Some people need proof to believe something is true. I’ve often found that if I believe first, then the truth finds me. When I look for goodness, signs that I’m on the right path, hope, and inspiration, I’m more likely to find them if I believe that they can actually be found. And in the rare instance when what I seek I can’t find, I recognize that there is a gap that I am empowered to fill. If I think there needs to be more joy, laughter, peace, kindness, or empathy in a situation, I can create it. It all starts with belief and the greatest belief is this: I have what I need, the world needs what I have, and my only goal is to find the place and time where my gifts can do the most good.
Inspired: A New Home Will Give Me New Eyes
“In the choice to let go of your known way of being, the whole world is revealed to your new eyes.” ~ Danna Faulds, Go In and In: Poems from the Heart of Yoga
No one ever said that letting go was easy. In a little more than a month I’ll be in a new apartment, probably in a new neighborhood in a different borough, and all my patterns will be turned upside down after spending almost 7 years on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
There will be plenty of good things about this change, and there will be plenty of things that make it feel uncomfortable and foreign. I’ll be a stranger in my own life for a while and there’s no getting around that. I’ll see my beloved city from a new vantage point, literally and figuratively.
I’m a bit in denial and also very excited for the newness, the adventure, and the exploration. I’ve decided that I’ll find some way to celebrate all of it – the good, the bad, and the confusing. I’ll laugh and smile and marvel at the fact that I’m still just as capable of turning my life upside down as I was 20 years ago, letting the chips fall where they may, and reveling in it all.
We all need a good shake-up now and then. Perhaps I’ve had more than my fair share, though I wouldn’t change any of them. I’ve never regretted change; the changes are what have made my life what it is and for that I am very grateful.
Inspired: Who Are You in the Morning?
I woke up at 3:30am. Phineas was crying in his sleep so I got up and sat with him for a bit. He calmed down quickly. It’s impossible for us to hide who we really are in those hours between dusk and dawn. There are no secrets then. No facades. No brave faces. We have all our fears, insecurities, and joys right there on the surface. We’re just being; no doing. I hope someday the person I am at 3:30am is the person I am at every hour. I’m getting there but I’ve got some more work to do. Thanks for teaching me that, Phin.
Inspired: Life is Like Pool; You Have to Look Where You Want to Go
When you play pool, you don’t look at the cue ball. You look at the ball you want to hit with an eye on where you want that ball to go, and plan your actions backward from there. The same is true for life. Begin at the ending and work your way back to where you are. Then you’ll know where to start so you can get where you ultimately want to go.
Inspired: Spring is a Time to Fly
Spring always makes me feel like flying. I shake off my heavy coat, put aside the boots, and open up to the warmth. To fly, we have to let go – of the things that weigh us down and the fear that holds us back. Shrug it off. Let Spring transform you, inside and out. Then, get ready for take-off. The world is waiting for you.
Inspired: Drop the Perfect in Favor of Action
Have you ever worked on a project and then re-worked it many times over hoping to get something just perfect? Then by the time you finish you realize that the world has changed and the idea has passed you by. Or worse, someone has already done what you’ve been planning to do. Nothing you do will ever be perfect. That’s a tough and necessary pill to swallow. Put your heart into it, roll up your sleeves, and get your ideas out into the world. That’s the place where they will make a difference.
Inspired: Spring, You’re Here!
We have been waiting for you, Spring, with open arms. Welcome. Please stay as long as you’d like. I can’t wait until you’ve decorated Central Park to look like this picture. Ah…..the beauty.
Inspired: Be Your Own Hero
A friend of mine recently ripped off my work and presented it as her own. I didn’t realize she’d done this until I read about it in a magazine. I didn’t wallow. I just walked away and left it in karma’s capable hands. Here is the greatest lesson I learned: grace and dignity are choices. Sh*t is going to happen to you. The sh*t isn’t what defines you. It’s how you handle it that makes all the difference. Turn the beat around.
Inspired: Keep Those Stars in Your Eyes and the Sun on Your Face
“Watch with glittering eyes.” ~ Roald Dahl. Winter is back. Again. It can’t bear to leave us. I’m as over it as anyone and preparing for a serious case of Spring fever when Spring finally gets here. In the mean time, I’m trying to enjoy these last chilly days hunkered down in my apartment. Winter has been a time for me to get my dreams on track while also helping me appreciate the sun and the warmth when it does arrive. The sun’s always out there. So are the stars. Keep looking for them and you’re sure to find them.
Inspired: Take Your Birthday Off
Today I turn a fabulous 38 and I’m doing…nothing. It’s me, my dog, Phineas, and the start of my House of Cards addiction. Saint Patrick’s Day in New York City is always a bit of a mess so I’m more than happy to spend it relaxing. Your birthday is your day to just be. To enjoy. To reflect. To do anything you want. No to-do list. No deadlines. Just celebrate you, exactly as you are.
