Bright Life Blog

Roller Coaster vs Next Steps

Did you know a synonym for “transition” is progression? When we are in transition, we often feel stuck. If we can think of it as part of our progression to a new stage, it won’t be so scary. I have been through many transitions and although I don’t have it all together, I have some tips for being powerful through your transition.

I truly love God and I want to walk the path He has for me. But sometimes I can’t tell the difference between an idea I’ve had (I have oodles of them) or if it is God’s direction for me. And many times, I’m sure I have a glimpse of His direction but I seem to hit walls.

Coach Kids to Give

Have you ever been disappointed that your family FORGOT your birthday, Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day?  Or they just didn’t do what you were hoping they would do?  May I pass on some words of wisdom?  Coach your young children in the art of gift-giving.  When it involves giving to others, you can coach them.  AND you can enlist your husband, friend or relative to coach them for YOU!!  Mother’s Day is coming up so why not help your husband help your kids give you a meaningful gift.  Here are some ideas of inexpensive but meaningful gifts that you can help your kids make for others or your husband can help them make for YOU.  So pass this on to your husband! The idea is to teach kids how to honor people who are valuable in their lives.

Yum, Yum…. A Dose of Hearty Laughter

Laughter is good medicine for the body, mind and soul.  Proverbs 17:22 says so.  And so does modern research which tells us that laughter can reduce the levels of chronic stress, protect our heart, safeguard our nervous system, and rest our endocrine system! Laughter helps clear toxins from organs and circulates oxygen in our bodies.

The movie, “Patch Adams” is based on a doctor who is still practicing medicine today. He prescribes and uses laughter as a healing agent.
I speak to many groups about Laughter and I find that most of us need to be reminded that our families will not remember how clean the house was but they will remember our laugh.  We live in a society where we believe the lie that busy people are important. We try to cram 30 hours of living into a 24 -hour day. 90% of doctor visits are stress related.  It seems that most of us can benefit from a dose of hearty laughter!

Lead Yourself—Part 3

I’d like to introduce you to a very inspiring video today.  There are times when we think we are handling life well and times we know we need to make a shift in order to be more effective.  The person in this video is incredible.  He is an example of someone who has led himself well and inspires others.  Be blessed by this short video.

Lead Yourself - Part 2

The starting point of all leadership is learning how to lead yourself.  Think about how you make conscious choices and decisions that make you the kind of person others would want to follow.  It doesn’t mean you have to be perfect (what is that anyway?) but it does mean you are authentic, embrace life, know peace, love and respect yourself, enjoy loving relationships, and think through problems.

We recently had an ice storm that tormented our area for two days and nights.  I was alone in my home.  As the constant freezing rain built up on my power lines and many tall trees, I could hear the crackling branches clanking against each other in our woods and from time to time heard loud crashes of large limbs plummeting to the ground. 

Lead Yourself - The Starting Point of Leadership

We are all leaders.  There are people around us that we influence.  Whether you lead your family, friends, service teams, corporate teams or organizations the starting point of all leadership is learning to lead yourself.  Books have been written about this.  It does NOT mean you are perfect in every way; but it does mean you make some conscious choices and decisions, some of which include:

Cafe Tu Tu Tango

I escaped from the dreariness and cold to Orlando for a few days.  While I was there I ate at Cafe Tu Tu Tango.  What a delightful, quirky little place.  It fashions itself after a bohemian lifestyle that views life as a grand celebration, a feast of the senses to be shared and treasured. www.cafetututango.com

My dining partner, a new friend, and I shared the most interesting combination of foods presented to us in such an artful way.  The walls were covered with original artwork and there were several artists working on their canvases throughout the restaurant.  Toward the end of the meal, the festivity increased as a flamenco dancer and a belly dancer created a different kind of art through music.

The website states, “Something in the soul stirs, awakening the senses, igniting a passion for living that exists within us all.  You are not here to eat, you are here to delight. To revel. To savor life, friends and family…”

Savor the Moments

I love photographs.  They give us a snapshot of a moment and allow us to linger there awhile.

Part of my personal mission statement is to “savor the moments.”  Throughout my day I intentionally stop and delight in a moment, a snapshot in time.  When I do this, it slows me down to truly experience life and not zip past the treasures of everyday living. Why is this valuable and how can you teach yourself to remember to savor the moments?

Create a Theme for Your 2009

Instead of making a new year’s resolution, how about setting a THEME for your new year?  Choose a theme that reflects your assignment for this particular time of your life. Your THEME can be applied to many areas of your life and will allow some freedom for failure and the excitement of surprise.