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Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives. Such striving may seem admirable, but it is the way of foolishness. Help them instead to find the wonder and the marvel of an ordinary life. Show them the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples and pears. Show them how to cry when pets and people die. Show them the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand. And make the ordinary come alive for them. The extraordinary will take care of itse..
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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Let love start this day. Let love end this day. Let love transform the minutes in between.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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Just be here, I thought to myself one night. Just be right where I am now, I vowed as I snuggled in close. Don't think about the dishes piled in the sink, or the messages in the inbox, or the trash needing to go curbside, or the ache in your hip in need of an ice pack. Just think about the precious girl in need of a little time with her mom.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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I am going to do things a little differently today. Today the clock will not run my life. My heart will run my life. When there is love to be given, I will resist the impulse to decide if I have time, because I know there is always, always time for love.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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You are never too far gone to come back. You are never too tarnished to be made new. You are never too broken to be made whole. It's never too late to make changes. It's never too late to begin again. It's never too late to choose love.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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THE ULTIMATE HANDS FREE LIFE HABIT BUILDER If I Live to Be 100 If I live to be 100, it won't be because I tidied up the house before I left each day. It will be because of the glorious mess I made while I was living life.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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The most life-changing experiences happen when I stop trying to control and simply let things unfold.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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You have the power to pursue the passions of your heart without sacrificing your job or your daily responsibilities.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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You can do anything, but you can't do everything,
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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A compassionate response holds saving power--power to save a bond, save a line of communication, save a person's pride, save a moment, save a day, maybe even save a life.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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Because it is in the moments that I choose what matters over distraction that I make lasting connections and create priceless memories with the people I love.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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Today I will set aside my insecurities and ask my spouse, child, parent, or loved one if I can hold them close. I will listen to their heartbeat, breathe in their scent, and tell them how much I love them. There will be obstacles and challenges that will interfere in carrying out these moments of connection, but I will not let the distractions of my life stop me from investing in what matters most -- at least not today.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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Simply let go of distraction for one moment. In that moment, you have the power to make a significant connection with another human being. You have the opportunity to be in the right place at the right time.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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In that moment I made a vow. No matter what happens around me, no matter what I feel I need to do, I will never be the first to let go.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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Be an example of what it means to live presently, and continually verbalize the benefits you receive from living Hands Free.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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Choosing connection over distraction offers a chance to nurture your most sacred relationships -- now and in the future.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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In what ways does your daily pace interfere with your ability to sit, relax, and be available to the ones you love?
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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On this journey to grasp what really matters, discomfort often comes before growth; hurt before healing; regret before promise. By going to the darkest places in our soul, we find light. This first and most difficult step in the journey offers the chance of a new beginning -- a chance to grasp the moments that matter from this day forward.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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You have the power to live in the now despite that inner nudge pushing you out of the moment toward perfection and productivity.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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THE HANDS FREE PLEDGE I'm becoming Hands Free. I want to make memories, not to-do lists. I want to feel the squeeze of my child's arms, not the pressure of overcommitment. I want to get lost in conversation with the people I love, not consumed by a sea of unimportant emails. I want to be overwhelmed by sunsets that give me hope, not by overloaded agendas that steal my joy. I want the noise of my life to be a mixture of laughter and gratitud..
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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That More Peaceful Person started with one calm reaction in the midst of chaos. That
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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At least three times every day take a moment and ask yourself what is really important. Have the wisdom and the courage to build your life around your answer.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon -- instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today. Dale Carnegie
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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What would love do? I ask myself as I look in the mirror and start picking myself apart. Love would look past the reflection and say, "Look how far I've come." Love would say, "I'm grateful for another day."
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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It's critical to see all you are rather than what's missing, imperfect, unattractive, or broken. You see, there's someone who looks at you and sees something he or she can hold on to. You're a keeper.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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Nothing was more important than being with the God-given gift of the person in front of me.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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when it comes to building up a human being, unconditional attention is just as important as unconditional love.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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Ban the mirror. It cannot reflect how much you are loved.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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I just want to celebrate you as you are instead of waiting for you to become what the world expects you to be.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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I just want to hear you laugh. I don't care about perfect pitch. I just want to see you smile. I don't care about golden trophies that shine. I just want to give you a soft place to land. I don't care about what place you come in. I just want you to be comfortable in your skin. I don't care about the blemish on your nose or the size of your jeans. I just want to love you today, as you are. I don't care about what the world expects you to be..
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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beautifully illustrated what it means to live in authenticity: to acknowledge unpleasant feelings, like shame and humiliation, and give voice to them. She then asked someone she trusted to sit with her in her sadness -- without smoothing over the negative feelings or brushing them away.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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So go on, extraordinary one. Live and let live. Love and be loved. Bloom in time--in your own time. Now I see you for who you really are. And you are a wonder.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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The beauty of life is, while we cannot undo what is done, we can see it, understand it, learn from it and change. So that every new moment is spent not in regret, guilt, fear or anger, but in wisdom, understanding and love. Jennifer Edwards
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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It is in the times I least want to be Hands Free that I most need to be Hands Free.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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allow yourself to rest, I will renew you and fill you with peace." It suddenly occurred to me that perhaps "doing" for God was not the way he intended for me to live. Instead, perhaps I should try "being" for God."
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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Despite the choices of the past, today we are presented with a blank page. A beautifully flawed, yet memorable and gratitude-filled life is at our fingertips. But we must dig in--dig in to the gooey, heavenly mess that is life. When we make the choice to grasp what really matters, things often turn out better than expected. May you find a moment today to open your hands, say yes, and dig in.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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When we see each other's scars, we love each other more.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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The only person who could protect my time was me.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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What would love do when hate-filled words and cliques build barriers that keep people out? Love would look for the lonely, excluded, and alienated. Love would reach out a hand and say, "Come as you are. There's a place for you here."
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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No matter what I am in the middle of doing, No matter how inconvenient it is to look up, No matter how busy I think I am, When my children walk in the room, When my children hop in the car, When my children and I are reunited after a separation, The world is going to stop for a moment. And I will shine my love into their eyes and into their hearts, So my children see and feel how much I love them.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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Let me consider the possibilities for a moment: What might result if love becomes my default choice today? What opportunities might open up? What connections might be repaired? What moments might I capture that otherwise might be missed? Who might I start becoming? Today I have the chance to make grand possibilities come to life. I will choose love as much as I humanly can.
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Rachel Macy Stafford |
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That red leaf is so much more than an ordinary leaf; it is a day in my life, and quantities are limited. Whether it be a frantic Monday or a draining Wednesday, each day is a leaf drifting down, down, down. It might not be a vibrant, red leaf that takes my breath away, but it's a leaf that will never be on my tree of life again.
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gratitude
hopeful-and-encouraging
motivational
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Rachel Macy Stafford |