Harvest Life Gracefully: Accepting the Higher Power

Harvest Life Gracefully: Accepting the Higher Power

Accepting the higher power as being greater than yourself is the most important aspect to harvest life gracefully!

Take a minute and ponder upon electricity and gravity can you control them? Would you not say that these natural powers are greater than ourselves because nothing in our own power can change or control them. Interesting enough with understanding this comes acceptance.

When I accepted that electricity and gravity is a power greater than myself, then I was able to gain the concept that their is a spiritual power who is greater than myself and the natural spiritual law. With accepting this I learn to put my faith and trust into this power. By doing so I tapped into something that is strong and useful for my internal and external growth.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Communication

Harvest Life Gracefully: Communication by Jane Jonas

Being able to communicate in a positive way is needed, when you harvest life gracefully.

As most of you know I am a survivor of abuse. Abuse has caused me not to trust. The abuse caused negative thinking. When someone said or did something that I did not like, I would think that they were out to get me.

In order for me to calm the fear of "they are out to get me" I needed to learn to express to the person how I felt about what they had said or done, and then I ask for clarification of what was meant by it. I soon realize most people were amazed that I interpreted the words or actions as I did. Then I would realize that my fear was groundless. But how would I know if I didn't express myself? This is a way to build trust.

Lets us remember to ask our higher power for the courage to ask for clarification instead of sitting in our fear. Sitting in fear is not the way to harvest life gracefully.

Harvest Life Gracefully: The opposite of fear is faith

Harvest Life Gracefully: The opposite of fear is faith by Jane Jonas

One of the steps to harvest life gracefully is to examine your life, as I was examining my life I notice whenever I made bad or unhealthy choices in my life the main emotion I was feeling was fear. I am assuming that this is true for most people, would you not agree?

The problem with fear is, it stops us from enjoying life and the people in our lives. Often times I believe we act out of fear because we are afraid that our experiences from the past will recur so we will do things trying to control the future. Allowing to have fear control you is like being weight down with a ball and chain attached to your body. Fear prevents peace of mind and serenity. To harvest life gracefully is learning to replace fear with faith. Remember this faith is action. Lets practice letting go of behaviors and habits that we clung to whenever handling fearful situations.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Never Too Late

Harvest Life Gracefully: Never Too Late by Jane Jonas

The wonderful thing with harvest life gracefully that it is never too late to begin again.

How delightful and joyous to know that we have the freedom to choose to begin again when we make mistakes or find ourselves on the wrong path. Who to know today could be the turning point of a new and more insightful way to harvest life gracefully.

Do you know that it is never too late to become more spiritual and turn to our higher power? The higher power waits for us patiently.

Do you know that it is never too late to let go of your burdens and put them in charge of our higher power?

Do you know that it is never too late to make amends to the people that we hurt or caused harm to?

Do you know that it is never too late to forgive the people that has hurt us?

Do you know that it is never too late to change what is needed to change?

Do you know that it is never too late to harvest life gracefully?

If we learn anything today let it be the knowledge that it is never too late to begin again: we are welcome to do so without shame!!!

Harvest Life Gracefully: Acceptance

Harvest Life Gracefully: Acceptance by Jane Jonas

To harvest life gracefully does not require you to like everybody but to accept everybody. I don't believe that is is humanly possible to like every single person you meet, because there will always be somebody that will say or do something that we disagree with. I bet I affect some people in the same way. In fact I know I do! The differences in people will make for variety in our life and it would be helpful to welcome and appreciate it. Just like we appreciate the variety of flowers in our gardens.

It is only necessary to accept people who are different than us, we don't have to like them, regardless of our beliefs, race, color or background. The differences in people will spice up the adventure in living if you would only allow it.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Caretaker

Harvest Life Gracefully: Caretaker by Jane Jonas

Does this sound like you? Are you are caretaker? How about this? Would you think that you knew what was best for everyone. If only they would follow your advice then they would be fine. Then when they did not follow you will be become frustrated and angry feeling rejected?
Understand this! In order to harvest life gracefully we must remember that we are not in charge. Do you like it when people try to control you? If you are like me you would probably resent it. So I am sure that people will resent us if we did the same. We are powerless to change anyone but ourselves. I believe that if we are too busy in other people's lives, it is because we are running away from ourself. Would you not agree?

Harvest Life Gracefully: Personal Rights

Harvest Life Gracefully: Personal Rights by Jane Jonas

Practicing your personal rights is a wonderful way to harvest life gracefully.

Yesterday when I was cleaning I ran across this sheet of paper which I had hung onto for years. I remember that I had gotten this from my therapist in my early days of learning how to harvest life gracefully. Listed on this paper was our personal rights, after studying the rights for a while, I then realize exercising these rights shows confidence, high esteem and respect for oneself. Often, people who has been abused especially during childhood will think and feel that they have no rights, because of how they had been violated. Today I decided to share these rights to you.

As a person I have the right to:

Be myself
Refuse requests without feeling selfish.
Be competent and be proud of my accomplishments.
Feel and express anger.
Ask for affection and help ( I may be turned down,but I can ask)
Be treated as a capable person.
Be illogical in making decisions.
Make mistakes - and be responsible for them.
Change my mind.
Say "I don't know."
Say "I don't agree."
Say "I don't understand."
Have my opinions given respect.
Have my needs be as important as the needs of others.
Tell someone what my needs are. (They may not choose to do anything about it.)
Take pride in my body and define attractiveness in my own terms.
Grow, learn and change,and value my age and experience.
And sometimes make demands on others.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Self-Acceptance & Strenghts

Harvest Life Gracefully: Self-Acceptance and Strenghts by Jane Jonas

I discover to harvest life gracefully I need to concentrate and focus on my strenghts.

I believe for those of us who has grown up in a dysfunctional family or who has been abused and bullied usually develop an overwhelming sense of something is wrong with ourselves. If I allow this belief to control who I am then I will become withdrawn, and it will lead to feeling powerless and helpless. To overcome this insanity is self-acceptance. For me, self-acceptance is to honesty recognize my shortcomings and defects as well as all of my good points. Only by accepting and using my positive qualities will I be able to develop the strength to reduce defects in my character.

Have you ever heard this statement?

"What I am is God's gift to me. What I make of myself is my gift to God."

I like it very much because it help me to focus on how I want to grow as a person.

Harvest Life Gracefully: What If?

Harvest Life Gracefully: What If? by Jane Jonas

How often do you waste hours of your time by being wrapped up in your thinking wondering what the people in your life is thinking, what is she/he is doing or be doing next? How often do you ask yourself this question, “What if? What if this happens, or what if he/she does this or if he/she does that? How often do you think about how to solve his or her problem wanting to take responsibly of fixing it to make it better? For me, it only cause undue worry and anxiety. Then I wake up and realize what I been doing and remember it is time to let go and let god and see what will happen. I can not change or force anything about another person. I can not control what another will think or do. My happiness is not depended upon another person. It is depended upon being content with myself. I believe that if I spend time thinking about another person or uncontrollable situation that it is a form of control and I am risking the health of my mental well-being. Therefore my goal is to harvest life gracefully and I won't risk my mental well-being by being wrapped up in other people's business.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Discouragement

Harvest Life Gracefully: Discouragement by Jane Jonas

I am sure that there have been times in our lives that we had felt discouragement, helpless and powerless. What do we do about it? There is no such thing as failure unless we quit. But it seems natural to most of us to throw up our hands in defeat during times of distress. I realize now, that discouragement is actually a indication that something in our life need changing. This is the time to meditate for direction and to keep trying and not to give up. Eventual the answer will come, that is a given, Just think how wonderful and proud you will feel after winning your personal battle. Harvest Life Gracefully, is not giving up, you will win at the end.

Harvest Life Gracefully : Appreciative

Harvest Life Gracefully: Appreciative

To harvest life gracefully is to let our love ones know how well we love and appreciate them. How often do we take the people we love for granted? If you are like me, you would probably agreed that it feels great when our love ones says “you are appreciated. So often mentally we will tell ourselves how fortunate we are to have this or that person in our life. But do we actually let them know that! I think oftentimes we think just because we are in their lives that they should automatically know how well we appreciate them. This includes are spouse, partner, siblings,children, friends and co-workers.. Let us remember this, it is important to let our love ones know how much we appreciate them and love them.
This help to create a happier relationship and positive attitudes among the people in your life. It can boost self-esteem and confidence to the people we love. This also can help a person that may be feeling discouraged, it could make a difference between “giving up or holding on” Harvest Life Gracefully by spreading the attitude of appreciation.

Harvest Life Gracefully: No Pain No Growth

In order to harvest life gracefully you need to face your emotional pain,if faced it will lead you to learn more about yourself. Remeber this, everything we experience has its value. If you think about it, exactly how much do we really learn when things are going well. Nothing! we just coast along in life just for the ride. Nobody likes pain, it hurts and we want it to go away, therefore pain causes us to challenge whatever is wrong that needs changing. One may want to look at this as an adventure though our journey in life. With each new emotional pain faced, adds more value and fulfillment to you and this is just another way you can harvest life gracefully.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Comparing

Harvest Life Gracefully- Don't Compare
When we compare our talents against others this is not the way to harvest life gracefully. We are all equally special in our own way. If other people have talents that are different than yours' this does not mean that one is more special or better than the other. It just means that we are different. To harvest life gracefully means that it is our responsibility to develop the talents we have. We need to find the courage to stop comparing ourselves to others and start looking at our own talents because everybody is born with talents that will make your life fulfilling.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Love

Love is an attitude and not an emotion. If you want to make progress and harvest life gracefully we need to love others with an attitude of unselfish
concern for others. Love is the opposite of being selfish. Treating others with respect as you expect to be treated, you then, will chose not to harm others, steal from them, or deprive them to satisfy our own selfish desires.
Harvest Life gracefully by asking yourself are you acting in the best interest of others in mind? This is the true meaning to harvest life gracefully.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Honesty

To Harvest Life Gracefully successfully calls for honesty in word and deed. Dishonesty and being a fake will lead to suspicion, mistrust,and hatred, destroying our relationships. To have loyal friends and to have relationships to grow and thrive we need to be honest and tell the truth. This is the real basis of developing trust between people. Therefore when you are in need you can confidently look to others for assistance.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Setting Boundaries

Some of us had the misfortune not to be cared for and nurtured as children, often resulting in being taken advantage of as adults.. Because we have been abandoned, neglected, or violated by people who were supposed to care for us, we have problems with being clear-sighted when its' safe to trust others. Therefore, we often allow others to walk over us, we respond by being a people pleaser so we will be liked. To harvest life gracefully we need help learning to set boundaries to protect us from people who might take advantage of our vulnerability. We need to look for spiritual minded people who will help us to draw healthy boundaries in our life.

Understanding long term effects on students who are being bullied is to harvest life gracefully.

Another way to harvest life gracefully is to understand and educate yourself about the long term effects of being bullied at school. I can understand these effects, base on my own personal expierences. It will cause low self-worth, feeling like a nothing, you will even question why you are alive and be confuse to what your purpose is. It is not unusual to conteplate or even attempt sucide just to escape from the emotional pain. I can't imagine nothing any worse than feeling unloved, unwanted and having no place in this world. These are all thoughts and feelings that I expirenced by being verbally bullied thoughout elementry, middle and high school. I agree with Vickie Britton in her article below, that you can and probably suffer the lasting efects twenty or thirty years later. I have certain triggers that will take my mind back as if it is still happening today. This is not easy for the people I am close to. Beccause they don't always know how to respond. If you get a chance read what I have already posted on my story page in how anxiety sunk in during my high school years and how the anxiety caused even more misery to my life. I hope everyone will take the time to understand and educate themselves on this subject matter. I believe it is also important to understand and educate what causes a bully to be a bully.


The Long-Term Effect on Students Victimized by School Bullies

Apr 10, 2010 Vickie Britton
Students who were bullied in elementary, middle, or high school may suffer lasting effects even twenty or thirty years later.

Most adults have a horror story or two about the school bully. But for some students, the harassment may begin as early as elementary school, escalate during middle school and continue through high school. Years of emotional and physical bullying can cause lasting damage.

Bullying is a form of abuse. One child or a small group may be singled out for harassment, often for little or no reason. Once it becomes a pattern, this form of behavior can spread throughout a classroom or school until a single child or group of "outsiders" is subjected to daily verbal or physical abuse by others.
Types of Bullying Commonly Experienced

For many bullied students, the school years are filled with anxiety and dread. Ex-students recall being singled out for abuse by name-calling, being shunned and ostracized, and even beaten. Students recall being pushed into walls, knocked to the ground, and sustaining cuts and bruises on a daily basis.

Bullying often occurs in contained areas such as school buses or bathrooms. It may also take place in the classroom, school cafeteria, gym locker room, or even in the hallways between classes. Some provide painful testimony of verbal abuse, such as repeated name-calling. Others are jabbed with sharp objects such as pens in the hallway or they're mocked and humiliated in the gym shower or locker room. Many report that teachers and other adults knew what was going on but did nothing to stop the continual bullying.
The Lasting Effects of Bullying

The pain of being bullied in school can be felt years later. Many victims of bullying bear emotional scars that haunt them decades after the abuse has stopped. Many students who had been bullied in middle school or high school report feeling a sense of withdrawal from others, fear of expressing opinions, even fear of closed-in spaces or other places similar to the ones where the bullying occurred. The effects of this trauma are felt for years.

Read more at Suite101: The Long-Term Effect on Students Victimized by School Bullies http://clinical-psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-long-term-effect-of-students-victimized-by-school-bullies#ixzz0tVhiVPxV

Teaching your child how to cope with anger is to harvest life gracefully

Teaching your child to cope with anger is to harvest life gracefully. Here are some tips from Leah Davies an educator, these tips are geared for teachers in the classroom, I think these tips are also excellent and helpful tips for parents to use in helping your child to cope with anger. I believe, anger is an healthy emotion but if it is not dealt with in a proper and acceptable way it can be very destructive.


Helping Children Cope with Anger
By Leah Davies, M.Ed.

All human beings experience anger. But children, in particular, have difficulty channeling their strong emotions into acceptable outlets. Anger is a response to a real or perceived loss or stress. It results when a person's self-esteem, body, property, values or sense of entitlement are threatened. It is often a reaction to feeling misunderstood, frustrated, hurt, rejected or ashamed.

Children often blame other people or events for their anger instead of assuming responsibility for it. If children do not learn how to release their anger appropriately, it can fester and explode in inappropriate ways or be internalized and damage their sense of self-worth. When children express their anger inappropriately, it may mean that they lack coping skills to deal with their emotions in positive ways.
To assist children in becoming emotionally competent so that they are ready to learn, educators need to help them:

1. Understand their anger and the emotions of others.

2. Develop positive social interaction skills.

3. Realize that they are responsible for the choices they make.

4. Learn how to express anger in ways that aren't harmful to themselves or others.


How can educators do this?

* Model acceptance of each child as a valuable human being worthy of respect.

* Accentuate each child's strengths.

* Make your expectations compatible with children's level of development.

* Provide a safe, responsive, predictable environment.

* Provide children the opportunity to make choices.

* Send honest, congruent messages, making sure your words match your facial expressions and body language.

* Be fair, supportive, firm, and consistent. Never ridicule a child.

* Watch for and acknowledge appropriate behavior.

* Teach decision making and problem-solving skills.

* Use role-playing, puppets, or videos to teach social skills. For example, how to treat each other or how to work out disagreements.

* Involve children in making rules such as:

o We are kind to each other

o We listen to others

o We use self-control

o We work out differences peacefully.

* Make the rules clear and follow through with meaningful consequences which are appropriate for the age of the child.

* Be aware of nonverbal signs that a child is angry such as a red face, tensed muscles, or clenched fists.

* Understand that a child's headaches, upset stomach, or withdrawn behavior may be a symptom of repressed anger.

* Watch the child carefully, noting the antecedents to aggressive behavior. Ask yourself:

o What happened right before the outburst?

o How was the child feeling?

o What does he or she need/want?

o What can I do to make the situation better for the child?

* Anticipate angry outbursts and arrange activities to reduce them. For example, if the child gets angry when it is time to go inside, talk with the child ahead of time and share your expectations. Then comment when the child acts appropriately.

* Arrange the seating to decrease conflict. Separate children who arouse angry responses in each other.

* Help children understand that anger is a natural emotion that everyone has. Say things like, "It's okay to feel angry. Everyone feels angry sometimes, but it is not okay to hurt yourself or others."

* Stop any aggressive behaviors. Say, "I can't let you hurt each other," or "I can't let you hurt me." Then remove the child or children as gently as possible.

* If the child is out-of-control, provide a quiet place where he/she can calm down.

* Resist taking a child's angry outburst personally. Deal with the child in a calm, matter-of-fact way.

* Acknowledge strong emotions, helping the child control him/herself and save face. For example say, "It must be hard to get a low score after you tried so hard."

* Assist the child in using a vocabulary of feeling words. Read books that ask the children to verbalize a time when they felt various emotions.

* Use feeling words to help the child understand the emotions of others. For example, "Mary is sitting alone and looks very sad; she may be lonely," or "When Joe tripped, he looked embarrassed."

* Help children understand their own emotions by putting their feelings into words. For example say, "It made you angry when they called you names."

* Listen, reflect and validate without judgment the feelings the child expresses. After listening, help the child identify the true feeling underlying the anger such as hurt, sadness, disappointment, fear, or frustration. For example, "That hurt when your best friend was mean to you," or "It was scary to have them gang up on you."

* Encourage the child to accept responsibility for the anger and to gain control over him/herself by asking him/herself the following:

o Did I do or say anything to create the problem?
If so, how can I make things better?
How can I keep this from happening again?

* Facilitate communication and problem solving with the child or between children by asking questions such as:

o What do you want/need?

o How can I help you?

o What can you do to help yourself?

* Help children understand that they can choose how to react when they feel angry. Teach them self-control and positive ways to cope with their negative impulses. The following are choices they can make:

o Stop and think

o Calm self by breathing deeply

o Count slowly

o Tense body and relax

o Find a quiet place or sit alone

o Write about feelings

o Tell someone how you feel

o Problem solve

o Look at books or read

o Draw or play with clay

o Exercise, walk or run

o Play music or sing

o Rest or take a shower

o Hug someone, a pet or a stuffed animal

* Stress that the children must accept responsibility for their actions. Reinforce any constructive steps.

* Establish an open, caring relationship with other adults who care about the child, so that jointly you can help the angry child meet his/her psychological needs of being accepted, secure, and recognized as a valuable human being.

* Help the parent or guardian understand that giving in to a child's outburst or exposing him/her to verbal or physical violence can be detrimental to a child's growth and development. If needed, provide parenting information or suggest a parenting class.

* If the problem is beyond your scope of expertise, seek additional assistance and/or recommend professional help.

* Lastly, find healthy outlets for your own strong emotions, so that you will be open to the needs of the children with whom you work.

Harvest Life Gracefully with learning and having fun with your children during summer month

Harvest Life Gracefully,with having fun with your children during the summer months. Summer can be both a fun and learning expiernce for you and your children. This article that I am posting will give you ideals and ways that you can incoperate learning and having fun.

Using Fun To Teach Your Children
By: nlwest21 | Posted: Jun 30, 2010


The summer is the best time of year that every kid enjoys. They don't have to keep up with homework, getting to class on time, and waking up while it is still dark outside. It is a time where they can enjoy the fresh air and to relax with their friends. With all of this going on they will often forget a good deal of information that they learned during the school year.

One way that you have the ability to help them is to provide a way that they can keep learning during the summer months. The challenging part is trying to do this without them actually catching on to what you are trying to do.

Road Trip
The easiest way for most kids to learn and remember what fun facts is to make it fun. When attempting to refreshen their minds on U.S. history why not take them to someplace historical in your area and make a vacation out of it. There are numerous fun places you are able to take them too including, Gettysburg, St. Augustine, The Alamo, and a whole lot more.

Art
Art might not be the most essential subject - but it can still assist them to work on their imaginative juices. Have them make something using seashells that they have collected. Take them out on walks around the park and have them collect plants, flowers, and leaves and place them in a scrapbook.

Not all art is something that has to be drawn or painted. Pick out a random painting or picture or have them compose a short story, poem, or riddle. Give them the name of the painting and thirty minutes to create something of their own. This is a great way for them to utilize their imagination and decide on what they think the picture is talking about. You might be amazed by their ingenuity.

About the Author

Learn new ways to Teach Kids Facts to kids and keep them sharp during the summer. Have them create paintings and Funny Riddles that they can be proud of.

Update on "My Story" on Harvest Life Gracefully

Dear Followers, I just posted a update on "My Story" See part 8 on "My Story" page of my blog. I must apologize for taking so long to post an update. I have been really busy working two jobs and going to school learning how to be an internet marketer. Hopefully my load will lighten soon and I will be able to post more often. Again I do apologize, Thanks for following me, I really do appreciate your support.

Jane Jonas