Posts Tagged "Inspiration"

Wednesday Bubble: new year, new you!

Posted by Liz on May 20, 2009 in Uncategorized | 13 comments

I’m not going to burst any bubbles or shatter any misconceptions this week. Rather, I’ve decided to serve a few slices of inspiration that resonate with me and perhaps will do so with you as well.

Tomorrow, I turn 48; my mother turns 78. Yes, I was born on my mother’s birthday. So I would like to dedicate this post to my mom. Because I find myself looking in the mirror a bit too much lately.

The past year has resonated with me deeply. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve enjoyed my 40s immensely and I will still have an opportunity to enjoy them for another two years. But a lot has happened over the past 364 days and it’s made me realize that my baggage is getting a bit too heavy for comfort. So I’d like to take this year to dump a few mistakes, undo a few regrets, renverser les faux pas and start anew.

As my friend Sissy once said: ” new year; new you!”

Following are the top 20 tidbits that midlife has taught me so far:

1. Try to make a point to laugh each day. And then laugh some more.

2. Take some time every day to simply “be.”

3. Listen. And then react. Not the other way around.

4. Do one kind thing for someone you know, and someone you don’t at least a few times a week, if not everyday.

5. Nobody’s perfect. Including you.

6. Let those who love you, love you. Just because.

7. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. And take it.

8. Underneath the grease paint there’s someone special. Take the time to get to know them.

9. Don’t just say “I love you;” show why.

10. Be vulnerable; it’s okay.

11. Try not to internalize things so much; it’s not always about you.

12. Don’t be afraid to fail or better yet, succeed.

13. Believe in yourself as much as you believe in the people you love and nourish.

14. Just because someone says something hurtful, it doesn’t mean that you have to believe them.

15. Sometimes things are gray, not black and white.

16. Relationships will ebb and flow. Being in sync is great. Being out of sync is a perfect time for self-discovery and reality checks.

17. Strength comes in many forms.

18. You’re only as old as you feel. And sometimes you will feel older or younger depending on your mood, hormone levels, day of the week or weather.

19. Good lighting and a well-placed mirror can do wonders for your soul.

20. Chocolate, red wine and candy are your friends. In moderation. And sometimes, in excess.

And one to grow on, of course…

48? The new 30, easily.

Happy Birthday Mom! Happyto be 48 and “middle-aged” me!

Guest Post: Careening towards midlife – how to make the transition

Posted by Liz on Dec 8, 2008 in Inspiration | 13 comments

I can’t think a better way to start the week than with a guest post from one of my favorite business bloggers – Productivity Expert Kris Rowlands. Kris writes Fresh Focus and produces the enewsletter the Inner Sanctum.  If you’re having difficulty organizing your time or getting things done, Kris is the guru to turn to.  Thanks and say hello to Kris!

Liz and I chat on Twitter almost daily, and she invited me to do a guest post here at Flashfree. Thanks, Liz!

So, you’re careening towards midlife. The kids are out of the house and you are suddenly faced with the fact that you are no longer needed as you used to be. What do you do to make that transition easier?

If it was me in that situation, I’d sit down and make a list of all the things that I’ve wanted to do in life, but never had the chance. I’d also revel in the fact that I have every day to make a contribution to either myself, or someone else.

When you have made contributions into your own family for such a long time, it can leave a hole within yourself when you are no longer contributing as much. You suddenly realize that you have time to take care of yourself and maybe you’re not quite sure where to start. So let’s take a look at the areas of self that you’ll need to address.

• Body: You can now work on anything that you’ve wanted to do with your body. You can rejuvenate it by exercise, pamper it by going to the spa, or just really listen to what your body tells you, and take your direction from there. You’ve been so long listening to others and hearing their needs that you may need to tune back into your body to be able to hear it once again.
• Mind: Feed your mind! Go back to school, take some classes or seminars that have always interested you, or read to your hearts’ content. There are so many things to do to feed your mind nowadays that the options are endless.
• Soul: Get in tune with your soul. Depending on your beliefs, you could get involved in your church, join a support group to help others, or get your chakras aligned.  You could also volunteer at an organization helping others or animals. The options are endless! Do what makes you feel good.

Most importantly, get back in touch with your “self”. Re-discover who you are and what your goals will be with the newly found time that you have on your hands.

What are you going to do or have you done to go through the transition? Let’s chat in the comments! I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Kris Rowlands is a Professional Productivity & Organization Coach. You can find her daily on her blog, http://freshfocus.info. As well as blogging to the world, she also does private coaching and consultation, always with the utmost confidentiality. Her thoughts are new, unique, and with a fresh focus on Getting Things Done.

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Let Joy be Unconfined… on Healthy Living Today

Posted by Liz on Nov 2, 2008 in exercise | 2 comments

[Henri Matisse, Dance (II), 1909]

One never knows where one might find inspiration. It can in a song, a book, a beautiful friend or better yet, through common interests.

Someone I’ve met via Twitter has been a regular inspiration to me, through his devotion to exercise, fitness, healthy living and finding the positive in just about everything he does. Consequently, I was very honored to be asked by Mark Salinas to write a guest post for his blog, Healthy Living Today.

I hope you’ll check out the post and better yet, spend some time perusing Mark’s site. It a great source of information on how to make the best of the journey we’re all on.

Enjoy!

Wednesday Inspiration…Guest Post on Fresh Focus

Posted by Liz on Oct 1, 2008 in Inspiration | 5 comments

[Inspiration. William-Adolphe Boughereau, 1898.]

As you beautiful readers know, Wednesday posts are devoted to debunking myths about menopause symptoms or treatments, or about providing a bit of inspiration to get you through the mid-week hump.

Today, I’m directing you to a guest post that I wrote for the ever-inspiring blog, Fresh Focus. Fresh Focus is dedicated to personal development and strategies for getting things done at work and in life. I am honored that Kris asked me to post there.

Life at Flashfree is about change so I decided to share an important lesson that I recently learned about “youthful experience.”

Not only do I encourage you to take a look but also, to poke around the archives; you might find some equally useful tidbits that resonate.

Enjoy! And Happy Wednesday!