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Eartha
Kitt, My Mother and You
by Dr.
Dorene Lehavi Ph.D.
Eartha Kitt
is 78 and my Mom is 91. They both still have undiscovered
songs in them. I recently heard EK say on TV that every
day she is discovering notes she didn't know she had, and
she is still performing them. My Mom is discovering a bunch
of challenging and fun things she never did before. Mom
is in a wheelchair, lives in a home for the aging, and has
discovered a love of crafts she never knew was in her. It
gives her great pleasure to have a ceramic or beaded piece
she crafted to give as gifts along with the collage greeting
cards she makes. When new ideas and media are introduced
she is willing to try everything.
It
always amazes me when much younger people come to me as
clients looking to broaden their lives or change them in
some way in order to find more fulfillment and happiness.
Yet they say to me, "This is all I know. I can't do anything
else." Please, folks, take another look. I know you'll find
many undiscovered talents and skills like Eartha's notes
and Mom's creations.
To
help you get started on this journey of self-discovery use
the first exercise in my book called Proud Moment Timeline.
- On
a piece of paper, list 5-year increments in age in the
left margin, leaving a few lines for each period of time.
Start with 5 - 10 years old (1 -5 if you were a prodigy),
then 10-15 etc., until you reach your present age.
-
In the lines next to the appropriate age, list the biggest
thing you accomplished that made you feel proud. Remember
this, your pride and your accomplishment is to be age-appropriate.
Don't diminish things that you now consider small. You
are recording what happened then.
If
you have trouble recalling a particular period of your life,
talk to people who were there at the time. You might also
dig out photographs that will jog your memory. As a result
of this exercise, people recall things they loved or had
long forgotten. Their journey caused them to take a different
road, leaving behind a true interest, talent or skill. Now
with this rediscovery they find a way to reincorporate it
into their lives.
Mom
at 91 and Eartha at 78 still have new songs to sing. How
many do you have?
I
always like to remind people…you are MUCH more than you
think you are.
To Your Success,
Dr. Dorene Lehavi, Ph.D., Master Coach
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