Lei of Stars – The Gift of Gratitude Keeps On Giving
The other day I was in my home office. (Which happens to be a big walk in closet. This is because I visualized the exact home that I am living in today, but I forgot to ask for an office. Oh the power and precision of visualization!)
Anyway, I happened to look up as the wind blew my closet door shut. There, swaying to and fro, on the back of the door was the lei the young people gave me as a going away expression of their gratitude.
It was a lei of stars and each star bore a message - a sharing about what each had gained from the Breaking Out of the World Game Program. (If you read my blog a few months ago, Put Downs Are Like Nails In A Fence, it was the anti-bullying program that we did with these students.)
I had read the messages months earlier when I first received the lei. But I fell into a few moments of deep reflection as I viewed the stars swaying back and forth on the windblown closet door.
I stopped what I was doing and took the lei from the door. I carried it into the living room, sat in my favorite chair, and began to read, once again, the messages from the young people I had worked with.
In life, we decide who we want to be. Then we begin to act in accordance with that decision. Yet there is often little or no feedback from those whom you have loved and served.
Sometimes we need that, or at least I do ... and there it was, written on stars, the gifts our students had received. The messages and the wisdom they shared touched my heart.
Here are just a few (5 out of 25 to be exact). I share these with you as they were written and unedited:
- Thank you Auntie Trin, You taught me about the world game and the power of our sub conscious. I will use the wisdom you
gave me to my children and their children after. Peter Agcunas - Dear Auntie Trin, Thank you for teaching me that put downs should never hold me back from achieving a goal. Ralph
- Auntie Trin, I have learned to control myself how to achieve goals and how to stop bullying around us from you. Thank you, Jana
- Dear Auntie Trin, Thank you for teaching us valuable lessons about life. I’ve always learned how to plan my goals but never learned how to deal when things didn’t go as planned. Thank you for all your insight about life. Sincerely Chanel
- To Aunty Trin, Thank you for turning me into a young adult and helping me realize I can achieve things, even when things go wrong. Love Diane
As I read these I realized just how incredible the next generations is. I could feel their wisdom of the ages in their words. And I could sense how much their lives would contribute to the communities in which they will eventually come to live as adults.
The other gift I received from the lei of stars was a reminder of the importance of saying 'thank you'. Those two words are an expression of gratitude that serve as a bond between ourselves and others. They also serve as an inspiration for us to keep doing the things that add value to people's lives. It is a form of paying it forward.
So I called my mother after completing this to thank her for being my mother in this life, for all she gave to raise me and point me in the right direction, and for all she continues to do today to support me. It felt good to say thank you and I know it meant a lot to mom... after all, the lei meant so much to me!
Please share your thoughts on your life and how you are paying it forward. What are you grateful for in your life and to whom... Share your gratitude with them today ... and I would love to hear about your experience of it!
The Joy Juice Factor
About 30 years ago I studied the work of Dr Irving Oyle. Dr. Oyle was an MD. He was one of the first physicians who parted company with the medical professions' belief that illness was purely a physical phenomena.
Long before it had become a popular concept, Dr. Oyle spoke of the mind-body connection. He said that repetitive negative thoughts and emotions can be detrimental to our health. Further, he said that positive thoughts released positive chemicals in the body that led to enhanced health and well being.
Dr. Oyle left the medical profession and went on to speak about these concepts as early as 1978. He coined the phrase 'Joy Juice' as the chemical release that accompanied happy thoughts and emotions. I thought the phrase so appropriate that I've used it ever since.
What is your joy juice factor?
- What do you really enjoy doing?
- What makes your heart sing?
- What nourishes your spirit?
- What replenishes your energy?
- What are you grateful for in your life?
I invite you to join me in this exploration. Using these questions as a guide, make a list of all the things that bring you pleasure and joy.
My short list includes:
- Watching the sun set every evening
- Going for a long slow swim in the afternoon
- Reading books on everything from neuroscience to leadership
- Driving cross country
- Talking-story with my dearest friends
- Sitting and just 'being' with family
- Calling my mother for a chat
- Sitting in a hot tub under the stars
- Meditating
I could go on.... But what's your Joy Juice list? Just hit the talking bubble at the bottom of this blog and let me hear your JJ list! And remember that Joy Juice is the secret to long life and well being so do something or some things that make you happy every day.
Happy New Year!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! And to all of you, thank you so much for the Birthday messages! I was and still am overwhelmed with the love and thoughtfulness of your messages! And each personal expression touched my heart and inspired my soul.
On the morning of my birthday as I was lying quietly in bed contemplating my time on Earth, I felt an overwhelming love surround me. At that moment, I accepted the gift and invited the love into me. Instantly it poured into every cell in my body and filled my heart to overflowing. In reflecting at this moment, it seems that the universe was gifting me with just a portion of the expression of its love for all of us. And I share it now with all of you...
Just sit, be still and invite the love of the universe into your heart. And in the presence of that love, visualize your next stage in life. See and feel the year as you would like it to be. Every new year is like an extra birthday for each of us. It is a time to re-invent yourself! Take the day or an an hour or even a few minutes to re-envision your life. Visualize a happy path filled with joy and abundance. This is my New Year's wish for you!
Thank you for being in my life!! I love each and everyone of you! And I pray for each of you the best and most joyful and successful year ever!
Happy Thanksgiving!
To me, Thanksgiving is one of the most beautiful traditions in our culture. It is a time for reflection and family. It is a time to give thanks for everyone and everything in our lives.
We have a family tradition here in the islands. On Thanksgiving day we list 100 things we are thankful for in life. By the time I get to 50, after listing my family and friends, and the freedoms I have living in a free country, I have to reflect more deeply.
It is then that I start to realize how truly blessed I am. I give thanks for a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, the sky, the sea, grass beneath my feet, the smell of rain and all the things I so often take for granted.
I invite you to join me in listing the 100 things you are grateful for in your life. It is an inspiring experience. It will give you an opportunity to reflect on the gifts that your life has given you!
And I give thanks for all of you. Thank you for being in my life and enriching my experience here on Earth. Everyone of you have in some way touched my heart and inspired my soul.
May this holiday season bring you closer to family and friends. And as you reflect on all that you are thankful for, may your heart be filled with awe at the wonder of our humanity.
Put Downs are Like Nails in a Fence
"Only Hurt People Hurt Other People!" I was speaking about bullying to a group of young Karate students in the Kickstart program. "And words," I continued, "have a powerful effect! Our words can either hurt or help people."
"In fact words are like toothpaste. Once they come out you can't take them back!"
"How many of you have ever teased someone, put them down?" All the hands in the room went up. Even the parent visitors hands shot into the air. "None of us are exempt," I added. "How many of you have ever stood by while others teased or taunted another person?" All hands went up again.
"I'd like to read you a story," I said. The students sat riveted each reflecting inwardly on their behavior as I read the story below about a father and son.
That was my close for the day in the anti-bullying program. I returned 10 days later to find that the highly creative team of teachers and karate trainers had created a direct experience for the students. Students were asked to write something negative they had said to someone and nail it into a piece of wood that the educators had brought to class.
The day I returned the students were given the opportunity to pull their item out of the wooden post and notice the holes that were left behind. "It's like a hole that mean words leave in the heart even when we apologize," said Eric, one of the instructors. "And remember," he added, "Happy people help people!"
This pictures you see on this post are photos captured that day. A great big heartfelt thank you to Jennifer Tamayo, Eric, and Bennett; I am so grateful to be working with you and proud of you as a teacher team. For the video in the photo below, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tcTYSdN7hs&feature=plcp or view it here by clicking the play link in the second shot.
If you are viewing this blog post in a reader, you may be missing out on great stories, quotes, videos, photos and content. To see this post on the blog, please visit http://www.trinidadhunt.com. To learn more about the anti-bullying program, Breaking Out of The World Game, visit http://www.End2Bullying.com. If you would like to add your comment to this post, please visit the blog, click on the blog title, and scroll down until you see the area to enter your name and comment.
Make Your Day
People ask me, "How do you make sure you have a great day - every day?"
I had to stop and think for a moment. "How do I make my day great every day?"
And then I realized that I have a daily ritual. And it starts the moment I get out of bed. I begin my day by making my bed. In fact, I make my bed every single day.
The first time I was asked this question, I hedged on the answer. I felt as if I was an obsessive compulsive bed maker. But then I realized that my bed is the first thing I see in the morning and the first thing I see when I come home at night.
As I started to analyze my feelings, I realized that I couldn't stand coming home to an unmade bed. No matter how good a day I've had, an unmade bed brings me down. I need to leave it fresh in the morning and find it fresh at night.
So if you don't do it already, start making a new habit tomorrow. It might seem like such a silly thing. But it works for me!
Test it. Try it. See what happens when you apply it. Think of it this way. It's not an exercise in discipline, it's an exercise in happiness. Make your day by making your bed!
Having a great day every day is as easy as 1, 2, 3 -
- Make you bed!
- Visualize a great and magical day with all things in flow!
- Give thanks for 7 wonderful things in your life!
The Attractor Factor
Since the 'Thoughts Turn Into Things' blog, I've received so many comments on Facebook and personal emails that I thought I would follow up. Here are some further reflections on the power of a human being to create his or her own reality.
The key to your success lies within you. All you have to do is manage your mind (or your loose canon thoughts). Then train your brain. Finally, harvest the fruits of your creation. You are harvesting the fruits of your creation anyway. Your mind is the attractor factor. Your past repetitive thoughts have become the reality you're living right now.
If you want to change your reality:
- Wake up and stay awake!
- Start to observe your recurrent thoughts and thought patterns.
- If you find yourself circling back on some of the old negatives:
- Freeze frame
- Take a deep breath
- Change that thought
- Repeat the powerful positive mantra and energize with positive emotions of gratitude (as recommended in my last post).
- Remember to remember to do this every time you catch yourself thinking a negative thought.
Your miraculous brain is under your command! The more you train your brain and manage your mind by focusing on your positive powerful mantra of choice, the more you accelerate the reformatting process. Your brain will begin to delete any old unused pathways and the new neural pathways that you embed will start to take over.
we create our own reality.
