From the Perspective of a Dandelion

One of my earliest memories was when I was in preschool at the age of 4. It was May Day and as part of the celebration we transformed cardboard milk containers magically into the most beautiful flower baskets you’ve ever seen. Before our moms came to pick us up that day we filled our baskets full with blooms picked from the millions of dandelions in the backyard of the school. We all left with bunches and bunches of the most fabulous yellow flowers. I’m sure our moms were thrilled.

I’ve always loved dandelions. You have to admit that it’s kinda nice to see that first pop of bright color every spring. And when you come across a whole field of the vibrant yellow flowers, you can’t help but smile! They’re just so cheerful! Oh, and I can’t forget to mention how fun they are when they turn to white puffballs! What kid (and sometimes even adult) doesn’t love to blow the dandelion wisps? I’ve always had the feeling that those tiny seeds carry some sort of magic with them as they take to the wind.

So, yes, I really do enjoy dandelions.

I have to keep my opinion of dandelions rather quiet from my husband though. He puts hours into removing the “weed” from our lawn. He (along with many, many others) absolutely despises dandelions. Where I see them as cheerful and pretty, most see them as a nuisance and are frustrated by their heartiness. They pre-treat early spring, trying to cut the blooms off at the pass. Then, when that’s not successful, they spray each individual plant after they show their ugly head. It’s nearly impossible to stay ahead of them. And then of course, a different line of defense is necessary if they take up residence in your flower garden. Spraying would most definitely kill all the legitimate flowers growing there, so this is when it’s necessary to find that really sharp weed digger tool and dig those little monsters up from the root ball.

So, yes, most people hate dandelions.

Perspective is an amazing thing, isn’t it? An identical object, in this case a dandelion, can be beautiful to one person and a nuisance to another. And so it goes with anything in life: a situation, a circumstance, a daily occurrence. While some may look at them as bad, there are always others who would look at them as good. So what’s the difference? It all comes down to a decision. Because of my own perception, I’ve chosen to like dandelions. And we all have that same power over everything. So today, instead of deciding to dislike the same old things, choose to look at the silver lining, and find something to like instead. You’ll have a better day because of it!

Becky,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
“We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are.” ~Talmud

Empowerment Tip: You Don’t have to be a Rebel to Break the Rules

I’m a rule follower by nature. I tend to wait my turn, be on time, wear my seatbelt, come to a complete stop at a stop sign, return books to the library by the due date, and refrain from drinking before noon (not that afternoon cocktails are usual for me either).

But lately I’ve been thinking about rules. I can see some are important for our safety, and others are important for civil order; but I’ve come to realize that we accept some rules without a second thought. Could we benefit by taking a closer look at our beliefs about rules and rule-breaking?

That might make me a rebel, but I don’t really feel like one. Instead I prefer to be an independent thinker; capable of making up my own mind and setting my own rules for my life. Maybe it’s time for you to think about breaking some rules too? Consider these points…

• Famous rule breakers include Christopher Columbus, our Founding Fathers, Susan B. Anthony, Picasso, and we could go on. How different society would look if they hadn’t had the courage to break a few rules in their day. Instead of inspiring change, they could have chosen to stick with the status quo. For us as women that would mean living on an Earth that’s flat as a pancake, subservient to the king, without the right to vote. Oh, and while the men are out discussing politics and the news of the day over fine scotch and cigars, we’re stuck at home staring at boring art. Doesn’t sound appealing to me.

• Conflict isn’t very becoming of a lady. Women belong at home. Women and children should be seen and not heard. Sounds preposterous in this day and age and yet at one time these unwritten rules were believed and enforced. Makes me wonder…What unwritten rules keep us from speaking our truth today? What would breaking those rules look like?

• Many of the rules we follow today we do to avoid conflict. Nobody likes an argument but it’s healthy to express your opinion! Remember, you don’t have to agree with everyone, and it isn’t necessary to have a winner in every debate. Everything doesn’t have to be open for discussion, does it? If you believe in it, I say break the rules!

• Sometimes it’s our own rules that keep us hostage. What self-enforced rules are keeping you from your true power? Take some time to question your perceptions, assumptions and beliefs.

• Just because it’s a rule doesn’t make it right. If you believe you need permission to break the rules, please do so anytime your highest values are supported by doing so! I’ll back you all the way!

Kim,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
"Life is short; break the rules...Forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile." ~Unknown

With an Ageless Attitude You're Never Too Old

It seems as though there’s a common fear among women as they age; that they have an expiration date and once they reach a certain point in time they’re too old. Too old to try new things, go on grand adventures, start new careers, or live the life of their dreams.

We’ve never really bought into that way of thinking. Perhaps it’s because within our midst is a real-life example that debunks this limiting belief; our own mother, Rita.

Shortly after Mom turned 60, she and Dad sold their farmstead of 30 years, got rid of most of their belongings, purchased a massive RV and hit the road with nothing but a compass and possibility ahead of them. When they announced their plans it wasn’t hard to imagine Dad loving life on the road, but Mom? She was more of the stay at home and tend to the garden type. But, it’s been over 6 years now and together they’ve had enough adventures to prove to anyone that you’re never too old.

While they still summer back at the farm, the rest of the year is spent touring the highways and byways of the country and volunteering for the Texas State Park System. They’ve been east and been west, visited what we believe to be a record number of wineries, walked battlefields and toured mansions, and never leave a state without stopping at the Presidential library, if there is one. Some of their escapades make us extremely nervous and we remind them that we’re not made of money and should they be kidnapped while exploring those remote towns in Mexico, we’re not quite sure how we would pay?!

Their State Park stories make us a bit anxious too. The long hikes on rough terrain setting trail markers is very physically demanding, even for the much younger park rangers, let alone a couple of 60 something gringos. Still, they send back pictures of the group, park rangers exhausted and resting in the shade, Mom and Dad in wide brimmed hats, spry as always and smiling from ear to ear.

You can image our surprise when Mom announced she and Dad would be taking a 4 day tour across the Rio Grande into the mountains of Mexico, on mules no less. Mules? Yes, the extremely steep and rough terrain was too much for most horses. Mules could navigate the rugged country much better. And so they went, and rode, and had a great time. We picture their adventure to be a little like Billy Crystal and the gang in City Slickers. They say it was a full trip, riding up to 25 miles a day, but that they hope to do it again, sore butts and all.

And who can forget white water rafting on the Rio Grande. The white water was no match for Mom. Five hours was spent navigating the river along with a guide. The areas of rapids were a little threatening to them at first but it didn’t take very long at all before they had the hang of it. They also were able to experience rafting through multiple narrow gorges, too. And as they glanced up they couldn’t help but notice stranded vehicles perched along the side wall. Cars that had driven off the road up above and it was too dangerous for any rescue personnel to pull them back out, so there they stayed. Yikes is right!

But the adventure to beat all, and one that makes us wish we could implant a tracking device into each, consisted of them setting out through the Texas dessert to look for ancient hieroglyphics. They had heard about them from a park ranger and listened intently as he described the location. On their next day off they packed up their Jeep and set out across unkempt roads (later we would learn a cactus spine had actually lodged into the tire of their vehicle but they made it all the way back to Wisconsin before the tire began to leak!).

After hours of driving they finally arrived at their destination, a sheer rocky cliff. Not exactly as they envisioned, and not prepared with any type of climbing gear, they stopped for a moment to question if they should really continue.

Well, since others had done it, they certainly could too and so they set out up the rock face. Carefully climbing but enjoying every minute. Upon reaching the top and discovering the ancient drawings, they decided their climb was definitely worth it; a view of untouched history. The hieroglyphics were amazingly preserved within the recesses of the cliff. And the view of the mountainous dessert, well that was amazing too.

But then came the even more difficult task of climbing down. Thankfully they made it back safe and sound and reported back to the park ranger about how amazing their day was. With wide eyes the ranger replied, “What?! No one climbs up there! How did you even make it?!”

Thanks for being such a positive influence on us Mom! We may not be quite as adventurous as you, but we haven’t given up on ourselves yet! You’ve proven to us that there’s plenty of time for wild escapades and thrilling explorations. But more important is this lesson: Age isn’t a number, and it has nothing to do with how you feel…it’s more of an attitude and yours is ageless. We love you!

The Soul Sisters

Soulspiration of the Week:
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” ~C.S. Lewis

Growing Grass the Wrong Way

My husband and I bought our home 10 years ago this November. We were 20 and 23. Uffta, way too young to take on such responsibility! Thank goodness my husband and I had the perfect mix of patience, love, and common sense to see us through!

When we bought our house it was newly built but had been left vacant for over a year. It was exciting to have a “new” house but the yard definitely needed some TLC. Grass was never planted and the lawn was literally a yard full of waist-high weeds. It was November and there was no growing season left for the year. The only option we had was to cut everything down to the ground and tackle the grass situation the following spring.

Five months later my husband decided it was time. Finally some green grass was in the works! The first step was loosening up the dirt and since we had no prior knowledge of anything of this magnitude (we had only cut the stuff before), we relied on our common sense and went to work. Brad put me on a lawn mower and told me to drive in circles while I pulled a “drag”, weighted by a concrete block, behind me. So that’s what I did – round and round. The ground was exceptionally hard but to me that only meant more trips around.

Being that this was spring, the neighbors were making their first appearances outside after their winter hibernating and we were seeing a lot of them for the first time. As I was busy attempting to bust up the dirt, a neighbor gentlemen stopped me, literally, and said, “You’re doing that completely wrong – you’re going to have to get a tiller in here and till up that ground if you ever want anything to grow.”

I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t believe that someone would actually stop to point out that they thought we were doing something “wrong”. I drove to the backyard where Brad was working and told him. He said, “Well, get back up there…now we really need this grass to grow.”

The grass did grow that year in our little plot of land. And all these years later we have one of the best looking lawns on the block! I think back to that man anytime I find myself labeling someone’s process as “wrong”. It’s easy to slip into that “controller” role but just because I would do something differently than someone else, doesn’t make their way any less right. And most of the time their way works out just fine. There’s more than one path to the same destination. It was an important life lesson…There is no sense in spreading negativity by pushing our mistaken ideals on other people.

Becky,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
"When you know you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut." ~Will Rogers

Look a Bit Deeper

It was an unexpected surprise to find myself in the company of several former coworkers earlier this week. Some of whom I hadn’t seen in over 15 years. The conversation was much what you would expect to hear during such an occasion; a few laughs over old times, updates on jobs, careers, children, and for some even new grandchildren.

It was during the goodbye’s that one individual looked at me and said, “Jenny, you haven’t changed a bit; you look exactly the same as you did all those years ago.” Well, how about that…Obviously, he wasn’t close enough to see the wrinkles and I have to admit the lighting wasn’t the best so that would explain the fact that he missed the hues of gray in my hair. But still, a pretty great compliment just the same.

Later that day I thought about the comment once again. I pondered it for a moment I had to ask myself, “Can I really look exactly the same after so many years…How could that be possible? I certainly don’t feel like the same person that I was back then.”

To the untrained eye I might seem the same…but a closer look would reveal something quite different. The slight streaks of silver in my hair signify my 20 years of marriage this year. Those little gray surprises appear out of no where with deep rooted strength. They soften with age and blend in time to create a new shade of color; rich in love, respect and compassion. The two crow’s feet that are beginning to appear along side each of my eyes signify my two children. The subtle lines change and grow with each passing year. Becoming more noticeable on the surface as their character develops and they begin to make their mark on the world. The small laugh lines around my mouth signify my challenges and trials. They are very small in the big scope of things, but are necessary for growth and learning life’s lessons while remembering to keep a sense of humor at the forefront. And, the brown age spots, well those are simply reminders to wear sunscreen and a large brim hat.

On the surface it may appear that not much has changed in my appearance over the course of 15 years. But I feel better knowing that that isn’t the case. I love these marks of aging and I wear them proudly.

Jenny,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
"There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age."  Sophia Loren

Who Do You Think You Are?

Who are you? It’s such a simple question, and yet at the same time so complicated. As women we’re influenced by the media, society, mentors, parents, friends and spouses. We conform and adapt to be accepted, promoted, liked, loved, and admired. But peel away the layers of what others want us to be, and who are we then?

Consider the story of the eagle who thought he was a chicken…

A naturalist was visiting a farmer one day and was surprised to see a beautiful eagle in the farmer’s chicken coop. "Why in the world have you got this eagle living in with the chickens?"

"Well,” answered the farmer, “I found him when he was little and raised him in there with the chickens. He doesn’t know any better, he thinks he is a chicken."

The naturalist was dumbfounded. The eagle was pecking the grain and drinking from the watering can. The eagle kept his eyes on the ground and strutted around in circles, looking every inch a big, over-sized chicken. "Doesn’t he ever try to spread his wings and fly out of there?" asked the naturalist.

"No, said the farmer, and I doubt he ever will, he doesn’t know what it means to fly."

The naturalist persuaded the farmer to let him take the eagle out and do a few experiments with him, even though the farmer made it clear he thought the naturalist was wasting his time.

First, the naturalist lifted the bird to the top of the chicken coop fence and said "Fly!" He pushed the reluctant bird off the fence and it fell to the ground in a pile of dusty feathers. Next, the undaunted researcher took the ruffled eagle to the farmer’s hay loft and spread its wings before tossing it high in the air with the command "FLY!" The frightened bird shrieked and fell ungraciously to the barn-yard where it resumed pecking the ground in search of its dinner. The naturalist again picked up the eagle and decided to give it one more chance in a more appropriate environment, away from the bad examples of chicken lifestyle.

He set the docile bird on the front seat of his pickup truck and headed for the highest butte in the country. After a lengthy and sweaty climb to the crest, with the bird tucked under his arm, he spoke gently to the golden bird. "Friend, you were born to soar. It is better that you die here today on the rocks below than live the rest of your life being a chicken in a pen, gawked at and out of your element."

Having said these final words, he lifted the eagle up and once more commanded it to "FLY!" He tossed it out in space and this time, much to his relief, the eagle opened his seven-foot wingspan and flew gracefully into the sky. It slowly climbed in ever higher spirals, riding unseen thermals of hot air until it disappeared into the glare of the morning sun.

So, who do you think you are? Are you living life true to yourself? Or, are you living life based on the perceptions, expectations, beliefs, and/or desires of others? This story is a wonderful parable for how we live life unaware of who we really are, and instead settle for living life based on the lives we see others leading, or worse, what others want us to be.

Thankfully it doesn’t have to take a life-threatening situation like a push off a cliff to make us realize who we are, our true desires, or our calling in life. It just takes awareness and a little detective work, and our upcoming tele-training event is just the thing to get you started! We would love to introduce you to someone truly amazing…The real YOU!

Self-Aware: Discover the Real You

Monday, May 9, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. (CST)

The Soulspring Tele-Classroom*

It’s FREE*! We invite you to be our guest!

*Long distance phone charges apply where applicable.

You will receive your tele-classroom access code and training materials via email prior to the training call.

REGISTER FOR “SELF-AWARE: DISCOVER THE REAL YOU” TODAY!

Kim,

Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
“Only by much searching and mining are gold and diamonds obtained, and man can find every truth connected with his being if he will dig deep into the mine of his soul.”  ~James Allen

Don’t Wait for the Next Commercial

I had just gotten home from work. It had been a tense day; everyone coming at me with their requests and nothing was getting accomplished or checked off my own list of to-do’s. I headed to the kitchen to begin preparing supper.  I put a pot of water on to boil and was trying my best to hurry up the process.  I quickly took an inventory of the ingredients I was to need and realized the vegetable was in the freezer downstairs. Not wanting to leave the heating pot unattended I threw the request out within earshot of the two bumps sitting on the couch watching TV. I got a quick response from the male teenage bump, “At the next commercial”. (Now let me just say these two rarely sit comatose in front of the TV for hours on end. However, this day was chilly and damp outside so they were spending their after school unwind time watching ICarly.) Wait for the next commercial, what am I suppose to do with that? What if I need the vegetable before the next commercial comes on?  Ugh!  My pot of water still wasn’t boiling but I can attest that something else was about to boil over.

I mustered up the kindest sounding voice I could and asked the request a second time. To my relief my son dragged himself off the couch to fetch that last supper ingredient. Thank you!

But still I was pondering this idea of waiting for the next commercial, where did they learn it anyway? Who am I kidding….This is certainly not a new phenomenon. Since there has been televisions there have been kids procrastinating on every task imaginable. They wait for a convenient point to break away and do whatever it is that is waiting for them. And, it’s not just kids, as adults we have been known to pull the same trick. Household chores are often broken up into 3 minute chunks of time, perfect for completion during the scheduled commercial interruptions.

Actually, it affects a number of areas in our adult lives as well! How many times do we wait for that convenient place to break away in order to do the things that are waiting for us. You’ve got big things waiting for you; goals, dreams, passions. Don’t just live life commercial to commercial, force yourself to pause the programming a little more often and you’ll be amazed at the things you can accomplish. Turn off the repeats and reruns and a make an all new primetime show…starring YOU!

Jenny,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
We shall never have more time. We have, and have always had, all the time there is. No object is served in waiting until next week or even until tomorrow. Keep going day in and day out. Concentrate on something useful. Having decided to achieve a task, achieve it at all costs. ~Arnold Bennett.