“Expect nothing less than signs and wonders to follow.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

Are you one to go on excursions alone?  I know that most people really don’t like to venture out without company.  I have always enjoyed doing things alone.  Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want to be alone all the time, but I do enjoy shopping and doing things solo.

A few years ago I went to a conference in Montreal.  I had never been there, and I went two days early so that I could take in the sights before the conference started.  I was alone, and I can’t tell you how wonderful it was.  It was a time to go deep inside and visit with myself, because there was no one else to chatter with.  I walked, took in the surroundings, shopped, and dined in the fancy hotel restaurant.  Alone.  For two days.  In another country.  I’m telling you, you can do it.

If you are a local Lakelander, there are plenty of little one-hour excursions nearby.  Hollis Gardens is a place I like to go to wander, take photos, and just think.  Walking Lake Hollingsworth is another obvious favorite.  Lakeside Village is a great place to window shop and wander.  For most of us here in Florida, there is a beach within an hour’s drive away, and what better place to get reacquainted with yourself than sitting and watching the waves in our beautiful Florida sunshine?  (Sorry northerners.)

What do you think?  Will you give yourself the gift of some time to be alone outside of the four walls that enclose you?

Shalom!

“Year by year the complexities of this spinning world grow more bewildering and so each year we need all the more to seek peace and comfort in the joyful simplicities.”  Woman’s Home Companion, December 1935

Isn’t that funny?  We think our lives today are so crazy compared to “way back when,” but in 1935, they thought their world had gotten pretty hectic.  Apparently, no matter what age you live in, it is more hectic than the last.  So how do we find peace, and time to stop and smell the roses?

 “Joyful simplicities nourish body and soul by engaging our senses.  They teach us how to live in the present moment.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

As someone who grew up thinking that a wife and mother has a duty to be busy working every minute, learning to live in the present and take time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life has been a process.  It is something I work at every day.  I do better at it some days than others.  Danny is so good at it.  He has a real skill for living in the present.  He can stop whatever he is doing to enjoy a moment with a loved one or to help me or the kids, regardless of what timeline he is on.  Me, I worry about where I’m supposed to be, don’t wanna be late … and I just had an aha moment … I think part of that comes from worrying about displeasing someone.  It is a fine balance, living in the present, and meeting your obligations when you need to be someplace at a scheduled time.

“As we become curators of our own contentment on the Simple Abundance path, one of the great payoffs is that we start to seek peace and comfort in the joyful simplicities.”  SBB

Curators of our own contentment.  Don’t you just love that?  What are you doing to become a curator of your own contentment? What joyful simplicities have you discovered that bring you personal comfort and a sense of well being?  Will you share them with us?

Shalom!

“Almost always it is the fear of being ourselves that brings us to the mirror.” Antonio Porchia

I have to be honest, I don’t have much to say about Sarah’s “golden mirror.” The mirror idea doesn’t really work for me. I do agree with part of Antonio Porchia’s quote though, that we have a fear of being ourselves.

I like Sarah’s concept, but for me, sitting in meditation and listening to the whispers of my heart and hearing God’s message for me is where I can find myself. When I listen for God’s voice, I do feel the light of Love surrounding me. I feel the weight of the world lift from my shoulders like a butterfly, and I am secure in the knowledge that I was created to be exactly who I am and that God’s plan for me is better than anything I could ever imagine.

I feel great excitement, this knowing that there is something wonderful planned for me. It takes away the pressure of trying to figure it out for myself when I know that He already has it taken care of. And I find an inner confidence that I don’t always feel, when I take that time to sit quietly and remember that He created me to be just the way He wanted me to be.

I read a quote on a church billboard yesterday. It said, “Do you have enemies? Good – that means you’ve actually taken a stand on something in your life.” I love that. It is a good reminder as I work at being my authentic self and stop trying so hard to please everyone.

Shalom!

“The greatest secret to living a happy and fulfilled life is the realization that everything is created in our minds before it manifests itself in the outer world.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

I know this to be true.  I am blessed by so many positive things in my life today, and I imagined every single one of them into being.  So now, I am so excited to see my dreams of today come into being tomorrow!

“You have to know what you’re digging for before X can mark the spot.”  SBB

What are you creating in your mind today for your future tomorrow?

“Put your ear down to your soul and listen hard.”  Anne Sexton

If you listen to Anne’s advice, your soul’s deepest desires will manifest themselves in your life!

Shalom!

“The key to loving how you live is in knowing what it is you truly love.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

Profound, isn’t it?  As I am embarking on this journey, one thing I discovered about myself is that I didn’t know a whole lot about myself – my likes and dislikes, where I stand on some issues, etc.  I have spent so much of my life living to please others that I didn’t have a strong enough foundation in who I am and what I stand for.  One thing I do know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, is that I have a God who loves me and has a plan for my life.  But He has blessed me with free will, so I decided it is time I figured out how I as an individual desire to use that free will outside of the influence of others and the desire to please them.

“To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to keep your soul alive.”  Robert Louis Stevenson

I love, love, love Robert’s quote.  I am going to try the illustrated discovery journal as Sarah suggests, but there will probably be more words, quotes, and articles than pictures, because defining who I am as a person is what I really need to discover.  As an artist, I know what pleases me visually.  Now my mission is to continue discovering what it is I want to stand for intellectually.  Love, kindness, honesty, integrity – these I know for sure.  But what about the complexities of an individual beyond that?

Maya Angelou will show someone the door if she hears so much as a whisper from them that is negative toward another human being.  Literally.  She will get them their coat and walk them right out.  She will not allow that negativity to permeate her walls.  Can you imagine?  Oh how I would love to have the strength of character to do that.  I worry so much about protecting family relationships, afraid to rock the boat, that I tend to say nothing.  I won’t participate in the negativity, but I don’t speak up against it, condoning it by omission.  That is one of my goals for this year, to become better at taking a stand on things and voicing my opinion.

I think as one’s identity is developed through the use of the illustrated discovery journal, it will help to create an inner confidence that supports this desire to take a stand more often.  What about you?  How will  you use the illustrated discovery journal?

Shalom!

“What I was doing was not so much recording the events in my life as much as eliminating the mental minutiae that was depleting me of my creative energy and driving me crazy.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

As much as I love to write, I have never been good about keeping a journal.  I’ve started one – I can’t tell you how many times – but I never stick with it long enough for it to become a habit.

“I call this ritual the daily dialogue because you are really conversing with someone much wiser and saner as you write:  your authentic self.” SBB

Maybe part of my problem has been that I buy these beautiful journals and want my writing to be this fabulous prose.  I’m going to try Sarah’s suggestion, and use a simple spiral notebook to just empty my brain of my thoughts, and see what results I get by reaching Sarah’s 21-day goal.  Will you join me?

Shalom!

“Give yourself the gift of one hour a day to journey within.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

This sounds like a luxury that would be hard to achieve to me, and I am sure it does to most of you as well.  I absolutely agree with Sarah though.

“You need enough breathing space to allow your heart to ponder what is precious.” SBB

I started small, getting up 15-30 minutes early to have time for prayer and meditation before jumping head-first into my day.  I can tell you unequivocally that it makes a tremendous difference in how my day goes and what I am able to accomplish.  This quiet time helps me to set the stage for the day, and I find myself being much more present in each moment when I start my day this way.

“If you go deep enough, often enough, something good is bound to come back to you.”  SBB

Will you give it a try?  Let us know how it goes!

Shalom!

“Life never calms down long enough for us to wait until tomorrow to start living the lives we deserve.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

Are you like me?  Do you find yourself saying, “I’ll do that as soon as …”  I have been very guilty of doing that in my life.

“Procrastination has robbed us of too many precious opportunities.”  SBB

For me, ill health had become an excuse for not doing so many things.  But here is what I learned:  failing to do the things that I should be doing and want to be doing because I just don’t physically feel up to it only creates increased ill feeling.  I was failing to do all of the things in life that bring me joy:  activities with loved ones, playing music, writing, doing for others.  The only thing this accomplished was to make me feel worse than I already did.  I not only felt poor physically, but I was allowing my poor health to steal my joy!

“Life begets life.  Energy creates energy.”  SBB

Since becoming determined to live my life and do what I do whether I feel up to it or not, my life is joyful again.  I may not feel well physically, but that does not stop me from having a beautifully joyful, fulfilling, and meaningful life!

What excuse are you using to avoid living your best life right now?  What will you leave undone if you continue to wait for the perfect time, only to find your time has run out?

Shalom!

“Bless a thing and it will bless you.  Curse it and it will curse you … If you bless a situation, it has no power to hurt you, and even if it is troublesome for a time, it will gradually fade out, if you sincerely bless it.”  Emmet Fox

This is not an easy task, but if you want the Universe to send you what you want, you must pay attention to the vibrations you are sending out to it.  What you send out to the Universe, it will send back to you.

How are you doing with meeting this challenge?

Shalom!

“It’s as if the steam of struggle has been allowed to escape from life’s pressure cooker.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

Have you ever noticed that things don’t seem as bad once you let go and stop fighting against the situation?  Here is the thing I have learned about the Universe:  whatever you send out, comes back to you.  If you send out fret and worry, the Universe will send you more to fret and worry about.

“Accepting and blessing our circumstances is a powerful tool for transformation.  In fact, this potent combination is a spiritual elixir that can work miracles in our lives.”  SBB

Want to be happy and have good things happen in your life?  Be happy and expect good things to happen in your life!  When you send those vibrations out into the Universe, you’ll be surprised what comes back to you.  An example of how I have experienced this first-hand is my beautiful husband.  I was divorced and on my own for many years.  I did the online dating thing and kissed a lot of frogs.  Finally, I accepted my situation and stopped looking.  I not only came to the conclusion that when God wanted me to meet someone, He would make sure it happened, but I also became very excited in knowing deep in my heart that God had someone amazing planned for me.  It wasn’t long before I met Danny, and I have to tell you, he is the most exceptional man I have ever met, and about as perfect a husband as there ever was.  All I did was accept and believe!

Shalom!