Sacred Reflection

This is my favorite night of the year.  A perfect, brand new beginning, when all things seem possible and a chance to start anew.  Time to reflect on all of the precious gifts I have received this year and to humbly give thanks for all that I have and all that is yet to come.

With love and gratitude I wish you all a joyous New Year!

Accentuate the Positive

For me the Law of Attraction is just like the old song "Accentuate the Positive".  The more I focus on what is going right the better everything goes. 

Something I realized recently is that I have always had a tendency to exaggerate my stories.  Not really telling a lie but more like enhancing the truth.  I thought for a very long time that I needed to stop doing that but now I realize that is part of what has helped me move forward in my life. 

I was not willing to be that person paralyzed by her circumstances.  I knew that somehow, someway I would break free and live the life I always dreamed of, telling a better story helped me to do that.   Now when I tell my improved version of the tale I know I am just accentuating the positive.

Work-Life Balance

Sometimes it seems as though work is interfering with my personal life.  When I start to feel like I want to quit my job and do something totally different I realize how much inspiration comes from working and the people I get to interact with.  The relationships I develop are very important to me and it gives me a such a great perspective on what others have to contend with in their lives.

Many organizations talk about employees needing to maintain a good work-life balance but in reality very few of them really support it.  I continue to strive to find that balance in my own life and appreciate very much being around others and learning from their examples.

How do I know I love you?

I know I love you when I wish for your happiness instead of my own.  When I want you to have your heart’s desire, not mine.  When I think of you and realize that all I want is what you want, even when it isn’t me - that’s how I know I love you. 

Sensitivity and Social Media

The whole concept of Social Media is fascinating to me, being able to communicate and interact with people all over the world with the click of a button is astounding.  I love to share and participate in many aspects of this phenomenon but I do have to be careful about getting too involved.  I am a very sensitive person and do get hurt when someone posts a harsh comment or reply to me.  It still surprises me the things that people will say with the anonymity of the internet and feel totally justified in doing it. 

I have been told all of my life that I need to be tougher but that is not the person I want to be.  I am very happy with who I am and if that means getting my feelings hurt from time to time - so be it.  My gentle nature allows me to share something very special with others on and off-line and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.  So for me Social Media is simply a great way to share with other like-minded souls where ever they may be.

End of Innocence

I was 7 years old sitting in the classroom when the announcement came over the loud speaker for everyone to report to the school auditorium.  We all whispered with curiosity as the teacher paraded us single file down the hallway.  I remember fidgeting in my seat, anxious to hear what all the excitement was about.  I tried to look around and see where my little brother was sitting but I couldn’t find him. 

As the principal walked onto the stage it was clear that something was wrong and I began to feel uneasy.  We had been practicing duck and cover bomb drills in our class and it crossed my mind that maybe we were being attacked.  Then she said, “The President, President Kennedy has been shot and has died”.  There was a lot of commotion and not a lot of detail, I’m sure she knew it was too much for young children to digest.  We were sent home for the day so we could be with our parents.

The walk home was surreal, I didn’t understand the vulnerability I felt or why this scared me so much.  All I remember thinking was if someone could kill the President of the United States they could kill anyone, even 2 young kids walking home from school. 

In the days and weeks that followed it became very clear that this was a tremendous and unimaginable tragedy for people all over the world.  Looking back over the past 50 years I don’t know what might have been but I do know that for me it was the end of innocence. 

Love is not for you

I just read the blog post by Seth Adam Smith “Marriage isn’t for you” and was very touched by what he said.  It is a lovely story of a son who is fearful of getting married and gets some loving and kind advice from his father who tells him “You don’t marry to make yourself happy, you marry to make someone else happy”.  What a beautiful thought.

Now, I must admit to being a 57 year old self-proclaimed women’s rights advocate with serious existentialist underpinnings.  Always fiercely independent, I believed it was up to me to find and create my own happiness in this world but in the past few years something new is immerging something deep and profound.

Perhaps it is a matter of maturity, age, experience or all of the above but I see that it’s not the love you receive but the love you give that is so important in life.  When I look at my own children, grandchildren, friends and even strangers I realize that the best and most precious gift I can give is to just love them.  Just as they are, no strings attached, no expectations, just pure love and acceptance.  To want what they want not for myself but for them.  So, I couldn’t agree more with Mr. Smith’s lovely article – love is not for me!