Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Patience!

The word from my heart pocket is Patience.

Waiting. It's hard for all of us. Each of us deals with waiting differently. We complain. We drum our fingers and tap our toes. We plow through the waiting loudly and angrily. We throw things. We cry. And every once in awhile, we exercise patience by focusing on something else until the waiting is over.

It's such a good thing to refocus. Such a good thing. Redirecting energy is positive and often stimulates new ideas and solutions. There are so many invisible reasons for delays. The gift Patience offers is a chance to breathe and organize our thoughts. We can use the time to catch up on details or prepare for possible scenarios if we are awaiting an outcome. Being proactive while we wait is the antidote to the anxiety we get while being patient. 

The origin of the word is Latin and it means "suffering". It evolved to where it is today because a medical patient must wait to heal. Transferring the idea of waiting as a healing process can be a helpful way to soothe our angst. Patience becomes a salve, a time of rejuvenation in preparation for what is next. 

Are you waiting for something to happen or to resolve? Can you channel your restlessness toward a constructive activity? Reorganize your office or home. Exercise to put the energy toward health. Do a good deed for someone. Occupy the body so the mind doesn't overwhelm and underscore the stress of waiting. 

Move your focus and be a good patient.

 

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Imagination!

The word from my heart pocket is Imagination!

Who made this picture? I turn to it often as a reminder of how incredible our creative forces are! I look at this image and I remember who I am. I can feel the imagination at play!

Our imagination is whatever we want it to be. It's playful, yes. It is the driving force in creativity. It works through our minds by forming mental images and concepts and sensations without the need for hearing or seeing. Imagining is one of the most powerful skills we can develop because it feeds our creativity, stokes the fires of desire and causes movement at the moment of recognition.

IMAGINATION IS THE ABILITY THROUGH WHICH WE EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING.

There is a tendency for the world to equate imagination only with art. Nothing could be further from what is. To get from Point A to Point B in our lives requires imagination. We are resourceful and where does that come from? Our imagining. When we greet a problem, we imagine how to solve it. When we come to a crossroads, we imagine the paths we might take. When we're getting dressed for the day, it is our imagination that envisions what the best choice will be. Imagination entertains us when we're bored. We call on it when we're backed into the corner. It propels us into action when we're inspired by the ideas it offers. Your imagination is your most reliable friend and the more you play with it, the more adept at the game you will be.

Imagining has saved the sanity of children of abuse. It has been the comforter of those who have endured great hardship. It saves lives and invents technology. Imagination builds worlds and has taken us to the stars.

IMAGINATION IS THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF.

Living with no imagination is depression. It is a world without possibility. Sometimes the most imaginative people get stuck there because they can also imagine the worst. If it is true that "I think therefore I am", then our imaginations become a vital force in determining quality of life. It is for each of us to choose how we live. Why would we not choose to imagine happiness and think of ways for it to be? 

The world greets us with a smorgasborg of choice. Imagination helps us play out scenarios so we can choose what we love. We are not tied to one way of living. There is always a new way to perceive a situation and this is the playground imagination loves most! To imagine is practical. Because it is fun, it gets a bad rap from those whose imaginations have been stuffed in the closet, overpowered by bullies like anger and fear and self-loathing or the more timid self-expressions like insecurity and perfectionism. Ironically, Imagination is the antidote to all of those ways of expression. When we imagine, we bring all solutions into possibility, including breaking down the walls of anger, fear, self-loathing, insecurity and perfectionism. We can literally imagine ourselves into being who we want to be!

My hero, Jim Henson, created a skit with my pals, Bert and Ernie. They kind of sum it up for me. All I can say is that no matter whether you like one big balloon or lots of little ones, you can have it all when you IMAGINE ...

click here to get started imagining!  http://tinyurl.com/imaginebert

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Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Hope!

The word from my heart pocket is Hope!

"There's hope", we say, as if it's standing there. We keep hope around and it twinkles at us while it sits on the shelf, waiting for the next time we need it. It's always there. There's always hope.

I've surely relied on hope to get me through a lot of dark hours. I've been so grateful it was there, ready and waiting for me to clutch and claw at it, holding on fast. While my arms were wrapped around hope, I felt that it is the only thing keeping me alive. 

That is hope's purpose. It's a lifeboat. It lets us cling. It keeps us from drowning. It helps us get up in the morning and put one foot in front of the other. We attach ourselves to our hope and for the time that it keeps us afloat, it is good. 

Like any lifesaving device, there is the danger that it can become a crutch. Hanging on to hope without movement to a new level can cripple us. Hope isn't meant to be an eternal state of mind. When we focus too long and identify too much with our hope we can become weaker instead of gaining the strength we hoped our hope would bring.

Hope is a belief that something will get better, something new is on the way, there is change about to happen. That belief is what bridges the gap and in that purpose hope is stellar. Once we arrive safely, however, hope must step aside and let others take the lead. Others,like: responsibility, acceptance, forgiveness, love, determination, persistence, belief in self, and discipline. To hope is to have a desire to live. We envision what we want and we hope for it. The hope is attached to the dream. Staying in the hoping stage will kill your dream. Hope has a short life span because it has to work so hard for us. It uses so much energy it must return to the shelf to rejuvenate it's sparkle. It wants to be ready for the next journey.

Hope when you need it. Treat it well and let it rest while you become strong. Be hopeful. Be grateful for your hope ... and move on.

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Pause!

The word from my heart pocket is PAUSE.

"The power of the pause", my friend, Robb, said a few days ago. So true. 

Being decisive is an effective tool. It propels us and we need it to get us from one place to another. Pause, on the other hand, gives us a moment to make certain that propulsion isn't half-cocked. 

There are good reasons why we react in PANIC. Our minds feel the need to know NOW. We think if we don't react immediately we'll lose out. We care what others think and want to please. We don't want to appear wishy-washy or stupid. We have a perceived time constraint and can't see the virtues of pause.  

We can avoid pitfalls when we pause. The surest sign that we need to PAUSE is PANIC. When it happens to you, when you feel the first twinge of PANIC, take a deep breath and PAUSE. Take back your power in that moment. Claim your choices and take control of the wheel.

When we stop briefly (and look all ways for possible bombardments) we let our minds rest. This allows us to think clearly before stepping off the curb into the oncoming traffic. Are there cars coming? Are we going in the right direction? Are we even on the right street? Which way will get us to our destination the fastest? Is fastest the route that best provides what we want? 

We don't always need to pause, and we don't want to over-think to the point of no decision. But pausing is like taking a breath. We catch up with ourselves and let our focus settle before moving on. We get impatient for lots of reasons. Impatience is a wonderful sign of a hunger for movement. It is not a sign to move, but an indicator of the desire. Sometimes it is good to honor the sign. Sometimes it is best to wait ... to pause. Nine times out of ten the simple act of pausing causes us to immediately see the big picture. It allows us to take the breaths we need to calm our nerves, soothe our spirit, help us to remember we're driving the vehicle and not the other way around. Pausing also allows new information or developments to take place. Our reactions might be to a situation that isn't yet complete. By briefly pausing, we give other forces a chance to work in our lives. How many times have we leaped and wished we had waited 24 hours before acting? 

Getting what we want starts with inspiration and that's how we motivate ourselves. Once we're moving, we have fast and slow times, periods of ease and difficulty. It is good to pause to bring perspective into any work of art, and especially the art of living well. 

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Freedom!

The word from my heart pocket is Freedom!

It is so vital to everything we are! To be independent is so important to us we give our lives for it. Not only for political freedom, but to be free from judgment and ridicule, from stifling environments and smothering relationships. Freedom of expression is our greatest freedom. It allows us to choose how to act on our beliefs and our feelings. This type of freedom allows us to evolve in our lives. The irony of freedom of self-expression is that it gives us the right to choose to judge and ridicule, stifle and smother, the antithesis of what causes freedom to thrive! This can make for confusion, and some come to blows over beliefs about our individual freedoms.  

Freedom begins inside ourselves. We're born with it. The external world isn't just or fair. This is why freedom must still be won if it is a worldly freedom we desire. When we give ourselves permission to be free, we experience the good that freedom brings and we can imagine how freedom feels for others. Absolute freedom in all ways, in all things seems impossible when we think about it. Is absolute freedom really free, or is there a price to pay?

There is always a price when we insist on anything absolutely. The nature of free will deems it so. And here is where yesterday's word - discipline - plays a part. When we discipline ourselves to a cause, we become free, or at the very least, we begin the process of attaining real freedom. Having self-control is necessary to maintaining freedom in our lives. We are allowed to mess up. It's okay to explore and express. Because we ALL have free will, there will always be a difference of opinion. That's okay, too. The need to be right comes from a psychological insecurity and when present, gets in the way of one's own freedoms. When we deal with a personality who has this need, it might feel that our own freedom is in danger. It is not. If we remain free in our minds and hearts, we have a knowing that transcends this misperception and we will choose responses that don't play into that drama.

Freedom is playful and lighthearted. As a planet, we have seen gross human behavior regarding freedom. We have also see heroic responses to these travesties. In daily life, the opportunity to choose to be free by having control of our own behavior makes for a better day, a fulfilling life, a more successful society. 

In America, we say "Let Freedom Ring!". As human beings, we sometimes let our insecurities censor that joyous song. Practice freedom today. Let go of the need to right. Allow a new thought to creep into your brain for consideration. Dare to be uninhibited. Dance with abandon! Paint with no plan in mind. Drive with no destination other than the feel of the road. Cook something new for dinner. See something through. Practice something new. Feel free of the chains that bind you. 

LET FREEDOM RING!

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Discipline!

The word from my heart pocket is Discipline.

Finding a way. Sticking with it. Doing what it takes to meet my goal.That's what discipline means to me. I had to reframe the meaning of discipline for awhile because the negative definition - punishment - had attached itself so intensely to my psyche. The positive meanings of discipline are: training, regimen, will-power and self-control. These are wonderful! They are a means to an end. They are about getting better and becoming more. Good things come from them when they are balanced with rest, rejuvenation and release.

Discipline sometimes requires focus. If your goal requires coming to the same place every day for practice in order to get better at something, you can make it a game or you can compete with yourself by setting the standard just a smidgen higher each day. Picture you at the end of your goal. How do you look? Fit? Happy? Successful? This picture is a powerful motivator for discipline. It can get you in the car. It can help you say no. It can be an emphatic YES! when you make the choice to be disciplined.

Sometimes discipline can be overwhelming. If this is the case, choosing to do one thing toward your goal every day is a great way to begin. Make it reasonable and achievable. Get control over your mind (you are in charge, you know), shut off the "thinking" and just do it. As you gain self-control, you gain confidence and life in general becomes easier. 

Discipline is not punishment. Even when we need to be disciplined or when we need to exercise discipline with others - children, our animal friends ... my friend, Mertie, has to discipline her hair - there is no need for cruelty or unkindness. Discipline can be firm. It can be definite. It works best when we remember it is about guidance and teaching/learning, growing, reaching a goal.

I've always loved the expression "Reaching for the stars!". Now when I think of discipline, I attach the same feeling that comes with that expression to the goal for which I'm reaching and it inspires me to show up, one more time.
 
Discipline becomes easy when intention is strong. Intention supports it, lifts it up, gives it wings to make it joyful and light. Keep your intention alive within your discipline and no matter how you begin, you will succeed!

Kittie asks you to comment so others will learn from your wisdom (especially Kittie!). If you know someone who might enjoy this post, please share it by clicking the little envelope below. You can email it to a friend. You can receive a link to this blog, 5 days/week, by sending an email to Kittie@kittiebgoods.com. (http://kittiebgoods.com/) 

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Process!

The word from my heart pocket is PROCESS!

If we were to go about our days willy-nilly, with no process, would there be satisfaction? I raise the question and ask you to help me process thoughts around it. When we process, we work through from one end of a challenge or project, consciously or un, to a stopping place. Like every story, the life of a project has a beginning, a middle and an end. All of those tiny steps, those precious details along the way, is what brings nuance and joy and learning to the challenge or project. No matter what the project - especially if it is our own life - when we begin to notice the hows, the whats, the whos, the wheres and the whys, our story is deeper and wider than when there is no awareness of processing at all.

Process is a vehicle and we get to choose what model and make. We get to drive our vehicle and go fast or slow, cautiously or wildly with complete abandon. Processes can change as we grow. They can also stay the same and the works of art look the same, day after day. That might be enough. It might grow old and stale. 

Who we are and how/what/where and why we process, affects the quality of our lives. The small pictures along our way are our challenges and our projects. The big picture is a collage of those smaller ones and we call it "My Life". The process of living works exactly the same process as the little things we choose each day. When we make a commitment to excellence in the little things, we choose to create an excellent life.

I am talking about true success. It might be about money for some. It could mean fame for others. Family is a process with which we are all familiar. When we work for an end result, the process includes all the things we think are important to making the result happen. If we focus on the result to the exclusion of everything else, we are likely to achieve the result more quickly because our process is streamlined and geared toward one thing only. For some people, this is satisfying. For some people, it is enough. For some, it is everything. When our vision is clear, we process in this focused manner. What if your vision isn't about one thing? What if you like variety? What if the idea of excluding anything - let alone everything - feels myopic and rigid and empty? The journey will be very different from that of one who chooses to focus on one thing, and we still process to reach our destination.

There is no one way. There is no right or wrong. To those who choose one thing, it might seem frivolous to dally along the way. To those who choose all things, it might seem that we will miss something important, something beautiful. To those who choose one thing, the beauty is the thing. To those who choose many goals, the delight comes from having all of those choices available. 

In any case, however we process our works of art - our lives - when it feels empty or confusing, examine the process. Is there a need for more connection with people? Do we need to relax and get out of our intellect? Is there a need to stop and organize so we can feel where we are, to see where we're going? A process is a map. To process is to follow that map. Some of us have lists. Some of us read our way, following a path already taken, stopping here and there to enjoy the view, to share what others have discovered. Others have intuitive maps, working from a basecamp, exploring new paths, finding the way their way ...

Process. It is thinking and doing and feeling and choosing. We can over-process and get lost in the process. We can no-process and wander about feeling scattered and confused. Process likes choice. Process like decision. It loves movement - whether toward one focused goal or toward many different goals. Process is exploring and exciting and determined and process shapes and reshapes itself to fit our needs. We are in charge of process. Nurture and love yours. Lift it up, let it rest, feed it, be kind to it. Let your process take the lead sometimes. Observe it and guide it, then let it go! 

(Many of you have wanted to comment. Blogger tells me they have fixed this issue. If you have the time, please comment below to test the process!)

Life Fitness

What is Life Fitness?

I'm getting fit. I'm not there yet. Today, when I was walking on the treadmill without headphones or a book or any other distractions, all I had to read was the brand name of the machine. Life Fitness. For the next 40 minutes I walked and ran and walked and ran and walked and decided to run with another meaning of the phrase. 

What is life fitness?

One definition is "Being a fit for your life". Minding your business. Taking care of yourself. Doing the best you know how and learning how to get better at everything that is important to you. For some reason we struggle with this. I think that's because it's intuitive and we've been programmed with shoulds, oughts and other modals. Most of us spend our lives trying to "figure it out". But spending time figuring out life's mysteries, although It's fun to ponder, matters most when it propels us forward and brings us a sense of peace. The real culprit standing in the way of life fitness is thinking there's something out there we need to know before we begin; that there is some sort of General Perfection Standard to meet and if we don't measure up, we're not going to be happy. Oh dear.

Of course we don't know everything! Uncertainty is certain and that's about the only thing that is. If we are really fit, we do the things we have control over and let go of the rest. We have more time for what we love when we let go. The positive tools for life fitness are: Communication, Creativity, Compassion. Enthusiasm, Energy, Exercise. Education/Learning. Optimism. Persistence. Release of what has run its course. These tools serve us well and get better with practice. We fit in our lives when we do and feel and say and think in ways that make sense for us. Fitting into your life is balanced and honorable and it is your right from the day you are born.

Uncertainty gives us an edge. It plays with us and if we thrive, we attempt new things, trying them on for size. Do they fit? Do you need a different style? Have you outgrown a certain fashion? Have you lost your job and see it's time to live a new dream? Are you content where you are and see it's time to let yourself relax, letting go of old responsibilities? What fits best for you? 


I head back to the treadmill tomorrow. It fits in my life because exercise makes me feel good! I used to look at it and think "Uuggghh". Now I can't wait for my 40 minutes of release. Life Fitness. It's the fulfilled way to live.

Kittie asks you to comment below. Your comments help others whether you agree or disagree. Sharing your thoughts can bring wisdom and perspective. Click on the title above the picture, Life Fitness, and learn about Natasha Renette, a personal trainer who works with the individual. Everyone's body is different. She works to make you the best YOU can be!

RELAAAAAAX ...

My friend, Nancy Swan Drew, ironically, drew this picture. I use the word "ironically" not only to put a word in between the words Drew and drew, but because my friend is also one of the hardest working people I know. As she proclaims "...I have never suffered from what is called 'creative block'; only a shortage of hours on the clock ...". I know this is true. I also know that Nancy has learned the importance of relaxation and how vital it is to her well being and to her art.

Unlike Nancy, many of us get stopped from time to time when a task is looming. The words don't come or the numbers don't add up or the marketing idea is far from the tip of your tongue. We struggle and stress and trip over ourselves trying to make things happen. We push and shove and punch ourselves in the brain. No WONDER we're exhausted and call it "having a bad day"!

RELAAAAAAAX ...

Relax into whatever is happening. Even when you have a deadline - ESPECIALLY when you have a deadline - this technique works beautifully. Take a walk outside of the building. Drink a big glass of cool clean water. Take 10 very deep breaths with your eyes closed. Go to the grocery store and take time choosing something yummy to eat. Treat yourself nicely. Stretch out.

 RELAAAAAAAX ...

Move into the feeling of the moment. It goes against what we're taught, it is discouraged at every turn, it is the exact right thing to do. It is not laziness or avoidance or diversion. We do use those excuses sometimes to not do what needs to be done. This relaxation exercise is for when we need to give our brains a lift, when the ideas have stopped, when the only thoughts we're having are self-deprecating or blaming. By removing yourself from your environment - whether through deep breathing or actually going somewhere - you increase your productivity 100-fold. 
And the words somehow fall into place, the numbers become magical again and the perfect marketing idea is triggered by something the sacker at the grocery store said as he put your treat in the bag. 
Persistence is important to success. It has to last a long time so be nice to it. Congratulate it and give it a chance to refuel. Say it with me now. One. Two Three ...

RELAAAAAAAX ...

Kittie asks you to comment (below) and to become a follower (upper right side of the page). Thank you, Nancy, for the gift of your art and words. To check out the books and art of Nancy Swan Drew, click here:  
http://www.amazon.com/Nancy-Swan-Drew/e/B001KJ5ZF0

Elephants In The Room

What if when every time one of our fears showed up, 

HUGE AND UNMOVABLE, 

we just laughed at it? 

What if we knew this response would change how we saw the fear? 

What if seeing it differently caused us to feel differently about it?

What if the feeling was less desperate and more real?

What if this more real feeling took away the panic and cleared our minds?

What if our clear minds had windows?

What if we looked out of the clear windows of our minds and saw new options 

and possibilities?

And what if the new options and POSsibilities became

LARGER THAN THE FEAR?

What would life look like then?

Please comment below .... 

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