True colors

Have you ever spent any time watching peacocks? They are so beautiful and so majestic. But they get a bum rap. When someone is walking around all conceited, people sometimes use the expression, “he’s strutting like a peacock.” I think peacocks are very modest birds though. They are beautiful to be sure. The males are programmed to attract the females for mating but it’s not about ego.

Ego is about people having inflated feelings of superiority. On the other hand, ego can go out of balance the other way when people feel inferior or not good enough. Being in balance is not feeling superior or inferior. Everybody has areas of talent and areas of weakness. How do you value the rose over the orchid or the daisy over the daffodil? The peacock is bluer than an elephant, and elephant is stronger than a fox, a fox is craftier than a frog, and frog jumps farther than an oyster (who doesn’t jump at all), which produces pearls from its challenges.

The ballerina dances and pays the shoemaker for her shoes. The shoemaker needs the truck driver to deliver supplies. The truck driver buys his food from the farmer, who buys his clothes… we humans rely on each other for entertainment, food, shelter, clothes, beauty, strength, comfort.

Truth of the day: Who ever you are, what ever you do, you are a gift to this world!
Blessing of the day: Shine your true colors in the way that only you can do.

Do you want to know a secret?

Your secret is your prisoner; if you reveal it, you will become its prisoner.
(Mivchar HaPenimim 29:6)

I recently saw this quote on another blog.

The next time I went blog-hopping, I found this: http://www.postsecret.blogspot.com/
The (not G rated) art blog where people send in post cards sharing their secret. There can be healing when people know that everyone else has a secret, private place with thoughts they don't want to share with anyone else. PostSecret blog is the place where people can keep their secret "prisoner" and let it out all at the same time.

Another reason I wanted to post the link to PostSecret is because there is link to Hope Line (http://www.hopeline.com/) for people who are thinking about trying to end their pain through suicide. Maybe if people know what other people are holding inside they won't feel as alone. Maybe if people will call 1-800-Suicide (784-2433) they will also know that they are not alone. There are real ways to step out of pain, and there are guides to help you find the way.

Sometimes it's a good thing to share a secret. When my friend told me she had cancer, I could do more for her. Sometimes it's not good to share a secret. Like the quote above, things can come back to hurt you. There are safe places to share secrets and get help. There are lots of wonderful resources. There are lots of people in this world who want to be there for someone in need.

In searching for places that I could connect, share links, network for my own book (which I hope can be a friend to people), I was in awe after just an hour of looking around at just how many wonderful websites there are that reach out to teens and everyone.

Advice for the day: If you need a hand, reach out and ask for help. There will be someone there reaching back.

Blessing for the day: May you always feel the warmth from the Spark of Creation that lives within you.

Er-a-Er-a-Errrr! Wake Up!

This is your very own personal wake up call. What are you avoiding? What are you procrastinating about? Get honest here.

• Do you need to make a phone call? (Call during lunch and it will be short.)

• Have you taken any action toward a dream? A baby step will do.

• Do you need a nap? Power naps are “in.” Or take a gentle nap.

• Have you said “I love you” to someone who needs to hear it?

• When was the last time you said “thank you” with eye contact?

• Where do you need to change your perspective?

• What are you looking for in life?

• Are you being true to you?

• Who are you spending your precious time with?

I don’t know who said this first, but I love the message:
“When you get a wake up call, answer the phone,
and when opportunity knocks, answer the door.”

You have an opportunity RIGHT NOW to take one small action that will make a difference. Just one small thing. Minor tweaking over time has a huge impact! Consider me your very own personal cheering section.

• Read one page of that important book
• Give one dollar to someone that feeds hungry people
• Do one load of laundry
• Contact one business lead
• Say one sincere prayer
• Brush away one tear
• Ease one heart—your heart counts!

You can do this!

Love,
Aunt Laya

Feel inspired. Think inspired. Act inspired.

I hope you'll take a minute to check out this video clip about an autistic young man. (Cut and paste if you need to, it's worth it!)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-818944862742874918&q=autistic

Why am I posting this? The star of the video is incredible. His team mates and his school mates are also amazingly wonderful to express such enthusiasm, love, and acceptance.

How do you inspire others? Where do you find inspiration?

love,
Aunt Laya

What are you planting this spring?

I've been trying to plant flowers in my yard. Here's a little of what I'm learning:

• Sometimes a plant takes, sometimes it doesn't, keep planting anyway. {Sometimes you fall on your face. That's OK, everyone does, get up again!}

• Make sure you know the right season for planting what you want. If you miss a season, it will come around again. {Everything has its season including relationships, personal growth, work, and learning.}
  
• Make sure you give the plant the right amount of shade and sun--where you plant something matters. {Put yourself in the right environment! Be around good and healthy people, read and watch and listen to things that will nourish you.}
  
• Sometimes the dog will dig up what you plant. That's OK, be patient, the dog will out grow it or you can plant somewhere else. {Things don't always work out the way we plan them. That's OK, try again, wait until you mature, or try a different way.}
  

Quote for the day: "I will waste not even a precious second today in anger or hate or jealousy or selfishness. I know that the seeds I sow I will harvest, because every action, good or bad, is always followed by an equal reaction. I will plant only good seeds this day."
--Og Mandino1923-1996, Author and Speaker

What are seeds of good? Kindness, gratitude, charity, joy, rest...

A photo of me

Here I am with my kitty on a damp morning in February, 2006. I wanted to get a photo next to my profile but at least I got this online.
Quick thought for the day: Give yourself a break, and give someone else the benefit of the doubt.
Cheers, Aunt Laya

Your Five Closest Friends

In classes about success and business I’ve heard it taught that your income will be an average of your five closest friends. I guess it’s meant to teach that if you want to be rich, you should hang out with rich people. There’s truth in that. Networking is a powerful thing. There’s another saying from old time actress Mae West, “I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Believe me, rich is better.” I have to say, if I have a choice, I’d rather have money than not. You can do more with money than without. So what I’m about to say isn’t against having money. It’s about choosing what’s most important to you in life.

What if…?
What if it’s true that you are a reflection of your five closest friends? What do your friends reflect about you? In my life, I choose my friends for their integrity, their desire to be kind and do good in the world, the way they accept people for who they are, and their thirst for learning. Each of these characteristics fits one or more of my closest friends. Many wise people have taught that to live a truly fulfilling life, how you relate to others is what really matters. (Like no one on their death bed ever wished for a bigger car!) What you give away (a smile, a charitable donation, a kind word, a helpful act) is the truest reflection of the truest and most lasting wealth.

Blessing for the day: May see what has the highest value in your life and treasure it, create more of it, and then bless others with it.

love,
Aunt Laya

Take just one step at a time

Wow, I did it. I started my blog! I’m glad you’re here. This is the place where I’ll tell you what I’m thinking about, what’s inspiring me, and what’s changing me. This is the place to come when you want a bit of encouragement.

This world is not the easiest place to be. One thing for sure is that you don’t get out of this world without tears and pain. But there’s a secret I want to share with you straight off. If you only have tears, you’re not done. You can’t judge your life by the hard times. It’s kind of like looking at a building that’s not finished and hating it because it doesn’t have carpet. Well, it’s not done yet! If you’re looking at a rose bush, it might start out like a small bunch of thorny stems, all brown and dormant. With time though, the thing WILL blossom. So if you’re having hard times, you have to know that it’s not the whole picture.

Advice for the day: Develop or share your sense of humor. Find a good joke and share it. (I’d love to see the clean ones!) I’ll share the laugh out loud ones here during the month of March.

Bye for now,
Aunt Laya
(pronounced like Princess Leia in Star Wars)