A challenging prompt - What's the toughest thing you've been through recently? How did you get past it?

I am facing two tough challenges that are in some way linked, as one is one of the drivers for the other.

One challenge is helping my son find his equilibrium at school, the other is starting my own, work from home business. I just do not want to be so away from home. Although I cannot say I missed out on my children's lives, I can say they have a pretty stressed out mom and that is something I wanted to fix for both their benefit and my own.

A high number of working hours, including extra time and stress at work and on the road (driving in Israel is a BI____CH...) simply does not help a person remain calm, even is one is fulfilling oneself and working at an altogether satisfying job.

In the last year I have reduced my driving considerably and have been much more available for my children, and especially for my son, whenever I was needed. This is a great and rewarding experience and the stress levels have been reduced. I am less angry. Its not all rosy though - founding one's own business is hard and its a scary challenge - having to sell my services again and again, and having to prove time and again to clients that I am worth the money they pay me. Its also hard to earn good wages as a freelancer.

Its a long process to find my own equilibrium. To find out what exactly it is that I want to do and what services I wish to offer an dhow much I can reasonably expect to get paid. I am now starting a more systematic approach towards my business and I look forward to being able to write about my success is the next few months. Baby steps. Think, plan, do. One step at a time and the goal will be reached.

A prompt for deep thinking - Do you think there's life after death? How do you think this belief impacts your life today?

I believe I saw an interesting concept in a movie once. the film suggested that what happens to you after death depends on your beliefs. so if you are a viking and believe in Valhalla, you will get there after death. And if you are a Christian and believe in heaven, you will get there. the film took this further by placing a Christian with a group of vikings at the moment of death, resulting in the Christian's ability to save them all. I believe the film is called "Erik the Viking" and it was a comedy.

I think we can also take this concept a step further, by saying that out beliefs regarding death do have an impact on the way we live. After all, our time on this planet as living beings is short and limited. We do not know what happens after death, but we do know people who die do not return, so death seems eternal. (Some believe we return in other forms, or as other people - but never 100% the same - I have not heard of a belief that a person simply returns to the living.)

Though it is natural that we let death affect our lives, it being such a prominent and inevitable  end to this life, we should probably not let it overrule living, that is depressing. One should make the most of life, while it lasts, but first of all for the sake of life itself! Sometimes I think I have wasted parts of my life. But that is not true, all our experiences add to who we are and what we are able to do from now on . Like anyone, I have regrets. certain moments I wish I could go back to and change, do something different. The best way to live is to use this acquired knowledge is to remember it for future use, if a similar moment comes along, I will be able to do things differently. We cannot go back. Looking forward and making the best of it is the way to go.

Quality of life indicators.

the prompt was : "If you knew you only had 6 months to live, how would you live your life differently? "
Well I think this is a question about one's own definitions as to the quality of one;s life...
Here is my answer.

This is a hard one, because what its essentially asking is what I would try to fix into my daily routine, and also what adventures or dreams i want to fulfill.  Its the two extremes of unfulfillment and lack of satisfaction.

So how would I make my life more satisfying int he twp extremes: baby steps and small routine changes vs. the BIG ONE?

The BIG ONE would be to travel and see the world. Just take some time off to see special places that I think I will only be travelling to after I retire from work or when the kids grow up (hey maybe I can go travelling with them then...if they will have me). India and the far east, south america, Australia, Alaska/ south pole...

On the other hand I think that I would like to leave something behind me, for posterity - so maybe the BIG ONE would be to actually take the time to write ab book, only I do not know what I would write about...

The smaller routine changes would be to make more time for my kids, stress out less, learn to relax, take a weekend or two off with my husband alone, see more theater performances, and see more of my friends. I guess that writing in this platform is also a small change I have undertaken on the road to the "writing a (GOOD) book" dream...

I believe that the small changes need to be undertaken even if one is not sick, we need to stop and remind ourselves that quality of life is important! But its easier to preach this on the keyboard than to actually practice it...

The BIG ONE is indeed a quantum leap, but perhaps it too can be divided to realistic chunks...like writing these posts, I could undertake to travel to one place at a time, its just that right now our vacation time is all booked up with annual family visits, I hope in a few year's time e will be able to vary the destinations too...In the meantime, finding the energy to drive out with the family for an outing is sometimes a challenge after an especially busy week...

There are also things I would NOT change. I would not change where I live or my family ties. I love my kids to distraction and cannot imaging my life without them or mother hood (even thought I do not always enjoy the cores this role entails). I would not wish to live in another era or be a different person. I am very blessed in so many ways.

2016 I will...

New year's resolutions are a  drag...You never really get through them, and then you feel bad. A little bit like the Bridget Johns movie.

But any life coach will tell you that setting goals for yourself is important to take a step forward. Well, I do set goals and I also list tasks and then go methodically through my lists and hack them off when completed. So I guess I am doing ok.

So I guess that if I am to target something for the new year and the whole year it would be in a more generic level in my life.

In 2016 will see more of my kids and not work into the night.

In 2016 I will try to get more positive energies into my life

In 2016 I will have found what it is that I am searching for.

Now I just need to break these goals into baby step plans, so I can tick off every task accomplished on the way to the great goal. Just like a good strategy coach does. :-)

Happy new year

Ofra

Things that I am grateful for - a holiday season spirit blog

I am always trying to teach my children to think positive. We talk about positive energies, saying "yes" instead of "no" (there is a book for children here about a teddy bear that always says "no, no" and what happens to him...) so this prompt is just right there with the list of things to discuss.

In the spirit of Christmas this prompt gets even more extra meaning, as the holiday is all about recognizing the richness one has and thus being able to give to others. Richness is not always about money, as is giving or generosity = the currency here can be so varied. Good deeds are conducted in many ways.

So what am I grateful for? All the good people and things in my life,  and all my experiences (even the one's that are not so enjoyable as they occur) that make my life a richer one.

First and foremost I am grateful for my two adorable children, who have created a totally new and overwhelming identity in my life, in fact overtaking any other identities, as I am now a mother! My children's friends recognize me as "XXX's mom", they do not always know my name. In the Arabic world a man get to be names after his first born son. I love it that I am named after my children, who are my greatest achievements!

I am grateful to my husband who tolerates me and lives with all my quirks, I can only wish to be more forgiving toward his quirks.

I am grateful for a loving and supporting family and for loyal amazing friends who have been with me for years.

I am grateful that I am living in a modern era that enables quick and international communication, and that fills life with interesting possibilities. After all, my current profession did not really exist 15 years ago and I grew and developed as  my profession grew and developed. I am grateful for innovations and technology that makes my life more convenient and that can help save lives.

This post makes me feel like a writer who is writing the thank you notes for a book. Well I have not yet written a book, but I do my best to write the daily prompt here - I am grateful for this tool and the opportunity it gives me to write.

Merry Christmas

Ofra

Who's one person you want to be more like? Why?

Love thyself!

I want to be more self assured like my mother

I want to be more loving like my son

I want to be more knowledgeable like my brother

I want to be able to take it easy with a touch of escapism like my husband

I want to have more positive energy like my daughter

I want to be more successful like my elder sister

I want to be diligent like my twin sister

I want to be more calm like my father

I want to be a better

I want to work at my hobby like my good friend the DJ  and my good freind the municipal council member

There are many people I admire, but mostly my family and close friends, from each of whom I can learn to become a better and more complete person.

However, I am not so bad as I am :-)

Happy holiday

Ofra

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This one is my second featured response, in just 2 weeks of writing to prompts
I guess I have the talent...:-)