1.) Things don’t bring happiness. The stuff that clutters our lives – the nic nacs, the fine china, the furniture that is too fancy to sit on, the shoes that were worn once 3 years ago, the books we will read someday, the half-finished craft projects, the boxes of whatever in the garage – all of it is weighing down your life. In freeing ourselves from things, we open space for creating.
2.) Beautiful places heal the soul. The beauty of this world is breathtaking. Take the time to soak in the magnificence. Hike. Travel. Bike. Sit and watch the sunset. We are surrounded by the glory of creation and yet, we walk through the day with our heads down. Look up.
3.) It is in the stillness that we glimpse the divine. Turn off the computer, the TV, the music, the chatter. Close your eyes. Listen. Step back and ask yourself who is speaking. Listen. Breathe deeply and be within yourself. It is here, in the silence, that we experience the divinity within.
4.) The people that fill our lives influence who we are. Surround yourself with inspiring people and you will be inspired. Surround yourself with negativity and you will be negative.
5.) It is never too late to transform your life. You are not stuck where you are. You can start over. You can move on. You choose every day how you live your life. You can choose to live differently. You can choose to remain the same.
6.) You are here on purpose. I am here on purpose. This moment is not an accident. This life is not a mistake. When you seek your purpose, when you choose to be your journey, the universe conspires to assist you on your path. Stand in your truth and live life on purpose.
7.) The wounded wound. Healing our own wounds in the greatest gift that we can give to the world. When we have open wounds, the pain expands outward, affecting those around us. We hurt those that we love, we hurt our community, we hurt ourselves. We cannot come from a place of loving wholeness until our wounds are scars. Healing ourselves first is our number one priority.
8.) No one can do life alone. Life is meant to be lived in community, surrounded by a tribe of family and friends that love and support us. Is it in this safe place that we thrive. Seek your tribe. They are the people that see your brand of crazy and shout, “Me too!”
9.) Growth is life. I am not the same person today that I was yesterday. I am not the person that I will be tomorrow. Seek everyday to be the best version of yourself. Seek everyday to learn, grow, expand and thrive. Challenge yourself to reach new heights or to dig deeper in the depths.
10.) Within each of us is a mystery to explore. Spend a lifetime digging deep. Dig deep within yourself. Dig deep in understanding your lover, your friends, your family, your community, your world. It is within the connection between us that life resides.
11.) Tears are drops of heaven. They are powerful. Tears connects us. Tears remind us that we are human. That we are here. That we love and feel.
12.) Do not leave words unspoken. You do not know when goodbye will come. Cherish every moment and speak the words of love that you hold within. Do not wait. For by waiting, you may be too late.
13.) You are powerful. You have the power to change the world. So do it! Change the world.
14.) You may never know that impact that you have on another. Through your words and your actions you touch the lives of those around you and through them untold lives are affected. Your smile may save someone’s life. Your words may reverberate through another causing ripples that stretch out to touch others. Be kind and careful. Make your impact a positive one.
15.) Now is all we have so live it. Live this moment.
16.) Everyone has a story to tell. If you listen, you will learn.
I haven’t written in awhile. I haven’t posted. I haven’t shared. I have been sitting in a place of self-doubt, self-sabotage, self-regret. In this darkness of my own making, I cannot see the blessings. I cover my eyes so that I can tell myself that I am blind. I step on hot coals so that I can claim that I was burned. I cut myself so that I can show you a wound. I rip, creating the tattered fabric of a torn life. I drag around a raincloud when the sun is shining.
What a silly way to be. Emotions come and go. Creating a world of closed doors simply because I refuse to search for the keys is never the answer.
Today I choose to step out of my funk. I choose to stand up, brush off and move on. I am never going to be perfect and thank the stars for that. Perfection is boring. I have faltered. I will fall. Instead of sitting in my crap, creating a mess of my world, I choose to clean it up. Yeah, it stinks. Yeah, it’s messy. And it is time.
Lessons learned. Life moves forward.