May Day is filled with hope and a world that’s fresh and new, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. Take time today to revel in Mother Nature’s beauty, whether it’s springtime where you are or if it’s autumn, enjoy the natural wonders around you.
Happy May Day!
Your Friend and Pep Pal,
Lauren
You’re feeling discouraged that your efforts didn’t pan out.
You’re disappointed because you thought for sure you would move a head, just a little bit, this time.
Now you’re depressed because it seems there is nothing you can do to help yourself.
You’re feeling hopeless and helpless
You’re stuck. Yippee!!
That means you didn’t go backward!
You haven’t lost ground!
You aren’t at square one–you don’t have to start over from scratch!
You lived to tell about it, which means it wasn’t fatal!
Need help getting into the spirit of celebrating? Go to YouTube and listen to these songs:
Celebrate, celebrate! Dance to the music! ~3 Dog Night (at about 1:24 the second half of the song will really get you going!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO_R5puXs6E
And, whether the words resonate with you or not, this song will get you going, too:
Oh Happy Day ~Edwin Hawkins & Northern California Youth Choir https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tSyzTIJ82g
Oh Happy Day ~ Sister Act 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLY7yI1xV-M
How about a little Ray Charles doing Oh Happy Day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv5n_eCGkvM
CELEBRATE, my Pep Pal Friend! Keep telling yourself, “Yes I Can” because it’sTRUE!
Your Friend and Pep Pal,
Lauren
March. We’re entering the third month of the year.
By now you may be thinking that the resolutions you made and goals you set back in the early days of January are hopelessly lost. You haven’t thought of them in weeks or, if you have, you’ve thought of them with a heaping serving—or two—of guilt at how quickly you abandoned them.
It isn’t too late! You can press the reset button and start where you are.
Take a moment to review your resolutions and goals—especially in light of how the year is shaping up so far. Take your time with this. Sit quietly with it. Listen to your heart and soul. You will most likely find that you’ll need to put some goals and resolutions to the side; right now they aren’t as important to accomplish or you aren’t in a position to work on them.
Out of the goals and resolutions that are still important to you and you think you have a shot at accomplishing—or that you can make progress on them—listen closely because one will stand out to you. Make that one your top priority this month and focus on it. Don’t be surprised if it’s one that your logical mind tells you is really dopey and unimportant. Your heart and spirit know best so follow their counsel.
For instance, a friend of mine recently did this and the word “rest” kept popping up. She discounted it at first because there were other more important goals such as finding balance in her life between building up her business yet still spending time with family and friends. She decided to listen and follow her heart and soul and put more rest periods into each day.
She was surprised to find that these rest periods gave her clarity to identify customers that were unprofitable, which she gently dropped. This gave her a new burst of energy and creativity for her business. Also, during her daily rest periods she discovered that stepping back from activities she no longer enjoyed would give her the extra time she wanted to spend with her family and friends.
Of course my friend had to recommit daily to her rest periods because other things tugged at her. Yes, she felt guilty at taking the rest periods instead of working on “more important” goals. But she stuck with the rest periods and it paid off for her.
The same will happen for you. When you sit quietly with your resolutions and goals and listen with your heart and soul, you will find one that stands out. Make this your top priority in March and stick with it. As with my friend, you may find that you feel guilty or others pooh-pooh your choice, but it’s your life. You know what’s best for yourself so you get to make the choice and you get to stick to it!
It isn’t too late! Choose one goal and make it your top priority this month to work on it a little bit each day.
You can do it, I know you can!
Your friend and pep pal,
Lauren
These seven quotes are short and to the point. That means they’re easy to remember and easy to repeat to yourself often, especially when things aren’t going as planned.
Dear Stress, let’s break up. ~Anonymous
Take action. Any action taken—even the “wrong” action—is better than not taking even the tiniest of actions. ~Anonymous
Actually, I can. ~Anonymous
Do not compare yourself to others. ~Anonymous
Smile and be glad because this too shall pass! ~Anonymous
Loving kindness is the most powerful force in the Universe. ~Anonymous
When in doubt, go to the library. ~Anonymous
Have a wonderfully soul-prospering week!
Your Friend and Pep Pal,
Lauren
When you believe in yourself you believe in possibility. When you believe in possibility you believe in yourself. ~Dr. Joe Dispenza
Today we’re halfway through the week. Oftentimes we start the week out with a strong positive outlook but by midweek we might begin to lose our resolve. Here are a few statements to use to remind ourselves that we have what it takes to live a soul-prospering life, Use any or all of them frequently throughout today and the following days. Also, feel free to tweak them to better suit you and your circumstances.
I am capable
I am competent
I know what I’m doing
I am intelligent
I am dedicated
I am hard working
I am honest
I am honorable
I am a person of high integrity
I am kind
I am generous
I respect others
I am dependable
I am reliable
I am trustworthy
I am helpful
I am upbeat
I am ethical and have strong values and high morals
I am rock solid
I have a can-do attitude
I am persistent
I persevere
I find a way
I am crafting a wonderful soul-prospering life for myself
Choose the statements that resonate with you and repeat them often throughout your day.
I’m with you!
Your Friend and Pep Pal,
Lauren
When someone mentions the word “bullying”, we think of the schoolyard, assuming that bullying is a problem only children face. We believe that when kids grow into adulthood, they drop their childish ways: We think they’ll become more understanding and compassionate, that they’ll develop mastery over their emotions, that they’ll learn to be helpful to others, and that they’ll strive to become the best version of themselves. This is the course we’ve followed and we figure that everyone else will, too.
But they don’t.
Some adult bullies carry their bullying ways from childhood into adulthood. Others were nice as youngsters but something happened along their pathway to adulthood that turned them into bullies.
The point is that bullying is not a problem just for children. We adults can—and do—face it every day, too. We can encounter adult bullies in a variety of settings such as clubs and organizations, churches, neighborhoods, within our group of friends, and at work.
We don’t foresee this, which is why it’s so shocking when we run up against it. We expect adults to behave like, well, adults. We don’t anticipate that they’ll humiliate, belittle, or sabotage us or that we’ll see them do this to others. When we experience bullying directly or indirectly (witnessing another being bullied), we’re left bewildered, stunned, and wondering if what we just experienced/witnessed really did happen.
The effects can be devastating. We can feel isolated and alone, which leads to anxiety and depression. Our self-confidence plummets, our work suffers, and our mental and physical health can be negatively impacted. Anxiety.org has published a good article on bullying in the workplace. It contains additional information and resources regarding workplace bullying.
The good news is there are things we can do to help ourselves if/when we find ourselves in this type of situation. We can:
~Get out.
~Develop a support system.
~Pursue professional development opportunities.
~Feel good about ourselves.
~Take care of ourselves.
~Keep work in perspective.
We will talk more about these in upcoming posts. Stay tuned and check back often!
In the meantime, here are a few statements to say to yourself this week:
I am a child of the Universe, no less than the trees and the stars.
I am valuable and my thoughts, ideas, and talents are desperately needed in the world.
I am fully loaded with all I’ll need to create a wonderful life for myself.
I am someone’s miracle.
I am perfectly positioned to make my mark in the world.
I am so grateful that this situation is setting me up to be slingshotted decades ahead in my career and my life.
I am enlivened and aglow with the Divine Spark within me.
Repeat these statements first thing in the morning, several times throughout the day, and the last thing before going to bed. Let their power and inspiration infuse your mind, body, soul, and spirit.
You can do this, Pep Pal, especially since we’ll be doing it together!
Your Friend and Pep Pal,
Lauren
Hello my dear Pep Pals!
Tomorrow is Halloween and I have a special treat in store for you–no tricks, just treats. WooHoo!
Be sure to check back here tomorrow. I can’t wait to treat you!
Your Friend and Pep Pal,
Lauren
Start your day right with these statements:
I am capable
I am competent
I am intelligent and I have the common sense, and street smarts to figure it out
I am fully loaded with gifts and talents and latent abilities
I have what it takes to create a soul-prospering life for myself
I am tough in my own way and style
I am strong and I hang in there even when the going gets rocky
I am proud of myself for the baby steps I’m taking to craft my soul-prospering life
I am a child of the Universe
I am excited about my future
I am excited about today
I am happy to be me
I am lucky to be me!
Say these statements to yourself as you stand tall in front of the mirror smiling at yourself. Chose two or three statements to keep handy and repeat to yourself throughout your day.
You can do it!
Your Friend and Pep Pal,
Lauren
One of the most important parts of the day is the early morning hours when we first awaken. How we use those minutes sets the tone and the pace for the day. Successful people as well as experts in the Personal Development field encourage us to start with something positive and uplifting.
Here is a Pep Rally to help us get off on the right foot each day. Thee best way to use these statements is to stand tall in front of a mirror, smile brightly, and say these with as much enthusiasm as possible:
I am in charge!
I am in charge of myself
I am in charge of my life
I am in charge of my present moment
I am in charge of my future
I am in charge of what I think about
I am in charge of what I believe about myself
II am in charge of what I believe about my dreams
I am in charge of my capabilities, skills, and abilities
I am in charge of my competency, intelligence, common sense, and street smarts
I am in charge of saying yes
I am in charge of saying no
I am in charge of my emotions and feelings
I am in charge of how I interpret each situation
I am in charge of looking for the good, the benefit, the catapult moving me forward in all situations
I am in charge of taking action, taking baby steps, of moving forward
I am in charge of getting it done
I am in charge of just doing it
I am in charge of my moods and temperament
I am in charge of taking one more step
I am in charge of the cards that Life has dealt me
I am in charge of whether an event, a situation–or what another has or hasn’t done to me or for me–whether it makes me or breaks me
I am in charge of what I do and what I do not
I am in charge of my doubts
I am in charge of my fears
I am in charge of my worries
I am in charge of my sadness
I am in charge of my anger
I am in charge of my disappointment
I am in charge of my frustration and annoyance
I am in charge of my despondency and depression
I am in charge of my anxieties and panicks
I am in charge of my body
I am in charge of my mind
I am in charge of my soul
I am in charge of my spirituality
I am in charge of how I respond to others
I am in charge of how I respond to situations
I am in charge of how I respond to events
I am in charge of how I respond to getting the short end of the stick
I am in charge of my freedom
I am in charge of my thoughts
I am in charge of my dreams
I am in charge!
If any of these statements resonate with you, jot them down and keep them handy. Say them often to yourself through out thee day.
You can do it because you ARE in charge!
Your Friend and Pep Pal,
Lauren
Here are positive statements to say to yourself frequently throughout the day:
I choose to begin again right now.
This moment is fresh and new and I step into its glorious possibilities.
I release and let go of all that no longer serves me.
I turn my back on the past–out of sight, out of mind.
I focus on the present and look to my bright future.
I’m excited about my future because it’s full of potential.
Your Friend and Pep Pal,
Lauren
Yes I Can Pep Talks 
