The Glass ~ Half EMPTY or Half FULL?

Life certainly has a way of interfering with your plans. As you know, my belief is that everything that happens in your life, happens for a reason. How you react to the things that happen is entirely up to you and will determine your attitude and outlook in life. Is your glass half empty or half full?

Is the glass half empty or half full? is a common expression to indicate that a particular situation could be a cause for optimism (half full) or pessimism (half empty). There has been a lot of things that have happened in my life to make me feel like my glass was always half empty. I quite often thought, "When would all the good stuff happen to me?"  and "Why do other people win the lottery when I am the one that needs it?" You know the kind of thoughts I mean. You have had them yourself. And everyone you know has had them.

As a rule, I am usually a pretty optimistic person. Always smiling and making conversation as if I didn't have a care in the world, like everything was fantastic. Truth is, things get me down the same as everyone else. I start to worry that I can't please everybody. Money is always tight so that means that if I want to do something nice for someone just because I want to, I can't. This bothers me. I have always been the type of person that likes to do things for other people just so they will be happy, and that their day will be just a little better for it. I like to act on my ideas and thoughts, pay it forward as you will, just because I know it would make that person feel good. I would love to send people flowers for no reason at all, buy a round of drinks for my friends when we are out, or even just say, "Here's $20, you need it more than me". Because right now I can't do that, the things I was accustomed to doing, sometimes I feel my glass has a leak. I know things will get better because I always worry too much and things always turn out fine. The important things in life I already have and always will have....my glass really is half full...

~ I have an awesome, awesome family and kids, boyfriend who loves me and takes great care of me, and Maui who keeps my glass full just by being here with those big brown eyes :)
~ I have a job that is full time with benefits and I work with two awesome ladies who always look out for me and make me feel as if I matter.
~ My health is pretty good. Although I feel a lot of aches and pains, luckily I have not ever been diagnosed with anything serious.
~Money, although it is not overly abundant, I have a boyfriend that makes sure I have everything I need. There is always food in the apartment, a roof over my head, Maui is well taken care of, and if I need money for something he always finds it. And if I do have money, then if you need it, it's yours.
~I have the most awesome friends a girl could wish for, and I would do anything for any one of them, unless that required money then we might have a problem lol.

There are so many things I could be negative about, with Christmas coming up and not knowing where money is going to come from to buy presents, food or to travel. But I am keeping in mind what I do have...a Half Full Glass...

Pay It Forward....100 RANDOM ACTS of KINDNESS

Have you ever been walking by some construction workers on a hot day and thought to yourself, "I am glad that's not me working in that heat" or walk by someone sitting at a bus stop waiting for their bus home at the end of the day and something about them catches your eye, maybe their outfit or their hair cut or even just the way they smiled at you? So many times in my life I have thought about people in their every day life, and how, even for a split moment, somethng about them has made me stop and realize that a kind word or gesture can go a long way. I am sure the construction workers would have appreciated some ice cold bottles of water and why is it that when the person at the bus stop caught my eye, I didn't go up to them and tell them they looked good? Because I, like many others, do not act on these thoughts, even though they could literally make someone's day...I am going to try to act on these thoughts more often. Will you?

Whether you realize it or not, what you say to people can have a huge impact on their day, perhaps even their life. These days, so many people have a tough life and they hide behind a colourful facade. They put on a brave face and only a trained eye can see past the make up and piercings and wild hair to reveal the true person underneath. A friend of mine once walked past a person with a colourful mohawk and piercings. She loved his hair and went up to him and told him that his hair looked absolutely awesome. Well that comment just made his day. The walls came down and for a moment, he didn't feel the generation gap between them. He started talking to her about his hair and seemed to be grinning from ear to ear. Do you think she made his day? I can guarantee you, he was probably thinking of my friend the rest of the day. There are so many ways to make an impression in someone's life, all you have to do to get started is act on it! Pay It Forward!

100 IDEAS FOR KINDNESS

1. Deliver fresh-baked cookies to city workers.
2. Collect goods for a food bank.
3. Bring flowers to work and share them with coworkers.
4. Garden clubs can make floral arrangements for senior centers, nursing homes, hospitals, police stations, or shut-ins.
5. Adopt a student who needs a friend, checking in periodically to see how things are going.
6. Volunteer to be a tutor in a school.
7. Extend a hand to someone in need. Give your full attention and simply listen.
8. Merchants can donate a percentage of receipts for the week to a special cause.
9. Bring coworkers a special treat.
10. Students can clean classrooms for the custodian.
11. Buy a stranger a free pizza.
12. Distribute lollipops to kids.
13. Sing at a nursing home.
14. Offer a couple of hours of baby-sitting to parents. 15. Slip paper hearts that say “It’s Random Acts of Kindness Week! Have a great day!” under the windshield wipers of parked cars.
16. Have a charity day at work, with employees bringing nonperishable food items to donate.
17. Serve refreshments to customers.
18. Draw names at school or work, and have people bring a small gift or food treat for their secret pal.
19. Remember the bereaved with phone calls, cards, plants, and food.
20. Treat someone to fresh fruit.
21. Pay a compliment at least once a day.
22. Call or visit a homebound person.
23. Hand out balloons to passersby.
24. Give free sodas to motorists.
25. Be a good neighbor. Take over a baked treat or stop by to say “Hello.”
26. Transport someone who can’t drive.
27. Mow a neighbor’s grass.
28. Say something nice to everyone you meet today.
29. Send a treat to a school or day-care center.
30. Volunteer at an agency that needs help.
31. Wipe rainwater off shopping carts or hold umbrellas for shoppers on the way to their cars.
32. Give the gift of your smile.
33. Send home a note telling parents something their child did well.
34. Adopt a homeless pet at the humane society.
35. Organize a scout troop or service club to help people with packages at the mall or grocery.
36. Host special programs or speakers at libraries or bookstores.
37. Offer to answer the phone for the school secretary for ten minutes.
38. Volunteer to read to students in the classroom.
39. Write notes of appreciation and bring flowers or goodies to teachers or other important people, such as the principal, nurse, custodian, and secretary.
40. Incorporate kindness into the curriculum at area schools, day care centers, or children’s classes in faith organizations.
41. Give a hug to a friend.
42. Tell your children why you love them.
43. Write a note to your mother/father and tell them why they are special.
44. Pat someone on the back.
45. Write a thank-you note to a mentor or someone who has influenced your life in a positive way.
46. Give coffee to people on their way to work in the morning.
47. Donate time at a senior center.
48. Give blood.
49. Visit hospitals with smiles, treats, and friendly conversation for patients.
50. Stop by a nursing home, and visit a resident with no family nearby.
51. Plant flowers in your neighbor’s flower box.
52. Give another driver your parking spot.
53. Leave a treat or handmade note of thanks for a delivery person or mail carrier.
54. Give free car washes.
55. Clean graffiti from neighborhood walls and buildings.
56. Tell your boss that you think he/she does a good job.
57. Tell your employees how much you appreciate their work.
58. Let your staff leave work an hour early.
59. Have a clean-up party in the park.
60. Tell a bus or taxi driver how much you appreciate their driving.
61. Have everyone in your office draw the name of a Random Acts of Kindness buddy out of a hat and do a kind act for their buddy that day or week.
62. Give a pair of tickets to a baseball game or concert to a stranger.
63. Leave an extra big tip for the waitperson.
64. Drop off a plant, cookies, or donuts to the police or fire department.
65. Open the door for another person.
66. Pay for the meal of the person behind you in the drive-through.
67. Write a note to the boss of someone who has helped you, praising the employee.
68. Leave a bouquet of flowers on the desk of a colleague at work with whom you don’t normally get along.
69. Call an estranged family member.
70. Volunteer to fix up an elderly couple’s home.
71. Pay for the person behind you in the movie line.
72. Give flowers to be delivered with meal delivery programs.
73. Give toys to the children at the shelter or safe house.
74. Give friends and family kindness coupons they can redeem for kind favors.
75. Be a friend to a new student or coworker.
76. Renew an old friendship by sending a letter or small gift to someone you haven’t talked with in a long time.
77. For one week, act on every single thought of generosity that arises spontaneously in your heart, and notice what happens as a consequence.
78. Offer to return a shopping cart to the store for someone loading a car.
79. Invite someone new over for dinner.
80. Buy a roll of brightly colored stickers and give them to children you meet during the day.
81. Write a card of thanks and leave it with your tip. Be sure to be specific in your thanks.
82. Let the person behind you in the grocery store go ahead of you in line.
83. When drivers try to merge into your lane, let them in with a wave and a smile.
84. Buy cold drinks for the people next to you at a ball game.
85. Distribute kindness bookmarks that you have made.
86. Create a craft project or build a bird house with a child.
87. Give a bag of groceries to a homeless person.
88. Laugh out loud often and share your smile generously.
89. Plant a tree in your neighborhood.
90. Make a list of things to do to bring more kindness into the world, and have a friend make a list. Exchange lists and do one item per day for a month.
91. Use an instant camera to take people’s photographs at a party or community event, and give the picture to them.
92. As you go about your day, pick up trash.
93. Send a letter to some former teachers, letting them know the difference they made in your life.
94. Send a gift anonymously to a friend.
95. Organize a clothing drive for a shelter.
96. Buy books for a day care or school.
97. Slip a $20 bill to a person who you know is having financial difficulty.
98. Take an acquaintance to dinner.
99. Offer to take a friend’s child to ball practice.
100. Waive late fees for the week. Bring flowers to work and share them with coworkers.

I would love to hear your comments about how you impacted someone's life by doing a random act of kindness or how you merely Paid it Forward :)

Curved Paths

I think it's interesting that we have a preconceived idea of what our future holds. I have had so many wrong turns in my life that I would never have dreamt that I would be where I am today. Wrong turns? I don't think so...just new directions...guided by someone for some special reason. I think the directions we take, whether planned or not, have a reason for being part of our journeys. There are lessons that we learn along those paths that pave the way for future events. And if they aren't lessons for us, then they are lessons meant for others as a result of our directions we choose....

About a year and a half ago, I lost my job. It was devastating to me. Yet my belief was that everything happens for a reason. Although I could not fathom why I should have lost my job I knew there must be a reason even though I could not see it.So, I lost my job in April, had to vacate the condo I shared with my kids, and  had to start over...but where? Well I was planning on moving to Chatham when my lease was up in November of last year so that I could be closer to Darren, but this sudden turn of events really threw a wrench  in my plans. All of a sudden, I had to find a new place to live with no job and no money. And it also threw my kids' lives into a turmoil. If something affects one of us, it affects all of us. So the day I lost my job, I drove to Chatham to talk to Darren, being very upset I knew he was the only person I wanted to talk to. He made me feel a lot better and offered me to stay at his apartment until I get settled with a new job and secure a place to live. Good, I have support and an amazing person to help me get through this. But because of the path that my life had taken, my kids' lives had changed as well.

Now, life certainly does throw us some curve balls. But it is how we catch those curve balls and throw them back that makes the difference.For some, that adaptation is quite easy and the challenge is like an every day occurance. They have no problems with the curve balls. But  for others it is very difficult. Some people have a hard time adapting to changes and if there is to be a change in their life, then they want to be the ones making it. But change is necessary for growth. It is important for people to grow even if that growth was out of their control. I think the change in my life with losing my job and moving to Chatham, has definitely made an impact on my children's lives for the better. They have grown as adults and have had to make uncomfortable decisions that determine their own path in life. Curved paths or not, they all happen for a reason. I know there was a reason for mine :)