November 20, 2006
November 20, 2006 Issue #34
Welcome to the newsletter where playing more and stressing less is taken seriously. It's written with the intention to support you in living a life with more passion and play and less worry and work.IN THIS ISSUE...
Count Your Blessings
Web-based Goodness
New Logo Unveiled
May You Be Blessed
Team Hoyt
Silly Thanksgiving Songs
Ways to Play Today:
Create A Bumper Sticker
Christmas Cards Already
Something to Ponder:
How blessed are you?
"There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from."
~Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
My Playground
The article, the message, the thing to make you go hmmm...
~Count Your Blessings~
It seemed appropriate to write this month's article on blessings given that later on this week many Americans will be celebrating Thanksgiving. Family gatherings and food indulgences tend to mark the occasion, but I believe what many of us really look forward to (besides noshing on turkey and pumpkin pie) is taking time out to remember what is important in our lives. It shouldn't take a national holiday to do this. We should count our blessings every day. We should give thanks for all that is our lives on a much more frequent basis than most of us take time to do. I realize this is much easier said than done. I'll be the first to admit that several days might pass before life whacks me up side the head and reminds me to be grateful. How often does gratitude pay you visit? And when it does come calling, how often do you let it in?
Over the past two weeks, I've been blessed with so many opportunities to say "Thank you" that it's becoming somewhat of a daily habit. And what an amazing habit to cultivate, don't you think? Before getting up, before saying hello to the person lying next to you, before consuming your morning cup of coffee, before you jump in the shower and definitely before you head out the door for the day, say "Thank You". No matter if you had a crappy night's sleep, no matter if you're concerned about what your day holds at work or at home, no matter if you can't think of a darn thing to be grateful for, say "Thank You". Continue to say it until you feel yourself shifting into a place of grace; a place where blessings and bliss intersect. This is a powerful place of creation and connection; one where you can decide not only how you want to experience your day, but how you want to live your life.
Two small hands with a big message.
If, as Elizabeth Kubler-Ross states above, "all events are blessings given to us to learn from", what blessings might you be denying and/or not paying attention to? I asked myself this question the other day and was quite startled to hear the answer. I haven't been staying as connected and committed to my family since I got married two months ago. Despite making excuses like, "I've been on my honeymoon" and "I've been busy with my work", the truth is...I haven't been in communication with my parents and my sister as often as I really would like to be because I just haven't made the effort. It's embarrassing and humbling to admit that I've been neglecting one of the biggest blessings of my life. I want to know what's going on in my family's lives. I want them to know what's going on in mine. The huge lesson I've learned is I can call them just to say "Thank You". Is there a lesson that one of your blessings is trying to teach you?
List Five of Your Blessings
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4)
5)
It's likely you have a lot more than five things to be thankful for. I would encourage you to spend time not only counting your blessings, but acknowledging them. Consider the first five you've just thought of and if you haven't said "Thank You" recently for their presence in your life, take the time today to do so. An explanation doesn't have to accompany your acknowledgement. "Thank You" is enough.
Thank you, Lighten Up subscribers. Thank you.
Personal Recommendations for books, music, websites and all resources fun!
May You Be Blessed This sweet, short film created by a woman named Kim Novak is part of a project she created earlier this year called "One Million Blessings in One Hundred Days". Apparently this film has been seen by over one million people on the internet. You'll understand why when you view the four minute movie. Lovely words, pictures and a pretty piano soundtrack make for a powerful and peaceful personal time-out.
Team Hoyt
Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father and son running-team who have competed together in several marathons and triathlons. Initially that may not sound all that spectacular, but when you consider that Rick was born as a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy and his dad, Dick never was an athlete it's an amazing story. Even more amazing is the fact that after twenty-five years and several health scares with both men, they're still running. Dick likes to say he’s just the body, while Rick is the heart. The power of one's spirit and how it can overcome any adversity is certainly a big part of their story, but what I find just as inspiring is how big a father's love and devotion for his son can be. I believe you'll be inspired as well.
What's Up at Playful Spirit?
Even though I haven't slept much over the course of the last two weeks, I'm not complaining about the lack of shut-eye. Yes, it really would be nice to get a full eight hours of sleep in the body (I've been averaging about five hours a night) but I wouldn't trade beauty rest for the beauty that I've been blessed with since November 6th. I mentioned this in my last newsletter, but for those new subscribers who might have missed it, here's what happened: a film I made with Nic Askew called "the girl who looked into the mirror" debuted two weeks ago and since that time, I have been writing my ass off trying to keep up with all the lovely emails that have come my way. It has been an incredible wave of web-based goodness that has swept me off my feet and lifted me up to new levels of creativity, companionship and connectedness.
Here's a sampling of what's happened: I have 100 new subscribers to this newsletter. I have had several people express interest in the next retreat I'll be doing in April. I have exchanged emails with folks all over the world. I have been inspired to write more posts on my blogs, The Ultimate Yes and Life of Play. I'm more excited about my business than I have been in a long time. So while I attribute a lot of these happenings to the film I made with Nic, I'm also going to give myself some credit for stepping off the hose and stepping up to the plate to really play big. What that really means is I'm ready to help others play big too.
It's taken a lot of hard life lessons for me to understand what I'm here on this planet to do, but I finally get it and I'm no longer afraid of sharing it with others. Call it a purpose, a stand, a point of view or a mission...watch out world, I'm here to deliver it in all sorts of ways.
Giggles & Guffaws
An amusing story, joke, anecdote or picture to tickle your funnybone
This funny interactive card by Hoops and Yo-Yo (a rather random and rambunctious cartoon duo) reminds me of one of the things I love most about getting together over the holiday with family: spontaneous utter silliness. Hoops & Yo-Yo Thanksgiving Song
Ways to Play Today
Why not...create your own bumper-sitcker?
There are plenty of places on the internet where you can create your very own sticker of sentiment. If you're not satisfied with the current selection of political, inspirational or wildly sensational bumper bits that you see in your local book, card or music store, hop online and design something that really speaks your mind. Use your imagination and passion to craft words that will catch someone's attention. Whether your goal is to inform or transform those who read your message, be brave enough to stick it where people will see it.
Why not...start writing those Christmas cards now?
It'll be December 25th before too long and it's not too early to consider how you want to say your holiday hellos. You have enough time to seriously think about making them rather than buying them and you'll have no worries about your cards arriving late. Be kind to yourself by taking this item off your to-do list. Surprise or confuse your friends and family with the earliest holiday greeting they've ever received. Maybe your mail carrier will even appreciate your attempt to lighten his/her load later on. And hey, if you start now, writing one Christmas card a day is sure to keep the Grinch away.
Something to Ponder
Questions designed to stimulate your thinking AND encourage you to take action towards what you want.
What have you learned from one of your blessings recently?
How can you let others know they're one of your blessings?
Care to share what these questions stir up in you?
Send me an e-mail.
I welcome your thoughts and will respond to all e-mails received.
If you want to find out more about the work I do as a facilitator, writer and inspirational speaker check out Playful Spirit. Make sure you come back and visit every so often as you never know what kind of resources and fun stuff I'll be playing around with and adding to the website.
Thanks for reading this issue of Lighten Up! If you enjoyed it, please pass it along to your friends, your family, your co-workers...You get the idea. For the next month, think about everything in your life you're grateful for and consider saying "Thank You" more often. Show up, be real and play big.
See you on December 18th!
Lisa
~Playful Spirit's mission is to inspire the world to laugh longer, live passionately and love more. Let's Play!
lisa@playful-spirit.com www.playful-spirit.com