My favorite quote (or reminder as I like to think of them)...

“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, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were 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.” (Marianne Williamson - A Return to Love)

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Taking Time to Play

Today I am thankful for fun new games played with family! We played a new game with my sister's family called "Sign". What an absolute blast! Whoever is "it" has to try to figure out who has the sign and is trying to pass it to someone else. Get caught, and you're in the middle!

I love games! So today, I am thankful for fun, family, love, and taking time to play!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

The Gift of Living Free of Fear!

My friend, Merry Me, got this email from her daughter this past week and I thought it was SOOO profound, so wonderful, so spot-on that I just had to share it.

The past 15 years of my life, I have be working on clarifying Love vs Fear -- in EVERYTHING, every action, every thought, EVERYTHING -- both mine and others'. It's a profound journey and one that I find that I am actually reaching some level of deep understanding of.

I get this to my core and I simply love, love, love these words that Ms. Wendell used to coach her mother!


Mom, I wish I could give you the gift of living free of fear.
There's just no need for this much fear unless you're being chased by a bear.
You're going to be wonderful, as you always are.
Just breathe into the anxiety, and trust that you're going to be okay.
Better than okay.
Don't empower the negative voice;
start hearing the voice you reserve for those you love.
The voice that peps me up and believes in me.
Turn it on yourself and feel the love and shine on.
Pardon my French, but f$*& the fear.
:) Love you.
You're awesome and are going to be great today.

Try to enjoy it rather than endure it.
~ wendell p. peptalk


Ma'an...she's good! Goosebumps good! "I wish I could give you the gift of living free of fear"!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Happy Birthday My Friend

Today I am thankful for my SIL and friend, Anastasia (or Lisa as the rest of the world knows her as)! It is her birthday today and I am hoping her day is filled with glitter and sparkles and smiles and sunshine all stinkin' day!

She is one of the most thoughtful people I have ever known and I am often the benefactor of her thoughtfulness, articulate planning, and moments of joy. I am also blessed to be one of the very few people in her life that she trusts and her heart only comes from love (NEVER, EVER fear) with me. I am forever blessed to have that gift in my life.

So, Sissy, cuz I know you are reading this...Happy 38th Birthday (again) :o). I hope your day is as wonderful as you are!! xxoo

Friday, May 13, 2011

Another Woman on this Path

My good friend is about to start the same journey that I started on nearly two years ago and what was the precipice to starting my blog. She has held a high ranking corporate job for the last few years that, in my opinion, has become what has defined her.

Quite literally, I felt like my friend died. In fact, for this past year, I thought to myself "huh, I never lost a friend a before". And I was learning to be OK with it. Not good, just ok.

I woke up a few weeks ago and thought that my decision to be OK w/ it didn't come from love but rather fear. So I sent her a card. A simple, say what friendship means to me and that I was thinking of her, card. Nothing beyond that mattered nor was anything else "true". Just that in my heart and for the past 15+ years, I have loved her. She was lost, and that didn't change my love.

I didn't like who she had become very much, but at her core, she was still funny, joy filled, and adorable. And I didn't have to like her in the moment -- much like y/our kids. You may not always like them in a moment here and there, but at your core, you are still love. And they are still love.

She is at a crossroads now. Her job is dissolving before she made the choice for it to (though she was on that path) and she is the bread winner of the family. The pressure will certainly become overwhelming very shortly. I hope, skip that...I pray that she will find a job that will use all of her skills, keep her home a little more with her babies, and will bring the joy back to her life at work. She's really so good at "work". And here's the thing, in all my life (w/ her) she has held two truths closely. One, she wanted to be a mom of twin boys. That almost happened, but God had a different plan for "them". The other is that she has always said that she wanted to be a business owner because she didn't want to just keep making someone else successful. She has never waivered from those two truths, so I hope that now is her time.

Either way, she is certainly on a path of discovery -- of self, of worth, of greatness. And I for one will be her to support her as I know all too well what this road looks like. I hope that she discovers, as Marianne Williamson says, that she is “powerful beyond measure” and to let her light shine and be brilliant!

Monday, May 9, 2011

How to Move

My heart is sad today. Some people very close to me really let me down and in the simplest way possible "let me down". I wasn't in want or wishing for anything - no presents/gifts or material things. Simply words from their hearts.

Seems so simple to have your heart show up and speak.

I won't accept excuses for this either for there are none. No story, no reason will be acceptable. Having said that, how do I move from this to forgiveness? That is my struggle today.

How to move from this to forgiveness...............