Thoughtful Ideas

Read and copied this from another blogger I follow. I want this on a poster! It seems these ideas I only discovered after the age of 50.  How sad is that; to have wasted so many years frustrated because I couldn't give up. I have been successful on some of these and am still working on others. This list is a great goal for many of us to make us to much lighter and happier.(Original Source Unknown)

Here is a list of 15 things, which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier, and much more happy. We are holding on to so many things that are causing us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering, and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy, we cling on to them, but not anymore. Starting today we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. So here we go:

 1. Give up your need to always be right. There are so many of us can’t stand the idea of being wrong, wanting to always be right, even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for them and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the “urgent” need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?” Wayne Dyer. What difference will that even make? Is your ego really that big?

2. Give up your need for control. Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you, situations, events, people, etc., whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street, and just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel. “By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning.” Lao Tzu

3. Give up on blame. Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or what you don’t have; for what you feel or what you don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

4. Give up your self defeating self talk. Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their horrible, negative, polluted, repetitive and self defeating self talk? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you, especially if it’s negative and self defeating. “The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle

5. Give up your limiting beliefs about what you can or can not do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you in place, to keep you stuck. Spread your wings and fly! “A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle

6. Give up complaining. Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things, people, situations, events, that make you unhappy, sad, blues, depressed, and so on. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad, miserable, depressed, mad, angry, etc. , unless you allow it too. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it, you attitude. Doesn’t that make you feel a lot better now? More powerful and in control?

7. Give up the luxury of criticism. Give up your need to criticize things, events, people that are different than you. We are all different but we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved, we all want to be understood… We all want something, and that something is wished by us all.

8. Give up your need to impress others. Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, just so you can make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take of all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

9. Give up your resistance to change. Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements on your life and also of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change, don’t resist it. “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell

10. Give up labels. Stop labeling those things, people, events that you don’t understand as being WEIRD and try opening your mind, little by little. You know, minds only work if open. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer

11. Give up on your fears. Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exit, you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into places. “The only fear you should fear is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

12. Give up your excuses. Send them away. Tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use, and instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses, excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.

13. Give up the past. I know, I know. It’s hard, so hard, especially when the past looks so much better than the present moment and the futures looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all that you have, all that you had and all that you will ever have. The past you are now longing for, the past that you are now dreaming about, was ignored by you when it was present, so stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life.Life is a journey, not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

14. Give up attachment. This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, and it still is, but it’s not something that is impossible. You get better and better at it in time, by practicing… The moment you detach yourself from all things, and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them, because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another ( attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less. Where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things, without even trying too. Such a precious thing. A state beyond words.

15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations. Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government, the media, etc. think is best for them, and they ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives, they forget what makes them happy, they forget what they want, what they need… and eventually, they forget about themselves, they forget who they are. You have one life, this life, the only life, live it, own it, and don’t let other people’s good opinion distract you from your path.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

I am writing sooner after this chemo treatment than I did after the last one because I feel much better. I may have felt worse last time because I was trying to do too much too soon after my treatment. When I feel any nausea this time I just lie down and let it pass, or if it is at night I take a pill. I have had more trouble this time figuring out what I can stand to eat. The first four treatments were kind of like having cravings when pregnant. This time none of the food items that pleased me before were appealing to eat and I would just have to throw them out. My "go to" food this time was cold cereal with skim milk.  I would be lying in bed so hungry I couldn't sleep but every food I thought about made me sicker until I tried cold cereal. Maybe because there was no smell - I don't know - but it worked. So last night I took a pain pill so I could sleep through the Neulasta pain and had an awesome night's sleep of ten uninterrupted hours. Oh, Heavens! It was lovely.

Today I am going no where so I cleaned the bathroom and even that made me happy. Clean rooms are always a morale booster! I still have to pack away all the blankets from when my daughter's family was staying here but I want to sort the chest they are stored in so that will be later today or tomorrow. It will be a hot week so I will be doing very little outside since the heat and sun drain me of what little energy I have. After Friday my blood count should be on the rebound and I can tackle troublesome items next week.

On a bit of a side note: I don't think how I mentioned how I have become a shopper which is crazy for me. I have never been much of a shopper since I have such a limited income but since being diagnosed with cancer I figure why put off until tomorrow since there many not be many left. I have bought bedding, night clothes, under clothes, jeans, shirts, lamp, shoes, and fabric. I now have to make a conscious effort to stop since the chemo bills are rolling in and I need to make payments on those. The whole thing is crazy but I will see what happens when down with my treatments next June. Maybe I will go on another shopping spree then. How fun!

Another tidbit: The week before my last chemo treatment I went out to eat for my birthday with a friend before my tastebuds took another nose dive. I have given up wearing hats and scarves most of the time because it is so hot. I am bald - tough! It is what it is. Anyway, after we sat down a couple of ladies came over to us and said how pretty I looked. I was so startled that I almost didn't know what to say - but I did say "Thank you." Now, I know I don't look pretty - I didn't even have on makeup and I WAS bald but I thought that was kind of them. It is the fourth time someone has gone out of their way to compliment me since getting bald. I think they think it will make me feel better - and I think they are right in a way. I don't feel really bad about having cancer but it is nice that others are kind about it. Think of all the diseases I could have that people would not be kind about. I am always surprised when people are nice to me - I just assume others don't like me and so will ignore me but so many have been kind during this crazy time. People really are good and it has taught me to be a better person. too.

Mission To Be Happy

Yesterday was a fun and happy day. I did everything I needed to do, things I wanted to do, and a little extra thrown in for good measure. I even had a "light bulb" moment. Wow! What a full day.

After getting ready for the day and taking my dad to breakfast I decided to spend the day going to the Quilter's Shop Hop. I knew I wouldn't go to all the stores since they go as far out as Tooele but I thought I could hit a few at least this first time going. I made it to 3 before I was spent out! It was so fun to see what the stores had and the displays of various quilts to ooh and aah over. The third and last quilt shop I went to was Mormon Handicraft. Nothing there I wanted but on the same floor of the store was the Repartee Gallery. Silly me decided to wander around and admire pretty pictures I could never afford. Found a beautiful one of angels for over $1000.00 and then . . . right next to it a lovely abstract Mother and Child. And I could afford it! SO I bought it!! Then went home and hung it up where I can look at it a lot!!! I love it!!!! (Too many exclamation points?) Anyway, after that I cut the grass, did a bit of weeding and watering and just felt good about my day. I had bought some quilting "stuff" but the highlight was the serendipitous discovery of the painting and my impulsive purchase.

So pleased with myself that I put in another 3 hours of yard work today after walking 3 miles and still felt the pleasure of yesterday when I came in and saw my picture on the wall. How easily I am pleased some days. LOL

I stole the title for this post from Michael McLean and his M2B:) book, blog, and CD. I am trying to consciously be in the present, enjoy it and be happy. I lean toward negativity and pessimism I think, so I was overflowing yesterday with Happy.

Don't we all need days like that now and again where there is just so much happy?