The Classic Pamela Positive: The Grass Is Greenest Where You Water It

“The grass is greenest where you water it. Successful couples have learned to resist the grass is greener myth – i.e. someone else will make me happy. They have learned to put their energy into making themselves and their marriage better.”

– Mitch Temple

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Let’s be focused on how green we can make our grass!

Truly wouldn’t that be lovely? If we all focused on what we have — the wonderful family or our friends who are like family; the job, or the opportunity to explore something new; the husband or the opportunity to date and find the right person – what a joy-filled world we would have! And a joyful world starts with each one of our own little worlds.

So this isn’t restricted to simply appreciating your marriage. This is about any relationship or circumstance in life. If you want to be happy, appreciate the parts that are good — and invest in them.

If you want to see something to grow, water it! Let’s look at some practical ways to do so.

Love him. If it’s your husband, love him. Don’t focus on his faults. Well, his clothes might not match. But, he empties the dishwasher. Let’s water that. Remember, there are millions of women… simply wanting to be married. You have a lifelong committed partner, and that is a very green blessing.

Appreciate your business partner’s strengths. If it’s your business partner, appreciate their vision even if they miss the details. Or, appreciate their attention to detail, if they are missing part of the vision. Work with who they are, and find some quality of value. Let’s be grateful for the partners we have in life.

Love your roommate. If they don’t take out the garbage, value that they are nice companions to speak with when you get home at night, pay their rent on time, or like to water plants.

Appreciate your teenager. Maybe they aren’t so talkative right now. But they get B+ and As, are good people, and don’t get in trouble. We definitely want to put the sprinkler on that.

Value your co-chair. Maybe they’re brusque. But they deliver value and care a lot. Fertilize and nurture the value they are giving. Don’t criticize what they don’t have; be grateful for the strengths they bring. Supplement them. If they are stunning roses with thorns, then plant your gentle daisies. That’s why you are there!

Be Grateful for the Weather as it Keeps the World Going Round. It’s cold. I know it’s Minnesota, or Hanover. It can be brutal! But it’s also beautiful. Nature and greenery are gorgeous…droughts are not. In colder climates, strong, tightknit communities are the norm. Families bond together. It’s green in the land, and in your heart.

So dear Leaders… Water It… Wherever You Are!

Mitch Temple serves as the director over marriage programs at Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He represents Focus at national events, seminars, media interviews and radio programs. He has served for 23 years as a pulpit and counseling pastor, specializing in crisis, business and marriage- and family-related issues. He is a published author in various professional journals, and co-author of four marriage books such as The Marriage Turnaround. His website Mitch Temple Online offers individuals, companies, and churches information on services, articles by Temple, and contributions by many members. Mitch has been married to Rhonda for 30 years, have 3 grown children and one grand baby.

Bio sources: Focus on the Family and Mitch Temple Online; Quote source: Ten Secrets to a Successful Marriage

The Classic Pamela Positive: “…The Things People Really Want Are Love, Connection, And Purpose.” – Mallika Chopra

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**“…The things people really want are love, connection, and purpose.”**

— Mallika Chopra

Media Entrepreneur, Public Speaker

and Published Author

That is indeed true wealth. It’s our family, our faith in Life, and our driving motivation — what makes us want to be here on earth.

First, love means we are all created to do something for others. Whether it is our daughter, our dog, or the doorman — everyone needs kindness and love.

Then, we must dedicate ourselves to something positive and contributive, where our soul makes a difference. That can be an organization, a person, or simply our commitment to a way of being.

Love and Purpose. A fine way to live, and, enough to work on for every moment!

Mallika Chopra is a mom, media entrepreneur, public speaker and published author.

She is the author of Just Breathe: Meditation, Mindfulness, Movement and More and Just Feel: How to be Stronger, Healthier, Happier and More – accessible, fun, how-to books filled with full-color illustrations written for 8-12 year olds. Mallika wrote these book to empower kids to learn how to deal with stress, sleep better, build self-confidence, understand social and emotional intelligence, and manage the anxiety so many of them face today.

In Living With Intent: My Somewhat Messy Journey to Purpose, Peace and Joy, Mallika shares insights she gained while seeking meaning and balance as a mom and entrepreneur who felt she was overwhelmed by work, family and too many responsibilities. Her previous books, 100 Promises to My Baby and 100 Questions from My Child, were gift books that have been translated and sold in over a dozen countries.

Mallika has taught meditation to thousands of people. She enjoys speaking to audiences around the world, and has shared her passion about intention, meditation, and living a life of purpose at conferences, companies, and festivals. Just some highlights include TedXSan Diego and TedXBerkeley, Ideacity, Business Innovation Factory, Wisdom 2.0, Women’s Conferences around the United States, and the Parliament of World Religions. She has shared ideas on balance and creativity at companies such as Coca Cola, Disney, LinkedIn and Google. She travels internationally for workshops on meditation and balance, as well speaks regularly at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing.

Mallika was the founder of Intent and co-founder of The Chopra Well with her brother, Gotham Chopra, and father, Deepak Chopra. She now blogs on www.intentblog.com. Her writing and work have been featured in many publications including Time.com, Self Magazine, Women’s Health, Prevention Magazine, OWN, Glamour, Oprah.com, Mind Body Green, the LA Times, and Huffington Post. She is featured in Time Magazine’s Special Issue on Mindfulness, and for Just Breathe did a fun segment for Good Morning America and many other national shows.

Mallika has a BA from Brown University, an MBA from Kellogg Business School, and an MA in Psychology and Education with a mind body spirit concentration at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Bio source: Mallika Chopra’s Personal Website; Images: Fig¹ Photo by John-Mark Smith on Unsplash, Fig² Photo by International Fund for Animal Welfare on Pexels, Bio Photo on Mallika Chopra.com

The Classic Pamela Positive: “The Soul Is The Core Of Your Being.” – Deepak Chopra

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“The soul is the core of your being. Your body is in your soul. Your mind is in your soul. The whole universe is in your soul, and your soul is part of the universal consciousness.”

― Deepak Chopra

Author and Lecturer

We get caught up in Silicon Valley. Caught up in the highrises of Hong Kong, our most expensive real estate in the world. Caught up in fashion, fancy dinners and high living.

But Deepak Chopra tells us we need to be caught up in the soul. In fact, everything relates to it. Our goodness, ethics, love, ability to help, care and do is essential to our soul. It’s essential that this expression of soul also helps others in the most meaningful and permanent way possible.

We can’t escape matters of the heart, and we can’t escape matters of the soul. It’s what populates our true being, and the true being of the world.

Be Invested In Soul Living,

Deepak Chopra is an India-born, American author and lecturer, focusing on spirituality and mind-body health. He began his career as a doctor, before moving into alternative medicine. He focuses on meditation and spiritual practices, and the effect of one’s thoughts and emotions on one’s physical health. He is a prominent figure in the New Age movement, and the author of more than 65 books, including 19 New York Times bestsellers. He has sold more than 20 million copies. His books include The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment, and Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment. Deepak and his wife, Rita, have been married for over 30 years, and they have two children.

Bio Source: Wikipedia, Deepak Chopra Official Website, https://www.deepakchopra.com/metahuman, OPRAH.COM, Published on May 15, 2012, “What’s the Secret to a Happy Life? Oprah Talks to Deepak Chopra”, http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Oprahs-Trip-to-India-Oprahs-Interview-with-Deepak-Chopra/4#ixzz1yHRQDozu ; Images: Fig¹. Photo by JD Mason on Unsplash Fig². Photo by Brett Zeck on Unsplash, Bio Photo on Wikimedia

The Classic Pamela Positive: Keep Your Balance

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I think one key point in life is to maintain balance — the balance between time for work, time for loved ones, time for oneself, time for interests outside of one’s business. It’s so important to keep that balance, or we’ll simply burn out.

I remember once when I was young in my career, and meeting with a fairly older, single woman. She was a successful venture capitalist. But I don’t know that I would consider her life successful. She traveled the world incessantly and was on every important board. But she seemed tired and joy was scarce. She told me to “Pack it all in.”

I didn’t. I kept my balance. I started a nonprofit and I did creative improv. I took care of my very young nephews and nieces. I loved life and I loved the people in my life.

We need to be renewed. We need to feel honored as whole, functioning people with families, outside interests, balanced lives, as well as our commitment to achieving the goals and vision of the organizations we run. The beauty of this balance is that I come back energized to UniversalGiving®. My mind has had “time off” and is thrilled to re-engage with our efforts to serve. I look at challenges in a new light. My energy is renewed. I bring new skills to the table; my thoughts are stronger and more helpful. It’s better for me－and for my organization.

Keeping Balanced for Me, for You and Our Way of Giving Back to the World,

Fig¹. Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash Fig². Photo by Vincent Delegge on Unsplash

The Classic Pamela Positive: “To Be an Altruist, You Must First Be an Egoist.”

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“To be an altruist, you must first be an egoist.”

―George Gurdjieff

Russian Philosopher, Mystic, Spiritual Teacher,

In 1919 Armenian George Gurdjieff founded the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man in Tbilisi, Georgia, in order to serve men in peace. Yet Mr. Gurdjieff’s commitment to helping others began with himself. It was about complete self awareness; absorption in meditation; and pushing oneself to a higher attunement to the Spirit. In so doing, we are then able to be conscious of our own spirituality as foremost in thought.

From that standpoint, we can then go on to help others. We see everyone connected in spirit. We wish the best for others as we strive for peace and perfect alignment for spirit for ourselves. So we focus first on our own spiritual commitment, before we focus on helping other’s spirit, in this wonderful journey of life.

George Gurdjieff was an Armenian mystic and philosopher. He traveled in the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia as a young man.

He was born to a Caucasus Greek father, and an Armenian mother in Alexandropol (now Gyumri). Early influences on him included his father, a carpenter and amateur ashik or bardic poet. The young Gurdjieff avidly read Russian-language scientific literature. Influenced by these writings, and having witnessed a number of phenomena that he could not explain, he formed the conviction that there is a hidden truth not to be found in science or in mainstream religion.

He taught in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and in 1919 he founded the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man at Tiflis (now Tbilisi), Georgia. In 1922 he reestablished the institute at Fontainebleau, France, gathering a group of followers who lived communally, engaging in philosophical dialogue, ritual exercises, and dance. His basic assertion was that ordinary living was akin to sleep and that through spiritual discipline it was possible to achieve heightened levels of vitality and awareness. The Fontainebleau centre closed in 1933, but Gurdjieff continued to teach in Paris until his death.

Bio Source: Wikipedia Fig¹. Photo by Paola Chaaya on Unsplash Fig². Photo by Josh Appel on Unsplash