Girlfriends!
Road trips!
It's lighter longer!
Rain!
Spring is near!
...and because it's a choice
you get to make!
Photo credits:
#1, 3, 4 & 5 Pinterest
#2 Kate Spade
#6 Pia Ulin via Agent Bauer
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
The power of forgiveness . . . .
Hate, anger and resentment are destructive, eating away at the heart and soul of the person who carries them. They are absolutely incompatible with your own peace, joy and relaxation. Ugly emotions change who you are and contaminate every relationship you have. They can also take a physical toll on your body, including sleep disturbance, headaches, back spasms, and even heart attacks. Forgiveness sets you free from the bonds of hatred, anger and resentment. The only way to rise above the negatives of a relationship in which you were hurt is to take the moral high ground, and forgive the person who hurt you. Forgiveness is not about another person who has transgressed against you; it is about you. Forgiveness is about doing whatever it takes to preserve the power to create your own emotional state. It is a gift to yourself and it frees you. You don't have to have the other person's cooperation, and they do not have to be sorry or admit the error of their ways. Do it for yourself. You don't have to forgive because they deserve it, forgive because you don't need it anymore.
Forgiveness is a gift
you give yourself.
Happy Friday!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Photo of Kate Winslet via Patterson Maker
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
This is The Universe . . . .
This is The Universe....
I'm here to ask you a favor.... something I've never done before,
and it's a really BIG ONE....
Please... just be you... today, this week, for the rest of your life... just be YOU. Not that you haven't been, but I know how impatient you sometimes get... I know of how much you want... and I know that you sometimes doubt yourself, life, even the magic that now surrounds you. Well... don't be impatient, ALL THINGS will be YOURS in time... keep hold of your dreams, they're yours to remind you of what's possible...and please, know that you are SO on track and that "WE" are so, so proud of you, just as you are.
Just be you, because if you only knew of how much this would mean to all whose lives you touch, and for the difference you will make... there is no other "way" you'd want to be.
-Your biggest fan.
Photo via zastavki
Happy Friday!
Have a magical weekend!
Have a magical weekend!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Cutting the Cord to Materialism . . . .
Note: this post from David Damron of The Minimalist Path.
Let's start with an exercise.....
Write your response to the up-coming question on a piece of paper in one sentence.
Here is your question:
If you had the opportunity to do one activity for one week without any worry about finances, cost, or other outside commitments, what would you love to do for this week?
So, what did you come up with? Was it travel around your favorite Hawaiian Island? Was it to spend a week at Disney World with your family and friends? Was it take that honeymoon you and your significant other missed out on? Or was it watch television while you munched on chips and salsa for eight hours a day, seven days straight? I doubt it was the last one. However, for some reason, the last response should be answered the most. At least by Americans. In 2008, we watched an average of 5.1 hours/day of television and that doesn't include the 3 hours/month average of internet video watching. For Americans, that is a total of 10.92 weeks/year watching television. If that figure doesn't shock you then I don't know what will. Once television became such a monumental part of our lives, we began being consumed by this sedentary form of life that co-existed with unhealthy and unfit lives.
In many other parts of the world, being active is living. In Japan, Leo Babauta experienced the countering idea to the lives of western cultures. He found that many Japanese lives revolve around basic physical activities like walking and biking and there isn't a focus on exercise. Those that have not accepted the forms of materialism similar to the addiction in America and beyond live longer and are happier. Though this may be for many reasons, such as financial, I like to believe it is for the health and life reasons that many the world over choose the anti-materialism way.
Health is not the only factor in the fight against materialism. You do not need me to tell you about the financial situation the world is in. The abundance of commercials and other highly influential advertising through our modes of electronic communication have caused personal debt to become just as bloated as our waste lines. In American we spend 5.4% of our income entertaining ourselves. That's $2,700/annually that could be going towards savings, retirement and/or travel. How different would your mindset be if you had $2,700 set aside for a random, spontaneous week vacation? If you think that's a lot, we spend $1,881/annually just on apparel and services. Assuming we just cut those two totals in half, we would have an additional $2,290 to our name.
The point of reducing our sedentary forms of entertainment is not just to save money and lose a few pounds. It is to save our lives! Just imagine how different your life would be if you spent one more hour with your family daily or a few more hours a week chasing your tour card on the PGA or training for a marathon. When we spend our time doing the things we love, it ends up being more valuable than any half hour sitcom can be.
Remember that question I asked you to answer earlier? Your response was only addressing one week. So, if you chose to spend your gifted week at the Great Barrier Reef finding Nemo, imagine what your life would be life if you took just half of that 10+ hours/week spent in front of the television and spent those additional 5 weeks exploring the entire Great Barrier Reef. Surely, your boss may not let you have that much vacation, but without that television being such a major priority, you could do many of the things you dream of doing, whatever they may be.
Being a minimalist and simplifying your life does not mean you need to eliminate all that you somewhat enjoy. I, to this day, like to watch a handful of hours of television per week. However, if you are able to reduce the quantity of time and money spent on that which you just like and apply both to that which you love, you may be able to live a longer, more pleasureful life.
Try cutting your cord to materialism and start appreciating more of the things you don't just like, but love.
David Damron is the author of PROJECT M-31: Simplify Your Life in 31 Days, and chronicles his journey to a more simplified life at The Minimalist Path.
Photo via Anchor Division
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
You are beautiful already . . . .
"To the people who love you, you are beautiful already. This is not because they're blind to your shortcomings but because they so clearly see your soul. Your shortcomings then dim by comparison. The people who care about you are willing to let you be imperfect and beautiful, too."
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Take the challenge . . . .
Can you sit for 2 minutes and do nothing? For those of you who have a bit of the Energizer Bunny in you, this can actually be pretty difficult. This simple video , Do Nothing for Two Minutes, challenges you to do just that -- do nothing -- and if you touch your mouse or keyboard during the countdown, you're greeted with a "Fail" message.
Relax, and good luck.
"To do nothing at all is the most difficult thing
in the world,
in the world,
the most difficult and the most intellectual."
-Oscar Wilde
Photo via Google Images
Photo via Google Images
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
It's a generous gift to the world . . . .
"Someone once said that all the sorrow and trouble of this world is caused by unhappy people. If you realize that, even in your own life, you will see exactly where your own episodes of unhappiness have brought suffering or distress or (at the very least) inconvenience to those around you. People tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate enough. But that's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don't you will leak away your innate contentment. The search for contentment is, therefore, not merely a self-preserving and self-benefiting act, but also a generous gift to the world. Clearing out all your misery gets you out of the way. You cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself, but to anyone else. Only then are you free to serve and enjoy other people."
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
What do people live for? . . . .
I came across this video over at The Lettered Cottage, and it made me cry.... happy tears. You will love this video about ordinary people living extraordinary dreams. Enjoy.
"I hope your dreams take you....to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities, and to the most special places your heart has ever known."
-Unknown
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
It's all how you look at life . . . .
There are several versions of the definition of optimism, my favorite being, "a tendency to expect the best and see the best in all things; to be hopeful and confident that all will work out for the best." Please don't confuse this sort of optimism with Pollyanna(ism), which means to be unreasonably or illogically optimistic. As much as I live the life of an optimist, I am also a realist, so I choose to take on the attitude that recognizes life's challenges, but simply choose to believe that all WILL work out for the best. I believe this with all my heart. People who are optimistic don't deny that problems exist; they learn how to adapt while searching for solutions. I know, I know, there are days when nothing seems to go right! Some days it's very difficult to see the silver lining in the clouds, but it's important that you do, especially for your physical and mental well-being! The staff at Mayo Clinic talks about how optimism can improve your health, so you might want to check that out here. And this one, by Web MD, will give you tips on how to become more optimistic.
Robert Brault once said that "an optimist is someone who figures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster, it's a cha-cha." (I got a visual on that one, and it made me smile.)
Optimism is a choice. It's all about how you look at life. Each day we can choose whether to live like Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh's chronically gloomy friend, or to rise above it. We can choose to see the good in front of us, even when faced with bad situations. Hanging outside Eeyore's front door is a sign that reads "Eeyore's Gloomy Place: Rather Boggy and Sad." Choose to hang a better sign on your door!
"The average pencil is seven inches long
with just a half-inch eraser,
in case you thought optimism was dead."
-Robert Brault
Photo via lovelylivtyler
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
I promise . . . .
To be so strong that nothing can disturb my
peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person I meet.
To make all my friends feel that there is
something worthwhile in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make
my optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best
and expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of
others as I am about my own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the
greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful expression at all times and
give a smile to every living creature I meet.
To give so much time to improving myself that I
have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry,
too noble for anger,
too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of myself and to proclaim
this fact to the world,
not in loud word, but in great deeds.
To live in the faith that the whole world is on my side,
so long as I am true to the best that is in me.
-Christian D. Larson
Photo via Anthropologie
Monday, February 14, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Love what you do . . . .
-From the book Choose Them Wisely
"When our eyes see our hands doing the work of our hearts, the circle of Creation is completed inside us, the doors of our souls fly open and love steps forth to heal everything in sight."
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Find something nice to say . . . .
Are you ready? Let's try this! Give five heartfelt, honest to goodness compliments today. It costs nothing but a little time, energy, and the desire to make your life and the lives of others better. Compliments are defined as gracious words, given freely, which create happiness for both the giver and the receiver. Who doesn't love a good compliment? It's amazing that such a small, simple skill like giving away compliments can change the way you view yourself and the world around you.
Each time you give a compliment, you focus completely on the other person. Be sincere. Actively look for positive traits or attributes. It's not that hard! By doing this on a regular basis, i.e. 5 times a day, you begin to see how richly multifaceted people really are. People's positive traits jump out at you. Your thought processes shifts from looking for the worst in people to looking for the best. Being proactive spills over into your life. You see the possibilities, not the obstacles. Compliment giving is a jump-start for looking at the world in a positive, refreshing, stimulating, and creative way.
Not sure what to say? Give these a try.
From the book:
Find Something Nice to Say
Monday, February 7, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Just try it . . . .
Learn to focus on the things you like and appreciate about your friends and family members instead of obsessing about the things that annoy or upset you, and you will be amazed at what your new focus reveals.
Just try it.
Photo via The Steward
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
The power of words . . . .
When you have spoken the word,
it reigns over you.
it reigns over you.
When it is unspoken you reign over it.
-Arabian Proverb
Photo via Google Images
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Go confidently in the direction of your dreams . . .
Follow your heart
