Serenity and Life Mottos

So today I took one of those quirky online quizzes - it was supposed to clue me in on what my life's motto should be.  This is what I got - 
"If you can dream it you can achieve it" - Always dare to dream, because even though it's hard for you to believe it right now, your craziest, most wonderful dreams might actually come true.

So what I want to know is - is this really a life motto? Shouldn't we always just try to go after our dreams?

I do have a confession though for most of my life I'm fairly certain that I simply pushed my dreams aside to do what was expected of me. It's only been relatively recent that I have learned to put aside my fears of what will everyone think of me and just simply go after what I want out of life.
It's interesting that in changing the course and direction of my life I have become more involved with life that surrounds me, more involved with people and more in touch with my need to be happy with who I have become.

I am no longer allowing anyone to walk over me or insist that this is what's best for me.  Now I will listen to their suggestions but if I don't feel it's in my best interest I will let them know, in a nice way.  It has taken me quite a few years to learn to be my own best advocate, my own best bud, but I think I have finally arrived.  

I know that sometimes I slip into my old ways, but here's the thing I now know that I can reverse the situation and stand up for myself.  Life sometimes has a way of showing us how to move forward, the key is to recognize when you need to step towards a new dream and when to push back and move away from the old one.

Move forward and you will be moving toward your serenity.  I truly believe in myself and that feels me with serenity each and every day.

Serenity is Mine to Keep: Serenity, Sammy, Sadness, and Spring Renewal

Serenity is Mine to Keep: Serenity, Sammy, Sadness, and Spring Renewal: Every spring we look at the renewal of life that surrounds us.  Last week we unfortunately had to put down our beloved pet - Sammy (Samson)....

Serenity, Sammy, Sadness, and Spring Renewal

Every spring we look at the renewal of life that surrounds us.  Last week we unfortunately had to put down our beloved pet - Sammy (Samson).  He was in a lot of pain, very weak and not eating or drinking - he was also almost 17 years old.

As anyone who has every visited us can attest to he was a very unusual, unique cat.  He loved water, loved people, loved attention and was very loud (loud mewing, loud purring)  my brother-in-law once referred to his purring as a mack truck in idle position.  I had a very difficult time making this decision, but I didn't want to see him suffer needlessly just because we would miss him.  I did not sleep well that night, I actually dreamt that Sammy decided not to succumb and the drugs that they had given him didn't work and instead he bounced back, but alas it was really only a dream.

That evening I posted our sorrow on Facebook along with a picture of a happy Sammy and was overwhelmed with the response and caring expressed by my Facebook friends and family.

The next day although I was still sad and Hercules (our 2nd cat) followed me all around the house as if he knew something was off, I felt a sense of serenity - that we had made the right decision and that Sammy was in a better place.  Hercules is still a little confused but he's becoming more bold now that his mentor has gone.  Hercules now has his place at the top after spending the past 15 years in the shadow of Sammy.  Life goes on.

Spring has brought renewal and in a few days it will bring together family and friends for Passover. There is a definitive sense of calm, joy and love that surrounds our family seder.  This year's seder will be small for us, but I'm okay with that.  Small numbers do not mean less joy but more talking, more laughter, more singing and more fond memories and of course great food.

I have learned to cherish each moment of these special times.  To find joy and serenity in living each day, to finding the love that family and friends provide and to maintain my serenity at the end of each and every day.  Sometimes it might be a challenge, but mostly it's a joy.

Keep happiness, joy and serenity a daily part of your life.

Finding Serenity in a Major Family Change

Yesterday my 84 year old mother moved from our family home to an independent/assisted living facility. It's the beginning of a new chapter in her life and the beginning and end to a chapter in my life and that of my siblings.

She was ready to move forward although it was a little stressful.  The move was quick and relatively smooth and her apartment is very nice.  When I left last night my mother had gone to dinner with her new neighbor and she had already been welcomed by the Welcoming Committee and several of the staff.  My sister commented that it kind of reminded her of a college dorm especially since they have communal dining, but it very very upscale.

I am positive that my mother will find her place in her new home, luckily she already has a number of friends who live there as well and she is a very social person.

Since this is a blog about serenity I probably should mention that her moving to this new home has brought me serenity in knowing that she is safe in a community that will watch out for her, in a home that is conducive to an active life while maintaining a safe environment for everyday living.  Last night for the first time in a while I slept soundly, part of it was due to the physical exhaustion, but part was due to knowing that mom was in a safe place.

On a different note - I am really really sick of this winter, snow, ice, cold - it makes it difficult to be serene when you have snow for the 5th time, although before you have to go out and shovel or clean your car off or drive in it, just sit back and look out the window and observe the beauty of it all and the wonder of the world.  I look out my backyard at the watching squirrels and birds eating seeds from the feeders that my neighbor puts out and enjoy the serenity of the peaceful world around me.  Even now with the ice coating the trees and the grey skies I'm finding my serenity and enjoying just sitting at my Macbook writing this blog while the world around me is either in the dark (power outages) or sitting in massive traffic jams due to falling trees across the roads.

Find Serenity in the beauty that surrounds you.

Serenity & Thanksgiving - ENJOY!

So tonight is the first night of Hanukkah and tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a time for family, feasting, football and feeling content.

I am lucky that I don't have to prepare Thanksgiving dinner, instead I do Friday night with my family and my extended family.  In the past these large family get togethers have sometimes made me nuts, according to my daughter I go into "bitch" status, but this year I choose not to make myself nuts.

I know that my children do not believe this is possible but I am fairly sure that I can maintain calmness thanks to my ability to locate serenity in crazy situations.

I have taken this attitude with all things in my life including my marriage, my family, my friends, colleagues and the search for employment.  It has brought me contentment and sometimes happiness.

I find that if I can't fix the problem, it's better to let it go, perhaps the solution will come at a later time, if at all, some problems just can't be solved.  Up to the last few months I had a hard time believing that all problems can't be solved, but now I see that somethings are just not worth the time or effort and I just put them aside.  It has helped me find the happy place in life.

So here's to Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, Family, Friends and Food.

Enjoy, be happy and find serenity in all that surrounds you.

Finding Serenity in Every Day Mistakes

Okay, so I know that it's been quite a while since I last posted to the blog but I haven't lost my search for every day serenity - it just got a little caught up in the every day issues of life.

For this I am very sorry.  As some of you may know I have made a choice to begin a new chapter in my life.  I have started to work on the concept of a new nonprofit - we are calling it - First Light Project.   Most of my career has been spent in helping already established nonprofits find funds, do an event, run walks/runs, etc, now I am taking all of that knowledge along with lessons learned to format this new enterprise.

I am very very lucky because I already had colleagues, friends and some family who believe in what can be accomplished in this new endeavor.  I am also a little frightened and exceptionally honored to have people believe in me, it helps me to believe in myself and probably for the first time in my life I truly believe that I can accomplish this feat to head up an enterprise from the start.

As I begin the new year (yes I am Jewish), I look forward to many new challenges, new projects, new journeys and continuing to move only in a forward direction.

Each step forward should offer insight, be filled with questions, look for answers and the opportunity to breath deeply and savior each moment of each day.

The title of of this blog - Finding Serenity in Every Day Mistakes has a purpose.  Mistakes we make should never be overlooked we should keep them in mind and keep them the reason to go onto our new challenges.  If we never made a mistake then we would never learn and never move forward.  This past week that this brought home by a very insightful local small business owner, who had made a mistake in an invoice which he rectified by giving a refund that was more than the mistake.  When I tried to give him back some of the money he replied:  "If by paying you this refund I keep in mind that mistake I originally made then I will learn from that mistake and not make it again."  I left that place of business not only feeling incredibly happy with the world, but also thinking about his comment.  In our every day life we make mistakes but how we react to them is what this time of year is all about - forgiveness, finding serenity and peace in our every day lives and in our mistakes.

Learn from the mistakes, live each day to fullest, ask for forgiveness whenever it's necessary and each and every day of your life you will locate your serenity.

Serenity and Upcoming Valentine's Day

Each year I await the Valentine's Day holiday with trepidation and the knowledge that I have no romance in my life (other than what I do for myself).

31 years ago my father told my husband that he didn't need a set day of the year to tell my mother that he loves her and that they never really celebrated the holiday.  So since then - nothing.  Ever so often he remembers that it's Valentine's Day and gets a card and once he gave me a small Dove chocolate in my lunch (he was unemployed at the time and consequently home), but other than that, romance doesn't seem to be a factor in our lives.

And that's what I love about the holiday - it forces us to put some romance into our everyday lives.  I know that some people go over the top with the day, but there is a little piece of me that always hopes that even if it's not that actual day I will be surprised by romance.

My son and husband like to make fun of me because lately I have taken to reading romance novels on my Kindle, I do also read literature and the daily New York Times, but the romance novels give me a chance to believe that some day romance will find a way back into my life.

The question is what exactly is romance?  I can only say that for romance would be a gentle surprise that would make me feel completely special in the eyes of others.  I know that I have a wonderful soul, that I am caring and loving person (probably sometimes to a fault) but I also know that there are times when I feel that I am the only person that knows this about myself, sometimes the romantic surprise could make a real difference to the psyche of a person.

So for all of you out there who have romance in your lives, share with me what makes romance real to you and for all of those who find themselves in a similar boat to me - I say, have a piece of dark chocolate, a wonderful glass deep red wine, light some candles, fill the tub with hot water and bubbles and enjoy the peace that will surround you.  It's not romance but it will give the end of your day beauty.

Peace & Serenity!