Human Trafficking Q & A
Posted by Kelly Sisson on Thursday, October 18, 2018
Tag: awareness (Page 5 of 8)
When you go out into the woods and you look at the trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent and some of them are straight. Some of them are evergreens and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and you allow it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light and so it turned out that way. And you don’t get emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree. The minute you get near humans you lose all that. You are constantly saying, “you’re too this“, or “I’m too this“. That judging mind comes in. So I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are. –Ram Dass
This is easily one of my favorite quotes of all time. Do yourself a quick favor (pretty please) and read this quote again, soak it up, and think about how this pertains to your life.
Now what I need all of you to do is ease up…Ease up, people! On yourselves, on others, on the trees, on everything. Life is too short to live each day judging everyone. And most importantly, life is too short to live each day judging yourself. Nothing kills love quicker than judgement.
There is nothing more beautiful or worthwhile than discovering who someone is. Beneath it all. Everyone has a story, and we miss out on that by all of our preconceived assumptions and opinions. Everyone can teach you something, and we constantly lose out on the opportunity to learn. How boring would life be if everyone were just like you, if everyone thought the same way you did? If you allow yourself to let people just be without creating any immediate assumptions about who they are and/or treat them as such, they will blossom, and they will remember how kind you were. That is what makes life worth living. People are doing the best that they can in the best way that they know how.
We all have our struggles and life is hard enough. Be sure to remind yourself each day why you are important, why you matter, and why you love yourself. We forget to be kind to ourselves because we are so scared of judgement. We care far too much about what others think about us and we care far too much about things that do not matter. We cannot control those who judge us, but we can control how we judge ourselves….
If judging others and yourself and making assumptions about people is something you struggle with, I challenge you to practice this skill and see how it changes your life. And let the trees be a reminder of how positive life can be.
Appreciate yourself, and appreciate those around you.
-keep shining
1. Know how to laugh at yourself 2. Be kind, always, to yourself and others 3. Always start the day with coffee 4. Don’t worry about what people think of you or what society says is “normal”, do what’s right for you 5. Have confidence, even if you have to fake it, there is nothing sexier than confidence 6. Always check your blindspot 7. Be open to learning something new 8. Be willing to put your ego aside, admit when you’re wrong and say sorry 9. Be more patient (it truly is a virtue) 10. Be a good listener and communicate clearly 11. Don’t assume anything 12. Never leave the house without chapstick 13. Tell people how you feel and be honest with yourself 14. Sing in the shower 15. Give yourself a compliment every day 16. Take a risk or do something that puts yourself out there (it’s good to feel uncomfortable) 17. Drive to/from work in silence 18. Eat something that makes you happy 19. Work hard play harder 20. Spend time on your hobbies 21. Release all expectations 22. Let go of control and embrace change 23. Be yourself, everyone else is taken…
-keep shining
Rules I Live By Each Day (and you should too)…
1. Know how to laugh at yourself 2. Be kind, always, to yourself and others 3. Always start the day with coffee 4. Don’t worry about what people think of you or what society says is “normal”, do what’s right for you 5. Have confidence, even if you have to fake it, there is nothing sexier than confidence 6. Always check your blindspot 7. Be open to learning something new 8. Be willing to put […]
Posted in Self Development
Tagged 23, awareness, be kind, happiness, life rules, life skills, love life, mindfulness, motivation
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- A successful first date
- New slippers
- Toddlers trying to walk in boot and snowsuits
- The smell of Barnes and Noble
- Drinking your favorite fountain pop
- A baby falling asleep in your arms
- Lighting a new candle for the first time
- Wedding receptions
- Someone letting you budge in line
- Getting reimbursed for college books at the end of the semesterClick here to ‘like’ and follow my Facebook page
-keep shining
All of us want some element of control in our lives. We try to plan out that five-year check list. We try to prepare for each day, every interaction, etc. However, all of us could use a lesson in letting go….We need to let go. We need to trust that things will work out the way they’re meant to, and that by letting go life will bring us to where we are needed most. It doesn’t matter how much we try to plan and control, there is always a chance it won’t work out. Life often has different plans for us than we have for ourselves, and that’s just the way it goes!
~Not being in control isn’t the same as being out of control.
I’ve had a few people in my life tell me that I need to work on letting go of control. I struggled with that for some time, because how do you just let go? How can you just assume things will work out, and not feel the need to have control over the outcome? Then recently I heard the above quote not being in control isn’t the same as being out of control, and it all began to make more sense to me.
Letting go of control means being open to many outcomes. This kind of mindset is healthy and it helps us to stay present; it helps us to worry less because we aren’t so focused on ensuring things work out just the way we planned them to. Being out of control is so much different than that. Being out of control means not having conscious control over our behaviors; to be unruly or wild. These two concepts are polar opposites from one another, yet we combine them to mean the same thing. We combine the concept of letting go of the need to control with the concept of being out of control. We combine a healthy outlook on life to being unruly and ‘out of hand’.
Letting go is to accept the unknown. It means being less stressed and open to new and unexpected possibilities. And how exciting does that sound, if we are open to it?! There is no event or interaction in your life that you can have complete control over. Of course, sometimes this can be stressful and frustrating, but at the end of the day what option do we have? We need to loosen up our expectations as to how we look at the world and our ‘plans’. If we don’t loosen up, we give energy to things that are not in our control, and what a waste of time that is.
Sometimes letting go means that our life feels stagnant, but why do we always need things to be progressing or moving? Progress can be a stand-still. Being stagnant can be growth if we view it through a positive lens, and it can be an important piece of life we don’t want to miss out on. When we are constantly planning out the next thing and ‘controlling’ situations, we miss out on the ease and beauty within those stand-still moments. It’s these times where we have an opportunity to exhale and ‘just be’ for a while. Keep present, as everything happens there; only this moment truly counts. And quit panicking, progress can be stagnant but that doesn’t mean we aren’t moving forward.
There is no magic answer as to how to let go and make this an effortless habit. It is difficult for me every single day. But, remembering these little tidbits of positive reframing around our thoughts regarding control is a great first step. Acceptance is also key here. Accept the uncertainty of each day and the challenges it will bring. The challenges we face each day are what makes us resilient and what makes us better, more patient and appreciative people. Reminding myself of these things has reduced my stress and helped me to be more grateful in each present moment. Taking a step back, breathing, and enjoying life’s curve balls has made me a better friend, sister, daughter, coworker; the list goes on and on!
And just in case you forgot….Not being in control isn’t the same as being out of control.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
-keep shining
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