Rain and Sunshine

Without the rain we wouldn’t appreciate the sunshine, without the wind we wouldn’t appreciate the calm.  Isn’t that the irony of life – that the only way to really appreciate the good is to also have experienced the bad?  I guess that’s the yin and yang of life and where balance comes in.  I’ve said this in the past; through trials is where we find our strength and this goes for many things in life.  If you had everything then you wouldn’t know how it feels to want.   So being in a position that you’ve had to want for something makes it all that much more special when you no longer have to want.  So, if the hard times come your way, remember these are trials that will help you be humble and learn lessons in whatever it may be you are experiencing.  Although at the time you may feel like you can never make it through whatever it is your going through, once you do, you will have hopefully learned a lesson and feel a sense of strength knowing you made it and being ok will feel all that much better!

In life there’s a happy balance I believe we all strive to achieve; remember, too much of anything will kill you – even water.  There is a happy balance of trials and tribulations that is necessary for human growth.  Remember this next time you don’t understand why something might be happening to you.  Be strong, hold on and get through it – I promise you will learn something from the experience as hard as it may seem at the time.

Life is ever-changing and it goes on!  When I look back at my life I can literally tell you why most things happened to me the way they did.  Yes, some things were beyond my comprehension and at the time I couldn’t understand why me.  Now, however, I realize there was a greater purpose in having understanding and compassion for other people’s struggles.  I guess my point is, if everything was always perfect or conversely, always not perfect, your life would be totally unbalanced and you wouldn’t fully appreciate the good or the bad.  Be thankful for the lesson’s, good and bad, and remember everything we experience in life is a process to grow and become better.

God Bless!

Heidi

www.holdheidishand.com

New Life, New Challenges!!

So, if you stay in touch with Hold Heidi’s Hand you might know that a lot of change (mostly good:) has happened in my life – especially over the last few months!  It seems almost impossible to believe how God has worked so many thing out for me and, also, how much I’ve worked on myself to make the positive changes I needed to make to continue on the path to my best health and life.  It’s also become necessary for me to take a step back and do a bit of strategic planning, so to speak, to make sure we continue to complete the mission and passion in  Hold Heidi’s Hand. And we will!

It’s kind of interesting to me that, as so many things have worked out so well and I continue to re-engage and reunite with my whole life to include wonderful old friends and family, how challenging it is to juggle all these new blessings! It seems almost silly to think that when a person gets pretty much everything they want that somehow there’s a new kind of stress that comes with it.  Of course, a major move, a new house, searching for the job that will pay the bills, managing my time so I can spend as much time as I can with my wonderful daughter, Kaitlyn and many more changes to my life does seem a little daunting as I write this, but the thing that is amusing is how oddly…for lack of a better word…lost… I sometimes feel, even being surrounded with such good and positive things.  All the nagging little doubts that come to mind – “can I do this? Is this really my life? Will something happen to take it away again?” – All these little things seem to shout at me!  Again, the ironic thing is, that for the first time in a very long time, none of those old familiar fears really have a leg to stand on.  That is, unless I give them the “prop” they need to actually get the legs and start walking!  I hope everyone reading this can hear me shout, NO!! Not this time! Instead, I just decided to practice what I preach; continue to look at and add to my gratitude list, practice mindfulness, listen to my inner person and my own body  and ultimately just keep on keeping on!

Of course, as is true in everything we do in this life, all of the things I just mentioned are a matter of choice.  We must remember, the one constant thing that never changes is that everything changes.  No matter how good or bad things appear to be in your life, it will change, and with that change there will come a new set of blessings, but also a new set of challenges.  Again, it’s important to stay vigilant, forgive and be thankful; but never forget the fight that brought you to this better day and never give up hope for tomorrow because God is with us always!

God Bless!

Heidi

http://www.holdheidshand.com

Little Foxes

So, as I travel along the road seeking the best life I can have, watching out for the pitfalls, practicing my mindfulness and see all the things I’ve dreamed of and hoped for coming to pass literally, right before my very eyes; today I am reminded of another little fox that might just sneak in while we’re not looking and wreak havoc in the chicken house!

I was reminded of how quickly all the small things around us, the little foxes, so to speak, even innocent and good things, can often start coming between us and the two most important relationships in our lives; first, our relationship with God and secondly, our  relationship with our own SELF!  It seems when we’re in the midst of a battle or have a real need, it’s pretty easy (or maybe just through desperation and frustration) to carve out the time in the day to seek God first and look into ourselves to try to examine where the problem may lie. For me, it’s been a long battle back to a wonderful place in my life and I’m only looking for the better days that are coming…but…as life gets busier, and there’s places to go, people to see, jobs to do… I know the one thing I must not do is forget to take care of those two most important relationships first.  Funny, but it seems like it would be easier to stay thankful and mindful of all the good in your life when life is good, but for some reason it seems like most of us call out to God and are willing to make necessary changes in our lives when we have screwed up our lives and can’t figure out how to get out of the hole and then when things get better we forget to do the very things that made our lives better!

So today, I wanted to remind us all of one key thing – be true to yourself – again, as I’ve said before and have learned for myself, if you don’t value yourself you will not value others the way you should if you want right and good relationships and right and good things to happen in your life.  You must also stay vigilant – pay attention to your life; how are you feeling?  Are you stressed out or angry and can’t quite figure out why? Have you lost the joy you were feeling not so long ago when you were taking better care of yourself?  If the answer to any of those questions and others like them is yes, you need to stop a minute, step back and see what’s changed in your life.  Chances are it will be because you’ve started cheating those two most important relationships out of the time and attention you should be sharing with them!!

God Bless!

Heidi

holdheidishand.com

 

Smile you’re ok!

Figuring out how to smile and appreciate everything in life no matter what cards you are dealt takes time and patience but you can get there.  When you begin to cherish all the little things you have to be happy about you will soon realize there’s always something to smile about no matter how difficult things may seem.  I think this is where many of us get lost, we focus on the things that aren’t right and they magnify.  Instead of dwelling on the negative, make a conscious effort to dwell on only good things.  When those thoughts start creeping in your mind it’s up to you to change your focus.  Just like everything in life this takes practice. The more you learn to control and direct your thinking the sooner it will become second nature.  It’s natural to start thinking “what do I need to do, what did I do wrong, did I say the right thing”, but the fact is, what was said was said, what was done was done, and what needs to be done will be a step at a time.

You can’t do everything all at once but what you can do is take your day one thing at a time.  Smile, you will be ok if you decide to take the day for the day and trudge on!  Unexpected things will come up, your day won’t always be perfect, but when you’re happy on the inside it doesn’t matter what life throws at you!  You can remain calm, collected and at peace when you approach your day with a positive attitude and be vigilant about keeping your focus!

 

God Bless

Heidi

http://www.holdheidishand.com

Wait for the stars to align!

Sometimes we want things to happen before it’s time for them to happen.  We think we know what might work perfectly or that our time is the right time.  This is where you have to realize things will work out the way they need to if you’re patient and you remember not to force things.  Stay the course, hold on and be patient.  So many times I’ve seen things work out even better when I chose to believe and trust the process.  Truth is, there are times in your life that you think you are ready but really you’re not.  You might need to grow a little more in yourself to truly be prepared for what’s to come.  This is where I believe we are constantly in training for what’s next in our lives.  It’s almost like all the little situations and how you handle them, how you learn from them, will teach you how to deal with situations headed your way.  The mistakes you’ve made and the lessons you’ve learned are all preparation to become a stronger better person.  Yes, I know this can be a frustrating process, but the only way to really know what not to do is to go through it, make mistakes and fix the things that you need to change.

When you finally get it, finally look in the mirror and realize what’s not been working in your life and make a permanent decision to change, the doors will open!  For me, I’ve learned that I’m not always right, something’s don’t need to be said, and being humble and kind in all situations really is the right way to go.  I’m constantly learning to be grateful for all opportunities and how blessed I really am.  I will never take this for granted; I’ve been down that road and it’s amazing how quickly, when you take things for granted, they can blow up in your face.  Appreciate every chance and opportunity to grow and become better.  Take the hard days as lessons; that you are strong enough to go on, that you will be ok and you can handle things differently.  It’s never too late to do the right thing!

Sometimes, unfortunately, it takes losing everything and everyone to figure out you were wrong.  Being stubborn and not learning the lessons you need to learn will only leave you to go through bigger lessons.  The lessons, I believe, that you ignore only grow.   My advice is to learn from the small lessons and be grateful they aren’t worse.  Unfortunately, my nature was to learn the hard way, but thank God I finally got it!  The more you pretend and refuse to look in the mirror the bigger the issues will grow.  As you start dealing with things head on and facing them, you will be able to take on just about anything.  It’s when you run from issues, pretend they don’t exist, or just flat out refuse to change, you will have a harder time…  One big thing I’ve learned is there really are no short cuts in life.  The best way to live is as straight up as you can be, as honest as you can be, and fair.  Remember your perspective of a situation is a one-sided view.  There are many views to all situations so have an open mind and evaluate everything with an open mind.  Most things are not that big of a deal.  It amazes me after all I’ve been through to see what some people consider a major problem.  Believe me, I’ve seen what major problems are and most things aren’t even close.  I can’t stress enough to have gratitude, don’t take anything, even the small things, for granted no matter how successful or awesome you may be.  Stay humble…In the long run you will be blessed with all great things..  Don’t ever think you’re wiser or better than anyone no matter what.  We are all just trying to make it in this world! Appreciate the good, the bad, and the lessons!   When all your dreams come true don’t forget what it took to get there.

God Bless

Heidi

www.holdheidishand.com

 

Value yourself!

Its important in life to remember what you’re good at and that, no matter what, when one door closes, another one will open.  The way I see it,  even if you or someone else is having a hard time remembering or seeing the talent you possess, you must recall and remind yourself of  your personal value, and remember that if you remember and cultivate your skills and value, there’s always someone who will see it and the right door will open.  Knowing your own personal strengths will help remind you there’s opportunity all over.  Just because one thing may not work out there’s always another path you can take.  This is also helpful so you don’t limit your potential and always know that, no matter what, you will be ok.  Its important to always keep your options open and do what’s best for you.  That’s the part of valuing yourself, and knowing your potential.  When you are an asset to somebody or something don’t forget there is a mutual need.  Be grateful for all opportunities but don’t forget to give yourself credit.  When you do a good job, shine and show what you’re made of  because then there’s no question to your ability.  With that being said, when given a chance make it count!  I personally love going above and beyond what someone expects and surpassing their expectations.  What a great feeling this is!  I love a challenge and love to prove the impossible wrong.  Whatever your passion is, whatever you are good at, do this and remember your capabilities.  Sometimes we just need reminded of our personal assets and gifts.

God Bless

Heidi

 

A new day!

Each day is a new opportunity to evaluate and revise where you’ve been and where you are going.  Sometimes we need to take a look at what’s working, what’s not working  and decide to make some changes.  I personally feel like each day is a new opportunity to try a little harder and do better.  With each day you try to improve even the small things, you will be amazed at the progress you will begin to make.  So, if yesterday you forgot to do this thing or that; well today is a new day!  The beautiful thing about life is, if you get another day, then you’ve been given another chance to get it right!  None of us are perfect, but I do believe when you strive to be the best and constantly improve, you are on the right track to accomplishing your goals!

I set new goals for each day and one of my favorite sayings is “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!”.  This simply means, set out to accomplish something and have some direction.  I don’t believe we can ever plan out each and every minute of the day, but having goals will help you feel a sense of accomplishment and feel good about you.  As you check off things on your list you will become more confident in your abilities and then start adding to your list.  It feels good to get things done and know you did it!

So, remember, each day really is a gift and you shouldn’t take this for granted.  Start setting goals and checking off your to-do’s!  Start with small goals and watch your progress; it really is fun and you will begin to become more and more confidant each day.  The only real failure is quitting so give yourself a break; if today you didn’t accomplish much, set out to accomplish more tomorrow.  When you wake up and realize you have another chance be grateful and start your day by realizing you’re blessed to have a new day to start fresh and start over.  Yesterday is gone, tomorrow isn’t promised so never give up!  As long as you keep getting up and trying you are a winner!

God Bless

Heidi

www.holdheidishand.com

One step at a time!

How do you eat an Elephant?  One bite at a time!! This analogy to life couldn’t be more true.  For example, you have a huge project to get done and the deadline is getting closer and closer.  When you focus on the entire project chances are you will get overwhelmed and the potential to freeze up is pretty high.  On the other hand, when you look at the small steps to get whatever it is completed, it will seem easier. The funny thing about life and perception is…that’s all it is!  Perception.  Whatever you perceive as real is your reality.  Just like when you’re trying to climb a mountain, if you keep focusing on the top it seems like an impossible task.  Yet, if you focus on one step-one minute at a time before you know it, you made it to the top and are looking back in awe at how far you came.

We are only humans and everything we do started with one step.  If you can get your mind to stay in the present moment and remember, you can step, you will make it.  It’s when you start trying to leap you get caught in fear.  Take it slow!  Nothing in life that’s rushed usually works out well.  If you’re rushing you probably will miss a step and I personally can’t stand to be rushed.  Give yourself a break, trust the process and breathe.  Take each day, one step at a time and don’t let the fear of the unknown or the past get to you.  You will get wherever it is you want to if you just don’t quit.  I promise you, when you take your time, trust and have faith all things will work out!  So, as a reminder, stop worrying about the things you can’t control anyway.  Most things in this life aren’t life or death and when they are it’s usually out of your control anyway.  Do the best you can, stay in the moment and trust something bigger than yourself!

God Bless

www.holdheidishand.com

Shine! Be a light for others!

Have you ever been walking along in your daily life and someone throws a smile your way and it changes how you feel entirely.  Remember when you share the same bright light to someone else you will have the same affect on them.  In this world we are consumed with so many things daily, challenges and sometimes hard things.  It’s those simple moments when someone echoes back to you that you are not alone that matter.  It takes a simple gesture to show someone else that they, too, are ok.  You may not always know how a simple smile, a simple “how is your day going” that could save someone else’s life just because you showed you cared enough to ask.  So many times we take for granted and don’t really understand where someone else is in their life.  You can choose to be the light in their lives just by shining on and acknowledging you might understand.  I’ve said it before, one of the most profound statements someone said to me was.. “I understand”.  This seriously lit up my day.  If only one person could understand and relate, I knew I wasn’t alone in how I felt.

It isn’t the big things that change peoples lives.  It’s the small things that will shine through and turn the dark days into shining bright days.  So, as you go about your daily life, remember there is always someone watching and you just might change someone else’s life by being strong in yourself.  To genuinely care and understand someone else’s struggle could mean the difference between them giving up or them going on.  Don’t take this lightly – even if you change one persons life by being strong and caring, that is a pretty big deal!  Stay strong, be kind and always walk gently in other peoples shoes.  I promise you, when you take a step back, forget judgment, have an open heart and spread the love you will be amazed at how you change other peoples direction too.

God Bless

Heidi

www.holdheidishand.com

 

Keep unhealthy thoughts captive!

If you start thinking of negative thoughts as little pests that just need to be shut down you begin to realize that, just like everything in life, you must take control and squash them!  Get them captive and as soon as they try to get your mind off track, literally envision  smashing them with your foot, don’t give any attention to them!  This takes practice, but eventually you will master the skill of ignoring, refusing to get upset, and just down right not giving any credit to the BS.  When I say BS we all know this can come in many forms.  Could be your own thoughts, could be the opinions of the peanut gallery; doesn’t really matter – if it isn’t positive forget it!  Refuse to spend any of your time thinking about it and squash it.  What will be will be and do you honestly care what someone who is a negative person, whose opinion is skewed anyway, thinks?  Consider the source!

Remember everyone has their own opinion – that doesn’t mean their opinion is correct or accurate.  Learn to laugh at yourself and remember if they’re talking about you, you must be important! Even bad publicity is publicity!   Chances are when others are speaking negative about you they have more issues than you can imagine.  Obviously you made an impression on them, good or bad, because they are spending time discussing you, so let them waste their time!  You, on the other hand, can choose to rise above this and let them make fools of themselves.  Why give them any fuel for their fire?  I promise you, they will let their own fire burn out and the more you ignore and refuse to allow them to get to you, the more power you have in being a confident person.  With, by the way, no regrets.  Small people talk bad about other people.  Be the bigger, stronger, wiser person!  It will pay off in the long run!

Keep those negative harmful thoughts captive and when they try to sneak back in and get you down, squash them!!! Don’t ever let anyone or anything have control over the way you feel.  No matter what anyone thinks you know the truth and you don’t have to accept or let this nonsense get you down!

God Bless

Heidi

www.holdheidishand.com