An Easy Way To Feel Good

I have read copious amounts of books and articles from the world's greatest teachers about the importance of feeling good. I am a natural Pollyanna. I have a knack for turning lemons into lemonade.

I spend many billable hours encouraging women to find creative ways to feel good inside regardless of what is going on in the outside world. Naturally one would think I had the feeling good way of life down pat.

Well I don't.

Life has her way of turning events and throwing us all curveballs. I am no exception to the rule.

This one curve ball had me REALLY sad. Being kind to myself helped. Dancing around the kitchen helped. Praying helped. Getting in nature helped. Exercising, eating well and getting more sleep helped. However, I still couldn't totally shake it. I felt like I was in a dark cloud and my heart was heavy.

Finally I decided to change my quest to feel good into something totally different. Instead of feeling good I decided to DO good. I made it my daily goal to do a good deed for someone else.

And as life would have it, DOING good lead to FEELING good.

Next time life throws you a curve ball,  treat yourself with tender care.  Then do something good for someone else.

You'll be the happier for it. I promise.
Blessings,
Virginia

Farewell Dear Summer

One child started school today and the other two will begin tomorrow. Par usual I am wondering where did the summer go? What did we do all of those days? I can't come up with anything mind blowing. Yet I remember some very special moments.

A sunrise shared with my youngest:

 

 

Amusement Rides

                                      

 

 

The Tallest Sunflower EVER

 

 

Dinner and playing on the Beach with my Daughter

 

Finding the most perfect heart rocks to add to my collection

 

 

Yes dear summer you have been wonderful to me and given me moments and gifts to treasure a life time.

 

Farewell

 

The Best Teachers

The best teachers are the ones we are trying to teach. I  learned that lesson in my 18 years of motherhood. Now I am learning it again in training this adorable guy, Jackson.

Lately Jackson has been teaching me about the importance of treats. With the promise of a treat, Jackson has learned to sit, lie down, roll over, and stay. Today, with treats in my fanny pack, my adorable pup ran two miles with me.  Treats and praise was all it took.

After my run, I started thinking about carrying my own fanny pack filled with Virginia treats and self praise as a way to accomplish new things. Here is what I am packing.

    *Lots of positive self talk and reminders that I am loved.
    *Gentle words when I mess up.
    *Doing things I love which I  call Virginia treats. They are Virginia treats because they are things I love to do.
                  -Cutting flowers from my garden and creating beautiful bouquets.
                  - Cleaning out a  shelf in a closet,
                   - Putting on a favorite song and dancing around the kitchen.
                    -  Pulling weeds from the garden.
                    -Framing pictures
                   - Taking time to create a delicious lunch.

What treats are you willing to pack as you accomplish new things?

Blessings,
Virginia

                  

The Magic of Love

     Single parenting has been the most joyful and the most challenging aspect of my life these past twelve years. As the teen age years  roll by I have hit many a parenting snag. I have had moments of sheer exhaustion and gulping sobs. There have been times where I honestly did not think I could make it one more day or hour or minute of this crazy journey.

     Times like these I call on my co parent, God. To Him I bring all of my worries, frustrations and self pity. I write it all out, every last morsel of how I perceive what is going on with my kids. I hold nothing back. Getting it all out then leaves room for something else to come in. Peace and Calm.

     In that peace and calm I hold my child/children in my heart. I simply bask in all that is perfect about him or her. I remember all of the love and  the laughter we have shared. I even talk to my child in my heart telling him/her how very much I love them.

     Always, each and every time, I do that something shifts and life seems to get back on track.

     It isn't magic. It is simply love. When I choose too see my children with loving eyes they become more loving.

Beginning Again

 Life often presents itself with perceived obstacles that holler, "I am too busy!"

 One thing is erased from the to do list.

Then the voice inside gets louder, " I am really busy!"

Another thing gets erased from the to do list.

The voice seems to get louder and louder and suddenly all of the things that you do to care for yourself seem to vanish in thin air. They disappear under the guise of busyness and exhaustion sets in.

The exhaustion, the crankiness and the overwhelm has little to do with the busy and everything to do with the choosing. Taking care of myself is the best use of my time. Choosing to do the things that inspire me makes me more efficient and present in every area of my life.

The paradox is life herself.

So I am back starting once again on this blog, because it is never to late to begin again.

Blessings,
Virginia

Mud Season of the Soul

I can feel spring in the air and in my spirit. The days are warmer. I had to pull off layers during today's run. The snow is melting. I feel a bit lighter.
I see grass on many lawns, mine included.
My daffodils that I dug out of the snow are getting taller.

 No doubt about it, spring is on her way.

Even with spring about to burst, to the human eye, the landscaope looks dull. Mud, puddles,  brown snow and last fall's forgotten clean up litter the landscape.

 It all looks quite ugly.

I feel it in myself. I have lovingly witnessed it in others

Right beside the hope of spring sits a tad bit of  the ugly we would like to ignore.

Yet there it is.

I say embrace it. Love it and play with it in the best way you know how. 

Blessings,
Virginia
Let's make mud into blesssings. virginiamccormack05@gmail.com

10 Rules of Perfect Mothers

1. Perfect mothers have an entire reportoire of effective escape routes. Regardless if she is parenting infants toddlers, school aged children or teenagers, a perfect mother creatively escapes on a daily basis. You must take care of yourself!

2. Perfect mothers don't devour every parenting book, becasue they trust their innate ability to be the expert for their own children. When the perfect mother is looking for advice, she naturally finds resources that are in sync with her uniquely beautiful parenting style.

3. Perfect mothers neither judge or compare themselves to other mothers. The perfect mother encourages and supports other mothers with compliments, knowing smiles and practical help.

4. Perfect mothers remind themselves of their own fabulous motehring in affirmations, great mommy-moments journals, and by celebrating with other great moms the things they do well.

5. Perfect mothers say no to anything and everything that doesn't inspire them. Perfect mothers have children who sometimes compete in sports with no parental cheering section. The perfect mother knows that  her not being there develops her child's internal cheering section. Perfect mothers have said " no" so many times to volunteer activities, she is no longer hounded. The perfect mother volunteers in accordance to her passions, not her guilt.

6. Perfect mothers spend more time doing things with their children and less time doing things for their children. Children of perfect mothers sometimes have to live with the consequences of forgetting their instrument, homework or permission slip. It usually only happens once. Perfect mothers have more time to play with their children because household chores are shared.

7. Perfect mothers have passions and hobbies and a wealth of intelligence that grows as they mother. At times perfect mothers put their passions before the desires of their children.

8. Perfect mothers have no guilt or shame in admitting to themselves and others that sometimes mothering is neither fun or rewarding, and sometimes they would love to run away.

9. Even so, perfect mothers look directly intp their chidlren's eyes  and smile many times a day.

10. Perfect motehrs are all of us: on our perfect snapshot days, our nerve-shot days and all of the days in the middle.

Blessings,
Virginia

Making March Meaningful

March is my least favorite month here in Maine.  It seems to last way too long and my excitement for all things garden is difficult to contain. Here are a few things I do to get through the month:

1. Shopping. In March all things winter are drastically reduced. Yes you will be wearing winter clothes for another month or more.

2. Buying fresh flowers every week. Nothing says spring more than a vase brimming with daffodils.

3. Planning my garden and looking back on last years garden pictures.

4. Ordering my seeds.

5. Forcing forsythias.

6.Spring cleaning. Once the days get warmer I will be outdoors every chance I get.

7. Stocking up on gardening books from the library.

8.Completing indoor projects (see # 6)

9. If all this fails and the snow on the ground is driving you mad you can:

 

 

 

Happy March!
Blessings,
Virginia

Appreciating The Weather

The weather sighs in gloominess. The rain the ice and the wind are all pummeling the landscape out of my office window. I want to join in the gloominess of it all and close the curtains. Yet if it weren't for days like today, Monday's landscape wouldn't have been so glorious.

 

 

Like most of us living in New England, I am craving the sunshine and looking forward to warmer days ahead. Yet I also want to love the rain because she makes this possible:

It won't be a long wait. Winter always becomes Spring.

I would be honored to guide you in the road of transformation. Contact me virginiamccormack05@gmail.com  or (207)361-7453
Blessings,
Virginia

The Little Things

 As is true in all of life, the little things make the biggest difference.  I have found that the seemingly small actions I commit to on a daily basis have a direct effect on my happiness. My day goes more smoothly. I appreciate more. I serve better. I love more.

When I make excuses not to do these simple tasks, life seems hard. I get rough on the edges and I feel struggle.

Committing to daily rituals lays the foundation for joy.

My foundation:
1. Daily writing freely 1500 words. I used to do three pages in my hand written journal but typing on a computer made it more 'work like' and uber important.
2. Moving my body in a fun way. I love running but toss in other fun ways to move so weather is never an issue.
3. Doing something extra loving for myself. I am a single mom raising three kiddos solo. Being loving to me makes me more loving to them; my number one priority.
4. Meditating and prayer.Morning and night. I use the Course of Miracles for my morning meditation and a gratitude journal before I go to bed.
5. Keeping the kitchen counters and sink clean.
6. Making my bed.

Life is good.

Not sure how I do it. But I do know how to save $$

I cannot even count the number of times people ask,"How do you do it?"

The how meaning raising three kids alone for the past 11 years. The amazement is that my kids look  no different than any other kid and I am at all of their games and school functions. (My kids are also quite amazing people..just saying)

Honestly I have no answer to the question," How do you do it?" I usually just smile.

All of us do what we can, with what we have at any given moment.

That being said, I do know how I do it financially.

My ten best ten ways to save a dollar or two:

1. Cancel cable.
Nobody will die I promise. I got netflix after cancelling cable. Eight bucks a month is sure sweeter than 60.

2. Cancel your landline.
    That saved me $40 per month. A cell phone is plenty for keeping in touch.

3. Color your own hair.
   When I was married I spent $100 on a stylist every six weeks. I tried forking out that bill once single but then I found haircolor in a box for $9. I use coupons so now it is usually around $4.

4. Bake instead of buy.
   Make your own cookies, rolls and bread. Kids love to bake. Make it a fun ritual.

5. Lose the dryer.
  In my case, wait to fix the dryer until next week when you get paid. Then realize how easy it is to live without a dryer. Then see the money you saved on your electricity bill. BTW: my dryer broke four years ago.

6. Meals out are a luxury.
    I eat out very rarely. When we do it is a giant celebration!

7. Examine your grocery bill closely.
 The average amount a family of four receives on food stamps is $100 per week. Try to do that for your family for one month.  That exercise taught me so much about food shopping, couponing and creative dinner making. So much so I am able to stay in that range give or take $25-$75 per month.

8. Start a vegetable garden.
   Start saving now for the investment in soil treatment, seeds and plants. You will reap the rewards. I barely spend anything on produce in the summer. I am still learning and hopefully will have more canned and frozen next year at this time. Saves money and it simply feels good!

9. Never buy at full price.
  Shop at thrift shops. Get clothing when the season is ending. Always hit the sales. Just tonight I spent $20 on :jeans for my youngest, three bras, a shirt for my daughter, a shirt for me, and a shirt for my oldest. All were on winter clearance.

10. Count your blessings.
   Take a moment each and every day to appreciate all that you have!

Blessings,
Virginia

Grateful for the many gifts

   It is already December 4th and  I have yet to buy one present. That is so unlike me. Usually by this time my closets are brimming over with presents and the UPS truck is making frequent deliveries.

I am no Scrooge and  I am not suffering from the Holiday blues. Rather I am basking in the many gifts I already have and am receiving and giving in each moment.

I would prefer to spend my evenings sitting by the tree with my children talking and laughing as opposed to hitting any store. I am relishing in my early mornings sipping my coffee in the quiet by the lit up Christma tree. That certainly trumps online shopping.

I am astounded by the gifts that come to me just by noticing them. They are all priceless and cannot fit into a box. So before I shop for any presents I am going to bask in the gifts of being present.

Joy to You,
Virginia
I would be honored to guide you along your journey back to the Present of YOU. Contact me @virginiamccormack05@gmail.com