Our lessons in life

 

Embrace the journey.

 There will be times...

 

you'll experience fear, struggle, loss,

but you will also know hope, love, joy.

Open your arms to all life offers.

 Trust there is wisdom in all your lessons.

Let go of doubt, worry, insecurity...

Don't play life safe.

 

Be willing to risk everything...

 

to fulfill your dreams.

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My heart knows there's a blind...

 spot in every leap of faith;

a sheer panic as the last brick tumbles.

At that moment, the space between...

 is when we are completely vulnerable.

There's nothing left...

 except to completely surrender.

Kristen Jong

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Faith is the daring of the soul...

 to go farther than it can see.

William Newton Clark

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"I open my arms wide to life"

Being free of fear

Thinking has been a survival tool...

a way I've coped with fear...

always analyzing, worrying.

I thought that if I knew the answer,

 it would fix the situation.

Today I don't spend a lot of time thinking...

I'm too busy living...

trusting...

enjoying.

 

There's no need to figure life out anymore...

 or fight to make things go my way.

 I took the power away from fear...

by surrendering it...

practicing faith...

and living in the moment.

 

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I have not ceased being fearful,
but I have ceased to let fear control me.
I have accepted fear as a part of life -
specifically the fear of change,

the fear of the unknown;
and I have gone ahead

despite the pounding in my heart that says:
turn back, turn back...

 

Erica Jong

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"I surrender fear so I may live from my heart"

True wealth

 

I've done many things in my life that I felt passionate about. Raising baby birds used to be one of those things. I came across this old photo of one of the babies.

 

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A beggar had been sitting by the side of a road for over thirty years. One day a stranger walked by. "Spare some change?" mumbled the beggar, mechanically holding out his old baseball cap. "I have nothing to give you," said the stranger. Then he asked: "What's that you are sitting on?" "Nothing," replied the beggar. "Just an old box. I have been sitting on it for as long as I can remember." "Ever looked inside?" asked the stranger. "No," said the beggar. "What's the point? There's nothing in there." "Have a look inside," insisted the stranger. The beggar managed to pry open the lid. With astonishment, disbelief, and elation, he saw that the box was filled with gold.

 

Those who have not found their true wealth, which is the radiant joy of Being and the deep, unshakable peace that comes with it, are beggars, even if they have great material wealth. They are looking outside for scraps of pleasure or fulfillment, for validation, security, or love, while they have a treasure within that not only includes all those things but is infinitely greater than anything the world can offer.

 

The word enlightenment conjures up the idea of some super-human accomplishment...but it is simply your natural state... I love the Buddha's simple definition of enlightenment as "the end of suffering." There is nothing superhuman in that, is there? Of course, as a definition, it is incomplete. It only tells you what enlightenment is not: no suffering. But what's left when there is no more suffering?

 

written by Eckhart Tolle

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I'm a flip flop kind of girl living in a flip flop kind of world

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“Life isn't as serious as the mind makes it out to be.”

 

 E. Tolle

"Life is a journey"

Feeling worthy

 

I used to love taking photographs of colorful little beach cottages. I'd fantasize what it would be like to live in one. It hasn't happened yet. I'm not sure if it's even a dream anymore. I feel very content where I'm at. But it was fun at the time.

 

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It took me a long time to figure out that my core belief "I am not enough" was the driving force behind a lot of my poor decision making throughout my life. Not feeling good enough caused me to push myself in ways such as giving too much, doing too much, always overcompensating. 

 

But no matter what I did or achieved, it never quieted the critical voice in me.

Yuck!!!! I was so mean to myself.

Today I feel differently. My value as a human being has nothing to do with what I do for others, my achievements, or how perfect I do things. Being enough is loving and accepting who I am.

 

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Try dying every day to your old self . . .

so that you emerge renewed and young again...

 

Kristin Zambucka

 

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"I love and accept myself"

Reaping what we sow

 

 

Do you know that everything is made up of energy,

your thoughts, your actions, your reactions?

And do you also know...

that whatever energy you put out in the world...
comes back to you?

So here's one of the secrets for a better life:

 

If you want more love, you give more love.

If you want more peace, your thoughts must be peaceful.

If you're feeling judged, stop judging others and it will change.

Every minute of the day on a conscious level or subconscious level,

we are choosing our experiences.

If you're not happy with what you've created...

change your thoughts, actions, and reactions...

and your life will transform.

 

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“And I found that I can do it if I choose to -
I can stay awake...
 and let the sorrows of the world tear me apart...
 and then allow the joys...
 to put me back together different from before...
 but whole once again.”
― Oriah Mountain Dreamer

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"I freely share myself with the world"
 

An unrestricted life

One of my first attempts at doing mixed media art.

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I loved the fact that there are no rules when doing mixed media art. The crazier you get with your piece, the more fun it is, and the better it looks. As you can probably see, I was still in my cocoon stage with the piece above, not quite ready to play freely...just testing out my wings.

I spent so much of my life trying to color inside the lines, wanting to be perfect. I was raised to believe that in order to be loved, you had to be a good little girl. Boy, did I ever want to be loved.

I tried to be the best little girl I could...I tried to follow the rules the rigid rules and restrictions handed to me in childhood. But I paid a high price. I lost myself...my spirit...my playfulness...my true nature.

Art has been one of the ways that has helped me reconnect to my little girl. Together, we're learning to play by new rules. No more coloring inside the lines. No more fear of making a mistake.

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One of my newer pieces....creating it with no upper body is progress for me.

 

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It is important from time to time
to slow down, to go away by yourself,
and simply Be.

~ Eileen Caddy ~

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"I am free to be who I am"

Money and worthiness

       I took these photos in my backyard...I am blessed to have this as my view

Being financially responsible is part of taking care of ourselves. It builds a sense of security that

we all deserve to have.

Being financially successful is making good healthy choices about money, avoiding reckless decisions that sabotage our means to pay bills, buy food, etc. There's no security in having to live paycheck to paycheck.

The state of our economy has forced many of us to question our spending, as well as our values around it. Perhaps somewhere in the process of wanting more...we stopped appreciating what we have. And what about our children who have watched us? Will they develop an unquenchable thirst
for more?

I feel extremely passionate that every woman should have a nest egg set aside for her future, whether she's in a relationship or not. We need to protect ourselves, instead of being vulnerable to what life brings. Twelve years ago, my husband who had never been sick, died unexpectedly. Thankfully, we had prepared financially for all possibilities.

Explore your relationship with money. You may discover that fear has it's nasty tentacles wrapped your core belief about worthiness. Are you sabotaging your security? Or do you have a fear of spending money...you feel guilty when you treat yourself... you hold on to it too tightly...always worrying about having enough? Either way, become willing to change...if you don't have money in bank, make a goal to save $1,000 this year. And for those of you who do have money and are afraid to spend it, go out have some fun with it....enjoy your prosperity.

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Those who know don't talk.
Those who talk don't know.

 

Lao Tzu

 

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"I am worthy"

 

 

Knowing myself

 

I am Me.

In all the world,

there is no one else exactly like me.

Everything that comes out of me...

 is authentically mine,

because I alone chose it.

I own everything about me:

my body, my feelings, my mouth,

my voice, all my actions,

whether they be to others or myself.

I own my fantasies, my dreams,

 my hopes, my fears.

I own my triumphs and successes,

all my failures and mistakes...

Virginia Satir

 

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“I must be a mermaid...

I have no fear of depths

 and a great fear of shallow living.” 

― Anais Nin

 

 

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 "Every day brings an exciting new adventure"

The beauty of life

 

The best remedy...

 for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy...

 is to go outside,

somewhere where they can be quiet,

alone with the heavens,

nature and God.

Because only then does one feel...

  that all is as it should be...

 and that God wishes to see people happy,

amidst the simple beauty of nature.  

 

 Anne Frank

 

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“We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.” 

 

― Anais Nin

 

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"Though I've known loss, hurt... I will take the risk to love again and again"

 

Sisters

"Sisters" come to us... 

     in many different ways.

There are those "sisters"...

who we can talk to for hours...

and who bring out our silly side.

There are those "sisters"
who shared our childhood,
who have gone through our ups and downs,
and have known us longer than anyone.

 

 

There are those "sisters"...

who shared our teenage years.

 

There are those "sisters"...
who are no longer with us...
but live in our hearts forever.

My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry;
to get my work done
and try to love somebody

and have the courage

to accept the love in return.

~ Maya Angelou ~

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"I'm so grateful for all the beautiful, talented, courageous women who have shared my journey. Thank you!"

Getting what we need

 

I asked for Strength...

 

And God gave me Difficulties to overcome and to strengthen me.

I asked for Wisdom...

God gave me Problems to solve.

I asked for Courage...

God gave me Obstacles to overcome.

 

I asked for Love

God gave me people to help

I asked for Favors...

And God gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted...

But I received everything I needed


author unknown


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Love never dies a natural death.
It dies because we don't know how to replenish its source.
It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals.
It dies of illness and wounds;
 it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings.”

― Anais Nin

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"I always attract the perfect lesson to help me evolve"

Breaking old habits

 

As much as I would love to say that...

I don’t care about what others think of me,

I'm not there yet.

 But I am making good progress.

 

My goal is to have the freedom...

to simply be myself...

everywhere...

in all circumstances.

 

I’m still learning...

charting through uncomfortable waters...

every day bringing another opportunity to practice... 

taking two steps forward...

one step back...

learning through my mistakes.

 

Things are changing...

because I am changing.

 

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“Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp,
but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”

 

- Nathaniel Hawthorne 

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"I'm not willing to be silent when things don't feel right"

Things to remember

 

Be positive; expect a miracle every day.

Don't hang on to the past; forgive everyone.

Let go of unworthiness; you are special.

Work hard to be your best self; make a difference in the world.

 

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 In the depth of winter,

I finally learned that within me...

 there lay an invincible summer.

-- Albert Camus

 

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"Life is a wonderful experience when we heal from fear"

 

Quieting the mind

 

I stepped away from my heart...

traveling further into my mind.

The journey takes me far away...

 losing myself to my thoughts...


replaying the old stories...


making up new ones.

The mind looks for gratification...

 seeking happiness outwardly...

looking for validation from others...

 

forgetting who I really am.

The journey back is not an easy one...

I must be intensely quiet...

in the moment...


surrendering the thoughts, stories...

praying, breathing, trusting…

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“Life isn't as serious as the mind makes it out to be.”
― Eckhart Tolle

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"I will quiet my mind"