A Creator-based® Life

  Cultivate your 'Mule Mind'.   Living in the country, our family has had their share of experience with horses, mules, and other animals. The horses are beautiful, stately, noble, and run like the wind. The mules, not so much, but they get things done. They’re strong and are a real asset for guarding the other animals and helping with farm work. The difference between a mule and a horse, though, is that the horse wants to please his master. The mule, again, not so much. The horse will run himself into the ground for his leader. He is so devoted that he will literally work himself to death. A horse needs to be told when to stop. His emotions override his body’s needs. The mule, not so much. You see, a mule knows his limits. Somehow, mules have learned to understand the signals of being tired and worn out. When a mule feels a load is too heavy for him, he will sit down and go no farther. A mule knows what he can or cannot do long-term and is not af...

  See Life on its Own Terms, or Not.   I know you. If you’re reading this, you welcome challenges- even in the summertime. Thanks for all the positive feedback. I love to hear from readers! Troubles can feel big, but often, overcoming adversity is done by small tweaks in your approach. Small adjustments can make a huge difference, and the good news is that success lies in your own hands no matter what life dishes out.  You are the creator of your life experience! The trash didn’t get taken out - again. The electric bill payment is late- there goes $25! There’s an unidentified bad smell in the kitchen. Yuck! Your sweetie was less than affectionate. What’s up with that? Adversity?  Probably not. But the way you handle these smaller impositions can prevent a  snowball effect  in your day. By choosing a creative approach to small things, the big adversities are easier. You get to choose the way you respond to the trash, bills, and unidentifi...

  Why do people in love look so amazing?   Have you ever noticed how amazing someone looks when they just fell in love? Or bought a brand-new car? (Another kind of love) Or got a big promotion at work? (Accolades feel so good!) Why is it that physically, they look so much better? I mean, even their skin glows! Love.  Another form of love is compassion. And this is why all of those lucky people look better: Compassion + Mindfulness = Hope Hope is the best beauty product there is, as is love.  Being fully present with the fact that we are unconditionally loved fills us with hope and optimism for the future. Love is the best beauty treatment. So- let me give you a little self-care tip this week.  Remember how much you are and have been loved in your life.   Comb back through your memories and write down the times when you were praised, admired, supported, or hugged. If you have a hard time, keep the list going for the week. Ask our Creator to help you ...

  Self-care in Raw Deal Relationships   I got a raw deal this week, and man, did it throw me off my groove! I ordered some herbs in the mail, and when they arrived, the package size was inordinately small for the amount of money I paid. I paid for 16oz of herbs, and when I weighed the jar, it was only 4 ounces. Upon contacting the seller, she politely informed me that the weight of the herbs wasn’t what was sold; she had advertised the size of the container for that price. Lo and behold, way at the bottom of the listing, it did say that the 16oz represented the size of the container.  It felt misleading and a little deceptive, but in fact, it was a literal description.  I basically received a jar of feathers instead of the pound of heavy rocks I ordered. We all learn from life, and sometimes our “bargains” are not really bargains.  However, our thought choice makes a big difference in the emotional charge we feel, and what we do with our thoughts really mat...

  I woke up with the Monday Blahs, feeling a little under the weather and really not in the mood to work. I bumbled through my morning routine, doing it but feeling put upon, directionless and unmotivated. Avoiding my shower &, self-care, and blowing off my plan for writing, I puttered on my computer. I finally meandered into our blog space but didn’t have a heart for it. Picking up my current read, I saw this: “We clearly need something to make it impossible for us to stop ignoring ourselves.”  Wow! It smacked me right between the eyes. Laughing, I got up and proceeded to STOP IGNORING and take care of myself, shaking my head with a rueful smile over and over through the process. I had spent the past 4 hours ignoring myself, feeling more out of sorts with every hour that passed. Thank goodness for a Creator to guide my path and call it to my attention! I’m going to shower- but I will finish this when I have washed off the residual grumpy self...