Power of Stillness

The power of stillness!

The month of March brings the promise of spring and transformation.  You might be saying to yourself... Really?

The transformation of March into the splendor of spring pushes us to let go and shed our layers to embrace the changes for not only the seasons but for ourselves.  So often we hold on so tightly to how things are now in fear of moving forward to avoid hurt.  (Especially during fertility treatments)

How can you balance the power of this transformational energy while dealing with disappointment, heartbreak and uncertainty? 

One strategy is through the power of stillness, through being in nature and connecting to the amazing energy of creation.

For me personally, after the loss of our first pregnancy, I hid inside of our house alone with my sorrow.  What helped me bring myself back was the simple act of being with the sadness, acknowledging it and sitting in the springtime's sunshine. 

The energy of the outside can change your heart.  So for this month, and since March is said to come in like a lion and go out like a lamb, I am assigning homework...

    ·    Be with yourself in silence for 10 minutes a day during March... Really, try it in the car... can you be quiet for 10 minutes? No cell phone or music playing?  Become curious about what thoughts come up and how you feel.

    ·    Second, be outside for 10 minutes just for you!  Bundle up for the lioness part of March and wear flip flops for the lamb of March.

These are two very simple and transformational exercises to help you connect and be in your unique inner power. 

Flip It and Switch It!

Did you know that “sol" & "stice” are Latin words that mean “sun" & "to stand still”?

Given that both the Summer Solstice and Father’s Day are on June 20th this year I would like to offer a strategy to help change the associations to this day - get moving! Don’t stand still!

Celebrate the longest day of the year with the intention of FUN!

Plan something together which is your partner or husband’s choice, fishing, biking, walking on the beach or in the woods, seeing a movie, or perhaps surprise him with an “out of the ordinary” day!

But whatever you do, shift the focus to that of creating a memory!

Jackie's Pearls

"No matter where the problem is, how acute it may be, or how difficult the person may be, there is in the final analysis no one to change but yourself."
-Joseph Murphy

In general, I am constantly reminding myself to be in the moment -- really, truly in the moment and to appreciate how amazing everything is. Feeling gratitude for the sweat pouring down my face when I have the luxury of being on a spinning bike, for example, or catching a glimpse of the sun on my dog's face as he runs happily off-leash in the park. Finding joy in everyday moments that really are miracles.

Jackie Herskovitz
Teak Media Communications
www.teakmedia.com

Melinda Gates' Pearls

An Introduction to Melinda Gates' Pearls by Kristen Magnacca

The idea and word is spreading about Her Pearls of Wisdom and I am excited about the interest and the desire to share your stories. Stories about moments of insight that you hold onto that have created strength and grace for healing. Opening up the same possibility for others.

We have reached out to women in all different life circumstances coming from a place which feels that regardless of where you are in your life, your experience matters and sagely advise brings healing and comfort.

We reached out to the list of women in the Wall Street Journal who are labeled the 50 Women to Watch. We are honored to say that we heard from Mrs. Melinda Gates, the co founder of the Gates Foundation and the wife of Bill Gates. Although she does not grant interviews or speak about her personal life, her assistant shared with us some of her speeches and information about the profound work that the Gates Foundation is currently undertaking. When reviewing the speeches, this excerpt below spoke to me and I hope you find the sagely advice that I found from Melinda Gates’ words.

"The Other Side of the Mat" (excerpt from a speech by Melinda Gates)

Making our intention of the day to realize what is it like for the person on the other side of the mat?
So when we meet people in the countries we visit, we see what we have in common with them. Like us, they have hopes for the future. They have parents who love them and children who need them. They have intellectual curiosity, and an entrepreneurial spirit, and a determination to make life better for themselves and their children.

I am especially moved by the mothers I meet. They'll invite me into their homes, and we'll sit on the floor, often on opposite sides of a small mat. I have young children myself, and I try to put myself in these women’s position. What would I do, if I were on the other side of the mat? What would I want for my children?

If I were a pregnant mother in Bangladesh, I would be desperate for a skilled attendant to help me deliver my baby safely.

If I were a young mother in India, I would want to know the facts: that breastfeeding instead of using formula is one of the best ways to save my newborn from cholera.

If I were a mother in Malawi and my daughter got sick with diarrhea, I would hope that she could get the electrolytes she needed before it was too late.

Those would be my hopes, my dreams, my wishes. But in all likelihood, they would not be the reality of my daily life.

The reality is this: Every year, more than 10 million children die before they turn five, most of them from conditions we know how to prevent or treat.

In some countries I've visited, mothers don't give their children names for weeks or even months because they don't want to start caring about them. The chances are just too high that their children will die in those first few weeks of life.

When I hear a story like that, I am jolted back to my side of the mat. How can tragedy be such an everyday occurrence?

I am appalled that children are still dying of pneumonia today—a century after rich countries figured out how to treat it effectively.

On my side of the mat, when my kids are sick, they get antibiotics. On the other side of the mat, when a child gets sick, it can be a death sentence.

I ask you to put yourself on the other side of the mat—to see that these mothers love their children just as much as you love yours.When we empathize, we realize how urgently we need to make saving the children of the world a priority for the world.
[Printed with permission of the Gates Foundation]

Doreen's Pearls

Doreen Condry,
Her Pearls of Wisdom...

As a young girl, my mother’s influence helped develop the depth of love for God I carry on my journey through life.

We all have a choice to make. My choice is to love each and every one of God’s children no matter what difference is seen on the outside. Inside each of God’s children is a “Pearl” of God’s love that will shine through if allowed. Everyone is in need of love. I ask God each day to use me as a vessel to do His work.

My pearl of wisdom is “Love is the basis for all good things.”
Without love and light you are a misguided vessel. With love, the abundant joy you will feel doing God’s work is all that you need to flourish in this life.

Another would be, “Seek peace and gain wisdom from those that have come before you”. Elderly people are the salt of the earth. They have experienced most of what we will face. They can prepare us in some way to handle life’s challenges and uncertainties.

Doreen Condry Interiors
"A full service design center"
Home office: 508-529-6716
Mobile phone: 508-726-9580

Arbonne International
Pure, Safe and Beneficial
Health and Wellness Products

Debbie's Pearls

Debbie Hershey,
Her Pearls of Wisdom....

I have been married for almost 30 years and have 2 sons, 21 and 23. Whoever said raising boys is easier than girls must not have boys. During my toughest times my mother told me that,

"Mothers of boys have a special seat right next to God." I am counting on that.

When they were little mom also told me to,

"Cherish them and hold on tight, because one day they start 1st grade and the next day they graduate."..... This is the truest statement my mother ever made.

I hope these quotes help other mothers of boys in the trying times like they have helped me.

Tara's Pearls

Tara Cousineau,
Her Pearls of Wisdom...

The best advice I ever received was to teach my husband to ask me, after a long work day, after kids are to bed, and so on:

“Is there anything I can help you with tonight?” ...That's how the laundry gets done.


Tara Cousineau, PhD
Tara’s new fertility blog: The Gametehttp://www.thegamete.com/
Tara’s blog on mothers and daughters:http://www.princessandpeablog.com/
Foibles and Fables on Being Female

Please take a few moments to consider completing my mother/daughter survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=0dmz1ddO_2fQQJMrG1Z9P5ag_3d_3d

Shirley's Pearls

Shirley Warren,

Her Pearls of Wisdom....

"Be kind when given the chance and create the chance to be kind often!" - ohmdog.com

"There is a hidden gift in everything that happens." - unknown

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

please consider the environment - do you really need to print this email?
oh yes and sometime check out http://www.ohmdog.com/

Shirley Warren
shirley_warren@mac.com

Danielle's Pearls

Danielle Lindquist,
Her Pearls of Wisdom....

"You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about the future." ---(unknown)

“Life is filled with so many exciting twists and turns. Hop off the straight and narrow whenever you can and take the winding paths. Experience the exhilaration of the view from the edge. Because the moments spent there, that take your breath away, are what make you feel truly alive."
--Stacey Charter

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
--Muriel Strode

Pamela's Pearls

Pam Alix,
Her Pearls of Wisdom....

I have always liked the quote...

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans"
( I think it is from John Lennon originally)

I also love these:

"God doesn't require us to succeed; he only requires that you try."
"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much."
(both from Mother Teresa)

Dr. Pamela Alix
drpamalix@yahoo.com
Tri River Family Health Center
Uxbridge MA 01569

Shannon's Pearls

Shannon Lewis,
Her Pearls of Wisdom....

Here is my sage advice...

"Do not waste time worrying about things that are out of your control." Invest that energy on your kids, your marriage or yourself. Worrying gives you wrinkles.

I try and live my life by this. That's why I look so young!!

Diana's Pearls

Diana Buono,
Her Pearls of Wisdom....

I am a happily married woman of 19 years with three loving children ranging in age from 7 to 16 years old.

My faith and love of God are the driving forces in my life and permeate all that I attempt to do to give Him glory. The foundation of which is to live by the “Golden Rule” which is, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Translated for each of my children since they were toddlers as,

“Treat other people the way you want to be treated.”

I am a Type A person with a running to do list always in my head. I've noticed that sometimes I get so caught up in my agenda of accomplishments that I plan to make for the day that I lose sight of living in the moment and being open to the non-agenda "obstacles" that are frequently placed in my path. I've come to learn that it is good to have a tentative plan for the day that is flexible enough to be open to God's will and agenda as well. The following quote from a Lenten reflection book this year really sealed my commitment to strive to live this daily:

"Life is not so much about what we accomplish but what God does in us with our consent."

I also begin my morning with the following personal prayer in the fervent hope each day that, as Ralph Waldo Emerson so beautifully stated in his poem about a measure of success being, if “even one life has breathed easier” because He chose to use me as his instrument.

Dear Lord, Please bless me with an abundance of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit that I need today to be a better daughter to you, a better wife to my husband, a better mother to my children and a better friend to my neighbor. Help me to see the world through your eyes so that I may have the proper spiritual perspective to do Your will in all situations I encounter. Please grant this through the Immaculate Heart of your mother Mary on whose intercession I continually rely for help. Amen.

Karen's Pearls

Karen Johnson,
Her Pearls of Wisdom....


[The first women I contacted about "her pearls of wisdom" were my family members and my sister. Karen is a nurse and works at Bay State Medical Center in the quality assessment department. ]


"this too shall pass" - I use this one often to remind myself that a difficult period in time will pass and things will get better.

It seems whenever I am feeling particularly sorry for myself or my situation - God puts me right in the path of someone who clearly has it much worse than I. I can't tell you how often I am walking through the halls of the hospital enjoying my own pity party when around the corner comes a critically ill child or grieving family. I always say, "Thanks God, I got it". As George, my husband, says, you don't have to look very far to find someone who is having a harder time than you. It is sometimes hard for me to remember, so I am always grateful when God reminds me.

Doing something for someone makes me feel better too. Sometimes I pay for someone's coffee in the cafeteria line and then there is always the Christmas Family and the foster kids we buy for- At work we also buy back to school stuff for the school across the street from the hospital - the inner city kids at Lincoln school would not have school supplies without our help. We send supplies to the troops in Iraq, and collect for collegues that are having a tough time, etc, etc-

First Pearls....

I felt it only appropriate to begin "Her Pearls Of Wisdom" with a pearl from my Auntie Joann, who passed just three short weeks after the birth of my daughter Grace Sarah Rose.

She was an amazing women who seemed to be able to shed God's shining light on the darkest hours. When I first began my business at the young age of 22 years old, my family was cautiously optimistic for my success. It was my Auntie Jo who would visit me weekly and check in on how the whole new endeavor was running. She listened from the heart and filtered out the unncessary with God's Grace to help me get to the root of the issue. Then she would quickly respond with this gem:

"Don't let the turkeys get you down"....

I took it to mean to be aware of peoples' intentions and motives and don't let them drag you into their issues. I'm sure you have been in situations where you find yourself owning another person's burdens, troubles or issues that they have created within their choices. It is within this pearl that one gains a moment to reflect and verify to see if whatever is happening really is yours to take on.

In loving tribute to Joann Darcy Hewes, my aunt, friend and other mother.