Bring Your Own Sunshine

READY…  “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.”  ~ Anthony D’Angelo 

AIM… I’ve heard so many people grumbling about us having a long winter this year.  You know, I think, here in Ohio, it’s just been that we’ve had more larger snowfalls than normal, causing everyone to stay home, which leads to several severe cases of cabin fever.  The official first day of spring is always March 21^st, so winter is no longer than normal; we’ve just had to stay indoors WAY longer than usual!  Winter is also tough because we have limited exposure to the sunlight, and feeling the warmth of the sun on your face is enough to brighten anyone’s outlook.  (I know my warmer climate readers will agree wholeheartedly!)

Interestingly, we may encounter seasons in our lives, when we feel like we are in a perpetual winter.  Some days you may feel like you just want to pull the covers over your head, snuggle down in bed and stay warm and insulated from our cold-hearted world.  However, as cozy and secure as that sounds, it doesn’t get us any closer to stepping into a fresh new season of life.  Sometimes you just have to make up your mind that you are going to create your own sunshine.  It’s not always easy, but you can CHOOSE to get out of bed and do something that makes you happy.  It’s not always fun, but you can CHOOSE to watch a comedy or read a few jokes to make you laugh.  It’s not always convenient, but you can CHOOSE to make plans with a friend to get out of the house, do something different and get some much-needed positive encouragement.

While we cannot control the weather, we can control our choices each day of our lives.   Today, I encourage you to choose to do something that makes you feel the warmth of the sun in your heart.  You’ll feel one thousand times better AND your light will brighten the day of another, guaranteed.

 

FIRE!  Trying to beat the winter blues?  Do something different.  Have an indoor picnic and eat your dinner on the floor on a blanket.  Have an indoor snowball fight with rolled up socks.  Got more ideas?  Share your sunshine with others and watch them smile!

Be Excellent!

Lori Bodkin

April Showers

READY… “Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows.” ~ Helen Keller

AIM… Ugh! “Rain, rain, go away. Come again, another day!” When we sing that simple preschool song, the rain listens; it comes again another day…tomorrow!! Yes, we’re all a little tired of the rain. However, it’s normal for April weather and is going to be part of our forecast here in Ohio for the next 8 to 10 days. What if you lived in Seattle, Washington where it rains most of the days of the year? I imagine you might get used to it. Nah, not me! So what’s a person to do about it? You look for the silver lining in those rain clouds.

My children and I were discussing all the rain lately because they have only had one spring soccer practice in the past three weeks. Instead of being depressed about our situation, we started noticing all the good things that are happening because of the rain. The grass in our yard is now greener, the leaves are opening on the trees and the flowers are starting to bloom in beautiful colors at our neighbor’s house. Even though they desperately want to be outside, the rain has allowed us to spend time with each other indoors enjoying family movie nights or playing board games together. We know that the rain will eventually go away and we’ll get to enjoy the sunshine and resume our outside activities again very soon.

Does the rain have you feeling down in the dumps? Are you experiencing some personal rain in your life? Every cloud has a silver lining and if you focus on the bright side of things, usually you can at least alter your thinking and change your attitude. Sometimes all it takes is to start looking at our situations from a different perspective in order to recharge our batteries and get a fresh approach. Truly, even if the rain does go away…it always comes back another day. However, next time we’ll be ready!

FIRE! April showers bring May flowers. What positive rewards will you receive after your rain goes away? Focus on eliminating the negative storm clouds this week and see that sunbeam shine on those new opportunities.

Be Excellent!
Lori