Welcome to Mirth and Motivation!
Before you leave a comment, STOP, consider this: Our comments are part of our digital footprint on the internet. They tell the world how we think and respond to information. I know YOU took time out of your busy schedule and landed here. I’m rooting for you to say something inspiring that will help others who read my posts. THANK YOU! ❤
Motivation Mondays: Self-Care
“Women in particular need to keep an eye on their physical and mental health, because if we’re scurrying to and from appointments and errands, we don’t have a lot of time to take care of ourselves. We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list.” Michelle Obama
Motivation Mondays: Self-Care #MentalHealthAwareness
There isn’t anybody out there who doesn’t have a mental health issue, whether it’s depression, anxiety, or how to cope with relationships. Having OCD is not an embarrassment anymore – for me. Just know that there is help and your life could be better if you go out and seek the help. Howie Mandel
This is mental health awareness month, and self-care is an important facet of maintaining our health on all levels. It begins with our thoughts, our actions, and our emotional state. If we take time to nurture our bodies and our minds, we will be giving ourselves a much needed boost.
Mental health is a powerful driver of our development, sense of security and well-being. When we feel unsure or unstable, the impact flows into all areas of our lives. It affects our relationships with our friends and family, it affects our interactions with our children, and it impinges on our workplace as well as on our sense of self.
The challenge many face, has to do with the stigma and shame that still come with publicly owning our mental health story/struggle. In many parts of the world, it remains a taboo subject. This is why we must keep speaking up and out.
If we value our mind, body and spirit, we must continue to speak up and remind each other to begin with self-care.
“Self-esteem is as important to our well-being as legs are to a table. It is essential for physical and mental health and for happiness.” Louise Hart
Motivation Mondays: Self-Care #MentalHealthAwareness
Self-care is a conscious decision we must take to make our lives easier and whole. It is grounded in our self-esteem or our perception of same. Our self-esteem is inextricably tied to our mental health, and when we are unable to care for ourselves, we see the impact; it flows into everything and disrupts our efforts at self-care. Don’t give up. Fight it.
When we set aside ME Time for rest, exercise, check ups and self nurturing activities, we are performing actions that can help extend our lives and support our mental and personal health care needs.
However, we must take action. We must be both proactive and protective about our mental health concerns, issues and needs. The more we treat ourselves with care and consideration, the more likely we will be able to create balance and feelings of wellness in our lives. The more we focus on actions and thoughts that nourish our self-esteem, the greater the positive impact will be on our lives.
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for MAR – APR 2019 are:
04/01 – 01 April Fool’s Day, 02 Autism Awareness, Equal Pay Day
04/07 – 07 World Health Day, 10 National Siblings Day
04/14 – 14 Palm Sunday, 15 Tax Day, 18 Holy Thursday, 19 Good Friday
04/21 – 21 Easter Sunday/ Start of Passover, 22 Earth Day, 23 World Book Day
04/28 – 29 Remembrance Day, 30 Jazz Day
MAY
05/01 – 01 MAY Day, Holocaust Remembrance, National Mental Health Awareness month
05/05 – 05 Cinco de Mayo, 06, Ramadan starts, 07 National Teacher Day
05/12 – 12 Mother’s Day, 18 Armed Forces Day
05/19 – 19 Mental Health Awareness month
05/26 – 27 Memorial Day, 30 World MS Day
Are You Looking for Ways to Stay Creative in 2019?
- Join Our Blog Support & Engagement Group
- Check out the Daily Post for Inspiration. Resources. Idea
- Checkout Your Daily Word Prompts
- Check out SheKnows for SheKnows Living
More Below Read more…
“When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.” Sophia Loren
Motivation Mondays: For Our Mothers #mothersday
The babe at first feeds upon the mother’s bosom, but it is always on her heart. Henry Ward Beecher
It may be possible to gild pure gold, but who can make his mother more beautiful? Mahatma Gandhi
Arise then…women of this day! Arise, all women who have hearts! Whether your baptism be of water or of tears! Julia Ward Howe
Happy Mother’s Day Week: Mother’s Day is a special time in our lives because we stop to think about the women, biological or not, who have mothered us, guided us and mentored us in so many ways. Too many of us take our mothers for granted because they are the steady rock of ages that we can rely on to be there to catch us. We turn to them with confidence yet forget to express our gratitude to them on a regular basis. Don’t forget to say thank you to your Mom and give her hugs and kisses. She has carried you through a lifetime of struggles and achievements. What memories do I hold of my mother? There are so many and I have shared a few over the years. Some stand out because they were life lessons I still hold close. My mom always encouraged us to share. Kids can be very selfish over toys, treats and such, and we were not immune from moments of selfishness. My Mom was always looking for ways to show us that our privileges were not to be enjoyed alone, while others suffered. She routinely gave our toys and clothes away and was always reminding us to be grateful.
My Mom was full of fire in so many ways; good and not so good. She was a great cook and loved gardening, fashion and adventure. She had a fiery temper and could switch gears at the drop of a hat. She was passionate about things that held her gaze and giving back to those in need was very important to her. Her charitable nature is one I still hold dear because, as a child of privilege, it could have been easy to live a protected life and ignore the suffering around me. I did not and my mother made sure we did not. I speak about her in the past tense now even though she is alive, you might wonder. WHY? Because she can no longer do the things she loves … she had a massive stroke 20+ years ago and while she recovered, part of her body is paralyzed and her memory is impaired. She recognizes my oldest brother but has only intermittent recollections of her other four children, including me. Every year, when I celebrate Mother’s Day, it is bittersweet because I am reminded that my Dad passed away on May 9th and that my Mother is somewhat lost to me because of her health. I love my parents and cherish my memories of them because I am reminded of the frailty of our human existence and how important it is to be fully present in our children’s lives in every way we can.
READ: Motivation Mondays: Celebrate Mother’s Day! #mothersday
Motivation Mondays: Why Mother’s Day Matters
MY MOTHER By Ann Taylor
Who sat and watched my infant head
When sleeping on my cradle bed,
And tears of sweet affection shed?
My Mother.
When pain and sickness made me cry,
Who gazed upon my heavy eye,
And wept for fear that I should die?
My Mother.
Who taught my infant lips to pray
And love God’s holy book and day,
And walk in wisdom’s pleasant way?
My Mother.
And can I ever cease to be
Affectionate and kind to thee,
Who wast so very kind to me,
My Mother?
Ah, no! the thought I cannot bear,
And if God please my life to spare
I hope I shall reward they care,
My Mother.
When thou art feeble, old and grey,
My healthy arm shall be thy stay,
And I will soothe thy pains away,
My Mother. via poemhunter
Mother o’ Mine by Rudyard Kipling
If I were hanged on the highest hill,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!
I know whose love would follow me still,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!
The babe at first feeds upon the mother’s bosom, but it is always on her heart.” Henry Ward Beecher
If I were drowned in the deepest sea,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!
I know whose tears would come down to me,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!
If I were damned of body and soul,
I know whose prayers would make me whole,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine! via famouspoemsandpoets
“I believe the choice to become a mother is the choice to become one of the greatest spiritual teachers there is.” Oprah
Motivation Mondays: For Our Mothers #mothersday
There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one. Jill Churchill
Being a mother is not about what you gave up to have a child, but what you’ve gained from having one. Sunny Gupta
A mother’s happiness is like a beacon, lighting up the future but reflected also on the past in the guise of fond memories. Honore de Balzac
How have Mothers motivated us throughout the ages? Many women juggle multiple demands in their households and, to the untrained eye, it might seem magical or even easy to watch how many mothers run their households, some even on shoestring budgets. But, around the world, Moms perform endless chores and time consuming tasks to accomplish their household goals daily. As a child, I was fortunate to have a few “mother figures” around me; from Mommy Bates in Essex, to my own mother, grandmothers, and all the great women who motivated me and added their wisdom to my life, I learned how much work it takes to manage a household and keep kids fed, everyone loved, and endless bills paid. My Mom was an active mom who also had a side business; she was always running around attending to her clients, managing the staff at home who managed us when we came back from school. It was not an easy job at all and there were challenges that did arise over time. I still admire my mom’s willingness to take on the enormous challenges that came her way, and part of her can-do spirit has stayed with me and it inspires me whenever the going gets tough. What are your memories of childhood days with your mom?
A Story: Advice A Mother Would Give
A little bear cub was confused about how to walk. “What do I do first?” he asked his mother. “Do I start with my right foot or my left? Or both front feet and then my back feet? Or do I move both feet on one side and then both feet on the other?”
His mother answered, “Just quit thinking and start walking.”
READ: Inspiration: Happy Mother’s Day…
Motivation Mondays: Mother’s Day
For My Mother by May Sarton
Once more
I summon you
Out of the past
With poignant love,
You who nourished the poet
And the lover.
I see your gray eyes
Looking out to sea
In those Rockport summers,
Keeping a distance
Within the closeness
Which was never intrusive
Opening out
Into the world.
And what I remember
Is how we laughed
Till we cried
Swept into merriment
Especially when times were hard.
And what I remember
Is how you never stopped creating
And how people sent me
Dresses you had designed
With rich embroidery
In brilliant colors
Because they could not bear
To give them away
Or cast them aside.
I summon you now
Not to think of
The ceaseless battle
With pain and ill health,
The frailty and the anguish.
No, today I remember
The creator,
The lion-hearted.
To My Mother by Edgar Allan Poe
Because I feel that, in the Heavens above,
The angels, whispering to one another,
Can find, among their burning terms of love,
None so devotional as that of “Mother,”
Therefore by that dear name I long have called you-
You who are more than mother unto me,
And fill my heart of hearts, where Death installed you
In setting my Virginia’s spirit free.
My mother- my own mother, who died early,
Was but the mother of myself; but you
Are mother to the one I loved so dearly,
And thus are dearer than the mother I knew
By that infinity with which my wife
Was dearer to my soul than its soul-life. via famouspoemsandpoets
Thinking of a Special way to Celebrate Mother’s Day? Share with or Send a Try The World Package to Mom
Motivation Mondays: LOVE Is… #HappyMothersDay #TrytheWorld
Happiness is seeing your mother smile. Unknown
As is the mother, so is her daughter. Ezekiel 16:4
No matter your age, you will always need your mom. Unknown
Mother’s love is peace. It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved. Erich Fromm
A mother’s love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible. Marion C. Garretty.
A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take. Cardinal Mermillod
I love my mother as trees love water and sunshine. She helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights. Terry Guillemets
What is a Try The World Box? Have you tried everything and need a special change ? Here is a new idea for you. TryTheWorld is a Subscription Gourmet Food Gift box idea that you can share with friends and family or even treat yourself to one. Every box of curated gourmet items includes a spice, a sweet, traditional foods that folks love and cherish in the country of origin, and a Culture Guide that walks you though the history of each item, the family behind the farm or company, and a few recipes to try with your food items. If you so choose, you may use the items to create your own recipes or add them to your favorite foods… that is the beauty of enjoying foods from around the world. For a gastronomic adventure around the world, you can sit back and enjoy foods from many regions. Each food or snack box is carefully selected by a chef from the country of origin and you can be rest assured that the contents will fill your belly and heart.
What if you’ve tried all the usual gift-giving and wine/dine/floral approach and want something a bit different? Try the Word is a perfect gift that you can share with a loved one and both of you, and your family can enjoy the foods for months on end. Whoever said that the way to a lover’s heart is through the stomach was spot on. Food is a great aphrodisiac and when you present gourmet foods from around the world in beautiful boxes with enough for a full scale meal, you’ve discovered a fabulous gift that keeps on giving. Where would I rather be if I’ve sampled my share of public dining? At home with my loved ones enjoying one of these boxed delights and sharing the beautiful selection of poems included in this post. And you?
Sign up today for your first journey into Try The World’s gourmet items to enjoy. As an Ambassador for this extraordinary brand, I’d like to remind everyone about our special deep discount. SPECIAL OFFER: Try The World has made a special offer of 15% discount off the first subscription box to all my readers. As a reader of this blog, you can use the discount code on purchasing your first $39/box subscription option and/or on all gift boxes. Use the coupon code MMTRAVELS15 during your checkout to get your awesome discount.
What about pricing? Subscriptions now start at $33/Box.
A bi-monthly subscription is $39/box charged every two months
A 6 months tour subscription is $35/box charged every six months
A year tour subscription is $33/box charged every year
People have the option to order a gift single box and/or gift tours.
If the TryTheWorld Box calls you, sign up today, save 15% on your first box and a new box will be shipped, every other month, when it becomes available.
READ: Try The World: A Taste of TURKEY
Try The World: World Box Gift Of Gourmet Foods
Try The World: A Taste of SOUTH AFRICA
Try The World: A Taste Of KOREA
Try The World: A Taste Of INDIA
Try The World: A Taste Of Sweden
Try The World: A Taste Of Paris
Try The World: Gifts Of Finest Foods Curated Globally
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for MAR – APR 2019 are:
04/01 – 01 April Fool’s Day, 02 Autism Awareness, Equal Pay Day
04/07 – 07 World Health Day, 10 National Siblings Day
04/14 – 14 Palm Sunday, 15 Tax Day, 18 Holy Thursday, 19 Good Friday
04/21 – 21 Easter Sunday/ Start of Passover, 22 Earth Day, 23 World Book Day
04/28 – 29 Remembrance Day, 30 Jazz Day
MAY
05/01 – 01 MAY Day, Holocaust Remembrance, National Mental Health Awareness month
05/05 – 05 Cinco de Mayo, 06, Ramadan starts, 07 National Teacher Day
05/12 – 12 Mother’s Day, 18 Armed Forces Day
05/19 – 19 Mental Health Awareness month
05/26 – 27 Memorial Day, 30 World MS Day
Are You Looking for Ways to Stay Creative in 2019?
- Join Our Blog Support & Engagement Group
- Check out the Daily Post for Inspiration. Resources. Idea
- Checkout Your Daily Word Prompts
- Check out SheKnows for SheKnows Living
More Below Read more…
Motivation Mondays: Peace with Our Past
“Sometimes you just have to make peace with your past in order to keep your future from becoming a constant battle.” Susan Gale
Motivation Mondays: Peace with Our Past
Two things prevent us from happiness: living in the past and observing others. Unknown
If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the moment. Unknown
I want the peace in knowing that is wasn’t for lack of hustling that I missed a target for my dream. I want to know that the one thing in my control was under control. Jon Acuff
Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones. Thich Nhat Hanh
Have You made peace with your past? Why do some of us spend so much time punishing ourselves for events that have long passed us by? Until we make peace with our past and step fully into the present, we will continue to suffer the pangs of regret over things that no longer serve us. Of course, it is not so easy or simple to discard past hurts and dance into the sunset with a big smile on our face but, we must do the necessary work to help us heal.
Time is a great healer and seeking professional help, turning back to our faith for comfort and trying other positive self-help approaches can get us back on track to rekindling the inner joy we seek. The past is a great repository of experiences that can teach us about ways to navigate in the present, but it is just one measure. We need to delve deep and find new and innovative ways to help us grow. Stop carrying the burdens of the past or madness of the future. Stay present.
READ: Motivation Monday: Make Peace with Pain
Motivation Mondays: Power of Gratitude
Weekly Photo Challenge: HARMONY
Be at Peace by R. Queen
Be at peace,
Tempest tossed seas of soul,
Give me rest,
From doubt, and fear
Sun find my face,
Light find my heart,
Song find my story,
Smile find my face,
Be at peace,
Be at peace,
For my life is infinite,
And these storms,
Have raged too long,
Even winter,
Must surrender spring
– R. Queen
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” Melody Beattie
Motivation Mondays: Peace with Our Past
If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present. falsely attributed to Lao Tzu
I don’t carry the burden of the past or the madness of the future. I live in the present. Narendra Modi
Peace comes from being able to contribute the best that we have, and all that we are, toward creating a world that supports everyone. But it is also securing the space for others to contribute the best that they have and all that they are. Hafsat Abiola
See, when you drive home today, you’ve got a big windshield on the front of your car. And you’ve got a little bitty rearview mirror. And the reason the windshield is so large and the rearview mirror is so small is because what’s happened in your past is not near as important as what’s in your future. Joel Osteen
How do we make peace with our past? For years, I mourned the passing of my Dad and the last conversation I had with him. I was getting ready to leave for work. I was living on the upper west side in Manhattan at the time, and I had to catch a train downtown to BMCC-CUNY to teach an English class. Dad called, and I was in a hurry to wrap things up and head out. It was brief. We had so much to say and that needed to be said but… the conversation was brief. He told me he loved me and, mind you, my Dad was quite the conservative man so those words were special. They should have been celebrated and shared and repeated and discussed but… our conversation was brief. A month later, he was gone. We must find our way back to center and replace the past with memories of the good times. It’s not easy, it takes time but, we will and can get there.
We can start by taking small steps on our road to healing. First recognize that what happened in the past is done and does not need to taint our present. Forgive and embrace your wounded inner child and direct your vision forward. If we can learn to focus forward and not get caught in the trap of stuffing our heads with stuff, we can begin the journey back on the road to regain control of our emotions, change our thinking, and start the healing process we need to help us put our past to rest. Be of good cheer and stay encouraged. Make peace with your past and live.
READ: Motivation Mondays: PEACE & GRATITUDE
Reflections: UN Forum On The Culture Of Peace
Kiss For Peace: Make Love Not War On World Peace Day
I Dream A World by Langston Hughes
I dream a world where man
No other man will scorn,
Where love will bless the earth
And peace its paths adorn
I dream a world where all
Will know sweet freedom’s way,
Where greed no longer saps the soul
Nor avarice blights our day.
A world I dream where black or white,
Whatever race you be,
Will share the bounties of the earth
And every man is free,
Where wretchedness will hang its head
And joy, like a pearl,
Attends the needs of all mankind-
Of such I dream, my world!via poemhunter
A Story: Peace XVIII by Khalil Gibran
The tempest calmed after bending the branches of the trees and leaning heavily upon the grain in the field. The stars appeared as broken remnants of lightning, but now silence prevailed over all, as if Nature’s war had never been fought.
At that hour a young woman entered her chamber and knelt by her bed sobbing bitterly. Her heart flamed with agony but she could finally open her lips and say, “Oh Lord, bring him home safely to me. I have exhausted my tears and can offer no more, oh Lord, full of love and mercy. My patience is drained and calamity is seeking possession of my heart. Save him, oh Lord, from the iron paws of War; deliver him from such unmerciful Death, for he is weak, governed by the strong. Oh Lord, save my beloved, who is Thine own son, from the foe, who is Thy foe. Keep him from the forced pathway to Death’s door; let him see me, or come and take me to him.”
Quietly a young man entered. His head was wrapped in bandage soaked with escaping life.
He approached he with a greeting of tears and laughter, then took her hand and placed against it his flaming lips. And with a voice with bespoke past sorrow, and joy of union, and uncertainty of her reaction, he said, “Fear me not, for I am the object of your plea. Be glad, for Peace has carried me back safely to you, and humanity has restored what greed essayed to take from us. Be not sad, but smile, my beloved. Do not express bewilderment, for Love has power that dispels Death; charm that conquers the enemy. I am your one. Think me not a specter emerging from the House of Death to visit your Home of Beauty.
“Do not be frightened, for I am now Truth, spared from swords and fire to reveal to the people the triumph of Love over War. I am Word uttering introduction to the play of happiness and peace.”
Then the young man became speechless and his tears spoke the language of the heart; and the angels of Joy hovered about that dwelling, and the two hearts restored the singleness which had been taken from them.
At dawn the two stood in the middle of the field contemplating the beauty of Nature injured by the tempest. After a deep and comforting silence, the soldier said to his sweetheart, “Look at the Darkness, giving birth to the Sun.” via famouspoetsandpoems
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for MAR – APR 2019 are:
03/03 – 08 International Women’s Day/Women’s History Month
03/10 – 10 iHeart Awards, 14 Pi Day
03/17 – 17 St Patrick’s Day, 20 Start of Spring/International Day of Happiness
03/24 – 30 Earth Hour
03/31 – 31 Day of Visibility
04/01 – 01 April Fool’s Day, 02 Autism Awareness, Equal Pay Day
04/07 – 07 World Health Day, 10 National Siblings Day
04/14 – 14 Palm Sunday, 15 Tax Day, 18 Holy Thursday, 19 Good Friday
04/21 – 21 Easter Sunday/ Start of Passover, 22 Earth Day, 23 World Book Day
04/28 – 29 Remembrance Day, 30 Jazz Day
Are You Looking for Ways to Stay Creative in 2019?
- Join Our Blog Support & Engagement Group
- Check out the Daily Post for Inspiration. Resources. Idea
- Checkout Your Daily Word Prompts
- Check out SheKnows for SheKnows Living
MORE BELOW Read more…
