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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…
Motivation Mondays: Protect Our Earth
“Everything is changing about the natural world and everything must change about the way we conduct our lives. It is easy to complain that the problem is too vast, and each of us is too small. But there is one thing that each of us can do ourselves, in our homes, at our own pace — something easier than taking out the recycling or turning down the thermostat, and something more valuable. We can call the threats to our future what they are…” Nathaniel Rich, Author Losing Earth
Motivation Mondays: Protecting Our Earth – #Protect Our Species
Earth: We All Live Here
We can call the villains villains, the heroes heroes, the victims victims and ourselves complicit. We can realize that all this talk about the fate of Earth has nothing to do with the planet’s tolerance for higher temperatures and everything to do with our species’ tolerance for self-delusion. And we can understand that when we speak about things like fuel-efficiency standards or gasoline taxes or methane flaring, we are speaking about nothing less than all we love and all we are… Nathaniel Rich
What Does Earth Day mean to you? Every year on April 22nd, millions of people around the world gather to honor and celebrate planet Earth. We pause to contemplate the many ways the earth sustains us. We pause to also consider ways we can sustain and protect the Earth. To me, Earth Day means expressing my gratitude for the world/planet Earth as viewed through the eyes of Mother Earth. It means that on this day and EVERY day, we must remind ourselves that we play an important role in sustaining our planet so our children and others can inherit a healthy, vibrant earth. This year, the folks behind the celebrations at Earth Day Network want us to support the campaign and promote the theme for 2019 – Protect Our Species. With the numbers of endangered species growing around the world, we owe it to ourselves and our planet to do something. Here is a shortlist of our endangered species. Find our species profiles here:
- Bees
- Coral Reefs
- Elephants
- Giraffes
- Insects
- Whales
- Trees
- Plants
- Birds
- Fish
- Sharks
- Crustaceans
- Sea Turtles
- Great Apes
Earth Day Network is asking people to join the Protect our Species campaign. Their goals are to:
*Educate and raise awareness about the accelerating rate of extinction of millions of species and the causes and consequences of this phenomenon.
*Achieve major policy victories that protect broad groups of species as well as individual species and their habitats.
*Build and activate a global movement that embraces nature and its values.
*Encourage individual actions such as adopting plant based diet and stopping pesticide and herbicide use.
How Did Earth Day Start? On April 22, 1970, the environmental movement we now know as Earth Day was launched by the Earth Day Network as an urgent call to action to address the many environmental issues that were decimating our planet. This year, the theme for Earth Day 2019 – Protect Our Species. It is an important theme because without effective change and protections for all species in our environment, we might not meet the 50th anniversary countdown to 2020 goal of combating pollutants, creating a sustainable planet for all, and climate change. Is it feasible? Sure. Did you know that 20 million people responded to that first call to action? And since that first effort, over 200 million people have participated in spreading the word on ways to keep our planet alive and sustainable. Did you know that the sustained effort and actions taken by passionate men and women since 1970 continues to bear fruit? The collective actions of environmental activists has led to the passage of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and many other successes and shape shifting environmental laws? If we all do our part, anything is possible.
READ:Motivation Mondays: EARTH DAY
Photo Challenge: #EARTHDAY
Related: Celebrate Earth Day 2019 with This Animated Google Doodle
Earth Day & Earth Hour: Differences To Remember
“Earth Day should encourage us to reflect on what we are doing to make our planet a more sustainable and livable place.” Scott Peters
Motivation Mondays: Protecting Our Earth – #Protect Our Species
NASA: NASA Scientists Share Why They Like Earth
Because we were orbiting the earth faster than earth spins on its axis, we went around the earth 16 times a day, an earth day, which meant 16 periods of lightness and 16 periods of darkness in 24 hours. Every so often you’d look towards the earth, and often you could see lightness and darkness together, and dawn and sunset were spectacular. Helen Sharman
Happy Earth Day, today and every day! One thing that becomes apparent in the spring is how the landscape changes from barren to fecund. It seems magical but, in truth, our love for Mother Earth is reflected in the fullness of spring that surrounds us. If we live in areas that have decimated the natural landscape, then the full expression of spring and her glorious, vibrant beauty is diminished; muted by the abuse… Can we CORRECT THE ABUSE? Yes. Every bit we do from recycling plastics, to planting trees, to conserving energy will make a difference. Google has suggested ways we can all help make sustainable changes in our lives: Small changes can make a big impact on our planet Learn ways to reduce food, water, and energy waste, and learn about the Circular Economy (reusing and reinventing ways to use stuff) to extend the life of your stuff. A spirit of gratitude can make a difference too.
Over the years, as an Earth Day advocate/participant, I have made suggestions and curated important tips to help all find our way. This year, I am sharing a helpful list of tips from Earth Day Network. In the past, I suggested five things we could do to make earth day a daily occurrence. In 2011, I offered 10 practical things to do.
EARTH DAY TIPS via Earth Day Network
These are easy to do tips to help us all go green, protect our earth, save money and make every day Earth Day. Join in.You can make a difference!
Join Earth Day Network’s campaign to Protect Our Species.
Join Earth Day Network’s campaign to End Plastic Pollution.
Plant a tree or donate a tree through our Canopy Project.
Join a local park, river or beach clean-up.
Use environmentally-friendly, non-toxic cleaning products.
Replace inefficient incandescent light bulbs with efficient CFLs or LEDs. Reduce your carbon footprint by 450 pounds a year.
Carpool, ride your bike, use public transportation or drive an electric or hybrid car. Reduce your carbon footprint by one pound for every mile you do not drive.
Keep your tires properly inflated and get better gas mileage. Reduce your carbon footprint 20 pounds for each gallon of gas saved.
Change your car’s air filter regularly.
Teleconference instead of traveling. If you fly five times per year, those trips are likely to account for 75% of your personal carbon footprint.
Stop using disposable plastics, especially single-use plastics like bottles, bags and straws.
Recycle paper, plastic and glass. Reduce your garbage by 10% and your carbon footprint by 1,200 pounds a year.
Donate your old clothes and home goods instead of throwing them out. When you need something, consider buying used items.
Use cloth towels instead of paper ones.
Change your paper bills to online billing. You’ll be saving trees and the fuel it takes to deliver your bills by truck.
Read documents online instead of printing them.
When you need to use paper, make sure it’s 100% post-consumer recycled paper.
Set your office printer to print two-sided.
Collect used printer, fax, and copier cartridges to recycle.
Convince your school district or office building to choose reusable utensils, trays, and dishes in the cafeteria.
Use reusable bottles for water, and reusable mugs for coffee.
Bring reusable bags when you shop.
Pack your lunch in a reusable bag.
Organize to have healthy, locally-sourced food served at in your school district.
Buy local food to reduce the distance from farm to fork. Buy straight from the farm, frequent your local farmers’ market, or join a local food co-op.
Buy organic food to keep your body and the environment free of toxic pesticides. Support farmers and companies who use organic ingredients.
Grow your own organic garden, or join a farm-share group.
Reduce your meat consumption to curb carbon emissions from the livestock industry.
Compost kitchen scraps for use in your garden — turning waste into fertilizer.
Take a shorter shower and use a water-saving shower head.
Fix leaky faucets and shower-heads.
Run your dishwasher only when it’s full to save water and energy.
Conserve water outdoors by only watering your lawn in the early morning or late at night. Use drought-resistant plants in dry areas.
Wash your clothes only when necessary, use cold water and line dry.
Form a “green team” at your office to find cost-effective ways to conserve resources and promote sustainability.
Volunteer for a local environmental group and/or make a donation.
Pull out invasive plants in your yard or garden and replace them with native ones.
Turn off and unplug electronics you’re not using. This includes turning off your computer at night.
Turn off lights when you leave a room.
Install solar panels on your roof.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator to save energy (and get exercise!).
Move your heater thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer to reduce your carbon footprint by 2,000 pounds.
Lower the temperature on your water heater.
Contact your utility company and find out about renewable energy options.
Use energy-efficient appliances and electronics.
READ: Earth Day 2011: Ten Things To Do…
Earth Day 2012: Five Ways To Make Every Day Earth Day…
Reflections: Honoring Earth Day 2013
RESOURCES: List of Toolkits – Earth Day In Box
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…
Motivation Mondays: RESURRECTION
“In spring, the dead trees, roots, and animals come to life again exactly as they were, thus providing hundreds of thousands of examples, specimens, and proofs of the supreme resurrection.” Said Nursi
Motivation Mondays: RESURRECTION
Nations, like stars, are entitled to eclipse. All is well, provided the light returns and the eclipse does not become endless night. Dawn and resurrection are synonymous. The reappearance of the light is the same as the survival of the soul. Victor Hugo
Faithfulness to the past can be a kind of death above ground. Writing of the past is a resurrection; the past then lives in your words and you are free. Jessamyn West
What does the term Resurrection mean to you? With Easter and Passover almost upon us, and Spring resurrecting colorful blooms around us, the operative word for this season is – resurrection. This is a time of rebirth, renewal, return, rising and hope for things to come. While I must admit that the term is tied to the Easter celebration of the resurrection of Christ from the dead, it also has significance in the secular world. The changing seasons are a time of death and rebirth and, with each renewal, we deepen our belief in the continuity of life and nature, and all that it offers. We become firm in our belief that the sun will rise and set on schedule, that night will replace day, and that the breath we take for granted will remain constant.
With each seasonal shift, we experience movement within, and it is our free will to make choices to help us grow during this season or choices that make us stagnate. Maintaining the status quo has its pros and cons because, like a body of water, without a constant flow and movement to flush out the debris and bring in new life/water, we become frustrated and give up. Since humans are such creatures of habit, it is important for us to make time to shift gears and refresh our bodies and minds. The changing seasons are one way we get forced to do so, and the other involves honoring the traditions we grew up with, and using that time to reflect and stretch … this could all be viewed through the lens of a resurrection.
The Resurrection – Poem by Linda Gregg.
Let the tower in your city burn. Let the steps
to the shadowed building by the lake burn
even though it is made of stone. Let the lion
house burn so that the roaring and burning
will be heard together. Let the old, poor,
wooden house where I lived go up in flames, even though
you returned and sat on the steps that led
up to where we used to exist. Let it all burn,
not to destroy them, but to give them the life
my life gives to them now. To make them flare
as they do in me, bright and hot, bright and burning. via poemhunter.com
READ: Motivation Mondays: REBIRTH
“It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow.” Robert H. Schuller
Motivation Mondays: RESURRECTION
Our brains are seventy-year clocks. The Angel of Life winds them up once for all, then closes the case, and gives the key into the hand of the Angel of the Resurrection. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
The literal resurrection of every soul who has lived and died on earth is a certainty, and surely one should make careful preparation for this event. A glorious resurrection should be the goal of every man and woman, for resurrection will be a reality. Ezra Taft Benson
The Resurrection reflects Possibilities: How is the season pregnant with possibilities? With each passing day, we adjust to the changes, the arrivals and departures occurring in nature. We see our days grow longer, the nights grow shorter, and april showers arrive to cleanse the earth and get us all to reawaken from our temporary hibernation. One of the special gifts we receive at Easter is a spirit of renewal; it is a time of rebirth and an opportunity to start afresh again. We can resurrect plans we set aside and take that extra edge off by accomplishing all the things we put aside. Another gift of Easter is a return to Hope; as we look around us and contemplate the conflicts and instability around the world, we can build up Hope by focusing on participating in good works for our communities and ourselves.
This is a great time to take stock of efforts we have made, so far, this year. It is a great time for a paradigm shift; a time to let go of old and hackneyed ways of thinking/being and try something new to motivate us on our journey. Are we on track with our goals? What is motivating us to stay true? What is hindering our progress? How are you planning to celebrate this important season? What traditions have influenced your life and which ones do you still celebrate? Let’s consider the questions and, if we are lagging behind, this is a great time to jump-start our 2019 goals.
The Rich Man And Lazarus – Poem by John Newton
A Worldling spent each day
In luxury and state;
While a believer lay,
A beggar at his gate:
Think not the Lord’s appointments strange,
Death made a great and lasting change.
Death brought the saint release
From want, disease, and scorn;
And to the land of peace,
His soul, by angels borne,
In Abraham’s bosom safely placed,
Enjoys an everlasting feast.
The rich man also died,
And in a moment fell
From all his pomp and pride
Into the flames of hell:
The beggar’s bliss from far beheld,
His soul with double anguish filled.
O Abram send, he cries,
But his request was vain
The beggar from the skies
To mitigate my pain!
One drop of water I entreat,
To soothe my tongue’s tormenting heat.
Let all who worldly pelf,
And worldly spirits have,
Observe, each for himself,
The answer Abram gave:
Remember, thou wast filled with good,
While the poor beggar pined for food.
Neglected at thy door
With tears he begged his bread;
But now, he weeps no more,
His griefs and pains are fled:
His joys eternally will flow,
While thine expire in endless woe.
Lord, make us truly wise,
To choose thy peoples’ lot;
And earthly joys despise,
Which soon will be forgot:
The greatest evil we can fear,
Is to possess our portion here! via poemhunter.com
READ: An Edge: Easter Gifts #HappyEaster
Inspiration: Happy Easter Memories
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…
