START- A little differently

I recently had someone recommend a book to me that had to do with becoming an entrepreneur or having faith in yourself to follow your dream.   The book was called "The Power of Starting Something Stupid"  by Richie Norton.    Part of what caught my attention in hearing more about this book, was his use of the word START.  In his book he shares the idea that part of the process it to Serve, Thank, Ask, Receive and Trust. 
I was impressed with the ideas as working together, but didn't write them down at the time.  When I finally did take the time I found I had rearranged the 5 words in a slightly different order.  My first thought when I realized I had done this was to think I had a bad memory, but as I thought more about why I had written it differently.  On reflection I found that right now I do often go through these steps in something I may involve myself in.  I also found instances where in giving advice I have encouraged someone to follow this pattern.  So here is some of my thoughts on the anagram START.
Share-  Share your ideas, Share your thoughts, Share your talents,  Share of yourself through service, Share your wealth or good fortune, Share the experience, Share your feelings, Share the challenges
Trust-   Trust yourself,  Trust Others, Trust that things will work out, Trust that guidance and inspiration will come at the right time,  Trust in a spiritual source, Trust your feelings, Trust your intuition
Ask- Ask your spiritual source, Ask those you trust, Ask yourself what else you could do,  Ask to forgive (yourself or others), Ask for patience or strength,  Ask to learn, Ask to grow, Ask for help
Receive-  Receive graciously, Receive from others, Receive without expectation, Receive the unexpected, Receive what you asked for, Receive and notice,  Receive and then pass it on
Thank-  Thank a giver, Thank the universe,  Thank yourself for trying once more, Be thankful for lessons learned,  Express Thanks everyday,  Look for something to be thankful for,  Thank someone unexpectedly,  Be thankful for life itself,  Be thankful for the little things and stop looking for the big event, 
This list is far from complete.  I am sure you can add to it from your own experiences. You may even decide this list is still not right.  You may find it even changes.    I know I  have. , Yesterday as I was thinking about someone I cared about my START  list was Serve, Trust, Act, Receive, Thank.    Another day in thinking about setting goals my START list became Set Goal, Time Limit, Act, Review, Think Again.   
As I have said before, there are usually not any right or wrong answers or ideas.  What is yours is unique.  So come up with your own START point(s) and take a step toward a great you. 

Beautiful - But Use Caution

 

I was going through pictures my granddaughter had uploaded from our recent vacation to Oregon.  This particular picture was taken at the Aquarium just south of Newport, Oregon.  For some reason this really caught my eye as something very peaceful and calming.  It certainly was something I spent several minutes watching while I was there, and I was glad she had taken the time to capture it on film. 

This evening as I reflected on these seemingly fragile creatures, I was awed again by their elegant beauty as they float along with such ease, inviting anyone or anything to draw nearer to investigate them further or be apart of their casual way of being free and just moving along slowly, unhurried, unstressed, free of cares.  Yet as inviting as they appear, it is good to remember that the beautiful, fine tendrils can be very deadly if one draws too near or ventures to touch them.

I couldn't help but think about how often life is much like these jelly fish.  We watch from afar, envying the ease with which we perceive others receive blessing, riches or what we might consider the good things of life.  From a distance we watch, wishing we could live the life they do, wanting to join them or be a part of their group, or enjoy the personal or financial freedom we think they have.   But get closer and sometimes we can get stung or hurt.  We may find they are less than honest and what you think they earned they took by taking advantage of others.   It may appear as though they are coasting through life happy and carefree but when we get closer we find they are lonely or fearful.  Just as the jelly fish immobilize their victims, these people's  depression zaps our personal reserves of energy, enjoyment or gifts until we feel completely drained and empty, unable to cope as we have done in the past.  Then like the jellyfish, once we are immobilized and they have taken from us all they can, they float on as though we were never there, leaving us to hopefully find a way to heal as they sting someone else who dares to come near.  Yet as we heal, we learn the greatest lessons.  Life is not always as it seems.  Sometimes what appears good is not. What appears enticing can be dangerous or deadly.    Be cautious of getting too near or rushing ahead too fast before we know what may happen.  Finally, sometimes what seems tragic brings insight and growth. 
May we all enjoy the beautiful things that surround us and that we come near.  May we learn to use caution and wisdom in our relationships.  May we enjoy many of the things we see without the need to be closer or be a part of.  My we be happy to sometimes just sit back and watch the beauty of life as it happens and feel joy when it appears to be good for others.  




 

I Can Handle Everything…

(Shared from www.bridgeofskills.blogspot.com)

These are the first few words of a quote a friend gave me one day at the office on a day we were both handling a number of unusual client and administrative requests.

“I can handle everything life throws at me. I can either handle it well or handle it bad; either way I have to handle it. “

I can’t see anything but truth in this thought. It is really a very empowering statement for anyone. As life comes along, whether it drags or seems to be speeding along, we each get to handle it. What we receive may be something big, demanding our highest level of attention and efforts or so small we handle it so quickly we hardly notice it was there.

We may not even handle similar life events or recurring situations the same way each time, yet somehow we handle it each time. Sometimes we handle what life gives us with a smile, sometimes with a groan and occasionally with deep emotion, but we handle it. Most times we walk away with the knowledge we were at our best and successful while occasionally we walk away wishing we could have done more or found a better way to handle the moments. No matter how it is measured on the spectrum, we did handle it. We handled it, made it through and stood ready for the next thing life was preparing.

Thankfully, we do not always have to handle life alone. Along with everything life throws us to handle, life also throws us friends, family and teachers that can aid us. We may still handle the majority of things life throws us on our own terms, in our own way, based on our our own experiences but we are better armed than we might have otherwise been because of the people life put in place for us to reach out to, lean on or on a rare occasion even hand the problem to and trust they can handle it for us.

I encourage everyone to realize that no matter what life throws at us, whether it is something we look forward to and prepare for something that takes us completely by surprise, we can handles. We are naturally armed with everything we need.  The only variable is whether we handle it well, alright or less than perfectly.  In the end we will handle it in some way.