Beth Beutler's Blog, page 2

Lamenting with Hope

As I write this, our nation is mourning yet another horrific loss, this time of many children and some adults in Texas.  Several weeks ago, we had a school shooting in our state within an hour of us.

Yesterday, I saw a prayer I wrote, asking God to work in a difficult time in our country.  That prayer was written in 2016.

Evil and sin have existed since Adam and Eve, and sadly will until Christ returns.  Yet, lamenting is appropriate.  An entire book of the Bible is dedicated to the experience of lamenting. There are strong feelings expressed, including bewilderment, anger, and even a sense of hopelessness over events that occurred centuries ago.

Yet, we can experience hope even in our lament. Why? Because . . .

This is not the end of the story. Good WILL ultimately triumph.We have a God who is willing to listen to our strong emotions, even if they include being mad at HimIn giving us freedom, God allows us to make choices rather than love Him robotically. Sadly, many choices lead down dark paths. He is always ready for us to return.

I encourage you to take some time to read through Lamentations and allow yourself to imagine what the writer was going through. It may help you process tragic events in an authentic, thoughtful way. Listen for what God tells you regarding helping people around you heal.  You may not be able to fix everything, but you can be part of the healing process, and may help prevent someone from going too far down a dark path.

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Thank you for reading my thoughts.  I encourage you to regularly visit my Freebies Page for monthly tips sheets, worksheets related to my four pillars of content, and more.

Image by Trương Hoàng Huy Ngân from Pixabay

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My Workspace is Chaotic: How to Make Organizing Progress in (Very) Small Steps

Parts of my office are chaotic.

That may surprise you. After all, I co-wrote Organizing from the Heart, and I share tips about organized productivity and other life skills on a regular basis.  You’d expect my home and office to be very organized with everything in its place.

Not so.

I’m pretty organized when it comes to a lot of things because one of my strength-gifts is administration. But I’m also a creative, who has a hard time getting rid of stuff, especially if it has at some point been important or inspiring to me.

So I’ve been on a “continuous improvement” journey for several months now, making it part of my routine to (nearly) daily do a very small task that helps improve my home or office.  I also write down what I did, so I have a running record that something is being accomplished.  And, it’s paying off!

Recently, I tackled one section of the top of some storage cabinets in my office.  I moved things out of the way and dusted it off. I’ll be looking for some plastic storage crates I can turn on their side to provide shelves for notebooks I want to keep but that are taking up valuable accessibility space in the cabinet below.  To be honest, that whole section of my office is overwhelming. But I feel a small sense of contentment knowing it’s JUST a bit better than it was.

Try it yourself. Set a timer for five minutes and tackle one VERY small spot in your office or home.  Do that every day for a week. You might be surprised by the end of the week that you’ve actually made some great progress.

Key things to remember:

Choose a very small area to work with (i.e. one drawer, one three-square-foot area of a room, one shelf of a closet)Understand that it may take several days of a “work in progress” pile before it almost suddenly feels organized.Make sure to attack the project for at least a few minutes every day. Continuous improvement doesn’t work if it isn’t continuous.If it would be encouraging, start keeping a list of what you worked on each day.  “Done” lists are sometimes more energizing than “to do” lists.Avoid the temptation of having too many of these small projects going at once (guilty) or your whole workspace/home will feel too chaotic.

Anything you do today to organize your home or workspace makes it better than it was the day before!

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Freebie Focus:  Print out the May Hope Hints sheet for a tip for every day of the month.

Free book: Organizing from the Heart will be available for Kindle free May 6-10.

 

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CONtent Marketing – or ConTENT Marketing?

I often use a customized timer in the morning to keep me on track through the priorities with which I like to start my day.  Currently, one element on the timer is “Content Marketing” where I take a period of time to create content to bless others and keep my business top of mind.

The timer uses a robotic voice to announce the next element, and recently, it struck me that it pronounced “content” with the emphasis on “tent” not “con.”

That gave a whole new meaning to the word, especially since just the day before I heard a message at church about contentment.

Marketing, by nature, is not something based on contentment. Rather, it is used to help a company grow. The very definition via Google is “the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.”  

Content marketing is one approach where a company like mine provides valuable free content on a regular basis.  We do this, in part, to bring meaning to a community, but also, in part, to keep our name in front of people so that when a need comes up, we will be one of the first to be considered.  It’s a challenging approach because it takes time, and you don’t always see immediate results. You don’t always feel you are getting paid for your time and effort, yet it can lead to new clients and projects down the line.

Contentment is a state of peaceful living, appreciating what you have and not worrying about getting more.  I don’t see it as apathy, where you don’t care to take any more action, but rather a state of mind while you are on the journey of growth.  If applied to content marketing, I think of it as being satisfied each week with contributing meaningfully to the world regardless of tangible benefit, while being hopeful and grateful for the doors it may open along the way.

Given that I’ve struggled over what attention I should or should not give to content marketing, this merging the two meanings of “content” together may help me balance the joys and challenges of this marketing approach. It’s certainly worth a try!

Philippians 4:11 ESV – Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

Image by Diggity Marketing from Pixabay

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Turbo Hopes You’ll Join! And Other Thoughts from March

Hi readers!  Can you believe we are already at the end of March. WOW.  2022 is flying by!  Here are some thoughts collected throughout the month of March, but before you read on, I wanted to let you know that I’m still experimenting with my return to blogging.  I may be posting some separate blogs on specific topics at random times either in addition to, or instead of, this monthly digest format. Subscribers would receive the posts them immediately by email.  I’ll aim to keep them short, encouraging, and helpful.  We will see how it goes. Just wanted you to understand what’s happening if you see me pop up a little more frequently.

Honorable Living

This month, I began to share some Names of God on my YouTube Channel. For three years, we ran an Instagram account sharing 365 unique, Scripture-based names of God. I’ve felt prompted to start sharing some of them via video, and am currently using my YouTube channel to share them from time to time. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for these 60-second mini-devotionals.

This month, I attended two different funerals, and have another coming up in April. Life transitions such as funerals and weddings make you stop and think about what’s important. If you aren’t settled about your future, I invite you to read my Lasting Hope page and contact me if you’d like to chat.

Organized Productivity

“I know WHAT I’m supposed to do with my email. I just don’t have the motivation/enthusiasm to do it.”

This was what one of my clients expressed to me in a recent “continuous improvement” session.  I had helped her clean up her email and develop some new systems, but the energy to keep implementing the process wasn’t there.

I gave it some thought and within the conversation and in thinking about it later, I thought about how all of us have some type of task that we know WHAT to do about, but aren’t enthused about.

It’s like dusting. While there are some people who like to clean, I’d guess there are many people who don’t look forward to dusting. But most people enjoy a dusted home.

It’s the same way with email.  It may not be fun to process, but the feeling of in-box zero or in-box manageable is often worth it.

So, tie your boring tasks to a greater goal. How will you FEEL when that email box is reasonable (or that room is dusted?)  Will having an in-box that is well managed actually allow you more time for the developmental and even money-making tasks that will move you further in your goals?

Remember too, we can help you with your in-box … maybe it’s time to have someone else lend a hand.  Check out our a’ la carte services to help you have a less stressful administrative life.

People Skills

This month, in the Humane Marketing Circle I belong to, we used a cool app called Mural to create and share ideas.  While the group was divided into Zoom breakout rooms, we were able to add our thoughts to the main visual board.  Pretty neat experience!  Collaboration in person is awesome, but one of the benefits of the Internet is that you can interact with people around the world. (Several companies are represented in this group, for people who want to approach marketing in a kinder, less pushy way. The circle opens again for a short time for new members, starting April, and if you join with this link, you’ll allow me a little income, too.

Enjoyment of Life

If you are feeling low sometimes, here’s a number where you can listen to some messages of joy from Kindergartners.

Peptalk Hotline – messages of joy from Kindergartners  707-998-8410

Featured Freebies

HOPE HINTS: Click here for April’s HOPE Hints page.

WORKSHEET: Click here for Giving Notice to My Notifications. If you are tired of so many notifications interrupting your day, use this worksheet to craft a better approach

This month’s free book is 52 Scripture-based Affirmations for Your Work Life. Download it from Amazon for free April 1-5.  (No fooling!)

Finished book:  This month, I finished Dearest Dorothy: Help, I’ve Lost Myself!  This is a sweet series about a vibrant 80-year-old and the lessons she and her friends and family are learning as they walk with God and each other in a small-town setting.

Coming up!

April is my birthday month!  If you like my content, I’d love for you to consider joining my Coffee Club this month. I’m committed to continuing quality content for free, but my readers who are in the coffee club help support my time/costs and therefore bless all the others! One-time or monthly gifts starting at $2 allow members to also receive occasional exclusive content from Turbo, my #officecat – he’s super cute, comical, and smart, so don’t miss out!

As always, thanks for reading!

With hope,
Beth

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Grieving with Hope

February was a challenging month. Early on February 6, my father-in-law, Doug, passed away. He’d been dealing with declining health for a few years and was hospitalized with a further illness at the time.  I was able to talk with him by phone a few days before. He knew he was loved. We knew we were loved. Still, it’s strange not having him around now as we live on the same property.

Our faith in God helps us live out 1 Thessalonians 4:13 – we do not grieve as those who have no hope.  It helps to think of him no longer suffering, and I’d like to think he is enjoying time with my father, who passed away in July of 1998.

One of my tasks for helping my mother-in-law was to cancel Dad’s phone account on our family plan. When I logged in, it said, “Nice, this line is ready for an upgrade.”  It was comforting in a unique way. Yes, yes, he was. The best upgrade of all.

Honorable Living

In the aftermath of loss, as many of you have experienced, you learn to adjust to a new normal. But is life ever really normal? One of the never-changing things about life is that it changes regularly.  We go through many seasons in our journey on earth, and reflection can become nostalgic. We live on the same property owned by my in-laws, and it was once occupied by my parents, too. So sometimes, when I go on walks, I remember what it looked like when everyone was living here, and am reminded of how different it is now.

But different isn’t always bad. Honorable living includes the qualities of accepting the impermanence of this life and the faith that God knows best. One thing that can be a constant is that hope in Someone greater than us.  It reminds me to have faith in the plan God has for me. I invite you to learn more about such lasting hope here. 

Organized Productivity

I’ve been adding some national “holidays” to my own calendar in case I want to use them as prompts for content.  I was frustrated because I wanted to add a holiday that happened on the first Saturday of February, every year, but it didn’t seem that Google Calendar would allow for that.

So I did what most of us do – I “Googled” and found this site that walked me through it! It was a change in context to using “every 12 months” instead of “yearly.”  Thanks, Karen.

I also made a video on my YouTube page to demonstrate. Click here for that!

People Skills

One of the ways you can learn to interact with people in a more effective way is to understand your temperament.  Here is fun quiz to help you see what your creativity temperament may be. Let me know what your results are! Mine is “visionary.”

The book I finished this month (a habit I’ve had for many years) is Good Comes First, by Mark Babbit and Chris Edmonds.  Our team has been working with Chris for several years. It’s a detailed, helpful book providing a plan for building a more respectful culture in the workplace.

Enjoyment of Life

Our winter season has been a wilderness of sorts.  However, we have found time for simple joys, like

Crumbl cookiesTaco “Twosday” on 2/22/22A walk on wooded paths at a local parkWatching the deer that show up in our yardEnjoying our more spacious living room now that we finally got rid of a big piece of furnitureFamily timeOur comical cat, Turbo.Savoring delicious meals provided by caring friends in our time of loss.

It’s important to make sure to stop and enjoy life, not just survive.

Freebie Focus

Download your March Hope Hints Tip Sheet here.

Check out this Workspace Evaluation Sheet to see if your workspace is working well for you.

Free book: My book 52 Tips for Pros on the Go, will be free on Amazon March 3-7!

New! Coffee Club

“This is so cool! Hope it works out for you. It looks like a nice way for your community of social media friends to support you. Happy to be among the first, Beth!”

“This is so freaking cool, I absolutely will be part of this.”

“I love it.”

These are some of the messages I received within the first hour of sharing my new Ko-Fi page with an initial group privately.  It was very encouraging prior to making a public announcement and new members continued to join!

Here’s part of the story behind creating this …

As a writer and content creator, my goal is to bring HOPE to you on topics such as

Honorable LivingOrganized ProductivityPeople SkillsEnjoyment of life

with a commitment to writing and content with flavors of

HumorOptimismPracticalityEncouragement

I’m involved in several channels and use various methods, and have built up a circle of friends online that are precious to me.

As many of you know, I’ve also written books, that I regularly offer for free.

But here’s the rub. Unless an author is a best seller or has cultivated a lot of consulting/speaking engagement opportunities, it’s not easy to make much of a living sharing our art, and it does take time and tools to produce it consistently.

I don’t look to content creation as the major source of my living – my virtual assisting is my primary income.  At the same time, I love to regularly coach/encourage people and feel I make a difference in this sometimes toxic online world.

So I’m looking for some people who might agree and might be willing to “buy me a coffee” either one time or monthly.  My new Ko-Fi page lets me offer that opportunity with no pressure and in a simple, fun, customizable way.

I know that many readers of my content won’t be interested, and I completely understand. I don’t support every writer I enjoy either!  But if you feel so inclined after reading this post, and would enjoy an extra private message or two a month sent just to coffee club members, please click here to join in.

kofiwidget2.init('Bu<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>y Beth a Coffee', '#29abe0', 'T6T0AOY1A');kofiwidget2.draw();
Thanks so much!

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2022: Not Starting Out as I’d Hoped

Hello readers!

I had actually started a post in December, commenting on the holidays and blogging etc.

Then the holiday season came.  Sickness traveled through our family, holiday celebrations were canceled or truncated, a car broke down, we experienced what is somewhat unusual snow and cold in our region, and an extended family member’s health is precarious at the time of this writing. I’ve been in what I call hibernation for weeks, only emerging for the occasional errand or briefly seeing other human beings in real life.

It wasn’t how I planned to start a new year, yet God has been faithful. And because of my online work, and involvement in social media, my world is not as isolated as it could be.  These forms of interaction don’t match real life, but they have been a lifeline for a person like me, an ambivert, who needs a good dose of being around people as well as time alone.

So I decided to write this month to remind you of the channels through which we can interact, or you can receive what I “hope” are resources of blessing for YOUR life.  But first … some thoughts on our four topic pillars.

Honorable Living

I was asked to guest post on the Bible Study blog of Barbara Lynn Seibel.  She was doing a series on prayer, so I wrote “Thoughts on Prayers” based on a class I took this summer via The River Upstate.  The main point I tried to convey is that praying is a lot about listening and aligning requests with what God shows us, rather than just submitting a list of our preferred outcomes to Him.  I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Contact me.

Organized Productivity

Sometimes, we choose chaos because we are afraid of not being needed, experiencing boredom, being alone, or feeling insignificant. Years ago, when sharing a situation with a friend, she asked me the pointed question, “Do you like drama?” From her observation, I’d become too involved in overthinking the situation and it was a different perspective to consider.  Do you find yourself creating more to do? Getting overly involved in your family or friends’ lives? Making a project out of everything? Give some thought as to why that may be.

People Skills

Be willing to admit when you are wrong. Own it, fix it and move on. It’s actually freeing!

Enjoyment of Life

We had some unusual snow here in Upstate South Carolina in January. It was a treat for many people, especially kids and pets. Although my (indoor) cat Turbo didn’t think too much of it when I brought him on the porch, he didn’t mind it while cozy inside!

Freebie Focus

All freebies can be found on the Freebies page, but let me encourage you to enjoy these specific freebies this month:

February Hope Hints Sheet – a tip for every day

What I Love About Me Worksheet

Circles of Friendship – a free e-version of my latest book, will be available every Friday in February and on February 14 on Amazon. The print version makes for a better experience, but the print preview will give you the content as well.

Social Media Opportunities

Check out my social media channels for engagement in a variety of ways.  The basic framework I use is as follows:

Facebook (personal): Regular questions/prompts on humor, opinion (nonpolitical), personal and encouraging stuffFacebook (business page): regular tips and thoughtsInstagram (personal): eclectic mixture of hints, observations, personal life and experiencesInstagram for HOPE: regular visual/sharable tips and hintsLinked In – professional interactionPinterest – tips and hints on our four topic pillars (see below)YouTube – occasional tips or longer form discussion on the topic pillars.Twitter – regular tips (and our daily Wordle results!)

I appreciate everyone who reads and engages. Thanks for joining me on this journey of life!

With hope, Beth

 

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Lessons Learned, November Freebies, and More

Hello friends!

Over the years, this small business has evolved to what we now practice as Helping Others Pursue Excellence.  One way I can do that is by offering quality content based on the lessons I’ve learned, and things I observe. I thought I might try to resurrect the blog a bit, and the idea of calling it Lessons of HOPE came to me.

When I looked up the word “lessons,” it resonated with me because of its multiple layers of meaning. I distilled the following breakdown after looking at a few different sources:

an amount of teaching given at one timea thing learned by experiencea plan for teaching and learninga piece of instructionan occurrence or example that serves to warn or encouragea passage from the Bible read aloud during a church service.

I felt like it was a great word for the type of education and encouragement I want to continue to offer through H.O.P.E. Unlimited.

So here are a few lessons from each of the four major themes of this company, along with a video message to everyone.

(Can’t see the video? Click here.)

Enjoy!

Holy Living

I was asked by a fellow writer if I would be willing to write a blog post on prayer or refresh something I’ve written in the past.  I have this post but decided that was a bit too “administrative” for her purposes. So instead, I wrote some thoughts based on a summer class I took at The River Upstate, Praying for Others: Understanding the Biblical Grounds for Ministering to Others Through Prayer.  The post will be coming out in November over at BarbaraLynnSeibel.com.  For those of you with a faith practice, I encourage you to check out Barbara’s blog. She sends out a weekly Bible study on Sunday evenings.

Lesson of HOPE: prayer is a conversation with God that involves more than just bringing Him requests.

Organization

I’m a systems person.  I like to develop a system for the things I do, sometimes connecting an acronym to them (for example CHORES stands for a series of household chores I want to make sure I do several days a week.)  So it’s been a struggle to understand content development in terms of a system. Posting to social media. Adding a video to my YouTube channel. Crafting blog posts. Writing books. What do I do and how often should I do it? Will it be helpful (and potentially provide some leads or income)? I’m still figuring it all out. I’ve been creating content for years and over the past few months have felt some burnout. But slowly, it’s coming back to me. I think it’s going to take being consistent but not rigid. And I’m realizing that creating content is almost as much about me processing things well, using my creative gifts, and nurturing my mental health as much as it is about blessing an audience and making a bit of income from it. I’m sure I’ll be learning more lessons as I stay open to what this season of content creation should mean.

Lesson of HOPE: To paraphrase a quotation I have on my desk, “Good content is clear thinking made visible.” (Original attributed to Bill Wheeler.)

People Skills

Working from home has its disadvantages. I’ve been doing it for several years now, but I miss the “people” side of being in an office. While I’m writing this, I’m sitting in a co-work spot in my town of Fountain Inn, SC and it’s been a needed respite. A friend met me for lunch, and I’ve interacted with some new people (including someone who turns out to be somewhat “prominent” in local circles – that was interesting to discover.)  Today has reminded me of the importance of an ambivert like me making sure to balance all my alone time (which I treasure, to a degree) with some time with people IN REAL LIFE!

Lesson of HOPE: Understand where you receive (and give) positive energy. I need to make sure I co-work regularly to keep my people skills sharp.

Enjoying Life

In an attempt to see some foliage, Keith and I and some friends went to Chimney Rock State Park last weekend.  We also enjoyed an outdoor concert with Mark Lee (of Third Day) at our friend’s AirBnB, Beds, Bikes, and Beyond. Valerie has a sunflower patch, so I got a photo there with my new “Daughter of the King” shirt from She Who Is. (Use tinyurl.com/bethb1 to shop and code BETHBEUTLER for 15% off!)

While the foliage wasn’t peaking yet (we had a lot of rain recently) it was still a lovely time getting some extra exercise, and seeing some beautiful sites.  It’s important to step outside regularly. Being in places like this expands my world, which is important when I spend a lot of time in one place. How do you expand your world?  The fourth person who contacts me with an answer will get a little prize sent to them!

Lesson of HOPE: Being in creation/nature reminds me that the world is vast and full of variety. It’s good to step outside my comfort zone and challenge my fitness and vision.

Freebies and Features

Here’s your sheet of hints for every day in November!

Featured Freebie: from the always-available Freebies page is Grumpy or Grateful?  This worksheet will help you reflect on things to be thankful for, specifically for your job.

Book News and Deals: Organizing from the Heart,  (co-authored with Stephanie Baker and Karina Whisnant) will be free (Kindle version) November 3-7 on Amazon.

Circles of Friendship (Kindle, print-preview version) will have a countdown deal beginning November 10 and going through November 13. The prize will start at .99 and rise back up incrementally to its normal $3.00 price by the end.

Circles of Friendship is now available in audiobook form!

I talked about the book on a couple of podcasts (Main Street Author and Fit for Joy)  if you’d like to listen.

Service Focus: I offer continuous improvement coaching at the same pricing as virtual assistance (because they often dovetail.)  I help you stay motivated in any area of improvement you seek, from your faith journey to getting a handle on your email. Click here to book a free 15-minute conversation about anything you want to talk about!

Thankful for you,

Beth 

(taken atop Chimney Rock, where my husband felt more comfortable closer to the edge than I did!)

 

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Why I Wrote a Book about Friendship

My newest book, Circles of Friendship: A Guided Journal for Learning to Think Clearly about Your Friendships, was released in late April. It’s the latest in my bookshelf of self-published works, available on Amazon. (If you are reading this during the week of June 20, several of my books are on special pricing to coincide with Amazon Prime days.)

Some may wonder why I, a virtual assistant and soft skills author/coach, would offer a book about friendship? What does that have to do with business life? Here are a few reasons:

Friendships are an important way to apply soft skills to relationships. You don’t have to be business colleagues to utilize skills such as conflict management and emotional intelligence.

Friendships CAN be enjoyed in the context of business. (For more on this, see the article about my book in Kevin Kruse’s Forbes column, How to Increase Happiness by Categorizing Your Friendships.)

Friendships can be challenging, and learning to think well about them can help.  In my book, I outline 15 different types of friendships (not an exhaustive list) in part to help people be more content with and appreciative of the friendships they have. I’ve personally had to learn to adjust my expectations sometimes, a fact that was a catalyst for writing this book.

Friendships can add so much to life—and work!  A couple of the closest friends I have originated in a professional context, and I have happy memories of working with these people.  And even if friendships didn’t deepen much beyond a professional connection, I am grateful to still have great, warm relationships with many people, some of whom are former co-workers or professional colleagues.

I like to help people think well.  Friendships can have a positive, energizing effect, or a negative, draining effect.  Sometimes they are complicated. I like to provide resources that help people think well about life matters, and this book/guided journal is designed to help you do so.

The book is available in paperback and also in a print-preview version for Kindle.  If you like hands-on activities, the journal is best. If you are mainly interested in the concepts, the ebook should be just fine!  I hope you’ll pick up a copy for yourself, and maybe one for a friend, too!

 

 

 

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On Starting Blogging Again – with No Limits

I haven’t blogged for nearly a year.

I can’t say that I blame the pandemic, although that may have influenced my decision a bit.

I just got tired after years of very consistent blogging and needed a break from the self-imposed discipline of getting a post out on a regular basis.

Like most of you reading this, I’ve also grown and changed some in the last year.  I finished writing a book, which should be coming out this month or next.  I spent a LOT of time at home.  I experienced a whole lot of mental gymnastics.  I tweaked my business model. And I struggled with figuring out what to do with this circle of influence God has given me.

I believe God has gifted me in creativity and various modes of communication, including writing. Today (April 8 when written) I turn 55, and He’s impressed upon me that the number doesn’t have to be like a speed limit – there is no limit to what He can do in and through me for as long as He keeps me on this earth.  One thing I know He wants me to do in this season is write, in the unique way He’s crafted me to do so.  You see, I’m not a writer who gets involved in writing groups (which can be great!) or sneaks away for hours at a time to write (I get bored too easily for that) or markets books in a typical way (yes, I have one coming out, and yes, I’m writing in part so you can be aware of it but I won’t be doing some of the traditional, sometimes “hype-y” marketing things.)

So, instead, welcome to HOPE Hints, an eclectic collection of helpful suggestions and information loosely organized within the following topical framework:

H – Holy Living –  developing spiritually, guided by a non-denominational, others-focused, biblical view of life and workO – Orderly Thinking – thinking well in all aspects of life, including processing subjects appropriately, managing time effectively, and living in a fruitful, productive wayP –  People Skills – modeling kindness, communicating constructively, managing interaction wisely E –  Emotional Intelligence – understanding our internal self, reading others well, practicing balanced self-care, enjoying life.

I’ll be creating the blog as the spirit leads, and those who subscribe will receive it by email at random times. The content may be in mixed media – writing, video, images – whatever feels right at the time. It will be pithy, quick and easy to read, and hopefully, a lot of fun.

If it’s not for you, no worries – you can stop reading, or unsubscribe.  Or maybe you’d rather get my content through my active social media channels (I’m on all of the major ones – content may vary on each channel. I use this one specifically for regular hints.)

But if you want to receive easily digestible thoughts, and updates from me, stay with me, and let’s pursue excellence together. (That motto, by the way, changed since the last time I blogged.)

Beth

 

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Breath of Hope – Thoughts from April

Hello readers,

As I sit here thinking about the blog, I confess to being tired. It’s not the best time of the day to try to be creative, yet there is only one day left in the month to compile Breath of Hope. And in some ways, I. Got. Nothing.  So I decided to write this in a letter form rather than compile a bunch of tips. That okay with you?

It’s been a wearying month for the world really, and every one of us is feeling it in some way. Whether affected by health or economic/employment change (we’ve experienced the latter, so far okay on the former) or the emotional toll of seeing how it has affected others, it’s no wonder that we feel drained during a pandemic and such change in our countries.  (If that’s not enough, we’ve had a tornado every month of the year in our state, one not known for that kind of weather!  The last two were pretty severe in some areas.)

Some feel that the “extra time” we’ve been given should motivate us to complete projects around the house or with business or “side hustles” or writing or…

Others feel like they barely have enough energy to keep up with daily responsibilities with children, working from home, or navigating all the confusing inputs of information (not to mention the range of emotions.)

I fall somewhere in the middle. Having worked from home for years now, it’s not much of a change to be in quarantine. I’ve been out only a handful of times for about six weeks now.  But it is still strange to now have to put more thought into what should be simple decisions about “going out” than in the past, what effect I could have on others even if I feel healthy, and grieving the loss of the same freedom to plan my days that I enjoyed just a few weeks ago.  My husband and I are also living a “new normal” of being together a lot more during the week due to changes in his work. (Good thing we get along!)

In some ways, I’ve been productive, in a plodding way. I’ve had the opportunity to give thought to some matters with HOPE Unlimited and personally. I’ve connected in different ways with people such as Zoom hangouts (and I’ve learned that online interaction can be draining.) I’ve worked on projects here and there, and have enjoyed continuing to use my Silk and Sonder planner journal.

In other ways, I’ve been lethargic and had pockets of time where I felt drained and discouraged, wishing I had the mental and emotional energy to create more elements of my upcoming book or organize something in the house.

I’m realizing through all this that it’s okay to feel a wide range of emotions and energy levels at a time like this. It’s important to embrace grace and extend it to others.  Not everyone is going to process this in the same way you are, and you may surprise yourself in how you feel some days.  You may be ultra productive one day and get very little done the next.

I encourage you to navigate these days with fewer expectations on yourselves AND others. If you feel productive, go for it. If you need a nap, take it. Let go of some concerns for even a little while.  Forgive someone for not seeing things the way you do.  Do your work for the Lord, not just your boss/client.  And, please, take care of yourself (beyond just protecting yourself and others from the current virus, but also for general health and avoidance/management of illness as best as possible.)

I’ll be in touch again next month, but please feel free to reach out to me if you just want to say hello in this time of isolation!

Beth

 

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