March 2009 'Useletter'
Welcome to the March “Use Letter”. I have noticed how many people have followed through with my '2000 and mine' belief and are really having an awesome year. However, with all the doom and gloom from the media on a daily basis – it is becoming more and more difficult to remain positive – or is it ? Most DEFINITELY not ! Life is so awesome and there are so many fantastic things to be grateful for, which, if we just become a little more aware – WILL keep you positive. A good friend of mine, Delycia, sent me 11 Rules to change the world. There is so much depth to these and if we all follow them – the world and your own life WILL be more positive.
SUBJECT: 11 RULES TO CHANGE THE WORLD ... AND YOUR LIFE!
1. You be the change, you dream of seeing (Mahatma Gandhi). "If everyone of us would sweep their own doorstep, the whole world would be clean," observed Mother Teresa. She was right.
2. Make time every day to reconnect to your highest ideals and boldest dreams. Without hope, people perish.
3. Leave every person you meet better than you found them. Life's too short to withhold encouragement and kindness.
4. See every setback as a stepping stone and every problem as a blessing in disguise. Contrary to what critics might say, these are NOT corny aphorisms. They are timeless truths of humanity. (And critics are just people too scared to grow their dreams anyway - pay no attention to them. The world needs more people lifting people up rather than putting people down).
5. Go the extra mile in everything you do.
6. Do what's right rather than what's easy. Being a great person isn't a popularity contest.
7. Care for your health. You elevate the world by elevating yourself, and your health really matters. Why be the richest person in the graveyard?
8. Tell your kids they are geniuses - and how much you adore them. Each of us are born geniuses but lose that gift within the first 6 years of our lives as we adopt the fears and limiting beliefs of those around us. Your kids are the leaders of the future. Grow their potential. Now.
9. Learn something new every day. As you grow, you begin to see possibilities you didn't have the eyes to see before. Read from an inspiring book, (click here) listen to an audio program, visit a good blog, go to a powerful workshop or have a conversation with an elder. One idea is all it takes to transform your life.
10. Keep your life simple! The secret to success and happiness is building your life around a few important things. The person who tries to do everything accomplishes nothing. What's the point in being busy doing the wrong things?
11. Remember that life is a mirror and we receive what we give out. To get more joy, give more joy. To have more respect, give more respect. To realize your dreams, help others realize theirs.
Last month I was literally inundated by people requesting the free E-Book of the last few year's inspiration (You can still do so on my “Free Inspiration” page on my website. Many asked if I don't have a proper published book as it would be a great bedside table read, or gift. I do listen to what you ask. The book is now at the publishers and will be available within the next two weeks. It's a 5 x 8 size book with over 200 pages of the best stories and quotes I have shared in this 'Use Letter'. The Title is “Life Lesson for the Heart”. You can order it off my website (click here) via PayPal, or click here and I'll send you banking details for a direct deposit. Also, if you are looking for a totally novel corporate gift for your clients – I can have special runs printed with your corporate logo on it.
It seems a general thread in my 'Use Letter' that I add stories about time. One of the reasons is that I have just finished the previous month's one, and suddenly I am working on the new one. Where does the time go. It's already March ! Over and over I stress the importance of savouring each and every day and truly living in the moment. A very dear friend of mine in LA, Sharon Williams sent me this beautiful story a few weeks ago about age and behind content with who you are. I don't know who the author is, but feel that is just so insightful and I needed to share it with you.
OLD AGE, I DECIDED, IS A GIFT
I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my mother/father!), but I don't agonize over those things for long..
I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less grey hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend.
I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.
I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.
Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon ?
I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 & 70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.
I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.
I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.
Sure, over the years my heart has been broken... How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.
I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning grey, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.
As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.
So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become . I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be.... And I shall eat dessert every single day. ( If I feel like it).
Have a super March!