Category Archives: Relationships

Dreading the Holidays?

Are you DREADING the holidays?

There are lots of reasons that we sometimes don’t experience the joy that the lights and sounds and gatherings with friends and/or family that the holiday season can bring. Especially for those who have experienced childhood or adult relationship trauma and distress (including divorce), memories of Christmas past can be painful.

So to all of you who are TODAY’s ChangeMakers, who are facing obstacles head-on and creating positive change anyway, please know you are not alone.

If you need a little encouragement, I like this reminder that there is present-moment help and support. No one has gone too far or done to much that a TURN-around is not possible. Christ’s mercy can be extended to all who will turn to Him with full purpose of heart and a sincere desire to let go of misery and embrace the LIGHT.

“[Christ’s] mercy is the mighty healer, even to the wounded innocent.” ~Boyd K Packer, 2014

HE is the mighty healer.

Join me on my Family Tree Gal Facebook page. Let’s uplift our lives and hearts together!

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Carolyn Calton is an online educator and ReNEW YOU Life Strategist. As founder of FamilyTreeQuest.com, CarolynCalton.com and as CEO of Ron Newsom's LiahonaLightAcademy.com, Carolyn helps sincere, determined men and women embrace with certainty a safe, secure framework for creating their own brighter and happier future TODAY—no matter their past. Turning heartache to happiness, those who Join her ReNEW YOU Classes and Joyful Breakthrough Membership Circles at FamilyTreeQuest.com, learn how to turn stress, anxiety, anger and dysfunction to hope, direction, happiness and peace in order to renew and regenerate themselves, their families and family lines.

Spiritual Vitality Tip. We Almost Lost Her.

Service amid despair and Gratitude for service rendered

Remember, your choices today INfluence Generations!

I’m reflecting, with deep gratitude, on the loving service given to me and my children by MANY family members and friends during our times of deep distress last year.

My sweet youngest daughter, Marissa, was in crisis, and her oldest brother and second sister moved into quick action to get her from Arizona to Colorado. They took her directly to the hospital where I met her and stayed with her there. She was immediately placed on suicide watch. I remember, so well, her courage to do what it took to work through her anxiety, face her fears and to slowly, but steadily, release her depressed thoughts. Somewhere amid the gloom, she wanted to live and to create a better life–and that desire and determination won out over her despair.

We shared a room for many months, she got a job at TJ Maxx, got her Colorado license to do hair and began working as a stylist and makeup artist at a salon with the support of so many friends here in CO. She bought a little truck, and today she and her friends are moving into their own place! Small, deliberate steps created SUCH a huge miracle in her life!

Sincere service and Gratitude for service rendered are, indeed, heavenly qualities and gifts. The feelings I feel right now touch me deeply. Helping others while having a sincere heart and real intent adds up to making a huge difference in our world.

There are still so many wonderful people in our world, including Marissa’s friends, hospital staff, counselors, and friends here in Colorado, who, through their loving support during that tumultuous time, helped to keep my daughter safe and alive. I will be forever grateful for the loving, supportive, much-needed service of those who rose to the occasion, gave of themselves, and allowed me to still have the blessing of having my youngest daughter near. AND the untold sacrifices of my sweet Lisa, during and persisting through the months of Marissa’s recovery and continuing now are beyond measure and will be forever embedded in my heart. Jon and Lisa opened their both their home and their hearts, and no, it wasn’t always easy. The prayers and other enduring devotion to family shown by my other children and their spouses are also acknowledged.

The divine in me recognizes the divine in you,

INspired Action Step: Let us be grateful today for at least 3 people who have touched our lives in a meaningful way. Let us notice and be grateful every day for those people who bless us, help us and cause us to want to contribute positively to the lives of others as well.

Carolyn

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INspiration: Service

Here at CarolynCalton.com you will find spiritual messages of Hope and INspiration for TODAY’s ChangeMakers™. I help men and women turn stress, anxiety, anger and dysfunction to hope, direction, happiness and peace.

This Talk About It Tuesday message goes along with our ReNEW YOU Ten Minute Treasure INspirations topic of the month which is SERVICE. Topics are selected from the Principles and Attributes listed in my ebook JOURNALriffic.

A THOUGHT TO PONDER

When we serve others with a sincere and honest heart, we are also in the service of God–representing His love and light in the world. Other qualities of character we’ve developed through our experiences also contribute to our contributions such as faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, charity (the pure love of Christ), humility and diligence.

How should we serve?

We benefit ourselves and others the most when we ask God for His insight and guidance through prayer, believe we will receive an answer, and then we receive and take action on the guidance and INspiration that is provided. After that, we trust. As stated in Proverbs 3: 5-6

5 ¶Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

The original Ten Minute Treasures INspirations post can be found by clicking here.

REMEMBER
The choices we make TODAY have a ripple effect and can influence generations. As you ponder this thought, remember, YOURS is the spark that unites generations of power! By developing attributes of character that contribute to us helping ourselves and others and not hurting ourselves and others, we CAN change the story line of our lives and make a difference in the world.

It doesn’t matter how big or small a difference. A difference is a difference. It’s by small and simple things that great things come to pass. We influence one life and a time. We are on a quest to follow the 3 Guiding Purposes of TODAY’s ChangeMakers, which are:

1) Be happy and live a purpose-filled life today as TODAY’s ChangeMaker.
2) Prepare courageously and confidently for the future- come what may.
3) Glean wisdom from the past—rather than stay stuck in it.

If you have these desires and are willing to take action to create a happy purpose-filled life, then YOU are TODAY’s ChangeMaker.

If you would welcome some added support and encouragement in this topsy turvy world, please join our FREE ReNEW YOU Ten Minute Treasure INcouragement Calls and recorded messages. We are creating positive change from the INside out. Fill out the form below to be notified of our calls or click here for more information. I’m here to help you

• Lighten your burdens
• Ease your pain
• Strengthen your worthwhile relationships.

Join our mailing list below to receive notifications of our calls and links to hear limited-time replays if you can’t make the calls.

After joining our list here, which has a spiritual emphasis, I INvite you to CLICK HERE and leave your email there to receive Dr. Ron Newsom’s free presentation of HOW TO BE OF SERVICE WITHOUT GETTING HOOKED. Put things into perspective so you can develop positive relationship attributes in order to serve without losing your true identity (inner worth) by “getting hooked” into guilt, confusion, rejection, self-doubt, frustration, resentment, and depression while you give sincere service to others. Learn what you need to know to be able to “Think and Act” with “Positive Intent” regardless of the circumstances that you encounter.

CLICK HERE.

Ready. Set. Grow!

* I am the CEO of Dr. Newsom’s Liahona Light Institute of which the Liahona Light Academy is its online extention.

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Flattery and Empathy

Wow. I gained insight today as I read about a man named Gadianton “who was exceedingly expert in many words.” He used flattery, others bought into it, and it turned out to be more destructive through its ripple effect than could ever be imagined!

I concluded that it’s important that we DO NOT CONFUSE FLATTERY, which is insincere praise, WITH EMPATHY, which is a sincere seeking to understand another’s situation or feelings.

I realized that many good-hearted, empathetic people in our day may confuse flattery with empathy. Many stay in more-than-difficult situations because they see what seems to be good in another person and think it’s empathy, when underneath, in the heart of the other, there is deceit and calculated choices. Destruction is brewing.

Developing the quality of discernment is important in our lives today. Discernment is keen perception or insight. To me, this must be coupled with the influence and insight that comes from God into our own hearts, so that we may see clearly and know clearly what to do next in our lives and in our relationships.

The influence of good-hearted people is needed in our ever-darkening world. We must continue to shine the light of our positive influence without fear of being used and abused. To do this, I can see that discernment is needed, so we do not become prey to those with deceitful desires and self-centered, destructive purposes in their hearts.

We must also check our own heart and the methods we use to interact with others. Do we simply use flattery (insincere praise) to get our own way, or are we truly connecting heart-to-heart through empathy. We all long to be loved, appreciated and cared about. Choosing empathy is choosing a path to healthy connections if both parties have empathy in their hearts. Choosing flattery leaves you feeling emotionally flat and alone–even in a crowd.

Reference to Gadianton: Helaman 2:4-14 in the Book of Mormon

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Service amid despair and Gratitude for service rendered

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