She gave love freely

 

She shared her heart

 

without having expectations of

 

what would be returned to her.

 

She knew love always mutiplied in good.

 

 *****

“And still, after all this time, the Sun has never said to the Earth,
"You owe me."
Look what happens with love like that.
It lights up the sky.” 
 
― Rumi

*****

 

message from the Universe- don't hide the parts of you that you fear others will judge or reject. Strive to be your authentic self. That is truly your greatest asset.



She followed her heart

 

She risked

 

 getting her heart broken again,

 

 to step fully into

 

the dance of intimacy.

****

“This is a good sign, having a broken heart.
It means we have tried for something.” 
 
― Elizabeth Gilbert

 

Message from the Universe - Hold unto hope. When things feel dark and uncertain, know that in the grander picture, things are in perfect order. Remember: life is your side.



She loved her own company

 

                            Her new tapestry was lovingly woven                          

 

 with things that were meaningful.

 

And though she was social by nature,

 

she came to appreciate her solitude

 

even more.

****

taken on my walk...

Inside myself is a place where I live all alone,
and that's where I renew my springs that never dry up. 

~Pearl Buck

****

 
Rely on me in your successes and your failures. Deepen your trust in me. Grow strong wings of faith.



Waking up sleeping beauty

Be careful not to fall asleep.

 

When we fall asleep,

 

we enter a space called "denial".

 

When we're in denial

we see things as we wish them to be

 

rather than how they really are.


This can pertain to our choice in relationships,

how we care for ourselves, 

being financially responsible...

 

How many times have you made the wrong decision

 

because you didn't like the alternative?

 

And what price did you pay

 

for not listening to your instincts?


My commitment is to eat better.

I don't want to be in denial

 that food doesn't affect the way I feel.

 

****

 

“We are like sculptors,

constantly carving out of others

the image we long for, need, love or desire,

often against reality...

and always, in the end, a disappointment,

because it does not fit them.”

― Anais Nin

 

 *****

 

 

Be patient. Let go of worry. There is nothing you can't accomplish. Your desires are already being fulfilled.

 

Deepening your faith

 I'm replacing the daily affirmation I usually include at the end of my blog, with a spiritual message. Because I have almost no religious background, my relationship with God has been purely a personal one...an inner journey. 
 

This past week I've been reading a daily prayer book that includes a place for journaling my own thoughts. The spiritual message I'm sharing with you is from my journal. 

Listen with your heart to the message. Try to imagine it coming from a mysterious, magnificent force that is working in your favor. It makes no difference what you believe in, whether it's God, Buddha or you've chosen a tree to be your Higher Power...there are many paths.

Perhaps you may want to journal your translation of what the message means to you, just as I did, as a way to deepen your faith.
 

*****

 

Faith is not without worry or care,

but faith is fear that has said a prayer. 

 

~Author Unknown

 *****

 

 I am your faithful companion. I open up doors for you, yet I never leave your side. I am always with you. Don't let troubles pull you under with worry and fear. Go through the day in peace knowing you are dearly loved and safe in my care.



She took new risks

 

When she stopped believing

 

in limitation,

 

she became an expression

 

of her truest self.

****

Every day do something that will inch you closer
to a better tomorrow.

Doug Firebaugh

 

*****

 

 

"I am always learning and growing"



She colored outside the lines

The pages of her life

 

were filled with the vibrant colors

 

of a fearless woman.

 

She no longer played it safe,

 

but took joyful leaps

 

of determination.

****

 I couldn't resist taking these photos...

 "Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull
of what you really love"

Rumi



She trusted her intuition

 

photos from my walk yesterday

*****

She listened to the wisdom

 

of her “knowing”

and followed the guidance

 

it offered her.

 

******* 

I would rather trust a woman's instinct
than a man's reason. 

~Stanley Baldwin
 

 

"I trust myself"



She knew herself intimately

She explored all there was

 

to know about herself.

 

This included the good and bad aspects

 

of her character.

 

She didn’t judge herself.

 

Instead she worked at changing behaviors

 

that didn't feel right anymore.

*****

The beauty of a simple leaf

 

“I must be a mermaid 

 I have no fear of depths

and a great fear of shallow living.” 

 

―Anais Nin 

 

*****

 

 

"I embrace change"



She learned about gratitude

No matter what life handed her,

 

she found a gift in every experience.

 

Having a positive outlook

 

helped her to be thankful for the lessons

 

her difficulties taught her.

*****

 



New adventures

 

Be open to new ideas. Don’t get discouraged if things get a little messy. Learning is messy. In an attempt to teach myself how to do iron-on transfers with my artwork, I used up all my printer ink and transfer paper. I ruined my iron. And then I ruined the new bag I put the transfer on. What I learned from this costly experience is that I won't do it myself again. Next time I will be happy to pay someone to have it done professionally.

Even though this project cost me time and money, I’m pleased with myself for attempting it. In trying new things, it often works out for the good when I get to discover things that I didn’t know I would love.

******

 

Nothing comes without risks,

 but without risks nothing comes.

 

*******

 

 

"My days are filled with adventure"

Trusting our instincts

How well do you trust your instincts? I grew up in a home where things weren't as they appeared to be. To the outside world, our family probably seemed normal. But the truth was there was abuse, neglect, unhealthy thinking... No one ever questioned it. Even though it felt wrong as a child, I thought I was the crazy one.

Today I still have to be careful not to fall in the old trap of putting trust in someone who isn’t trustworthy. I have a tendency to shut down my instincts, just as I did growing up, when I am trying to fit in.

******

 

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift
and the rational mind is a faithful servant.
We have created a society that honors the servant
and has forgotten the gift.

~Albert Einstein

*****

"I can trust myself"

She had a spiritual awakening

As she turned new corners,

 

it brought many gifts.

 

  Her brokenness healed into wholeness.

 

  Her uneasiness melted into peace.

*****

Mindfulness is the cure for everything;
the essence of being alive.  

 Ellen Langer

*****

"I am free of old restricted thinking"



Taking life too seriously

 I used to worry so much that I thought I would lose my mind, but there was something appealing about losing my worrying mind. Worry had caused me a lot of unnecessary suffering. In letting go of my tiring, repetitive thoughts and replacing them with faith,  moved me from living in my head to living in my heart.

 

 from my workbook "Living From Your Heart"

******

 

Faith is not without worry or care,

but faith is fear that has said a prayer. 

 

~Author Unknown

 

********

 

 

"I will trust the outcome in all situations"



Lifting clouds of worry

After mom had been diagnosed with lung cancer, my sister and I knew she wouldn’t be with us for long. Laughter was the medicine we used to cope with our fear of what the future held. All the precious time we had left was an opportunity for love and unity (from my workbook "Living From Your Heart").

*****

No matter what life hands us,

if our arms are open to the experience,

we will be handed a gift.

 

Life is not always fair.
Sometimes you get a splinter even sliding down a rainbow.

~Terri Guillemets

****

 

"My heart is open to life"

A false sense of belonging

Sometimes in life we are called to do the very thing we're afraid of. One thing I fear is rejection. Being different, being true to myself, is still a stretch for me. I spent most of life trying to please others, to fit in, to be what others wanted me to be. But I lost myself in the process.

 

The last few months I have been in a situation that I would have done anything to avoid in the past. I took a strong stand for something I believe in. It has not made me popular...quite the opposite.  I could avoided a lot of judgement and rejection by playing the old game of " I will pretend not to see what I see and know what I know so you like me". I have worked too hard on myself to go blind ever again. I'm not desperate anymore to belong. I'm not willing to disconnect from myself. Too high a price to pay for a false sense of belonging.

 

 This has not been a picnic. It has been painfully uncomfortable and I've wanted to give up. But something deep in me has said to persevere...to not give into fear. And I haven't. I can see already how much I have gained from this experience...these bittersweet lessons about trusting myself...looking rejection in the face rather than cowering. I will never be the same. And for that, I am truly grateful.

 

******

 

 

She pushed beyond old limiting beliefs

and opened her mind

to new ideas.

Her fear couldn’t thrive in a space

insulated with faith.

*****

"I am free to be who I am"