on Milton...

I sent this story to my staff earlier this week, and I just can't seem to get it off of my mind, therefore, I thought I would blog it. Here is it...my Thanksgiving wish to you:

This morning, like every morning, I gave money to my homeless friend, Milton. I see Milton every weekday, and sometimes we chat, (if the stop light is red!). I have been giving money and food to Milton for nearly a year, and he has become part of my morning routine. Today Milton asked me if I was doing any cooking for Thanksgiving. I told him that I would be cooking a few items. He then asked me where I was going for Thanksgiving. I told him my Aunt and Uncle were hosting dinner. After our brief conversation, Milton asked me if I could bring him leftovers. I told him I would be happy to, but that my first day back, after the holiday, would not be until Monday. He said..."That's ok sweetheart, I will take them on Monday. Please be sure to put LOTS of gravy on the food!" At that the light changed to green, and I was on my way, leaving Milton looking forward to leftovers.

As I drove away, I was almost brought to tears. The excitement on Milton's face about the possibility of having leftovers from a home cooked meal. I began to think about the upcoming holiday, and how I will be seated around a table with about 34 other family members. My family ranges in age from my 91 year old Granny to a 4 week old cousin. Year after year, holiday after birthday, we get together in a warm, or cool home. We celebrate with fook, drink, and often times gifts. We laugh, we love, we are a wonderful family. While I thank God for my family, and all of my blessings quite often, I know there is still a part of my that takes my blessings for granted. I think of Milton, who will not celebrate with family, and may have to wait until Monday to receive some Thanksgiving leftovers, and I am humbled. God has been wonderful to me...I am truly blessed!

Today's activity:

BE THANKFUL! xo

on favorite word...

Have you ever noticed that you have a favorite word? A word that you tend to use a lot? A word that may have special meaning for you? A word that makes you smile? As I am growing older and wiser, I have discovered a word that I use A LOT, a word that has special meaning for me, and a word that makes me smile... =-) . My favorite word is: LOVE. I know I blogged about love not too long ago, but today I blog about it a little differently. Today I write about love as my favorite word in my vocabulary. I simply love the word LOVE! I am sure that I use it far too often; I love life, I love Diet Coke, I love the sun, I love the moon, I love the color periwinkle, I love my daughter, I love tulips, I love to smile, and I love to make people smile, I love my home, I love my bed, I love art, and the list goes on and on and on. I have also realized that when I meet someone new, and I just go about my normal language/conversation, I use the word love when talking. When I use the word love in conversation, people, new friends, tend to look at me a little oddly. I think they do, because I use the word love so freely in my life, while often other people tend to be more guarded when using these beautiful four letter word. Don't get me wrong, I don't feel as if I misuse the word, I just tend to love a lot of things in life, and I am not shy about sharing my love! Just a couple of weeks ago it hit me that my favorite word in life IS love. After spending a car ride to work thinking about whether or not this was appropriate, I decided it was perfectly fine that my favorite word is love. I mean, after all, I DO LOVE LIFE, and I do love to share love, so why wouldn't my favorite word be love?!?!? Love tends to show up everywhere in my life. For example, the shape of love is a heart, and I often times run across hearts in my world. I might randomly find a heart shaped piece of confetti in my path. Or just the other day I found a piece of my daughters hair, stuck to the side of the shower, in the shape of a heart. I was TOTALLY blown away. I like to have fun with my favorite word, and I love to see how when I am open to it, love pops up in a lot of places within my life. Just today, a dear friend of mine gave me a necklace with the work LOVE stamped three times on it...gotta love, love, LOVE it!

Today's activity: what is YOUR word

Today I encourage you to think about your life, the conversations you have with people, and your vocabulary. Is there a word, or two that tend to show up a lot in your life? Is there a word that you tend to use more frequently than any other. Does this word make you smile, and feel happy? Hopefully it does, and hopefully you can define it as YOUR word. What is your word, and why do you think it fits you? Does this word, or a symbol of it, mysteriously make its way into your life when you least expect it, or when you are not looking? Don't be fooled, if there is a word that pops into your world, and you think it is just randomly making an appearance, trust me...IT IS NOT! On the contrary, this is the Universe's way of telling you that this special word is YOURS. You need to own it, make it  yours, brand it, and LIVE IT! Open your eyes to your special word. Once you define what your word it, you will begin to see how it fits you, and how your word has always been there, waiting for you to embrace it. While this word may be just be letters to every other person in the world, this group of letters is YOU, so coin who you are...in just one word! xo

on ghosts...

Greetings, and Happy Halloween! What more perfect day to write about ghosts than Halloween?!?!? I am not quite sure if I completely believe in ghosts, but I have to admit I am leaning more towards believing than not believing! I went on a ghost tour/hunt over the weekend and while I did not see any ghosts, I found the stories to be quite interesting. While on the tour we visited about five different sites of alleged ghosts sightings. The sites included everything from a school, to a schoolhouse, to a home, to a courthouse, to a jail, and then onto a couple of cemetaries. Many of the ghost stories were centered around children, and lovers.
In all cases the stories were not scary, but very interesting. Everything from pictures falling off of walls, to paint spilling, to footprints, and voices heard. I understand the concept of seeing or hearing a voice can be frightening, but I personally, do not think seeing a ghost is a frightening experience. On the contrary,  I have heard ghost sightings to be very peaceful. In most cases, the ghost, was a person who was present in or on the property they haunt, and they just simply arent ready to leave! Now, I say all of this because I have never actually come in contact with a ghost, so who really knows how I would feel if I encountered a ghost on my path of life...I may go white as a ghost myself!

Today's activity: keep your eyes open...for a ghost!

Today on this very appropriate day of Halloween, I encourage you to be a ghost hunter, or at least think for a moment how you feel about ghosts. Does the thought of seeing a ghost startle you, or have you seen a ghost, and you are fine with it. If you have seen a ghost, do you know who this ghost person is? A loved one, or someone from your past? A stranger? If you have never seen a ghost but have thought about it, how do you feel? Does is scare you, or are you at peace with it? What if, on this Halloween night you had the opportunity to select the ghostly person you could have a conversation with...who would that person be, and what would you say to he/she? Would it be a friend, a loved one, or a public figure, or a superstar??? For fun, think about who might you have a ghostly encounter with, and how might the conversation go? Think about the questions you might ask, and the information you might be interested in knowing. After all,  you really never know when you might run into a ghostly goblin in your real life haunted world...ghosts are out there, go find them....BOO!

on fabulous...

Have you ever had anyone describe you in one word? One fabulous word that sticks in your mind? The word that you can mentally refer to whenever you are down and out? Well, this does not happen to me very often, but it did happen to me not so long ago. I was in a conversation with a woman a bit older than me. I would describe her as a successful, smart, and well pulled together woman. I have chatted with her just a few times, but the last time we chatted, she really left a mark on me. We were in the middle of a conversation, and she stopped talking and looked at me. After a few seconds, she said...'you are fascinating'! Well, needless to say, I looked around the room, and was trying to figure out who she was talking to, because after all, it could not have been me. After a browse of the surrounding area, I took note of no one else being around, and I said to her: 'who me?', and she replied: 'yes, you!' I about fell off my my chair, and I was completely flattered by the comment. She went onto to say that my interests, education, and job are not typical for a woman. She then said I have had many life altering experiences, and great experiences in general, that have molded me into a well rounded individual. She said I am interesting, and interested in many things in life. She said I am bubbly, and fun to talk to. She said I would be a great person to invite to a dinner party, because I life people, and I am not afraid to strike up a conversation with a stranger. By this time, I was pretty much blown away, and was wearing a smile from ear to ear. Me, little old me, FASCINATING!!!??? This was crazy to me, but so, so wonderful! So, I lived in fascinating for a couple of days. While I just see myself as being ordinary, I was so thrilled that a near stranger described me as fascinating. Whenever I tend to slip into sadness, or momentary depression; whenever I doubt myself, or dont feel like striking up a conversation with a stranger, I think I the word fascinating, and before I know it, I am smiling, and making conversation with anyone near by!

Today's activity: what word best describes YOU

Today I encourage you to think about words that people have used to describe you. Or, think about words that you use to describe yourself. Perhaps there are several words, but you must narrow it down to one word that can easily stay in your mind, or one word that you can easily remember and refer to. Think about all of the wonderful things, NOT negative, that people have ever said about you. These are the things that you need to keep in the forefront of your mind. It is super easy to get down on yourself, and remember negative things that people made have said about you, but what about the positive? I am sure there are many, many, many positive things that people have said about you, and those are the things you need to remember. So once you have your 'word' think of about 4 or 5 things to back that word up, and give it some validity. When times are tough, and you are feeling down, think of your word, and think of the wonderful things that people have ever said about YOU, and you will soon find yourself back on track. After all, I don't see myself as fascinating, but somebody else does!

on NOT able to do...

So as I am getting older, and wiser (HA!), I am seeing that I am becoming more knowledgable in understanding the world. In addition, I feel like I am more of a woman each and every day, and I am able to take on new challenges with ease. In addition, I have had many life experiences, or character building experiences that have made me the person I am today. I am happy to be the person I am, and I have very few regrets in life. Recently while thinking about my life, and how I have gotten to where I am today, I began to think of things that I may be too old for, and not really able to do anymore in life. Well, I mean I guess in reality I can still do them, but I am getting to the age where I really am past these things. The first thing I thought of was going away to college, and staying in a dorm! Truth be told, this is my ONLY regret so far in life. While I did go to college, twice, I never went far away from home, far enough away to stay in a dorm. Who knows, chances are I would have hated the dorm life, but now I am too old to see this thru. I know I can go back to school at any time, as a matter of fact, I just graduated, again, last year, but let's face it... I would probably get some pretty funny looks if I checked into a dorm at age 43! I guess for this one, I will have to live vicariously through my daughter who will be going away to college in no time. The next thing I thought of was being a bridesmaid. While I have been a bridesmaid twice over the past year, I kind of feel like I am at the age where I am too old to put on that satin dress, and walk down the wedding aisle before a friend! Don't get me wrong, I was FLATTERED and HONORED to stand up in my friend's wedding, but I am probably getting too old to walk down as a bridesmaid, without being called OLD! Finally, and probably the most difficult for me, is the possibility of having another child. I mean anything is possible, but I am on getting to the age where I might be referred to as an infants grandmother, rather than a mother! I love being a Mom, and I think I do a fairly half way decent job at it. I have been divorced for many years, and I guess as time has passed by, I always thought I may have another child. Well, my 'baby' is now 16, and as I mentioned, I am 43, so adding an addition to our two-some seems pretty unlikely. Don't get me wrong I feel TRULY BLESSED to have the daughter I have, but I will always live in wonderment about what it would be like to be a Mom to another child. I have to admit, there is a bit of sadness around all of these things, but I have to believe that there are more amazing and wonderful things around the bend for me, and for you, too!

Today's activity: what are you NOT able to do?

Today I encourage you to take inventory of your life, and really think about the events, and things in your life that you have accomplished, as well as, the one's that have passed you by. What are you proud of? What, if anything, do you regret? What is still possible? I'm not going to lie, taking inventory may be difficult, as you may be faced with facing some fears, or coming to terms with time gone by. But keep in mind, while some things may have gotten away from you, it is never to late to look to the future, and dwell in the possibilities of what might be ahead. Perhaps your 'ideal dream(s)' may not have come true, what IS possible for your future? While I may be too old to be a bridesmaid, I am never too old to put on a fabulous dress, and be the prettiest, most confident woman at the wedding! So, what's possible for you?! xo

on different...

For many, many, many years of my life I have had an internal battle with myself about being different. When I was younger, I just to get so angry at myself for perceiving myself to be different than others. On one hand, I embrace my uniqueness, but on the other hand, I have struggled with being a misfit in society. For example, when I was in high school, I used to love funky things; I've always had a short stylish haircut, when most girls had long hair; I wore big earrings, when the norm was small; I wore colorful clothing, when most wore black. I can remember being in my senior year retreat, in high school, when one of the retreat leaders encouraged me to open up, to share myself with others, and to embrace the unique me. Well, one might take that as a huge compliment, and be able to make some personality adjustments pretty quickly, but not me! Nope, I struggled with myself, with my uniqueness for many, many, many years to follow. I has not been until recently, like probably over the 5 to 7 years that I have really been able to embrace the person I am, the unique me. Still, from time to time, I feel like a misfit, but I know at those times I just need to quiet my inner demon, and go with the flow. I know that I am colorful, and smiley, and bubbly, which are all very good qualities, so why would I ever want to change or modify my personality or behavior?!?!? What I have discovered is that society is the party that makes us feel like we stand out like a sore thumb, if we do not look the same way as others, or dress the same way as everyone else, or drive the same car as others drive. It is society that enables us to give our personal power up, and make us feel like we are not good enough, pretty enough, or smart enough to fit in. But what the heck does society know?!?!? Society speaks to us through media, through ads, through trends. Trends come and go, but we we are, who we are inside, is what really sticks around forever. If we can focus on what WE like, or how WE feel, and not be swayed by what society tells us we should like, or how we should feel, we will ultimately be happier. Now that I am in my forties, I realize that I like my clothes, I like my shoes, I like that I am creative, and perhaps think a little bit different than others. But when we break things down, are we really different than anyone else? Are we really different than the person in the ad, or the other people at the party? No, deep down inside, we are all pretty much the same. We do have certain characteristics that make us different than others, but that is what makes us all unique. So embrace, and LOVE who you are! After all, it is a blessing to be just a little be different than the rest!

Today's activity: be different

Today I encourage you to embrace your uniqueness and CHOOSE TO BE DIFFERENT! Look in the mirror, look in your closet, look at your car, look at your likes and dislikes, and embrace them! Just because society tells you can't wear white after Labor Day, you can! After all, who made up that rule anyway? Now don't get me wrong, I am not encouraging you to do something rash like drive on the opposite side of the road, I am merely saying, embrace all of the lovely talents, skills, and beauty that our Higher Power has given you! We were created uniquely out of love, therefore, we need to celebrate our uniqueness. Embrace the little things in life that make you smile, that charge your battery, and that make your world go around...these are the things that make you...YOU! Enjoy...xo!

on love...

Believe it or not, I spend a lot of time thinking, and observing. I like to try and put myself in the shoes of others, or at least visualize what someone else's life might be like. The wheels of my mind are always spinning; thinking, processing, designing, dreaming. I also take a lot of time to observe; observe the world, observe other people, etc. What I have been recently learning is that if we live through the eyes of love, the world, the people in the world, and our every day lives are much more tolerable. While this may seem like a challenging concept to engage in, it really is quite simple. Slow down, take a step back, and act or react through love. For example, rather than be grumpy at the lazy clerk in the market who seems to be taking forever to scan your grocery items, greet her with a smile, and a friendly hello. Make small talk with her, and watch her light up. She may smile back, and even engage in a bit of conversation. Then she may even pick up speed while scanning your groceries, and no appear to be lazy or sluggish! Worst case scenario, you have engaged in conversation, and are not so focused on her negative behavior, which makes you happier, too! WIN-WIN!!! Another good example is, let's say, looking at the beauty of a flower. How many times have you walked past the roses in your garden, and never really LOOKED at them? I mean, really looked at the beautiful arrangement of petals, and the fragrant smell of the flower. More times than not, I bet you take your beautiful rose garden for granted, never really taking in nature at one of its finer moments. Or how about those fall leaves that seem to frustrate you every fall when your front lawn is covered in leaves. Have you ever looked at the beauty of those leaves? A multitude of colors, which seem to be so perfectly dispersed, almost like they were planned. Now when you really take a look at that rose, or at a falling leaf, a look through the eyes of love, you will see these things, and so many others, differently. The red petals of that rose will seem brighter, and the smell more potent. The orange on that leaf will seem warm like the afternoon sun. The reality is that all of these things in life are the same as they were a minute ago, or yesterday, or last week, it is just YOU who is seeing them differently. When you see things, and live through the eyes of love, your world magically comes alive. So put on your heart shaped glasses, and prepared to fall in love with the world! xo

Today's activity: fall in love

Today I encourage you to fall in love with the world. As I mentioned earlier it really is quite simple. Just take a deep breath, slow down, and enjoy the ride of life. Start seeing people and things in a new light. Take notice of the details, greet people with a smile, notice the colors in life, make conversation with a stranger, and just enjoy every little ounce of the world that surrounds you. Often times, and without meaning, I feel like we walk around with a harsh look on our faces, or perhaps we are so engaged in deep thought, that we forget to look ahead, or look around. Take note of the person standing next to you, or the blue sky above you. Live through love, and everything seems to go a little more smoothly, a little less stressful, and life seems to be a little more fun. After all, I think the Beatles said it best....LOVE IS ALL YOU REALLY NEED!

on "go-to"...

Besides my "get-to" list, I also have a "go-to" list. My go-to list is different, as it is a list of feel good items that I personally created for me! A while back, on a day that I was down and out, I began to think of things, little things, that I could do to make myself happy, and bring myself out of any given funk. I thought about things that are fun to do, but may cost some cash, like shopping for instance. Then I decided I wanted my "go-to" list to be made up of things that I could do, things that make me feel happy, but things that also don't cost a lot. After all, I didn't want to create a list of things to do with the purpose of making me feel good, but only made me feel bad in the long run! So, I got down to thinking of little things that boost my spirits, and make me feel like "me" again! After deliberation, and a few rounds of editing, I was able to come up with quite a long lists of items that make me feel good. My list includes such things as: get my car washed, take a long hot bubble bath, listen to my favorite music, dance, laugh, buy fresh flowers, look at old photos, watch my favorite television show, take photos, and last, but certainly not least...buy a new, but inexpensive lipstick! (FYI...I love, love, love lipstick! Lipstick has a way of making me feel pretty, and pulled together, even if it is the only make-up item that I have on!) After completing my list, I neatly typed it up, and it is proudly displayed above my desk, my creative space. Now, on days, when I am not feel super happy, or I may be in a bit of a funk, I look at my list, and I pick one of the items or activities on the list to engage in. Engaging in a favorite activity always makes me happy, but often times, I find just looking at my "go-to" list makes me smile, too!

Today's activity: create your own "go-to" list

Today I encourage you to take a few minutes, or a few days, to think about little, every day life things that have a way making you happy, or bringing you joy, without trying. For instance, for me a clean car, or a car wash, makes me smile! I love when my ride is sparkly, and I love when I can see through the windows clearly, no bugs, bird poopers, or rain drops. The sun seems to shine a little brighter through the eyes of a clean car, and a car always seems to be a newer when it is clean...just like the day that you drove it off of lot! Think about things you can do in your home, or outside of your home. Things you can do alone, with a friend, or with a group. Things that bring you peace of mind, and peace of heart. Relaxing AND rejuvenating things. Think about things that can be done during different seasons, or at different times of the year. Remember, these activities should make you smile, and feel light hearted. After you have narrowed down your list to about 8 or 10 of your favorites, but pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, and make your "go-to" list official! Once the looks the way you want it to, hang it someplace where you can see it easily. In the event that a funky moment comes up, you dont want to search for a quick feel good! One last note, this is YOUR list. Know that as time goes on you may have to change, update, or modify the list. Keep in mind, nothing, especially our likes, and dislikes ever stay the same! Now, go-to that list!

on "get-to"...

A few years ago I felt myself being down about my daily routine. I felt, at the time, my life was very dull, and uneventful. I would wake up, go to work for a good part of my day, come home, and be a Mom. I would occasionally go out with family, and friends, but nothing I was doing seemed incredibly exciting. At the same time, I was working to be a Creative Life Coach. The process of becoming a coach was one where I named my creative dreams, and worked through the process of what was holding me back from fulfilling my dreams. During this course I was matched with another person who was also studying to be a Creative Coach. Our assignment was to coach each other, and do role play for actual clients. During one of my sessions with my assigned Coach, I mentioned to her that I felt like my daily routine, path of life was a drag. As an artist, I think I am naturally attracted to color, positive energy, and an ever changing environment. I find myself getting bored with life from time to time, and I find just 'being' is very difficult. Due to these qualities, and through some coaching, I realized I was busting through my daily routine, not even thinking for a moment all of the gifts that come my way, each and every day. My assigned Coach encouraged me to write a list of the things I "get to" do each and every day. This seemed really crazy to me, but I thought it was worth a try, heck Ive tried crazier things in life! So I began to think of the things I "get to" do every day, and put a positive spin on the otherwise mundane! For starters, I get to rub on my favorite lotion, Perfect World, after my morning shower! I love this lotion, and it makes me feel so happy. The scent is soft, but wonderful. Makes me feel clean, fresh, feminine, and ready for the day ahead! Next, well, next, I "get to" stop and McDonalds and get a Diet Coke. WOW...love this! I love my Diet Coke from McDonalds! Hmmm, this list wasnt so difficult after all! Next, I took a look around me, and realized I live in a beautiful world, and I "get to" live in it every day! Suddenly, my "get to" list became very easy to compile! Before I knew it, I was listing items like: I "get to" sleep in my cozy bed with fresh linens, and I "get to" hug, kiss, and tell my daughter I love here every day, and let's not forget, I "get to" put on my favorite lipstick every day....this list fun, easy to compile, and even made me smile from ear to ear! Hmmm, who would have ever known, I had such an exciting life! Not me, especially not before I compiled my "get to" list!

Today's activity: compile your "get to" list

Today I encourage you to compile your own "get to" list. Grab a piece of paper, a pencil, and start thinking about your day. Don't think TOO hard or TOO deeply about what you do, just keep it light, and recognize ordinary things you do every day, and turn them into something special! I recommend you keep your list to about 10 items. You want to be able to take a quick look at your list, and be refreshed. Spending too much time reviewing several items, will seem heavy to you, and in the future, you won't want to take the time to review your list. Think about things that only you do, things that have become part of your every day life, but may not be so routing to other people. Products you use, people you see, prayers you speak, things you eat or drink, or a favorite song that really gets you going every morning! Turn your ordinary into the extraordinary, and know that your "get to" list has got it going on! xo

on what's in a name...

So, at birth, we were all given a name. Whether we like our names or not, our parents gave us names that they either loved, reminded them of someone/some place/some thing, perhaps was a beloved family member, or the name of their hero/heroin. For that, I truly appreciate my name. My birth name is Michelle Ann, and being born in the late 60's, I cannot help but think that I was most probably named after the Beattles song: Michelle My Bell! Over the years, I have had a love/hate relationship with my name. I often times like my middle name more than my first name. Many people say I don't 'look like' a Michelle. For some odd reason, many, many,many people call me Kim, and I cant quite figure that one out! But whatever the case, I am Michelle Ann, the name that my parents gave me, or am I??? Several years back, I was given the nickname Pink, but my college friends. I love the name Pink, after all, I am Pink! But I continued to think about things that I like, and I listen to the words that people speak to me. Many times people say I am like a flower, who is blooming. I take that as a very big compliment, as I love flowers, and I think flowers are amazing, unique, and beautiful...oh, and MOST times they smell good too! So what if my last name were Flowers, rather than what it is?!?!? How cool would that be? I would LOVE IT! So then I'm thinking, hmmm....maybe my name could be Michelle Flowers, nice, but still didn't really  jazz me. Then a friend of mine had a baby, and named her Daisy! Now we are talking....why couldn't my name be Daisy? Daisy Flowers?!?!?! We are getting closer to being excited! And then I was talking to another friend of mine. I told her the thoughts about my made-up name. I was telling her about Daisy Flowers, and how cool it would be to have that a name like then, when she said....you are: Daisy P. Flowers, and the P is for Pink! Yes, yes, yes...Yay, yay, yay...that is IT! I am, at least in dreams, Daisy P. Flowers! I love my made up name, Daisy P. Flowers. I can picture myself sitting behind a vintage typewriter, sporting an editors cap with a HUGE daisy coming out of it, with a name plate on my desk, that reads: Daisy P. Flowers! xo

Today's activity: what is your made-up name?

So how do you feel about your name, your birth name that is? Do you like it? Love it? Hate it? How did your parents come about naming you? Does your name tie back to a song, a loved one, or just a lovely combination of letters? Let's pretend you could pick your name...would you select the name your parents gave you? If so, great...you are lucky! If not, start thinking about what your made-up name could be. Do you hear people say you remind them someone, or something? Do you have a favorite color? Is there a food or drink that speaks of YOU, (you know Im sure Margarita didn't start out as a slushy cocktail!!!). Do you wish you had a more simple, or more sophisticated name? Would you name yourself after a famous actor or actress? Start thinking about this. You may not come up with your made-up name right away, but what is the rush? You may want to play with different words, until you find a combination of words that speaks of you. You may want to write out your made-up name, and see how it feels to you, feel free to tweak as necessary! This is a fun and playful activity...pretend you are flipping thru a book of "A to Z Baby Names" and see what fits you best. While we may never change birth names, we certainly can have fun creating our inner child! and here she is...Daisy P. Flowers ready for duty!

on the smell of color...

Have you ever gone through life smelling different scents along the way, and then something triggers in your mind, and suddenly that particular scent reminds you of a color? Come on, I know you have...tell me you have! Tell  me, it is not just crazy me who thinks this way! Well, allow me to share with you this story...just the other day I was walking through one of the hallways at work. I work in a large outpatient healthcare institution, so there are many corridors, and lots and lots of visitors! As I walked down this hallway, which appeared to be fairly empty, I was taken back by a smell. Not a super favorable smell, like chocolate chip cookies, but not a terribly bad smell either. While I could not, and still cannot, place my finger on the smell, or the origin of it, I did suddenly have the color of olive green flash through my mind. This got me thinking...do we smell in color? I guess to some extent it is true, we do. For example, if we smell roses, we may associate that smell with the color red, for red roses. If we smell fresh cut grass, we may associate that scent with the color green, as grass is green. Both those seem pretty obvious to me. What really took me by surprise was how quickly I associated this random scent with the color olive green...crazy! I have heightened my awareness around this, and on a daily basis I try to associate smell with color. It is tricky, but for me it works. I wonder if it works for you, as well.....

Today's activity: the smell of color

Today I encouragae you to take note of the smells you might encounter throughout the day, and see if your mind asssociates them with any particular color. Does the smell of strawberries remind you of the color red? Does the smell of fresh air remind you of the color blue, blue sky? Today I encourage you to walk through life with a new eyes, or a new sniffer, if you will! Heighten your awareness to the scents you encounter and see if the smells spark any color(s) for you. If this trick doesn't work for you, then the worst that can happen is life goes on. However, if this DOES work for you, just think of the possiblities...are will be living in a world of scented colored rainbows! Peace....

on disaster...

Have you ever had a disaster in your life, or been witness to disaster? I am sure we can all answer "yes" that question. After all, we have all heard of the events that took place on 9/11, we have all witnessed the devastation brought on my tornado's, hurricanes, tsunami's, and earthquakes. Perhaps some of us have even lived through these events, and survived to talk about them. But today I realized that a disaster does not have to be a big, major catastrophie. A disaster can be a small event in our daily lives that throws us off of our normal schedule. I mean, I am not sure that we can call misplacing our car keys a disaster, but we can call a fender bender, or a sudden illness a disaster in our personal life a disaster. After all, an event such as that can throw us off of our normal daily routine. And what to do if we run into a disaster one day? Do we flip out, and think the world is crashing down around us, or do we keep things in perspective, know that it can always be worse, and make a plan to get back on track? I hope the later! Personal disasters can be traumatic events. We can, even momentarily, think there may be no way out of the situation we are faced with. We may cry, scream, and crumble, and all of that is ok, HOWEVER, what we need to do after the meltdown is regroup, recompose, and refocus. Just like a disaster of great proportion, we need to devise our own Red Cross and Homeland Security plan. We need to breakdown and prioritize all of the steps we need to take to get through the disaster, and find ourselves back on top. To refocus we need to have a clear mind, and a final goal in place; something that we can focus on to know we will get through our disaster, and know that life must go on. If God set us to it, He will see us through it! As I have wrote about in the past, we are not given more than we can handle, so take baby steps until you reach the finish line. Disaster is not the end, but perhaps a situation that forces us to think and act differently then we normally would, or a new beginning. Disaster can bring us down, but it can also lift us to new limits, new highs, new peaks, one's that we never thought we could reach!

Today's activity: make a disaster plan
By definition: a natural or man-made event that negatively sets us off track or affects life

Ever think about making a generic disaster plan for yourself? Not a plan that is carved in stone, but rather a guideline or outline of what you would or could do in the event that a personal disaster takes place. While we don't ever know when a disaster may take place, we can train our minds to be prepared for a disaster at any time. First, we need to remember that WE CAN GET THROUGH a negative situation. Then, after we realize that, we need to breathe, and make a plan. I have a tendency to break down, or compartmentalize things in my head, then I prioritize them. I find this way of thinking to be very helpful to me. At then end of  the day, I can take a quick mental inventory of my day, be sure I have crossed all of the critical things off of my list, and know that anything else can be addressed at a future time. The same can take place for a personal disaster. If a disaster takes place, take care of the critical things first; your health, and then the health of others that may be involved. Health, mental and physical, are the most important. If those two items are in order, you will have the strength to address all other issues that may come your way. Today I encourage you to think about a personal plan of disaster. Create a guideline in your head, or on paper, to reinforce your plan. Again, we know life happens when we least expect it, but if we are healthy and strong we CAN get through a personal disaster, no matter how big or how small. Have a plan in place, and activate as necessary! Go, do, be! xo

on being scared...

If you follow my blog, I am sure you have noticed there was quite a hault in my progress over the past year. I started out strong, and tried to make the committment of blogging 5 times a week. For the most part, I was pretty consistent with my work, that is, until April set in, and then things pretty much went downhill. Recently I put some thought into why I wandered away from something I enjoy so much; my blog, and writing. I took mental inventory of the past several months in my life: in April of last year I was preparing to finish school. I was busy with projects, and deadlines. I was preparing for finals and graduation. That took up a great deal of time, and energy. Then, and I am happy to report, I graduated! I was super excited and proud of my accomplishment. After graduation I was ready to begin a new adventure...a BIG GIRL job, but guess what? The job was not ready for me. After countless resumes mailed, interviews, and calls, I was unable to find a job in my field of choice. So then...I became very depressed, and saddened by the fact that I was ready for the world, but the world was not ready for me! Summer came and went, and finally in September, I landed my dream job! I began working in right after Labor Day, and my life became crazy. I was busy learning new tasks, a new environment, and managing a new staff. But in the back of my mind I still thought about my blog, and how much I missed it. I then began to recognize my fear, or being scared to open my blog and write. I felt I had fallen of course, and I was scared, and due to the time I had taken off, I was ashamed to admit I was not following one of my dreams, my blog. The holidays came and went, and well, I still was not blogging! But then something happened....everyday I began to think about my writing and how much I missed it. I began to think about how I NEED to write because it is a creative outlet for me, and being creative keeps me alive in so many other areas in my life. Writing and my blog began to show up in many places; friends telling me to write a book, random topics popping into my head, wondering if I even remembered the password to my blog! I guess the universe was telling me...it was time to write again! So, when February 29th came around, I thought to myself..."Self, what better day to re-start your blog, than today...an extra day of life that we are given!" And I did it! I was scared, and kinda still am. After all, what if I don't have time to write everyday, or what if I can't think of topics to write about. But guess what?...for today all is good. I am writing, I have a topic to write about, and I am scared no more!

Today's activity: being scared
By definition: being nervous, worried, or anxious

Is there anything you have been scared about recently, so you just keep putting off thinking about it, or addressing the issue? Is there anything you keep pushing under the carpet, but no matter how swiftly you move your broom, the carpet keeps popping up? Maybe you are scared of the things you have been putting off. Perhaps you think too much time has passed, and now how could you possibly pick up where you left off? Well, I am here to tell you...you CAN pick up where you left off. You CAN take baby steps, putting your fear aside, and before you know it, the emotion of being scared is quickly overpowered by the emotion of being powerful, and making way on the goal you set out to do. Who really cares if you started to write that book 2 years ago, but haven't touched it in 6 months? Who really cares if you started a diet 3 mornths ago, but fell off the wagon? Who really cares if you planned to write a letter to your elementary school friend, but just haven't had the time or energy to do it? The bottom line is...YOU CAN START TODAY! Today I encourage you to not look at what you have not accomplished, just stay focused on what IS possible. Before you know it, fear and being scared will no longer exist, but you will soon be surrounded by countless numbers of projects and tasks that you have completed, because you are scared no more! It is easy, just pick up the pen, just turn on the computer, or just start with one healthy meal. One second, one minute, one hour, one day at a time you can make your dreams come true! Trust me, after all, I AM blogging again, and it feels great! xo

on sunny....

During these mostly gloomy days of winter my eyes have been attracted one particular color, like they have not been attracted to before. This magical color is: YELLOW! I have never really been attracted to yellow so strongly in the past. I mean, I adore the sun, and it makes me happy. I love a yellow tulip, and I prefer mustard far more than ketchup. But recently, like maybe over the past week or so, I have fallen in love with this beautiful hue! Maybe I have been afraid of this color, after all, since the time my daughter was a baby, every time she wore the color yellow, she ended up getting stains all over her clothing, so maybe subconsciously I have stayed away from this sunny delight! Who knows, and I can tell you I am no longer questioning my dislike for the color any longer. Just the other day, I was in my favorite 'big box' store when I ran across a scarf with bright yellow lemons all over it. I was so attracted to this scarf, I quickly ran over and picked one up to buy. The scarf made me smile, and if you know me, you know the LAST thing I need is another scarf! But, I purchased the scarf, and I am wearing it today, and I feel happy in it! Just yesterday I was working on one of the art projects, that has been collecting dust on my dining table, when I decided the project needed a splash of yellow on it to brighten it up, and so the project has a splash of yellow on it, too!
Then today, while driving into work, I heard the song "Mellow Yellow"...you know the one..."they call me Mellow Yellow". So now I'm beginning to think...have I heightened my awareness to the color YELLOW, or is YELLOW really all the new rage?!?!? Who really knows, but if YELLOW is the new rage, I am super excited about this sunny breakthrough!

Today's activity: discover the color YELLOW

Today I encourage you to discover or rediscover the color YELLOW! Yellow is such an amazing hue, from its warm gold tones, to its buttery mild tones. Yellow makes my skin feel warm, makes my mouth want to smile, and makes my heart skip a beat! Yellow corn makes my chicken look yummier, and yellow lemonade quenches my thirst! What does yellow do you for? Do you love it or hate it? Does it makes you smile and warm your soul? Look at yellow in a way that you never have before, and then think for a moment...what would life be like if we all lived in Yellow Submarine!

on Leap Day...

Today is Tuesday, February 29, 2012...LEAP DAY! How exciting. I really never thougth about how special this day is, until today of course. I began to think about how rare this day is, only repeating itself once every four years...here today, and then gone for 1,460 more! I began thinking that if the average person lives until age 80, he/she will only experience twenty February 29th! WOW...that is crazy! From there my mind wandered into thinking about where I am in my life, and am I living each day to its fullest. Am I living my passion? What am I learning? Am I growing? What are my goals professionally and personally? Am I making a difference? What is my worth? What is my potential? Do I know what really makes me tick? Fortunately for me, while I may not have the answers to all of the above questions, I have thought about all of the above questions. But what about the people who have not ever taken a look at the list of questions above? What about the people who just go through life merely existing, and not TRULY LIVING? While I cannot judge or change others, I can reflect on myself. How many things am I putting off on a daily basis that I can complete today, (right off the top of my head, I can think of 3 art projects that are sitting on my dining room table!). Why am I procrastinating, after all, I really don't know how many more tomorrow's I have! So, while this Leap Day may just seem like another day in the world, it has really hit home for me. I feel really blessed to have an extra day of my life, and I wish the same for you!

Today's activity: LEAP

Today I encourage you to LEAP into an adventure, or project that you have been procrastinating about. Perhaps this adventure is life! Maybe you feel like your are living on the outskirts, but not really diving into the adventure heard first! What are you waiting for? Tomorrow, or the day after? Is anything really going to change? Probably not! Today I encourage you to put aside self doubt and fear. Trust in yourself, truly believe. Today I encourage you to...LEAP, the net will be there to catch you if you fall! xo