Wise Words from Yoda!

As I was kicking around topics this week, I kept going back to a quote I ran across in school.

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. –Yoda

Fear is such venom in our minds and hearts and it leads us to create much more hurt in life. Hurt that we carry around with us daily and it is often ‘unknowingly’ projected on everything or everyone we encounter. Often, we do not visually see this part of us….but, it is festering inside. Fear has many different faces that we wear: Anger, upset, frustration, sadness, judgment, boredom, and many more. However, we do not always see the clear picture of what is really beneath our current feelings. In the end, Yoda is accurate with fear leading to our personal suffering. WE are the ones that suffer from our unresolved fear.

With that said, it is scary to look inside because what if we don’t like what we see? What if we are not who we hoped we are? Do not worry, you were born with a very caring, loving soul and it is still in there. We just have some dusting to do of the years of life you have lived. Life is not perfect and we all have had moments in life that has hurt and disappointed us. These are the ‘unresolved’ items we have in the way of feeling peaceful again. Therefore, let us do some housework and start dusting everything! Grab your can of Pledge and a dusting cloth = Pocket of Pearls journal, and let us get started!

Do you want to feel less annoyance, frustration, and confusion? If so, the answer lies right in front of you or should I say inside of you! It takes small stepping-stones to begin finding more peace. One-step at a time. If you take a huge leap and go from one extreme to the other it really is not healing, it is another mask. If you put on a ‘fake’ smile and do not look inside and care for yourself this is just another mask and one that will not last long. I have been there many years ago before I realized soul searching is the key to happiness. You are not alone here at all! In addition, this is where a personal coach can help you find a stronger path to peace. I have worked with countless people over the years that desire more peace in their life and find it! It takes some hard work to get there, but it is soo worth it. Please remember, it is much more exhausting to live suffering each day with unresolved hurt and fear than it is to work through it. I know this from personal experience and the people I have coached. I have a sturdy toolbox to help you on this path to peace.

Therefore, your choices are starting today or continue waiting for life to magically change. Hmmm…I must add that the journey may be a little rough from time to time and it can be grand others….. It is soooo worth it!

Have a faaaabulous Sunday!

Merna

Would you climb that Mountain?

I hope this finds you spending a leisurely Sunday at home recouping from your busy week. Hmmm… sounds like what I am doing. However, my lawn is calling my name again and it will get some attention today. It appears to be a beautiful day today, so I am looking forward to sometime outside.

I am on my last week of this term in school and I feel such a load off my mind with one of my two classes - Statistics. I am learning so many facts from my instructor and classmates about this class because I was clueless before hand. Many people drop this course or change their major because of it and I survived it – I did well I might add! I am not bragging here, rather feeling a huge sense of accomplishment. I had a few fleeting moments the first week of quitting, but they were fleeting. I had to find a way over this mountain for my Psychology degree, there was not any wiggle room. Also, quitting is not an option.

Yes, this class has been ‘over the top’ time consuming and taxing, but I did not give up. Quitting is never an answer for anything and we must look at our life to see if we use this ‘out’ as an excuse for our fears. Do you face your fears? Or Do you find a way to ‘avoid’ them? After all, if you do not try it you cannot fail. However, remember if you do not try, you cannot succeed either! Do you think of this in the moment? Do you weigh the consequences of what you are giving up? For most people the answer is no. It just seems the ‘easier’ way out to end the current struggle. What is your mountain?


Growth happens when we try the uncomfortable and stumble a little. When we live in our comfort zone daily without trying new things and getting uncomfortable, we stop growing. This is when our passion starts to die and we feel empty inside. The mundane sets in and sadly, many people think ‘hey it’s just the way it is suppose to be.’ I respectfully disagree with this statement! Life is about thriving, not just existing. Believe you me, I have been in the ‘existing’ mode too, and I wasn’t happy.

The workbook Pocket of Pearls can help you start taking your temperature of where your thoughts and inner voice is leading you. It gives you daily challenges to learn where you are at and challenges you to go to a better place. It is the first huge step is making changes in your life.

Have a great Sunday!
Merna

What is on your Vision Wall?

Hello!

Happy Sunday! I have had a great week with school and work, while working with people who are discovering Pocket of Pearls. I have a monthly newsletter starting on September 1, so be sure to sign up for this subscription. Send your email address to newsletter@pocketofpearls.com and you will be added to our database.

Yes, I have a Vision Wall! I have had a version of this for many, many years. I have had one in the past since I was in my 20’s [in the 80’s] cut out photos of effects I wanted in my life and place them in areas I would view a lot. I didn’t think of it as visualizing tho, only of dreaming. However, I believed the right ones would come true. I had some friends think this was comical or silly, so I started putting these things or lists of dreams only where I could see it. Maybe I shouldn’t of cut back a bit from others seeing it, but what mattered is ‘I’ believe it and loved doing it!

Once I started working from home, I started putting items on the wall in my home office. It became my Vision wall. Once I saw The Secret, the validation was great and I even got much more specific in my dreams. Visualizing to materializing is the key to moving forward and one day living your dreams. It is a huge notch above positive thinking, but we must feel optimistic with our ‘Vision Wall’. [Trivia on Merna - Her hair salon’s she had in the 90s and the early 2000’s name was Visions. Health issues ended her stylist career.]

This is where your journal Pocket of Pearls will start you on this path to materializing your passions. We must ignite the fire inside of us to create this lure of attraction. Remember, in the law of attraction like attracts like. However, if our inner voice isn’t positive and peaceful you will attract more negativity. All of us have experienced this and not realized it and it can start changing today. Pocket of Pearls is the one-step with a big impact on changing your path. Aren’t you worth starting this healthier path today? The answer is ..... YES!

Have a Great Day!
Merna

Are you living with “if” or “when”?

Hey there!

Here we are again meeting on a beautiful Sunday sharing our thoughts to loving the life we have, while dreaming of more. Is that the tape that is running in your head? Or is it a more defeating one? I have been using this very question with many aspects of my life. Let’s look at this question. Are you holding on to your ‘dreams and hopes’ if or when you have more money? Are you holding on to your ‘dreams and hopes’ if or when you have more time? In addition, we must realize where we are placing the responsibility for OUR happiness...It is solely our own, no one else has this power for OUR life. Example: I would be much happier if we had more money! or If others wouldn't bother me I would be less crabby. When I have more money I will sit back and enjoy my life. Hello! Today is here now... it's the best time for all. This loving of today will help you move to the dreams of tomorrow.

The key to start attracting more in our lives is to take the first step to look within ourselves. Do you find yourself saying, "I will be much happier if my boss wasn’t a jerk"? Or if everything was less stressful? Often, there are many 'excuses' that fly out of our mouths or pop into our minds. Who is the common denominator? The hard pill to swallow is US! I have been there and decided to swallow this bitter pill a few times in my life. It took me to be at the end of my options and tired of feeling unhappy or unfulfilled. I had to look within to start a changing journey inside of Merna!

Where do you start? I can almost here this question out loud as I am writing here, because I have asked the same questions in life. It starts with you! Remember – just KISS; keep it simple stupid! This is a saying I heard many, many years ago and it still rings in my head at times. Often, WE are the culprits that make our life passionless and hopeless. Each of us has the options to start today and make a better feeling life for ourselves. Think of it like ripples in a pond. When our core starts feeling better it will affect each other area of life.

This is where a personal relationship/life coach can help you break down your own barriers. They are the person to set the stage for you so you see what housecleaning needs to be done - without judgment! If you are interested in working with me go to my website and you will find a link for coaching with this information. You can also email me at the address below.

The first perfect stepping-stone is starting your Pocket of Pearls journey. To start making change we must first see what needs to change. One large ingredient in our fuel daily is our inner voice. How is yours?

I will leave you with that for today. I would love to hear about your journals any time. Drop me a note at Merna@pocketofpearls.com

Take care,

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

Is Your Roof Leaking?

Hello!

It is a gorgeous July day here in Northern Iowa and I plan to be outside working on my acreage. It does not really seem like work since I will be outside enjoying the summer. I have 5.5 acres to mow and tend to, but when I am finished ‘I’ think it is breathtaking here. I LOVE my home and do my best to take care of it. After all, if I do not tend to it this place it will fall apart and it would not take long for it to start showing on the surface.

With that said, let us use this visual with our relationship with self. Without work, sweat, and attention it will start to fade. It will not be long before the lack of attention starts showing visually, let alone what is happening below it. For instance, when you have a leak in your roof you keep putting off the repairs that are needed. Let us say you take months and months to get the roof looked at. By the time, you have a professional look at it the repairs are beyond a few nails and shingles. The rotting of the frame of the roof, attic boards, ceiling in your house and the sheet rock that has rotted from staying wet… and so on… Any homeowner knows the consequences of ‘putting off’ repairs.

Now, back to us! :) Using these thoughts on our mind, heart, and soul. If we do not tend to our personal spirit, it will wither and need more repair. Now of course, this does not mean you will ‘rot’ at your core as if the roof did, but it could feel that way. This feeling would take on many faces like despair, passionless, lack of motivation, and so on. Where did your dreams go in life? Our dreams and goals in life are necessary to a confident feeling. We should all ask this great question to ourselves. I dream a lot! I believe in the world of “The Secret” it is called manifesting. However, once I learned the law of attraction I utilize this skill in a more powerful way by fully understanding it and NOT killing my own hopes. Dreaming alone will not attract more, but adding the necessary tools will help you live your dreams. As in the law of attraction, what you feel you will attract! If you are feeling bad about yourself, or your voice is harsh – this is what you attract. Therefore, the first place to start ‘attracting abundance’ is where the magnet lives, which is in your personal spirit. The Pocket of Pearls workbook will start you on this path of abundant living, while keeping you on your toes daily.

What are your dreams? Does your inner voice encourage you or tell you its silly and not going to happen? I have heard that deflating voice in the past and I stay attentive with my relationship with Merna. Take the Pocket of Pearls journey and learn more about you. Do not be afraid of looking within because you were brought into this world as a sweet, kind soul. You are still in there… we just have some housecleaning to do… Remember, you do not have to go through this journey alone; you have me in your pocket daily.

Have a great Sunday!

Love,

Merna