Posted by: justgetstarted | April 22, 2009

Are You a People-Pleaser?

Tonight I will deliver my 1st speech at the Toastmasters Club that I joined. It’s the icebreaker and an introduction about myself. After the speech I will be evaluated, not just by the evaluator but most likely by everyone who is listening. Each person will probably pass some sort of judgement, especially as there is a vote for best speaker at the end. It is easy to get nervous because of this and become focused on what everyone will think. Unfortunately we are often far too concerned how others see us? What will people think of us? I believe this is the root cause of fear of public speaking.

‘For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.’ John12:42

So before I fall into that trap, I remind myself why I am doing it. It is not for the praise of people that I am developing my public speaking skills. It is to fully develop the skills that God has given me; so that I can use the whole of myself to better do His will; so I can speak at fundraisers to inspire and get the message received deeper; to better lead and motivate groups of people; to be able to say and do the right thing even when it is contrary to popular opinion; simply to be the best person that I can be. So I tell myself here, seek not the approval of people but always the approval of God. In the end, that’s the only thing that counts. If we can remember that, I believe we can not only be fearless public speakers but we can be fearless in anything we aim to do, since He always gives us what is needed to succeed.

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Posted by: justgetstarted | April 21, 2009

Old Habits Die Hard

Today was a challenging day for me…I watched myself and saw how my old thought processes were making their way back and infiltrating my cleaned up mind and spirit. I also saw how I was very restless and dissatisfied today, snappy and bad tempered – how terrible!

How difficult it is to kick those old chains loose and soar to freedom and strength in Christ. Whatever old habits they are that we are trying to kick, it all takes time, there will be setbacks but we can remind ourselves that God is on our side. If it is His will, we cannot fail. Today was a minor setback but tomorrow is a new day and the more I learn to listen to God with a pure heart, the easier my new self will prevail!

‘You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.’  Ephesians 4:22-24

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Posted by: justgetstarted | April 20, 2009

Which Star are You?

‘The sun has one kind of splendour, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendour.’ 1 Corinthians 15:41

I love this verse as it highlights how we are all made to be different but special in our own way, with our own unique personality, gifts and abilities. Our mission is to first find out what we are fantastic at, what we love to do, what energises us, motivates us, gets us really excited – and then secondly to put all our energy into it and shine! That’s fulfilling our purpose. Unfortunately from an early age we are often steered by parents, teachers and peers to do certain things, study certain subjects and we end up in certain careers, motivated by false goals like money, recognition, acceptance and so on.  I wonder how many of us are really doing what we were really put on earth to be doing; using our talents to the full? I believe if we are doing ‘just that’, it should feel ‘just right’ like the perfect fit of the piece in the puzzle. It is totally in line with the values we have and the person we are.

Of course the other side of the argument is, with the right attitude and focusing on the good things, we can make every job fulfilling and fitting to who we are. While I do think there is an element of truth in that, I still believe that since we are all different, we are more suited to some types of work than others. Knowing our gifts and abilities is the key – that requires more inner reflection and listening to God and less looking to others and comparing to see what everyone else is doing or earning in order to fit in. After becoming a Mum and a Catholic, I am restarting my journey of reflection and discovery and this time not relying purely on my own analysis but by the grace of God I will be guided to do His will.

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Posted by: justgetstarted | April 19, 2009

At Peace

In recent months we have constantly been reminded by the media and those around us about the bad times which we are in. Many people are worrying about their jobs, their finances and their future. But somehow I feel more at peace now than ever before. The growth of my faith through the sickness of a friend and my own personal baptism and confirmation have left me a stronger person.

‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.’ Proverbs3:5

In the past I would have thought such a verse is for weak people who have no goals and direction. In the past I also often tried too hard, worried too much and trusted too little. I was, in non-religious terms, a control freak and I am learning to let go. I am finding peace and at the same time new strength. God is greater and beyond what we can fathom. Of course we are to use our talents and skills to do the work which we are able to do but we should also not forget to listen to the Lord, he has a plan for each of us and he will not forsake us, even though to our humanly understanding it may seem that way.

Today, for the first time, offering the sign of peace to those around me in Church, I consciously thought about what those words ‘peace be with you’ mean. It comes from the Gospel of John20: 19-31. Throughout the passage, Jesus says ‘peace be with you’ 3 times to his disciples as they are fearful about life. What Christ is offering us is tranquility, a sense of calm and freedom from stress and worry. With the peace of Christ in us, we can find great strength and go on to do great things.

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Posted by: justgetstarted | April 18, 2009

Thy Will Be Done

‘For we are God’s fellow workers’ 1 Corinthians 3:9

I am exhausted from a long day of doing God’s work but am grateful for this day.

When those who have gone before us no longer have the opportunity to do good and make a difference, don’t we as healthy people have an even greater obligation to volunteer our time and resources to do more? I am truly grateful for having the opportunity and ability to contribute.

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Posted by: justgetstarted | April 17, 2009

Be Slow to Speak

Everyday I am discovering the goodness of God and new ways to fulfill my new identity in Christ. In Paul’s letters to the Ephesians he shares many suggestions on how to strengthen our relationship with Christ and live more Christlike lives. One of them is in communication with each other.

‘Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen… Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.’ (Ephesians 4:29;3)

People by nature like to talk to and about each other.  Unfortunately gossip is often negative but society as a whole condones it, especially with popular media like celebrity gossip magazines. I feel negative gossip is a reflection of negative feelings harboured within or a dissatisfaction on the part of the person gossiping. Although it may be hard not to be swept up in the tide of talk, especially with a false need to be accepted by someone or a group, it is entirely a fruitless pursuit which we need to wake up from.

Luckily, I have never been much of a gossip so I think there is little danger of ‘unwholesomeness’ coming from my mouth there. However, I am not known to be the most patient of people and my lack of patience often leads to frustration and anger – and we all know what happens when we get angry! We say things we don’t mean and then feel very bad about it afterwards. I am learning to deal with this anger, not by ignoring it or letting it pent up inside, but by facing it, acknowledging the feeling and then slowly letting it dissipate. It’s very difficult to remain angry if you pray and focus on the immense love and kindness of God.

‘the Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,’ Exodus 34:6

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Posted by: justgetstarted | April 16, 2009

Turn the Other Cheek

In the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says:

You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. (Matthew 5:38-42)

It’s a hard thing to do and it sets such a high standard. But I can see the truth in these Words. Only by showing kindness and compassion in the face of aggression, can you have any hope of pacifying.

But does this apply even to educating children? We live in a very materialistic world and already as young as 1 years old children learn what is theirs and become possessive of ‘things’. They take from others and fight for toys and some parents are right by their side to encourage this by saying ‘hold on to what’s yours’, or ‘fight back if someone hits you’, otherwise your child is perceived as weak or a pushover. But is this right? As a professional marketer with a business education I would say sure! They have to compete and protect themselves, life is tough so there’s no better time to start learning than now. But as a Christian parent I have a problem teaching my child this as I feel it is so un-Christian. Is it the right thing (but hard thing) to teach your child to let people take from you and give more than they take? Is this the way to show the love and generosity of God and display true Christian values. I am extremely torn on this and would like to hear all valuable opinions out there…

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Posted by: justgetstarted | April 15, 2009

Be Creative, Be a Child

Creativity is the habit to continually do things differently in our daily lives.

When was the last time you really got creative? (all the small things count too!)

Having a toddler is actually great for creativity as you are constantly thinking of new ways to play and stimulate their learning experience. But just watching them play and interact with other kids is great input for creativity too – kids have not developed ‘norms’ so they behave freely and…creatively!

As adults we need to be more like children. Children absorb everything like sponges, they take things they see and experience and repeat / re-enact them in their own ways and in different situations – they put their own spin on things! They do it with words, with actions and with ideas…and they have lots of fun on the way.

We can learn from this. We too can absorb ideas from anywhere and anything, find things that fuel our imagination and put our own spin on it, applying it to new situations. This is when real creative, innovative ideas come about. As someone at TM so rightly said tonight,  ‘it doesn’t matter where you get the idea from, it’s where you take it that matters!’

Let’s all be children again and have fun being creative!

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Posted by: justgetstarted | April 14, 2009

Every Good Deed Counts

‘Do not take lightly small good deeds,

Believing they can hardly help.

For drops of water, one by one,

In time can fill a giant pot.’

Patrul Rinpoche

This idea is a follow-on from yesterday’s post about appreciating the little things in life. This is a view from the other side of the coin…don’t underestimate the value of little good deeds.

My 3 drops of water today were:
1. Helping find some information for someone who needed it.
2. Showing appreciation to someone for their work.
3. Teaching my son to split his cookie in half and share with another child.

How wonderful it would be if we all worked on filling that giant pot of goodness each day. The more often and the more consciously we do it the easier it will become, until out of habit we will always do the good thing…just naturally. I recently discovered a UK website called We Are What We Do the concept is all about adding drops of water to the giant pot, except they express it with the formula “small actions x lots of people = big change”. It’s a great way to keep track of your little positive actions and making sure the drips keep getting added, one-by-one, each day.

Please don’t let a day go by without adding at least a drop to the giant pot of goodness!

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Posted by: justgetstarted | April 13, 2009

Enjoy the Little Things

I recently watched a rather odd film ‘The Curious Tale of Benjamin Button’. The main character (Brad Pitt) is born as an 80 yr old baby and gets younger and younger as time passes, until he ends up dying as a little baby in the arms of the one who loved him all his life. It’s quite a poignant story about the passing of time and how each decision shapes the life you lead.

Whether we are getting younger or getting older, we can never stop time, it’s always ticking away propelling us into the future whether we like it or not. Our time account keeps going down each day (previous post about time). It’s then up to us to make sure we live life to the fullest, opening our eyes and our hearts to the abundant joyful experiences that surround us each day. What’s important to note is, it’s not just about achieving great big goals but just as much about filling our days with small things that add positively to our world and in turn energise us. We need to remember to enjoy the little things in the present, not constantly yearn for the big things in the future. There is no point in time that is the perfect point that we are looking for. Every point in time is perfect in itself, if we learn to see the beauty in everything.

‘Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realise they were the big things.’ Robert Brault

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