I've been thinking about how we sometimes rely on others to make us happy, to have fun, to feel joy. If things don't work out, we can so easily slip into the feeling of blaming others for our own lack of happiness.  "I tried, but..."  " They always disappoint me..."   " He got me off to a bad start..."  “I can’t find a job and it’s because of the Democrats, the Republicans, the Prez, my lousy school…” “Burger King doesn’t have anything good on the menu..” Ad infinitum really applies. We have endless possibilities of who and what to blame. 

We get drilled into us by the typical ‘culprits’ – parents, friends, family, school, reporters, drama shows, and of course, politics.  It is an endless and overwhelming culture of blame.  On some level, it feels almost good to pick the best excuse we can. There – I am off the hook. Not my fault.  

You get to choose a different way…

“With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.” ― Wayne W. Dyer

If you have feelings that your life is a disappointment - and it is so easy (almost instantaneous) to feel let down by others - notice when this happens and switch to a new behavior.  Not TRY a new reaction, but actually CHOOSE something different and more nourishing. 

Monday is a great day to start something new. So rather than feel lack of energy and bogged down by what lies ahead this week, take a new approach.  Make your own fun.  Acknowledge that YOU are ultimately responsible for YOU. No blaming others, and as importantly, no blaming yourself.   Any kind of blame is just big of an excuse as for not being happy right now and being stuck in some level of pain. 

Open the windows and let the light and air in. Choose joy. Look up at the sky. Take in the sound of the birds outside, of the winds moving things along, of children laughing. Life has gifts for us everyday, in every thing that happens to us. What will be fun for you today? Call up a long lost friend who makes you laugh.  Treat yourself to ice cream. Sign up for a belly-dancing class (so much fun BTW). Have a Margarita for Cinco De Mayo. Travel in your head to your favorite place. Play your favorite song and put on your happy feet. Then, at the end of the day,  remember how may times you get to smile (and help others around you smile as well).  That is how to grown and love and be joyful.  What better way is there to live today?



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I can help you choose the programs and support for how you can create the story and future that you truly want. Please go to http://www.icwop.com/program-options.html
New: Personal, customized coaching services are also available for individuals. Specializing in executive women looking for a life transition. Connect with me directly for a complimentary, one-on-one Discovery Call where I can learn about your needs and help you choose the very best way for you to reach our goals. 732 245-4931

Such a beautiful time of year - a true season of renewal. Even the daffodils are resilient enough to bounce back after being covered in ice. When I saw them all limp and lying under ice and snow, I thought they were dead. 

A day later, with full sun out, they just sprang back to life, reminding me not to give up so quickly. They are a wonderful message to all of us that we have the ability to thrive even after setbacks. 
Take a few minutes today just to allow the message of the rebirth of this season to settle inside of you. Find joy in a small flower or bird chirping after a silent winter. Buy some spring vegetables like pencil-thin asparagus or spring peas and delight in their taste. 

Indulge in some sunshine on your face. Take a walk outside and look up at the sky and the trees in bloom. 
Grab yourself some joy - it is all around.  We all have the chance to bounce back. And go ahead - eat some of that Easter chocolate, too. This is your time to bloom and flourish as well - there is no need to give up.  Do what makes you happy. Your own joy will connect with those around you as well. 


Do you want to make real change and renew your spirit? Find more inspiration in my programs, developed just for you, on http://www.icwop.com/introduction.html

With the promise of warmer weather, I decided to get myself moving – to get out of my office and out of my house.  Even though the chill and wind lingers on, I had to get back into my walking routine. The winter pounds are lingering on me as well.

I came across this tree that I had never seen before – it was old and twisted but the trunk was beautifully smooth and it still was alive and reaching for the sun. 

I thought that it surely took the long way around but it was exactly where it needed to be – and it is still thriving.  As strange as it looked, I also saw how  fascinating it was and wondered how it got all of its’ twists and turns. No one storm or hurricane could have done that.  It just followed its’ own path. 

And so it is the same with us. The road in our lives is never a straight line. Who of us can say that the path to where we are is exactly as we planned - with no detours or curves?  For almost all of us, the decisions we make lead us to unintended places, and things may happen to us that are far from what we had imagined.  There is something guiding us, wanting us to be where we are now.

When we push against the winds of daily living, we spend so much energy in fighting what needs to be.  We get worn out, stressed out and so unhappy. But when we allow our life to flow naturally, the result is a certain freedom and an openness to life.   So stop and get out of the drama and become aware of what is important.  In this stepping back, we allow life to come to us. We will get to our destination – even though it may not be the straight-forward journey we envisioned.  

Allow the world to come in and let your life unfold the way it is supposed to. You will not only survive, but you will somehow flourish.   

Be trusting of yourself and of the world, and you will find joy on your crooked path, and know that everything is as it should be in this moment. You will thrive throughout the storms of life on your ever-changing way, just like this tree. 


For support and more ideas on how to create the story and future that you truly want, please go to http://www.icwop.com/program-options.html

New: Personal, customized coaching services are also available for individuals. Specializing in executive women looking for a life transition. Connect with me directly for a complimentary, one-on-one Discovery Call. 732 245-4931