Surrounded by Piles of Index Cards;-)

You may have thought you used mountains of index cards while working on school research papers, but Tara Donovan shows you what mountains of index cards actually look like in her installation for the “Wonder” exhibit.

I am so grateful for the training that was presented over 3 sessions this week on Discovering & Choosing your Dreams.  For those who were not involved, the first class we were asked to write one word on each index card of a word that describes us. Then in a separate pile write actions/nouns that describe us.

Next the fun begins, lay them all out, mix them up, match them up again and again until we get the combination that clicks with us.

I sent an email out to a few friends asking them to list what traits they most saw in me which was helpful in confirming.  What did I come up with…..

Dedicated, compassionate,  helper!

Next we wrote more cards listing all our wants.  I found this difficult to do as it felt greedy, but followed through as instructed.  In the last session we sorted them in 5 categories and were able to then come up with our real dream.  We learned that we can have anything we want, we just can’t have everything now.  Decide what is most important and then laser focus.

Here is the mission statement/ mini DMP that I came up with as a result of this project.

I’m a dedicated, compassionate, helper, earning 10K+ per month, ecstatic about helping 10+ others achieve time and financial freedom  by  Dec 2020– so we can joyfully accomplish our dreams, including advancing world missions and noble causes.

Having this nailed down gives me such a clear direction and burning desire and purpose which is motivating me to go above and beyond to start accomplishing this vision.  I am so thankful for my purpose getting clearer and clearer as each week goes on in this MKE experience.

Advertisements

Week 9 – Being an observer

It is certainly interesting what we see when we focus on being an observer.  And then to make sure we don’t give our opinion…. that is certainly a challenge.

Although in MKE we have been focusing on not giving our opinion, this week of multiple  family gatherings I found this more of a challenge!  I guess it has to do with how easy it is to “fall back into old habits” when we are in familiar circumstances.

During family gatherings over the week, I became very aware of how much of the conversations were filled with opinions and often negative thoughts.  To be fair, we all just lost Joel 4 weeks before Thanksgiving, so often the negative was related to our loss.  Yet often other negatives were discussed and it is interesting how others chime in so quickly (and how tempting it was to join in myself).

I am certainly improving in both the No Opinions and the positive thoughts/conversations, but this week I caught myself slipping into old patterns more often while around family in larger groups.

Yet, I am glad I am aware, I am working on it, and I definitely did better this Thanksgiving than last year!   Just think how well we will be doing by next Thanksgiving!  Let’s all stay the course and keep improving!

Blessings,

Karin

 

Week 8 Perseverance

Here it is late on Friday evening, and I have not written my blog… so here it goes!

I can’t say I have had any Ahaa moments this week! I will sum up my week as persevering!  With it only being 3 weeks since my son Joel passed away, I still feel a bit like I am in a fog.  There is a damper on my spirit that does not seem to be allowing me to experience all I think I might be with MKE otherwise.  But that is ok, I understand that to everything there is a season, and right now my mind and heart is seeing everything a bit through a glass darkly.  This too shall pass!

Yet in the midst of it all, I thank God for his comfort and strength and for many opportunities to comfort others and experience their comfort as well.  The many “things” that have to be done after a loved one passes away is certainly a good test for not entertaining negative thoughts!  The many phone calls answered by machines that defy to let you speak to a human being remind me often of – replace those thoughts with good thoughts and actually for the most part I have been able to. I really think this is a pretty good accomplishment all things considered!  I am far from my 7 days with no negative thoughts, but I am making progress and focusing on – I will greet this day with love in my heart.

Each day I have been completing my required activities, and I was able to get fully caught up on the areas I got behind in, so again I am grateful. I am truly being persistent, and I believe as I keep doing so, my subby will have no choice but to catch on, and I believe before long I will be experiencing some breakthroughs with truly becoming best friends with my future self.

Joel, we miss you and love you so much.

 

 

Week 7 – Putting it ALL Together on Audio

Sure enjoyed Putting Everything Together on Audio this week!  Since I find listening extremely effective, and also a great use of time, I had already been recording individual items on my phone the last couple weeks.  Great to listen to while I drive, clean, exercise, etc.

So when we were instructed to put it All together and add music – that seemed perfect to me. I went ahead and used some Baroque music as suggested, and put together basically everything except my MKE’s, and interspersed scriptures between items.  I love it!  I can listen anytime and review all the different items throughout the day, and turn it on when I go to sleep at night. I know this is helping get my vision into my subby and I am sure grateful.

My movie board and smart goals and shapes are posted all around and they are getting much more ingrained in my being!  I like the compass being in the middle of both, as my “gps” and focus, rather than my watch!

The one item I am having a really hard time with is visualizing.  I have been trying staring at a picture for 10 minutes and then closing my eyes and trying to see it. I also have been trying to visualize my friend as I speak to her.  I am not sure what to do to improve on this, and hope that practice will bring it to pass. Visualization and being able to picture things has always been a challenge for me. If anyone has any great ideas, I sure do appreciate it!

Week 6 – Amazing Strength

This week has been very tough, yet full of amazing strength and comfort. Joel has been gone for a week now, and on Monday night we had his Celebration of Life service. We were totally blown away by all the people who came to share in remembering him. The stories of the lives he has touched is so heartwarming. The testimonies shared, the scriptures read, the message by our pastor – then all summed up in the last song we sang together – “It Is Well With My Soul” We miss Joel so much here on earth, but as stated this is only ‘So Long’, we look forward to seeing him again in heaven one day.

This week has been consumed with so many things that have to be done. I have been blessed to be able to help my daughter in love work through all the details and support our grandchildren as they begin to adjust. As the week has progressed on, I have been focusing more on MKE and beginning to catch up. Focusing on week 4 and now listening to week 5. My goal is to get most of the steps done for both so I can hone in on week 6 and get caught up. MKE is really important to me, and although doing double time is hard, I am totally committed to getting caught up and moving forward to victory.

I am enjoying our new Scroll Marked II – I will greet this day with love in my heart – and know I have alot of growth potential here! I am so thankful for the amazing love that has been poured out to us this past week, and I look forward to being able to pour it into other’s lives as well. As one of my PPN’S is helping others, my dream of being Jesus’ hands extended to those in need more and more is so important to me, and I am looking forward to seeing the many ways this becomes an increasing reality in my life.

Week 5 – Life Can Change in an Instant!

This week my blog is not focused on MKE. My world has turned upside down this week and I honestly have not focused on the new skills. On Sunday night I had a call that something happened to my oldest son, Joel and to come quickly. I will not go into details of the evening, but my 35 year old son passed away unexpectedly. Fortunately I had seen him earlier that day, but non of us knew our conversations that day would be our last!

How devastating and sudden! My heart aches the most for his wife and 2 young children who now are going to have to learn to live without a husband and a daddy.

Yet in the midst of our grief, The Lord has been giving us an amazing amount of comfort and friends have been so supportive in so many ways. Our church family has been amazing, and we have so very much to be thankful for. Our family is pulling together and supporting each other with such intention, and we are so grateful for each other.

May I encourage you to remember to value your moments with the ones you love, and don’t take them for granted. Each day is precious!

Week 4 – It’s Bigger than We Think

I really am beginning to get it – It is bigger than we think!

The reality of re-training my brain is so exciting.

I love the simple truth of:

You thought it
You wrote it
You read it out loud
You ‘felt”‘ it
You Promised
You did it!!

This is so powerful. To think that the things I write on my card and accomplish the above – subby learns if it written on the card it WILL BE!

The importance of the statements from MKE 4-12 through 4 -14 paraphrased and shortened is so powerful.  If I carry out my idea with the above steps, I will gain control over my thoughts and myself. Yet if I say I am going to do something and don’t complete it, I am forming the habit of failure. And by controlling the world within, I will ultimately control the world without.

How powerful this is. Another example of the power we have to have positive influence on our lives and the lives of others. May I be faithful each day!

I hope you will take time to really consider these truths as well and enjoy retraining your brain!