12 Thought Provoking Questions

Having the right answers to the wrong questions is not worth much but asking the right questions is already part of the answer.
I've been doing a lot of reflection recently (as always, really). I have some pretty important decisions to make and I'm trying to make sure I consider all angles and ask myself all the right questions.

In the same spirit I thought I would share a few thought provoking questions with you.

5 Ways You're Wasting Your Time

"Know the difference between being patient and wasting your time"
I came across this posted on Instagram and it spoke to me a lot. I realize I have been wasting my time more than I have been patient with a lot of things. Slightly upsetting but I'm glad I at least came to this realization so that I can be more conscious of this in the future.
This quote got me to think about a lot of the different ways one could be wasting their time and pretty much inspired this post.

What Love Is

What is Love to you?
Peace, Happiness, God.. I'm not too sure how to describe it myself.
Reading children's answers to this same question does not only make me smile but reinforces the feeling that regardless of whether or not we know how to explain Love, we should always make sure we show it.
Although I don't really like commercialized side of Valentine's I enjoy seeing all the different creative ways people express their love and appreciation to the ones they care about. Regardless of whether you are in a romantic relationship or not, I think we should all celebrate Love any occasion we get.

I discovered this a while ago and thought what better time to share it than now.
Children's answer to the question "What is Love".

“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.”Terri – age 4

 “When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.”Rebecca- age 8

“My mommy loves me more than anybody.You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.”Clare – age 6

“During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.He was the only one doing that. I wasn’t scared anymore.”Cindy – age 8

“Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.”Elaine-age 5

“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.You just know that your name is safe in their mouth. Billy – age 4

“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.” Noelle – age 7

“Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.” Mary Ann – age 4

“I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.” Lauren – age 4

“You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.” Jessica – age 8


I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's day and remember to keep this lovely spirit around for the rest of the year.

xo

Kindness

I've always wondered why people can be abuse and unkind to the people they claim to love. The thing is, one cannot give what they don't have, so it is hard to be kind to others if you don't have kindness for yourself. Most people really speak to others the same way they speak to themselves.

If you're dealing with unkind people, try not to judge because we never know why people are the way they are and what they might have gone through.
Not judging and trying to understand and empathize doesn't mean you have to stick around and get hurt either. It is not selfish to chose yourself first and get some distance if you feel you need it.
The more time you spend hearing negative words the more likely you are let them sink in.

If you're not really able to distance yourself from negative and unkind people, try to be more mindful of your thoughts. Watch what you say to yourself and how you talk and react to others. Try to spend more time around positive people. Make sure you don't subconsciously become unkind.
My dad once told me: You can always learn something from others, regardless of whether you like them or not. Try to focus on what you can learn from these people.

Sometimes you'd meet unkind people that would try and make you feel like you are the problem, that is NOT true. Do not change yourself for anybody.
Don't be tempted to be unkind back and give people a taste of their medicine. When you know better, you do better.

Here are a few ways you can be Kind to Yourself

Treat yourself to a nice bath, a spa, a weekend away...

Practice positive affirmation.

Read a nice book.

Meditate. Get in touch with yourself.

Make some time for your hobbies.

Be Kind towards others. Doing good will make you feel good.


Here are a few ways you can be Kind to Others

Give someone a meaningful compliment.

Leave a lovely note for your partner to find.

Write an appreciation letter to a friend.

Buy coffee/juice/water/a sandwich for a colleague.

Donate your used books.

Volunteer at a local shelter.

Remember promote what you like instead of bashing what you hate. I hope you had a good Wednesday. If you have any kindness tips please share in the comment section.

xo