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Lessons learned from the movie Elvis & Anabelle

Published on January 20, 2015 by goforthegood1Leave a comment

Probably many of you have never heard of this movie, but I came across it on Amazon after watching another quirky movie, My Sassy Girl (which I will do some lessons for that next). I did not know anything about this movie, so I was definitely surprised by different parts. I don’t want to spoil the movie for you, so just watch and learn.

I will say, this movie definitely brought up some personal feelings regarding loved ones and suicide, depression…I have had people throughout my life who have suffered from depression and on a couple of occasions had people close to me at serious tipping points. It is very Scary, emotional stuff, so this movie had moments that definitely hit home for me.

The opening scene of this movie was almost like a horror film with embalming fluid, a hearse, the run down funeral home. But with any movie you have the dark moments followed by the light, and thank heavens for that balance. The movie was a journey seeing the characters, their lives, their personal struggles and their need to break free from the world they were living in.

You have Elvis, his mother had committed suicide on Christmas day, he lived with his father who had been running a funeral home, but with a recent accident was unable to, so Elvis has been taking over without anyone knowing. Elvis loves his father very much and there is a very sweet bond between these two characters. On a side note, Max Minghella (the actor that played Elvis) was truly drawn to this role because of the relationship between the father and son. Very sweet.

You have Annabelle, pageant queen, mother loves her but has driven Annabelle’s whole life to revolve around winning pageants, smiling, being pretty. Annabelle plays the part, but inside she is dying on a personal level.

Lessons learned:

The life lessons of mortality–why? Why do I have this life? You could see this multiple times within this movie. You could see the characters faces wondering, why? I think that is a very typical life question that we all wonder at different points within our lives. I think this question often comes from the perspective we see, the outward existence, a heart that is seeking to understand certain things, the mystery, the confusion, the dark, the light. You can ask this question when you are struggling, but this question can also come up when you feel you don’t deserve all you have. It is an ongoing lesson.

Cherished time is so important: We all seem to spin each day in the same direction and often find it hard to slow down and be present with those we love so dearly. Time is precious & this movie reminded me how each moment needs to be cherished. Elvis enjoyed reading every night to his father and their friendship and love was truly shared. I hope we all strive to have close relationships that we can hold and cherish always.

See life as a gift filled with miracles: At one point in the movie Annabelle runs away from her glamorous life to find solitude in the questions, the mystery of life. She begins to see life as a gift. She noticed the sunsets, the starry nights, she planted a garden to believe miracles would want to grown, even in bad dirt. She gets determined to plant something & buys bags of seed, starts up the tractor that has not been used in a very long time, determined to believe in miracles. Charlie (Elvis’ dad) and Elvis don’t believe what she is doing. They think she is wasting her time. She does not tell either of them what she is planting.

See life with a new perspective: Annabelle realizes that for every terrible tragedy that happens in the world, there is always something equally miraculous that grows from it. Can you believe that gift within your own life? Can you begin to see that when something tragic happens, something good from it will grow?

Live this day: Annabelle is chased off the farm. She begins to think of her time at the funeral home—painting, tilling the fields, planting seeds, investing in other people and evaluates where she has been in her life and realized that she has not ever truly lived one day for herself. Do you ever feel like this? Feel like you are always on a rotating cycle of doing dishes, homework, the same job, the same cycle? Maybe you need a little thing to do today that is yours. Make a list of a few things you would like to do in the next month—it doesnt have to be big things. Begin with little things: Go on a walk, Read 15 minutes a day, listen to an audio book on your way to work, doodle something, learn about something on youtube…just begin to live this day doing something small that means something to you. Make it your own!

Don’t focus on the negative: Elvis is stuck in depressing thoughts, wondering what happened to his mother, feeling overwhelmed trying to run the funeral home & take care of his dad, not being able to pursue his own dreams…Annabelle tells Elvis if he keeps thinking his depressing thoughts, then he will have a depressing life. How are your thoughts? What do you focus on in your life? When you talk out loud, what are you saying to others? How do you feel inside? You can feel if you are feeling negative or positive—it is pretty easy to tell. Be aware and focus on the good things within your life.

Good question: Annabelle asked Elvis…If you could do one thing in the whole wide world, what would it be??? Ask yourself that question. Nothing is being held from you…what would you want to do??

The movie does have some depressing moments where the two main characters are apart, depressed, wishing to be free of this world, the misunderstandings, the media, the loneliness…until one last miracle shines through in the sweet ending.

Something to INSPIRE you to Play Big

Published on January 14, 2015 by goforthegood1Leave a comment

This week I have been posting about Playing Big, Being Bold, so here are some fun videos to help bring those feelings to the surface. There are many ingredients that help aid us in playing a little bigger today and here they are…

Personal Motivation: great video with a great message Believe in what you can do.

Enthusiasm and a Positive Attitude: great video of kid practicing for baseball Just remember, having an enthusiastic attitude will get you even further in anything you do. Look at every situation and find the positive.

http://www.values.com/inspirational-stories-tv-spots/99-the-greatest

Take Action: funny video–getting stuck on escalator We often get stuck in our mental madness, listening to our inner critics, just playing it safe for the sake of staying safe, taking the easy way. But, sometimes it is just taking a little step each day and moving forward to get going in the direction you desire. Take action—don’t get stuck!!

Practice whatever it is you enjoy doing: video of Amazing Talented People There are amazing people doing amazing things because they take the time to practice, get a little better each day and are able to master what they focus on. You can apply this to anything: your job, your health, your attitude, your direction, your talent, your dreams.

Shout it Out for Yourself!!

Published on January 12, 2015 by goforthegood1Leave a comment

In the spirit of being bold, playing big, I thought this video would be perfect to help you find that something that you want to dream about. SoulPancake is one of my favorites & I love the videos they do, this one is a perfect fit for today!! Enjoy.

One thing to think about and make happen for you—go outside and Shout Out a dream, a goal, something you want to do that will propel you forward to play a little bigger in your life. Do it for YOU!

WHAT WILL YOU SHOUT OUT??

Be Bold Video

Published on January 9, 2015January 9, 2015 by goforthegood1Leave a comment

Well, today I wanted to share with you a video that I made awhile ago, but I thought it would fit perfectly with the topic of BEING BOLD, not giving in to the inner critic, the voice that tries to keep us safe, to not play bigger. This video is full of people and their experiences of becoming unstoppable, pushing through the fears, the critics, themselves and striving to play big in their lives.

But, I think we also need to take into consideration the people around us, the agents, the editors, the family members, the friends, others outside of us that can also hold us back from playing big. If we begin to believe what others are saying or telling us to do, then we are not being true to ourself or the dream of playing a little bigger in the world. Here is a great story from an Oprah article that illustrates this point very well. Plus, you will see this person in my video as well. Smile. Smile. Enjoy.

Once Upon A Time, there was a girl named Taylor. When she sat down to eat lunch in her school cafeteria, the girls she’d once called friends stood up and moved to another table. They had cast Taylor out of their clique because instead of going to parties with them on weekends, she’d stay home and write songs on her guitar. The outsider landed a development deal with a record company and moved with her parents to Nashville. She would go on to become the first artist since the Beatles—and the only woman—to record three consecutive albums that spent six or more weeks at number one. Taylor Swift is still writing songs and once told a Nebraska audience, “What does it matter if you didn’t have any friends in high school when you’ve got 15,000 of your closest friends coming to see you in Omaha?” -taken from Oprah, The Power of Quirk

Well, here is my video…enjoy. I hope you take the stories of inspiration to heart and begin to see that any dream is possible, in the face of adversity, when someone tells you No, questions your talent or rejects your ideas. Continue on, be bold…there is genius in it!!

LIVE BOLD

Published on January 7, 2015 by goforthegood11 Comment

Well, today is about being BOLD, finding that something that you are hiding from and taking the steps to set it free. We each have our own genius, our own spark that is suppose to light up the world, but often we doubt, we struggle, we hide and are afraid to let the spark ignite and then shine. We are all victims of this smallness.

Yesterday I was listening to a great podcast that had Tara Mohr as the guest. She has a new book out called Playing Big. On the podcast she was sharing her personal experiences of listening to the small voices within, the fear, the part of us that just wants to keep us safe. She shared a story of being invited to be on the Today Show to share her message about her work, Playing Big. Before she went on the show she had multiple thoughts & voices in her head of comparing herself (under 5 ft tall, not model thin, millions watching, sitting next to these beautiful women who may ask tough questions). The thoughts hit her & she had to remember her own work & thank the voice for its concern and tell it she had the matter under control. She had to remind herself that her work needed to be about playing big, she had to remind herself of the millions of people watching the show & the number of people that may be inspired by the message. She had to be bold and play bigger than the little voices inside.

It was a great story about how we all have our own insecurities, we listen to the voices that keep us small, but when we begin to see that the voices are just thoughts trying to keep us safe, we can identify them, thank them and keep going into a bolder direction.

The inner critic will show up whenever we’re on the edge of playing bigger, and whenever we’re taking a new risk and stretching ourselves. And so we just need tools to deal with it. -Tara Mohr

Tara shared some great quotes that will illustrate how our inner critic/fear comes up in ALL of us. It isn’t partial to the weak, to the insecure, to the strong, to the successful, etc. Here are some great examples from Tara & some I found…

Twyla Tharp, the award-winning choreographer, says her number one fear is “People will laugh at me.” -from Tara

Who could have thought that Richard Branson (Virgin) has a lifelong dread of public speaking. When he launched Virgin in the early 80s, his mentor, entrepreneur Freddie Laker, told him he had to make himself the public face of the company. “I remember thinking, ‘That’s easy for you to say,’ because I was utterly terrified,” says Branson. The Resolution: Branson relies on a slew of mind games to get him through his numerous speaking gigs. He forces himself to imagine he’s in his living room, chatting with pals. He spends weeks writing and rehearsing seemingly off-the-cuff speeches. And he relies heavily on videos and Q&A’s to shift attention elsewhere. Branson’s methods have been so successful that now he delivers speeches on—you guessed it—“The Art of Public Speaking.” (taken from lifereimagined) A little something more about Richard Branson– is the fourth richest person in the United Kingdom. He owns the Virgin group of brands, including a record label, an airline, and the mobile phone company. He also owns an island in the Caribbean. As a child, though, he performed poorly on tests in school and struggled with dyslexia. Teachers and authority figures assumed he wouldn’t go very far, but Branson defied the odds, and attributes his success to his people skills – proving that street smarts can take you far. (masterschannel)

Perhaps it was inevitable that beloved American institution Donnie Osmond would develop a paralyzing dread of another beloved American institution: the shopping mall. One night while starring in the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Osmond had a panic attack so severe that (as he later wrote) “I honestly believed I was dying.” It was part of a pattern of social anxiety that had dogged him for most of his life. One focal point became an extreme fear of malls, where he became convinced everyone was ridiculing him. The Resolution: Osmond worked with a cognitive-behavior psychologist who showed him that many of his worries were groundless. Among his psychological exercises: buying a shirt at a shopping center, then returning it the next day—without disaster! “I survived,” Osmond said, “and even learned to laugh along with the people I always feared were laughing at me.” (taken from lifereimagined)

Gustave Eiffel, the designer of the famed Eiffel Tower, was terrified of heights.

Roger Moore (James Bond) cannot pick up a gun without uncontrollably blinking.

Walt Disney, who gave the world Mickey Mouse, was indeed, afraid of mice.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett was “terrified” of public speaking. He was so nervous, in fact, that he would arrange and choose his college classes to avoid having to get up in front of people. He even enrolled in a public speaking course and dropped out before it even started. “I lost my nerve,” he said. At the age of 21, Buffett started his career in the securities business in Omaha and decided that to reach his full potential, he had to overcome his fear of public speaking. Buffett enrolled in a Dale Carnegie course with another thirty people who, like him, were “terrified of getting up and saying our names.” (taken from forbes.com)

The world famous minister, Joel Osteen, sells out places like Yankee Stadium and speaks live to 40,000 a week who visit Lakewood church every Sunday (the mega-church meets in Houston at the former Compaq Center). Osteen says the week before his first sermon in 1999 marked the worst days of his life. “I was scared to death,” he says. At the time he knew very little about speaking or preparing a message. In fact he was perfectly content to sit behind the video camera during his father’s sermons. When his father passed away, Osteen’s wife and family encouraged him to take the stage. Osteen did not overcome his fear for a long time. The conversations he heard didn’t help. “I overheard two ladies say, ‘he’s not as good as his father.’ I was already insecure and—boom—another negative label.” Words, he says, are like seeds. If you dwell on them long enough they take root and you will become what those words say you’ll become—if you let them. Osteen says negative labels—the ones people place on us and the labels we place on ourselves— prevent us from reaching our potential. (taken from forbes)

Albert Einstein–failed his college entrance exam.

Steven Spielberg was rejected 3 times by USC’s film program

Jim Carrey had to drop out of school at 15 to help support his family. His father was unemployed and the family had to start living in a van.

Jay-Z couldn’t get signed to any record labels. Yet that didn’t stop him from creating his own music powerhouse. His label would eventually turn into the insanely lucrative Roc-A-Fella Records. Here’s proof Jay-Z is on top: Forbes has estimated his net worth at $500 million, and TIME ranked him at one of their 2013 Most Influential People In The World. And he’s married to Beyoncé. (huffingtonpost)

I think that the phenomenon that people are pointing to — noticing that women often don’t see themselves as ready to take on a next bigger role, and all these issues of self-doubt — I think it’s right to shine the spotlight there, and to start to say something’s going on here, and we’re seeing too many capable women not stepping up for reasons of self-doubt. The problem, or one of the problems, I think, is that then we have framed the solution as: let’s become more confident. That’s where I would disagree. I think that self-doubt is the problem but confidence is not the antidote; the antidote is relating in a new way to our own self-doubt, and that new way has to do with hearing it, being aware of it, but not taking direction from it. -Tara Mohr

Peace to you and your brilliance. SHINE. Play Big. Be YOU.

Lessons learned from the movie Into the Woods

Published on January 3, 2015January 3, 2015 by goforthegood1Leave a comment

We just took our daughter to see Into the Woods and I guarantee your family may be mixed on reviews. My daughter LOVED it, my husband fell asleep through part of it (he does that on occasion) and I enjoyed most of it. There were a few things that were not to my ‘happily ever after’ ideal. But, for the most part there was fun music, great casting, funny songs, fairytales…

But, I am a true believer that you can always learn something from most movies, so I wanted to share with you some of the lessons we learned (I took a few thoughts from my daughter as well). Hopefully there are not too many spoilers. 🙂

The ‘Golden Rule’ Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The witch was wronged and this led to spells and cruelty. If you always strive to live the golden rule within your life—good things will come and witches will stay away.

Don’t be misled, just go straight ahead. This is a great rule for life. Many things can be a great distraction on our journey called life, so be aware of your direction, the places you want to go, the people you surround yourself with, the lessons you are meant to learn along the way. Keep your focus on good things, good people and don’t be misled by distractions all around you.

Be careful and don’t talk to strangers. Because Good isn’t Nice! Some people may seem like they are good, but that does not mean they are also nice. I know this sounds a little crazy, but it does make crazy sense. There can be people who seem to be good, who have good intentions, but it does not mean they are necessarily nice. In the end, they will be out for themselves.

Agony isn’t always as it seems. Many people will LOVE one of the best scenes in the movie…the two princes singing “Agony” after they have lost their beautiful maidens, in one way or another. Agony is upon them, but their agony turns into a competition of who is in more pain. Funny scene. Lesson—everyone has a different level of agony in their life, it doesn’t need to turn into a match of who is in worse shape or who has a more terrible circumstance. That does not do any good for anyone. We all have a tendency to do this once in awhile with the stories we tell. We like to outdo another. Respect the agony–give up on the storytelling.

Would you do whatever it takes to get something you want? Would you give up your values? Would you lie, cheat and steal for something you want? How far would you go?? The lesson is within the question. Would you?? In the movie the baker and the bakers wife (love Emily Blunt) want something so badly that they have to face these moral dilemmas.

It takes two!! This was a great scene and life is just that, leaning on another, learning about yourself, finding someone to trust, to help you along in any circumstance.

Don’t be afraid to be yourself!! Cinderella’s story throughout the movie was one of running from the prince, pretending to be someone she wasn’t, and having conversations in the woods, but in the end she learned about who she truly was and wanted to be.

Keep your child safe, but is a tower really necessary? As a mother you want your children to be safe, but no matter what, they will find the real world and create their own destiny. What you do as a mother will stay with them for the rest of their life, so love and nurture them, keep them close, but not too close that they can’t spread their own wings and learn to truly fly.

If someone dares you to do something—would you do it? Despite the consequences. In the movie Jack is dared by Little Red to climb back up the bean stalk to steal something from the giants and the consequences are great. Ask yourself, what values do you hold and if someone gave you a dare—how would you respond. Sometimes our ego gets in the way and we feel we need to be someone we are not, do something that is not who we are and the consequences are often heavy.

Does Courage Change you? Absolutely! The baker and his wife have a great scene where they are sharing with one another how this adventure into the woods had changed them for the better. In life, we often need change to spur us to action, to mold our character, to strengthen our values, to help move us in a better life direction. Change is a good thing, if we can acknowledge that and learn from it!

Be grateful for what you have. Don’t allow a wandering eye for someone else’s affection shift your clarity. Don’t get stuck in the curiosity of greener pastures or thinking that a different life, spouse, house, job will make our life better. When you are grateful, you already live in the greenest grasses, the most beautiful pastures. You see the beauty in what you have.

Well, I hope this gets you interested to see the movie and make your own interpretations about this movie. There are some wonderful things, some dark things, some magical storytelling. Enjoy everything & look for the lessons held within.

Enjoy your beautiful day. -H

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Published on December 30, 2014 by goforthegood1Leave a comment

The New Year is upon us and I truly hope your holiday season has been Merry and Bright! Everyone deserves to find JOY this time of year. I just watched the movie New Years Eve in anticipation of this week & the festivities it brings. I wanted to share a couple of thoughts from this movie…take them in and as you celebrate your New Year, remember to be gentle with yourself, to hope and dream, to look at this new year, not as a to do list, but an opportunity to reflect, to grow, to cherish the new pages you have been given in this amazing series called LIFE. ENJOY it!! SAVOR it!!

May your New Year bring you endless possibilities. There was one character in the movie, Ingrid, who was played by Michelle Pfeiffer, she was unhappy, stuck, afraid of life, so she made herself a bucket list and was determined to go beyond her limited self and take action, to LIVE.

I think we all have moments where we are afraid to try, to do, to go beyond our securities. Is there something you want to do this year?? Make a fun list–try, do, experience something new, beginning now! Google ‘bucket lists’ Or search my blog for ‘bucket list’ I have some ideas that can get you started.

It is a new year!! EnJOY.

Here are some magical images to get you excited for the new year…

Christmas TIME

Published on December 4, 2014December 4, 2014 by goforthegood1Leave a comment

Christmas is that beautiful time of year where there seems to be service in the air, happiness in our hearts, giving in abundance, so the world seems to spin a little better, maybe even brighter than the rest of the year.

Here are some HOLIDAY TIPS to make MEMORIES, to enjoy each MOMENT, to truly find JOY in the holidays…

MAKE MEMORIES:

Creating traditions is a great way to incorporate memories. Do you have any holiday traditions that make your holidays memorable?? Do you create gingerbread houses, have a winter walk during the first snow fall, bundle up and read holiday stories??

Here are some ideas to make it MEMORABLE:

Visit a local light display: At our house we go to a local pond, take hot cocoa and take pics with the beautiful lit up floating trees.

Santa Letters: We also have a night where cousins come over, write letters to Santa & we then send them to the North Pole via a bonfire and hot cocoa.

Open a Present Early: We have Christmas Eve pajamas.

Movie Marathon: We have special movie nights where we watch a marathon of Santa Claus, the Snow Globe movies, or our Hallmark favorites.

A gift to the animals: We also decorate a tree in our backyard with orange slices, birdseed bells and read Eve Buntings “The Night Tree.”

Celebrate St Nicholas’ Day: In Holland children leave their clogs out for St. Nicholas to leave them little gifts inside. We also have a special pair of wooden clogs that we put out on December 6th and each person in our family writes something nice on a piece of paper & we put it in the clog. That evening we read them together.

Special Ornaments: Let each child pick out a special ornament for the season. Maybe it symbolizes something special that happened to them during the year or just expresses who they are this year. You could also make your own ornaments with glass balls and paint.

Grandpa & Grandma gift: Give your child a certain dollar amount & have them find a fun gift or use the money to buy supplies to make them a special gift that they wrap and then give to grandparents.

Christmas Poppers: I have wanted to do this idea, so this is the year!! Take tissue paper and cover each toilet paper roll. Take ribbon and tie to close one end of the roll. Fill it with candies and confetti (if you wish). Tie the other end with ribbon and place these in each family member’s stocking. These can be opened on Christmas morning. To make them extra special, have your child write a note to each family member and tuck them inside. It will be a special surprise for everyone!

Give: Find a local charity or even a toy box & with your family pick out some great gifts to then give. A couple of years ago I found a whole bag of Barbie Kelly Dolls at a thrift store, so my daughter and I cleaned them up, fixed their hair, bought snow scene cards & packaged them up to look festive & donated them to a charity toy box. It was so fun and memorable.

Enjoy the MOMENTS:

The tree this year: Do you have a theme for your tree? Do you use the same exact traditional ornaments each year? Want to shake it up? This year we let our eleven year old daughter decorate the entire tree. It was so fun to see her take charge and make it her own. She directed me to add pink, blue, & silver patterned ribbons, all the colorful ornaments of bears, santas, ballerinas, all the ornaments that her heart desired. She had so much fun & then just stepped back and smiled at the work she directed. It was truly memorable.

Have special Christmas Stories: Each Christmas season we receive a special Christmas book. Sometimes its about the nativity, maybe Santa, the Advent, a children’s book, etc. This year I purchased Ann Voskamp’s book, “Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas” It is a beautiful Advent book that you read a little devotional together as a family and then put a special paper ornament (also Ann Voskamp’s) that you put on the tree. It is beautiful.

Be careful to not over plan: Surprises will happen! Christmas is definitely a time of planning…what presents, what activities, parties, etc. Well, I had planned this great gift to surprise my daughter and husband. I had the details down, when it would be delivered, where I would hide it…WELL, the day it was delivered, my daughter was home sick. I tried with all my might to be sneaky, I snuck outside, got the dolly, began moving this box that was almost as big as me to my backyard & began rolling it across the lawn to my secret hide out (the back shed). Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement in my kitchen!! NOOOOOO!!! I ran inside & my daughter was standing there watching me wheel this big box across the lawn. I was bummed, but luckily she could not tell what was in the box. I had her promise up and down not to tell her Dad and not to peek. It was quite funny. So, the moral of the story—you can plan and plan, but surprises do happen!!

Give something from the heart: For years I have made special Christmas CD’s of music that we hand out to friends and family. I LOVE finding beautiful music that represents this wonderful time of year, but I LOVE it even more when we receive texts and messages of people wondering if and when they are going to receive this heartfelt gift. Is there something you could make and give from the heart?? Do you have an amazing recipe that you would enjoy sharing? Do you make special scarves that are hand knit?? My mother writes a special Christmas story each year that she gives to friends and family. It is a beautiful gift. Peace to you this holiday season.

Show THANKS in GIVING

Published on November 24, 2014 by goforthegood1Leave a comment

The beautiful week that is often over shadowed by Black Friday and Cyber Monday ads is upon us and my gift I hope to bestow upon you is this…to do one simple thing to show your thanks. How? Here you go…

For your FAMILY: A simple gesture of LOVE. Write a note, a line, a blurb of something you LOVE about them. This morning I have been creating two flip books for two of my siblings. I have two siblings that were born between this giving holiday, so we decided to create a bday book to celebrate them. It was humbling to see my parents notes and my other five siblings write memories, send pictures, send funny thoughts, feelings, etc. about two great people. I think you always appreciate family, but you definitely take them for granted. It was beautiful to read the memories and see these people through other lenses. What a gift. I don’t think we can open our hearts enough, even though sometimes it is harder than you think. So go beyond yourself this week, share a thought, a love note, a fun pic, something that connects you to those closest in your giving circle.

For your CHILDREN: Help them get in the habit of finding things to be grateful for. Each night we either write in a journal or share them out loud, at least three things we are grateful for from the day. Children are never too young to learn gratitude.

Toddlers are by definition completely egocentric. Still, children as young as 15 to 18 months can begin to grasp concepts that lead to gratitude, says Lewis. “They start to understand that they are dependent; that Mom and Dad do things for them,” she says. In other words, toddlers comprehend that they are separate human beings from their parents, and that Mom and Dad often perform actions to make them happy (from playing peekaboo to handing out cookies) — even if kids that age can’t articulate their appreciation. By age 2 or 3, children can talk about being thankful for specific objects, pets, and people, says Ryan. By age 4, children can understand being thankful not only for material things like toys but for acts of kindness, love, and caring.

How to Teach it? Work gratitude into your daily conversation. Lately, we’ve been trying to weave appreciation for mundane things into our everyday talk — When you reinforce an idea frequently, it’s more likely to stick. One way to turn up the gratitude in your house is to pick a “thanking” part of the day. Two old-fashioned, tried-and-true ideas: Make saying what good things happened today part of the dinnertime conversation or make bedtime prayers part of your nightly routine.

By learning gratitude, they become sensitive to the feelings of others, developing empathy and other life skills along the way, says Barbara Lewis, author of What Do You Stand For? For Kids ”On the flip side, kids who aren’t taught to be grateful end up feeling entitled and perpetually disappointed,” says Lewis. -Parents.com article

Jeffrey Froh, PsyD research shows there are plenty of good reasons to try to teach gratitude He recently asked one group of middle school students to list up to five things they were grateful for every day for two weeks, while a second group recorded daily hassles and a third only completed a survey. “The gratitude group experienced a jump in optimism and overall well-being,” reports Froh. “Furthermore, they were more satisfied with school even three weeks later.” Likewise, a Harris Interactive survey of more than 1,200 kids between the ages of 8 and 18 found that those who were grateful for what they had were also more generous, even if they were fairly materialistic. -Familycircle article

Be a Role Model of Gratitude: As parents we need to understand that we can’t expect our children to be grateful, if we are not examples of this ourselves. Find gratitude in the little things and you will also find it in the bigger things.

Say Thank you: Just the simple act of helping your children learn to say thank you will make a big difference in the energy they carry and the people they touch with their smile.

Explain to children why gratitude is important: The strategy: Explain why it’s important to be grateful when someone helps you out. “Kids sometimes have the belief that people ‘should’ do things for them,” says Froh, “so it’s helpful to point out that people’s kind deeds are often done out of the goodness of their hearts.” -Familycircle

Gratitude tree: I have seen this done with a simple tree made to hang on the fridge & paper leaves were then attached, an entire wall created into a tree in your home, something to add to the dinner table, etc. You could buy silk leaves, use paper tags, stickers…the ideas are endless. Just google, “gratitude tree” and look at the many images and ideas you could create. Have fun with this. When family comes to visit, have them write something for the tree. Have your children create a special leaf each day

Write Thank you notes: The strategy: Write appreciative letters to the important people in our lives. “Acknowledging your feelings on paper makes them more conscious and concrete,” says Robert Emmons, PhD, author of Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier (Houghton Mifflin) -Familycircle

Find a goodwill project: Whether it is volunteering at a local charity, collecting old toys for a toy drive, sending post cards to soldiers or making blankets for someone in need–find something that your whole family can get excited about.

Here is another idea I found: “We put our change in a ‘Pennies from Heaven’ jar,” says Barbara Owens, mother of four, ages 10, 12, 16, and 20, in Manalapan, New Jersey. “Every time something devastating happens in the world, we sit down and talk about how blessed we are, then send a contribution.”

Hope this helps you find one simple thing you can ‘GIVE’ to those you LOVE.

-Peace & blessings to you this holiday. -H

Let it Snow Traditions

Published on November 17, 2014November 17, 2014 by goforthegood1Leave a comment

Over the weekend I watched the hallmark movie, Let it Snow. It was a sweet show about a family resort that celebrated Advent and had various traditions from around the world. I thought it would be fun to do a post about traditions around the world, ideas to make your holidays even more special and memorable.

AROUND THE WORLD: Here are some ideas from around the world.

Eastern Orient: In this part of the world children make paper lanterns for their tree, which is called ‘the tree of light and Santa is known as ‘Dun Che Lao Ren’ which means ‘Christmas Old Ma’ They do fireworks as part of the celebrations. Fun Tradition for your family: have a fun lantern you light and send up into the sky or if permitting, light off a few fireworks. Here is a great link to 10 ideas to make your own lanterns http://ingspirations.com/2013/09/07/10-lantern-making-ideas/

Norway: In this part of the world the people celebrate this time of Solstice. Everyone bathes, puts on new clothes for a special dinner of rice pudding that has a hidden lucky almond. They put a large sheaf of grain that they hang out for the birds. Norway is where the Yule Log originated. Fun tradition for your family: Make special pine cones or throw bird seed out for the birds. Here is a link to a recipe to make your own bird feeder with pine cones http://www.mykidsadventures.com/pinecone-bird-feeder/

Swiss: In this part of the world gifts are brought by the ‘ChristKind’ or St. Nicholas or even Father Christmas. THe week before Christmas, children dress up and visit homes with small gifts. Bell ringing and mass is followed by family gatherings where huge homemade doughnuts, called ringli and hot cocoa are shared. Here is a fun tradition you could invite your family to join in…Saint Lucia’s Day, December 13, in the first light of dawn the oldest daughter dresses in a white robe and wakes the rest of the family to serve them breakfast.

Russia: In this part of the world St. Nicholas is especially popular. The Christmas Eve dinner is meatless but festive. The most important part of the meal is a special porridge called kutya. It is made of wheat berries, which symbolize hope and immortality, and honey and poppy seeds which ensure happiness, success and untroubled rest. Fun Tradition: Try a meatless dinner that you make together as a family OR do something special with poppy seeds in your breads.

Scotland: In this part of the world the people celebrate this time of year with big bonfires and dance around them while playing bagpipes. Bannock cakes made of oatmeal are traditionally eaten at Christmas. They decorate their homes with holy wreathes, candles and tinsel and the tree is decorated with baubles. Fun Tradition: Decorate with baubles. Here is a idea link http://www.workingberlinmum.com/2013/11/handmade-christmas-make-your-own.html

Australia: In this part of the world the holiday is in the middle of the summer, so it is usually enjoyed going to the beach and having a family picnic. They decorate Christmas bushes, hang wreaths and have contests for the best light displays. When Santa arrives to Australia he gives the reindeer a rest and uses six white ‘boomers’ (kangaroos) and changes his clothes so he is not so hot!! The main Christmas meal is eaten at lunch time and is usually a bbq or fish. Fun Tradition: Have a fun Christmas bbq during the holidays.

France: Santa is known as Pere Noel. They have a special dinner at midnight on December 24th called Le Reveillon. Fun Tradition: having a special dinner on Christmas Eve, but I also like the idea that there is a special place (shoes/stocking) where a special gift can be left to remind us of the baby Jesus.

OTHER FUN TRADITIONS you could include in your holiday season this year:

From Germany: Put out wooden shoes (or you can put shoes or boots near the fireplace) out on December 6th. Have everyone in the family buy a tiny present to put in the shoes for one another OR you could have each person write something nice about the other members of your family. A few years ago I found some wooden clogs on a local classified post & we cut strips of paper & write kind things & then we share them over dinner.

From England: English Crackers, colorful paper tubes with small toys and candy inside. When pulled apart, the traditional crackers make a loud snapping noise, giving the crackers their name.

Make these at home from toilet paper tubes. Stick tiny story books, hard candy, chocolates and small toys inside each tube and stuff some tissue paper in after them to keep them from falling out. Wrap each tube in wrapping paper, gathering the ends of the wrapping paper and tying them closed with ribbon. The next day, your children can each grip the end of a cracker and pull them apart. They won’t make noise, but you can sprinkle glitter or confetti on the inside of the wrapping paper for an extra surprise.

From China: Include a paper chain on your Christmas tree. At our home we invite all our guests to write something they are grateful for on a strip of wrapping paper and then we chain them together.

From Denmark: make homemade tree decorations and then gather around the tree and sing hymns.

From Mexico: Celebrate with a pinnate or luminaries. Make your own paper luminaries. They also enjoy Lilies and evergreens. Maybe share a christmas lilly with those you love. Here is a sweet luminary jar you could make http://diyandcrafts.com/pin/2139/

From the Movie Let it Snow

St. Thomas Night: (This was in the movie Let it Snow) In Austria, legend says that unmarried girls can see their future on St. Thomas Night, if they climb into bed over a stool and throw their shoes toward the door, the toes of the shoes pointing downward. If they sleep with their heads at the foot of the bead, the dreams will reveal visions of their future husbands. Also, if a single woman on St. Thomas Day can pick out a young rooster from among a brood of sleeping chicks, she will soon obtain a husband, or see him in her dreams. Celebrated December 21st

Feast of the Seven Fishes: The Feast of the Seven Fishes is part of the Italian-American Christmas Eve celebration. Today, it is a feast that typically consists of seven different seafood dishes. It originates, however, from Southern Italy, where it is known as The Vigil (La Vigilia). However, some Italian-American families have been known to celebrate with nine, eleven or thirteen different seafood dishes. This celebration commemorates the wait, the Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus.

Building Gingerbread houses: It is widely known that monasteries were one of the first places to sell gingerbread. It wasn’t until gingerbread found its way to Britain that it started being painted. It was displayed in shop windows and became the popular holiday treat we now know today.

Special Ornaments for the Tree: It is often a favorite tradition for families to purchase a new ornament to symbolize the new year or the previous memories from the year. Many ornaments are also purchased to symbolize firsts.

Lighting of the Christmas tree: This is a great and in-depth article of the origins of lighting of the christmas trees. http://gizmodo.com/5425395/christmas-lights-the-brief-and-strangely-interesting-history-of This is a beautiful tradition that lights up the holiday season, during one of the darkest periods of the year. Thank heavens for light!

ORIGINS OF CHRISTMAS:

History of the Christmas Ornament:

Christmas wasn’t widely celebrated in the United States until the 1800s, however, because of the Puritans’ influence. As a result, decorated trees did not become widely popular until people saw the ornaments brought to America by families emigrating from Germany and England in the 1840s.

Ornaments became a big hit. F.W. Woolworth of five-and-dime fame had reluctantly stocked his stores with German-made ornaments in 1880. By 1890, he was selling $25 million worth of ornaments at nickel and dime prices.

The ornaments available at that time primarily were German hand-cast lead and hand-blown glass decorations. As time passed, the ornaments became more elaborate – and expensive. Silk and wool thread, chenille and tinsel embellished many of them. Stiff spun glass appeared as angel and butterfly wings; tinsel was used on fancy flower baskets, vases, air balloons and egg zeppelins.

Germany faced virtually no competition until 1925. Then Japan began producing ornaments in large quantities for export to this country. Czechoslovakia also entered the field with many fancy ornaments. By 1935, more then 250 million Christmas tree ornaments were being imported to the United States. (Hallmark.com)

Beautiful glass ball ornament that you create yourself…http://ayellowbicycle.blogspot.com/2011/11/pinterest-challenge-painted-ornaments.html

The Legend of the Candy Cane

Many years ago, a candymaker wanted to make a candy at Christmas time that would serve as a witness to his Christian faith. He wanted to incorporate several symbols for the birth, ministry and death of Jesus.
He began with a stick of pure white hard candy. The white symbolized the virgin birth and the sinless life of Jesus.
He made the candy hard to symbolize the that Jesus is the solid rock and the foundation of the church. The firmness also represents the promises of God.
The candy maker made the candy in the form of a “J” to represent the name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. He thought it could also represent the staff of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
The candy maker then added red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received, by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could be forgiven and have the promise of eternal life.
The flavor of mint is similar to hyssop. In Old Testament times, hyssop was associated with purification and sacrifice.

St. Nicholas

Saint Nicholas also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century Christian saint and Greek^[5] Bishop of Myra(Demre, part of modern-day Turkey)^[6] in Lycia. Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker . He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and thus became the model for Santa Claus, whose modern name comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas, itself from a series ofelisions and corruptions of the transliteration of “Saint Nikolaos”. His reputation evolved among the faithful, as was common for early Christian saints. (wikpedia)

According to biography.com

St. Nicholas was a Christian bishop who provided for the poor and sick, and is the basis for the popular character of Santa Claus.

Born in Patara, a land that is part of present-day Turkey, circa 280, St. Nicholas was a Christian bishop who helped the needy. After his death, the legend of his gift-giving grew. St. Nicholas transformed into the legendary character called Santa Claus, who brings Christmas presents to children around the world.Early Life: St. Nicholas was born sometime circa 280 in Patara, Lycia, an area that is part of present-day Turkey. He lost both of his parents as a young man and reportedly used his inheritance to help the poor and sick. A devout Christian, he later served as bishop of Myra, a city that is now called Demre.

Reputation: There are many legends about St. Nicholas of Myra. One story tells how he helped three poor sisters. Their father did not have enough money to pay their dowries and thought of selling them into servitude. Three times, St. Nicholas secretly went to their house at night and put a bag of money inside. The man used the money so that one of his daughters could marry. On the third visit, the man saw St. Nicholas and thanked him for his kindness. He also reportedly saved three men who were falsely imprisoned and sentenced to death.

Death and Legacy: Several sources state St. Nicholas is believed to have died on December 6, 343. Over the years, stories of his miracles and work for the poor spread to other parts of the world. He became known as the protector of children and sailors and was associated with gift-giving. He was a popular saint in Europe until the time of the Reformation in the 1500s, a religious movement that led to the creation of Protestantism, which turned away from the practice of honoring saints. St. Nicholas, however, remained an important figure in Holland.

The Dutch continued to celebrate the feast day of St. Nicholas, December 6. It was a common practice for children to put out their shoes the night before. In the morning, they would discover the gifts that St. Nicholas had left there for them. Dutch immigrants brought St. Nicholas, known to them as Sint Nikolaas or by his nickname Sinter Klaas, and his gift-giving ways to America in the 1700s.In America, St. Nicholas went through many transformations and eventually Sinter Klaas became Santa Claus. Instead of giving gifts on December 6, he became a part of the Christmas holiday. In the 1820 poem “An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore, he is described as a jolly, heavy man who comes down the chimney to leave presents for deserving children and drives a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer. The cartoonist Thomas Nast added to the St. Nicholas legend with an 1881 drawing of Santa as wearing a red suit with white fur trim. Once a kind, charitable bishop, St. Nicholas had become the Santa Claus we know today.

I hope these ideas have got you thinking of your holiday season and making them even more memorable. Traditions make memories. The holidays are a wonderful time to bring everyone together. Remember the word HOLIDAY is derived from HOLY DAY. Begin today to make each of the upcoming holidays HOLY. Best wishes to you in all you do.