Can You Nurture Yourself?

November 17, 2008 at 7:44 am | In Families, Mothers, Self Esteem, children, dads, moms, parents | No Comments
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Good Morning,

It’s motivational Monday again, already. Can you believe it?  I hope you have had a great week.  I sure did. If you did hold onto the energy from it.

But if you are coming from a stressful, over loaded week, then right this minute,as you read this, shake off the stress.  Let that energy go away from you.

One really great way to do this is literally shake your arms and legs, your head.  While you’re at it get up and shake your whole self. I just did it. It feels great.  Now if you really did it great, if not do it now. Don’t worry about what they think.

But that’s not the real motivation. The real motivation for today is to nurture yourself.  I know you are simply too busy to think about or actually nurture yourself in much.  So now I want you to think of one thing you can do, doesn’t cost money, and doesn’t take more than 15 minutes, But you love to do it.  And it is simple to do.

Just to let you know:  Here are the things I do for self-nurturing:  Each morning I take from 30 minutes to an hour to do yoga, meditation, and Reiki. I have lunch w/ my kids, And each evening I have story time w/kids, it can be short.  But usually we spend an hour reading at night.

I also go outdoors everyday for at least 30 minutes. I walk, hike, ski, and whenever possible, I camp.  And swim in the summer.

I have just a couple more things I do to nurture myself-I eat healthy, have good friends, and enjoy whatever I am doing.I talk on the phone each day with my children who are not at home, and my mother, father, and sister. I read, sew and do crafts when time permits.

I basically live with passion, purpose, and integrity with everything I do.

Oh yes, I have all the regular stuff; bills, laundry, errands, groceries, cooking, cleaning, my least favorite-clutter control.  And I home school. And I have an Olympic training athlete. And I have four kids. And of course, I have you. 

I tell you this because I want you to know you can both find the time and take the time to give yourself 15 minutes of self-nurturing. 

It is not selfish, irresponsible, or lazy.  It is healthy, relaxing, and necessary.  It is soul reviving.  It is spiritual.  If you can’t do it for yourself,  then nurture yourself for your kids.  They deserve to have a parent who can let stress go. Who lives by their values. Your kids deserve to know you-At your best, everyday!

I motivate you to take 15 minutes to nurture yourself each day this week.  Please let me know what you plan to do.  Just hit comments at the top of this section, and put down your self-nurturing for this week.

And as I always say: Parent with Passion, Purpose, and Integrity,

Grace
PS, I haven’t heard if the audio link works.
Is no news good news?
Do you like having the audio?
Or have you just not even bothered to check it out?

Be friendly to Your Kids

November 14, 2008 at 7:51 am | In Families, Mothers, Self Esteem, children, dads, moms, parents | 2 Comments
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New feature today-

Audio so you can listen instead of read.

Try it out and let me know what you think.

http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/WymjBmf4

Copy and paste to be able to hear.

 Today is Friendly Friday.

Put energy into being friendly today.  Smile when you notice you aren’t.  Say hi to everyone you can.

Be friendly.

 

I want you to be this way with your kids as well as people you know and see outside your home.

 We often forget to be cordial and friendly to our kids. We are with them all the time.  We want to just relax at home.  We are just too busy to bother with being friendly- school buses, work, dishes, homework, activities-they all get in the way.

So today (even if you don’t read this till Saturday or Monday) get friendly.  Smile. Say hi as though you are glad to see you kids.  When they wake up, when they come into the room or you go into the room they are in.

 

Feel silly doing that?  Then ham it up. Go ahead, its OK, your kids will either think you’re silly or you have lost it.  What ever they think, they will like you being friendly.

Now this does not mean giving up on being the parent, and being their pal or equal. 

 

  • It means giving them respect. 
  • It means giving them kindness.
  • It means giving them appreciation.

Basically it means being friendly. And when you, as a parent are friendly you give your children the opportunity to grow with self respect, self kindness, and self appreciation.

Guess what all these are part of?  Self Esteem.  Yep.  That’s all there is to it for today.

Be friendly.

Oh, and I found the name of the young man in the video that was banned from youtube.  It is Nick Vujicic, and his site is http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/ His is a must see!

So have a friendly Friday,  And of course

Parent with Passion, Purpose, and Integrity,

Grace

PS. If you donate to life without limbs I will send you a GEMParenting podcast.

You just have to let me know you donated. Not the amount, just the action of doing it.

 

Concentrate on the Small Wonders

November 12, 2008 at 7:43 am | In Families, Mothers, Self Esteem, dads, moms, parents | No Comments
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Good Morning. It is Wonderful Wednesday. That means you get to MAKE it full of wonder. Concentrate on the small wonders, appreciate them

 

These small wonders may be your children, or they may be your toes.  You know without your toes it is much harder to walk and balance? Of course it can be done.  You can get on without much.

 

Check this video out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I0DRk8dFjI

 

I had tears.

I had inspiration.

I am humbled.

 

Have a wonderful day and

Parent with Passion, Purpose, and Integrity,

 

Grace

Change This Afternoon w/out Stress

November 11, 2008 at 3:37 pm | In Families, Mothers, Self Esteem, dads, moms, parents | No Comments
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Today I spent a great deal of the day picking up the mess.  As you know I have been incredibly busy the past few weeks.  So there was plenty of mess today.

 

But rather than looking at this as an over whelming task, as a thing that was some sort of growing monster I had no control over, I simply put everything I wanted in one pile in the floor.  Threw away the rest.  Then I sorted and put away.  Finally I vacuumed.  And I was done. 

 

It was a task.  It had to be done.  And it would have been easy to have felt it was just too much to get through.  Procrastination would have been simple.  So why did I do this?

 

What happened that allowed me to get through this without stress, overwhelm and anxiety?

 

I did it.  I did not think about it.  I did not analyze it.  And I did not let all the other “fun” things get in the way.

 

And now I get to look at my nice clean house, and it only took me a couple of hours.

 

So this afternoon find a moment to stop procrastinating.  It might be in your decluttering, it might be in your making phone calls, doing research, or changing your parenting.

 

What ever it is make a change.  Don’t think.  Throw your anxieties in the trash.  Put your overwhelm down the garbage disposal. 

 

Let others know what you change you made today.  Leave your comments

 

And no matter what parent with passion, purpose, and integrity.

 

Grace

 

Great Weekend Celebrating 80 years-

November 10, 2008 at 11:04 am | In Families, Mothers, Self Esteem, dads, moms, parents | No Comments
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Happy Motivational Monday,

 

It’s been one terrific week for me.  The first thing I want to do is thank everyone who sent a birthday wish to my mother.  She was so honored by your responses.

 

Second I want to share what a week it has been. 

 

On Monday my 16 yo started her winter training.  This means she had to be in a number of places over the course of the day, but we were never quite sure where and when.

And the regular stuff of schooling my other girls, my work, and dance and hockey in the afternoon.

 

Tuesday brought on all of the Monday stuff and the addition of my eldest flying in from CA.  The airport is a 3+hr roundtrip.  Of course there was the election and results, which we all stayed up till 1 am to watch.

 

On Wednesday we had all that I have said going on + my eldest applying for jobs in NH.  (Which means she is serious about coming home to live.)

 

And during all this time I was making costumes for the relatives who were not so creative or handy or had enough time.  (That was the big laugh because I certainly don’t ever have time).  And getting messages from my sister about what we still needed to do for the party once we got to Plymouth, Mass.

 

Then came Thursday- First thing we (all of us) were off to the physical therapist to be sure my back would be OK for the weekend.  And as we went the car decided to go no faster than 45 mph.  I knew the car was a bit off.  I have gone 160,000 in it.  So after physical therapy we took it to the shop.  And had to find a ride home- 10 miles. 

 

In the afternoon it was confirmed the transmission was blown.  So added to everything was renting a vehicle. 

 

We rented a pick up.  My eldest was offered 4 positions in her field.  Everyone got to their programs and training.  My 16 yo got packed for her training out west.  Just the costumes didn’t get done.  And I was WAY over stressed.

 

Friday I worked on the costumes, while my 12 yo organized and packed the truck- we not only had our party stuff, weekend stuff, but both my eldest daughter’s traveling stuff, and we had my mother’s 80 years worth of pictures.  The pictures of course got to be in the cab.  But it was just ready to rain.  So the stress didn’t slide off as we went south.  After 2 hrs the rain came.  Not too bad, but enough to have to stop and get the 2 backpacks in the cab.  Now everyone but me had their knees in their ears to travel.  But we only had one more hr to go.

 

And when we got there everything was wonderful.  We had the pre-party at the hotel, where we all ate, took pictures of costumes, and talked, talked, talked. 

 

The real party was at the Plimouth Plantation itself.  My family went a little early.  We got the pictures set up; the tables decorated, and were ready when everyone arrived. 

 

After the dinner we had the skits and songs.  Lots of laughter, lots of memories, and lots of love.

 

And my mother blew out ALL 80 candles in one breath!  Yes she is very strong.

 

Saturday we toured the plantation, had lunch together and went on board the Mayflower II.  After all that I had to take my 16 yo to Boston airport to go out west for training.  I got back in time to join my mother, her 2 daughters (me being one of them), her 2 son-in-laws and all her five grandchildren went out to eat- just her immediate family. 

 

After dinner the 2 eldest grandchildren and my sister and brother-in-law went out dancing, while the rest of us went back to the hotel.

 

Sunday I had to take my eldest to the airport, and I drove back to NH with my two youngest.  Guess what?  I went to sleep just as soon as we got home. 

 

This morning I am thrilled to be able to remind you that you are just as amazing as my mother is.  You see, in her 80 years everything was not all roses.  She had so many downs you might think that she would have lost heart.  But she knew better.  Each time she fell off her horse, she jumped on another one.  She learned each time how to ride just a bit better, how to let go when necessary, but how to hold on to what was necessary.  Her life was a prime candidate for depression, remorse, whining, and complaining.  Boy, could she have been “the victim.”   She made the choice every time. 

 

So if you are off your horse today, out of sorts, not quite in gear, go get another horse.  Walk a while if you need to.  Keep your head up and love each of your children.  Someday they will be grown up and on their own.  

 

Choose this day so when you are 80, you and your family will rejoice and celebrate.

 

Take your time to parent with Passion, Purpose, and Integrity today,

 

Grace

Results will Change Your Self-Esteem and Parenting

November 5, 2008 at 8:26 am | In Families, Mothers, Self Esteem, children, dads, moms, parents | 2 Comments
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This is Wonderful Wednesday, and for the Obama followers and me it is.  As you know I have kept quiet about my personal opinion about the election.  But now it is over and I am thrilled.

 

One thing I am excited about is change.  As a nation we are slow to try new things, new ideas.  But we were fed up with the old and ready to try on the new.

 

Another thing I am thrilled about is that our president elect has the ability to communicate enthusiasm.  We need to step out as a nation from our apathetic approach to light ourselves on fire again.  Our forefathers set up our constitution and our nation to be one of action, pride, and self-respect.

 

You see in blogging, coaching, even old stand-by’s like newspapers, people are ready and invigorated to change from the laissez faire attitude that has become so pervasive over the past ten years.

 

We are ready to step out and dance.  Try on new shoes and think new thoughts.

 

We are an amazing nation and it is time to restock ourselves.

 

And what does this have to do with parenting?  Everything.  By having new energy as a nation we can revamp how we do things not only as a nation, but as individuals.  We can find new paths, travel new journeys.  We can feel good about ourselves again.

 

When the nation gets in a slump so do the individuals.  Parents struggle to stay afloat both emotionally and financially, but with the new energy you can sop it up.  Use it for yourself.  Redefine how you parent, what your morals and values are.  You can change, add or delete goals.

 

This is your time as a nation and your time as an individual to rebuild. I have been saying for ten years that the self-esteem of our nation has been collapsing.  This means you as individuals have been suffering.  With this new change, new energy, we as a nation have stated loud and clear we are ready to pull ourselves up from the bootstraps. 

 

You can and will have a better ability to live and parent.  It might come from changes in government, but more than likely it will come from the change in energy that spread over us last night. 

 

I celebrate our national changes and I celebrate each and every single individual change that occurred to make the national change.  Now take that energy and live with it everyday.  Use this energy to change yourself, your parenting, and touch the world.

 

And of course

Parent with Passion, Purpose, and Integrity

Grace

PS: As always any comments are welcome.  Just hit the word comment on the top where the other tags are.

Motivational Monday: Why Vote

November 3, 2008 at 10:43 am | In Families, Mothers, Self Esteem, dads, moms, parents | No Comments
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Good Motivational Monday Morning

 

Just a quickie today.

You are probably reeling from last week’s entries.

 

I do want to thank those of you who shared GEM Parenting with your friends.

It was great to see the response.

 

Today, I want to be on the bandwagon to motivate you to vote.  It is such an important thing for you to do, as a parent especially.  You are voting for right now, but you are also voting for tomorrow, for your kids’ future.  So on that note, take your time and effort and do it.

 

Another reason it is important to vote is to make yourself commit to something.  These days we have so many choices and so anxiety producing to make a choice we often just go along with the flow, even if it makes us stressed and sick to do so.

 

Let your children know about your voting, take them with you and let them know what a privilege it is to be part of the nation that began this amazing opportunity.

 

That’s it for today. 

And as always,

Parent with Passion, Purpose, and Integrity.

 

Grace

Three confusions about Halloween

October 31, 2008 at 9:41 am | In Families, Mothers, Self Esteem, dads, moms, parents | No Comments
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Happy Halloween

 

There are three topics that get confused with Halloween. 

 

  1. Candy consumption and weight gain
  2. Safety
  3. The purpose of Halloween right now

 

When you head out tonight if you start with the understanding that Halloween is for getting candy, eating it, and starting on the annual weight gain problem you are going to do just that. 

 

If you head out tonight thinking that there are lurking dangers around each corner, again you will find some kind of danger.

 

And if you think that Halloween has any connection to very past beliefs of satanic forces and ideas being spread you will find these.

 

Rather than heading out with all these fear-routed issues, look to the positive.  This is a great place to begin your new thought pattern.  Finding you new zone as a parent takes time and skill.  So start with something that is not your biggest issue.  Try out what you are learning here at GEM Parenting and elsewhere on smaller issues at first.

 

Just as when your children have started to walk they have prep activities.  Nothing that we actually do with them, but they crawl, slide, or scuttle for a while.  They attempt new things, standing for instance.  Then they try the first few steps.  Holding on usually.  You know how it goes.  And of course they fall.  But that never stops them.

 

As with your new parenting patterns and practices you need to step out slowly, try little things at first and know you will fall.  But keep trying.  Keep reading these entries and any others that help you along the way.

 

Now back to tonight-

 

With candy consumption and weight gain, leave on a full stomach of a healthy meal.  Then eat a candy, you included, in 20 minutes.  Again in 20 minutes, then have a snack of healthy stuff- cut up apples, PB&J sandwich quarters.  Then back to the candy in 20 minutes routine.  Tell your kids you want to see how much they get and if they eat it all while out then they can’t see.

 

Another thing we do is give a bunch of candy to the children’s ward of the hospital for the kids who couldn’t go out.  This helps with not eating as much.

 

Of course you need to think in terns of safety.  But if you think in terms of fear, that is what you will be fearful.  And you will teach this to your kids.  Teach safety, not fear.  This goes a long with teaching about self-esteem and contentment.

And if you are concerned with satanic issues and Halloween, then I suggest you look elsewhere.  Halloween has changed in the past few hundred years.  It is time for delight, joy and creativity.  Children are encouraged and allowed to be something unique and special.  These are corner stones to high self-esteem.

 

With this I am getting ready to curl my daughter’s hair and put on some goofy costume to begin the Halloween activities. 

 

Have a Happy Halloween and

Parent with Passion, Purpose and Integrity,

 

Grace

Went to see Olympic Gymnastic Tour Last Night

October 30, 2008 at 8:32 am | In Families, Mothers, Self Esteem, children, dads, moms, parents | No Comments
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Last night my family went to see the Olympic Gymnast tour.  It was fantastic.  Those kids were out there having a ball.  The spectators worshiped them.  And those athletes gave us such a show.  They were able to decide and accomplish a goal within only their childhoods.   Why is that?

 

Did they just have such amazing talent that they were able to think and believe and therefore be in the Olympics?  Of course not.   I do believe in prayer and the law of attraction.  But in either case you MUST open the door and walk through. 

 

That’s what those kids and their parents and their coaches did.  They did not simply think about a dream.  They put it in action.  And it was done as a group program.  The athletes alone did not do it.  We all know that their parents were totally committed to the dream.  And these athletes had coaches.  The coaches worked with their athletes on so many levels.  Of course they worked on the actual physical performance of their athletes, but they added in nutrition, emotional and psychological aspects, developmental stages, and a sundry of other aspects of taking a child and helping them become and amazing athlete.

 

And these kids knew instinctively that they had to have coaches.  The coaches would sometimes give them grueling workouts, other times hug them after the fall, and of course celebrate the joys of success.  Having coaches was a natural part of the program.

As a matter of fact without coaches there wouldn’t be a program and there wouldn’t be action of a dream.

 

Think about your dream as a parent.  Put it in action today. 

 

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Next Monday Donna L. Johnson and I will be hosting

Your Dreams and Dumps

A teleseminar on getting out your woes of parenting and being a woman,

Yet having the intention of living your dreams.

 

This is a program set up for you at no cost.

Just a phone call away.

 

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Halloween is tomorrow

 

Get into the fun with your kids.  If you trick or treat get on a costume, your kids will always love it.  It is silly, fun and on their level.

 

If you do not trick or treat be mindful that your children will feel left out.  Give them something special to do.  Use the time for togetherness with your family.  Be sure to explain your family values and morals as to why you don’t trick or treat in terms of the good to your family, not the wrong of others.

 

As for my family, we will be out and about trick or treating.

It is one of our favorite things to do.

 

Put your dream in action

And parent with

Passion, Purpose, and Integrity

 

Grace

Be sure to put your comments here.

I will comment back

Swing Your Arms And Get Happy

October 29, 2008 at 7:12 am | In Families, Mothers, Self Esteem, children, dads, moms, parents | 4 Comments
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If you are one of the 100 or so people to stop by today, please leave your comment as to why you came and what you want.

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Feature Article

Swing Your Arms and Get Happy

 

As a parent we get so stuck in our routine, our anxiety, our super frustration, it is imperative to bust out of it.  Sometimes you need some new thinking, sometimes you need some new ways of raising your children.  Sometimes you need to be different.

 

Today I am going to have you be different, but just barely.  This won’t really wake up your foot.  (See Yesterday’s entry)  But it will have an effect on you.

 

You have heard plenty of times to breath slowly and deeply, have a yoga breath.  You have heard about meditating.  You have heard about walking.  And you can do all of these to help your moods and tension.

 

Today, I am adding swing your arms.   You can stand still.  You can walk.  You can jump.  You can run.  Guess what?  You can even sit.

 

When you swing your arms you will activate some endorphins.  These are the happy hormones.  And happy hormones push tension, anxiety, and frustration out the door.

 

How should you swing your arms?  Well, you can swing them from hanging down, across at shoulder level, and you can do circles.  The important thing is to do large sweeping motions.  Not too fast, not short and jerky. 

 

The most important thing is to really get into it.  Obviously, don’t swing so hard you hurt yourself.  But have energy and spunk in it.

 

And go ahead and get silly.  You can play games with your kids (or just play them in your head).  You can swim the ocean of life.  Whack all the jungle out of the way.  Fly like your favorite bird. Make whirl winds of energy (The energy can either be your frustrations or tensions escaping, or excited free energy.)

 

There are times when the deep breath and meditation are perfect.  But there are times when we must move.  As a parent you need to do things to be the best you can be and releasing tension is one great thing you can do.

 

When you have endorphins floating around rather than negative hormones you brain can actually think more clearly.  You body uses less energy.  You won’t feel as tired.  And strangely, when you are less stressed your body can let go of the extra weight it is saving for that perpetual emergency you are creating with your tension.

 

So today swing your arms.  Do it as much as you can.  And put in a silly twist -if you can.

 

You will be such a better parent and person with this small little life change.

 

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I want to thank those of you who have taken the effort to refer GEM Parenting to your friends.  And remember if you get 5 friends to sign up for the Pearl Membership I will have a teleclass for you, at no cast.

 

But I am wondering if anyone has even tried to get a podcast, because not one has been purchased.  Are they just totally not interesting to you?  Is six dollars truly too expensive?  If I am going to be able to continue with GEM Parenting I need your support.  I want to give.  Let tell you, I really do.  But living in our culture costs money.  And I simply have to make some.

 

If what I have to offer isn’t appealing for money I will have ot go do something else,  This means of cours my time will spent at that, not helping you.

 

So if you are at all interested in having support from GEM Parenting I need your support now.  Please go and purchase a podcast.

http://www.GEMParenting.com/store.htm

 

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On the opposite side,  if you have the intention to change your parenting, and want to talk, dump your frustration, be anonymous, join Donna L. Johnson and me.  We are going to have a teleconference this Monday at 12 noon EST, 11CST, 10 MCT and 9 PST.  We will talk about your issues, your dilemmas, your problems as a parent, a mom, a woman.

 

This is an open discussion for you.  We will be there to support and guide you.  We will help you bring your spirit and soul into action.  We want to get your sprit and soul out of the box you have been storing them in.  It is a simple phone call for you.

 

It is back to my favorite way of doing things.  Helping you, guiding you and at no cost.

Phone details coming. 

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