Elizabeth Rangel

A book worth reading….

elizabethrangel — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 19:56:35 +0000

I started to read Mark Nepo’s book “The Book of Awakening”. I began to read it on the first of January, as it is a book that has a series of daily reflections. It is like a journey for the soul and with each page I read my mind is awakened. I make the time to read a page each day. With each page a thoughtfulness in evoked. I am humbled. I reflect on his journey and those of which he has woven into this book. Reading his thoughts shines light on what I have going on in my life. Helps me to reflect and work through whatever I may need help with. Realizing it is possible for a book to allow me to reach a little higher, and do better, and be better has made a difference. This book is a daily reminder to make the time for me. To meditate, be grateful, and count my blessings no matter how small. I recommend this book.

Peace and love….

On being grateful

elizabethrangel — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 07:02:23 +0000

“Wisdom is a living stream, not an icon preserved in a museum. Only when we find the spring of wisdom in our own life can it flow to future generations.”
~Thich Nhat Hanh~

Exploring my own and other people’s struggles with their humanness has only allowed me to reflect deeper within myself . It allows me to re-examine myself over and over in a gentle and honest way. It reassures me I am on the path I should be in life. The start of the new year almost always brings with it my expectations for the year ahead. I pause for a moment and remind myself to be mindful of each and every moment. To enjoy and harvest all that I can from each day. In doing this I widen my eyes to life and I open my heart.

My life is unfolding as it should and I am blessed. I am happy with who I am, and where I am in life at this moment. I am not sure what tomorrow will bring, what I know is this very moment is a blessing. I am blessed for what I have and the people in my life. Being mindful and being grateful each and every day has made me so happy.

Peace and love…..

Lucy turned 5!

elizabethrangel — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 06:42:10 +0000

I am so happy I have this wonderful dog in my life. Happy birthday Lucy may you be blessed with many more happy tail birthdays !

On being thankful

elizabethrangel — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:15:50 +0000

Having just had another Thanksgiving come and go I reflect on being thankful. Yet I know I try to consistently express sincere and heartfelt gratitude each and everyday for everyone and everything I have in my life. I feel in doing this I have been given an immeasurable abundance of happiness and wellbeing. I am grateful for many things, so everyday I show my gratitude. Peace, happiness, family, friends and the ability to show gratitude for all that is good has made all the difference.

More of who I am…..

elizabethrangel — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 15:43:34 +0000

I truly believe I am a work in progress. I evolve. I think. I reflect. I meditate. I am a miracle. I truly believe we all are miracles. We carry our own story of hope and sorrow, victory and loss, joy and sadness. I have had my share of life’s lessons and with each lesson learned I move forward and have a better understanding of myself and people. I made a choice long ago to see my world, my life, as a classroom. I allow all of my experiences to teach me something about myself. With each experience whether good or bad, I learn something about myself. My life’s journey has allowed me to become more of who I truly am. Reflecting back, I see how I began to understand the hardest experiences are often the ones that teach us the most. No matter how difficult it is, I have to stop and ask myself what am I supposed to learn from this, only then do I grow from the experience. Having spent 35 years on this earth, at the end of the day I am proud because I remain open to evolving. I want to keep doing better and being better at who I am. My life’s lesson’s have made all the difference………

Peace and love

Appreciation

elizabethrangel — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 15:36:58 +0000

I appreciate all the wonderful things my two dogs have added to my life.
“A person who has never owned a dog has missed a wonderful part of life.”
~Bob Barker~

Blessing……………

elizabethrangel — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:48:49 +0000

“The love of a family is life’s greatest blessing”
I can not nor do I want to imagine where I would be without the love, comfort and support of my family. We are a family of mostly women and we are close, very close. For their love, kindness, compassion and support I am truly grateful. Having a wonderful family, and a partner who lets me be has made all the difference.

Peace and love…..

Moments……….

elizabethrangel — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 16:48:09 +0000

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
~Buddha~

As the crispness of the air hits my nose when I leave my house I am reminded of the season that has come and gone. This past summer was a summer of change. It was a summer of happiness. It was a summer of adjustment. The change came with me quitting my job of 13 years. Being introspective it was hard for me to work there anymore. I found myself questioning why I was there. What kept me there. I was not happy, but I was bargaining with myself, not a healthy thing to do. I was not happy with the person I was and where I felt I would be if I stayed there. I wanted more. My happiness came with the courage to follow my heart and my mind and quit my job. Things started to fall into place as I adjusted. Emotions and thoughts were magnified and worked through. Calmness, and a greater understanding of myself evolved. A genuine happiness within me reassured me I had made the right decision. Living in the present moment and realizing there are no regrets has made all the difference.

Peace and love….

Reflection

elizabethrangel — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:11:11 +0000

Beyond its importance I truly believe one thing that keeps me on the path of where I want to be is self-reflection. It serves a very important psychological function. Part of the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (and other groups that follow similar step traditions) is that alcoholics take a personal moral inventory of their resentments and perceived character defects to become better people. Similarly, philosophical and religious orientations that emphasize mindfulness (Buddhist meditation) encourage individuals to become aware of their feelings and mental contents rather than to bury them and ignore them.

Although some think of “self focus” as a destructive force (the person who only thinks of themselves without concern for others), psychological research shows that it is a critical component of positive change in life. A variety of theories on self-regulation; how people direct their behavior in the pursuit of their goals emphasize that change requires two things: a goal, and an awareness of where one currently is in order to assess the discrepancy between the two. In short, we cannot reach our destinations without knowledge of our current location, where we are now. To improve our chances of reaching our goals, we must remain aware of our current behavior

For me there has been much learned from frequently and conscientiously engaging in self-reflection. Whether it’s in meditation, or journal writing. Philosophers of the Enlightenment studying the texts of Immanuel Kant write, “being aware of ourselves is an essential step in self-improvement.” It is reassuring to see so many traditions spanning thousands of years that emphasize themes identified in the psychological literature as critical for self-improvement. Goals are a dime a dozen, but progress toward them requires an understanding of where we are now and how far away our ideals are from the present. Self-reflection in order to make progress on the goals that matter and that have improved my life have made all the difference. I am where I want to be and looking towards to where I am going.

Peace and love……

A thought…..

elizabethrangel — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:06:51 +0000

‎”To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage.”
-Lao-Tzu

I thought about that quote and realized I am where I want to be because of the people in my life who truly care for me. Who truly love me. So many changes this last year. Changes I had the courage to make because of great people. Thank you Jen for allowing me to love you my way. And thank you for loving me so perfectly I think anything is possible……

Peace and love.