Friday, January 6, 2012
Free your mind and let it all out..
Most of us, myself included, often try to suppress feelings of frustration, anger, or a bad mood – hoping that if we can just ignore it long enough, it will go away, it will get better, or we’ll at least get through the day. The unfortunate truth is that we have to PURGE all those negative feelings out of us – keeping them in is like drinking poison – it is toxic to the natural state of well-being.
Every once in a while to just let it all out and SCREAM! Of course you have to make sure you are all alone or people could think you're crazy. Pressures in life seem to build at times in our lives and we all need to let off steam or else explode or worse implode and break down or lose control .After a particularly trying day, I just let out a SCREAM! That scream set me free from 'insanity'
It sucks.
When you are feeling uneasy, apprehensive, frustrated, anxious, uncomfortable, victimized, and resentful or ANY other negative feeling, it is absolutely, positively NECESSARY for YOU to get those feelings OUT! …Out of your head, off your heart and out of your thoughts! And no, I am not just talking about venting when something upsets you.
The best way I have ever found to do this is to write Angry Rants. Good Angry Rants can be A LOT of writing, but it’s just writing, and it’s the only way to get it out of YOU, where it can’t hurt you anymore, and allow your mind the space and peace to receive the good feelings and thoughts you deserve!
What a relief unloading all the pent up feelings and emotional garbage.
“What people in the world think of you is really none of your business.” ― Martha Graham
Monday, December 26, 2011
Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...
Nine years ago I lived through a nightmare that I thought would surely break me. I became a single mum. Strength is what gets you through the other side...Courage is what it takes to take a stand.
Smile. Today would be a wonderful day not to take life so seriously. Today may end up the way you prefer - and it may not. Happiness is not about being a winner - it's about being gentle with life - being gentle with yourself. Let life be a dance, and choose the kind of dance you want for today - perhaps a gentle loving dance. - Jonathan Lockwood Huie
I have learned that sometimes, no matter how much it hurts, you have to stand up for yourself. You have to trust in your heart, have faith, and know that while the eventual outcome is still a big, fat, scary mystery, in the end everything will be OK. I've learned a lot about myself. The good AND the bad. And the bad is never any fun to face, and incredibly humbling to admit. But once you do it, it can change your life. As the old year ends and new year nears, now is the time everyone starts to make plans. Resolutions. Goals. And for 2012, I have just one.
LIVE.
Live my life to the fullest every day. Enjoy every second of my life. Do not look back. Do not wallow or fret. No envy or pity. Know that everyday that I face brings adventure if only I will seek it, thus I will meet it head on with a smile on my face. Just LIVE. For so far in my life, not much has gone the way I have planned it, but somehow it still always seems to turn out OK. And while the immediate rough times are certainly not over, I am still truly and wildly blessed, and I have faith that while I might not be where I had hoped right now, I am on a greater path to end up where I am meant to be. I will never take this beautiful life for granted.
Smile. Today would be a wonderful day not to take life so seriously. Today may end up the way you prefer - and it may not. Happiness is not about being a winner - it's about being gentle with life - being gentle with yourself. Let life be a dance, and choose the kind of dance you want for today - perhaps a gentle loving dance. - Jonathan Lockwood Huie
I have learned that sometimes, no matter how much it hurts, you have to stand up for yourself. You have to trust in your heart, have faith, and know that while the eventual outcome is still a big, fat, scary mystery, in the end everything will be OK. I've learned a lot about myself. The good AND the bad. And the bad is never any fun to face, and incredibly humbling to admit. But once you do it, it can change your life. As the old year ends and new year nears, now is the time everyone starts to make plans. Resolutions. Goals. And for 2012, I have just one.
LIVE.
Live my life to the fullest every day. Enjoy every second of my life. Do not look back. Do not wallow or fret. No envy or pity. Know that everyday that I face brings adventure if only I will seek it, thus I will meet it head on with a smile on my face. Just LIVE. For so far in my life, not much has gone the way I have planned it, but somehow it still always seems to turn out OK. And while the immediate rough times are certainly not over, I am still truly and wildly blessed, and I have faith that while I might not be where I had hoped right now, I am on a greater path to end up where I am meant to be. I will never take this beautiful life for granted.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
The timetable
After becoming responsible for the timetable I was concerned that I would struggle to complete a timetable for a school of 2000+ students and a staff of over 150 with some facilities and staff shared with between the morning and afternoon session and the complicated structure of the school curriculum.
Having built up the database, armed with the program and with a little bit of guide from the wizard helpline I completed the timetable in a relatively short space of time once final staffing was confirmed. One year I had to produce four unique school timetables and if it was not for the ease of use of Winjaws and the power of the software there would have been embarrassment. The software has been invaluable ...particularly useful at times when timetable changes are necessary due to staff changes, or rotation of electives.
It just gives me pleasure and satisfaction to know I gave a hundred per cent and did my best. Yes, feeling a sense achievement is a very powerful motivator to keep us going in every chapter of our life.
Educational administrators everywhere will attest to just how difficult it is to solve the perennial problem of school timetabling: How to ensure adequate teaching resources and teachers are available in the appropriate classrooms with the appropriate students. Indeed, mathematicians have proved the school timetabling problem to be hard. Hence the educators' perennial headache. Until now, solving the school timetabling problem was done manually, or at best with the help of a spreadsheet program. Typically, a manual solution requires expert attention and can take many weeks for large schools. Moreover, because of the problem complexity, planners are not always able to take the best decisions, building schedules that are inconsistent with teaching requirements and do not satisfy all teachers' needs.
I spent the past few days untying knots and went to school spent a few hours in my room printing the fruits of my labor. The teachers’, the classes, the analysis, the master table for classes and teachers all have to be ready for distribution and inspection by visitors from the state department. I don't feel any different, other than an utter and complete sense of RELIEF that the work is DONE!
For the first time this coming semester I feel unburdened. I feel on top of things. I just want to take a little mid-week break and do nothing but go for yoga classes, read my chemistry notes. Nothing but the immediate and necessary tasks, in other words. (Hey, yoga is immediate and necessary!). I ll work on lesson plans for next semester, all of which is untaxing, soothing, and full of hope for the future. And this is why I got into this profession (well, one of the reasons, "because my work fascinates me" and "it suits my talents")
Having built up the database, armed with the program and with a little bit of guide from the wizard helpline I completed the timetable in a relatively short space of time once final staffing was confirmed. One year I had to produce four unique school timetables and if it was not for the ease of use of Winjaws and the power of the software there would have been embarrassment. The software has been invaluable ...particularly useful at times when timetable changes are necessary due to staff changes, or rotation of electives.
It just gives me pleasure and satisfaction to know I gave a hundred per cent and did my best. Yes, feeling a sense achievement is a very powerful motivator to keep us going in every chapter of our life.
Educational administrators everywhere will attest to just how difficult it is to solve the perennial problem of school timetabling: How to ensure adequate teaching resources and teachers are available in the appropriate classrooms with the appropriate students. Indeed, mathematicians have proved the school timetabling problem to be hard. Hence the educators' perennial headache. Until now, solving the school timetabling problem was done manually, or at best with the help of a spreadsheet program. Typically, a manual solution requires expert attention and can take many weeks for large schools. Moreover, because of the problem complexity, planners are not always able to take the best decisions, building schedules that are inconsistent with teaching requirements and do not satisfy all teachers' needs.
I spent the past few days untying knots and went to school spent a few hours in my room printing the fruits of my labor. The teachers’, the classes, the analysis, the master table for classes and teachers all have to be ready for distribution and inspection by visitors from the state department. I don't feel any different, other than an utter and complete sense of RELIEF that the work is DONE!
For the first time this coming semester I feel unburdened. I feel on top of things. I just want to take a little mid-week break and do nothing but go for yoga classes, read my chemistry notes. Nothing but the immediate and necessary tasks, in other words. (Hey, yoga is immediate and necessary!). I ll work on lesson plans for next semester, all of which is untaxing, soothing, and full of hope for the future. And this is why I got into this profession (well, one of the reasons, "because my work fascinates me" and "it suits my talents")
Monday, December 19, 2011
Sharing Christmas Cheer
What an awesome, blessed and Merry Christmas party it was this year for the children. As cheesy as it sounds, deck the freakin’ halls. Christmas decorations always provide some movement of the spirit. We listened to Christmas carols from the praise team. I am all for Christmas songs! It helps to get attendees in the spirit of Christmas. But what made the occasion most memorable was the very talented clown who is actually a pastor. Besides juggling acts and quick performances with tiny musical instruments, the clown kept the children in the "pink" with lots of giggling and sharing. He also shared a message and ended up with many artistic pieces which he created with his bags of balloons. I felt good to be there and did my small part in charge of registration and gift exchange. 
Saturday, December 10, 2011
There's always a warm glow in the air whenever Christmas season comes around. The radio starts playing our favorite holiday hits, everyone is in a merry spirit and looking forward to time off from work to relax and enjoy time with loved ones. This joyful Christmas spirit starts early December and usually lasts until a week and a half into the month before people transform into mass crazed shoppers bent on endless and senseless trips to the mall. While Christmas is my all time favorite holiday I despise the materialism and "gimmee" spirit that abounds.
Think about the people on your list and what would be meaningful to them and try to give something that will show them that you care. Give gifts from the heart that your recipients will love and in turn will bring you a personal sense of fulfillment.
Listed below gifts that do not cost a cent(author unknown).
THE GIFT OF LISTENING...
But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.
THE GIFT OF AFFECTION...
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back, and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.
THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER...
Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."
THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE...
It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.
THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT...
A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job," or "That was a wonderful meal"can make someone's day.
THE GIFT OF A FAVOR...
Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.
THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE...
There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.
THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION...
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone. Really, it's not that hard to say, "Hello" or "Thank You".
Think about the people on your list and what would be meaningful to them and try to give something that will show them that you care. Give gifts from the heart that your recipients will love and in turn will bring you a personal sense of fulfillment.
Listed below gifts that do not cost a cent(author unknown).
THE GIFT OF LISTENING...
But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.
THE GIFT OF AFFECTION...
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back, and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.
THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER...
Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."
THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE...
It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.
THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT...
A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job," or "That was a wonderful meal"can make someone's day.
THE GIFT OF A FAVOR...
Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.
THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE...
There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.
THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION...
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone. Really, it's not that hard to say, "Hello" or "Thank You".
Friday, November 25, 2011
Letting go is scary. It’s a free fall, an act of surrender. It’s releasing ways of being and things you thought were important, and then being okay with the fact that they’re gone.
It takes courage to look at your life and say, this is a helluva pickle I’m in and I need to lighten my load —my emotional load, whatever kind of load it is — so I can deal with the reality at hand. Just as tears are a doorway to the future, so, too, is letting go. When you let go you take an active role in shaping your life because you are taking responsibility not only for an immediate change but also for whatever comes after.
We’re not used to letting go. We’re used to hanging on for dear life. We hang on for lots of reasons: because something is familiar; because the past is a known commodity and the future is a question mark; because we lack imagination and can’t conceive of a future better than the past we’ve had.
We hang on because we’ve been taught that persistence is good and we should never give up. Or we’re simply afraid of the free fall, afraid of coming alive as ourselves. But if you don’t let go of who and what you once were, you won’t be available to become whoever and whatever this crisis is inviting you to become.
Letting go isn’t blocking memories or thinking sad thoughts, and doesn’t leave emptiness, hurt, or sadness. It’s not about giving in or giving up. Letting go isn’t about loss and it’s not about defeat. To let go is to cherish the memories, but to overcome and move on. It is having an open mind confidence in the future.
Letting go means acknowledging that this piece of your life, this relationship, this way of doing things has served its purpose and so it is time to let go of it completely.
Letting go is best expressed in the oft-quoted prayer: "Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference
It takes courage to look at your life and say, this is a helluva pickle I’m in and I need to lighten my load —my emotional load, whatever kind of load it is — so I can deal with the reality at hand. Just as tears are a doorway to the future, so, too, is letting go. When you let go you take an active role in shaping your life because you are taking responsibility not only for an immediate change but also for whatever comes after.
We’re not used to letting go. We’re used to hanging on for dear life. We hang on for lots of reasons: because something is familiar; because the past is a known commodity and the future is a question mark; because we lack imagination and can’t conceive of a future better than the past we’ve had.
We hang on because we’ve been taught that persistence is good and we should never give up. Or we’re simply afraid of the free fall, afraid of coming alive as ourselves. But if you don’t let go of who and what you once were, you won’t be available to become whoever and whatever this crisis is inviting you to become.
Letting go isn’t blocking memories or thinking sad thoughts, and doesn’t leave emptiness, hurt, or sadness. It’s not about giving in or giving up. Letting go isn’t about loss and it’s not about defeat. To let go is to cherish the memories, but to overcome and move on. It is having an open mind confidence in the future.
Letting go means acknowledging that this piece of your life, this relationship, this way of doing things has served its purpose and so it is time to let go of it completely.
Letting go is best expressed in the oft-quoted prayer: "Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The best things in life
The bumper that quotes “the best things in life are not things”
Not money or fast cars. But laughs, friends and hugs -- all these best things in life come for free. It's the simplest things in life that do not cost us anything which seem to bring us the most happiness." These are my pick of the best things :
The feel of the sun on your face, glimpsing a sunrise, watching sunsets.
Time to be alone with your thoughts, sharing a poem, learning something, love songs, good memories
The wonder you feel from seeing something beautiful , holding a new born baby, leafing through old photographs.
Reading a good book, walking along the beach and getting into bed with clean sheets.
The joy you get when someone shows you tenderness, they love you, .
The comfortable feeling you get from warm, fuzzy things, a good meal, a familiar place or face.
Accomplishment when completing a worthwhile task
The satisfaction you get from being self-supporting, or helping someone, standing up for something good, caring
The moon belongs to everyone. The stars belong to everyone. They gleam here and there for you and me.
A reminder to fully enjoy the moment, enjoy all the wonderful things happening to me, instead of just 'stressing' towards the next appointment, task or responsibility!
Not money or fast cars. But laughs, friends and hugs -- all these best things in life come for free. It's the simplest things in life that do not cost us anything which seem to bring us the most happiness." These are my pick of the best things :
The feel of the sun on your face, glimpsing a sunrise, watching sunsets.
Time to be alone with your thoughts, sharing a poem, learning something, love songs, good memories
The wonder you feel from seeing something beautiful , holding a new born baby, leafing through old photographs.
Reading a good book, walking along the beach and getting into bed with clean sheets.
The joy you get when someone shows you tenderness, they love you, .
The comfortable feeling you get from warm, fuzzy things, a good meal, a familiar place or face.
Accomplishment when completing a worthwhile task
The satisfaction you get from being self-supporting, or helping someone, standing up for something good, caring
The moon belongs to everyone. The stars belong to everyone. They gleam here and there for you and me.
A reminder to fully enjoy the moment, enjoy all the wonderful things happening to me, instead of just 'stressing' towards the next appointment, task or responsibility!
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