Generosity and Gratitude

"Generosity and gratitude turn good into great."  Mike Dooley, Notes from the Universe

I was blessed with a wonderful father who was extremely generous, both with me and everyone else, and who spoke frequently about how blessed the Miller family is.  He had a great handle on the spirit of Mike Dooley's quote.

I appreciate my dad's wisdom so much, and seek to apply this principle in my life daily.  Sure, generosity can mean giving money, but it also means smiling at folks, not being in a hurry, making eye contact, holding a door open, saying "please" and "thank you"--you get it, small acts of kindness add up to a generous spirit.  

Gratitude--that's pretty self-explanatory.  Start with the fact that you can read this blog--eyes to see, brain to comprehend, technology to deliver it, and so on.  If you can't whole-heartedly say, "I love my life!", it's time for some self-examination.  

Lovin' life, spreadin' joy!

Leta

Motivation

"Those who are motivated by fear, no matter how they justify such motivation to themselves, are working to keep the world in darkness."  Ken Carey
This is a rather blunt statement indicating to me that living fearfully is not only personally detrimental, but also damaging to the human consciousness and the world in general.  Fear has more far-reaching effects than we realize.
What does "motivated by fear" look like?  People-pleasing. Inadequate self-care. Refusing to risk. Suspicious of others. Expecting bad stuff to happen. Trying to prevent bad stuff from happening. Worrying. Hoarding. Working at an unsatisfying job. Denying or stuffing feelings. Active addiction. "There's never enough _____." Just to name a few.
What's the opposite?  The opposite is motivated by Spirit (inspiration!) for love and service.  What does that look like? Loving self-care ("Love your neighbor as yourself."). Seeing the divine in all others. Living a "life is good!" attitude. Appreciating the ever-increasing blessings in life. Smiling. Using "please" and "thank you." Stretching into new experiences, no matter how frightening. Lifelong learning. Offering one's talents joyfully to the world.
It's an interesting exercise to consider one's motivation...
Lovin' life, spreadin' joy!
Leta

Decision made!

I'm a practitioner (spiritual living coach), and I also use a practitioner for my own spiritual growth.  In my monthly session this past week, it hit me--this opportunity I've been debating IS the thing I've been looking for lo, these many months!  It's the "spiritual shove" I've been seeking.  I've had these on an increasingly large scale over the past few years, and they have resulted in magnificent life experiences.  So I said "Yes!" to the opportunity, and now trust that Spirit is making the way smooth and straight for me.  I do the footwork, Spirit does the rest, and I don't have to mess in the "how."  Way cool!! 
Are you ignoring Spirit's knock on your door?!?!
Blessings,
Leta

Living in Uncertainty

Joyful July to all!
My topic for this blog describes my life at the moment. I have a big decision to make. Big in that there is a lot of money and time involved. Well, actually, those things are manageable. The real issue here is fear. Can I do what I'm signing up for? Can I complete it? What will I do with the new skills afterwards? I'm a bit afraid of both failure and success! 
I am, however, OK with sitting with all this at the moment. I described to a friend my mental atmosphere as "uncomfortable but not unpleasant." I realize that my taking the time to BE with the uncertainty is a part of the commitment process. This is new for me! I used to despise being in "I don't know what to do!" mode. I wanted the decision over with, a neat and tidy package. I'm choosing to trust the process and see where it leads me. I'll keep you posted!
Blessings,
Leta

Happiness is where?

"Stop looking for happiness in other people. Our source of happiness and well-being is not inside others; it's inside us."  Melody Beattie, Codependent No More
I'm re-reading Codependent No More.  I think I should keep on re-reading it for the rest of my life.  Not only do I continue to recognize more codependent behaviors in myself, but I also see that many of the issues experienced by friends and clients are rooted in codependency.  This book offers good practices for modifying behavior to keep us focused on ourselves and our own lives, and staying out of others' lives.

It's a prescription for disaster to let one's happiness depend on other people, their behavior, or any other outer circumstance, acquisition or event.  If we aren't happy with ourselves, we'll never be happy, because we are always with ourselves--as Rev. Michael Beckwith says, we can't divorce ourselves.

Where do we start?  First of all, think of one thing you enjoy doing, make plans as needed to do it, and DO IT!  Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Enjoyment breeds more enjoyment.
Blessings,
Leta

"Get to..."

Think of every single thing that you "have to" do to get through a day as things you "get to" do... before your turn is over.  Notes from the Universe by Mike Dooley.

 

This quote jolted me for several reasons.  The first is "every single thing..."  Not just stuff we like, not just good stuff, but everything!  It's all good.  The second is the reminder of "get to" rather than "have to."  We always have a choice, so everything that we do is something we've selected to be part of our day, so yes, it's always a "get to," never a "have to." The third jolt is in the phrase "before your turn is over."  What a great way to look at life, eternal life, that is--it's all a very long game, and each lifetime here on earth is our turn at the "earth game."  Truly I think the reason so many folks love sports, i.e. games, is that we know on some level that all of creation, eternally, is a game, and we are created and born to earth to play.

 

Let's lighten up, and not take things so seriously!

Livin' joy!

Leta

In a rut?

“…we all have the guts to leave the ruts when we are motivated.”  Linda McNamar

Whoa!  I took a literal flying leap out of my rut by ziplining in Costa Rica last week.  What an experience in trust—trusting the support people and equipment, trusting my body.  Not only was the zipping an exhilarating and terrifying experience, but the climb up the mountain and launch stations took stamina I didn’t know I had. And I chose to ask for help, also not a routine practice in my rut. 

My main motivation was that I don’t know if I’ll ever have this opportunity again, and I’d kick myself if I didn’t do it.  Another motivation was conquering fear—thousands have done it, no reason I can’t.  It’s another opportunity to say, “Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.”  

Life is great!  Peek outside your rut and find an adventure! 

Love,

Leta