Healthy Happy Loving Life: Milestones and Gratitude

30 Saturday Apr 2022

Posted by Kebba Buckley Button in beating cancer, Dealing with stress, loss of a spouse, stress, Stress Management, the life you want

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beating cancer, Gratitude, Kebba Buckley Button, loss of a spouse, Practice gratitude, The life you want, UpBeat Living

Today marks a few milestones, and I celebrate my growth and life with rich exuberance– for a quiet person. Nine months ago, my husband passed to Heaven, and I became a widow. It’s all right– he was released from terrible pain, and it was his Time. It’s not quite like when I was single before marriage. There is a greater depth now, to my friendships, especially with those who have lost their spouses or other loved ones. Life has a richer texture somehow. I had my husband’s diamond wedding ring resized for me. It’s beautiful.

Today marks 10 months since I had cancer surgery and began a close relationship with the Mayo Clinic. I have chemo every 4 weeks, but only several cycles are left. I am shocking the doctors with my lack of side effects. I have all my hair and no digestive issues. But I remind them, I do energy therapy on myself daily, and I don’t eat a normal American diet. My diet is mainly organic and based on green salads and vegetables and fruits, not grains. I am now able to lift and drive. My true strength is coming back, and I am hardly ever dizzy. My mind is clear. What a relief! I am almost ready to unearth my treadmill, which I love. Over half the files and superfluous Stuff have left the house. I’m still joyfully working on clearing. It wouldn’t bother me for my home to look like the After of an HGTV project.

The UBC blog challenges–30 articles every 3 months– have helped me to have structure in this time of transition. I wrote daily through the August, November, January, and now April challenges. I got to know very interesting writers from various regions of the US and from a few distant countries. I became friends with a few. I did spiritual counseling by text more than once. I sent tiny garden gloves (hard to find!) to a 3-year-old blogger, Lia, and she later sent me tea and homemade zucchini lemon cake. Lia named the rooster painting in my kitchen when I ran a contest– he’s called “Sunshine”, so when I walk into the kitchen in the morning I can say, “Good morning, Sunshine!”

This month, I studied poetry with Vidya Tiru, painting with Amanda Trought, Lily Leung and Alice Girard, retirement plans with Roy Ackerman, spiritual topics with Victoria Juster, and homesteading with Laurie Cover. I went to State Capitols with Samantha Griffin Taki. I studied coffees (yum!) with Tamara Gerber-Stutz, and homemade cooking with Melinda Egger Brown. I learned ingredient swaps for healthy cooking from (Dr.) Dominique Brooks and got vegan recipes from Kimberly Winters. I was inspired by the kitchen refurb Martha DeMeo pulled off; I got gardening inspiration and delicious recipes and so much more from this dear friend. I studied content writing with Bing Aranzano. One extraordinary week, I got to meet Florence Callender, the learning/dyslexia expert, in person, when she came to my city for a conference. We had great fun taking photos of us both– in the same shot! I studied creativity with Julie JordanScott. And of course, I learned cool blogging/blogsite/website pointers from Paul Taubman, The Digital Maestro and our cheerful leader for the UBC.

For the April challenge, I wrote entirely new material every day, and I was more bold in telling my truth. I found I was in The Flow more than ever before. I got noticed, liked, and followed by people I had never heard of. The new material has stoked my Ring of Fire and my healing practice. I’m seeing clients again and working at a higher level. I wonder what will happen in the July challenge??

So this is my last piece for a couple of months. I’m turning my attention to writing for my new website. I hope, in this series, I have greatly convinced many that positive living is the way to be, and it results in greater health and happiness and joy. And that would be me and you, shaping our lives anew, ever more Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!

Kebba Buckley Button is a stress management expert, holistic healer, and award-winning author who celebrates life. She has a longtime natural healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within: Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine. The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office. They are also available in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the Franciscan Renewal Center bookstore and at the bookstore at St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church. Or simply email us to order: kebba@kebba.com . Thank you!

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Tea, Cake, and Kindness

29 Friday Apr 2022

Posted by Kebba Buckley Button in Kebba Buckley Button, Lia's Sunshine Bakery, the life you want, Upbeat Spiritual Living

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Healthy Happy Loving Life, Kebba Buckley Button, kindness, Lia's Sunshine Bakery, stress, UpBeat Living, Upbeat Spiritual Living

Kindness comes in many packages. One day during grad school, I was very ill but had to get something at a store. I made it to the store and got my item, but I was so weak near the checkout that I had to take a rest. I sat on a low crate, just holding my forehead. Suddenly, I felt a tiny hand gently patting my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see a tiny girl, perhaps 18 months old, looking at me with care and concern. She didn’t have words, but she knew someone was troubled, and she reached out. I said to her, “I’ll be okay. I just don’t feel good. Thank you for your kindness.” And actually, I felt better after our exchange. I still remember the love in that tiny hand, patting my shoulder.

No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.

In the last 9 months, I have not been my usual chipper self, but often tired due to chemotherapy. I am absolutely blessed that so many have been so kind during this time.

Neighbors have offered to do anything I need.
Friends and church buddies have taken me to chemotherapy, other medical appointments, and errands.
Costco staff helped me figure out the driving cart, so I didn’t have to stand or walk.
The HOA Board decided to continue meetings on Zoom, so I didn’t have to navigate to the Clubhouse or be exposed to extra germs
A friendly acquaintance at Church whispered, “I’ve been praying for you!”
A colleague had Whole Foods Kitchen send me two dinners.

Everyone has been kind, in many ways.

Kindness comes in many forms, but always from the heart.

Yesterday, when I wasn’t expecting any packages, one mysteriously appeared on my doorstep. My tiny friend Lia (age 3) had sent me a care package from across the country! I had seen her recipe for Lemon Cake and said it sounded really good. Also, in talking about tea drinking, I had asked Lia’s G-Grandma, Martha, if she could recommend any particular orange spice tea. (The world of tea has stopped making the one I loved.) So Lia and Martha conspired to send me: lemon cake and tea (in the above photo)! I feel so loved! Of course, I had lemon cake for breakfast this morning, and the tea in the afternoon. Delicious! Notice, also, the package insert for Lia’s Sunshine Bakery? Those butterflies are dimensional stickers. The whole package gave me such a lift. Thank you so much, Lia and Martha!!

So kindness comes in many forms, in many shapes and sizes. It never hurts to try being kind. You never know who will secretly be lifted. And hug all your loved ones while you can. And that would be you, increasingly at peace, Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Magnetism in Our Lives

28 Thursday Apr 2022

Posted by Kebba Buckley Button in body electricity, magnetic attraction, magnetism, stress, Stress Management, the life you want, Upbeat Spiritual Living

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body electricity, Healthy Happy Loving Life, Kebba Buckley Button, magnetic attraction, magnetism, Sacred Meditation, stress, UpBeat Living, Upbeat Spiritual Living

How many times have we heard someone say, “Wow, that guy has a magnetic personality!” And we talk about some people “lighting up the room.” We have all seen toy magnets, or those magnets that hold things onto a frij door or metal cabinet. We know instinctively what magnets are and that they can attract or repel, depending on their orientation. So when we say someone has a magnetic personality, we’re talking about attraction. But we’re not just liking their looks, their sweet voice, and their warm smile. In fact, the human body has electrical circuitry, so maybe you are literally being magnetically drawn to someone. Or repelled.

Yup, your body runs on current, but not the same as your toaster. Now, hands up, everyone who has ever had an EKG or ECG. You had an ELECTRO CARDIOGRAM. You had your electric levels checked. Your heart is a wetware electrical motor, and the EKG/ECG printout was showing the electrical output of your heart. Very informative! The nervous system is the wiring of the body that carries messages from head to toe and from the toes back to the brain. Remember reaching out to shake someone’s hand, and getting a big shock? That was a discharge of electrons (electricity) from one human to another.

Electricity pioneer Nicola Tesla said,

If you want to find the secrets of the Universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.

Remember being told not to stay in the pool when it was raining? That’s because lightening often comes with rain, and lightening is massive discharges of electrons (electricity). And if those discharges connect with your body, you will be zapped, damaged, and even electrocuted. Remember being advised to get off the golf course when rain was coming through? A friend of mine was playing golf with his two brothers, on a Michigan golf course, when it began to rain. My friend quit playing for the day. His brothers stayed to enjoy playing, and both were struck by lightning. Neither brother “was the same again”, and both died young of heart issues. Oh, you mean you can burn a motor with too big an electrical current? Yes.

In Arizona, there are high-capacity electrical transmission lines you can see as you drive along the biggest freeways. These lines, often crossing the most beautiful landscapes, can actually be heard buzzing if you are walking in the area. And warning signs under the lines advise you not to pause under the lines, such as to have a picnic. The lines are, in a sense, leaking electricity. Too much for the human body.

So on the pleasant side, why do humans shake hands? I believe it’s to literally connect with each other’s energy for a moment. Why do people kiss? Do you ever feel “electricity” with your partner? Does your pet like to snuggle with you? You are then in each other’s electrical fields, sharing energies. We’ll talk about chakras, the energy centers, in an upcoming article.

Meanwhile, if you feel repelled by someone’s energy, stay away from them. If it’s raining, stay away from water. If you have electricity with your partner, you know what to do. And hug all your loved ones while you can. And that would be you, increasingly energized, Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Wordless Wednesday Amazing Skies

27 Wednesday Apr 2022

Posted by Kebba Buckley Button in Dealing with stress, Effective Living, Kebba Buckley Button, LifeTools, skies, stress, the life you want, transform your energy, UpBeat Living

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Beat stress, Dealing with stress, Energy Transformation Sessions, Healthy Happy Loving Life, Kebba Buckley Button, LifeTools, skies, stress, The life you want, transform your energy, UpBeat Living

© Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM. World Rights Reserved.

To study the skies is to witness the miracles of Nature. And whenever we witness miracles, we are transformed. These are all unedited images captured by me. The daytime photo looks almost upside down, as if we are looking at rippling water. The mystic crescent Moon is unusual in the sharpness of the image. The night sky with cloud puffs is a rare view. Then, we have the Full Moon peering out from between trees. Enjoy!

Fall in love with the skies and you will see many miracles. And seeing miracles will lift your vibration and enliven you! Then that will move you more and more into being Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm! And that is what I want for you!

Kebba Buckley Button is a stress management expert, holistic healer, and award-winning author who celebrates life. She has a 30-year natural healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within: Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine. The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office. They are also available in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the Franciscan Renewal Center bookstore and at the bookstore at St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church. Or simply email us to order: kebba@kebba.com . Thank you!

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Instant Calm for Busy People

26 Tuesday Apr 2022

Posted by Kebba Buckley Button in calm, Calming, instant calm for busy people, meditation, stress, Stress Management, the life you want, Upbeat Spiritual Living

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Calm, Calming, Healthy Happy Loving Life, instant calm for busy people, Kebba Buckley Button, meditation, Prayer, Sacred Meditation, stress, UpBeat Living, Upbeat Spiritual Living

Today’s images by megapixl

I recently shared a brief way to break into meditation practice, in 8 quick steps (https://wp.me/pw4HM-1dw). Many loved it, and some said they couldn’t meditate because their minds were too busy, like the yogini above, and just too full of chatter. I promised to write a piece on instant calm for busy people, and that’s what brings us to today. There are many ways I can share, to instantly calm yourself. Here are 3 hand poses that will take you to calm very fast.

1. Gently place your hands together, palms touching. The palms access your central nervous system and calm you instantly. Now exhale. Drop your shoulders. Hold for one minute. Feel the difference. Feel the sides of your head let go and relax. Feel your brain slow down.

2. Place your hands in the classic prayer position, fingers intertwined. You have now connected most of the meridians in your body to each other. Exhale. Drop your shoulders. Hold for one minute. Feel the difference as your whole body calms. Try bringing your hands toward your forehead and leaning in. Feel the difference.

3. Place your hands together, palms touching. Bring this position back to your chest and feel the heart connection. Hold for one minute. Notice your face relaxing. Feel the contrast as your mind, body, and spirit calm down.

Apply these moves whenever you need calm. And let me know (kebba@kebba.com) what you notice in your thoughtstream, your body, and your skin. And that would be you, increasingly Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Many Things Are Not What They Seem

25 Monday Apr 2022

Posted by Kebba Buckley Button in appearances can be deceiving, Effective Living, Kebba Buckley Button, LifeTools, stress, the life you want, UpBeat Living, weight loss

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appearances are deceiving, Dealing with stress, Healthy Happy Loving Life, Kebba Buckley Button, kindness, LifeTools, stress, The life you want, UpBeat Living

© Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM. World Rights Reserved.

-Image by megapixl

Most of us have at least five good senses, and many have a sixth sense, or intuition, as well. But sometimes our excellent abilities to perceive are fooled—and sometimes royally.

A simple happy example is the case of film sets. Often made to look like a town or neighborhood, they may be flat, single-panel construction. A fun example of this is in the movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Near the end, a town falls down and turns out to be a movie set. In The Chelsea Detective, a new series from Acorn TV, everything is filmed outside, in the Chelsea district of London. There is a beautiful, sunny, fresh feeling throughout the episodes. However, one thing is actually a set: the interior of Max’s houseboat. Because of the movement of the tides, the real houseboat rocks. So the houseboat interior was re-created with walls and ceilings that could be switched around, so the cameras could get the right angles and lighting– no rocking.

In Phoenix, Arizona, my late husband managed many rental units. One day, he went to a unit for a routine evaluation of a ceiling fan. The fan would need either repair or replacement. As he left the unit, he heard a terrible sound. The loud, unhappy sound was as if a dog were being tortured. My husband raced to the tall, solid wooden fence from behind which the loud sound was coming. Fearing the worst, he stretched himself up until he could just see over the fence. Surprise! The sound was from two giant tortoises, mating! In fact, they were apparently trumpeting very happy sounds! Take that lesson, humans!

Phaedrus, in the Dialogues of Plato, said:

Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many; the intelligence of few perceives what has been carefully hidden in the recesses of the mind.

Through business networking, I met a man who talked about his accomplishments in sound engineering. I thought meeting him was no accident because I had created some meditation scripts and wanted someone to do the recording. My husband and I went to his studio and saw an impressive control console. He was also going to convert the beta videotapes of a seminar I had just had filmed, to another format so they could be edited for several uses. I left the tapes with him and took a pink receipt. Soon, the man came to my office and said it was quiet enough to record the meditation CDs there. We recorded them. Soon, he came back with beautiful, professional-looking CDs, labeled and in cases. I was so excited! I thought I had found my sound engineer! Unfortunately, the CDs were unusable. They contained many rattles and knocks. Had he not listened to them? Why did the man not edit those out or request we re-record in a different environment? He never explained and by not replying to calls or emails, he declined to correct the CDs. Oh, and remember the Beta tapes? I could never get him to return my calls after that, so my tapes that cost about $3000 plus a day of effort to record…are out there in the Universe somewhere. An expensive lesson.

-Image by megapixl

There are probably countless examples of people and situations turning out to be other than we thought. And do you have examples you would like to share? I now believe there is no perfect answer to knowing who and what someone or a situation really is. My recommendation is that we approach the fence quietly and look over carefully, before we get into something we might wish we had not. Taking care in situations means you are taking care of your own energy and time. And that is you, ever more Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm! And that is what I want for you.

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life: 8 Steps to Meditating Today!

24 Sunday Apr 2022

Posted by Kebba Buckley Button in Divine, knowing our Good is manifesting, meditation, Spirit, stress, Stress Management, the life you want, Upbeat Spiritual Living

≈ 8 Comments

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Divine, Healthy Happy Loving Life, Kebba Buckley Button, meditation, Prayer, Sacred Meditation, Spirit, spiritual stress management, stress, UpBeat Living, Upbeat Spiritual Living

-Image by megapixl

How would you like to be so mellow that your shoulder tops feel like pudding? Yet you are not tired, just deeply relaxed? A great way to get there is through meditation. And you don’t have to convert to Hinduism and use Indian words in order to meditate. Meditation is also a Christian practice going back centuries. The current Pope uses the word “meditation” in several ways daily. So don’t worry about your faith origin. If you’ve been curious about meditation, maybe now is the time to give it a whirl.

A major key is to set up a comfortable place to sit, away from distractions, preferably for 20 minutes at a time. For the meditation time to work for you, of course you will close your laptop and turn off your smartphone. Change the lighting to soft. Think of it as a set of agreements you are making with yourself! And the more you meditate, for example twice daily, the more you will feel your thoughts, your body, and even your skin relaxing. This feels so good and so healthy, that you might get addicted to it! There are many sources for meditation music, seats, drums, and electronic devices that are offered as helps for different types of meditation. But I have found that low tech, no-additive meditation is really great: refreshing, inexpensive, no-fuss, and life-changing. The beneficial medical effects of true meditation have been documented since the 1970’s.

Here are 8 steps, to try this amazing practice at home:

Sit in a quiet, undisturbed area, in a comfortable chair. Uncross your legs and place your feet on the floor. Sit up fairly straight; this allows the spinal energy to flow well. You may want to be barefoot.
Select some quiet music or turn on a humming room fan if something is needed to screen background noise. To use music or not is up to personal preference.
Exhale and drop your shoulders. Find a comfortable balance in your posture.
Notice your shoulders releasing tension and dropping pleasantly.
Set a pleasant-sounding timer and continue your meditation for 15-20 minutes. Notice how your different body/mind/heart/spirit systems are responding. You may find your eyes are pleasantly streaming tears and your entire system has a deep sense of relaxation. Your breathing may be much more comfortable.
After your selected time, gently open your eyes. If you have trouble opening your eyes, rub your hands together until they are warm, then hold them to your eyes for a half minute or so.
Gently allow your system to come back into consciousness. Take your time.
Journal your observations and realizations for a few minutes. Notice any change in your body, your spiritual perspective or sense of connection.

Let me know (kebba@kebba.com) what you notice in your thoughtstream, your body, and your skin. Has your sense of stress shifted? Notice any changes in your relationship to stress over the next week or month. Notice if some of your routine aches and/or pains are subsiding. Now you are in Upbeat Spiritual Living^sm! To learn more about the history and types of meditation, you may want to check out my book, Sacred Meditation.

And that would also be you, increasingly Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Souper Saturday

23 Saturday Apr 2022

Posted by Kebba Buckley Button in broccoli cheese soup GF, Effective Living, Kebba Buckley Button, the life you want, UpBeat Living

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broccoli cheese soup GF, Healthy Happy Loving Life, Kebba Buckley Button, The life you want, UpBeat Living

© Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM. World Rights Reserved.

Bowl of Broccoli Cheese Soup (GF) -Image by megapixl

Nothing beats homemade food, made the way you love it, especially on a quiet Saturday night. So today I’m sharing my secret formula for Broccoli-Potato-Cheese soup! Especially if you love broccoli or love potassium, this could be your new favorite soup.

Kebba’s Broccoli-Potato-Cheese Soup (GF)

2 lb organic potatoes, cubed and boiled with a little sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1 12-oz bag frozen chopped mirepoix vegetables (or finely chop 12 oz of onion, carrot, and celery)

1/2 gallon organic milk, 2 % or 4 %

10 oz sharp cheddar cheese, such as Tillamook, grated or cut in little pieces.

8-12 oz of chopped organic broccoli, raw or frozen

Saute’ the 12 oz veggies until tender. Drain the potatoes and stir them into the veggies adding 1 qt of the organic milk. Use a stick blender to puree. Stand by with the rest of the milk in case the mixture gets thicker than you like. (I like it very thick.) Gently stir in the cheese until melted. This is KEBBA’S FAMOUS POTATO-CHEESE SOUP! Stop here if you hate broccoli.

If you love broccoli (and I do passionately), add the broccoli now, and stir gently about 5 minutes, until the broccoli turns dark green. Take a bite to be sure it’s as tender as you like. Add a bit more sea salt if needed. Sea salt has a fuller flavor than table salt, so you will need less. (Try it!)

Serve it in pretty bowls with more cheddar, shredded, on top. If you have any left over, it freezes well. Enjoy!

And notice how good you feel after eating a huge serving of this soup? And that will be you, moving ever more into being Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm! And that is what I want for you.

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Getting to Love Your Home

22 Friday Apr 2022

Posted by Kebba Buckley Button in Effective Living, Kebba Buckley Button, konmari, Love your home, Marie Kondo, the life you want, UpBeat Living, weight loss

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Healthy Happy Loving Life, Kebba Buckley Button, konmari, Love your home, Marie Kondo, stress, The life you want, UpBeat Living

I have owned and enjoyed my condo for 18 years. After I did a basic job of decorating, and laid in some basic landscaping for the back yard, I started dating the man who would become my husband. We married, he moved in, and there was a lot more Stuff. We thought, oh, we’ll just try this living-together-in-1000-square feet thing while we look for, say, a 3 bedroom 2 bath place with a large garage. And we did look for something larger, but we never got serious about it. In a sense, we downsized before it was popular. We made our decision right before the Tiny House Revolution, which you can see on HGTV in a few forms.

My husband and I enjoyed over 15 years together in our small space. He then had a health crash and passed last summer. Family helped me divest his business gear I would never use, and I traded a huge collection of fine tools to a contractor friend for the labor on a couple of projects. To love my home, I wanted more light, more white, a larger tub, and much less Stuff.

The tub was switched for a larger “soaker” tub with new tile trim.
The vanities were switched from butter yellow 1980-styles with scuffed maple-ish cabinets, to all white with all white.
The bedroom got hardwood floors and over half the Stuff donated. A few computers were (safely) passed on.
The bedroom got a smaller bed, giving the feeling that the room had grown.
Dozens of boxes of shredding have gone to be professionally powdered.
Today a deep rolltop desk left, and a small shelf unit arrived to replace it. The whole living room feels lighter and more spacious with that one thick object gone.
Today I found about 1 cubic foot of photos that no one will ever need or want to see again. That one couple’s stunning wedding photos don’t matter now, with the divorce having been final years ago. (Secretly, I will share several images with their grown sons.) I pulled about 15 prints out of the collection of hundreds, several as excuses to get back in touch with old friends.

I’m making huge progress, layer by layer. My home now has less than 1/3 of what it contained 9 months ago. You know what Marie Kondo, AKA “KonMari”, would say. Her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, is probably the Bible of decluttering. She would say, clean up, clear up, and keep only what you love. I’m keeping the condo, which I love. I’m keeping the Feng Shui Garden, which I love. I’m keeping about ¼ of the clothes I used to own, and I love what I have kept. I’m keeping all of the décor colors and the art, and very few of the files. And I’m keeping all the lovely SPACE. And making more.

As you look around your house, what would it take for you to love it? Just cleaning? Donating a car load? Better lighting? Different tub? Clean windows, or larger replacement windows? New European coffeemaker? Soft recliner? Brighter, more coordinated color scheme? Wide wooden blinds? Ceiling fans? Sit with a pad and pen, your iPhone Notes section, or even your journal. Ask yourself these questions and discover both the answers and the other questions that come up. Write down any random ideas that come to you. Keep that place bookmarked, so you can add more as you realize more about what you want, later.

You may be amazed at the freedom that comes with consulting with yourself. Then pick one thing to make happen, say, each week. And really do it! Then enjoy loving your home and feeling the energy that feeds you. And that will be you, moving ever more into being Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm! And that is what I want for you.

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Kindness for Hurt

21 Thursday Apr 2022

Posted by Kebba Buckley Button in Effective Living, Kebba Buckley Button, kindness, LifeTools, National Stress Month, stress, the life you want, UpBeat Living, weight loss

≈ 7 Comments

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Dealing with stress, Healthy Happy Loving Life, Kebba Buckley Button, kindness, LifeTools, National Stress Month, stress, The life you want, UpBeat Living

-Image by megapixl

I had a powerful experience yesterday, on a grocery shopping trip in Famous Big Store. Grocery shopping is supposedly a mundane activity. And I was tired when I went. I like the grocery selection in this Famous Big Store—let’s call it FBS for now—and so it was well worth pushing my afternoon energy level to make that trip and get the groceries I knew I would enjoy. FBS wasn’t crowded, and I easily found the items I wanted, right where they usually are displayed.

When others needed to navigate their carts near mine, everyone was very pleasant, and each second close encounter made me and them smile. The traffic has to be part of the fun, right? They didn’t know their smiles were making the trip easier for a woman who is often exhausted, majors in resting and goes for chemo too often.

-Image by megapixl

Cart fairly full, I advanced on the checkout lanes and took my best guess as to the line that would be shortest. Sometimes my energy crashes fast, and I wanted to get through the line and off to my car, before that struck. I was nearing my 1-hour horizon for being on my feet, albeit for a lovely grocery trip. I found a line with a cashier I hadn’t met before. No one was behind me except a 40-something woman considering the end display, holding only 2 or 3 small-child clothing items. I was feeling relaxed, and I was struck with the irresistible urge to invite her to check out ahead of me. Choosing to be brave, I spoke to the woman. It went something like this:

Me: Excuse me…Would you …like to go before me?

She with 3 items of tiny children’s clothes: in disbelief, well, I might…

Me gesturing. I have a bunch of things.

She: well OK…

Me: You just have several items…

She (accepting my offer): brightening. (Tiny clothes get checked out in seconds.) Well, thank you!!

Me: Of course! Take care. (woman goes, in a stream of happiness with a radiant smile)

-Image by megapixl

Cashier: that was really kind of you. Not like some of the behavior I’ve seen here today.

Me: Oh really? (Cashier nods deeply.)( I pause and she does not elaborate, but she shakes her head a bit and blinks, as if to shake off some rudeness she has received.) There’s a lot of hurt that people are carrying these days…

Cashier: face opening: yes!

Me: You know, they may be in pain, or they just found out they had cancer…

Cashier: or their child has something..

Me: Oh yes! We never know. And so often it comes out as grumpy or angry.

Cashier: or they didn’t get the promotion.

Me: And they were counting on the extra money.

Cashier: (puts my bags in my cart) I thank her saying my back appreciates that)

Me: It’s nice talking with you.

She: It’s nice talking with you, too. (BIG SMILE.)

I hope I see her again. The kind cashier did not know she was talking to a chemo patient, who is in pain, and whose husband died several months ago. She only knew she was talking to someone who understood pain and kindness—someone who really heard her frustration about her day—someone who knew her humanity and spoke with her as a fellow soul.

When we are face-to-face with another person, we can never know their whole story. We may only have seconds to be with them. Why not assume that, whatever challenges you and I are facing, this person in front of us has some of their own. Why not be kind—be generous with your smiles and your gentle listening. You may be amazed. And that will be you, moving ever more into being Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm! And that is what I want for you.

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life!

~ Your source for energized, fulfilled, joyous living!

Author Archives: Kebba Buckley Button

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Milestones and Gratitude

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Tea, Cake, and Kindness

Healthy Happy Loving Life: Magnetism in Our Lives

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