have a case of the "Used-to-Be's." ("I used to be so good at this!" Or "I used to be so thin!" Or, "I used to write everyday and now look…")

• Your mantra to the world is: "I'm just so overwhelmed! There's too much to do! It's so hard to be me!"

• You call friends and co-workers to get sympathy for how hard it is to accomplish your goals and dreams. They often agree, citing how special you are because you have been given so much talent – and how it must be quite a burden.

• You spend more than one hour per day on Facebook, watching television, or not fully engaging in other addictive activities.

• At the end of every year, you wonder why you never seem to move any further towards your dreams.

• You are waiting for your POTENTIAL to finally kick in.

Why Becoming an Imperfectionist Makes You Successful and Happy

Being an Imperfectionist is an Intention.

When you become an Imperfectionist, you finally recognize your ego voice exactly for what it is: Your own personal Success Prevention Expert.

When you become an Imperfectionist, you finally realize how many Success Prevention Experts exist in the world.

When you become an Imperfectionist, you lower the bar – or better yet, remove it altogether. You can then create in the moment without any grade or standard. Ironically, this allows for such freedom and joy that you might end up doing a great job. (Or at least having a great time!)

When you become an Imperfectionist, you place your creative attention on the project or activity itself. You don't waste it on obsessing about the outcome. (This paradoxically leads to a higher chance of greatness, and a definite outcome of happiness!)

When you become an Imperfectionist, you get things done imperfectly. You then learn that you can tweak and fix and try again. This process makes you Unstoppable.

When you become an Imperfectionist, you finally understand that there are no mistakes. Just judgments.

Becoming an Imperfectionist doesn't mean you don't become a master of your craft or your passion - but that's not the starting goal.

How to Become an Imperfectionist

1 - Imperfectly pick one thing you keep telling yourself you want to do.

2 - If you read #1 and think, "I can't possibly pick just one! There's too many!" then do not proceed until you have picked just one.

3 - Get a timer, and set it to 55 minutes.

4 - Walk away from your computer right now and spend 55 minutes doing that very activity.

5 - Repeat #4 again tomorrow.

6 - Repeat #4 again every day after that until the item is complete.

7 - Celebrate the item's completion with chocolate, flowers, or a manicure.

8 - Go back to #1 and start over.

An Imperfect List of Things You Can Do Imperfectly

• Imperfect Writing

• Imperfect Meditation

• Imperfect Yoga

• Imperfect Romance

• Imperfect Hiking

• Imperfect Vacations

• Imperfect Scrapbooking

• Imperfect Cooking

• Imperfect Dinner Parties

• Imperfect Bowling

Add your own items to this list as needed. Find a way to let yourself experience them without judgment. And listen to this recovering perfectionist when she tells you that your success is guaranteed when you live by this principle!

Disclaimer: The preceding article should be ignored by the following people:

Brain surgeons.
Commercial airline pilots.
Skydivers.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?
Please do! Just be sure to include this complete blurb with it:

Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her 'LiveCreative' weekly ezine with more than 11,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FRE*E subscription to LiveCreative at http://www.christinekane.com/.

I would like to thank Christine for this article. While i can't relate to everything in it there is alot that i can. I have stopped believing in things being perfect. What might be perfect to one may not be to another so rather than try to live up to that just try your best and you might just surprise yourself. Believe me i know this works it's worked for me for nearly a year, probably alot longer if i had just recognised it. Have fun :)

The Motivational Guru

2009-11-19T01:56:00.001-08:00

Meet Mr Good. Mr Good is one of Roger Hargreaves Mr Men.

Mr Good, as you’d expect is ‘very good’.

He always makes his bed.

He always cleans his teeth.

And he always wipes his feet.

He never slams doors.

He never forgets birthdays.

And he never, ever tells lies.’

Even I’m not that good lol!

Mr Good’s biggest problem is that he lives in a place called ‘Badland’

Badland is a place where ‘people do slam doors. And slam them in your face!’

The weather is always bad and when Mr Good try’s to help it gets thrown back in his face.

Does Badland sound like somewhere you live?

If you imagine that there are parallel universes that run alongside each other some days we can spend our time in Badland other days in Goodland. Some days we may sit in the middle. Some people could spend a great deal of their lives living in Badland others maybe fortunate enough to spend their life in Goodland.

From personal experience I have done both. During my childhood things weren’t easy. My home life at times was topsy-turvy. I was verbally bullied at school. During my time as an adult I have endured Panic Attacks, Depression, Post Natal Depression/Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (both were mentioned!) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Maybe some of us are more prone that others. Since the birth of my son things have been far from easy. There was a time where I thought ‘This is it, this is my life now’ consumed by time wasting habits and procedures.

Here I am almost five years later and life is good. Not free of problems but the future is bright, maybe not orange but bright ;)

Someone has just called me the ‘Motivational Guru’ made me smile.

I have read several self-help books my favourites being ‘You can heal your life’ by Louise Hay and ‘The Secret’.

What I believe now is that by choosing to live in Badland you can expect nothing more than ‘same shit different day!’ The weather may always be dull and cloudy. You may never have fun or the job you once hoped for. But by switching lands, the sun may not always shine but hey, you can still walk and let the wind blow though your hair, the rain may fall but you will dry out. You might not always have fun but more joyful opportunities will come your way and with patience and perseverance that job you’ve always wanted will be on its way.

Smiling and laughing are good for you and contagious. When you’re walking outside take time to observe your surroundings. The leaves changing colour whether they are high in the sky or crunching under your feet. The moon shining down on you in the darkness. The stars twinkling back at you. The world is full of nature’s wonders. Bear in mind in a world full of negative possibilities there are some things you have less or no control over but you do have control over the thoughts in your head.

Believe me, bank your positive vibes and watch them grow.

Join me :)

Please note, these are just my personal thoughts. I am no expert but through my own experiences i have come to this conclusion. I appreciate that different life experiences produces different situations for everyone so i hope i don't offend anyone :)

Full of greatness!

2009-10-29T01:00:00.001-07:00

Image courtesy of Michelle Perkett of Enchanted Inspirations

Digitall colouring by Me :)

'I am grateful for all that i am and for the body i stride out in each and every day' Me :)

Great - Full

2009-09-21T05:34:00.000-07:00

There is alot to be said for being great-ful. Full of greatness. When you go about your day what are you full of greatness for.

It's 9.01 and already i have considered plenty that i should be full of greatness for. Just how many things do we take for granted in our day to day lives.

Being able to get out of bed, to have the breath and energy to do so. To have the electricity to switch the kettle on for that cup of coffee or tea that kick starts our day. For the running water that instantly arrives at the tap and trickles over our hands when we need it. For the technology under the bonnet of our cars that enables us to travel distances short or long. For the smiles that greet us, the laughs that shake us, the tears that cleanse us.

I have had a weekend full of greatness. I spent it with two of my favourite people, some of it spent doing one of my favourite things, painting. I am full of greatness for the thoughts that came and for my hands to allow me to reflect those thoughts. For the time and paint that allowed me to manifest those thoughts for the extras that allowed me to embellish those thoughts. For the time that healed my thoughts and allowed me to reflect and appreciate that i spend my time always striving to be the best that i can and although i see different standards of greatness as in life we are all unique which is what makes us stand out.

'Today i am full of greatness for the gifts of life i have been given' Kerridwen Niner

You can see the progress of my painting over at http://fotf-constellations.blogspot.com/ #

Please stop by :) Let me know what you are full of greatness for :)

That time of year

2009-08-31T12:59:00.000-07:00

Last week my husband, son and i took a trip out, no actual idea where we were going but ended up at a local marina where we took a trip up past the boats. It was a hive of activity, coming and going but i past the angel, blue angel and childs play, all of which my subconcious made a note of...

We ended up at a semi local park where coincidentally we bumped into my two of my husbands children, they were out with their auntie...

We found during our walk our first acorns of the season, some complete with hats and some albino conkers and some small but perfectly formed baby conkers...

What do you notice without a big sign pointing it out...

A lady bought my rainbow bunny at the car boot yesterday, to her a sign from her deceased sister to her neice the second sign as it happens, i got goosebumps. I saw her again today and spoke to her, it was her sisters birthday yesterday too, how amazing. After i came home someone had seemingly sent me a rainbow on Facebook, and then not long after i heard them mention rainbows on something my son had on...I will be pleased to tell her again that her sign has been reinforced just that her sister took the long way round. My rainbow bunny missed out on my first two car boots and interestingly the lady hadn't been to the previous two either...mean't to be!

So i'm grateful for all my signs and messages and hope that i am open and clear sighted enough to see them, the beauty of life is all around us, there for the taking, lap it up :-)

I Promise Myself

2009-08-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

To be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person I meet.

To make all my friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet.

To give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.

To live in the faith that the whole world is on my side, so long as I am true to the best that is in me.

Christian D. Larson

'The Secret' - Thriller

2009-08-11T06:27:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night we went to a friends 40th party. She had requested our presence rather than our presents. I suggested to Brett, my son that he dance ‘Thriller’ and that could be her present. ‘No’ was the answer. Fortunately one of our mutual friends is a florist and she did a beautiful arrangement from all the ‘Parent Group’ mums.

I had gone out following another session reading ‘The Secret’. Not feeling terribly enthused I asked that we would have a great evening.

Some short time after we had been there and Brett had left the bouncy castle and was playing on the dance floor I heard ‘Thriller’ starting to play. I even interrupted a conversation wondering whether Brett would dance. He did!!! He didn’t dance as much as I’ve seen him do but more than my other mummies have ever seen. Everyone was fixated on what he was doing and one of my eyes began watering.

‘Did I teach him?’ someone enquired. Not at all, I wish, I would be setting up teaching if I were responsible. Brett continued to entertain, dancing to ‘Billie Jean’ ‘Boom boom boom’ and other songs that the disco turned out. He was great, I was so proud. It was a great night I could have danced the night away.

The moon outside was incredible like a ball of fire in the sky; I tried to photograph it unsuccessfully many times.

Anyway I would like to say thanks to the Universe for hearing my plea, thanks to the moon for shining and putting on it’s own performance and thanks to my son for making me so proud, you are amazing!

Pumpkin

2009-07-15T03:24:00.001-07:00

This is Brett's pumpkin. We planted the seeds along with some sunflowers which unfortunately haven't withstood the pests that have chomped them. I was so excited at the prospect of growing our own pumpkins and the thought that come Halloween we could carve for the first time our own pumpkin. It has come on in leaps and bounds as i was told it would once it got started. I hope it produces some fruits, i gather they come after the flowers which i think are just starting to show at the center of the plant. So my gratitude this week comes from having the opportunities to plant the seeds, seeds of life and seeds for the garden with my son, the pleasure of popping up the garden to see how much bigger it is, of taking Grandma out to show her and fingers crossed to harvest the fruits in October. I will keep you posted in some shape or form either here on on Constellations :-)

Michael Jackson 29/8/58-25/6/09

2009-07-08T05:22:00.000-07:00

This drawing was done by Brett, you can guess who it is!

Last night I watched Michael Jackson’s memorial. I was determined to see it and not to get upset in front of my son. Unfortunately that didn’t last long. Brett was sat with me and although I don’t remember the song I grabbed Brett’s arms and started swaying them from side to side. My tears continued when Brooke Shields came on stage and at various places during the service.

My husband asked why I was upset. It’s hard to be specific. I have ‘grown up’ with Michael Jackson and remember being at home poorly when dad brought Thriller home on video to watch. I also recall something else happening and I played ‘Got to be there’ so when I hear that song it invariably gets me teary. For the last six months or so having mistakenly introduced Brett to Thriller he has watched, listened, sang and danced even gone to bed listening to Michael Jackson. I jokingly named him the ‘King of toddler pop’.

He has all the moves :-)

We will continue to appreciate the talent of Michael Jackson and maybe I should just be grateful for being around to experience the genius but I am still sad. Sad that when I was little I thought it was the bees’ knees to grow up and be a pop ‘star’. We were going to be called ‘The Sapphires’. Michael Jackson so we are led to believe had a strict upbringing with very little time for a childhood as we know it and as far as we know the latter part was tarred with allegations, depression, over use of prescription drugs and ultimately his untimely death. Whilst fans the world over were counting down the days till they were about to soak up the whole phenomenon at his ‘This is it’ tour. Well unfortunately for everyone this was it but I am grateful for the small piece of Michael Jackson that I experienced and the piece that may continue on in my son.

‘You touched our heat in different ways. Now we wish you peace and love, always!’

Circle of Gratitude

2009-06-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

My good friend Michelle of Enchanted Inspirations originally inspired the title for this blog. Michelle often blogs about what she is grateful for.

What really got me thinking was having watched a recent programme about Michael Jackson just after his death. The programme was filmed before his death but featured some people, some famous, some not commenting on his life and talents. It is such a shame to wait until someone leaves this plane to comment or praise them.

Over twelve months ago, prior to an operation I wrote three letters, one to my mum, dad and life long friend. As it stands they don’t yet have them but I hope they will in the not too distant future. These letters were my opportunity to tell them the things that we sometimes leave it too late to say.

So that is the basis of this blog. What or who are you grateful for?

That is my starting point. If this blog prompts you to write or blog please let me know and I will include a link or if you’d like me to include something you’ve written with a view to sharing it with them or anyone else that stops by please do.

As I mentioned to someone recently and is John Edwards message at the end of each and every programme we should ‘Communicate, Appreciate and Validate’ the people we love in this lifetime…