Monday Mantra: Normal

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: There is no normal

I was talking with a friend recently who kept apologizing for being "crazy". I laughed and told her she was just being normal. That we all have moments where we think we're crazy and that's actually very normal. She told me that was the first time anyone had said that to her that day- that she was normal, sane, not crazy at all.

How sad that now, in a world with so much change and color and vibrancy, do we still believe in a normal? And worse, that if we don't do this "normal" thing that can't really be defined, then we're crazy. We're abnormal. We're weird and strange and odd. We, therefore, don't fit in and must banish ourselves to some far off land where only gnomes and unicorns and other crazy people reside. Actually, that sounds like a pretty awesome place to visit. Unicorns? Sign me up!

In fact, when I get to Crazy Town I'm going to grab my unicorn, of which I've now named Homette van Awesomeness, find me a gnome, maybe a couple of trolls, and start a band called "The Funkadelic Freaks". Showtimes and locations to come soon.

Does that make me crazy? Maybe, but I'm good with it. I believe it's better to be odd and happy than to try to strive for normal and feel miserable all the time because you just can't quite reach it. You can't quite wrap your head around it. 

There is no such thing as normal. There is life, art, laughter. There is sadness and heartbreak and tears. There are good things and bad things and all around weird things, but there is no normal. 

Embrace who you are, what makes you- you, and get down with your crazy, weird, wonderful self.

What would you name your unicorn? Just curious. I'm probably not going to steal the name. Probably.

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Monday Mantra: Whatever Will Be

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: Whatever will be, will be

Lately, this has been my new go to saying: Whatever will be, will be.

I use it for everything. Trying out that new ombre hair color craze (wow, I hope I don't look like a freak), a new recipe (I hope it's supposed to taste this way), an outfit (that doesn't match at all), my relationships (should I have said/done that?)- everything. It helps to remind me that sometimes - when things are scary, out of my control, or I've just over thought them - that it doesn't really matter. My life is going to turn out exactly the way it should, regardless of any stress or anxiety I put into a situation. 

So is yours. 

We crazy human beings like to think we can control every situation of our lives. We think we can make people like us more or less if we become someone more or less like them - wrong. We think we can control the outcome of a situation by altering the events leading up to it- wrong. We think, and think, and think ourselves into insanity over things we have no say in. No control over. 

With that in mind, I'm not saying you can just sit back all day long, not strive for anything or push yourself, and just give up trying altogether. On the contrary, this means after you've done all of that, given it your all, tried your very best, then it's time to relax and let life happen. 

At the end of the day, the only real thing we can account for is how we did in this aspect: Was I kind, good, compassionate? To myself and others? 

Or not?

That's it. That's all. As for everything else...

Whatever will be, will be.

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Monday Mantra: Do Not Fear the Sadness

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: Do not fear the sadness

I've been watching a lot of Lord of the Rings lately. I always cry at the scene where Theoden buries his son and says, "No parent should have to bury their child." I cry, not because of the movie, but because my own grandfather once said those words to me at the funeral of his own child, the last of his children, both of which he outlived.

Sometimes I feel silly crying at that. It's just a movie, after all. But it's not. It's a memory. An emotion. It's energy releasing itself and freeing me from the moment. 

I try to be a happy, upbeat person and I forget that, at times, it's fine for me to fail in that task. It's fine for me to be sad, to think back, to remember, and to let go of joy for a moment or two. I forget that it's fine to be human- frail, broken, weak at times. It's in those moments that I am reminded of my humanity. 

Do not fear the sadness in life- yours or someone else's. It is through the dark moments that we remember the light, that we appreciate the stars in the dark night sky, that we remember how wonderful the warm sun feels in the cold snow. It's those reminders that keep us in check, that keep us in an awareness of gratitude for what we do have. 

Like friends to cry with, that take you in and wrap you up in their warmth.

Like memories of good times, when moments were filled with laughter.

Like Aragorn, a hot and mysterious cloaked man, who I get to watch on the big screen every so often...it's important to be thankful for everything, that's all I'm saying.

Do not fear the sadness. Let it guide you back to happier moments. Let it free you from the pain. Let it be the knife that releases the ties that bind you.

What's your favorite feel good movie?

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Monday Mantra: When Fish Climb Trees

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: Believe that you are brilliant

Society 6

I'm pretty sure after I admit this all of you will stop being my friends, but I'm hoping you'll take pity on me and maybe even wave at me once in a while as I walk by with my head hung low.

Once upon a time, not that long ago, sadly enough, I believed that Alaska and Hawaii were right next to each other. I never understood how two places so close together could be so wildly different, one place ice and another fire.

The geography puzzled me, but it was because of a puzzle that I was so very confused. This puzzle, to be specific. Why did they make Alaska red, I ask you? Doesn't red mean hot, fire, warmth? No instructions came with this little puzzle and no warning labels were on it to specify who should use it (those past the elementary levels) and who shouldn't (those trying to learn their geography with only a Kindergarten degree). It's cool, I know where everything really is now, but the humility lives on. Trust me.

The puzzle that edumacated me.

It can be challenging, when you're told you should be or act or understanding something repeatedly and you can't quite ever make it work for you. It never comes easily, never seems right. It's most likely because it isn't. It isn't right for you.

A friend at work once gave me this scenario, when telling me how he would explain to someone that worked for him that they were in the wrong role. His goal wasn't to break them down, but show them that where they were wasn't the right fit.

He would say, "You're either a carpenter or a plumber in this company. For what we do, we need carpenters. We need those specific skills. You just happen to be a plumber. That doesn't make you any less valuable, in fact, plumbers play an important part in what we do. It just means that you need to be working in a role that uses your plumbing skills." With that, they would look for a new job for that person, one that was better suited to them.

We've all had our moments where we don't think we're good enough, smart enough, talented enough...

Enough is enough, my friends.

You are brilliant- in your own way. Maybe you can paint pictures others can't even imagine, but math fails you at every angle. Maybe you can march into a meeting, spreadsheets mapped out and strategies ready to go, while the rhythm of a poem leaves you bewildered.

We all have our special traits, none better than the other. Not only do we need to remind ourselves of this when we wish to be someone we are not meant to be, but we also need to remind others of this when they try and compare one person against another. Do not listen when they try and convince you to be someone you're not.

We each have our place in this world. Once you find it, you'll know. In the meantime, don't ever let anyone tell you you're anything less than brilliant. Fish can't climb trees and carpenters can't fix pipes for a reason. How boring the world would be if we were all the same.

You're purpose here is your own and it it most certainly needed.

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Monday Mantra: Be Mindful

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: Be mindful of your words, your actions, your thoughts

Sometimes I get stuck on a thought, a moment, a memory that just keeps playing itself over and over again. Sometimes it's important, like wishing I had said or done something the opposite of what I did. Sometimes it's not, like when I debate over what the How I Met Your Mother preview of Robin and Barney getting married might mean. Regardless, what it always ends up being is a waste of time...a waste of thought processes replaying the moment, the event, the thing that I can't let go of in my head.

There are other times, when my mind isn't looping, when I'm not in the present moment with the people I'm with. I'm somewhere else- at work, going over my to-do list, planning out my next trip. Those are also wasted moments. Times when I'm letting myself disconnect from the people right in front of me. 

I try to keep myself in check and be mindful of the things I say, do, think, but I'm only human. I mess up a lot. I forget. I get tired and busy and I let the Mindless Thieves in the front door of my home to steal away my happiness.

While I don't necessarily believe in resolutions of the year long variety, I do believe in goals. So the personal goal I've set for myself right now is to not let these thieves in during my holiday season. I will be present. I will pay attention. I will focus on the right things and I will not let them make a home in my mind. I will be mindful of myself.

Jon Kabat-Zinn is the founder of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society. He created the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course, which teaches attendees how to deal with pretty much every situation in life with meditation, yoga, and awareness in the moment. He is credited as being the one who brought meditation into the mainstream medical practice as a way to heal one's self. He is, in my mind, this generations master of mindfulness.

Being mindful helps you to understand why you say the things you say, do the things you do, feel the way you feel. It's the answer to almost everything because it requires so much acuteness to the moment you're in. It requires you to be present. To be here- right now. It helps you to understand that your thoughts are just thoughts, no action required on them. That they do not make you who you are, that they do not rule you. Mindfulness teaches you to pick and choose what you're focusing on and why. It makes the smallest, most insignificant things in life, like driving a car or eating a grape, the most amazing acts you've ever done. You see things in a new light. You see everything as a miracle.

This season, when you're running around finishing your Christmas shopping, trying to get everything done in two weeks that you meant to accomplish in the whole year, take some time to stop and focus. Take time to pay attention to the loved ones around you. To the real reason of this season. To the things that really matter.

Breathe. Focus. Relax.

Repeat.

For more info on Mr. Kabat-Zinn, and to see some of his great works, click here.

When life is stressing you out, what do you do to center yourself? To stop the world from spinning?
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Monday Mantra: Oh Well

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: Oh well

www.brainlesstales.com

Sometimes in life the only mantra you need to get yourself through any situation is this: Oh well.

I had to repeat that a lot last week when I had to travel for business, which is where all of my rather embarrassing moments stem from for your reading pleasure this week.

On my flight out of town, I got the tragic and dreadfully unwanted middle seat. Both folks, in the far better window and aisle seats, decided we would all be friends for the entire 4.5 hour trip. Normally I'm cool with this, but I was exhausted and just wanted some shut eye. Did that happen, though? Nope. There was sharing of life lessons, Ritz crackers, and way too vivid female stories that strangers should never, not ever tell to other strangers. I didn't even get to pee in privacy because we had pre-planned bathroom breaks on who, when, and what time we would get up and go. If anything, I have learned the very important lesson of pretending to not speak English when necessary. It's not being cruel, it's self preservation. This is what I'm telling myself so that I don't feel bad.

Oh well. 

Since this was my first time to headquarters, the team there had planned all kinds of great team building events and get togethers. Which is great, except that some of them were dangerous. Not for me exactly, but for other people to be around me when they're happening. Like bowling. 

No one believed me when I said I've broken bowling balls, the thing that grabs the pins, or the actual floor, but I warned them. I did. I thought for sure the first time I threw the ball and it landed dead center in the middle of the lane with a loud "THWACK" they would let me get out of bowling. Nope. It wasn't until the bowling ball came flying out of my hand and landed in someone else's lane entirely that they wised up. Needless to say, once the gasping and jaw dropping had stopped, I was promptly removed from the team. 

Oh well.

Last but not least, one night I went to dinner and upon my exit I noticed that my very black work slacks had 72 million very white pieces of fuzz (in a very prominent square shaped pattern) on them from my napkin. Not only was it overwhelmingly noticeable, I had to walk like this back to my hotel, several blocks away. This is embarrassing in general, but add on the fact that 99% of the people around the city were either my peers, executives, or other business folks in black slacks without fuzz, and it can make a girl want to dye her hair and change her identity.

Oh well.

What's your mantra when things aren't going right? 
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Monday Mantra: Command Your Time- Part 3

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".


Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: Invest your time wisely

On yet another flight home a while back (clearly that's the only time I have to read these days..we'll get to that), I was reading an interview someone did with Drew Barrymore about how she disagrees with the idea that we can have it all when we try to, well, have it all: A career, a family, a business, abs of steel, so on and so forth. She wasn't necessarily disagreeing that people can achieve these things on some level, but what she was saying is that you can't juggle all of those balls of life perfectly with the hope of never letting any of them drop. Her point was that you have to choose wisely what you spend your time on because you won't have enough to equally go around the way you'd like it to.

In my mind there are negotiable and non-negotiable things in life. They are (in no particular order)...

Negotiable: TV, reading (see above), Internet shenanigans (Pinterest, Facebook, etc.), a perfectly manicured yard, awesome hair every day. That last part is mostly because even if I tried, it wouldn't happen.

Non-negotiable: Family, friends, my dog, sleep, health, flossing. I'm serious about that flossing bit, people. Floss saves lives.

How many people do you know that are frazzled to the core because they have set their own personal bar so high that not even a three time Olympic gold medalist could reach it? And then, because they never achieve whatever all of those things are they thought they could achieve, they run down their health/let one of those very important non-negotiable balls drop/push themselves to the point of misery? For the record, I'm holding my hand up because I know quite a few, including myself.

For example, I don't have kids right now but the thought of trying to maintain the schedule and life I have currently while raising children makes me panic and want to hide out until the children I don't have graduate from college. Which tells me that I agree with Drew...you can't do everything. You must make sacrifices and decide what's really important. Sleeping or staying up into the wee hours to catch up on work, clean the house, read a book? Being a working mother or being a stay at home mom (if your lifestyle and budget permit, of course)? Making home cooked meals for your family or buying your  meals pre-made?

No one can tell you what is important to you or for you, only you can decide that. The point is that you do decide. That you do weight out the variables and make an actual decision, rather than trying to do it all for the sake of doing it all...putting in 10% here, 5% here, 17% here...so on and so forth. That is not a recipe for success. That is a recipe for an ulcer with an extra large order of stress and a side of chaos. Choose where you invest your time. Because really, when you get to the bottom of it all, where you choose to invest your time is where you are choosing to invest
the most important thing of all- yourself. Make sure you invest wisely.

And to reiterate once more, because I believe that this subject is quite possibly one of the most important in this day and age...

Remember: Your time on this earth is precious. Every. Single. Minute of it. Value that time and put effort into what truly matters and then - here's the hard part - LET GO OF EVERYTHING ELSE. No multitasking/sleep depriving/unrealistic schedule. There are things that are worth your time and there are things that aren't. Sort them out, decide, and then never, not ever let yourself feel bad for investing that precious time of yours into what really matters.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, some of my favorite demotivational posters.

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All the lovely and hilarious pictures (except for the first one that I found somewhere on Google) are brought to you by Despair.com. 

Monday Mantra: Worth It

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: All the hard work, patience, and time is worth it. It's always worth it.

Why a Rubix Cube picture, you may ask? Because getting to this place with it, where all the colors are exactly where they should be, is hard. It takes time and patience...a LOT of patience. I'd imagine some swearing was even involved. After the time, patience, and probable swearing, this is what you get: a completed piece, an accomplishment, a pat-on-the-back to yourself for your efforts paying off.

I've written a couple of posts about having patience and not expecting anything. What I haven't done is tell you how that's worked for me, when I've put the time, effort, and the under-my-breath swearing into these practices.

When I first moved away from home to the big ol' city,  I lived in an apartment in the ghetto-ish part of Mesa. The yard underneath my balcony was covered in beer cans about three feet deep, the antenna on my car was stolen, and there was always a lot of police cars around. I was working part time and going to school full time. My options were slightly limited because I refused to have a roommate. I was all about that "being independent" thing and the "proving myself" thing and, mostly, I was just stubborn. After a few months, I decided I was going to buy a house. Now, this is where I should lie and tell you I moved away because of all the dangers of living where I was, but no. I decided to buy a house because I wanted a dog and, in my mind, a dog needed a proper place to  live. How I was going to do all of this, I didn't know. I just was.

Out of nowhere, a promotion was available where I worked. I was the new kid on the block and not the only one vying for the upcoming job, so I had to go the extra mile to get it; you know, for my dog and his future yard. At work we had what used to be called PAM and TOM; gigantic volumes of information on all the procedures you needed to know. I decided to take them home on the weekends and study them until I knew every step of everything procedure related. It was not the funnest way to spend my weekends, but my time paid off. I got the job.

While this was all going on, I started house hunting. I am a very, very picky potential home buyer and nothing was looking good in my price range. Right when I was going to give up and buy something that didn't really suit me, an ad was placed in the paper for a townhouse that was being sold, which had not one, not two, but three patios with two yards. My future brown weenie dog, who I had already named Samson in my mind, was going to be so happy! I went and saw the house and knew at once it was supposed to be mine. It was old, as old as I was, and needed new everything, but I was OK with that. I had a vision in my head of what it could be (years later, I made that vision reality). The last thing I needed was my dog.

I had been visiting the pet store at the mall near my ghetto apartment for months, just to see this one tan little weenie dog. I loved him so very much. By the time I purchased the house, he was gone. I searched the ads for weeks on end and then, on Mother's Day of all days, I found an ad for a chocolate mini daschund. I drove over that afternoon, saw the runt of the pack, and knew that little ball of belly and legs was my Samson. My dream was complete.

Along with all of this, in the new job where I was the new kid, I also ended up meeting a lot of wonderful people. People who I still call friends to this day, some of them my best friends. When I moved and took this job, none of this was a thought in my head. I was terrified of everything, actually, and mostly just wanted to go back home. But then my life, the life I was meant to have with the people I was meant to have in it, all started to unfold. I never went into that job expecting anything except my paycheck, but I ended up leaving with amazing friends and a new life.

At the time of all of this I was 19, making practically nothing, and had never thought of buying a house, at least not for a while. But it all happened. Every step of the way, I got exactly what I needed and wanted. Day by day, when I had no idea how I was going to make it all work or if I was ever going to make it in the big city, small pieces of the puzzle would fall into place and I would get closer and closer, until one day the puzzle was complete. My questions answered, my patience paid off.

Whatever you're working towards or working on, no matter what the goal or even the question in your head, don't give up. Step by step you'll get there. You may not know how, and it may not be clear, but it will happen. You just have to keep trying, believing, and having patience.


On a similar, yet somewhat different note, my Whole 30 update of Week 1 coming tomorrow! So far, so good. Although I did have a dream about cheating with popcorn, but I hear that's normal.

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Monday Mantra (National Poetry Month Special Edition): The Truth Will Come Out

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: Always, always, always tell the truth

Society6
Linda May

In honor of National Poetry Month, all posts this month will be poetry related. Friday's will be normal, obviously, but Monday's will be slightly different. For this Monday Mantra special edition, truth is the topic at hand. 

Often, I think about how strange it is that we live in a day and age where lies are impossible to keep up (for long, anyway) yet people constantly decide to lie instead of facing the truth head on. Corporations, for example, drive me absolutely crazy in this regard. Think of all the actual, true life stories that have come to light: PPG and the chemicals they leaked, causing hundreds of people to becomes incredibly sick. Enron and their insanity, with their California power control and bizarre future value ideas that eventually led them to destruction. The NFL and their denial of the damage to their players brains. The list is so long that it's almost painful to think about. 

It boggles my mind that there are people leading these companies who are far more afraid of failure than of telling the truth- truth that could save lives. Where are the morals and ethics in big business? Where are the leaders with hearts and souls that guide them? When will they wake up and realize the truth will come out? The truth always comes out.

The Truth Will Come Out

The truth will come out-

The truth always comes out.

You can lie, you can cheat,

You can cause some to doubt,

You can reel in your secrets,

You can cover and shroud,

But the truth will come out-

The truth always comes out.

Monday Mantra: Shake Hands With Sadness

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: I will shake hands with sadness, sit with it, and listen

If you do a search on depression in the United States as of 2012, you come back with anywhere from 21 million to 27 million people currently diagnosed, which breaks down to A LOT. A lot of people are depressed. I'm told that in my own family we have a history of depression and I'll admit I've had plenty of sad times in my life. I suppose I've even been depressed, although I try not to give myself that title for one very simple reason: I don't want to fear being sad. I, instead, want to embrace it.

I hate to think that having any kind of an emotion - good, bad, or otherwise - is a reason to label myself. When you're super, overly exhaustingly happy you don't get some kind of a label. You're just plain and simply happy. But, when we face the more negative emotions in life we are suddenly wrong or bad or in trouble because we're not constantly glowing with inner joy 100% of the time. This, my friends, this idea that we are somehow broken because of that, is a problem.

First and foremost, I'll admit there are times when people are beyond their own control of their emotions. From a holistic health care view, this can be due to a lot of things that are completely controllable when properly diagnosed, such as the foods your eating and how they're affecting you, hormone imbalances, nutrient level imbalances, and so on. We, in the holistic world, don't see someone sad and think it's time for a pill. We think it's time for a long discussion on your life and a lot of research to get to the bottom of it.

From a modern day, more wellness oriented psychology view, we also see these labels as being a problem. When you study this type of psychology you learn that all basic emotions roll up into two main ones : Fear or love. You learn that, regardless of the emotion, the answer is in the acceptance. The acceptance of the fear you have or the love you need. Without delving too deeply into that particular aspect of it, let me sum it up by saying this: When you believe in something (or the lack thereof) you give value to it. You assign it purpose. You give power to what you believe in. 

What we in this modern world need to focus on is less labeling and more acceptance. In believing in only the things that support our best life. Light, love, and happiness are not the leaders of all the emotions. Sadness, anger, and fear are not the less-than-worthy harborers of doom. They are all equal partners, all working together to make you whole.

Have you ever stopped and wondered why exactly we've decided that being sad is a bad thing? Why have we not, on the other hand, decided that sadness is a great and powerful teacher? That instead of running from it, we should shake hands with sadness, sit with it, and listen to what it's trying to tell us? Because, as with anything in life, the more we run from something we dislike, the greater the struggle. The more we invite in the things we fear so that we can understand them, the faster we will heal and overcome what is holding us down.

We should never allow any emotion to wear such a large label in life that it takes over everything else. That our happiness is known only as The Good Times, while our sadness is known only as The Bad Times. To accept ourselves, just as we accept others, we must embrace the light and the dark, for neither is better than the other. All emotions are teachers.

Next time you're feeling down, try this mantra: I will shake hands with my sadness, sit with it, and listen. It is not there to torture me, but to teach.

Listen to your sadness. It's there to help, not to hurt. Try embracing it for a change and see what that can do for you.

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Monday Mantra: Open the Book

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: Show me what's under the cover

Don't judge a book by it's cover.

Last week at work I attended a training event around Diversity & Inclusion. This was by far the best thing I have ever attended in the 12 years that I've been here and, quite frankly, I'm impressed that we're taking the initiative to train all of our leaders with it. More places need it. More people need it. 

It touched on the more common things such as race, gender, and sexual preference, but it also touched on the smaller things. For example, how a person was raised or what they went through in life prior to you knowing them. It basically made you step back and give every single person another chance to show you who they are. In fact, it went along perfectly with last week's post about The 100/0 Principle. 

Anyway, along these very same lines is a post my friend did on his blog about Charlotte and Jonathan, two singers who were trying out on Britain's Got Talent. In his blog he says, "No amount of disfigurement, handicap, obesity, or even poor choices can remove a person's intrinsic value...every human being has an intrinsic worth that should not be overlooked based on their outward appearance or circumstance. "

I agree.

When I was watching the video of them singing, the first thing I noticed was the look on everyone's faces when they saw Jonathan. These looks of judgement and criticism before they even heard him sing. All because he was overweight. The moment he started singing, everyone in the crowd changed their own tune. By the end of it they were all standing, clapping, and cheering him on. Heck, people were even brought to tears by his voice! All because Jonathan, the person they had just judged on looks alone, could sing like it was nobody's business. 

I supposed this topic is near and dear to my heart right now because I just attended the training at work. Or maybe because in the training I realized I'm not so great at this non-judging thing myself. Even after studying mindfulness, I still mess this up sometimes. In ways I wasn't even aware of until recently. So really, this is as much a reminder for me as it is for everyone else.

Never go off of someone's appearance alone. Let them show you who they are in their thoughts, their actions, their personality, and perspective. I have met some of the most beautiful people outwardly, but once I got to know them, I saw how very unattractive they were on the inside. The inside is what counts. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Instead of seeing people with our eyes, we should feel them with our hearts. Then we will know the true person in front of us. 

Thoughts?

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Monday Mantra: Choose Your Hard

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: Choose your hard

The reason I'm running late with this post today is because I was having a hard time figuring out what to say to y'all.  Then I was given this video link (thank you, Brian!) and I knew. 

I once read an article about a woman who had lost 100 pounds by, basically, not giving up. She lived by this motto:

Losing weight is hard. Maintaining weight is hard. Being fat is hard. 

Choose your hard.

I believe that this thought process can be applied to most everything in life. 

For example, my whole life I've been told how happy I seem and friendly and that it's actually kind of overwhelming to people sometimes which, honestly, makes me openly bust out into laughter and therefore leads to those people being even more overwhelmed. These people wonder if I ever get sad or if I am ever not laughing or smiling. 

Well, yes, actually. Yes. 

I get sad. I don't laugh all the time. Believe it or not, I consider myself more of a pessimist than anything else. Being happy all the time isn't easy. It doesn't just happen. It takes work. I choose to be happy, regardless, because for me, it's harder to be sad. This is my hard, this is my choice. 

Arthur is the perfect example of choosing your hard. He had options: Give up. Don't try. Don't believe in yourself because it's impossible to change your circumstances. Or ignore all of that and try anyway. So he did. And WOW.

Of course I like this because it's about yoga. I'm not going to front and pretend like that didn't win me over, but I LOVE it because it's about believing in yourself. It's about overcoming what you have been given. It's about making a choice. Arthur chose his hard and look where he is today. Not going to lie, I teared up a bit! Maybe it was the Coldplay song in the back that went perfectly with the video, but mostly it was just Arthur and his amazing dedication. 

Life is often challenging. Life is often hard. At the end of each day, it's up to you to decide. 

Choose your hard. 

What choice will you make?

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