Xina Gooding Broderick

Wife, mother, funeral director, Grief Recovery Specialist and public speaker. I have an unusual slant on what makes a mediocre life a good life and I'm passionate about the latter. This blog is a testament to Living The Good Life: Taking your dreams seriously, and enjoying the...

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My World

A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world. Everyone you meet is your mirror.

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5 Proven Methods For Gaining Self Discipline

So many of us battle with self discipline.  It might be hard to believe that someone who appears to be very disciplined might actually find being disciplined a daily struggle.  

Personally, I go through phases where being disciplined is very easy for me, whilst at other times it’s  a real struggle.  It’s a daily practice.

Whether discipline comes naturally to you or not, I’m sure you’ll find this an interesting read.

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Patience

Patience teaches you not to push, but rather to wait and appreciate the game of life, knowing that nothing remains the same and everything will change at some point.

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Life's Teacher

Everyone in your life has come to teach you something.

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Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities which he does not possess, and to gain applause which he cannot keep.”

Samuel Johnson

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Opportunity

The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity.  The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

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7 activities that will make you happier

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Make some time for this - it’s important.

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Making a Life

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

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Peace, Love and Happiness

Keep peace in the mind, love in the heart and happiness in relationships.

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Our Role Models Confirm Leadership Is Contagious

“I have come across many different types of leaders in my lifetime, but to me, the best leaders and role models have values, styles, and best practices that rub off on everyone they encounter. Their leadership is contagious and transforms the organization(s) they touch.”

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7 facts about relationships everybody should know before getting married

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Think the long term effect of committing to the right person v. committing to the wrong person.  If you can work out whether you are with the right or wrong person BEFORE tying the knot you can ensure you’ll be Living The Good Life together or not.

I tick all the boxes for this infograph in my marriage. 

I was over 23 years old when we married

We’re still very much in love with each other.  In my first marriage though, the honeymoon period literally lasted (for my ex-husband) until the end of the honeymoon!

My husband and I have our own interests that we take part in regularly and we have very different opinions on a wide variety of topics.  I leave his views to him, he leaves my views to me and we have great fun on our common ground

We do get excited about each other’s good news.  Generally speaking, I'm more excitable than my husband Peter, so I have to take that into account when he doesn’t jump up and down screaming with glee on the spot when I’ve achieved something

Peter is without doubt my best friend.  We live together and work together and I still look forward to seeing him and hearing his voice on the phone

Our birthdays are two weeks and five days apart

I’m rubbish at chores, so although he does the laundry without prompting, I pay to have a cleaner do all the things I can’t be bothered to do.  For me, this is a very good investment of my money because it keeps the house clean, my marriage happy and I get to do the things I prefer to do instead of cleaning.  The aspect of this that constitutes Living A Good Life isn’t having the funds for a cleaner (I don’t smoke, nor to I regularly go to pubs/restaurants/cinema so there’s room in my budget for a cleaner).  Rather, it’s the time well spent and the effect of the cleaner that constitutes Living A Good Life.

If cleaning causes arguments in your home, I’d seriously consider outsourcing the task. What about you?  Have a read through the infograph and share your views below.

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Floral Tributes:

These stunning lily wreathes add a special touch to the funeral of a dearly departed grandmother

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Paintings by Cinta Vidal Agulló

The artist wanted to show that we live in one world, but we live in it in very different ways.

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I love this.  It reminds me of the designs on the front of my maths books when I was a child.  The paintings are beautiful and thought provoking.

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Good afternoon, everybody. This morning, I spoke with, and Vice President Biden spoke with, Mayor Joe Riley and other leaders of Charleston to express our deep sorrow over the senseless murders that took place last night.

Michelle and I know several members of Emanuel AME...

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This Picture Was The First Email Attachment Ever Sent

Sent over 20 years ago. 

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Do you remember the first attachment you ever sent? 

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This Tactic Will Make Your Employees Perform Better After Mistakes

“How do you deal with your employees when they make a major mistake? According to research, yelling and punishing them will make them perform worse and erode their loyalty.”

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Funeral Planning Presentation for Black Health Initiative (BHI)

I had a lovely talk today with some senior citizens about the importance of funeral planning.  The presentation was arranged by BHI in Leeds, a much valued champion for equality in education, health & social care.