From this point on

This is the closing we used to end the group tonight...

From this point on

It's easy to think of yourself as the person you have been.
Yet it is far more powerful to see yourself as the person
you can become.

The mistakes and disappointments of the past may seem to be
a major presence in your life. At this very moment, however,
you can choose to leave them completely behind.

From this point on, your life is up to you. In each and
every moment that is to come, you are free to choose your
thoughts, your feelings, your actions and your attitude.

Consider the possibilities. Think about what could happen if
the limitations you thought were there, were not really
there at all.

Reach deep within yourself and connect your thoughts to the
things that truly matter. Then imagine expressing those
treasured values with the way you live each moment.

Beginning now, you can live with the richness and profound
purpose that you know is right for you. From this point on,
your life is yours to choose.

source: The Daily Motivator, Ralph Marston

The Fearless Quote

YODA: Careful you must be when sensing the future, Anakin. The fear of loss is a path to the dark side.

ANAKIN: I won’t let my visions come true, Master Yoda. (...) What must I do, Master?

YODA: Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.

~ Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

I really like the wisdom Yoda shares with Anakin. Constantly worrying about what we might lose and what might go wrong in the future can paralyze us and keep us from moving forward. We only have today. The future is not yet here. With faith and perseverance, we can plan for the future and welcome it one day at a time. It does no good to fear it.

Loss and change are an inevitable part of life. We can't prevent loss and change, but we can learn healthy ways of coping, walking through, living, persevering, and growing thanks to the lessons learned along the way.

peace, hope and love,

Lily

Recession Reflections Part I

I have a very long commute to work every day. I listen to the radio on my way there and back. In the afternoon, I usually catch The Ellen Degeneres Show.

Yesterday, Ellen interviewed MC Hammer and I absolutely LOVED his response to her question of appreciating life more when you have lost "everything"....

Here is the beginning of the interview, and also the video (she asks the question 2 minutes and 10 seconds into the interview). He also sends a message to those hurting in this current economic crisis (at minute 3:58 of interview)

...I think his words apply to getting through tough times and, in life, we all go through them...

Ellen: So life is good for you now, you would say?

MC Hammer: I would say it's excellent, yes, pretty good...

Ellen: ...and do you appreciate now the fall? I mean, I had the same situation happen to me, I don't know about the same degree but I think you can really appreciate life more when you have.....when you lose everything....

Check out Hammer Time's response in the video below.....



Thanks "Hammer Time" for those words of wisdom and thank you Ellen for the thoughtful compassionate question that brought about this response....It came at a perfect time for me and it is giving me strength as I see the effects of recession so close to me and to many....

Next time you are faced with the question, possibility or thought that you have lost or may lose everything, think of MC's words....

peace, hope and love,

Lily

Reflection for Today

I subscribe to Today's Gift from Hazelden. This is one of my recent favorite daily reflections and I wanted to share t with you..



Today I will be grateful for where I am now.

My life might not be perfect, and I might not have achieved the goals I thought I would have by now -- I might not be living the kind of life I thought I would be or want to be, but I'm grateful for this day, right now, and the fact that I've made a commitment to myself to live a life in which I'm treated with respect and dignity.

I will use this day as a gift, one that I've given myself because I deserve it. I will use this day to be glad for all I've accomplished.

I'm deserving, worthy, and valuable.

I'm a lovable person, and today I thank the person who helped me understand this.

source: Time to Fly Free by Judith R. Smith

So Small

Around this time of year, you will usually see my obligatory American Idol posts. Here is my first American Idol post of 2009.

I have a confession to make: I like country music :-) Well, not the really, really country stuff....but I do like country music (for example: Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts). I love songs that tell a story and with inspiring lyrics. Last night, watching American Idol, I stopped and listened to the lyrics of the Carrie Underwood song "So Small" and I immediately thought of posting it on the blog.

The official video is actually awesome. Make sure to watch it by clicking HERE. It is not available for blog posting.

Here is another video of the song and the lyrics.

Tonight, I stopped and listened to a song that I had listened to many times but never paid close attention to the message/lesson in its words. Is there a message in your life that you might need to pay closer attention to?



Carrie Underwood So Small Lyrics:
Yeah, Yeah

[Verse 1]
What you got if you ain't got love
the kind that you just want to give away
It's okay to open up
go ahead and let the light shine through
I know it's hard on a rainy day
you want to shut the world out
and just be left alone
But don't run out on your faith

[Chorus]
'Cause sometimes that mountain
you've been climbing is just a
grain of sand
What you've been up there searching for
forever is in your hands
When you figure out love is all
that matters after all
It sure makes everything else
seem so small

[Verse 2]
It's so easy to get lost inside
a problem that seems so big at the time
it's like a river thats so wide
it swallows you whole
While you sit around thinking
about what you can't change
and worrying about all the wrong things
time's flying by
moving so fast
you better make it count 'cause
you can't get it back

[Chorus]
Sometimes that mountain you've
been climbing is just a grain
of sand
What you've been up there searching for
forever is in your hands
When you figure out love is all
that matters after all
It sure makes everything else
Seem so small

Eating Disorder Awareness Week at NSU

This past Tuesday, Nicole Kramer LCSW, Carmen Contarini PsyD and I presented at Nova Southeastern University for Wellness Week 2009. Thanks to the students at Nova for inviting us to present at such an important event!

For information on the event that took place at Nova, you can click HERE.

Lesson from Baby Jonah

Every now and then I post about my baby nephew Jonah. Here is a video of him practicing sounds and one of his first words. These are Jonah's first steps in learning to communicate. He practices every day. Jonah's first sounds and words got me thinking.....

In recovery, we also learn to "use our words" again. We learn how to say "yes" when we want to say "yes", "no" when we want to say "no". We learn how to express our feelings using words and actions instead of using eating disorder behaviors. We learn to become assertive instead of passive and or aggressive.

Are you practicing using your words/your voice to express yourself today?

Here is Jonah practicing.....



peace, hope and love,

Lily

Making Promises and Setting Goals

"Here are two ways to put ourselves in control of our lives immediately. We can make a promise - and keep it. Or we can set a goal - and work to achieve it.

As we make and keep commitments, even small commitments, we begin to establish an inner integrity that gives us the awareness of self-control and the courage and strength to accept more of the responsibility for our own lives.

By making and keeping promises to ourselves and others, little by little, our honor becomes greater than our moods."

~ The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, page 92

Quote for Today

A beautiful thing is never perfect.

~ Egyptian Proverb