Lessons we learn from Geese

This story has been circulated, but it is a great one to embrace !

Next fall when you see geese heading south for the winter... flying along in V formation...you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way:

Fact 1: As each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Fact 2: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.

Fact 3: When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.

Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other's skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources.

Fact 4: The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson: We need to make sure honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement the production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one's heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek.

Fact 5: When a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

-- Author Unknown

You're Awesome ! (find out why)

“Appreciate the women under your skin.”

The nurturing, caring, mother…the passionate, exciting vamp…the romantic dreamer…the playful child…the determined go-getter…the loyal friend – all these women and more are inside you.

Acknowledge and treasure each one!

Give each of your inner women time and opportunity to surface, for each has wonderful things to offer and makes you so lovable.

Make time for nurturing and passion and romance. Follow your goals and let nothing stop you. Find opportunities for friendship and fun. Respect all your inner womanly strengths and values.

Be proud of these things, for together they create one truly amazing woman. That woman is you!

©Jane Powell – Meditations for Women

Today’s Affirmation: I am proud of who I am.

How to Love Yourself

1. Stop all criticism: Criticism never changes a thing. Refuse to criticize yourself. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself, your changes are negative. When you approve of yourself, your changes are positive.

2. Don't scare yourself: Stop terrorizing yourself with your thoughts. It's a dreadful way to live. Find a mental image that gives you pleasure (mine is yellow roses), and immediately switch your scary thought to a pleasure thought.

3. Be gentle and kind and patient: Be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be patient
with yourself as you learn the new ways of thinking. Treat yourself as you would someone you
really loved.

4. Be kind to your mind: Self-hatred is only hating your own thoughts. Don't hate yourself for having the thoughts. Gently change the thoughts.

5. Praise yourself: Criticism breaks the inner spirit. Praise builds it up. Praise yourself as much as you can. Tell yourself how well you are doing with every little thing.

6. Support yourself: Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends, and allow them to help you. It is being strong to ask for help when you need it.

7. Be loving to your negatives: Acknowledge that you created them to fulfill a need. Now you are finding new, positive ways to fulfill those needs. So. lovingly release the old negative patterns.

8. Take care of your body: Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does your body need to have optimum energy and vitality? Learn about exercise. What kind of exercise can you enjoy? Cherish and revere the temple you live in.

9. Mirror work: Look into your own eyes often. Express this growing sense of love you have for yourself. Forgive yourself looking into the mirror. Talk to your parents looking into the mirror. Forgive them, too. At least once a day, say: "I love you, I really love you!"

10. LOVE YOURSELF - DO IT NOW! Don't wait until you get well or lose the weight, or get the new job, or find the new relationship. Begin NOW - do the best you can.



- from Louise Hay through Mind, Body & Spirit

Erma Bombeck

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.' There would have been more 'I love you's' More 'I'm sorry's.'

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute , look at it and really see it . live it and never give it back.

STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!

Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what
Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have.

Top 10 Positive Emotions

Here is a top-10 list of positive emotions.
How many of these you can feel today?

1. Joy/happiness
2. Confidence/self-esteem
3. Optimism/positive thinking
4. Interest/curiosity
5. Amusement/humor
6. Contentment/serenity/tranquility
7. Love/affection/warmth/caring
8. Respect/positive regard
9. Pride/satisfaction/achievement
10. Gratitude/thankfulness

Goal setting

If you don’t have any goals and don’t feel that you need any, that’s okay. Many people are content with going to work, coming home, watching television, listening to music, reading a
book, taking care of the house, and just going about life. Many motivational leaders will say you need more, but if you are comfortable without goals, that’s fine.

I think goals are important.

If you created some goals, it’s time for a review. Did you complete your goal(s)? If not, why not? Was the goal compromised for some reason — finances, relationships,
family, work, self-imposed limitations/thoughts, procrastination, fear of failure? Did you lack financial education, proper direction, accountability, or mentoring? What can you do to eliminate these obstacles so that you can achieve your goals?

If you want to set new goals, now is the time. The following paragraphs describe a simple exercise that will help you to create goals.

The first step requires a piece of paper, a pen or pencil, a timer, and 20 minutes. Set the timer for 20 minutes and write down 100 goals. Don’t think too hard about it. Write down the
first things that come to mind.

The second step takes a little more time. Categorize the goals into sections. The sections are physical, mental, spiritual, recreation, family, career, social, and financial.

For the third step, divide each goal into action steps using the SMART technique. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timed. Evaluate the action steps you have decided on to make sure they meet these criteria.

The last step is to begin working the goal. The operative word is “working.” Goals and dreams do not come about by wishing, dreaming, or creating a montage of the things you want on a poster board.

You may find it difficult to determine which goal to work on first. Choose the section/goal that is most important to you at the time. It is also difficult to strike the right balance
between all the sections. Trying to achieve perfection in each section will actually create a negative return on the time invested.

Goals are achieved by completing the above action steps and by asking for guidance, direction, and mentoring.

Zig Ziglar is a phenomenal motivational speaker with a long history of success. He suggests the following action thought when creating your goal(s). Ask yourself five questions: Is it really my goal? (If you’re a minor living at home, an employee, or a team member, some of your goals may be set by your parents, employer, coach, or director.) Is it morally right and fair to everyone concerned? Is it consistent with my other goals? Can I emotionally commit myself to finish this goal? Can I “see” myself reaching this goal?

(written by Dr. Michael Kaye)

Obsessive Thinking

We were taught to approach life from a perspective of fear, survival, lack and scarcity. We were taught that life is about destinations, and that when we get to point X be it marriage or college degree or fame and fortune or whatever - we will live happily ever after.

Of course, this is not the way life works and you already know that and probably discarded that fairy tale ending intelluctually a long time ago. On the emotional and imprint level we keep looking for it because that is what the child in us was taught. We keep living life as if it is a dress rehearsal for "when our ship comes in". For when we really start to live. For when we get that relationship, or accomplishment or money that will make us okay, that will fix us.

We do not require FIXING because we are NOT BROKEN. Our sense of self, our self perception, was shattered and fractures and broken into pieces, not our TRUE SELF.

We are Spiritual Beings having a human experience. We are all here to learn and we are here to go through this process that is life. Finally we are here to feel these feelings. Doing our emotional and imprint healing allows us to feel clear about what what is in front of us instead of torturing ourselves by obsessively thinking, trying to figure out what is right and what is wrong.

Let us first look at some definitions before we continue, Obsessive thinking is an emotional defense and is a manifestations of codependancy. Being in our heads, thinking, fantasizing, ruminating, is a defense we adapted in childhood to help is disassociate from the emotional pain we were experiencing. It is not for our highest good because it keeps us focused on the future or the past, we miss out on being live today, in the NOW. It is not for our highest good because our attempts to ESCAPE unpleasant feelings causes us to generate more unpleasant feelings.

Worry which can be described as negative fantasizing, is a reaction to fear of the unknown which creates more fear, which creates more worry, which creates more fear and so on. This fear is a manifestation of codependancy, a distorted, magnified, virulent, mutated species of fear caused by the poisonous combination of a false Belief that being human is shameful with a polarized (black and white, right and wrong) perspective of life. This self perpetuating, self destructive type of obsessive thinking feeds not only on fear, but on shaming ourselves for feeling the fear!

Codependancy is a useless emotional defense system adapted by our egos to help us survive. The polarized perspective of life we were programmed with in early childhood from our environment and imprint creation as well as inherited imprints, causes us to be afraid of making a mistake, of doing life "wrong". At the core of our being, we feel unlovable and unworthy and we spend great amounts of Energy trying to keep our shameful defectiveness a secret. We feel that , if we were perfect like we "SHOULD" be, we would not feel fear and confusion and would have reached "happily ever after" by now. So, we shame ourselves for feeling fear, which adds gasoline to the inferno of fear that is driving us. The shame and fear that drive obsession becomes so painful and "crazy making" that at some point we have to find a way to shut down our minds for a little while - drugs, alcohol, food, sleep, shopping, television, sex, etc.

This is a very sad way to relate to life. The fear we are empowering is about the future, shame is about the past. We are not capable of being in the NOW and enjoying life because we are caught up in trauma melodramas about things which have not yet happened - or wallowing in orgies of self recrimination about the past, which can not be changed. Codependant behavior does not allow one to really live life in line with their Higher Self and shadows the Essence of the TRUE Self. IT is very important that these imprints be removed from the energetic field.

Obsessive thinking and compulsive behavior is caused by, and fed by, fear and shame. The feeling that the world will come to an end if____ doesn't happen, or that it has come to an end because ____ happened, is a feeling coming from the wounded child within and related imprints firing. It is the result of early childhood emotional trauma and the subconscious programming adapted by our egos to help us survive at a time when we were helpless and powerless.

An adult is not helpless and powerless. We are, however, powerless to know that, as long as we are UNCONSCIOUSLY reacting to repressed emotional energy and imprints and programming from the subconscious. It is impossible to see our self or life clearly when we are caught up in trauma dramas (internally and externally) that feel life threatening. It is our codependancy that we are in denial of our emotions at the same time we are allowing unconscious imprint programming and the feelings of the Inner Child to define and dictate our lives.

Removing the imprints, programming, beliefs and other energetic blockages will help a person take power away from the fear and shame that drives obsessive thinking. Learning to be companssionate in our relationship WITH OUR SELF by not shaming ourselves for being human beings, will help to take power away from the obsessive thinking.

Love is the answer to obsession but not the love of another person. Learning to be LOVING TO YOURSELF and remembering that there is a LOVING HIGHER POWER is the best way to stop obsessive thinking.


written by Nicole Lavoie
information from http://www.selfgrowth.com/