Fairy Reminder

There is no way we can change what we did five minutes ago, nor can we predict what will happen half an hour from now. We can only deal with now.

By doing what needs to be done right now, we make the most of each present moment. As long as we are alive, we are always free to begin again. Instead of following an old, worn out habit, make a fresh start this moment on the rest of your life.

Fielding Evening's Light

TFTD

There will be times when other people will disappoint us - either intentionally or because of indifference or incompetence. If we have been counting on them, their nonperformance can cause us real anger and frustration.

Our growth, however, should teach us that such failures are part of life. While never losing trust in others, we must accept them as fallible people. Their mistakes and lapses come from the human shortcomings all of us have.

Our best course is to live without expecting too much from others. They are not here to please or satisfy us. It's possible, too, that we've been unrealistic in some of our expectations and have set ourselves up for disappointments.

Our personal responsibility is to do our best even when others fall short of our expectations. At the same time, we can grow by becoming more reliable and dependable ourselves.

We cannot use another's failure as an excuse for negligence on our part.

Frosty Flakes

Today's Reading

If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.
-- Abraham Maslow

When we can take a long view of our problems, we can sometimes see that we're using inappropriate tools to try to solve them. What's necessary for us to do is to move away, to detach. That may show us a whole new context into which our problem fits, and in which it may not even be a problem.

Detachment is hard to achieve when we're deeply hooked into a situation. When we send ourselves drastic messages like "now or never!" we're pressing our noses right up against the problem - a position in which it's difficult to maintain a balanced view. To stop and say, "If not now, then perhaps some other time," unhooks us and lets us remember that life is richer and more varied than we thought when we were hooked.

Crisis thinking can be like a hammer - it flattens everything. This can be our way of trying to control the outcome of our individual struggle. But when we remember that we make up only small parts of one grand and beautiful design. We can surrender our problems to it.

Hardwired

Fairy Thought

When someone we care about is in distress, we may not know what to say. We'd like to make the hurt go away and set everything right, but we feel awkward and powerless.

Sometimes the greatest gift we can give each other is our presence, our attention.

We know that each of us must find his or her own answers. There are many times when, much as we'd like to, we can't fix the problems of our friends, children, parents, or other family members. What we can do is show them by our presence that we care and are on their side. We can spend time with them or, if we're geographically separated, we can call or write. And we can be confident that the same Higher Power that supports us is also supporting those we love.

My presence today can make a positive difference to someone dear to me.

Beads Bulbs and Buttons

Leftover beads.

Leftover buttons.

Left over the window curtains.

........add a bit of beads to the leftover bulbs.

And I left 'em over the decorator rod thingy.

It'll stay cuz he said it was 'cute'.

*laughing*

Cute.

He's silly.

TFTD

It's important to feel all our emotions - jealousy, desire, anger, love, despair, and the taboo feelings. I know, feelings can be a pain in the neck. Feelings can make us feel ill. If we don't feel them, they don't go away. And it can take awhile to figure out what to do with them after we notice they're there. But the first step in dealing with them, is to feel them

Red with anger. Green with envy. Blue with sadness. The pink cloud of recovery. Go ahead. Pick a color.

But don't settle for only black and white. Value vibrant, colorful emotional health.

Huh......that was weird....

I met with the new boss all by my little lonesome today.
He mighta been a bit fearful....LOL.....I was not.

I've known him for a chunk of time. I'm good that he was chosen to be my boss. I have some baseline respect for him and I sorta kinda might trust his heart. (he'll earn/prove what I believe in due time, methinks)

I knew him years back from another place in time. I've just known him to be a decent fella.

He told me today he's 'excited' about getting to be a part of direct care again.

He also told me he was sure we'd do some growing together.
And then he asked what I needed from him.

It was tough for me to put that into concrete terms--given that it's been a whole week since he's been 'assigned' to me......(or I've been assigned to him, depending on which way you look at it).

I'm not sure what I need from him and I let him know that.

But I was able to describe the role that my previous boss played in my life--professionally and personally.

And I suggest that he might want to ASK about some individual, personal things--like my health for one. I don't volunteer that information and it's fair/right that he has that information. My ability to do my duties depends on that being shared forthright...and I don't always do that.

I also reiterated that I tend to look uncooperative when I'm not really.

And that I'm NOT a touchy feely person. AND that I like toys.

Oh--and that I like being a disruption and an agitator. LOL

All that earned me a laugh and the assurance that my reputation preceded me.

I think we'll be 'okay'.

Dunno.

I do know that I miss THE boss--we've been through some really, really, really life altering experiences. And there was some reliance built into that relationship after multiple years of working with each other.
I'll make sure he knows I miss him horribly.

And I'll adjust to the new one.........eventually......

We're off to a good start I think.

Now--if HE thinks that....I'd be amazed. LOL

This little light of mine

Daily Reading

It's time for me to realize that my attitude - toward the life I'm living and the people in it - can have a tangible, measurable and profound effect on what happens to me day by day. If I expect good, then good will surely come to me. And if I try each day to base my attitude and point of view on a sound spiritual foundation, I know it will change all the circumstances of my life for the better, too.

That'll teach me.......

I don't have to have an opinion.

Wow..now there's a novel idea.

I don't have to have an opinion.

Contempt prior to investigation really isn't something I need to practice. I thought that was one I'd kissed goodbye to long ago.

Notsomuch--or if I did, I opted to 'borrow' it for a chunk of time and I need to return it back to its rightful place.

I am not fond of meetings. And I'm even more un-fond of trainings. I get more of the same 'stuff' only it's called 'new and innovative' cuz there's a bit of a tweak to the module they're tossing into it.

Ain't new.

Ain't innovative.

I don't LIKE trainings -- mostly for this reason.

But.........
I enjoyed the leadership training today.

Seriously.

This one, I liked and I well needed to be there.

It was uncomfortable.

It required honest conversation about my part in a weak area, professionally.

I don't care that 73% felt appreciated. That's nice. I'm glad.
But it's the 27% that don't that I have a need to give some serious attention to.

And no, I don't need someone excusing me from my part in that by attributing it to "the 27%" and "you can't please all the people all the time".

It's not about 'pleasing' anyone, it's about making certain ALL people know their work, their efforts, their time, their investment is recognized and appreciated.

Fact is, four years ago those numbers were 87% /13%.

That disturbed me. I was sorta hoping I wasn't the only disturbed person in the bunch.

It got a bit awkward when my 'this is the truth about Mel' seemed to force a room full of folks into silent introspection......and in some cases denial and justification.

It got a bit twitchy when I said I wouldn't accept my own excuses and surely wasn't borrowing any either.

I don't feel good about going backwards. I don't 'buy' that it'll 'go in waves'.....

I have this stupid fear of looking.......mushy.
I know that gets in my way.

I'll think 'Oh, that was so cool and so loving.....' And I fail to say it out loud cuz I just know how......gakky that sounds.

I'd gotten better....and then I got worse.

I'll get better again--leastwise in the actions. But until I MOVE off that baseline belief and fear of looking STUPID and weak and gakky....... *sigh* It'll only be a temporary fix and we'll be right back where we've been before. Over and over and over again.

I needed the training to force the inventory taking in that area.
No surprises--I know me. And I have people around me who'll point out truth if I suddenly 'forget' what's true about me.

I'm pretty sure there are a few 'peers by profession' who'd like to dropkick me.

I suppose it was the:

"Yaknow--that excuse just doesn't work for me. If I let it, I'd be compromising my integrity and I'm just not willing to do that. I struggle to believe that you really want to compromise yours....."

I used that line more times today than I care to admit......Not because I needed to 'stick it' to anyone. I needed to 'stick it' to ME.

I take it back.

Not all trainings are 'stupid' and 'a waste of my time'.

I ain't telling the boss that though.

That'd be pushing it........

Reading from the Reading Fairy

Acknowledging our gratitude for the blessings in our life releases the happiness that we sometimes keep hidden within our heart. And happiness can be contagious. We all know people who are always bubbly, who always look on the bright side of events, who genuinely inspire happiness in us when we're around them. We, too, can serve as a catalyst for happiness in the lives of others.
Today, I will share gratitude with others.

November's End

Fairy Dusting

Here is a theory that may help you the next time you fail to make yourself available to do something good:

Stealing is not only taking. It is also refusing to give.

Can this be the end of November, please?

Just askin'....

This hasn't zackly been my most favoritest month by any means.

Yeahyeahyeah....I know--there's been lots of joyous moments, too.

But still.......

Morning at the Creek

Daily Dose

You are exactly who you are because who you are is important. Everything you are is valuable and important. You are important to yourself and to everyone else. If you were not exactly who you are, somebody very important would be missing from the experience of life.

You are exactly where you are because all that you have to give and receive is right where you are now. Where you are is valuable and important. Everything you know is needed right where you are. Everything you can do is do-able right where you are. If you were over there or over here, there would be a big void right where you are now.

You have gone through all that you have been through because of who you are. Because of what you needed to know. Everything you have done and been through is valuable and important. In order to be who you are, to know what you know, to be where you are in this moment, you needed to go through what you went through.

Who you are, where you are, what you know gives you value. It either makes your life important or discounts the importance of your life. How much you believe in who you are, serve where you are and use what you know can make a very big difference in who you become, where you go and what you do when you get to the next place.

Ummmm...yup, I think that's enough....

On the other hand......it might not be enough.

If that turns out to be the case there's cards from last year.
And the year prior.

k........we might make a few too many cards.

Yeah, well.....done nonetheless.

k....done constructing the actual cards.
NOW it's about addressing them and slipping the note inside.

I swear--next year I'm buyin' cards AND typing a generic letter!

HA!

(I think I said that last year.....ummm.....and probably the year prior, too.....)

Note: I did not photograph the penguiny ones. I'd keep 'em if I did. They're too cute. LOL