Tag : Motivation

What You Focus on Grows: Another Gratitude Day!

Posted by Dr. Judy at 6:15 am

Do you ever get discombobulated in life, too?
I wrote this blog while I was in Puerto Vallarta, but somewhere along the way,
it got lost in the shuffle. Hope you enjoy a look back to my last balmy days in paradise.

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Did you ever have one of those nights?

I woke up at 1:30 a.m. thinking it was time for my first coaching client at 6 a.m.
Wide awake, my mind raced with a litany of things I needed and wanted to get
done. Nothing new there, but at that hour of the a.m., forget-about-it! I wrote
down things my unconscious brain was reminding me to do today. I thought,
“Write them down and go back to bed.” I stopped to reframe my chagrin after I
realized I was so wide awake, I might as well stay up and DO the things my brain
was singing out to me.

Instead of playing tricks on me, I reminded myself my cherished brain was helping me get my ducks lined up for the day. I was grateful I am alive and well. My thoughtful gray and white matter, even if it was working overtime, was getting me loaded for the day. Like a field marshal, it dictated organizational orders: Cancel your USA dental appointment as you just had your teeth cleaned here. Call your doctor in the USA to get an appointment. Get emergency el. #’s for the hospitals and ambulance services here.  My terrifically generous next door neighbor, Mike, married to stunning Kim, who you see in this photo, is getting the #’s for me. Also, order a few glass gifts for folks at home, organize photos, and ditch post-it notes.

What more?  Email my book promotion coach for formal book launch 6 June ~ Be watching! Do a blog (that’s what this is!). Send Mom photos of the lovely 5 hours of in Flow bliss I had yesterday painting pottery with Kim and sweet friend, Nancy, you see here. Clean out purse. Review clients charts. Light jasmine candle to make the morning sweet. Thank Ken for the gorgeous bouquet of flowers he ordered for me, call Cheryl, my best childhood friend, add my name to Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson’s blog list (she is the brilliant motivation researcher who teaches my new Mentor Coach class). Email Sarah, my wonderful garden helper in the USA, and ask her to put Preen (weed repellent) down early as the WI winter is long gone and the weeds are attacking my flower beds. Kind friends have sent me pictures of my yard and I am forever grateful to you, Scott, Peggy, and Cheri!

OK, I could go on and on. Does your brain work solving your problems or helping you run your life on all cylinders? If so, hug yourself and be grateful you still have all the cards in your deck. You are still in the game.

I wanted to share this photo with you, because you can see and feel how happy we are. In the flow. Grateful to be together in art friendship. Creating and belonging. Two human needs and great joys, too. And I can’t forget the concept of challenge. I am competitive with myself, not others. I wanted to a good job making a gift for Mom, but I was taking a risk. I’ve done nothing like this since high school. But that is the best part of life. Moving forward…

Are you still climbing out on that limb and stretching your strengths?
Who cares if you fail? That is how you win! Keep on pluggin’ away!

An interesting story. While we were painting, a lovely young lady came in to pick up an absolutely stunning large bowl, just remarkable, festooned in red, white and blue. She is a regular at the pottery studio. Alas, she was disappointed. Why? Because she was focused on what she thought was wrong about her piece. Remember what you focus on grows. She was more and more distraught, until we all reminded her of its overall beauty. We were glad to see her shift to looking at her bowl as beautiful. She transitioned from whiner to winner, just by choosing to see what was right about her creation.

Are you a gratitude junkie, too?
Do you remind yourself of what is going RIGHT in your life as well as wrong?

Here’s a short list of the good stuff I thought about this a.m.:
~ I have great friends here and home who share my life.
~ I get to email and talk to Mom every day.
~ Whole family is well.
~ Ken is a great husband.
~ I am surrounded by beauty, eat amazing food, and see happy people everyday.
~ I love being a coach.
~ I adore my myriad of gifted and talented coaches and friends.
We learn by sharing and caring.

So what will you pause and feel grateful for today?

I know you are dying to ask me what I painted at the “Fire Works Potter” studio.
Yes, I know you are the curious type. Sorry, but you are just gon’na have to fire
up your patience strength, no pottery glaze necessary. Hint. It’s for Mom.

I pray my 5 hours of painting pottery paid off and created pleasing dividends.
But you know what? It already did. I was in heaven when I was there. I felt lucky
and blessed. Even if the colors run and it looks a mess, Mom will tell me, “I could
care less. There is love in what you made me, and I am grateful for it!”

Mom used her own positive reminiscing yesterday when we talked about how I
spent my day. She mused, “You know I used to paint…” We discussed her terrific
talent, her art lessons, and her wonderful bygone memories. Thank God her brain
is still so pliable and running full steam ahead. Mom is optimism personified.

You know the best thing in my whole life? My Mom! I couldn’t blog about
gratitude without the image of her lovely, appreciative face overtaking my
happy heart.

What other strengths will you paint into your life today?
Is that you I see running to get chartreuse, turquoise, and hot pink?

Flash me an email and let me know what you created today, pretty please.
What strengths did you don? What motivational muscles did you stretch?

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Immerse yourself in the colorful, artistic work of the Cuban people
and gratitude that they express for the simple pleasures of their lives
found in Photo Adventures in Cuba ~ Unlock Your Power of Positivity!
Now a best-seller on Amazon ~ Kindle

I’d love to hear from you!
Just send me your questions, and I will answer in a future blog.
You can also connect with me on facebook, LinkedIn, or twitter
www.facebook.com/drjudykrings

Inspiration ~ Who Is Yours?

Posted by Dr. Judy at 3:00 am

Who is the person who has been your greatest inspiration?
You know who mine is…MOM!

Here’ one definition of ”inspiration” from World English Dictionary:

1. Stimulation or arousal of the mind, feelings, etc,
to special or unusual activity or creativity

2. The state or quality of being so stimulated or aroused

3. Someone or something that causes this state

4. An idea or action resulting from such a state

5. The act or process of inhaling; breathing in

Here’s another: Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition:
Inspiration: dated c.1300, “immediate influence of God or a god,” especially that
under which the holy books were written; “inspire, inflame, blow into,” and
“to breathe” See spirit.

Did you notice? What is Mom holding?
Hint: It’s in her Find-A-Word book. Did you see the word?
She was beginning to work on the Inspiration page when I snapped this shot!
Don’t you love serendipitous synchronicity?

Thank you for always inspiring me to keep writing these blogs.
Mom is amazed at your fantastic feedback, too.
A win win is wonderful!

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P.S. Judy loves to hear your comments.
Feel free to send her questions you may have!
You can also connect with Judy on facebook, LinkedIn, or follow her on twitter
http://www.facebook.com/drjudykrings

Huge Pre-Order Discount! Order NOW:
“Photo Adventures in Cuba ~ Unlock Your Power of Positivity”
http://www.coachingpositivity.com/photo-adventures-in-cuba/

Positive Emotion Trumps Grammy Exhaustion

Posted by Dr. Judy at 3:00 am

Did you get up to watch the royal wedding?
Was it your curiosity, appreciation of beauty, or hope
strengths driving you to be up early for the madness?

We were heading back to our WI life that day.
It would mean I would be up 22 hours. I didn’t analyze why,
but I knew I wanted to watch and accepted the airport exhaustion.
Our generous, kind, and ever-helpful son, Jason, picked us up
in Milwaukee for the 1.5 hour drive home. Other than leaving my
treasured wild, psychedelic rainbow striped socks on the plane,
the flights were easy. I allowed one sentimental, “Oh crap” thought
enter my positive reminiscing brain. I had bought those the first day after
my first nationally syndicated radio show performance in Chicago.
My signature, stretchy, comfy socks were now a happy memory.

After a few hours of sleep, dizzy with lingering travel depletion,
I was on the phone all Saturday morning handling Mom’s move from
assisted living to my friend’s home. Though still mentally sharp, Mom’s
body is not cooperating. I’ll tell you more about happy Mom when
I’m there for Mother’s Day.

The real treat awaited Ken and me. At 4:00, our kooky cool 7-year old
granddaughter, Faye Judith, (Faye J. to me) had her first dance recital.
I was the one crawling around the floor like an inch-worm capturing her
dance debut. I have no pride when it comes to scoring a photo memory.

Don’t you love a surprise? Here’s the fun part. She had no idea we would
be there. I snapped a few photos. With her tutu twirling, she inadvertently
looked down and spied me. Elated, she burst into a toothy grin, eyes
flashing joy. She stopped dancing and waved! It was too cute for words.
I had tears in my eyes. Till my dying day, I will never forget the look on her face.
Never. My dancer-princess memory. Priceless!

And the next day, Sunday, was Faye J’s First Communion.
Talk about a grand slam weekend!

So what have you accomplished with no sleep?
What priceless memory saved in your positivity memory bank
do you retrieve and savor? Good for you!
I see you pausing to remember.

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P.S. Judy loves to hear your comments.
Feel free to send her questions you may have!
You can also connect with Judy on facebook, LinkedIn, or follow her on twitter.
Visit: coachingpositivity.com
Score a copy of her new book soon:
“Photo Adventures in Cuba ~ Unlock Your Power of Positivity”

Take the “How’s Your Abundance?” Quiz

Posted by Dr. Judy at 3:00 am

What’s Your Definition of Abundance?

Pause and think about it before you start rattling off answers! Need some help?

Here’s the easy “How’s Your Abundance” quiz!
I’ll keep it simple. Just answer yes or no:

1. I know what ENOUGH is for myself and my family.

2. I use my imagination to create a vision of what I want.

3. I make a decision to go for the gold.

4. I roll over and play dead, whine, pee and moan when times get tough.

5. If I make up my mind to do something, I do it, embracing warts and all.

6. I act and move forward with patience and persistence more than I react
with negativity.

7. I forge through life confidently infusing confidence, courage, and creativity into
everything I do.

8. I shoot for the moon and sprinkle lackluster stars with fairy dust.

9. I count my blessings every day. I work and play aware of joy along the way.

So how did you do? Get 8 outta 9? Did I get ya on #4?
I wanted to make sure you were paying attention!

Humor, ya gotta have humor to live with abundance.
At least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

What keeps abundance sitting in your front row?

Need help? That’s my job!

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P.S. Judy loves to hear your comments.
Feel free to send her questions you may have!
You can also connect with Judy on facebook, LinkedIn, or follow her on twitter.
Visit: coachingpositivity.com
Score a copy of her new book soon:
“Photo Adventures in Cuba ~ Unlock Your Power of Positivity”

Grammy Gratitude

Posted by Dr. Judy at 3:00 am

When was a time you felt so grateful you could lift your hands
to the heavens and thank the universe?

That’s how I feel everyday after I get off the phone with Mom.

Many of you kind friends have emailed me asking how Mom is doing.
I will tell you, even though her days are challenging, and her legs seem
to have a passive mind of their own, Mom tells me, “Never give up!”

Acceptance is Mom’s new mantra.
She tells me she is learning to deal with life one day at a time. 
What a lady! Don’t you hope you will still be learning at 92?

This was the day after hospitalization when she returned to her beloved
Heritage Assisted Living in Milford, DE. 
Mom was so happy to plop down in her lift chair. 
Her favorite past time? Savoring her art photos.

I was singing the ”Hallelujah Chorus”!
Amen, persevering, optimistic, and kind Mom!

Is that you I hear counting your blessings?