Quote of the Week

“I am realistic, I expect miracles.” Wayne Dyer

Often the idea of realism is aligned with pessimism, more so focused on what we think we can’t do instead of what is or could be possible. But this, this is a WONDERFUL take on realism! Since we are the ones who create our own individual realities, then realism is an extension of our beliefs. So what if we could mold our beliefs such that we honestly and truly believe, down to the depths of our souls, that anything and everything is possible? What most, see as miraculous would be our intended and expected reality, every, single, day.  

Figuring it Out Vs. Allowing it to Happen

This is by far one of my biggest struggles. I am one of those control freak type people (hey don’t judge me) that likes to know from step A –Z, how I’m going to accomplish something, whether it’s a trip to the grocery store or buying a new car. If I don’t already know HOW I’m going to get something then I feel like I must “figure it out.” But that’s not really the point of all this life stuff is it?

Aren’t we supposed to be enjoying the journey of life unfolding, while trusting in the universe and allowing the potential of all there is to bring us exactly what we’ve desired? I mean, at least that’s what I’ve been studying since… you know… birth. Though I know the process, this allowing, this letting go of the control is by far one of my greatest points of expansion.

All through life we are basically told we should have all the answers and if we don’t have them we should find them. But what does this cause other than stress and a general lack of appreciation for what we have? In searching for something “better” we often lose focus on what we’ve already accomplished and push aside the importance of being grateful for what we already have.

What if today, we all decided to put just a little more energy into appreciating NOW (‘cause that’s all we really have anyway) and releasing the control over the things we frankly don’t know the answers too? I bet if we just allowed ourselves to feel genuinely good about what we have, we’d be one step closer to manifesting those things we so desire.

In the words of someone I totally adore, “Just a little something to think about.”

Love,

Quote of the Week

“All great changes are preceded by chaos.” Deepak Chopra

I just think this is SUCH a fantastic insight. When we are working toward expansion the road is never straightforward or easy, otherwise what would be the point right? My experience has always been, the greater the expansion, the more chaotic appearances seem to be. I remember when The Man and I were going through one of our first great shifts as a family. Our entire life from spiritual beliefs, friendships, family dynamics, finances, to employment statuses felt like it was literally flung into chaos! So many times we had no choice but to just hang on tight and hope we’d come out as unscathed as possible on the other side. And you know what, every time the chaos has cleared, we’ve emerged stronger and more aware than ever before. I’ve been learning to embrace the calamities of life, sometimes even with a smile.

When The Universe Speaks…

…do yourself a favor and just listen. Sooooooooooo a couple weeks back (I mean who’s really counting), I was playing the avoidance game. See, I’d spent a lot of time struggling with writers block… which is really just procrastination X 450,000 (no, not an exaggeration). Well anyway, finally after doing some painfully extensive lovely inner work I admitted that I was just afraid of completing the work, because it might all turn out to be crap, and I’d have wasted all my time creating useless drivel when I would have been better off counting chickens. (Yay way to be positive Michelle! /sarcasm)

Anywho, it was one of the best feelings in the world to get past my own, self-induced blocks and get back to one of my greatest loves. I wrote and edited and shared and it was a wonderfully fulfilling experience. But you know us humans, we can’t just be happy with the journey itself, nooooooooooooooooo, we have to add all types of constraints, criteria and deadlines to our end results to make them better and get there faster. So I started stressing about how much time I’d already “wasted” not writing and I should have had the story submitted already and now I needed to push, push, push to get it done. How many times a day, an hour, a second do you think we, as human beings, stress the “I must get it done” aspect of everything we encounter? I don’t want to count it out; I’ve already incriminated myself enough. *moving right along*

So I decided to get it done faster (see there it is again) I’d deny myself other things I loved, in the name of being more productive with my time, so that I could put more time and energy into getting this story done (OMG there it is again *gasp*). Well at first it was OK, because I loved the writing, but then I missed things like reading my favorite books/genres and playing video games (hey don’t be judging me). After a few weeks (maybe it was months, who’s counting) I started receiving a gentle tug from my inner being. “Why don’t you take a little time to break out that Final Fantasy game? You know you want you.” My response was always, “Later.” Well my inner being and the universe didn’t like that answer. No siree Bob!

Well, one lovely day when I had LOADS of time on my hands I got all prepared to work on my story and would you know it, my damn computer wouldn’t work! Aaaaaaaaarg! The thing moved so slowly I felt as if I were moving backwards. I mean there was no way I was going to be able to write with my computer functioning the way it was. So I called one of my friends, absolute best computer tech in the entire universe (well at least that’s my opinion) and asked for help. So, at that point I had all this time and nothing to do… well at least that was my intial thought. Then the inner being spoke up, “So hey, how about those video games. What else have you got to do now?” *sigh*

“Well played universe! Well played.”

I popped in the game and played for over three hours. You think I missed it much? And that was when I had the realization (for the trillionth time), listen to the moment and follow the call to your greatest joy. It always yields the best results. Did you know I didn’t stop writing just because I started back playing video games? *gasp* Imagine that!  

Love,

Quote of the Week

“Go to the edge of the cliff and jump off. Build your wings on the way down.” Ray Bradbury

If this isn’t a blaring statement of faith, then I don’t know what is. Often we get to the edge of that cliff and stall, even when we somehow know that taking that leap is the key to everything we’ve been working toward. We tend to choose the safer option over the one that will provide us with the highest level of expansion, because though we all have our particular beliefs, we don’t always trust them. Let go and take the BIG RISK!

Trust the process, and then soar! 

Quote of the Week

“Our life is what our thoughts make it.” Marcus Aurelius Antonius

The best information or guidance is often the simplest. Our thoughts are based on our beliefs,
which are reinforced by our experiences. The way we react to, interpret and internalize each
experience can make BIG changes in our lives, or allow things to remain exactly the same. We
make the choice and have the privilege of experiencing the results.

Current Score: Universe Four Hundred Fifty Skillion (Yes That Much), Michelle…

…Well that doesn’t really matter does it?

So, regardless of how the universe has been kicking my patootie I am still determined to get this stuff down. I will be the embodiment of my beliefs all (well most) of the time and I work pretty hard at practicing what I “preach.” Living by example is, to me, the best way to learn and teach. And with that being said, here’s a new little (or maybe not so little) tidbit of how the universe has worked its magic in my environment... AGAIN!

Typically (probably more like always) when we are struggling with a specific something (or specific somethings) and we’ve notified the universe (by way of intentional or unintentional means) the universe helps. By helping, I mean it bombards you with opportunities of expansion, as often as moment to moment until you acknowledge the issue and decide to actively take the steps provided to let it go.

SO this week (Week of 7/23 to be exact), I’d been receiving a lot of messages regarding worrying. *scratches chin* I mean why would I need to work on worrying? I certainly don’t have an issue with worry. *in my haughty know it all voice* Hehe, well, regardless of what I thought, I received many messages from avenues that provide profound guidance to me on a regular basis. Well after reading these messages (yes they were literal messages that I receive from regular sources) I started to feel that I should be looking deeper as to why there seemed to be so many coming at once regarding the same topic.

Well it turned out that I HAD been worrying. See when it comes to me, I hardly ever worry. I know I can handle anything (because I’ve shown myself many times over that I can), however my children are a different story entirely. I tend to immediately go down the path of worry when they’re involved. So as discussed in one of my last posts, I had to get my oldest son registered for Kindergarten (who told him he was allowed to become a school aged child, I still need to get to the bottom of that). Well, finally having completed registration (spiders and all), he still needed before and after school care. There is no way, with our work hours, either my husband or I could be there when the bus arrived to get him or drop him back off. Dropping him off and picking him up directly during school hours was also out of our reach, at least from our current perspectives.

This being our first time having this experience, we had no clue how to go about finding this type of care, and the school’s website left not an inkling of info regarding how it could be obtained (so helpful, really /sarcasm). Let me also add that I had about a week to come up with a solution. (no pressure /more sarcasm) Yes, I was definitely getting worried. BUT, I also knew that worry would not get the results we all wanted. So, I toned down the worry, and did some Google searching instead, which resulting in obtaining a starting point.

 Of course the idea of the place I THOUGHT I liked the best had a wait list. (YAY! /had enough sarcasm yet?) Regardless, we came up with possible alternatives that could suffice until that particular location would be able to accommodate the care of my son. Well (I really do say well a lot), The Man called the number provided on the website and the location we called was specifically for a certain school, as they were located onsite. Turns out, the company has multiple programs for the majority of public schools in the area (onsite). Why I was not informed of this from the get go… really doesn’t matter at this point.

What does matter, is that I didn’t give up and go back to worrying, after this “set back.” Again I had some tools at my disposal and chose to use them. I decided to go back and perform another Google search this time with the name of the school and “before/after school care.” Would you know it, this is exactly how I found just what I needed. I called the number listed, got the info needed and made arrangements to complete the registration for the program… THAT DAY!  Can you believe that LESS than 24hrs after I’d decided to stop worrying, and instead start using the tools I already had in my possession, everything I needed was given to me? There’s something to be said about trusting the process. I’m just saying. ;)

Love,

Quote of the Week

“A mind too active is no mind at all.” Theodore Roethke

I can relate to this quote on so many levels as I used to consistently have so much on my mind, at one time, I’d get massive headaches. Not so good. I was taught some very good meditations to help alleviate this situation. The most effective one I was taught had everything to do with allowing/letting go and nothing to do with control.

The basic premise of this meditation (l like to call it Void) was to become still, and instead of trying to “control” my thoughts (which is pretty much impossible anyway), I would let them flow in and then out of my mind, never latching on long term to any specific thought. This way, nothing ever got the chance to get stuck. I couldn’t take the opportunity to ponder, linger or dwell upon any certain thoughts. What this allowed me to do, was stay in the moment, which is where most of us trying to be anyway.

What this caused was a fantastic allowing and releasing of energy that I had been clinging to. When I was able to allow that energy to flow, instead of just clogging me up, it made it easier for me to be openly receptive to my good, especially when it came to creative inspiration. Because I wasn’t busy worrying about how things would come, they just came. Just some food for thought.

Spiders... Ugh!

I’ve been working on my issues with time. The Man and I realized that we spend so much time worrying, about time, that we never actually fully enjoy our… time. The account below happened to me on Monday just shortly (a few days) after we decided that we were going to work on caring more about doing things we enjoy, FULLY, than how much time we felt it would take to fit them all in to the day. So on Monday I had planned to do my hair (wash, blow dry and flat iron all takes about 2hrs), take our rental car back, get the kids to daycare (before the cutoff time) and then head to work. (Boy the word time is certainly a prominent one in our lives/society isn’t it?)

Monday 7/9/12 Email to The Man:

I decided that I would still get through all my plans this morning (including doing my hair, I really wanted to get that trim and I can’t get a cut if it’s not straight). So knowing I had so much to get done, I messaged my supervisors to let them know I’d be a few hours late. Well then just after you left, I decided to go shower so I could do my hair.

Well… (d@mn universe) I went to turn on the water and then get some things together. When I came back to the shower there was a small spider on the shower curtain (which of course made me freak out having arachnophobia and all, which I am still working on), then I brushed it away and lost where it went (not good). Then as I was about to get in, there was another one blowing in the wind current, from the water, right by my loofah (very not good). Well I lost track of that one too (all bad). Then as I was agitatedly trying to get my mind together (and possibly looking for the first spider from the curtain) there was one on the wall not far from the showerhead (Are you f#*$&%* kidding me?!). (Yeah, I was all riled up and said bad words so sue me)

Well by this time it’d been 30 minutes after you’d left and I was just ready to lose it! So I decided that I would shower in the guest bathroom, because there was no way I was going to get any peace in ours. So I took all the crap I needed, washed my @ss and my hair and got out. Steadily, I tried not to focus on the fact that 30 mins of my “precious” time had been “wasted.” So I finished with my shower and went about getting more things together for work, letting my hair air dry, oiling myself, all my usual stuff. Regardless of how time seemed to be working against me, I was determined to get my hair done, The Kid registered for school, keys returned, both boys to daycare before 9 AM as that’s their cutoff so they can do a headcount for safety and then finally get to work… you know before the day ended. Everything seemed to be so time sensitive.

Well, I was not to be deterred. I went about blow-drying my hair, got the kids out of bed and fed them cereal since I knew they’d miss breakfast at daycare. I laid out their clothes, then straightened my hair. As I went along, I tried to stay positive about getting him registered, trying not to be concerned about them running out of spots or taking too long once I got there. Trying not to be concerned about how long it would take to turn in the keys, trying not to be concerned about getting the kids to daycare on time. Those things all crossed my mind, but I still proceeded as if I would complete every single task on my list, within perfect timing.

So I made it out the door and got to the school by 8:15 (you know they open at 7:30, or they are supposed to). Well because of the spiders I got there at 8:15, and do you know, I walked in RIGHT behind the secretary! Had I gotten there at 7:30 I would have just been sitting there waiting… probably getting aggravated about how much time I was wasting waiting lol. I followed her in, she helped me right away, I was out in five minutes. Then I hightailed it over to Enterprise. I was helped as soon as I got there, signed what I needed to sign and went on to daycare, where I arrived with about 6 minutes to spare. After that I made it to work by 9:10 AM and you already know the rest. 

Isn’t life just crazy? I know what I’ve gleaned from this experience. I’m wondering what other people may be thinking…

Thanks for coming by.

Love,

Quote of the Week

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” Eleanor Roosevelt

You have to admit, the lady makes an excellent point! This quote captures the essence of the process that so many of us struggle with, in one simple sentence. Life is to be lived and enjoyed to the fullest that we possibly can. In immersing ourselves in our present, we embrace life and appreciate the journey that our spirits/inner beings came forth to embody. When we let go of fear, doubt and worry there is nothing we can’t experience and/or achieve. Here’s to letting go and living in the now.

Frustration With the Process

Taking responsibility for our lives, our destinies, seems so much easier said than done. We get a lot of guidance from different sources (books, movies, spiritual gatherings, etc), but really they are all saying the same things. Our thoughts (based upon core beliefs) control our realities and it is up to us to live on purpose. So many of us are used to living by default. Life comes at us and then we react often without thinking. We live the same experiences over and over and wonder why, often not stopping to think that the one constant in our entire lives is US!

Even deeper, so many of us actually believe we are being deliberate in our thoughts and actions. The majority of people insist that they are positive thinkers… when they actually are not. I know, because I used to be one of them, and still tend to fall into the trap when I’m not careful. I insisted to the universe (and anyone else who’d listen) that even though I was doing everything “right” I still wasn’t being rewarded for all of my positive ideas and viewpoints. The saddest thing about this was that I was more often than naught, living life from a negative point of view.

I often would tell the unlimited universe what I wanted, but then put conditions on how it should appear, because, what… I knew better than the all-knowing  source of existence? When it came down to it, if I couldn’t see how something was going to come into existence, then I couldn’t believe it was attainable. Doesn’t sound so positive does it? Asking the universe for what I wanted, but then consistently dwelling or spending most of my attention on what made me feel bad about my current life situations, really wasn’t helping me. I would say, “Universe please send me more abundance.” Then I would spend a good portion of time focused on my belief that I didn’t have enough to comfortably sustain myself and even worse, trying (from my limited viewpoint) to figure out how I could get more, instead of trusting in the universe to bring me the means to get whatever I needed. I learned the hard way, that asking for something, then spending all my time pondering what I didn’t have was in no way, shape or form positive thinking.

The bottom line is, if we continue to reinforce the same negative limited beliefs, with the same negative limited thoughts, then we will continue to receive the same negative limited manifestations. This is true no matter how many different mates we leave or find, how many different jobs we leave or find, how many different friendships we leave or find, etc. The energy we put out into the universe is what we will receive, always, every, single time. So let’s do ourselves a favor and be honest about how we’re feeling and what we’re thinking and what we believe. It’s okay to admit that we are not perfect and that we have fears, concerns, issues, things about ourselves we don’t like, things about others we don’t like, etc. All of that is really OK, because we are where we are regardless of how we feel about it. But if we can acknowledge, openly and truthfully, where we are in relation to where we want to be, we can begin the process of acceptance and growth. No one said that just because we accept who and where we are, that we have to remain there if we don’t want to. Thinking positively isn’t something we just talk about or wish about. It takes time to become negative thinkers and it will take time to become positive thinkers and if we are patient and loving with ourselves growth is bound to happen. It takes just as much effort to be negative as it does to be positive, so why not choose the path that leads toward happiness?       

Love,

Quote of the Week

“Trust that still, small voice that says, ‘This might work and I’ll try it.’” Diane Mariechild

The operative word here is TRUST! So many of us know the principles, we spout the ideals as if they are a part of our lifeline. We understand, and it makes since to us, that our thoughts create our realities. And we even recognize the source from within that provides our divine guidance. Really and truly, how many of us actually TRUST in that voice, no matter how crazy the guidance may seem to our “logical” thinking patterns? How many of us are willing to put it all on the line and go for broke, when that genius, but seemingly insane idea comes to us, that inspiration that will take us in directions we never dreamed of? Let’s stop putting off for tomorrow, the things we KNOW we are capable of today. The source, from within will only, ever lead us down paths that are for our highest good. Our job is to believe in it and trust enough to actually ACT!  

Rearview Mirror

This actually happened to me last Tuesday and I shared it with a few close friends. The experience is still with me today so I'm sharing it again.

“There’s no need to continuously look back in order to successfully move forward.” I thought of this, as I realized that The Universe has been trying to teach me this lesson apparently for the last 6 years. When I was pregnant with my oldest son, my husband disconnected my rearview mirror from my windshield mere weeks after I’d gotten my Cadillac. I tease him all the time about “breaking” my mirror. Then shortly after, we experienced one of the harshest times, but greatest expansions and moments of clarity and learning we’d ever been through. Well the ole’ girl outlived her time and now I have this car (My Malibu)… today as I went to adjust my rearview mirror guess what happened. Yep, that baby just came right off in my hand. I fell out laughing then and there. I use my rearview mirror obsessively, constantly checking on it, worrying if I am inconveniencing the people behind me, if someone is riding my bumper, etc. Well I can’t really do much of that anymore can I lol? No rearview mirror means I am solely dependent on trusting my instincts regarding what I see in front of me, and now I only need to check behind me when it’s really, really, necessary (i.e. changing lanes or backing up for some reason). I’ll be making sure I get the lesson this time, because worrying about my past surely isn’t going to help me positively develop my present or future, but using it wisely when needed absolutely will be to my benefit.

It’s never too late to get the lesson, even if it takes six years to get it. The Universe will provide you with opportunities until you acknowledge the gift and accept the offering. What’s your rearview mirror story? I’m sure we all have one.

“There’s a reason your windshield is larger than your rearview mirror.  It’s more important to know where you are going than to look back at where you’ve been.” I don’t know who said this, but I’ve always known there is a reason that I like this quote. ;)

Just so you know, I decided to leave the mirror down for a few. It's interesting living life through an altered perspective. 

Quote of the Week

“Knowing is not enough. We must apply. Willing is not enough. We must do.” Bruce Lee

I have lived this time and time again and know it to be true. All the knowledge in the world
means nothing, if we aren’t willing to put it to good use. And even further, I believe having
knowledge, but not using it is even more frustrating than having no knowledge at all. Let’s work
on being willing to apply the knowledge we have, even when it scares us. It’s got to be a heck of
a lot better than just standing still and wondering… right?

Quote of the Week

"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another." Walter Elliott

I really like this premise. Surely, I can’t be the only one who sometimes gets overwhelmed with … well… life! Sometimes we have so many plans, and so many things we believe need to be completed in order to be successful. Often we feel bogged down when we stop to consider all the things that need to be done. Sure, that to do list may be a long one, but if we could do our best to work on one thing at a time, one step at a time, we could get there with far less difficulty and even, worry.  

Singing to Myself

Have you ever sung a love song to yourself? I’m sure this question may sound too ridiculous to even consider, but the question is valid I assure you.

I love listening to music while I’m in the car regardless of who’s driving. My favorites are instrumentals or songs that I already enjoy singing along too (sorry if you happen to be in the car with me you will probably get an earful). Anyway, the other day on the way to work, a song by Jennifer Hudson came on. A song that I absolutely love called “You Pulled MeThrough.” Listening to the song, most would probably assume this is a love song to for a significant other about how someone’s love has saved them.

But, as I sat there paying closer attention to the lyrics I stopped to ponder. We are often looking for others to help repair what we feel someone else has “broken” within us. And when we somehow manage to heal from whatever pain we’ve emerged from, we can be quick to give credit to others for our emotional successes or breakthroughs. I’m not necessarily saying that anything is wrong with this. I wonder though, how often do we give ourselves credit? Even with guidance from other sources (whoever/whatever those sources may be) WE are the ones that do the work. WE are the ones that have to make the conscious choices and efforts to make whatever changes we want in our lives. WE are the ones who have to learn to accept the experiences we’ve encountered throughout life and choose how we will allow them to affect outcomes in the future. Though we may receive help from others, WE are the ones that truly make the decision to pull ourselves through any and all obstacles we may be facing, specifically regarding matters of the heart.

Though I think it’s wonderful to show appreciation to others for the assistance they have provided us on our journeys, let’s not forget to show appreciation for ourselves. Let’s try a little harder to remember to be thankful and loving toward ourselves, inwardly and outwardly, because it is through our own efforts that we truly make a difference. We deserve just as much credit for our healed wounds as those who have helped us along the way. Next time you hear a love song imagine you are singing it to yourself. It may seem silly, but you deserve your own appreciation just as much as anyone else. 


Love,

Quote of the Week

“If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse.”  E. James Rohn (Jim Rohn)

Sometimes short and sweet gets the job done. This one speaks for itself. Will you or won’t you? Even though it doesn’t seem like it, it really is as simple as that.

Again With the Marathon Talk…

…in more ways than one lol. Anyway, here’s my story. The Man and I had toyed with the idea of doing a half marathon for quite some time, but never committed. A good friend of ours (who I will refer to as Friend C) motivated us to stop talking and start taking action. So with my heart in my throat, “I said why not?” and proceeded to follow the training scheduled I was given.

So for maybe a month and a half I trained with The Man and a very close friend (who I will refer to as Friend P). I would’ve liked to have trained for a longer period of time, but it was a snap decision so, again, we just acted. We got our bodies out there on the lovely trail close to our neighborhood and tacked on mile after mile (over a course of time). In my mind I was concerned about going the distance. Are you aware that a half marathon is 13.1 miles? Yikes, I wasn’t until I said YES! Well anyway, every time we trained we pushed until the end. I surpassed limits I’d never thought I’d even attempt. I learned a lot about myself and what I could endure just during the training, so what type of experiences would the marathon hold?

Well the longest distance I managed to run straight through was 8 miles. We never got to practice going above that as we would have had to push ourselves too hard, too close to the time of the event. So we decided not to stress. To be honest I did still stress. At the end of that 8 mile run I had been ready to collapse. How would I be able to run continuously for 5.1 more miles? The Man’s goal was to run it all the way through without stopping, which sounded good, but I was more concerned with how I was going to even manage to get to the end, when it all came down to it. I was a nervous wreck up until about a day or two before the event. Then I just became filled with excitement. I felt I could do it and that participating would be a fantastic experience. Every other word out of my mouth to anyone I came in contact with was something to do with the marathon. I was like an addict… and I hadn’t even taken the “drug.”

So finally the day of the race arrived and it’s just me and him… in a crowd of THIRTY-THOUSAND OTHER PEOPLE! No, you didn’t read that wrong.  We were toward the back of the line so it took us about forty five minutes to reach the start line. Nervous excitement built within me the closer we edged up to the start. Finally after what seemed like endless waiting it was our turn. We started out STRONG. I tend to have issues remembering to pace myself and this time The Man didn’t remind me as he usually does.

The difference from training with two other people on a nature trail VS THIRTY THOUSAND OTHER PEOPLE were glaringly obvious from the start. Basically everyone is working at doing their own thing and often you have to work around that. This was a total distraction that I was severely unprepared for. So on top of going faster than usual the distractions caused me to forget some of my very important breathing patterns. Around mile 4.5 we’d exerted more energy than expected and worked at slowing it down to our typical pace. The cool temperatures weren’t so cool anymore and the consistent uphill/downhill intervals were getting to me. In my mind I was getting concerned but still trying to push through.

I took an Energy GU and it gave me a little more go. Around every mile marker I took part in Gatorade and water as needed and still kept trying to push through. In my head I kept thinking I couldn’t stop, I had to make it. Well around mile 8.5 my body told me in no uncertain terms that if I didn’t take it down to a walk I would be damned sorry. As disappointing as it was, I knew I had to listen to what my body was telling me, as my mind had lost the battle. With great frustration I told him to go on without me as I didn’t want to hold him back from making his goal. Though we were surrounded by droves of people I knew I would be able to find him at the finish… even though we’d decided to leave our phones in the car. Oops!

Sooooooo… there I was, watching as The Man pushed on and I stayed walking behind. Dismal is the word I would use to describe the feeling at the pit of my stomach. He’d wanted to run it all the way to the end and we’d both thought we’d cross the finish line together. Not so much. Lower even still my heart sank as I watched others I had passed earlier now pass me by. What a disappointment for sure… or was it? I looked up to the sky which was still big, bright and blue and felt a smirk pull at the corners of my mouth. Maybe this experience wasn’t the failure my conscious mind was trying to make it out to be.

I continued to walk my way down the designated path, because regardless of the disappointment I’d felt just a few minutes prior there was no way out of the game but to cross the finish line. In my mind I began to encourage myself. Remembering that just because The Man had a goal, didn’t mean his goal had to be mine. All I had wanted to do was finish and that was damn well what I intended to do. I shook of the unnecessary self-loathing (which REALLY didn’t belong to me anyway) and took a deep breath, then let it out. I did this multiple times, reminding myself that I came for the experience and not just the end result.

My attention gravitated toward the crowd around me all moving forward whether walking at a slow pace or springing past. We all had the same goal, to finish, and it didn’t matter how we got there. In each ear I could hear participants motivating other participants. We were all in this thing together! And one of the most wonderful sounds I will ever remember was the sounds of the supporters who came to cheer all of us on. At that moment the world became the most beautiful place to me. So many talk about how cruel, evil and selfish the world is, but I saw none of that out there at the race.

People had shown up just to support US! How magnificent was that?!(The experience touched me so deeply I am even tearing up now in the MIDDLE OF WORK as I write this lol!) Anywho, I felt the love from each and every supporter as I worked myself to the marker for mile 9. And by then I felt so much better (physically and mentally) that I took another Energy GU and decided I was going to give it my all and still make some good time. Yes, all of that emotional craziness happened just within ½ of a mile. Time means nothing when you’re on an emotional journey and though that hadn’t been my expectation for the marathon, that’s what it was turning out to be!

So with all of this energy flowing through me I picked up my pace to a speed walk. And then you know what, some guidance I had been given just days before came back to me. A very nice woman at our local YMCA (which we attend ALL THE TIME) told us that if you’ve ever started to walk but wanted to get back to a run, walk uphill and run downhill. I’d seen many people already doing it and it seemed to working well for them. So I took a few deep breaths and at the next downhill moment I let the momentum carry me into a run. Over the course of the next 4 miles I changed between speed walking and jogging, following exactly what my body told me it needed me to do. Though my body ached in placed I was SURE didn’t have muscles I pressed on… at times even with a smile.

Finally I reached the 12 mile marker and I knew I was almost home (figuratively and literally). I ramped up the speed walking and when I reached the last stretch of the race I kicked it up to a jog, chugged uphill for the LAST time and let my body and the love from all those motivational onlookers carry me to the finish. I was so emotionally touched by the encouragement being so lovingly given by the crowd of (in the physical realm) virtual strangers that I almost cried as I finished out my last strides and crossed the finish line. And BEAT MY GOAL by almost 17 minutes!

When I stopped (FINALLY) I received my medal (which I didn’t take off for the rest of the day, don’t judge me) and felt a HUGE grin spread across my face. And even though it felt like I’d been to hell and back I’d finished! I FINISHED A HALF MARATHON. Something I’d always told myself I couldn’t do. Showed what I thought I knew… right? At the end of the line, I found The Man waiting for me, just like I knew I would and then we enjoyed a nice, cold, refreshing, free beer. Job well done. Take from it what you will. I just felt the desire to share… so I have.

Love,

Quote of the Week

“What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it. Every opportunity has a difficulty, and every difficulty has an opportunity.” J. Sidlow Baxter

This quote is all about attitude (something I have always been accused of having too much of). Your attitude is the disposition you have regarding your approach to life. Do you tend to look for things to feel good about or spend time dwelling on the negative? Attitude and/or perspective will severely alter how you view life and how you experience life. Let’s make the decision today to have the most positive attitude we can in order to enjoy life at our highest possible potential.

Happiness IS a Choice

I know there are a lot of people who would love to push back at me for making such a statement, but it’s the conclusion I (as well as many others) have drawn. See it goes a little something like this, if you believe that your thoughts create your reality, which there are numerous spiritual groups as well as scientists who have discussed this concept at great length, that would mean that EVERYTHING we have ever experienced is a result of our consistent pattern of thinking. So, if that’s the case, then our own happiness is our own hands.

Most would say, “Well I am not choosing to be unhappy, I just am.” And they would also insist that “if” they had the ability to make the conscious choice, they would chose happiness. Well, isn’t that something? Allowing ourselves to fall back into our usual, comfortable, patterns of thinking, is still a choice, now isn’t it? When we insist on seeing life only as it is now, instead of making the attempt to see things as we would like them to be, we are making a choice, whether we want to admit it or not. Consistently falling back on the same kneejerk reactions, to the same types of experiences, is only going to produce the same kind of results. You can’t, in one breath, say you want to be happy, then, in the next breath, continue with the exact same type of unhappy thoughts and behaviors that have been perpetuating the unhappiness you want to avoid. This is like consistently banging your head against a brick wall, while wishing your head would stop hurting, then getting angry at the brick wall for the headache.

The longer we choose to focus on what makes us unhappy, we will only bring on more unhappiness, because that is where our attention lies. But if, in the moment of conflict, we CHOOSE to even attempt to look for something about the situation to feel better about, therein lies the change we desire. It will become more common for us to work to feel better, than to work to feel sad. They are both work, it’s just that we’ve done one for so long, it’s become second nature (or just nature). We have the power to turn that around if we so choose and allow the more natural choice to become the predominantly positive one.  

Love,

Quote of the Week

"The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does."  James M. Barrie


Just the simple rearrangement of words brings forth a whole new meaning. Most people tend to think that if they had everything they could have ever asked for, only then would they be happy. What most tend to forget or fail to realize, is that when you enjoy whatever you are doing, even if it seems to be some mundane repetitive task, then that’s when true happiness occurs. This is what makes it truly possible to live and enjoy each moment to the fullest that we possibly can. And what could be better than finding a reason to smile each and every day? If nothing else, it’s certainly worth a try. 

Marathon Training

At the end of April I will be participating in my first marathon. Most people don’t decide to run a marathon and just show up at the scheduled date with no training. A marathon takes preparation to build strength and endurance of the mind and body.  Over time, a marathon runner will train, slowly increasing both attributes until they are able to cover the distance. As I’ve started training, I’ve realized that this process is similar to what it takes for creation/manifestation. Things don’t happen all at once. Over time (hopefully), we learn to see life experiences as the lessons they are and decide on whether we are happy with what we have now, or if we’d like to move in a different direction. Moving in a different direction takes time and focus, as far as training our minds and beliefs in the direction we would like for them to go. We won’t just show up at the end result without doing the work to conceptualize our vision; learn to turn our thoughts and beliefs into a positive direction regarding what we are wanting and then allowing ourselves to follow the guidance/intuition from the source. If we could trust in our own spiritual processes, in the same manner we trusted our marathon training; just think how much power our manifestations could really have.

Love,

Quote of the Week

“Worrying is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere.” Unknown

Absolutely one of the most fabulous quotes EVAH! I mean really… seriously… these few words speak such large volumes about the subject. Humans tend to be such control freaks even when we don’t mean to be. We say we are going to follow the process. We do all this work to focus on that we want and to visualize our dreams in such great clarity, it could rival the highest quality HDMI TV, but then we try to physical CONTROL how it’s all going to come about. Instead of letting go, to allow the universe/higher mind/inner being/source energy to do its work, we allow our egos to force us into to trying to take control. We are afraid that if we don’t grab the reigns and dictate the details then it won’t happen. In essence we (in the words of Bashar) “try to worry things into existence,” because we don’t truly have faith in the process. We hold ourselves in the same pattern of life, because while on one hand we focus on what we want, we continue to WORRY about the things we don’t want (which are often things we are already experiencing and trying to “get away” from).

So I’ve decided that from now on, I am going to allow myself to enjoy life as it comes. I will still focus on the inception of things I desire, but once the vision is deeply rooted within me, I am going to do my best to surrender it to the universe and allow my higher mind to do its job, while freeing my physical consciousness to enjoy the manifestations of my current situations.  

Avoidance

Sooooooooo… maybe I’ve discovered that I may have been avoiding things. Sure everyone avoids things, but these things could be a detriment (and in some cases are) to my overall growth and wellbeing. Recently, I was once again presented with an opportunity to face emotions from a past experience (long past).  I’m not sure if you’ve ever avoided something due to feeling inept or just plain ole’ uncomfortable, but I have… and apparently I still was. Last week I finally allowed myself to deal with some seemingly jumbled up emotions I had been refusing to deal with. I knew deep inside the vortex of uneasiness swirling within me had the potential to take me to a place of sadness or even anger, that I had no desire to visit. On the other hand there was also the potential that if I faced the truth, the root of those feelings, that all could be resolved and I would receive clarity.

After all this time I was able to take the plunge, and put my ego aside in order to choose clarity. The time had come to face my true feelings about past experiences, accept them as they were and allow myself to prosper. I allowed my thoughts and feelings to go deep within and hash out all of the causes for the clutter. During my journey I permitted myself to acknowledge the true feelings I had regarding past experiences, instead of just what my ego thought I should feel.  I let go of the denial and embraced the bare-naked reality. I mourned what felt like the loss of something wonderful, so that I could let go and make space for something even better, even greater to fill this now wonderfully open space. I decided to no longer block the manifestations of what I did want in order to hold on to past experiences of what I did not want. And so it was and still is. 

Quote of the Week

“If you want something you’ve never had before, you’ve got to do something you’ve never done before.” Drina Reed

I couldn’t love this quote more, even if I’d come up with it myself. How many times have we seen people out in the world, trying their hardest to get new results out of the same old efforts? Everything they do is the same day and after day and they wonder why life never improves. And even further, it’s the energy behind the actions that causes the most hindrance. Repeatedly people get up in the morning, and hate it. They go to work, and they hate it. They rush through the rest of their day with themselves and their families, hating that they have to rush just so they can get enough rest to go to the jobs they all hate… and they hate, and they hate, and they hate… and.. they… hate.

But what if they stepped outside of that comfort zone and were willing to stop blaming the outside world for all the things they hate? What if, even though they still might do the same or similar things day by day, they would be willing to change the energy behind all those actions? What if they could focus on being the beacon of light and positivity in their own lives, (and in the process the lives of others) instead of looking for others to provide it. What if they could look forward to feeling good about the lives they have, and being appreciative, instead of being spiteful. What if? What if? What if? What if?

Enough?

So I was in line in a local grocery store and I overheard (no I was not snooping) a conversation in front of me. Two gentleman were talking about Tom Brady (yes the quarterback, yes I do watch football… don’t judge me). I’ve noticed a lot of people really can’t stand this particular quarterback (the two men in front of me included). And they were talking about the fact that he REALLY desires to win a fourth championship. The words spoken were something along the lines of he’s won three championships already, wakes up next to a super model and is totally rich. Then the guy goes on to say, “Hasn’t God blessed you enough?”

Ok I’m really skipping past the religious connotations of people not being able to receive things unless they receive/earn some sort of blessing by way of performing specific acts or rituals (really that’s not what my blog is about). But I was more focused on the fact that this person in front of me was of the belief that at some point in life, you should stop wanting more. My question is, WHY?!

To me this is a stark example of why most people can’t get more, or most, or even any of what they feel they want. The thing that stands out to me is that this person appears to be operating from a perception of lack. If Tom Brady has too much then he is taking away from some other “more deserving” person. Now true, only one person can win a championship at a time, but there is one every year, so it’s not like it’s never going to come around again. His wife isn’t the only super model in the world and money is abundant if you allow it into your life. How then, if Tom Brady gets another championship is anyone being slighted? And why is his desire for wanting more a bad or wrong thing? He is following the desire within, obviously this is the case or he wouldn’t be as passionate about it.

Here’s something to consider. If we could stop telling people like Tom Brady what they do and don’t deserve maybe we could focus most of our attention on manifesting the things WE want for OURSELVES. People see a sports figure and all of the money he/she has but they don’t know the time, thought and energy that person or those people have put into being successful. Paying attention to how much we don’t feel someone else deserves something is operating from a point of lack. We feel if they take all of whatever it is, then there won’t be enough for us. It’s not even about them not deserving what they have, but us (because of prior teachings) believing that to want more and so much is wrong and or gluttonous. We feel guilty about wanting more and thus project those negative thoughts onto others, insisting that they shouldn’t have or want more either.

When the fact of the matter is, wanting more is why we came to be in the first place. Our inner being wanted to expand more and thus came into these physical bodies to enjoy the process of creation in the physical world. If that is not the case then why do we feel so enlightened when we allow ourselves to relax and enjoy life? That is our inner being saying, “Yes! Wonderful, enjoy life and all it brings.” The good feeling sure as hell doesn’t mean, no please stop enjoying life you shouldn’t want more! So maybe the next time we see someone like Tom Brady and start to feel negativity about all that someone like him has earned, by being in alignment with it, perhaps we should examine why. What are we holding ourselves back from, that we truly desire that is causing us to feel envious of someone who didn’t hold back and went for it all. We ALL may be surprised at what we find.

Quote of the Week

“If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us.”  Hermann Hesse

Well this one is short and simple. Everything the universe brings into our existence is a response to the thoughts we think, that we happen to be in alignment with. The things that we truly believe and focus on consistently are always being reflected to us through everything we interact with; including the people we see or interact with on a daily basis. In short if we weren’t in alignment with it (whatever “it” is), it would never be able to enter into our existence. So if you hate someone, it’s time to take a long hard look at the REAL reason why, because it has nothing to do with what’s in him/her and everything to do with something that’s in you. 

Learning to Take Good Advice

So after the fabulous quote from earlier this week I have really taken the message to heart. I realized that too much of what I do has to have a specific outcome behind it and if I don’t make the set goal I deem the activity a failure. Well, I’ve decided that from now forward I am going to work toward manifestations just for the sake of enjoyment. I don’t care if they make me any money or make me look illustriously successful in front of my friends.

I want life to be about the ride. I mean that’s why we’re here right? The grander part, the non- physical part of me, that god-force energy came into this body to enjoy the delights that only the physical experience can provide. I plan to train my vibration such that I really am enjoying the events and experiences of my life, instead of stressing on whether or not my life is being productive toward a specific outcome. I want to take life as it comes and learn to enjoy where I am no matter what. And so it is. 

Quote of the Week

“Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.” David Frost

I absolutely love this quote and I also must say that this message is just SO on time for me! I (as well as most) have an idea of success, an image I carry in my head. What does the idea of success mean to most? Mostly the image in our heads involves a certain type of house, mate, children, career path, etc. All of these things are external, material things we often use as an indicator of how happy or successful we are or could be. But what if happiness was the indicator? What if we paid MORE attention to what made us FEEL good, opposed to what we THINK makes us LOOK good? How about if we all could try to do that thing (or those things) that made our hearts burst with love and joy and let that be the indicator of success. In my honest opinion I believe that he measure of success should come from inside instead of outside. 

Act My Age?

Well what if I don’t wanna?!

Inspired by a message posted by The Daily Buddha. Without a doubt this page has some of the most insightful posts I have been fortunate enough to observe. You can check them out here. 

Anyway, at the end of a particular message shared regarding age, the author asked the question, “If you did not know how old you are then how old would you act?”

I totally love this question! I often tell people that I feel as if I stopped aging around 16 ish, because for the most part I still feel like that youthful, excited about life person that I used to be. I don’t believe in waiting for a specific age to make major or minor changes in my life. If I need a change, I start it that moment, with my thoughts and let the rest play out as it will/should. I don’t believe that I have to stop enjoying something, because I am now too old, or that I should force myself to enjoy things, because it’s what “people my age” do. Forget it! My communication with source is just as intact now, as it was when I was born and there’s no need to allow worldly opinions of other people’s expectations dictate how I should behave. If I’ve been enjoying something or want to enjoy something new, why should the numbers of my age dictate whether or not I have the right to the experience?

Recently, I had my golden birthday. I turned 29 and it was THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! And not one time did it cross my mind, in a big, bad scary way, that I am one step closer to the big three zero. I am not afraid of turning 30. I am able to embrace that I will have just completed another fantastic decade of my wonderful life and will be looking forward to many more. In fact, I am looking forward to 30, because I KNOW it’s going to be completely AWESOME! Every day I vow, again and again, that I WILL live my life to the fullest. See I believe that the age thing is so important (and often scary) to most because the majority of people tend to base important milestones on age. “Oh, I should be married by X age, and have my first kid by X age, and if I don’t I’ll sit on the shelf forever and ever and ever…” BUT, what if we didn’t torture ourselves in such stressful manner? If we took life one day at a time, and enjoyed every moment as it came, would we have time to be terrified about sitting on that proverbial shelf, or would we be having such a BLAST that it would never have time to enter our minds?

Bottom line… All we have is right now and really in the grand scheme of things, right now is what really matters. If you were to transition from this body today, would you be leaving behind a ton of shoulda coulda woulda, or would you pass on with a smile knowing that every moment was lived to the fullest? Right now is all we have, and there is no point in life more powerful than this moment. So why not live it up… RIGHT NOW?! And tell anyone who says your age should stop you, that they are not the boss of YOU! 

Quote of the Week

“You have peace," the old woman said, "when you make it with yourself.”  Mitch Albom

I know it doesn’t seem like it, but things really are this simple. We complicate life by caring more about the opinions of others, than our own internal knowledge and guidance. So often we judge ourselves based on the beliefs and opinions of other people, who do not know what’s best for us, and too often what’s best for them. We hold ourselves to unrealistic expectations that others hand over to us and embody them as if they are our own. But deep down we are the only ones able to determine what it takes to create the lives that are best for our own personal needs, and our inner being is all to aware of this. Our struggles in life usually come from us placing the ideals of others, over the universal knowledge we carry within us. Our inner beings consistently try to remind us of who we really are and instead we ignore the gentle guidance in place of our humanistic intelligence. Once we can learn to rely on the universal knowledge that we came here with, specifically to guide us through life, we can relax and let go knowing everything will be alright. If we can learn to trust and value ourselves, we can allow peace to flow into our lives. 

Power in the Spoken Word… How Much is Really There?

It is often said (really harped on lots and lots and lots) that there is power in the spoken word. Regardless of how true people believe this statement to be, or not, how much power can there really be in words if/when the speaker does not mean them or believe in them? A lot of people are insistent that it’s the words themselves that hold the power, but I have a little trouble buying into that one.

People constantly toss words out all the time, or say things in a joking manner. I mean when the intent doesn’t match the words then those particular words lack power, or the power that people usually associate with those words diminishes or changes. Example, a person that knows me well may do something I hate and me being the sarcastic person I love to be could say something like, “I so love when you do that.” But, does that really mean that I love when they do that, or does my intent lean toward something else? Or what if I say, “I can’t stand you,” in a joking manner with a smile and laugh, but we both know I love you, what happens to the meaning of those words then? In my opinion and experience, the energy is no longer the usual energy that is associated with those words, which leads me to believe that it’s the intent and not so much the words themselves that hold the power.

Lastly, when words are spoken between two or more individuals, it’s the way in which the receiver of the words interprets them that will determine the effect of the words for them. If I express a thought to three different people, there is the possibility that all three people could interpret my words in three different ways, thus the words would have a different affect for each. Is their reaction a response to my words, OR a response to their interpretation of my words and perceived intent. Aaaaaaaah. Lots to think about.

My intent here is not to insist that words don’t have any affect at all. It’s just that at times; I notice a lot of people putting more emphasis on the details of the words being shared in a conversation, instead of focusing on what the other person actually means. Often getting caught up in the specifics of the actual words that are being said, leads to communication gaps, especially if we don’t share the same definitions for the same words. But if I pay close attention to the context the word is being used in, the body language and facial expression of the speaker I can better interpret/understand the meaning of their communication. I don’t think we should just ignore words all together, but pay more intention to the intent of our own words and the intent of others, as that is where the seat of power really lies. 

Quote of the Week

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."  Peter Drucker 


This one can pretty much stand on it's own. We all have the power to create the lives we want, we just need to be disciplined enough, determined enough, consistent enough and open enough to allow the manifestations to occur. When we are able to focus our thoughts consistently only on what we want, there is nothing to block the creation of our desires. There will always be events, people and things that appear to be preventing our positive progress, but when we only allow ourselves to be immersed in the things we want, instead of wallowing and intensely focusing on that which we don't want, nothing can ever stand in the way.