Free Help to Start the New Year

http://www.hayhousenewyounow.com/

TGIF!!  You’ve made it through the first 10 days of 2014!  How are you feeling?  I know for me, yesterday, was a bad migraine day, but today I’ve decided is going to be WONDERFUL for both you and me! 

So with the wonderfulness as manifested above, I want you to click here  to enjoy a special FREE gift from Hay House!  It’s 7 days of free help for a New You Now!   What have you got to lose except your limited beliefs from 2013 and gain a life that you’ve created that you enjoy!

Some of the free speakers are:

which is an impressive bunch ~ made even more fun by being FREE ~ did I mention that already?!

I receive nothing from promoting these 7 days of fun ~ I just like to keep you in the loop in case you have a few minutes over the course of the next few days to tune in ~ but you must register in order to take part in it!  What’s holding you back?  Come on!  Jump in and register!  Then let me know so we can connect with each other and share the tidbits learned!

Will you join me?  I’m going to register..it will be fun!

Shine On!

xo

Dare to be Great!

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Dare to be Great ~ Marianne Williamson

Happy Wednesday to you!

Please…Dare to be Great!

Shine On!

xo

P.S.  This is a card you could send to a friend ~ for $1 plus postage.  Do you know someone to whom this card fits?  Click here  and get your free account ~ you pay only for the cards you send ~ and let’s inspire another person!  When you open your mailbox and see a real card, nestled among the junk mail and bills, it’s definitely a priceless feeling ~ dare I say, it’s a day changer ~ for the better!  Let your light Shine On!

This is Your Life…

Daily Prompt: This Is Your Life

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/01/11/daily-prompt-your-life/

If you could read a book containing all that has happened

and will ever happen in your life, would you?

If you choose to read it, you must read it cover to cover. 

I thought perhaps I’d try one of the daily prompts today.  I started following them awhile back but I never acted upon them.  However, today’s piqued my interest enough to follow through so here I am!

If I could read a book about my life, I most certainly would read it cover to cover.  Through my love of reading all types of books, but especially autobiographies, this would be my genre and therefore a resounding YES as the answer to today’s question.  I love to learn about others and listen to their stories about their lives so I would definitely read my own.  I think it would be fun!

As for the card above, (it’s from SendOutCards  ~ click here for more info).  I imagine that this would be the cover of my book about my life ~ and the title of it.  What do you think? 🙂

I’d love to hear from you!  So…please answer….

1. If you could read a book containing all that has happened and will ever happen in your life, would you?  If you choose to read it, you must read it cover to cover.

2.  Why or why not?

3.  What do you imagine it would be titled?

Thanks for sharing!

TGIF!

Shine On!

xo

 

Survival

Lovin’ Pink

I’ve always liked the color pink and if truth be told, I’ve never been a tomboy…I’ve always been a bit of a girly girl.  I was the one who didn’t want to get muddy or dirty, who threw like a girl (really!) and who always has her toenails painted pink (except during the holidays).  However, for those of you who believe that PINK is a color that is for a wimpy girl, you are way wrong, baby!

Every breast cancer survivor will tell you that pink is NOT a wimpy color as it is a symbol of the survival of a journey of endurance which begins with a single step.  This journey never truly ends even when the breast cancer is considered cured.  Its tentacles, even 10 years later, slither through moments during the year when doctor appointments for check ups are necessary or when we wait a week for the blood test results.  Even normal yearly trips to the gynecologist can result in an unbidden heightened sense of alarm if a Pap result isn’t normal because, quite frankly, the normal that we previously relied on isn’t normal anymore.  In it’s place, comes a new normal that with time acclimates to our lives.

I was perusing blogs today and searched under breast cancer and what I found was alarming…so many women being diagnosed, being told their breast cancer had metastasized and even one who sadly told of her Mom’s recent passing from the disease.  My heart went out to every one of them and all I wished to do was to hug them, let them know I understood and that it gets better ~ so here’s my short list of wisdom for today.

• There are good days and bad days.
• When you think you’re going through hell, keep walking, even if it’s only baby steps, one tiny step at a time.
• Stumbling is normal as is late night insomnia with the dreaded “what if’s” relentlessly circling in your brain.
• Bald can be beautiful.  Let wig wearing be fun ~ try new styles & colors!
• People say dumb things.
• There are good and bad nurses/doctors who sometimes remember and sometimes forget that we are all human.
• Double mastectomy isn’t a death sentence to your femininity even when it feels that way.
• You will find what you are looking for so FACE THE SUN!  face-the-sun
• Your body, your decision.
• YOU are the Boss of Your Life so BE the Boss.
• If you don’t want something done to you, then don’t do it.
• Speak up when you don’t understand.
• This is Your Body so be in touch with it, talk with it, be kind to it…it’s fighting for Your Life!
• Now’s the time to blossom ~ You have the Power and you’ve always had it!
• If you were like me, you shy-ed away from your power, but in having breast cancer, I have refound my power which encourages me to blossom!

I want you to know that I am here for you, I’ve walked this journey.

  I’m still on the path enduring everyday along with the rest of humanity.

Life is what you make of it, so make it good for you!

Happy Sunday ~ or for you ice cream lovers ~ Happy Sundae!

xo

Spirits in the Night…

While we are mourning the loss of our friend,

others are rejoicing to meet him behind the veil. – John Taylor

Years ago, I awoke from a dream that was so real that I called my parents to tell them.  My Mom’s brother was like another father to me growing up.  He was a special man in my life and I loved him very much.  My dream was brief, but I saw him as clear as day in my dream and I heard his voice which I hadn’t heard in over 20 years.  I knew the voice immediately and recognized him in my dream as well as he looked ‘fit as a fiddle’ and happy.  I spent many weeks visiting him in South Carolina as a child and he always made a big deal of my visits.  When I told my parents about my vivid dream, my Dad told me that it was my Uncle’s birthday (which I didn’t know).  I felt very blessed that he had come to visit me and I was smiling all day thinking of him.

Truth be told, I thought it was a strange coincidence, but went on with my life, never thinking another thing about it.

Then a few nights ago, I awoke in the middle of the night, startled from a dream that was so real that it took me a few minutes to shake the cobwebs from my brain and realize that I was in my own home, in my bedroom and it was 3am.  In my very vivid, realistic dream, I was talking with my Dad and my Aunt Gloria.  We were in a house which I know I’ve visited before in my dreams and we were in the kitchen, talking and laughing.  It felt so good to see the two of them looking healthy and happy.  They looked as I remembered them 20 years ago and not as I had last seen them which had been at their recent deaths.  I remember that there were others milling around, but the three of us were talking in the kitchen of the home and we were teasing my Dad and laughing heartily over something funny.

My Dad passed away 6 weeks ago and Aunt Gloria passed away 6 months ago, but they were great friends and I can easily see the 2 of them whooping it up in Heaven together.  In fact, the more I’ve thought about my recent dream, the more I suspect that perhaps I did really visit with the 2 of them for the duration of my brief dream.  Now I just wish I could remember what we had been talking about as it was very funny.  Surely they shared a dilly of a joke or story with me because I remember feeling so lighthearted when I awoke.

Whatever happened that night, I know that it was a confirmation to me that they are doing well on the ‘other side of the veil’ and I am happy to see it.  I am just so grateful that the two of them found each other and deigned to visit me.  What a beautiful memory to enjoy for days to come!

Has this ever happened to you?  Am I the only one?  Have you ever gotten a visit from someone who’s passed?   I’ve never told anyone but my family about these dreams so I’m interested in knowing if I’m just delusional or if you’ve had similar experiences?  If you would, please let me know…

Happy August 1st to you!

xo

Face the Sun!

Strength. Turn your face to the sun and shadows fall behind you.

Many of us have had tough times.  By a certain age, most of us have endured moments or longer of hard times and with that, have some experience in disappointment, sadness, fear, loss and such.  What I find most interesting though is how some people have endured hardships and yet they don’t allow those moments to define them.

Having been dealt the hand of breast cancer at age 34, I have experienced sadness, fear, loss and disappointment among other things…but that’s not to say that I haven’t been able to enjoy every sunrise, every cloud formation, every season and the precious moments of spontaneous hugs from my sons and family.   I’ve seen the darkness and I’ve seen the light.  Perhaps you feel that it’s not easy living on the roller coaster of life, a sentiment which I understand.  However, what brings me comfort is that with every nightfall, I know that in a few hours, there’s a sunrise waiting for me and it’s that sunrise I choose to concentrate on and ‘turn my face to’ everyday.  I feel grateful that I am here to experience it all ~ for without having experienced the darkness, how would we ever know how spectacular the sunrise is?

You own the power to choose everyday how you are going to face the day…

Turn your face to the sun and shadows fall behind you.

You’ll be glad you did!

xo

5 Minutes of Solitude…

It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence

that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us,

as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts. K.T. Jong

For those of you who are energized by a challenges, I challenge you this week to give yourself 5 minutes of uninterrupted silence a day ~ not multi-tasking silence where you turned off the radio while driving to work ~ that doesn’t count nor does taking 5 minutes on the toilet and instead of reading, you sit quietly ~  nor does the 5 minutes before you actually fall asleep and have your head on the pillow ready for sleep to envelope your mind ~ but 5 minutes where you are conscious, quiet, without doing something else and you just sit.

I recently started doing this myself and at first it was hard for me as I like to either zone out in front of the tv if I’m going to be quiet or I like to read if I”m not chatting.  However, sitting quietly for 5 minutes without doing anything is a challenge.  I started making lists in my head of what I needed to do, wondering what the noises I heard downstairs were (did one of the kids drop something?) and the continuous thought of  ‘oh man, is 5 minutes up yet?” looped in my head.

So what I’ve done is started free writing during my 5 minutes which is akin to meditating, but offers my busy body a way to keep quiet for 5 minutes while doing something.  I am not quite sure if 5 minutes of solitude allows for free writing, but for now it’s working like a charm for me and perhaps it will for you as well.

Free writing for me has been me typing on my computer for 5 minutes uninterrupted, just allowing whatever words that begin to show in my head, a space on paper.  It’s just typing (or writing if you prefer) the stream of consciousness or unconsciousness that exudes from my fingertips without constraint.  And boy oh boy has it been interesting to read.  In fact, there have been times recently that I’ve gone over and beyond the 5 minutes as the words simply type themselves on the paper and continue to roll out in long, waves of sentences and paragraphs.

Sometimes it’s been just drivel that my fingers have typed, but some of the words/meanings that have come to fruition have been quite meaningful to my life and present situation.  The thoughts have had insight to my experiences and have been able to give proper responsibility where its due.

My Monday post today is simply to TRY for 5 minutes to be quiet and just listen to yourself…take a few moments for you.  Use it as an experiment.  You have nothing to lose except 5 minutes of worry, work or multitasking…give it a week and let me know how it goes…I’d love to hear if you already do this as I’d love the feedback…and if you’re just starting, let me know if you’d prefer I keep my challenges to myself!  Ha!

Happy Monday to You!

You’re worth 5 minutes…and more!

Be good to YOU!

xo

GROW through Life…

Don’t go through life. Grow through life.

Sometimes I think we mindlessly go through life, continuing the habit of work, eat, sleep, awaken repeat…we get into the routine of doing what needs to be done during each day because it needs to be done.  Taking care of ourselves sometimes gets pushed aside in order to take care of everyone else’s needs and we allow routine and the easy thoughtless unmindful ways to take over.

Being that it’s Sunday, I thought this was a good time to broach the subject of taking care of ourselves ~ “the Sabbath is a day of rest” as my Mom puts it ~ is just the ticket to change the routine.  If it’s an excuse you need to use in order to allow yourself some time to just ‘be’ and relax, well, then here it is!

Let me remind you that there are 24 hours in a day…and you can spare 10 minutes for yourself.  The idea is to start at 10 minutes for you and then add minutes as you go.  Perhaps a little meditation could be in order…or some free writing where you can just allow your thoughts some flight…or just taking a little time to look up at the sky and notice the beauty in nature that surrounds you.

Just going through life isn’t a life…you need to GROW through life so that you can experience all that life has to offer!  I don’t want to look back at my life and wonder where the years went…I want to stroll down my own memory lane with many stops along the way, enjoying the laughter and even the tears of moments which impact my life and my family…I want to remember fun times and silly moments…I want to smile and feel peaceful for how I lived, how I treated others and even how I treated myself.  I want to remember stretching out of my comfort zone to breathe happiness into my soul.

Enjoy this Sunday!

Grow through your life!

You are worth it!

xo

It Makes a Difference…

One Starfish

A man was walking along a beach at sunrise. As he walked, he could see a young girl in the distance. He noticed that the girl kept bending down, picking something up, and throwing it into the water. Again and again she kept hurling things into the ocean. As the man came closer, he saw that the girl was picking up starfish that had been washed up by the tide. One at a time she was throwing them back into the water. When asked what she was doing, she replied, “I am throwing these washed up starfish back into the ocean, or else they will die.” “But,” said the man, “you can’t possibly save them all, there are thousands on this beach, and this must be happening on hundreds of beaches along the coast. You can’t possibly make a difference.” The girl smiled, bent down, picked up another starfish and as she threw it, she replied,

“It makes a difference to that one.”

My friend JAngel sent the above story to me yesterday and I had to post it today because I loved it.  “It makes a difference to that one,” resonated with me so fully that I knew I had to share it with you today.  Just a reminder that even the smallest gesture to someone else can make a huge difference!

So please, smile today…be kind today…enjoy this Friday and please hug a friend today.

Spread sunshine wherever you go today, BE that ONE DIFFERENCE!

Happy Friday to YOU!
xo

P.S.  The original is written by “Loren Eiseley” – ”The Star Thrower,” with the child being a boy and not a girl.  The version I was sent had a girl which is why I posted it the way I did.   My special thanks to Viveka for the additional information.  Please visit her blog post here!

A Single Courageous Step…

Many of our fears are tissue-paper-thin,

and a single courageous step

would carry us clear through them. -Brendan Francis

Lately I haven’t been sleeping as well as I’d like.   I don’t know about you, but sometimes I go through periods of time where sleep evades me more often than not and right now I’ve not been sleeping well.  I wake up in the middle of the night, unable to fall back asleep because my mind continues to whir and mindless chatter of what I need to do and what needs to be done by others plagues me.  And then there is the fear of not getting everything done properly as I’m in charge of a lot these days…that fear alone can put me over the edge.   But what I’ve found is that the fears are usually paper thin and unfounded…but in the middle of the night, they feel like I’m carrying heavy bricks.

So what I’ve begun doing is imagining that each brick is one of my fears and I begin to walk ~ baby steps of course ~ and as I do, I let go of a brick with each step.  I simply drop it and allow my mind to tick it off the list that plagues me.  I drop the brick of named fear into the abyss below me and I imagine that it goes away into nothingness ~ that it simply evaporates.

Sometimes I imagine that Universe/God catches it and turns it into dust as well, but that’s only if simply dropping it doesn’t actually make it go away.  Sometimes those fear bricks have been known to not easily be released and that’s when my stepping out takes control because I’m still walking as I drop them and as I continue to walk, they are further away from me.

We all have fears which is sad because when we allow those fears to manifest, they can take over…which is why, I adore my baby steps!  Do you carry fears?  Do you sleep well?  Can you see that much of what we fear isn’t anything more than worry emphasized?

Join me in our stepping away from our fears and into the light…drop your fears, make them a kite and fly those paper-thin thoughts right out of your head today!  Let me know how it works for you ~ and what works for you!  I’d love to hear more options for my nightly episodes.

Happy Monday to you!  It’s the start of a new week!  Enjoy!!

xo