Do you stop to smell the Roses?

What a beautiful Sunday here at the end of September we are having in the Midwest. I am hoping and praying for a wonderful Indian summer this fall. Fall is my favorite with the colors changing, humidity gone, and slowing down of life. It is preparing us for our hibernating time this winter.

School is going well for me and time seems to be flying by. I have registered for my next two courses already. I am enjoying my contented days I am having while they are here. It is natural to have some chaotic days from time to time, but we must stop to smell the roses when it is present in our lives. Do you?

When life seems to slow down and seems to be going well does this inspire to you stop and smell the roses or panic waiting for the other shoe to drop? I think we all have experienced both of these scenarios many times in our lives. Sometimes the ‘slowing’ down of life triggers us to look for the bad and try to head it off at the pass. Have you ever heard the old saying, “If you go looking for trouble you will find it or you will create it?” Doesn’t this saying speak volumes when we apply it to our lives? Do we enjoy a good day when it is here? Does the good day have different faces on it that make you worry? For instance, boredom, worry, fearful of missing something, fearing what is coming next…there can be more. Do you find it hard to be alone with you?

This is where we hear our inner voice loud and clear when life is not trying to drown it out. If you have trouble just sitting in a quiet day, is your inner voice making you uncomfortable? You are not alone if you answered yes to any or all of these questions. This is where journaling with your self-talk workbook can assist you to Stop and smell the Roses!

I hope you will stop and notice when you are having a good day. This is the time for enjoying the hard work of life and time to relax. If you wish for some more peace deep down inside this is where Pocket of Pearls can help you find that strong inner voice that fuels you daily. Next time you are finding a peaceful day, ask yourself how you are going to enjoy it. Life can get crazy in a flash and it will again. This is where one day at a time comes in. In addition, we must Stop to smell the Roses every chance we get. This part is what nourishes our soul.

Have a great Sunday!

Love,

Merna

Are You Sinking Your own Ship?

Hello again!

I have been pondering what to share with you today as I struggle with one of my two online courses. My major is psychology, but I have a couple Gen Ed’s to finish. One of my current courses is Elementary Statistics. Ok, who knew this would not be so elementary. It is daunting to say the least. I was feeling so defeated last week, until one day our professor posted a story about a crew on a sinking ship. They fought until the end, but many still survived. Therefore, our moral was that we all felt exactly the way we should be during this class; we were riding a turbulent ship. Are we survivors or are we quitters? It is difficult and we must have strong study habits to survive this course.

I had to make the conscious decision not to ‘give up’ sub-consciously. Does that make sense? I was entertaining the thoughts of – I just want to pass that is all that matters. AND I do not care if I get a D as long as I pass. Are these thoughts OK? My own words about this were very self-defeating and once I made the decision to do my best, it got better. I am feeling so much better about it and during my schoolwork. The dread is 80% better. Yes, I admit I still have some dread left, but it is a lot lighter!

Now, what changed was not the simplicity of this course it was MY attitude. I had to first realize how I was sinking my own ship without even knowing it. Everyday my thoughts were how much I hated this class. Now, I see the challenge and I take that challenge! I am taking a slower approach, and doing well. Wow! Is it ever a GREAT feeling to be doing well and not so defeated.

This is where Pocket of Pearls can help you feel better in your life, while guiding you daily. Often, we are not ‘consciously’ aware of what is going on inside of us. We are use to hearing our own voice. However, remember this is your daily fuel towards life. Don’t you deserve it to be made of gold? The Pocket of Pearls journey will take you to a healthier relationship with self.

Have a great Sunday!

Merna

Soylent Green

Happy Sunday!

What a beautiful day! I was not sure if it would be or not since it was raining cats and dogs last evening. In fact, I was hoping for a break from mowing, but getting outside in the sunshine is what the doctor ordered for me after a full week of coaching, school, and working with my book.

Last evening I took the time for myself to enjoy an older movie. On one of the classic movie channels Soylent Green was on and I haven’t seen this movie in many, many years. It is a futuristic movie made in 1973 starring Charleston Heston. As a kid, when I first saw this movie it frightened me of the future. The movies plot takes place in the year 2022 and they are living in the full greenhouse effect of darkness and heat. I found it very interesting that in the 70s that they fully understood the dangers in front of us and how the future might be. The year 2022 does not seem so far away any longer does it?

The movie had a strange revelation for my life when watching it. The very things we take for granted everyday were relished and wore a high price tag in this movie. A jar of strawberries was $150 per jar. Can you imagine? No, we do not want to go there, do we! For instance, they lacked sunshine, plant life, animals, fresh fruits, and vegetables, etc. Yes, this is a movie, but when they talked about what we know as Global Warming and it was alarming. Watching this movie brought me to my gratitude list in my heart. Do we look around daily enough to see what our gifts are?

Pocket of Pearls starts you on this journey of looking within and brings you to task to document what that inner voice is saying, while challenging you to be kinder. Are you continually telling yourself you do not have enough? If so, you will never have enough. If you are telling yourself you are not enough, you will never feel enough. See where I am going? Once we start changing this inner dialogue the sun starts shining – inside!

I will leave you with this thought today. Do you want a kinder voice? Do you want more in your life? If so, take this first step to start implementing Pocket of Pearls in your life daily. This journey of self-awareness is incredible and life changing for YOU! After all, you are the one who is starring in your own life… so start living it!

Love,

Merna

Too Close to Home?

Hello again!

I am recouping from my busy weekend with family. We had a wonderful time celebrating our parent’s 50^th anniversary and everyone made it home. My mother enjoyed every ‘picture taking minute’ of our time together. It is tough to get all 25+ of us together at one time, so she took as many as she wished. After all, it was her day, so we complied.

Many great memories we talked and laughed about, while making more. I hope you were able to have a wonderful 4^th of July with your family and friends. We here in northern Iowa had amazing weather to enjoy the weekend.

For a few weeks now, I have been thinking about a few responses I have had about my book. To some people, this book hits a little too close to home. What I mean by this is how frightening it is to look in the mirror of self, so I want to talk more about this. My hopes are to support the people who are having trouble reading the book or stopping himself or herself from reading it. You are NOT alone! It is scary to start a journey of looking within, especially when life has been so busy that you have been put on the back burner. This happens slowly over time, and unknowingly in some ways. I, too, have been there!

One of my hopes when writing this book was to support the person who is too scared of looking within and can’t quite verbalize this yet. When any sort of self-discovery journey begins for anyone, you can panic because you do not know what you will see on the inside. I remember this very well in rehab many years ago. I remember saying to myself over and over, “What if I am rotten to the core?” or “What if I am not as good as I hope I am.” And, “What if I just don’t like what I see!” This makes me so sad looking back at myself as a young girl in treatment. I know it was my experiences, and I am so grateful I continued on my life of taking care of me. What a terrible place to be! I will never forget where I came from. I got through it and no longer feel this way, so you can too! However, I am not perfect and still have tough days, but my feelings and fears are not this deep any longer, so this is your pocket of hope.

So this is my olive branch to those of you who are a bit apprehensive to looking within for the first time. Remember, your soul is good, kind, and caring. The ‘stuff’ on top of it is ‘life’s happenings’ and we are going to do some housecleaning. If you feel the need for one on one guidance, this is the perfect time to invest in a personal life coach or counselor. They offer you the strongest unbiased support and tools to a strong inner core. The two go hand in hand and true change happens when both areas have the same attention. Then your life is like ripples in a pond, these strong, loving vibes affect the rest of your life when your core is healing and stronger. Remember, a good coach will never judge you and the investment in yourself is so worth it!

Therefore, here is your challenge for the day. Take one day at a time and start with your Pockets of Pearls journey. You do not have to go through this alone! There are many women and men who are taking this journey with satisfaction, conviction, and are pleased with the improvement on self. Are you ready for some pearls of YOUR personal wisdom!

Have a great Sunday and let me know if you have any questions!

Love,

Merna

Do You Have A Wicked Inner Voice?

I am getting ready to begin my next two classes for college and had some much-needed down time before it starts tomorrow. In addition, no TV in my home for the last week due to some lightening damage while I was gone. However, I found it useful to work on getting the word out there about my book Pocket of Pearls. I also have found myself with a harried voice inside of me, but I stop and take a deep breath and challenge myself to be kind. I will do well in school, while giving it my best.

The emails keep coming in and women are gravitating towards finding healthier self-talk. Excellent! We all need this guidance since we have to live with ‘us’ 24/7! We are the ones that have to hear ourselves, never escape our voices – day in and out. Don’t you want a soothing, comforting voice encouraging you and yet supporting you too? You can find this!

Wouldn’t today be a good day to start giving you some support and kindness? The Pocket of Pearls workbook is affordable on everyone’s budget at $10 from Amazon or Barnes and Noble online. You are worth this investment month after month to stay on a healthy path. This is a streamlined workbook that fits nicely in your purse, so you have it wherever you go. I have had a couple women tell me just seeing the journal in their purses ‘reminds’ them to stay on this path.

If any of you have any questions or feedback on the book, please go to my website and email me! I would love to hear from you and help you get started if needed.

Have a fantastic day!

Merna

The Path of Creating This WorkBook Series...

Hello!

I am on my much needed break from school and work this week, while preparing for my first Pocket of Pearls workshops in the Quad cities area in my home state of Iowa. As I was preparing for my interactive workshop using my workbook, I decided to read it once again. I read the introduction out loud in my home to get the feel of sharing it with a live audience. I have to say, these memories of my younger life still bring tears to my eyes; good and bad memories.

During my first year of sobriety in 1986 and being a young lady of 22, it was scary. For me, what was scarier was what I learned about myself in that first year and the relationship I had with Merna. It was very harsh and undefined. Our 20's are all about finding out who we are and I didn't have a clue. It really was the beginning of many things in my life. Back then, I lived on Sanibel Island, Florida and had returned to this state after rehab in Minnesota. I believed Florida was the place for me and my future.

After 1 1/2 years of living on Sanibel Island I missed home and my family, so I moved back to Iowa. By trade, I had been a hairdresser since I graduated from cosmetology school when I was 19. However, this last year and a half on Sanibel I worked in a health club and discovered a whole new world of fitness. It was a new door that opened for me and I studied everything I could get my hands on. We had a huge stack of fitness magazines in our lounge and I borrowed them nightly to absorb it all like a sponge.

Even tho I seemed to have left living in "tropical paradise" to go back to Iowa, it was definitely 'going home' to me. Many individual's move to Florida to discover this wonderful world of living in a tropical place. However, once you get there you realize how many jobs you need to work to survive and pay the rent. There were many times i had 3 jobs at once to just make ends meet. There was very little time to enjoy 'paradise'.

However, I have no regrets about the second time I lived in Florida. I originally moved there when I was 19 and spent two years on Sanibel as a hairdresser then also. I had a short year at home in Iowa in between, which is when I ended up in rehab. In total, I lived on Sanibel and the Ft. Myers area almost 4 years. I do had aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents near by, but working so hard didn't leave much family time for me.

When I moved back to Iowa for the last time I took away some very valuable lessons in life, a new trade {aerobics}, a couple life long friends, and my journaling of a softer voice.

It does not matter where you are and what you are doing, there is a silver lining to each experience we have - we just can't see it when we are sitting in the middle of it. That is normal and to be expected. We need to heal, find our way out, grow, and look back to see how far we have come, while treasuring it. This is the process!

Each workbook I have has a part of me and some of my very tough journey's in life.Once I reached my 30's my journey became harder. You will learn about this in each workbook...

Everyone has had very tough moments in their life and it is not a competition of who has it worse. We all have to find a way through our own life, while healing the tough spots. We each have to survived OUR life, so find a healthy path. Pocket of Pearls is an amazing workbook to get you started with a healthy path for YOU!

If I hadn't started on my inner voice back then, I wouldn't have grown within myself. However, I had to go through the bad to realize how deflating and demeaning I was to myself. It is time to change this and help others. This is what I want to share with you. You are NOT alone here at all!

The emails I have received about this workbook are incredible and each woman related to it immediately! It touches a soft spot in many women who realize they need work in this area, but never knew where to start. Here is your first stepping-stone and a powerful one at that. Doing this workbook, month after month,it is a great gift to yourself to stay on a healthy path.

Take care and I will see you next week!

Merna