Gal Pal Email 31st EditionMoving On Part II
A new attitude
1. Quips and Quotes
2. Jive Turkey Talk (aka Ebonics Lesson)
3. On the Flip Side
4. Mama's Korner (and other family antics)
5. She Speaks
6. BookStorian By Gal Pal Emily Rapoport
7. Announcements/ShoutOuts

Quips and Quotes:"To love is to seek the well being of another."

Jive Turkey Talk:
Crunk:adj,verb,noun,adverb; past,future, and present infinitive and participles.
Crunk is a phenomenon which occurs when an individual becomes (happy, excited, angry, passionate, etc...) beyond one's ability to control his or her self. Crunk is known to be highly contagious, as well as addictive, and extended periods of crunk (aka crunkery, crunkitude, crunkness, crunkilation, etc...) may lead to death, either of the individual who is at the time crunk, or those surrounding said crunk individual.It is used in the south loosely when describing to have a good time (crazy+drunk)
This word is made famous by Lil Jon, now people just use it about having a good time in genera

lOn the Flip Side:
When I was prior to double digits in age, I eagerly anticipated Christmas and saw it as a time to get presents. I was excited because outside my birfday, it was the only other time that I received gifts in a year. My eldest sister was the most giving santa claus. By the time I was ten she was 30 and she gave as if I were her own child. The tree always seemed bear until Kathy came home and magically the tree would be full of special treats, some for me. However, something that I was not learning at the heart of the Christmas spirit was a spirit of thankfulness and gratefulness. One holiday season, my sister was sad, after gift giving she commented on how ungrateful I was and although I was really confused by her comments by the time I got to high school her comments of my attitude still stung.

Eventually I came to understand what she meant by own attitude when I began performing acts of service for people because I just felt compelled to do so. When you are trying to help someone or you are giving something to one of your loved ones and they do not respond with the a grateful attitude, you feel like you are being taken advantage of, even if the giving on your part is unsolicited. It took many times of getting my heart broken by others for me to remember what my sister said. Then I finally felt the way that she did. There is a myth from a favorite movie of mine that says, "Love means never having to say your sorry," which is not what I think that lead in this movie was meaning with the words that she said, but how when you love someone, there are things that you may choose to look over even if it hurts.

The thing is, because we love, we should admit our offenses and how they may hurt the people that we love and who love us the most. The lesson that I learned the hard way, was that being thankful, or expressing a disposition of gratefulness and appreciation is something that we should all do a little bit more of. In fact I don't think that we can do wrong by ensuring that not just when people give of material things but when also they give their time, words, services, and even hugs...making sure that once and a while they FEEL in the way they need it the most, that we appreciate them. Learning how to be thankful and appreciating others is one of the most important lessons we acquire. Now everyday I make a mental checklist of those who I should thank, and even though I still make mistakes, I want to ensure that at some point, people who are close to me, feel appreciated and loved for how they add to my life, in any way that they do that. Mama's Korner:This year I will be doing something different, in order to honor all moms, I will be taking submissions of mama or grandma stories for this portion of the newsletter. Please submit/respond to this email with your story (stories).My Grandma and I had a discussion about friends. She has been at the point for a while where many of her life long friends have been or have started to pass away. She reminded me of the importance of celebrating your gal pals. SO remember to rock on and show your friends mass love. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. She Speaks (Remember you can submit your own words here):
Develop your positive attitude!
Here are some ways to help you develop a more positive attitude and better manage the stressors in your life:
Listen to internal dialogue. Divide one or more sheets of paper into two columns and, for a few days, jot down in the left column all the negative thoughts that come into your head. Rewrite each thought in a positive way in the second column. Practice doing this in your mind until it becomes a habit. (For example, "I'll never get this finished by the end of the day!" could become, "I will probably get most of this finished by the end of the day.")

Learn to communicate. Not saying the things we feel can lead to a sense of frustration, hurt, anger or anxiety . If you find communicating difficult, or are afraid of arguments or bruised feelings, take a course in communicating effectively.
Get back to basics. Reconnect with old friends, take the dog for a walk, visit an art gallery or listen to your favourite music. Enjoy a long, relaxing bath, read a great book, tell your child a story, or ask an older relative to tell you one! It is the simplest things in life that give us the most pleasure...

Help someone out. The simple act of helping others helps us to feel good. Pick up groceries for an aging neighbour, volunteer at your local hospital or read a book to someone with failing eyesight. If you are unsure of how to help out in your community, call your nearest volunteer centre. Find your spirituality. Research has shown that those who have developed their spirituality through associating with other spiritual individuals or having their own personal and unique beliefs, live longer, more satisfying lives.
The secret is practicing those beliefs, either through organized spiritual associations, or simple meditation in a quiet place. Allow yourself to be loved. The ability to love and be loved is the most basic human trait. We, as a society, have become disconnected from this most basic need - fear-centred emotions (depression, loneliness, guilt and anger) are the symptoms. Finding ways to reconnect with others is extremely helpful in developing a positive attitude. The following link is very enlightening.
The Web of Love - Reconnecting with Source www.WebofLove.org

Allow yourself to laugh and find humour in the simplest of things. Laughter is a powerful mood elevator. If you are feeling down, read some jokes, watch a funny movie or just act "silly" once in awhile. At times, it is a good thing to let yourself see the world through a child's eyes. Click here for examples of silly things that help diffuse stress. Participate in new physical and mental activities to improve confidence levels and coping mechanisms. It could be as easy as learning the meanings of new words to build confidence. Follow the principles of holistic health (better nutrition and exercise help improve mood and attitude) Remember that the mainstream media focuses on information that leads to fear, negative thoughts and emotion. Find other more positive things to do with your precious moments such as reading a great positive book, a walk in nature or volunteering with people and animals.

It is all about letting go of the "emotional baggage" that holds us back from true enlightenment! All that you require is already within you, so do not give your power away by blindly following others. Rather, trust in the goodness that already resides within your heart. Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart.Who looks outside, dreams.Who looks inside, awakens.
Carl Jung

Shout Outs:I just hope that everyone had a great summer and prepare for the new season in weather and in life...
oh and GO BUCKS...ha ha

Congrats on births, pregnancies, marriages, and engagements