Get a Bigger Bag...

So as I wait stand-by this morning at the airport...I find myself among many other challenges and souls trying to manage their travel experiences.

Why does it take so much work to leave our bubble?  Why do we spend so much time and energy preparing for a moment?  Why are we so afraid we will forget something?  In some cases, the moment lasts less than the time spent preparing for it.  

OH, YES...it’s the journey not he destination, right?!   Can lack of preparation have as much of an effect on the destination as well?  Or is that part of the journey in itself?

I feel so much compassion and understanding for those that fear or have anxiety for the "potential" disappointments and failures that may come upon arrival.  It could make someone not go anywhere, ever...at all.  Heck, I could even see how some may even become reclusive because the sheer thought of all that is exhausting and way too much trouble.

So that being said...as I sit at a very crowded gate I can’t help but tune into the abundant waves of energy coming and going.  My anxiety levels settle and I begin to enjoy the show observing all of God's lessons right before my eyes.  I myself was late and by the time I reached my gate the first lesson was unveiling.  My seat was ALREADY given away.  and..Exhale-

I then was told to go to another gate and wait stand-by.  There I began waiting for a plane that is overbooked... I asked how that works and she plainly told me that the airlines bank on folks that miss their flight.  In this case today though, that wasn't the case.  All parties that have prepared to fly are present so now the buy-outs begin.  I can hear the airline’s representative try to buy people OUT of their seats.  Actually offer them money to not get on that flight that they have prepared to take flight on.  Isn't that ironic?  How many times have you prepared for something and then allowed someone or something to talk you out of it?  How often in life do we sell out or get bought?  Hmmm... 

Well, like everything in life, there were other things simultaneously happening there at that gate.  One of those things I am referring to is a side conversation between a man and a woman.  The man is aggressively and impatiently trying to shove additional items into his carry-on.  You could clearly see the frustration and defeat in his face.  The woman is hesitant but finally offers, "You will have to get a BIGGER bag."  He looked at her like she had said something revolutionary but yet outlandish.  "What do you mean?” he says as if she couldn't possibly understand that he was trying so hard to make it work.  No matter what he did, with all his efforts, he couldn't.  Humane and surreal, there was a moment... he look relieved.  He had been given permission to stop trying to make something fit and work just for the sake of doing and that he wasn't a failure for not making it happen.

This phrase, "YOU WILL HAVE TO GET A BIGGER BAG" makes me smile as I fondly remember saying it a friend many years ago.  She was not at an airport but yet clearly preparing for a journey and about to get on a flight that had no foreseeable destination.  Upon departure she was withdrawing her life’s savings from her bank accounts and didn't know what to do with the money, as well as her future.  She was so fixed on how it wasn't gonna work because she didn't know what to do or how to do it that it had her on hold... delaying her flight so to speak.  This moment was holding her and delaying her flight no doubt.  I suggested with a light heart to take a bag and have them put the money in the bag.  She then told me the huge amount she had saved and would be withdrawing to take with her on her next trip in life... she was convinced by many fears that her bag was not big enough to hold all that she had saved but that she couldn't go without it.  I felt she was discouraged... perhaps to exalt all plans all together.  So I did what every girlfriend does:  I firmly told her..."GET A BIGGER BAG!"   

We laugh to his day about that and realize how great it is to have people in life that can clear security just like in an airport and give us clearance to fly.  

Its remarkable how much we as humans do to get in our own way... it is uncanny how we create these comfortable bubbles to live in and find so many rules, rituals, and preparation in order to leave it and see outside of it at times.  LIFE is about the journey, there is no doubt... but if we don’t have destinations to get us out of our bubbles we can easily stay there forever.  Sometimes it’s just a matter of not being bought-out and knowing when staying small doesn't serve you.  There may be times when you need to empty out your bag in order to fill it up with something new.  While perhaps letting go and leaving it all behind could be the wind beneath your wings.

and...Exhale-

Cut the Cords...

Sometimes we spend so much time trying to figure things out that the analyzing and energetic exchange can get so entangled it can take the life-force right out of us.  From scheduling your day to deciding what is the best approach when dealing with work or feeling so many emotions from matters of the heart.  The cords attach and can often feel as though we are tied up and being even being strangled...

Take a moment each day to CUT THE CORDS.  Detach from all outside "discord."  Take the time to breathe and ground into the earth.  Become one with the universe and notice how everything can simplify.  One doesn't always have to find the answers or even react to all the demands… Just be.  Find the moment within you that is pure hearty and real.  Silence is a virtue and can offer many gifts.  Make it part of your daily practice to release the cords that you find yourself entangled in so that your bliss and your soul can breathe.

and...Exhale-

Focus

As we gear up for yet another blessed week, take a moment to prioritize.  Ask, “What is most important?”  Then each day make sure there is time for its experience and exchange.  Sometimes for me it’s as simple as making sure I make some home cooked meals for my kids or spending time with someone in particular that I haven’t given any attention to because I am not making it a priority!  Sometimes that person is me!   Take account for all things in your life even down to changing the linens on your bed or calling your dad.   Focus on what really matters and what your heart wants to do as oppose to what’s needed.  There are 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week.  What you put your attention on grows.   TAKE A MOMENT AND FEED THE SEEDS YOU HAVE PLANTED IN YOUR GARDEN OF LIFE.  Give attention to the little things that can make a big difference in your days and weeks.   The time and attention we give when we focus on doing what it is we want rather than just wishing we had, is the shift that makes the difference in each of our lives.  Start a new practice this week.  Before the week begins or even each day… FOCUS on what matters and make the time to pay attention to the details that provide growth and prosperity in its endeavors.  It just takes intention... you will be surprised at how the follow-through perseveres and before you know it, each and every day will have a little more quality in it.  Time flies when you are having fun and um... get busy.  So before the days and weeks pass you by and ya find yourself saying "where did all the time go?” or, “It’s been weeks since I have talked to..." or  "I wish I had more time for..."   Stop the madness and FOCUS...THE TIME IS NOW...

and...Exhale-

Easy come Easy Go!

It’s amazing how when we are open, the ruins of abundance flow generously.  There are no coincidences and most will tell you that the magic of serendipity is quite an affirmation.  So as we practice being open and allowing our hearts to expand, it is our choice to come from pure living intention and not fear when a cycle ends.  Change is a very much needed part of life and it presents such opportunity for growth...and opening further if embraced.   As easy it comes, that’s as easy as it can go...if we allow for it.  Appreciate the presence of all that is in your life for it is not a given and can be gone at any time.  Don't bother trying to capture something you don't have or regain what you may have lost for there is a reason for everything.  Look not into all that is without attachment but rather with pure joy of the experience. Be and recognize all that is.  When it’s time to let go do so with the same joy you received it with.  Releasing it with love and kindness right back to the universe where it came from.  Faith in the unseen is very powerful and offers a grounding and realm of excitement to all that welcome it.  When one door closes another is about to open… trust in all... the best is yet to come. 

and...Exhale-

What do we have to lose?

How often do we spend time preparing ourselves? How often have you said to yourself "When I have this, I will be ready to have this...When I finish this, I will get that...When I become this, I will be able for that..." Think about how much of our life we "SPEND" "SAVING" ourselves for what we believe we will receive from waiting until we are "READY". How much are you limiting yourself from because you have this idea in your mind that you are not worthy to have something or experience something until you have worked for it in some way, shape, or form? Why is it that until we have something to lose or have lost something of value, that we can realize how precious it is? Do you get hung up in the picture of how it’s going to be and the idea of who you think you are that your value in the "NOW" is minimized by the shadows of what has already happened? Are you so hyper focused and attached to a particular outcome, you lose track of what opportunity is passing you by in the present moment? As life passes us by we tend to regret the things we didn't do rather than the ones we did. That being said, it’s such a valuable lesson to learn that there are no guarantees in life that whatever it is we are waiting for, will ever come and if it does come, will it come in the form we expected it? Why wait till we lose something before we realize how much we valued it? Why go into an experience with expectations or attachments that leave us on hold? Brave the waters without a raft and allow the current of life to set you free into the flow that is exactly right for you. Don't let the voices in your head or the fears of others block your highest most natural, organic potential. LIVE! Allow LOVE to create that beautiful life. Undoubtedly, it will not always be pretty and easy. "STUFF" will come up and "STUFF" will happen. You will make mistakes and fall from time to time. That's when opportunity is presenting itself. You as a soul have a choice. You can repeat patterns and take on others projections and do what you have always known...jumping from one life raft to another...or remain, drowning along the way because the weight of the fear and burden is so heavy. But, what if...what if you face that opportunity with faith and allowed the Divine to guide you and direct you into a new ocean that bares no limits? Fearless and willing to love and to change the patterns we once knew into freedoms without pain and setbacks. Take the chance...WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE? If you’re lucky you will let go of all that’s held you back and thrust into the open hands of God. The light is always in you and waiting for you to shine. It is we who shy away and hide in the darkness because we get scared. Life experiences tell us to be careful...escape...deny...sacrifice...shut down. That is when the work begins...the opportunity presents itself. Can you be honest in those moments, listen to your soul’s desire and allow for it... even if you’re not perfect? Can you love anyway? Can you trust anyway? Can you receive and feel worthy anyway? Time is passing as we speak ...we are losing every moment of every day. So, when I ask you "What do you have to lose?" I hope you realize that you have so much to lose it’s impossible to hold on to it all... so don't even try. Just be with it...feel it and receive it. It's there to teach you if you let it... The truth will set you free and open you. The gains of sitting in your truth are timeless and bare no weight...the freedom to be will sustain you. And those that honor you...ALL OF YOU will show up in the light one by one...an ocean full of abundance. and...Exhale-

LOVE TO LOVE

I love to love... it's my favorite thing to do. In fact when I have nothing to love, I feel empty and will find something to love right away. A glutton for punishment? I am perhaps addicted to love. I love myself....I love my kids...I love my work...I love to eat...I love to dance...I love to learn...I love so many things. Loving makes me feel good. Loving fills me up. However, there is a component to love that knocks me off my feet, beats the shit out of me and turns me upside down and inside out...and I keep going back for more. With Valentine's Day approaching, many are compelled by the big hearts everywhere and the pressure to send flowers and a card. A force of love...pressured by status and a reminder of what was or was not? I dare to ask, "what is it about love attracts the heart." Can you celebrate Valentine's day daily and value the generosity and pledge to love more than once a year? Can you be the queen or king of your heart-space? Leaving the gates of your castle open? Do you know who is in charge and rules the throne? The mind? Or the heart? And for God' s sake, which is the one you can trust? The mind can rationalize if you're lucky but the heart feels what the mind can't realize. So what generates...fires you up and ignites your heart's desire? Why do you love? Why don't you love? What do you love? And how does it fill you? How often do you find yourself with pieces of your heart everywhere because loving has broken you open and apart? One thing I know is that being broken open provides for more love and practice in compassion and patience with thyself then anything else ever will. That's for sure. So that being said, I dare you to fall in love ...over and over again everyday...all day. Brave what most won't and stay open even when life presents itself with experiences that give you every reason to close up shop! God didnt make us perfect, he made us REAL! Love is patient...love is kind...bla bla bla!!!!! Love is as beautiful as it is ugly...it isn't perfect, it is Real. Love is a relationship that takes time and commitment like no other. There are ebs and flows to it like evrything in life. Take the time in the next few days before you buy a card and send the flowers to really feel the reasons why your heart is where it is at. Let the mind rest and let love turn you inside out and upside down. Surrender to the love that beats you and breaks you down. Realize that some of the hardest things in life to love are the things that need it the most. Love isn't gender bias and doesn't discriminate by age or race...it's not limited to humans because animals and plants need it as well. In fact, our homes, traditions, morals and values can benefit from the love we offer more than people sometimes. Our world grows day in and day out because we LOVE! LOVE is the life we live in...it is what grows and creates all that we have and all that we create for our futures to come. Love...love...love...yourself. And realize that how you love yourself is an extension of the open heart you have for other beings and things. Like the innocence of a child, love wild and free...see beneath the beautiful and into the soul...yours and of mine. For it is when we are in that space together that we become one from my heart to yours...love to love. I know it's not always easy...I get scard too, but we can do this... be a soldier of love. This world needs you. and...Exhale

Never Say "Never"

I feel as if the second someone says "I will never..."  IT IS A SENTENCE FOR KARMA.  It's almost as if the moment those words leave your mouth...your new life lesson is about to be learned...so here is to all the life experiences I have judged and thought I was above and beyond living...every day is a practice and I do believe we practice what we need to strengthen.  We are all examples and life's teachers.   So, take a journey with me in self-expression.   Open your heart this week to all that is...the good, the bad, and the ugly.   See the beauty in its lesson and be aware of how easy it to give advice, oppose to taking it...understand with compassion that until you truly have walked a day, a week, a year, in someone else's shoes, do we really know what we would do if given those life lessons to learn.   We all have karma to work out here in this life.   Before you say those words, "I will never..." realize you very well could be.  If the tables were turned, how would you like to be treated?   What would you need?  Could you bear the judgments you project?   Compassion...Forgiveness...Love.  Namaste'

and...Exhale-

Restore

How often do we spend so much of our day going and planning?  I bet there are some days that the only time you stop is when you lay your head down on the pillow to go to sleep.  Some may say how blessed you are to have a life so full, while to others it may feel like a burden to have so much responsibility.  Regardless of your stance, it’s so important to your vitality to find time to just be.  To restore and allow the body, mind, and soul time to breathe and harmonize.  I hear a lot from people that it can be a challenge to turn off their mind and how their body feels restless.  I also hear from both men and women that they are experiencing sleepless nights and pain in their bodies.  Restoration is the simplest remedy for all symptoms.  Taking the time to create a restorative practice is the secret to achieving peace of mind, an open heart, and a body that can feel relaxed.  The key to restoration is finding a practice that resonates within you and then making it a part of each day.  Yoga offers asana (yoga poses) specifically designed for this.  Many studios will offer "Yin" or "Restorative" classes.  The poses are gentle and held longer so that your body can relax and open rather than stretch and strengthen.  This intention can invite your mind to let down from thinking so that your soul can be fed.  Meditation during these practices happens subtly and before you know it, you’re blissed out.  It’s simply delicious and I encourage anyone and everyone.  Restoration isn’t just found at a yoga studio though.  You can create this all on your own just as you create everything else in your schedule.  How?  Well that’s up to you...but I do have a few suggestions.  Perhaps start by scheduling time to be with yourself in each day.  You can find many restorative poses online that you can do all on your own.  Create a sacred space just for you...such as a room or designated area that makes you feel yummy.  Spend time personalizing that space with your favorite colors, scents, or perhaps find yourself in the comforts of a soft blanket or chair...even a picture or a quote that evokes “you”.  Make the space inviting so that you crave it and look forward to spending time there knowing that when you do, you will be rewarded with serenity.  Now, once you’re there, just be.  No distractions like TV, cell phones, or daily planners.  Perhaps entice the ambiance with some soft Zen music or the sounds of water.  Close your eyes and allow your mind to drift off...notice your body and give it permission to feel comfortable and relaxed.  In time you will find yourself there longer and longer.  It may even inspire you to dream!  You are worth this.  Restore and reconnect... time with your soul is the gift that keeps on giving...to you and every aspect of your overall being-  

and...Exhale-

What Sustains you?

"It doesn't interest me what you do for a living; I want to know what you ask for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.  It doesn't interest me how old you are; I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.  It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon; I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayal or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or yours, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you in the tips of your fingers and toes without questioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human. It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore, trustworthy. I want to know if you can see beauty, even when it's not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence. I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the moon, “yes!"

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children. It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back. It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments."

So I ask...What SUSTAINS you? 

and...Exhale-

Why do we wait until it's on fire before we respond?

There are so many things in life that are ready and waiting for us; an absolute abundance.   We have the opportunity to use so many ingredients to prepare a beautiful recipe for success and fulfillment.  Why is it though, unless it’s on fire, we don't respond to what's needed BEFORE it becomes a need?    Take some time today to check in with yourself.   Do a little mental housekeeping if you will.   Take out the trash.  Get rid of anything that you don't need, such as thoughts that are not serving you.  De-clutter.  It is time to let go of mixed emotions and energy that don’t belong to you.  Handle some of those things on the "to do" list...relax, be present, listen, have compassion, love unconditionally, trust, forgive, and let go. Imagine if at the beginning of everyday, before you even got out of bed, you could take a few breaths and check in with your physical and emotional body.   Now, if you’re the ambitious type, feel free to Meditate beyond the few breaths.  Whatever you’re able to endure.  Taking the time to breathe before you start your day sets the tone and inspires the peaceful path throughout the hours ahead of you.   Checking in with yourself is a productive means to acknowledge where you are and what you are thirsty for: body, mind, and soul.  It gives you the opportunity to feed your soul before it is starving and in need.   When you are feeding yourself properly and learn how to put your oxygen mask on first, it will be a natural flow to be more present in other areas of your life.  Until we learn how to fill the depths of our own soul, will we be able to do for others.   Every day is a practice...and I too, am practicing this one as well.   Namaste'

and...Exhale

Surround yourself with light and radiate...

I don’t think you can ever say the words Thank You enough. I am so grateful that I have such beautiful people in my life. It’s nearly impossible to have a bad day because of them...and God only knows I try! Interestingly enough, this abundance grows rapidly. I find a new soul appears or reappears daily, to make me smile, laugh, or feel loved and supported. I wake up each morning knowing that today will be great! No matter what! Even if there is a moment of challenge, I have such solid people in my life to reaffirm what is reality and get me back on track. However, I remember once, someone asking me a question that made me speechless and feeling so alone: "Who would be on my emergency contact list if I was ever in need?" I was stunned and could not answer...for I actually felt I had no one. Tears poured down my face. While working so hard on being independent, I had closed off and become so superficial. In my mind, I was strong and didn't want to ask for anything because I could do it all! I didn't share my feelings because it would make me appear weak and vulnerable. I was strong. How odd now, today, I realize how many contacts I have for that list. Hmmm. Why is that? Well, I'll tell you why. It’s because I opened. I opened and became honest and real. I allowed myself to be seen for all that I was and all that I wasn't. Such a weight had been lifted. I shifted remarkably. My light was free. Free to be. I felt happy… Deserving… Worthy. I was no longer imprisoned by the darkness of fear... unforgiving reasoning... judgment... or shame. As I awakened, I noticed so many familiar faces waiting for me; so happy to see me again. Cheering me on, lifting my heart and spirit to higher grounds. As I elevated, I met new faces and felt the inspiration from both new and old souls. It’s extraordinary. Every day I wake up and get to do what I love. I train with the hardest working athletes that inspire me to my core...then I get to teach beautiful souls the art of yoga and support the transformations in their practice. I am a mother and sometimes even a father,) a friend and more so, a light that exists with so many others that make this world a better place just by being me. I am not alone anymore. Nor was I ever. I am so proud and humbled with gratitude. I am honored to live and to love; to make mistakes and to grow. I am a part of a whole. A contribution of light that is so open I am able to be a vessel of light for others. It is my genuine truth that softens me and yet becomes this strength that is a force to be reckoned with at times. My wish for you is to find a moment today so you can remember your spirit and all that makes you hungry in life. Realize "Who is on your emergency contact list?". Close your eyes and breath into all that is... be grateful for the beautiful souls that greet you each day, take you by the hand and help you rise. Should you find yourself without that abundance like I did once before...check in with your heart. Have you closed it? Perhaps it’s time to open up...and enjoy all that is yours to receive...allow the genuine truth of your heart to be revealed... in doing so, you too will become part of the collective. This worlds needs you, many are waiting for you to take them to higher grounds! So...surround yourself with light and RADIATE! and...Exhale-

Ya can't Photoshop "STRONG"

A picture can say a thousand words...it can define someone and speak to the heart. There is something to be said about candid shots versus those glamour shots. One could say... Candid shots really have a way of capturing the beauty in the moment, while the glamour shots can really capture someone's moment of beauty. There is this brilliant tool called Photoshop. Its everyone's favorite because it has the ability to make everything perfect... I call it the smoke and mirrors. No matter what though, I really think...the eyes tell all...beyond what the works of Photoshop magic can do. There is no doubt in a person's spirit when looking into someone's eyes. A picture can reveals that. To know someone and then to see them in a photograph is remarkable sometimes. When a person is truly authentic a photograph can actually capture a person’s spirit and the light from their soul can reflect radiantly. The tenderness can come through, as well, as their strength. It's no wonder why we love to photograph children. Capturing all of the wonder and joy. There are probably millions of sleeping newborn pictures taken. The pure beauty is breathtaking. As adults we take less time to photograph ourselves...why is that? Do we allow how we feel about ourselves to get in the way of what we want to be seen as? Is a photograph too much of a commitment and a statement of how we are? How many of us have lost the freedom to be at peace with "candid". Can we allow the unexpected and vulnerable moments as we do when we are children? The spontaneity has a "strong" presence that I simply adore. I applauded the "selfie" generation. Although some of those selfies could be taken with more clothing on,) I do appreciate the playfulness in the photography, as well as the fearlessness. So today when you are scrolling through your social media take a few moments to look at everyone’s pictures. Notice what you see. What it evokes. What it tells you...and for a moment appreciate the beauty in it all. Maybe even take a few shots of your own. Be confident...and let go! Discover who you are and allow a picture to capture YOU today. Take a long look at YOU into your own eyes. What will YOU see in yourself. Capture the moment today so years from now you can remember your time. The eyes tell it all...and in the end ya can't Photoshop "STRONG" and...Exhale-

You have the right to refuse service

Ever see those signs posted in local businesses? It’s a very simple disclosure that they have the right to not service you. While they may be open to the public, if at any time or for any reason they wish to hold back service to an individual they can. It’s their right. Hmmm. Let’s think about that for a moment...How often do we allow ourselves to fully open with the self-worth in knowing that at any time we have the right to stop an energy exchange with any other without reason or guilt? How many of us just stay closed off to avoid confrontation and presence with another? How many of us take on more than we want or should because we don’t want to say no? Challenge yourself today and through this weekend to honor what works for you. Allow yourself to be fully open and present with the awareness that you have "THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE". Trust yourself, respect yourself. You are worth it. If something doesn't work for you or feel right, don't do it. People will generally respect your honesty and value you. And well...if they don't, then that affirms why you didn't want to do it in the first place. Pay attention to those responses; they are there to guide you. Every day is a practice...the more we practice the deeper our consciousness becomes. Your self-worth is priceless...SO DON'T SELL OUT!

Have patience excellence is not built overnight.

Time...Patience...Perseverance...Faith...Love...Honor...Tenacity...and Devotion: Just a few ingredients that play into the recipe for success and achievement. Do you have what it takes? People talk all the time about what they would like in relationships, careers, travel, and home life. How many actually do what they say and empower the necessary characteristic traits to make those dreams a reality? Are you all talk? Or do you get’er dun? Things don't just appear and happen for no reason. Seeds must be planted, and the garden must be tended to, in order for it to bloom. The end result is what most actually get to see in life...the effort it takes to see something through is dynamic and what makes us who we are in the end. There are a lot of people that just talk, and well...their life is an abundance of repeated patterns and fillers. Don't sabotage your dreams because you don’t have the patience to do the work. Dream! And chase them till it happens. Don't cheat yourself; there are no easy quick remedies to getting the quality you deserve. Seek the tools that it takes, use them, and see it through. Fill up in all that is yours for the taking because you have earned it through the humble actions you lead when no one is looking. Time...Patience...Perseverance...Faith...Love...Honor... Tenacity...and Devotion are the purest ingredients that turn into fulfilling relationships, successful careers, travel that fill the soul, and a home that’s made from the heart. No one can give you those experiences. NO ONE...THAT IS...BUT YOU. BE PATIENT! EXCELLENCE WAS NOT BUILT OVER NIGHT! And...Exhale-

New Shoes..

I love shoes! It’s a love affair of a lifetime. My favorites are the peekaboo toe stilettos. I could put a pair on and instantly feel like a beauty. I’m pretty sure I even strut rather than walk in a pair of them... most days you will find me barefoot in a studio or in my Ugg boots running in between clients. I’m not gonna lie I feel very cozy and cute in my Uggs... my stride adjusts as I'm sure my walk is far from sexy like when I'm wearing stilettos. However, when I throw on my trainers and get ready to lift or run I immediately feel empowered. You can only imagine what happens when I slide my cowboy boots on. It’s amazing how our shoes can change the way we walk and feel. Think about all of those shoes that gave us blisters or that sad pair we just can't get rid of because they are so comfortable. Life can give us experiences that we play roles in...each role we play are kinda like shoes, they all fit us differently and make us feel differently. When we step into the roles we play, we become these characters that take on our days and become our lives. Sometimes we can put on a great pair of shoes that look so amazing but feel so uncomfortable we can’t bear to walk in them. It’s so telling of those that wear them anyway and those that would never even give them the chance to break in. I love my shoes...vintage, quirky, sexy, and athletic. When it comes to stepping into a new pair of shoes no matter what kind they inspire me and evoke change both literally and figuratively... so to all of you "soul searchers" I hope today you find the right footing and have fun learning to step, whether into something old or new...Just keep moving toward into the light and it will lead you confidently in the direction of exactly where you're being called to be! it’s not to say ya may not get a few blisters on the way, buts sometimes that’s how ya reach those old souls- And...Exhale

Its a funny thing...

As a young girl I was taught to be strong. "To never let them see you sweat..." I spent most of my life pretending things didn't bother me and dancing around confrontation. I always smiled and when someone asked how I was...I was always "great" That always seemed to back fire because bottling things up eventually would just cause an inappropriate projection somewhere else in life. It took many years and a lot of practice to find my voice and wear my feelings. Feelings are a lot like clothing. You can change them as much as you want depending on how you feel...you can accessorize to accentuate or you can minimize to draw less attention...it may even feel like your wearing an itchy sweater some days and on others the softest, warmest, cozy sweats ... Colors also, speak volumes and can have a luminous effect on how we express ourselves. Sometimes you may want to walk around naked...while other times you may feel like wearing a shield of armor...feelings are not wrong or right they just are. Experience has provided me the wisdom to know, that the most powerful thing about feelings. Showing your emotions does not make you weak, it is NOT a sign of weakness, but rather, a sign of strength. It takes a lot of courage to stand in your truth, be who you are, and express how you feel. Those that love you, love all of you...and those that truly don't will get weeded out the more you stay true to you. You have the right to feel however you like and if you have a change of heart and feel different later that's completely ok. Its a funny thing tho...the more comfortable I became with my feelings the more distinguished the pathways of healthy boundaries became. These dignified pathways were created with a moral compass that truly suited my over all being. This was an outfit I could wear comfortably and looked amazing in! In doing so though, it has challenged some...and to my hearts dismay, my love, compassion, and temperament has been questioned. Its ironic how stepping into ones power can leave others in a place of doubt...and perhaps anguish. Why is it that? Why is it that being a strong person can come across cold and arrogant...why is the vast more content with the old patterns of holding it in and hiding how you truly feel in order to make someone else feel better or perhaps more comfortable with who we are? Is its because if your standing in your power then then they have to look at themselves? and what might they see? Perhaps they are not ready? and would rather hide behind the walls of fear, insecurity, and denial? I get it...I understand. It can be scary expressing your truth. Allowing yourself to be seen for all the good...the bad...the ugly. I encourage it anyway. Being true to your feelings doesn't mean fears or insecurities disappear. Quite the contrary... however, when those feelings show up if your honest with yourself and honor what right for you it will become more comfortable. It is in that awareness you can learn, grow and become more resilient. Consciousness keeps me awake especially when I need to step into reality of what is and isn't. It gives me strength to do what is needed and I am empowered by my truth because I have honored myself. It may not always be the easiest path but its real and the truth is far more predictable than the deceit of denial. Everyday is a practice...an opportunity to practice being who we are to our souls content not someone else's. Everyday is a gift and an opportunity to express our divine true self... There are days I walk around with my pockets pulled out and have crazy hair... and then there are days I am polished and ready to conquer the world. No matter what the most authentic place for me is being ME.. And I assure you the most beloved place for you is being YOU. Emotions are a strength and having boundaries are healthy. Being a strong person that has a moral compass is not coming from a cunning or cold place... its provided from the depth of a sweet soft soul and what makes someone beautiful and powerful from the inside out....its a funny thing tho, that old expression "never let them see you sweat" doesn't really apply as you age anyway... I sweat all the time,) and in the most indecent places...go figure! and...Exhale 

What ya want isn't always what ya need!

There is this saying... "With every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" Hmmm...lets think about that. Everything we do is a choice. We chose to do many things throughout our life. Those choices become our story. Some of the things we choose are from the demands in which we hunger purely from the pleasure principle of what we want and desire. Other times we choose from reality therefore, we do what is needed. Both choices give us an equal response appropriately derived. Make a list... two columns. ILLUSIONS/REALITY Lets take a walk into the illusions we create...lets aknowledged how we build things up in order to indulge the impatience of what we want... hmmm interesting right? How is that working for you? I certainly know how it has panned out for me. Now...pay attention...deepen your focus to what is. What is reality? The truth? The evidence that teaches us what is AND... what is needed. Hmmm. What actions are we taking in our lives to be honest, awake, aware, to brave the action that is NEEDED to be done rather than what we WANT to be done? "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction" Doing what you want isn't always what you need.... the choice is yours. And...Exhale-