Thursday, April 19, 2012

Is it your birthday?

How do you celebrate the day you came to life? Presents? Special foods? Perhaps you spoil yourself just a bit.  You let people wish you well. Smiles abound. These are ways that people acknowledge what a great gift it is to be alive.
What if you lived every day as if it were your birthday? In other words, what if each day you watched for people to say something nice, you smiled more, and you expected to find some present before the 24 hours was up?
Another way I like to celebrate when it's my birthday is to do some kindness for another person. That way, I can feel that I myself am the gift to another person's life.
if your mom is alive, call her, and thank her for going to all the trouble to give birth to you.
And may your birthday become a birthyear of celebrations.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Great expectations

The Dickens novel by this title includes some colorful characters, including an orphan who aspires to be a gentleman. What expectations govern your week?
Do expectations interfere with what reasonably can be accomplished thanks to the interruptions, errands, and obligations of today?
People like me who find themselves too busy frequently expect that they can fit more deeds into a day than is humanly possible. We have great expectations.
Count the hours in the day, and count the tasks on the list. Revise, edit, and see if you can let go of that "too busy" feeling" by giving yourself permission to have reasonable expectations instead  of great ones. You just may find that this allows you to do one thing great.