My daisies were so beautiful this summer. Just two weeks ago they were beautiful and full of promise for a long and lovely summer.  The heat increased and the flowers are now spent.  They are droopy and brown and ugly.

What shall I do?  Do I deadhead or not? (For those who may not know, deadhead means to cut off the dead flower heads so the plant looks better and it may produce a few new blooms.)

It takes work to deadhead.  What difference will it make anyway? The dead flowers will just sit there and look forlorn for the rest of the summer.  Next spring they will come up and produce new splendid blooms.  Why bother?

I do it because there are at least six more weeks of nice warm weather and there is a good chance they will give me a few more blossoms.  The flower beds will look cared for and attractive.  It is worth it to deadhead the flowers.  Even though the work is tedious, those last few blossoms in the early fall are the reward for my work.

How many times do we do what we think is needed to complete a job?  We think we’re done.  And yet, with just a little more effort the rewards will be felt much longer and bring greater satisfaction and added rewards.

A little Self-Coaching just might help.

• The cupboard that is never quite clear before going to bed.
• The project at work that wasn’t done quite as well as it could have been.
• The relationship you know you could add a little zest to with a little effort.

What do you need to deadhead to improve the quality of your life?  A little effort can pay big dividends.  Go scrub your sink and see if it doesn’t make you smile in the morning.

Simple Self-Coaching Tip:

Pick one thing to deadhead.  Do it and see how you feel.

“I love my life!  I hope you love your life, too!”

Check out “About Renae” above and leave a comment below.  Let’s get acquainted.
I’m going to be around for a long time and I hope you will, too.

Go to my website http://www.womenlovinglifeworldwide.com and receive
FREE “Seven Simple Tips To Love And Coach Yourself To Live Your Dreams.”

“I hope to see you again soon.”

Whether there are children in your home or not, the summer  season changes things in our lives. We are more apt to vacation.  We are out and about more, meeting and greeting people.  We are more apt to be spontaneous, more apt to party.

On the other hand, life can be more hectic. I remember looking forward to having my children home from school so we could do some things on purpose.  We would work together in the morning, getting the house in order, and then go play together.  We would have picnics and hike in the mountains.  We would have mini classes on manners and learning to keep our rooms and stuff in order.  The list goes on.

Then reality would hit.  It was hard to go to bed at a reasonable hour since the sun didn’t go down.  The children loved being with their friends, even playing night games at times.  Then it was hard to get up and keep that orderly home and predictable routine I dreamed of.

There were softball practices and games that interfered with our mini lessons and side trips.  Before long, I was happy to just keep everyone fed and relatively clean.  We had fun cheering for our ball players.  We did have one evening a week together for a picnic or a lesson.  There was the annual trip to Grandma’s house in another state.  We lived by the Law of Rhythm all summer until our school schedule predicted order once more.

The Law of Rhythm tells us that it is normal for life’s events to flow up and down. Once we accept that fact, it is easier to let go of expecting to control everything.  When we resist the truth of this law, we create pot holes where it is easy to get stuck in the down and spend a lot of energy just to get back out again.

Summer is a good time to relax and enjoy the gentle flow of events, knowing that what goes down will come up again.  Breathe deep, drink cold lemonade and laugh a lot.  Routine will be upon us soon enough.

Simple Self-Coaching Tip:

Create a family motto to help you get through the “downs” and expect the next “up.”  “Our family sticks together in the ups and downs.  What can I do for you?”  “This doesn’t feel good.  There must be something wonderful ahead.”   Talk with your family, spouse or friend and see what you can do to lift one another’s spirits and look for more “ups.”  It’s fun!

“I love my life!  I hope you love your life, too!”

Check out “About Renae” above and leave a comment below.  Let’s get acquainted.
I’m going to be around for a long time and I hope you will, too.

Go to my website http://www.womenlovinglifeworldwide.com and receive
FREE “Seven Simple Tips To Love And Coach Yourself To Live Your Dreams.”

“I hope to see you again soon.”

I am on vacation in Corolla, NC, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  My son and his wife invited me to join their family in a beautiful beach house for a few days.  I am having my dream vacation.

My daughter Becky and her two teen age sons and a friend came with me.  We woke at 5:00 a.m.  in order to watch the sun rise over the ocean.  It was spectacular.  Nothing can replicate that beautiful red ball emerging from the depths of the ocean at that early hour.  It was breathtaking.

We went back to the house and took a nap.  Can you believe that?  Well, I am on vacation, after all.  After a quick breakfast I joined them on the beach to play with darling Gracie, twenty months old, and watch the rest play in the surf.  It was a delightful morning and the weather was perfect.  Nothing could have been better–except, my dear husband was missing.  He is on a different assignment so we talk on the phone twice a day and that has to be enough for now.

It seems that no matter how we try to create our perfect day, there is often something missing. The question is, “What do we do about it?”  I could mope around and feel sorry for myself or I can take pictures and think of how Dale will enjoy my sharing them with him.  There is no perfection in this life, but there is a whole lot of love, joy and peace if we expect it and make every effort to create it. We really are in charge of our perceptions and our experiences.  I choose to believe I am having a perfect day with many more to follow.

Simple Self-Coaching Tip:

What three things are needed for you to have your perfect day? Put them into place for you today.  Maybe you need someone to love, something important to do and peace of mind.   Carve out at least a few minutes in your day to have those things present today and then do it again tomorrow.  You will be surprised how close each day will become to perfection–your own definition of perfection.

“I love my life!  I hope you love your life, too!”

Check out “About Renae” above and leave a comment below.  Let’s get acquainted.
I’m going to be around for a long time and I hope you will, too.

Go to my website http://www.womenlovinglifeworldwide.com and receive
FREE “A Handbook For Women–Celebrate Your Strengths And Live Your Highest Purpose.”

“I hope to see you again soon.”

I recently attended the funeral of my ninety year old uncle, Sharon Vermont Patten.   Two of his older sisters passed away earlier this year.  There is one sister left who says she is going next month.  That will be all of my mother’s family.  They are remarkable people.

The most touching tribute was not the one given by his neighbor, his hospice nurse, or his best friend.  It wasn’t the song his daughter sang or the song sung by his grandchildren and great grandchildren.  The most touching tribute was paid when his oldest grandson, dressed in his Marine Corps dress suit, saluted the flag draped casket, removed his hat and knelt on one knee to dedicate the grave.  That picture said more than all the rest put together.

Uncle Sharon’s mother died when he was nine years old. At seventeen he joined the Army and was stationed at Schoefield Barracks
when the Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor.  He could see the smiling faces
of the pilots who dropped the bombs on his comrades.

It was fitting that his oldest grandson should stand at attention during the
21 gun salute and while Taps was played. It was fitting that he should kneel and ask the God of heaven and earth to protect this bit of ground against destructive forces of any kind.  It was fitting that he salute his Grandpa one more time before the draped flag was folded and placed in the lap of his daughter.  This boy in uniform had just come home from a tour in Afghanistan. His Grandpa did his duty nearly seventy years ago and he is doing his duty today.

We may not agree with what is going on in any of the wars around the globe.  These are difficult days for all the nations of the world.  One thing I know for sure; freedom is a sacred gift from God. If we are going to retain our freedom, we must take time to remember the price that has been and is being paid for it today.  The rituals at Uncle Sharon’s grave did that for me.  The members of the VFW, Veterans Of Foreign Wars, nearly all looked to be as old as the man in the grave and yet, they gave this same service at several gravesides that day.  Who will remind us when they are gone?

Self Coaching Tip:

The next time you see a soldier, thank them for what they are doing.  Do your part by keeping peace in your own heart and home.  That is where peace begins.  Remember, you are the coach!

“I love my life!  I hope you love your life, too!”

Check out “About Renae” above and leave a comment below.  Let’s get acquainted.
I’m going to be around for a long time and I hope you will, too.

Go to my website http://www.womenlovinglifeworldwide.com and receive
FREE “A Handbook For Women–Celebrate Your Strengths And Live Your Highest Purpose.”

“I hope to see you again soon.”

Bless your heart. You can tell he has a hard heart.  Do it with all your heart.  It made me heart-sick.  She has an open heart.  He has a giving heart. Where is this invisible heart?  What does it mean and how can we be sure it is healthy?

From a physical point of view, you can’t live without your heart.  Everything depends on it and much is affected by it.

“Worry affects the circulation, the heart, the glands, the whole nervous system, and profoundly affects heart action.”   Dr. Charles H. Mayo

If you care about your heart, you must care for it. It seems we must eliminate worry if we want a healthy heart.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.”  Helen Keller

If you want to enjoy the best and most beautiful things in the world, you must feel with the heart. You know what that means because you have experienced it with the sight of a beautiful sunset, the hug of a loved one, the smile of a child.

“When pure sincerity forms within, it is outwardly realized in other people’s hearts.”  Lao Tzu, 6th century B.C.

If you want to influence others, you must express pure sincerity. You know when someone really ‘gets you.’  You both feel it in your heart.

“A kind heart is a fountain of gladness making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles.”   Washington Irving

If you want people to be glad you have arrived, you need a kind heart, a fountain of gladness.  When that happens you radiate and people are drawn to you.

Bob Hope
“If you haven’t got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.”

The spiritual heart may be invisible but it leaves evidence wherever you go.  The world becomes beautiful when you open your heart to others.

Simple Self-Coaching Tip:

It’s time for a heart tuneup.  Sit quietly and ask yourself, “What is the condition of my heart right now?  Feel it.  Open your heart to the love of God and feel how good that is.  The next time you are tempted to worry, go back to this place of peace and love.   Your heart will be glad.

“I love my life!  I hope you love your life, too!”

Check out “About Renae” above and leave a comment below.  Let’s get acquainted.
I’m going to be around for a long time and I hope you will, too.

Go to my website http://www.womenlovinglifeworldwide.com and receive
FREE “Seven Simple Tips to Love And Coach Yourself to Live Your Dreams.”

“I hope to see you again soon.”