Category: Non-Fiction

concentrated woman carrying stack of cardboard boxes for relocation
Posted in Attitude, Non-Fiction, Power of Attraction, self-improvement

Do you set your goals, or do goals set you?

Posted on by Manny & Barbara Dean Aliaga

Goals like: Keep Clutter from Home Environment !

I have a love/hate relationship with keeping my home clean and uncluttered to my imagined standards. I often find myself feeling guilty for not taking care of every little thing a home demands. … according to my imagined standards.

I’m writing today to share with you what I want to avoid, and that is, imbalance. When I say imbalance, I mean I am happiest when my physical world is aligned with my non-physical world. So here are my thoughts worth sharing.

Shuttering with Cluttering

Have you ever walked into a room and felt sudden irritation?

Instead of blaming others, know it is a message coming directly from you. Look around. It doesn’t seem like anyone else is bothered by the state of the room.

In every moment there is an ebb and flow of tidiness/clutter! …Leftover dishes, empty bottles on a kitchen counter, papers, pencils, clothes on the floor or over a chair, shoes scattered around, etc.

We may not realize the thoughts triggered simply by seeing a messy sink.

When someone helps around the house and everything turns back to house beautiful, you breathe with quiet satisfaction! If you demanded that someone clean up their mess, their face tells you they don’t share your private standard, and don’t understand your sudden anger.

Don’t be surprised if you feel agitation when you don’t meet your standards. Avoid escalating this emotion which is trying to help you! It says: Something is off. So, SBYS (Stop before you speak)

Most times I can keep my surroundings reasonably tidy and clean, even with lots of cooking, art projects, on-going experimental projects. Keeping myself mentally balanced and reasonable, makes life enjoyable.

But once in a while, I find myself suddenly irritated by a room that was fine with me 10 minutes ago. Now I am irritated by the clutter.

Attention! Something’s off!

If I stop and think about this (become conscious of what is going on), I will receive and listen to unsettling feelings. Nervousness, agitation is sometimes awakened in my shadow memories, alerting me to uncertainty, dissatisfaction, self-disappointment.

Agitation is an emotional message.

I try to remember not to worry whether the irritation is about the people in the room, some memory, or the mess I see in the coffee table. I feel like yelling at the person in front of me! I remember in the knick of time to pause and take a deep breath!

Better retreat to internal self! Better stop for a moment!

I am wired to observe my ups and downs in life. Yet, when I feel off, I still need to make a conscious decision, every moment, to quiet myself down and choose the direction that feels better to me. Reword the phrases coming to me into softer responses.

Tidiness and Messiness are just examples of triggering these ATTENTION feelings. I translate these alert feelings as signs. I am not living in the way I have imagined I want to live.

I can either ignore the feelings by changing my goals. I can relax my standards and feel better. I can tidy up. I can take a nap and then meet my personal standards.

What I am learning more and more is this: I am the one who sets the goals for myself, … or let others set my goals. Goals have infinite possibilities.

I can change them, improve them, take a break from them, … it is up to me. I may wish to make a big change, a small change, or even ignore the whole thing, and take a nap or go for a ride!

A messy room is seldom an emergency. Sit back, breathe, and find many ways to talk about your wish for a room and the people you live with, plus your heavy schedules. Find a more gentler way to think about clutter and tidy areas, and decide if your standards fit who your are or want to be.

SUMMARY – Facing Your Created Goal Standard!

  • LISTEN TO YOUR FEELINGS OF AGITATION
    • Something is off! You are not following your own goals OR
    • Your goals are not coming from you, they may be objectively set.
    • OR, somewhere in between
  • MAKE A PLAN OF ACTION
    • Tidy up to your happy satisfaction, OR
    • Change your standard to meet your current big picture goals
    • OR, somewhere in between.
  • BREATHE AND ENJOY YOUR ABILITY TO HEAR AND RESPOND TO YOUR FEELINGS!

My Nana’s Rocking Chair - AbuNana.com
Posted in #art, Blog, Commitment to Write, Communication, Expressionism, Featured, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Power of Attraction, self-improvement

Poem to Nana’s Rocking Chair

Posted on by Manny & Barbara Dean Aliaga
My Nana’s Rocking Chair - AbuNana.com
My Nana’s Rocking Chair – AbuNana.com
My Nana‘s rocking chair, 
    by Barbara Dean Aliaga

66 years since Nana left
It’s in this chair I hold
Her love, her laugh,
Her hugs,  her embrace
This chair is my memory place.

In Nana’s eyes I could do no wrong,
Her smile would broaden,
Her eyes twinkle, yes , yes!
Her eyes sent bolts of love
This chair is my mourning dove.

She painted this chair canary yellow,
A sunshine message to all
To cheer her 6-year old daughter,
(Fatherless), after her husband’s passing.
This chair is a lesson in surpassing!

She rented out two floors of her home.
And made long-lasting friends of both.
Her laughter came yet also no-nonsense opine.
Yet back to laughter she rose.
This chair is my favorite repose.

I was ten when she left
But she’s with me everyday
to let me know, she loves that I’m unique
In all the universe and creation,
This chair is my communication.

Audio rendition of My Nana’s Rocking Chair

My Nana’s Rocking Chair
My Nana’s Rocking Chair, a poem by Barbara Dean Aliaga AbuNana.com

AT HOME ASSIGNMENT: Write in a notebook and describe your ordinary life, your emotional changes, your environment, your connection to nature, family, life.

How do you spend your day? What interests do you hold while you are at home? When do you feel the lowest? When do you feel fine? What have you learned about yourself during thee times?

Be sure to date each entry so you can look back with some clarity. When you don’t feel like writing, sketch your reactions to the day, doodle. Try to enter something each day until you have filled the notebook.

To help you, we’ve designed Labradoodle covers for your notebooks to keep you inspired, happy, upbeat and heading in the direction that is most helpful to you. You can even design your own cover, using a personalized template. Enjoy your life now. It is the only one you have. Be kind. Have fun. Stay happy!

Notebooks for Historical 2020 Journaling

Posted in #art, Children, Clothing, Communication, Excellence, Non-Fiction, personal growth, Poetry, Power of Attraction, Retail, self-improvement, Shirts for Kids, shirts for men, shirts for women, Uncategorized

Saint Bernard Puppy: Let’s Have Fun Today.

Posted on by Manny & Barbara Dean Aliaga
Posted in #art, Children, Clothing, Excellence, Non-Fiction, Power of Attraction, self-improvement, Uncategorized

We can do this!

Posted on by Manny & Barbara Dean Aliaga

Never Give Up. We can do this

There is no doubt, our entire world is experiencing an historic event. We are sheltered into isolation and we hear mixed messages until we become shaken.

Manny’s Favorite Subjects for Painting

Don’t give up. When you feel anxious, take a nap. Listen to music. Paint a picture. Call a friend. Refresh yourself. Remember you have rebounded before and this new experience will be no different. We will get through this! Listen to the news that serves you and leave news that does not serve you behind.

Stay busy. Do chores you particularly enjoy. Make cookies. Perhaps washing the dishes instead of using the dishwasher will become your favorite gift to yourself.

Be kind to yourself and to others. Let fear fall away. Replace fear with love. All you need is love. Be strong beautiful people! We will get through this together.

Remember, never give up. You, no we, can do this. We are not alone.

Peace