The gift of music

I've been feeling very blue for the past several days.  I understand why, and I'm okay with it because grieving is a natural emotion that accompanies loss.  But after a few days of complete and total lethargy, I've decided it's time to do something with my pain, to honor it, to allow it to be, so that I can eventually move on.

Tonight I remembered something that I used to know... that music has an incredibly powerful calming effect.  Perhaps it's the beauty of creative expression.  Or maybe it's the heartfelt certainty that someone else has experienced similar emotions, and they are able to express them in ways that I cannot.  Whatever the reason, no matter how low I sometimes sink, music is always able to lift my spirits.

I took piano lessons for most of my childhood.  It wasn't until I was much older that my mother told me that as a teenager, she could always tell when I was sad or under stress.  Those were the times that she never had to remind me that I was supposed to practice at least an hour a day.  Not only did I get my requisite hour in without a fuss, but I apparently lost track of time, got lost in my music, and played for much longer.  I bought another piano a few years ago, but it's been sitting quietly in my living room.  Perhaps it's time to revisit that habit.

In the meantime, tonight I'm thankful for YouTube and all the P.J. DJs who post music and videos on line for the rest of us to listen to for free.  I've created a few playlists so that I'll have appropriate music available for whatever mood hits me.  Right now I'm working on one called "Weepfest" which has some of my favorite songs that are so beautiful, or so expressive in their lyrics, that they make me cry.  I know it may sound weird, but scientists have actually studied the physiological effects of crying and have found it to be beneficial.  To read more on this, click here, here, and here.  Now that I've had a good cry, I feel much better.

This prayer landed in my email box today.  I thought I'd share it here:

May today there be peace within.  May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

A soulfully abundant statement of faith

The following Gathering Statement was posted in this past Sunday's bulletin at my church.  It is my statement  of faith for the New Year.

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed.  I have Holy Spirit power.  The die has been cast.  I've stepped over the line.  The decision has been made.  I am a disciple of His.  I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure.  I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals!

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity.  I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.  I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer and labor by power.

My face is set, my goal is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide reliable, my mission clear.  I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, or burn up till I've reached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ.  I am a discipline of Jesus.  I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops.  And when He comes, He'll have no problem recognizing me because I'll be standing on His promises, shouting his praise and doing His will.

My 6 favorite life hacks

One of the most important strategies for living a life of soulful abundance is learning to embrace the idea of simplicity. When our lives our simpler, we tend to have less stress, feel less overwhelmed, spend less money, accomplish more, and have more time to enjoy what's truly important to us.  I've spent the last few months searching for and experimenting with different tools that will help me simplify my life in significant ways without spending a lot of money to do so.

The following six tools made my list, and together, they provide a solution to just about every time-consuming, necessary but unpleasant, and/or stress-inducing task I have.  Even better, three of the six are FREE and the others cost less than $60 each.

1. Google (Free):  Google's free e-mail software is great.  I was first attracted to the fact that I no longer have to worry about deleting e-mails because my mailbox is full.  But I quickly learned that opening an e-mail account full of thousands of useless and out-dated e-mails was yet another source of stress.  Google's label, archive, filter and search functions have helped me learn to manage my e-mail box quickly and efficiently. But Google's usefulness doesn't end there.  I use Google Docs as a no-cost web server of sorts, allowing me to access project files from both my desktop in my home office and my laptop from anywhere that I have internet access.  I'm using Google Sites to build project websites to collaborate with clients/customers and of course, Google's Blogger is a personal favorite site of mine.
   
2. YNAB (You Need a Budget) ($59.99):  I've been using this awesome budgeting and financial planning software for two years now and it has totally transformed my relationship with money.  I went through two brief periods that I fell off the financial wagon (didn't keep my records updated) and I felt totally off-balance and out of control.  I no longer live from pay check to pay check, I can easily and painlessly keep my checkbook register balanced and I sleep better at night knowing that I control my finances, not the other way around. From planning for large recurring and special expenditures throughout the year to saving significant sums of money in a short period of time, this software has been a God-send.
   
3. FreedomFiler (from $32.95):  With a full life and two home-based businesses, coupled with a life-long distaste for filing, I used to find myself drowning in papers.  In addition to spending unacceptable amounts of time looking for misplaced papers, forgetting about things I wanted to do because I couldn't find my reminders, and yes, even occasionally forgetting to pay bills that I had misplaced, I often found myself getting physically ill when I looked at all the clutter in my home office.  FreedomFiler has changed all that.  This simple-to-use filing system is unlike anything I've ever seen and has made figuring out what to keep and what to toss a snap.  Now every piece of paper that I choose to keep in my office has a place to call home.
4. KeePass (FREE):  More and more of the websites I frequent require passwords.  At the same time the increasing incidence of online identity theft is making me think more carefully about the passwords I chose and about not using the same password for every site, which I used to do to make my life easier.  No more worries with KeePass.  This free little utility requires that I remember one password to open it, and then I can create an entry for each website which lists the URL, user ID and password for each.  I can cut and paste as needed, knowing that my passwords are secure and a few extra brain cells are available for more pressing matters.
5. ExcelSquare ($11.25):  This is by far the best project planning tool I've ever used - and I've used several.  From managing my recent home purchase and renovation to developing an implementation plan to roll out my new business, this sophisticated but user-friendly Excel application is perfect for keeping me on track and on schedule.
6. Vertex42's Printable Daily Planner (FREE):  I think I've tried virtually every planner/personal organizer system out there, which little long-term success.  The benefits of using a daily planner are immense, but the logistics of finding a system that is effective and user-friendly enough to use on a daily basis is more of a challenge.  I've tried software programs such as Outlook, hard-copy planners such as Day-Runner, At-A-Glance, and even the beautiful, but very expensive, Franklin Covey systems.  Vertex42 has created a very simple but complete one-page Excel template that has room for appointments/work schedule, daily task list, people to call, expenses, and important things to remember.  I downloaded it to my desktop, and print a month's worth of pages at a time (the template includes a perpetual calendar).  I keep the previous month, current month and next month pages in a small 3-ring binder and I use the blank back pages for extra notes as needed.  Sure, it takes a few minutes to print a month's worth of pages, but I have the functionality of a Franklin-Covey planner for the cost less than a ream of paper and ink it takes to print it.

I hope you'll find some of these tools useful.  If so, please let me know.  And, if you know of others, please post a comment.  I'm always open to trying new things.

Wishing you a simpler, prosperous and abundantly soulful New Year!

Reflections on 2009

Each year at this time I spend some time reflecting on the accomplishments and lessons learned from the outgoing year.  It helps me set the stage for the New Year and provide clarity and context for my primary goals for the incoming year.

In many ways, 2009 was my best year yet.  Of course there were disappointments and setbacks, but this year was the first year that I was consistently able to see the lessons - and the blessings - in the midst of the trial, instead of months or years later.  My spiritual maturity is not where I want it to be, but it is so much deeper than ever before, and I saw the fruits of that this year.

Lessons Learned:

1. Before asking for God's direction, I must first genuinely commit to being obedient, even if I don't understand the reason behind His leading.  In four specific instances this year, I waited to pray for God's direction on a challenging situation until I was certain that I was committed to doing what He said.  In each case, I suspected that His answer would be the most difficult, and least "PC", solution and that I needed to be prepared to move in spite of the reactions of those around me who probably wouldn't understand.  In three of the four situations, I was rewarded beyond my greatest expectations and, perhaps more importantly, God used my circumstances to witness to others about the blessings of obedience.  I don't yet know how the fourth situation will turn out, but I can rest in the knowledge that I did what I felt God asked me to do.  What happens now is on Him.
2. When in doubt, ask God for confirmation.  God knows our hearts better than we do.  While it may irritate me when people constantly ask for clarification on something I thought I'd made clear, God isn't like that.  I believe that it pleases Him that we ask for confirmation when we're unsure.  Every time I ask for confirmation, I get it, and sometimes in the most delightful and startling ways.
3. God brings people and situations to us for a reason.  No relationship or encounter is an accident.  However, it's important to realize that everything isn't always about me.  Many times people come into my life to teach me things, but just as often, and usually without my awareness, God uses me to teach or to touch others.  It's hard to believe, and very humbling, but I know it's true.  My challenge is to do my best to be the best student and teacher that I can possibly be, even when I'm not consciously aware of the lesson.
4. More is not necessarily better.  I grew up believing the hype that productive people had lots of balls in the air, using every waking moment to accomplish as much as possible during the course of the day. Success was to be measured by the number of tangible accomplishments visible at the end of the day. The old saying that "a Jack of all trades is a master of none" is true.  This year I've learned a beautiful lesson - that less truly is more.  Whether it's material possessions, "friends", or items checked off a to do list, doing or owning a lot of "stuff" rarely reflects success of any sort.  By purging my material possessions, learning to happily live on less, letting go of relationships that were no longer working for my best good, and focusing on one thing at a time, my life is calmer, less stressful, and more peaceful.  And, surprisingly, by focusing on what's important and letting the rest of the stuff go, I've gotten more done and the fruits have been so much sweeter.
5. Emotional integrity is key.  Learning to set emotional boundaries in a world in which they are sorely lacking has been a challenge for me.  Through trial and error (mostly error), I've learned that not all problems are my problems, I can only do what I can do.  I need to continue to do the emotional work of being honest and authentic, even if it isolates me from others.  But at the same time, I have to realize that others have their own work to do, and they must choose their own journey and the pace at which they travel it.  At the end of the day, what God thinks of me, and what I think of myself, are much more important, and more lasting, than what anyone else thinks.
6. I need to write more and talk less.  Those that know me personally know that I love to talk.  Words are important to me and I work hard to be emotionally honest and articulate when sharing my thoughts with others.  However, this year I've become painfully aware that my words are often wasted on people who either cannot or will not hear them.  Much of it goes back to #5.  I know that many times people don't "hear" me because they don't like or agree with what I have to say.  It's not that I'm looking for validation. I love a good, honest debate as much as the next person.  What pains me is not being heard at all... being ignored as if I'd never spoken at all.  The emotional energy that I lose in these exchanges is taxing, and I've come to understand that this is energy that can be better expended elsewhere.  Ironically, the responses (often from strangers) to my writing seem to be much more rewarding.  Perhaps it's because the only people who read my book, blogs or other writings are those that are at least peripherally interested in what I have to say.  They don't always agree, and that's fine. The feedback isn't always immediate, or direct, but putting my written words out there fulfills my intense need to express myself.  And, the knowledge that someone somewhere someday may be moved by my words in some small way is enough for me.
   

I thank God for a wonderful old year and I thank Him in advance for making 2010 my best year ever!

Happy New Year!