Self-Talk

"Put that away!" 

He thought he would try bossing me around and quickly realized it was not a good way to speak to his mother. He tried to fix it by explaining that really he was just talking to himself. Then I pointed out that he ALSO has to be careful about the away he talks to himself.

It occurred to me that this is a lesson we might all take to heart. I've been guilty of excusing my own brusk    speech by virtue of the fact that it is the way I would speak to myself. I might happen to be one of my own worst critics. It really doesn't make a good excuse for speaking to anyone else with discourteous bluntness,  but WHY don't I try being more polite to MYSELF too?

I certainly don't have time for polite filters inside my own mind. I think, and I think fast - pulling no punches towards any kind of fragile ego. A lot of us can be quite harsh with ourselves. We have a lot to do and not enough time to do it. I get that, but we could ease up a little. Let's give ourselves a little break, take care of ourselves a little better, be a little sweeter to ourselves. I'm willing to bet it's going to show on the outside as well. 

I'll try it.

Love,

T

Just a Touch

It's amazing what we can accomplish when we stand in Love and speak Truth.

There are so many differing viewpoints, but there is also so much misinformation. People are easily offended when criticized, and addressing an issue which might result in conflict is an uncomfortable task. Do it anyway. Stand in Love. Say what you have to say. 

We are not perfect. We are sometimes misinformed. Sometimes we will be corrected and it might sting. Sometimes we need to correct others. When that happens, try not to make it sting.

I heard some very misleading statements from a trusted source and was not looking forward to the call I had to make. I knew they had good intentions. They just really missed the mark. The issue itself was one that offends me personally, but I had to put that aside and speak objectively. I made my position known but I did not speak with anger or outrage. I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. They agreed with me! 

It doesn't always work out this way, but when it does... it refreshes the Spirit. 

We all have so much work to do. A little patience can go a long way and we need that. We need to be able to take each other's hand and work together - especially when we realize we are on the same side.

With Love,

T

By The Light

"Look on the bright side." 

This is what he said to me right before he asked me what "the bright side" is. It launched us into a whole exercise with water in a glass and a conversation about whether it was half empty or half full. :)

Then I wanted to film the beautiful Super Pink Moon and only managed to get 30 seconds before it disappeared behind the clouds. The image was dark and not very clear. On the other hand, it was as if the moon waited just for me. It wasn't going anywhere until I went out and felt its glow. 

Here's wishing you a great week with plenty of time on "the bright side." 

Sometimes how you choose to view things makes such a world of difference.

Love,

T

Make Change

Here we are - waiting for the verdict. Change has got to come, somehow, some way. Let's talk about some proposed changes.

While there is much support for The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, many also agree that it does not go far enough. An article in The Chicago Sun Times (author: Jesse Jackson) says, "Surely the M4BL is right: sensible police reforms are necessary but not sufficient. Renewed investment in communities and greater community control over the police are essential. The plague of mass incarceration must be ended. The George Floyd Act, however, need not be in conflict with broader reforms... Police reforms will never work unless accompanied by and embedded in rebuilding and empowering communities."

Click here for TheBreatheAct.org

Click here for H.R.7120 - George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 on congress.gov

Several related articles:

Click here for "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act would set smart national standards for police behavior" at chicago.suntimes.com

Click here for "Movement for Black Lives opposes George Floyd Justice in Policing Act" at PBS.org

We can change. We can learn. We can grow.

Make change.

Love,

T

No Pictures

There is no picture of the robin that hopped to the ground right near me. I was out for a run when he swooped down and teased me with what would be the perfect close-up picture. I had already learned my lesson the day before though. I knew that in the moments it would take for me get the camera out, he would fly away. 

I enjoyed the the classic Spring moment, all for myself, and continued running. The small encounter with that bird would linger in my mind for the rest of the run, and the rest of the week. How often does a moment like that present itself? I'm always reaching for the camera, trying to capture the experience of an instant in time. This was different.  It was just for me - and I knew it. HOW COOL IS THAT???

We all know that we should put down our phones and enjoy some "unplugged" time. It's good for us. How often do we actually do that? How often do we do it because we're INSPIRED to, and not just because we have to? When do we stop and appreciate a pretty, real life picture and keep it - all for ourselves?

I highly recommend it. It is soul nourishing. It is nutrition for our Spirit. Here's wishing you all a beautiful moment in time that is just for you.

Love,

T 

Clean Up for the Bunny

It all started with an ad on Instagram. It was for laundry detergent. It talked about the environment and how horrible the world is becoming with plastics and toxic horrors. I checked the comment section and while there was support, there was also a lot of criticism, so I Googled.

First of all, we have been doing our laundry ALL WRONG.

Click here for: Laundry Detergent: The 10 BEST All Natural, and Eco Friendly Options

Secondly, I don't know that much but I'm learning and I DO KNOW that I can do a whole lot better in this department. I'm starting here.

Ordered laundry detergent and cleaner from Pur Home:

Click here for shoppurhome.com

and ordered liquid hand soap from Cleancult:

Click here for cleancult.com

Hope the bunny was good to you. I'm going to be better for the bunny.

Hoppy Easter!

Love,

T

Embracing Change

Spring. Changes. Nature.

Passover.

Palm Sunday.

Sometimes it takes so much for us to change. Can't we do better? Change can be so beautiful. 

Let's do it. Let's change something - all on our own and just for the sake of improving ourselves. We don't have to wait until we are forced to. What if we found something - one little thing - that inspires us enough to step out of that comfort zone we love so much.

Blessed week...

Love,

T