it's beginning to look a lot like christmas...

christmas is my favorite time of year
it's worth celebrating

light the lights
give yourself

get the christmas spirit
make it last all year

spend a little
give a lot

a few Christmas thoughts...
Carol

shop til you drop?

we're shopping less now
what are shoppers to do?
what will replace shopping?

maybe it's for the better
maybe we'll get creative
we'll find other satisfactions

how are you shopaholics doing?
carol

what mood are you in?

it is depression screening month

wondering if you are depressed?

click on a screening quiz

if your score is high, call for an appointment

hope your mood is good today

carol

making hard decisions

picking a candidate
investing in the market
changing jobs
moving to a new location
ending a relationship

decisions paralyze some
they choose by not choosing

how well do you make decisions?
carol

what's in your head, not the mirror

body image
From Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia

body image is a term which may refer to the perceptions of a human's own physical appearance,
or the internal sense of having a body which is interpreted by the brain

essentially a person's body image is how they perceive their exterior to look,
and in many cases this can be dramatically different from how they actually appear to others

it's more about what's in your head than what's in the mirror
carol

terrified but optimistic

Investors terrified but also optimistic
a title of a money.cnn article

can we be terrified and optimistic at the same time?

terrified of what's happening, what has yet to happen
optimistic things will be better down the road

is it possible to be hopeful when things around us look bleak?
i think it's possible but often challenging

difficult times can be clarifying
we see what is really important vs. what we thought was important

what are you feeling when you hear the news these days?

carol

changing seasons

every season has a beauty all it's own

change happens - let's embrace it

move into change instead of resisting it

carol

the power of apology

why is something so powerful so hard to do?

admitting we're wrong can feel like losing

some people lose their relationships trying to win

sincere heart-felt apologies resolve more than well executed defenses

"i'm sorry" ... how hard is it to say?

Carol

hope is possible to be found

when we lose hope ... we have no energy for life


when we find hope ... we can do lots of stuff


sometimes we need help ... finding hope


hope is possible to be found


carol

thoughts on walden pond

wouldn't you have profound thoughts too if you could spend some time here?
i visited here recently, had to come back the next day
wished i could have spent more time

thoreau's walden pond has been preserved - he'd be happy
i'm glad I have it to remember
what are the places you want to remember?

carol

the power of a well-timed word

here are some thoughts about the power of our words....

discouraging words are

shallow words

... worse than no words?
spoken without meaning

... i’m glad it isn’t me!
feel like a formality

... i have to say them
trite phrases

... i've heard that before

insincere

... sounds good

discouraging words are hurtful words... add “insult to injury”
apathetic, uncaring words - what were you thinking?
selfish words - i'd never do that
put downs - that's just stupid
ill – chosen - that's good for a laugh

discouraging words are selfish words... meet our own needs

Satisfy our need to be right - didn't you know?
Show our knowledge - try to correct; give advice - you should have...

encouragement is about courage!
discouraging words – take away courage
encouraging words– put courage back

encouraging words help someone keep going despite obstacles
look, see, understand - sometimes no words needed
be an “observer of others” - view from other's perspective
listen to understand before speaking

encouraging words are not what we say but why we say it
not so about us saying or doing the right thing
may be a lot about trying to understand
may be more about offering support

encouraging words communicate understanding, care, support
rekindle hope - i'm not doomed to failure, defeat, ...
spark warmth - someone does get it
renew confidence - i can try again
trigger healthy evaluation - i wonder what I can learn from this?
increase motivation - i want to find a new way

how have you used your words today? i don't know about you but it seems there is always room for improvement here....

carol