My Word For 2018

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believe, courage, encouragement, Fear, growing up, growth, Happy New Year, letting go, love, mindful, power, powerlessness, release, resiliency, surrender, trust, Truth

Have you ever noticed that the circumstances in life that you struggle with the most seem to repeat themselves over and over again, until you finally find a way to handle them differently?

In past years, I have chosen a word for the upcoming new year. Words like tenacity and service, or perhaps the words actually chose me as my friend Louise Gallagher, over at Dare Boldly has often suggested.

I am certain that my word for 2018 chose me.

Let It Go.

Yes, I know those are three words, but no single word I’ve found, such as release, or surrender, or acquiesce, have fully meant to me what those three little words have come to mean.

I realize, as well, that those three little words have not just made their debut in 2017. They have been waiting patiently at the sidelines for three years, maybe more.

You see, in my family, an issue arises and we scramble to “Fix It”. This works well when it’s a manageable situation like, my car won’t start – call AMA, or my computer is acting up – have you tried rebooting it.

Yet there are many situations in life where you can do all you know to do, and it doesn’t get fixed. There are variables that are simply out of your control, and those are the very things, in my case, that can roll around in my head like a PowerPoint presentation or video that has been set to ‘continuous loop.’

That loop can take over, and more often than not, it prevents me from taking action in other situations, over which I actually have some measure of power to make a difference.

And so, those three little words unassumingly step forward for the millionth time to gently nudge me, encourage me to recognize, to really see that it is time to let it go, to trust, and accept, and even embrace the natural unfolding of what is.

And yes, it really is as simple as that.

Wishing you all an amazing 2018 filled with courage, growth, resiliency and love,

Diana

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The Sheer Force of Sorrow

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connecting, courage, death, destroy, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, force, grief, health, humanity, life, Life's like that, living in the moment, loss, love, memories, paradox, power, save

When you use the sheer force of your sorrow to crack open your heart, it promises to drop you down into a deeper capacity for compassion and care for all living beings. You become initiated into your own humanity in a way that connects you to all life. Such is the paradox of grief. It holds the power to either destroy or to save you. Which one is up to you.

Katherine Woodward Thomas

● DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ●

Stillness

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Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, influence, Marianne Williamson, power, spiritual, stillness

“The only way to gain power in a world that is moving too fast is to learn to slow down. And the only way to spread one’s influence wide is to learn how to go deep. The world we want for ourselves and our children will not emerge from electronic speed but rather from a spiritual stillness that takes root in our souls. Then, and only then, will we create a world that reflects the heart instead of shattering it.”

― Marianne Williamson, The Gift of Change: Spiritual Guidance for a Radically New Life

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Where Do You Rate on the Worry Scale?

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“Why worry? If you’ve done the very best you can, worrying won’t make it any better.” – Walt Disney

The image above seems to say, “This is how your spirit feels when you let go.”

Many of you provide tips to living well in your blogs.

You use words like mindfulness, living in the moment.

You talk about letting go of the outcomes.

Do what is in your power to do and then let go.

And trust the process.

I’d be lying if I told you that I have this down pat, but I am learning!

If I were to rate myself on a Worry Scale of 1 to 10; 1 being  I never worry, 5 being I worry, but examine why I’m worrying, take action where I can, then let it go and 10 being I’m a chronic worrier, I would select 5 as the norm, and 7 in this moment.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Where would you rate yourself as the norm? At this moment? Do you think worrying is related to gender or the same across the board? What one issue do you worry about the most? If you’re a worrier, how do you manage it?

related post: STOP and Find Balance

A Lesson from Star Trek

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There’s another way to survive. Mutual trust…and help.   ~  Captain Kirk in ‘Day of the Dove’

Kirk laughs with McCoy and Kang, and the alien eventually departs.

In the ‘Day of the Dove’  Star Trek episode, Kirk and his crew find themselves in an intense battle with the Klingons.

Each side suspects the other of sabotage.

The more they fight, the more their hatred grows, all the while they unwittingly give up who they intrinsically are; feeding an alien entity exactly what it needs to grow stronger.

The stronger the alien becomes, the more it is able to cause dissention between them.

Eventually, they figure out what is going on and cease their warring. The alien (Hatred) loses its power and hope for mutual trust is restored.

Sometimes we find ourselves fighting so hard against something that we forget what it is we stand for.

If we clue in to what is really going on and strive to work together, we too can find common ground and build trust, not only surviving, but actually thriving.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

 Can you think of a situation that would benefit if you shift your approach?