"Life In A Word"

The Word Is: SATISFIED

Definition: Merriam-Webster Dictionary: pleased or content with what has been experienced or received

Posted 7/17/22

(Note: I wish it was, but this is not my kitchen)

With all the chaos and uncertainty in the world today, wouldn’t it be nice to find something to feel satisfied with at the end of your day? Going to sleep with a sense of satisfaction is a mindful action I highly recommend. It might even inspire sweet dreams.

My Story on Satisfied

I have a habit of never leaving anything out of place in my kitchen overnight. I fold the dish towels and put them neatly on my countertop. I position the small clay vase on my kitchen table, equidistant from left to right and head to foot. If there are papers on the table, I make one neat pile. Every chair is securely tucked under the kitchen table, and I would never leave a dish or pot in the sink overnight. Is this compulsive behavior? Not really, it takes less than a minute and I see it as more of a habit than anything else. I like to go to sleep knowing the kitchen is clean and neat. Do I do this in every room? Not necessarily, but because I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, it provides me with a sense of satisfaction at the end of a long day.

STARTING your day feeling satisfied is just as important as ending it that way, which brings to mind the “four corner, bounce a quarter off the sheet bed-making ritual” the military carries out daily. I heard that by making a perfect bed, soldiers start their day having set the tone for success. Other explanations include the satisfaction of efficiency, uniformity, and teamwork. I'm going to emphasize it's a simple way of starting the day off with a feeling of satisfaction.

So let's review this for a minute. At the end of each day, I feel satisfied when I straighten up my kitchen. Some in the military feel satisfied at the beginning of their day after making their four-square bed. These are not big things. They are simply pieces of the day that deliver satisfaction.

What gives you a feeling of satisfaction? If you don't think you can come up with something I encourage you to engage in this short exercise. I do this with my 90-year-old mom all the time. I ask her to tell me three things she liked about her day. My mom will often say that she felt good after her physical therapy session because she's getting stronger. Sometimes she'll say she liked what she had for dinner. And often- times, she'll say that seeing me was something she liked most about her day. Satisfaction need not come from some grandiose event. It's the simple day-to-day pieces that can satisfy. Our job is to draw them out. I truly believe if you try this exercise, no matter how bad your day might have been, revisiting the good stuff will make a difference and maybe even set the tone for the next day.

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If you or someone you know is having a hard time finding satisfaction either at the beginning of or at the end of the day, it might be time to talk to a Life Coach. I hope you’ll reach out to me. I offer a free one-hour consultation. To schedule an appointment please email me at innervoicelifecoach08@gmail.com

"LIFE IN A WORD"

The Word is "TEARS"

Definition: Merriam-Webster Dictionary: drops of clear saline fluid secreted by the lacrimal gland and diffused between the eye and eyelids to moisten the parts and facilitate their motion. A secretion of profuse tears that overflow the eyelids and dampen the face

Posted 7/7/22

I find myself living in survivor mode some days. So I'm writing this blog because I need a break. I need to turn away from the news and flashback to better days, days before the world became so angry and polarized. Today I choose to share stories flowing with tears of joy. I hope they will inspire you to do the same because it's very likely that you could use a break too.

My Story on Tears

Tears of New Life

My son turned 38 last week. Come with me as I flashback to the sound of his first cry. It’s a moment I will never forget. My body and mind relaxed because I knew that sound meant my son was breathing on his own and that shortly I would be holding him in my arms. The connection and the love I felt were instantaneous. My smile was wide and my tears of joy were overflowing. My dad shared an expression that fit that moment and many other happy moments since. He said, “there are times when you smile so hard your jaw begins to hurt! And it's a good hurt". We would look at each other and laugh because we both knew that feeling well.

Tears of Laughter

My next story takes place at a Cheech and Chong concert. The comedic twosome searched for an audience participant and landed on me. Now, if you know Cheech and Chong's comedy, you might remember that they were notorious for putting audience participants on the spot in the most embarrassing of ways. I’ll leave it to your imagination as to what antics they put me through. However, I am happy to share that I was extremely grateful to be there with a friend and not my parents. They had the audience and I laughing so hard that our tears carried throughout the concert hall.

Sweet Tears of Pride

I was bursting with pride and the tears streamed down my face when, of all things, my kids graduated pre-school. The teachers took great care when creating a video filled with playful moments from years gone by. They also took extreme care matching their video to a song that would bring everyone attending the graduation to tears. In this case, the video played to the music of Whitney Houston singing 'The Greatest Love'. If you’ve forgotten the words, let me start you off with the first few lines. You might just want to have a tissue handy if you listen to the entire song by Whitney. I've provided the link below.

“ I believe that children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride to make it easier. Let the children's laughter remind us of how we used to be.”

Link to "The Greatest Love" sung by Whitney Houston: https://youtu.be/IYzlVDlE72w

I hope my stories bring a smile to your face and possibly a few sweet tears to your eyes. But mostly I hope they inspire you to remember some of your special moments. Take the time to smile, laugh, and embrace the joy of happy tears streaming down your face again. Maybe we will all fare better by taking a break every once in a while.

If you want to make your life better, sometimes all it takes is the right word to focus on. If you need help finding joy it might be time to talk to a Life Coach. I hope you'll reach out to me.

Please email me at innervoicelifecoach08@gmail.com for a free one-hour consultation. Thank you.

"LIFE IN A WORD"

The word is CONFIDENCE

Definition: Merriam-Webster Dictionary: "a feeling or consciousness of one's powers or reliance on one's circumstances"

Posted 6/25/22

Confidence is among the more favorable characteristics any one human being can possess. Having a degree of assuredness allows one to move forward, follow through and achieve success.

My Story on Confidence

I'm a little late with this week's blog because my mom suffered a stroke on Wednesday. Fortunately, it was a minor one. She’s out of the hospital and the doctors say she will be fine.

On my way to pick her up from the hospital yesterday, I heard the breaking news that Roe vs. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States. Unfortunately, this decision is not minor, and it is not fine according to sixty-three percent of the American people. So why do I bring this up in a blog on confidence? Because people with confidence don’t shy away from challenges, confident people do the opposite they take them on. Psychology Today writes: “being confident requires a realistic sense of one's capabilities and feeling secure in that knowledge.” That statement is empowering and can be applied to many situations in our own lives.

I was curious to find out where confidence comes from, so I did some research. The answers were what you might expect. Sometimes confidence comes from our genetic makeup and our cultural background. Sometimes we get it from experiences with our parents, teachers, and friends. Notably, positive and even negative reinforcement can provide a platform for building confidence. We can grow from our mistakes and become even more empowered and confident by lessons learned from them.

It matters not if you agree or disagree with yesterday's Supreme Court decision. What does matter is this - do you feel confident enough to stand up to challenges in your life that go against your beliefs? Do you possess one of the more favorable traits any human being can have - do you possess confidence? And if you do may you succeed in your efforts to stand up for your beliefs.

If you want to build up your confidence, it might be time to talk to a Life Coach. I hope you’ll reach out to me. To be on my mailing list please email me at innervoicelifecoach08@gmail.com

Thank you for reading my blog and for checking back next week for another posting of "Life In A Word".