Gratitude

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Relay For Life – The Silent Lap

Relay For Life

I have been asked to read the following poem that I wrote at the Gardner, MA Relay For Life 2014.  I am extremely honored and excited.  Cancer has taken the lives of several relatives and friends and I have several relatives and friends who are also amazing survivors.  Hope, Pray, Fight for a cure!!

 

Relay For Life – The Silent Lap

More than a thousand people
On a quarter-mile track.
Gardner, MA
One of the largest Relay’s in North America.
So many people
Focusing on how cancer has touched their lives.
The silent lap begins.

Thoughts turn
To celebrating the Survivors;
Our loved ones,
Other people who have shared their stories,
The differences they have made
In other people’s lives
Through their journey,
All they’ve done since their diagnosis.
We are filled with gratitude
That they are still with us.
Silence.

The walk
Turns to a shuffle
As the track is filled,
One by one by people
Who are filled with sorrow and hope.

Silence falls over the large crowd
Except for a few teenagers
Playing basketball away from the track,
Unaware of the depths of what they miss.
Even the children are silent.
The tiniest of babies, are silent.
Memories,
Gratitude.
Hope.
Tears fall.
Silence.

We remember those
Who have lost their battle with cancer.
Luminaries line the track…
There are far too many and we wish there were none.
There are decorated in honor of…
Relatives,
Sisters, brothers, parents;
Grandparents;
Aunts, Uncles, Cousins.
We look for ones we recognize.
Friends
Coworkers,
Acquaintances,
Those who have touched our lives,
Loved and cared for us,
Made us laugh,
Made our lives better because they were here.
Memories.
Silence.

People standing
On the side of the track,
Missing their loved ones,
Praying for the survivors,
Hoping for a cure.
We are all united as one.
Thousands within a half mile radius
Contributing to the search for a cure.
Hopes and prayers
That no one else they know
Is added to the list they honor
At a fundraiser.
Silence.

In honor,
In memory,
In celebration of life,
With hopes for a cure.
Silence.

 

Please “Like” below if this has touched your heart and “Share” by using the buttons below if you feel others will be touched as well.

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That’s Inspiring

I have asked this question before through Facebook and seem to get the same answers from a high number of people. They say that their children inspire them.  A friend of mine posed the same question to her friends and received a slightly different set of comments but it brought me back to the answer I received on mine.

I think it’s fantastic that your children inspire you.  Our children keep us young at heart and motivated to stay good people, amongst other things.  But it is important to think about what else inspires you.  What happens when your children are grown and have lives of their own?  You will need to be sure that you have many sources of inspiration to keep you going.  You should be sure that you are close to the top of that list.

When you draw from several sources, your options are wide open.  After giving it thought I came up with my own short list.  It is incomplete at the moment because I know I need to give it further thought.

InspirationI am inspired by challenges in my life that force me to look inside for strength.  I seem to thrive on the personal challenges that I take on, the challenges where I force myself to step outside the box and say, “I’m not really sure that I can do this,” then I do it. I’ve learned to stop looking for outside motivation as often, I turn within.  I find ways to pull my own energy into higher thought and search my spirituality for inspiration and encouragement.  When I need it externally, I read different authors such as, Napoleon Hill, Bob Proctor, Don Miguel Ruiz, Anthony, etc.  I talk with my family, they know me well enough to give me strength in just the right areas when I need it.  I am inspired by dreams of my future, friends, reminding myself of what I’m grateful for, other people’s accomplishments, music, love, hope and happiness. 

I can’t stress enough how important it is to have more than one source of inspiration and to know what know what they are.  It will help you get out of situations when you find you’re having a bad day.  Make your list, include as much as possible.  You can write it or create a collage.  Keep your list with you.  Draw from it on your down days or when you need a pick-me up.  Reading or looking at it will trigger happier thoughts to help you move forward.

If you can create your own inspiration, you have truly won.  Be sure to find ways to be your own hero and inspiration.  There is nothing truly like it.

Thank you for stopping by.  Please check out the list of other inspirational posts in the side bar.

Missy Bell

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My Top 3 Most Influential Authors and Lecturers

I wanted to share with you a bit of information about 3 people who have inspired me to be a better person and who’s quotes make me push myself harder, keep going and fuel my desire to continue helping other people.

zig ziglarBOB PROCTOR

Bob was once down and out in the 60’s  He had dropped out of school and was unable to find anything more than dead-end jobs until he came across Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich.”  After following the information outlined in the book, he improved his standing in life and eventually his income topped the $1 Million mark.  He has been conducting lectures based on the book with added inspiration from Earl Nightingale, his real life mentor, for more than 40 years.  He wass the presenter of the book, “The Secret,” a book on The Law of Attraction.  He is the author of 39 books including, “101 Ways to Improve Your Life,” “Be a Magnet to Money” and “You Were Born Rich.”

3 Top Favorite Quotes from Bob Proctor

  1. “The only limits in our life are those we impose on ourselves.”
  2. “Most people are not going after what they want. Even some of the most serious goal seekers and goal setters, they’re going after what they think they can get.”
  3. “Thoughts become things. If you see it in your mind, you will hold it in your hand.”

Zig Ziglar 2ZIG ZIGLAR

Hilary Hinton, “Zig” was born in 1926 and passed recently in 2012.  He was a very accomplished motivational speaker who focused on corporate training and personal development.  His program, “I CAN” is taught in more than 3,000 schools, and hundreds of businesses use his training and motivational materials. He was a top notch salesman earning one of the highest incomes in his field when he left to improve the lives of others by giving back his knowledge to help improve people’s personal and professional lives.

Mr. Ziglar has authored 26 books with titles such as, “Born To WIn – Find Your Success Code,” Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World,” and “Ziglar on Selling – the Ultimate Handbook for the Complete Sales Professional.”

3 Top Favorite Quotes from Zig Ziglar

    1. “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”
    2. “Don’t be distracted by criticism.  Remember, the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you.”
    3. “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

Don Miguel RuizDON MIGUEL RUIZ

Don Miguel Ruiz was born into a family of healers. His mother was a healer and his grandfather was a shaman.  He went to school to become a surgeon but after a near death experience, he started down the path of personal introspect.  After studying the art of ancient ancestral wisdom he became an nagual, a teacher who guides an individual to personal freedom.  His writings focus on ancient Toltec Wisdom.  I have read two of his books and I am now on a third.  They have been very instrumental in my life.  He has written 8 books so far.  My favorites are, “The Four Agreements – The Practical Guide to Personal Freedom,” “The Fifth Agreement – A Practical Guide to Self Mastery,” and “The Four Agreements Companion Book – Using the Four Agreements to Master The Dream of Your Life.”

3 Top Favorite Quotes by Don Miguel Ruiz:

  1. “When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.”
  2. “Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama.”
  3. “Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.”

It was difficult to only choose 3 of each of their quotes that are favorites.  I have so many more.  There are a great number of inspirational authors and speakers out there.  I could go on and on.  The first two I just happened to have had the fortune of attending their seminars and lectures several times over a few years and their work has made a huge difference to who I am and the works of Don Miguel Ruiz have been my most recent influences.  I am grateful to all 3 of these men.

Who has inspired you lately?  What is your favorite quote that pushes you through your toughest times?  Please leave a comment below.

Based on their teachings, I have started writing quotes of my own.  If you’d like additional inspiration, click this link to read the list I compiled of my own 10 Quotes That Will Truly Inspire You ~ Missy Bell.

 

SOURCES:

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Destined For Greatness – A Poem for the Special Ed Teacher

DESTINED FOR GREATNESSDestined for Greatness

 

 

I am destined for greatness

This much I know

Exactly how I’ll get there

Only time will show

 

I believe I owe you thanks

For whom I will one day be

Because you have shown

So much faith in me

 

You have taught me lessons

Both big and small

I will do my best

To remember them all

 

So many days I struggled

To pay attention to what you say

You showed me patience and love

And forgave me those days

 

You have stood by me

Trying to find what works best

I’m sure all that you’ve learned

Has been put to the test

 

I truly feel

That you believe in me

That’s why am destined for greatness

You will someday see

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Our First Miracle Child – Daniel Jacob

I remember laying wide awake with dark circles under my eyes, in deep silence, listening to the thunder crashing in the distance.  I was extremely sleepy but I rolled out of bed anyway, feeling like a drunkard.  It had been weeks since I slept well.  It was the last week in a very hot July and I was 42 weeks pregnant with my first baby and my anxiety was through the roof.  I had tried everything from going off-roading, taking long walks, castor oil, and so many other old wives tails to try to start my labor.  Nothing worked.  The day had finally arrived when the doctor had agreed to induce the labor with medication.  I spent that next night in the hospital while the medication was trying to take effect.  Even though I was given oxytocin, I was still not progressing on my own.
I was scheduled for more labor-inducing drugs at 7:30am then admitted to a labor and delivery room and hooked up to fetal monitors that produced a reading of my contractions and the baby’s heart rate.
In between what were finally becoming more steady contractions, I let my mind wander and recalled a less stressful moment in time, just a few weeks prior, We still hadn’t settled on a name and he was due to be born within weeks.  I remember exactly where we were.   We were in the car and I was driving with my husband in the passenger’s seat.  We had a bible in the car with us.  We had originally chosen so many different names that we couldn’t decide on one that we liked the best.  I thought it would be fun to open the bible and point to a name and try it on for size.  Mike happened to open to the story of the Prophet, Daniel in the Lion’s Den.  Daniel was not a name we had considered in the past but I loved it. The next name he landed on was Jacob.  Daniel Jacob.  We immediately fell in love with how it sounded with our last name.  “This trumps all the other names we had come up with,” we thought.  It had such a nice ring to it.  We agreed that would be the name of our son.
Baby Daniel must have been comfortable where he was because he hung on, seeming to not want to brave the world just yet. We expected him to have been in our arms two weeks ago.  We were more than ready to welcome him into our home that was well prepared for him.
His birth was rough on the three of us.  It wasn’t just tough for his father and I, but for him as well.  My mother had lost a child moments after he was born two years before me so when we lost Daniel’s heartbeat during labor, I couldn’t keep calm, which is what he needed me to do.  He had gone into distress and I was right there with him.  As I was screaming and crying, not knowing a thing that was going on because no one was talking to me, I longed to see my mother’s face.  Unfortunately, she was 2,000 miles away sitting by the phone waiting to hear the news of his birth.  I pictured having to tell her this birth was a repeat of her own tragedy.  I couldn’t face losing him.
I remember that our friends had been there visiting when this happened and they never left the room.  I was so conscious of this fact and was very uncomfortable.  I felt like this was such a private moment and I just wanted it to be the three of us.  My husband was there as well but he was pushed to the side by the swarm of medical professionals that were working on both of us and trying to discern their next move.  He was too big to travel through the birth canal and became stuck.  Panic set in even further of course when I was quickly forced to the edge of the bed so they could break my water to evaluate him.  They took a sample of blood from his head and read the heart rate again.  HIs heart was beating again but it was very weak.  I remember that they rushed me over to surgery and everything was such a whirlwind.  I don’t remember much after that until I awoke in a panic and realized there was no baby crying next to me and I couldn’t remember having held him.
A nurse was right by my side, thankfully.  She eased my fears.  Daniel Jacob was fine.  He was just in the nursery being monitored and waiting for me to recover.  He had a few issues after the C-section.  Due to his length of stay at the Inn, he had matured too much and swallowed meconium, making it hard for him to catch his first breath. After 30 hours of labor and delivery, he was born at 10 pounds, 4 ounces and was 23 1/4 inches long.  He was the biggest baby in that New Mexico hospital, where the average birth weight was under 6 pounds.  They had to have someone go out and buy a larger size package of diapers just for him.  It is the truth when I say that he was holding his head up in the nursery before we left.  The nurses in the maternity ward had a running joke that, “This one is ready for college!”
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It seems like a lifetime has passed and that’s exactly where he is now, in college.  We are so very grateful for the nurses, midwives and surgical team that ensured his safe delivery.  Life would not be the same without him in it.  His love binds us all together and mends all things.  He believes he has found the love of his life and is studying to be a mechanic.
Thank you to the staff of the University of New Mexico Hospital Maternity Ward for bringing this man to us safely, so many years ago.
The Sunday Whirl is a Facebook site that inspires you to write something that includes 12 words that they assign for the given week. This week’s are edge, trumps, drunkard, world, mends, binds, prophet, born, expected, circles, sleepy and thunder.  I am pleased to not only bring you this story but to share it with Daniel himself as well as the hospital who made it possible to do so.
Thank you for reading this.  I hope you will check out more stories from The Peace And Happiness Project for inspirations. tips and tools to reduce your stress and ways to increase your peace and happiness.  (See the side bar to the right for more articles.)  Feel free to share anything on this site as well as my other blog, Where the Ghosts Live ~ Missy Bell.
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The Power to Change Your Future

Conceive Believe AchieveI have always believed in the power of affirmations to change ones life.  They can be that powerful.  I remember learning this several years ago at a seminar created by Bob Proctor.

We were told to state what we want in the positive as if we already own it or it is already part of who we are.  Do not see a negative, turn it into a positive and write it out.  Place it as a hard copy in the form of a sticky note or on a white board, wherever.  We were told to make sure to read it aloud, three times a day and state it like we mean it.  Have no doubts.  The power of the Law of Attraction will manifest it.  I’ve tried this many times and have been successful with it.

There are so many ways to use the Power of Attraction to get what you want from life but you can also use it to become who you want, to forgive yourself, to push yourself to work harder, think smarter, forgive yourself, etc.  The possibilities are endless with this technique.  If you haven’t tried it already, give it a shot.  You have nothing to lose.  Bookmark this page.  Come back in a week and let me know how you feel, what you used and how it has helped you.  Some things will take longer to manifest. Believing is a very powerful component.  If you do not believe, you will not achieve.  It takes several weeks to develop a habit.

Here is an affirmation I wrote last night in response to a blog I read, entitled, Take All the Chances You Get…

“The control is mine to make new decisions to change my current situation. The past is the past. I cannot correct it but I can absolutely change the direction of my own future.”

Another example:

“I am healthy.  I make healthy choices for myself.  I nourish my body and take action daily to move more.  My body thanks me for the changes it is feeling.  I love who I am becoming.”

What affirmations have you used lately that you would like to share?

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope you will check out more posts by looking into the categories section to the right of this post for more inspirations and fear reducing tips.  Feel free to stop by my other blog, Where the Ghosts Live ~ Missy Bell.

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God Winked

As I was entering the highway after a brief stop at a rest area, I began to pick up speed so I would be able to keep the pace as I entered traffic.
I was going about 40 when I had to abruptly hit my breaks. I realized there was something blocking the end of the on ramp and if I didn’t slow down quickly I wouldn’t be able to merge properly.
I quickly realized it was a house!  There were 2 trucks parked on the side of the road each hauling half of a house.
I thought for a brief moment how funny this sounds; I almost hit a house on the highway.
I then became extremely grateful to have been paying attention.
No sooner did I feel the gratitude, a car with New Hampshire plates passed me in the middle lane. His license plate read, “GODWINK.”
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10 Quotes That Will Truly Inspire You

I have been writing inspirational status’ on Facebook for several years now.  These status’ are about what I am personally learning at any given time in my life and I word it in a non-specific way so that other people can benefit from what I am learning.  Often times I write them just for me, as a reminder of where I need to focus my attention, as if it is advice to myself.

The fascinating part of doing this, and another reason I have continued for so long is because I received such a great response from my friends who happened to be struggling with something and my quote put into words what they were feeling or exactly what they needed to hear that day.  I became addicted to helping others at a young age and so when I learned this was helping others, it was only natural for me to continue.

I went through some of them and gathered them together to share with you today.  I will not stick with one subject though because, chances are, if I vary the topics, you may have a better chance of finding something that resonates with you.

Please keep in mind, these are my quotes.  I did not take them from the internet or from someone famous.  I wrote these.  I would be flattered if you share them, but if you do, please be sure you put it in quotes and include my name at the end for credit.

  • FEAR:  “Identify one of your fears that is stopping you from doing something you want to do. Evaluate that fear and question whether or not it stems from your past and if it’s even a valid fear in your present. Your fear may be outdated and no longer serving its purpose in which case you need to eliminate it and move on to accomplish what you hope to accomplish.” ~ Missy Bell
  • WORRY:  “Worrying about something you have no control over and hasn’t happened yet is like trying to shovel the driveway before it snows!” ~ Missy Bell
  • FACING LIFE’S CHALLENGES:  “Challenges are placed before us so we may learn more about ourselves and to give us practice in learning how to overcome them in the future.” ~ Missy Bell
  • MAKING A CHANGE:  “It is so much more important to change how you think than to change how you look.”  ~ Missy Bell
  • TRUTH:  “Want to know the truth? You already do. Whatever you believe to be true is your truth but not necessarily everyone else’s.” ~ Missy Bell
  • PERCEPTION:  “We experience disappointment, sorrow and a heavy heart in order to be able to appreciate joy, bliss and enlightenment.  Without having felt the negative emotions, we would not be able to recognize or appreciate their opposites.” ~ Missy Bell
  • SELF-ESTEEM:  “You are awesome and amazing. Don’t ever listen to anyone who tries to contradict that statement, especially yourself!” ~ Missy Bell
  • RAISING CHILDREN:  “Teach your children well for someday you will need them to reteach you what you’ve forgotten.” ~ Missy Bell
  • AFFIRMATION:  “Today is a new day and I choose to be happy in it.  I will see by the light of love, not by the spotlight others are shining upon what they want me to see.  I will focus on what I can control and not stress over what I cannot.  I will dance to the beat of my own drum and make beautiful music in the process.  I will be who I am an only apologize when I am not.  I will not worry about what others think of me as long as I am happy with my own actions.  I will accept others for who they are.  I will live for now but plan for a brighter tomorrow.  I will not settle for by falling into false beliefs that this is as good as it gets.  I will start each day accepting the day before as it was and asking myself how I can improve myself today.
  • SUCCESS:  “Define your success not by the success of others but by your ability to achieve the goals you have set for yourself. If you feel unsuccessful, create new goals.” ~ Missy Bell

I hope some or all of these touch your heart in some way or inspire you.  Please let me know if you have a favorite!!

If you are looking for more inspiration or tips on how to add more inner peace and happiness to your life, choose something else from the categories to the right of this post.  Please share anything that resonates with you. 

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They Will Always Know They Are Loved

Time keeps on slipping away from me.  It seems like my children were in elementary school less than two years ago.  Not the case.  This week we celebrated birthday’s for both of my boys who were born 2 years and 5 days apart.  This week they are now 18 and 20!

I can’t believe the time has moved by so quickly.  It’s been a whirlwind since they got their permits.  They are forever with friends, figuring life out, who they are, and who they want to become.  I want that for them, I do, but I miss them being around all the time.  It does make family time more special though.

Don’t get me wrong, these are the days I looked forward to forever as a young parent.  “When will I ever be able to have time to have a thought of my own without the interruption of unnecessary sounds and noises (ah, teen-aged boys, how they love to make sounds like dying seals, just to hear themselves?)  Lately, I find that I hold a full conversation with my youngest while on a car ride before I realize that he has his head phones in.  (DAMN!  What a meaningful conversation spoken on deaf ears.)

I have to hope that I have given them the best of guidance I can give, the best advice, the best word-beating a mother can give, and the knowledge of how to think for themselves in tough situations.  I hope and I pray and I hope some more.  With every month that slips by they seem further away.  A night at a friends turns into days.  Then all the friends migrate here for a night and they are off to another friend’s house.

They have both graduated and will be moving on soon.  I know the tears will flow freely on that day.  There will be tears of joy for them as they venture into the world to give the gift of themselves to it but I will also cry a few tears of sadness because I will miss the interactions and battles of whit.

I remember when they were young teens and texting and Facebook were new to us.  I posted something to my son’s page that said that I loved him.  Someone said,”isn’t he right down the hall?”  He was.  I didn’t neglect that fact nor did I not profess that I loved them to their faces.  This was merely a way of letting the world know.  I have always told my kids how much I love them.

One thing I started a long time ago and try to remember each night, especially with as far away as they already seem, is that I send them, (and my husband) a text every night before I fall asleep telling them they are loved.  As I did this tonight I thought, “this is something that can never change.”  One day they will have families of their own and we will not see each other every day, possibly not for weeks, even months on end but that text will remain and stand as a reminder that they will always be in my heart and in my thoughts and they will always be loved.

Is there something you do daily to let someone know they are special to you?

Thank you for stopping by.  Please look to the sidebar on the right for more tips and posts on how to reduce stress and increase inner peace and happiness.  Please click the like button or share to one of the social media sites below to show you enjoyed this post.  Thanks!  ❤

Yesterday’s post was Part 2 of 2 on the secrets that have kept my marriage together for more than 22 years.  Be sure to check out both parts (on the right side bar under July 2013.)

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10 Famous Quotes On The Importance Of Your Thoughts

I have gathered 10 famous quotes below that are based on thoughts and how what we think can become our reality.  Read each one slowly and with thought.  Do not let their meanings or intentions pass you by.

Your thoughts have the power to change who you are, or enhance it for the better.  You can also spiral in the opposite direction if you are not careful.  Be mindful of your thoughts as often as possible, then, be even more mindful.  (Ok, that’s not a famous quote, I wrote that.  But who knows, it could be famous some day!)

“Change your thoughts and you will change the world.” – Norman Vincent Peale

“What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” – Napoleon Hill

“To bring anything into your life, imagine that it is already there.” – Richard Bach

“Your imagination is the preview to your life’s coming attractions.” – Albert Einstein

“The only limits in our life are those we impose upon ourselves.” – Bob Proctor

“A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master gardener of his soul, the director of his life.” – James Allen

“Your thoughts are the architects of your destiny.” – David O. McKay

“All that we are is a result of what we have thought.” – Buddha

“Life does not consist mainly, or even largely, of facts and happenings. It consists mainly of the storm of thought that is forever flowing through one’s head.” – Mark Twain

“A man is but a product of his thoughts.  What he thinks, he becomes.” – Gandhi

(Thank you for stopping by.  If you wish to read more tips, hints and inspirations that will guide you to more inner peace and happiness, please see the posts listed to the right and search my category section.  As always, feel free to follow this blog or share it with those you care about.  I appreciate you!)