Building a Clubhouse and The Importance of Working as a Team

What does building a clubhouse have to do with teamwork?  It has everything to do with teamwork unless you are building it on your own.

Building anything takes a lot of hard work.  You have to make the plans, get the materials, find the necessary tools and then spend time putting everything together.  Having some help from family and friends can get the project done quickly and easily.  However, there is something very important that is needed from start to finish if you are working with other people.  Do you have an idea what that very important thing is?  If you said TEAMWORK, you are correct!  Working together towards a common goal can be fun and rewarding and it makes the job easier.

So let’s take a look at 3 children who discovered the importance of teamwork.  Their names are John, Mary and Peter.  John lives on a farm with his sister Mary and Peter lives down the road on the edge of town.  They spend all summer playing in the woods surrounding the farm and along the creek.  They love being outside all day every day but when bad weather comes along, they are stuck inside.  This summer they decided to build a clubhouse.

It was exciting to share ideas and make plans.  There was lots of old wood and skids in a big barn on the farm and all sorts of tools available.  They decided on putting the clubhouse in a small open area with a big tree just behind the barn.  The tree would provide shelter and they could put up a tree swing to play on.  Everything was perfect!

They spend a whole day gathering wood, nails, screws and tools.  There was even an old window and door in the barn they could use.  They brought everything to the site where they would build the clubhouse and covered it with a tarp so they could start working the next day.

John, Mary and Peter got up early the next day and went to the work site.  They started putting some skids together for the floor and a frame for the sides.  Things were going well and then John picked up the window and started to nail it into the frame at the side of the playhouse.  Mary yelled for him to stop because she thought the window should be at the back, not the side.  Then Peter said he thought the window should be at the front beside the door.  John put the window done and all 3 argued about where the window should go.  This ended badly and all 3 started back to their homes, leaving the materials in a heap on the ground.  The clubhouse didn’t get built that summer.

 So what happened?  John, Peter and Mary couldn’t agree on where to put the window.  Each of them had a different idea and nobody wanted to talk about it or try and work together on a plan. 

Teamwork is very important if you want to have a good end result.  We all have great ideas and we all should make our opinions heard but if we can’t reach an agreement that works for everyone, nobody wins and we all lose.  Sometimes we have to agree to disagree and try new things instead of just doing what we want.  If 3 people want the same result but want to do it in 3 ways, it will never work. 

When you are working on any type of project, look at all the options and then try something different.  All through life, we have to work with other people and we can learn a lot from each other.  We really don’t know everything, even if we think we do.  We all have strengths and we all have weaknesses.  Our strengths may be another person’s weakness and we can help them in many ways.  Our weaknesses may be another person’s strengths and they can help us learn something.

When people work together as a team, they are strong and have power.  When people don’t work together they are weak and have little or no power.  Always remember the phrase “United we stand, divided we fall”.  Do you believe this is true?

The Danger of Masks

Love to read intelligent information from people who haven’t been brainwashed by our so called ‘experts’. Can’t believe the number of people who have fallen hook, kind and sinker! Great post!

According To Hoyt

Over and over, everywhere, they’re out in force.  “I wear a mask because I care.”

The fact this phrase is always used tells me it’s not original. They heard it somewhere, and it sounded good to them and they’re going to use it buckle and tongue whenever anyone challenges the UTILITY — or the sanity — of their wearing a mask.

In fact their wearing a mask is tying a yellow ribbon in their front yard during the Iran hostage crisis. It is flying the flag after 9/11. It’s a way of showing their feelings, their emotions.  It’s also a way of feeling part of a crowd.  (Yes, I flew the flag after 9/11. But my dears, I fly the flag all the time, up to and including when I get a wild hair.)

They don’t even TRY to argue it does something useful. They just view it as a…

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Family traditions

Most families have some kind of family traditions that they celebrate at certain times of year or even every day.

• a festive meal at Christmas followed by singing carols and opening presents
• a family gathering at church for an Easter celebration
• a backyard barbeque for a summer birthday
• an annual vacation to a favourite campground
• reading stories at bedtime

Traditions form the foundation of our families and remind us that we are part of something other than ourselves.  They bring families together and give us the chance to celebrate things that really matter in life.  Traditions allow time for creating lasting memories and honouring past generations by sharing stories, beliefs and values.

It is important that we use every opportunity to follow old traditions and create new ones.  They shape our personality and help us develop a positive sense of belonging.  Taking the effort to keep traditions alive is time well spent.  Research shows that families who spend time together have stronger connections and experience fewer emotional and behavioural problems.

If you don’t have any family traditions, why not start some right now.  Traditions are important for keeping families together and helping us bond with those we love.

Do you have an addiction?

The truth is we are all addicted to something.  Most of us believe that an addiction is being addicted to drugs, alcohol or cigarettes.  However, the dictionary defines ADDICTION as 1) the quality or state of being addicted 2) a compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance known by the user to be harmful;  characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal.

In simple terms, anything our body craves on a regular basis and we can’t do without, is an addiction.  Besides substances, we can also be addicted to behaviours, emotions, activities and stuff.  Behavioural addictions can include gambling, exercise, sex and eating.   Emotional addictions can include anger, depression and sadness.  Addictions to activities can include watching TV, playing video games and playing sports.   Addictions to stuff can include excessive buying of things you don’t really need (hoarding) and often go into debt to pay for them.

What are you addicted to?  Do you overindulge in any activity that is causing serious problems for you, your family, friends and anyone else in your life?  If so, try to take steps to take charge of your life and make some positive changes.  You can be addicted to positive things like reading, walking, singing, playing solitaire, eating healthy foods and doing good deeds.  Take charge of your life and work on building some positive addictions.  Don’t let your life control you.  Talk to a trusted family member or friend and ask them to help you eliminate those negative addictions.  Seek professional help for the ones you can’t seem to control and start enjoying your life.

Are there S..words in your words?

Are your words sharp and cutting?  Do they hurt people?  Are they critical and harsh?  If you aren’t careful with your words, they can be like swords and cut right into the heart of another person.

Many of us go through life not even knowing the effect of our words.  We have to really listen to ourselves and hear what is coming out of our mouths.  Then we have to try to stop any words that are negative and hurtful.  Our words come from our thoughts and we can’t stop our negative thinking but we CAN stop speaking negative words.

It is a choice as to what we say to others and ourselves.  Just as when we pour coffee into a cup, we can also pour dirty water into a cup.  It is the same for our words.  We can pour out our negative thoughts and create pain or we can pour out positive thoughts and create possibilities.   Negative words can tear down and discourage.  Positive words can lift up and encourage.

We have the power to change our words.  All we have to do is create a habit of positive thinking.  It takes time and effort but if we are consciously aware of our thoughts, we CAN change.  When those negative thoughts come floating into our heads, we can stop ourselves from letting them become negative words.  Challenge those thoughts; change them into something positive or just let them float away and say nothing.

Are there s..words in your words?  Stop using your words to hurt and start using your words to heal.

 

 

What would you do if you had 1 month to live?

We don’t get to choose our birthplace, our parents or when we will die but we DO get to choose how we live during our short time on this earth.  We ever know what tomorrow will bring so we should live well today.  How?

• love the people around you
• do everything to the best of your ability
• help others
• forgive quickly

Each day is a gift that we can enjoy and share with others.  Instead of wasting time filling our days with things that don’t matter, we should be doing things that will make a difference in someone’s life.  This could be as simple as taking a friend for coffee, calling a distant relative or volunteering a couple of hours a month for a local organization. It is all the small things in life that add up to a huge amount of blessings.  Make sure every day counts and don’t end up with regrets, wishing you had done more during your life.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. If you only had 1 month to live, what would you do?

Feeling loved and accepted

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Many people in this world don’t feel loved or accepted.  They believe lies they have heard throughout their lives as being the truth and cannot see themselves in a proper light.

How many children have been told, “You can’t do this.  You’re ugly.  You’re bad.”  How many wives or husbands have been told, “You don’t do anything right.  You’re too fat.  You don’t make me happy.”  How many students or employees have been told,  You’re not smart enough.  You’re too slow.  You’ll never amount to anything.”  There are so many things that could have been said to us that make us feel unloved, unwanted and unworthy.  What lies have you been told?  Just fill in the blank.  You’re…………………….

We have all felt unworthy of someone’s love because of words that have been spoken to us.  It might have been a parent, a family member, a friend, a co-worker or even a complete stranger.  If we have enough confidence in ourselves and good esteem, we will be able to let these unkind words just roll off our backs.  Sadly, many of us don’t have enough confidence to realize that these things are not true and we will live our lives believing we are lacking in something.

It is so important that we show people that we love and accept them, even when they make mistakes.  None of us is perfect and we don’t want other people to put us down when we do something wrong.  Parents are the first ones who need to show a child how valuable they are so they can grow into confident, loving adults.  It isn’t easy being a parent in this stressful world but we need to take time to love our children and spent time with them.  Love and encourage your children.  Be a positive example to them by caring about the people around you.  Pray for them and be there when they need you.   Their future depends on what happens in their life today.

How to have a good day

Almost every day can be a good day if you put your mind to it.  You can get up every morning and walk through the day without really thinking about anything OR you can get up every morning and live purposefully by actually thinking about what is going on and taking positive action.

What is on your mind when you first wake up in the morning?  Worries, doubts, fears?  Why not replace this with anticipation, purpose?  Pursue happy thoughts before you even get up in the morning.  Say positive statements or affirmations that will help put you in a positive mindset.  Don’t let all those negative thoughts put you in a bad frame of mind or you will most certainly have a bad day.

• “This is going to be a good day!”
• “I am going to sing all the way to work today!”
• “I am full of energy!”
• “I can make a difference in someone’s life today!”
• “I have an awesome family and friends!”

Never put yourself or anyone else down with negative thoughts or words.  They will come naturally as we are wired to be negative-minded.  But don’t let those negative thoughts float around in your head.  Be aware and catch them quickly before they become negative words and actions.

You CAN have a good day.  Make sure you put your mind to it first thing in the morning!

 

Simplify your child’s life…and your own

We live in a world that is complicated.   Daily pressures cause us to try to do way more that we should.  We try to pack so many things into 24 hours that we are exhausted at the end of the day.  Work, family, daily chores, meetings, sports, other activities….it is all too much for many of us to handle.  The stress we feel is handed down to our children when we place our own expectations on their little lives.

Children are not allowed to be children anymore.  They are pressured into growing up quickly and filling their time with endless activities.  When I was small, life was simple.  I spent hours playing by myself and using my creativity to do projects like painting, sewing and knitting.  Toys and games did not fill my room and I wasn’t bored.  Instead of spending hours playing on a computer or an i-pad, I was outside riding my bicycle or having adventures in my backyard.

I see children today who are involved in so many things that they don’t have time to enjoy their childhood.  Their schedules are so full of activities like sports, dancing, martial arts, video games, parties and other events that they don’t have time to use their own creativity.  Then when they do have down time, they go to rooms full of toys and games and are bored because they have nothing to do.

Parents often smother their children with too much, thinking it shows love.  We all want our children to have nice things but when it is overdone, it can result in emotional problems.  Kids feel frustrated, stressed, unsatisfied and feeling entitled to having everything they want.   We should give our children less stuff and allow them to have more free time to build their creativity.  We should give our children less activities and more family time.  More is not better.  More is stressful.  We need to simplify the lives of ourselves and our children.

Here is a great article I just read that explains more deeply what happens when we simplify life.http://raisedgood.com/extraordinary-things-happen-when-we-simplify-childhood/

Do you live in the past?

Our past consists of situations that have caused us both pain and joy.  However, the painful situations are often the ones we remember the most and many people remain stuck in their pain, unable to enjoy anything good that happens in the present.  We should use our past as a history lesson and not a guidebook.  We can definitely learn something from our past and use our mistakes to make positive changes.  What has happened is over and done with and nothing can take away any unkind words that have been said or cut unhappy circumstances from our lives.  All we can do is make better choices and try our best to overcome any challenges we may face in a different, more positive way.

Don’t hide the past or try to forget the pain that you experienced.  Ignoring things won’t make them better, the pain will still be there and it will surface when you don’t want it to.  Your past does not define who you are but if you are able to work through your pain, you will learn valuable lessons that will make you wiser and stronger.

Don’t stay stuck in the past when you can live in the present and enjoy your life.  Look at your past and ask yourself if you really want to live there forever.  Then make some positive changes in your life and develop a new perspective.  You can change your life if you really want to.