Looking Inwards

Yes...it's an other rambling post....again!! So grab the coffee and get comfy...or just scroll to the end and grab the Elements for A Little Love and run!! The choice is yours. I hope you stay and read on.

Don't ask me why but today has been a looking inward day for me. I had just read a blog post and thought how well that the person was dealing with a mammoth problem and yet still coping with the rest of their life. It made me think about my own life...past and present, but more than that it made me think of the people around me and how I was treating them. Was I a nice person to be around? Was I selfish? So many questions so few answers!!!

I am sure that I fall short on so many of these questions. But that doesn't make me a bad person. But there is not a person made that couldn't get better!!! So I decided to try to get better...there is ALWAYS room for improvement!!

"How could I become a better person?" I asked myself. OK, I know that you can't just do these things to order and a lot of you will think I'm crazy (if you don't already!! lol!). But if you don't try it won't happen...........besides it should be a "Work in Progress".

So here's what I've come up with...a Challenge. A Challenge to me and to you too if you want to take part.

I decided that for the next 7 days I am going to do a little something that is selfless each day that will give to others in someway. I don't mean something physical but a meaningful gesture, kind act etc. It's a sort of Better Me Challenge..so I did a little blinkie for it..I know...it's really basic!! But snag it if you want to take part,  it's in my side bar. 

For the 7 day Challenge these are the Aims I hope to achieve. They are not in any order but I aim to do one or more per day for at least the next week...depending on how opportunities develop. Hopefully I will then continue with them as part of my everyday life if they are not there already.

The Aims of the Challenge are:

• Let People Know I Care - Tell someone I love them..and mean it, think about it and say it with meaning.
• Listen - Be a good listener and allow someone to unburden themselves and just vent off!! They may be mad or sad but I will let them bend my ear and get rid it. Don't you always feel better after you have sounded off? I do!! Being a good listener is an art and one we all need to practice!! We talk much more than we listen and often don't really listen to what people say. So, this week we are going to really listen when people talk to us..multitasking doesn't help this one!!
• Give a Little Time - life is so busy we often can't cram everything in, so make sure that you make a little space to do something with one or more of your family or friends...without distractions or worrying about the things your not doing. In other words even if it's just 10 minutes..it will be quality time with your undivided attention. That can be a difficult one to do sometimes with all the multitasking!! Hopefully it will let them know we care and want to spend time with them...they are more important than anything else during that period. You don't want to think in the future if only you had spent a little more time with him/her/it..so do it now.
• Say Sorry - we all have times in our past and present when we should say sorry but we don't. In the next week think about situations when perhaps you should have said sorry and didn't. If you can't find one then make sure that you say sorry at the right time this next week. An apology need not be an admission of being in the wrong but that your sorry something happened...say an argument or a long gap in being in contact.
• Appreciate People and Tell Them So - often we don't do this when we should and it is something that can mean a lot to people. It lets them see you notice and you don't take them for granted. You appreciate their skills, time, effort, kindness or what ever. We all like to be appreciated... so show someone you do appreciate them!!
• Try to Be a True Friend - not to be judgemental, but be trustworthy, a friend they can count on to encourage them and console them.... a friend who can keep their secrets and be loyal. Often we say "We're good friends" but we don't make time to be one!! This one is an ongoing thing to keep doing. That's why they say that "true friends are rare like pearls". Make yourself a pearl!!
• Say Something Good About People - say something good about and to people. Build them up..don't knock them down. Trying not to be judgemental goes with this one too..people are different, that doesn't make them bad...just different.

I'll be posting how I get on with the challenge and I'd love to know how you get on if you decided to try it too.

Now for scrapbooking!!!

I'm so lucky that I get to see so many lovely layouts that people do using my work. It really is a joy and one I look forward to....to find out what others do with the things I make, how they bring them to life as part of their wonderful pages.

Bettina has done just that be sharing with me these two beautiful pages from her album. The first is of her granddaughter Lily and the journaling was dictated to her teacher in First Grade by Lily herself. It is truly amazing!! The page really shows of Lily's crowning glory and is one to treasure for the future.

 

Bettina's second page is of her grandson having a wonderful time in the playground, look at that energy!! Her clever use of the template really conveys the speed and motion of this very energetic young man!!

 

 

Credits both layouts: Papers - Colour Basics by Cens Stuff, Hearts - not known, Template 01 - Cens Stuff, Talent by Bettina!!!

Bettina a brilliant job on both layouts and a huge thank you for sharing them!!

And Finally..I know... I really took my time in getting to it!! Lol!!

You can download the Elements for A Little Love here

Have a great day and I hope you decide to take the challenge!! Check back

for how I'm getting on with mine.

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