~ Inspire me ~

A movement only exists when people are inspired to move, to do something, to take up the cause as their own.     …. by Simon Sinek

• So, what INSPIRES you?

• What makes you DO?

This has brought back a thought about my mom.  When I moved out of home at the age of 18, ready to face the world out there, it was my mom who actually kept me inspired.  Besides chatting to her regularly by phone..she in Cape Town and me in crazy Hillbrow, Johannesburg, I would get a letter in the post from her…sometimes upto 10 pages long handwritten.  How on earth do you manage to write such long letters?  I one day asked her, after she asked my to buy her another writing pad, as she wanted to complete a letter to a friend.  She simply gave a girly giggle and said…”when the spirit moves you have to move with it”.

This saying of my mom has proven so true in my life.

I have been involved on a voluntary basis, with the Western Province Sport Association for the Physically Disabled for the past 11years, presently vice chair.  Here I have seen and been exposed to able bodied people who are totally inspired by people with physical and visual disabilities,  and, they have been involved for over 40 years, always encouraging and motivating members and athletes.  Thats inspiring!  That’s taking up the cause as their own.

Now here’s the humor part to me taking up the cause as if my own…well in a way it is, as I also have a disability now (as mentioned previously in a blog I have Essential Tremors). 

 

What's the cause? you ask.  

Man, if ever there is something that peeves me off then its vehicles parked in a parking bay reserved for people with disabilities.  There is just no respect or compassion for people who need those bays.  So Qasa (http://www.qasa.co.za) recently published a number where people can report such incidents by whatsapp and they would follow up with the shopping mall or wherever the parking area is, as well as get the municipality/traffic to act against these perpetrators.  Darn…I saved that number so quickly….and no im not paranoid about it, but yes if I see people, usually these rich buggers in there Mercs or BMW or 4×4's parked in a disability bay and I SEE them get out and walk and do not have a disability sign on their vehicle…..I take a pic and send on.  The cause:  Disability Awareness and respect for people needing those parking bays.

Typing this has me wondering why many people are so hesitant to follow thru on their inspiration or passion!  Are you afraid of that challenge you are facing?

Maybe you are good at some form of art / landscaping / social sport like bowls or darts, but now that you have a physical disability or progressive disease you feel you just cannot cope with what usually inspires you, but yet that passion burns within you....don't give up...re create how you can be inspired..I cant paint or bead anylong and oh how I yearn to grab a paint brush...but i'm learning now how to use my creativity in a different form.  

I have always enjoyed writing creatively but never pursued that avenue, it was always fun to write my sons essay or my niece and nephews essays and loved that they got 100% for it, but now, i'm learning how to blog, and who knows what will come from that but atleast I can use my creative thoughts in a new direction.  I have a research project up my sleeve too....about the paralympic movement, what South African Paralympians are doing after retiring from Paraympics and how sport has changed over the years for the Physically Disabled.  Its a biggie that one...but I will get to it.

So, take up the challenge, be inspired and let your passion take you to new extremes and opportunities in your life.

Greetings

OooOhhh! Those jolly gremlins

So often when we are faced with our disability gremlins in our life, its very difficult to always identify who or what that gremlin is, and believe it or not, there is no shame in identifying that gremlin.

Even though I share thoughts in my blog, I too am faced with gremlins that either mess with my head, my emotions or physically.

This week has been one of those "mess with my head" moments. As mentioned in previous blogs, my progressive disease (essential tremors) has me really frustrated.  I cant live out my life or creative ways as I have before, thinking is becoming challenging...eg. what on earth to prepare for lunch or supper.  Its easier to just grab a weetbix or a slice of toast, but thats no healthy eating for both myself or my athlete son.
Then..there is the exhaustion I experience and would rather continue sleeping, (12hrs + per day),  then I don't have to cook, or keep a cheery smile, or be frustrated because I just cant get down to doing something constructive or stimulating
Yes, what im saying is, i'm struggling too.

What I have discovered is that when I can name that gremlin out loud, talk about how i'm feeling that particular day because of my gremlin, its easier to just to manage for that day, and the next time it happens it becomes easier to deal with.

And yes, once we are diagnosed with a disease, we also go thru a mourning period, and this is where our gremlins love to raise their heads.

So this week I name my gremlin.....Depression.   Im going to learn to manage you.

Whatever thoughts you are choosing today, keep the ones that brings you peace, and release what brings you suffering.  Doing so you know that happiness is just a thought away

 What will you do today different from what you did yesterday that will help you to get closer to managing your life ? Are you going to read empowering books or network with people that will cheer you up ?

May you find encouragement in knowing, you are are not alone, all we need to learn is how to use the gifts God has given us to walk humbly with Him, joyfully..


Greetings and be blessed...

Ways to a positive Wellbeing

Its been just over a year that I have been home since breaking my leg and then diagnosed with Essential Tremors;
It has been just over a year that I have had to make sense of a lot of emotional, physical and spiritual issues in my life;
It has been just over a year now that I have had to reflect and learn that,  in order to survive within myself, daily, I would have to focus on my well being. 

  

What is important to realise, when we give from within, enjoy doing, embrace new or exciting experiences, motivate and encourage others and importantly appreciate the smallest things in life...like hearing the birds tweeting as dawn breaks (and yes you still awake and haven't slept a wink)...that life is great.

Daily we need to realise that,  even though God directs the path we travel, we as humans are also the masters and mistresses of our lives...in other words, we can huddle in a corner and play the pity party game or we can wake up each day and enjoy the beauty and wonder that each day brings.

Grasp each moment with the wonder that only life can bring.

Be blessed....

The Power of a Smile

Think about this for a moment.  How important is a smile to you?  How does it make you feel, to smile, to be smiled at?   For me, a smile can turn the day around. The Power of a Smile can instantly transform a frown or bring sunshine to a gray day. Yet how often do we take "the opportunity to smile" for granted?  Again, for me, I know I do.

When I was still working, I had a pic of a jester printed and stuck on the wall that said SMILE.  As you entered my office that was the first thing one saw, and no matter how down, stressed, frustrated or anxious a university student was, when they left my office they always left smiling, and, they quickly learnt never to enter the office without a smile.  I recently received an email from a graduate student, saying how she misses being encouraged with a smile, that this became the one thing she looked forward to when returning to student residence, know her spirits will be lifted.  

Sharing this with you has me smiling with memories, it makes one feel that nothing was in vain, that someone's heart was reached.

How often now, as we find ourselves in some or other frustrating health or physically challenging situation, do we smile....even randomly?  Are we so focussed on our own issues that we cant just smile at a stranger, at something funny and let the Power of our Smile affect those we come in contact with.

I challenge you today, next time you feel downhearted, frustrated or challenged by your health situation...dig out those pictures that make you smile, think back to moments that made you laugh and smile....as you walk about in a shopping mall, make eye contact with someone really looking down and SMILE....just smile for the sake of smiling...you will love how it makes you feel, and you will smile more when you see the reaction on peoples' faces.

A smile is a powerful tool, you can even break ice with it

Why is a smile important to you?

Chatting to my son some 3979ft above sea level, flying at 800kph and 7143km away from Berlin this evening, gave me a new (although known) perspective to how remarkable life and technology is, high in the air chatting to me and watching the soccer world cup match on tv....amazing!

This got me looking at myself with refreshed eyes.

What could I claim as my identity now that my "shakes" (essential  tremors) has toppled me from my self-assured  perch?

I have let go of expectations. I no longer judge "success"--for myself or others--by what people do, but rather by who they are. I am more accepting of their flaws and of my own. My focus is on being rather than doing, on surrendering rather than controlling, on treasuring sweet moments here and now, rather than striving to scale the top of table mountain in record time.

Now, when people ask me what I do, I say, "I am JOY champion!" 

My "shake" has opened my eyes to the true meaning of life.

I just pray and ask the Lord to "give me oil in my Lamp" daily, and keep me filled with joy, hope, peace, understanding, wisdom .....  and lots of faith.

 Greetings to you....

HALFWAY there...Be INSPIRED

Do you sometimes feel that your sense of creativity has abandoned you? Maybe feeling a little stuck and not able to get much out of you? Finding it difficult to get inspired?

This is more or less how I’ve been feeling for quite a while. Out of creativity. Out of ideas. Out of imagination. Out of inspiration. (Which explains the lack of posts lately). OK well I wouldn’t say totally out of ideas. It’s more like blurred or vague ideas that I couldn’t get my mind to really develop.

And I hate that feeling. I hate feeling stuck. Because usually, I’m the kind of person that gets inspired easily, and thoughts and ideas come flowing right at me. So standing in front of a blank paper and not being able to fill it really drives me crazy.  Or as the thoughts come to me it's like I go into a "brain freeze"...what now?

But then the other day, while I was having coffee with my friend in one of my favorite coffee shops, I saw this:

: “When inspiration does not come to me, I go halfway to meet it”. Wow.

It’s funny how we always wait for inspiration to hit us, to strike us, and to take us by storm. How we sometimes think that it is inspiration’s job to come to us, and our job to wait for it. Feeling uninspired is something very normal, and we all feel not very creative at some point and run short of ideas. But in life, we gotta work for everything and we gotta realize that waiting gets us nowhere. Even when it comes to finding inspiration. Seeing this quote made me realize that it’s also on us. We gotta give inspiration a hand, a chance to find us.

And so I decided that this is exactly what I’m gonna be doing from now on: Meeting inspiration half way. Whenever I feel that I am running out of inspiration, of creativity, I will go and meet inspiration and creativity halfway. And when I find inspiration, I will not stop there either. Because, like I once wrote in one of my very first post somewhere: “it’s not what inspires us that really matters, it’s what we do when we’re inspired“.

May you and I both take a leaf from our own thoughts.

Be inspired........

Step into your passion ......and soar

Greetings to you.....

Makeover Madness

I dont know about you, but usually at the start of each new year people dream up these fancy resolutions that they wish to do or change in there lives, maybe they did take stock of last years errors or feel they need a change within themselves.....well, I am not the type of person to start with these fanciful resolutions, but I definitely do stock taking and am most grateful for all the blessings in my life and ask God to help me to bless others in my journey for the new year.

So, 2014 has not been any different, yet it has been different too.  As I am now officially on a disability pension I decreed 2014 to be "my year" a year where I would like to do things for me myself and I, (not in a selfish way) but putting me first instead of second, needing to fill my emotional, spiritual and physical tank.  Doing a total makeover.

So, taking the bull by the horns, the first "physical" action is doing a makeover of my bathroom and kitchen, making it user friendly for later in my life...a walk in shower, no more bath, a kitchen to last a life time. I am soooo excited I can burst by the seems.

But in reflecting on all this, I can not help but also look at the spiritual aspects, this being my "spiritual" action.  There is a time in our life when God says fine lads...time for a makeover.  Sometimes He brings us to a point in our life where we need to sit back, look and listen and then we need to rest a bit in His presence and truth, to gather the energy we need to enjoy the makeover.  While all this takes place I will enjoy having my emotional cup filled and may it over flow joyfully.

Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.

It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Psalm 127:1-2
Father, build our house. Father, watch over our city. Father, give us sweet sleep, true rest and surpassing peace as we seek you, find you, and trust in you alone. Amen.

May you be blessed...and in being blessed share your blessing with another

http://vivhamman.wix.com/vivienne-hamman

2014...the start

2014......the start

because I am doing something new! Now you will grow like a new plant. Surely you know this is true. I will even make a road in the desert, and rivers will flow through that dry land. (Isaiah 43:19 ERV)
THIS IS THE YEAR YOU WILL GROW LIKE A NEW PLANT!

I had purposefully held back from blogging further, till the beginning of 2014.  Some reasons are due to changes that took place in my life, trying to adjust and adapt to not having "helpers" living with me, trying hard to cope with doing things on my own (and failing emotionally), having to face the change of being employed and on the go (yet going know where emotionally and mentally) to now being on disability pension, so can we just say i'm retired?

On the other hand, its been a spiritual journey, I have learnt to sit back, trust and believe.  My life is in the hands of an Almighty God and He has shown His ways to me in many exciting ways recently, I have experienced Victory spiritually and emotionally,I have experienced peace, peace of mind, peace of soul, I have experienced confirmation to Gods promises for my life,  I have seen God's miraculous Hand in many things in my life these past 4 months, and I can truthfully say...like that song so many years ago, I dont even know who sang it, ...

Put your hand in the hand

Of the man who stilled the water

Put your hand in the hand

Of the man who calmed the sea

Take a look at yourself and

A you can look at others differently

By puttin' your hand in the hand

Of the man from-a Galilee

God has promised, that 2014 is the start to a brand new life for me, he is the Captain of my Cruiseliner, I just have to trust in Him.  

Although I have essential tremors, and am now no longer a working girl, I believe that God has a plan with my life, and as a Life Coach, I am going to seriously apply my mind to assist people, young and oldish, to face there health challenges.   No matter what comes our way, there is always a brighter tomorrow, we just need to allow it, open up to it....and let God do the rest.


Blessings .....

http://vivhamman.wix.com/vivienne-hamman

"The doors we open and close each day

decide the lives we live."

~Flora Whittemore

How many times have your heard the saying, "When one door closes, another one opens"? It seems no matter how many, we often forget this in times of crisis, disappointment and unrequested change.

We need not fully understand why a change is occurring to ask ourselves: Am I going to let this door hit me in the rear or am I going to 'break on through to the other side'?

Very often the doors that close are positive for us!  Let's be honest, whether it be fear or insecurities, we often wait too long to make the necessary changes on our own . There are times when we ought to be grateful for the closure and consider what new and more positive paths await us.

The choice is always ours. Are you a survivor or a victim of change?

I always advocate for survivor and therefore, thriver!

Go ahead, look back and ponder for a bit, always remembering, "The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live." 

Now, please spend the rest of your time and energies finding and going through the new, more positive door. It is through this door you will discover your best self and gain the ability to enjoy all the wonderful life experiences that await you.  

Believe: You too can "break on through to the other side".

Sharing this with you from:    Positive Adaptation and 'Think, Feel and Do'  your way into becoming the best you can be.  Remember, life is to be enjoyed, not survived!