Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff
The end of the year is creeping closer and this is the time when we start to make our resolutions and resolve to do better next year.
What if you wouldn’t have to resolve anything at all? What if you could just dream about what you would like to see manifest in your life and these dreams would come true?
I know that this sounds crazy and airy fairy but this is exactly what happened to me.
After a number of medical emergencies it appeared that my life was coming to an end. Laying in the emergency hospital room I contemplated futile things. So futile, that I’m embarrassed to repeat it.
After I pulled through, I decided that this simply was not good enough.
What if I were to stop sweating the small stuff?
Yes, it was true that I could not get up from bed for more than a few minutes at a time, but hey, the sun still came up every morning and set every night. And I was alive enough to notice this.
So what if my arms and shoulders got tired after typing for a little while? At least I could type, and my old little laptop was still holding up.
What if the noise from neighbour’s lawnmowers was so distracting that I couldn’t focus? The fancy orange earplugs from Bunnings did a great job in keeping the noise out. Combined with the Bilsom ear muffs I managed to create my own little writers retreat.
The noise, lights, heat and any movement were overwhelming to me, but I was still around and with the help of my daughters everything eventually became manageable. We found earplugs which helped minimise the noise and curtains to block out all light and movements from outside. A fan to cool the air and comfy cushions that supported my back as well as my head and arms. Bit by bit I stopped sweating the small stuff.
Do The Best You Can
Sure it was upsetting that I couldn’t ‘do’ much, but I decided that ‘doing the best I can,’ is good enough for me.
It is not only good enough for me but it really is all anyone can do. It is useless to fret and sweat about the things we cannot do (any more).
Make Every Moment Count
What each of us can do however, is make every moment count. In the past I may have been distracted when my children were talking to me and showing off their handiwork. Nowadays I make sure that I am present and in the moment when I admire their creations and listen to their adventures.
‘You won first prize at the archery competition? Wow! No, really; WOW! Let’s celebrate.’
‘You received an award at work for being the most exceptional employee? That is outstanding! I am so proud of you!’
From now on I make every moment count. For a lot of the time I was not capable of much other than dreaming about what I would like to see manifest in my life. I prayed and dreamed and built massive castles in the sky. Because that was all I was able to do.
The other day I read in Scott Allan’s book Drive Your Destiny about “research where Russian scientists conducted experiments on the training methods of four groups of athletes:
The fourth group had the best result overall, outperforming the competition in the Olympics.”
I am living proof that the mental training works. Physical training wasn’t really on the menu. I spent my days dreaming to my heart’s content about what I would like to see manifest; and here we are 5 books later.
All that my castles in the air were lacking, was solid ground underneath them. That foundational work is now in process. I call it, reverse-engineering your life.
Give It Your Best Shot
When you’re writing down your New Year’s resolutions, don’t worry if all your ducks aren’t in a row yet, don’t sweat the small stuff; dream away, write down what your ideal life looks like and then give it your best shot. Science has your back.
For inspiration and to get you going, you can download one of my earlier WordPress posts How To Live Your Best Life Possible? which shows you HOW TO CREATE A TEMPLATE FOR EFFORTLESS SUCCESS IN THREE EASY STEPS and courtesy of BEMBU, you can read 100 New Year’s Resolutions & Resources To Help Stick With Them.
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ABOUT THE CONTENT – All content on this website is copyrighted and you can read more about this here. Please also read the disclaimer about my authority and qualifications. Occasionally I partner with people because I like their products and you can read about that here.
ABOUT SCRIPTURE CARDS – If you want to send free Scripture Cards to your friends click here and you want to buy hard copies of Scripture Cards you can click here.
MY BOOKS AND A FREE VIDEO COURSE – To download a copy of MY STORY OF SURVIVAL click here. For a copy of MIMI’S BOOK LAUNCH PLAN, click here. For a copy of GOD HEALED ME click here. For a copy of THE HOLY GRAIL OF BOOK LAUNCHING click here. For a copy of LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE click here. For a free video course on how to write a bestseller, click here. To join my launch party click here.
NEW BOOKS RELEASES, INTERVIEWS, AND REVIEWS – As a member of the Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance and as a member of the Christian Indie Authors Reading Group and as the current Administrator of Christian Authors Worldwide, This is FUN! Mimi’s Launch Party and co-administrator of OMEGA nonfiction writers I share new book releases, interviews and reviews with my readers. Stay tuned!
Also read, “Mimi’s Eulogy-to-be Legacy…”
How To Live Your Best Life Possible?
HERE IS A TEMPLATE FOR FIGURING IT ALL OUT
To be honest I never gave this too much thought. Too busy raising kids, managing clinics, and pleasing hubby. If I found a spare moment I used to fall asleep on the spot. I never thought about a good life or a better life, I was just living my life as it was.
Till it all fell into a big heap. And I thought that this was the END.
When I worked in our clinics I used to say that I would need, “A long time to recover from this,” It’s been nearly two decades of recovery. Mind your words;
Because these words may come back to haunt you.
Sure I felt this way. But I also could have said something to the effect of, “It’s nice to know that all this hard work is paying off and I’m looking forward to many holidays and relaxation in the future.”
Alas, I didn’t and have been convalescing for a long time now. I’m grateful for the opportunity this has given me to share some of my story and graphics.
So here goes.
How to live your best life possible?
Think about how you would like to be remembered and then set out to create this.
After my life fell into a big heap I had to start from scratch.
There was a lovely lesson in this.
You know how people feel lost and they set out about finding themselves? Why bother? Waste of time. How about creating a new you? Now that’s much more fun!
With the help of My Friends Above I’ve been rebuild pretty much. The Same vintage but completely remodeled. I like it.
In the process, I discovered that our story creates a legacy and that goes for all of us. Young and old, small and tall, we all have a story to tell.
Your story creates a legacy. What would you like it to be?
How to make your story the best it can be?
There’s a good reason why we would like our story to be the best it can be. All of us will live forever.
Regardless if we believe in an afterlife or not, we’ll live forever in the hearts of those who knew us.
Following are three simple steps to help you make your story the best it can be.
Step One is to create your own eulogy which will help you become aware of how you would like to be remembered at the end of your life.
Step Two is to remember what you were good at when you were at pre-school and what you enjoyed doing.
Step Three is to take the very first step towards reaching your goal.
I can help with that by providing you with Power Word Cards which you can download and use as screensavers. This link will take you to Popcorn for the Soul Power Word Cards with words and expressions to keep you on track.
STEP ONE
Write your own eulogy. Here’s a free template to get you going. Write your eulogy to-be and keep tinkering with it till you get happy. Then start living up to it.
How do you live up to your eulogy to-be? First, you write down how you would like to be remembered and then you figure out how to go about this. Lots of people tell me that they don’t know what it is that they are supposed to be doing with their life. It is easy to figure out if you follow the Three Steps as outlined here.
STEP TWO
Remember when you were at pre-school? What did you like and what were you good at?
This is obviously different for all of us. I LOVED writing and decorating my writing even before I started kindy. Now I’m an author.
One of my daughters LOVED spending time with animals and now she works with horses and coaches disabled people how to ride.
My other daughter from a very young age LOVED music and volunteered for many years at a local radio station presenting her own breakfast show.
Most of us showed some aptitude at a very young age for a particular ‘something.’ What was this for you before the world got hold of you and you forgot?
Remember that ease and that joy? Own it and re-create it!
Step Three
What is your unique task in this life?
I have three clues for you.
Clue One
Your unique task is likely to be right in front of you
Clue Two
It is likely something that challenges you.
Clue Three
It is probably something that only you can do.
In my case, I am the only mother of my children and the only Godmother to my Godson. I have unique insights and abilities that only I can bring to the table. I was uniquely placed in this position as the only person in the whole wide world.
Is this challenging me? Hell yeah! I give it my best shot… most of the time.
Below I’ll give you a couple of examples of people I admire for performing the task they were given to perfection.
The doorman at David Jones.
Many years ago there was a doorman at the department store David Jones. I recall times that this frazzled mum would juggle kids and parcels, and this wonderful doorman would open the door wide for me and my children with a genuine smile and a few nice words.
It is now decades later and I remember this man with much fondness. He made my life a little easier at the time. His smile and kind words were genuine. How is this even possible? To open the door, like thousands of times a day and then greet and make each and every person that came through this door, feel welcomed and special.
This is the task that was uniquely given to this doorman and he did his job so well that I remember him decades later. Thank you, Doorman, from David Jones, I remember you.
Michael Hoskin and Turia Pitt
If you don’t live in Australia you may not have heard of Michael Hoskin and Turia Pitt. They are two of our heroes.
Turia got severely burned during a bushfire at an ultra marathon in 2011. She never gave up. Nor did her boyfriend Michael. He had been uniquely placed in a position as her boyfriend and rose to the task he had been given as her boyfriend and helper. Neither one of them bailed. It would be nice to think that this is normal but we all know that this is not the case. Many people bail when the going gets tough. It was extraordinarily tough for these two young people and both of them rose to the task. As she has struggled to regain her health and return to a normal life, Michael has supported her through thick and thin.
I take my hat off to you both.
Where in your life were you given a task uniquely designed for you? Are you giving it your best shot?
One step at a time
I’ve just given you three easy-peasy steps to follow for living the best life possible for anyone, anywhere, anytime.
These steps work for bank managers, teachers, mums and dads, school-aged kids, mature students, sports people, entrepreneurs, health professionals and their patients, counselors, and coaches. Yes, they even work for retirees.
My health scares happened to me later in life and I still managed to turn things around for the better by going through these three steps.
How to go about turning your life around? One step at a time.
Next post I’ll share some Power Word Cards with you that you can use as screensavers to keep you going in the right direction.
Today take the first step towards your goal
Promise me one thing, and that is that today you’ll take the first step towards your goal.
Here’s an appetizer with POPCORN FOR THE SOUL ABC’s.
Also read, “Mimi’s Eulogy-to-be Legacy…”
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ABOUT THE CONTENT – All content on this website is copyrighted and you can read more about this here. Please also read the disclaimer about my authority and qualifications. Occasionally I partner with people because I like their products and you can read about that here.
ABOUT SCRIPTURE CARDS – If you want to send free Scripture Cards to your friends click here and you want to buy hard copies of Scripture Cards you can click here.
MY BOOKS AND A FREE VIDEO COURSE – To download a copy of MY STORY OF SURVIVAL click here. For a copy of MIMI’S BOOK LAUNCH PLAN, click here. For a copy of GOD HEALED ME click here. For a copy of THE HOLY GRAIL OF BOOK LAUNCHING click here. For a copy of LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE click here. For a free video course on how to write a bestseller, click here. To join my launch party click here.
NEW BOOKS RELEASES, INTERVIEWS, AND REVIEWS – As a member of the Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance and as a member of the Christian Indie Authors Reading Group and as the current Administrator of Christian Authors Worldwide, This is FUN! Mimi’s Launch Party and co-administrator of OMEGA nonfiction writers I share new book releases, interviews and reviews with my readers. Stay tuned!
The LORD is our rock.
Thou art my praise.
About depression and an antidote to curses.
There has been a lot of talk about depression in the media lately since Robin Williams passing and my thoughts are with his family. May he rest in peace.
These situations affect me quite a bit because of my family history. I’ve shared a little of our family history about depression in previous posts. I don’t enjoy talking about depression and my experiences with it but I know that sharing this information brings about awareness which usually is a good thing. It’s not just depression which affects our mood however, any kind of illness is likely to affect our mood. And even without any kind of illness, we all get down at times and some more so than others.
God’s Word has pulled me out of the miry clay more than once and I like to share some of the Scripture verses we used at various occasions with great success.
Rock bottom.
In the year 2008 we hit rock bottom when we had to move home after I’d been confined to bed for many years prior. When we finally moved I had a pancreatic attack followed shortly after by an inoperable ruptured appendix. You can read more about this in My Story of Survival, God Healed Me, and Live Your Best Life.
It was the first day in our new town and our very first new acquaintances were the ambulance officers who took me to the hospital emergency room. A week or so later, after IV drips with cocktails of antibiotics failed to placate my upset tummy, the hospital sent me home ‘to get well enough for the operation.’
At the time we couldn’t quite figure out what that meant and non-surprisingly my daughters failed to find a GP to come out and do a home visit. They were told that if I was not well enough to get out to visit the doctor, my daughters were to phone an ambulance and get me back into the hospital. Funny that, no one seemed keen to add a ‘goner’ to their books.
We prayed.
We prayed alright and a wonderful homeopath came out to see me at home, prescribed homeopathic pyrogen and cleavers herbs to get on top of the septicaemia and here I am sharing with you some of the Scripture verses that pulled us out of these dark and desperate times.
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Mayhem and curses.
In addition to the above-mentioned breakdown of systems, at the same time we were being harassed by the removalist who refused to deliver a third of our stuff unless we paid him more money; our goods never arrived.
We were also in danger of being thrown out of our new rental because, unbeknownst to us, the bank transfers had hiccuped. We weren’t aware of this because I was too busy trying to stay alive to be bothered with banking details of any kind.
Eventually it all got sorted but only after first a warning was recorded on my rental file and endless phone calls, emails, and letters were sent to and fro between us, banks, real estate agent and owner to clarify what was going on.
In the end we discovered that a bank clerk had failed to notice and respond to the tick for weekly payments and only transferred the rental payments once. And no, the bank never apologised for the failed transfers.
I won’t go into detail about the septic tank not working in our new place for the first year or so and my income stopping due to a business partner doing the dodgy on me. Being deserted by my family for not being able to visit my ailing Mum on her eightieth birthday turned out not to be all bad.
A blessing if you obey …
In addition a helpful ex-partner came to the hospital to see if my kids needed any help to collect my anticipated life insurance pay-out and we also received a visit from a well-meaning Christian assuring us that we’re cursed because we believe in sticking to GOD’s Commandments. He promised us that we’d be fine as long as we’d switch over to church doctrine. According to him, ‘the Commandments had been done away with.’
We must have been reading from a different Bible because my Bible tells me the following about GOD’s commandments;
A blessing and a curse.
Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse
A blessing, if ye obey the Commandments of the Lord your God …
And a curse, if ye will not obey the Commandments of the Lord your God …
Yes, I know, I know. I haven’t always obeyed the Commandments and was rather embarrassed and dismayed when I discovered that I’ve broken pretty much every rule in the book. I was much encouraged though when I read about God’s forgiveness for those who are genuinely remorseful and intend to do the right thing.
We love the well-meaning believer who came out to tell us that we’re cursed because he had the good heart to do a ten-hour-round-trip simply to share with us his understanding of Scripture and what his church told him. He genuinely believed, and possibly still does, that we were under a curse because we do the best we can to follow the rules set by our Father.
We appreciate that from his point of view he is trying to do the right thing but just the same, one only has to read the Book of Job or read about the problems experienced by some of the prophets, and GOD’s Son himself to know that when people experience problems this does not necessarily mean that they are living under a curse. To think that someone is living under a curse because they are experiencing problems is confusing the issue.
I am not saying that there are no consequences for doing the wrong thing in the past, but dealing with consequences because of past actions is completely different from living under a curse.
Antidote to curses.
The following Scripture verses tell us that with GOD on our side, we have no worries. Even if we have mucked up in the past, as long as we try to do the right thing today, GOD will take care of those who oppose us.
Don’t get on the wrong side of our Creator. Do the right thing and you’ll find GOD on your side.
The promise is that GOD will bless those that bless us and vice versa.
If you believe that you live under a curse, the following prayer reminds us that GOD turned things for good for a whole nation. With GOD on your side, you know that your worries will be sorted.
The Lord thy God will not hearken unto thine enemy; but
the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee,
because the Lord thy God loved thee.
We prayed a lot.
Did I mention that we prayed a lot? Yes, we prayed a lot and our Maker heard us and turned things around for us for good. You can find out more about my walk with God in the following books; My Story of Survival, God Healed Me, and Live Your Best Life..
Below and in the next post are just some of the Scripture verses which we read, memorized and sang during our low times. These words and promises never fail to uplift and encourage us, and reliably turn things around for better.
Plans for Peace.
I know the intentions which I have for you says Jehova;
plans for peace and not for evil to give you a good future.Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity …
No Fear.
For help with or information on depression visit beyondblue.org.au, the black dog institute, pressonaustralia or phone Lifeline on 131 114.
all rights reserved copyright myemmanuel 2014