Eight Gifts That Don’t Cost A Cent

. 1. THE GIFT OF LISTENING…

But, you must REALLY listen.

No interrupting, no daydreaming,

no planning your response. Just listen.

2. THE GIFT OF AFFECTION…

Be generous with appropriate hugs,

kisses, pats on the back and handholds.

Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.

3. THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER…

Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories.

Your gift will say, “I love to laugh with you.”

4. THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE…

It can be a simple “Thanks for the help” note or a full sonnet.

A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime,

and may even change a life.

5. THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT…

A simple and sincere, “You look great in red,”

“You did a super job”, or “That was a wonderful meal”

can make someone’s day.

6. THE GIFT OF A FAVOR…

Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.

7. THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE…

There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone.

Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

8. THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION…

The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone,

really it’s not that hard, to say, “Hello” or “Thank You.”

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From the 2001 Farmers’ Almanac

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ME and the Boss

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Are You Afraid of Success?

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Tiny Wisdom:

by: Lori Deschene

“Success 
will never 
be a big step 
in the future; 
success
is a small step 
taken just now.”

 ~Jonatan Mårtensson

We often talk about releasing the fear of failure to create motivation and momentum,
but I’ve found that there’s another obstacle that can keep us from taking risks:
the fear of success.

Success in any pursuit requires responsibility. At one point, I decided this was
one thing I didn’t want. I didn’t want people to depend on me. I didn’t want to
create conditions in my life that I needed to maintain with consistency, both
in effort and earning.

I wanted the freedom to drop everything in a heartbeat so that I never had to
feel trapped. This felt safe to me. If I never chose to rise too high, I’d never have
to fall too far if I messed up; I’d never had to worry about disappointing anyone;
and I’d never have to consider that maybe I didn’t deserve any attention
or acclaim I might receive.

Perhaps you can relate. Maybe a part of you feels resistant to the changes that
might ensue if you advance professionally or personally. Maybe you’re afraid
that you’re not good enough, which makes you want to sabotage yourself when
opportunity arises. Or maybe you just plain don’t want things to be any different
than they are now.

If the last one is true—you truly don’t want to lose the weight, or get the job,
or start the business, or whatever it is that success might mean to someone else—
then you’re in a good place. You’re not afraid of success; you’re simply content
with the way things are.

But if you are scared, and somewhere inside you a quiet voice is begging for growth,
you owe it to yourself to question what’s really holding you back.

We all deserve to live lives that feel passionate and purposeful. And the world needs
for us to find the courage to do the things we want to do—not because we’re chasing
success, but because we want to make a difference, and we know we deserve and
can handle whatever that entails.

My success is learning and writing every day, regardless of how Tiny Buddha grows.
What is success to you—and what are you going for it?



Photo by Frames-of-Mind

You're Going To Hurt Someone.

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You're going to hurt other people.

Even though you don't want to.

Even though you don't mean to.

To no fault of your own.

You're going to hurt someone.

We're all bumping up against each other

with our cravings and sensibilities,

reaching clumsily for fulfillment.

We bond and then unbind.

We stretch our arms to grab more life, and we give someone a black eye.

Egos get hurt; vows are broken; fires doused.

Becoming whole leaves breakage.

Why does it help to know the inevitability of hurting someone?

It helps to know of this inevitability so that you don't retreat when you need to lift off,

so that you choose to leave the house of familiarity for Morocco, or Broadway, or love.

Or the center of your Soul.

It helps to know how nature works when you are exploring wilderness.

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Danielle La Porte

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http://www.daniellelaporte.com/
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.ME and the Boss