A sense of blessedness comes from a change of heart, not from more blessings.
— Mason Cooley
The Catholic Church actually began as a splinter group from Judaism. Followers of Christ were really devoted, they kept two Sabbaths, Saturday and Sunday. That’s a lot of church in one week.
One of the traditions of Judaism is the speaking of the blessing over the children. In My Grandfather’s Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen, she writes of the power of the blessings that her grandfather spoke over her. It’s still the same, we all want the approval/blessings of our parents, our friends, our families. For some of us, these blessings never come from our parents. Others must provide them.
Lesson 1 – Know Thyself
I was educated in grammar school by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Our school was 1st through 8th grade. We had no kindergarten. For that you went to the public school and since I started 1st grade when I was 5, there was no kindergarten for me. Eighth grade was the pinnacle. We were cool and about to become high school students so the principal chose to “have lunch” with each of us that year. One by one, we went to the principal’s office and “chatted” with her.
I don’t really remember my lunch with Sister R. I just remember the reaction.
At some point, during the lunch, Sister asked me Continue reading » Speaking Blessings
He who believes is strong; he who doubts is weak. Strong convictions precede great actions.
— J.F. Clarke
What are you good at? Do you appreciate your gifts? Have you ever been told that something you thought of as a gift wasn’t really a gift? (I have the gift of gab, and yet some seem to think that it’s a curse. Hmmm.) As I get older, I’ve realized that whether something is perceived as good or bad depends largely on where you stand.
My friend Teri moved up the coast to a small town only a few miles from the beach where the marine layer tends to keep things temperate. She moved from Oldtown four hours to the southeast. Both towns are rural. They both have things that those of us from the “big city” think are weird – for example, Oldtown has a resident miniature camel. The residents of both towns tend to think like people from rural areas. When I was up visiting her, I actually said, this is just Oldtown with water and shade. She essentially agreed.
Now, before she had moved up the coast, she had very little patience for the rural residents of Oldtown. Up the coast, they’re somehow more charming. The real difference is Continue reading » Creating Success From Your Strengths
Last night I caught a quick segment of the TV show Dancing with the Stars. It struck me, as I watched Shawn & Mark’s Jive – waaaaaay too many Polka Dots! Too many, too many. Exuberant dancing yes. But too many polka dots!
And it got me to thinking: how often do we do too much of what we’re good at JUST BECAUSE we are good at it??? I teach a management class to graduating university seniors and I cite a French company that is preparing its managers to lead globally – to work in other countries and be successful – by helping them see the line they cross when using their strengths (whatever they may be) too much.
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