Approaching a new year and a new you

2011 has been a very interesting year. It has had its ups and downs but I like to think mostly ups. I recently joined a progress on-line Sorority focusing on Academic Excellence and Life Long Learning. This opportunity was a natural fit for me as I am a student in life and of life. Learning has been filling a void of sadness that in the past I have struggled to overcome. Learning can be accomplished at you own pace, in your own space and time. Learning is an opportunity to leave everything else behind, or if you choose, take it with you. Learning opens doors and broadens your horizon. Learning is to the imagination what food is to the body and GOD to the soul. Feeling this way, you can see that a Sorority that emphasizes academic excellence and brilliance was a natural fit for me. This is a good things to focus on as you set goals or look toward the New Year. Where are you and where do you want to be. Make the next one your year to achieve new goals and close out some old ones. Figure out what matters most to you and develop a plan of action to accomplish it. Having Sisters throughout the United States and the world in an on-line organization is a great start for me. The motivation is outstanding and the Sisterhood is heartwarming. Maybe, just maybe this is what I was missing for most of this year. Looks like the next one is already off to a great start.

Words of Wisdom

Don't make someone else your priority when you are their option.

Unhappy New Year

With two months down and ten to go, it looks like this is going to be a very trying year. Survival so far has been strongly dependent on maintaining a positive attitude, but sometimes, even that is difficult or impossible to do. SO the question becomes, what is really bugging me to make this an unhappy new year. First is the continued uncertainty about my health. Even with health care, I have difficulty rationalizing the counter opinions that I have received from the two primary care physicians that I have seen. The information from them both is the exact opposite of each other and this makes making a decision impossible for me. I have found that I need clear direction, no confusion and I can run with that. Where the information or advice is muddied or unclear, I have trouble making sense of it and I do not like to take action based on things that do not make sense. My second issue continues to be the economic situation we are all struggling with. Neither of my children has been successful in finding jobs and this weighs very heavily on my heart and my pocketbook. I love my children unconditionally and am not the kind of mother that can turn my head on helping them. Also, we are not alone. The outlook for this entire country is bleak if you are in the lower or middle class (which we are). The outlook for the wealthy is much better than it was when we got into this economic crisis and (thanks to the RepubliTeas) it will only keep getting better for them. I guess my next issue is being unlucky in love. It is a terrible thing to not realize the desires of your heart, and more and more I am coming to realize that my desire to be in an honest, heartfelt, committed relationship is not going to happen in my life time. Of all the things mentioned so far, this one makes me the saddest. I guess because I can see a solution to the other issues, but I can’t to this one. I am honestly unhappy and even sad that love has evaded my life and it seemed like such a simple thing to want.

So far it is an unhappy new year. Let’s see if it gets any better.

Hold on! You are closer than you think.

I received a wonderful book for Christmas. It is Joel Osteen's It's your time. If you love to read, need encouragement or just in general are a positive person, you will enjoy this book. The very first message in the book is that you are closer than you think. When it seems like the road ahead will never end and it has been all bad the entire trip, know that you are closer than you think. Your bumpy road has been endured because of your faith in what drives you. For me this is my faith in GOD. It has not been an easy year economically and I have no expectation that the one ahead will be any better. BUT I know I will make it through even though I stand in expectation of more difficulties ahead. GOD has brought me this far and I am closer than I think to overcoming obstacles and maintaining the joy in my life. GOD intends for us to have joy. He said it comes in the morning.

HOLD ON. YOU ARE CLOSER THAN YOU THINK.

Tis the season

Tis the Season Missing a loved one during the holidays.

My mother loved the holidays. She had decorations for every holiday you can think of. She enjoyed getting the family together, cooking and fellowshipping with family and friends. My mom dies in April of ovarian cancer and I really miss her, not just during the holidays but every day. It is very hard not to be able to just pick up the phone and call her, talk about what’s going on, get her guidance and advice and to just check in with home. Grief and depression are so personal and are a struggle for many people year round, but especially throughout the holidays.

Finding ways to copy with not only the pressures of the holidays, but also with this grief and despair is possible to do. My way of coping is to remember the reason for the holidays. This is not about us but is recognition for the sacrifices that were made so that we may have life and have it more abundantly. Thinking about my Mom, this is the same thing that she wanted for me and all of her kids.
Ways to Cope With Depression

1. Allow yourself the RIGHT to grieve. Give yourself time to mourn but don’t let it last forever. Take the time you need, but tell yourself that time does heal all wounds and the person you are mourning would not want you to stay in a state of mourning forever. Your best honor to them is to be the best that you can be.

2. Get it out in the way that is best for you. Fain a way to express yourself in your most creative way. If you have an artistic side let it assist you with overcoming your grief. For me reading, learning, writing and teaching does the trick. And don’t forget GOD in this equation. Your gifts of talent are a reflection of the love you can give back to HIM for how he has blessed you.

3. Surround yourself with your circle of love and trust. Recognize that no one goes through life alone but also recognize that love and trust are not intertwined. Know who you love and who you trust and that sometimes they are the same and sometimes not. If your circle is large, reevaluate those in your circle. My experience is that this circle should be very small and intimate.

4. And finally, focus on you. Try an exercise to do something in the memory of your loved you that you are missing and make this a tradition. This will keep their memory alive and allow you to honor them by always being a part of your holiday celebrations. Do what makes you happy? If you can’t answer the question of what makes you happy, then it is time to find the answer.

Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is cancer that forms in tissues of the ovary (one of a pair of female reproductive glands in which the ova, or eggs, are formed). Most ovarian cancers are either ovarian epithelial carcinomas (cancer that begins in the cells on the surface of the ovary) or malignant germ cell tumors (cancer that begins in egg cells).
Ovarian Cancer affects 1 in every 55 women. Estimated new cases and deaths from ovarian cancer in the United States in 2010:

New cases: 21,880
Deaths: 13,850
Ovarian cancer can invade, shed, or spread to other organs:
• Invade: A malignant ovarian tumor can grow and invade organs next to the ovaries, such as the fallopian tubes and uterus.
• Shed: Cancer cells can shed (break off) from the main ovarian tumor. Shedding into the abdomen may lead to new tumors forming on the surface of nearby organs and tissues. The doctor may call these seeds or implants.
• Spread: Cancer cells can spread through the lymphatic system to lymph nodes in the pelvis, abdomen, and chest. Cancer cells may also spread through the bloodstream to organs such as the liver and lungs.
When cancer spreads from its original place to another part of the body, the new tumor has the same kind of abnormal cells and the same name as the original tumor. For example, if ovarian cancer spreads to the liver, the cancer cells in the liver are actually ovarian cancer cells. The disease is metastatic ovarian cancer, not liver cancer. For that reason, it is treated as ovarian cancer, not liver cancer. Doctors call the new tumor "distant" or metastatic disease.
Early detection is the best answer to survive Ovarian Cancer. See your doctor today and often.

Five Foundations for Character

There is so much hate goiong on right now and it is discouraging the misinformation, lies and racist views we are subject to everyday through the campaign adds and hate speech spread. I though a reminder of character (which we are not seeing much of) was in order.

Foundation #1: Trustworthiness
􀀹 Be honest
􀀹 Be reliable
􀀹 Do what you say you will do
􀀹 Have the courage to do the right thing
􀀹 Build a good reputation
􀀹 Be loyal

Foundation #2: Respect
􀀹 Treat others with respect
􀀹 Respect differences
􀀹 Be polite
􀀹 Use appropriate language
􀀹 Be considerate of the feelings of others
􀀹 Deal peacefully with conflict and anger

Foundation #3: Responsibility
􀀹 Do what you are responsible for
􀀹 Always do your best
􀀹 Be self-disciplined
􀀹 Think before you act
􀀹 Consider the consequences of your actions
􀀹 Be accountable for your choices

Foundation #4: Fairness
􀀹 Follow the rules
􀀹 Be open-minded
􀀹 Listen to others
􀀹 Don’t blame carelessly

Foundation #5: Caring:
􀀹 Be considerate
􀀹 Show that you care
􀀹 Express gratitude
􀀹 Help others