by Martha on July 9, 2011
Don’t you just love warm weather and summer time? The grass is growing, the flowers are blooming, and the trees are a gorgeous lush green.
All the beautiful blooms and growth just happen on their own, right?
Not quite!
It takes decent soil, water, and sunlight for plants to start their beautiful arrival in the spring and continue on through summer.
How about us? Do we just sit around and become vibrant, soulful people without any help?
Not quite!
The fact is, our lives are growing all the time. But the blooming and flourishing part? Not always.
Just like the good soil, water, and sunshine make the foliage a beauty to behold, so too do we have to have certain elements in our lives to help us grow.
Just like plants, we require water and sunshine. A strong root system (our core beliefs) helps too.
What else makes a great growth?
The pruning!
In order for trees, bushes, and flowers to grow thicker and fuller, the pruning does have to be done. The cutting off of the dead branches and leaves helps make room for more growth.
Do you want to see growth in your own life? Then you are going to have to take inventory and do some pruning!
If you’ve let anger or resentment take root, that branch needs to be cut off. If you have people in your group of influencers who are holding you back instead of encouraging you forward, they need to go.
Ouch!
Yep, that pruning can hurt. It may sound harsh but chopping off those relationships may be the only way for you to grow.
You see, just like a plant with a disease, the dying branches can be pruned away and the plant will thrive. So too will people who have the support of positive people in their lives. If you have a too many negative friends in your circle, I hate to tell you this but to grow in a healthy manner, you need to prune them out!
Here’s why . . . .
They are like a contagious disease. Instead of YOU being able to inspire and motivate THEM, it seems THEY tend to bring US into their negativity. So, don’t hesitate to get rid of the gossips, the naysayers, and the downright negative nellies. They don’t belong on the branches of your growing self. YOU are the most beautiful creature, unique in your own way with your own gifts and talents. Blossom and become who you were meant to be.
One. Great.Human.Being.
Peace,
-Martha
by Martha on January 31, 2011
I was reading a blog post recently and the person relayed that they had been told by a family member, when they were quite young, that they were an “accident.”
How sad. Nobody is an accident. Yes, there are certainly babies that are complete surprises and some that come into the world under the worst of circumstances, but there are no accidents.
However, this post is not directed to the people who say harsh things to others, who fling out a retort that burns, or who make careless remarks.
Who then??
It’s directed to the people who receive them. And dwell on them. And remember them over and over and over for years! Needless to say, that’s very unhealthy. Plus, it keeps you in the moment of the unkind word. It keeps reminding you that someone was cruel to you. Why do you want to keep doing that?
I can’t help it!
Well, I’m here to tell you that you can! No, it’s not easy and it won’t be overnight, especially if you’ve been harboring ill-will about the remark for years on end. Maybe even decades! But, I am telling you, you can exchange that thought, when it comes, into a positive, uplifting affirmation for yourself that will feed your very soul.
Repetition works!
I know. Many people think affirmations are nothing more than repeating the same sentence over and over. It is that, but it has another purpose. To replace the negative remarks that are playing in your head anyway. Over and Over. You know, our mind is an interesting thing. It focuses on what we feed it. And, if we choose to feed it a negative remark that was made to us years ago and continue to say it to ourselves every day, guess what? That becomes what we actually believe.
Our self-talk is the most important speech we hear. And, the speech we pay attention to.
Why not make a change?
Unless you just enjoy harboring old resentments that make you feel lousy and can also affect your health, why not try some new self-talk? How about turning that “you were an accident” or whatever your negative statement is into something positive. How about this: “I am here for a reason and the reason is all good.” Doesn’t that have a better ring to it?
There will always be off-remarks that come your way that make no sense or bring you sorrow. It’s OK. It doesn’t have to be the message you send to yourself. When you hear the negative words playing back, change them immediately into powerful, positive words about yourself. Therein, you will find happiness.
Peace,
-Martha
p.s. Need some help changing that self-talk? You might want to check out my audio, Rewired!
