Do you have a Secret Angel?

Ever feel like you have that someone special in your corner who's praying for you, encouraging you, or watching over you? I've known many people who feel like they have that special connection with a family member or friend who has passed away; a guardian angel of sorts. Knowing that they loved us when they were here on earth helps us feel connected even after they are gone. 

This morning I was getting ready to attend a ladies' luncheon sponsored by my church. As I was getting dressed I reached in my jewelry box and was deciding on a pair of earrings. I went with the red ones, lol; they matched the blouse I was wearing. I went to grab a necklace and was drawn to a special one that I have. My grandmother's wedding rings on a silver chain. I put my glasses on to read the engraving on the inside of the band again ... her wedding date back in 1927. Wow, here we are in 2017, meaning that the rings are now 90 years old. Whenever I wear the necklace I feel closer to my grandmother. I feel connected. I feel like she is watching over me.

The luncheon, today, was for a ministry called 'Secret Angels'. At the beginning of the year every woman in the church had an opportunity to participate for the upcoming year by filling out a questionnaire with some of their likes, their hobbies, their interests, their favorite colors, their birthday, and any prayer requests they had for stuff that was going on in their life. 28 women chose to participate this year. Each lady was 'secretly' assigned to another lady. We would send anonymous cards of inspiration, letters of encouragement, and occasional gifts to brighten their day. I knew who I would be praying for during the upcoming year, but didn't know who I would be receiving items from. It's been joyous, it's been uplifting, and it's been fun. We spend most of our days focusing on the things we need to do; working at our jobs, building our relationships, and taking care of our responsibilities. It's nice to be able to spend some time focusing solely on someone else; someone who appreciates and looks forward to what we have to offer and expects absolutely nothing in return. They don't even know WHO we are.

I was blessed with a Secret Angel this past year who didn't really know me in the beginning, but became inspirational to me. The little gifts were appreciated; they were nice surprises that made me feel special ... but it was the notes, the prayers, and the poems that arrived in the mail at JUST the right time. The words gave me the encouragement I was craving and made me feel special. I only hope that I had as much of an impact on the lady I focused on during the year. Today was all about revealing our identities. There were moments of surprise, there was laughter, and even a few tears.

If you ever have an opportunity to be part of something special like this you really should. Yes, it is a commitment and yes, you'll have to finish what you start ... but, it'll be well worth it. You'll make a friendship, you'll learn life lessons, and you'll want to sign up for another year. 

Having a guardian angel is something very special, but sometimes our angels are right here nearby and we don't even know it.

The Voice In Your Head

Everyone has that one voice in their head. The voice that tells them whether something is a good idea or a bad one. The voice that tells them they're not too old to tackle a difficult challenge. The voice that tells them it is okay to eat the second dessert, lol. The voice that tells them that if they stay up late tonight they won't have any problem getting up early for work tomorrow.

That is the trouble with the 'voice' in our heads. Sometimes it is the voice of wisdom and experience trying to give us sound advice and sometimes it is our inner-child trying to convince us we are invincible and nothing could possibly go wrong.

Sometimes the voice tells us something different. Sometimes it tries to convince us that we aren't enough and that if we try to succeed we will most definitely fail. The sad part is that we often find ourselves listening to that uninvited voice. The voice that shouldn't have any merit, yet often does.

Sometimes the voice is in our head and sounds a lot like our own voice. Yet, other times the voice can be heard in line at the grocery store, during a meeting at work, or when we're walking among strangers at the mall. The voice can often be difficult to hear clearly; even more difficult to fully understand. There will be times when we hear it wrong or we completely misunderstand the message. There will be times when we misinterpret the words. There will even be times when we base our actions and choices on what we think we hear. 

We all know people, or at least that one person, who we allow to get under our skin and into our head. We start to listen to their voice and we begin to believe it and doubt our own. No one has that much power over us, unless we let them. Yes, they will try and may succeed at first ... until we realize that OUR voice is the one we should be listening to. We are the ones who know ourselves better than anyone else. We will never be enough for everyone else, but we will always be enough for the one person that truly matters ... ourself.

When the 'voice' in your head begins to sound unfamiliar, don't listen. If you can't help but listen, then try to do it objectively. Listen first and react second, only after you've evaluated the content. That voice is usually like the uninvited guest at the party. Sometimes you just need to show it the way to the door. When the voice that is most familiar to you sounds loyal and supportive and encouraging, then that is the voice you should take stock in.

When was the last time you listened to the wrong voice? What was it telling you? How did you figure out it was the wrong one?

Trust Your Instinct

When ideas, opinions, and remedies are being thrown at you like multi-colored splatter paint the best thing you can do is stop, breathe, and evaluate. IF you are part of a creative team then you are accustomed to professional brainstorming sessions. Your boss might tell you they want 3 brand new ideas before the meeting is over, but verbal demands won't always guarantee that the creative juices will instantly flow. IF you view any sort of social media you know people in various positions will saturate the airwaves, Internet, and TVs with opinions (mostly their own). The thing about an opinion is that it is just that ... it is a personal perspective; there is no guarantee that it is right or wrong. IF you are suffering from something as minor as a physical discomfort or as major as an illness, there will undoubtedly be someone who will step forward, ready and willing to save you with their version of a remedy (perhaps medical and proven - perhaps not).

So what do you do when the ideas, opinions, or remedies are not only unsolicited, but unwelcome? First, you consider the source (Is there any real experience there? Any first hand knowledge?). You should consider the intent of sharing the information (Is it for your benefit or the one sharing the information?). Will this new information sway you in any way from your own morals, values, and personal foundation in which you base your daily mindset and more importantly; how you live your life?

If an idea doesn't sit well with you, it is probably best to sit on it for a while. That's where the stop, breathe, and evaluate advice would come in. Stop what you are doing, don't just react. It's been my experience that immediate reactions usually come from the heart, not from the brain. If you then breathe and take the time needed to evaluate the situation you may come to a completely different consensus. Your reaction will then come from your head. Trust yourself and trust your instincts. Do your research and then do what you can. There is most likely always going to be 'something' you can control about any given situation; if nothing else ... you can control your first reaction, how you will deal with the results and long term effects, or what you will take away from the situation as a future lesson.

Not all ideas are bad. Not all remedies are useless. Opinion? That can be the trickiest of the three. Not many people share their opinions just so they can hear themselves talk, yet it does happen. Someone might think I am being hypocritical because I blog. A conversational  blog, such as this one, is mostly opinion. The difference with my point is that I don't blog with the intent of changing anyone's behavior or opinion. I may ask questions, but only because I hope it will make my readers stop and think about something; whether that be how they look at a situation, how they may react when having to deal with a dilemma, or even to suggest another possible solution. In the end whatever they choose to say or do is strictly them.

As of late, we have had our share of politicians, actors and actresses, professional people, young adults, etc share their opinions in many forms for the sole purpose of trying to convince others to step over to their side, because it is different than ours. My suggestion (and again, this is strictly my opinion, lol) ... do your OWN research and form your OWN opinion and reaction. Take opinions for what they are, just that ... an opinion.

Do you find it difficult or easy to trust your instincts? Initially, do you usually react to a person or situation with your heart or with your head?

Tradition or A Pastime?

I was recently part of a good conversation with some ladies; we talked about the 'oldest' things in our houses. The general consensus was that we have keepsakes from our parents, our grandparents, and even great-grandparents. We have old dishes (mostly fine china ... that didn't come from China), old furniture, heirloom jewelry, and numerous nostalgic black and white photos. Why do we hold on to the older items? Because of the memories? Because of the traditions? Because we like old, dusty stuff and we are secret-hoarders, lol? All good questions.

The funny thing is as we sat in a circle discussing the items we had and who we acquired them from, some of us had a shared conclusion that 'none of our kids seem to want OUR saved stuff'. We hold on to these items because they are part of our history and shared legacies with our families, yet we are under the delusion that we are saving all these items to pass on and share with our own children and grandchildren. We have hopes that they will appreciate what we appreciate, but seemingly many of them do not and we must accept that. Many of the items we hold on to were part of a different time. A time when most material things were made well, not to be replaced in a few years with a newer model. To acquire these 'things' families scrimped and saved. The items were built to last, were appreciated, and used ... a lot ...and for many years. Families sat at their tables 'together' for meals. Families listened to old turntables together and sang out loud. Grandmothers passed their pearls on to their daughters and granddaughters to wear on their wedding days. One lady suggested that the current generation is more minimalistic. I get that and would agree with it more if I didn't know first hand all of the matchbox cars, building kits, beanie babies, and instruments that have been saved in my house over the years. But as one of the ladies questioned, 'Why wouldn't they want our stuff? We have GOOD stuff!' Yet, times have changed. Most everything today seems to be about replacing it in a year or two with a newer, fancier, or just repackaged version.

Traditions are seemingly learned practices that are passed on from generation to generation. Pastimes are things we do as a hobby or for enjoyment. Some people would say they are able to honor both; they appreciate the quality and the history of the old. Some of us will come across something in our basement and offer it to our children and they'll say, 'No thanks', but they'll go to vintage stores and antique shops to look for something old. Seriously, they could save a lot of money if they'd just take some of our stuff, lol. At least then the history behind the item would be in the form of a family story, rather than a mystery as told by a sales clerk. On the other hand if we gave them something that was meaningful to us and they cut it half or painted over it, there would probably be a little part of our heart that would cry (but then hopefully we would be open-minded and get over it).

I pride myself on having readers from various demographics, so here are some questions for you. IF you are 'more mature in age' (I hope that is politically correct so I haven't offended anyone, lol), what kinds of things are you holding on to and why? More importantly, are you displaying or using the items or are they being stored in a box on a shelf in the back corner of your storage room? IF you are on the younger side is there anything you hope to have handed down to you some day? What would it be and who would it be from? What is the special memory attached to it.