Mary Pierce

Listen and laugh along…

TODAY’S LAUGH: It’s the new math for my life: ten days, four cities, over a thousand audience members. And meanwhile, back at home, thirteen people were in and out of our house taking care of DaMama while I was on the road speaking.

I told her yesterday, “Wow, Mom, this has been a crazy week. Thirteen people in and out, coming and going. Don’t you feel special? It ‘takes a village’ just for you!”

She said, in her usual deadpan, “And the village is called Crazyville.”

TODAY’S ENCOURAGEMENT: Crazyville, indeed! And you know the feeling. It takes a lot of planning to make life work. Thinking, charts, notes, phone calls, anticipating — all are needed for life. All are needed for some of us to just get out the door in the morning.

Planning is the key. Crazy week worked because we planned ahead. We knew what our goal was, and the goal was NOT just to endure it and collapse exhausted at the end.

The goal–the outcome–we really wanted was to be a blessing to those we met along the way, to have DaMama blessed with the TLC she deserves, and to be grateful for all we have–the family, friends, resources and opportunities. (THANK YOU to all who helped us out!)

And now another “crazy” time is coming–the holidays. Advance planning is needed.

As you anticipate holiday gatherings with your “village,” what’s the outcome you really want? (Surely not to collapse exhausted on January 2nd!)

Make your goals to “Be a blessing” and “Be grateful.” Let those outcomes determine what should be on your to-do list.

Planning now will make your holidays less “crazy” and more a time of joy, connection, fulfillment and fun.

Thank you, dear reader, for blessing my life. I’m grateful for you.  Now go be a blessing to someone else today!

I’m on the road with a busy week. I’ll look forward to connecting again next Tuesday. Thanks for stopping by. Have a great week!

Listen & laugh along…

TODAY’S LAUGH: I watched the news report of a group of science and math teachers experiencing weightlessness aboard a special airplane. As they floated about I tried to imagine a weightless life. No more scales? No more diets? The stuff of dreams!

Oh sure, it would be harder to hold onto ice cream, but weighing, um, ZERO would more than compensate, don’t you think?

TODAY’S ENCOURAGEMENT: One of those teachers had been in a wheelchair since an accident at the age of two. At zero gravity, he said he could “stand alone” and was thrilled to be able to see things  at eye level. He said, “I want MORE!”

Weightlessness set him free.

So many of us feel trapped and frustrated in life, thinking I want more… not realizing that our attitude is the only thing weighing us down.

Attitudes keep us from the heights God intended for us to experience.

What attitude is weighing you down today? Anger? Jealousy? Fear? Unforgiveness?

Whatever it is, choose to let it go. Replace anger with understanding. Examine jealousy to find inspiration to move forward. Face your fears and take a risk–it’s exhilarating! And forgiving somebody will set your spirit free to soar.

Want more? God has a plan for more for you. So jettison the weight–the attitude–that holds you down and fly, fly, fly!

Thanks for blessing my life today. May you soar higher than you ever dreamed!

TODAY’S LAUGH: We had a record warm September around here and we whined, “It’s too late to be this hot! The bugs won’t die! This is awful!”

Now it’s fall. It’s finally cooler. Are we happy? NOOOO…

We’re STILL whining! “It’s like winter already! What happened to fall? This is AWFUL!”

Good grief! It’s bad enough we talk about the weather so much. Do we really have to WHINE about it too?

TODAY’S ENCOURAGEMENT: I can just imagine God saying, “People, people, people. Do you think that by complaining you can make one degree of difference in the temperature?”

Of course not. We know we can’t do anything about the weather. But we whine anyway, as if whining will change things.

We whine about lots of things we can’t control. The world economy. Our age. Our children. Our spouse.

If we’re not whining to somebody else, we’re whining to ourselves, feeling sorry for us, making ourselves more miserable than ever. Before we know it we’re living a “life of inner complaint.”

Try the rubber band trick. If you’re living a life of inner (or outer) complaint, declare a WHINE FREE DAY. Put a rubber band around your left wrist. Anytime you think or speak a complaint, give that band a good snap.

I did this. By noon I had huge welts on my wrist. I also had a whole new attitude!

Try the rubber band trick and let me know how it works for you.

Meanwhile, focus on and be thankful for whatever is good, whatever is worthy of praise in your world today–and may you find tomorrow even better!

Thanks for blessing my life. Now go encourage somebody else today!