ToolsOfPeace.com

An adult child was attempting to get her father off the bus. She told him in his first language that they'd reached their destination. The man argued and gestured. I couldn't understand his words but his tone was clearly one of frustration. For three stops, the daughter tried to get her dad off the bus.
One young man, also frustrated with the loud argument, offered, "Ask him where he wants to go. Maybe he doesn't want to go to City Hall. Ask him.You can't help someone unless you know exactly what they need help with. Ask him."
I'm reminded to ask, "What do you need help with regarding parenting your children?"

Staying centered on your path of choice, feels more challenging some days. Replay your self-talk to a friend who encourages you to see the the bigger picture. Based on their knowing of you and your goals, transforms simple unproductive venting into validating what you've learned and why you are motivated to stay the way.

I took a step back from my early morning discouragement to ask myself why it occurs. If I could better understand what brought discouragement about, I could better manage my emotions and enjoy the daily tasks on my chosen road.
Immediately, this thought popped up:
Discouragement occurs when your connection to an expectation is severed.
The cutting of your ties to a known or unconscious expectation may be caused by life, others or your own thoughts.
Both the bad and the good news is the same: You only have control over your own thinking.
I changed my thoughts this morning and engaged with my ongoing commitment with renewed enthusiasm.

It's a sign!:
In maneuvering our way down the windy path of parenting, some of us are always on the look out for a sign that we are making wise decisions. I was reminded about signs yesterday, and our interpretation of them.

My thumbs up icon was sticking in an online contest at Get Paid University. Was it a metaphor? Was I stuck? Had I stretched myself far enough into the world and needed to stop? I paused those thoughts. I admit it took me more than the prescribed 6 seconds. With renewed energy, having talked back to those negative thoughts, I considered what else I could do to gather more votes.

With that question in mind, I took my newly present self for a walk. Going down the steps of my office building, a young man called out the name on my shirt. In this oh so small world, we found out that his younger siblings had attended the preschool where I teach peace education. We chatted for awhile and then he disclosed that he had an office in the building and was an internet marketer.

Needless to say, he did give me the next step. He answered my question.
In the future when I'm looking for a sign. I'll remember to be sure it's a clear and accurate one, based on what I intend, and not one painted by those old negative voices.

Newsletter #1: Breathe: The Six Second Pause is rolling out this week. For top tips that create more joy and less frustration subscribe to our bimonthly free newsletter: contact us.

I took a Beauty Breath today. Stopping on a steep San Francisco street, a vivid green hillside apeared through the fog. I deeply inhaled its beauty and exhaled the crowded, crazy bus ride home on the 31 Balboa. I took six more Beauty Breaths and arrived home from my walk renewed.

Not from website to article because in the eyes of google it looks like a mutual link.So I took the link off this post. I'll create a page instead.
 I'm struggling with my joy in writing and sharing my process in online articles and the fact that "no one reads them and their only purpose is for page rank and page reputation."
I know it's apples and oranges. One is about traffic, the other the heart.
But what I feel is that I'm writing on velvet.
Time for some meditation,self-talk and coaching

From a friend's email, John ODonohue's poem:
When the heart is ready
for a fresh beginning,
unforeseen things can emerge.


Beginnings are an opening
for surprises
and bring exciting possibilities.


Beginnings have minds of their own.
They invite new gifts and arrivals
into one's life,
that want to be seen."

Staying committed to a long term project such as parenting or getting paid for who you are requires building endurance. You don't have the luxury of allowing your emotions to derail you from the next required task. There are days when I find it hard to give up indulging the emotions that surface as I absorb new information to far beyond the saturation point. And now I'm being encouraged to apply it!