Saturday, February 22

No Longer A Martyr 2/22/14

 “The person in life that you will always be with the most, is yourself.  Because even when you are with others, you are still with yourself, too!  When you wake up in the morning, you are with
yourself, lying in bed at night you are with yourself, walking down the street in the sunlight you are with yourself. What kind of person do you want to walk down the street with?  What kind of person do you want to wake up in the morning
with?  What kind of person do you want to see at the end of the day before you fall asleep?  Because that person is yourself, and it's your responsibility to be that person you want to be with.  I know I want to spend my life with a person who knows how to let things go, who's not full of hate, who's able to smile and be carefree.  So that's who I have to be.”  C. JoyBell C.
      I did it.  I spoke before an audience.  It's over.  Several friends were there, including seven from the Wednesday meeting I attend.

      It was interesting noticing a change in me
while preparing for this evening's event.  I spent several hours seeing someone special.  Normally, I don't.  I usually concentrate on the outline of my talk and nothing else.

      This time, I nurtured me.  Visiting with another person lifted my soul, strengthening it.  Connecting on the soulish level, understanding her and being understood, made my heart sing.

       It feels good, tending my needs.  Before, I served others, neglecting myself.  Not being a martyr makes me happier.  I recognize there is no virtue in denying my needs.   Now, I serve others and also take care of me.

My Gratitudes for Today:
1.  I exercised discipline. I spent hours this week, working on today's talk, including many this afternoon. I was burnt out this afternoon. But, I pushed on.  I'm grateful for perseverance and having focus on the task at hand, when I was working on the speech I gave.
2.  I'm learning a new language. Taking on this challenge is keeping me mentally sharp.
3.  I received support this morning.  My friend Stuart, my son Pablo Jr. and others rallied around me, as I prepared for this evening. I value their love and encouragement.
4.  Many were responsive to what I shared.  Afterwards, several approached me, saying I touched upon areas that encouraged them.

How About You? 
What are your three gratitudes for today?

1 comment:

Carl H said...

Dear Innkeeper,

On this Tuesday night, I am grateful...

1. For being hosted to a most delicious and productive business lunch today with a colleague, in San Mateo, courtesy of a visiting, client, sushi chef from San Diego.

2. For numerous positive developments at work, in spite of a momentary setback today in a war of wills with a renowned Napa Valley chef. Tonight, I'm losing, but will prevail, with patience, kindness and service.

3. That true love, like this early spring, seems to be slowly blooming for a loved one.

4. That one prodigal son is now, finally in good hands, in God's Care, healing, and finding his way back home.

5. That another son passed his entrance exam with flying colors, and is well on his way to becoming a "weekend warrior!"

6. That we could host this son for a nice Chinese dinner tonight!

7. That each and every day, in joy and in crisis, I can ask "God to grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and for the wisdom to know the difference."

8. That page 139 in Courage to Change teaches me that..."every problem can help me to change for the better, deepen my faith, and add to my self-esteem."

Quotes from the Posts

"I'm mindful that our thoughts affect the words we use, our words influence our actions, our actions shape our character and our character determines our destiny."

From "My Character Determines My Destiny." To read it, please click here.

"Progress not perfection, is better than no progress at all, especially when we're trying to rid ourselves from unwelcome dragons that dwell within the closets of our soul."

From, "Still Learning" which, within four days, became the most popular post
written. To read it, please click here.

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its trouble, but it does empty today of its strength"
From the post: "Life Is Not a Correspondence Program." Click here to read it.

"Even though we cannot control our circumstances, we can control how we choose to respond to them."

From, "Handling Stress and Dealing With an Emotional Bully."Click here to read this post.

"Nope, being busy isn't exciting. Boring is good. Because boring is not boring; boring is being healthy, living a balanced life that has serenity"

From: "Do You Know What It Means If You Are Too Busy?" For more, please click here.

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