hope : BouncebackCafe.com

Happy New Year! – Again

February 1, 2012 - Posted by PattiAnn

Photo credit: Furryscaly

You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.

— CS Lewis

I’ve decided to start 2012 over again. January was the pits and I had great expectations for 2012, so I’ve decided that as of today, February 1^st I’m starting over. It’s the only way I know to get a do-over.

January was a sad month. Between friends, family and co-workers we lost five people. It seemed like I was always signing condolence cards. These things happen. But, I don’t want to spend the rest of the year in a January hangover, so I’m declaring February 1^st my New Year.

Sad Times

In Happily Flourishing I said that since I was getting soooo old I needed to focus on being healthier and happier now. What I said in my first post this year is still true today. Every day I get a little older. From now on, I intend to get healthier, happier, and older (I can’t stop that one) every day.

What stopped me last month? Sadness. Losing people is a sad process. And I will still miss the ones I knew and empathize with the people I know who also lost someone. But, I will focus on remembering the good times. I am sad that my friends and family are no longer here, but I am grateful for the blessings they gave me.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll have a good cry now and again. But I still must learn to keep going. As we get older, we either learn how to grieve in a healthy way or we give up. It’s just that simple – and just that hard.

I have a bad habit of anticipating… not so much the good things, but the other losses that will inevitably come. When it gets away from me, I become unable to move – as if by staying still I can halt the passage of time and stop anything from changing. Since I can’t stop change, I must cherish what I have today. And to really cherish today, I need to be healthier and happier while I am here.

Here’s to a Healthier, Happier 2012

So, I’m starting over. Sometimes, that feels like going backward but in this case, it’s a positive step forward.

I hope your January was better than mine. But no matter, let’s get back up on the horse together and get moving. If we stop, we quit and I’M NOT READY TO QUIT just yet.

Planning for a Miracle in 2012?

January 3, 2012 - Posted by Ellie

Photo credit: littlekissme~

Are you hoping for a miracle but wondering if the lottery is your best prospect?

Please, Lord, let me prove that winning the lottery won’t spoil me.

— Unknown

Towards the end of 2011 I began to believe that I’d won the equivalent of the lottery on one of my toughest, knottiest, most crucial of objectives. I began to believe that it was going to be a slam dunk!! I began to believe that what should be hard would be easy…

But my early hopes have been dashed – there will be no quick fixes. Add to my disillusionment: I’m feeling regret for my naiveté in expecting that this false-manna-from-heaven would actually be my saving grace, for expecting that I wouldn’t have to work up a sweat to find the solution of my dreams. It was too easy and I was too trusting. I’m sorely tempted to do the woulda-coulda-shoulda-dance but frivolous regret would just waste more time.

So, as we foray into 2012, I find myself puzzling over how to forge my eclectic mix of wonder, worry and willpower into a cohesive approach to working my ass off in search of my miracles. I’m looking for something more dynamic than Continue reading » Planning for a Miracle in 2012?

Flu vaccinations make their way to U.S. Army in Europe

Six Ways to Increase Your Hope

November 22, 2011 - Posted by PattiAnn

Photo credit: USACE Europe District

Originally published on March 2, 2010.

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

— Oscar Wilde

Is it just that we become more aware as we get older or are things really getting worse? I ask this because this has been a horrible month for news. Just consider the following:

Last week, a trainer at Sea World was killed by one of the killer whales that she trained. Friends and family all stated that she would not want the whale destroyed. It was like one of her children. Well, occasionally kids do kill their parents but usually that’s a sign of something being terribly, terribly wrong. Ya think??!! This trainer was the Continue reading » Six Ways to Increase Your Hope

Is Today the Day?

August 17, 2011 - Posted by Ellie

Photo credit: re-ality

Is today the day you reach out?

If someone you know is weighing on your mind and needs a friend on the end of that other line, don’t hesitate. What you say may seem so small but who knows, they might be glad you called. So make the call.

— Lyrics from The Call
by Matt Kennon, Jeremy Campbell and Noah Gordon

Early Friday morning, despite a very tight and demanding schedule I squeezed in a quick trip to an estate sale. Even as I tried to talk myself out of it, I drove across town to see if the furniture I’d seen in the Craigslist.org ad might be something I’d like and could afford. And because of this side trip that I shouldn’t have been making, I had a serendipity encounter that I later realized was probably a Continue reading » Is Today the Day?

Finding Our Personal Power

August 3, 2011 - Posted by PattiAnn

Photo credit: Jennie Faber

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.

— Abraham Lincoln

To get through life, we often impose a level of certainty that really doesn’t exist. We make future plans based on past performance. We “assume” that things will continue at least as well as they did before and probably will get better over time. For our parents, this was always a fairy tale. For us, reality slapped us in the face during the market crash of 2008-2009.

My first “professional” job was with a company that had never Continue reading » Finding Our Personal Power