Windridge Reflections

“..........We can’t return, we can only look, behind from where we came, and go ‘round, and ‘round, and ‘round in the circle game.” Joni Mitchell Sometimes life feels like a series of small good-byes..... While in Hong Kong recently, I spoke with a young mother about the exodus of ex-pats due to current financial uncertainties and the prospect of having to up-end and relocate her family, leave friends, and adjust to the new business climate, etc. Her attitude was practical and matter-of-fact about adjusting herself to whatever comes her way.... She is choosing to simply “do what needs to be done,” not worry, fret or fight the situation. Change... I want ( I need ) to be willing and ready to move into what the future holds. It is so easy to focus on what was, what might have been or the way I wanted or hoped things would turn out.... Life has a way of taking itself in directions that are sometimes difficult to understand. And so in this ever changing cycle we must be willing to adapt, a...

“Like the natural laws of gravity and thermodynamics, there are principles of life that affect our decisions and relationships. Character is the summation of those principles into positive personal attributes, which are obtainable and can be developed. Technology advances, information expands, and the world changes but the building blocks for producing effective individuals, families, communities, and an ethical marketplace -- “character qualities” -- do not change.” Zig Ziglar Character: Integrity - Who we really are. Congruency to values, beliefs and behaviors. Deep honesty. Humility and courage. Intent - Genuine concern and caring for others. Our fundamental motive or agenda. Seeking mutual benefit. Acting in other’s best interest. Character comes from within and is critical to our success in life. Character is defined by a person’s integrity, motive and intent; basically, who we are when no one else is looking. “It takes 20 years to build your reputation and five minutes to ruin i...

I’ve decided I’m going to spend some time during the next few months evaluating my values - again. Possibly my desire to take on this introspective task stems from the current economic uncertainty or then again, maybe it is simply my recent Birthday; who knows? But what I do know is that “time waits for no man” and so, I don’t want to waste any of it. What I’ve noticed is this; as life’s seasons change along with the varying demands that challenge me, so do the values that I need to draw upon for my stability and strength. Of course there are what I consider "core" values of honesty, integrity, etc, that remain constant, but then there are other values that change as the seasons we transition through. For example when my children were young and life had a constant routine and sameness to it… some of my top values were Safety, Comfort, Support, Teaching, Nurturance, Security, Faithfulness…. Now that my children are grown my challenges have changed. I find myself identifying wi...

I'm tired tonight and when one is tired it is so easy to feel somewhat small and insignificant - "Absorb what is useful. Discard what is not. Add what is uniquely your own." Bruce Lee

I must remember that "conscious action is better than unconscious reaction."

"Change is not usually as painful as you project it to be. Instead of seeing it as losing something you want or need, decide to see change as getting something great." Cheryl Richardson Here I sit in Hong Kong (visiting children and grand-children) and as much as I find it interesting to travel to these far away places, it is something I never sought or desired. Having family close by would have been just fine with me.... That said, I am learning to view this current opportunity to travel the world as a good thing instead of feeling sad that my family doesn't live closer to me. There is no doubt that this is a paradigm shift .... and the key for me is in the "deciding" and purposely looking for the blessings along the way.

It always amazes me that a little 15x16x2 inch technical device can bring one to the point of wanting to melt into a puddle of frustration on the floor…. After all I am a self-controlled, rational person; why can’t I handle this? And I bet you’ve been here too…… Over this past weekend I had the "joy" of resolving a virus issue on my laptop…. Need I say more? I dare you to go onto the Norton’s site and try to find any “real person” support for this… Not a soul is there! So, here I was taking off programs that asked “Do you really want to remove this?” or “We recommend that you never remove this….” While looking at instructions that said “Disable XYZ, reconfigure, and then enable XYZ along with the ABC…...” Ya right! By 10 pm on Sunday evening (why is it children get sick and computers crash on the weekend?) I was exhausted…. It appeared that I had gotten the varmint viruses off, but things still weren’t running as well as I thought they should… and the fear that I had totally ...