Weeds Come With Flowers

Donna's Lupin Garden ©2009 Terry Gorley

When you are planting your seeds remember there will always be weeds that come with the flowers. No matter how careful you cultivate your garden those pesky little plants will find their place among your beautiful blooms.

Life is like that too. Life will throw in challenges and obstacles throughout a Lifetime. It can be smooth sailing and in the blink of an eye send us reeling in high turbulent waves during the storm of the season. What follows that storm is a rainbow. There are lessons to be learned at the end of every storm we encounter. The clouds have a silver lining if we look for it.

We can choose to sink into the depths of despair or we can see our way through by knowing there is a reason for all situations in our life.

Some of our greatest challenges will happen when we are very young. Some will come later in life. We can choose to act or react to our situation. The problem is, too many don't realize they have a choice. They haven't been taught that they do have choices.

I understand I have choices.
I understand I cannot change the past or other people.
I understand I can change my behavior and how I think.
Who I spend time with, my goals and priorities, my lifestyle and health habits.
Knowing this I can do what is best for me.
~Terry Gorley~

My writing isn't to diminish any horrific experience you may have had. Indeed any such experience needs to be acknowledged and dealt with. It is to help you acknowledge the challenges in your life, so you can move forward.

Today, I will accept the weeds that come with the flowers
~Terry Gorley~

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Planting the Right Seeds

Hummingbird Garden ©2009 Terry Gorley

Planting The Right Seedsby Pegine Echevarria

There is a quote that millions of people hear all over the world, "You Reap What You Sow". The interesting thing about that quote is that most people are not farmers, therefore the process of sowing is an art that many are not familiar with.

Many, many moons ago I was a student at John Bowne High School in Queens, New York for a short time. I attended their agricultural program (yes, I can do a comedy routine on that experience).

While I was there I learned about preparing the fields, sowing the seeds and harvesting the fruits of my labor. I was not cut out to be a farmer or continue my studies as an aggie (somehow Bronx girl to farmer Jane just didn't feel right).

It wasn't until years later that I connected the dots about that experience in my life. I had to learn the rules of sowing and how to plant the right seeds physically, then mentally and finally emotionally, so that I could share them with you.

Rule One: Clear The Land. Remove Weeds, Stumps, Rocks And Anything That Impedes growth.

You have to look inward and clear your head. We all have weeds, stumps, and rocks in our head that impede our growth. We learned rules as children that were for children, not adults. Rigid rules can hinder our careers and relationships, such as "bequiet", okay for kids (sometimes), but as adults we have to speakup.

"Don't be a show off", as adults you have to share your achievements and accomplishments - no one will do it for you. All of us heard family and cultural rules that don't work in our adult lives.

We have to change and clear our heads. How do you accomplish this for your life? By reading, going to seminars, taking courses, joining personal develop groups and hiring a coach. You have to know your thoughts, your beliefs and those that are working against you. Just like a hidden tree stump that you uncover once you start to dig, you will find hidden beliefs and thoughts that are holding you back, that is normal. Just dig, uncover, get the weeds out of the way and prepare for good things to come.

Rule Two: Use Fresh Compost And Clean Soil.

Once we have cleared our minds we may find that we might need to change our environment, friends and associates. If we keep the same people, behaviors, and environment that held us back we will continue to impede our growth and will have to continually keep clearing our heads. People may want to hang on, protect you, or hold you back. Seek the people and places that reflect who you want to be. You will be uncomfortable for a while, that will pass.

Rule Three: Label Your Seeds

You have to know what you want and be clear, in order to accomplishthis task you need to write a plan. Define your plan with affirmation statements and post those statements on your computer, dream board, bathroom, kitchen, or wherever you will be consistently reminded of what you have planted in your mind. You won't see the flowers (the results) for awhile, so you have to remember the seeds you planted and stay focused.

Rule Four: Place The Seeds In The Ground

This is your declaration. You are taking action by declaring to yourself and to the universe that this is what you want and will stay dedicated to its attainment. You commit to care for, nurture, and feed your dream. No matter what obstacles come your way, you will nurture your plan, your dream. You have made a commitment.

Rule Five: Watch The water.

Too Much Or Too Little Is Not Healthy. You have to have balance in your life. All work and no play is no thealthy. Your life should be balanced so that you have health, love, wealth, joy and rest. The seeds will grow. You have to trust the process. You can stay focused and determined while loving, laughing and resting.

Rule Six: Watch For Predators (Snails, Rabbits, Slugs, etc.)

Be vigilant regarding your thoughts. A word, an image or a momentary lapse of judgment can send your thoughts in the wrong direction. Keep negative thoughts at bay by reading positive, uplifting material. Stay away from negative news. When an influential person talks about how "THEY" (meaning some group ororganization), are holding another group of people back, whether it is a newscaster, preacher or parent. Stop listening. Only you can decide what you want to reap. Don't let predators into your mind. Stay focused on what you planted, nurture your dreams, keep vigilant and protect your dreams.

Finally; Rule Seven: Reap What You Sow

After putting in the work to change yourself and implementing your plan you will reap the rewards of your harvest. Enjoy and appreciate what you have received.

However, don't stop with just one planting. Just as farmers sow their seeds often, so should you. Each time you reap your rewards you can continue to sow bigger dreams and, in turn, your life will grow. It is time to step up and be the man or woman with big thoughts and accomplish big things with your life.

Here we go again...

Rule One: Clear the land. Remove weeds, stumps, rocks and anything that impedes growth You have to face yourself and decide to be bigger.

We all have weeds, stumps, and rocks in our heads that stop us from being bigger than we are.

And so on... You have a bigger potential, keeping sowing and reaping your rewards, the world needs your excitement and growth.

This newsletter is about you. You, the incredible person you are,you, the leader, reaching your potential.
~Pegine

Motivating Leaders in a Diverse World!
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"Reprinted from "Pegine's Motivational E-zine for Leaders in a Diverse World". Subscribe at www.pegine.com

For information call 904-280-8806. (c)2009

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About Planting Seeds

Flower Garden ©2009 Terry Gorley
I love quotes. I love planting seeds of Greatness in others. I love to inspire. I love to give others Something To Think About. So today, I am sharing with you quotes from some of the "Greats" who have done all or some of the above and so much more

"Grow yourself, clear your mind of rocks and weeds, plant a dream, nurture it and reap the rewards."
~Pegine Echevarria~

"The first principle of success is desire - knowing what you want. Desire is the planting of your seed."
~Robert Collier~
"Think twice before you speak, because your words and influencewill plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another."
~Napolean Hill~

"Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed."
~Robert_H._Schuller~
"Information is the seed for an idea, and only grows when it's watered."
~Heinz_V._Bergen~
"Keep on sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow -- perhaps it all will".
~Albert Einstein~

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10 Ways To Support Someone

Ostrich Ferns ©2009 Terry Gorley

Ten Ways to Support Someone in Being Their BestBy Michael Angier

One of the greatest responsibilities we have is to support ourselves and others in living at our highest and best. Whether we're parents, partners, friends or leaders, it's incumbent upon us to help others to live as close to their unique potential as we can.

With everything you say and do, you're influencing--positively or negatively--the people you care about. Here are ten ways you can help others see and realize the best that's within them.

Believe in ThemWe all have self-doubts from time to time. Our confidence is shaken. We lack the faith in our talents and skills to go for an important promotion or launch a new initiative. Having someone believe in you at these times is priceless.

Encourage Them"You can do it." "I know you can." These are words that are all-too-infrequently voiced. Sincere encouragement can go a long way in helping someone stay the course. The more specific you are, the better the results. "I remember when you got through your slump last year and ended up winning the sales contest. I'm willing to bet you'll do even better this time."

Expect a LotWe're often told not to get our hopes up. We're encouraged to have realistic expectations. But when it comes to helping others operate at their best, we sometimes have to up-level our expectations. This can be taken to extremes, but there are many times when a teacher, a parent or even a boss has required more of us than we thought we were capable. And we've risen to the challenge which enabled us to see further than before.

Tell the Truth
And tell it with compassion. We often avoid telling the hard truth because we don't want to upset anyone. We want to be nice. But telling the truth is a loving act. You may be the only person who can or will say to another what needs to be said. And you can confront someone without being combative.

Be a Role Model
One of the best ways you influence is by your own actions. Who you are speaks much more loudly than what you say. Don't think that people aren't watching you. They are. And they're registering everything about you consciously and unconsciously. We automatically emulate our role models. And we're all role models to someone, so let's be good ones.

Share Yourself
Too often, we miss the value of sharing our failings. We don't want to be vulnerable, so we hold back. In doing so, we deprive others of our experience, our learning and our humanity. When you share from your own experience--especially your failures--you increase empathy, you're more approachable and you increase your reliability to others.

Challenge Them
The word "challenge" has some negative connotations. The meaning we're using here is, "a test of one's abilities or resources in a demanding but stimulating undertaking."

We all need to be challenged from time to time. Doing it for another is an art form. Go too far and it will backfire. Go too easy, and you will appear patronizing.

Ask Good Questions
A good therapist or coach doesn't tell their clients what to do. They ask good questions in order for the client to understand them-selves better, to get clear on what the issue is and from there to make better choices. You can do the same. By asking elegant questions, you cause people to think and come up with solutions.

Acknowledge Them
You find what you're looking for. If you're looking for the best in someone, you'll see it. If you're looking for their failings, you'll see those. Catch people doing things right and tell them. When we acknowledge the good deeds of others, they tend to do more of them. Write a note. Send a card. Give them a call. Praise them in front of others.

Spend Time with Them
We love what we give our time to. By devoting your most precious resource (time) to another individual, you're showing them you truly value them and your relationship with them. Invest time in your relationships; it's what life is made of.

Michael Angier, founder of Success Net,
recently released the New SuccessNet Resource Book--the Top Must-Have Tools, Products, Services and Resources for Running Your Business Effectively

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My Paradox

Rocky Garden Path ©2009 Terry Gorley

I've been writing poetry for many years, yet there are times my writing skills elude me. Sometimes I go for months without writing anything impressive. Much of my creativity goes with the ebb and tides of being bi-polar.

I've learned to go with those ebbs and tides. My Life as a person who lives with bi-polar disorder is a paradox ... a contradiction.

It is my Friend as well as my enemy. It is my light and my darkness. It is my enthusiasm and my apathy. My Inspiration and depression. It is all who I am. It is what makes me a unique individual. I have learned to embrace me ... as I am.

Do I like the negative effects of being bi-polar? Of course not. Do I appreciate the creativity and positive opposite ... indeed I do!

Could I have one without the other? Perhaps not. Life is like that. It is negative and it is positive. I look for the positive in all situations. How I see any situation is a choice. I can choose to see the negative side or I can choose to see the positive side. I choose to see the positive.

Inspiration
My path of thought is very rocky;
Skipping along, I stumble and fall,
Words swirling like leaves in a breeze
Teasing, just out of reach,
Not wanting to be caught;
Then as an apparition - Inspiration appears
Words falling quickly into place,
Now like marching soldiers
Onward down my trail of thought.
Hiking along my way, I come upon a pond;
Blue, cold, crystal clear
Reflecting, as does a mirror
I toss the words - they go upward - and down,
Slicing the surface like a knife,
Though far from deep they are drowning,
Helpless in their floundering.
Then as an apparition - Inspiration appears
Brought back to reality my words are saved.
~Terry Gorley~

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Chogyam Trungpa Quote

Cherub & Roses ©2009 Terry Gorley

My thanks go to my good friend Nick Grimshawe for sharing this wonderful quote in his Beautiful Summer Morning Newsletter.

"There are times to cultivate and create, when you nurture your world and give birth to new ideas and ventures. There are times of flourishing and abundance, when life feels in full bloom, energized and expanding. And there are times of fruition, when things come to an end. They have reached their climax and must be harvested before they begin to fade. And finally of course, there are times that are cold, and cutting and empty, times when the spring of new beginnings seems like a distant dream. Those rhythms in life are natural events. They weave into one another as day follows night, bringing, not messages of hope and fear, but messages of how things are."
~Chogyam Trungpa~

http://www.experiencefestival.com/chogyam_trungpa

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Creativity & youTube

Gorgeous Poppy ©2009 Terry Gorley

You don't have to look far for creativity when you visit youTube

You can find beautiful, hilarious, thoughtful and whatever other adjective you can come up with!

I chose two today to share with you. Both are amazing in their own way. It makes one realize again just how creative Mother Nature is and how creative people can take advantage of her creativity.

Flowers

Hummingbirds

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Creativity from Different Perspectives

Summer Sunset ©2009 Terry Gorley

Creativity from different perspectives

Nurturing Creativity: Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses -- and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius. It's a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk.

Novelist Amy Tan digs deep into the creative process, looking for hints of how hers evolved. ...Inspiring Funny Fascinating!

Sir Ken Robinson talks about whether or not schools kill creativity ... Inspiring Funny "Persuasive"www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

Topics & Descriptions on http://www.ted.com/

Please Note: These are Non-Clickable links

Newest releases
Most languages
Most emailed this week
Most comments this week
Most favorited all-time
Rated jaw-dropping
... persuasive
... courageous
... ingenious
... fascinating
... inspiring
... beautiful
... funny
... informative

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Willard Wigins

Water Droplets on Strawberry Plants ©2009 Terry Gorley

Carrying on with the Creative theme.

Have you heard of Willard Wigins? Willard is a dyslexic man who can't read or write. But what Willard can do is create microscopic works of art in the eye of a needle, on a grain of sand or on the tip of a thread of hair. Can you imagine creating masterpieces that brought him 20 million dollars for his collection!

What are your Dreams and aspirations?

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."
~Louisa May Alcott~

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Individuality & Creativity

September Sunset ©2009 Terry Gorley

From Dr Wayne Dyer’s Book, “Inspiration” as related by Leo Buscaglia

The animals got together in the forest one day and decided to start a school. There was a rabbit, a bird, a squirrel, a fish and an eel, and they formed a Board of Education. The rabbit insisted that running be in the curriculum. The bird insisted that flying be in the curriculum. The fish insisted that swimming be in the curriculum, and the squirrel insisted that perpendicular tree climbing be in the
curriculum. They put all of these things together and wrote a Curriculum Guide. Then they insisted that all of the animals take all of the subjects.

Although the rabbit was getting an A in running, perpendicular tree climbing was a real problem for him; he kept falling over backwards. Pretty soon he got to be sort of brain damaged, and he couldn’t run anymore. He found that instead of making an A in running, he was making a C and, of course, he always made an F in perpendicular climbing. The bird was really beautiful at flying, but when it came to burrowing in the ground, he couldn’t do so well. He kept breaking his
beak and wings. Pretty soon he was making a C in flying as well as an F in burrowing, and he had a hellava time with perpendicular climbing.

The moral of the story is that the person who was valedictorian of the class was a mentally retarded eel who did everything in a halfway fashion. But the educators were all happy because everybody was taking all of the subjects, and it was called a broad-based education.
　
“Respect your oneness and eschew any pressure to be a conformist - be the
being you came here to be. After all, you are that powerful idea whose time
has come.” ~Wayne Dyer~

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Creativity & September 11th

White Peony ©2009 Terry Gorley

Today is September 11/09. Just eight years ago, September 11th was one of the most horrific days in world history. Yesterday, I talked about creativity. Whatever you choose to create, I hope it will result in happiness for you and be something that will make the world a better place to live.

These were my thoughts regarding that day:

Untouched

Untouched
September 11, 2001
Watching the horrors unfold
Numbed
Glued for hours … for days
Grieving for them, for freedom,
For human rights,
For security and democracy.
Pictures and headlines
Chilling to the bone
With overwhelming realization…
Of shocking vulnerability.
Beyond imagination;
True heroism in the face of adversity,
Stories of hope … and despair…
Waiting … waiting
And for what
And you wait some more
And thro’ the foggy mist of information
Dwells the nagging of uncertainty…
~Terry Gorley~

Wishing Peace For All

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Creativity

Hawthorn Blossoms ©2009 Terry Gorley

There are so many ways to be creative. The majority of us would likely come up with painting, drawing, or writing. But what about needlework or woodwork? Planning for home renovations or redecorating? Much of what we do in the way of being creative we take for granted. For example, preparing a meal takes thought and creativity! Will it be a simple meal or a three course gourmet delight to tease the taste buds! Which of your favorite spices will you add for taste and aroma?

Planning a vegetable or flower garden? How about a combination of both?


Creation is imagination ... it is unique...it is fun ... it gives a sense of purpose then fulfillment for having achieved what you imagined ~Terry Gorley~

Today, I urge you to be creative ... stretch your imagination ... reach for the stars ... know there are no limits to what you can create and achieve. All it takes is patience ... persistence ... passion ... Faith & action.

Be creative ... Dare to be the BEST that you can be!

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