“If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” Dalai Lama
I’ll be completely honest. I’m here to inspire you.
Although what I’m about to tell you isn’t easy, in all fairness, it needs to be shared in order to start the healing process our country so desperately needs.
For years the ‘news’ corporations have been breeding mistrust and cynacism. Although they say they’re “Fair and Balanced”, their main interest is holding on to your attention. By pointing out everything that’s wrong and scary and then amplifying it, their power comes from keeping your energy stifled and stagnant.
Your frustration and anger proves them right.
Your fear of doing something wrong stops you from doing anything at all.
Your silence empowers them to take advantage, and so they have.
So the question is, how can you get news without television?
You need a ‘news’ diet.
Instead of stuffing yourself with the lies and propaganda so easily found in your television set, you need to go out into the real world and talk to real people about what is really happening. That’s where the news is. Just like eating junk food is never going to make you feel satisfied, sitting behind a television screen is never going to feed you what you really need, because what you really need is to be engaged.
Get out of your own head. Go outside. Talk to people. Give up the idea that you’re right and everyone else needs to change because that’s exactly what created these problems in the first place.
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi
The OccupyWallStreet movement is a non-violent demonstration bringing together people who are interested in the peaceful exchange of ideas in order to create a process to address the problems we face and generate solutions accessible to everyone.
“Human solidarity, empathy with one’s fellow person, is our guide. Democracy and consensus, our compass.” Even Rohar of OccupyDetroit media
I was at the first General Assembly of the OccupyDetriot movement last Friday evening. My friend Heidi convinced me to go, and I can’t tell you how glad I am that she did. (Thanks Heidi xoxo) I was absolutely amazed and thrilled to see well over a thousand people gathered in Grand Circus Park. Although we saw a couple of mildly heated exchanges, the people around them were quick to dispel any violence. No one was screaming or cussing. There was no spitting or fighting.
What I did see what a very orderly exchange between the facilitators and the people of the event.
See it here for yourself….
I was indeed “inspired by the process, modeling the society they wish to create”.
The People’s Mike method was fantastic! Although I’ve been to many, many meetings in the past, this one was different because it left me feeling empowered and excited to help. By the end, although I was tired and my throat was sore, I felt exuberant at the same time. So I talked with a couple of people from the Arts & Culture work group about my ‘You’re the Boat’ analogy. They thought it would be a great idea to share it not only with their group but with Education as well. So I will, after I’m done building the new Boat. (It’s coming along nicely, btw).
The working groups is the other part that truly inspired me. According to the minutes from the General Assembly meeting that first night, they are……
Media = To create media that will show what we stand for.
Food & Comfort = To keep our community fed & comfortable.
Education = To define the economic situation in America.
Legal = To help demonstrators who are taken to jail. Although they won’t pay your bail, they will help you contact your family and friends.
Direct Action = To plan, train and engage in non-violent direct action in order to achieve political, economic and social goals outside normal government channels.
Student = To address student debt collectively and start study groups in occupation @ local colleges and universities.
Information = A free library at the Park
Arts & Culture = Because we all need to keep our spirits up during the Revolution!
Outreach = To bring in more people and organizations to the movement.
All of these working groups have a few people in them, but need many, many more volunteers in order to be most effective. I would love to join each and every group, however, that would burn me out and then I couldn’t help anyone. So, I’m planning on trying to make it down there once a week to bring supplies and inspiration. I’ll also be writing about it here on my blog and sharing it through-out the internet.
My friend Heidi really loved the rally and wants to support the movement too, but with her job and family, she doesn’t know when or how. I’m sure there are a lot more people like her, so what’s the answer? How can you and Heidi help?
Speak well of the movement. The demonstrators need your support, as well as your faith in their mission to make a difference in this country.
Stop rumors that there are ‘angry mobs’ and instead talk of the multitude of different kinds of people coming together.
Share your belief in what these demonstrators stand for, such as democracy, freedom, accountability and equality for all Americans.
Send them good vibrations, as well as blankets, food, water, tents, heaters, and books.
Most importantly, try to focus your energy on the solutions to the problems in this country, as well as the vision of a future we can all look forward to. And when you get distracted by the details, problems and drama, try again. Please.
Remember, We are all in this together.
So, my friendly blog reader, I hope this has inspired you to understand that there is still hope for our country.
You can make a difference. Start now.
xoxo Pam
p.s. I’ll be heading back down to OccupyDetroit later this week to bring supplies and inspiration. If you are in the SouthEast Michigan area and have something you would like to donate, please let me know by contacting me at pambelding at gmail dot com.
p.p.s. For more information about the OccupyDetroit movement, check out their website at www.occupy-detroit.us.
I was thinking about writing about Steve Jobs, for the Inspirational person of the week.
However, after seeing all the quotes in papers and social media and reading so many articles about him all over the internet, I figure most of you are probably feeling inundated by it all too.
So instead, I did what I think Steve would have wanted me to do instead of writing more about him.
I focused on really, really savoring my life and the people in it.
Last Thursday I took the day off and went out on the boat with my friends. The leaves are changing and the weather was absolutely perfect without a cloud in the sky. We floated around the lake and just talked and laughed, soaking in the true wonder and beauty all around us.
As we started to head back in, Raise your glass by Pink came on the stereo. I’ll never forget how we sang it all together, smiling and laughing all the way home.
That’s when I decided to put together another soundtrack for songs of prosperity.
I’ve been doing a series for the past month about the Stretch. I’ve written about graciousness, kindness, generosity and bravery. Today I’ll explain how this all comes together!
When I was first adopted, my parents noticed that I only walked on my tippy-toes. Because I had been doing it for so long, I couldn’t walk normal, so my Dad encouraged me to do exercises to help stretch my calf muscles. For months we worked on this, and eventually I was able to walk heel first.
It didn’t happen all at once. I didn’t just think, “okay, I’m ready now.” and then immediately get what I wanted. I had to stretch out my muscles and tendons. I had to practice the exercises regularly and that faith, determination and effort eventually paid off.
I started doing a Stretch during my walks in Mexico. I needed some way to curb the constant flow of worry and anxiety that filled my mind back in those days. Walking really helped clear my head and the Stretch seemed like a natural way to focus on the essence of that clarity. (I had also taken walks with my sister-in-law who always stopped and took a moment to do yoga stretches. Thanks for the inspiration, Stacie! xoxo)
This simple exercise helps me to Stretch toward what I want to feel like.
I want to feel balanced and stable, strong, calm and confident. (don’t you?)
Here’s a video (shot by my girlfriend Molly) 0f the Stretch. (I’ve simplified it since the last one).
The prayer at the end of it came to me back in April 2010 while on the plane to visit my husband in Israel. During the flight, I read an interview with Eckhart Tolle in the May edition of Oprah magazine. Fortunately, I had brought my journal with me to take notes because in the article he say’s…
“Practicing presence” - endeavoring to let go of an excessive and unhealthy preoccupation with past and future, and embrace the place where life happens…the power for creating a better future is contained in the present moment; You create a good future by creating a good present. It’s through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up.”
Then later in the magazine, Oprah was doing an interview and she said….
” I started taking God out of the box, out of the pew. And eventually I got to where I was able to see God in other people and in all things - in graciousness, and kindness and generosity and the spirit of things.”
“Unchecked anxiety is the single biggest barrier between you and your goals….If you live in a state of anxiety about tasks that are in demand (like art, brave action and generosity) it’s going to change what you choose to do. You’ll avoid the very things that make you indispensable.”
That’s why I added bravery to the end. The prayer needed to be a reminder of bravery too.
The beginning part of the Stretch prayer….”Stay open to the balance of energies and show patience for time to do it’s work” came from my Oracle card reading. Right before my trip, I had pulled the “Control” card which means ‘You are in control of this situation to a large extent, but Time is the true controller‘. I had written that down in my journal as well, so it was already right there, waiting for my other notes from Oprah, Eckhart Tolle and Seth Godin to come together and make a beautiful, grand finale to the Stretch.
Although it took me a couple of days to blend it all together, the prayer (and I call it a prayer because that what it feels like) has become an integral part of the Stretch. It’s a reminder of the Sacred, to take time to acknowledge God, (the Divine, the Universe, the Source, the Force, Allah…..) and show appreciation and gratitude for everything we’ve been given.
I’ve recently started taking Yin Yoga at Soothe your Soul in Oxford, MI. Yin yoga helps to stretch the connective tissues, not just the muscles. Since I’ve always been the type of person to push myself too hard, this class has been a wonderful opportunity for me to slow down and savor where I am.
My teacher Lynne guides us through our postures and constantly reminds us to ‘be where you are’. In order for our tendons to be able to stretch, we must first stretch our muscles to the point of ’sweet discomfort’ and then relax. Don’t force or push, just focus on being present.
Sure enough, I actually felt my hip flexor release and stretch out! After just a couple of sessions, I’ve already noticed a big difference in the flexibility of my hips, not to mention the calm, surrender in my mind. If you’ve never practiced yoga before, I would HIGHLY recommend it!!
Practicing the Stretch has taught me that I can have a healthy, happy life, right now.
Yin Yoga has shown me that by focusing on the life I want to live and relaxing my way to it, I can create a life worth looking forward to.
All I need to do is practice and stretch!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this series, my friendly blog reader.
I’ll be back next week with the Inspirational person and Inspirational word.
Have a wonderful week!
xoxo Pam
p.s. If you’re looking for something else to help you practice presence, try heading over to Heidi’s Table. She has this new lotion or pulse point potion that will gently remind you “Presence pays exquisite attention. Presence notices. Presence is love.”
My Inspirational person of the week, this week is John Lennon.
Back in 1966 he was quoted as saying “We’re more populare than Jesus now…” and it sparked protests across the Bible Belt. The Ku Klux Klan burned a Beatles effigy and protesters burned bonfires of Beatles records. John and the Beatles didn’t really worry too much about this, because they knew that in order to burn the records, the protesters first had to buy them!
The righteous indignation of the protesters blinded them to the fact that they were making the Beatles even bigger and more popular!
(Think about this the next time you start to worry about pissing someone off…..
Rightous indignation is both a sword and a shield. It’s a sword when it’s used to cut someone else down. It’s a shield because it blocks energy and distracts a person from doing whatever it is they’re supposed to be doing. Instead of focusing on doing something to help make the world a better place, the self-righteous create the very problems they’re angry about. It’s sad, really. Nobody can build a healthy life, (or anything for that matter) with a shield and a sword. So, if ever someone starts trashing you and what you do, consider asking them “So, How are you helping?” If anything, it should be interesting to see their response! )
John Lennon inspires me because he didn’t waste his time worrying about what other people thought of him. He focused on developing his gift and sharing it. Instead of shrinking himself out of fear, he grew and transformed himself into one of the most influential men of his time. He didn’t apologize for being incredibly good at what he did, nor did he waste time publicly trashing people who were good at what they did. John Lennon spent his energy being himself and because he was so completely authentic, he was rewarded with popularity and influence.
Thanks John!!! Your humanity and passion still inspires me.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, my friendly blog reader.
I’ll be back later this week with a post about the Stretch.
Instead of doing the Inspirational word of the week, I’m doing a series based on the prayer from my Stretch…..”Stay open to the balance of energies and show patience for time to do it’s work. Embrace the place where life happens. By recognizing graciousness, kindness, generosity and bravery, we discover the power to create a better future is contained in the present moment.” This week, we’re looking at bravery.
It was during the bus ride into the factory tour when I learned Henry Ford had 2 failed attempts to establish automotive companies before the Ford Motor company. That kind of surprised me. I guess I had just assumed that his idea was so awesome that his first try was successful. When I learned otherwise, I immediately started thinking about how hard it must have been for him, and his wife to keep trying, despite the loss of time and money. Especially after the second one failed. How did he keep trying? What was it that convinced him to jump right back up and go out and try it again?
Bravery. That unstoppable determination to do what he knew he had to do, despite the distractions of fear and anxiety.
Although I’m sure part of him was scared of failing again, he didn’t give up. Through hard work and determination, his bravery eventually paid off, not only for him, but also for the hundreds of thousands of people who have been employed by his company ever since. Not to mention the fact that his vision changed the entire world. He didn’t invent the car, nor did he invent the assembly line. What he did was mass produce a car inexpensive enough for everyone (especially the people who made them) to drive. He did this by creating a system called the vertical-integration process. Henry Ford’s Rouge plant was unlike anything other factory of it’s time, in that it had everything it needed to build a car. It started with getting the raw materials shipped in and then housing the foundaries to make the parts and then all the way through the building process to the finished product. It was, and still is, a tremendous undertaking. I’m sure he had his detractors and critics telling him why it wouldn’t work. But he ignored them. He didn’t give up. He understood the risks and instead of letting fear stop him, he focused on planning through the problems, and then used bravery, determination and vision to propel him toward his goals.
Henry Ford didn’t let uncertainty get in the way of his vision. He instilled the spirit of innovation and progress in his people.That’s why today the Rouge Plant is still in operation today. Only now it’s been radically renovated. It’s state of the art ‘green roof’ is revolutionary and a model of foward thinking. My family and I were totally impressed and inspired. If you’re ever in the SouthEast Michigan area, I would HIGHLY recommend taking the tour. You won’t be dissappointed.
Speaking of uncertainty, Jonathan Fields has a new book coming out titled Uncertainty, turning fear and doubt into fuel for brilliance. Although I haven’t read it yet, I’ll be downloading it onto my Kindle and reading it very soon. (Click the link to read more about it.)
Since I’ve just about finished my book, You’re the Boat, I’m looking forward to publishing it soon. Now I need to come up with a substantial amount of money to make this happen. So, instead of freaking out about how hard this will be, I’m going to read Jonathan’s book and take a lesson from Henry Ford. I’m going to face into my challenges, ignore my critics (especially the ones in my head) and plan through my problems. In order to make the money I need to publish my book, I’m going to be doing the You’re the Boat presentations, starting at Soothe your Soul in Oxford. (I’m talking with Hannah today and should have a date within the next day or two). From there, I’m going to branch out and talk to other stores, offices and businesses. My presentation is inexpensive ($25 per person and includes the workbook) short, motivational and a wonderful compliment to staff meetings.
Although I realize not everyone I talk to will be interested and supportive, I’ll just keep trying because I know in my heart this book needs to be published. This analogy inspires self-empowerment and that’s an idea that needs to spread. My Captain has given me this analogy for a reason. It’s not my place to question why, just to share it.
So, my friendly blog reader, if you know of anyone who would be interested in helping me publish this book, I would be thrilled to meet them. And if you would like to help, I would be most honored and grateful if you would. Please contact me through the blog, or e-mail me at pambelding at gmail dot com.
“Bravery can be recognized by the determination to reach your goals, despite of the distractions.”
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, my friendly blog reader.
Have a great week, and I’ll be back on Monday with the Inspirational song of the week.
Today is Monday, but instead of doing the Inspirational song of the week, I’m going to write about George Harrison.
Back a few years ago in Mexico, I was having ‘issues’. My husband was working a LOT of hours. My son was 3 and all of my girlfriends had gone to their respective countries for the summer. I was lonely and felt like I was missing out on something. Although I eventually discovered my philosophy of ‘pink‘, it took me quite a while to feel better. Months, in fact.
One of the things that really helped me get thru those days was the dvd of the Concert for George Harrison. I played it over and over again, marvelling at how much fun all of his friends seemed to be having. They played all his favorite songs to honor him. I was truly moved to see the genuine love and affection they felt for George come thru their music. Although I was stuck and unhappy in my own life, I could appreciate the joy and happiness created by all the musicians. It helped to heal me.
Even now, when I’m feeling tired and in need of some healing, I’ll put on the Concert for George. It never fails to help lift my spirits. And, I’m sure, that’s what George would be most proud of.
Thanks George, for your legacy of fun, music and spiritual healing. I’m eternally grateful!
I hope you enjoy this, my friendly blog reader!
Have a wonderful week, and I’ll be back later with a post about how to recognize bravery.
Instead of doing the Inspirational word of the week, I’m doing a series based on the prayer from my Stretch…..”Stay open to the balance of energies and show patience for time to do it’s work. Embrace the place where life happens. By recognizing graciousness, kindness, generosity and bravery, we discover the power to create a better future is contained in the present moment.” This week, we’re looking at generosity.
In preparation for todays post, I re-read Lisa Baldwin’s wonderful e-book Take that nap.
And then I took a nap. Seriously. I actually laid down on the couch, curled up with my favorite, purple afghan and snoozed for a whole hour.
Because YOU deserve my best, my friendly blog reader. You deserve a healthy, happy blog writer sitting behind these keys, not someone who’s burned out, stressed-out and resentful of the time it’s taking to create this. That wouldn’t help anyone.
My friend Katie asked me this question the other day “How can you slow down when there are a million things to do?”
Here is my response…..
The quality of the energy you put behind your actions directly effects your entire life.
Like the wind behind your sails, good, strong, healthy energy will propel you forward, joyfully, happily, living with Gusto!! You can feel Divine energy flowing through you into everything you do and it is gooooood!!
You deserve to have a good day, every day! And your Crew does too!
You can have a life worth looking forward to, and it starts with being generous to yourself.
Fill up your cup first, in order to better serve others.
When you honor your own needs, other people will see that. They’ll recognize your ability to take care of yourself and be more likely to trust and respect you. However, if they don’t treat you with respect, then they don’t deserve your time or attention. You can’t make anyone else happy. If they’re not happy, it’s their own responsibility to figure out what they need and then go get it, not yours. You can only influence them by setting a good example.
Remember, people will treat you the way they see you treat yourself.
Take a few moments to check out this audio from Jen Louden about your Minimum requirements and then take a look at Lisa’s Take that nap book. Reading it is like getting a hug from an angel. (p.s. I’m an affiliate for the book, which means if you purchase it, I’ll get a little something.)
Then, before you head out, ready to tackle the world, do yourself a favor and read this wonderful Meanie Manifesto, developed by Yolanda Facio at Red.Hot.Momentum. It’s a practical guide to setting rules, establishing boundaries and taking charge of your life. Honestly, it won’t really make you into a meanie, but it will help you make healthy choices about what you will and won’t do.
When you treat yourself well, you’ll be more willing and able to savor your life and serve your people. You’ll have a positive influence because you’ll feel better.
And that’s what you really want, isn’t it?
Generosity comes from sustaining yourself in order to take care of others.
DearKatie, I hope I’ve answered your question!!
And I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, my friendly blog reader.
Have a wonderful week, and I’ll see you back here on Monday with a tribute to someone who’s influence changed my life.
xoxo Pam
p.s. I saw this on Facebook this morning….
“Today, I will be the kind of woman who allows life to flow through her. All of the good and positive things will stay with me and the drama and negativity will just flow on out to the sea. So sayeth the Queen.”
Today is Monday and instead of posting the Inspirational song of the week, I’d like to post a tribute to one of my favorite performers of all time, Sir Paul McCartney!
Not long ago, my husband took me to his concert at Comerica Park in Detroit.
When we arrived, there was a storm threatening to come in and drench everyone, and in fact, we did get a few large drops, but not enough to soak us. The concert started about half an hour late, but nobody really seemed to mind. Everyone just seemed happy to be surrounded by fellow Beatles fans looking forward to seeing one of our long-time hero’s perform. The mood through-out the park was peaceful anticipation.
The sky held back the rain and instead offered up this spectacular cloud formation, reflecting the setting sun. (Although the pictures can’t really do justice to the feeling of that night, they’re a helpful reminder.)
It cast such a lovely pink glow over the entire concert. It reminded me of the Divine love from which we are all created.
I couldn’t have been happier if I were twins!
Sir Paul absolutely blew my mind with his energy and talent. He was completely engaged with us the entire time. This 69 year old man performed for 3 hours!!! He didn’t stop the whole night! He played two different piano’s and at least 3 different guitars. I lost track of how many songs he played, but I can remember singing along and crying most of the night. I was just overwhelmed with joy. Being there in person allowed me to fully experience the sensation of the Divine flowing through him. He didn’t hold anything back. He has been sharing his gifts with us for more than 50 years and for that I am eternally grateful! (Thanks especially to my darling husband Blake for taking me!! xoxo)
Here’s a little something to take with you as you go through your week, my friendly blog reader.
I hope you have a wonderful week!
I’ll be back later this week with a post about generosity.
Instead of doing the Inspirational word of the week, I’m doing a series based on the prayer from my Stretch…..”Stay open to the balance of energies and show patience for time to do it’s work. Embrace the place where life happens. By recognizing graciousness, kindness, generosity and bravery, we discover the power to create a better future is contained in the present moment.” This week, we’re looking at kindness.
I was walking last weekend, thinking about today’s post, when the memory of home-schooling Garrett came up.
I have to admit, home-schooling was very difficult. Even after discovering “the Boat” and trying to keep my attitude ‘adjusted appropriately’, I became very frustrated when my son didn’t learn as quickly as I thought he should. Although I had lots of curriculum for his grade, he didn’t show much interest in any of it. I tried to keep up with what he would be learning if he was still in ‘regular’ school in the States, but we quickly fell behind. It took me a while (too long, unfortunately) to realize that I was crushing my son’s spirit by pointing out everything he did wrong. (ugh!)
Neither one of us was enjoying school and I had to find a solution.
Thankfully I found Havi Brooks’ blog The Fluent Self and her Destuckification Station. (you can find it by clicking on the link. It’s an affiliate link so if you purchase it, I get a little something) Her e-book helped me to see our dilemma with fresh eyes. It pointed out that people learn better when they are being treated with kindness and respect. When I realized I had not been treating my son or myself with much kindness, it made me change my perspective.
What exactly was my most important goal? Did I want to teach him to read and write and do his multiplication tables, or did I want a happy family? Ultimately, I wanted a happy family. And I wanted to get back to Michigan still loving and respecting each other. I knew my son is a smart kid and would eventually learn to read and do his multiplication tables.
So I eased up on the school work and broke it up into smaller chunks of time.
We took a half-hour walk around our neighborhood every day before starting 2 hours of class work. Although we stuck to the basics, we only worked for no more than 20 minutes at a time before moving on to something else. Whew! That really helped!
I had him to take pictures with my camera and we made a scrapbook of all the cool stuff we saw. (We still have it and love to show it to anyone willing to look!!) Instead of sticking to the school books for curriculum, we bought the entire series of Captain Underpants comic books and he absolutely loved them! He finally looked forward to reading! I found an on-line website where he could play math games and we played a lot of Monopoly and Blackjack 21. When we went shopping, I had him help me figure out the best prices on stuff and he learned fractions from cutting up apples. He took tennis lessons from an instructor who only spoke Portuguese and he studied Portuguese with a wonderful lady in the neighborhood. We both enjoyed school a lot more when I gave up trying to do everything ‘right’.
Most importantly, I learned that in order to motivate my son, I had to start with kindness. Although he would do the work when I forced him to, his heart wasn’t in it, so the lessons wouldn’t stick.
When I let go of trying to teach ‘by the book’ and instead focused on doing what was best for Garrett, he blossomed!! We were both so much happier! Instead of dreading every day, we focused on enjoying our adventure together in Brasil.
So the lesson from this story is….
Kindness can be recognized when the desire to be helpful is greater than the desire to be right.
We both learned a lot that year. Ever since, I’ve really tried to be more kind with my son and myself. Even though he’s back in school, I’m still responsible for teaching him how to be a strong, healthy young man. He’s doing very well!
Speaking of teaching.
Jen Louden and Michelle Christensen are doing their Teach Now program again!! I took it last March and really got a ton out of it. In fact, I still have the recordings. It’s nice to go back and listen to them, especially when I’m preparing a You’re the Boat workshop. (I’ll be doing another one again very soon!! Stay tuned for details) If you’re interested in becoming more confident in your teaching, whether as a teacher or a parent, seriously consider taking this Teach Now program. You’ll be glad you did! You’ll find both Jen and Michelle to be very kind teachers with a passion for helping their students. Click this link here Teach Now to learn more about it! (BTW, this is an affiliate link, which means if you purchase it, I’ll get a little something)
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, my friendly blog reader.
Have a wonderful week and I’ll be back next Monday.
I’m considering taking a break from doing the Inspirational song of the week and instead finding the Inspirational person or group of the week.
Instead of doing the Inspirational word of the week, I’m doing a series based on the prayer from my Stretch…..”Stay open to the balance of energies and show patience for time to do it’s work. Embrace the place where life happens. By recognizing graciousness, kindness, generosity and bravery, we discover the power to create a better future is contained in the present moment.” This week, we’re looking at graciousness.
Gracious (adj) 1. pleasantly kind, benevolent and courteous. 2. merciful or compassionate. 3. considerate and accomodating.
During our walk around the lake this morning with my friends Mary and Claude, we got onto the subject of having people over for Christmas. Over the years, my husband and I have hosted many people over for the holidays. Especially when we’re living out of the country on project.
Take Christmas of 2008 for instance. We were living in Tatui, just outside of Sao Paulo while my husband helped build a new glass factory. There were a lot of people on this project, many of whom, like us, were away from home for the holiday. I can’t stand the thought of someone being alone at Christmas, so Blake and I decided to host Christmas dinner at our place.
Instead of doing all of the cooking myself, I asked for everyone to bring something to pass. We supplied home-made egg nog and a couple of other Christmas dinner staples, (apple pie, mashed potatos) but all the rest came from everyone else. We had 15 people come over to share in the festivities. Even though it was incredibly hot and humid (remember Brazil is in the southern hemisphere so the seasons are opposite) we all had fantastic time!
I remember being in the kitchen, stirring 2 different types of gravy, with the oven on to keep the meat warm, and there were 11 people in my kitchen, chatting, laughing and joking. It was super noisy and insanely hot!! Even though there was sweat pouring down my face and back, I absolutely loved it!!
When it was time to eat, we all sat in the outside kitchen area. We put a couple of tables together, end to end. Most of the plates and silverware were borrowed so we would have enough for everyone. We passed around all the different foods, from pork loin and turkey with gravy, green beans, and spaghetti with home-made pesto. There were even 4 different kinds of dessert! Since everyone had brought something to contribute, there was more than enough to eat. In fact, I tried to make sure everyone had a care package to take home. I even had help washing all the dishes and getting the plates and silverware back to their proper owners.
My point, my friendly blog reader, is the feeling that came from bringing everyone over to our house to celebrate Christmas was graciousness. My husband and I didn’t do it to make money (LOL, far from it). We did it because we wanted to share the holiday spirit. We wanted everyone to feel accepted, to feel like they had somewhere special to go and something to contribute. We all benefited and I’m sure none of us will ever forget that wonderful, noisy, HOT Christmas in Tatui.
Of course, not every day can be Christmas, but by recognizing that feeling of graciousness, we can feel that spirit in the every day things we do. Whether we’re hosting people in our home, or offering to help someone carry something to their car, or even just sitting down with our kids to talk about their day, that feeling of graciousness feeds our soul and makes the world a better place to live.
I recognize graciousness as the feeling of acceptance and appreciation in the giver as well as the receiver.
So what do you think, my friendly blog reader?
How do you recognize graciousness?
I’d love to know what you think. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!
Have a wonderful week and I’ll be back on Monday with the Inspirational song of the week.
xoxo Pam
p.s. Next week we’ll talk about kindness. How do you recognize it?
p.p.s. I’m still working on creating a new Stretch video. Thanks for your patience!
I was at the first General Assembly of the OccupyDetriot movement last Friday evening. My friend Heidi convinced me to go, and I can’t tell you how glad I am that she did. (Thanks Heidi xoxo) I was absolutely amazed and thrilled to see well over a thousand people gathered in Grand Circus Park. Although we saw a couple of mildly heated exchanges, the people around them were quick to dispel any violence. No one was screaming or cussing. There was no spitting or fighting.
Speak well of the movement. The demonstrators need your support, as well as your faith in their mission to make a difference in this country.
