You Deserve Flowers

Life can get so hectic sometimes, especially if you are working and raising kids. And, if you have one of those jobs where you are giving to others, it’s a double whammy. Self-care isn’t something we give much thought to. Probably because we are taught it’s selfish to think of ourselves. And even if we do think of it from time to time, it’s usually put on the back burner.

You know what happens if self-care remains on the back burner too long—you burn out, and when that happens you’re no good to yourself or anyone else.  Here’s an idea for self-care. Make a list of all the things that bring you JOY. They don’t have to cost an arm and a leg, and most will cost nothing at all. Each week pick one of the items on the list and treat yourself. It could be a long walk somewhere beautiful, a soak in a bubble bath, or a cup of tea and a good book. Maybe buy yourself something once in awhile. You get the idea.

The world is a loud place to be, and we can lose ourselves in that loudness and become so stressed out. Be good to yourself and soon you’ll see how much calmer and happier you feel.

 Your soul deserves to be loved. Go ahead and give it some flowers.

Don’t Settle

“It is amazing how your life changes when you embrace the reality that you’re better than the life you’ve settled for.”

~ Steve Maraboli

If you are unhappy with your life, you, and only you, can change things. Walk across that bridge to the life you are meant to live. Do this by making little changes every day in how you think about things, and how you treat the world you live in, and the people you engage with. Especially think about how you treat yourself. Change starts in the head. No matter where you go, what makes you unhappy will follow you.

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” ~ Wayne Dyer

Don’t ever make drastic changes in your life while angry or hurt. Give feelings time to calm down. Ask yourself is this change you want to make for the better, or will it end up being for the worst.

Whatever you do in life, never settle for just anything. Make sure your life fills you with joy and purpose. There are always down days, and sad days, but a well lived life should lift you up, comfort you, and help you back on your journey.

You, beautiful human, deserve a happy life.

 “Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life.” ~ Naeem Callaway

Approach Life with Grace

“Wherever life plants you, bloom with grace.” ~ French Proverb

As the pandemic continues to loom before us, and here in America we are still dealing with political madness, now more than ever we must let our life force flow with grace.

Quiet the mind and live moment to moment, enjoying the simple pleasures of life as they show up. Have no expectations. Allow everything to unfold and be as it will.

Let’s smile, laugh, and invite the light to dance in, filling the heart with love and joy. And always pick up the kindness seeds and spread them everywhere.

“Grace is the weapon that disarms the dark.”~ Ann Voskamp

The Sweet Spot

“The place between your comfort zone and your dream is where life takes place.” ~ Helen Keller

Life can sometimes become so hectic even crazy that we can begin to feel we’re not really living, just existing like shadows of our former selves. When this happens we need to start living between the spaces of our life.

There is a space between the situation that is happening, or one we fear is going to happen, and how we are reacting to it. That space between the two is the stillness and the balance where we should be living. It’s the place to be when life gets out of control and we start stressing.

“When you let go, you create space for better things to enter into your life.” ~ Steve Maraboli

When we’re not trying to live in that chaotic zone of our life, we are better able to move forward and have the life we really want. We become more creative, joyful, and feel gratitude for life.

When feeling stressed try closing your eyes. Now take a deep breath through your nose and exhale softly through your mouth. Visualize the problem. See your negative reaction to the problem. Imagine a large space between the two. See yourself going into that space and feel the calm and balance washing over you. This is your sweet spot where your life is meant to be lived.

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response, lies our growth and our freedom.”

~ Viktor Frankl, Auschwitz survivor

Find that power and start living a more balanced and happy life.

Simple and Still

The holiday season can get out of hand, and instead of being joyful it can become stressful. The best way to combat this is to stop doing so much. Try and keep the gift giving, social engagements, and even baking, simple. Don’t try to keep up with what your friends, family, and co-workers are doing. Don’t feed your expectations. Just keep your life simple.

Give yourself the gift of silence. Get very still and listen. When we are still everything becomes clearer. The universe speaks to us, and in the silence, we can actually hear. Make time for “You” by being still and just breathe in life.

May this holiday season and 2020 bring all of you a happy and balanced life that is fully lived without excuses or regrets.

Thank You

Those really horrible times caused by hateful people in your life, be thankful for it all because the people and the pain you went through taught you the best lessons: Forgiveness, and that you are worth and deserve so much more.

The beautiful days and kind people all around you, be grateful for it all because without those days, and special people, life would be dull without the sparkle.

When tragedy and sadness invade, hold on tight with the knowledge that you will get through it all. Don’t let the joy of living rush out the door. You will learn that you are stronger than you ever imagined, and you will know for sure what is really important in your life.

Every day is filled with learning lessons about yourself and life. Some of it is hard and hurts to the core. Embrace it all and say, Thank You, for the rich journey you are traveling on.

I would like to say thank you to all my wonderful friends here at WordPress. Thank you for all your support. I am grateful and appreciate each and every one of you!

 

Moods

 

“Acknowledging the good that is already in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” ~ Eckhart Tolle

Moods can be good and they can be super bad. We all get into funky bad moods from time to time, but the important thing is to get ourselves out as quickly as possible. Life is stressful at times and we can end up going down a dark rabbit hole if we are not careful. When I saw this quote by Eckhart Tolle I thought, yes, this is what I need to do to get out of a mood that really isn’t me and one I’ve been entertaining for a few days too many.

I know from experience that practicing gratitude, and thinking about all the good that is already in your life does bring about abundance at least in the way you feel about yourself and your life. So does getting in touch with nature. It’s the sweet little things in life that bring us the most joy, but most of the time we are too busy chasing our tails to notice.

Try squishing your toes in the wet sand and feel carefree. The beach always does it for me, but if that’s not possible, go outside when it’s dark and look up at the sky letting the stars fill your eyes. Everything seems so small and petty when you look up at the night sky. Play with water in the ocean, pool, and even in the sink and let it delight you. There is something about water that does it for me. Smell the flowers in the garden and become renewed. And if you can, get into a car with a convertible top, and put that sucker down letting your hair blow wherever as you drive. All of this and so much more can remind you that yes, you are alive, and should be enjoying every second of your life. Well, maybe not every second, but most of your time on this earth.

Don’t let life get you down. Focus, be mindful, and spend more time loving being alive than in a funky bad mood.

Renewal

 

Let spring bring forth a renewal of peace and joy into our lives, lifting us up to be better humans and kinder toward those beings who share our journey.

Take a moment and think how you can renew yourself to become the person you were meant to be. Only you define “You.” Don’t ever let others take that right and responsibility from you.

We can all do with a fresh start.

“If you watch how nature deals with adversity, continually renewing itself, you can’t help but learn.” ~ Bernie Siegel MD

 

Make Peace with This Moment

 

“Make peace with the present moment.” ~ Eckhart Tolle

It’s a busy time of the year and we can find ourselves running wild everywhere. No time to sit and think and even meditate. Tempers can get out of hand, expectations are high on demand, and depression can always find a way in.

Let’s sit down and take a deep breath, concentrating on our breathing. That’s right, make peace with whatever is happening in this very moment. We may not like it, and want to fight it, but let’s not. It’s just our ego wanting conflict–especially at times when there should be joy and peace. By just stopping whatever we’re doing, we give our Spirit the chance to come forward and take over, setting our world right once again.

Sometimes the moments of our lives are wonderful, and then there are those times that are just awful. We want to escape during bad times, but we really can’t, and we make ourselves miserable. The more we struggle the worst we feel.

We can’t change what’s happening in the present moment, but we can always change our attitude toward it. By taking a moment to slow down, or better yet, meditate, we put ourselves in charge and bring balance once again to our lives.

Don’t let the season get out of hand. Slow down, and enjoy the simplicity of just being.

Memories of Those Gone By

“Those we love can never be more than a thought away … for as long as there’s a memory they live in our hearts to stay.”

Author Unknown

It’s very painful when we experience the death of a loved one, and the grieving process is different for everyone. One thing to remember is that there is no time limit in grieving. Those that might say, “It’s time to put this behind you,” or, “It’s been a year now and you should be over it…” etc. SHAME ON THEM! There is NO time limit.

When a loved one dies we go through stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance and everything in-between. Every stage is different for each of us, and at some point memories of this person will fill your mind. Remember, memories don’t have to be sad or even make you mad. They can be funny, happy memories that make you laugh and fill you with joy.

My co-worker and I told the children going through the bereavement program that it was okay to laugh, and have funny memories. They looked surprised. But as they talked about their loved ones and told little stories—some sweet and some funny, they seemed to relax and accept that memories can be funny and laughter is always good for the soul.

I love remembering the happy and mostly funny memories of those I have lost. I find it comforting. Sure there were plenty of bad and some very sad times, but I only care to remember the good ones. Sometimes I’m surprised about how many hilarious memories I have. Makes me wonder why I ever thought things were so bad.

Nothing lasts forever and that includes the pain you may be in right now. As long as you can remember, then the memories of your loved ones will never fade. They will bring you comfort on a cold night. They will fill your heart with joy and treasured thoughts, and they will make you laugh as well as cry because of the richness they give your life.