Hope in the Year of the Dragon

in all things it is better to hope than to despair. —johann wolfgang von goethe

We’ve all had troubles ~ some bigger than others ~ and how we deal with them in the long run ~ makes it a long run.  Know what I mean?  That’s why when I saw this card, I thought it was a good one!  I recently was talking with a new friend I met through blogging who told me that this is the Year of the Dragon.

In researching the Year of the Dragon, I found the following:

Year of the Dragon Overview 

“In a Dragon year, everything is magnified tenfold. And after the rather meat-and-potatoes Metal Rabbit year we just lived through in 2011, we are in for the ride of our lives. Commotion, turmoil and general hullabaloo will characterize the Dragon year ahead. As of January 23, 2012, better get ready to rock and roll — or else crawl under a rock until it’s over.

Think of the Water Dragon year as a 12-month-long, bumpy road with interludes of elaborate and joyful festivity. Fortunes will be made and lost with lightning speed. All events will be charged with a rare intensity. In short, 2012 will be a year of derring-do, hell-raising and exorbitant fun.

Dragon years are favorable for the enterprising and ambitious. If you want to succeed at something major, start early in the Dragon year. Don’t give up. Express yourself openly. Show no fear. In China, it is said that the Dragon year brings luck to those who dare to speak out, to take charge and even to take over.

Dragons are fearless and direct to a fault — but they are not without ruse. They’re clever go-getters who are always in the running for first place. They want to excel at every endeavor. Dragon years, therefore, are propitious for people who have the courage to take risks, to stand fast in the face of danger and hold firmly to their principles. For those among us who are timid and shy, who shrink in the face of challenge and who daren’t speak up for what it is they want, Dragon years can be rigorous and even a little bit frightening at times.

If you are a Fearful Freddy, you won’t need tranquilizers. The Water Dragon won’t charge into your kitchen and grab you by the throat. But the months ahead will be tumultuous, stormy and chock-full of rebellion. Dragons may be despotic, but they’re also benevolent and sentimental. In this coming Dragon year, anyone who’s hurting is going to hoot and holler until they get their fair share.”

Your astrology in the Dragon Year  exclaimed:  “Welcome to 2012, the year of empowerment! Fasten your seat belt because the days ahead are all about accelerated risk-taking and breaking through outmoded paradigms. To thine own self be true — no exceptions! Can you handle it? Of course you can! Just follow the guidance for your Sun sign below and discover how to make the most of all the amazing opportunities ahead. It’s all in the timing, baby!”  See link for more info from this source!

I don’t know about you, but after reading about this Year of the Dragon, I’ve got my lifeline of hope all set!  I’m ready to rumble (storms-a-brewin)  and I’m thinking of going for it!  Heck, after the grasshopper-help experience, I think forward is the only way to leap!

What about you?

Ready to Dragon wrestle with me?

xo

Happy Earth Day!

There is hope if people will begin to awaken that spiritual part of themselves,

that heartfelt knowledge that we are caretakers of this planet. -Brooke Medicine Eagle

Sunday is Earth Day for those of you who aren’t aware of this holiday.   April 22 marks Earth Day worldwide which is now in its 42nd year and observed in 175 countries. The original grass-roots environmental action helped to spur the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act in the U.S. many years ago.

Perhaps as your own tribute, you can go out and enjoy what our Earth has to offer this weekend…look at the ground, the plants, the trees, the flowers, the animals and the sky.  Be thankful for Earth’s beauty which surrounds us everyday and for which we sometimes forget to notice.

Take this opportunity to show a tree that you care and ‘hug a tree!”

Just kidding…or not! 🙂

Happy Earth Day to you!

xo

Versatile Blogger Award ~ Thank you!!

I am so honored to be given The Versatile Blogger Award!  Please join me as I smile and lift a champagne flute to toast to all of you in thanks for reading my blog and for even thinking of me (especially you Jo!)  And, so…playing by the rules like a good girl, I will…

If you accept the Versatile Blogger award, it is requested that you:

1.  Thank the rockstar who nominated you and post a link to their blog in your post.

2.  Tell 7 random things about yourself.

3.  Nominate 7 other fabulously versatile bloggers.

For Jo ~ my MoJo ROCKSTAR!  I am so excited to tell you about Momentum of Joy who nominated me.  Jo, you are so kind and caring…I just love the posts that you have written and I love your comments as well.  I feel like we are kindred writers who enjoy what we do!  Your posts make me feel like we are friends simply gabbing about life over coffee!  You inspire me and I love your truthfulness and the manner in which you write.  Thank you for your nomination and for thinking of me.  I am truly grateful and humbled.

Find your Mojo on Twitter @MoJoy98 and enjoy her incredible blog posts at http://momentumofjoy.wordpress.com

7 Hmmms about ME:

1.  I’ve started and stopped writing 3 books so far.  It seems like I excel at randomly writing blog posts instead of keeping focused on one train of events at a time!

2.  I love being a connector of people ~ it’s my passion, my job and I’m my own boss!   I love my life!

3.  I have experienced that feeling of KNOWING so much lately and I am humbled & blessed to feel that I am vibrating on such a positive path, surrounded by angels.

4.  I am so bad with directions that I could get lost in a paper bag!  Ha!

5.  I used to live in Spain ~ I feel like it’s my second home.

6.  We have 2 cats because I believe in the healing power of ‘fur therapy!’

7.  I am blessed with my amazing family, my friends and loved ones…and I am so truly grateful to have my blog read by all of you.   Thank you for taking time out of your busy days to read my posts!

7 SUPERB BLOGGERS

1.  http://autismmommy.wordpress.com ~ The first blog I ever started following 2 years ago, written by my childhood friend who continues to inspire me and so many others with her determination, her wisdom, her life and her beautiful family.   Thank you for always striving for more in every way…your momentum is moving mountains!

2. http://positivelifetransitions.wordpress.com ~ You give me sound advice, enthusiastic support and a vast array of connections which make my life richer.  I love that we’ve reconnected!

3. http://lesleycarter.wordpress.com  ~ My favorite place of inspiration for adding adventures to my Bucket List!  Life is to be LIVED ~ and the Bucket List is always being refilled here!  Contests included!

4. http://goalhabits.com/~ Your daily quote is something I look forward to every  day.  I like that I can click on any of your many categories and enjoy quotes for whatever theme I choose!

5. http://www.feelgoodtribe.com/ ~ Everyday is something new and different to spice up my health!  Such a great variety of feel good, eat better and all around enjoy life!  Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

6.  http://lifecarrots.wordpress.com/ ~ A great blog to follow, thoughtful quotes delivered almost daily to your inbox and an uplifting book series on the horizon!  Short stories ~ positive outcomes ~ from real people!

7. http://perksofcancer.wordpress.com/ and  http://mainelyhopeful.wordpress.com/ ~ Journeys through breast cancer ~ we’ve connected through BC in remarkable ways!  Yet another ‘perk of cancer’ as we remain ‘mainely hopeful’ to continue to survive, to inspire and to carry on!

I hope you enjoy my  bloggers above and check them out!  What a wonderful opportunity to learn new things, to expand our knowledge and experiences and best of all ~ to CONNECT!

Please enjoy connecting with me via my blog misifusa.wordpress.com

facebook  The Presents of Presence

Twitter @Misifusa1

www.sendoutcards.com/126830

xo

I Believe in You!

It’s not how many doors are opened to you that counts,

it’s how many you’re brave enough to walk through.

As in anything in life, it’s about courage…belief in oneself, feeling that strength of someone’s belief in you, only fuel courage.

I find that as I still get tested for cancer periodically, I still battle the fear of re-occurrence.   It takes courage to go alone to the doctor’s and face the possibility of cancer, but for a few years now, I have walked in with the knowledge deep in my soul that I’ve already endured this and if I have to, I can do it again.

But it’s not so easy as you know to endure cancer or any of the situations in life that we have endured.  It takes immense self-love, patience, strength, courage, wisdom, hope and the ability to realize that we are all connected so that you can ask for help.  Because regardless of what you think, you are not alone.

I found that those who had endured a similar cancer diagnosis ‘got’ what I was talking about and with them (some of whom were complete strangers) I felt that connection immediately ~ somebody understood…but I also learned a lesson for myself.  One that I am still learning everyday.

SELF – LOVE.  I don’t mean the kind that makes your ego pump up, nor the type which keeps you self-absorbed…but the kind that allows you to treat yourself as you would your best friend, saying kind words, being hopeful and hand-holding instead of criticizing, degrading and being just plain mean to yourself.

For me, it’s a vigilance to keep that criticizing voice out of my head.  I am normally a positive person, but I can be hard on myself at times and I am working on changing that aspect.

This is a growing year for me and I am embracing the changes that it is heralding…and I hope you will as well!

The door is open my friends

Let’s walk through that door together!

xo

Retreat ~Relax ~Release ~Renew ~Revive ~Repeat!

There are times that I need to relax, retreat and renew…I believe that we all have these moments where we just need to ‘be’ in order to regroup, refresh and be able to return to our daily lives in order to be the best we can be…

Life flies by so quickly and at times, we get sucked up into that vortex of busy-ness and have to’s and should do’s…and we miss out on the preciousness of life.

We need to just look up and notice life, the clouds, the sun, nature…to just take a moment to breathe, to inhale the freshness of the moment and to accept that we are here, be PRESENT with the PRESENTS of Life that we are blessed with in order to receive the gifts that we deserve.

Being PRESENT is so important and I am so grateful for all of the blessings, both big and small, that I enjoy.   So I am going on a retreat…to relax, release, renew, revive and repeat…and I will not be blogging while I go tech-less for a few days…and I will return with a renewed sense of romance, research, relaxation, revival, release…

I wish you a beautiful Valentine’s Day…one where you learn to love yourself and to love all those in your life.  Renew your relationships, release your frustrations, revive your romance, relax your mind, body and soul and enjoy the Presents of Presence…

We only have today…take care to enjoy it!

xo

A Little HOPE (Helping Other People Everyday) goes a Long Way!

       

Last week’s post about Hope gave birth to today’s since when I was looking in SendOutCards and wrote HOPE as a search word, this one popped up!

I don’t want you to think that this blog is all about surviving breast cancer, because although it’s a theme throughout because it is what I’ve experienced the last 10 years, it’s also about Hope, Life, and this Journey of Endurance that we all share ~ and we are all on this journey together…we are all connected.

Giving another person Hope is a gift that is priceless…there are no words to describe how Hope can change everything…for me, there is something magical in that simple word…HOPE.

HOPE ~ Helping Other People Everyday!

Say it with me…HOPE…do you feel it?  Doesn’t it just sound happy, releasing, sunshiny…dare I say, HOPEFUL?

I wake up every morning grateful that I am here and I enjoy whatever my day has to offer me.

I am determined to see the best that I can, to be grateful for each and every moment and to enjoy The Presents of Presence (yes pun intended!)

I HOPE you will join me in our Journey of Endurance together and leave a comment when something touches your heart.  I heard from a friend this week who told me that she had to reapply her makeup after reading one of my blogs ~ happy tears…and it made my heart sing!

“To hope is to risk frustration. Therefore, make up your mind to risk frustration.” ~ Thomas Merton

(via Tom Shadyac’s Favorite Quotes)

I HOPE you enjoy my blogging…and I HOPE that your every wish comes true in 2012!   And most importantly, I hope you HOPE and enjoy it!

xo

Beyond the Pink Curtain

This lovely photo was taken by my friend Janice who has an extraordinary eye for photography.  A few weeks ago, she started sending me a photo a day of what she’s snapped in her travels and I’ve been blessed by her creativity and the way she sees the world.   I keep telling her that she needs to publish her photos as they are that good, but she’s not ready…yet.

Today she sent me the photo above and immediately this blog posting was born because I just felt the need to write upon seeing it.  You see, I am moving beyond the Pink Curtain shall we say and it’s unknown territory ~ exciting, inspiring and I’m ready for my new decade!

I find New Year’s Resolutions to be stifling and conveniently forgotten by me, usually by January 15th, so instead I thought I’d plan my journey ahead ~ put out to the world what I plan to work on in the next year and perhaps you can do the same.  I feel imprisoned by rules which don’t work for me, but a plan is something that is altogether viewed differently in my mind…it’s a path, a journey and you know I am inspired to enhance my life’s journey.  So here goes…

“I want to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.” (Coca Cola advertisement from childhood).

I am so grateful for my life’s experiences and I want to give back to all who helped me in this Journey of Endurance.

I want to reach out to others and show them that you can take baby steps everyday to change your life.

I want to share the gift of my SendOutCards business which brings sunshine one card at a time to so many people so easily.

I want to share my experiences and teach others how to deal with a cancer diagnosis or any other crisis in their lives spiritually and show them how to move beyond the fear that is dis-ease.

I loved being a teacher to all of  ‘my kids’ in school and would like to teach again, but teach from my experiences.

I want to finish the book I started to write…or perhaps I’ll just blog it.

I want to follow my dreams again…I’ve lived a blessed life so far and I did enjoy my dream jobs and my dream life.

I have a new dream to pursue now…and I’m excited for it!  It’s been a long time coming…

Join me on FB with The Presents of Presence as we take each day as it comes…enjoying the journey, grateful for this day, this moment, this sunshine.

What are your plans for 2012?  Let me know if I can help you make them a reality!

A New Year ~ A New Decade ~ Welcome 2012!

Happy Anniversary to Me!  Ten years ago, at 1pm on New Year’s Eve, my breast specialist confirmed that I had breast cancer and my life changed in an instant.

I celebrate this day, every year, thankful that I am here yet another year in which to celebrate this special personal milestone in my life and in addition, the giddy anticipation of a fresh new year and the closing of the old one.

This year, I will say, is my personal favorite thus far as I (knock wood) have no pressing health issues other than the ‘new normal’ that I live with daily and my family was with me to celebrate and they are healthy as well.

Big WOO HOO!

I happily relinquish the past decade to my chemo-brained memory, noting the blessings I received from God in the gifts of my husband, my children, my family, my friends and ‘friends I hadn’t met yet’ who helped me survive the past 10 years ~ knowing always that I was loved and supported.

My Presents of Presence shall we say…

My plans for 2012 are many, varied and constantly evolving which I adore… I have decided that starting 2012, my NEW DECADE will be something special ~ a mixture of my victory over breast cancer and all that entails and somehow a way to be able to bring all that I’ve learned and experienced to fruition in my life.

It’s a new life for me…a new lease on life, a new chapter in this Journey of Endurance as I like to call my life.  I am open to new experiences ~ I want to share what ‘I know for sure’ a la Oprah, add to the many blessings that I’ve been graced with and to acknowledge that I am so grateful for this Journey of Endurance that my breast cancer has led me on the past 10 years.

So raise a glass with me (because I always see the glass as 1/2 full!) and let’s toast a New Year filled with an abundance of blessings, presence, love, health, wealth, prosperity, happiness, family and joy filled moments for us all!

May 2012 be your best year yet!  And look out, because here I come!