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Category: Inspiration

Desiderata

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Copyright © 1927 Max Ehrmann

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

A Guide to Address Harassment

A Guide to Address Harassment

Hand holding seedlingI try to keep my postings apolitical, because I respect everyone’s choice. But I’m concerned about the increased incidence of overt bullying, verbal and racist attacks that have been taking place in the U.S. since the beginning of this presidential election cycle.

These issues have been in the shadows (barely) for a long time, but now some people feel encouraged to act out in hateful ways. These problems have always bothered me, and now I see them becoming more common. Unfortunately, there have also been protesters against the election results who have acted in ways similar to the very ideas they stand against.

I believe that now that the bigotry and hate are out in the open, they can be addressed by standing up against them. Only when we stand back and keep silent can they thrive. In the past 50 years, we’ve made great progress against prejudice and bullying. We can continue that progress if we choose to be part of the solution and stand up to the problem. “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

If you encounter someone being harassed, there’s a great cartoon that explains how to respond. This is one way you can help. The cartoon was designed to assist against Islamaphobic harassment, but it can be used in any situation. It’s based on a psychological technique and is very effective. You can watch a video describing it and showing what to do, and read the original cartoon that inspired the video. Watch A Guide for What to Do When You See Islamophobia.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Giving Thanks for a Nail in a Tire

Giving Thanks for a Nail in a Tire

Road to SuccessIn the U.S., we just had our Thanksgiving holiday. As the name suggests, it’s a time for us to be thankful for our blessings. And just in time for it, I had an experience that brought forth a lot of gratitude. I discovered I had a nail in the sidewall of my tire. So why should I be thankful for that? Well, everything worked together to ensure I didn’t have a flat tire from it.

Apparently, I’d driven 200 miles with it in my tire, and it didn’t go flat while I was on the lonely stretch of highway between Phoenix and N. Arizona. My husband discovered my tire pressure was very low during his monthly car fluid and tire check, postponed from the week before. Unfortunately, the nail was in the sidewall. The tire couldn’t be fixed and I needed a new one.

Since it was getting close to my needing to get 4 new tires, I went ahead, got a quote for all of them and ordered them. It turned out they were going to cost considerably less than I expected. When I had them installed, the garage had instituted a new system, which charged me a lot more than the quote. But because I’d gotten the quote with the old system, they honored it.

I had a lot to be grateful for. The timing of everything worked to my advantage. I didn’t get a flat, it was discovered the day before I was heading down to Phoenix again, and because I bought them now, I saved money on the tires.

Even when you have something challenging happen, you can find something good in it if you look. What blessing can you find in your current challenge?

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Quotes by Wayne Dyer in Tribute

Quotes by Wayne Dyer in Tribute

Sun RaysWayne Dyer, author and motivational speaker, passed away recently. He was a pioneer in the self-help industry publishing the best seller, Your Erroneous Zones, in the mid-70’s. It launched him into the national limelight and he went on to become a leader in the spiritual field. He transformed millions of lives by giving them the direction of how to improve. To honor him, here are some of his quotes to help you live up to your potential.

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.”

“When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.”

“Self-worth comes from one thing: Thinking that you are worthy.”

“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.”

“Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.”

“If you believe it will work out, you’ll see opportunities. If you believe it won’t you will see obstacles.”

“With everything that has happened to you, you can feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.”

“You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.”

“The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of the state of your mind.”

“If we focus on what’s ugly, we attract more ugliness into our thoughts, and then into our emotions, and ultimately into our lives.”

“When you abandon making choices, you enter the vast world of excuses.”

“You get treated in life the way you teach people to treat you.”

“Begin with the end in mind. Start with the end outcome and work backwards to make your dream possible.”

“A belief system is nothing more than a thought you’ve thought over and over again.”

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Are We Losing Our Ability to Concentrate?

Are We Losing Our Ability to Concentrate?

According to Daniel Goleman’s book, Concentrating on Chess GameFocus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, due to our obsession with multitasking, the internet, social media and cell phones, we’re losing our ability to concentrate. When we constantly check our email, read tweets, or play an online game, we get a jolt of adrenaline. It feels good every time we do and it lights up our brain’s reward circuits. We can’t stay focused on one thing too long or we get itchy for another rush. But it also undermines the ability to focus for any length of time.

Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence also says that the good news is that within a short time of slowing down and not jumping from one thing to another, we regain the ability to pay attention. Our focus and concentration improves within a couple of weeks. When we run from one activity to another, we train ourselves to do more of it. We’re training ourselves to be ADD. But the same is true when we let go of the obsessive need for stimulation. As we break the addiction, we train our minds to focus for longer periods of time.

To accomplish more, reduce stress, and be calmer, we need to reduce the number of times we check our email or cell phone. Within a couple of weeks, notice the difference. We’ll get more done, be healthier, feel better and be able to focus on a chess game or reading a book.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Enjoy the Journey

Enjoy the Journey

Jeff and I recently visited the Grand Canyon again. We try to get up there at least once a year. The past couple of times, it’s been windy when we first got there, but died down in the afternoon. This time, it was windy when we got there and just increased during the afternoon.
Grand Canyon Rim Trail
We walked along the Rim Trail, and out onto a couple of the points that jut into the Canyon. In the late afternoon, the wind was blowing a gale. Once, I had to stop walking and crouch down because the wind would have blown me down if I hadn’t. Jeff grabbed the handle on my pack and steadied me as we continued.
Linda-Ann Stewart at a windy Grand Canyon
We had to be careful not to get too close to the edge without bracing ourselves, because a sudden gust of wind could have caused us to lose our balance and fall. And it’s a long way down.
Grand Canyon Rim Trail
I realized it’s like life. You can coast along with calm breezes, then have gale winds buffet you, trying to push you off course. Sometimes, you have to hunker down until they pass. And sometimes, you need some help to ground you and keep you on track.
Grand Canyon Rim Trail
But no matter what the winds, you can enjoy the scenery and recognize that the challenge is a temporary situation. In another day, the weather can be completely different. Your choice is whether to complain about the conditions, or adjust to them and enjoy the journey.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Free MP3 to get you unstuck

Free MP3 to get you unstuck

I’m excited to announce a free audio that I’ve created. If you’re stuck, stalled, immobilized, bogged down, or sabotaging keyyourself, this 35 minute audio gives you direction on how to blast out of your rut.

You can have the success and abundance in your personal and professional life that you want. You’re creating your life every day by the things that you think, say and do. When you begin to change them, your life reflects that change.

In this MP3 recording, I describe the 6 keys I developed to get my life on track again after a devastating relationship shattered me. They also helped me locate my first office and start my hypnotherapy, mentoring and coaching business 23 years ago. These are the ones I’ve used to help my clients achieve their goals. They can do the same for you.

In “Keys to Recreating Your Life: Shatter Your Barriers to Success and Abundance” MP3, you’ll also learn the 5 steps I took to break through and break free. You can use these 5 simple steps to propel yourself forward and get moving again.

Following these 5 steps will put you ahead of 95% of the population and greatly increase your chances of success. They also include a step that will greatly accelerate your progress.

To receive this FREE MP3 recording, go to “Keys to Recreating Your Life.”

Isn’t it time for you to open up to greater success and abundance? My wish for you is that you breakthrough, break free and live the life of your dreams.

Do You Want To Avoid Being Miserable? Here Are Habits To Avoid.

Do You Want To Avoid Being Miserable? Here Are Habits To Avoid.

In the article, 14 Habits of Highly Miserable People, author Cloe Madanes explores the ways in which people can hone their skills in this area. She starts with “Be afraid, be very afraid of economic loss,” and ends with “Be critical.”

With each habit, she includes an exercise to develop the unhappiness that goes with it. I found the habits and exercises illuminating. It illumines how a person can make their life unsatisfying without even being aware of it.

She also describes the benefits of being miserable. You wouldn’t think there would be an upside to this, but there always is or it wouldn’t be worth it. Only when someone reaches a point where the benefits no longer outweigh the detriments will they begin to change.

Although this is written in a tongue-in-cheek style, it’s a great commentary on how to avoid being happy. Even though it’s about being miserable, it’s also enlightening on what not to do in your life. If you want to have a happy and fulfilled life, these are habits you should avoid.

Read the article, and see if you spot any of your habits in her list. If you do, you might want to think about changing them.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

If you think you are beaten, you are….

If you think you are beaten, you are….

I love this poem, and wanted to share it.

Success and Failure Road Sign with dramatic clouds and sky.

“If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you’d like to win, but think you can’t
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost,
For out in the world we find
Success being with a fellow’s will;
It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you’re outclassed, you are:
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the one who thinks he can.”

~ Walter D. Wintle