Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Being an introvert
Posted by Syd at 8:48 AM 1 comments
Labels: emotion, Meyers-Brigg, self-care, values
Monday, June 9, 2008
10 lessons the Presidential primaries have taught our children
- Style is much more important than substance.
- Winning is more important than being honest or playing fair. In fact, winning is more important than anything.
- If the rules aren't working in your favor, change them.
- If you repeat a lie often enough, people will start to believe it.
- Chose your words very carefully, the technical definition of those words means more than the spirit of them.
- Appearance is everything.
- Overcome feelings of being victimized by playing the victim card.
- Rebut policy differences with personal attacks.
- If someone hits you, hit back. Harder.
- It doesn't matter what you say today... you can always deny it tomorrow.
Posted by Syd at 8:43 PM 0 comments
Labels: current events, famous people, politics, values
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Less than 6 Degrees of Separation
What a delightful surprise to receive a personal message from the author of a book I'm reading... something that could only have been made possible by the wonders of the Internet. So much for the theory that there are 6 degrees of separation.
Posted by Syd at 6:29 PM 0 comments
Saturday, April 26, 2008
How do HSP's cope?
I've just begun to think about what this means for me and how it manifests, but just like with so many other things, I've decided to consider this a blessing rather than a curse. Of course I realize that being highly sensitive to your environment (places and people) can be problematic, but rather than dwell on that, I'm choosing to focus my energies on learning how to minimize the challenges and maximizing the benefits.
There seem to be a few books on the subject, but so far I've only found one article with tips on coping strategies: 14 Success Strategies For Highly Sensitive People. There must be more. I'll keep looking. Perhaps I'll make my own list. Please feel free to post if you have suggestions.
Posted by Syd at 12:39 PM 1 comments
Labels: emotion, gratitude, self-care, sensitivity, spirituality, support, symptoms, values
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
How sensitive is TOO sensitive?
Posted by Syd at 5:45 PM 5 comments
Labels: emotion, Meyers-Brigg, self-care, spirituality, symptoms, work
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Accepting the Night Shift (part 3)
- The Pit. The awful place of brokenness where the testing begins.
- The Wait. The usually long period of time spent waiting, often without understanding, for God to make His divine plan clear.
- The Cry. The desperate prayer for relief from waiting in the pit.
- The Answer. God's reply as He reveals the message that is to be the focal point of the person's future ministry.
- The Deliverance. Liberation from the pit, "in God's way, God's timing, and for God's purpose."
- The New Song. The music inspired by spiritual, emotional and physical freedom from earthly (materialistic) things, with a newfound focus on God's purpose.
- The Impact. The fruits that manifest as a result of allowing the season of suffering to serve its purpose.
Posted by Syd at 7:13 PM 4 comments
Labels: books, gratitude, ministry, spirituality, survivors, work
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Accepting the Night Shift (part 2)
(to be continued)
Posted by Syd at 7:12 PM 5 comments
Labels: books, ministry, spirituality, support, survivors, women, work
Monday, April 14, 2008
Accepting the Night Shift (part 1)
(to be continued)
Posted by Syd at 6:02 PM 1 comments
Labels: ministry, spirituality, support, work
Friday, April 4, 2008
Less really is more
- We know our own style. I feel absolutely no need to wear trendy clothes that cost a fortune and make me look like a clown. I didn't want to look pregnant in my 20's, and I certainly don't want to look pregnant now.
- We've honed our ability to allow things to roll off our backs. I know that there's always going to be at least one person in any social setting that's going to say something "stupid". Better them than me.
- We feel absolutely no compulsion to have a MySpace page, and no need to apologize for not having one. What's MySpace?
- We've grown to appreciate the singularity of our own selves. I'm much happier being a late bloomer than being the most gorgeous girl in junior high school who now looks like she's 65.
- Sex is better than ever, largely because we're not afraid to ask for what we want and realize that faking orgasm only reinforces male ineptitude. Enough said.
- We are able to embody the confidence and wisdom of Coco Chanel, who once quipped, "I don't do fashion. I am fashion." When the situation warrants it, I can definitely "clean up well." But then, I can look good in jeans and bare feet too.
- It's a cinch to say no. That would be "no" as in no more overcommitting to things I have no interest in doing, no more giving my phone number to people I don't want to call me, no more attending social events out of a misguided sense of politeness, and no more apologizing for things I'm not sorry for or that I have no control over.
- Younger men are now old enough to have real careers and order a round of martinis. Yes, there's something to be said for younger men when you reach my age. :)
- We've finally absorbed the reality that no pair of $3,000 sandals will ever be as sexy as quarterly dividends. $3,000! I'd never pay $100 for a pair of sandals!
- We've regained all that time we used to spend freaking out about turning 40. True.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Gratitude Journal: March 2008
- My daughter came home from Iraq for nearly 3 weeks. I hadn't seen her in a year, and she came home in March to celebrate my birthday. We had a wonderful time together and she's doing so well. I am so proude of her.
- My weekly women's group meetings have been absolutely awesome. God has taken a group of women who didn't know each other at all, and created a tightly-knit, Spirit-filled support group where we can share our deepest fears and our most private prayers. Even though the official 8-week session ends in two weeks, we've decided to keep the group going on our own.
- Every Sunday this month I've heard exactly the sermon I needed to hear that day, including this past week's message which was entitled "Men are like waffles, women are like spaghetti." Yes, it was hilarious, but it was also an awesome tutorial on the differences between men and women and how we can learn to communicate with each other better.
- My discount prescription card came just in time to help defray a portion of the added expense of my medications now that I don't have health insurance.
- A wonderful woman from church has recommended me for a job opportunity with a colleague of hers who I'm meeting for coffee on Friday morning.
- I'm working on a full-time time contract which is helping to pay the bills for now. And, it's less than 5 minutes from my house.
- I joined the church I've been visiting for the last few months and I'm absolutely convinced that it's exactly where God wants me to be. I've even been asked to prayerfully consider enrolling in upcoming Small Group Leader Development training so that I can co-facilitate a new women's group.
- The final copy of my book came back from the printer and it looks great. I'm about ready to start marketing it (stay tuned for more on this soon).
- I had a great lunch with a very dear friend that I hadn't seen in years. It's been a long time since I laughed so hard.
- I got a box full of wonderful birthday gifts from my dear friend Susan, including some items that had been hers and/or her Mom's that she chose to share with me. I am so honored.
- I completed a small consulting contract.
- No matter how much money I've spent this month, the balance in my checking account has somehow stayed the same. I can't explain it other than to say that even when no money was coming in, I continued to give offerings at church and to the charities I support.
- I was able to take my daughter to have her first full-body massage. She loved it!
- The facilitator of my women's group introduced me to an entirely new way to "pray" that has made a miraculous difference in my relationship with God.
- I've lost the extra 6 lbs that I've been trying to lose for the last year.
- God is answering my prayers about a personal situation in ways that can only be described as miraculous.
Amen.
Posted by Syd at 7:43 PM 4 comments
Labels: abundance, emotion, family, gratitude, relationships, spirituality, support