Have You Sat with Your Sadness Lately?

The DailyOM pick for today: 08/31/2016

Sitting with Our Sadness
The Heart of Humanity
by Madisyn Taylor

Sitting with our sadness takes the courage to believe that we can bear the pain and we will come out the other side.

The last thing most of us want to hear or think about when we are dealing with profound feelings of sadness is that deep learning can be found in this place. In the midst of our pain, we often feel picked on by life, or overwhelmed by the enormity of some loss, or simply too exhausted to try and examine the situation. We may feel far too disappointed and angry to look for anything resembling a bright side to our suffering. Still, somewhere in our hearts, we know that we will eventually emerge from the depths into the light of greater awareness. Remembering this truth, no matter how elusive it seems, can help.

The other thing we often would rather not hear when we are dealing with intense sadness is that the only way out of it is through it. Sitting with our sadness takes the courage to believe that we can bear the pain and the faith that we will come out the other side. With courage, we can allow ourselves to cycle through the grieving process with full inner permission to experience it. This is a powerful teaching that sadness has to offer us—the ability to surrender and the acceptance of change go hand in hand.

Another teaching of sadness is compassion for others who are in pain, because it is only in feeling our own pain that we can really understand and allow for someone else’s. Sadness is something we all go through, and we all learn from it and are deepened by its presence in our lives. While our own individual experiences of sadness carry with them unique lessons, the implications of what we learn are universal. The wisdom we gain from going through the process of feeling loss, heartbreak, or deep disappointment gives us access to the heart of humanity.

The Power of Your Wind

The GRIND and SHINE for today 08/26/2016 3:00am
The Power of Your Wind

The weekend is here, time for many of us to simply breathe, regroup, refresh and rejuvenate. Life is far too short to keep all of our disappointments, frustrations, hurts, pains and heartaches bottled up inside of us. Time to discover the power of our personal winds; breathe.

There is a reason why what we take in feels cooler than what we push out. The air we breathe in is charged with positive energy; the warm breath we exhale is full of the negativity we have been carrying around. Breathe in, breath out, move on!

Our FOCUS for today: Make sure every breath we take is inhaled with passion and exhaled with new purpose.

C. Maria Wall

Willful vs Malicious Intentions

The GRIND and SHINE for today: 08/24/2016 2:58am
Being Intentional

The abbreviated meaning of doing something intentional is to do something deliberate or on purpose. WE can learn a lot from watching others around us or from those who we interact with on a daily basis.

Many of us know of one person at least who has done something with malicious intent; to cause harm. These are the type of people we need to weed from our lives. To do something with willful intent could be positive; you should have willful intentions to move on. Those who do things with malicious intent mean to cause harm in some way.

Know the difference; make your exit with the intention of moving on by walking away and never looking backward. When you know someone intends to cause you harm in some way and you stay, be prepared for what may be coming your way. Get the resources you need to make it through and survive the ordeal.

Our FOCUS for today: Make a willful intention to make a positive, healthy change in your life. Know the difference between willful and malicious intentions.

C. Maria Wall

We Are Waiting

The GRIND and SHINE for today 08/23/2016 2:58am
WE are waiting!

Today will be something different; something only you the reader can do. I write messages all the time but today I am turning over my pen and paper to you. To help you I have developed some questions to help inspire your responses.

1. If the world was listeining what story would you tell?
2. If the world was in black and white, what colors would you paint it?
3. What advice would you give to the young and older still lost in their personal darkness?

If you choose to make your responses public please add to any thred of this message you see. If you choose to keep your responses private, do so. Answering is the part that makes us stronger.

Our FOCUS for today: Ready, set, let's grow! (yea one of my tag lines) :)

C. Maria Wall

Divine Intervention Is Knocking

The GRIND and SHINE for today: 08/22/2016 2:58am
Divine intervention (through my eyes and personal experience)

One of the things that many people wish they had more of is time. In the event things do not work out many need time to make them right. Others have such a beautiful life that they want more time to enjoy the moments. Without divine intervention none of the scenarios could happen.

I will be starting a new journey in my life next month "on my birthday" but before that I will be spending the weekend before with my sisters and friends; we will be replenishing and refreshing our hearts, minds, spirits and souls at our very first sisterhood retreat.

Some may be asking how I am tying all of this together. The answer is simple. Several weeks’ prior my world was torn apart; my soul was wounded, my heart broken and my spirit crushed. I waited patiently for GOD to show me why and what his plan was for me. Turns out he had to remove some obstacles and distractions from my life; he had to bring me to a better, stronger place.

When this leg of my journey is over, a new life will be waiting for me at the end of this road called destiny. Nothing will be the same; everything will be better. To look at the events, the ladies voted to have the retreat on my birthday weekend, then I got the call that not only was I accepted into school; they had an opening to start on my birthday! My doubts tried to hold me back but divine intervention sent an angel to whisper in my ear and as reinforcement another came along to validate the decision to not wait until next year.

Our FOCUS for today: Not to ignore what divine intervention brings us; it will bring the time we need to make the right things happen.

C. Maria Wall

The first day! (A special SUNday Post)

This is what the first day of the rest of your life should look like every day! No matter what, begin your day with gratitude knowing that you woke up to another chance

C. Maria

cmariawall.com

Being Mindful

The GRIND and SHINE for today: 08/19/2016 3:10am
Being Mindful

Be very mindful of what you keep your mind full of. The road of this thing called life is long for many. Do not block your travel with roadblocks, pitfalls and detours that do not need to be on your road.

Our end of week FOCUS: Remove everything and everyone from your road that is blocking your progression.

C. Maria Wall

You Are Listening!

The GRIND and SHINE for today: 08/18/2016 11:06am

Change how you speak to yourself!

I have been physically drained reading comments by some of the folks I follow on social media. The negative chants and rants are depressing and draining. LEARN how to speak positive into your lives and positive will come to you. You see speaking negatively or anything other than positive only pushes many people away while the negativity can draw other negative people into your space on this earth.

Even though I am the teacher, coach and mentor; I am human and it saddens me to see so much negative chat continuously. Be mindful of your talk; get rid of your mind full of everything nonproductive and positive.

Our words become our strengths or our weaknesses! 

Our FOCUS for today: Speak life, love and happiness into your spirit and soul daily!

C. Maria Wall 

Sharing Is Caring!

The GRIND and SHINE for today: 08/17/2016 3:30am
Sharing is caring!

Today is all about sharing good information that many of us could use in life to get information we need to achieve our goals and destiny's. Please check out the photo included in this message, explore the sites and get what is useful to you.

Many may complain that there are no direct links; I could have supplies them but anything worth having is worth working for.  You will appreciate your successes more when you know you gave it your all to achieve them.

Our FOCUS for today: Look for resources that help you get to where you want to be.  Explore your options, make a plan and execute it.

C. Maria Wall

1. TED

2. Mindbloom

3. Udemy

4. Lumosity

5. 43 Things

6. Vision Board Deluxe

Speak Your Truth Even When You Are Afriad To!

The GRIND and SHINE for today: 08/16/2016 2:54am
Speaking your truth!

Those of you who follow me know that I experienced a serious trauma a few weeks ago; it left me feeling empty like I had died inside. Just when I think I am at a point where the past is under control and I am ready for the next leg of my journy, I get knocked back down.

People who are not held accountable keep doing what they do. No matter how hard we try to get away from the ugliness, it will follow and find us. The people who has hurt the most are the ones who keep telling their versions of lies; they make sure others think we are the bad people.

Time to stand up and speak our truths. You see many of us will never be free until we speak the other side to the lies. Too many people either do not care to hear the rest of the story or they are too ignorant to know there is another side so they just stay in darkness to the truth.

Time to bring everyone into your light then soar with the eagles. it is not our job to convince anyone of the real deal. WE need to speak our truths so that our souls, hearts and spirits can be free. People will think and believe what they choose; their choices are not our concern.

Our FOCUS for today: Speak your truths, even if you are afraid to. Then spread your wings and be free

C. Maria Wall

cmariawall.com

Finding Your Light(s)

The GRIND and SHINE for today! 08/15/2016 3:11am
Finding your light(s)

May you find the light(s) to guide you through your day and beyond even when some lights lose their shine or diminish in brightness; I pray you find another light that shines you way to your destiny brightly.  Not too many words today; just my prayer for you to find your way to a happy home.

Our FOCUS for today: Find your personal lights or be the lights for others!  There are plenty of folks lost in the darkness to go around.

C. Maria Wall

I am so sorry!

The GRIND and SHINE for today: 08/11/2016 3:01am

I am Sorry!

Many times we find ourselves saying we are sorry then asking forgiveness without knowing what we are sorry for.  OK enough about that type of sorry today I am talking about being sorry from another view.  Time for some of us to be SORRY because we keep forgetting that some people only appear to love, respect, care for and be concerned about us when they are in need of something we possess.  That something could be a listening ear, money or some other service.

I am not saying change the person you are BUT I am saying that we should keep in mind that what we do for those people is not a RIGHT but a PRIVILEGE! They need to understand and realize that at times.  Society has bred a culture of ENTITLEMENT and DISRESPECT. 

Be reminded that many will do what they know they can get away with.  Develop boundaries and know the POWER of your NO.  If you keep giving, your cup will be emptied and you will not have anything left to drink for yourself.

Our FOCUS for today: Talk to the person you see in the mirror and let them know how SORRY you are for not realizing that they matter to some only when the users are in need of something the person you see in the mirror possesses.  Ask for forgiveness, tell that reflection the power of their NO then move on.

C. Maria Wall  

I Am vs. My Name Is!

The GRIND and SHINE for today 08/10/2016 3:34am

I am vs. my name is.

Have you ever thought about how different the impact of using the words I am are in contrast to saying my name is? Let me paint a picture for you. I was driving down the road on an early morning, as usual my mind was pondering the meaning of my existence and the impact I have on the lives of those I had come across.

I thought about how many speaking engagements I had done and about some of the conversations I have been a part of. somehow I thought about how I began speaking in each scenario. When I am the teacher, educator and mentor "I am" C. Maria Wall. In contrast when I am in the midst of a casual conversation, if asked, my name is C. Maria Wall.

When we are in a place of brokenness we need to have those words that re-ignite our spirits; we are not the broken pieces that our circumstances have convinced us that we are.

Therefore "I AM" C. Maria Wall yes I have been knocked down kicked, hated, talked about, lied upon, abused and excused, BUT "I AM" still standing; I shall rise again like the phoenix from the ashes.

Remember that "my name is" C. Maria Wall and "I am" a precious gem on the planet.

Our FOCUS for today: Let people know WHO YOU ARE! Make sure they remember your NAME! You matter; you are important!

C. Maria Wall

The Road To Nowhere!

The GRIND and SHINE for today 08/09/2016 3:17am
The one-way road to nowhere

Some people are on a one-way road to nowhere. They have no desire to reach any new heights, goals or destinies. They are content existing. We need to enjoy all that life has to offer while we can because one day we will not be able to; we will want to enjoy everything then. 

Life is meant for living, serving and achieving. Do not waste one moment going nowhere until the moment you wish you had gone somewhere. 
Everyone has a dream, many want to make those dreams reality, some will work towards that goal. Others will be content by existing; convinced that being on a road to nowhere is easier than being on the highway to success! 

Our FOCUS for today: Choose to go somewhere even if it is out of your comfort zone into the world to explore for a while. 

C. Maria Wall

Permission Granted? Maybe Not!

The GRIND and SHINE for today 08/05/2016 3:08am
You have permission

You have permission to voice your disappointments. Many people keep their hurt and pain to themselves; people will take out their frustrations on those who love them the most. With the exception of a few, many will feel worse after attacking those who are not the oppressors.

Do you ever wonder why hurt people hurt people? It is because the cycle of pain is continuing. You see bullies never choose those who they are equaled by or those they know they could be defeated by. In turn when many of us are hurt we look for the weakest link to attack; thinking this will ease our suffering or give us joy and victory.

In many case this only leaves another injured party and wounded soul. Even though we have permission to be angry, yell, scream and voice our hurt, we do not have permission to take out our frustrations on others who we are sure cannot fight against our rage.

We have permission to pour out our pain; we do not have permission to put it on to others.

Our FOCUS for today: Pour our pain out in the proper way! End the cycles of abuse and shame.

C. Maria Wall

Ships on the OCEAN!

My GRIND and SHINE for today: 08/04/2016 3:34am
Just another ship on the ocean

Many years ago I had taken my son on a trip; I wanted him to experience a cruise. I thought wow this ship is so huge one could get lost; there was a million things to do too. Then we docked and others ships started to arrive in the port.

There was a ship with a name like Goliath of the SEA (not really but you know what I am saying) It was many times larger than the ship we were traveling on. For one small moment I was a bit envious and the ship I was traveling on did not seem so impressive. I was much younger and had yet to come into my full awakening to life.

The moral of the story is to realize that it is not the size of the ship that matters because all of them are small compared to the ocean they travel in. The larger ship will experience the same rough seas the smaller ships will; the larger ships have much more to lose. Stop being envious of the quantity of what others have.

There will be something out there bigger always. Once we were out of port and back on the pen seas the ship we were traveling on was once again the KING of the sea! If we do not pay attention to what others have we will always appreciate what we have.

Our FOCUS for today: Enjoy the ship you are on because the sea is not impressed with any of them; it will treat each the same.

C. Maria Wall
cmariawall.com

Photo by unknown

What People Think!

The GRIND and SHINE for today 3:25am 08/03/2016
What people think

Many times we tend to convince ourselves that what "we think" others are thinking about us matters a lot in our lives. I would be wealthy if I had a dollar for every time someone told me what "I" thought of them. On the reverse I would lose a dollar for each time I did not care what anyone thought about me.

Do not allow the thoughts of others to become the reality you choose to attempt to live up to or by. Their thoughts have no substance unless you give life to them.

Our FOCUS for today: Stop worrying about what you think people think about you. Thoughts are personal; If they are not your own they have no place in your space on this planet.

C. Maria Wall

The Runners

My GRIND and SHINE for today: 08/02/2016 3:40am
The Runners

I could not get to sleep last night to save my life so I expected to be late to rise this morning; I will still be ahead of time. This is just who I am, I am never on time because as they say that means I am late already.

There are several types of runners in this world, those who run for health, those who run away from things or towards them and those who make pretend they are running to achieve a goal; those who are running in place.

You see in order of us to achieve our goals we have to move. Far too many like to make others believe that we want it bad enough to keep running until we arrive at our destiny; achieve our goals. Some of us just do not want to put the effort into the movement. Some of us just want to pretend by hanging with the real movers and shakers. It is like going to the gym to watch the bodies or to use it as a dating site. Some will leave as they arrived, alone and carrying the same weight they did when they entered.

Time to decide where you are running to, when to start and how much effort you will need to put into your strides so that you can achieve your goals. Simple message today, get ready to move.

Our FOCUS for today: Prepare to run towards or away from something. Time to move; let's go!

C. Maria Wall

Make It Yours Monday

My GRIND and SHINE for today: 08/01/2016
Make it yours Monday!


Most are rolling over and over in bed dreading the fact that it is Monday. I want all of you who take time to read this to consider that you are here; you made it through the weekend to see another Monday. There were people who planned on enjoying their weekend before they started a week they were expecting to be bad prior to Monday even greeting them. Some of those people did not make it; their lives were cut short between Friday and today.

I want to make a simple suggestion to stop making Monday our enemy; it is what we make it. Monday can be a celebration of the fact we are here and have a chance to see another weeks beginning or we can choose to have Monday set a low tone for the days that follow.

Remember those who will never have a chance to see another Monday then wake up, get up, get going and make this Monday yours!

Our Focus for today: Make your Monday as awesome as you are!

C. Maria Wall