Because you can when you take a situation and break it down into smaller steps until it’s do-able.
That’s the secret.
You, my friendly blog reader, have the power to be really, truly effective.
You can make a difference in your own life as well as the lives of the people around you, but you have to realize that’s what you want in the first place. To make a difference. Your energy and influence are always at your disposal. The only difference is whether you’re using them for doing the work, or pouring them down the drain of worry.
If you’re looking for an excuse to not do something, you’ll always find it. If you want to put the responsibility of fixing problems onto someone else’s shoulders, then you get to be the victim. That’s the power and purpose of overwhelm.
Look at politicians. They use the power of overwhelm all the time because they don’t want to change anything. “The system is broken. The Government is the problem” they tell us, They talk about how screwed up everything is and then distract us with even more problems when in reality, they’re the ones who broke the system in the first place in order to exploit it. They’ve got the upper hand because they stole it.
If you look at it all at once, this situation looks impossible.
So what can you do about it? Where’s the simplest place to start?
The first step toward change is to acknowledge the need to change in the first place.
What if the possibility existed that you could be effective? (Because it does and you can be)
What would make you feel better, right now, this very minute? Take a deep breath and clear your mind. Relax your shoulders, put your feet flat on the ground and take good long look around at where you are right now.
You’re already exactly where you need to be in order to be accountable for your actions.
You have the power to feel strong, calm and confident.
You’ve just got to realize that’s what you’ve been looking for. The power to feel strong, calm and confident comes from within you. It’s already there, just waiting for you to use it.
Instead of giving in to the feeling of overwhelm and futility, try doing something. Something simple but effective.
For instance, pick up the phone and with your voice strong, calm and confident, call your politicians.
Use your power to let them know what you want. Tell them what you want to see, what you expect from them and that you’re looking forward to holding them accountable when it comes time to vote.
See how that feels.
Nice, huh!?
Breathe and take the next step.
Maybe you’ll want to start volunteering in your community.Or whatever it is that helps you feel strong, calm and confident. Effective and powerful.
The power is yours when you take it.
What else could you do that would make you feel really, really good?
What does a brighter future look like in your life?
I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments below!
xoxo Pam
p.s. Next week we’ll talk about the power that comes from recognizing enjoyment.
p.p.s. I’m helping to pull together a Cash Mob for Willow Pointe in Ortonville. Although I had to convince the owner Grace that there are indeed ‘No strings attached.” I told her ” It’s just a chance for us to show our support and love for you and your business. Just be ready for us and be willing to accept our love and money. It’s something different, but it’s guaranteed to be fun”. We have 19 people signed up so far! The after-glow party is at MacPhee’s pub. We get to sit around and chat about how much fun it was and where we want to ‘Mob’ next. Come join in the fun if you can!!
We’re taking baby steps to fix the economy. Starting from right where we are. It’s do-able.
Posted 2 months, 1 week ago at 3:50 pm. Add a comment
This song came on my iPod the other day as I was taking my walk around the lake with my Chocolate lab, Tootsie Roll.
I was carried away by the beat and the passion in the singers voice. Even though I don’t understand many of the words, (vamos a bailar means ‘let’s dance’, but that’s about all I know) the song put a spring in my step, a kick in my knickers and a boogie in my bunda!!
Thanks to this song my daily walk took on a whole new flavor and Boy was it spicy!!
My friendly blog reader, what song do you like to play to get you moving?
I’d love to read it in the comments below!!
Have a wonderful week.
Later this week I’ll write the next step in the Build your Confidence series…Recognize enjoyment, Please!
Posted 2 months, 2 weeks ago at 4:26 pm. Add a comment
*Hello, my friendly blog reader!! Instead of writing the Inspirational word of the week, I’m writing about the Build your confidence series. The past two weeks I’ve written about the first two steps, 1. Desire a sense of possibility. And 2. Encourage compassion and accountability. You can click the links to read about them. Today we move on to the third step.*
Promote motivation, communication and education. (photo credit Google images)
Motivation (noun) providing an incentive to act.
Communication (noun) exchange of ideas, information, or feelings.
Education (noun) acquiring knowledge, developing the power to reason and preparing oneself for life.
The other day I was talking with a lady-friend about her frustration with her 17 year old daughter. They’re not getting along well (to say the least) and although both of them hate the situation, neither of them knows how to change it.
Unfortunately, this is not an unusual case. I’ve been there (although not with a 17 year old) and I’m sure you probably have at one time or another, as well! Many people live in situations where they’re terribly unhappy, but feel stuck and unable to change it. Although I’m not a religious person, I consider this Hell on Earth. To have the energy of life but not the ability or confidence to direct that energy in the ‘right’ direction.
This third step of the Build your confidence series directly relates to where you energy needs to be focused in order to get beyond the stuck pattern of frustration, anxiety and worry.
When we aim our energy toward motivating ourselves and the other people around us, we create an up-lifting feeling, and a healthy mood. One that encourages and supports a healthy spirit, instead of crushing it.
By communicating our best intentions and educating ourselves (and others) about what kind of life we hope to create, we create a path toward a happier, more fulfilling life.
Do you know what motivates you? Have you even thought about it? Do the people around you know what your best intentions are? What motivates them? (here’s a link to Dan Pink’s fascinating book Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. I HIGHLY recommend it!!)
I can’t tell you what motivates you. That’s not my place. (It’s Dan’s)
What I can do is tell you what motivates me.
Photo credit Brenda Timmermans
I want to use my energy to help people focus on the full enjoyment of all things. In order to do that, I write this blog, volunteer in my community, work with the Welcome Wagon, read Oracle cards, spend time with my lady-friends and walk 4 miles every day, smiling and waving to people on my trip around the lake. I aim to cultivate a healthy, happy home life so that my wonderful son will grow up to believe that he can have one as well. I enjoy my life and hope that in so doing, other people will see that it’s possible and be inspired to enjoy theirs as well.
“I believe in supreme gentleness, agenda-less curiosity, outrageous self-expression, and, most of all, that walking the path of kindness is the ultimate expression of intelligence. I believe in an open heart.
The power of kindness can give us the world we dream of living in. Much more than being “nice,” kindness is a skillful means of the highest order. To be truly kind, we have to be truly aware. We have to be able to see clearly. Then we can change the world.”
I’ve been following Susan Piver’s Open Heart Project for a few months now. Susan has helped me to ease into a regular meditation practice (although to be completely honest, I still have to really push myself to do the work of sitting still). Although it may sound counter-productive, I’ve actually become more productive since I’ve started sitting still more often, doing less and meditating. Giving myself time to truly relax my body and get centered has brought more clarity to my mind, which enables me to use my energy more wisely. Instead of freaking out because I have so much to do, meditating has allowed my brain and body a chance to ‘de-frag’ and get organized in order to become more efficient.
If you’re looking for something to help you feel more clear and concise with your thoughts and actions, take a moment to look at this video and then consider signing up for Susan’s Open Heart Project. It would be a gift to yourself, your life, as well as the people around you.
I do hope you enjoy this, my friendly blog reader!
I’ll be back later this week with the third step in the Build your Confidence series, promote motivation, communication and education.
Have a wonderful week!
xoxo Pam
Posted 2 months, 2 weeks ago at 6:41 am. Add a comment
The next step in the Build your Confidence series is to Encourage compassion and accountability.
Compassion is a feeling of deep sympathy, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate suffering.
Accountability is to be responsible and answerable for your actions.
As always, the Universe is always trying to help me understand the lessons I most need to learn. This week, the lessons were all about practicing what I preach and encouraging compassion and accountability. I decided to adjust my posting schedule to Wednesdays and Fridays in order to accomodate my new work schedule. I did this because I was feeling overwhelmed and stressed out by trying to stick to the original Monday and Wednesday schedule.
Photo credit Google images
During the week, I thought to myself, “What possibility exists in this situation? “ To which I answered. “The possiblity exists that I can write my blog posts without feeling overwhelmed and stressed out.” Then I asked myself“What do I really want the most?” I answered,“Well, I want to write this Build your Confidence series to help my people (and myself) to feel better, stronger and more effective.My ultimate desire is to have a lasting, positive influence.” By simply changing the posting days, I’m now able to focus on taking care of my responsibilities during the week, and still finding enough time to create fun, helpful blog posts.
When I’m exhausted and frustrated, I start making excuses and doubting my ability to be effective. Something needs to change, and the only thing I truly have the ability to change is myself. I need to remember to be compassionate with myself, treat myself well, eat healthy, get exercise and plenty of sleep. Only then, when I’ve given myself enough time to take care of myself and my responsibilities, do I feel confident and more willing to serve my Captain and Crew. The truth is, I’m more confident because I AM more effective when I’m well-rested, well fed and exercised. We all are.
For example, I was cooking chicken breasts this past week. I couldn’t fit them all in the pan at once, so I cooked 3 and then set them aside to cook the other two. Once I was all done cooking, I went to cut into the meat and noticed that since they had been allowed to rest, the chicken breasts were very juicy and tender. Delish!
Photo credit by Kevin L. Williams and Lin Workman
God created us as a gift to the world, to help make the world a better place. We honor that gift by treating ourselves and others well. And by holding ourselves accountable, we enable to Universe to work through us, to help serve humanity.
So, whenever we take a moment to savor our lives, rest and recuperate, it’s a miracle.
Whenever we choose to get up and exercise instead of laying in front of the television, it’s a miracle.
Whenever we reach out to help someone else just because we can, it’s a miracle.
Whenever we adjust our schedule so that we can create something fun and beautiful, it’s a miracle.
It’s not up to me to tell God how to make the miracles happen, just to recognize them when they do.
What do you think, my friendly blog reader?
How does compassion and accountability help you feel more confident?
I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments below!
xoxo Pam
p.s. I’ve had 2 people book Magic Wand classes this week!! Looks like March is getting filled up already! Feel free to contact me if you’re in the South-East Michigan area and interested in taking a class!!
p.p.s. I’m also looking for vendors for our CreekFest and BB&E events here in Ortonville, starting in June. If you, or someone you know makes stuff and would like to sell it at this event, please contact me at pambelding at g mail dot com.
Posted 2 months, 3 weeks ago at 3:45 pm. 4 comments
Oh my heavens!! I just LOVE this song!! It always lifts my spirits and puts me into a good mood!
After my nasty headache last week, I needed a song to help remind me of how incredibly lucky I am. This song does the trick every single time!!
I was a big John Denver fan growing up, especially once I found out we shared the same birth date (February 3rd). His song “Sunshine ” will always hold a very special place in my heart. (Thanks for everything! I miss you John, xoxo)
It’s funny how this week’s post for the “Build your Confidence” series is going to be about promoting compassion and accountability. Right now, I really need to practice what I preach!
Because of my new work schedule, I’m going to have to adjust my posting schedule in order to make it fit better into my life.
Instead of Monday for the song of the week, I’ll be posting it on Wednesday.
For the Build your Confidence series or Inspirational word of the week , it’s going to be closer to Friday or Saturday.
Instead of writing the Inspirational word of the week, I will attempt to write about the first step toward building confidence.
It’s been rough week for me, my friendly blog reader. My husband was gone for a few days. My son had an unexpected snow day on Thursday. I worked a LOT and finished up the week with a stress/hormone induced migraine. I’ve had the headache for 3 days now. (The Universe is teaching me a lesson in humility, in order to give this post more truth and flavor. I appreciate it but Geez! ) Writing this post is a challenge, but that’s really what this whole “Building Your Confidence” series is about, how to face challenges.
I came up with this list a couple of winters ago when my darling husband was headed off to live in Israel for four months while my son and I stayed home in Michigan. The first week he was gone, I sat down and with a great deal of help from my Captain, wrote this list to help me stay focused on getting through the next 4 months.
Desire a sense of possibility.
Encourage compassion and accountability.
Promote motivation, communication and education.
Make it simple and small until it’s do-able.
Recognize enjoyment.
Get a rhythm.
Instead of letting the daily fears and doubts pull me off track, this list has helped give me a healthy way to direct my energies. Every day I see this list taped up over my desk as a reminder that a good life is a process, not a state of being. It’s a direction not a destination. Building confidence takes time and dedication. How I focus my energies every single day will eventually create my life. It’s up to me to decide what I really want and then go get it.
“Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you’re going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus.” Oprah Winfrey
The first step starts with desire. Desire doesn’t sit in a corner waiting to be noticed. Like a hungry cat rubbing on your legs, desire gets noticed, Dammit!! Desire is consistent and persistent, a perfect platform upon which to build confidence. Whenever you feel you like your losing your confidence, come back to your desire. It’s the key to opening yourself up to the possibility of success.
What is it that you really, really want most of all?…….
You might be afraid to name it, for fear of being dissappointed.
Yeah, I get that. Truth it, that’s just your ego talking.
Your real true self wants you to be happy, peaceful and successful. Not fearful, frustrated and cynical. Try letting go of the fear, just for a moment.
Seriously, take a full minute and just do it…..let it go……
Open yourself up to desire a sense of the possiblity that you, YES YOU, can be happy peaceful and successful.
Although your ego will struggle at first, your true self will get stronger the more you open yourself up to its guidance.
Being confident doesn’t mean you’re never afraid. (hardly!) Confidence comes from the realization that there is a possibility to succeed.That sense of possibility changes your attitude from hope-less to hope-full. Steer into that hope-full desire as you lean toward the possibility for success. You don’t have to know exactly how it’s all going to work out. Life would be boring if you did.
Think about it. How often do you want to play tic-tac-toe? Unless your 4 years old, you’ve probably given up on it because it’s too easy. It’s boring.
Well, the Universe has given you the biggest, most fun puzzle of all time, your life!
So think about it, my friendly blog reader?
What do you want most of all?
I would LOVE to read your thoughts in the comments below
I’ll be back next week with the next step……encourage compassion and accountability.
xoxo Pam
p.s. Just ‘cuz I don’t know now, doesn’t mean I won’t know then….Just ‘cuz I don’t know how, doesn’t mean I won’t know when.
by Whitney Houston is the Inspirational song of the week.
Of course, by now you’ve heard of Whitney Houston’s passing. As I grew up listening to her music in the 80’s, I always marvelled at her power and presence. You could tell she never held anything back! I still really admire that!
I’ve always loved Whitney’s version of this song. Of course, Dolly Parton wrote it and sang it beautifully too, but Whitney brought real strength and passion to it. Every time I hear it, I get the goose bumps.
She had such an incredible talent. It was heart-breaking to see her succumb to drug addiction.
Like a firework exploding in the night sky, she was brilliant and then she was gone.
Rest in Peace, Whitney Houston.
Pam
p.s. Instead of writing about the Inspirational word of the week, I’m considering writing about the Build your Confidence class. Tune in later this week for the first step…..
Offer: (verb) 1. to give, make or promise 2. to present for acceptance or rejection 3. to propose for consideration 4. to present something as an act of worship or devotion. (noun) 1. a proposal or bid.
Oh my goodness, I’ve been very busy lately, my friendly blog reader!
When I accepted this job a couple of weeks ago, I knew it would offer me a chance to make money (which is a fantastic thing!!) and to have a lasting positive influence on my community. Although I realized this position would be a Stretch for me, I knew I was on the right track was when I read the mission of Welcome Wagon is…
“To help people find their way.”
That clinched it.
I’ve always considered myself the welcome wagon. Since I’ve moved something like 19 times, I know what itfeels like to be the new kid on the block. I know how good it feels to have someone reach out and offer help and guidance, to light the way and embrace you with open arms. So whenever we’re living out of the country, we invite everyone (at least the ex-patriates) on project to our place for holidays, or even just hanging out on Friday night. Whenever I see new neighbors, I always make a point to stop in and introduce myself and welcome then to the neighborhood, no matter what country I’m in. That’s graciousness.
When I accepted this job, I knew it offered not only money and influence, but also challenges.
For instance….
In order to get everything done at home and at work, I’ve had to really focus on and prioritize my time. The major housework (like vacuuming and dusting) has taken a back seat, and so has reading and commenting on other blogs. I’ll have to find some time over the weekend to make time for cleaning and social-media. The really good news is that my darling husband and wonderful son are offering to help out more now since I’m working. That’s kindness.
Since I needed new clothes for work, my lady-friend Molly (pictured on the left) offered to take me shopping and even helped me figure out what all I needed to build a career wardrobe. We spent 3 hours at the resale shop in Rochester! And since it was my birthday the day before, she even bought me lunch at the Rochester Mill! We had an absolute blast and I can’t thank her enough for her time and patience!! (Love you, Molly xoxooxxo !!) That’s generosity.
On Saturday evening, my Support Ho’s were kind enough to pull together a birthday celebration for me, complete with offerings of chocolate cake and presents!!! I’m such an incredibly blessed lady!!
As I’m learning my new job responsibilities, I’ve promised myself NOT to get mad, criticize or call myself names when I make a mistake. I’ve never done anything like direct marketing before, so it’s all new to me. Fortunately, my boss Lisa and new co-worker Barb are both very good at offering kudos and atta-girls, so that helps a lot. This new job is offering all of us a chance to stretch out and expand our horizons. Although we’re struggling, it’s in a good, growing way. That’s bravery.
Most importantly, in order for anything worthwhile to be truly meaningful, the offer of it has to be accepted and appreciated.
That’s where life happens.
So, what do you think, my friendly blog reader?
Have you had any offers lately?
What are you offering?
I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments below!
xoxo
Pam
Posted 3 months, 1 week ago at 3:56 pm. 2 comments
Again, I would LOVE to know what Light song you would suggest in the comments below!
I’ll be back later this week with the Inspirational word of the week!
Have a great week!
xoxo Pam
p.s. As an added bonus this week, I’ve been lucky enough to have Tina Robbins of Open Roads Coaching invite me to be a part of her self-love series. You can read my offering here http://openroadscoaching.com/how-becoming-a-mother-taught-me-to-love-myself.
Posted 3 months, 1 week ago at 7:54 pm. Add a comment
It’s easy to get overwhelmed. That’s no secret.
You can make a difference in your own life as well as the lives of the people around you, but you have to realize that’s what you want in the first place. To make a difference. Your energy and influence are always at your disposal. The only difference is whether you’re using them for doing the work, or pouring them down the drain of worry.
If you look at it all at once, this situation looks impossible.
You’ve just got to realize that’s what you’ve been looking for. The power to feel strong, calm and confident comes from within you. It’s already there, just waiting for you to use it.
See how that feels.
