Quotes to Lift You Up When You’re Feeling Down

I came across this quote this morning and thought I'd share it with all of you!!

Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines by Robert Schuller

How many times have we felt drowned in our problems to the point where we thought the world was crashing around us???

I have had a very difficult year, with a sever back problem that left me debilitated for months, moving to a new place and not being able to find work, and lastly knowing that my father had terminal cancer. He and us struggled and battled for months hoping to crush the beast, until a few weeks ago, the disease got the best of him and my father is now resting in peace. Throughout it all, he was just an example of wisdom and positiveness. He not once complained or nagged or felt sorry for himself. He accepted his fate and fought 'til the very end. We tried meditations, natural alternatives, organic nutrition and most of all, what I think was the most valuable is the fact that he was surrounded by his loved ones.

Those are the moments that matter the most when you're going through a difficult path.

As hard as life seems at the moment, I know that it's a matter of time until the silver lining appears and things start brightening up. It's in moments like this, that we need to be strong and stand by each other.

Life is about challenges, discoveries, love, euphoric moments, disappointments, struggles..

If anyone would like to share a story or even what they think the meaning of life is.. please comment or send your email privately to be posted as an initial post.

Have you ever felt so overwhelmed with problems that you just wanted to give up all together?

Does anyone have an answer to our purpose on this planet? Or a thought at least? (I don't think anyone could have one :)

One eternal love,

Aphrodite

8 Ways to Increase Hope by Naomi Drew

I found this inspiring and I thought I'd share it! What a great way of starting spring :-)

"I've been so overwhelmed by what's going on these days," a mother recently said regarding world events. "I feel like there's nothing I can do and the world's spinning out of control." Her words echo the sentiments so many of us feel each time we pick up a paper, turn on the news or have a phone conversation. Sickness, Viruses, Loss of loved ones, Heartbreaks, Disappointments, Inability to make ends meet, Crumbling Economy, Layoffs, Fear of losing a job, War on the horizon, Nuclear weapons, Bombings, Massacres, Holdups, Muggings, Rampages, Kidnapping of innocent kids -- the list goes on. Inevitably, it's easy to lose hope. However, loss of hope doesn't have to be the path we walk down.

You see, hope is actually something we create. It's not something that magically appears from an outside source. We each have within us the capacity to generate hope. It's critical that we be absolutely intentional about nurturing hope in our lives and the lives of our children.

Now more than ever, overcoming fear and holding onto hope are essential. The eight steps below will enable you do this. Try these steps yourself and teach them to your kids. Do some of these as a family. Know that it is within your control to become more hopeful. Don't let the news be your undoing. You can take charge.

1. Be Kind to Yourself

Think about what you need most, and then do it. Is it a cup of tea, a brisk walk, some downtime, quiet music, a little rest, or reading inspirational literature? Whatever it is, grant yourself permission to do it, even for just a few minutes. If you're at work, take a "care-break" where you take care of you for a brief moment. These small moments accumulate and transform the texture of our days.

2. Create a Daily 5-Minute Silence Ritual

Light a candle and pray, meditate or reflect. You don't have to believe in any particular deity to make this work. Just silently reflecting in front of a lit candle is extremely nurturing and healing. This may be the one time of day when you feel connected to your own soul, and perhaps even something larger. Don't skip this step -- it's very powerful.

3. Curtail Your Intake of News

Oversaturation with news right now is detrimental to emotional health. If you read the newspaper in the morning, let that be enough. You don't need to turn on the TV or radio too, especially before bed. Consider putting a complete moratorium on news at least once a week. Anything you missed will be there tomorrow. Drastically curtail any news you let your children watch.

4. Treat Each Day Like a Precious Gift

Be vigilant in looking for things and people to appreciate. What if today was the last day of your life? How would you want to live it? Ask yourself this question throughout the day. It will help you let go of the countless petty annoyances that tend to throw most of us off balance.

Shift your gaze to appreciation. Who and what are you grateful for? Make a list each day and add to it.

5. Take a Break

Every morning, afternoon and night, take a 30-second break to look at the sky, breathe deeply and offer thanks.

Even though the world has its problems, the sun still rises in the sky each morning, and we're awake and alive when we get out of bed. Let the sky be a touchstone to hope. Think of other people around the world as you look at the sky, and know that we all share this planet together. Among all of us, we have the ability to create solutions to the problems that now exist.

Trust that this is so.

6. Express Love Tangibly

Hugs, words, notes, acts of kindness -- be indiscriminately generous with all of them. Surprise a friend with a hug. Hug and kiss your kids longer and with deeper feeling. If you like how the clerk treated you in the store, thank her. Leave your partner small notes expressing gratitude for kind acts. Doing all of this adds warmth and positive energy to our lives and the lives of people around us. It's also very comforting both to the giver and receiver of each loving act.

7. Say This Affirmation Every Day

Say this affirmation every day and see where it leads you: "I am the key to peace."

Most of us believe, erroneously, that peace will come from people or institutions much larger than we. Just the opposite is true. Peace starts with each individual and it will only come to this world from the people themselves. It is critical that we each create peace in the small and large moments of our lives. We must live it in our words and actions rather than giving in to fear, hatred, or resignation.

8. Make a Difference

Reach out beyond your normal scope. This is your opportunity to live your greatest promise, highest self. Don't wait. Each time we make a difference in the lives of others, we create hope in ourselves. By reaching out to someone in need, be it your neighbor, a Guatemalan orphan, or people in a homeless shelter, we add a little more peace and hope to the world. Our accumulated gestures of care and compassion will ultimately transform our lives and the lives of others. We are each the source of that transformation. Knowing this gives me hope.

Why do men lie?

Here is an interesting article I thought I would share.

Dear AnneP,

I have been seeing a lovely man for 2 years. After only a month together we started planning our future. But despite his being extremely kind and caring, he can't help lying to me. Some of the lies are of little consequence whilst others are much bigger. I do not think for a single minute he would cheat on me, but I think he feels so unsure of himself, he doesn't like to give me answers that might upset or anger me. I hasten to add, I only get upset when I find out the things he has said aren't true. I feel the lies are both an insult to my intelligence and a tremendous blow to my trust in him. I have always been totally upfront with him and I expect him to be the same. Sometimes, not knowing the truth makes my imagination run riot. Like the time he told me he had never been to America. Then I saw on his passport he HAD been there 2 years previously. He said he must have forgotten! He told me he had been with a man he had met at a conference. He couldn't remember his name and didn't know where he was now ... For months I thought he had had a homosexual relationship and I watched the way he looked at other men.
Then eventually, after an argument, he came clean and told me he had been with a woman he had met at a dating agency and he been embarrassed to tell me in case I mocked him. I was in fact so relieved he wasn't gay! Can our relationship survive with these lies, most of which are minor ones? I love him so much but is trust the only sure foundation on which to build a lasting relationship? Jackie

Anne's response:

Dear Jackie,

Thank you for your letter. It's great that you've found a good, caring man. It's not so great, though, that he is sometimes less than honest. So what are you going to do about that?
No doubt you've explained to him that you feel insulted and disrespected when he tells you lies. You have every right to feel this way and it would be astonishing if you didn't. You believe, as I do, that trust is essential if you are to build a good relationship.
Relationships which include lies can survive but only if one partner is so desperate to hang on that she is willing to discount her own feelings and self-esteem. When your partner tells you wonderful things about how you're going to live together, how can you believe this if other things he says aren't true? How do you know that this too isn't a lie designed to bind you to him? If after two years you haven't already moved in or got publically engaged, with both of you acting to bring your wedding-plans about, do the facts back up the words?
People have two main motivations for telling lies. Either they have so little self-esteem that they continually fear rejection and so cover certain truths about themselves. Or they too are so desperate to cling onto a relationship they value that they temporarily fool themselves but they can't keep that up for the rest of their lives. Whichever, people who tell their partners lies are so insecure about themselves that they often do things which they're not willing to explain. Lies are only their first line of defence. Further defences may include cutting off completely, perhaps vanishing for a while or forever. The first person whom a liar distrusts is himself, and let's face it, he knows himself better than you do.
I don't know for sure, any more than you do, whether you and he can build a strong relationship together. But the fact that you're asking indicates that you have grave doubts. Aren't your feelings there to protect you? How can they do that if you don't listen to them?
You do have choices. Presumably you've asked him to tell you the truth and that hasn't worked. You could ask him if he's willing to undergo counselling to overcome his problems. Or you could consider couples counselling. Another alternative is to tell him that you're not willing to put up with any more lies so the very next one and you're out of the relationship. This, of course, could only work if you mean it and if you can trust him. Which is where we came in.
You've already discovered that his actions don't match his words. It's the actions which are the real clue to anybody's character. Someone who tells lies is giving you much-needed information about whether or not you can trust him. And you know the answer to that.
The good news is that you know you can attract nice, caring men. Further good news is that you're smart enough to work out whether you can trust them. And if you can't, you can dump them and look for someone who is reliable, caring, open and honest. There are plenty of men out there who are looking for someone kind, loyal, loving and clever just like you. But will you find them while you're hooked into this man's snares?
It's over to you. I wish you every happiness a stable, honest relationship can bring. You deserve good things. I hope you let yourself find them one way or another. Good luck!

Is it just me or do most men lie?? And if so what's your take on this?
Do they do it mostly to avoid conflict? to avoid getting our feelings hurt ;-)? a combination of both?

Geographical Preferences

Hi Aphrodite thank you for posting this!

I just want to know how people feel about this topic? My sister and her husband met 10+ years ago in college. He was an Engineering student and she started MED degree. A few years into the relationship, they were so much in love and decided to tie the knot. He had graduated and had a good job, while she was still in school. They bought a house and were very happy. (At least it seemed so, my sister and I were close and I was aware of all the little differences they had, but felt that their relationship was an ideal one. They both gave me the best advice about my own relationships. A few years ago, my broter-in-law was offered a great opportunity in another State a few hours away from home. After giving it a lot of thought, they both agreed to move there. She was able to continue doing research and go to school while he worked. Although she was happy and loved him dearly, she never adjusted and kept wanting to move back. She finally gave him an ultimatum (ouch!) and moved back to her hometown where she was offered a teaching job while she did research for her MED degree. He begged her to stay and yet wasn't ready to give up his job and start over.

How could that be? How could you be so in Love with someone to wanna spend the rest of your lives together and let a career choice put an end to a marriage.

Please share your thoughts and similar experiences!!

Leslie xxx