Self Development
Accomplishments
Do you remember how you began other successful projects? It is a clue on getting things done. Did you follow an outline? Did you work with someone else? Get inspired by a class? Make a list and just check off each accomplishment.
Years ago I needed to clean out a group of desk drawers, so I called a friend who loves projects. She is a no nonsense person who was able in an hour to help me. She had no problem deciphering the treasure from the junk. Ever since then I try to pull in help when I procrastinate about something on my list. Another person with some detachment to my problem helps.
Most of us need help in little ways and it is good to share. Honesty and talking about things helps. Trying to resolve “to do lists” can take effort. Calling in friends helps. No friends? Well I am sure there is someone or some service available. Shall we brainstorm? Join a group. (I am launching a self-help online group. You can jump on at anytime- Watch for it in the coming months!)
I too have been in spots where I didn’t know where to turn. I have patients who come here for help, because they are stuck too! Sometimes it takes some investigation on my part. I know where to get the help my patients need; I can give them information and insight to move ahead.
Sometimes they recognize that I am really there for them right away! Other times, it may be after a level of trust has developed that they take my advice or the information. I h
ave learned to find resolutions for myself and I want to share that with others.
Enjoy your day and look for the Mini Miracles!
Weeds Among the Flowers of Life
Oh yes, today we are talking about “Weeds”. I find it so novel that when a rainstorm arrives, so do the weeds. Yes, the bushes grow and the flowers benefit, but suddenly we own a yard full of unwanted vegetation. They take over the lush garden ground cover and become a nuisance.
I don’t do well in the sun and so I try to go out and pull them up when they are damp. Last weekend my daughter-in-law helped care for our patio gardens in removing many of these unwanted plants. I was most appreciative. It looked a whole lot tidier after her efforts.
In the front area of our property; however, you can see in this photo that the thistle seems to think the garden belongs to them. Yesterday I had them cut back and sprayed to contain their roots. It is an ongoing battle and I don’t think the Rose Bushes need to share their space.
Unfortunately, like the weeds among the Roses, we all have to share space. Weeds lend us a perspective. We learn to appreciate them. Sometimes they can be dangerous and help us appreciate the more beautiful plantings. Sometimes weeds are pretty and we don’t know that they are poisonous or prickly until it is too late.
Even with people we don’t like to be with on a daily basis. There are people in our lives who have thorn-like personalities too. Their true colors don’t shine through until it is too late. They may have wrecked our business’ reputation or set us back in time and money.
They don’t understand how unwelcome they are at meetings, or events. They crop up at Town Hall Meetings, in business environments, and at work places. Instead of bringing life and fruitful ideas to a meeting, they bring gloomy faces and negativity. We have all met these people during our school years. They get everyone else upset, don’t follow the rules, and are sticky like unwanted glue. They are not appreciated. Unfortunately they are often very bright and could become an asset.
Years ago I heard a story about porcupines. They bond together in comfort and intimacy, but then become so prickly that they push apart from one another. I guess we all do the same dance to some extent even with those people in our midst. We need one another and need to learn to communicate better.
I listen to Brendon Burchard who is a motivational speaker and uplifting achiever. I want to send people who are such downers to listen to him. He elevates the spirit in all of us to be happier and more productive.
Today, I hope you are upbeat. If you meet a “Debbie Downer” or “Devilish Dan” I hope your spirit of joy and positive vibes will rub off onto them. And if you happen to find a way to remove weeds in an easier way, please let me know. In the meantime, “Delight in Living”!
We love to hear from you. You can send us ideas for topic and comments to linda@lindagullo.com
Mindfulness
Thought for the day – Excess baggage drags down the best of us!! Is it time to dump some of yours? The things you need to forgive others for doing? The worries that you did something in the past and haven’t forgiven yourself about? Move on and put that energy into something meaningful. Become a Prism of Sunshine for others!
Mindfulness
Have you ever found yourself rushing. You rush out of the house without your cell phone? Or you leave your gym clothes behind? That grocery list that you spent 20 minutes creating yesterday with the family is on the counter, now what?
Focusing can be hard when there is a lot on our minds.
Yes indeed–it happens to the best of us! And so how do you compensate? Who do you call? Do you return or do without?
Being mindful of what we are doing help us stay on task. The reality is that we do things so routinely that we don’t concentrate. I suggest a simple approach of watching what you are doing. If you constantly unplug the coffee pot, change up the routine. Move the pot to the stove and watch yourself do it. Or dump out the remains and set it aside. Just a different action helps us remember.
What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is a psychological process. According to Psychology Today it says that Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you’re mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience.
It has been my experience that when one forgets it is usually because we are thinking of something else and not focused on the present moment. I can tell you firsthand that our focus takes a hit whenever there is a time of major stress going on.
If you find yourself forgetting things, it may mean you need to refocus on the most important thing first and resolve it. If that isn’t possible, let others help you, take notes, and slow down.
Peace for your day–Delight in Living and look for the Mini Miracles from Minor Moments in your life.
Onion Skin Moments
I love to use onions in cooking, but they can create teary moments while cutting them. Never-the-less, I still use them and enjoy the quality they add to a recipe. Onions have layers of skin. The outer ones are thicker and peel off easily. The closer one gets to the tender, tasty part of the onion, the thinner they get.
I used to write a newsletter for shut-in’s called A Voice in the Wilderness. I wrote about labels that are placed on people. Kids start at an early age to call one another names like, “cry babies“. Adults will say “she is such a tomboy“, “what a jock“, “she’s so shy”, “what a “want to be” or other labels that might seem innocent.
Even good ones can be bothersome and I’ll expound on this more. We all label and we aren’t aware of it. Why is there such satisfaction on labeling one another. Does it make us feel any better? And when is it appropriate?
You get the idea. Labeling removes an individual’s personality and throws us into a category. It takes the mystery and the uniqueness out of people. We might as well put baseball caps on everyone or those funny rubber noses and black rimmed glasses. Instead we need to start looking at the person and recognizing their traits as unique and particular. I think we do a great disservice to one another by trying to get everyone to conform.
As a teacher, I was taught to recognize how each child learned and direct my energy into teaching them in that manner. I was taught to look for their giftedness. Over the years, reminders come my way. I try to stay open minded and look at the circumstances.
Yesterday while I was at a department store trying on shorts, I hear a small child whining. I was so touched by the mother’s patience. She did a good job at calming him down. I thought at first that he was being a brat. See the label? Brat? I caught myself. I didn’t know the circumstances. Was it just before a nap? Had he just gotten hurt? Either way, I caught myself.
So what triggered this? I heard someone being labeled as “thinned skinned“. It was a put down and label that made me cringe, since it was merely an opinion. If the person had heard it, it might have made them sad indeed and tearful. None of us like to be labeled.
As a counselor I have people come in who have been tagged by their friends or even another counselor. They say they are depressed or OCD or whatever. It makes me sad. In many cases, it just isn’t true. A one time event or set of circumstances doesn’t make you a certain way. It may be a temporary state or even a misconception when investigated.
One of the nicest things we can do for one another is to be kind and give each other the benefit of the doubt.
Peace for your day, Delight in Living.
Please feel free to stop in for your Zucchini Recipe Sheet or Email me at linda@lindagullo.com and I will be glad to email you a copy!
Who Do You Look Up To?
This was taken at the recent 2016 Swedish Days in Geneva, Illinois. I would imagine walking in a costume on stilts might be hard to do, but these kids seemed to enjoy the day and not care how this gent was able to get around. He had a talent of juggling and entertaining the crowds.
Everything in life is relative. Think for a minute about successes in life. If you are a student who always gets C’s and suddenly you get all B’s, that is success. Often we make comparisons that just don’t make any sense by comparing ourselves to the wrong things.
When we are small we accept that others will tower over us. We use our size to get into small places and play. We recognize who are the bigger people around us that are good for us. How do you feel as an adult? Does your size even matter? Are you confident in yourself? I hope so, for you are one of a kind; talented and gifted in your own way.
For most of us we have learned to accept our size and see other things are more relevant. We learn to focus on our work, our interests, and our friendships. It is a good thing to enjoy life and be accepting of what comes our way.
But who do you look up to as a role model? Is it someone who has really worked hard to succeed? Is it someone who started out with basics and worked diligently to earn a degree or get into an industry because of hard work and no play.
We need to make the most of our talents. Being a good teacher, playing the guitar, building a deck, or being a nurse are all needed professions. We need people who can care for our yards; dentists and doctors to care for us and technicians to take care of our vehicles, computers, and homes. Librarians are skilled at helping us learn through the power of books and reading. Teachers are prepared to teach different subjects and grade levels. People in sales are adept in marketing and make us eager to buy cars or purchase clothes. Find a mentor that can help you become your best!
There are so many more things to learn about too. I am learning that there are many aspects of sharing information. As you can see I am learning to Podcast. The task is harder than I knew, but I will succeed and hopefully pass on some good ideas for you to hear. I want to be inspirational for you. One of my business acquaintances said he calls me “The Catalyst”. Wow I was surprised and yet excited that he gave me that title.
We need the fast athletic people for our sports teams and the petite acrobatic individuals to entertain us at the circus. I guess what I am trying to say is that all sizes and shapes are invited and regarded with awe when it comes to living a healthy and happy life. We can join together to serve one another and enjoy every day. We can learn who to look up to and how to really recognize our Blessings!
Contact me with ideas for topics at linda@lindagullo.com
Save
Are You Ready?
This is a question that can be asked over and over again.
Are you ready for the Big Day? 
Are you ready to go to school?
Are you ready for church?
Are you ready to take the test?
Are you ready for the scheduled surgery?
Are you ready to go for a check up?
Are you ready to meet your maker? Will the train leave without you?
Wow, getting ready is quite a process. Preparation is always a state of mind and a process. Sometimes we are ready. Looking at the end goal and jumping in to do the homework may be an inspired if a grade point is at stake.
On occasion we don’t feel ready until we are at the end or the process has started. It is easy to delay things we don’t want to face. We lose the phone number or do things that are easier. Sometimes we are forced to go forward and get things in order.
Inspiration may come quickly like when there is only one train left heading out of the city. I remember running with friends to catch a late night train from Chicago to Crystal Lake. We ran from across the loop in record time!
Deadlines, calendars, and the clicking of a clock keep us on task. Having a baby is a good example of this. The child is going to arrive in 9 moths and there is no time to ignore the process. Thank God we go into a “nesting” mode.
What are you getting ready for now?
In the meantime, Delight in Living and all the wonderful things available!
Where is the Time To Do That?
Where is the Time To Do That?
I don’t know about you, but I hope this will relate in some way for you. It is about the concept of time. I was listening to Michael Hyatt, “Your Virtual Mentor” who had a Podcast called, Shave 10 Hours off Your Workweek earlier today. I have to say, I kept thinking while listening that this information doesn’t refer to me at all. I don’t have that many followers or that busy of a life. I don’t have demands like he does.
Then as I read through my emails, I began to laugh. I looked at the clock it read, 12 o’clock. Yes, it was noon already and I have so many things left to do. I have so many important things to accomplish today. And it dawned on me that I don’t have to be a famous person or someone who is followed by lots of people. I do have a business, I care for my spouse, plus, I do have many tasks and no one to assist me. My circle of vendors and contractors do offer support, no doubt, but I may need to find more help. My ambitions are large and that clock seems to whiz around so quickly. Last night as it approached Midnight I was just heading to bed.
Today is my day off, but it never feels that way. I hate feeling rushed, but I am often rushed. I want to accomplish many things. I am always trying to prioritize. I write things down and schedule things. I am Mrs. Organized. I have learned that when I plan my work and work my plan it helps, but they other things crop up. Important things that is! There are patients that need appointments asap, there are needs at home to take care of, and errands to run.
You probably feel the same way. You have families to care for, dinners to prepare, and personal issues to fulfill. Maybe your clock hands run around fast too. Perhaps our cell phones and emails have begun to run us over. It may be time to rethink who gets our number or who gets our “yes”.
I am beginning to think I need a virtual assistant to help me reclaim my time. Someone I could really trust. I have not taken action because I am not sure what or how much I could delegate. But, Michael Hyatt, your words came flooding back into my head. And I may go back to your podcast and review.
I purposely make time to go to an Adoration Chapel or Mass each day to collect my thoughts and slow down. I find spending an hour in solitude helps me reclaim time and sanity. That time helps me. I hope you have a place you go to unwind for an hour a day too. I think the cultures that take siestas each day have a secret we need to copy.
It is okay that the clock keeps ticking as life creates an agenda of value for each of us. I hope you have found some ways to cope. I am always grateful for insights. Peace for your day, Delight in Living.
Unrolling Information to Make Sense!
Learning New Things Can Be Frustrating!
I don’t know about you, but learning for me takes a lot of work. I often have to reread instructions and go through things more than once. The good news is that once I have mastered something, I am good to go. It is like unrolling information and making sense of it.
We all learn in different ways. Some people are visual learners. Just show them something one time and they are on their way. There are the auditory learners who have an ear for what is said. They can repeat things literally after only hearing things one time. And then there are the learners who vicariously learn from watching others. They seem to know what to copy and what to avoid. 
The oldest child may learn one way, the middle child another way, and the third child is the watcher who uses their keen sense of observation to learn what to do or not do!
I am indeed an experiential learner for sure. If I can repeat things a few times and practice a skill, I am good to go! I love to travel and be with people. History comes alive for me. Cultural ways take on an energy that is contagious. Languages sound so beautiful and intriguing. Smells and fragrances draw me into the fields of flowers or city life.
I tell you all of this as I am learning to Podcast. Along the way I have hit the wrong buttons, misunderstood the instructions, and done things 3 times. I get all messed up with the technology until I have tried it a few times. It is like this blog and the set up it initially took. It was the third website I had to build, but each one had its own peculiar shortcuts. I still stumble every time I need a new plugin. Thank goodness for go to people in our area.
I have also been taking a few online courses. This started after podcasting. If I didn’t love to learn new things it would be awful indeed. I am sharing this to encourage all of you who read this to just keep trying. Ask people in the know for help and encouragement. Ask and you shall receive help.
I wonder if it isn’t a great job for the average high school student. Young people this is a great skill many of you have already learned. Teach your older neighbors how to use the computer. Charge by the session and meet with them a few times a week.
With that I wish you a Blessed Day! Delight in Living!
Diary of the Mind
Years ago I taught a course on Journaling. I think it helped me more to teach it than I knew at the time. It was called Diary of the Mind. Our minds are like diaries that list data, record events for recall, and filter our thoughts. To clean house and empty our minds of data can be done by writing things down. We are able to purge the things that are unhealthy and hopefully keep some wisdom from our experience.
A journal can help us to take charge of our own thinking. By writing things down we find “ah-ha” moments. Our feelings become noted and they don’t then take over by oozing out into bad behaviors. Some people only act on their impulsive thoughts; that can be dangerous indeed. It is good to think things through and then call in the heart to react appropriately.
If you journal regularly, you have probably set up a template of sorts without even knowing it. One can create a series of stepping stones to help process otherwise intrusive thoughts. The process removes confusion and replaces it with some order.
In school we may be taught to write. Many times we take creative writing or specific English classes to teach punctuation and grammar. How I wish more teenagers were taught to put things into lists and formats to help them create clear thinking .
When children are small they line up their tiny toys in rows. They are encouraged to sort and stack things. If we can transfer those physical behaviors into meaningful thought patterns, it would help. Parallel thinking and replication helps us write.
My father left behind around 20 years of journals with what he spend or what he did. Often they only had an entry or two. As he got older the entries became more feeling. I have over the years reread certain parts of them. What a great insight and closeness I have been given.
Hope you’ll jot down things for your children or family members as well. Blessings for the day as you “Delight in Living”.
Setting Yourself Up for Success
Setting Yourself Up for Success
Well everyone knows that the idea of success is different for each one of us. Do you know what spells s-u-c-c-e-s-s for you? Does it mean you get a higher paying job? Does it mean you stay focused enough to learn something new? Does it mean valuing people in your life?
When I look at how people succeed, I look to mentors who have helped me. I feel very grateful to people who have given me help along the way. After my mother and dad died, I had a neighbor Shirley. She was a great help whenever I needed anything, day or night. She was always encouraging me to write, included me in community functions, and often joined our family in celebrating holidays and birthdays. When she moved away we still remained kindred spirits. She allowed me to be myself and grow at my own pace. In recent years she has endured many health obstacles, but still is so real and encouraging.
Next was my friend Sue who is still near and dear. We have journeyed the last 26 years together through ups and downs. We traveled together, ate many meals, and discussed many topics. She has mentored me with parenting and life.
Back my children were in their Jr. High years I had a Spiritual Director named Eileen who kept me on track. She always seemed to make life’s struggles tolerable. She mentored to me by her example of traveling, helping with Bible Studies, and encouraging me to accept the reality of things. She listened to me and made simple suggestions that worked for her. She was a graduate of Chicago School of Theology in her later years and inspired many people there as well. I lost this dear friend to cancer. 
In business, a few people have directed and taught me the simple things that could have otherwise buried me. I would have ended in shackles like at this wax museum; limp and doomed. Knowing who to trust and talk to is half the battle.
So to me success is a journey that is ongoing with having mentors and help along the way. It is a means of getting to goals by working together with other people. I believe these people were creating mini miracles for me just by being present in my life.
Who in your life has inspired you to go forward? How have they made success a daily word for you? How can you pass this on to other people? Delight in Living today and always.