Having great courage

Courage, it would seem, is nothing less than the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while continuing to affirm inwardly that life with all its sorrows is good; that everything is meaningful even if in a sense beyond our understanding; and that there is always tomorrow.

 

-- Dorothy Thompson

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Courage has many different faces.

 

Courage is getting back up when life knocks you down.

 

Being afraid and doing it anyways.

Not letting fear of failure hold you back.

 

Making changes...letting go...trying new things.

Looking at yourself and your life honestly.

Risking your heart to love again and again.

Being vulnerable and authentic.

*****

Courage doesn't always roar.

Sometimes courage is the little voice...

 at the end of the day...

 that says I'll try again tomorrow.

-- Mary Anne Radmacher

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"I remember to face my fears instead of denying or turning away from them"

Making good choices

 

Can you see the frog hiding under the other frog (only his eye is showing)?

 

“There is so much about my fate that I cannot control,

but other things do fall under the jurisdiction.

 

I can decide how I spend my time,

 

whom I interact with,

 

whom I share my body and life and money and energy with.

I can select what I can read and eat and study.

 I can choose how I'm going to regard unfortunate circumstances...

 

whether I will see them as curses or opportunities.

 I can choose my words and the tone of voice in which I speak...

And most of all, I can choose my thoughts.”

 

Elizabeth Gilbert

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Inside the flower blossom is the beginning of a papaya.

 

“I want God to play in my bloodstream

the way sunlight amuses itself on the water.” 

E. Gilbert

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"I fill my life with things that are meaningful"

 

A thankful day

Having a positive outlook...

is one of the most amazing gifts...

 

a person can have.

 

 

Imagine being able to see...

 

the beauty in everything;

 

 every person,

 

every flower (even the ones we label weeds),

 

and in every situation. 

 

Every single day...

no matter what...

there is something to be thankful for.

 

Look at the sky,

breathe the air,

hear the sounds of nature.

Isn't life good...

 

when our hearts are empty of judgement,

 

expectations,

 

fear.

 

Wishing you a wonderful thankful day!!!

 

My friend posted her pic on facebook. When i saw it, it made me smile. I hope it does you too.

 

*****

 

Do not take anything for granted —

not one smile or one person or one rainbow or one breath,

or one night in your cozy bed.

 

~Terri Guillemets

 

*****

 

"Whatever this day brings, I will say thank you"

Becoming a butterfly

 

I found this little guy crawling up my pant leg. It was a reminder that I'm a caterpillar at the moment too...going though an uncomfortable situation that's necessary for my growth...an opportunity to learn something new...but in learning something new, I have to go through the process which includes pain, self-awareness, more pain, then eventually transformation. For right now, I'm still a caterpillar.

 

*****

Most of us know the story about the well-meaning man who found a cocoon of a butterfly and after watching it struggle for awhile, decided to help it along by snipping the cocoon open. The butterfly then emerged, but it's wings were shriveled. The butterfly was never able to fly!

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening was forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If we went through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us.

We would not be as strong as what we could have been.

We could never fly!

*****

FYI- I wrote this last year. I wanted to share it again!!!

 

In our lives, change is unavoidable, loss is unavoidable.

In the adaptability and ease with which we experience change,

lies our happiness and freedom."

 

 —Buddha

 

"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered,

you will never grow."

 

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

"I am always changing, evolving, growing.

For this, I am grateful."

 

You are beautiful

Being beautiful...

 

 has nothing to do with the way that you look.

Beauty comes from a light that shines from your soul...

 

it's the gentle way you treat yourselves and others...

 

it's the art of living a humble, grateful life.

*****

When you get the choice to sit it out or dance,

I hope you dance.

- Lee Ann Womack

*****

"I am a beautiful child of God"

Being kind to yourself

It's not unusual for me to be in my pajamas all morning. I've come to treasure this leisure time....a time to replenish...rejuvenate...focus on my needs. I do recovery work with women throughout the day so it's important for me to take care of myself first.

I love making fresh blueberry lavender pancakes...tending to my plants...curling up on the sofa with my kitty and a warm cup of coffee. I've learned to be kind to myself. I sooooo enjoy doing nothing.

I used to be the queen of multi-tasking. I prided myself on how much I could cram in a day. I look back now and see how much my self-worth was interwoven with achieving things. I didn't value myself as a person unless I was doing, giving, sacrificing...

My way of doing things has changed. I rarely multi-task. My worst crime is washing dishes while I'm on the phone, but that's about it. I even feel a bit guilty about that.

 

I still love giving, helping, getting things done...but I've learned not to sacrifice myself. Practicing good self-care gives me a warm sense of well-being.

*******



FYI- I will be starting a 6 week workshop (based on the book "The Power of Now") at Mystic See in Englewood beginning March 7th. My class is designed to help women improve on the quality of their lives. If you'd like to sign-up or have any questions, call Mystic See at # 941-473-3816. Because there is limited seating, I suggest registering early...hope to see you there.

 

*****

"When we truly care for ourselves,

it becomes possible to care far more profoundly about other people.

 The more alert and sensitive we are to our own needs,

the more loving and generous we can be toward others."

 

 -Eda LeShan

*****

"To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance."

 

 -Oscar Wilde

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"I am worthy"

Putting our needs first

I want to share a poem I came across this morning. For those of us who are co-dependent and want to fix others, it's a gentle reminder that what we may perceive as helpful can actually be damaging.

 

 

I wouldn't coax the plant if I were you.

Such watchful nurturing may do it harm.

Let the soil rest from so much digging.

And wait until it's dry before you water it.

The leaf's inclined to find it's own direction;

Give it a chance to seek sunlight for itself.

 

Much growth is stunted by too much prodding.

Too eager tenderness.

The things we love, we have to learn to leave alone.

 

written by Naomi Long Madgett

 

*****

 

 

If we would give to ourselves what we try to give to others,

we would heal the broken pieces of our past.

 

****

 

 

"Today I will focus my needs"



A fruitful life

The mango tree was full of beautiful fruit...

                                      
Lyrics from the song SUNSCREEN by Baz Luhrmann

 

...do one thing everyday that scares you

don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours

don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults

don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t

enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own

DANCE…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

 

******

"If you look to others for fulfillment,

you will never be fulfilled. 

If your happiness depends on money,

 you will never be happy with yourself. 

Be content with what you have;

rejoice in the way things are. 

When you realize there is nothing lacking,

the world belongs to you."

 

Lao Tzu

 

******

"My life is a wonderful, complicated, challenging adventure and I love it"

Change leads to transformation

Some of my greeting cards...

 

****

 

It's no secret that I'm a BIG advocate for self-improvement. I spent a great deal of my life stuck in misery...fearing change...carrying guilt and shame...having low self-esteem. Once I began to feel the benefits of working on myself, I was hooked. I developed a passion for it that has never diminished for the last 16 years.

It's not always easy or comfortable to look deeply and honestly at ourselves. At least not for me. I discovered things about myself that initially made me cringe. Once I stepped out of denial, I had to be willing to change those things. It helped me to become a better person. It boosted my self-esteem.

Sometimes we have to dig deep for the willingness to do what's right. But in doing so, we build more trust in ourselves; trust that we will do the right thing. And as most of us know, procrastination is painful and self-defeating!

 

Is there anything you'd like to improve on? Surrender to change and if you don't like the changes, I'll be happy to refund your misery.

 

*****

 

 My office/meditation room

 

“Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love...

― Anais Nin

 

*****

 

 

"Change puts me on the path to transformation"

 

Free of baggage

To me, heaven on earth means being free of baggage.

Imagine yourself loving others without attachments.

 

Imagine enjoying material things, but being okay if you lost them.

Imagine being free of guilt and regrets.

Imagine pursuing your passion instead of settling.

 

Imagine letting go of all your fears about money...

because you trust you'll always have enough.

Imagine having perfect health because you're always are in balance.

Imagine being able to see the shining light that you are...

and to see the light in others too, no matter how they act.

 Imagine being able to accept all your circumstances...

 trusting they are only lessons.

Imagine being free of fear.

Sounds wonderful, right? Do you believe it's possible?

I do...

with all my heart...

I believe...

open your mind...

 to this new way of life...

 just waiting for you...

 to say "yes, I believe".

 

*****

 

"Do you really want to look back on your life
and see how wonderful it could have been
had you not been afraid to live it."

~ Caroline Myss ~

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"Just like a child, I have a song in my heart

and skip in my walk"

 

Sharing our gifts

 

There is a greatness in all things...

every tree, every flower...

 every animal...

in the earth, the moon, the stars...

and in every human being.

It can be challenging to embrace the concept...

that we all here here to do great things.

We all have incredible potential.

Let's not waste it.

A rose bud doesn't say...

 "I don't have enough petals to be beautiful".

We have everything we need.

Most of us were not taught not to feel good about ourselves,

so this is where change begins.

Throw out that old belief.

Be all that you can be.

Do not settle for living small.

 

******

 

Take me to the places on the earth that teach you how to dance, the places where you can risk letting the world break your heart. And I will take you to the places where the earth beneath my feet and the stars overhead make my heart whole again and again.

The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

 

"We all have gifts to share with the world"

Open to life

     The best and most beautiful things in this world...
cannot be seen or even heard,
but must be felt with the heart.

Helen Keller

Summer. Beach sand, perfect tans. Day walks, night talks.
Sleepless nights, pillow fights, & spending every daywith those who matter most.
~ Unknown ~
*****

"My heart is open to life"

I believe...

I believe...

in being miracle-minded...

 

in being gentle with ourselves...

 

in dreams...

in keeping a positive attitude...

 

in truth and compassion...

 

in making a difference in the world!!!

****

I also believe...

Mistakes are part of the dues that one pays for a full life.

 Sophia Loren

It is not length of life, but depth of life.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Life is the sum of all your choices.
 Albert Camus

 

 *****

 

"I believe that life is good"

The void

It's that place in us where we let go of what we know...

what we want...

and surrender to the unknown...

It means standing there with our hands empty for a while...

sometimes watching everything we wanted disappear...

our self image...

our definition of who we thought we should be...

the people we thought we had to have...

the things we thought were so important to collect and surround ourselves with...

the job we were certain was ours...

the place we thought we'd live all our lives...

Melody Beattie

*****

 

Quit hanging on to the handrails . . .

Let go. Surrender. Go for the ride of your life...

Melody Beattie

*****

"I will live in the mystery"