Monthly Archives: November 2012

Flying on Veteran’s Day

My husband's eighty-nine-year-old father passed away at the end of October. His memorial service was held in Corpus Christi on November 10, 2012. We flew there for the service. My husband is a pastor, and he conducted a memorable celebration that honored his father’s life. I’m new to his family, and it was a privilege to watch his siblings and his offspring interacting. It had also been a privilege to know his dad very briefly. We flew home the following Monday, and the head of our flight crew was an exceptional woman named Mary Hannold. A former teacher, she is…

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Refuse to Be What You Don’t Want to Be

Refuse to be anything you don't want to be, period. And that's it. Sounds simple, right? It is, but that doesn't mean it's always easy. I can tell you that this philosophy has helped me through a ton of crazy stuff recently. Are you facing haters at school or online? Refuse to be bullied. Do people say mean things about you behind your back? Refuse to be victimized. Are you shy or self-conscious? Refuse to be insecure. Do you feel as if no one is listening? Refuse to be silenced. Are things not going your way, in general? Refuse to…

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What Matters Most is How You See Yourself

By Vicki Savini. When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Better yet, what do you feel? You may think a mirror is just for brushing your teeth, styling your hair, or examining your overall appearance, but the mirror can actually be a very powerful tool. I am the youngest child in my family. I grew up with two loving parents and three older sisters, so I certainly wasn’t starved for attention. I was a dancer, a singer, an artist, and even a writer. I had hard working parents who taught us to be kind, generous, and always…

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What’s The One Thing You Want to Accomplish?

If you had only one thing that you could accomplish in your lifetime, what would it be? Just one thing…. not your entire bucket list. Limiting it to just one thing forces us to focus on what’s really the single, most important thing that we still want to achieve. Perhaps it’s writing a book that will make a difference to millions, raising our children to be good adults, sailing around the world, performing on Broadway or becoming an accomplished artist. Whatever it is for you, bring it to your mind right now. If you don’t know what that one thing…

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What is the Difference Between Fate and Free Will?

By Tara Taylor. I frequently get asked what my belief is on the difference between fate and free will is. Fate is that we are meant to meet certain people in our lives and then free will is what we choose to do with that encounter of the situation. Fate is that we all receive messages from the divine; free will is our choice on what we will do with that message. The best way to help you choose a higherself solution is to ask yourself: “Am I treating others the way I would like to be treated?” No matter what…

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Today’s Brilliance from Keanu and Tristen Ellen

Both of us have two-fold inspirations, Tristen's is family and the grateful smiles on the people when you help them. Keanu is not very different, his inspiration comes from family time spent together, and philanthropy. As brothers, we have learned the value of family, brother power, and the joy of helping others. These are the three things that drive us every day, make us sensitive to the needs of others, and appreciate what we have. It has molded our characters, taught us right from wrong, and inspired us to start our organization, Turn Kindness On. Our Mom and Dad have…

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Harvesting Happiness: Getting Unstuck

By Lisa Cypers Kamen. Are you stuck? Do problems always seem to get you down? Are you waiting for the right things to happen so that you can finally be happy? For many people, happiness is an enigma. Happy feelings come and go, yet it is not something that is a constant state of being in life. But it doesn't have to be this way! It is yet possible for happiness to be one of the most dependable elements of your life. When we get trapped in the little boxes that we create for ourselves, we find ourselves feeling miserable,…

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10 Tips for Becoming Positive When You’re Down in the Dumps

By Heather Legg. Being down in the dumps can become a cycle of sadness, so it's important to get yourself out and feel positive again. When you're down, it's easy to look at the dark side of things, but remember that there is always a brighter one. Here are some tips for becoming positive when you're feeling blue: 1. Take Your Dog for a Walk If you have a pet, play with him. Take your dog for a walk; play with the cat. Animals have an innate ability to make us feel better. Even if you don’t have a pet,…

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Today’s Brilliance from TJ Prodigy

1 in 6 students are bullied in school on a daily basis. I am one of those kids... or well, I was one of those kids. This year I am being homeschooled, because I couldn't take the bullying that I was going through in school any longer, and my school wouldn't do anything about it. Unfortunately our teachers tell us to speak up and tell an adult when we are being bullied, but what happens when the adults don't listen? I'm only 12 years old but I've learned so much about people in the past few months. I've learned that…

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Harvesting Happiness: Getting the Most Out of Life

By Lisa Cypers Kamen. Do you want to get the most you can out of life? You have to be the one to say, "I want more out of my life and I deserve to be happy in life as well." Here are a few things you can try in order to achieve happiness and obtain the most fulfillment in your own life: Come up with a goal for yourself and reach to attain that goal. It’s not enough to just want more for yourself, you have to find a way to achieve what you want, and take little steps…

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Open

By B. Lynn Goodwin. I know I've shared a gratitude list here before, but I always think of November as gratitude month. Maybe that’s because it’s the month of Thanksgiving. Or maybe it’s because so much in nature goes dormant, but I get to keep going on. This used to be the month when my high school actors performed the fall play, sometimes a drama and sometimes a comedy, but never a musical. Later my college students were putting together the student directed one acts in November, working frantically to have them ready to perform during the first two weeks…

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Using Music To Serve Others

I learned at an early age that everyone has a gift from God and it's important to use that gift for good. You have to give back. For me, the gift of music is something that I was born with. My mom says I sang before I talked, even humming as a tiny infant! At first music was something that I did because it made me feel good, but I began to realize that I made others feel better with my music and that makes it important to share. My grandpa died when I was younger and my mom was…

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Harvesting Happiness: Compassionate Living

By Lisa Cypers Kamen. Happiness for many people is an enigma. Happiness is something that seems to be just beyond our grasp. For many people, happiness is a nice thought but not a lasting reality. Happiness might show her face in our life in glimpses, but she seems to peek through momentarily like the sun passing behind the clouds on a rainy day. What does it take to bring the sweet, gentle flow of happiness to our lives? Is there one factor that can make happiness a deep and abiding reality for us? What is our H-factor? When we embrace…

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