Lessons From an Ugly Tree

By Sandra Dee Robinson

I have been at odds with a crooked palm tree for a long time.

Every time I would enter my bedroom, my eyes would inevitably focus on this plant and I would sigh in irritation. For whatever reason this palm has grown sideways, twisted, and then just slightly upward. It defies the rule of a straight and majestic palm. It was not pretty to me. Since I can’t discard a living thing, I placed it in the master bedroom because it was less likely to be seen by guests. That decision prompted the lesson because I inadvertently positioned it in my eye line every day.

In truth, I saw it as a representation of how off-course parts of my life were. I had new business ventures and my learning curve resembled the path of an arcade pinball. Some days I would be right on track, then an unforeseen challenge would knock me to the side and I’d want to start all over. The tree mocked me. I scowled at it. I wished it straight. Then I’d wish it dead. I imagined how pretty that area of the room would be with a lovely “perfect” tree in its place. It taunted me daily.

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By Tania Boutin

Have you ever wondered…..”Why can’t things just go easy for me?” How can we be happy when there is so much negativity out there? How do I become happy? Your happiness and unhappiness is created internally. How you feel by way of happiness, fulfillment, satisfaction is not a reflection of your success, failures or other external factors. Happiness and fulfillment is determined by your opinions and beliefs in your mind. Even your successes and perceived failures are your beliefs in your mind and that can be changed with circumstances and time.

Life is only what you make of it and you choose your happiness. Now you might be saying, “Well, I didn’t choose this or that to happen to me” all I can say to you is, yes you did! Maybe not consciously but the mind is such a wonderful powerful tool that your thoughts have brought you to where you are today.

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by Jaelin K. Reece

Sometimes we are happy, sometimes we are sad, or lonely, or joyous. There are a range of emotions we feel every day. It’s part of the human experience. It can make life exciting and worth living, it can also cause stagnation and depression.

In all my years as an Intuitive Counselor, I have witnessed too many clients who believed in suffering with their sadness, not feeling that there is more to life. When sadness works its way into your every day experience and becomes an overriding factor in your life, then its time to face it rather than suffer with it.

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How many times have you experienced a setback in your life? If you’re like most people, it’s probably hundreds of times. Setbacks are a part of life, and there is no realistic way to avoid them. However, if we learn to find the hidden gem in every setback, we’ll be able to use them in productive ways.

Let’s take a look at some of your setbacks and see what can be done to shift your perception of them. First, make a list of every failure you can remember, no matter how insignificant it may be. If you started a diet and reverted back to eating donuts the next day, write it down. If you set a goal to make more money and ended up in further in debt, write that down.

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