 Photo by Los Muertos Crew “Dance like nobody’s watching. Love like you never been hurt. Sing like nobody’s listening. Live like its heaven on earth.” Mark Twain I am not a dancer. For those who know me well, this confession clearly does not come as a shock to you. When it comes to dancing, I definitely have two left feet, but oh how I admire people who are gifted in this area. I used to love to watch Michael Jackson and the creative and unbelievable routines he would make up in his incredible music videos. Some people are just born with it, and he certainly was one of them. In my classroom I like to tease my students and do my “happy dance” when they really accomplish something special. I am sure I look foolish, but they enjoy this crazy routine. I guess I am creating a funny memory for them to recall if nothing else. Several years ago, I had a little girl in my class that I called "Little Miss Sunshine." She lit up the room every day with her infectious grin and zest for life. No matter how difficult the work may have been at times, her positive spirit and determination carried her through. I remember specifically when she found something in math challenging and then had that “a-ha” moment when it all came together, she would literally dance around my desk and room. She could not contain her excitement that she “got” it, and her reaction was priceless.  Photo by sarah Richardson Sometimes we have such a joyful experience that our happiness works its way right down to our toes. When you have those experiences, cherish them because for some of us they may be too few and far between. I remember driving along with my two kids one day when they were little, listening to Veggie Tales and Shannon saying, “Look Mom! My beet (feet) are dancing!” She was just so happy, even her tiny feet were showing it. Very cute. Sometimes I think we need to remind ourselves of all we have in life. All of us have reasons to dance, yet sometimes we forget what they are. We get so bogged down with the day-to-day pressures of life and familiar struggles, our once "dancing feet" are all too soon dragging on the floor. There is a YouTube sensational who calls himself Kid President. His goal in a nutshell is to “make the world awesome,” and he wants us to join him in that venture! I love to watch his videos. You can see what he is all about here. He also makes it his mission to give the world “a reason to dance!” This little guy can clearly get his groove on, yet I came to find out that he suffers from brittle bone disease and his great desire to dance puts him at great risk of personal injury. This touched my heart as it spoke to me about being positive and joyful even in tremendous adversity. He has dancing feet despite a severe and serious illness.  Happiness is a choice. We can choose to walk through life like a sad sack with our chins on the ground, or we can choose to be joyful even if there is not much to be joyful about. This is not always easy I know. My husband and I have experienced the loss of three babies, through miscarriage. This was a very difficult thing to walk through, and my heart goes out to anyone who has experienced this type of loss. After my last miscarriage, I experienced a very powerful dream that involved dancing, square dancing as a matter of fact. In my dream, my grandpa who had passed away several years before, came to me. I had been told prior to his arrival in my dream that he was being sent specifically to cheer me up, but I had to let him come and go as he pleased. My grandpa and I were extremely close, and he was an incredible and hilarious man who could make anyone laugh. I was ecstatic at the opportunity to see him again, if even in a dream for one last time. In the dream he chatted with me about my sadness, and he said he had come to cheer me up by doing a little square dancing together. We danced. We laughed. We chatted and all too soon it was over, and he had to go. I felt better though. My feet had danced with grandpa, and I felt refreshed and hopeful. I consider this dream a gift and I will always cherish it. I found dancing feet amid extreme sorrow and great loss.  Photo by Felix Rostig on Unsplash It is so easy to look at what is going wrong in our lives. We can get caught up in the negativity that often surrounds us, but I encourage you not to do that. See the good in things. See the good in people. Gravitate towards people who bring you up. Look for those people who set your feet to dancing. They are the people who bring out the best in you like my grandpa did. I heard a quote that said, “Choose to be with people who celebrate you, not tolerate you!” This is a very good thought to ponder and so very true. Some people just give off positive vibes and warmth. They make you feel like you matter and are very important. Those are the people we need when we are down and in need of a good dose of encouragement.  The Bible talks about that God turns our mourning to dancing. He gives us beautiful exchanges mentioned in scripture such as beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Sounds like a great trade off to me! It may be a long time since you have tried those dancing feet. They are available for you to use despite your set of hardships or challenges. They may be wobbly, and your steps may be clumsy, but choosing to be joyful not because of your circumstances, but despite them like the people I mentioned, will really carry you very far if you will consider this possibility. Oh yeah, and one more thing… Don’t worry about what you look like because I think the foolish prize went to me long ago, so you will be just fine, trust me. Until next time, Dana Psalms 30:11 ~ You turned my mourning to dancing... Little Lesson Learned: Everyone has a reason to dance. Don't forget to find yours.
Copyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana, 2nd edition, 2014 first edition (Dana Romualdi) Dana Romualdi, the copyright holder reserves all rights to the content on the blog and website Little Lessons Learned by Dana, including the right to reproduce, distribute, and display the content. No content or photographs may be reproduced or modified. Blogs may be shared on social media platforms in their entirety only with full credit given to the owner. Any photographs used by other photographers are used with permission and are also protected. All Rights Reserved. Tags: dancing, dancing feet, happy dance, joy, mourning to joy, emotional healing
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 Photo by Madison Inouye "Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what's left of you." – Katie Reed How's it going my friend? Do you feel like your life is a little crazy these days? If so, you are certainly not alone. Life in general seems to have become far too busy for everyone. Our calendars are often plastered with so many commitments and appointments that even looking at the schedule can make us tired. Balance is something that many of us are truly lacking. Often when we get busier, we can fall into the trap of poor self-care and it can really take its toll on us. To be effective in our workplaces, families and society in general it is so important to take time for ourselves, to be the best we can be in all aspects. We truly cannot pour from an empty cup. We need to make a conscious effort to order our lives with the inclusion of activities that edify us. “Me” time looks different for everyone, and that is what makes us all unique and interesting. Here’s my thoughts on six things I do regularly to lift my spirits and keep my life in order when it gets a bit hectic. Maybe you will enjoy implementing these things into your life as well. Find a great hobby or interest Photo by Pixabay Taking time for ourselves can come in many forms. Some of us need to find new hobbies or interests. What do you enjoy that excites you and is a healthy, enjoyable option? Blogging has become a real keen interest of mine and I find it so rewarding. It keeps my writing skills sharp and allows me to contact people in a way that was never possible in the past. It has also presented me with a platform that never existed before, and I have met so many incredible people through my blogging experience. It is so amazing! Is there a class you could take or a new skill you could learn? The possibilities are truly endless! Schedule a nap Photo by Ketut Subiyanto Taking time for ourselves may mean getting more rest. Many of us are walking around sleep deprived and we may not even know it. Coffee can help, but it only gets you so far, believe me. Recently I got a diagnosis that FINALLY gave me some answers to why I was so tired all. the. time. I found out I have sleep apnea and I actually have one of the most severe cases that my doctor has ever seen. Things are getting better now that I am on a CPAP machine, but regardless I must tell you, I LOVE to nap! It is truly one of my favourite things. Funny how when I was younger, naps were something I totally dreaded. Not now! For me, it is a chance to forget about stress for a bit, and feel refreshed from the demands of a hectic day. I often take a nap right after work. I always set my alarm so I do not oversleep and then when I wake, I feel much more ready to take on the second part of my day! Get moving Photo by Nathan Cowley Exercise is a fantastic way to put yourself on top of the priority list once again. Honestly, I enjoy walking, working out at the gym and recently have added Aquafit classes to my schedule. My motivation is inconsistent at times, but I have made a decision to get back to more regular exercising. When I am faithful with my exercise routine, I feel so much better physically and emotionally. The key is to find what type of exercise you most enjoy and make a commitment to it. You will be so glad you did. Candy Crush anyone?A little mindless activity can be very beneficial as well. Admittedly, I am a big Candy Crush fan and I do enjoy Facebook and seeing what everyone it up to. As mentioned balance is everything, yet games and social media can be great as long as they are used in the right amount. Bonding with besties Photo by Elina Fairytale Spending time with friends and family that encourages you is crucial. Make an effort to call a good friend and get together or have a nice phone conversation with a best friend. This can be just what is needed to put you back on track. Those that love us most let us be ourselves. Whether we need to vent, require a listening ear, or just need to have a good laugh, friends help us with that. True friends help us also get perspective, feel supported and get advice with problem solving. Power of prayerTaking time for myself means spending time in prayer and asking God to direct my days and help me with all my problems. I bring to him all my concerns both big and small and in return I feel refreshed, lighter and so much better. I pray that I may operate in his strength as I know that I was never made to walk this life on our own. His strength is perfect and will keep me going and moving forward even on the hardest days. You are so amazing and are meant to thrive, not just exist. All work and no play can lead to an incredibly stressful life for all of us. I want the best for you and taking time for yourself is not selfish, but extremely healthy and necessary. Make sure in your corner of the world, self-care happens on a regular basis in the ways that work for you . You will feel empowered, encouraged and become a much healthier and happier person in the end. Until next time, ~ Dana Matthew 11:28-30: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Little Lesson Learned: Take care of yourself. You are so worth it!
Copyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana, 2nd edition, 2014 first edition entitled Me Time (Dana Romualdi) Dana Romualdi, the copyright holder reserves all rights to the content on the blog and website Little Lessons Learned by Dana, including the right to reproduce, distribute, and display the content. No content or photographs may be reproduced or modified. Blogs may be shared on social media platforms in their entirety only with full credit given to the owner. Any photographs used by other photographers are used with permission and are also protected. All Rights Reserved. Tags: self-care, take care of yourself, full cup, invest in you Photo by Nathan Lemon on Unsplash “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow’s a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why it is called the present." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt. There are some things in life we all love to do and then there are those tasks that require much more effort. You know those tasks that you try to ignore as long as possible, as you simply do not have the time or energy for them? We all have some of THOSE TASKS that is certain. The tidying of my clothes closet was one of them. I had been avoiding organizing it for months, as let’s face it, the tidying up of a cluttered closet, can be a very daunting task. Just looking at it drained my energy, yet how liberating it felt to put it in order and send a few bags of clothes off to the local thrift store. It was a long and tedious task, but such a great feeling when it was finally done. As a teacher early in my career, I used to have a very messy, cluttered desk. I could never find anything and I felt like I was a terrible example to the students. I have since changed my ways and now pride myself in keeping a very orderly desktop. It is my belief that it is not fair to get after kids to tidy their desks, if mine is an absolute disaster, so I am glad I have improved in this area. It is quite humorous when we do desk cleanouts in my classroom I must say. I do them on a regular basis to help keep the students organized and it is funny because of what they find! The one who never has a pencil suddenly has six, or the missing notebook that couldn’t be found anywhere suddenly makes an appearance, or the permission form that they swear they never got, is there in all its glory. Certain kids dread this task more than others because their desks are more untidy, yet all of them have such grins of satisfaction on their faces when their desks are tidy. It is priceless to witness as they are so proud to show me their neat and tidy work space, and you can tell they “get it,” that the tidy desk option is so much more appealing than the messy one!  Photo by Pavel Danilyuk I have worked with so many people in the past in my social work career who had a “when I - then I " mentality. This is explained with examples such as “when I find more time, I will start exercising,” or “when my life gets a little less stressful, I will try to make time for positive changes.” The problem is that if you wait for the perfect opportunity, it will never come. An example of this is a young mom who repeatedly kept telling me that she “really wanted to get her family out to church,” but she had every excuse under the sun. “It is our only family day, and the kids are too young for the service and we don’t have proper church clothes…” You know how it goes and I did totally understand her concerns. I explained to her however, that we had a program for every age group and that church attire is more casual these days. No matter what I said though, she just explained that when they were older, she would bring them. Well I bet you can guess what happened? Sadly that day has never come and her kids have really gone through some incredibly hard times. Her and her husband are great people and parents, but she shared with me later in life that she had so many regrets in this area. She confided that she wished she would have committed to regular church attendance when the kids were younger, as she knew it would have greatly benefited them and then they would be in the faithful routine of coming.  Photo by Juan Pablo Serrano A Sometimes hindsight is 20/20 as they say, yet it is never too late to start something new. My mom always wanted to learn to play piano, but never learned as a child. She took piano lessons at age 40 and was so thrilled to be able to sit down at the piano and play church hymns and her favourite songs as she had always imagined. I always respected her so much for this. She decided one day that she was not going to put it off another day, but she was going to learn to play piano NOW. Procrastination is a problem for many people. The bigger issue is as we choose to put off things for “another” day, the dreaded tasks just pile up and before we know it, what was once a molehill, is now a mountain. In addition, the “another” day never seems to present itself. This then leaves us feeling more discouraged, so it becomes a vicious circle. Many addictions are like that and what was once a little habit, now holds people captive without them realizing. Change is a process and it begins with little steps. Hopes, dreams, recovery steps, and new pursuits can become reality when we decide not to embrace the “when I - then I,” mantra but rather the anthem of "why not today? "  What’s been on the back burner in your life? Could it be Bible reading, exercising, eating better, more time for self care, looking for a good church, or spending more time with friends? There is no time like the present to start looking at it again. The Bible says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. The cool thing is when we decide to make positive changes in our lives not only is God our greatest cheerleader, but he also promises to be right beside us giving us increased strength to do so. I have had times where I have made sincere commitments to make positive change in some area of my life and then it seems life steps in and derails me. Despite my best intentions, I can feel like I am on the hamster wheel, going nowhere fast. I have made a commitment to exercise more regularly, eat better and read my Bible more often. I am happy to say I am doing much better in my eating and Bible reading, but my exercising definitely needs to improve. Reflecting on that however, I have not been feeling well, but have still gone for walks and even tried pickle ball this week with my friends for the first time. That is a huge WIN in my books. Change takes time. I am choosing to be patient with myself, and you should too. The bottom line is we all can have some big, legit reasons or excuses to put us off track, but looking at the big picture is key. I have learned that if today was not the best than all is not lost, as I know I can turn it around tomorrow or another day. All too often we can let one bad day, spiral out of control and take us away from our goals. Don’t allow that to happen as every morning, with every sunrise, we get a fresh, new start. I would love to hear what area of your life you are working on right now in the comments. It is very exciting to think of where you can end up when you make a decision that today is the day that I begin putting positive steps into action in my life. Don’t let seeds of doubt or discouragement creep in. You can do it! Why not today? Today feels like a great day for positive change don’t you agree? I am cheering for you all the way. Until next time, ~ Dana Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Little Lesson Learned: Don’t put off for tomorrow what you could do today. There is no better time than the present. One of my favourite groups, Rascal Flatts who I had the pleasure of seeing in concert, has a perfect song to encourage us in our positive changes called "Feels Like Today." Enjoy! Tags: procrastination, goal setting, self improvement, start today, growth mindset
 Photo by Tirachard Kumtano "I've found no matter what life throws at me; music softens the blow." Bryce W. Anderson Music has always been a HUGE part of my life. Whether it was years of piano lessons, singing in various choirs, performing on stage as a soloist or with a group, or directing school musicals, if it involved music or singing of some sort, count. me. in. I even sang to my husband Phil at our wedding and to our kids, Tyler and Shannon, at their dedication services. It is just so much the fabric of who I am, and it truly made the ceremonies that much more special and memorable. That being said, I don't know if the hills are alive with the sound of music in my corner of the world, but I can certainly verify that my classroom is alive with the sound of music. As a musical person, I love to incorporate songs into our everyday routines. As a primary teacher, I see the value of subject specific songs as part of our focus on the topics of study. The kids really enjoy them and it helps them commit important concepts to memory easily. This year as mentioned in a previous blog we even have a class theme song called Chosen Family. The kids love it and sing it with their hands on their hearts with such enthusiasm. I have them sing it for every supply teacher and all my supply teachers have commented on how much they enjoyed hearing it. For more info about that and the topic of chosen family click here.  Photo by Breakingpic When I worked as a substance abuse counsellor, I took an addictions course as part of my certification. I recall one activity that we had to do was a real eye-opener as to just how much music was ingrained in me. We were instructed to select a neutral habit that we had that was part of our normal and healthy daily routine. It was was not to be a negative habit or addiction. We then were told to make a conscious decision to exclude that activity from our routine for a week and journal our feelings about the experience. Coffee is my g0-to in the morning and the thought of giving up my warm cup of morning inspiration was simply just too much to bear. For that reason, I picked something else that I thought would be easier. At the time, I had an hour commute, so immediately when I got in the car my routine every day was I would put on the radio. I LOVED listening to music to pass the time and make the drive more pleasant. For this experiment, I decided that I would refrain from doing that and would instead drive in SILENCE. What was I thinking? By the end, I decided that forgoing my morning coffee, just might have been the easier, less painful option. I felt like I was going crazy. I would sing, hum and even talk to to myself on my commute. The drive seemed like an eternity and definitely silence was NOT golden in this case! When the week was over, I was so incredibly happy and relieved to have music, my constant companion back.  Photo by Caleb Oquendo During Language Arts at school, we had a discussion about our favourite music genres. On the chart paper, I quickly wrote their many answers like rock, pop, country, hip hop and many more. I couldn't contain my excitement though, when one little guy said, "worship music." I work in the public system so that response was a very pleasant surprise. I echoed his enthusiasm. Worship music is indeed my favourite too. My favourite artists at present are Maverick City Music, Phil Wickham, Brandon Lake and Rend Collective. I have tickets for an upcoming Phil Wickham/ Brandon Lake concert in our area and I tell you I cannot wait. On so many occasions worship music songs have brought such peace and comfort to my soul. I LOVE to put on my headphones and just let the music and God's presence soothe my soul and wash my cares away. Worship songs speak to me in such powerful ways and have become such a HUGE blessing in my life. Even though the beat and music is enjoyable, it is the message of the lyrics that speaks the loudest to me. Hard times have been plenty lately and the message of these songs has brought such healing to my brokenness. When my mom died unexpectedly, I cried out to God and asked him to give me something to stand on. I basically gave him a directive that he MUST speak to me in a worship song when I put on the radio. I needed to make sense of what the profound loss of my precious mother was all about. Bold I know, but I was heartbroken and desperate and I knew God understood. Of course, as soon as I put on our local Christian radio station, UCB Radio, the song God is in this Story by Katy Nichole was playing. I knew it was God speaking directly to me and I was so grateful. Time and time again in my trials and heartache, the perfect song would play for me that I needed to hear at the EXACT time I needed it. I know that God faithfully speaks to me through music if I keep my heart and ears open. He can do the same for you too.  God has been so good to me. I can't help but sing praises to him. The gift of music is something I will always cherish. If you have not listened to worship music, I encourage you to give it a try. It is very different than church music of the past. It is not old hymns, but upbeat, modern tunes with very relatable up-to-date lyrics. Christian radio stations, YouTube or Spotify have so many great options. I encourage you to listen in today. I know if you are open, God can speak to you as well and bring hope and healing to your heart through the compelling lyrics of these beautiful songs. Well that's it for now. I hope I gave you something to at least think about in regards to how worship music can bring real encouragement to your days. I wish you a wonderful, and blessed week! Until next time, Dana Psalms 89:1 ~ I will sing of your love forever. Little Lesson Learned: Music is like medicine to a hurting soul.
Copyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana (Dana Romualdi) Dana Romualdi, the copyright holder reserves all rights to the content on the blog and website Little Lessons Learned by Dana, including the right to reproduce, distribute, and display the content. No content or photographs may be reproduced or modified. Blogs may be shared on social media platforms in their entirety only with full credit given to the owner. Any photographs used by other photographers are used with permission and are also protected. All Rights Reserved. Tags: music, worship music, Maverick City, Phil Wickham, Brandon Lake, Rend Collective, elementary music, classroom music, music teacher, power of music, message of music |
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