Olga de Lange
REALTOR®
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Olga de Lange
Designing Dreams, Staging Reality, Living Fearlessly
BY
ELIZABETH MCCABE • PHOTOS BY MARIA BAY, CASA BAY PHOTOGRAPHY
What’s it like to be a real estate professional with an architectural background?
it’s priceless.”
She designs and builds homes. She stages them. She sells them. And somehow, along the way, Olga de Lange of milehimodern makes it all look effortless. Forget power suits and high heels — Olga’s uniform is jeans and a T-shirt. Down-to-earth, approachable, and authentic, she’s the kind of real estate professional who instantly puts clients at ease.
“I never wear suits,” she laughs. “Hardly any makeup. I’m a very casual person.”
But beneath that easygoing exterior is a mind wired for design, strategy, and the kind of real estate magic most can only dream of.
From Poland to Colorado: A Journey in Design and Discovery Born in Poland, Olga made what she thought would be a temporary move to the U.S. at age 19, following her mother to Mississippi, where she was pursuing a research project.
“Once you move and you’re an immigrant, you’re neither 100 percent from there anymore nor 100 percent from here,” Olga reflects. “It gives you a detached — perhaps more objective — perspective on things, and there’s no way to depart from it.”
After earning a five-year accredited degree in architecture from Mississippi State University, Olga met her future husband, Marcel, a Dutch exchange student from Amsterdam, Netherlands. Their shared passion for design sparked both a personal and professional partnership that would shape their future.
“After graduation, Marcel and I came to Colorado with the intention of staying for a year and then moving back to Europe,” she smiles. “That was in 2001.” That “temporary” move became permanent, and the couple has been designing and building homes — and a life — in Colorado ever since.
From Architect to Real Estate Visionary
For a decade, Olga worked as an architect, designing dream homes and managing projects for firms in Boulder. Eventually, she and Marcel founded 641 West Design, focusing on residential architecture and construction. Marcel has also taught design at CU Boulder for more than 20 years.
Today, real estate takes center stage for Olga, but her roots in architecture remain the foundation of her work. Together, she and Marcel still collaborate on design and development projects — primarily speculative homes.
“What’s it like to be a real estate professional with an architectural background? It’s priceless,” she says.
Olga brings a rare combination of technical expertise and creative insight. She understands homes from the inside out — blueprints, materials, renovation potential, and all. For clients, that means more than a transaction; it’s a guided, informed experience led by someone who sees not just what a property is, but what it could become.
For first-time buyers especially, she’s a patient teacher, a straight shooter, and a trusted guide who makes the process feel effortless.
The Art of Staging Olga also thrives in the creative chaos of staging.
“Being a stager is one of my favorite things,” she says. “I love all the prep work that goes into putting a house on the market.”
She personally curates items from her storage units, hand-selecting each piece to bring a space to life. Furniture she’s collected over the years, art, and accessories come together in a perfectly balanced composition.
“I go into it with my heart and soul,” she says. “I don’t just prep a home for sale — I orchestrate it.”
The result? Listings that stand out, attract the right buyers, and sell quickly.
A Philosophy Built on Relationships When asked about her secret to success, Olga doesn’t hesitate:
“I don’t have a method for success,” she admits. “It’s all relationships — word of mouth, recommendations, and doing the work well enough that people can’t help but notice.”
And notice they do. With more than 15 years in real estate, she’s built a reputation for integrity, follow-through, and a meticulous eye for detail. Olga works with first-time buyers, repeat clients, and developers alike, approaching each project with fresh energy and focus.
“This is what makes being a real estate broker so interesting,” she says. “Every client is different, and that keeps it exciting.”
Family, Freedom, and Fearless Living
Family remains at the heart of Olga’s story. Her daughter is studying architecture in New York, and her son is pursuing business and product technology in California. Annual trips to Europe keep their Polish-DutchAmerican roots strong.
Even as an “empty nester,” Olga’s days are full — and her phone is always buzzing with calls and updates from her kids.
“When do I not work?” she laughs. “That’s something I’m still figuring out.”
When she does step away from the office, Olga embraces the outdoors. Whether she’s hiking the Rockies, exploring her 35-acre property in the Boulder foothills, or simply soaking in Colorado’s natural beauty, she lives fully and fearlessly. Travel, food, culture — she drinks it all in, shaped by her European heritage yet wholly at home in Colorado.
A Legacy of Creativity and Connection
Olga de Lange is more than a broker, architect, or stager — she’s a fullspectrum creator. She transforms blank spaces into homes infused with life, love,
and legacy. Her energy is contagious, her vision unmatched.
Expect great things from Olga de Lange — because designing dreams, staging reality, and living fearlessly isn’t just what she does. It’s who she is.
OLGA DE LANGE olga@milehimodern.com https://olgadelange.com/ (720) 201-9319
I go into it with my heart and soul,” she says. “I don’t just prep a home for sale — I orchestrate it.”
WILDFIRE MITIGATION & PREPAREDNESS IN BOULDER COUNTY
JENN DINGMAN, INDIAN PEAKS RESIDENT
Hello, and welcome to this month’s issue of IP Eco Tips & News! In this article we will talk about Wildfire Mitigation & Emergency Preparedness. We will cover what Boulder County is doing for wildfire mitigation, what you can do for home protection, how to sign up for emergency alerts, and other recommendations to be prepared. We covered this topic earlier this year, however this issue will include updates to Wildfire Partners programs and rebates that weren’t in place earlier this year. Some wildfire mitigation recommendations apply to homeowners with larger parcels of land, but homeowners can also do things to make their home less likely to ignite and also be prepared in the event of an emergency.
Wildfire Mitigation in Boulder County
In 2022, Boulder County voters approved a new sales and use tax (ballot measure 1A) to increase the pace and scale of wildfire mitigation efforts and additional resources to help residents of Boulder County.
This funding has helped increase staff that are responsible for improving and expanding existing programs as well as adding new programs and services such as outreach and education, strategic fuels mitigation (forest and grasslands), home assessments & rebate programs for home hardening, community chipping, community forestry sort yards, and grants administration.
One existing program expanded with this funding is Boulder County’s Wildfire Partners program, which supports homeowners in preparing for and protecting their homes against wildfire.
Wildfire Mitigation for your Home
In wildfire events, 60-90% of home loss is due to embers. Embers can originate from an approaching wildfire or small parts of nearby burning vegetation and construction materials (e.g., a home, storage shed, wood pile).
Several things can be done to make your home less vulnerable to falling embers or approaching fire. Following are some recommendations in the Wildfire Home Retrofit Guide:
Defensible space around the home:
• 0-5 feet around the home should be a zone of ember resistant materials, such as brick, gravel, concrete or another hardscape feature/material. This is especially true between houses built close together. Make sure this area is free of dried leaves, pine needles or other combustible debris.
• Vegetation 5-30 feet around the home should be “lean, clean and green”.
This means that vegetation should be minimal, with dead material removed and well irrigated.
• The zone 30-100 feet around the home should be managed so that it reduces the spread of fire and restricts fire movement into the crowns of trees. Remove dead plant material, lower tree branches and other ladder fuels (e.g., shrubs, lower branches, smaller trees).
Roofs:
• Making a roof “fire-safe” is a big step in reducing the vulnerability of the home to wildfire.
• Utilize Class A shingles if re-roofing your home as these are most fireresistant shingles.
• Remove any accumulated debris or leaves from the roof and gutters
Fences:
• Combustible fencing can provide a direct path to a home if surrounding vegetation or embers ignite it. Best practice is to separate the fence from the house or upgrade the last 5-feet of the fence to a noncombustible material to reduce the chance of the fence from bringing fire to the home. Metal, masonry, and fiber cement are all suggested noncombustible fencing materials by Wildfire Partners.
• Remove vegetative debris from the base of fences on a regular basis
Vents:
• During a wildfire event, embers can be sucked into the home via vents and other gaps or holes. Screening vents using 1/8” metal screening, or replacing them with wildfire resilient vents, is a crucial element of wildfire mitigation best practices.
• NOTE Some vents exhaust the home’s furnace or radon systems and should not be modified – consult a professional.
• You can also contact Wildfire Partners at https://wildfirepartners. org/ to schedule an assessment for your home or HOA/community.
Wildfire Partners 2025 Programs for Homeowners & HOAs:
Wildfire Partners provides Boulder County residents with rebates up to $500 for labor and/or cash expenses to implement eligible wildfire mitigation actions on their Boulder County properties (see below). Rebates are limited to one per household per Boulder County property annually. Details on these programs can be found at wildfirepartners.org
• Junk your Junipers
• Fences are Fuses
• The First Five Feet
• Vents for Defense
• Cut the Clutter
• Protect Home Base
Boulder County Emergency Notices
Multiple improvements have been made to the alert and warning systems used by the four 911 dispatch centers in Boulder County in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire. Sign up for emergency notices through the Boulder County Office of Emergency Management at www.BOCOAlert.org, and click on “Sign Up” in the banner. This includes making sure you have an up-to-date number registered with the Reverse 911 system. No land-line? No problem - register your cell phone, email, work phone, and more.
Other Recommendations to Prepare for a Wildfire:
• Review your insurance policy to verify that you are insured for the full replacement value of your home and your policy is up to date.
• Document your home with both photos and videos for insurance purposes. Take photos of every room and especially high-end appliances and items.
• Know the 5 P’s of emergency evacuation - People, Pets, Prescriptions, Photos & important Papers. Consider creating a “bug-outbag” as detailed at www.backwoodshome.com or a more
extensive emergency kit as outlined at www.lafayetteco.gov/688/ Make-an-Emergency-Kit
• Get to know your neighbors. Community connections and identifying vulnerable populations in your neighborhood could make the difference between life and death.
• I hope this article was helpful to you and gave you some thoughts on how to be prepared in the event of a wildfire in our area. If you have questions or ideas for future articles, please email me at IPEcoTips@gmail.com.
Sources: bouldercounty.gov/disasters/ wildfires/mitigation/ wildfirepartners.org/ bouldercounty.gov/disasters/wildfires/ mitigation/wildfire-resources-andinformation/#home-ignition-zone backwoodshome.com lafayetteco.gov/688/ Make-an-Emergency-Kit
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Cultivating Calm and Connection:
Inside the World of Shannon Andrews Palo
BY ELIZABETH MCCABE • PHOTOS BY MARIA BAY, CASA BAY PHOTOGRAPHY WWW.CASABAYPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
“I love living in Boulder County – no matter where I travel, I’m always happy to return home,” smiles Shannon Andrews Palo.
Thirty-five years ago, she came to Boulder to run the BOLDERBoulder when her nephew attended graduate school here. Little did she know that she would fall in love. Not just with her husband, who happened to be her nephew’s roommate, but also with Boulder itself.
The choice was made. “I moved to Boulder permanently six months later,” she says. Why? There was simply too much to resist. “It’s the people, the proximity to the mountains, and the beauty. It’s a great place to live,” she points out. Over the years, several family members followed suit, moving to the area as well.
A Colorado native who’s called Boulder County home ever since, Shannon came armed with a degree in marketing. After living in France on and off for two years, working at an American art foundation, she found a new career. “I worked as the global events coordinator for UCAR,” she says. It was there that she managed scientific meetings around the globe with care. She especially enjoyed her trips to Dakar, Senegal, and Montevideo, Uruguay.
She and her husband Scott, an aerospace engineering professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, have two boys. “When the boys were young,
I quit working with all the traveling he was doing,” she shares. Her husband traveled regularly, including 12 times to Antarctica for his job, and Shannon got involved with her boys’ school as an active volunteer, treasuring her time with them. During this time, Shannon and the boys had the amazing opportunity to join Scott on his travels to Tasmania for eight weeks and New Zealand for three months. They all loved the wild nature of Tasmania.
“Once the boys graduated, I was ready to put my entrepreneurial hat back on.
I got my real estate license,” she says with pride. “People say I have a calming influence,” she shares. “I’m a creative problem solver and my natural skill set just fits this career.”
Eight years later, Shannon has built a thriving business through connection, collaboration, and community. “About 80% of my business comes from referrals,” she explains. “By the time we reach the closing table, they aren’t just clients, but close friends.” She often celebrates closings with dinner or farmto-table gatherings. “We stay in touch,”
“People say I have a calming influence.
I’m a creative problem solver and my natural skill set just fits this career.”
she adds. “I genuinely want to stay connected and hear about their latest adventures and successes.”
At milehimodern, Shannon thrives in a culture of collaboration. “I go to the gym with a few other agents and we talk real estate the entire time,” she laughs. “It’s great for troubleshooting transactions and supporting each other.”
Her secret to success? Building trust through transparency and consistency. “Clients need to know what to expect at every step,” she says. “And when I don’t have an answer, I have an incredible network of professionals to lean on: other agents, my managing broker, and my number-one coach, my husband.”
In addition to being a professor, Scott is also an entrepreneur, leading a startup that uses lasers to enable satellitebased broadband communication. “When someone asks about the housing market, he usually answers before I do,” Shannon jokes. “He brings a great analytical perspective to my world.”
That entrepreneurial spark runs through the entire Palo family. Their older son, Erik, recently earned his MBA from Columbia University, while their younger son, Alex, a computer science graduate from CU, spent five years at a health care startup and now works in strategy and operations for Labcorp.
At home, Shannon and Scott love to garden and grow more than 25 varieties
of tomatoes from seed each year and share their bounty with neighbors, friends, students, and clients. “There’s always a box of vegetables outside Scott’s office door,” she says. “They disappear quickly.” Shannon’s boys also love cooking. “When we are together, we are all in the kitchen and it revolves around a menu,” she comments. Every fall they make lasagna bolognese. “It’s so delicious and the house smells amazing.”
(Recipe: Lasagna Bolognese Simplified, Cooks Illustrated, September 2004)
Shannon’s love for design and aesthetics also runs deep, a passion that perfectly complements her work at milehimodern, a brokerage known for blending artistry with real estate. “I’ve always been drawn to home design,” she
says. “At milehimodern, we talk about the emotion of a home with its light, flow, and sense of story. What makes a space memorable? What makes it feel like you belong there?”
That philosophy extends outdoors, too. “In Boulder, we live outside,” Shannon adds. “We have over 300 days of sunshine, so outdoor spaces are an extension of our homes.” Think cozy, covered patios for reading, open areas for entertaining, and a natural flow that connects inside and out. Expect to find Shannon outside as well, recharging on hikes with friends, morning walks with Scott and watching the sunset from their back deck. “I prioritize time for rejuvenation so I can be the best person for my clients and family.”
When she’s not helping clients find their perfect home, Shannon finds joy in hosting community art events, spotlighting local artists at her office. “I love connecting clients and friends with creative people in our community,” she says. “It’s another way to celebrate this place we all love.”
Connection defines Shannon’s world, whether to nature, to community, or to the people she serves. Whether she’s enjoying weekend golf dates with Scott, hosting dinner for 40 family members, or guiding a client toward a home that feels just right, Shannon brings heart, balance, and authenticity to every moment.
After all, as she puts it, “When you buy a home, it’s a reason to celebrate.”
Shannon Andrews Palo shannon@milehimodern.com 720-530-5289
https://www.shannonandrewspalo.realtor/ https://www.instagram.com/ bouldercountyhomes/ https://www.facebook.com/ ShannonPaloRealEstate https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonandrews-palo-5b5a44167/
From Backyard to Bottom Line: Why ADUs Belong in Every Colorado Agent’s Winter Game Plan
BY JESSICA CHARLESWORTH, FOUNDER & CEO OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN ADUS
Winter in Colorado real estate can be quiet - at least on the surface. The phones slow down, listings take their time, and everyone seems to be waiting for spring. But this season isn’t a pause; it’s an opening. The smartest agents use this time to quietly set the stage for their next wave of wins.
Here’s one of the best-kept secrets changing the game right now: Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs.
No longer just a creative solution for a few adventurous homeowners, ADUs have become a smart, practical option for families who want flexibility, for investors looking to boost yield, and for agents who want to offer more than a transaction.
So while the market rests, pour something warm, review your client list - and start the conversations that could define your next season.
The Demand Is Real - and Personal Every day, Colorado homeowners are making decisions that go beyond resale value. They’re thinking about parents who shouldn’t live alone anymore. Kids who returned from college and stayed. Rents that make “starter home” feel like fiction. And in many cases, investors looking to maximize underutilized properties without buying new land.
• Empty nesters downsize into a backyard home and rent the main house to family
I see it in my business all the time:
• A daughter builds a small cottage for her mother to age in place
• A couple adds a studio above the garage for their 20-something son
• A buy-and-hold investor adds an ADU to improve long-term cash flow on a single-family rental
These aren’t hypotheticals - they’re happening now. And more agents are
realizing that these second units can unlock first-rate client relationships.
How ADUs Create New Wins for Real Estate Professionals
For real estate professionals, ADUs offer more than creative housing. They offer a strategic edge - one that opens new conversations and new commissions.
Ask Smarter Questions to Open Bigger Doors
Clients usually focus on beds, baths, and school districts. But when agents introduce ADUs, buyers start asking:
• Could we keep our parents close without giving up privacy?
• Would this lot support a rental unit to help cover the mortgage?
• Could we live here now and plan for future care - or future income?
By raising the ADU topic early, you shift from agent to advisor. And that shift builds loyalty that lasts well beyond one deal.
Spotting ADU-Ready Lots Before Everyone Else
Not every property is ready for an ADU - but the ones that are? Those become marketable in a whole new way.
Think corner lots, alley access, detached garages, large yards. If you can identify those early and highlight their flexibility, you instantly position your listings differently. That’s powerful, especially in a slower season when standing out matters most.
Teamwork Over Guesswork
You don’t need to master zoning codes or construction specs. You just need to know who to call.
Teaming up with an ADU builder or consultant gives you:
• Quick feasibility feedback on potential deals
• A value-add during buyer or seller conversations
• Support that doesn’t add hours to your calendar
When your clients hear “Let me bring in someone who can walk you through this,” you’ve already earned their trustand likely, their next referral.
Four Client Types Worth Calling This Winter
ADUs open doors - even during a seasonal slowdown. Here are four types of clients worth reaching out to now:
Families Gathered for the Holidays
These conversations often begin at the dinner table:
• “Mom shouldn’t do another winter alone.”
• “What’s the plan if Dad’s health changes?”
Agents who can offer real options - like a separate suite in the backyard - become part of the solution.
Homes Near Hospitals or Universities
Traveling nurses, medical staff, and grad students drive short-term housing demand. An ADU near these hubs can serve family, renters, or both - and increase buyer interest.
Downsizers Who Don’t Want to Leave the Neighborhood
Some homeowners want less house, but not less connection. An ADU lets them stay put and shift living arrangements without sacrificing community.
Buy-and-Hold Investors Planning for 2025
This is a key growth audience. Investors want to expand rental income without new land purchases. ADUs offer a rare chance to do just that - especially when combined with rising demand for flexible, private rentals.
Proof the ADU Market Isn’t Slowing Down
This trend has traction:
• 1 in 5 U.S. households is now multigenerational - a sharp increase over the last decade
• In 2024, 17% of home purchases were made with extended family living in mind
• Colorado jurisdictions are actively rewriting zoning to support ADUs, and permit volume is rising
• Investors are targeting ADU-ready lots in cities like Denver, Longmont, Fort Collins, Grand Junction and Colorado Springs
Yet most agents aren’t talking about it. That’s your opening.
ADUs Aren’t Just Small HomesThey’re Big Solutions
At Rocky Mountain ADUs, we work with families and investors across Colorado who are reshaping what home looks like. We see caregivers moving into backyard suites, boomerang kids living independently next door, seniors aging with dignity - and investors creating flexible, valuable housing on underused land.
These aren’t side projects. They’re how real people solve real problems - often without needing to move or take on massive new debt.
As the agent, when you’re the first to say, “This property might be perfect for a backyard home,” you’re not just earning trust. You’re making yourself essential.
Timing Is EverythingEspecially Now
The slower winter months give you the margin to:
• Revisit listings with untapped potential
• Reconnect with clients making long-term plans
• Partner with an ADU expert to build your referral network
• Prepare for spring listings that offer more than square footage
ADUs are only going to become more visible in 2025. The agents who know how to spot them, talk about them, and partner around them will lead the next wave of client success.
You Can Turn Housing Challenges Into Long-Term Opportunities
The best agents aren’t just closers. They’re connectors - the ones who ask the question no one else has thought to ask yet.
ADUs offer a way to lead, differentiate, and deepen your client relationships. Whether it’s an aging parent, a future tenant, a child who’s not quite ready to launch - or a buy-and-hold investor
looking to make the numbers work - the people you serve are asking for flexibility.
Now’s the time to be the one who shows them it’s possible - right in their own backyard.
Jessica Charlesworth is the Founder & CEO of Rocky Mountain ADUs, a Colorado-based design-build firm specializing in backyard homes and multigenerational housing solutions. Her team partners with real estate professionals statewide to make ADUs approachable, feasible, and profitable. Learn more at www.rockymtnadus.com.
Jessica Charlesworth
720-807-5445
303-579-8317 Cell jessica@rockymtnadus.com rockymtnadus.com
BY THE NUMBERS
Boulder County
Denver County
Northern Colorado
Christmas & Holiday Gifts
BY DR. FELICIA SANTELLI
‘Tis the season of “Giving”! I offer these gift ideas for you to ponder, to take into your heart, and perhaps, give to others or perhaps share them with those on your holiday list.
When you give to yourself, you give to others! You share it in your heart! They feel it in theirs! That is what this season is about!
You may wonder what these gifts have to do with “Health and Wellness. We are not just physical beings! “True wellness is achieved when body, mind, and spirit are in harmony”.
Love…
Most of us are searching for our purpose and meaning of life. It’s been said, “If you dedicate your life to love, you will be happy, and everything will fall into place perfectly.”
After years of life experiences, we realize love is our true nature, and no matter what else we do, “All We Need is Love”, as John Lennon wrote!!
Gratitude...
This time of year, when all of Nature rests, we speed up our lives and stress our minds and bodies. Stress creates mental tension. There is no pill, powder, potion, or lotion that will get rid of stress. The most affective stress reliever is an attitude of gratitude.
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
John F. Kennedy
Hope...
When challenged by unexpected adverse circumstances, such as the news of cancer or the death of a loved one, our first thought is to deny reality. Subsequently, we get angry, bargain with life, become depressed and finally, accept it. These are “the stages of grief” according to Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. Then, something, difficult to define, an intangible, begins to breathe life back into us. This is the invisible “hope.”
Hope allows a young Japanese promising ballerina, Ma Li, who lost her arm in a car accident and subsequently tried to kill herself, dance with a young Japanese man, Zhai Xiaowei. Zhai lost his leg after he fell off a tractor at 4 years of age. Ma Li
convinced Zhai who was training to be a cyclist that he could dance. Today, they dance beautifully together in exquisite harmony balancing each other’s deficits with their remaining strengths. Watch them perform on You Tube (She without an arm, he without a leg - ballet - Hand in Hand).
“Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible”. William Sloan Coffin, Jr.
Courage...
With silver armor gleaming, the noble warrior stands immovable. Defiantly outnumbered, facing his foe, he’s Hollywood’s embodiment of courage and fearlessness. A true hero.
Most of us will never experience that moment of resolutely staring down death. And we may not consider ourselves courageous or fearless, especially in today’s world with neverending reports of catastrophe, violence, and uncertainty. It all seems so daunting and dangerous.
Movie heroes aside, there is a more genuine and eternal fearlessness within us that lies at the heart of our spiritual being.
True courage walks softly. Embraces gently. Speaks kindly. It is far more powerful than physical strength. It doesn’t combat, it alchemizes by fearlessly loving the seemingly unlovable. Transforming pain into peace; discord into harmony.
While not Hollywood super-heroes, we do have within us the power to melt every fear, conflict, prejudice, or suffering. Courage is love’s face in action.
Awareness…
According to Wikipedia, “awareness is the ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events, objects, thoughts, emotions, or sensory patterns. More broadly, it is the state or quality of being aware of something.”
Are you aware of what you are thinking, what you are feeling? Being aware of what is going on inside affects our health and our relationship to the world around us. Be more consciously aware!
Norman Vincent Peale says, “Change your thoughts and you change your world”.
Ralph Waldo Emerson puts it this way: “What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you”.
One of the most empowering and healing gifts you can give someone is the gift of yourself, being totally present and listening. I don’t mean holding your breath and waiting to speak the minute the other stops. Nor do I mean the need to jump in and fix, change, save or control another person’s experience.
Listening from the heart is healing. Not just to content, but to intent. Listen to what others are feeling. You don’t necessarily have to do anything. Just hear it and let the other
Listening is the gift that keeps on giving.
When we think of “forgiveness” we see it as ‘something’ we give to someone who has wronged us. We are in some way absolving them of what we considered unacceptable or inappropriate. But on a spiritual level, forgiveness has very little to do with another person and much more to do with us. Forgiveness is about allowing ourselves to move past a situation and no longer hold negative feelings towards it. We are choosing to let go of the anger and/or frustration and embrace a sense of peace that is truly a gift to ourselves.
There is another dimension to forgiveness: There are times that we acknowledge that we have done things that we are not proud of and feel a sense of guilt. It’s important that we come to terms with guilt and forgive ourselves. We need to remember that we are worthy of the same forgiveness we give to others. And in forgiving ourselves, we move forward without guilt or burden, and truly open ourselves to a new
Smiling is a gift to the world. We don’t know what people are dealing with, what might be troubling them. Your smile might be someone’s saving gift for the day.
Your smile is never wasted. One person will always benefit immediately--you! Every smile is a signal to your inner self: I am a happy person and goodness is all around. This affects your brain chemistry and nervous system. Plus, there is a ripple effect into the world around you.
You don’t know when your good nature and cheerfulness will make a big difference to someone. Develop an attitude that promotes smiling, a wonderful gift to all you meet.
Surrender...
When we feel stiffness; a pain in our chest; or stuck in our inability to move forward with a decision, it may be time to make a change in our lives.
One suggestion is to begin a daily practice of meditation. Empty the mind as much as possible. Use a mantra that you resonate with, chant, or simply concentrate on the inhale and exhale. Take some deep breaths and let go of your day. Sit in silence and rest there. When we surrender our thoughts, we allow a new awareness. Making small changes in our present behavior can result in bigger changes later.
Mindfulness…
Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you’re mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience.
Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment.
When I spend time with my grandchildren, they bring immense joy into my life. When you‘re with your grandkids you’re totally present and involved with them.
Joy is one of those emotions you feel when you are present in the moment. It is experienced not in the grandiose but in the minute. It can be achieved from little things which are otherwise insignificant: Walking in the snow with a good friend, playing with a grandchild, partaking in a holiday meal with family, decorating a tree. Joy is meant to be shared; it is not in things. It is in us!
Peace...
I think it’s wonderful that there is a short period of time each year when we focus on peace as a priority.
This quest for peace is found at the heart of all spiritual traditions, whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu. This message is for each of us regardless of religion. This is a time for all. We can refer to it as, “the peace that surpasses understanding.”
These gifts work for the holiday season, but Wellness is a 365-day process. There is no reason why we cannot give these gifts to ourselves and apply them every day during the year.
Let’s remember that every day is a gift. Instead of taking each day for granted, rushing into everything we need to do, distracting ourselves, and forgetting to feel wonder at the gifts we have, why not create a morning ritual of appreciating the gifts we have.
This Christmas season, may we find peace on earth and goodwill to all!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!! HAPPY HOLIDAY!!
