BouncebackCafe.com » hope

Happy New Year! – Again

PattiAnn — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:01:21 +0000

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 1st 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 ...Continue reading » Happy New Year! – Again

Planning for a Miracle in 2012?

Ellie — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:01:03 +0000

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?

Six Ways to Increase Your Hope

PattiAnn — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 08:01:20 +0000

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?

Ellie — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 07:01:20 +0000

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

PattiAnn — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 07:01:11 +0000

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

How I Find Hope

PattiAnn — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 07:01:33 +0000

I love to read! I seldom go anywhere without a book. If I’m out shopping, I’ll usually have a book in my purse and when I get worn out from too much, I’ll take a break. I’ll grab a soda and sit and read for a while. After a few minutes or a few pages, my energy returns and I’m back up and moving. I’ve even been known to ...Continue reading » How I Find Hope

Ask for Ice Cream!

Ellie_and_PattiAnn — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 07:01:58 +0000

Yep, last week PattiAnn and Ellie needed (and took) a short spring break. And, break or no break, we didn’t want you to be disappointed when you dipped back into BouncebackCafe.com this week. So we collaborated on this post beforehand; we do hope you enjoy the following ...Continue reading » Ask for Ice Cream!

Doing It My Way

PattiAnn — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:01:50 +0000

In the Epilogue to Better Than Good: Creating the Life You Can’t Wait to Live, Zig Ziglar said that a very long time ago, he learned the answer to the question, “What would you change in your life if you had it to live over?” When asked this, one woman replied that she wouldn’t change anything because that meant that she wouldn’t be where she was now and she loved where she was right then. It made me wonder whether I ...Continue reading » Doing It My Way

Touching the Walls on Both Sides

Ellie — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:01:58 +0000

How do you live inside hope? …if you’re lucky, you’ll find a way to live inside hope, running down its hallways touching the walls on both sides. — Barbara Kingsolver Puts me in mind of the time I learned to dance on a moving log… Hope arouses a passion for the possible. — William Sloan Coffin There I was, arms flailing in a desperate attempt to stay upright on the suspended rough hewn pine log… consumed with the fear of falling… ready to give up almost before I’d begun… ...Continue reading » Touching the Walls on Both Sides

Recreating Our Stories

PattiAnn — Wed, 05 May 2010 07:01:05 +0000

Are you living a script that you never consciously chose? I find that I’m not actually living the script, but that some part of me wishes that I were. What my parents wanted for me was a conventional life. To them, conventional equaled safe. And safe equaled going to a “good” college, and getting a “good” job. Dad probably assumed that I’d get married, but Mom was so unhappy that she hoped that I wouldn’t. At that point, she thought that happiness meant being ...Continue reading » Recreating Our Stories