Home is Where Your Strengths Spotting Lives!
Posted by Dr. Judy at 3:00 am
“Home is where the heart is.”
Bet you have heard that lovely quote before. I am going to tell on myself.
I was whining about all the going home packing I needed to do after 5 months
in Puerto Vallarta. I know, spoiled me, I reminded myself. Getting to escape
the WI chill, having stunning flowers on my terrace, and come to think of it,
a floral bedecked terrace in both bedrooms, too, shame on me! And I surely
can’t forget the most important part, our cherished old and new friends. There
is always a bit of mourning when the time comes to shift “home” and leave them.
Time to put on my positive psychology Super Woman cape, roll up my sleeves,
and be grateful for having beauty, waterfront beauty no less, surrounding me
no matter which home welcomes me. And different beloved friends to hug
me with open arms again. Not to forget Mom, Cathy and Bill in DE. My two
friends make Mom’s life happy everyday. “Queen for a Day, every day”
Mom blissfully boasts.
Curious about the photos? They sweetly reflect my life with Ken in two “homes.”
The one on the left is a photo I took the day I went flying after my book was
published on Amazon. You can see only the roof of our house on Lake Michigan,
it glistens green among the trees. On the right, hope you enjoy the vista I recently
left behind with a bit of my heart, too, the ones from our sunny Puerto Vallarta
terrace. This is the view I savored daily as I wrote blogs to you. Ahhh…The
turquoise treasured Pacific and iridescent vistas are happily ensconced in my
positive reminiscing brain. I will hold them in my heart, too, until next winter,
universe willing.
You will love this. While I was bemoaning my dreaded packing, a friend emailed
me, “But think of all the fun you will have in WI. Watching koi in your pond,
planting plants, and getting to see your Mom again a few days after you get back
to the States.” She was spot on! DUH!!! I needed to re-frame and focus on what
was RIGHT about packing, not what I loathe. Yes, loathe is a strong word, but it
is the word that came to mind. Honesty is a great character strength, so I needed
to own up to it. Reverse gears, girl!
After a dose of strengths spotting positivity, I gave myself a challenge. “See how
much you can get done in two hours,” my positive self-talk tauted. OK! Away
I went. I tackled the gifts for folks back home and made sure they were wrapped
securely with a prayer nothing would break. Next, begin to line up the books to
leave here and the ones to cart home; along with my files, paperwork, and clients’
charts. I did tell you I came down here with over 150 pounds of coaching materials,
didn’t I? Three suitcases full and 3 more with a few clothes and lots of vitamins
and other supplies I can’t get in Vallarta. Now I have to go through them all again.
Whew! Poor Ken, God love him. Every flight, he hoists into the overheads two,
50-pound carry-ons with me in the background holding my breath, hoping they’ll
fit. My guy deserves a medal. I can’t risk any charts getting lost! So we schlep those
heavy monsters through 3 airports.
So what did I accomplish? Two suitcases were packed. Amen! I continued that
2-hour routine until every drawer, filing cabinet, and stack was sorted. Yes,
you gotta pay before you play! And I did end up with a smile on my face!
Here’s your fun…How many strengths did you see and feel me using while you
were reading this blog. I’ll give you a start: appreciation of art, honesty, tenacity.
I’ll give you a hint, too. The biggest strength is one of my top ones. It starts with
a “g”… next “r”… Your turn to figure out the rest!
What strengths can you spot when you need to do a sordid task that pushes you
to the edge? What do you do to make that medicine go down? I would love to
know. So would our other readers. My face lights up when I get an email from you.
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Speaking of strengths spotting, if you haven’t had a chance to take a super fun
journey into recognizing your strengths, I hope you pause and do so right now
Take a look into of my new bestselling book on Amazon ~ Kindle
I’d love to hear from you!
Just send me your questions, and I will answer in a future blog.
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www.facebook.com/drjudykrings
