Color Your Life Happy

The Top 5 Ingredients in a Happy Marriage, and Romance Isn’t One of Them

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:31:59 +0000

When I saw this video of couples from a marriage ministry showing their love through dance at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, it made me consider what the top 5 ingredients in a happy marriage must be.

In our youth we mistakenly believe that romance is the cornerstone of a happy marriage, but it is just a small part of marriages that last.

There are five key ingredients in a happy marriage.

1. Two happy people.

When you enter any relationship as a whole and happy person, the chances of that relationship working are tremendously increased. No pressure is put on the other partner to “make” you happy. This is especially true in marriage where the relationship is based on deep intimacy and trust.

2. Shared values.

Two partners in a marriage may have varied interests, but they must share core values. When issues such as spiritual beliefs, desire for children, role expectations, sexual expectations and attitude toward money are not shared by both people in the partnership, constant tugging and dissension can tear the relationship apart.

3. Compatible life paths.

While partners in a marriage may have different life purposes, careers, and areas of expertise, they must be in agreement on the life path they will travel together.

4. Open communication and commitment.

No problem can last that is subjected to open communication and a commitment to resolution. A couple that can feel safe to discuss any and every issue is equipped to handle whatever comes up in the everyday ups and downs of living.

5. Genuine like and love between the two.

A happy couple enjoys each other’s company. They are comfortable with each other. When you observe them you can see that they not only love each other, but like each other as well.

What do you think? Do you have a different view of the top 5 ingredients in a happy marriage?

Is All Fair in Love? Hugs by dj itch on flickr We love to lie...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Can You Savor Your Sixties and Plan for Death at the Same Time?

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:56:49 +0000

Photo by everestyogatrek from flickr

I recently discovered an inspiring blog, Savoring Your Sixties , by Bonnie McFarland. At the end of her free ebook, “Loving Your 60’s: 6 Tips to Start Now,” she asked readers to share their concerns. Here’s what I wrote.

===========

Hi Bonnie,

I just learned about your site and book recently and just finished the ebook.

I enjoyed it and plan to blog about it soon.

In the meantime, I want to respond to one of your questions about what is challenging in my sixties. I have created a full, busy and satisfying life, although I’m always reading and exploring deeper.

The one thing I can’t seem to settle on is whether I want to be buried or cremated when I die. When my mother died at age 92 she had prepaid for her funeral and burial decades before, and boy! did that make it a lot easier to carry out her funeral.

The only thing she didn’t specify or pay for were the flowers.

She had chosen the songs she wanted, but the people she had designated to sing at her funeral had all preceded her in death.

But still, she had done so much planning that the inevitable disagreements that would have ensued among me and my siblings were averted.

I would like to make it easy for my kids to take care of my remains.

On the one hand, I favor cremation and tossing the ashes somewhere because I don’t want them feeling guilty about not visiting my grave on Mother’s Day and all the other days that folks think you should visit graves.

I wouldn’t want my ashes sitting on some mantle in an urn either. They eventually get knocked over and have to be swept up and tossed in the evening garbage anyway.

Besides, going to a funeral of someone who has been cremated is a snap for the well-wishers. No following that long procession of cars from the church to a cemetery that is always in another city, then making your way back to the church of home of the family to partake of the repast.

But burning seems so harsh.

On the other hand, burial doesn’t sound much better. Since I can only think of myself as live, I see burial as suffocation.

But then, paying for a casket and burial plot just doesn’t make as much sense as it used to. Cremation is definitely cheaper.

To complicate my decision, I love crime dramas. Every now and then a body that’s about to be cremated or embalmed is discovered to still be alive. Yikes!

I could leave all these decisions to my four adult kids after I die, but they have trouble agreeing on almost everything. So, I feel compelled to make this decision myself, and soon.

What to do! What to do!

Blessings, Flora

====================

No matter what your age, have you planned your funeral or pondered how you want your body handled after death?

How to Cultivate Happiness: Savor Life Like a Child I was working on my laptop at Borders Bookstore recently...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Today is Weather Complaint Day, So Go at It

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 01:35:59 +0000

out_of_the_rain_by_glitterdarkstar

As I was stepping out of Costco in the 95 degree sun, another customer rolled up headed to his car and said, “They say it’s going to be 70 on Sunday?”

“I beg your pardon,” I responded.

He repeated it, only this time it was a statement, “They say it’s going to be 70 on Sunday.”

“That’ll be good,” I said.

I marvelled at the way perfect strangers will strike up a conversation over the weather, usually a complaint, without even so much as a “Hello” first.

We love to complain and spread misery, and the weather is a perfect target.

Complaining about the weather always amazes me since folks act as if they have no choice in where they live, and they seem to complain no matter what the weather.

People complain about cold and hot weather alike, as well as different degrees of cold and hot.

On a discussion board, for example, one commenter said

People who think that Denver [h]as harsh and difficult winters have absolutly[sic] no idea of what they speak off. [sic] You should be grateful that you leave[live?] in a[sic] area that [h]as 4 seasons witch[sic] include mild and temperate winters,that are fallowed [sic] by hot but pleasantly dry and comfortable summers!! What more do you want for crying out loud!!!

Here in the hell hole of Montreal where i live we get 200inch. of snow per year,the average temp. in Dec.,Jan.,Feb,Mar. are 28F,23F,21F and 32F respectively. However in these averages you will find built-in a minimum of 21 days in dec-jan-feb that are of the sub-zero kind meaning anywhere between 0F to-10F…REMEMBER YOUR FREEZER IS AT -04F!!!

Evidently this Montreal resident is chained to Montreal and perhaps his frozen fingers explain the many spelling and usage errors in his comment as well.

Each year when it floods in Missouri, my relatives complain about the damage, but never move.

Likewise, beautiful beachfront homes in Malibu, CA, sometimes celebrity homes, suffer severe damage, even destruction, but victims of these disasters often build again in the same spots.

Then, there are folks who like to play one-up with the weather in their city.

When I was headed to the Inauguration in Jan. 2009, for example, various passengers on the plane were discussing how Californians were going to be in for a shock in Washington, D.C.’s cold weather.

I commented to my seat buddy, “I think I’ll be okay. I grew up in cold weather in St. Louis, MO.”

When he stopped laughing, the guy said, “St. Louis? That’s not cold. Cold is Minnesota. Until you’ve been in Minnesota in the winter you haven’t seen cold.”

Meterologist, Jeff Haby, compiled this list of the top ten weather-related complaints.

1. Global warming–any weather condition folks don’t like gets blamed on global warming.

2. El Nino–any blame not directed at global warming goes to El Nino.

3. Too hot or too cold–complaints typically have to do with how both of these send utilities bills sky high or how miserable it is to be outside or indoors

4. Drought–complaints are usually about having to ration water and of course the damage to vegetation

5. Ice–comments usually have to do with the dangers from driving, inability to get to the store, possible power outtages

6. Hurricanes–pick any famous hurricane of the past and folks are still complaining about it

7. Humidity–difficulty breathing is the most common complaint here

8. Dirty air–when the airplane is descending over L.A. and other urban cities, the pollution is easily recognized and reminds of us what we’ll soon be breathing

9. Wind–people seldom have anything good to say about wind since it picks up dust, makes driving difficult and can even cause damage

10. Rain–those folks who were complaining about the drought earlier are often glad to see rain at first. But if it continues then the complaints begin. The most common complaint about rain occurs when it slows down the commute to work or ruins outdoor events such as weddings and sporting events.

So, there you have it. The full array of weather conditions to complain about, or is it? Was your favorite weather on the list?

Let us hear your weather complaint.

Go ahead. Get it out of your system.

After all, it’s Weather Complaint Day!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

3 Things that Got Me in Trouble in College and Still Do

admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 01:49:38 +0000

Photo by belgapixel from flickr

College is an exciting experience that can uplift or undo you. There were three things that got me in trouble in college and still do.

1. Becoming intoxicated with freedom.

I was so eager to start college that I went to summer school immediately after high school graduation and took a speed reading class just to get onto a university campus as soon as possible.

After the restrictions of high school, I was ready to breathe free and run my own life. No one looking over my shoulder, no hall passes, or bells to signal the end of class.

Yippee!

The first full year of college I took a full load and pledged a sorority. I didn’t know this was a bad idea until I was drowning in homework while trying to carry out the dictates of my “big sisters.”

I flunked Zoology.

My mother was surprisingly understanding, especially after she found out that I could retake it in summer school and the new grade would replace the F.

My inability to handle freedom well resurfaced when I retired from teaching. I had long wanted to be able to travel without trying to coordinate with the academic calendar, so I took off the week after I retired.

First, to China with a tour and later in September went to a retreat in Italy. When I returned from Italy I took two more trips here in the US.

Yippee!

It wasn’t until the end of that year after I had drunk deeply of freedom that I began to think about the projects I had planned for retirement. (Of course I can argue that my play time was deserved and necessary.)

2. Underestimating the time it takes to complete projects.

Occasionally one of my college professors would cancel a class so we could work on a major paper. When the due date was weeks away, like my fellow classmates I would sometimes procrastinate and use this time to socialize instead, thinking I had plenty time to work on the paper later.

I was always sorry when “later” came.

Although I’ve improved in this area over the years, there are occasions when I still wait until the night before to tweak and update a project thinking it will only take an hour or so. This happens especially when the project is already done and I just plan to update and make minor revisions.

I get lulled into too much confidence. It seems that the less time I give myself to finish, the more things pop up to threaten me reaching my deadline on time.

3. Making unreasonable demands on modern technology.

Personal computers were not available when I was in college (I know I just dated myself), but electric typewriters were. I typed my papers, often finishing just an hour or two before class. Because carbon copies were so ugly I would stop by a copy shop on my way to class , especially when I was in classes where I had to do a presentation.

Terror would strike in my heart when I arrived at the copy shop only to discover that a line of students had the same idea. I would sweat bullets hoping I’d get my copies in time to dash into class on time.

If you’ve ever seen a procrastinator kick and scream at a copy machine or printer that’s moving slower than they wish, you know what I mean.

I find that the day I’ve waited until the hour before a meeting to run copies is the day the copier is down for repairs.

Recently I was printing the program and other materials for our family reunion. My wireless printer decided it didn’t want to talk to my computer any more.

At times like this I can practically see the anxiety trying to rise in my body. (Fortunately I’ve gotten better at dealing with this too.)

Check the troubleshooter. Shut everything down. Start over.

Time-saving devices can save time, but they won’t manufacture time, nor make up for waiting until the last minute.

How about you? Do you have some old habits that die hard?

3 Things I Learned in College That Help Me Embrace Happiness Photo by chrisfutcher from flickrSuccessfully completing college has benefits that...
How to Cultivate Happiness: Flow with the Seasons Shortly after birth of my third child, my son, in...
Want to Be Happier? Riding a Dead Horse Won’t Help Riding a Dead Horse by James Cridland from flickr I...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Can’t Keep Up? 4 More Ways to Simplify Your Life

admin — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:50:41 +0000

The Harry Rower Photostream

Yesterday I gave you three ways to simplify your life.

1. Stop trying to keep up and keep sane instead.

2. Drop out of , cancel or postpone any activities that don’t further your goals or happiness

3. Lower your standards

Here are four more ways to simplify your life.

4. Put white space around your activities

You can tell the difficulty level of a book by how much or little white space there is around the paragraphs and in the margins. Law textbooks, for example, tend to have more words on a page with smaller fonts and less white space than a 5th grade history book. For that reason the 5th grade book is less intimidating and easier to read.

Plan your time so there’s lots of space between activities. It will contribute to your peace of mind.

I was teaching an 8 AM study skills class one day when I spotted a 20 year old fidgeting on the edge of her seat the first day. She was nervously watching the clock as the hour neared 8:50.

Noticing her discomfort, I asked what was the problem.

“Will you be dismissing class on time? ” she blurted. “I have to be at work at 9 AM.”

This student was clearly asking for trouble. Even though her job was just a few blocks from campus, there was no way she could count on being at work by 9AM immediately following an 8AM class. I urged her to drop the class.

If you have an important meeting in the afternoon, don’t schedule three important activities in the morning. Space these out on different days.

Allow yourself more time to commute than you think you’ll need. It’s so much better to arrive unhurried and unruffled than to flop into the room panting and exhausted.

5. Slow down

No matter how many lanes they add to the freeways here in Southern California, drivers keep rushing down the road, taking scary chances darting in front of one another, risking all of our lives.

There is a reason why Buddhism is the fastest growing religion, why organic food is growing in popularity and why dowhshifting is even a word. Although the turn in the economy may have sparked the turn to simple living, many are voluntarily slowing their lives or officially joining the Slow Movement.

You can slow your life by eating in smaller bites and chewing longer. Health experts say that this aids our digestion, lowers our stress and helps us lose weight. The best part is that we can finally actually enjoy the taste of our food, savor it. How cool is that?

You can also slow down your reaction to things that aren’t going your way. The old saying that you should count to ten is not just your Grandma’s advice, it’s also a sound anger management technique.

Waiting before you react diffuses your anger, gives you time to think and empathize with the other party. Most of all improves how you will respond.

6. Beware of bright, shiny objects and good ideas.

This tip is especially for me.

I was clipping along making good progress down my to-do list this morning, for example, when I got an email reminder from Jon Hansen of PI Window on Business that his radio show was starting in a few minutes. (I love his shows.) His guest this morning was British historian, Albert Jack, who has written several books about the origins of popular sayings like “turn a blind eye,” or “stealing your thunder.”

I hadn’t scheduled his show into my day, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. There was, of course, the danger that I could have gotten so distracted that I couldn’t back to my to-do list, but I didn’t, this time.

Even things that are wonderful and that are good ideas don’t need to be acted upon as soon as you learn about them. If they don’t advance your goals for the day, or deprive you of much-needed rest, file, bookmark or make note of them for another day.

7. Make good use of that technology you own.

One day as we were on our way to a family reunion, a phone call came through on my cell phone. My son was holding the phone and noticed the telemarker’s company name in the caller ID.

Rather than get upset with the telemarketer for calling at a time when it was not convenient, we just didn’t answer it.

My son very thoughtfully said, “Whoever invented caller ID should be given a Congressional Medal of Honor, Nobel Peace Prize, the Pulitzer, the Grammy, the Emmy, the Tony and an Oscar. And if he’s dead, he should be dug up and awarded them posthumously!”

That made me curious so I looked it up.

Caller ID was first developed by Theodore George “Ted” Paraskevakos, a Greek inventor, businessman and a naturalized citizen of the USA. He worked on Caller ID while employed as a communications engineer for SITA. Ted holds over 40 patents, but for this one has advanced the cause of simplifying life like no other.

Thank you Ted Paraskevakos!

Now, thanks to Ted, you do not have to pick up the phone to speak to anyone you don’t want to speak to. Take advantage of that wonderful feature.

There are many other labor-saving, time-saving and stress-reducing devices, some which simplify our lives and some which cause frustration. The key to making good use of technology is use it, not let it use and control you.

Commit to following these ways to simplify your life and keeping up will no longer concern you.

Can’t Keep Up? 3 Ways to Simplify Your Life from Martineric on flickr Feeling overwhelmed with all you have...
Three Ways Pretty Papers and Stories Can Brighten Your Life For those of us who remember the days before the...
Five People You Should Have in Your Life Photo by eecue on flickr We are often encouraged to...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Can’t Keep Up? 3 Ways to Simplify Your Life

admin — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:32:41 +0000

from Martineric on flickr

Feeling overwhelmed with all you have to do or want to do? Can’t keep up?

Here are seven ways to simplify your life, reduce the stress and increase your happiness in the process.

1. Stop trying to keep up and keep sane instead.

Take stock of your life right now.

What is overwhelming you? Does your to-do list stretch to two pages? Did you give up on a to-do list? Did you overcommit to meetings and tasks for others?

Chances are you’ve stacked up more activities than are humanly doable in a day or even a week or more. Add to that the fact that some things aren’t negotiable like feeding the kids, doing the work that pays the bills and you can build up enough stress to blow a dike.

Carefully go through your list and identify 3 things that must be done today or there will be dire consequences to your personal or business life. These are things like ignoring that leak coming from the area of the washer or neglecting to return a call from an important client.

Just do those things for now.

2. Drop out of, cancel or postpone activities that don’t further your goals or happiness.

It may not have seemed like much to do when you promised to bring cookies to the meeting, but if you piled that on top of offering to pick up the neighbor’s kid from swimming, swing by the cleaners to drop off your suit for next week’s meeting and a string of not-so-big-tasks you just set yourself up for exhaustion and what’s worse–resentment.

Instead of running to do individual errands, group them by location and ease of travel and do those on one day.

And by all means, learn to say no to things you can’t add to your life without overflowing.

3. Lower your standards.

In spite of what professional organizers tell you, your house will not fall apart if it’s not in perfect order . But you will fall apart or get sick if you insist on every dish, towel and throw pillow being in place before you go to bed every night.

If you are raising kids this is even more important. Spend time on what counts most.

I favor spending time with helping the kids with homework, practicing music or sports, or talking to them about their day over working at fastidiousness.

If there are tasks that must be done, maybe you don’t have to do them. Somewhere along the way of my professional life, I promised myself there was no point working if I couldn’t budget money for at least an occasional housekeeper.

Tomorrow I’ll share four more ways to simplify your life.

Can’t Keep Up? 4 More Ways to Simplify Your Life The Harry Rower Photostream Yesterday I gave you three ways...
Three Ways Pretty Papers and Stories Can Brighten Your Life For those of us who remember the days before the...
Three Ways You May Be Blocking Your Happiness No one would knowingly block her happiness, and yet we...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

5 Reasons Some People Don’t Like The Secret

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 20:52:29 +0000

Mention the movie, “The Secret,” and you get one of three responses:

“Oh, that was the most powerful movie I’ve ever seen. It changed my life.”
“That was a lot of malarkey. The law of attraction doesn’t work.”
What’s “The Secret?”

When the movie “The Secret” first appeared, everyone urged me to see it. I already believed in the Law of Attraction and the power of believing is the key to getting what you want. So I enjoyed the movie as a reminder of what I already knew to be true.

But while there were many who were inspired by it, a lot of people believe “The Secret” is bogus, drivel, and downright useless.

Rhonda Byrne, the television producer who is the author of the book and creator of the DVD, must surely be crying all the way to the bank over all the negative responses.

After all, this 90 minute movie was a huge success not just because millions of people viewed it, but because it took the nontraditional route. It was never shown in movie theaters, but it was so popularized by word of mouth (better known as viral marketing) that it caught Oprah’s attention.

Why are some folks unimpressed with “The Secret?”

1. Makes manifesting good sound magical and doesn’t admit that success takes hard work

I don’t recall that the movie indicated that there would be no work involved in going after your dreams, but that’s the message some received. This view is likely that of a very literal person who prefers step-by-step directions.

I certainly had much research to do and had to pay the contractor to do the kitchen remodel I had done a few years ago. But before any of that started, I visualized and deeply felt how my new kitchen would look and how wonderful it would feel cooking and entertaining there. I especially had to believe I would get the loan to pay for it or perhaps I wouldn’t have even applied for it.

2. Promotes idea that success means accumulating wealth and things

It certainly may seem that way since the examples focused a lot on material possessions. But in our world the only way some people can visualize success is through possessions.

The truth is that we want what possessions provide, not the possessions themselves.

Owning a car enables me to get where I’m going faster than walking, and at times that is important to keeping appointments. It’s the convenience that the car provides that’s important.

While I’m attracting that car, however, why not make it a model and color I like?

3. Doesn’t go far enough to explain feelings and emotions that are behind our thoughts

I agree that the movie didn’t tell us about the energy that we create when we dwell on something in our minds and how our feelings and emotions generate that energy.

But every movie or piece of literature can be found guilty of assuming certain knowledge.

4. Disregards the random events, disasters and other things outside of us that affect our lives

My take on this was that the movie stressed that it is our reactions to the outside events that determines our reality. I don’t think it was disregarding that these things occur.

5. What was so secret about that movie? It was just rehashed stuff we’ve heard before.

Every movie, song, or story is based on something that went before. It’s the particular mix or extension of what already exists that makes the difference. Besides, we need to hear things many times before we get it.

There are many paths to getting the life you want. For some this movie tapped into one of them. How about you? What’s your take on “The Secret.”

3 Reasons Self-Storage Units are Not Your Friend There was a time when you prepared to move by...
Another Thing Happy People Do Photo by blmurch I recently asked my customers to answer...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Are You Unhappy with Your Workout? Check the Color

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 02:20:41 +0000

Every morning when I’m out walking with my neighbor and her dog, we greet joggers dashing past us on the walking trail and bicyclists whizzing down the street.

All of these activities qualify as exercise, and yet each of us prefers one over the other.

Recognizing that we each have different exercise styles based on our personalities, Suzanne Brue wrote The 8 Colors of Fitness: Discover Your Color-Coded Fitness Personality and Create an Exercise Program You’ll Never Quit! combining her love of fitness and personality type. Based on her years of working with the Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment, Brue created an 8-minute quiz that will identify the exercise workout best suited to your personality.

When I took the quiz I placed in the Silvers. We are energized by new ideas and possibilities. ready to reset our sights to embrace novel concepts and opportunities. It’s no surprise that silver is the compared to mercury, shiny, fluid and changeable.

The beginning of my assessment evaluation says

Energized by new ideas and possibilities, Silvers eagerly embrace novel concepts and respond to a world of opportunity. Silvers find little that doesn’t interest them. They’re quick to see connections and build on ideas. Silvers enjoy being with people who share their enthusiasm and can contribute to their projects and activities. With so many interests, exercise for its own sake can be boring. It’s best when taken out of the context of pure exercise and wrapped in the guise of something else, such as a challenge, adventure, and exploration, or spending time with people.

My assessment continues by breaking my group into two parts, those who make exercise central in their lives and those who do not. It identify exercise settings for both types and even suggests the kind of relationships each prefers with a trainer.

Brue says that while fitness centers have many elements and benefits, you don’t need to join one to benefit from her book. She offers a wide variety of exercise recommendations.

So, if you’ve been frustrated by not being able to stick with a workout program, it may be that it’s not a match for your fitness personality.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Three Ways Pretty Papers and Stories Can Brighten Your Life

admin — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 22:19:06 +0000

For those of us who remember the days before the Internet, it’s absolutely magical what you can learn and do on many places in cyberspace. When looking for ways to brighten your day, start with these three.

Count from 1 to 10

Sage advice has told us we can dispel anger and upset by counting to 10. That’s because it gives us time to reflect and pause before taking any hasty action.

But counting from 1 to 10 doesn’t have to be just a cure for upset, it can be way to reflect on the things in your life that bring you joy. This activity increases your joy and keeps you focused on the positive things in life.

As a member of A-List Blogging Club I encountered a wonderfully refreshing and uplifting blog created by Shimelle, master at storytelling through scrapbooking. Because of her success with growing her online courses, she was asked to submit a case study on the member site.

I was delighted to learn that Shimelle has been able to make a career out of following her passion, gently and consistently. This weekend on her blog she set up a challenge that goes like this:

Ready to count to ten or sing your ABCs? For the next scrapbooking challenge, you get to pick your poison: numbers or letters.

Create a page with a list that includes the numbers 1 to 10 (or more) or the letters A to Z. Journal ten things you love (or ten things that really frustrate you!) or make an alphabet-themed minibook or anything else you fancy with numbers or letters.

Upload your project and leave a link in the comments on this post to enter. See this post for details and deadlines for this weekend.

Those of you who know me know that I love challenges. (It’s amazing that I didn’t get into even more trouble growing up than I did every time I heard the words “I dare you!)

To learn more about Shimelle’s challenge, online courses and other fun activities, visit her at www.shimelle.com

Keep a simple journal

Happy people often report keeping a journal citing their events of the day, but especially things for which they are grateful.

If you’ve longed to do this, but have trouble pulling yourself away from the computer to write in a journal, perhaps you would enjoy http://ohlife.com/, the website that makes it easy for you to write your life story. Check it out.

Help write a story

If you’ve always longed to write fiction, but have hesitated to get rolling, here is your chance.

Get over to www.talebait.com where writers and readers collaborate to create a continuous story. It’s free to participate, and the fishing metaphor upon which this site is created is just plain fun.

Sign up and you become an angler. Troll the hooks and storylines, Open Water and Captain’s Blog. To submit a story you cast a line. When you vote for the submitted hooks and storylines, called live bait, you weigh in. There are many story categories, so don’t wait any longer, dive in.

There you have it, three ways to lighten and brighten your life, free and easy. Have fun!

Can’t Keep Up? 4 More Ways to Simplify Your Life The Harry Rower Photostream Yesterday I gave you three ways...
Can’t Keep Up? 3 Ways to Simplify Your Life from Martineric on flickr Feeling overwhelmed with all you have...
Want to Be Happier? Challenge Yourself Many of us want to be happier, to experience more...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

When Things Get Tough, Brace for Impact

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 01:29:59 +0000

Every year at the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, CA, an individual of distinction is selected to be the Grand Marshal.

On January 1, 2010, the 121st Parade Grand Marshal was Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III, the celebrated hero who landed the U.S. Airways Flight 1549 in the icy waters of the Hudson River in New York, NY in January 2009.

His ride in the Rose Bowl Parade leading thousands of flower-bedecked floats was a lot more fun and stress-free than when he safely landed in full view of many New Yorkers, saving the lives of 155 passengers and crew.

In one of many interviews, Sullenberger admitted that he had always wanted to see the Rose Bowl Parade in person.

He certainly got his wish, and how!

What makes Sullenberger an overnight hero is not just that he made a successful landing and averted a disastrous crash. He is celebrated because when faced with a startling dilemma, he assessed the situation, made a decision and braced himself and his crew for impact.

The ending could have been very different, of course, but Sullenberger could not hesitate while he pondered indefinitely.

Most of us will never be faced with the heart-pounding scare that must have gripped Sullenberger that day, but we will all be faced with some situations that require us to brace for impact.

Like Rosa Parks whose refusal to surrender her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955 unwittingly sparked the civil rights movement, you may one day discover yourself in a new role that you never expected.

Most of us, of course, are not faced with tough situations that are as dramatic and far-reaching as those faced by Sullenberger and Parks. But our crises can be devastating, nonetheless.

You may have lost your job, your life savings or your hope. To survive these you must take similar actions to the heroes mentioned above.

Assess your situation, determine what you can do right now, then use immediate tools and resources that can help you and take bold action.

You may never be called upon to save a nation or a plane load of people, but if you can brace for the impact of your personal adversity, you can emerge successful.
=================
This article appeared in an issue of the Color Your Life Happy Newsletter that goes out every week to subscribers. If you’d like to get more encouragement and uplift like this, subscribe to the newsletter here or in the signup box on the top left of this page under Get Weekly Encouragement and your first issue will be on its way.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.