Stress less

I think that most of our stress comes from uncertainty.  Yesterday, I gave our receptionist an assignment, which involves quite a lot of work.  I agreed with her that we will discuss the project plan on Friday.  She was very quiet the rest of the day.  This morning when I talked to her again and gave her a deadline of the end of the month, she gave a HUGE sigh of relief as she thought everything had to be done on Friday.  She said she had so much stress last night and didn't know how she would complete this assignment in such a limited time.  If she just asked for clarity, her stress would have been a lot less.

Uncertainty about the future, relationships, tasks etc. can cause us a lot of stress.  Sleepless nights, over eating (or not eating at all), irritation, arguments with people close to us.  This makes me think of a quote (I don't know who said it, but is so true) "Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives us something to do, but takes us nowhere."  My plan to reduce stress has two elements:

1. Controlling what I can
2. Letting go what I can't

I can control asking for clarity if I don't understand something and I can control my attitude and behaviour, but I can't control what others do and what the future holds.  Today I am letting go!

My prayer for today:
"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace.
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
Amen"

Winter time

 I can feel the air getting cooler and everyone around me is starting to dress in warmer clothes.  The sun is sleeping later and going to bed earlier.  Ice tea has made way for hot chocolate.  I just love winter time, as all my favourites appear.  Stews, warm drinks, thick blankets, snug clothes and fireplaces.  A lot of my colleagues are complianing about the cold that is creeping in.  Some people even get depressed this time of year. I am just so excited to unpack the things I love. 

With the seasons that are changing, I am thinking aobut life's seasons and how they also change.  Some seasons stay for quite some time and others fly by.  To me every season comes with it's own blessings and lessons. Whether you will experience and learn is entirely up to you.  You can complain, but then you won't get anything out of the season and it will feel like years, before it passes. 

A winter can teach us a lot of things and here are some of the lessons I have learned:

1. Snuggle up close to your loved ones, as we are so inclined to put them at the bottom of our priority list and they might be gone in the blink of an eye.
2. Wrap your blanket of love and care around those you come into contact with.  You never know how badly they might need the warmth.
3. Take time to slow down and have a cup of hot chocolate.
4. We have a lot of strength inside of us, that we may not realise during summer time.
5. We are notlimited by the cold, but we have tools to turn on the heat.

It doesn't matter what the season in your life is at the moment, what matters is what you learn from it.  I have one anchor that keeps me going through every season and that is God's power isn't limited by seasons.

Ignite your light!

"Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind
Wanting to start again

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in

Do you ever feel already buried deep
Six feet under scream
But no one seems to hear a thing

Do you know that there's still a chance for you
Cause there's a spark in you

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y" - Katy Perry

Some songs just get stuck in your head.  At least this one is inspirational and therefore can play over and over in my head, until I believe it.  I think that sometimes it is a good thing to feel like you are just drifting around, as we then find the inspiration to become that firework and make something truly extraordinary of our lives. 

We all want our lives to be extraordinary and spectacular like fireworks lighting up the sky.  To get there we need to shift our minds and believe that we can be what we were meant to be.  I have read some articles about spectacular people, like Raymond Ackerman and Nelson Mandela.  They have one thing in common and that is perseverance.  No matter what life threw at them, they persevered and made their lives into fireworks.  They are also humble and people are of utmost importance to them.  To light our fire we need people.  How wonderful is a firework show with no one to watch?  Have people in our lives lifts us up and helps us to persevere.

Let's all sing...."Baby your a firework...."

Lightbulb moment!

“I've been doing a lot of abstract painting lately, extremely abstract. No brush, no paint, no canvas, I just think about it.” – Steven Wright

I was looking for my quote for the day and stumbled across the above one.  It made me smile, but also think about thoughts. (Yes, you can think about thinking.) 

I am looking at a painting.  It is the most beautiful painting I have ever layed me eyes on and I know if you could see it now you would also love it.  It's a painting of an african landscape.  The sun is setting and in the distance is the outline of a tree.  An elephant is gracefully picking leaves to fill it's hungry stomach.  Grass is swaying in the breeze.  All is calm and serene.  The use of colours is just amazing.  Red, orange, yellow flowing into each other. This is all fantastic, but it's not on a canvas.  I am only thinking about the painting.  I am also thinking about painting it, but I am not actually painting it.  No one can truly admire my work of art, as no one will ever see it.

This made me think about all the ideas we have.  All the things we think about and create within our own minds, that no one will ever see.  Our creations might be a success in our minds, but we will never know the success it might have outside of our mind.  I think we feel save creating things in our minds, but are scared of taking the risk in actually realising our dreams.  Yes, it can fail, but you can also have a great recipe for success inside your head.  You will never know until you take the risk.  Paint the picture you have on a real canvas.  I think the people that achieve great success are the one's that take risks and even when they fail get up and try again.

Oh yes!  Happy April Fool's Day!

I am the one and only!

http://in2leicester.co.uk/?page_id=2

I talk to so many people and think about them.  One common theme that I pick up is that we want to be what society prescribes for us to be.  If society says so, it is so.  We sometimes even form our self-image and self-worth according to what society says.  I have seen a lot of heartache and doubt caused by this. 

This morning I woke up, my head filled with a lot of things and wondering if I do live up to the standards that are set for me.  I felt exhausted.  Just there and then, I decided today I am wearing jeans and sneakers, no high heals.  I need to feel cozy and relaxed.  I made myself an instant cuppachino (I usually drink herbal tea) and a croissant.  How wonderful that felt!  I dressed how I wanted to, ate and drank what I wanted to. Today I am just living up to my own standards, doing my own thing.  I cried about my puppy going for an op (I usually don't do this, as people might think I am silly).  Today I am going to be me.

This just made me realize that we are unique and living that way will make us a lot happier and satisfied.  Doing what we like, expressing what we feel, following our hearts, living our dreams.  There is freedom in accepting who you are, realizing you are unique and living it!  We break free from the chains of society and live the life we want. 

I am the one and only, no body I'd rather be......(and I'll sing this in the shower and my car, even if you think  I can't sing.  I want to sing and that's what I'll do!)

Passion!



http://www.becomingwhoyouare.net/



Every morning on my way to work I pass a newspaper seller.  This isn't your ordinary newspaper seller.  This guy is different in an extraordinary way.  He has a passion for selling his newspapers every morning.  It is amazing to watch him.  He greets every car and asks if you are "Sharp".  You are rewarded with a huge smile if you give him the thumbs up!  I love the sparkle in his eye and the bounce in his step.  His whole being is in selling his papers.  This amazes me.  It is my tonic for the day.

Society has a lot of rules of what we need to have in order for us to be happy.  Every morning when I watch this man, I just realise that you create your own happiness.  It is up to you to make your life your passion.  We have to get up in the morning and work or do what ever we have to for the day.  I just think that it would be much more fun if we put our whole being into what we are busy doing and enjoy every moment of it.

Enjoy sitting in traffic, as this is a time to pray and sing a long to your favourite songs. 

Enjoy making someone a cup of coffee, as you lighten up their day.

Enjoy the laughter and noise of children, as this reminds us how much fun we can have if we let the child inside of us out from time to time.

Just find the little things in your day to enjoy and be happy about!  It is easy once you find your passion...

"Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be." Abraham Lincoln

The interview

As I am listening to an interview prep, I can't help but think how scary an interview can be.  Nerves can cause us to get up to all sorts of things.  I came across a couple of things that you probably shouldn't do during an interview:

1.  A job applicant challenged the interviewer to an arm wrestle.
2. Candidate announced she hadn't had lunch and proceeded to eat a hamburger and chips in the interviewers office.
3. Candidate explained that her long-term goals was to replace the interviewer.
4. Candidate said he never finished high school because he was kidnapped and kept in a closet in Mexico.
5. Applicant interrupted interview to phone her therapist for advice on how to answer specific interview questions.
6. Applicant refused to sit down and insisted on being interviewed standing up.
7. Candidate dozed off during interview.

It would also be best not to ask:

1. "What is it that you people do at this company?"
2. "Why aren't you in a more interesting business?"
3. "Do I have to dress for the next interview?"
4. "I know this is off the subject, but will you marry me?"
5. "Does your company have a policy regarding concealed weapons?"

If you have an interview coming up and are a bit worried that your nerves will get the better of you, contact me.

(Read more on the funny things people did in an interview on http://www.recruitersnetwork.com/jokes/interview.htm)

Here we go!

I can still remember standing on the verge of major changes in my life.  The butterflies in my stomach.  Am I making the right choice?  What will things be like when I take the next step?  As with all things new and different in life, this is the sensation and feeling we get.  A normal feeling.  A feeling that can be mixed with a lot of excitement, if we have a plan in place.

I think two of the major transitions (other than getting married and having children) is leaving school and venturing into the adult world and leaving student life and journeying into the world of work. A very exciting experience, being "all grown up" and independent.  The world is your oyster!

The world can also be your dark, scary alley if you don't have a plan or the tools you need for this journey. What are these tools we need:

1. Self-knowledge
2. A map of the career path you want to follow
3. Career goals
4. Knowledge of the world of work
5. Links between you and the world of work

Be the one who is anxious, but EXCITED! 

If you are struggling to get your tools together, invest in a career coach or counsellor!  This is one investment you can make that has great returns!