Happy Friday!

...and remember,

FUN IS GOOD!

Have some this weekend!

xo, Connie

Celebrate your differences . . . .

I came across this sign while hiking the dune trails a few weeks ago, and I had to stop and share it with my husband. He was well ahead of me, so I had to call him back to read it. He had walked right past it! He's a very driven man, always walks with intention, so I don't believe he really thought he was missing anything. He focuses on the trail immediately ahead of him, concentrates on his "form", how he plants his feet, and he makes sure he's using his muscles in a way that when the hike is over, he can feel all the benefits of an hour well spent.  I too, like to think of it as a great workout, but for the most part, I don't really hike like that. I'm slower than he is. I notice everything, and I stop to take photographs along the way, which puts me even further behind him. There really is no "right" way to hike, is there? We were both getting the most out of WHY we were there, which was to enjoy it---and we were! In our own way! And that's my point today.  

When my husband read the sign, he smiled, and I think he felt a little guilty about not paying attention to all the beauty that was around him, but he continued on just as he had, focusing on all the physical benefits. He got exactly what he needed out of that hike. There is no "right" way! He was happy. And so was I. I too, got exactly what I wanted out of that hike---the physical benefits (at a slower pace), and the beauty.

"It's not our differences that divide us. 

It is our inability to recognize, accept, 

and celebrate those differences."

-Audre Lorde

Never too busy for this . . . .

Happy Monday!

Make it a great week, my friends.

Happy Friday, my friends.

Have a lovely weekend!

xo, Connie

Shhhhh . . . .

...... give yourself one minute to 

enjoy the beauty of silence.

Fun or Drudgery? . . . .

Can I tell you something? I really do believe that living your dreams or following your passion, does not mean that you need to make HUGE changes in your life. There are so many ways to live a very contented life, and to be the happy person you deserve, just by enjoying what you're doing at the moment. All it takes is for you to live with intention, and to put your heart and soul into how you spend your day. Are you in an office setting, in your own little cubicle, and have no intention of leaving that job? Then I hope you don't feel a sense of dread when you step into that office. I hope you're making the most of your time there. I hope you have surrounded yourself with photo's of your loved ones and things that inspire you. And most importantly, I hope you're proud of what you do and the way you do it. If you're not happy in your job, but have no intention of leaving, then change your perception of the job! I guarantee if you are not happy doing what you're doing, then you are most likely not putting forth the best of your abilities. That's where the change needs to be made. I'm not saying you need to leave your job, I'm merely saying you need to approach it differently. When  you walk in the door the next time, walk through as if it were your first day. Remember that day? You were excited and wanted to do the best job you could do. Approach it with enthusiasm and determination. Be the best you can be. Get psyched again, and give the best of YOU. No one can ask more of you than that!  Bottom line, when you enjoy your job, you have more energy, more fun, and you look forward to Monday.

If, at this point, you still feel like you are going through the motions, if you're mentally exhausted, and no longer feel enthusiasm in how you are spending your day, then perhaps a change of pace is just what you need.

"Work is either fun or drudgery. 

It depends on your attitude. 

I like fun."

-Colleen C. Barrett

Consider the obstacles . . . .

Why is it that we find it all too easy to immediately come to conclusions about another person before we understand their story? Everyone has a story, and until we are compassionate enough to take a moment to listen, to understand their obstacles, and to empathize, how can we ever appreciate what that person has had to overcome? We've all faced struggles that have shaped us into the person that we are today. We've learned lessons in ways that we would not choose. If we would just allow ourselves a moment of compassion, we can empathize in a way that will soften our hearts. We may even learn a lesson or two that will help US grow. Listen.....we are all human beings, and we are all seeking the same thing in life. We need food, shelter, and love, right? We crave attention, and recognition, and affection, and above all, happiness. So stop judging for one second, and remind yourself of these simple rules......Just like you, this person is seeking happiness in his/her life. Just like you, this person is trying to avoid suffering in his/her life. Just like you, this person has known sadness, loneliness and despair. Just like you, this person is seeking to fill his/her needs. And just like you, this person is learning about life. 

"Compassion is sometimes the fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else's skin. It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too."

-Frederick Buechner

No worries!

What you do today 

can improve all your tomorrows!

YOU CAN DO IT!

I'm rooting for you!

xo

Children are a gift . . . .

Each child is an opportunity, not a property. Each new life is a gift that you get for a borrowed amount of time. It is a beautiful chance for parents to guide and fill children with as much love, knowledge and inspiration as possible so they can be sent into the world as wise, self-trusting and responsible adults who know how to use their own intuition. These intuitive pathways encourage growth and personal power. Let your children know what a gift they are to this world.

It's not easy raising a child! We, as parents, don't get a manual when we give birth or adopt an infant. We learn to write our own script to navigate the waters of these new relationships. And as children mature, we are faced with many behavioral and emotional challenges such as defiance, lack of self-confidence, no motivation and failure to take responsibility. In order to understand these challenges, we can expand our own minds by looking at the way we were parented (understanding what was bad and expanding on what was good) and be aware of how to make an important shift to strengthen our families, respect our children and live with love for one another.

In the book Raising A Happy Spirit, by Julianna Lyddon, it talks about the unspoken connections that lie at the base of all relationships. Intuitive pathways will help parents recognize the fullness of each child's purpose. They are familiar staples of parenting but they aren't discussed often. Get the book, and you can read them in a new way with deeper meaning and substance.

Beauty from the Inside Out . . . .

A happy spirit = beauty. It does! There isn't a person on earth who is not beautiful while he or she is smiling and experiencing unadulterated joy! True beauty happens from the inside out, and will attract others like a magnet. When you are connected to your own spirit, you know what nourishes you and what doesn't. There is nothing more unattractive than a woman who may be blessed with outer beauty but has an ugly attitude. If you took a woman who was frazzled, insecure, and unhappy, and taught her some tools to help her feel calm, happy, and peaceful, with a more lighthearted attitude, she too, becomes beautiful. What makes your spirit happy? Hanging out with those you love? A new haircut? Nature? Being grateful? Yoga? The perfect outfit? The mind, body and spirit are interrelated, so what happens to one impacts the other. Balance is key: Nourish the body, quiet the mind, and engage the spirit. 

"Beauty is a light in the heart."

- Kahlil Gibran

Partial text from the book

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff for Women

by Kristine Carlson


Photo by Corrie Bond

Are you sabotaging your own goals? . . . .

What are your habits saying about you? We all have good intentions when it comes to our goals, but how many times do we sabotage those goals with our own bad habits? We know what we want, right? We're anxious to change, but the truth is.....we are what we repeatedly do! So if we're repeating bad habits, those habits prevent us from succeeding. You have the power to enhance your life by letting go of repetitious habits that prevent you from moving forward. . . the ones that put us in a holding pattern, and prevent us from experiencing positive change. It takes will power and discipline to develop new habits. Once you discover what it is that you want in your life, look also for someone who lives that life, and emulate their habits. Use your will power to create those new habits. It's not easy at first, but the best way to break an old habit is to replace it with a new one. If you can do it consistently, you'll be on your way to living that life! Never lose site of your goals. You deserve to reach them just as much as the next person, but it's up to you! Step into a life of smarter, healthier choices, and become a perfect example of the person you wish to be! 

"First we make our habits,

then our habits make us."

- Charles C. Noble

The most beautiful curve 

on a woman's body

is her smile.

One of the world's best and oldest questions . . . .

What really makes us happy?

Giving? Getting? Something to do? Something to love? Something to hope for? That's just the big stuff! As most of us are beginning to realize, it isn't the big pleasures that bring the most happiness. It's making a big deal out of the little ones.

So, what's on your list? A glorious sunset? A bowl of soup on a chilly day? A kiss behind the ear? Breakfast in bed? A hug from a child? A few hours in a bookstore? A half-hour on the treadmill? Pasta with friends? A rooftop dinner? Receiving a love letter? Writing one? Getting an unexpected compliment? Giving one? A hike in the woods? Losing yourself in a good book? Meeting a deadline? Having your wish come true? Sharing the holidays with people you love? 

Knowing it's Friday, and planning your weekend?

We all have our share of troubles and sadness, but we also get a shot at life's tiny delights, and the best part is, those tiny delights are everywhere and all around us.

Just think how happy you'd be

if you lost everything and everyone

you have right now...and then,

somehow got them back again.

-Kobi Yamada

Photo via
tinywhitedaisies

The art of living does not consist

in preserving and clinging to a particular

mode of happiness, but in allowing

happiness to change its form without

being disappointed in the change;

happiness, like a child, must be

allowed to grow up.

-Charles Morgan

Dwell on what's right . . . .

Nothing can doom a relationship faster than dwelling on what's wrong. If you're constantly focusing on what's wrong in your relationship or in the other person, look out! You just magnify it and project more of the same. This is a scary thought, because we all know what it's like when something starts bothering you. You tend to fixate on it and mull it over a hundred times in your mind. Don't dwell on your differences. Chances are that if you've been drawn together with someone to the point of entering into a serious relationship, you have far more in common than you've ever realized. What you likely do have in common is life assumptions and core beliefs, and it's likely just as true now as it was when you first met. Another irony here is that it's the little differences between partners that actually attracted them to one another in the first place. That's often what's fun --- the adventure of seeing things from someone else's perspective while still sharing the same core beliefs. After all, we don't want clones; we want someone who may help balance out our life, not shadow it. Yet it's sometimes these little differences that are dwelled upon and therefore magnified way out of proportion and context, to the point of becoming the very justification for ending the relationship they once helped launch. Dwelling on what works, what pleases you, your similarities, and  what is "right" will not only expand its presence in your life but will literally maximize the chances of drawing more "positive" behavior from your partner.

From the book

Infinite Possibilities


Photo by
Petra Van Raaij

"Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow."

-Douglas Pagels

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Enjoy, my friends!

xo, Connie

Whatcha thinking? . . . .

Someone once asked Marilyn vos Savant (who is known to have the highest IQ ever measured), what the relationship was between feeling and thinking. She said feeling is what you get for thinking the way you do. Fair enough, right? So why is it that so many people are miserable? Are we spending the majority of our time thinking miserable thoughts? And if so, how easy is it to turn our thoughts around so that we can begin to feel the happiness that we deserve? It's no secret that optimists tend to be happier people. However, pessimists do not have to live a life of misery. It's a choice. Begin to look at your daily stressors as a challenge, rather than a threat. Taking responsibility for those challenges will leave you feeling energized, rather than drained. Stop seeing yourself as the victim, and take control of the situation. And how cool is it that the result of that can lead to happiness? In my opinion, you don't need a high IQ for that!

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Watch your words, for they become actions.

Watch your habits, for they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."