by Christine Green | Jan 6, 2012 | Uncategorized
As women we are trained to compare ourselves to magazines, advertising, friends, co-workers, family members. We feel inadequate and insecure as we measure ourselves against the accomplishments and goals of others.
It seems that there is a new place of comparison for us. According to Daniel Gulati’s recent post, Facebook and social media are causing anxiety, jealousy and even depression. It is so easy to avoid things we need to be doing and spend time reading what everyone else is doing. It then creates a downward spiral as we compare ourselves to others and neglect our families, business, exercise. We feel bad about ourselves, have little energy to take action, so we avoid pain by logging into fb. Only to feel bad about ourselves…. do you see the pattern?
He suggests in his article to limit time on Facebook and strength our real-world relationships. I suggest going for a walk, calling a friend, take some steps of action, however small they may seem. Making a list of accomplishments and having a list of goals nearby keep us on track and out of trouble.
by Christine Green | Dec 20, 2011 | Uncategorized
I learned so much from spending time with Laurence’s grandchildren a few years ago. It brings me joy to remember how much fun we had playing in the park. Their unlimited energy, joy and enthusiasm for life are infectious. Some insights I learned from them:
1. Be Here Now. There is no tomorrow or later. There is only NOW. Try it for yourself. Spend the next 30 minutes being in the moment. It’s not as easy as it looks.
2. The Universe is abundant. There is no lack in a child’s world. They see the unlimited view. They will ask for what they want. If they get a ‘no’ answer, they’ll ask again. And again. And again.
3. Imagination is everything. We adults live inside the box. We see what we expect to see. Using the imagination expands our reality into unlimited possibilities.
4. Rules are meant to be changed. If you don’t like the outcome of your game, then change the rules. Change your mind. Change your thinking. Just change.
5. Love heals everything. A hug, a kiss or a smile can transform tears into laughter, discord into peace, separation into harmony.
We discover the real joy of Christmas when we take time to slow down, be in the moment, give thanks for our blessings, share a hug or a smile. Perhaps if we take a moment to see Christmas from the eyes of a child, we can be in awe of the miracle of the season.
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: “How could it be so?”
“It came without ribbons. It came without tags.”
“It came without packages, boxes or bags!”
And he puzzled three hours, til his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!
“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.”
“Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!”
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
by Dr. Seuss
May the Light of the Season guide your journey with Grace, fill your heart with Love and your life with Joy.
by Christine Green | Dec 15, 2011 | Uncategorized
For many, gift giving has become conditional and compensatory in our society. Should I give one, how much should it cost, what if I receive a gift and didn’t give one in return, what is someone else’s gift is better than mine!! Yikes!
We begin by looking at intention in giving. From The Principles of Financial Freedom workbook, “We graciously give to others because we can perceive the divinity within them, simply, because we love them.” Practice learning to give gifts out of love and not lack. Practice not making the gift conditional by saying “I didn’t have enough so this is what you get.”
Your gift is a gift of love whether it is a card, something homemade or something purchased, whether it came from the Dollar Store or from Macy’s.
The difference is the attitude of how you give it. Give it as a treasure from your heart. Go within and see the person’s beauty and divinity. But first go within and see your own beauty and divinity and proclaim “I am enough. I am love.”
The reason for the season is love.
by Christine Green | Nov 18, 2011 | Uncategorized
I recently returned from a walking pilgrimage on the Camino de Compostela in northern Spain. It was a journey of faith, release and renewal. Most of all it was a journey of love.
Five things I learned about life while walking the Camino:
Follow the signs- We walked the Camino by following the yellow arrows and markers that show the way. There are always signs along the journey of life if we pay attention on the path.
Yes I can – Our longest day was walking 17 miles. I worried and often doubted if I would be able to finish. On the trail we just kept walking. It’s the same in life. Wherever we are headed we can get there if we just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Be Here Now – On the Camino I wasn’t thinking about the project I was working on at home, or what was I going to do when I returned. I was in the moment following the yellow arrows. In doing that I saw the beautiful scenery, visited inspirational churches, chatted with fellow pilgrims. Being in the moment allowed me to truly experience the richness of the culture and countryside and appreciate the blessings of the moment.
Prayer works – we were blessed to have so many friends and family praying for us. Prayers were answered as we safely finished our journey and joyously arrived in Santiago. We had warm, sunny weather, amazing food, wonderful hotels. Thank you God!
Love is the way – I was grateful for the compassion and love of our fellow pilgrims. We shared our snacks, band aids, ointment and ibuprofen. We looked out for each other and cared for each other. We met other inspired pilgrims along the way.
Every day is a walk in love. Every day is an opportunity to experience God’s blessings and gifts on our journey of life.
by Christine Green | Nov 7, 2011 | Uncategorized
Laura Ling was the speaker at Voices last Wednesday. I can’t get her talk out of my brain. She shares how she was captured in North Korea and held prisoner for 5 months. She shares the details of her interrogation and imprisonment in her book, Somewhere Inside .
What fascinated me the most was how she committed to daily exercise (which consisted of yoga stretches and walking around her cell), meditation and practicing gratitude. She says the practice of finding something each day that she could be grateful for was so helpful in maintaining her sanity and keeping her grounded.
We are all faced with stressful situations. The power of gratitude is extraordinary.
by Christine Green | Nov 1, 2011 | Uncategorized
I’ve had the sniffles on and off. I became more diligent in washing my hands and taking my vitamins. I just upgraded my computer with the latest antivirus software with a firewall and spyware.
Then it occurred to me, how am I protecting my thinking? It’s the most vulnerable. News of shaky job market and a faltering economy feeds into any beliefs of lack and limitation. Comparing myself to others inflames my self-judgment. Worrying about the future feeds into doubt and despair.
Fortunately, I remembered I have my own virus protection plan: Prayer, speaking my covenant, giving thanks for my blessings, meeting with my spiritual mentor, praying with my prayer partners, reading inspired spiritual authors, forgiving hurts and blessing my life. I have a virus protection plan. I just need to activate it daily.
