Moments of Quiet Reflection(originally posted:May 14,2009)

Taking the time to be quiet, to silence the mind and activities, help you to renew your energy, your creativity, and your gratitude.

Many of  you may have  forgotten how important it is to be still, to spend a few moments just quieting the  thoughts and the mind.
You may also believe that you should be busy, doing something, every single moment.
If  idle for any amount of time, you  probably think   productivity has been compromised.  This is especially true, I believe, for those of you who are high achievers. But more often than not, being idle or quiet, for a few minutes of the day, is exactly what is needed

Let me ask you: Have you ever taken the time to still your thoughts and activities and found in doing so that you were much more productive and creative after the period of silence ended?
Consciously building moments of silence into your daily schedule will improve the quality of your life and energize your activities.

It will also help you to become more in tuned with yourself, your thoughts, your goals and  dreams.

For those of you who are serious about personal growth and self-help, spending time alone is a must so that you can get to know yourself, who you really are, and who you desire to become. Trying to figure this out amid the noise and chaos of everyday living is impractical, if not impossible.

So much is overlooked or missed altogether when too many things are on the ‘to do list’.
Deliberately taking time daily to quiet your thoughts, to come apart for a while, will give you the energy, focus, and direction you need to continue your journey of personal growth and development; it will therefore, help you get a clearer perspective of the things that really matter to you.
So, here is the challenging question: Will you commit to working into your day at least a ten minute block of time, where you do nothing but quiet your thoughts and count your blessings?
This can be done in the morning, before the hustle and bustle of the day begin,  at night before you retire, or both.

I believe if you do this daily, you will soon be well on your way to accomplishing your goals, no matter how grand or lofty they may be.

Quieting our mind, our thoughts and  our actions, momentarily throughout the day, will produce fresh perspectives, renewed energy, as well as more gratitude and creativity.
Remember: Most great ideas happen during the quiet, the reflective, the contemplative periods in our days and nights. It is our responsibility to provide the proper environment for the flashes of insight just waiting to appear.

Let me know what you think by posting your comment in the space provided.

Growing from the Inside Out (originally posted March 31,2009)

Personal growth is an admirable undertaking, but don’t be too alarmed or too hard on yourself (or others) when the  desired changes take longer than  expected.

So much information exists now on personal growth and self-help. These topics are two of the more popular today.

Everyone it seems has some useful morsel or tidbit, that when used,will catapult us into a completely different level of success, if followed for 30 days.
Since most  growth is from the inside out, I wonder how much real growth can occur in such a short span?

Consider this: Many trees take years to reach their maximum height, and for others, hundreds of years are required.
But we humans, infinitely more complex than trees and other living things, want to believe that significant growth, permanent and life changing, can happen almost over night.
Real personal growth or self-help, I believe, takes years, and during those years, many challenges,which cause internal conflict and ultimate growth, arise. Yes, personal growth is an admirable and necessary undertaking throughout life, but don’t be too alarmed or too hard on yourself (or others)
when the  changes you desire  take longer than expected.

My journey of personal development began over 13 years ago, and although I have experienced long lasting results in some areas, I am still a ‘work in progress’, a work that will be constantly ‘under construction’.
For example, my patience, or the lack thereof, still needs to be worked on daily, and although I have seen amazing results in this area over the years, the true test, heavy traffic when I am pushed for time, still has not been passed with flying colors; most of the time, the only color I see is red, and until I consistently respond favorably in this area, I will continue to do exercises, write journal entries, read self-help books, including my own , and pray daily until I have mastered my impatience.

It would be wonderful if this area of my life improved significantly over night or at least over a period of thirty days, but so far, 13 plus years have elapsed, and I still see things that need to be tweaked in this area.
You and I both must also remember that because of our humanness, there will always be something in our lives that need work.

Thankfully there are tons of information and people available to provide the help needed.
So, give your self a break; don’t be so critical of your slow progress.
Keep working on you until you see the desired results even if it takes a bit longer than expected.

Please leave a comment below sharing your opinion with me. I ‘d be glad to hear from you and I will respond.

New Year, New Decade, New Growth

2011, is a new year, and it ushers in a new decade. It is the ideal time for all who desire change, or growth in any area of life, to go for it!

It is quite easy to be optimistic during the first few days of a new year,especially when it comes after 2010, a year that came in with challenges of sundry kinds, and strutted out the same way. Although 2010 was a challenge, that may be still felt, this year, 2011, is new, and it ushers in a new decade. It is the ideal time, therefore, for all who desire change, or personal growth, in any area of life, to go for it! The optimism that comes with a new year is especially helpful for setting goals, making plans and resolutions, and these actions can be the spring boards to success in many areas of life, especially in the area of personal growth. You need to remember that daily focused actions will always result in success. The key of course is consistency, and with a new year, as well as a new decade to consider, you should experience noticeable personal growth in those areas where you focus your attention and take consistent, relevant,  action. No matter what the year, or decade, success still follows planned, continuous action, and as a result, you will see your dreams fulfilled and your goals realized.

What to do Next?

* Identify your most important goals, plans, for this year, if you haven’t done so already;

* Write them down as clearly and as accurately as possible;

* Identify daily, relevant actions you can take to reach your goals;

* Share the goals with someone who is interested enough in your success to help hold you accountable;

* Celebrate the victories you achieve along the way!

Memories

MEMORIES

Barbara J. Henry

Memories, leftovers from the past

Yesterdays, past weeks, past years.

What do I do?

Just sit and savor them

Relishing the good ones, ruing the bad?

Or, do I toss them all

Like I do garbage or old tattered clothes?

Can they help me grow or expand,

To have a brighter, better, tomorrow?

Or will holding on to them just rehash my pain,

Rekindle my sorrow?

Remember “Thank You” This Christmas Season

In our technology – driven world, we sometimes forget the importance of the little things, the small courtesies so important in  effective communication and relationship building.

The art of communicating gets more and more sophisticated daily, it seems.
For those of us interested in self-help or personal development, it is an opportunity to learn new ways to express our ideas, to expand our minds. There is always a better, quicker, more efficient way to say what needs to be shared, from skype to tweets and everything in the middle.

But, in our high- tech world, I believe  we  sometime  forget the importance of  the little things, the small courtesies so important in effective communication and relationship building.
Let me ask you: How often during the course of a day do you forget to say ‘thank you’ for the awesome work done, the fantastic meal, or the indescribable deal you received from a family member, friend, or colleague?
I know I forget quite often, and that is what prompted me to write this post.
Sure , you and I know we should express gratitude for what others do for us, and that is exactly what a ‘thank you’ does. These two small words let others know that what they do for us is noticed and appreciated.

The words send a clear unequivocal message that we know no one owes us anything, and when we are the recipients of acts of kindness, whether words or deeds,  random acts or intentional ones, we appreciate them, and we express our gratitude by saying ‘thank you.‘

During this Christmas season, there will be many opportunities to use these two small words. Let’s make it a point to use them every chance we get, this yuletide season, and throughout the coming new year.

What To Do Next?

*Consciously, intentionally, and sincerely, say ‘thank you’ for every act of kindness you receive;

*Perform random acts of kindness for your loved ones and others in your network;

*Remind small children (They may be too excited during this season to remember on their own.) to express their gratitude by saying thank you.

Please  comment below. ‘ Thank you’

DARE!

DARE!

Barbara J. Henry

Dare to be brave bold and true.

Dare to achieve what you’ve been afraid to do.

Dare to rise, climb, to  soar,

Dare to reach your center, the core of you.

Dare to grow, to  stretch, expand.

Dare to take another’s  hand

To help,  encourage, to fan

The flame of hope.

Dare to be more than you’ve ever dreamed possible!

The Color of the Soul

The  Color of  the Soul

Barbara J. Henry

The soul is colorless,

And when it unfolds,

The eyes of the body

In which it is housed

SEE All People.

Smile Please!

Your smile says a lot about you, who you are, what’s important to you, and how you view the world as well as the people in it.
A smile is such a simple gesture, requiring so little effort or energy, yet it can be the one action that changes attitudes and opinions.

How many times has your attitude, about a matter or your opinion of a person, been swayed or changed altogether by a genuine unsolicited smile at the right time?
Do you smile at others as you pass them on your way “to somewhere?”
You know smiling does not require nearly as much energy or effort as frowning does (go ahead; try both now). Yet, getting to the point where a smile becomes second nature can take many years.

You see, the genuine smile comes from a heart that has learned,usually through many challenges, what’s really important in life. The ‘heart smile’ is not developed overnight, or without sadness, struggles and many tears.
Frequently, its wearer has wrestled with some hard (heart) problems and has learned to smile regardless of circumstances,because he or she now knows  what is really important in life.
The person wearing  ‘a heart smile’ has conquered the doubts and fears of life that make it so difficult to smile.
This over-comer now knows that the universe is always alert and ready to give whatever support is needed for him or her to successfully continue life’s exciting journey.

During this holiday season, there are so many reasons for which to be joyful and grateful. Use every opportunity with which you are presented, to gift those you meet with a heart smile.
Your smile may very well be the only gift someone receives this Christmas.

9 Write Ways to Solve Problems

5 Inspirational Quotes: Jump Starts to Personal Development

I love reading, and committing to memory, famous, and not so famous, helpful quotes spoken by those who have made valuable contributions to our world.
Such quotes help me to keep things in perspective, especially when I am faced with major challenges.

Throughout life, I have sought comfort and help from the wise sayings of such great people as Emerson who believed that ‘imitation is suicide’, and Socrates who admonished us to ‘know thyself.’
Yes, these two giants, so different, yet with so much in common, have been a source of inspiration and encouragement for me for as long as I can remember.
It was their constant companionship over the years which made me realize that inspirational quotes that reflect ones values, mission in life, or ones philosophy, can give the boost needed to jump-start  self-help and personal development efforts.

Over the years, I have identified and tagged five (5) quotes that have helped me to persist in my self-help and personal development growth; they follow here:

1. “To thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night dost the day,that thou then canst be false to any man”. Polonius (In Hamlet) speaking to his son, Laertes;

2. “Ancora  Imparo” ( “I am still learning”) spoken by Leornardo Da Vinci when he was well into his 80′s;

3. “Self -help is the best help”. Aesop;

4. “Imitation is suicide”. Ralph Waldo Emerson;

5. “Know thyself “. Socrates

The above quotes have been invaluable to me over the years, and although I am still a ‘work in progress’, I am confident of my role in this world, and it is partly because of the value I have received from the wise words of Emerson, Socrates, and others like them.

What about you? Do you have a quote or two that has helped and guided your personal growth and development?
If so, will you share it  with me? Tell me how it has  helped you to stay focused in your efforts to become all that you were created to become.