Glad Cards: Words of Homestead Wisdom
Do you write notes to yourself when facing a challenge? I do.
Last Friday, I wrote about the seduction of waiting for something we really want. Much of this waiting is a result of my own need for time: time to heal, time to learn how to digest food properly, time to learn, time for emotional growth. I’ve found that the time I need for these things is reduced when I write little reminders to myself about old conclusions I reached when facing a similar challenge in the past. Writing them down also makes overcoming present problems easier, because I’ve brought my thoughts into concrete reality where they can be read and internalized.
Glad Cards
Today I’d like to share these notes to myself. Each one of these glad cards was a hard-won lesson; perhaps you can avoid some of the suffering I’ve experienced by reading these notes and jumping right to being glad for what you’ve got in this moment. The name “glad card” was inspired by the movie Pollyanna, which I recently watched for the first time. Her gladitude is truly inspiring! She plays a game in which she can always find something to be glad about, no matter what the situation may be. Here are some thoughts that help me get closer to gladness. They might not speak to you as much as they do to me, but that’s why you can write glad cards directly to yourself, if you like.
- I have plenty of revelations yet to discover.
- Feedback exists because perfection does not.
- Eat the cookie, miss the zoo. (do not do something today that will hurt you tomorrow)
- As capacity builders, we need the organization to thrive before it can grow.
- Build the Foundation.
- It made a difference to that one starfish!
- You are currently experimenting. Admit it. Thus, there is an unknown outcome. Nothing is predictable with certainty (get over it).
- Innovators must be ok with things being broken, because nobody else can see when these things will be amazing.
- You still haven’t given up, despite rough times. Celebrate that.
- Don’t spend time worrying, or you won’t see the raccoon carry off the corn on the cob. (true story)
- Today will be awesome if you believe it will be.
- Grief teaches. Look at your tears and recall that they originate in a source of joy and inspiration.
- Thinking of past moments or painful daydreams will prevent you from achieving the future dreams most dear to your heart.
- The friends in your life are AWESOME so stop forgetting that.
- Remember your center, and keep walking towards it.
- You could’ve done lots of things differently, but it matters now what you’re doing right now.
- Life is change. Walk comfortably knowing you have a say in that change.
- Live committed to the life you want, and renew that commitment with actions of love.
- Seeing potential loss leaves you blind to what you have.
- Embrace each moment! Do things that will lead to more moments worth embracing.
- There is no real security. All we have is our miraculous ability to adapt and improvise solutions. Everything else is just comfort, not insurance.
- Your future depends on walking confidently in your own skin and being open to growth from a balanced place.