Photo via Google Images

Honoring the fallen soldier . . . .

"A hero is someone who has given 

his or her life to something bigger 

than oneself."

-Joseph Campbell

Memorial Day 

May 30, 2011

Enjoy every moment . . . .

However you choose to spend your holiday weekend, whether you are  traveling or staying home, may you stay safe, find happiness & complete relaxation. If you are spending time with the people who mean the most to you, may you enjoy laughter, good conversation, and appreciate those memories for a long time to come. Whether you are cooking or making reservations, may you enjoy every bite. If you are making this a work weekend, may you be productive and feel the satisfaction of completion when it's all said & done. 

Change it up a bit! 

Shake up your routine! 

Replenish your soul.

"The best cure for an off day, is a day off."

-Frank Tyger

P.S. I am kicking off the summer 
by spending the weekend  

at my cottage in Michigan, 

and the weather forecast looks beautiful!

  

I'll be planting my flowers, 

and hanging out in my garden,

spending some time on Oval beach, 

and heading to The Red Dock to enjoy 

my first Rum Punch of the summer. 

 I plan on enjoying every meal outside, 

taking a ride on my new Vespa, 

and just hanging out with my husband.

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

xo


Photo credits:
#1 Sunday in Bed
#2 Nick Vorderman
#3 myself
#4 Felicia Fairchild
#5 Google Images

Compassion . . . .

.......is described as "a deep awareness of the suffering of another, coupled with the wish to relieve it." We all grew up being told to treat others as you would want to be treated. It's simple, right? Don't do to others what you would not want them to do to you. It's not so difficult. So, if we practice daily compassion with these thoughts in mind, we would know  and understand that this person is seeking happiness,  just like me. We would know and understand that this person wants to avoid suffering,  just like me. We would know and understand that this person has known  sadness, loneliness and despair,  just like me. And we would know and understand that this person is simply learning about life,  just like me. 

"If you want others to be happy, 

practice compassion.

If you want to be happy, practice compassion."

-The Dalai Lama

Photo via Google Images

Diane von Furstenberg's 10 Rules to Live By.....

Via Pretty Stuff

Our thoughts are where everything begins. With this principle, you can bring virtually anything you can imagine into your life. You've heard this before....what you think about, you bring about. You want more love, more joy, more laughter in your life? If you are focusing on heartache, sadness and ill feelings, you leave no room for the good stuff! Give this a shot today......set those thoughts aside, and imagine your life, (not someone else's).....your life, full of love, joy & laughter. Watch as the players and props in your life are rearranged to bring you the happiness that you deserve.

What are your thoughts?

Choose them wisely!

Happy Friday, my friends!

Have an awesome weekend!

Photo via Lovely Liv Tyler

27 years . . . .

"A long marriage is two people 

trying to dance a duet 

and two solos at the same time."

-Anne Taylor Fleming

Happy Anniversary to my husband.

Thank you for the dance.

xo

5 Must-Read Life Lessons from Gandhi...

1. Be the Change

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

Be the example, be the leader.  If you lead properly people will follow, and together you will change the world.  Anyone can complain, anyone can blame, and most do, but if you desire to change, then “you” be the change.

2. Ask the Right Questions

“The power to question is the basis of all human progress.”

The quality of your life is in direct proportion to the quality of the questions that you dare to ask.  Are you asking the right questions?  Are you asking the right people?  You can’t get answers, without questions; you can’t make progress, without an inquiring mind.

3.  Always Act

“Have a bias towards action – let’s see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away.”

If you’re going to be biased, be biased towards making something happen today.  Tomorrow never comes, any progress to be made, must be made today.  It must be made right now! If you don’t act now, you don’t have a future, just a longer today.  Gandhi said, “The future depends on what we do in the present.”

4. Forgive

“The weak can never forgive.  Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

It’s not “weaklings” who are quick-to-forgive; it’s those who are strongest.  The ability to forgive quickly is a sign of strength.  How strong are you? If you’ve been weak in the past, you can begin today to be strong.

5. Monitor Your Beliefs

“Your beliefs become your thoughts.  Your thoughts become your words.  Your words become your actions.  Your actions become your habits.  Your habits become your values.  Your values become your destiny.”

In short, your beliefs will create your destiny.  What do you believe?  What do you believe about yourself, your future, and your potential?  What you believe, you will surely become.

Mr. Self Development is an author who teaches a motivational and practical guide to success. Please visit him at Mr. Self Development.com.

Getting things done . . . .

Happy Monday to you! I am happy to be home, and even happier to be slipping back into my daily routine.  I have a "to-do" list that may take me a few days to get through, and it reminds me of my friend who gets so much joy from the actual "checking off" of the list. As a matter of fact, we often laugh about it because we both realize that it seems silly to get so much satisfaction from doing that, but we know that it's all about the fulfillment of a completed task. To us it feels more like a "ta-da" list! Getting things done, and moving on...yep, always feels so good. A few tips.....be sure to prioritize and keep it short,  otherwise you will begin to feel overwhelmed and you may end up walking away from the entire list. Make it doable, and tackle one thing at a time. You can always add to your list once you've completed a few things. By the end of the week........ you get to enjoy the satisfaction of having it behind you, and the Ta-da!

Have a wonderful day! 

......so do you, and you, & you too! ♥


Photo via lindcherry

Manhattan bound . . . .

Once again, I'm heading to New York this morning for a long weekend and looking forward to enjoying the city during this time of year when the weather is perfect.....sunny & low 70's.  I am not one to head to the city with big plans of taking in several shows or waiting in line for many tourist attractions. I've been there enough to know that I just want to settle in, visit a few of my favorite stores and restaurants, but more importantly, to wander the streets & enjoy the neighborhoods. I especially look forward to snagging a seat at a sidewalk cafe so I can sip a glass of wine, people watch, and take photographs. It truly is one of my favorite things to do. I could table-hop all afternoon at different outdoor cafe's in several different neighborhoods in the city,  just to enjoy the experience itself, the beautiful weather, the fresh air, and the people passing by.

Cheers!

Do you have a favorite outdoor cafe?

If I ever get the chance, 

I would SO leave a note like this on someone's car!