Just a Touch of Love...A Little Bit

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As we head into the weekend, please take some time to show yourself some love. Focus on what you love about yourself and make peace with your complexity. Replenish your spirit, ladies! You are the only one who can do it. Take your power back and show yourself all the attention and love that you may be missing from the world. It all starts with you. We hope the following posts will help you get started!

Enough!
There was a time, not very long ago, where I found myself trapped in a constant state of “not enough”. I felt I wasn’t pretty/skinny/educated/rich/savvy/talented enough. I felt like “less than”. I compared myself to others waaay to often. “I’m not as fabulous as she is. I wish my relationship was like theirs. I wish I had as much money as she does. She’s prettier than me. Her hair is so much longer than mine.….” It was never ending. Read more...

Mirror Mirror On the Wall
I’m finally believing the idea that there is no benchmark for beauty and that how I feel about myself determines how I look. It’s my business to feel good on my own terms without apology or fear of judgment. This is the hottest trend , the fashion must-have, the magical beauty secret of all fabulous women: Believe you are beautiful and beautiful you will be. Read more...

About Labels
Often, we feel hurt or sad because of our attachments to people and things. There is absolutely nothing wrong with attachment as it is a very natural human thing. But, we have to be able to let go of these same things when the Universe says it is time--and this is where we tend to feel emotional. The key is to remember that the very things that cause us to feel hurt or sad are often things that Life is trying to move out of our way to make room for things that are bigger and better for us. Read more...

The Ugly Truth
It’s important to me not to just feel better or to look better but to BE better. And that can only happen if I'm honest--with myself and everyone around me about the good about me and the not-so-good about me. Honest about where I'm flawed, and then thoughtful enough to fix it. It is only with eyes and soul wide open that I can see the holes in me, let them gape open, and dive way down deep inside them to figure out how they got there; then slowly begin to fill them from the inside out. Read more...

Do you see what I see?
When you look in the mirror, what do you see?Your imperfections? Your big this or small that? Do you see a reflection of criticism, thoughtless comments and judgments?...Do you see a victim that has been lied to, betrayed, misunderstood and cast aside? Do you see someone who has fallen short? Do you see defeat?...Or do you see what I see? Beauty is a state of mind, you know. So for beauty to spring forth from your mind, you must think it before you can see it. Read more..

Tonight, I plan to relax and spend some time writing. I've put it on the back burner all week so I could tackle other things. I'm so excited to finally get all of my half developed thoughts out! What are you going to do for yourself this weekend?

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5 Ways to Stop Complaining and Start Appreciating Your Life

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"Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted." Do you agree? While I'm quite aware of how blessed I am, and I give thanks everyday; I still manage to find things to complain about. Consider the following ways to start appreciating more and complaining less.

1. Write it down. Stop looking for what's wrong and look for what's right. Seeing a visual list of all your blessings will help you put things into perspective. Focusing on all that is golden in your life will only bring about more positive things.

2. Remember that everything is temporary. When you tell yourself that you'll be happy when this happens or that happens, you are robbing yourself of the moment. You don't know what you've got until it's gone.

3. Live simply. Learn to distinguish wants from needs. Our generation is so programmed to base our worth on our possessions. Detaching ourselves from material things will make us happier. Do you have your things or do your things have you?

4. Give yourself permission. Set boundaries. Be guilt-free. Turn off your phone when you want. Say No. Change careers. Take a trip. Try and fail and try again. Start a relationship or end one. Challenge stereotypes. Make your own rules. Joyfully take responsibility for your own happiness.

5. Remember that you are living someone else's dream. You might think that things could be better. But they could also be worse. There are many people in the world who would gladly trade places with you.

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. ~Epictetus

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Forgiveness: Read, live, repeat.

Good Morning,

As I awakened today, I came to the quiet realization that forgiveness is a continuous process. I get really cocky sometimes thinking, “I am so freaking evolved and totally over it.” And while this is true to a degree, it isn’t the end. By definition evolution is a dynamic process that doesn’t ever really end, isn’t it?

Last year, I had 3 of the major relationships in my life dissolve. Included in the 3 were relationships of both a romantic and a non-romantic nature. And though those persons are no longer full time participants in my life, they haven’t disappeared from the universe (or even from the lives of some of the other people that are still in my life) and I’m still forced to acknowledge their existence from time to time. Whether they are brought up in conversation, appear somewhere on the internet or they reach out to me directly themselves, their presence keeps returning to my life. And the fact that it still bugs me/gives me butterflies/makes me revisit situations, lets me know that I am not finished the work of forgiving.

And I am forced to confront the notion that I will forever be expected to forgive both myself and others, and to release both myself and others from those hurtful situations that occur. Forgiveness is not an intention that I can set and walk away from. I have to live it and breathe it on a daily basis. Even when I have long forgotten the hurt, I will still need to be in a place of forgiveness.

Every time I read something concerning the forgiving of self and/or others, it resonates RESOUNDINGLY in my head. And so it was with yesterday’s The Daily Love email. I share this because my spirit wouldn’t allow me to read it and walk away from it this morning. And because I know that I’m not the only one who has been hurt. I hope you can draw something from it as well.

The gift of forgiveness is two-fold:

1. You free yourself and your creative energy to create the life of your dreams.

2. You turn what you thought was a sad ending into the midpoint of a story with a happy ending.

TODAY'S AFFIRMATIONS

When I let go and forgive the best life flows to me.

I forgive myself and set myself free.

I know they did the best they could at the time, I set them free.

I only control my choices. I chose to be in a relationship with them. My gift was the lessons that I learned. They are forgiven from now and forever.

I let them off the hook for how I feel.

-Mastin Kipp, TDL

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Face Time

"Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important." ~Janet Lane

No matter what you think about yourself, your most influential and accessible asset is your face. Before you say a word, your countenance delivers a nonverbal communication to everyone that you encounter. What message are you conveying?? With the pressures of life, we often walk through the day preoccupied with our tasks and agendas. We're disconnected. Closed off. We

avoid eye contact. We're about our business. We're soooo serious.

Consider becoming more conscious of opportunities to share a bit of your light with the world. You don't have to attempt huge, miraculous acts to "be the change that you wish to see in the world." Receiving something as simple as a smile can completely change the course of someone's day. We underestimate the positive energy that can be created from this simple exchange. The world needs all the goodwill that we can generate, don't you think? Make smiling a part of your delivery in everything you do. You will find that the quality of your interactions - including everything from passing a coworker in the hallway to giving a formal presentation to a group of people - will improve.

A smile conveys confidence and warmth and makes people feel at ease. Your inner awareness manifests as outer charm when you share a smile. While I don't think of myself as the most influential person; in many situations, my easy friendliness and smile have helped me diffuse tension and create productive environments.

Hands down, smiling is the number one weapon in your arsenal to combat negativity and generate peace. It costs nothing, yet it gives and gives.

"Beauty is power; a smile is its sword." ~Charles Reade

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So Emotional, Baby

Tonight as I was washing dishes, I suddenly found myself at first humming, and eventually singing, Whitney Houston’s “You Give Good Love” at the top of my lungs. This, of course, led to my tracking it down on iLike, and subsequently seeking out “So Emotional” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go”; pretty soon, I was creating a new Whitney inspired Pandora station.

Music is funny that way. It can reach down and touch emotions, and retrieve sensory memories long forgotten. I remember exactly what my life was like when Whitney was belting out sultry pop tunes and heartfelt ballads. I can easily recall what my room looked like, what I wore and how I felt whenever I heard those strong vocals piercing through the air. I even got a Casio keyboard one Christmas around that time that came with sheet music for several Whitney songs!

My emotional responses are just as strong even now. From the first chord, I am no more able to keep my fingers from popping than my head from bobbing or my lips from spreading into a cheesy grin. It’s just plain old “feel good” music; the kind that makes you want to shimmy, shake your shoulders and dance all over the kitchen, using a slotted spoon as a faux microphone--without an ounce of shame.

How refreshing, after a long day of serious adult business, to be able to let go and enjoy such a simple, unexpected pleasure.

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