From the many choices of inspirational sayings out there, my friend Sue reminded me last night of this well-known one: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

We were discussing what I could write about, and she mentioned not being judgmental. Then she stated that quote I just mentioned.

Sue continued by saying that people need to know that they are loved. They also need to know that what they do is okay and that you care.

Acting upon what Sue said, I researched the Internet about inspirational sayings, focusing on the quote about not judging a book by its cover. And I found a quote that I like so much better.

This quote by Mother Teresa relates directly to what Sue said…

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

All of this reminds me of my teen years. Back then I was shy and very self-conscious. As I walked between classes at the small town high school I attended, I avoided eye contact with boys approaching in the opposite direction. I was too shy to even say ‘Hi.”

I learned that the boys thought I was arrogant. That’s how they judged me. How it hurt to hear that! I certainly wasn’t feeling loved.

Have you ever been unfairly judged?

How did it make you feel?

Do you judge people by the color of their skin?

Do you judge people by their religion or beliefs?

If their beliefs are different than yours, what do you think about them?

Are you so vain as to think you’re better than they are?

As you think about that, let me give you some relevant lyrics I wrote for one of my inspirational songs,
‘You Own The Key’ -

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We are all equal.
We’re the same.
Each of us can claim
our own fame.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wouldn’t our world be a better place if each of us focused on creating our own fame while showing others that we care about them?

Why not start by smiling?

Since discovering how I was judged in my teen years, I’ve learned a lot. I’m always looking for ways to improve myself. For example, smiling always makes me feel better.

And when I smile at strangers I meet along the way, they usually smile back. We all get a treat that way. What a wonderful way to show that you care!

How often do you smile?

Why not smile more often?

Do you smile at people you don’t know without judging them?

When you smile at them, you get to both give and take. It’s a win-win situation.

So be sure to smile without judging…
especially when you see yourself in the mirror.

As you know, it’s unkind and unfair to be judgmental. Be kind and fair to yourself and to others.

Love yourself. You are a gift to the world. Give thanks.

In closing for today I’m wondering…

What are some other inspirational sayings that have affected you? Please share them in the Comments section below.

Till next time…

Wishing you peace, love and happiness,

Joyce Marie
Songwriter and singer
Founder, LessonsFromLyrics.com

P.S. If you find it difficult to smile often, perhaps you need to upgrade your self-talk.

How can you do that?

Listen to audios with positive affirmations as you sleep and while getting dressed in the morning.

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To hear this post via Odiogo audio content reader, look just below the title of this post. Then click on listen now.
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This post and lyrics are copyrighted. You are welcome to reblog or link to this post or to give a link to it, but may not otherwise use the contents of the post without written permission.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Disclosure:   Thank you for reading my posts. It’s my pleasure to deliver inspirational stories and lyrics to you free of charge. Please note that whenever you click the links on this website or click on product images and then purchase items, I may sometimes receive a referral commission. Your support in purchasing through these links enables me to help more people to create positive changes in their lives which will bring more peace to our planet.

I appreciate you for making a difference!

Image via Wikipedia

It was last Saturday morning when I got back from a very unexpected weeklong trip to upstate New York. As a result, I’ve been playing catch-up since my return.

Instead of traveling I had expected to be home alone while Brian and Natalie drove her fiancé Dan’s car to upstate New York to Dan’s parents’ home. That’s where Natalie and Dan will reside for a few months while he continues his recovery from his disabling accident in Thailand. (Read about the accident)

My plans changed quickly when on the Friday before their scheduled departure on Monday, Brian received a phone call from his brother. Mike told him that their mother, Julia, had been hospitalized and not expected to live much longer. Her blood pressure was way out of whack and her body was cold.

Just a few days earlier Brian’s sister Anna had told us how well Julia was doing in the nursing home. So Mike’s news was a surprise.

I knew Brian wanted to be with his mother again before she passed away, so I told him that I would take his place to drive with Natalie, and I would book a flight for him to leave as soon as possible.

Very early the next morning I drove Brian to the airport.  When I returned home, I continued preparing to leave the following morning for the long drive to New York.

Meanwhile, Julia’s children and grandchildren gathered in her room in upstate New York to be with her during her final hours.  During that time, Brian’s sister Anna was moved to ask forgiveness from her brother Peter and from Peter’s son, Peter. They hadn’t spoken in many years because

of some incidents regarding Julia.

Anna’s actions were well-received, and I’m sure it was healing for all concerned. How wonderful it must have felt for them to have those painful burdens lifted.

Can’t you just imagine the tension lifting as they embraced each other after so many years?

And don’t you believe that love was flowing throughout the room?

I’m not quite sure at what point Julia miraculously recovered, but I’m thinking that her near-death experience was orchestrated to enable the forgiveness that occurred.

What do you think?

I’m wondering if there is someone you need to forgive. What a heavy load that must be for you to be carrying around.

Maybe you need to forgive yourself?

Don’t put it off any longer. Stop procrastinating!

Regarding forgiving, and to give you a push, here are some lyrics from my spiritual song ‘Fill My Heart With Love’:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Heal my heart. Help me forgive all who hurt me.
Help me become the loving person I am meant to be.

Heal my heart. Help me to love all whom I see.
With your love I’ll always be the best me I can be.

Heal my heart. Fill my heart with love.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Yes. It’s time for healing. Time to forgive and bring on the love.

Go ahead. Stop procrastinating and start forgiving.

And stop suffering.

Don’t let fear control your life. You deserve to be happy.

Till next time…

Wishing you peace, love and happiness,

Joyce Marie
Songwriter and singer
Founder, LessonsFromLyrics.com

P.S. Who do you know that might be helped by this inspirational story? Why not pass it on to them so that they might be moved to forgive?

P.P.S. Keep inspiring yourself. Don’t miss out on my next story. Enter your first name and email in the form on this page so that you’ll be notified when another post is published.

And when you sign up, your gift will be an e-book collection of inspirational quotes from my video Inspirational Quotes – Lessons From Lyrics.

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To hear this post via Odiogo audio content reader, look just below the title of this post. Then click on listen now.

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This post and lyrics are copyrighted. You are welcome to reblog or link to this post or to give a link to it, but may not otherwise use the contents of the post without written permission.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Disclosure:   Thank you for reading my posts. It’s my pleasure to deliver inspirational stories and lyrics to you free of charge. Please note that whenever you click the links on this website or click on product images and then purchase items, I may sometimes receive a referral commission. Your support in purchasing through these links enables me to help more people to create positive changes in their lives which will bring more peace to our planet.

I appreciate you for making a difference!

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a month since Natalie and Dan’s accident. The best thing about this is that Dan is a month closer to walking again.

Another good thing is that when tragic events occur, it gives people the chance to show how much they care.  Natalie and Dan’s accident is no exception.

At the hospital Natalie got to spend nights in Dan’s room on the little vinyl couch instead of alone somewhere else. And when Dan’s meals arrived, there always seemed to be extra for Natalie.

Dan had no health insurance because he had too many expenses already with huge student loans to pay while he was trying to build up his acupuncture practice. So he and Natalie were surprised and grateful at how low the hospital bill was.

No wonder so many Americans go to Thailand for surgery! As my brother, Robert, says “A passport is the best health insurance.”

Travel can be rewarding in other ways. You never know who you’ll meet and how. Sometimes you make new and wonderful friends.

When Natalie and Dan flipped off the motorbike, a French couple behind them stopped to help.  Several days later this very nice couple rode for two and a half  hours each way on a motor bike to the hospital to visit with Natalie and Dan for 30 minutes. And they brought Dan a gift!

In the Thai hospital the nurses were so cheerful and friendly. Because they liked Natalie and Dan so much, the nurses invited them to dine with them on their last full day in the hospital. Each nurse brought delicious homemade Thai food.  What a treat that was for Natalie and Dan!

More treats followed  as they traveled the next day. With Dan’s leg needing to be kept straight and elevated, his mom bought business class seats for them. That meant much more comfortable seats than coach class and also the use of special lounges in the airports. In the lounges they got lots of good food and beverages for free.

The day before they were to arrive at the airport in Los Angeles, my friend, Debbie, called me. She had been keeping Dan’s car at her home until they returned to drive back to San Diego. Debbie felt moved to buy almost all of an air ticket for me to Los Angeles so that I would be there for Natalie.

Given such a heartfelt offer, how could I say no?

About 18 hours later Brian drove me to the airport. When I arrived in Los Angeles, Debbie and I had a few hours to visit and plan how to surprise Natalie and Dan.

Finally Natalie called, and I was glad she called my cell phone rather than our home phone. She wanted me to let Debbie know that she would call her when they were finished in customs. Of course, I didn’t let Natalie know that I was sitting right by Debbie.

When we drove to the airport terminal, Debbie was in the wrong lane, so she dropped me off while she drove around again. As I crossed the busy street, I spotted Natalie and Dan. Then I circled behind them to avoid their seeing me.

As I got right behind Natalie, I called her name. When she turned around, she stared at me in bewilderment.  Her look was a result of the 24 hours of travel time and all the stress she’d been through for about 9 days. But she was definitely happy and surprised that I was there. She was too exhausted to cry the tears I was expecting.

Dan sat nearby in a wheelchair with a crutch under his right hip and leg to elevate his injured leg straightened in a cast. He was also happy and surprised to see me.

I watched for Debbie to pull up in the grand old Lincoln Town car she borrowed from her nice neighbor to transport Dan. His tall body needed plenty of room to outstretch his legs across the back seat. No way would he be able to get into his 2-door car until he can once again bend his right knee.

We spent the night at Debbie’s house, and the next day she drove Dan to San Diego in the Town Car while Natalie drove me in Dan’s car.

Isn’t Debbie a friend to treasure?

Yes!

And so are all the other friends and family members who have been helping in their own ways because of Natalie and Dan’s accident. For all of them we are grateful.

Everything happens for a reason. As I told Dan when he was in the hospital, feeling down, if Natalie hadn’t received a broken femur when she was hit and then run over her abdomen by a pickup truck and then experienced faster recovery with the help of acupuncture, she probably would not have chosen to attend acupuncture school. It was at acupuncture school that Natalie and Dan became acquainted.

They’ve just celebrated the third anniversary of their first date. And they get along so well with each other, even during this very stressful time.

How do you think Natalie feels about her accident?

Are you feeling that life has treated you unfairly?

What other way you could look at your situation?

With regard to that, here are some lyrics from my song, ‘The Gift of the Present:’

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Things happen for a reason.
Sometimes we don’t understand.
Someday may we be grateful
it was all in the plan.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Even More to Be Grateful For

When Natalie and Dan visited an orthopedic surgeon several days after their return to San Diego, the surgeon’s negativity almost brought Natalie to tears. But after the surgeon saw all the X-rays, he said that the Thai surgeon did a good job. And instead of being bedridden for 3 months, as he was told in Thailand, the San Diego surgeon told Dan to be up on the crutches a lot. That was really good news!

And the good news continues. Rather than a cast, Dan received a brace with Velcro. This is much more comfortable for him, and he’s sleeping much better.

Before going to that surgeon, Natalie and Dan dropped me off at the train station so I could get back to Los Angeles to be picked up by Debbie and driven to the airport for my return flight home. Many hours later while Brian was driving me to our home, I called Natalie.

She sounded very weak and sick. From the symptoms she described, I thought she had the flu. Had I known she would get sick, I would have stayed longer.

I felt so bad for her, knowing how much care Dan required. It took 2 of us each day for the procedure of dressing his wounds. Caring for Dan was a fulltime job. Imagine having to care for him alone while being as sick as Natalie was… Not to mention getting meals prepared and washing the dishes.

Natalie’s illness continued for days. When she developed a red rash and swollen hands, I couldn’t imagine what caused it. But when she and Dan checked the U.S. government site, http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/thailand.aspx, they felt pretty certain that Natalie’s symptoms of fever, chills, headaches, joint pain, nausea, fatigue, red rash and swollen hands were from Chikungunya fever.  This is carried by mosquitoes in Thailand, and Natalie received numerous mosquito bites while in the Thailand hospital.

The good thing about this fever is that it’s not contagious, so Natalie was able to be around Dan and her friends without worrying about passing her illness to them. Unfortunately, the fatigue can continue for weeks. But she’s been feeling good now, with less and less fatigue.

And keeping her feeling even better is the surprise she received from Dan on the third anniversary of their first date.

Want to guess what the surprise was?

He gave her the engagement ring she had recently seen and loved when they visited an antique store a few days earlier!

They’ve been through some of the “in sickness and in health” part already. My guess is that they’ll be happy together for many years to come.

But they still have many more challenges to face.  Dan’s injuries have been life-changing for both of them since he’s disabled for maybe a year, unable to practice as an acupuncturist. Lots of physical therapy lies ahead.

Here’s what Natalie wrote in her email to family and friends: “Please continue to send strong, healing positive energy to Dan’s right leg, tendon and bones!  It’s a long road to recovery for this injury.”

Till next time…

Wishing you peace, love and happiness,

Joyce Marie
Songwriter and singer
Founder, LessonsFromLyrics.com

P.S. Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/LyricalJoyce

To hear this post via Odiogo audio content reader, look just below the title of this post. Then click on listen now.
This post and lyrics are copyrighted. You are welcome to reblog or link to this post or to give a link to it, but may not otherwise use the contents of the post without written permission.

Disclosure:   Thank you for reading my posts. It’s my pleasure to be of service and to deliver my blog posts to you free of charge. Please note that whenever you click the links in my blog posts or click on product images and then purchase items, I may sometimes receive a referral commission. Your support in purchasing through these links enables me to help more people to create positive changes in their lives which will bring more peace to our planet.

I appreciate you for making a difference!

Suddenly it came to me. The love doves are telling me to write about all the love in the air following the accident of my daughter and her boyfriend in Thailand during their vacation.

Following that revelation, the song “Love is in the Air” quickly entered my mind.

I found a video for you with the song and lyrics as well as meaningful pictures:

Did you watch it?

Don’t you just love the melody and lyrics?

I’ve been receiving love and care the past couple of days from people who are concerned about how I’m doing. And I’m amazed at that, because I’m not the one in distress. It’s my daughter and her boyfriend who are in a hospital in Krabi, Thailand.

Here’s the story…

After spending Saturday night having fun with friends Debbie and Ray, Brian and I returned home and went to bed. I was sleeping soundly when our phone rang and aroused me. Brian answered, wondering who was calling so late at night. He was told by someone at the U. S. Embassy that Natalie is OK and that she’ll be calling us.

Minutes passed while we anxiously waited. We hadn’t heard from Natalie in many days, but I expected that she was too busy having fun with Dan on their 3 week vacation to Hong Kong and Thailand. This vacation was Natalie’s reward to herself for completing Oriental medicine school and to de-stress from her many years of intense studying.

I’d say she deserves this reward, wouldn’t you?

She wanted and needed a long, relaxing vacation, even though she has huge loans to repay for her expensive education to learn acupuncture, Chinese herbs, anatomy, nutrition and much more.

And there are more expenses yet to be paid for licensing. She has to wait until the licensing exams are given and then pass them before she can practice acupuncture. So there will be more stress studying for the exams.

Dan has already been licensed as an acupuncturist for over 2 years, but still has huge school loans to repay. And it takes time to build up a practice.

Why did they choose Thailand for their vacation?

Friendly people, relaxed lifestyle and very low cost of living beckoned them. Some days ago Natalie sent us an entertaining email about getting one hour massages for five dollars and having their feet cleaned by fishes in water on one of Thailand’s beautiful islands. I was ready to start packing my bags to go there! But I’ve got to get a passport first!

Prior to flying to Thailand, they stayed with Natalie’s friend in Hong Kong for 5 days and had a wonderful time.

Now let’s get back to the story…waiting for Natalie’s call…

Finally the phone rang. Natalie was crying, so it was difficult to understand all that she said. But I clearly understood that she and Dan were in a bad accident in which they could have been killed. They were on a motor scooter on an island when the accident occurred.

She told me that Dan was in the only hospital in Krabi following surgery on his knee for a compound patellar fracture with 20% loss of the patella (knee cap).  He had to wait in pain (probably very severe pain) for ten hours and travel over bumpy roads with a dirty wound exposing the bone of his knee before he received treatment at the hospital on the mainland of Thailand. With his wound dirty for so long there’s a high risk of infection.

Alone and frustrated after being driven around in a taxi and unable to find Internet access, Natalie was crying on the sidewalk when a woman handed her a cell phone to call the U. S. Embassy.  This kind act by that angel woman led to the late night call to us.

The doctor said Dan would need to remain in the hospital for 7 days. With their flight to return home scheduled for Friday they were very uncertain if they would be able to fly then. She wanted someone to come be with her in Thailand because she was feeling so alone, so far away from home. In Krabi they speak very little English, and Natalie doesn’t speak their language, so that’s another challenge.

She asked me to call Dan’s parents and his friend. And then she asked me to go into her email account and send an email to her friends asking for their good energy and prayers to help Dan. She said she’d try to get a prepaid cell phone so she could call again.

After hanging up the phone in the middle of the night, I left voice mail messages for Dan’s parents.

Then I created the email about what had happened to Natalie and Dan. I wanted the emails to be opened ASAP, so the subject line was: Dan had surgery in Thailand…bad accident.

Would that subject line cause you to immediately open an email from a friend?

Wide awake, I returned to my bed. Of course, I couldn’t sleep. All I could do was ask for Divine help for Dan and Natalie, over and over again.

Maybe an hour or so later our phone rang again. Natalie was calling from the prepaid cell phone she bought after receiving advice from the U. S. Embassy about where to get one.

She was no longer crying, but still upset, as you might imagine. Then we were disconnected and again I waited for her call. It was a long wait, but finally she called again. Afterward I again tried to sleep and eventually succeeded I know because I was awakened by the phone ringing.

This time it was Dan’s mom who had anxiously and considerately waited to call at an hour that she felt was not too early on a Sunday morning.

Yesterday I spent lots of time on the phone talking to Dan’s parents and friends of Natalie and Dan. When I checked Natalie’s email account, I saw many replies to the email I’d sent about the accident. I felt a little weird about opening any of her emails, but felt compelled to open some of them from people whom I know.

And what beautiful messages they were, full of love for Natalie. I’m still feeling that love I felt when I read them. That’s why the love doves keep appearing outside my window. When I realized their message I thought of that old song, ‘Love is in the Air’ and knew that I had to tell you this story.

Love is all around. Be more aware. Look and listen for it, especially when tragedy strikes. And accept the love of others.

I love it when I can help someone, don’t you?

So, with that said, don’t you think it’s important that you allow others to help you?

Think about that when you’re in distress.

Now that I’ve finished telling the story of the love doves, they’re nowhere in sight outside my window. But now there’s a squirrel eagerly eating birdseed on the patio. I’m wondering what his message is for me.  Maybe “Thank you for the food.”

And that reminds me. I have another story related to Natalie and Dan’s accident, and it’s about gratitude.

Till next time…

Wishing you peace, love and happiness,

Joyce Marie
Songwriter and singer
Founder, LessonsFromLyrics.com

P.S. You can spread the love by sharing and bookmarking this post. Do it now!

To hear this post via Odiogo audio content reader, look just below the title of this post. Then click on listen now.
This post and lyrics are copyrighted. You are welcome to reblog or link to this post or to give a link to it, but may not otherwise use the contents of the post without written permission.

While Brian was far away in San Diego, California, I was driving on the Interstate 10 freeway in Houston, Texas to my next stop on a Saturday afternoon. Traffic was okay.

Then I heard honking to my right.

I looked over that way and saw a man driving a wrecker truck and yelling something to me as he pointed to the rear of my car. Now I am not so good at lip-reading, but I started thinking it sure looked like he was saying, “You have a flat tire!”

As that driver exited the freeway, another driver behind him also honked at me and pointed to the back of my car. So I started trying to tell if my car felt lower on the right rear side, and I quickly decided that it was in my best interest to take the next exit.

So I did that and drove into a shopping center parking lot. I chose a spot right by the tall shopping center sign held up by 2 large poles. In this area there were all vacant spots nearby, and the sign was a good landmark to tell the service person where to locate my car.

When I got out of the car and went to look at the right rear tire, there it was…pretty flat (actually ugly flat), but not entirely flat….Whew! Hopefully the rim isn’t damaged, I was thinking.

And how wonderful that I had my cell phone with me. I was grateful for that and for being a member of Triple A. When I called Triple A, a nice woman took my call. I told her my car had a flat tire, and she asked if I was out shopping.

“Yes, grocery shopping. I have fresh produce in the car, but no meat or milk.”

“I’ll put a rush on it,” she replied. Then after she recorded all my information, she said “You’ll get a call back shortly.”

And shortly it was. The phone recording told me help would arrive at 3:00 pm, which was 40 minutes away.

Instead of getting upset that my car had a flat tire and that I had to spend time waiting to get that tire changed, I was really grateful that something worse hadn’t happened. I appreciated the 2 drivers who alerted me to the problem.

I was also thankful that the wait time was less than an hour and that the weather was beautiful. It could
have been rainy and cold as it had been the past few days, but the sun was shining and it was cool. Really nice.

Since it was very noisy outside by the freeway, I got back inside the car so I would be sure to hear on my cell phone. I called Brian and left a message on his voice mail and then called our daughter. Got her voice mail and was in the process of leaving a message when I heard a beep on my phone.

I expected it to be her calling me back, but it was my Triple A helper calling to get my exact location. When I told him, he said he was only 5 minutes away!

Ah, yes, it was my lucky day!

Not long afterward, he appeared, and I got out of my car. He got out of the Triple A van with a radiant smile as he held out his hand. As I shook his hand, I was happy to have such a cheerful, nice man to help me.

Without further ado, he pulled out his equipment and proceeded to quickly change my tire. Afterward, he again shook my hand. I’d say we brightened each others’ day.

So having a flat tire had turned out to be a good experience. Something much worse could have happened. And the weather was delightful. Two strangers on the freeway got their chance to help and took action. Triple A came through for me once again with great service.

How likely do you think I am to keep my Triple A membership?

If you said very likely, you’d be right!

What did you get out of this story?

Did you get a lesson or two? Maybe more?

How about some lyrics to get a hint for at least one lesson?

These lyrics are from my song, ‘The Gift of the Present’

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Each moment is a blessing,
a gift from above,
a gift given to us
with eternal love.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So what did you learn from my story?

I hope that positive mind power and gratitude will create good outcomes for you.

The choice is up to you! You’ve got to help yourself.

Expect the best! You deserve it!

Till next time…

Wishing you peace, love and happiness,

Joyce Marie
Songwriter and singer
Founder, LessonsFromLyrics.com

P.S. Check your vehicle’s tires before you start driving.

To hear this post via Odiogo audio content reader, look just below the title of this post. Then click on listen now.

This post and lyrics are copyrighted. You are welcome to reblog or link to this post or to give a link to it, but may not otherwise use the contents of the post without written permission.

Affiliate Disclosure:   Thank you for reading my posts. It’s my pleasure to be of service and to deliver my blog posts to you free of charge. In order to continue doing this, please note that whenever you click the links in my blog posts or click on product images and then purchase items, I may sometimes receive a referral commission. Your support in purchasing through these links enables me to help more people to create positive changes in their lives which will bring more peace to our planet.

I appreciate you for making a difference!

Image by Esther17 via Flickr

Shortly after listening to it, I started doing tasks that I always put off for another time or day. And I was doing them without hesitation.

What a nice surprise!

Could this CD be a way to stop procrastinating?

I plan to listen to it some more because procrastinating is a lifelong bad habit of mine.

Is it one of yours, too?

How does it affect you when you procrastinate?

Does it make you less productive?

What if you were more productive?

Would you then have more time for fun?

So what will you do now?

Here are my song lyrics from ‘Start A New Life’ to guide you:
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Take action now!
Make a plan to play!
Get going now
and find your way!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I don’t know what action you’re going to take, but I’m going to listen to that self help CD again!

I want to be more productive with my time so that I have more time for family, friends and fun.

Now what about you?

What will you do?

Till next time…

Wishing you peace, love and happiness,

Joyce Marie
Songwriter and singer
Founder, LessonsFromLyrics.com

To hear this post via Odiogo audio content reader, look just below the title of this post. Then click on listen now.

This post and lyrics are copyrighted. You are welcome to reblog or link to this post or to give a link to it, but may not otherwise use the contents of the post without written permission.

Affiliate Disclosure:   Thank you for reading my posts. It’s my pleasure to be of service and to deliver my blog posts to you free of charge. In order to continue doing this, please note that whenever you click the links in my blog posts or click on product images and then purchase items, I may sometimes receive a referral commission. Your support in purchasing through these links enables me to help more people to create positive changes in their lives which will bring more peace to our planet.
I appreciate you for making a difference!

I’ve been busy writing my first book that will soon be published. So for me, that’s really exciting! I get to share my positive messages in a mini book that people can hold in their hands. No internet access required.

Do you have a burning desire to make a positive change in the world?

What are you doing to make that happen?

Is there a better way?

Let me share with you some inspirational lyrics from my song, ‘Uplifted and Inspired’ –

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Magnificent!
That’s what you are!
Get your mind all set.
You can become a star
when you’re uplifted and inspired.

Life’s challenges
may cause you woe.
Seek help from people
who will help you grow…
to grow uplifted and inspired

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Here’s the solution that’s working for me. Could it work for you, too?

I’ve teamed up with a wonderful group of people who want to inspire others to bring about positive changes on our planet. Each of us writes one or more mini-books to convey our messages.

These mini-books are unique because they are connected to an online environment where we continue the content of our books with audio, video, online journaling and more.

Currently I’m in the process of working on the cover of the book. We’ve been given designers to work with, and at a special group rate. As if getting that price break wasn’t enough, we’re also getting group rates on publishing.

Perhaps you already know this, but when you have a book published, even if it’s a big, well-known publisher, it’s up to you to market your book. With this group program you get help with marketing your book…for 52 weeks!

Isn’t that great?

After all, why publish a book if only your friends and family know about it?

This program I’m in has even more perks that I can’t remember right now.  Oh, I just thought of a really big one. We were given lots of guidance for writing our books including thought-provoking questions. That was a huge help for me.

Get more details here:  Mini Book + Online Program

If you want to get your positive thoughts out to the world as a book author, consider applying for this program.

When you’re accepted, please let me know. I’ll look forward to connecting with you as another messenger of change.

Till next time…

Wishing you peace, love and happiness,

Joyce Marie
Songwriter and singer
Founder, LessonsFromLyrics.com

P.S. I just got an email from the program’s administrator that a famous author has joined the program! And that means more perks will soon be revealed. So the website for Mini Book + Online Program will be changing with the latest information.

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To hear this post via Odiogo audio content reader, look just below the title of this post. Then click on listen now.
This post and lyrics are copyrighted. You are welcome to reblog or link to this post or to give a link to it, but may not otherwise use the contents of the post without written permission.

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Affiliate Disclosure:   Thank you for reading my posts. It’s my pleasure to be of service and to deliver my blog posts to you free of charge. In order to continue doing this, please note that whenever you click the links in my blog posts or click on product images and then purchase items, I may sometimes receive a referral commission. Your support in purchasing through these links enables me to help more people to create positive changes in their lives which will bring more peace to our planet.

I appreciate you for making a difference!

Several days ago the positive thoughts I had been enjoying were rudely disrupted by an email that aroused my anger. It was from a company representative who obviously had not read and comprehended every previous correspondence I had sent.

Or did she choose to ignore them because she didn’t want to give me a refund?

Maybe she’s on commission?

Or does the company that employs her use an intentionally misleading slogan “…our goal is to exceed your expectations”?

Let me tell you, not only were my expectations not exceeded…They came a long way from being met!

Because of that company’s lack of customer service, this blog was unavailable for 2 days before Thanksgiving. When I paid online, I expected to receive clear instructions of what to do next. But all I got was an email receipt saying that if I had questions to go to their online support address.

Can you believe it? They didn’t even send me a friendly welcome!

The only clear instruction I could find in their online support was to change the DNS, so I did that. Later I discovered that instead of seeing my blog, visitors would see the page this company had put up which mainly advertised their hosting service.

They were getting free advertising while my blog was unavailable! So why should they be in any hurry?

Then when I alerted them that my blog was unavailable, they asked me to re-submit the information I had already given them!

So I knew my blog might be unavailable for a lot longer, especially with the Thanksgiving holiday.

Reflecting on the fact that no clear instructions were given when I paid, I began thinking this was not the type of company I want hosting my blog. But I didn’t want to make a hasty judgment, and Thanksgiving was the next day. I really did want this to work out.

Finally I decided that it didn’t make sense to do business with a company that didn’t live up to what they lead customers to believe about them. So I requested a refund…in a very nice way, even giving them valuable feedback!

As I mentioned in the beginning of this story, my day was rudely disrupted. All day I had been hearing James Twyman singing in my head “I will become what I believe myself to be when I believe I can be anything.” (from his song ‘The Cost of Love’) And I was feeling good.

And then that email got me so angry. I quickly wrote a reply, still feeling very upset. After I got that out of the way, I acknowledged that I was angry. That’s something I learned from Esther and Jerry Hicks when I read their book ‘Ask and It Is Given.’

I didn’t enjoy feeling angry, and I wanted to get out of that state, so I thought to myself, “What’s a happy song I can sing in my head?”

The one that came to me right away was my song ‘This Sunny Day,’ even though I had not seen much sun for the last week or so.

Here are some of the positive lyrics:

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“I am feelin’ down and I don’t like to feel this way.
So I go outside and watch the children laugh and play.

Sunny day, sunny day. The sky’s so blue.
Sunny day, sunny day brings happiness to you.
Refreshing breeze, chase my blues away.
Bring me joy today!”

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Not long after I sung that song in my head, my mood changed to positive thoughts.
So if it worked for me, don’t you think it might work for you?

Next time you’re angry, think of a song that makes you happy. Let it play in your head.

And so that you’ll be ready when you get upset, why not make a little list of songs that make you happy?

Till next time…

Wishing you peace, love and happiness,

Joyce Marie
Songwriter and singer
Founder, LessonsFromLyrics.com

P.S. Share your favorite happy songs in the comments section below. Thank you!

To hear this post via Odiogo audio content reader, look just below the title of this post. Then click on listen now.
This post and lyrics are copyrighted. You are welcome to reblog or link to this post or to give a link to it, but may not otherwise use the contents of the post without written permission.

Affiliate Disclosure:   Thank you for reading my posts. It’s my pleasure to be of service and to deliver my blog posts to you free of charge. In order to continue doing this, please note that whenever you click the links in my blog posts or click on product images and then purchase items, I may sometimes receive a referral commission. Your support in purchasing through these links enables me to help more people to create positive changes in their lives which will bring more peace to our planet.

I appreciate you for making a difference!

Although I was already using binaural beats for self improvement, I became even more interested in them when I was interviewing Erica Douglass (www.Erica.biz).

Erica told me that while writing a blog post, she was listening to binaural beats that help with inspiration and creativity. After about thirty minutes of listening, the writing became so easy for her.

You can get those same binaural beats that Erica uses for free at www.i-dose.us.

So… guess what I’m doing while writing this blog post?

As I write this, I am listening to exactly what Erica used.  And it does sound like frogs, just as she told me.

You don’t have to be a writer to take advantage of what binaural beats can do.

Here are other benefits you might experience:

• More energy
• Relaxation
• Pain relief
• Help with meditation
• Problem solving
• Focus
• Help with weight loss
• Help to stop smoking

Just choose the binaural beats appropriate for you at www.i-dose.us.

Remember that you can listen for free, so why not try it?

What have you got to lose? Maybe stress… excess weight… pain?

Till next time…

Wishing you peace, love and happiness,

Joyce Marie
Songwriter and singer
Founder, LessonsFromLyrics.com

P.S. Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/LyricalJoyce

To hear this post via Odiogo audio content reader, look just below the title of this post. Then click on listen now.

This post and lyrics are copyrighted. You are welcome to reblog or link to this post or to give a link to it, but may not otherwise use the contents of the post without written permission.

Stop Procrastinating

Does it for you?

Isn’t it your time now to stop procrastinating?

Several nights ago I was listening to a New Wealth Experience interview of Ariane De Bonvoisin, an expert on handling life changes. Even though I had never heard of her before, I decided to take the time to listen because her topic of handling changing times with clarity and hope was perfect for me on that day.

I was feeling down that afternoon. My business wasn’t progressing the way I expected. Then while going through older emails, one of them caught my attention.

The email that attracted me was inviting me to listen for free to a series of interviews of 21 thought leaders, including several stars of the movie, ‘The Secret’. These leaders are experts in helping others achieve health, wealth and happiness in their lives, so I decided to register.

As luck would have it, the first call was that same night and was about the very topic I needed that day. That call really helped get me out of my sad state.

Would you like a few highlights of that interview?

Okay, here’s some of what I wrote in my notes and also questions for you to ask yourself:

The Change Guarantee:  From this change something good will come.

- Are you expecting good things to happen rather than expecting the worst?

- Why not expect the best?

Whatever is missing in your life is what you’re not giving.

- Are you giving enough of your time to your loved ones?

- Are you giving service to your community?

- Are you giving money to those less fortunate than you?

When you give, you must do it in a way of generosity. I loved hearing Ariane tell her special way of giving to a homeless person and some of the reactions she has received.

When you start doing for someone else, it shifts the energy of how you’re feeling.

Resistance is what causes us so much pain.

- If you could stop the pain of resistance by making a change, why wouldn’t you?

Get yourself out of that pain!

Did you answer my questions?

If not, go back and do it now!

And then read these lyrics from my song, ‘Uplifted and Inspired’:

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“Take action now.
It’s up to you.
Be remembered for
all the good that you do.”

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Time for you to stop procrastinating, isn’t it?

Follow the path of highly successful people. Listen and learn.

You, too, can register for the series of interviews just as I did.

Those interviews (your personal blueprint for new wealth!) are continuing into the last week of November 2009. Each call is recorded and the recordings are available for 24 hours after each live interview.

When you register for free you are given the option of paying to receive full lifetime access to all the call recordings.

And in addition to being able to listen to the MP3 recordings anytime, there’s much more that you get with the paid option. You also get transcripts of those calls and a multitude of amazing bonuses…such a deal!

These are recordings you’ll want to hear again and again. It’s so easy to forget some of the best lessons you learn, right? That’s why you have to continue feeding your mind with positive stuff.

Click the following link to register:

Your invitation for Life Freedom

Why listen to those interviews?

Because you can learn:

* Why the changed economy of today requires new ways of creating wealth and fulfillment

* About natural flow and how to Access Unlimited Quantities of the Currency of the New Economy

* How you can get unstuck from the hidden thing that’s blocking you

* About an invisible block which keeps your Passion, Power, and Prosperity painfully just beyond your reach

* How to let go of resistance and unlock your inner power

* About the huge impact of KINDNESS and CONNECTION in the new economy

* And a whole lot more!

What are you waiting for?

Stop procrastinating!

Register now: Your invitation for Life Freedom

Till next time…

Wishing you peace, love and happiness,

Joyce Marie
Songwriter and singer
Founder, LessonsFromLyrics.com

P.S. I’ll be listening to another empowering interview tonight. What will you be doing?

To hear this post via Odiogo audio content reader, look just below the title of this post. Then click on listen now.

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This post and lyrics are copyrighted. You are welcome to reblog or link to this post or to give a link to it, but may not otherwise use the contents of the post without written permission.