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Tuesday, December 29, 2015

FAILURE EXPECTED AND RECEIVED...


Failure Expected And Received...F   E   A   R...is there anything sillier than that? I think not!!!  But it's true...what you expect is what you usually receive so if you expect negative results then they will be granted.

There are many acronyms for the word FEAR, however most of them are negative and I conclude that the reason for that is because fear is a negative reaction...not even a "re"action in some cases but rather a "fore"action as in the case of worry.  Why not give the word a positive acronym to start and then maybe people would realize that it is a totally unreasonable and unnecessary emotion. Let's use this one...Face Everything And Rejuvenate...F.E.A.R...or Forfeit Every Asinine Reason...I like those...lol.  

As humans, homo sapiens, we have a fight-or-flight response built into our psyches for protection. When something stands before us that threatens us in any way, our minds/bodies react with fear out of that fight-or-flight reaction in order to trigger a response that would counteract the situation and save us from the threat.  That is what I call gut-fear...instinctive and at times, even healthy.  That being said however, fear, in my book, has no other place and should never, ever come into play.  

One day I made up a saying that, "Fear is but anticipation of a negative result," and I stand by it to this day. Have I conquered and eliminated fear completely out of my life? Not even close, but way, way closer than ever before in my life. I can now identify what is fear and what is real. Let's use worry as the best explanation here.  When we worry, we are fearful that in the future a situation could bring a worst-case-scenario result. Then, the "what ifs" begin in our head...what if it doesn't work out? What if it does? What if he/she dumps me? What if I dump him/her? What if it hurts? What if I die? What if he/she dies? What if I have an accident? What if I can't make the payment? What if my car doesn't start? What if I'm homeless? What if I'm sick? What if I get divorced? What if I can't get what I want out of life before I die?  The answer to the last question is this...you most likely won't get what you want out of life before you die if all you do is worry, worry and worry, because you're too busy worrying about everything to let life happen as it is supposed to for you.

What can I do about my worrying you may ask (a little worried...lol).  A couple of things.  The first is to begin to recognize when it happens because much of the time worry is habitual and you don't even realize that you initially approach every situation in this way. You can track it by carrying around a small "worry journal" as I call it, and each time you have a thought or make a comment that you recognize as worry, write it down.  Make some columns in your journal like "The Situation" then write about what you were doing when you had the thought, "The worry" write down the thought/worry, and "The worst-case scenario," write down what would happen if the worst part of that worry actually occurred and what you could do to prevent or stop it.  Then ask yourself this question, "What does any of that have to do with the right here and the right now?"  It may occasionally pertain to the moment, but 99 percent of the time it won't.  It will be a projection into a future that hasn't happened yet and let's face it, we don't really ever know if we are going to get a future every night that we lay ourselves down to sleep, and, if we do get one, we don't know how much of one we may have left.

Worry boils down to one, main issue...CONTROL.  I'm sorry to tell you this, but you have no control.  You have the illusion of control and you can make free-will choices, but you will never control the outcome of a situation...it is what it is and will always be what it is meant to be.  The journey is the prize.  We can make our journey through a situation, pushing and pulling, fighting and worrying and fretting and freaking out, losing all sight of the journey itself for our need to control it, or we can let go, enjoy the ride, feel the wind in our hair, smell the fresh air, breathe in the aroma of the roses and the sea, have total faith that it will work out wonderfully in some or all ways and that we can handle the outcome because there will always be positive aspects to it, if not positive in its entirety. 

Fear stops us from living life and when that happens, we are simply wasting very precious time.  Worrying, the worst form of fear in my opinion, comes when we project into the future and depression comes when we live in the past.  The only thing we can do is to live IN the moment and from one moment to the next because that is all we actually have. That, along with faith, which is blind, but strong, is when we find the positive and when we find the positive, we find the joy in the journey and that is what life is all about, the joy in the journey



Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit and please, if you like what you've read, leave a comment. Also, please respect the copyright/trademark rights of the artist's work. Copying and using any work posted here is forbidden without express permission. If you have a blog or website of your own I would love to visit it. After your comment, make sure to post your link and I will stop by and leave a comment as well. Happy blogging.

Monday, December 28, 2015

MY POETRY TRILOGY IS FINISHED...

After much, much work (phew!) I finally have Sapphic Sonnets published and ready for sale...AND it is at a discounted price...only $6.00 (and some change). You can click the link, but you can also find it on Lulu.com, which is the primary place to buy with the discount.  In a week it will also be available on Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

I'm SO excited by this last edition to my poetry trilogy. I hope you will like it as much as I do and thank you for all of your support.  It means the world to me!!!



Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit and please, if you like what you've read, leave a comment. Also, please respect the copyright/trademark rights of the artist's work. Copying and using any work posted here is forbidden without express permission. If you have a blog or website of your own I would love to visit it. After your comment, make sure to post your link and I will stop by and leave a comment as well. Happy blogging.

Sunday, December 27, 2015

WIPE THE SLATE CLEAN


One of the most appealing aspects of journal-writing and blogging, for me, is to be able to go back in time and look at the things I've written in order to gauge my progress.  I recently rediscovered a post from June, 2012 entitled, Wipe the Slate Clean, which I have re-posted below. As I re-read this post I realized the amount of progress I've made since then and could understand all of the times I took two steps forward and three steps back, only to finally be able to keep walking forward from then on. 

If you journal (which I highly recommend), take a look back and see the progress you have made.  You will be so proud of yourself.

WIPE THE SLATE CLEAN 
(posted June, 2012)

Ever notice how we, as human beings, tend to worry about things we have no control over.  In fact worry, by its very definition, means to fret about things that haven’t happened yet, which of course 99.9 percent of the time are things we have no control over.  Me?  Worry?  Guilty on all counts.  I don’t think everyone does it as often or as much as I seem to, and yet others surpass my worrying skills with leaps and bounds.  

The other day I caught myself worrying about some silly thing (usually money, or lack thereof) and boom, it hit me.  I realized that each day we are given this wonderful gift, the gift of a new day, right when we wake up, and if we choose to do so, we start it with a clean slate.  We don’t have to carry anything over from the previous day if we make that conscious decision.  So, with this in mind, I woke up the next morning (thank you, God,) and I made that conscious decision to carry nothing over from the day before and see how this would work for me.  

It was great!  I saw everything I had to deal with as a task to meet head on.  As I met each task and made the appropriate decision for that task, I told myself, “yes, another successful task under my belt and ready for the next one.”  At the end of the day there I was, someone who had met each task head on, put them under her belt, went home, went to sleep, and wiped the slate clean for the next day.  As I continued this pattern daily it became easier and easier to think of situations, not as problems, but as tasks to conquer and put behind me as I conquered them.

The result?  I am so much more positive these days (which for me is huge) and I find I have more faith readily available than I used to.  As these positive results continue to grow, my overall mental (and thereby physical) health has seen improvement.  Worrying is so bad for our health and is a huge part of what we term these days as “stress.”  Take the worry out of the situation and you take most, if not all, of the stress.  De-stress people.  Wipe the slate clean.  You will feel much better, I guarantee it!

What do you do to de-stress and stay positive? I'd love to hear what works for you.

Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit and please, if you like what you've read, leave a comment. Also, please respect the copyright/trademark rights of the artist's work. Copying and using any work posted here is forbidden without express permission. If you have a blog or website of your own I would love to visit it. After your comment, make sure to post your link and I will stop by and leave a comment as well. Happy blogging.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

WHY YOU GOTTA BE SO MEAN...


For the longest time I could not understand why people feel the need to be mean to one another.  It starts in childhood for some of us and can continue into adulthood in a bad way if we are not careful and able to grow and change for the better. I see so much evidence of this lately, during this, the holiday season, when people should strive to be kinder to one another.

Being mean is a sign of insecurity, of needing attention (albeit negative attention), of jealousy and internal misery. People who are intentionally mean to others do so out of a sense of the world not being fair to them so they strike out at others who "seem" to have it all together. They turn their internal misery outward and blame others for their sense of insecurity and negative circumstances.

One of the best ways to deal with mean people is not to personalize it.  When people are mean to you try to understand that they are just miserable with their own lives and circumstances and are just using you for target practice. I have begun to see that when people treat me badly and, while I understand that it is not directed at me personally (even though I am the one being attacked), I choose to try to help them if they will let me.  Sometimes that is a feat in itself, but I love it when that works out.  However, if I am not able to help them despite all of my efforts, the last thing I do is to get them out of my life and keep them there. There is no reason to have to constantly deal with mean and negative people who refuse to change.

Taylor Swift has a great song out called, "Mean."  I love the lyrics in general, but especially these in the middle:


"You, with your switching sides
And your wildfire lies and your humiliation
You have pointed out my flaws again
As if I don't already see them
I walk with my head down,
Try to block you out 'cause I never impress you
I just want to feel okay again
I bet you got pushed around
Somebody made you cold but the cycle ends right now
'Cause you can't lead me down that road

And you don't know what you don't know
Someday I'll be living in a big old city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?"
I added the emphasis to the bold, highlighted areas as those are the words that really spoke to me.  I am SO tired of people who point out my "flaws" (as they are only "flaws" in their eyes). People who do this have a need to try to take you down a peg by belittling you, but with me it will not work. I am to the point that people who try to point out traits of mine in a negative way and do so continually, even after discussions, are no longer in my life. 
It is so beneficial, especially during a quest for a positive life filled with freedom and a true sense of who you are, to be kind to yourself and you don't have to have people in your life who treat you badly, obviously physically, but even more so, emotionally. 

Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit and please, if you like what you've read, leave a comment. Also, please respect the copyright/trademark rights of the artist's work. Copying and using any work posted here is not allowed without express permission. If you have a blog or website of your own I would love to visit it. After your comment, make sure to post your link and I will stop by and leave a comment as well. Happy blogging.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

2016 CALENDARS ARE UP AND READY TO BUY...


My 2016 Calendars are up and ready.  Click this link to view:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/kimberlymiller/calendars/19721720-oregon-coast
This year's theme is the Oregon coast and all its beauty.  I'm very happy with the way they turned out.

Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit and please, if you like what you've read, leave a comment. Also, please respect the copyright/trademark rights of the artist's work. Copying and using any work posted here is forbidden without express permission. If you have a blog or website of your own I would love to visit it. After your comment, make sure to post your link and I will stop by and leave a comment as well. Happy blogging.

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...(CLASSIC WALDORF SALAD)

Lately I have been researching a lot of subjects, from books to blogs, to food and music, to homemade items for sale and I thought, why not share them, so I compiled some lists of a few of my favorite things (and yes, the pun was definitely intended ...lol).

Since I don't have television (other than Netflix) I sometimes get bored and surf on my computer a lot and YouTube is where I find a lot of funny videos. 

Videos that make me laugh:

1.  United Health Care Commercial:  This is one of the funniest commercials I have seen in such a long time...I still laugh so hard when I watch it over and over...make sure you watch it to the very end because the best line is the one the lady says at the end.

2.  Ellen Degeneres Interview With Amy Schumer part one and Part Two.  This cracks me up because, not only are these two ladies hilarious, but I love how Amy cracks Ellen up.

3.  Ellen Cracking Up Some More and; Ellen Talks To Gladys. This is hilarious.

4.  The origin of job interviews; This is great!!!

5.  Five Year Old English boy finds out he is going to be a big brother; this is the cutest reaction ever and I love, love, love his accent.

6.  This little boy did NOT want another brother or sister; this little boy is exasperated...lol.

7.  British Tea;  This is freaking hysterical...I did NOT expect that to happen.

8.  Mean old lady plays prank; This is hilarious because it is something I would probably do...lmao!!!

Books I've written and published (and am proud of):

1.  The Secret of Vesta; (paperback, hardback or kindle).

2.  Wrath of the Secret of Vesta; (only currently available in hardback, but an excellent read).

3.  Sensual Journey; (Original poetry and photography).

4.  Simply Poetry; (Original poetry and photography).


Quotes that inspire me:

1.  “Don't be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don't have to live forever, you just have to live.” ― Natalie BabbittTuck Everlasting

2.  "...but the trick is to have a life before we die," which is from a movie, but I cannot remember which one.

3..  “‘Dear God,’ she prayed, ‘let me be something every minute of every hour of my life.’”
—Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

4.   “She was becoming herself and daily casting aside that fictitious self which we assume like a garment with which to appear before the world.”
—Kate Chopin, “The Awakening”

5.  “Journeys end in lovers meeting.” —William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

6.   “One must be careful of books, and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.” —Cassandra Clare, The Infernal Devices

7.  "Fear is but anticipation of a negative result," Me.


Favorite web sites:

1.  Etsy: - I love to purchase handmade items here because of the variety and uniqueness.

2.  My web store: I love building on this site and incorporating more new product into it as it becomes available.  I am still working on building this site in product so it is still small, but growing all the time.

3.  Redbubble:  This is my favorite place, not only to post my photography and turn them into awesome products, but to look at the most beautiful photographs I have ever seen.

4.  StumbleUpon: I adore this site and the exciting and unique things I "stumble" upon.  Easy to use and one-of-a-kind.

5.  Pinterest: Who doesn't love Pinterest and

6.  YouTube: of course.

My other favorite things:

I also LOVE:

1.  Lighthouses.  I have had the privilege to visit many on this coastline and the Eastern coastline.  I love, love, love lighthouses.

2.  Schooner ships; I love taking short trips on these. I have gone on three different tall ships and they are amazing.

3.  Waterfalls; Each and every one unique and special..an absolute enigma from one to the next...a little bit of heaven and an abounding miracle to behold.

4.  Covered bridges; Such beautiful representations of outdoor architecture past.  I love covered bridges.

5.  Day trips. You can go anywhere and be anyone while you are there.  The journey is the excitement...you meet new people, see new places and discover new ideas.

6.  Christmas movies.  I could watch them all year long.  There is something about the hope and love and rejoicing that takes place in these movies, not to mention the music, that draws me to them.

7.  Music, which speaks for itself.  Soothing, elating, fulfilling, mood-changing, and life-altering.  I listen to it constantly.

8.  Writing.  It's everything to me.  It's who I am.

What are your favorite things?  Whatever they are, as long as they harm no one, especially not you, cling to them and nurture them because these are the things that make you happy and relaxed and ultimately...you.


I love Waldorf salad and my grandmother made the best.  It isn't that it is a tough recipe by far, but I think it was the amount of love and care she put into it that gave it that extra, delicious touch.  I hope you try it...it's yummy.

CLASSIC WALDORF SALAD

I love Waldorf Salad, especially this recipe that my mom used to make for a few of the dinners leading up to the holidays.  I hope you will love it as much as I do:


Ingredients:

1/2 Cup real mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/8 Tsp. Salt
3 Medium Apples, diced
1 Cup Sliced Celery
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts

Combine first 4 ingredients and mix well.  Add in the rest of the ingredients making sure to coat the apples well.  Cover and chill.  Makes 5 1/2 cups.


Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit and please, if you like what you've read, leave a comment. Also, please respect the copyright/trademark rights of the artist's work. Copying and using any work posted here is forbidden without express permission. If you have a blog or website of your own I would love to visit it. After your comment, make sure to post your link and I will stop by and leave a comment as well. Happy blogging.

Saturday, December 19, 2015

100 QUOTES TO MANIFEST...

These 100 quotes from "The Secret" have changed so many lives for the better - including mine.  I read The Secret when it first came out and have used this book more than any other in my quest for a positive life. Once you begin to incorporate this mindset into your life, everything...and I do mean everything...is possible:

1. We all work with one infinite power

2. The Secret is the Law of Attraction (LOA)

3. Whatever is going on in your mind is what you are attracting

4. We are like magnets - like attract like. You become AND attract what you think

5. Every thought has a frequency. Thoughts send out a magnetic energy

6. People think about what they don't want and attract more of the same

7. Thought = creation. If these thoughts are attached to powerful emotions (good or bad) that speeds the creation

8. You attract your dominant thoughts

9. Those who speak most of illness have illness, those who speak most of prosperity have it..etc..

10. It's not "wishful" thinking.

11. You can't have a universe without the mind entering into it

12. Choose your thoughts carefully .. you are a masterpiece of your life

13. It's OK that thoughts don't manifest into reality immediately (if we saw a picture of an elephant and it instantly appeared, that would be
too soon)

14. EVERYTHING in your life you have attracted .. accept that fact ..it's true.

15. Your thoughts cause your feelings

16. We don't need to complicate all the "reasons" behind our emotions. It's much simpler than that. Two categories .. good feelings, bad feelings.

17. Thoughts that bring about good feelings mean you are on the right track. Thoughts that bring about bad feelings means you are not on the
right track.

18. Whatever it is you are feeling is a perfect reflection of what is in the process of becoming

19. You get exactly what you are FEELING

20. Happy feelings will attract more happy circumstances

21. You can begin feeling whatever you want (even if it's not there)..the universe will correspond to the nature of your song

22. What you focus on with your thought and feeling is what you attract into your experience

23. What you think and what you feel and what actually manifests is ALWAYS a match - no exception

24. Shift your awareness

25. "You create your own universe as you go along" Winston Churchill

26. It's important to feel good ( ( ( (((good))) ) ) )

27. You can change your emotion immediately .. by thinking of something joyful, or singing a song, or remembering a happy experience

28. When you get the hang of this, before you know it you will KNOW you are the creator

29. Life can and should be phenomenal .. and it will be when you consciously apply the Law of Attraction

30. Universe will re-arrange itself accordingly

31. Start by using this sentence for all of your wants: "I'm so happy and grateful now that.... "

32. You don't need to know HOW the universe is going to rearrange itself

33. LOA is simply figuring out for yourself what will generate the positive feelings of having it NOW

34. You might get an inspired thought or idea to help you move towards what you want faster

35. The universe likes SPEED. Don't delay, don't second-guess, don't doubt..

36. When the opportunity or impulse is there .. ACT

37. You will attract everything you require - money, people, connections.. PAY ATTENTION to what's being set in front of you

38. You can start with nothing .. and out of nothing or no way - a WAY will be provided.

39. HOW LONG??? No rules on time .. the more aligned you are with positive feelings the quicker things happen

40. Size is nothing to the universe (unlimited abundance if that's what you wish) We make the rules on size and time

41. No rules according to the universe .. you provide the feelings of having it now and the universe will respond

42. Most people offer the majority of their thought in response to what they are observing (bills in the mail, being late, having bad luck...etc..)

43. You have to find a different approach to what is through a different vantage point

44. "All that we are is a result of what we have thought" - Buddha

45. What can you do right now to turn your life around?? Gratitude

46. Gratitude will bring more into our lives immediately

47. What we think about and THANK about is what we bring about

48. What are the things you are grateful for?? Feel the gratitude..focus on what you have right now that you are grateful for

49. Play the picture in your mind - focus on the end result

50. VISUALIZE!!! Rehearse your future

51. VISUALIZE!!! See it, feel it! This is where action begins

52. Feel the joy .. feel the happiness :o)

53. An affirmative thought is 100 times more powerful than a negative one

54. "What this power is, I cannot say. All I know is that it exists." Alexander Graham Bell

55. Our job is not to worry about the "How". The "How" will show up out of the commitment and belief in the "what"

56. The Hows are the domain of the universe. It always knows the quickest, fastest, most harmonious way between you and your dream

57. If you turn it over to the universe, you will be surprised and dazzled by what is delivered .. this is where magic and miracles happen

58. Turn it over to the universe daily.. but it should never be a chore.

59. Feel exhilarated by the whole process .. high, happy, in tune

60. The only difference between people who are really living this way is they have habituated ways of being.

61. They remember to do it all the time

62. Create a Vision Board .. pictures of what you want to attract .. every day look at it and get into the feeling state of already having acquired these wants

63. "Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." Albert Einstein

64. Decide what you want .. believe you can have it, believe you deserve it, believe it's possible for you

65. Close your eyes and visualize having what you already want - and the feeling of having it already.

66. Focus on being grateful for what you have already .. enjoy it!! Then release into the universe. The universe will manifest it.

67. "Whatever the mind of man can conceive, it can achieve" W. Clement Stone

68. Set a goal so big that if you achieved it, it would blow your mind.

69. When you have an inspired thought, you must trust it and act on it.

70. How can you become more prosperous?? INTEND IT!!

71. 'Checks are coming in the mail regularly'... or change your bank statement to whatever balance you want in there... and get behind the feeling of having it.

72. Life is meant to be abundant in ALL areas...

73. Go for the sense of inner joy and peace then all outside things appear

74. We are the creators of our universe

75. Relationships: Treat yourself the way you want to be treated by others .. love yourself and you will be loved

76. Healthy respect for yourself

77. For those you work with or interact with regularly .. get a notebook and write down positive aspects of each of those people.

78. Write down the things you like most about them (don't expect change from them). Law of attraction will not put you in the same space together if you frequencies don't match

79. When you realize your potential to feel good, you will ask no one to be different in order for you to feel good.

80. You will free yourself from the cumbersome impossibilities of needing to control the world, your friends, your mate, your children....

81. You are the only one that creates your reality

82. No one else can think or feel for you .. its YOU .. ONLY YOU.

83. Health: thank the universe for your own healing. Laugh, stress free happiness will keep you healthy.

84. Immune system will heal itself

85. Parts of our bodies are replace every day, every week..etc... Within a few years we have a brand new body

86. See yourself living in a new body. Hopeful = recovery. Happy = happier biochemistry. Stress degrades the bod.

87. Remove stress from the body and the body regenerates itself. You can heal yourself

88. Learn to become still .. and take your attention away from what you don't want, and place your attention on what you wish to experience

89. When the voice and vision on the inside become more profound and clear than the opinions on the outside, then you have mastered your life

90. You are not here to try to get the world to be just as you want it. You are here to create the world around you that you choose.

91. And allow the world as others choose to
see it, exist as well

92. People think that if everyone knows the power of the LOA there won't be enough to go around .. This is a lie that's been ingrained in us and makes so many greedy.

93. The truth is there is more than enough love, creative ideas, power, joy, happiness to go around.

94. All of this abundance begins to shine
through a mind that is aware of it's own infinite nature. There's enough for everyone. See it. Believe it. it will show up for you.

95. So let the variety of your reality thrill you as you choose all the things you want.. get behind the good feelings of all your wants.

96. Write your script. When you see things you don't want, don't think about them, write about them, talk about them, push against them, or join groups that focus on the don't wants... remove your attention from
don't wants.. and place them on do wants

97. We are mass energy. Everything is energy. EVERYTHING.

98. Don't define yourself by your body .. it's the infinite being that's connected to everything in the universe.

99. One energy field. Our bodies have distracted us from our energy. We are the infinite field of unfolding possibilities. The creative force.

100. Are your thoughts worthy of you? If not - NOW is the time to change them. You can begin right were you are right now. Nothing matters but this moment and what you are focusing your attention on.


Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit and please, if you like what you've read, leave a comment. Also, please respect the copyright/trademark rights of the artist's work. Copying and using any work posted here is forbidden without express permission. If you have a blog or website of your own I would love to visit it. After your comment, make sure to post your link and I will stop by and leave a comment as well. Happy blogging.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

QUE SERA, SERA...(HOME MADE CHEESE CAKE)

I LOVE this song...and this lady

When I think of strong women, Doris Day comes right to mind.  She bolted out of the gate a fighter and eventually learned the true lesson to living a positive life..."whatever will be, will be," and she lived it.  She turned 91 this year.  

There is a saying that Doris embraces, originally penned by Vivian Burnett of the Christian Science religion...“Our gratitude is riches, Complaint is poverty…”  I stumbled upon a blog post on myorbit365.wordpress.com about gratitude and letting go and it pretty much says it...it is what is happening to me right now and I'm in awe as to how well this works.  No worrying, giving it to the universe or a higher power and just letting what will be...be.  It's how I have always believed life should be.  I have posted the article below...it is well written:

"At the beginning of the year I chose “Gratitude” as my word for the year. I thought I would share some insights that I’ve gained this past year on this particular subject:
  1. Living with gratitude is damn hard actually. Especially if everything around you is breaking and if life is just generally overwhelming.
  2. It is much easier to be grateful when things are going well and running smoothly in your life or when you are on top of things.
  3. Living with gratitude is not something that one can turn on and off. It becomes a way of life – much like praying.
  4. I love writing very much but I do find it challenging to keep a gratitude journal. At times I felt that I was recording the most mundane things that I was grateful for. Nevertheless, it does actually become easier with time. 
  5. Teaching kids to have a spirit of gratitude is not that easy. That is why you need to constantly be aware and be clear about the fact that you are grateful. They do eventually learn from your example.
  6. Living with gratitude can certainly put things into perspective. You see just how blessed you are and how wealthy you are. I refer not only to material wealth here but also spiritual wealth.
  7. I have found that it is WAY easier to find things to be grateful for if I surrender my issues. In plain English, this means giving it over to God or the Universe or whatever you refer to as your Higher Power.
  8. Once you become accustomed to looking for things to be grateful for, you will find that you begin to appreciate simple pleasures and things that you previously took for granted.
  9. When there is adversity in your life, you will no longer ask :”WHY ME?” You tend to ask things like “What’s good about this situation” or “what can I learn from this” .
  10. There is a lot of research indicating that living with a spirit of gratitude improves your quality of life. I have to say that I can vouch for this. I have had an exceptionally challenging year but at no time did I feel like I wanted to run away. Or jump off a bridge or whatever. Somehow I just managed to take things in my stride. Now this could be because I am becoming a grown-up but I do think it’s more than that and I think that being consciously grateful has a lot to do with it.
  11. In short, this is what I have to say: You simply are not the same person if you are giving thanks and practicing the art of gratitude every  single day. Seriously. Go forth and be grateful. It will change your life."
 It really will change your life...for the better.  Instead of living with disease (dis-ease) you will live with ease and that my friends, is how you come one step closer to grasping the true art of living.

CHEESE CAKE

One of my mother's favorite desserts was cheesecake and she worked year after year, holiday after holiday, perfecting the perfect recipe for home made cheesecake. She literally spoiled me to store-bought cheese cake because once you have had the best of the best, there is no going back. I hope you will love this recipe as much as I do...so, so, so delicious!!!

Crust:

1-3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Combine ingredients and press into bottom and sides of a round, spring-form pan.  Set aside.

Cake:

3 - 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until creamy.  Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Blend in sour cream.  Pour into crust and bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes or until center is set. Turn off oven. Leave cake in oven for 1 hour with oven door slightly open. Cool completely and put on favorite topping. I like to put cherry pie filling over the top just before I serve.


Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit and please, if you like what you've read, leave a comment. Also, please respect the copyright/trademark rights of the artist's work. Copying and using any work posted here is forbidden without express permission. If you have a blog or website of your own I would love to visit it. After your comment, make sure to post your link and I will stop by and leave a comment as well. Happy blogging.

Saturday, December 12, 2015

OVER & OVER & OVER...COCONUT SNOW

How many versions of movies have you seen in which the main character has a lesson to learn by waking up and repeating the same day over and over until he or she learns a certain lesson. I love this premise because if that were possible, you could explore every possible outcome to every situation encountered.


That being said however, I believe that is actually the point to every new day we are fortunate enough to receive. Every day you wake up, you have the potential to start over. You can change the way you do things, the way you approach things, and handle things so, why wouldn't you? So many of us get caught up in a daily “routine.” We get up at the same time, eat the same things for breakfast (or skip it altogether), carry out our hygiene tasks the same way, apply our makeup in exactly the same style and colors and generally do the same things at work with the same people so, therefore, how could you expect to live different days with different outcomes, possibilities and choices when you make the same choices each day to repeat the way you do things.


Ask yourself how you can change each day; start out slow and progress a bit more each day or week. For example you could get up a half an hour earlier and walk around the block to build up some serotonin and endorphins which, in turn, will make you feel happier, more energetic and positive which will change the way you view your day. If you don't normally eat breakfast, put together a small balanced meal and see how you feel. If you normally eat a large breakfast, pare it down to a small balanced meal. Change the way you do your makeup or hair from time to time or change the location of the room you usually apply it in...change your color scheme as well. If you normally enter work the same way and greet everyone with the same greeting, mix it up...come in through another entrance (if possible) and smile as you blurt out a new and witty greeting. Not only will everyone view you in a new way, but you will begin to view yourself in a new way also. Take things less seriously at work and see how much less stressed you feel at the end of the day, after all in the grand scheme of life, a job is the least important thing in your world. If you are a worrier, try being conscious of every time you worry about something and force yourself to let it go until that becomes your habit and you live just for that moment. If you normally go about your day focusing on yourself, try to think of something you can do to help someone else. If you normally help everyone around you and ignore your own needs, do something special for you. There are enough hours in the day, but if you feel there aren't, make a list of all you try to accomplish in one day and see what you can cut out of it or simply move to another day.



Each day is a new opportunity, a clean slate if you will, for you to make it what you will so, like those movies, stop repeating the same day over and over and do your best to make each one special and unique.


COCONUT SNOW

This is a recipe that a friend of my mom's used to make at Christmas each year and bring over for the family.  I love coconut and I couldn't get enough of it.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pkgs of unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup of boiling water
4 whipped egg whites
1/3 cup of sugar
1 - 8 oz. pkg of coconut (save some for the garnish)

In a small bowl, mix water, sugar and gelatin.  Mix well and chill for one hour. Fold egg whites, gelatin and coconut together and blend well.  Put into a square baking dish and chill.  Garnish with coconut and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.

YUM...I hope you enjoy!!!

***SIDE NOTE***

Thank you to those of you who read my earlier post about letter writing and sent me those beautiful letters.  I appreciate that you hold our friendship in your hearts as being as valuable to you as they are to me. This is the reason we have been friends for so many years.



Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit and please, if you like what you've read, leave a comment. Also, please respect the copyright/trademark rights of the artist's work. Copying and using any work posted here is forbidden without express permission. If you have a blog or website of your own I would love to visit it. After your comment, make sure to post your link and I will stop by and leave a comment as well. Happy blogging.

Friday, December 11, 2015

DEAR (INSERT YOUR NAME HERE)...

What if were possible for your future self to leave a letter for your past self to find or your past self to leave a letter for your future self to find?  Wouldn't that be an awesome thing to be able to do?   What would you say to yourself?  I'm not sure if it was a song lyric or what prompted this idea in my head, but as I was driving the very rainy and beautiful coastline today I wondered that if it were possible to write a letter to my past or future self, what would I want to say? 

To my past self I would want to let myself in on some of the secrets I have come to reveal as truth.  I would tell myself to always be comfortable in my own skin...to love myself unconditionally and have complete and unwavering faith in who I am...to be confident, caring, loving and trusting in only positive and non-judgmental people.  I would tell myself to ease up and not be so hard on myself for all the times I am human. To develop the skills I needed to help people as that was my truest calling. I might even tell myself to buy stock in Apple and Microsoft and give myself the winning lotto numbers on a particular day (but who wouldn't...lmao). I would also tell myself what my son was going to go through so I could see how to orchestrate things a bit differently and arm him with only positive coping skills so his life wouldn't have to be so hard at such a young age. I wondered if it would be wise to tell myself about all of the traumatic events I would encounter in detail in order to avoid them in the future, but then I realized that without those very events occurring, I wouldn't be the person I am today.  I needed to go through them in order to understand the lesson that I was meant to gain and the knowledge to become this person...to know how to help not only myself, but anyone who sought help from me as well.  

To my future self, I would keep a journal as I grew to leave to myself to remind me of all of the beautiful blessings I have in my life and how those blessings made me who I am...have kept me afloat and have wrapped their arms around me during the tough times. I would recount all of the good, wonderful and triumphant moments that, even though small, were the best of the best and I would tell myself that I had done so because I didn't want to forget most of the good parts of my past, as it would seem I have done. 

What would you want to say to yourself, past or future?  I think that what you would want to reveal to yourself in either direction speaks volumes about who you are right now.  For instance, wanting to tell my past self about loving myself says that I had self-esteem issues that I learned to conquer and value. Wanting to tell my future self about parts of my past I didn't remember might mean that I didn't put enough value on the good things that seemed small at the time and that is why I can't remember much of them to this day.  I needed to learn that it is all of the small and wonderful moments, strung together, that make up the big picture of our entire lives and that those are what we need to sink into when they are here and really, really savor.

What would you want yourself to know...past or future?  Try this exercise and write a letter to yourself in either time frame.  What you learn will definitely help you in the present. 



Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit and please, if you like what you've read, leave a comment. Also, please respect the copyright/trademark rights of the artist's work. Copying and using any work posted here is forbidden without express permission. If you have a blog or website of your own I would love to visit it. After your comment, make sure to post your link and I will stop by and leave a comment as well. Happy blogging.

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

HOW PURE ARE YOU???...

Did you think purification was something they just did to water?  Think again.  Your body, your soul and your mind need purification...and often.  Sometimes in my research I run across articles that are so great I cannot paraphrase from them...I have to post the whole thing here.  This article by Danielle Laporte is from her blog and is entitled, "Purification, Pain, Passion and Marrying Your Soul...Or How to Tap Your Deep Creativity."  The list she posts below is SO, SO, SO, SO true and she totally nails it.  These are the things I have personally been working toward and strides I have been making in my life.  These are the things that need to happen in order to achieve this purification, which is when you finally know yourself..accept yourself...the real you...not some societal version filled with unwarranted fears (which all fear is, by the way).  I hope her post speaks to you like it did to me:
"Purification is gutting. Cleansing. Rectifying. Re-orientating. Divine. It can be wretched or graceful, intentional or shocking. Either way, once you’re hollowed out and detoxed you are going to be way.more.real. Which is to say, wildly more creative. Deeper. This is why I’m always so interested in someone’s personal story of suffering — it points to their greatest potential to create light — or more darkness, in the world. Creation.
So, if you want to tap into deeper creativity, you’ll need to get your purification on. We covered that. Now, to get through such purification, you’ll need passion. You already know what that is. Fire, heart, big vision.
And then — are you still with me? Because deep creativity isn’t for the faint of anything, then you’ll have to:
  • Do the fucking work. Like a grown up.

  • Risk being disliked (actually, it’s not a risk, it’s inevitable.)

  • Risk being very very misunderstood (and you don’t know how much that hurts until it happens.)

  • Say what you feel — in every possible way.
  • Burn the draft, the plan, the strategy that you thought was everything.

  • Pray. On your knees. (When’s the last time you did that?)

  • Cut people out of your life.

  • Humbly make amends.

  • Drop everything and call your energy worker.

  • Become your own Lover.

  • Eat your longing backwards.

  • Keep going, even when it feels like you’re being punished.

  • Become obsessive.

  • Move ON.

  • Be truly compassionate with yourself when it’s so hard to move on.

  • Be incredibly tender, and not just when you’re by yourself, but the exposed with others kind of tender.

  • Take a hit for the team. You don’t think you’re learning lessons just for your own good, do you? Nah. Healing for one is healing for all. tweet
  • Thank youuuuu.

  • Ask for help — the vulnerable kind of asking when you’re afraid the answer may be no.
  • Be profoundly lonely.

  • Use your own money.

  • Feel it all — in one day.

  • Say Thank You — for all of it. All of it.

  • Let yourself feel very small next to the size of your dream.

  • Get bigger than the size of your dream.

  • Keep doing the fucking work.
In summation:
See you at the wedding."


Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit and please, if you like what you've read, leave a comment. Also, please respect the copyright/trademark rights of the artist's work. Copying and using any work posted here is forbidden without express permission. If you have a blog or website of your own I would love to visit it. After your comment, make sure to post your link and I will stop by and leave a comment as well. Happy blogging.