Be Your Own Cheerleader!

I know that I am very hard on myself and for some reason it is easier to focus on my flaws than my successes. Falling into the trap of negative self talk becomes a habit that can be hard to break. We all deserve love, support, kindness and respect!

Become your own cheerleader!

Put together a collage of words and pictures, that show you enjoying yourself, interacting with family and friends, being involved in the community, successes and achievements, etc. What would your collage look like?

We all get busy and the stress of life can sometimes be overwhelming. Add in a road block or two and maybe a wrong turn and all of a sudden we're no longer cheering ourselves on. But, if you were to step back and take a look at your collage, then maybe you would gain some much needed perspective during times of trouble.

Every once in a while we need a reminder of how great we are and all that we are thankful for.
Believing in ourselves gives us the confidence and strength to achieve almost anything, and the ability to pick ourselves up when we fall. Be proud of who you are and what you have accomplished. Learn to become your own best friend, your own cheerleader in life and practise self gratitude.

Our ability to succeed and accomplish great things becomes possible the more we believe in ourselves.

Namaste,

Michele Ward

 

1, 2, 3....

For me doing a weekly blog has been an amazing experience even if it did not start out so well at first. Initially I had extreme anxiety blogging initially, mostly because I have always been a very private person. Navigating the computer wasn't easy either. The anxiety then became depression which led to a place no one should ever be. I write this because I have learned how important it is to share with others. Too often we struggle silently, putting on a facade, forgetting or just not aware how we or others can benefit from sharing our thoughts and experiences. I know everyone's comfort level and experiences will vary, but for me a weekly blog has evolved into the most important aspect of being on the I Ho Chuan team.

Writing in a daily journal was not even on my radar this year until a few months ago. I had been struggling with the physical requirements over the summer months and became inspired to start a daily journal as a way of moving forward. The process has been evolving as I figure out what works best for me and I have benefited from other team members sharing their thoughts and experiences through their weekly blogs. As I re-read my daily journal entries from last week I found many important captured tidbits of information and insight that otherwise would have been lost. I have discovered just how how important and powerful a daily journal can be.

1, 2, 3 ...  benefits to be thankful for:

• Firstly, I am thankful for the insight and the sometimes forced reflection a journal provides. 
• Secondly, I am thankful for the capture of information, thoughts and ideas.  
• Thirdly, I am thankful for the journal's ability to slow time down ever so slightly and leave me feeling more grounded.

Quite a bit can happen in the course of a week that can become forgotten and even missed completely!

Namaste,

Michele Ward

Lest We Forget!

In September of 2005, a social studies schoolteacher from Arkansas did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with permission of the school superintendent, the principal, and the building supervisor, she took all of the desks out of the classroom. The kids came into first period, they walked in; there were no desks. They obviously looked around and said, “Where’s our desks?”

The teacher said, “You can’t have a desk until you tell me how you earn them.”

They thought, “Well, maybe it’s our grades.”

“No,” she said.

“Maybe it’s our behavior.”

And she told them, “No, it’s not even your behavior.”

And so they came and went in the first period, still no desks in the classroom. Second period, same thing. Third period. By early afternoon television news crews had gathered in the class to find out about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of the classroom. The last period of the day, the instructor gathered her class.

They were at this time sitting on the floor around the sides of the room. She said, “Throughout the day no one has really understood how you earn the desks that sit in this classroom ordinarily. Now I’m going to tell you.”

She went over to the door of her classroom and opened it, and as she did 27 U.S. veterans, wearing their uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. And they placed those school desks in rows, and then they stood along the wall. By the time they had finished placing the desks, those kids for the first time I think perhaps in their lives understood how they earned those desks. 

Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. They went halfway around the world, giving up their education and interrupting their careers and families so you could have the freedom you have. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.'

Moderation & Lessons

Regensburg

I'm traveling again for work and I love it, although the schedule can be quite hectic. Germany, Austria and Hungry are the countries we are visiting on this trip. Each day we are given a number of choices from a selection of guided tours or exploring on our own. Because this is my first time in these countries, I have been trying to do as much as possible.

The more I travel, the more I become aware of the need to listen to my body and practice a certain degree of moderation. Or as we say in Kung Fu... "progressing wisely!" Getting enough sleep has been a challenge and I know that I need to make more careful choices when it comes to eating due the abundance of delicious food. Eating a full breakfast and essentially two suppers a day with very few vegetables is not a healthy diet. Carbs, meat, meat and more meat seem to be the norm here. I am learning to progress wisely though as I listen to my body and make adjustments. I have also found that just as important is taking the time to reflect and enjoy those moments along the way.

I am loving the history, character, people and beauty of these countries!

Namaste,

Michele Ward