Daily Gratitude: Be like a turtle, stick your neck out. I came across this concept from someone who was trying to explain that it’s ok to make mistakes.

They said that we should embrace those mistakes and instread of receding and pulling into our shamed self-centered world, we should look for the opportunity or gift in them

This is similar to the ancient teaching that in every adversity there is a seed of equivalent benefit. It was popularized by Napoleon Hill but it goes back even further.

Whenever you make a mistake, you can acknowledge it and if it affected someone else apologize for it but otherwise shake it off and say “what now?

What can I make of this?

How can I turn this into something wonderful?

Often when you make a mistake, your natural response Is to run away and hide.

You’re embarrassed and you just know people will think badly of you and oh, how they’ll talk.

Even though this is a natural reaction, work hard to overcome that and stand up straight, letting others know that you’re human too.

It probably will strengthen whatever connection you have with the people you’ve foundered in front of.

This becomes easier if you let go of outcomes and cultivate a flexible mindset.

When you’re not so attached to a partciular outcome, you can be freer and can accept whatever happens.

Sure, you should still have goals.

This is not license to just give up.

It’s simply encouragement to realize you can make something good out of that which initially appears bad.

I can’t do this but think of someone you know who is a good cook and can take anything sitting in the refrigerator, no matter what it looks like, add it to other ingredients and come out with something that’s actually pretty tasty. The only outcome that person is attached to is to not make others sick.

Sure that person would like it to taste good and will put all their skills into doing that but if it doesn’t taste the way someone else thought it was going to, then that’s not a big problem. Next time the cook may try something else. It’s not the end of the world.

That’s where the turtle part comes in. Turtles can’t make any progress unless they stick their necks out.

When they’ve pulled the head inside they are protecting themselves. We may laugh because turtles look so funny but you know what.

We do the same thing.

We withdraw to protect ourselves too.

Why not vow to be a turtle and stick your neck out when there’s something you’d really like to do but before today, you’d shy away from it because a) you didn’t know if you could do it. Well you didn’t know you could walk when you were a baby either did you and b) you’re afraid of other people’s reactions if you were to try and fail.

Think back to when you had a burning desire to do something and nothing could get in your way.

Did you think about what other people were thinking then? Heck no. So why are you using that as an excuse now?

Why not have a turtle day which could lead to a turtle week and maybe even a turtle month…and then god forbid maybe a turtle life!

Take a day and say “I’m not going to be afraid of anything. I’m just going to do what I’ve wanted to do and not worry about other people.

Can you do that?

Daily Gratitude: We should talk about how we can stay sane in the current world turmoil.

One thing that’s probably more important than anything else I said is the power of music – the power to soothe and to heal.

I was working on the revisions of my book today and had worked on this one chapter for 3 days so I was wiped.

I decided to take a break.

Normally I’d turn on an audiobook but I decided to listen to one of my playlists which consist of oldies and country music – an interesting combination I know.

Then I got an idea. I began to list the songs that reflected my life.

They are songs I love but they are not all of my favorites.

However, I thought they represented what I have lived and what I stood for.

I’m going to list them so you can hear what I feel is key in my life.

You may not know them all if you don’t like oldies and country music.

Of course what I consider an oldie is ancient to many of you.

After the list of songs, I’m going to give you a few quotes about music that I found and which talk about the power or music much better than I could.

When you’re anxious or scared or depressed, turn on your favorite music.

In fact, I’d recommend you make a special playlist to lift your mood.

Here’s the 10 that best represent me:
Livin on love Alan Jackson
Independence Day – Martina McBride
I hope you dance Leann Womack
Unanswered prayers Garth Brooks
I won’t back down Tom Petty
I will survive Gloria Gaynor
If the world had a front porch Tracy Lawrence
Trailblazer – Miranda Lambert, Reba McIntyre, Lainey Wilson
Love can build a bridge – The Judds
Wind beneath my wings – Bette Midler [sometimes we get angry at autocorrect but sometimes it knows more than we do – I wrote Bette and it said “Better”. It was right]

Here’s the quotes that held power for me:
“When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable.” Henry David Thoreau

“Life seems to go on without effort when I am filled with music.” George Eliot

Why don’t you try to create your own “life list”?

Daily Gratitude: Are you still painting by numbers? Maybe you no longer need the numbers.

If something’s not to your liking, change your liking. I read this in Patricia Ryan Madson’s book (Improv Wisdom) and it struck me as something I wanted to share with you.

If we change our perspective, our thoughts, and our attitude about things, then those things change.
Take a man or a woman (we’ll use a woman here) who wanted to change her spouse and they try and try and nothing happens.
Nothing except she gets more and nore frustrated and upset…even angry.

But then, she stumbles on the secret of life – they begin to work on changing their life and all of a sudden they notice changes in the spouse.

The woman changed her liking and began to focus on things for herself – things she could control.

Once that happened, there was greater room for the man to breathe. What he started to observe in her became more to HIS liking and he changed.

This happens repeatedly and you can make it happen in your life.
Here’s some other parts of the 13th maxim from “Improv Wisdom” – enjoy the ride
• Find joy in whatever you are doing, including ordinary tasks.
•   Look for ways to play. Play is essential to human growth.
•   Learning is enhanced when we lighten up.
•   Give away smiles every day.
•   Do something just for the fun of it.

People wonder why I retired when I did. It was because it no longer was fun. I was 71 and all my life my job had been fun except for two times. The one time I was a keypunch operator – don’t ask. That was the time I was told to quit or be fired. And the other time was when I finally decided it was time to retire.

I have done everything I could in every job I’ve had to make it fun. That’s actually pretty easy when you deal with people every day. Sure there are some jerks but the majority of time, the people help you have fun.

Do you take the time to look for ways to enjoy what you’re doing or do you just wait until you’re engaged in a pleasurable task?

How much are you missing in your life then?

Joy seems not so much dependent on the conditions of our external reality as it is on our way of looking at life.

Enjoyment is a way of approaching an activity, not the activity itself.

What can you do to help promote the concept of fun and enjoyment in your life or work?

Can you schedule some event either with your family or at work that is all about fun?

Or try this cute project. Pick an everyday object like a spatula and pass it around. As each person holds the object, he suggests a possible use. Keep it going as long as possible.

When you wake up ask yourself, how can I have fun today?