Tag: personal growth

Hey YOU, You’re Beautiful

The Wild Gems2 Comments

I don’t need to know you or see you to know that you reading this, dear reader, are beautiful.

Sometimes we need to be reminded how special and unique we are. Allow me to remind you.

You are a once in a lifetime. Shaped and molded in a way that cannot be duplicated. A rare commodity.

You aren’t perfect my friend, and guess what, nobody is. Each of us is flawed in our own way. But isn’t is wonderful?

How boring it would be if we were all the same and shared all the same experiences. It’s our differences that bring color and vibrancy to this world and universe. It’s the differences that help us to grow and grant us permission to see through the many different filters of life.

Celebrate those “imperfections”. Learn to love yourself. Learn to see yourself. You are worthy of your own love. Love yourself. You are loved.

There is no need to seek approval from the outside. When unkindness greets in those unexpected moments you shake it off immediately and most definitely don’t take it personally.

But again, I don’t need to know you or see to know that you are beautiful. You are. You are a miracle. You are here, you are alive. You’re doing it.

You’re a gift, you know that right? You truly are. You have purpose. You have value. You have magic flowing in you. There is so much light in you, even if right now the clouds are blocking the view. It’s there glowing brightly.

You are beautiful.

“Anyone Who Can Read Can Learn How To Read Deeply And Thus Live More Fully” – Norman Cousins

The Wild Gems2 Comments

What strategies do you use to increase comfort in your daily life?

I try to ready everyday. I stick to personal growth type categories or memoirs. Anything that will serve me and the people around me in a great way.

I’m currently reading a book about men and women and relationships by John Gray, Ph.D. It’s really good. I have a few friends that I’ve already suggested this specific book to because they are having trouble in their relationships but honestly I don’t know if they’ll take my suggestion. So much insight out there, it’s mind boggling to me how there’s little eagerness to just try to understand why people are the way the are. But we are getting off topic now.

I read for joy but I also read to develop myself to “increase comfort in my daily life.”

There’s a book that I recommend. It’s called,

‘Read & Grow Rich’ How the hidden power of reading can make you richer in all areas of your life

Challenging yourself to learn something new everyday whether it be about yourself, family, a friend, nature, a specific subject, whatever….

The knowledge you acquire cannot be taken away. And stacking knowledge in the mind body and spirit will lead to more comfort living.

Can’t recommend this strategy enough. Reading will change your life.

P.s. if it’s hard for you to sit still and read, try an audio book. Listen to the audio book while you drive places.

Have a wonderful day friends!

Affirmations To Repeat With Your Kids

The Wild Gems2 Comments

There is so much power to affirmations. If/when we tell ourselves these things we actually trick our brains into believing it. We believe it and we then become it.

Currently I’m tricking my brain into believing that I am a patient mother. Which some days I am, but I know I can be better. When you joke that you were the hulk the other day that there is a cue for some personal growth improvement.

So recently when I’ve been having challenging moments with my girls and they are giving me some attitude I begin to say out loud, “I am a patient mother and I love my children.” I say it a few times even. And it truly helps me not to loose my cool. You have to say it out loud though. Trust me, it works.

I say these specifically when I feel myself going into fight or flight mode. A patient mother is something that I want to become. Patient and slow to anger. If I continue to identify with “patient mother” and that I am “slow to anger” I will become it.

Now, the same goes for the negative things that we tell ourselves. If we continue to speak negatively of ourselves, we then will believe that too. We have to really be mindful of the things that we tell ourselves and how we identify who we are.

We choose how we wish to identify ourselves. And if we are consistent with telling ourselves these affirming truths then great things will become of it.

If you want it, you must will it, and if you will it, it WILL be yours!”

Sven – Happy Feet 2

Say these specific affirmations below with your kids often and maybe have it printed out and hang it somewhere where they can read it often.

We are shaping the future! Kinda scary, right? I know we can do it though. We love our children and we only want the best for them. We want them to truly know in their hearts how special they are! We know it, but they need to know it and believe it too!

These affirmations will guide them in ways we can’t even imagine yet.

Peace be with you all and our children.

I am brave.

I am kind.

I am smart.

I am strong.

I am helpful.

I am beautiful.

I can do hard things.

I am grateful.

I am loved.

I know my worth.

If there’s an affirmation that you feel should be included leave a comment!

The Answer You Seek Is Within

The Wild Gems1 Comment

Have you ever spent time looking for your sunglasses or glasses all over your home only to discover that they have been on your head this whole time?! Or maybe you searched everywhere for your phone only to realize it’s been snug in your back pocket?

Something I have learned is that whatever you are searching for to fill a specific void is not out there. The answer is within. You may think a specific thing is going to fulfill you…. And then when you actually do get it you’re going to still have that void. And then you’re going to be left very confused and concerned. You’re going to think, I really thought this was going to fulfill me and answer all my questions. Why do I still feel this emptiness? This void? This feeling?

The answer is right where you are. And the way you discover your answer is by spending time with yourself. Getting to know yourself. Learning to love yourself.

The way we spend time getting to know others we should be spending time getting to know who we are. Why do we act a specific way? Why do we respond the way that we do? Why are we afraid of this and that? Ask why about yourself, and keeping asking it. Discover what you enjoyed doing as a kid, discover what brought peace to you and bring it back.

Saying, “this is just the way I am” is not your full truth. You have shape and definition. Why would you not want to discover the tools and colors that were used to create who you are as an individual. Give yourself time to discover yourself. Not all your discoveries will be pleasant. Some will be painful. Vulnerability forms deeper connections with others. Being vulnerable with yourself does the same.

Nobody is this entire world knows you the way that you know yourself. Nobody knows what you have seen or experienced. You’re worth getting to know, and you’re worth your love. See yourself for the miracle that you truly are.

You Are A Sacred Gift

The Wild GemsLeave a comment

There’s a book I just began reading called, “A Child Of The Native Race.” A story of woman who was born to an Indian family but taken away at 18 months old and raised by a white family. It’s a story of returning to her roots.

In her dedication the author Sandy White Hawk says this,

“

Even if we came into this world in the worst of circumstances.

We are not that circumstance; we were sacred when we were born

separate from the hardship that surrounded us.

Our life is good and has a purpose.”

“

This quote above really resonated with me in such a way. I don’t know that I can fully put into words.

It resonated with me because of my own adoption story and discovering my roots and finding my biological family. And it resonated because of my daughter, and her adoption story.

And currently, we are fostering my nephew, who we plan on adopting.

It is sad? The circumstance? In a way, yes, yes it is. And that should be acknowledged. But it is also a gift as well in it’s own way. And the gift may not be recognized until many years later (I can testify to that). This quote above affirms what I already know. That each of us are sacred, no matter how we entered this world. No matter the circumstance in which we are born into.

When we enter into this world we couldn’t be anymore pure. Each of us, first born, are so full of life, curiousity, adventure. It is the world, the pressures, the fears, the power and greed that work to steal us away from who we are. We become confused, afraid, and we feed ourselves lies.

Listen to me….

We are sacred gifts. We are miracles. We are love. You must never forget that. Never forget how significant you are. Never doubt your capabilities. You are chosen. That is the truth.

Forgive others. Forgive yourself.

Many of us DO enter this world through challenging circumstances. But how we come into this place does not define who we are. We are still chosen to be here, despite the troubles that may surround us. And we will find our way.

Lean not on your own understanding.

Live your days recognizing the gifts that surround you. Remind others that they are treasure. Help others to see how remarkable they are. We are never alone on our journey.

Discussing and sharing is healing and it’s connecting.

Lots of love always.

– m.g.

Soften The Heart: Devotional #21

The Wild Gems2 Comments

“Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from Your presence,

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

And uphold me with your generous Spirit.”

Psalm 51:10-13

The Bible shares with us that each of us are salves in this world. We are either a slave to sin or a slave to Christ. Either way, we are owned.

God granted us the choice in whom we will serve. We have been gifted a freedom to make mistakes, question authority, challenge ourselves, and find ourselves. In our freedom we begin to understand humility and love. We learn, grow, and teach (intentionally or unintentionally).

In choosing God, it is also mentioned that the path of Christ is not an untroubled one. Many tribulations will follow each us in our lives. However there is a degree of peace, patience, and assurance when strengthening your faith and choosing to be a slave of righteousness.

It’s a difficult web to be caught in. And we are all in it.

We need help each day to choose God over the traits of this world. Some days we have slips and will continue to have slips. But we must not shame ourselves, we must give ourselves grace and others daily. We must exhort ourselves, challenge others, and be brave to do what others may not be able to.

To seek God is to have the fog lifted in your life.

Fog can keep us stagnant because we are unaware or afraid. Since we can’t see beyond it, we decide to remain stationary because we only trust what we can see.

To have the courage and hope to seek something greater is to discover what’s beyond the fog. It’s to surrender to the unknown.

And it’s the discovery that there is indeed more than what meets the eye.

A Word Of Encouragement Goes A Long Way

The Wild Gems1 Comment

Encouragement is defined as, “the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope.”

Encouraging another human being doesn’t cost a thing but it gives them more than anything. It can be life changing for some!

A small act of encouragement pushes people, gives them strength, reassures them, gives them something to hold onto and maybe even fight for…..especially during challenging and sorrowful times.

Even a smile is an act of encouragement.

Don’t fall into the common trap of belittling yourself and your capabilities. You are power.

You can save lives and you DO save lives. You may not know exactly how, but does that really matter? You influence others more than you know. That’s something to think about.

Who knows what doors you have opened for others.

Know in your heart you make a difference. Pass on the love, pass on the encouragement, pass on the hope. The world needs it.

The world needs you.

– m.g.

Allow God To Catch You When You Fall

The Wild Gems2 Comments

When your child is just learning how to stand or learning how to walk you are either holding them, or standing very close by.

In case your child falls you want to be there to catch them, versus them falling down and hurting themselves.

Nobody wants to see their child hurt or in pain, so we stand very close.

In this walk of life, we are the child and God is our heavenly parent.

But like most children we are very stubborn. We believe we can do things on our own, better yet, WE WANT to do things on our own. Like we need to prove something.

The thing with this mentality is we end up falling many times in life and learn many things the hard way, and it hurts. It hurts really bad. And God is just there waiting, patiently, to help us when we are ready to ask for it.

It’s not that he hasn’t tried to help us, we have pushed Him away saying, “I can do it myself, I don’t need you.” So he watches us fall and thinks to himself, please let me help you.

He knows learning how to walk is challenging and He knows the walk of life can’t be done without the help of Him.

Actually, it’s not that it can’t be done, it can. God just doesn’t want it to be a hard walk of life. He gives us an opportunity to try on our own but he stands by waiting for the permission to help us.

He wants to catch us on those falls because he knows if we keep falling we will be become discouraged and won’t try anymore.

Nobody wants to crawl forever. We want to walk and RUN. When we allow God to catch us we will begin to take more risks, we will be confident, and we won’t be afraid.

When my children were small they would crawl to the edge of the bed only because they knew I would catch them. Imagine if they could talk at that age and say things like, “alright mom, stop, I want to crawl all over the bed myself without you hovering me.” But my children let me be there for them just in case. They felt safe. And they actually enjoyed me catching me.

If you don’t want to let God catch you when you fall that is ultimately your choice, however if you surrender and just let Him help you….your life will change in the most incredible way because you will know that you can do anything.

You can crawl to the edge of the bed with no fear, always.

If, you allow God to catch you when you fall.

– m.g.

There Are Many Who Believe In You, You Just Don’t Believe In Yourself Yet

The Wild Gems2 Comments

Awhile back now I was researching how some baby birds learn how to fly. The reason I was reading into the process to begin with was because an author of one of my devotional books tied the development of baby birds learning how to fly to personal growth.

I just absolutely loved it and it resonated in such a way. What a great metaphor that many can relate to! Such a different perspective to perceive.

Think of a baby bird for a moment will you, all cozy and comfy in their little nest. The nest is harmless, and it’s very familiar. It’s all the baby bird knows really. Mama feeds and provides for them there, and they feel safe.

Then one day, mama bird just starts throwing her babies out of the nest! What a far drop too! I’m not kidding either, she tosses them out and I imagine her saying, “todays the day!” I found this fascinating! I had no idea!

There comes a time where mama knows it’s time. If she’s not throwing them out she’s gently nudging her precious babies out of the nest. There’s no bargaining with the mama.

The baby bird I’m sure is TERRIFIED, like what is going on!! Is my mom trying to kill me! She must hate me! But the mama bird doesn’t feel that way at all. In fact, she does this because she LOVES her babies. She KNOWS that her baby needs to learn how to fly for survival. Because there will come a time when she knows she will longer be there for her baby and she needs to know that they will be okay.

She knows her babies to need to fly and her bird friends know it. The baby bird is the only one saying, “mama No, later later! I’ll learn later. I’m not ready!”

But guess what….

Push comes to shove and the baby bird FLYS. The baby bird finally believes in itself as the mother always has and chooses to opens its wings. The baby bird trusts in his mom that there’s a reason behind this.

Life is very much like this. It never waits for us to be ready. Because truth be told, we never will be. We are too cozy in our nests.

.

.

.

If you have been thrown out of “the nest”’in someway….if you’ve been taken outside what you know and you’re scared and frightened this may actually be an unprepared flight lesson.

Who’s knows why this is happening, but there may something that you need to learn. The time is now. And this frightening experience will benefit you, as it does the baby birds. Questioning it will not do anything.

You will later realized that you HAD to be thrown out in order to learn how to fly.

Oh I hope this all makes sense. Ponder it a bit.

What I want you to know is that God believes in you, the universe believes in you, many others believe in you……. people believe in you and see your potential (they always have) , it’s time to believe in yourself and to not be afraid of the falls from the nest. You were born to fly, that’s what those wings are for.

Welcome the push and shoves with bravery and perseverance. It’s normal to be afraid but once you push through that fear who knows what you’ll see and capabilities you’ll discover.

Who knows where your wings will take you……

Beautiful places, that I’m sure. No need to be afraid. Trust, always.

-m.g.

Your Ideas Are Smart AND Needed

The Wild Gems2 Comments

I read something awhile back that said,

“what kills dreams more than anything is this thought, ‘what will they think of me…’”.

Someone out there needs and is waiting for your idea, your perspective, your plan, your project , etc., you have to believe that! You are being relied on and you don’t even know it yet. The person out there may not even know it yet. But someone or someone’s is waiting for YOU.

You were born here. That’s miraculous in itself. Now show who you are.

Our voices are so powerful. Our ideas are powerful and can influence change in countless, possibly infinite ways!

The world is your oyster has more meaning with age and experience, but how true this statement is.

Whatever it is don’t give up. Welcome any pushback with open arms and use that to fuel your fire that lingers inside your soul.

Share your ideas with trusted individuals and hear their opinions but don’t take everything to heart. Sometimes the ideas in our heads are so tangled up, and be challenging to articulate to others.

Sometimes unweaving them is only something you can do and MUST do by yourself.

So be patient with yourself. Give yourself grace daily. You know your vision and you can’t let others or yourself hold you back.

What are you waiting for? I’m cheering for you. It doesn’t matter what they think. Seek your reason and the nothing else at all will matter.

– m.g.