overachievers...

"Overachievement is aimed at people who want to maximize their potential." 

o·ver·a·chieve

[oh-ver-uh-cheev] Show IPA

verb (used without object), o·ver·a·chieved, o·ver·a·chiev·ing.

1.

to perform, especially academically, above the potential indicated by tests of one's mental ability or aptitude.

2.

to perform better or achieve more than expected, especially by others.

i find myself often annoyed by people who like to think of themselves as "overachievers," but they are truly not performing above the potential of their ability, and they are not performing better than expected...they just like to "look" like they are. i think many people who think of themselves as overachievers are mislabeling themselves (and possibly are being mislabeled by others), when really they're just show-offs.

overachievers follow through and usually do things to challenge themselves, not to try make others look bad. overachievers go over and above what's expected, and actually do it, not just come up with great ideas they never accomplish. anyone can come up with a good idea, anyone can follow through and see it to completion. an overachiever will see it to completion and be phenomenal about it.

if you start with a gem and do nothing besides mount it nicely on a ring or a necklace, it still looks like a gem, just in a nice setting. if you start with a piece of coal and end with a diamond, well now, that's something...that's overachieving! take your gems and show them off and gloat about how pretty they are. i'll gladly take my coal and work as hard as i can to make it turn into diamonds. when you use a scale of 1-10 and show how much has changed, i guarantee my coal will have moved on the scale, from beginning to end, higher than your gems every time. a gem is a gem, is a gem...only coal can be turned into a diamond!

i think it's time to bring back my "overachiever diva"...she's been preoccupied and it's time for the leave of absence to come to an end.

my word for 2013 is "success"...i am determined to make it happen in every facet of my life... 

walking down the overcast lane called memory...

i recently came across some pictures someone posted on facebook. i was just browsing, checking some things out, and the pictures just jumped out and hit me. hard.

the pictures were straight out of the past, faces i hadn't seen in awhile, and never expected to see online. my sisters. i don't know all of the circumstances surrounding the situation, though i've heard the story in bits and pieces all my life, but they were taken from our family unexpectedly, brutally, when i was just a few months old.

a couple weeks ago, maurice sendak died and i read through some quotes of his. the ones posted below stood out to me as i thought of my little ones in my classroom, they have dealt with so much in their short lives. but in just the past few days, i realize that they applied to my own childhood, and really everyone's childhood has something in it that alters them and compromises how the future could have been compared to what it might be now...

“I think it is unnatural to think that there is such a thing as a blue-sky, white-clouded happy childhood for anybody. Childhood is a very, very tricky business of surviving it. Because if one thing goes wrong or anything goes wrong, and usually something goes wrong, then you are compromised as a human being. You're going to trip over that for a good part of your life.”

“Certainly we want to protect our children from new and painful experiences that are beyond their emotional comprehension and that intensify anxiety; and to a point we can prevent premature exposure to such experiences. That is obvious. But what is just as obvious — and what is too often overlooked — is the fact that from their earliest years children live on familiar terms with disrupting emotions, fear and anxiety are an intrinsic part of their everyday lives, they continually cope with frustrations as best they can. And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming Wild Things.”

and now, as i think more and more about my own childhood and work to find out all i can about my beautiful sisters (who have been my angels all my life), this quote stands out to me too...

“I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I can't stop them. They leave me and I love them more.”

it's interesting how randomly coming across a couple of pictures unexpectedly can change your perspective. i am inspired by them, have a purpose to my summer because of them, and have finally figured out what i want my first tattoo to look like...in memory of them.

"Bless you, my darling, and remember you are always in the heart - oh tucked so close there is no chance of escape - of your sister." ~Katherine Mansfield

On my mind, in my heart...today, always...SA&PC

getting out of my funk...

Dreams that come true

If you had no limitations, what would you choose to achieve? If you could get up from where you are right now and go to do literally anything, what exactly would it be?

You instinctively know there are things that matter to you more than anything else. It’s important to remind yourself specifically of what they are.

You may not be able to fully achieve your ideal life right now. Yet you absolutely can take very clear, definite and effective actions today to move your life in the direction of that ideal.

With every choice, with each decision, you are progressing in one way or another. Know clearly where you want to go, and even the little moments will bring you closer.

Your life is a continuing manifestation of your most firmly held intentions. So focus on the intentions that you most sincerely and passionately desire.

The dreams that come true are the dreams with which you are most intimately and consistently familiar. Know precisely what you want, and the living of your life will make it real.

— Ralph Marston

i'm in a bit of a funk today and this just hit home perfectly. i need to keep positive and focus on my purpose and goals.

so what would i do if i could do "anything"? i do love teaching, but i am not sure if i would continue it in the capacity of a public school classroom if i didn't need the income. but as long as i need the income, at least i have long summer breaks so that i can be free to help multiple ministries. i would like to be free to travel wherever needed whenever needed, and to help others locally and abroad. my husband would like to a new ministry locally, i would love to see that turn into something that reaches a multitude of people in ways that nothing else does in our area. i want to be involved in ministries in haiti, philippines, liberia, and more.

right now, unfortunately, finances are blocking my ability to do a lot. or maybe i am letting the lack of them block my ability to get the drive to do more. i want to be at peace, positive and prosperous more than anything, but it seems so hard to attain at times... the question is, who is making it so difficult? i'm guessing that it's me, getting over myself and the fear of failure. time to buck up and work on focusing on the important things and quit letting doubt, worry and fear rule.

2 Timothy 1:1-7--I thank God,...without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day,...being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother...and your mother..., and I am persuaded is in you also. Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.

strength...

i went out for my first workout in forever (you can read about it here) this morning and i was going to make a whole post on goals. i thought about it while i was running/walking. i have been working on getting my goals in writing and being concise with them. i have a tendency to be too wordy (no kidding, right?) and want to keep them simple. one of my personal goals is to lose weight and get back in fit shape. the biggest thought that was dancing in the forefront of my head was that it's one thing to write down your goals so that you can see them, but it's clearly a whole other thing to actually finally take that step to act on them. i have been planning to get fit and healthy for a long time, but that's all i've been doing...planning. i've been doing that in a lot of other areas too, and realized it's time to get off my butt and get busy with all of the things i need to do.

when i got back home, i opened my email and the following article from dailyword was in my email inbox, how timely! (this seems to be happening a lot lately!) check it out...

Friday, August 05, 2011

STRENGTH

I have inner strength.

As I embark on any new endeavor, the excitement of a fresh start can be exhilarating. Sticking with it, however, requires that I develop the spiritual faculty of strength and use it daily.
Whether I am adopting a new healthy habit or leaving an unhealthy one behind, raising a child or starting a new job, I remain steadfast. Obstacles may arise and I may experience my motivation waning, but my inner strength carries me through regardless of any obstacles. I meditate and invite in new awareness. I listen for guidance from within, while affirming my strength and resilience.

The spirit of God within me is my source of spiritual strength. In God consciousness, I overcome any challenge and experience the joy of success.

The Lord is my strength.--Psalm 28:7

how do you want things to be???

i read regularly read the Bible, devotionals, etc. and i also regularly read things that are uplifting and positive, even though they may or may not have a "religious" connotation to them. sometimes i find that the non-religious reading is more uplifting, encouraging, and inspiring than the religious stuff. for example, this morning at church, the closing song was supposed to be uplifting in that it was talking about overcoming worry, spiritual warfare, etc. but i found it to be stress-inducing because of their choice of images playing on the screen during the song. everything was sharp, jagged, spinning out of control...and they didn't have the chorus showing anything opposite to counter it. it just didn't seem very "feng shui"...they had the yen but not the yang (or vice versa)...the negative images, but not the positives. i left there feeling stressed rather than feeling elated and "victorious."

fast forward to my afternoon... we decided to eat at home rather than eating out. we stopped by the store, picked out some fresh salmon and some great produce, and a few other necessary items for the coming week, and went to pay. the search through the depths of my purse ensued, but to no avail...i couldn't find the card i needed to pay for our groceries. they said they could push the buggy into the freezer for me and it would be ready to go when i got back from running home to get my card. we got home, found the card, got a treat from the ice cream man, and i returned to the store... only to find that they decided i wasn't coming back and that most of my cart had been emptied of my items. sure, they offered to get them for me again, but who wants a teenager picking out their peaches and plums??? so off i went, re-shopping for the items that were supposed to be our delicious home-cooked sunday dinner. (they didn't even wait an hour for me to return...20 minutes home, 20 minutes back, and 10 minutes i stood in the deli picking up something quick for lunch so we could have the salmon dinner this evening...only gave me 10 minutes to be at my house to get the card and turn around, and yet not even that.)

so fast forward further... lunch is over, i sat down to the computer and decided to check out the daily motivator, and this is what i read:

How you want it to be

Whatever you genuinely expect is what you will express with your words, your actions and your life. Whatever you expect without question, you’re already working to create, even when you don’t realize you’re doing it.

Worry is a powerful form of negative expectation. Repeated worrying creates the reality of what you’re so worried about, and that’s certainly not what you want.

Yet it is just as possible, and just as powerful, to truly expect the best. If you can envision reasons for worry, you can also envision reasons to be confident about more positive expectations.

Put the power of your expectations to work in a positive and enriching way. Tell your life how you want it to be by expecting the best of it in every moment and in every situation.

Truly expect to get it done, and those very expectations will lead you to find a way. Instead of fighting against your worries, be pushed forward by the very real and powerful expectations of the positive life you intend to live.

The future has not happened yet, so make sure that when it does happen it will be to your liking. Know that you can expect the best, and then get busy making it so.

— Ralph Marston

funny, i didn't expect to come back to the store to an empty cart, and yes i did get stressed, but worrying about it and fussing about it wasn't going to do me any good. i had to just grab my old receipt they had printed out, grab the cart, and go...get my food for my family, and head home.

life is a lot like that. things come our way that can stress us out, make us worry, and just really put us in a pissy mood...but we have control over how we handle ourselves, and how we react to what is happening around us. i could've been a really cranky customer and caused a big scene, but i don't think that would've resolved anything besides making me look like an idiot, and making everyone around me stressed out.

when life throws things at you like job loss, an unexpected move, the loss of a loved one, sudden responsibility that you didn't bargain for, etc. you get to choose how you will react, and you get to choose how you will live your life...which way seems more productive? worry and fretting circumstances and the future? or being positive and making plans? it's a no-brainer to me!

bumps...all about perspective...

think back a bit, picture yourself as a kid riding in your parents' car. you probably didn't have to wear a seatbelt, and it was legal for you to ride in the back of the station wagon or bed of a pick-up truck. our family had an international travelall, it looked exactly like this bad boy pictured here...
this was the granddaddy of the SUV and crossover. (and it may just be the reason i really want my dream car)

when my parents brought the travelall home, my little brother and i thought it was the most amazing vehicle ever made! (and we already had a vw bug, which was almost as amazing...) we would ride in the "way back" and alternate between lying down, as we would drive down the bumpy gravel roads of rural kansas, and people watching. (you know the kind, we were the kids who would make faces at people, wave at everyone, and sometimes pretend we were hiding from all of the "bad guys" who were riding in all of the other cars on the street.) we would pretend that our family was living out of that car and traveling all over the country to see all of the great sights...the grand canyon, old faithful, yosemite, niagara falls, mt. rushmore...you name it, we pretended we were there, camping out of our car along the way.

back then, bumps were fun. driving on a road through rolling hills was even better. if we were driving on a "washboard" road, we would make noise and let the bumps rattle our bodies so it sounded like we were stuttering.

as we grow up, driving down bumpy roads becomes annoying. we worry about the damage to our cars, whether or not we'll have to head for the carwash afterward, and get exasperated when it's so bumpy we actually have to slow down...we're always in a hurry as adults, you know.

in the past couple of years, our family has hit almost every "bump" you can imagine...it's hard not to get annoyed when they come along, but i'm learning. when damage is done, i look for ways to fix it and not let it happen again. if it's "dirty", i clean up the mess and move on. and more than anything, i've learned to slow down and learn from it. i have found that if i take the time to enjoy life's bumps and work on my perspective of them, rather than getting sucked into the moment (which always passes, quickly even), it makes the ride much more enjoyable.

hang on and enjoy the ride, bumps and all!