Looks Can Be Deceiving

There are times when I look at a part of my life or a piece of my life and how it's working and it looks to me like it's dead...so I want to chuck it - throw it away and make room for more...whatever.  Just the other day, I was about to toss what looked to be a dead plant into the compost; I forgot.  Today I walk out to my garden and that very plant is sprouting and has it's first bloom on it.  I didn't know it was a perennial!

Which got me to thinking that I might be quick to throw things out if they don't seem to be working.  Now sometimes things just need to be thrown out, re-gifted, or donated to the local charity - and sometimes that's the best choice.  I'm not talking about those times.  I'm talking about the times that I have no patience to learn the lesson of the dormant plant.  What's the living truth inside the seemingly ugly exterior?

Am I being too metaphorical?  Perhaps.  But in every day's lessons lives the beauty and splendor of life.  I have to take it where I can get it! 

Where are your life's ugly truths that make your life an unexpected treasure?

Copyright 2011 Heather Corwin, photo credit: Copyright 2011 Heather Corwin

Clean out the Relationship Closet!

There are times in everyone's life when a relationship has outlasted its welcome.  Sometimes those relationships are personal, sometimes business.  So what should be the deal breakers when deciding who's to go and who's to stay?

1. Do you feel your relationship is mutually respectful?
2. Do you trust the person or institution?
3. Do you look forward to interactions with the person?
4. Does the person own when s/he does something wrong?  Meaning, do they apologize or just make you feel bad because they ignore your feelings and needs?
5. Do you seem to have a core affinity for each other?
6. Do you dread hearing from them?
7. When you see it's them on caller ID, is your choice most often to let it go to voice mail even when you can take the call?
8. When you get off the phone or out of a meeting with the person, do you sigh with relief?

Check it out with your people.  Life is too short to invite anxiety into it!  Surround yourself with the people who LOVE you!!!

Well... I'm Back!

Ladies and gentlemen, I've had some life things happen that add up to wonderful - and I needed to tend to those things.  Plus, the words were not finding their way to the screen, so I just let be what was and now I'm back. 

Allowing is a wonderful thing to practice.  There are days that you may want to push through to get it all done, but that just doesn't work well.  So I'm practicing letting things go that just can't be done in one day and prioritizing the things I need to do.  As a type A personality, that's a hard thing for me to grasp and practice.  Why?  I want to do it all!

Today, I encourage you to let one thing go that could wait until tomorrow.  Not an important deadline thing, just something that you really could wait to do that might cause you anxiety because you feel driven to do it NOW. 

I'd love to hear how that felt!

Copyright 2010 Heather Corwin

Constipation... more than one way!!!

Okay, so we all know that when we're putting into something and nothing's coming out, that's a loose definition of constipation.  When it's a lack of bodily function, we ingest acidophilus, eat roughage, and exercise to move it on through.  But what about when your life feels like you're putting all your energy into it and you're not getting out the same amount of energy?

Well, that could mean many things.  First, you have to diagnose the problem.  Is the thing you're working on really good for you?  What I mean is, sometimes we find causes that are just that: a cause.  It's usually altruism in some form that draws you to the expending of energy, and you might actually believe that you will get more than a good feeling out of your participation.  If you're working with others who don't seem to share your enthusiasm, the constipation quotient can be high.  Perhaps it's time to find another cause.

But what if it's you trying to find another job or some such endeavor?  Well, that's a different story.  I'm sure you're sick of hearing "it's a bad time in our economy."  There are still jobs out there, and more openings every day.  Many people believe that if you're following your passions, AND you have talents within your passions, an opportunity will come along.    Patience is not something I have in spades, so I understand the itchiness on this one.  Making a shift in life is not a small feat.  Sometimes you have to clear out other areas of your life so that you're ready.  I can't tell you what those areas are, you'll just have to go by your own instinct.

Bottom line:  if you're not getting what you want, figure out a myriad of ways to get there.  There is more than one road on this journey we call life!

Copyright 2010 Heather Corwin