Posts from — April 2008

I was standing in line at the grocery store when I saw a woman’s magazine with a headline that read: “Lose all the weight you want by tonight!”  Really?  It was 7 pm when I saw the ad.  Were they really claiming that it is possible to lose any measureable amount of weight in 5 hours?  Give me a break, suggesting that it is possible to lose unwanted pounds by dusk seems extreme even in a marketing world that has clealy gone over the moon in it’s attempt to sell stuff.

So over the moon, in fact, that if it were up to me, people who earn a living by promoting “instant” weight loss would gain a pound and lose a hair each time someone purchased one of their products.  And yet, even though I know it is ridiculous to suggest that we can lose weight overnight, I was still curious about the content of the article.

Ultimately, I resisted the temptation to dignify the headline by reading article.  But if someone like me who has been fairly successful at maintaining a normal weight was almost sucked in by the false promise, someone whose weight problem is the first thing they think about when they wake up in the morning and the last thing they think about before they go to bed at night, would find it virtually impossible not to be lured by the promise of instant weight loss.

Although it is not possible to lose weight overnight, you do have what it takes to achieve your weight loss goals.  

Encouragement Always.

Don’t worry about the world coming to an end.  It’s already tomorrow in Australia.  — Charles Schulz

Encouragement Always.

It rained all day yesterday and most of the day on Sunday.  This morning the sun is out and I feel like anything is possible.

Encouragement Always.

For several months I have been thinking about adding videos to this blog.  Today I decided to stop thinking about it and make it happen.  This weekend I participated in a book festival, a woman approached me and began telling me how much she enjoyed my book, “Jackie Stanley’s Dictionary of Encouragement.”   I asked her if she would mind if I recorded her kind words.  She said yes, and I hit the record button on my new camcorder… 

1.  Let go of the drama.

2.  Forgive yourself.

3.  Trust the process.

4.  Move forward.

5.  Forgive others.

6.  Accept what is.

7.  Accept what isn’t.

8.  Accept what will be.

Encouragement Always

Encouragement Always.

Tomorrow, April 26, 2008, I will be participating in the Jamestown Writers and Readers Festival at the Jamestown Public Library in Jamestown, North Carolina.  It begins at 9:00 am and ends at 1:30 pm.  Please come if you can.

Encouragement Always. 

For the past two weeks, I have been teaching a workshop at the Women’s Resource Center.  I enjoyed every minute of the class.  And if any of the ladies happen to read this post, remember these things:

1.  You are pefect, precious, beautiful and miraculous.

2.  There is more to you than the crazy stuff you think about.

3.  How you feel is a reflection of your thoughts.

4.  It’s up to you to give yourself what you didn’t receive as child.

5.  You are safe, healed and whole.

Encouragement Always.

Just as a small fire is extinguished by the storm whereas a large fire is enhanced by it, likewise a weak faith is weakened by predicament and catastrophes whereas a strong faith is strengthened by them.

Encouragement Always. 

Asking the right question at the right time can transform your life.  Here are three questions to ask the next time you find yourself facing a difficult challenge:

1.   Is it possible that this difficulty or challenge is not as daunting as I think?

2.   How can I break this difficulty or challenge down into manageable steps?

3.   What opportunities are buried inside this difficulty or challenge?  

Encouragement Always.