Love…

Love.  Plain and simple. 

Though it’s not. 

Loving, truly loving another can be hard, takes commitment, and a generous forgiving heart.  Loving takes effort and work and fortitude.

I wish it for you.

Put yourself out there.  Love with all that you are.  Share the wonders that are uniquely yours. 

When you decide on love, fight for it…be a warrior.

Be forgiving, hold judgments, and serve it with passion, compassion and intensity worthy of your truth.

Really loving another fills you up.  It is a salve that heals, a foundation that supports, a strong arm that steadies you during the storms.

Loving with all that you are will enrich your life and those around you.  It will deliver you the true meaning of humanity and allow you to experience a magnified life.

Don’t be afraid of hurts and heart break. 

Because the beauty of love is that you can, and must give it to your self first.  In that way, you will have a matrix of strength that will enable you to emerge from life’s hardships whole and still able to give all that you are, as well as accept all of the love that is meant for you.

My echo is this…Love, with all that you are. 

Culitvate your Spiritual Garden…

Spirituality: an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being.

I hope for each and every person to explore what spirituality means to them, for them, and then keep digging.

Keep searching for what really speaks to your very core.  What fills your heart, carries through the currents of your veins, makes you feel whole?

Look for and study what settles into your being as truth.  Keep digging and plant each kernel that you find fills you with life energy until you have a spiritual garden that reflects your beliefs and values.

It does not matter if you are Christian or Hindu, if you seek spirituality in a church or in nature, what matters is that you ground your self with something more than yourself. 

What matters is that you seek answers that settle your soul, and bring you peace, strength and compassion.

Do not judge your spirituality against society.  It is yours and yours alone.  Trust in your truth, find contentment with what speaks to you.  
Let your spirituality give you strength when you are weak and clarity when you feel clouded.

Once you have sown your spiritual seeds, harvest your garden, feed your soul and then continue to dig, plant and grow.  Don’t stop.

Share, be generous, but don’t be discouraged if others don’t have the same palate as yours.  Spirituality is a very individual endeavor and not everyone has the same taste.  
That is okay.  
Enjoy the flavors that are specific to you.

So my echo is…cultivate your spiritual garden and tend it well.  

Be Present...

We are all so busy. 

Trying to get to work, get to school, get to the post office.

Get home.

In this day and age, time seems to push us out the door, past our kids, past our friends - right past the world.  We miss the smiles sent our way, the beautiful bloom of a new flower in spring, the yearning look of a loved one who needs just a second.

Why? 

Nothing we do, accomplish, or succeed at is anything without a life to frame it.  Our personal picture is only half complete when those we love, the experiences we seek, the lessons we want to learn, have no place because we aren’t present in them.

We need to be present to experience life.

Be present with our selves, our children, our friends and colleagues. 

I mean really be present.  In the moment.  All five senses.  You.

The next time your child says something, stop.  Look at them.  Let them know that their presence has value – that they matter and are worth the few seconds it takes for you to slow down and be present with them…for them.

The next time you are having a conversation in business, stop.  Look at them.  Really listen to what they are sharing instead of forming your response.  You may learn something you might have otherwise missed.

The next time you find yourself sprinting to your car, out the door or your mind is a hail storm of information with an intensity that rivals a hurricane, stop.  Look at your self.  The life you are creating is worth a deep breath and your awareness of all that surrounds you. 

If you are moving too fast and lost in a waterfall of thoughts, you are missing out.  You are shorting yourself and those around you of life.  You are missing the smiles, the sun, the sound of water lapping on the shore…and for what?

The most important experience… is each and every moment.  Don’t miss even one.

My echo is this…slow down and be present.

YOU are Worthy...

Self worth...


Everything that we think we can or can't do is rooted in our sense of self worth.  When we dream big, how many of us laugh it off like it is a 'pipe dream'?  And why do we do this?  We couldn't possibly be that talented, that deserving, that...worthy?

Kaylan Pickford states, 'Our choices in life are made according to our sense of our own worth'.  She's right.

We see this everyday.  

Whether we choose to pursue a dream, tell someone no, tell someone yes, take a vacation or to simply take a break; it all falls back onto our perceived self worth.  
Someone with a healthy sense of self worth will take all aspects into account and make decisions based on what is best for them and those in their life.  
Someone who hasn't yet cultivated a healthy sense of self worth will deny themselves and only make decisions based on the needs of others.

People please-ers are all for doing what is best for someone else, but it can't be to their own detriment.  
And we certainly don't want to teach our sons and daughters to live that way.  
We need to teach them that they are worthy of achieving their greatest dreams, of respect, of help and of love.  



Polly Berrien Berends states, 'a sense of worthiness is a child's most important need'.  


We want them to have the confidence to live their lives in a way that is uniquely theirs.  They can't do this if they don't think they are worth it, or worthy of it.

According to Wayne Dyer, 'self worth comes from one thing - thinking that you are worthy'.  


I want to challenge you to take this one step farther.  
Don't just think you are worthy. 
Know you are worthy.  
Deep in your heart, to the core of your soul have the knowledge that you are worthy of all the greatness the world has to offer.


And cultivate this in those you care for. 


So, my echo is this...Know YOU are worthy. 

Foster an Atmosphere of Giving...

Giving.  It's simple really.  And I believe one of the greatest gifts.

A gift is defined as the transfer of something without the expectation of receiving something in return.

What the definition doesn't define is how healing, healthy, and enlightening giving can be.  Giving doesn't have to be money or goods - it can be but is not exclusively these things.  Giving can be, and I think is best when, it's of yourself.  When giving your love, understanding, patience or simply time, you make the greatest impact.  Not only for the recipient but also for yourself.  

Ralf Waldo Emerson states, 'The only gift is a portion of thyself.'  An amazing gift, yes. 

I also think the greatest gift to oneself, is the giving of one's self to others. 

As the definition states, giving is without the expectation of receiving, and it is.  You don't expect anything in return, but the reality, the truth is that you always benefit even if it is simply the knowledge that you did the right thing.  And the sense of well being that comes with that knowledge has value; value towards your health, your sense of self, and contentment.  Karl Reiland states, "In about the same degree as you are helpful, you will be happy.'  And when giving is sincere, you will find this to be true.

Giving is powerful and often starts a waterfall of generosity from one to another and so on.  To start with a ripple of kindness, of generosity, and have that 'giving' build momentum whether qualitatively in one, or quantitatively through many is a kind of miracle.  And one that I think should be fostered in all of us.

Edwin Hubbel Chappin, one of the leading Universalist ministers in the 19th century, has a quote I find significant.  He said, 'Every action in our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.' 

I think his words are a good reminder; be mindful about your actions and choose them with love and compassion for yourself and those around you.  The effects of what we do may last a life time, so 'do' with a giving heart.

My echo is this...foster an atmosphere of giving.

Be Responsive, not Reactive...

When thinking about being responsive versus reactive I looked the two words up in the dictionary for their actual definitions. 
Responsive is to react appropriately or sympathetically, where reactive is to readily respond to a stimulus.  I found it interesting that each definition used the other word to define it. 
If you really think about the two, they are very different, and not interchangeable.

When we respond, we take our time, reflect on the situation, take into consideration all we know of the other involved and ourselves, and then move forward along our chosen path.
When we react, we pounce fueled by emotion whether it be self righteous rage or unconditional love.

We -almost always- regret our reactions. 

Many times, we are required to apologize in one way or another.  Apologize because we unthinkingly hurt the other through our self preserving action, or apologize for leading one to believe a 'certain truth' that was fed by our own insecurities only to realize later that the 'certain truth' was nothing but a mirage.

Michael Stone the author of "The Inner Tradition of Yoga" states, 'When there is no reaction, we are free to take action.' 

When we are reactive it is difficult to recognize what is actually occurring.  Our understanding is clouded by emotion, be it anger, fear, love or simply relief. 
But to find the strength to be still -to slow down- we can respond in a way that frees us from the obligation of an apology, guilt, shame, or regret toward the other party or ourselves.
When we don't react, we can take our emotions and partner them with the facts to find a response that satisfies our need to protect ourselves or others while still honoring our self worth.

Honoring our self worth is essential to its very existence.  It is most times the goal when reacting.  But responding will deliver us to a place of understanding, rather than a place of alienation.

Being responsive and not reactive is good relations and good business.  And it is important no matter who we are interacting with, but especially our loved ones.  They deserve the benefit of the doubt, don't they?  I'm sure we'd all like to think it would be given to us.

So, my echo is this.  Find the strength and love for yourself to be Responsive, not Reactive.

 

Listen with both ears...

We all have a lot to say.  With so many experiences that shape our opinions and outlooks on the world, how can we not?

But, I want to challenge you to get into the habit of really listening. 

I mean really listening. 

Don't just hear the words, but understand both the obvious message, as well as, the subtle or under-lying message that might be presented.   Resist the urge to think about and formulate your reply.  Resist the urge to daydream about the errands you have to run and try not to get distracted by passers-by.

It's amazing the effect that truly listening has on your relationships - all of them.  Personal or business, with those young or old. 
You validate their worth.  Your presence - really being in the moment - shows respect and interest.  
What you learn about the other person, and yourself, is priceless. 

You'll find that it is not as easy as you think.  Our minds are fast paced, in constant motion and a bit ego-centric.  It's hard to shut it up in order to give another the center stage.  But, it is a talent that you will find irreplaceable.  
You will strengthen your relationships, form closer bonds, and solidify partnerships.
You may also find that you become the go-to person when one wants to be heard.

The people in your life are worth the effort.  You, are worth the effort.
So, the next time you are having a conversation, lean in and make eye contact.  Clarify the other's points, avoid distractions and be present.  You might just learn something new.

So, my echo is this: Listen...with both ears.