Category Archives: relationships

Swinging Life Apart

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“One must learn to love oneself with a wholesome and healthy love so that one can bear to be with oneself ...” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

girls standing up on swing set

Last night I had a wonderful dream that I was back on the elementary school playground with my twin sister. So today in my blogging we are going to travel down nostalgia lane.

Remember those days? Pumping on the swing trying to reach the clouds high in the sky? My sister and I often competed with one another to see who could push the limits. She usually won the race because her stamina was much greater than mine.

We were both pretty fearless when it came to heights, but I may have been the greater daredevil. As soon as we crested the top, we’d let go, become air bound and jump to the ground, nearly giving my mother a double heart attack.

An advantage of being a twin is that you have a “built-in” playmate.The challenge of being a twin is that people often treat twins as if they are one unit rather than two autonomous people with individual strengths, likes and needs.

Years ago, child psychologists theorized it was best to keep twins together in the same classroom, but they have since learned not so! http://bit.ly/1lWgEdY. When seventh grade rolled around my twin and I began to learn what life was like with separate groups of friends. We were put into different classes and weaned away from one another, having to adjust to not being together constantly.

Even to this day, we have lots of mutual friends. It wasn’t until I married that we really were completely separated and life has never been the same for us since. In fact for four decades we have lived in different cultural and geographical climates.  One lives in the heat and humidity surrounded by a huge population of people, the other in artic temperatures in remote and intimate surroundings.

What we share are similar values that were instilled in both of us when we were little. You’ll learn more about my twin double troubles in my memoir, Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. Click for info & ordering

Do come back tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Film Friday: Miracle Dogs

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There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face–Ben Williams

Dubbed “man’s best friend,” dogs have been the subject of research on the health benefits of owning a pet. Overall, people who own dogs tend to be healthier according to this http://www.livescience.com article. http://bit.ly/1i9UYZw.

I’ve had the companionship of a dog for the majority of my life. We lost our 17 year old “Sasha” about 3 years ago, and life doesn’t quite seem the same without having a pooch around. I miss having a dog to greet us when we come home. And most of all, I miss having a walking companion. Walking with a dog adds extra purpose to every step. Owner and pet stay fit – mentally, physically and spiritually – that is if you believe dogs have a spiritual life. They do seem to have an exalted adoration for people who feed them!

I believe that loving a pet of any kind has the same kind of benefits that come with caring for others through volunteer work. Both allow a person to step outside of their own wants and needs and care about someone else, which breeds fulfilling feelings.

marc and pup pupI do have an adorable little pup-pup that I’m able to see every so often. I call her my dingo grand doggie –  her name is  Weston. She’s owned by my son. I don’t believe I will be without a dog forever, but right now, it’s for the best.

My Film Friday movie suggestion “Miracle Dogs Too: An Inspirational Tale” might be a little sappy. But for those who believe that the relationship between dog owners and their pets has a healing connection you might enjoy watching it. Click here for info and ordering

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See you on Monday! Have a great weekend. Marc – hang in there, Weston’s puppy behaviors will pass. Be patient, be committed and be consistent. And you already know what will follow “All things are possible for those who believe!” ~ The word according to the Bible.

Do return to All Things Fulfilling, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Story of Attachment

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“Because everything of value that we will know in this life comes from our relationships with those around us. Because there is nothing material that measures against the intangibles of love and friendship.” ― R.A. Salvatore, Passage to Dawn

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Medical research institutions and psychologists have put a recent emphasis on studying what love, friendships and positive living have to do with good health and the outcome of surviving illness. I am deeply interested in this subject. It is just one of the reasons I have chosen to share my experiences through this blog and in an upcoming memoir.

Here is an insightful article from the Mayo Clinic about the value of love and friendships, check it out. http://www.mayoclinic.org/friendships/art-20044860.

February is a good time to share our heartfelt sentiments, so on this day I’d like to say to all of my family and friends.  “I am grateful for the wonderful support systems I have had in my life. I believe they make such a valuable difference.”

This video is especially for my twin sister because I know she will enjoy it. Warning: Be ready to clap your hands and tap your feet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh7YyoDD138. This video was produced by artists collaborating with one another from all over the world.

There are other important contributing factors besides love and friendship that I believe have led me to enjoy a fulfilling and vigorous life. I will relate them to my readers when my book is ready.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. The space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

How Sweet the Sound

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Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” – Proverbs 16:23-25

Some of the most powerful words I heard as a child came from a person who had great significance in my life but she was someone other than my parents. I can hardly wait for you to meet her.  I will introduce you to her in my memoir when it is published this spring.

Her words to me went something like this:

Fanny speak

Oh…how sweeeet the sound! Enough to make anyone feel they are the bestest! I’ll always wonder if the person who I have included in my life story had any idea what impact her simple words  meant to me as a little child?

The words we speak to one another truly matter because they have the capability to influence and inspire us, help us to realize our potential and fill us up with love and all kinds of things that bring us fulfilling feelings. Words such as these can be better than a snug wrap around someone’s shoulders. http://awarmembrace.com.

January is National Mentoring Month, so on this last day of the month and because it is Film Friday, I would like to share a link that lists some of the best movies that have insight into how an ongoing relationship of learning, dialogue, and challenge between two people can change lives. http://growingleaders.com/blog/great-mentoring-movies/.

I look forward to having you join me again on Monday on this space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.  This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Film Friday: That Awkward Moment

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Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” ~ Dr. Seuss

We’ve all encountered moments in our lives where we just want to dig a hole and bury ourselves. Those times often occur as a result of misconstrued friendships, communications and relationships.

That awkward momentThat Awkward Moment, a film coming to the silver screen from Treehouse Pictures, is scheduled to be released in theatres on January 31, 2014. A romantic comedy about three best friends, played by Zac Efron, Miles Teller and Michael B Jordan, who find the dating scene confusing because first impressions sometimes change as a relationship deepens. What one says and how one acts can be two different things which can lead to hilarity leaving the involved parties scratching their heads.

This might be a particularly fulfilling movie for those who enjoy romantic comedies and stories about friendships.
Put this upcoming film on your calendar!Click for info and ordering That Awkward Moment

Have a great weekend. See you on Monday on All Things Fulfilling. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Film Friday: New Thought

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Ones destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.  ~ Henry Miller

I when I get free time, I am often torn between watching a movie or reading a book. Books often win out. There is a movie that was on my list for 2013 that I haven’t gotten to yet. It’s unlikely I’ll find it playing in my local movie theatre, but that doesn’t mean it is not worthy of watching. So, I’ll put it on the top of the list for this year.

The movie is called New Thought.Click here for info and ordering  Many of the principles of the “Laws of Attraction” are incorporated in this movie, and if you enjoyed The Secret, I would highly suggest checking out this movie. I wholeheartedly endorse the concept that we can directly affect our life experience through our thoughts. Positive breeds positive and negative breeds negative.

A New Year is a great time to begin thinking in different ways, and making “attitude adjustments.” Here’s to a whole new you!Click here for info and ordering

Do return on Monday to All Things Fulfilling. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

Miles of Memories

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“Family, like branches on a tree. We all grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one.” ~ Unknown

Memories….for me they really come flooding back during the holidays. Since I’ve been writing a memoir, things get even more stirred up.

luggage 1950sMy native Baltimore has been on my mind a lot lately. These old photos make me think of all the times my parents and I and my three siblings took to the road. We traveled many miles up and down I-95 together in our station wagon, often headed to Vermont. Lake Champlain in the summer and then to Stowe and other ski resorts in winter whenever we could work it into our school vacation schedule. Many Baltimoreans thought we were a strange lot. After all, Maryland was known as the “Land of Pleasant Living.” Friends would ask “Why would you want to go anywhere else?”

Our family station wagon was always filled to the ceiling, with luggage and other ski gear. And arguments began before we even started down our long driveway because no one wanted to sit on “the hump!”

After the seventh or eighth hour of being on the road, tensions became heightened in the “wagon.”  We kids started fighting about one or the other taking up too much room. Although, I, being small in stature, didn’t get accused quite so often.

dashboard of station wagon“Time for car songs,”  my mother would say. Tunes from The Sound of Music always rang out first.  We weren’t deep in talent like the Trapp Family I can assure you of that. But anything to pass the long arduous miles helped. Twelve hours in a car grew old quickly with an AM radio with reception that faded in and out and crackled so badly you could barely hear the tunes. Even our voices sounded better than that.

The film The Sound of Music with Julie Andrews has a place in the memories of almost every family of my generation. It’s often played on TV this time of year. I believe the movie and the legacy of the von Trapps’s will live on and on because of the ability to order the film and stories of the family’s history through e-commerce on the world-wide-web.

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Speaking of road trips, if you are going to be on the highway this Thanksgiving week, please drive safely. And have a fulfilling holiday!

This blog brought to you by www.allthingsfulfilling.com. The space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

Give to Extended Family

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“No act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted.” ~ Aesop

Christmas catalogues are beginning to arrive in the mail. Last week I received one that stood out among the others. You know, all the regulars,  such as Land’s End, L.L. Bean, The Territory Ahead and my favorite – Pottery Barn.

The catalog that interested me the most was Samaritan’s Purse. Not only because you can order gifts that fit every budget, but also because of the humanitarian benefit that comes with giving from it. It’s fulfilling to know that each present gives the receiver a sense of hope.

The images below are a just a few of the 43 choices that that particularly struck me on some level, I suppose it has something to do my life values  that were taught to me by my parents. But, there isn’t a gift on the list that doesn’t uplift  the lives of others – and that’s a good thing!. The catalog is available on-line through this link. http://bit.ly/1bfZ9hh .

Extend the love beyond your family this holiday season, by giving a much needed gift to people in other places around the world.

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This blog brought to you by www.AllThingsFulfilling.com, the space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business. www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Wrapped in a Blanket and a Movie

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I just want others to understand that it is within their power to take a dream from inside their hearts and begin making it their life’s work. ~  John Mitchell

Thanksgiving isn’t even here yet, and the Hallmark Channel has already begun broadcasting Christmas movies. Last Sunday I decided that after church and after my daily walk that I was going to take the afternoon of the Sabbath seriously – no writing, no reading, no cleaning of the house. I was going to sit and enjoy a sappy Christmas movie that had attracted my attention as I channel surfed.

As I sat, wrapped in a blanket with popcorn and hot chocolate in hand, I began to think how this movie was no different than any of the other Christmas movies I have seen in my lifetime. But I still never get tired of watching sappy holiday films. The issues in the plots of holiday movies are nearly always the same – about a broken family, unrequited love, a romance gone wrong or the struggles of a lonely heart club member. The ending of the story is always fulfilling –  tied up with an uplifting message.  Sweet Christmas movies remind me to believe in the goodness of humanity and to always look for it inside people.

The Christmas CardThe Christmas Card is one holiday movie I have not yet seen, and it is upcoming on the “Heart of TV” – The Hallmark Channel. Here is the link to the programming schedule for Christmas movies you can watch right from the comfort of your living room. http://bit.ly/1atIndj.

You must be thinking I am off my rocker with all this talk of Christmas already. Well, here in the northwest corner of Colorado, we have already had about 50 inches of snow this season. The weather broadcasters are saying it is “the earliest winter ever.” To me, as I look my window on this first week of November, it may as well be Christmas. The earth is wrapped in a blanket of sparkly white already.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. Do return tomorrow on Monday. I look forward to sharing some inspiring images and stories with  you  next week. Some will lead you into knowing a little more about my own personal narrative.