"Time falls away...but these small hours, these little wonders still remain..."

Good Morning!

What a beautiful morning it is! As I look outside my big picture window this morning, it has been raining (a lot) and there is a soft, almost transparent layer of fog hovering over the landscape..and with the leaves changing, it almost looks like the picture of a serene bog out there. The sun doesn't always have to shine to consider a day beautiful...now does it??

I have made the MOST out of the last couple of days...have set aside some time for myself to do those things that needed to be done, but did them as if I WANTED to do them. It's all in the attitude people!! I organized those places that only the people who live here can see (that's been a long time comin'), I dug out all my fall decorations and adorned my home, inside and out with it's "Welcome Autumn" attire, made some of my family's very favorite soup, and baked up some fudge brownies with peanut butter chips!! Oh my! When I came down the stairs this morning to make my coffee, the house STILL smelled of all the wonderful aromas of cooking yesterday and when I got on FB, there was a little note of appreciation there to the "Italian Wedding Soup Fairy"...as I had left a serving for two with two slices of fresh Italian bread on the porch of a hard-working (and helpful) friend. I don't think my day could start out any more wonderful. I am truly blessed!! I cannot get my mind to stop fast-forwarding to Thanksgiving! LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!! Although, I shall not wish one single day away in doing so---I just look forward with a sense of happy anticipation.

There is something to be said for "tradition." I believe that it helps create a lasting bond between you and those you share these said "traditions" with. Though, sometimes, I think it gets a bad wrap! There are those who will argue that tradition is a "refusal to except change"...and to that I say...REALLY? Not so much. I guess it would depend upon which type of tradition we are talking about, I guess. Like "traditional" ROLES, absolutely..I could agree with THAT argument. But family-shared, or heart-held tradition...nah! I get SO much joy out of decorating my home for fall...it is such a simple, yet profoundly important thing for me to do. It makes me smile...I do it in celebration of my favorite season. AND, you can have all the other holidays, but THANKSGIVING is my baby! It is one of the least commercialized holidays...and it brings with it special memories with my family (and anyone else who wants to join...always room for one, two, or 6 more!!) I have photos from Thanksgivings past and there is an image or two of BURSTING laughter in every one of them!

I enjoy throwing the meal together and feeding everyone (as this has become one of the ways I LOVE people), falling into the customary (yet temporary) tryptophan "coma", and then awakening to gather around the kitchen (or dining room) table to play games and drink some beers (or your beverage of choice). There is football on the T.V. in the background, the guys with cell phones and/or computers at the ready tallying up their "fantasy points"...and beefing on each other! And I have LEARNED that even when you want the day to be MOST perfect, your sweet potato souffle (that you slaved tirelessly over) will BLOW up, your squash will explode, etc. True story! BUT...it doesn't ever dampen the reason for the season! FAMILY..LOVE..and GIVING.

As I write this morning, the sun is beginning to make it's appearance through the fog...so I guess we get the best of both worlds this fine morning.

"Make My Way Back Home and Learn to Fly..."

Well hello everyone!

I won't take up a WHOLE lot of your time today. I just had to share with you that "taking my own advice" is working SPLENDIDLY for me!! I have mentioned in previous posts that I have begun some larger networking, and as small as what I witnessed and read with my very OWN two eyes yesterday may have been in considering the grander scheme of things, it was a sign--a sign of progress in my endeavor. I cannot tell you how much encouragement I received from this. I will NOT spill any deets YET, but as SOON as I get some SOLID, undeniable feedback that my work in this is paying off....I will definitely share it with all of you, who in part, have really assisted me along the way.

There comes a time when you can look back on all the suffering, the frustration, the confusion, and (perceived) wasted time and say "I am GLAD I went through all of that" and willingly embrace the challenges ahead (being much better-prepared for them) and REALIZE that how you COME OUT of them really proves what you are made of! What a liberating feeling! Doors SLAM for a reason! Others open for a reason. MARCH through them...don't question, don't fear, and don't WORRY..eyes straight ahead...don't look back...because at this point, you already KNOW where you are going...putting 2 & 2 together is child's play.

Again, I thank you all. Just having you stop by and visit (with eyes from all over the WORLD) has kept me focused!

I wish for you:
BRAVERY in your hour of contention.
CLARITY in the midst of conflict & confusion.
A VOICE among the silent.
A PATH when you've lost sense of direction.
FORESIGHT enough to see it.
COURAGE enough to take hold of it.
AND STRENGTH to OWN it.

It is YOURS for the taking. Be bold, be tough, be resilient...

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." Yep, that just about SAYS IT ALL RIGHT THERE!!

Peace!!

How bout a little wine-tasting with your star-gazing...Don't mind if I do!

Hello everyone!

It's Monday morning, and I was up pretty early because I have all kinds of thoughts running through my mind that need to be purged...LUCKY YOU!!

Lately, I have been a multitasking maniac. Been cleaning out the "closets", getting rid of the things that don't work that have taken up precious space for way too long. I've been doing some networking, bringing in some NEW, working things to replace the old, been polishing up those valuable things that have been tossed aside and gathering dust while I was SO BUSY trying to get those BROKEN things to work again...all the TIME I invested in those things only to find, they had seen their day and even I, could not will them to live again (imagine THAT!!) And what about those "valuable" things that lay unattended to in my mission to FIX that which could NOT be fixed? Man, how shiny they have become since I have given them the attention they deserve...all polished up, lookin' pretty, reflecting light instead of just absorbing it. The new things I speak of that I have brought in are nothing more than DISPLAYS for those things of value I have kept and came back to..and because I have gotten rid of all the useless things, I actually have the space to DISPLAY them!! What a revelation! And even more a revelation is that ANY epiphany comes in the midst of our "low times", our heartbreak, our confusion, our depression, and WHEN we begin to search for it in the healing process.

Taking OFF the old wine skins now. Very powerful thought right here...."If you are in a room, and you seem to be the one everybody comes to for support, for advice, for information, for a shoulder to cry on....YOU ARE IN THE WRONG ROOM!!!"~ T.D. Jakes. Funny how this again coincides with what I have been doing in my life. It is NOW time for MY blessing! So I am taking this time to prepare for it. "Idle hands are the devil's workshop."--INDEED.

I've seen a complete shift in what has become my lifelong paradigm. My empathetic/empathic and compassionate disposition has always been one to "reach out" all the time. I have given when I didn't think I had anything to spare...but I never cared...I just kept on giving. What I have come to realize is that if you give someone something from nothing...how valuable is it really? I have always kind of looked at myself as a vessel that NEVER empties, I just keep pouring, and pouring, and substance DOES come out, but how RICH is it?? How seasoned can it be if it is not given the time it needs to steep and absorb to become rich? Water will sustain you and keep you alive...BUT WINE is FRUIT + water...so today, I am throwin' some fruit up in that water and GIVING it TIME to AGE.

I am now networking on a much grander scale, branching out, and settling for nothing less than people who work "WITH" me, bring something that I don't KNOW to the table, and offering something to them something they may not be aware of...it is give and take and this is what constitutes a productive "partnership." Being the one people always come to is something valuable to achieve, as you are looked upon with great esteem; however, when I begin to esteem myself less as they esteem me more, it means my lifeblood and "stored" nutrients are being given to sustain someone else's life...and if I am to KEEP giving this "substance", I FIRST need to allow it to season so that I may absorb some myself, or what I have left will only serve to SUSTAIN me and those to whom I offer it...it will lose it's ability to EMPOWER for the best possible outcome..as it becomes watered-down. To lend tangible aspect to this metaphoric message...ponder this question: "should a woman with child deny herself food and starve herself?" And if she doesn't take in proper nutrients during her pregnancy, what happens?

I am reaching for the stars these days, going BIG and NOT staying home. It is TIME to embrace the grander SCALE of my life. I am almost ready, but in the meantime, I prepare...and allow myself time to be encouraged in this preparation...because something bout to BLOW up in here...I can FEEL it...everything is moving forward at time-warp speed. I have come SO far in such a short period of time, and I would have to believe that it is because IT IS TIME. I cannot just sit around and wait for it to happen...I have to be proactive in MAKING it happen..the plan is there...the manner in which I achieve it is all in the preparation and networking.

In lieu of the "standard" quotes that I usually insert at the end of my posts...today, I would like to give ya'll a fun little fact...and then challenge you to "read into it" metaphorically:

One of the short-term aging needs of wine is a period where the wine is considered "sick" due to the trauma and volatility of the bottling experience. During bottling some oxygen is exposed to the wine, causing a domino effect of chemical reaction with various components of the wine. The time it takes for the wine to settle down and have the oxygen fully dissolve and integrate with the wine is considered its period of "bottle shock". During this time the wine could taste drastically different than it did prior to bottling or how it will taste after the wine has settled. While many modern bottling lines try to treat the wine as gently as possible and utilize inert gases to minimize the amount of oxygen exposure, all wine goes through some period of bottle shock. The length of this period will vary with each individual wine.

Ya'll have a great day out there, where-ever you are...cuz I plan on it!! SALUTE!

Oh NO she di-ent....Stargazing, PART II

Good Sunday morning people!!

As I promise, so I deliver...Part II of Star-gazing...

As I read through my post from yesterday, I touched briefly upon a quote from Mark Chironna that pertained to negative/positive reinforcement and added to it a twist of sorts, where it is my stance that if you are WHOLE within yourself, that neither of the two really have the POWER to condemn nor create. With that being said...there are two sides to this and it is really a double-edged sword. There is the giver and the receiver, there is the reflector and the reflectee and for any negative or positive reinforcement to "take a hold" on anyone, the "conditions" have to be right.

In this type of dynamic, it is IMPORTANT to realize that who you are, and the inner work you have done to become who you are lies only in how you VIEW YOURSELF. It comes from the sometimes VERY uncomfortable task of LOOKING deeply within yourself, being completely honest with yourself, and laying your ego aside, feeling ashamed of yourself for mistakes made...BUT THEN, redeeming yourself in them the NEXT time you are faced with a similar situation by doing things differently. The feeling that comes from changing mistakes made in the past going into the future, creates a feeling of positive reinforcement in YOURSELF that cannot ever be touched by an opinion or a nice gesture from another. Please don't misunderstand...I am in no way saying that your efforts being recognized by another are of no use or value...but it is HOW we use it and where the value lies that matters. This is how we know the difference...if we are HUMBLED by a "compliment" or if we are nurtured by it. If we, in the latter, become "dependent" upon this type of positive feedback from others...how easy is it to slip into a pattern of "addiction" to this very thing...and we all know what addiction does...it creates tunnel vision and it becomes the ONLY thing that matters...and we will DO ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to GET IT. This is what creates the IMBALANCE in all of this. We place WAY too much importance upon this "positive reinforcement" from others, when really, all we will ever need or want CAN be found within. If you have the strength to resist the temptation to fall into NEEDING this type of thing from others and USE it only to verify and solidify those efforts that YOU alone have put forth FOR YOU, and it propels you to keep on with the mission of growth and autonomy, then it has no choice but to lead to genuine altruism, and in this, there is NO selfishness.

So, we have established that the person whole within themselves really doesn't expect or go about life needing the acceptance or fanfare from another. They do not put others in a position of reflection because they take the responsibility for how they themselves reflect.

What about those who are not whole, or have become dependent upon the nurturing qualities of constant positive feedback? Is it the "whole" person's responsibility to take on this kind of task? NO. It is not. What kind of feedback do you think that these people have gotten within their lifetime from others---AND...here is the million dollar question..."does this have as much to do with the way they view themselves, their lives, and others as HOW THEY VIEW THEMSELVES? There are people out there who have had the BEST of opportunities laid out before them, have had supportive and nurturing relationships in childhood through adulthood..who have had "positive reinforcement" OUT THE YING-YANG who become one who searches for constant reinforcement, constant admiration, right? WHY? Because if you ENABLE someone to become dependent upon your VALUE of them, they NEVER have a chance to seek out the value in themselves. So here is a HIT on positive reinforcement...there can be TOO MUCH..we strive to achieve BALANCE.

I take what others say to me and of me with a grain of salt because they do not know me like I know myself. They do not know that I am my own worst critic, they do not realize that nothing they say can effect me any deeper than those things I say to myself. I don't need their "assistance" one way or the other because my MISSION in this life is to HELP myself, improve myself. I already KNOW where I need to improve, the mistakes I have made, the progress I am making or lacking, and what needs to be DONE to alleviate the feelings I already HAVE of myself for the above mentioned and what plan of action I am going to execute to change those things. I also find that when someone pays me a compliment or thanks me for something I've done or said, I feel guilty that I have solicited that kind of "praise" from them, and will often say "please don't thank me for that"....It humbles me...and YES, it does make me feel valued but ONLY in the manner that it endorses that how I view and know myself is in congruence with how I am seen and known, which is the "inside out" concept. It The flip side of this (of course) is backwards "this is how I am seen and known, therefore, this who I strive to become." In one scenario the foundation is BUILT...in the other..it is under CONSTANT construction.

So to wrap this up kids.... INTERDEPENDENCE VS. INDEPENDENCE. Exclude the middle-man.

Good day...blessings and best wishes to all.

Anyone up for a little star-gazing???

Good Morning Everyone!!

Well, there has been a lot of traffic here lately...so I guess I better get back to givin' ya'll something new a little more often to make your visit a little more worth-while! Thank you again to everyone who shows an interest and/or shares the same sort of philosophy for stopping by. I am sure that at times, it is like de-coding even further the mind-bending thoughts that I ATTEMPT to decode for you!! Sometimes, it is SO difficult to put such detailed messages into simple form, but I do my very best. And again, I encourage any comments you may have about anything I have written here.

Okay...let's get into it, shall we?

Yesterday, a friend of mine (who often times shares inspirational messages on FB) posted a little snippet of a message by a man named Mark Chironna that read:

"Congruence has a magnetizing effect on desired opportunities. You have already known the power of both positive and negative reinforcement. When something is negatively reinforced, creativity and the ability to respond with confidence diminishes progressively the more the negative reinforcement is applied. When positive reinforcement is experienced, there is a measured increase in creativity, confidence, and success."

My reply:
THIS is SO true. I have been experiencing this myself (negative) and it leaves you feeling so defeated...but the saving grace in negative reinforcement is "clear knowledge of SELF" KNOWING that you are NOT what people say you are or try to make you believe you are...yes, words have power to defeat...but only in those who take someone else's word over their own about THEMSELVES as truth. Victory is only inevitable to those who KNOW better of themselves!! Anything OUTSIDE...I prefer to keep there. Inside out is the proper way of life...despite the mental picture we get when we think of the term...but isn't this the way society wants us to believe? WHOLE within your self abolishes the need for "reinforcement" of any kind. In a perfect world, we SHOULD reach out to others in a positive and uplifting manner...but can we really DO this until we have done this within ourselves first and with that in mind, are we responsible for the attitudes of those who haven't?? And if the haters don't like it...too damn bad.

A lot of times, and really in most cases, if you know you are giving 110% to something (anything) and it is recognized by the majority surrounding you...and there is ONE nay-sayer in the bunch; BUT this nay-sayer is the major player in the scenario, whose opinion really matters to you...for example: Your boss, your husband/wife, your mother/father, etc., where you feel an immense responsibility to have your efforts recognized in some manner, the negativity can have a devastating impact upon YOUR psyche and make you think "Ya know, I don't even know why I bother." Anyone will argue that there are areas in everyone's life where you really have to make an "impression." An employer will give you an opportunity to do this...a potential husband/wife will give you an opportunity to do this, your parents will give you an opportunity to do this. It is just the way we've been conditioned to get through life. We have to PROVE that WE have what it takes over Joe Shmoe to EARN our spot. Everyone wants to know that they have the very BEST candidate for the task at hand, but WHY? Efficiency? I claim that this is only PART of the reason. Yes, in business, it could even be the #1 reason...but doesn't "reflection" also play a very large role in this all? Doesn't how your employees perform reflect back upon you? Doesn't how your children behave reflect back upon you? YES. Can any ONE of us be PERFECT? Absolutely NOT! BUT, is this our expectation of others? Are there not those out there who will EXPECT someone else to do what they are NOT willing to do...who live by the premise of "do as I say, not as I do," and will lay the responsibility of the way THEY are perceived by others UPON others? Again, the biggest hole in this picture is PERSONAL responsibility and those who shrug theirs are probably most often the culprits of trying to tear down someone else's VERY BEST efforts because deep down inside (no matter the "surface purpose"), they realize that this person out-performs them, out-thinks them, and gathers the recognition for this THEMSELVES because, really...they OWN it. Enter jealousy, envy, and low self-esteem....yes...these "guests" often come uninvited don't they...they are psyche-crashers and the result of viewing life from an OUTSIDE IN perspective and because they begin to tear at someone's very IMAGE, they need a route of escape...and more often than not, they will be directed to the person (or people) they are most envious of. It is a really touchy dynamic really...and if you read deeply into what I have just written...it is a NO-WIN situation. Now, you are in a position where you are damned if you do and damned of you don't. This is WHY fully realizing YOUR potential, YOUR limitations, and YOURself as a whole is so important in keeping yourself emotionally and mentally healthy and productive. This is the only thing that keeps those feelings of inadequacy given to you BY others a "temporary status" in your psyche and actually FUELS within you the need to continue to build within you an unwavering foundation upon which to stand in the face of adversity.

OHHHHH...you all don't have TIME to eat all of this up in one setting!! I am going to split this message up into parts for ya so you can have time to digest... I believe this is a VERY important topic and one I have much experience in. Stay tuned my faithful "We are ONE first" readers...I promise there will be dessert offered at the end of THIS meal!! And after you get done reading this...go back to my "Music and Art" post, and listen to some REO and gather up some eye-candy with the great art in the video and let it all steep...for some reason, that song and the artwork displayed as a backdrop is reverberating in my mind as I write!!


"Self-realization is much like a telescopic view of a star...seeing and recognizing the intricacies that often go unnoticed by the naked eye due to the immense distance between."~Rainamay.

Have a GREAT weekend everyone...much love and encouragement from your friend...always..

Living LARGE...whether standing at the top or making my way there.

Sitting here this morning doing my usual morning ritual of scrolling my FB page, sippin my hot coffee, and THINKING. It is SO quiet here first thing in the morning when my internal clock wakes me. I relish my "morning time," as it has become MY time to sort things out, pay bills, or to just BE. I sit here and think this morning how crazy it is how the worries of today leave once today becomes yesterday. I even laugh to myself as my "first impression" of something may change the minute I revisit it, and how my sense of humor about things is increasing, while my worry decreases. I find myself saying "ya know, it isn't really as bad as I first thought it was" and I try to figure out a diplomatic way of reckoning it within myself and approaching others (if that is the case). There are also the things of yesterday, I have learned that are best kept there, as they have not really proven to be of any benefit to my growth in moving forward. So with these thoughts in mind, I would like to thank a "higher power" or the "powers that be" for TODAY and hope I will be blessed enough to prosper through it and greet tomorrow. Though yesterday is filled with a wisdom of its very own, yesterday is a place we visit to bring balance to the challenges that today will inevitably bring to spring us into action for a better tomorrow. Laughter IS the best medicine, smiling is contagious, and "LOVE covers a multitude of sin."

With that being said, I will point out that there is a duality to worry. Unhealthy worry begins to take the place of action...it is a deterrent, a catalyst for backpedaling, excuse-making, and fault-finding. On the other side of the spectrum is healthy worry, but this type of worry seems to lead us to a question we pose to ourselves which sounds a bit like this "what can I do to change this situation that is causing such worry?" Healthy worry lends to us the understanding that this is NOT someone else's problem, it is not our neighbor's worry, our spouse's worry, your children's worry...it is OURS..and what we DO with it TODAY will dictate whether or not it becomes a point of reference toward growth or RULES our life and forces us into a "percieved safety" and seclusion....tomorrow. Dig it?? We NEED to start owning our own lives, our own action, our own MINDS.

No one will ever see us the way we see ourselves and our circumstance will NEVER change by merely "wanting" it to or permitting it OWN us. If we EARN admiration and respect from others, that is just a benefit that comes with being true to ourselves and our purpose...we don't CAUSE that admiration/respect to flow from another...it is ultimately THEIR decision whether or not to lend it to us, only AFTER we know we have earned it. It is not a cause-and-effect scenario...yet, this is what we get stuck on. "If I do this, then this person will react in this way." We lean too much to others to "solidify" and "accept" for all the wrong reasons. We tend to make a decision based upon what will shed the brightest light upon us through the eyes of another JUST for that purpose, because it makes US feel good, instead of "I will do this because THIS is what is IN ME to do after I have considered ALL things." There is a very CLEAR line between "building" a persona and just being who we are. The biggest difference in the two is one is temporary and always NEEDING and the other is lasting and whole within itself. We cannot expect something or someone outside of ourselves to make us into something or "fix" our circumstance. Think about this for a moment, really think about it.

The quote "I would rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not" comes to mind. THIS is the difference. When you are true to yourself and purpose and you consider ALL things before pressing forward with a decision, you will be LOVED for all the right reasons, and this is irreplaceable, irrevocable, and genuine. If you are NOT loved, then you have no choice but to say "that is their decision" and really, it doesn't bother you at all because you do NOT control the thoughts, opinions, nor actions of another. But if the very thing you CLING to in this life is the acceptance and praise from another, then your life is based upon tactic and agenda and is meant to build your self-esteem through the eyes of others...do we forget the word SELF in this? This type of mind-set lends itself to destroying "self" and becomes a chaotic pattern of self-sabotage because in essence, you are turning control over your life and your happiness to another...but hey, NOW you have an object of blame. It can't be YOUR fault. After all, you made SURE you were EVERYTHING you THOUGHT that person wanted and needed, right? And so the pattern repeats itself with each new esteem-building target.

Today's message I guess would be to OWN yourself, your life, your decisions, your LOVE. Do what is within your OWN power to change worry into opportunity, a stressful circumstance into a winning one, and do NOT hang who you are upon the esteem of another. Laugh often, love much, give freely, and don't EXPECT anything in return.

“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”
Albert Einstein.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Winston Churchill

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”
Dr. Seuss

“Self-sabotage is when we say we want something and then go about making sure it doesn't happen.”
Alyce P. Cornyn-Selby

Love ya'll BIG BUNCHES!! Have a prosperous day!

Signed,
Living WHOLE.

The WISE follow a star....

Good morning!

Well, I gotta tell ya'll, I had a chance to view the Part II of the message that I urged you all to watch last week by T.D. Jakes, and AGAIN, this man hits it out of the park. There is something very remarkable about that man. It's one thing to "generalize" to place yourself and your life into a scenario that is presented, it is quite another to use the exact verbiage in description, the exact scenario in thought, and to feel as though there is another human being plucking your very thoughts straight from your head!! Without fail, and most times, after-the-fact, this man's message will match mine and his words boomerang back at me like an echo. Gives me chills! So if you happened to visit lightsource.com at my urging, and found something within that message you could attach yourself to, please go there again and catch part II of that message..some very powerful stuff right there!!

At any rate, I am plugging along, finding something to be grateful for everyday, and brainstorming my next move!! I spoke briefly in my last blog of the advice of a friend who had given me an idea for a "leaping off point" in an endeavor, for which I was a bit confused on the venue. His idea was a very good idea; however, these days, I seem to be thinking on a much grander scale and figure "go big or stay home" so I took it a step further because the "expanded" idea will also cover a wish of mine I have had for most of my adult life. Wish me "good fate" and believe for me, okay? Thanks.

Leaving our comfort zone is an initially scary thing to do, but I have done this several times lately and have found very positive things in it. And once the initial "I can't believe I just did that" wears off, things just begin to progress in that apprehensive direction you have taken and then you think "why didn't I do this a long time ago!" The perspective that you gain is new, fresh, and exciting...you are learning something new and avenues begin to appear and you begin to find yourself saying "I think I'll take this one and just see where it leads me." Your courage begins to build to the point where your attitude adjusts to a "the sky is the limit" mentality and you begin to think "eh, baby-steps are for BABIES"...I am a big girl/boy! I need to take TWO for every ONE I used to take, cuz I GOT SOME CATCHIN' UP TO DO!! So if you find that that avenue you decided to travel doesn't quite get ya there, just stay the course, travel in the same direction...you WILL arrive eventually. Be patient, it may take you a little longer having to take an alternate route, but just concentrate on the view along the way...it may seem arduous at times, but just think that the little bit of extra time on your journey may show you some things you may have missed taking the straighter shot!! Some of us have even CHOSEN the scenic route before just to be able to travel outside of the chaotic bustle of traffic. And we ALL know, that when we are in a HURRY to get anywhere, something ALWAYS gets in the way!! Take your time, enjoy the ride, take in the view...but remain true to the destination and KNOW that you WILL make it there. Focus and concentrate on the GOAL, don't be swayed from it, don't be lax about what it takes to get there, don't get discouraged when you don't make it there at YOUR appointed time...and DON'T throw your hands in the air and forget about it when the goin' gets a little tough and you feel your strength is waning...just rest a bit and set out AGAIN. Even God rested!! BUT HE doesn't give up--and the proof of that is in the constant internal dialog that goes on inside of all of us..our conscience, our weighing pros and cons, our need to find a balanced outcome in all things. REST and LISTEN...there will plenty of time for celebrating and talking when you GET THERE!!

"Every moment of one's existence, one is growing into more or retreating into less."~Norman Mailer.

"A ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what a ship is built for."~Unknown.

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."~Theodore Roosevelt.

"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move."~The Bible, Matthew 17:20

Well, I guess that is all I have to say today. Other than...happy travels!!

Stepping stones...

Good Friday Morning peeps!!

In lieu of writing a post yesterday, I gave ya'll a link to go visit and hope those of you who came here yesterday took the opportunity to go view it. It certainly helped me, and I hope it may have given you some insight as well.

Today; however, staying with the same theme, I would like to go into that "in between" place, because that is where I am at right now...and then talk about what I picked up in meditation last night.

In explanation of the "in between place", I am feeling as if I am better off than I was BEFORE, but not really as good as I COULD be now. I am a doer...though some things I have been through have stalled that process a bit..but now that I am past all of that and my mind is no longer occupied with those insignificant things, things I have no control over changing, my energy now is now turned inward where it belongs. Having been and still being a "victim of circumstance", I am sure that a lot of you will follow what I am saying. Even though the outside problem is not of any conscious concern anymore, there still remains the inward thoughts and feelings we carry concerning OUR involvement (our baggage). There is regret, there is guilt, there are all these questions we begin to ask ourselves concerning our circumstance AFTER the fall. Those that sound like this: What was I thinking, I am smarter than that...How could I have not seen, or worse yet...I really knew, but I did nothing about it...and this all begins to lead to one place..."what do I do now?" This is the in-between place. Where you are dealing with the past, living in the now, and thinking of the future. What indeed?

What is happening to me is that somewhere inside, my purpose/destiny began to speak very loudly over those other voices...the questioning voices, the forlorn voices and started speaking ACTION. I am very clear on what I was put here for, but the "venue" in which to begin travel was my dilemma. I threw this out to a friend who gave me a very valuable idea...and more importantly, this friend BELIEVES in me and my propensity to DO and his advice is very valuable to me. I decided that a serious time of meditation was needed in order to maybe HEAR and SEE what it was that I was missing in all of this, as there seems to be a block.

This is what I got...STEPPING STONES. Everything we experience in this life (if we pay attention) is geared to building our strength and resolve for the things that lie ahead for us. There are people, things, and situations we experience (even through no fault or determination of our own) that may leave us feeling helpless, hopeless, and full of regret...BUT, in them is something VERY valuable...a lesson. We will be led to the darker side of things so we learn to RECOGNIZE it...much like a child burning themselves on a stove for the first time...it hurts like hell when they burn themselves, and even as it heals, but that child will develop a "healthy" fear of that stove which will prevent him/her from touching it again UNTIL they understand the "workings" of it and are better equipped to "handle" it again. Think of your life as nothing more than a destiny, a journey, a game, an education. You will win some, lose some, you will pass through and you will fail...it teaches humility and the gain is PERSPECTIVE. The more pain we go through, the less mistakes will will make from THAT point forward. I have said this before, and will say it again...sometimes the things we WANT or the things we search for are not the best things for us AT THAT SPECIFIC POINT IN TIME. "What may be meant as a blessing may not be a blessing if it comes TOO SOON."~T.D. Jakes.

So I am standing upon a stepping stone that leads across the rushing water...one that appears to be solid and sturdy enough to hold my weight..and right now, it appears to be the last one in sight. I stand in the middle. I have slipped off some of the slippery ones, I have fallen and cut myself on some of the jagged ones, and now I stand in the middle on the last one I can see. I look behind me to see where I came from...I look forward to see where I am being led. At the point of where I now stand, what does this mean? It means...I leap, I sink or swim, I go against the tide or with it, I have many directions of which to choose, and I am now in a period of weighing and balancing, using perspective to guide me, listening to the quiet voice inside me. I am not stuck...it is an illusion. I am being patient because my direction will come clear as long as I USE all of the lessons I have learned that led me to this rock, where I stand tall, dry, and willing. I will use this time wisely in thought and action and I will wait and believe because I wouldn't have come THIS FAR had something WAY bigger than I hadn't believed in ME FIRST.

"Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie
Which we ascribe to heaven."
~William Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well.

"A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her." ~David Brinkley

"Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstance." ~Bruce Barton

“When you see the value of continued growth, the circumstances around you become stepping stones.”
Clyde M. Narrimore

I wish you all bright light and warmth on your own personal journey!

Validation.

Go to lightsource.com and then to The Potter's Touch, and watch the video "Stirring up a Blessing." I tried to embed this video, but it wouldn't work!

Although, I will say that I do not attach myself to any one mind-set of belief...and tend to be more globally minded, for some reason...this man will follow every Sunday with a strikingly similar topic/message. Just a few nites ago, I LITERALLY told a friend "I am tired of feeling 'in-between'...and he was confused by this statement...my prior blog post was one of "leaving your comfort zone to search out your purpose"...I pulled this video up just a couple of days ago to watch it (as I always miss it on Sundays) and was blown away at the shared inspirational message and mind set. So please, give this a view. It may not hit you the same way it hit me, but it lets me know that there are others who share the same philosophy and makes me feel more "at home."

Shalom/Namaste/Peace/and Amen.

Pink Floyd - Coming Back to Life - Division Bell

Happy, happy, happy Friday!!

Not really sure what to talk about, but I have all this positive energy inside and all around me that I felt like I had to lay something down!

The saying "why do bad things always happen to good people" comes to mind today because I am seeing and living the paradigm switch in this right now. I was visited by a very old friend who I had not seen in 28+ years and met her husband as well. What a very uplifting and positive thing. They are doing very well and are very happy and the influence that this kind of unity in thought and purpose had on me was immense. It seems to be a very common theme with ALL of my friends AND my family members...those most near and dear to me experiencing some very good and valuable things in their lives...and I just knew that someday, I would witness this. It is the same with me. I have FINALLY come to a place where I just do not worry...things have fallen into place for me and I have worked hard to keep them coming...and they DO and now I look FORWARD with a sort-of kid-at-Christmas anticipation and I don't worry about ANYTHING. When the energy inside and the energy surrounding you are of the same vibration, there is no room for any of those old dark emotions...they flee and attach themselves to those who choose to nurture and carry them. I've brushed them all off and I not only walk forward, but I STOMP with a sense of resolve, determination, and confidence.

I embedded this video above with this post for your listening pleasure to engage all of the senses while you read...GREAT minds come in all genre's...music is an ALL important universal language...This song is VERY symbolic of all I am feeling right now...

Love to all who have the courage, determination, and strength to step outside of yourselves and out of your comfort zone to embrace your destiny and follow your dreams...they are out there just waiting for you!!

"I took a Heavenly ride through our silence, I knew the moment had arrived, the killing the past, and coming back to LIFE..."

Blessings!

Let hope REST...let faith bring you to your best.

Happy labor day to all!!

Today wraps up a lovely 3-day weekend for me (which I have not had in YEARS) so I have tried to make the very most of my time...some work around the house, a little social recreation, a day of rest...and who knows what today holds in store! I do know; however, that whatever I decide to do will be based soley upon what I wish to do...and that kinda freedom is priceless and sometimes overlooked and under-utilized!! Don't know about you, but it has been years of getting caught up in keeping some semblence of balance and status quo as the head of a family and part of a couple that I had forgotten how to actually LIVE life. I wake every morning with a sense of anticipation of what GOOD is gonna come today...what positive things I am going to take from today into tomorrow..there is NO worry, no sense of dread, no waking up with my shield and sword at the ready to slay the next dragon...it is just pure, unadulterated PEACE and appreciation.

The other day, I said the word "hope" and it instantly wrecked me, like out of nowhere. I began to get all choked up and started to cry...and it was really a deeply subconsious thing..but when I sort of realized where it came from, it was a HUGE epiphany. It was as if I was mourning a long-lost friend...HOPE. A lot of people say that if you lose hope, you have nothing...and at this stage, I beg to differ. There is such thing as "clinging" to hope, which is what a lot of us do...and that is pure abuse...it is NOT healthy, and these are the people who will use that phrase. Through it all and on the other side now, I see that I really don't HOPE for anything because I HAVE all that I need and I WANT what I have. My "hope" has been replaced by FAITH...BELIEVING and accepting that each minute of each day will bring exactly what it is supposed to...and lately, I am believing that all of this peace that now envelopes me is a sign that "everything is gonna be okay...and an inner voice prompts me...do not doubt." Hope is actually bred of doubt...faith is bred of possibility and opportunity...one is of negative energy and the other positive. We tend to search for answers WAY TOO much...when really, they are right in front of us to see the entire time..time and energy WASTED. Hope is also the "lazy man's crutch"...it leaves your destiny up in the air, floating around...like wishes made on a star...there is really no action in it...and faith is taking action within the realm of what you can actually control, and then BELIEVING that your goal in it will come to fruition, and if it doesn't happen today, then, maybe you will be in a better position to bring it home tomorrow.

I have realized that I have put HOPE to rest in my life, when it once had consumed me...when I used the word in a sentence, it reminded me of how I let go of the reigns in my life and tossed myself into it's arms and gambled my soul and spirit away on a "hunch" or an empty wish that I really had no control over.

Think about it...what would you rather have??? A codependent relationship with yourself based on thoughts and wishes or a full, rich relationship with yourself that springs you into action and promises that if it is meant to be, it will be yours. We have GOT to stop wanting EVERYTHING and start appreciating what we have and begin to acknowledge that what we want is not always the best thing for us...only having faith will allow us to do this...it is the difference between "wanting to believe" and actually believing.

“Believe it can be done. When you believe something can be done, really believe, your mind will find the ways to do it. Believing a solution paves the way to solution.”~ David Joseph Schwartz

“Dreams are like the paints of a great artist. Your dreams are your paints, the world is your canvas. Believing, is the brush that converts your dreams into a masterpiece of reality.”~unknown

“Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.”~Voltaire.

“But in this season it is well to reassert that the hope of mankind rest in faith. As man thinketh, so he is. Nothing much happens unless you believe in it, And believing there is hope for the world Is a way to move toward it.”~Gladys Taber. <--I think this quote best describes what I have been trying to say...HOPE "rests"...in FAITH.


Signed today,
Believing.

Sometimes music and art have a way of taking the words right outta my mouth...give this a view/listen!