This lesson was about examining the two sides within: weak vs. strong (id vs. ego)

I have to say that this was not an easy lesson for me to complete. I was worried that the assignment of simply putting together a two page spread was letting my weak-self off the hook just a little too easily. After all....my weak-self has been bullying me for 40 years! As many bullies that I have encountered - none of them was as mean to me, as I am to myself. Let me convey by telling the story of what happened to me on a very special cruise I went on when I was 25:

I used to make fun of myself before others had the chance to. I used to try to beat them to the punch....thinking it might hurt a little less if the words were never able to come from another persons mouth if I trumped their chance. The last time I CONSCIOUSLY did that was in the lounge just outside the theater for Cruise To Lose participants.... I had responded to a new friend (making fun of the fact that I was from Iowa) by saying, "Oh sure - pick on the FAT kid!" (which we all laughed at ....cause...well...we were all fat.) Then I saw my reflection in the glass across the way and said, "Oh crap - I don't know if I can take a week of seeing myself everywhere I am - this entire ship is a gigantic mirror!" It was then that Richard was walking by and he got all up in our little group, stood in front of me and said, "Ok, Lady - I want 5 things you love about yourself RIGHT NOW!"

I don't remember what I said about myself 15 years ago - I could go digging for my journal from the trip and tell you EXACTLY what happened next...but that's not the point. He told me before he walked off that he would be watching and listening for me to say anything bad about myself...and if I did the next time he'd ask for 10 good things...etc etc. When we got some one on one time - he brought up that discussion and asked me to think of everyone who'd ever made fun of me. He asked me to think about how they made me feel. He asked me if I trusted them. He asked me to think of them all in one room....would I enter that room? Then he turned it on me and said - now YOU are in that room of mirrors you were talking about. Sixty YOU's staring back at you. Tell me - who is the biggest bully you know?


When you belittle yourself or your hearts work.....you are bullying yourself. In terms of this class - you are the weak-self mocking the strong-self. So many of us are on auto pilot verbally or mentally and let ourselves preemptively striking down our own ideas, creations, or life situations without even realizing we are doing it or the damage it's causing.


But that 25 yr old in me who learned a valuable lesson WANTS to come out and feels the need to step in and say "Hey, Hey now!!! Stop being so hard on yourself and enjoy the BEAUTY, the GRACE, the LIGHT, the PASSION, the CREATIVITY that only YOU can bring to the world!!!"

Now give me FIVE things you love about yourself!!! *smiles*

When you think of your life do you actually sit and think of everywhere you've been and everything you've done? Or do a select few incidents seem to overpower and over shadow the rest of your memories? What if you had it all laid out before you so you could see it all? The story of your life laid out on a time-line.

“When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened” ~Churchill

When I thought about it, before this amazing project, I used to concentrate on a select few memories... both good and bad...but only a few. I would think of these long periods of time when EVERYTHING went wrong and maybe one or two small good things "kept me going".... but this project completely blew that introspection out of the water!


The best things about this lesson wasn't even what I discovered... it was watching OTHERS discover the same and more! Having a friend go from not being able to figure out what she was going to do for her time-line because "she couldn't remember her past" - to seeing her get excited and listening to stories of her childhood brought to mind while working on the project! One of the greatest things about this experience is getting to know the other women involved. I've been overwhelmed at times by the love and support within the community of this class... so many people reaching out to others with thoughts, feelings, ideas, tips, stories, suggestions and love. We are all making a NEW entry on our time-lines with this class - a bright and shining moment where, in the course of our busy schedules, we took six weeks for ourselves.

“Live your life from your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people's souls.” ~Beattie

How often do you hear your little inner voice? How often do you pay attention and do what it's urging you to do? How often do you think negatively of yourself? How often do you think negatively of others? Our second lesson for the first week of Soul Restoration had me thinking about how often I pay attention to that little voice. That little inner voice is there for a reason - it's telling you the basic truth. It's urging you to do what is right. It's trying to help you.


I DO listen....when the voice is talking about other people. But my little voice...my Truthteller needs a megaphone when it comes to dealing with my personal truths.


One of the ongoing assignments for class is to make these wonderful tools called a Truth Card. Taking an idea - something with which we take issue - and get down to the TRUTH about the situation. This is a really fun and eye opening exercise! Taking the lies we tell ourselves daily (I'm ugly, I'm not good at anything, I am a place holder) and using the proper truths to negate them. To be able to make and display something so simple and beautiful around the house is wonderful.... but that they all have such a deep and personal meaning to the maker is doubly good. Fun meets function!

“You can bend it and twist it... You can misuse and abuse it... But even God cannot change the Truth.” ~Levy

Ok....so...it's like this: you are renovating your home. You have a list of things you need to do to get from point A to point B, but the very first thing you need to do it study the plans. Analyze what you have to work with right now, before you begin bringing in all new items for your space. Clear out all the junk and take a look at your foundation before you try to build over the top.... because those cracks that have appeared over the years need to be addressed before you can do anything else.

That is the basic opening idea for Soul Restoration. Taking a look at who you are and what you've carried with you through life that sets the tone for who you are today... deciding what parts of that journey are worth while and what needs to be left in the rubbish heap before moving into the future with a greater respect for yourself and your inner space....your Soul House.



The first week of our class really took me by surprise. I was confronted with an amazing idea - something I already knew - something I thought I employed but I couldn't have been more wrong! Boundaries are good and respectful (of yourself) to maintain. Melody said something to us that could have very well come from my very own mouth, "I thought - if you're a nice person & you're a good person - then you let everybody into your life." That was me. People pleaser/nice gal. Then Melody went on, "...and the problem with that is that not everybody has the best intentions..." "...so you need boundaries."

So there I sat, thinking about what making this one change, alone, could mean to my life. Time for me to grab a stick and draw a line in the sand....but I'll have to hang on to that stick...because I KNOW that time will blow that line in the sand all but away and I will need to reassess and draw another.

"The process of defining ourselves and what is acceptable to us. It is a major step in taking control of how we allow others (including ourselves)to treat us. The difference between setting a boundary in a healthy way and manipulating or controlling is: when we set a boundary we let go of the outcome." ~Unknown

....here's to letting go!

Most people know right from wrong. We know that the little voice in the back of our mind is there for a reason. We all have that same internal conflicts from time to time and we don't always make the right choices...but we ARE the ones making the choices. Sometimes seeing things from a new perspective can give us just the boost we need to pick ourselves up, get moving again, and making the best choices for our health, our happiness, and our lives.

In January I made the best choice for my continued growth and happiness. I signed up with a group of women from all over the world in the first ever online Brave Girls Club Soul Restoration class:



Within the first two days of the first week of class - I already knew I had made the right choice. I have explained to others that the cost to take the SIX WEEK course (with full access to forums where you can share your experiences, thoughts and feelings with the other ladies and the creators of the program) is less than the co-payment for two one hour one-on-one therapy sessions. And the return on this investment in YOURSELF... is not only the new perspective...but the possibility of making some wonderful new Brave Girl friends! The relationships I've made are priceless, and I am thankful to have met such wonderful women! We just finished the course (after a bonus seventh week was added) and I have already signed up for the second class being held in June. For the next few days I will be posting snippets of projects and lessons that have changed the way I look at my past, present, and how I will interact with people and life situations in the future.


Read more and should the message speak to you register here.

Trust me. You deserve this.

On Tuesday, January 11th at 11:11 am the online class "Soul Restoration" began. This is a wonderful class that has you artfully explore yourself and re-prioritize your own actions, and interactions with family, friends and anything that affects your life. We are just over half through the first week.... and already I know I have been changed forever. One simple lesson has changed how I will allow my "Soul House" to be treated. It's definitely hard to explain (quickly) to anyone who hasn't taken the course...but trust me when I say it is an eye opening course.

I will post a link to the website so you can take a peek!

Until then...be kind to yourself - you deserve to be on your own side!

*smiles*

People have different ways to relieve stress, express emotions, and recharge their internal batteries.

Like me, most of you stopping by here choose scrapbooking or paper crafting of some fashion to provide that boost! Making things for my own home or to give away does something for me that nothing (short of a great hug and a kind word from my DH) can equal or surpass. I notice that when I am not being creative, I tend to bog down a bit and let work, chores, and all sorts of "to do" lists take over and become more daunting than they really are - zapping my energy. When I let too much time pass without "recharging" myself......I'm not happy. (Hard to admit, but it's the honest truth!) And that is exactly what I've done. I let far too much time slip through my fingers last year and neglected my need to express.

Finding balance in my life is my New Years goal. This year I am going to work on making "recharge" time for myself so that the time I spend at work, at home, and out with friends I am the best possible version of me that I can be!

How do YOU recharge?