This January is a busy month for preschool as we write our report cards and get ready for conferences. So I’ve decided to make it an interview/guest post month. This week it’s Tess, From the Bold Life!
Soon after I started blogging I discovered Tess Marshall’s bog, The Bold Life. She is a life coach with a great blog. I’ve loved reading her bold advice on how to get rid of fear and start living life. She’s inspired me! She’s always written an ecourse that comes out soon. Continue reading
Do you ever wonder if what you’re doing in life is making someone else’s life better? When I find out that someone is inspired by my books or my blog, John (the Zen Papa) calls this my “Paycheck”.
Last October, I received a paycheck. I went to read Vidya Sury’s blog called Going A Musing and I was astounded at what I read! It was October 13, 2010. I called John and Oliver (my youngest) over to read because I couldn’t believe what I saw! The title of the post was “My Happiness Project”.
What I’d seen was this: a picture of a jar with a little note attached to it for all to see! The small jar had a smiley sticker stuck on it. Under the smiley, there’s a little strip that says “Thank you, Betsy at The Zen Mama, for the inspiration”. Continue reading
“I’m Singing In the rain. I’m singing in the rain.
What a glorious feeling. I’m happy again.
I’m laughing at clouds. So dark up above.
The sun’s in my heart. And I’m ready for love.
Let the stormy clouds chase, everyone from the place
Come on with the rain.
I’ve a smile on my face….
Just singin’, singin’ in the rain.”
~Gene Kelly from the movie, “Singing In The Rain”.
Happy 2012 Zen Mama Readers! Did you make your New Year’s resolutions again? Did you find some old habits you wanted to change into new ones? Continue reading
After Christmas, we can sometimes feel a little blue. You’re not alone. I’ve had several people tell me what a let down life is after all the holiday activity. When I’m down, I have little positive tricks to do. You can do them, too. They even seem a little obvious. Lately, on facebook, I’ve taken these ideas and posted them to my facebook page with my photography and inspirational quotes. In case you don’t go to facebook very often or not at all, I thought I’d post a few here. I hope it cheers you up if you’re feeling a little blue:
1. Did you know that you decide if you’re happy or sad just by your thoughts? Think of something happy thoughts, a joke or anything that brings a smile to your face. Push those negative thought away.
2. Fake smiling or laughing. Try smiling really big so that the muscles around your eyes krinkle up. Do this for 18 seconds and your brain will start producing endorphins.
3. Try looking around your home and realize that you already have everything you need.
“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.”
~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby
“Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.”
~Oren Arnold
Wishing you joy and happiness this holiday season! And I’m looking forward to connecting through the Zen Mama’s Blog this next in 2012!
Sending you peace and love,
Betsy
“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.”
~Burton Hillis
I’m finally finished with my Christmas shopping (at least pretty much!) and my two older sons have arrived home. As the Zen Papa and I look around the table at dinner, we know they will love the gifts we have under the tree to be unwrapped. In my heart, I know of other gifts, even more important than material items that we have given them that will last a lifetime, gifts my parents gave to me and their parents before them.
Last year I recommended that you give your child Unconditional Love. This year I’m suggesting these three gifts you can give your child are:
Trust
Acceptance
Independence
Continue reading
“One word than can ruin all positive thought. Don’t let STRESS get in the middle of your positive thoughts.”
~ Zen Mama
This week I was like one of the three little pigs. Except, instead of the big, bad, wolf knocking at my door, it was Stress.
Even though my theme for this holiday season is “slowing down” and I’m trying to make my day last forever, I still had one week where I worked at preschool, had a Zen Mama sale to get ready for and a different activity every evening. Whew! I could feel stress there just behind the door, huffing and puffing. I had trouble sleeping at night knowing I had so much to do. I got exhausted but I was able to keep Stress from blowing the house down.
How? Want to know my secret. I used my most powerful weapon. My thoughts. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while or have read my books you probably know that I believe that your thoughts create who you are. If you have negative thoughts, you have a negative life. If you have positive thoughts, you have a positive life. I also believe that if you change the way look you think about things, the things you think about change. It’s seems too simple to be true but guess what? It works. Continue reading
Yes, I know that Thanksgiving is over. But since I promised this year to Celebrate Thanksgiving Every Day, I need to share this Ted Video called, Louie Schwartzberg: Nature. Beauty. Gratitude. Thanks to A Certain Simplicity, the site that I first saw this moving video.
“Oh My God!” is what most people say when they see Louie Schwartzberg’s time lapse photography of flowers.
Louis Schwartzberg then asks the questions, “Have you ever wondered what Oh My God meant?” He explains it’s this way:
The Oh means, “I caught your attention. It makes you present. It makes you mindful.”
The My means, “It connects to something deep inside your soul. It creates a gateway for your inner voice to rise up and be heard.”
The God means,”God is that personal journey that we all want to be on. To be inspired to feel like we’re connected to a universe that celebrates life.”
The second part of the video is a clip of his project called Happiness Revealed. It’s the perspective of a young girl and the powerful words from an older man, Benedictine monk David Steindl-Rast.
David Steindl-Rast begins, “You think this is just another day in your life. It’s not just another day. It’s the one day that is given to you. Today. It’s given to you; it’s a gift. It’s the only gift that you have right now. And the only appropriate response is gratefulness.”
Please watch this wonderful, 10 minute video and share your gratefulness with everyone you encounter today.
Please, comment below and let me know you enjoyed it as much as I did.
Like what you’ve read and want the Zen Mama’s Blog emailed to you directly? I promise I won’t share your email and I’ll send the first three chapters of my next book for free!
Over the past year I’ve come across some great books and products and would love to pass on the recommendations:
Loaded with sensible advice, Zen-Sational Living and Booyah Spirit are road-maps for making good decisions and being your best. From the basics of Zen, to health (mental and physical), creating a personal space, and everything in between! Sheila Burke’s books are filled with ideas to nourish the souls of hundreds or even thousands of people. Click here to find out more and order!
Angela Artemis is an intuition expert who believes that intuition is a natural ability we all possess. She shares simple techniques in her book, Navigating by Intuition: How To Follow The Signs, that anyone can use to access the wisdom and guidance of their intuition. And the best part is no practice is needed! Click here to buy the ebook for only $2.99
Jen Slayden loves life, music, and the pursuit of finding Harmony. She is pleased to share her first CD, titled Cellobies, for anyone who is looking for a bit of relaxation. 10 tracks of music, all arranged by her, and eight composed by her. The various instruments she plays are lovingly layered in the studio with the intention of infusing peace and harmony into your life. Perfect relaxation for ALL generations. A wonderful Holiday, Baby, or anytime gift. Gift wrapping options available, with whimsical designs and handmade cutouts made in Montana that can be also used as a hanging ornament. Click here to visit her site to see the various ordering options.
Patricia Merker has written a great new series for kids! The Grand Master/Little Master Series of new thought books are both heartwarming and interactive. They are designed to give children a new lens through which to view their everyday world. They can be read as any other books might be read, instilling a basic fundamental knowledge of universal laws, as well as addressing common childhood fears and dilemmas. In addition, with minimal parental participation, this series can be taken to the next level, where Grand Master (who becomes their own personal Guru) invites the subject child to be a ‘little master-in-training’ through the weekly lessons. Click here to read more about her books for kids.
Robert Brault is the author of one of my favorite quotes: “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” He is a free-lance writer who has contributed to magazines and newspapers in the USA for over 40 years. He describes his writings on his website “as an entertainment only, pursuing no agenda and promoting no political philosophy.” He even encourage others to use his quotes for non-commercial purposes and just to ask him if you use for other uses. Now he’s has compiled his quotes with beautiful photography into a calendar and notecards that I thought was worth telling you about. Click here to see his beautiful work!
THE GIVEAWAY!
And lastly, I’d like to give away one each of my own books, HOW TO BE A ZEN MAMA or THE ZEN MAMA’S BOOK OF QUOTES. HOW TO BE A ZEN MAMA is a book with 13 tips on how to stop worrying, let go and be closer to your kids. At the end of each chapter is a “Zen Mama Master” story to illustrate the chapter. THE BOOK OF QUOTES contains a collection of quotes through the ages to help you on your life’s journey. The Quote Book is a great gift for anyone in your life. You can get it in print or as an ebook.
Order through paypal if you’d like a signed copy. Or get the ebooks.
Or order on Amazon.
I will be giving one of each away! To enter:
one entry: leave a comment. If you have a product you’d like to recommend, please leave that in your comment below.
one entry: follow me on facebook and twitter.
two entries: subscribe in the email link below.
Like what you read and want a free subscription to The Zen Mama’s Blog? I promise I won’t share your email. And I’ll send you the first three chapters of my next book FREE!
Heart felt, simple thanks. Sometimes the smallest thanks means the most. And sometimes those kind of thanks go unsaid because you think your loved one knows already.
Do you think saying thank you has become a chore? When you say it with gratitude, it changes from a chore to have true meaning.
I recently read on Arthur Zars these three simple rules for saying Thank You.
Here are the rules, deceptively simple:
Simply say the words, “Thank You”.
You MUST say it with SINCERITY.
You MUST say WHY. (and it helps to explain why in some level of detail)
So think of someone close to you that maybe you take a little for granted. Thank that person for something simple that they do all the time. Be specific. Be genuine.
Watch this short, inspiring TED video about the simple way you should be giving thanks.
So this Thanksgiving, say “Thank you” for the little things to people in your life.
Happy Thanksgiving from me and all the Henry Family (Here we are just yesterday in Sedona)! And may I add thank you, dear readers, for inspiring me! I’d love to hear from you how you’re living Thanksgiving every day!
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”
~ William Arthur Ward
