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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Obstacles

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bigger purpose, community, compassion, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, encouragement, Fear, greater good, humanity, joy, kindness, life, Life's like that, loss, love, making a difference, mission, perserverance, Purpose, Relationships, sorrow, trust, vision, world issues

Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.

– Vince Lombardi

Two things that stand out to me, when Dad taught me to drive are, don’t let the guy behind you pressure you. Don’t drive faster for him. Drive the speed you feel comfortable with. And, Look where you want to go. Look as far up the road as is visually possible. Don’t look at the sharp corner you’re on. You saw that a while back, you knew it was coming, you’ll get through it.

Sometimes while in the curves life throws at us, we feel the pressures of life pushing us to do something we’re not comfortable with. We can’t take our eyes off the current situation. We’re looking for a quick fix. It is then when we must fight the urge to focus on the trouble we’re in and keep our eyes on where we’re headed.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Perspective: Maybe God is taking you through troubled waters because your enemy can’t swim.

The Little House Sparrow

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courage, Diana Schwenk, dreams, Fear, God, kindness, living in the moment, love, My Creator, Purpose, trust, vulnerability

This morning, just before I awoke, I dreamt of a little House Sparrow.

She appears suddenly from behind the curtain in my living room. As I wonder how I might best get her back outside, she flies toward me and lands on my hand which is casually propped up by my elbow on the armrest of my chair.

Amazed and delighted by her courage, I chance a quick look at her, not wanting to scare her. Her little heart is pounding; she does not look at me. In an instant I know that she knows her only way out of this dilemma is me. I could be her savior or I could be the end of her. She has concluded, however, that at least she has a chance of getting back out if she just gathers up her courage and trusts me.

“Open the window,” I say.

And then I woke up.

It occurs to me now, as I reflect on this dream, how often I have found myself in a situation where I have had to let go of my fear and trust the one, who could both save me and destroy me, to get me out of my dilemma.

Wishing you all a happy Sunday filled with trust and gratitude!  ❤

Diana xo

Trust

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Diana Schwenk, grateful, Hump Day Chronicles, inspiration, integrity, loyalty, peace, self-awareness, trust

You know that feeling you get when you are able to trust a person or business; that sense of calm and ‘all is well in the world-ness’ that washes over you?

I’ve never been big on trust. For most of my life I thought I was – you know as in, “everyone starts with a clean slate and I take them at face value until they prove otherwise.”

It’s funny how you can be so wrong about yourself. It took a friend, a few years back to point out that I actually make people work, so to speak, to earn my trust. I’m not demanding about it or anything, but I do stand back and cautiously observe a person or service provider before I fully place my trust in them.

But once I trust, like my father before me, I am fiercely loyal to the person or business in which I place my trust.

A visit to my mechanic yesterday is what prompted me to write about trust today. I’ve heard many stories of women being taken advantage of when it comes to car maintenance; being charged for things they don’t really need, for example.

Over the years, the place I go to deal with my car woes has proven to me that they have integrity by the service they provide and their honesty in regards to what is needed and what is not. And that gives me peace, for which I am so grateful.

People and businesses that are trustworthy inspire me to be trustworthy as well, to work to earn the trust of the people I care about and do business with.

Because trust is so foundational in any relationship, isn’t it?

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

Do you trust easily or do you make people work to earn it? When you do trust, are you a loyal customer?

You Gotta Give It Away If You Want It!

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200 words, caring, community, compassion, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, dreams, growing up, health, integrity, joy, kindness, laughter, peace, Purpose, trust

By becoming the answer to someone’s prayer, we often find the answers to our own. ~ unattributed

MOST OF US KNOW that if you want to achieve a certain outcome, you must develop strategies to get you there.

For example, if you want people to attend an event, you might send out invitations. To increase your success in getting actual bodies to your event, you may further decide to invite those who are most likely to attend your event.

The above quote seems counterintuitive in comparison. But is it any less effective?

Whether you believe that you reap what you sow, or to keep a gift you have to give it away, or that Karma lurks around the corner; you may have experienced this concept to be true.

25 years ago, I was at a crossroad in my life. I felt alone and broken. Looking back, the best decision I made, was to volunteer with an organization that looked after some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

By walking with people through their brokenness and loneliness and believing in them until they believed in themselves, I unwittingly brought peace and purpose into my own life.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Getting My Rhythm Back

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believe, career, community, courage, Diana Schwenk, fate, happy, Hump Day Chronicles, job, joy, laughter, living in the moment, passion, Purpose, teamwork, trust, work, working together

Today is Day Nine.

My daily routine has changed. And as with any change, it takes time to get one’s bearings.

And it’s going to take some time to get my rhythm back.

Looking back over the last five years, I can see how all my experiences have led me to this place right here, right now.

All the learning; the good times, the hard times, the fun times and the not-so-fun times – have taught me so much.

And I’m grateful. I feel joy. I’m excited to help build something amazing.

Here’s why. As of the first of May, I am happily employed at an amazing organization that makes a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of people.

Today is Day Nine.

I’m getting my rhythm back. I can’t wait to find new ways to build community.

I promise to tell you more about my new role in subsequent posts, but for now, I’ve got to get ready for work!

Until then, here are some pictures I took on the Mother’s Day weekend.

I couldn’t spend Mother’s Day with my mom or with my daughter, but an edible bouquet from Michaela delivered to my new office on Wednesday made my day!

On Mother’s Day, I took a long, long walk downtown. Here are some pictures I took.

An ominous shot of the Calgary Tower

What is it with long line-ups at Ice Cream Stores? Village Ice Cream, Calgary AB

Central Memorial Park, Calgary AB

5th Street SW, Calgary AB

Wishing you all a great day!  🙂

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

When you look back on your life, can you see the events that led you to where you are now?

Where Do You Rate on the Worry Scale?

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200 words, Act, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, Fear, fear of failure, health, living in the moment, mindful, power, trust, worry

“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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200 words, caring, collaboration, community, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, hatred, integrity, love, power, Relationships, survive, thrive, true to yourself, trust, values, world issues

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?

Every little Thing Gonna Be Alright

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200 words, believe, Corrie ten Boom, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, faith, Fear, trust, worry

Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength–carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength. ~ Corrie ten Boom

Worry

photo credit: PositivityBlog

We all do it.

Most of the time our fears don’t play out as scary as we had imagined, if they are realized at all.

And if they do – we figure it out – we find a way.

Sometimes we even look back and are thankful our plans did not work out at a certain time.

Maybe its time had not yet come. Maybe we weren’t ready.

I know that I am way less stressed when I:

Trust the process

Trust my instincts

Trust the right doors to open at the right time

Trust and continue to follow my heart.

Maybe things don’t work out the way I planned.

But worrying about it before it happens only serves to fill me with fear in the NOW.

Who knows…it may even work out better than I had originally hoped.

Today’s quote suggested to me by Tracy Lee Karner

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~