Remember this?

Enjoy Your Weekend!

I just want to wish everyone a most wonderful weekend.  I saw this quote recently and just loved it!  So here's a Happy Friday to you along with a simple but very memorable Quote of the Day:

“The truth is the kindest thing we can give...”  ~Harriet Beecher Stowe

Half Potential

So I have this recurring dream, where I'm living in a house where I'm only occupying half of it, however I am not aware of this at all. Then, as I simply decide to walk further through the house, it's double the size than I thought it to be, with a full second kitchen overlooking a beautiful view of a lake. In walking around I further discover that there's a large beautiful deck that spans the perimeter of the house with stunning views of the lake. Whenever I have this dream, and only after realizing that I've been remiss to see the entirety of my beautiful home, a sense of joy and contentment overwhelms me. I'm not an expert on interpreting dreams, but I can easily understand the message that I'm so diligently repeating to tell myself; that I'm not living up to my full potential. I obviously know this down to my core, and I fully believe that I'll continue to have this dream until I know with every fiber of my being that I'm genuinely on the journey of reaching my fullest potential.  Hmm... sounds promising, very promising.

Validation

...The absence of which can be damaging, and even cruel. When someone reaches out to you with disturbed feelings and distress, do you validate or do you dismiss? Do you accept what they are saying or do you make up excuses so as not to validate the other person's experience? The absence of validation, and the ignorance of another’s experience can be damaging, it can prevent healing, trigger deep bouts of depression and even despair. Think back to the things that have created pain in your lifetime; was there someone there along the way to validate your situation and pain? If so, now imagine if you were deprived of that validation. Are you capable of going there, or do you practice more ignorance than understanding? I think there’s a very big difference between robust optimism and thinking like a Pollyanna. It's especially damaging for a child in the absense of validation, because they have no-where to go and no-one to tell. Their only option is too bury their pain without the opportunity to confront it, which can lead them into feeling dangerously powerless. Validation is like light and water for a blooming flower, its food for the soul, light for the spirit and healer of the emotions.

The definition from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

In psychology and human communication, validation is the reciprocated communication of respect which communicates that the other's opinions are acknowledged, respected, heard, and (regardless whether or not the listener actually agrees with the content), they are being treated with genuine respect as a legitimate expression of their feelings, rather than marginalized or dismissed. 

Audrey Hepburn Moments...

"There is more to sex appeal than just measurements. I don't need a bedroom to prove my womanliness. I can convey just as much sex appeal, picking apples off a tree or standing in the rain."  ~ Audrey Hepburn

 

Be Honest Always, as if There is No Other Option

If you assume that the truth will hurt, you're most likely underestimating the character and maturity of the person you are keeping from the truth. Always remember that dishonesty is the worse infraction, and it has more to say about one's own fears and emotional immaturity, than the one whom you think you're fooling - especially if they're already aware of your dishonesty.  You'll have no-one else to blame for the damage caused, but yourself.  If you want someone to fully trust you, you must first be fully trustworthy. So be brave with unfaltering honesty, it will free your heart and spirit in ways that you never could have otherwise imagined.

Those who think it is permissible to tell white lies soon grow color-blind. ~Austin O'Malley

A half truth is a whole lie. ~Yiddish Proverb

Who lies for you will lie against you. ~Bosnian Proverb

Truth fears no questions. ~Unknown

I am different from Washington; I have a higher, grander standard of principle. Washington could not lie. I can lie, but I won't. ~Mark Twain

A lie may take care of the present, but it has no future. ~Author Unknown

Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure there is one less rascal in the world. ~Thomas Carlyle

xo

I so appreciate my dear friends for their genuineness, emotional maturity and mutual appreciation. Knowing that there's no underestimating the depth and richness of each other's character. I find such comfort in that cyclical bond of trust and honesty.

Yay!

Thanks to everyone from SITS (the Secret is in the Sauce blog) and everyone else for stopping by yesterday and checking out Wooden Nickel!  So many wonderful comments from so many wonderful readers!  I knew it would be cool to be a featured blogger, but I had no idea it would be THAT cool!  Thanks again everyone and have a fantastic weekend. Peace out.

Oh Happy Day!

Elated: e.lat.ed

–adjective

Very happy or proud; jubilant; in high spirits...

So why am I elated? It’s a very special blogger day for me. The lovely ladies at SITS (The Secret is in The Sauce blog) featured Wooden Nickel today. I’m honored, excited, and ELATED!! What an honor and thank you SITS ladies!

On that note, a warm welcome to you if you’ve never been to Wooden Nickel before, and a warm welcome back if you have. Here’s a few of my most read posts, and I hope you enjoy your visit.

Play Every Day
Ode to my Spandex Running Pants
Good For You!

Thank you!

Power

"We all possess more power and greater possibilities than we realize, and visualizing is one of the greatest of these powers."~Genevieve Behrend

Imagination

Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions. ~Albert Einstein

Destination

Destination: The place to which one is going or directed. The ultimate purpose for which something is created or intended.

This photo is of me doing one of my most favorite things; snowboarding. I love the freeing feeling of riding down the mountain in the crisp, fresh air, as fast as I can with the gorgeous snowy mountains surrounding me. Personally, there's just no other experience quite like it. It also seems extremely appealing in the moment, since Seattle is going through a heat wave. A lot of Seattle homes don't have air-conditioning, including my own, so thoughts of snow and cool air are prevalent in my many unique attempts to stay cool today.

So several years ago, when I was just learning to snowboard, I distinctly remember a friend of mine explain the basic element to the sport; Look at your destination, point your shoulders, body and head in your desired direction, and your board will follow and take you there. Anyone who's ever gone through the process of learning to snowboard understands that the very concept of even moving on the board with your feet attached seems like absolute insanity. Usually the first few experiences feel extremely awkward, because you have no ability to move your feet to correct your balance. Just simply standing up on the board for the first time seem disastrous, and actually moving down a hill can feel like train wreck just waiting to happen. You must use your body for balance, otherwise you'll fall flat on your back. Needless to say, the learning experience is comical and an awkward adjustment, but the accomplishment is extremely gratifying. Fortunately I stuck with it long enough to enjoy it immensely, and I never forgot that very simple advice that my friend gave to me several years ago. In fact I’ve broadened its meaning, and now often remind myself to use it as a symbolic metaphor for reaching goals, desires and passions: Whatever your destination is, simply point yourself in that direction, ...and go!

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought." ~Buddha

Truth...

Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth. ~Benjamin Disraeli