Every now and then I take some time to reflect upon lessons I’ve learned or observations I’ve made. I did this recently in connection with my birthday and last week when I just took some time to think myself out of an angry moment. This is not my normal type of blog. I am simply taking a moment to allow you inside my thoughts.
1. People really are willing to do things for you if you approach them with a pleasant demeanor and have an expectation of positive results. I had two customer service issues today where the results exceeded my expectations. In both cases, the solution was offered by the other party. I never had to ask for anything.
2. Some people are unhappy. It has nothing to do with you, but they may try to convince you that it is your “fault.” You are not responsible for anyone else’s happiness. Happiness comes from within. Hurt people hurt people and misery loves company. You have complete control over whether you allow yourself to be the guest of honor at someone else’s pity party.
3. Good friends are hard to come by. Most people have many acquaintances but few friends. Treasure your friends and let them know you value their presence in your life. Many people treat the people closest to them the worse. That is a sure way to lose great people in your life.
4. At heart, most people are good. Often times if someone recognizes a need in your life they will offer to help. Believe it or not, most of the time there is NO ulterior motive. They would like to help you. Don’t walk around with a chip on your shoulder. It is the surest way to tick people off. Unless given reason to believe otherwise, trust people and assume that they want the best for you. More often than not you are correct.
5. Pay it forward. You may never be in a position to fully repay those who have helped you along the way (although loans should be repayed). You repay those who have helped you by your willingness to help others with no expectation of return.
6. You will not get different results if you keep doing the same things. To expect otherwise has been offered as the definition of insanity. To exact a change in your life you MUST be willing to make changes. Be they large or small, change has to occur to change the circumstances of your life.
7. Fear can be debilitating. Even if you don’t verbally express it, your inability or unwillingness to do something is generally attributed to fear. The biggest aspect of fear is the fear itself. Once you actually take the plunge you will discover that the thing you feared either doesn’t exist or is not nearly as bad as you think. (This is a very personal item for me. Intellectually I know this, but still…)
8. The Law of Attraction is very, VERY real. The universe truly does give us what we ask/expect of it. Expect bad things to happen and it’s like a written signed contract for trouble. Expect the best, visualize it, see it happening and it is almost certain to come. I have been keeping a “Pray Rain Journal” for almost 3 months in which I write about the things I want to see happen as though they have already occurred. The results are nothing short of amazing.
9. Children are PEOPLE not objects. They live to please their parents and will live up to or down to your expectations. Speak to your children as people. You will find they are much more willing to talk to you if this is the case. Who doesn’t want that?
10. We make a lot of our own messes in life. The good news is that life is fluid, so there is always the opportunity to “clean up your own mess.” Less mess definitely means less stress.
These are just a few of my thoughts. My brain tends to always run on overdrive. A young lady asked me for “adult” advice last night and that made me smile. As always I would love to read your gems as well. Please share.
Spread love…peace and blessings.
A Cup of Cheer 