“What makes you YOU?”
Knowing your inner self takes introspection and self-awareness; it is from within this space that we can learn to live the best version of ourselves’ in the outside world. It can take a lifetime to get to know who you are but can you think of anything more important and exciting to study as a subject? Your values, vision, goals, motivations, beliefs, and purpose are yours to do wonderful things with. Life-changing and world-changing things. If you know who you are, you’ll know what to do. So take time to think about what makes you YOU.
-it’s never too late for you to be the person you truly are- Nicole M
Whats with all the litter?
So, what’s up with all the litter?
Sometimes we get to choose stuff and that can be fun!
Like choosing an activity, or a new toy or what your snack will be!
Some choices that we make can literally change the world!
I know right! That’s powerful stuff!
So…what’s up with all the litter?
I don’t understand how some humans choose to drop empty cups, water bottles, candy wrappers, chip bags, and even face masks onto the ground or into the waters.
That’s not where they belong!
I don’t understand how some humans choose to throw their yucky, stinky, sticky and germy stuff onto Mother Earth…that seems extremely odd to me.
How do you think that makes her feel?
She’s given us grass and dirt, and flowers and trees
The birdies and squirrels and mountains and bees
And beaches and fishies and salty blue seas
I think she’s quite generous to you and to me
My wish is that all humans will choose to show their respect to Mother Earth for all of her gifts by throwing away their litter only where it belongs; in a trash can.
Iggy
I have to? OR I get to?
An attitude of gratitude
Your Attitude is everything…it really can change how you feel about something.
And how we feel about something can affect how we act.
And how we act is a reflection of who we are.
I’m learning that I can’t always let how I firstfeel or first think about something to be the only way I can feel or think about it.
I can change my mind.
Did you know that we can train our brain to be grateful?
One way is to teach it to say words like I get to instead of I have to.
Here are some examples…
I have to brush my teeth. But I don’t want to. I’m having too much fun doing what I’m doing.
With gratitude: I get to brush my teeth.
I’m grateful to have a toothbrush and some toothpaste and water so I can take care of my teeth. I’m grateful to have a healthy set of teeth so I can eat yummy food.
I have to get dressed. I don’t want to. I’m happy lying on the couch.
With gratitude: I get to get dressed.
I’m grateful to have clean clothes to put on that fit my body. I’m grateful that my clothes are colorful and comfy.
I have to clean up my toys. I don’t want to. I want to keep playing.
With gratitude: I get to clean up my toys.
I’m grateful that I have toys to play with everyday. I’m grateful for all the LEGO blocks, and the little cars and trucks and dolls and puppets too!
I have to do my homework. I don’t want to. I’m tired and I just want to watch tv or play a computer game.
With gratitude: I get to do my homework.
I’m grateful to be able to go to school or be homeschooled so I can learn so many new things about the world I live in! Learning is empowering!
You get the idea.
An attitude of gratitude vocabulary takes practice and some patience, but in time, it gets easier and easier and becomes very natural.
Let me know how you feel after a couple of weeks.
I think you might be pleasantly surprised!
Love
Iggy
❤️
What is a dream?
What is a dream?
(Noun)
A passionate aspiration or ambition
The possibility or likelihood of some future event occurring
To have a strong desire for something
Do you have a dream?
I have a few…
Some may be more likely to come true, while others might seem less likely, but you never know!
I’ve also had some dreams come true already!
One big dream was to write a book for kids. I did that and then I wrote another one!
One was to have a website so that I could share stuff with kids and have kids share stuff with me.
That one came true too!
I dreamt of having my books in bookstores and at the library and both of those dreams came true too!
Another dream that I have is to meet singer/songwriter James Taylor.
I imagine hanging out with him in his music studio….
I practice my guitar because in my dream, I imagine jamming with him someday.
I really like his music and I admire what he’s done to make his dream of being a world-renowned entertainer come true.
Dreams take work and time to make them come true. And dedication to them, some focus, and a whole lot of hope and belief in you too.
And oftentimes, the universe puts people in your life that can help you!
I got lots of help with my books… I met Yulia who helped illustrate them and my mom helped with setting up meetings so we could publish them and get them into places where kids could read them.
And miss Ashley helps me with my website because I need help with that too.
Dreams can be big or small…it doesn’t really matter what size they are. What matters is that they’re yours.
So go ahead…dream! And remember, never ever give up!
If you have a dream that you’d like to share with me, just send me a note!
Love
Iggy
🦛
The art of forgiveness
Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it
-Mark Twain
I was listening to a grown-up talk about a person who had been unkind to her, but when that person came back the next day to apologize and ask for forgiveness, the lady said, “I don’t accept apologies. I don’t forgive you. You should have known better than to be unkind to me.”
Something in my heart broke.
I didn’t quite understand why my heart hurt, so I did some research on forgiveness…
(I discovered that this is an important life-changing thing, so I did lots of reading on it)
Here’s some stuff on what professionals have to say about forgiveness
What is forgiveness?
Forgiveness means different things to different people. But in general, it involves an intentional (on purpose) decision to let go of resentment and anger. The act that hurt or offended you might always be with you. But working on forgiveness can lessen that act's grip on you.
Forgiveness: Letting go of grudges and bitterness - Mayo Clinic
Https://www.mayoclinic.org>forgiveness
What is forgiveness and why is it important?
The Stanford Forgiveness Project has shown that learning to forgive lessens the amount of hurt, anger, stress and depression that people experience. People who forgive also become more hopeful, optimistic and compassionate and have enhanced conflict resolution skills.
The importance of forgiveness - MSU Extension
msu.edu
Https://www.canr.msu.edu>news>the importance of forgiveness
Why is forgiveness so powerful?
Practicing forgiveness can have powerful health benefits. Observational studies, and even some randomized trials, suggest that forgiveness is associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and hostility; reduced substance abuse; higher self-esteem; and greater life satisfaction.
The power of forgiveness - Harvard Health
Https://www.health.Harvard.edu>mind and mood
_______________________________________________________
My thoughts…
Forgiving someone doesn’t mean that you agree with what someone said or did…
Forgiveness is a process that can take lots of time, and some patience and some determination…
Forgiveness doesn’t mean that you will ever be this person’s friend again, and sometimes that is for the best…
Forgiving someone who hasn’t even apologized or asked for forgiveness is the healthiest thing for you to do for YOU…
Forgiveness is your gift to you. And it might be one of the best gifts you’ll ever give yourself.
It’s important to accept that people are people, and hippos are hippos, and all of us will make mistakes that will hurt someone at some point in our lifetime.
After reading these articles, I now know that I want to practice forgiving people because it’ll help me live a happier and healthier life.
And I believe in being an example of what I want to see in the world.
Can you think of a time that someone made you really sad or really mad and then they asked you to forgive them?
What did you do?
Let me know so that we can all learn from each other.
And please remember to extend some love and forgiveness to YOU for the things that you said or did that hurt other people's feelings. It’s ok…we’re all learning…
Love,
Iggy
❤️
Grief and Loss
Grief and Loss
My kitty died.
His name was Meow Meow.
He was just 4 years old.
He was such a good boy.
He was so smart and so loving, friendly and so gentle, brave and curious, patient and accepting and so very funny.
I’m feeling so sad. I cry sometimes when I see his toys but I don’t want to put them away yet where I won’t see them. Mom says that’s ok. She says I’ll know when I’m ready to do that.
I still expect to see him walk into the room for a cuddle and a belly rub.
Mom says she feels the same way.
Mom says that feeling sad and not believing that he’s really gone is part of the grief process.
I like to understand stuff better, so my mom and I did some research on grief and loss…
Grief is the deep sadness and loss you feel when someone you love dies. The death of a loved one can mean a big change in your life. It takes time to cope with your loss and find ways to adapt. Comfort and support from others can help as you go through grief.
Kids Health
Grief is a natural response to loss. It's the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. Often, the pain of loss can feel overwhelming. You may experience all kinds of difficult and unexpected emotions, from
shock or anger to disbelief, guilt, and profound sadness.
Here are some physical symptoms that you might experience if you are grieving the loss of a loved one.
Fatigue
Insomnia
A hollow feeling in the stomach
Tightness in the chest
Dry mouth
Aches and pains
Meow Meow and I were friends because we cared for each other and took care of each other in our own special ways.
I miss filling up his kibble and water dishes.
I miss sitting at the window looking at the squirrels and birdies with him.
I miss playing with him.
I miss that he snuggled with me at bedtime.
I’m feeling so sad but I still feel grateful that I got to do all this stuff and could love him and be his friend for a few years.
He’ll always be a part of my life…
If you’ve lost anything or anyone, I am sorry for your loss.
Love,
Iggy
❤️
The Golden Rule
The Golden Rule
I learned something new today!
I learned about the Golden Rule.
Here’s what I discovered…
“Treat others as you would like to be treated” is a moral principle known as the Golden Rule.
In one form or another, this principle is associated with the ethical codes in most religious traditions.
https://sevenpillarsinstitute.org
Golden Rule, The - Seven Pillars Institute
The true spirit of the Golden Rule is to treat others like you wish to be treated without expectation one way or another of how they might treat you.
In other words, it’s a way of behaving that is its own reward – the way it makes us feel about ourselves.
Fun Fact:
The idea dates at least to the early Confucian times (551–479 BCE), according to Rushworth Kidder, who identifies the concept appearing prominently in Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, and "the rest of the world's major religions".[2] Asic", 143 leaders of the world's major faiths endorsed the Golden Rule.[3][4] According to Greg M. Epstein, it is "a concept that essentially no religion misses entirely", but belief in God is not necessary to endorse it.[5] Simon Blackburn also states that the Golden Rule can be "found in some form in almost every ethical tradition".
This is awesome…
In July 2000, Scarboro Missions published the Golden Rule Poster featuring the Golden Rule in 13 religions in a striking and attractive 4-color format.
Scarboro Missions has been stunned by the success of the poster – this piece of multifaith art is making its way around the world. Everywhere it goes, it performs its magical task of healing, unity and reconciliation.
Https://www.scarboromissions.ca
So what if we all decided to follow the Golden Rule?
I think that the world would become a peaceful place to live for all the people and the animals.
Just imagine what would happen if…
Everyone treated each other with respect and kindness and compassion…
what would that look like and feel like?
Now imagine how you can play a part in this dream coming true…it’s pretty simple really…
Treat others as you wish to be treated.
Be what you want to see in the world!
❤️🦛