Changing Seasons

 

“To be interested in the changing seasons is a heavier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.” -George Santayana

Cold weather helps us appreciate warm weather more-and warm weather helps us appreciate cold-weather. With the change in seasons there are so many things to appreciate. During the course of a year, we watch trees change from bare to green to orange and red and gold to brown and back to bare again. Then there’s the miracle of budding and greening all over again the next year.

“As I enjoy the change of seasons, I can enjoy the changes in my life.” -Anonymous

The above quotes and saying is from a book I have called The Daily Book of Positive Quotations by Linda Picone. As we welcome fall today, September 22, this one is from yesterday’s date about the change of seasons, but also about the changes that we go through throughout life. I found this especially significant to me, as I went through a drastic change in my life: going from an active teenager to paralyzed from the neck down in a single moment.

Throughout everyone’s journey they will experience some sort of change in life, whether big or small. Some examples are puberty, graduation, marriage, the birth of a new child, empty nesting, divorce, new job or retirement, death and more. These events may bring on stress or worry about what comes next or happiness about what the future might hold. One important part about change is how we anticipate it and react to it. Another way to prepare for changes are when we learn to trust ourselves to handle any situation.

Change takes time to get used to, whether in life or business. Don’t worry about what you may lose and start focusing on what you may gain. It’s not always about trying to fix something that’s broken but maybe it’s about starting something over and creating something better. It doesn’t matter what type of change you might be going through or up against, just know that you will learn to cope.

Jenni

Poems and Quotes

Whether you’re looking for poems about life to celebrate a loved one or for yourself for inspiration, you’ll find that each one is unique and has a different meaning. They may be short, unique, strong and powerful or long, impactful, meaningful and courageous. Narrative poems may tell a story or simply paint a picture. Motivational poems about life encourage us to take on a new perspective. Other poems about life may stop you in your tracks and cause you to think. 

There are also many quotes out there. They may be only a sentence or two, but just as influential as a poem. These are reasons why I like poems and quotes so much, especially after my accident. They have the power to change people’s minds about certain issues and situations in life. 

That brings me back to my favorite quote and what I always say about it: "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." This quote has two meanings for me. The first meaning is exactly how it’s stated. The second is a literal and more personal meaning. Life is not measured by the number of breaths I take, which happens to be 14 breathes a minute, but by the moment that took my breath away.

Jenni

Using my Knowledge to help Others in Need

I've always been a kind, generous, giving person and put others before myself. Although more so now that I know what it’s like from a perspective of someone with a disability, more specifically a spinal cord injury. I need constant help and support from those around in order to live a happy, meaningful and fulfilling life.

I’ve seen firsthand others in similar situations who need support and guidance in their life in order to get through tough times. I have been there before. I’ve struggled to find my place in a world that has a difficult time accepting those who are different from them. When it comes to people with disabilities, I had to unpack a lifetime of negative messages.

One thing that’s unique about my situation is that I never had any anger after my accident. I’ve figured, what kind of life would I be living if I went around being mad at everything that happened to me. I find it fatiguing to go over tireless circumstances, feeling like a victim of something, and self-pitying because I don’t feel it gets me anywhere. Although, I know there are those who have had similar things happen who may struggle with a different way of living and do question things constantly.

Through the last 18 ½ years, my accident has brought me many positives-including great friends, increased empathy, strength, forgiveness, appreciation, openness and a brand-new perspective on life itself. The thing that keeps me going is knowing that I can be there for those in need, along with the people who I care about most in my life. It has always been a part of my self-serving nature, even before my injury.

There are thousands of individuals and families affected each year who have encountered an SCI, and I believe throughout all the different types of disabilities, it’s amongst the most shocking life events one can experience. It often falls under that person’s friends and family to assist them on the hard road ahead to rehabilitation. Also, after this big of significant change, life is usually never the same again. One thing that’s most important is that those affected never give up hope.

This brings me to my next endeavor in my life, assisting others in need of someone who can understand the emotional and physical consequences of an SCI. There’s no doubt that the Internet has a lot of information, although it’s not always the most accurate and there is only so much aid those around can offer. So that’s where help and stories from someone in that same position come in and offer support. Within this is the expectation that they can show some sympathetic and kindness where it’s needed most.

I’m very proud of all the things I’ve been able to do to help out others in my current situation.  I know from past speeches, mentoring, my blog and volunteering that my accomplishments and achievements have not gone unnoticed.  I’m going to continue expanding my knowledge and helping people in need. I reached out to a few different mentoring programs and am in the process of becoming a peer mentor for a couple of different organizations. 

If you know someone who is in need of a mentor or you are interested, please let me know by emailing me at: jtic20@gmail.com.

 Jenni

“Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve.... You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

-Martin Luther King Jr.

Change in Life

Change can come in many forms in our lifetime. It might come fast like a tidal wave or come creeping in slowly like a glacier. It might come in the form of an overwhelming tragedy, tough choices, shattered relationships, or even new chances you are faced with. Many times, change can be for the better even though it may be difficult. 

One thing to realize is that change takes time to get used to, whether in life or business. Also, by merely changing your attitude, and not focusing on the past or present, you can change the future. Whatever type of change you might be going through or up against, just know that you will learn to cope, and you have an opportunity to become something unimaginable.

Jenni

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting for the old, but on building the new.”

-Socrates

"Some periods of our growth are so confusing that we don't even recognize that growth is happening...Those long periods when something inside ourselves seems to be waiting, holding its breath, unsure about what the next step should be, eventually become the periods we wait for, for it is in those periods that we realize that we are being prepared for the next phase of our life and that, in all probability, a new level of the personality is about to be revealed."

-Alice Walker

Being Special

I think what makes anybody special is being authentically you because there is only one of us in all of time. We each are special and we each are unique, all brilliant things. Just allow yourself to be that person. Allow yourself to make mistakes. Allow yourself to try things. I think that’s what makes you special.

I would never alter the way I am to change the way others see me. If they don’t like me, I can’t do anything about it because I am who I am. I’m a positive person, one who recognizes that just because someone may be different, doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. I only have good intentions, no matter what the situation is.

My main goal is to help others and show them the endless possibilities available. That is why I enjoy public/motivational speaking. To share my life story, educate people, and show the abilities of people with disabilities. By speaking, I teach others not to take things for granted, never give up, and live life to its fullest. You never know what can happen.

Jenni

“The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique.” - Walt Disney

Quotes

Little drops of water, little grains of sand,

Make the mighty ocean, and the pleasantly land.

So the little minutes, humble though they be,

Make the mighty ages of eternity.

Little deeds of kindness, little words of love,

Help to make earth happy, like Heaven up above.

-Julia Carney

“ When you get in a tight place and everything goes against you,

till it seems as though you could not hold a minute longer,

never give up then, for that is just the time and place

that the tide will turn."

-Harriet Beecher Stowe

One step and then another,

and the longest walk is ended.

One stitch and then another,

and the longest rent is mended.

One brick upon another,

and the tallest wall is made.

One flake and then another,

and the deepest snow was laid.

        -Anonymous

Words to Motivate and Inspire

As you may know by now from my blog, I love quotes! I’ve written some and also have many books. I also just like browsing the Internet for uplifting sayings. For this post, I thought I would share some of my favorites from a book I have called “Keep Believing in Yourself and Your Special Dreams”.

It’s up to You

This life is the only one you’re given. Look for opportunities to grow, and never be discouraged in your efforts to do so. Replace your weaknesses with positives; take life’s broken pieces and re-create your dreams. Never measure the future by the past; let yesterday become a memory and tomorrow a promise. Begin each day by focusing on all that is good, and you’ll be in a position to handle whatever comes along. Take responsibility for your actions; never make excuses for not being the best you can be. If you should slip, be comfortable by the thought that we all do at times. Determine your tomorrows by the choices you make today, and you’ll find yourself living in joy and triumph. -Linda E. Knight

If You Ever Feel Discouraged…

Hang in there and have patience with yourself in the situation. Live in the moment, one day at a time, not fretting about the past or worrying about the future. Don’t take on more than you have to; learn to let go. Refuse negative thoughts; replace them with positive ones. Look for the good things in your life and make a point of appreciating them. Believe in yourself and know that you have the power to do anything. You are ultimately the one in charge of your life and the only person in the world who can change it. No matter how much others are pulling for you or how much anyone else cares, you must do what needs to be done to make your present and future everything you wanted to be. -Barbara Cage

Be Strong, and Don’t Give up

Remember… There is a deeper strength and an amazing abundance of peace available to you. Draw from this well, call on your faith to uphold you. Life continues around us, even when our troubles seem to stop time. There is always good in life. Take a few minutes to distract yourself from your concerns-long enough to draw strength from a tree or to find pleasure in a bird song. Return a smile, realize that life is a series of levels, cycles of ups and downs- some easy, some challenging. Through it all, we learn, we grow strong in faith, we mature in understanding. The difficult times are often the best teachers, and there is good to be found in all situations. Reach for the good. Be strong, and don’t give up. - Pamela Owens Renfro

The Path to a Dream

The path to a dream is paved with sacrifices and aligned with determination. And though it has many stumbling blocks along the way and may go in more than one direction, it is marked with faith. It is traveled by belief and courage, persistence and hard work. It is conquered with a willingness to face challenges and take chances, to fail and try again and again. Along the way, you may have to confront doubts, setbacks, and unfairness. But when the path comes to an end, you will find that there is no greater joy than making your dreams come true. - Barbara Cage

Jenni

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.”
-Anonymous

Daily Quote

Quotes to Live by

With our modern, hectic lives, feeling inspired every day can be tough. I believe a little inspirational pick-me-up is all it takes to realign yourself with joyful and loving purpose. Quotes have an amazing ability to alter the way we feel about situations such as life, love, etc. while giving motivation and inspiration.

They can help you with the need to fill that void along with negative thoughts during tough times. To me, they can be instrumental on our paths. Each day, there are an infinite amount of moments that may change your life. Though you may not have control on what happens, you have control over how you think.

This is one reason why I enjoy quotes and sayings so much. I really love to read other people’s words, especially when they are encouraging or inspiring. Throughout my journey, I’ve experienced many ups and downs, my accident being one of them. It was a change that I couldn’t have predicted and didn’t have control over happening. Despite that, I can choose how I want to live my life after. Below I’ve put some of my favorite quotes to live by:

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
-Anonymous

"It’s not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you’ve lived."

-Anonymous

"Sometimes things which at the moment may be perceived as obstacles-and actually be obstacles, difficulties, or drawbacks-can in the long run result in some good end which would not have occurred if it had not been for that obstacle."

-Steve Allen

"We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot."

-Eleanor Roosevelt

"Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe."          
-Anonymous

Jenni

The Spirit of Giving

We’ve all heard that it’s better to give than to receive. I’m not exactly sure even where the idea came about where giving had to exactly be a gift. There’s nothing wrong with buying material things for others, but I don’t suppose that everyone has that in mind as something to receive. I know it comes with the thought that counts no matter what form it’s shown.

With the holidays coming around the corner, it’s important to realize this. As far as Christmas, I know the tradition is to give a gift or two to those you love, friends or someone else in your life bringing you joy. I myself like to make things for people. Whether it’s painting a picture or doing some arts and crafts, I feel like it shows more thought when it comes in the form of something handmade.

As for me, if I give something to someone it’s the peer joy that I receive by watching someone’s reaction to it. I also find pleasure in thinking of ideas in which to give something to someone. This also depends on what the occasion is. It could even just be a random act of kindness and a simple "thanks" to be exchanged. Whatever the reason, I think giving delights multitudes of people.

Jenni

I found an anonymous quote saying "the true spirit of giving is doing for others with no expectation of gain. It might be a gift you bought, one you made, or the gift of time or volunteer to benefit others. Giving means different things to different people and that’s how it should be. Giving is an emotion."

Life

I live by this saying. Every now and again we are reminded how fragile life is. Some people take for granted even just the littlest things. Unfortunately, at least for me you don’t really know how to NOT take life for granted until you have a close call.

Jenni

Smile with Poetry: Humor in Life

"If we cannot laugh at ourselves, life will become a dull and stifling experience. Life can be a challenge; of that there is no doubt. But if we take a moment to stop and see the joke, we can change our entire day. To those that take life seriously, we may see humor as an obstacle in our paths. The truth is that jokes are funny because they contain a grain of truth about life that would not be able to be shown through any other medium. A funny joke or poem has the power to point out subtle ironies of life that I might get shot in the head for if I were to say them straight out. Humor has the capacity to point absurdities about the way we live our lives in a non-threatening way."

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poems/funny/

Faith, Love, Peace and Joy

Faith: Bigger than yourself. I don’t claim to understand it. I trust in something bigger than myself.
 

Love: if you want to feel that kind of love, you have to give it first. It will change you and everyone around you.

Peace: Like a river… It flows and never stops.

Joy: Love, living, and sacrifice. I thank God for choosing me. It is well with my soul! This life I live.

-Anonymous

Being Kind Is on My Mind

There are many things in life that can be expressed throughout different people, cultures, countries etc. I believe that being kind to one another is one language that can be spoken without using words. Just the gesture of kindness transferred from one person to another is enough to change lives. Also, I think kindness is contagious and so being friendly also helps improve others’ lives.

I try to be as kind as possible to people. There are many throughout my time as a quad that I’ve come across including PCAs, nurses, friends etc. Without their help I wouldn’t be where I am today. That’s one reason why just adding kindness to my life is so important. Another is that I enjoy helping others and sharing my story.

Some benefits from being kind include better relationships. A reason it’s valued in various relationships is that kind people can be more empathetic. Also, there can be fewer negative emotions throughout life. I think the biggest thing is that it can increase health along with peoples’ self-esteem, making the world a better place.

Jenni

"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."

-Mark Twain

"You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.  

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."

-Mother Teresa

Experiences Throughout Life

"We are the sum of experiences that we encounter as we go through life. Day to day struggles and triumphs are experienced by all of the world's creatures. As human beings, when we encounter a challenge, we have freedom to choose how to react. Every decision that we make leads us down a different road. We will never come to exactly the same crossroads. Every decision that we make has significance. The tiniest choice that we make reverberates throughout the entire universe."

https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poems/life/

This quote fits directly in with the way my life has unfolded because after my accident I had to choose how to react. How was I going to live the rest my life? Was I going to live with regret, sadness and pain? Or was I going to choose happiness and allow myself to get through this challenge? While recovering, I chose the latter because I wanted my life to mean something, never knowing what it would be like on the other side.

I now know that I chose the right path, although there are many more roads yet to be traveled. Each day comes with new thoughts and strengths that allow me to move forward. I have realized that by overcoming the obstacles I thought I couldn’t do, comes each new experience in my life. Even when it feels like things aren’t going the way I planned.

People often tell me that I’ve made an impact on them or that I’ve inspired them in some way. I feel like I’m just being me. Maybe it’s because of the decisions I chose, the path that I took or the positive way I react to my situation. I have given motivational speeches to many students, events and crowds sharing my story. By trying to show others that life can go on despite the experiences we go through in life.

Jenni

Emotional Freedom

These quotes are from a calendar I got for 2012. They are excerpts from the book "Emotional Freedom" by Judith Orloff. These were my three favorite out of the 12 because I can relate to them best.

"View your emotions in a non-ordinary way: as vehicles for transformation rather than simply as feelings that make you happy or miserable. Expect them to test your heart: that's the point. What you go through-what we all go through-has a greater purpose. Always, the imperative of the emotional freedom is for the love in us to evolve."

"We're ashamed of feeling afraid, inadequate, lonely, as if we've failed or done something wrong. None of these conclusions are true. It's a misguided expectation that were supposed to be serene all the time. Feeling emotions-all of them-is a courageous, spiritually transformative act. Dare to keep expanding your heart even if you've been wounded by pain or disappointed. The effort is never wasted."

"Forgiveness is a spiritual act of compassionately releasing resentments, anger or the desire to punish. It's a state of grace, nothing you can force or pretend. Forgiveness comes from your highest self, an expansion of vision. Ultimately it does more for you than for anyone else because it liberates you from negativity and lets you move forward."

I especially like the last quote. Forgiveness Is a wonderful thing because it can free you from a life of pain and suffering. I've written before about how I forgive because I think to myself what kind of life I'd be living if I was mad or angry all the time.

I hope in some way or another you can relate to these quotes as I did.

Jenni

Quote of the Day

"It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived."
-Anonymous

I totally believe in this quote. Things aren't everything. It doesn't mean anything unless it can show who you were and what you were capable of; unless it makes an imprint on others. It's the things you do and how you spread yourself. It's what you leave behind, memories and moments that capture everything about you. The things you scatter not what you gather.

Jenni

Quote for the Day

"I will act now. I will act now. I will act now. Henceforth, I will repeat these words, each hour, each day, every day, until the words become as much a habit as my breathing, and the action which follows becomes as instinctive as the blinking of my eyelids. With these words I can condition my mind to perform every action necessary for my success. I will act now. I will repeat these words again and again and again. I will walk where failures fear to walk. I will work when failures seek rest. I will act now for now is all I have. Tomorrow is the day reserved for the labor of the lazy. I am not lazy. Tomorrow is the day when the failure will succeed. I am not a failure. I will act now. Success will not wait. If I delay, success will become wed to another and lost to me forever. This is the time. This is the place. I am the person."
-Og Mandino

Quotes I Like

Sometimes things which at the moment may be perceived as obstacles-and actually be obstacles, difficulties, or drawbacks-can in the long run result in some good end which would not have occurred if it had not been for the obstacle.
-Steve Allen

Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit, and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these.
-Susan B. Anthony

Courage takes many forms. There is physical courage, there is moral courage. Then there is a still higher type of courage-the courage to brave pain, to live with it, to never let others know of it and still find joy in life; to wake up in the morning with an enthusiasm for the day ahead.
-Howard Cosell

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm... as you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
-Audrey Hepburn

It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth-and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up-that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had.
-Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
-Helen Keller


Life means to have something definite to do-a mission to fulfill-and in the measure in which we avoid setting our life to something, we make it empty. Human life, by its every nature, has to be dedicated to something.
-José Ortega Y Gasset

If you want to be happy, set yourself a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes. Happiness is within you. It comes from doing some certain thing into which you can put all your thought and energy. If you want to be happy, get enthusiastic about something.
-Dale Carnegie

Jenni

Faith

"Where faith is there is courage, there is fortitude, there is steadfastness and strength... Faith bestows that sublime courage that rises superior to the troubles and disappointments of life, that acknowledges no defeat except as a step to victory; that is strong to endure, patient to wait, and energetic to struggle... Light up, then, the lamp of faith in your heart... It will lead you safely through the mists of doubt and the black darkness of despair; along the narrow, thorny ways of sickness and sorrow, and over the treacherous places of temptation and uncertainty."
-James Allen

Wow! This quote is deep. I had to read it four times to get a hold of the intensity and meaning behind it. One of my interpretations of this quote is that faith will help you through the tough times. There are many other interpretations and meanings hidden inside. To me, it doesn't even matter what religion you are as long as you have faith and believe.

Jenni