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Hello world!
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” Viktor E. Frankl
Hello world: Welcome to Mirth and Motivation!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Respite Reminder: I’m Taking My Advice. Will check occasionally. Back soon!
Welcome to Mirth and Motivation!
Mirth and Motivation is a lifestyle and motivational blog offering an eclectic mix of mirthful and motivational pieces: Life Tips / Advice, Affirmations/Wellness, Women’s Lives, Food, Travel, Interviews, Inspirational posts, Reviews, Peace, and social media ruminations on people, places, and events that shape our lives. That said, I invite you to stay awhile, read some posts, and share your thoughts with this growing online blog community.
I started this blog 17+ years ago, as a way to help agents/staff at the company I worked for stay motivated. This was my first blog post on this site, hence the dodgy title. After the market crashed and we were downsized, I decided to keep it going. Therefore, the main goal was, and remains, to encourage myself and others to keep moving forward. It has been a long and rewarding journey.
WHAT HAVE I LEARNED?
Over the years, I have learned a lot about blogging, its many positives and pitfalls, and how important it is to stay focused on our own Why or raison d’être. We can choose to focus on one of the fundamental rules of blogging: making connections with others by adding value through our message/content, comments, and social interactions. We can also choose to turn our attention elsewhere. It is entirely up to us.
Nevertheless, one thing I know for sure is that if your heart is invested in what you blog about, you will stay the course. Remember to stay true to who you are and why you blog. It can’t just be about monetization. Add value. Help others. Stay Encouraged.
Another thing I know for sure is that we all want to be heard, appreciated, and respected; empowering messages are far more appealing than incendiary attempts to attract blog attention. If your blogosphere surfing brings you here, relax, kick back, and share a positive tidbit on your worldview.
HOW DO WE STAY MIRTHFUL AND MOTIVATED?
Read more…
Motivation Mondays: In Silence
“A guide has entered this life in silence. His message is only heard in silence.” Rumi
Motivation Mondays: In Silence
Sounds of Silence
Four monks decided to meditate silently without speaking for two weeks. By nightfall on the first day, the candle began to flicker and then went out. The first monk said, “Oh, no! The candle is out.” The second monk said, “Aren’t we not supposed to talk?” The third monk said, “Why must you two break the silence?” The fourth monk laughed and said, “Ha! I’m the only one who didn’t speak.”
What does silence mean to you, and when do you use it? Silence is not inaction. It allows us to reflect and respond effectively. In our ever-busy world of cellphones, social media, and endless chatter, our creativity needs an oasis of calm to contemplate and explore ideas. If we don’t give ourselves space to be contemplative and make decisions with clarity and consideration, we’ll keep regurgitating the same old stories and ideas. We need room for silent reflection and space for innovation. If we don’t allow ourselves such places of quiet, we won’t allow our muse room to share something new with us. If we don’t give ourselves time to withdraw, regroup, and respond, we become like the monks in the story above. True silence opens doors. Stepping back takes effort, but you can’t force it. Let’s see it as self-rejuvenation.
Every year, all year long, we hear endless suggestions on how to be greater, better, smarter, richer, and more, more, more of everything. As the overwhelm slowly creeps into our space and finds a home in our psyche, we need to stop and breathe. We need to form a truce and give the pronouncements a break for an extended moment of silence. I am not talking about a forced, fake kind of silence. No. I mean a mindful, intentional decision to make space for silent moments of renewal. We need time to soul-search and make decisions that are true to our nature. We’ve become so caught up in the noise, the hype, the crafted false story, and empty promises that we don’t give ourselves room just to be present. True motivation and great inspiration emanate from a place deep within. The noise doesn’t touch that place, and we can connect with that level of inspiration and creativity only if we take time to step back and observe our surroundings and the activity in them. There is great power in silence. Explore it.
How do you observe silence? Does it help calm or upset your day? “As a man thinketh, so is he.” Sometimes we make a great show of our vows of silence, which, quite frankly, tends to reveal more about our ego than our wish to be quiet/silent. Taking time to reflect and catch our proverbial breath leads us down the road to observing silence. For true silence is not something we prompt; it happens of its own volition, in its own mystical, intelligent time. It’s a balancing act that evolves, and it’s never stagnant.
Sometimes we choose to be silent during meditation/prayer; other times, events stun us into silence, taking our breath away and leaving us speechless. When our spirit meets true silence, we respond without prompting. Whatever we believe in joins us there: God, energy, our own spirit, instructing us to pause, to be quiet, to be silent. What is ironic is that the moment we decide that we want to be silent, to enter a meditative state, our minds become active with the anticipation and even anxiety that precedes a conscious decision to turn the decibel level down; and eventually off. Instead of forcing the situation, relax and go with the flow. Show yourself the compassion it deserves, as silence need not be forced.
In Silence by Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273)
A guide has entered this life in silence.
His message is only heard in silence.
Take a sip of his precious wine
And lose yourself.
Don’t insult the greatness of his love,
For he helps all those who suffer, in silence.
Polish the mirror between the breaths.
Go with him, beyond words.
He knows your every deed.
He is the one
who moves the wheel of heaven, in silence.
Every thought is buried in your heart;
He will reveal them one by one, in silence.
Turn each of your thoughts into a bird
And let them fly to the other world.
One is an owl, one is a falcon, one is a crow.
Each one is different from the others
But they are all the same in silence.
To see the Moon that cannot be seen
Turn your eyes inward
and look at yourself, in silence.
In this world and the next,
Don’t talk about this and that;
Let him show you everything,
shining as one . . . in silence.
by Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi
“I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers.” Khalil Gibran
Motivation Mondays: In Silence
One Hour with RUMI — The Journey That Will Change Your Soul Forever
How do we use silence to negate ourselves and others? While observing silence offers tremendous rewards, there are times when we must not remain silent. In fact, the more we ignore an issue, the more we resist a condition, the more it persists and festers. When we refuse to be silenced by our oppressors in the workplace, at home, in our schools, and elsewhere, we are taking a stand to end the abuse against us and also against others. Every time we stand up and speak out against acts of violence, discrimination, and the negation of our existence, we are also speaking for the voiceless and facilitating change. When we see something and say nothing, we might excuse it as none of our business, but the actions we ignore can someday lead to more pain and suffering for people close to us or, frankly, for us.
To be proactive about ending violence, workplace harassment, and other forms of abuse/discrimination, we must all become engineers of change. This requires reflection, especially self-reflection about our own moral compass. Each of us must answer the following questions and search our conscience on why we choose to sit back and turn away from the suffering and denial of basic rights and aid for others: What are we doing for others? How is the tyranny of silence affecting our relationships and other areas of our lives? We can be impactful without being militant. We can exert influence without tyranny. Read the quotes and poems, watch the video, and reflect on them.
Breaking The Silence by Lovina Sylvia Chidi
Shush! Silence
I’m breaking the silence
As I finish this sentence
Six months ago
My heart said yes
My head said no, go slow
In my silence I hid the truth, expressing fear
In my silence I hid my feelings, registering no care
In my silence I hid my thoughts, refusing to share
Any of my ideas
Prosperous is the silence
Abundance of it can turn life
Into a nasty experience
Shush! Silence
I’m breaking the silence
As I finish this sentence
Ceaselessly I’ve combated with my conscience
Endlessly in silence, I exposed my defense
Allowing all to penetrate my territory without a valid license
I should have said no with my voice
I should have asked why by making some noise
In silence, I created an air of suspense
And they capitalized on it in my absence
In silence, all my thoughts mingled
Some of which should have been singled
Shush! Silence
I’m breaking the silence
As I finish this sentence
Silence I demand
Give back to me my independence
“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” John Wooden
Motivation Mondays: 12 Qualities I Admire More Than Skills
12 Qualities I Admire More Than Skills
Recently, I was scrolling through my LinkedIn feed when a post by Gary Vaynerchuk came across my screen and made me pause. It was a picture of a handwritten list of “10 Things I Admire More Than Skills.” His list had the following qualities: Compassion. Sympathy. Empathy. Kindness. Gratitude. Humility. Patience. Self-awareness. Being the bigger person and Sincerity. Something about being the bigger person got me thinking, and soon I had put together my own. I must add that there are many variations of this list going around on LinkedIn and elsewhere on the Internet, and all have merit.
As you read through the list, ask yourself: Which of these qualities am I cultivating?
Skills matter. They help us build, create, solve problems, earn a living, and accomplish extraordinary things. I admire talent, intelligence, education, expertise, discipline, and achievement, but there are qualities I admire even more. Skills tell me ‘what you can do.’ Character tells me ‘who you are.’ A person can be enormously talented and still lack integrity. They can be brilliant and unkind. Accomplished and arrogant. Knowledgeable and completely unaware of how they affect others.
Skills can be learned, practiced, sharpened, and displayed. The qualities below require something deeper. They influence how we treat people, how we respond when life doesn’t go our way, and who we choose to be when there is no applause, reward, recognition, or audience. Here are 12 qualities I admire more than skills.
1. Integrity
“Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.”Anonymous
Definition: The quality of being honest and guided by strong moral principles, even when doing so is difficult or inconvenient.
Why does it matter more than skills? Skill tells me what you are capable of doing. Integrity tells me what you can be trusted to do. Talent without integrity can actually become dangerous because ability gives us power, while integrity governs how we use it.
Almost daily, we read about scammers who use complex forms of manipulation and tech talent to rob people. They are highly skillful yet lack integrity. If they put those skills to better use, they would be positive contributors to society. Reputation is what others believe about us; integrity is who we are when nobody is keeping score.
2. Compassion
“Compassion is a necessity, not a luxury.” The Dalai Lama
Definition: The ability to recognize another person’s suffering and feel moved to respond with care.
Why does it matter more than skills? Skills may help us solve someone’s problem; compassion makes us care that the person has a problem in the first place. Compassion takes us beyond noticing suffering and asks what we might do to lessen it. Intelligence can make us capable, but compassion helps make our capabilities humane.
When we spend more time accusing low-income people experiencing poverty and/or those struggling with homelessness of being lazy without truly understanding the reasons behind their plight, we are acting from a place of callousness, even apathy. As much as some think they have control over their lives, all it takes is a major illness or natural catastrophe for the tables to be turned. Never gloat over the suffering of others. You might walk in their shoes some day.
3. Magnanimity
“Magnanimity in politics is not seldom the truest wisdom.” Edmund Burke
Definition: Greatness of spirit and the willingness to be generous, gracious, forgiving, and above pettiness, especially when we have the power not to be. Why does it matter more than skills?
Why does it matter more than skills? Magnanimity is character at its most expansive. It is refusing to make ourselves bigger by making someone else smaller. It allows us to congratulate a competitor, forgive an offense, share credit, acknowledge another person’s gifts, and sometimes extend grace when retaliation would be easier. Skills can make a person powerful. Magnanimity reveals what that person does with power.
Magnanimity, or being the bigger person, takes humility, grace, forgiveness, and a willingness to see both sides of a story. I find that quality is sorely lacking in our world today, as some are busy flexing, trying to be top dog, or fighting to be the only right opinion/position even when their position is cruel and wrong.
4. Peace
“Peace begins with a smile.” Mother Teresa
Definition: A state of inner or outward calm, harmony, and freedom from hostility and unnecessary conflict.
Why does it matter more than skills? There is tremendous strength in a person who does not need to create chaos to feel powerful. Peace does not mean passivity, weakness, avoidance, or remaining silent in the presence of injustice. Sometimes protecting peace requires courage, boundaries, difficult conversations, and walking away. Skills help us navigate the world. Peace helps us live within ourselves and with one another. As the popular saying goes, “There is no greater wealth in this world than peace of mind.”
I believe that our world today is sustained by the goodwill and prayers of peaceful people and those who defend human rights and the rule of law. Some modicum of peace exists in our world because of the efforts of those who see the humanity in all people and who honor the dictates of their faith while respecting the rights of others to practice their own traditional, cultural, and religious beliefs. Peace prevails because of those angels on earth who speak up against atrocities and broker peace so we can all safely find our way home.
“The music of a marathon is a powerful strain, one of those tunes of glory. It asks us to forsake pleasures, to discipline the body, to find courage, to renew faith, and to become one’s own person, utterly and completely.” Dr. George Sheehan
Motivation Mondays Running Marathons While Navigating Health Challenges
Motivation Mondays: Running Marathons While Navigating Health Challenges: My running journey has been long and arduous. After a long break of over two decades, I returned to running and never looked back. I hope my story shared below inspires you to follow your heart’s dream. Read my full article below. Recently, I was featured in a Women’s Health digital interview. I’m sharing the full article with you below, along with a subscriber link from Women’s Health and an alternative link from MSN. Here’s a summary of what we discussed: My conversation with Andi Breitowich was about my marathon training, running, health challenges, and more. If you are a Women’s Health subscriber and want to read it on their site, it is accessible; otherwise, it has a paywall. I’ve added the full article in my post and linked to a free access option from MSN above.
I ran my first marathon at 60 despite navigating health complications. These training strategies helped me cross the finish line.
I’ve always strived to live well. Growing up, my family ate healthily, and I was encouraged to stay active. I participated in sports and spent most of my young adult life as a recreational runner, enjoyed yoga and martial arts, and started strength training in college. For a long time, I felt like I was the picture of a healthy, balanced lifestyle. But that all changed when I was 22.
Out of nowhere, I became incredibly sick and was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a rare inflammatory condition that causes lumps to form all over the body. I also had constant joint pain, chronic headaches, frequent nosebleeds, swollen eyes, and overwhelming fatigue. Additionally, the disease attacked my organs, causing me to lose 40 percent of my lung function. Doctors didn’t know what caused my sarcoidosis or have a cure. But they managed my inflammation and symptoms with medication, and I stayed in remission for more than a decade. During that time, I was able to rebuild my endurance and run again.
Then, at 34, I began experiencing shortness of breath during activities like climbing stairs and running, and constant fatigue. A series of tests revealed that I had a congenital condition that caused a malfunctioning valve and hole in my heart—and had nothing to do with sarcoidosis. So, I had open-heart surgery to repair the hole and replace the faulty valve with an artificial one.
It took over a year to fully recover, and out of concern for my healing heart, I stopped running. But my commitment to movement never wavered, so I turned to other forms of exercise, including hiking, yoga, martial arts, and dance. Over the next 25 years, exercise stayed a constant in my life; it kept me grounded, reminded me of my strength, and provided a sense of balance through every season of change.
Then, when I turned 60, my mother passed away, and I felt drawn to the sport I loved again. Returning to running felt like a meaningful way to honor her spirit and carry forward the health values she had instilled in me.
Around the same time, I came across an ad to run the New York City Marathon with Team for Kids, a running group that raises money for New York Road Runners’ youth and community programs. When I reached out, I learned that participants received structured training and coaching support. That made the idea of running—especially my first marathon—feel much more doable. So, with my doctor’s approval, I took a leap of faith and signed up to run the 2020 New York City Marathon.
“Marathoning is a metaphor for life, so there are a lot of parallels you can draw. I tell people to follow your dream, follow your heart, follow your passion, run your own race, and believe in yourself. I think anybody who wants to succeed has to have passion. My love for this sport, you can’t instill it in someone else.” Joan Benoit Samuelson
Motivation Mondays Running Marathons While Navigating Health Challenges
Motivation Mondays Running Marathons While Navigating Health Challenges
With just 60 percent of my lung capacity, marathon training was challenging—but I rebuilt my endurance with the run-walk-run method.
My first few workouts were humbling since I could barely run for more than a minute at a time. I quickly started to question whether my goal of running a marathon at 60 with compromised lungs was realistic.
Thankfully, one of my coaches from New York Road Runners introduced me to the run-walk-run method created by runner Jeff Galloway. It involved alternating between timed running and walking intervals, and at first, I spent more time walking than running. But as my endurance and confidence grew, I gradually extended my running intervals and started to believe I might be able to do it.
Unfortunately, a few weeks into training, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the marathon was canceled. But after finally finding my rhythm, I wasn’t just going to quit. So, I continued training and in 2021, ran the virtual Boston Marathon, tracking my mileage on a real-time GPS tracking app.
Completing 26.2 miles after experiencing several serious health diagnoses was terrifying, yet powerful. It represented my resilience, and with every step, I was deeply thankful for the heart and lungs that carried me forward. When I crossed the virtual finish line, I broke down in tears of joy and appreciation for the journey that had led me there. I realized how far I’d come, not just in distance, but in strength, perseverance, and renewed trust in my body.
