Orlando Overwhelm...Only Love

At times we can feel overwhelmed by what is happening in our world.  This past week, just in one state, Florida, there have been three over the top, sad, destructive, unbelievable, terrible, can't believe it occurrences. I am not going into the gory details because we know them-from the news, from our friends, from social media.

Too much hurt.  

Too much pain.  

Too much death.  

Just too much.

Overwhelm.

I also feel this chaos touching my own life.  People arguing, yelling voices, unkind words, judgment, despair and disappointment.  People getting pushy, wanting control.  Blaming.  Shaming.  Being critical.  Emotions swirling, sweeping ugliness and pain onto all those around.  

Overwhelm.

Focusing on this overwhelm brings darkness to our lives.
It clouds out joy and contentment.
I believe that everything we do contributes to the world's energy.
WE are all a work in progress.
Not perfection.

We may not be carrying the gun but are we helping?  

Are we contributing to a peaceful way of life? 

Do we have a role in helping restore love to the planet?

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE YOUR IMPACT!

Pay attention to the little things.
Choose compassion.
Forgive.
Don't pass judgment on that certain situation.
Send light and love.
Shift your expectations.
Look for peace.
Hug someone.
Meet your neighbor.
Hold eye contact with strangers.
Smile.

What is your part in all of this?

Listen to your heart for the answer.

How can we make a difference?

You know how.

Take an oath of devotion.

Only LOVE.

Overwhelm

With

Love

What Does Beauty Mean To You?

My daughter Kelly is in a Body Image & Society class for her last semester of college.  Their latest assignment was to complete a vision board about beauty.  I was inspired  when I saw her board and it made me think about what beauty means to me.  

Beauty can be words. Beauty can be hugs. Beauty can be self love. Beauty can be yoga, not done perfectly. Beauty can be hope. Beauty can be health. Beauty can be nourishing your soul. Beauty is devotion to being the real you. Beauty is another way of looking at our lives and making it our own creation.  

What does beauty mean to you?

I love the song by Colbie Calliat called Try.
Listen to the lyrics and you will be uplifted.

"Take your make-up off
Let your hair down
Take a breath
Look in the mirror at yourself
Don't you like YOU?
Cause I like you."  

Are you seeing beauty when you look in the mirror? 

 If not, make a change.

  

Smile.  

Hug someone.  

Do a little dance.  

Take a deep breath.  

You are beauty.

Believe.

Lessons From My Bathroom (A year end tale)

Today while inserting my contact lens, I noticed my bathroom, as it is.  The sun was shining and water from the pool was reflecting on the wall.  The bathroom has bright, new paint called Catch the Wave.  It also has old, ucky cabinets, gold trim (which I detest) and dirty light bulbs.  But it also has my pampering Pleasure perfume.  It has a picture frame with the word ABUNDANCE on it and a picture of Alexis and Kelly on Christmas morning when they were oh so young and not a bad-ass bone in sight for Lexy or the determined to go after my dream Kelly.  There is a beautiful heart shaped dish the reminds me of a wonderful friend who knows that hearts are my favorite shape.  The clay pot was a gift many years ago from another friend and even with the new paint color it still matches.  The comb in the pot belongs to Dennis and I was trying to get him to keep it in the cabinet but that hasn't worked so as our family and the Marine motto instructs-Improvise, Adapt, Overcome.  It is a reminder of a husband who is both wonderful, giving and frustrating.  The Scotch bottle is from my Dad, who died over 6 years ago and it was made into a magical soap dispenser by another talented and dear friend.  The sign not hung up yet is a cast off from Kelly's room and has great advice.  The three towels on the door are for Dennis and I, a compromise so there are no holes in the new paint, yet.  The lights above are old, outdated (gold) and dusty but they shine when needed (I could probably clean them and they would look better).  

The plaque hanging on the mirror is one of two things that starts and ends my day.  It says:

Every day we decide who we will be by the actions we take. 

I should have this as a tattoo for sure!  What a great reminder about the choices we have in life.  The newest addition is a flattened silver spoon with the word HAPPY engraved on it.  This was a gift from the heart friend who really gets me. (Stop giving me gifts, you know who you are!)

There were so many thoughts and lessons to be discovered from my bathroom today:

• Life is what we make it.
• It has some good stuff and bad stuff.  Depends on what you are looking for.
• Friends and family connections are the most important thing in bathrooms, I mean life.
• Water reflecting on a wall, so simple yet, these are the moments to stop and breathe in.
• I can change things to make them better.
• Life is a work in progress.
• We can't do everything right now.

And all this leads me to more thoughts and questions:

I surrender to needing things to be different than they are.  I embrace what is, until it changes.  I am devoted to dreaming about my ideal life but will live it as it comes.  We have the power to give blessings to all around us.  What could go right?  Why are you doing it?  Now what needs to be done?

My word for 2015 is WONDER.  

My motto is FIND the GOOD.

Happiness is not an end destination, 

but instead the ability to see the ordinary 

through the eyes of wonder.

-Tamara Star

I am living in wonder.  

All this from a bathroom moment.  

Life is ironic and keeps us on our toes. 

Whether this moment is happy or not depends on you.  

It's you that makes the moment happy.  

With mindfulness, concentration and insight, 

any moment can become a happy moment.  

Happiness is an art.  

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Declare it good.

Find the good.

Personal Growth

Who am I?

What do I want from my life?

 What is preventing me from achieving it?

What are my highest priorities?

We read books, attend seminars and workshops, start a health program, have a yoga practice, chant during meditation or seek stillness, hire a life coach or see a therapist.  All these things and more are done to live our best lives.  It's to reduce our limiting thoughts and beliefs.  It is so you believe in yourself as you are today.  Unconditional love for you.  But when is the quest for personal growth enough? 

Who am I?  

And I don't mean titles like wife, mother, sister, employee and others. 

I want you to investigate what lights you up. 

What do I want from my life?

And I don't mean a to-do list of shoulds.

I want you to imagine your best life.

What is preventing me from achieving it?

And I don't mean money or time.

I want you to knock down those barriers of what if.

What are my highest priorities?

And I don't mean family and work.

I want you to do some internal brainstorming.

It is never too late to be who you really are.  

To exchange fear of change for going in the direction that calls you. 

Have you had enough?

Grow.

Align.

Be. 

I do my best and enjoy being me.

-Louise Hay

Today Is The Day

What are you waiting for?

Who am I?

What do I want from my life, and what is preventing me from achieving it?

I recognize that I am the source of my happiness.

Today is the day.

Thongs

I have had these thongs for over 40 years.  

They have been water skiing.

They have been camping.

They have been to many pools.

They have gone on many vacations.

They have been in closets and out.

They have been packed for every move.

They have made every cut in decluttering.

They are not perfect.

There is a tear in the left one.

They are good enough.

In this picture they are buried in the sand but surrounded by beauty.

Kind of like life...surrounded by beauty but feeling a little buried.

My girls are horrified that I call them thongs.

They tell me they are flip flops.

I would be horrified if anyone thought I wore a thong.

So meet my new "old" flip flops.

They were with me this weekend to celebrate my birthday at the ocean!

How old is a treasure that you have hung onto?

Superpowers

What would you attempt 

to do 

if you knew 

you could not fail? 

The other night I asked my two daughters this question. We each had different answers, that ranged from strictly personal goals to ending world suffering and sickness.  It makes me think about lots of ideas that would be fun and could make the world better too.  

I think to really have this be possible we would need a few superpowers:

• Controlling Weather...drought here in California needs some help.
• Eat Anything...oh my...be still my heart...imagine!
• Flight...kind of boring.
• Mind Control....now we're talking.
• Spider Webs...ok for Halloween.
• Time Travel...could really mess up the past which then affects the future.
• X Ray Vision...would I still need to wear my contact lens?
• Super-Hearing, Speed, and Strength...all have been done before.

We are attracted to Superman, Captain America, Iron Man, BatMan, Green Lantern and others because of their superpowers.   My personal favorite is Wonder Woman. I mean, a Lasso of Truth?  Can it get any better? What I could do with a Lasso of Truth! 

Superhero superpowers are conducive to making the world a better place. 

But I think we can make the world better just using our own superpowers.

Kindness, empathy and love are a good place to start.

Throw in making a decision to be happy and taking action.

Add smiling which  has some superpower benefits and we can use it every day. 

We also have some evil superpowers like guilt and shame.  Those are not helping us or the world. We need to use that famous Lasso of Truth and banish them. Only positive Superpowers are used in my story. Creative license, you know.  

Happiness is a superpower.  

It blazes and inflicts positivity until we have a new reality.  

Be a super hero and choose happiness.

Make a difference.

Change the world.

What would you attempt to do if you knew 

you could not fail? 

AND

What superpowers would you use to accomplish it?