Doors Of Change

Picture source, Life In Italy

Flora Whittemore - “The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.”

There are many doors you choose to walk through each day. Varying shapes and styles, of colors and age. Some are grand elegant doors and others are broken.

You get to pick most of these doors through which you travel each day. Sometimes, the choices are limited and at other times, only one is there to go through.

So you choose, go through or turn back. Like the building by the crossroads I have spoken before, it may start with only one door, but going through it will open your eyes to so many more choices.

(Read Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - Life At A Crossroads)

It takes a bold first step to open and walk through that one door. Then it becomes a series of opening and closing doors. Trying never to look back but to move forward with each bold decision that you make. Reach out and turn the door knob to change in your life.

A Dog's Day

Today was a great day and is one of those days that you just feel good about your life. Our family has been 'dog-less' for a couple of years and it was simply time to lighten our home up again.

This particular girl was adopted through the local humane society near where we live. These animals are foster cared for until a suitable family can be found. It isn't a simple "come in and pay your money" exercise either. A reasonable amount of interviewing is performed. These people that perform this service are folks that deeply care for the well-being of these abandoned pets.

As pets go, they can be very good companions and there is evidence to suggest better health when a loving pet is around the home. If you have the right temperment and get a general good feeling when your pet is near, then stress can be relieved. This alone will help with your heart and other stress-related issues.

So is a pet right for everyone? Probably not, but for us it was time. For many others it may not be the right time. If you are not able to adopt a pet, then consider supporting your local chapter. Its a good way to help out a great cause...its a good way to feel good about yourself.

Little Truisms

Here is a little something that is making the rounds on the internet. It has some nice little truisms to live by. Enjoy and have a great weekend everyone.

ONE.
Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO.
Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE.
Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR.
When you say, "I love you", mean it.

FIVE.
When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye.

SIX.
Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN.
Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT.
Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

NINE.
Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

TEN.
In disagreements, fight fairly. Please No name calling.

ELEVEN.
Don't judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE.
Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN.
When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

FOURTEEN.
Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN.
Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN.
When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN.
Remember the three R's:
Respect for self;
Respect for others;
Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN.
Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN..
When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY.
Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY ONE.
Spend some time alone.

Burning Yourself

A recent article in Readers Digest - "Burned Out", a story unfolds regarding how we tend to be the 'do all' people. Between family activities, trying to get ahead at work, being the charity worker and getting to the gym to stay healthy - there just doesn't seem to be enough time during the day.

Yet it isn't time that is a factor. The same amount of seconds, minutes and hours still exist within a 24 hour period as did when time was first measured. As individuals, we are the ones that fill up the seconds of our day. And as you may have noted, I said the 'seconds' of our day. For those that are nearing burnout have pushed themselves to the point of having to count the seconds.

With the stress comes increasing mental and physical fatigue. Your job suffers, your friends suffer, your family suffers and you suffer. There are many symptoms and signs that any short search of the internet or talking to your family doctor can help reveal.

While the Readers Digest article concentrates on 'burn out' at work, stress and 'burn out' can happen to anyone that stretches themselves too thin, trying to be the 'all and everything.' To overcome burnout, the article suggests the following eight recommendations. For more detail on each, I'd suggest reading the article.

- Make time for yourself
- Develop a method to calm yourself
- Analyze what you love and hate about your work (or whatever it is your are doing)
- Settle for less than perfect
- Take good care of yourself
- Cultivate a support network (those fish net connections I've talked about)
- Set limits (saying 'no' is a valid answer)
- Plan for the future

American author Natalie Goldberg is quoted as saying, “Stress is basically a disconnection from the earth, a forgetting of the breath. Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important. Just lie down.” Maybe take seven minutes out of your day...and yes, that is only 420 seconds...to relax and think about it.