45 Things I’ve Learned in 45 Years

** This was written two years ago (2008) on my 45th birthday. My 47th birthday is approaching in two weeks and I wanted to revisit this while I continue to update my blog posts after my move from blogger.com.** *~~ Today is my birthday and I’m 45 years old. ~~* I’ve always enjoyed gaining another year under my belt. Even the supposed hard ones, like turning 30 or 40, were welcomed with open arms. I wore each...

Be Content Where You Are

I snapped this picture of TJ (one of our dogs) and Buddie (our iguana), each wanting to be where the other one was. It made me laugh watching them look at each other through the glass, but it also made me think about being content with where I am in my life. For me, being content with my life doesn’t mean I don’t strive to better myself or my situation. It means that even though there are things I’m working...

A New Beginning

Begin Today is the day to begin. This new year is a blank canvas upon which you have the delightful opportunity to paint. As you do, be authentic. Your greatest accomplishments are the ones that contain the greatest quantity of you. Be innovative and creative. The challenges you face will melt away when you apply fresh, original thinking to them. Remember not to take yourself too seriously. You’ll climb much higher...

Wanting/Not Wanting This Year To End

I’m usually an optimistic person.I get that from my mother. But 2007 really kicked me in the ass. Hard.This year, for the first time ever, I have mixed feelings about starting a new year. Usually I look forward to new beginnings, be it a new day or a new year. So many stressfull and painful events happened to my family & I this year and to 2007 I say, Good Riddance! You’re like an annoying guest who over stays...

Thanksgiving as a Vegetarian

Thanksgiving is my least favorite holiday. Always has been. Party because I don’t care for all the traditional “fall” foods. Seriously, there is nothing appealing to me at a Thanksgiving dinner. Also, as a long time vegetarian, any holiday that centers around killing an animal is not my idea of a celebration. So on this Thanksgiving, I offer my condolences to all the turkey families out there who lost a...

Holiday Grieving

Grief is such a weird rollercoaster. It brings many unexpected emotions to the surface, and even more unexpected are the ways that we deal with those emotions. This is my first holiday without my mother here. I hate it. After thinking about it for a while, I decided that the only way I would be able to get through the day in one piece, would be to do something that I never did with her. I feel like if I do something that is...

Learning the A-B-C’s

Accept differences.Be kind.Count your blessings.Dream.Express thanks.Forgive.Give freely.Harm no one.Imagine more.Jettison anger.Keep confidences.Love truly.Master something.Nurture hope.Open your mind.Pack lightly.Quell rumors.Reciprocate.Seek wisdom.Touch hearts.Understand.Value truth.Win graciously.Xeriscape.Yearn for peace.Zealously support a worthy cause. Share...

Buddhism

“If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.” ~Buddhist SayingI’ve been interested in Buddhism for a little while now. I’m not a fan of organized religion and the fact that Buddhism is not a religion in the tradional sense of the word, appeals to me. I was raised and baptised Roman Catholic, as was my husband. Although I wouldn’t ever formally change my religion...

Dwelling in the past

I’m not sure where I found this but I had it saved on my computer and wanted to share it here. Many people unconsciously dwell in the past.They choose to relive their past memory.Day after day they think about their old life instead of living in now.If you choose to adhere to the past all the time,you will get stuck in your past reality and it will be hard for you to move on.Past exist so that we can learn from it...

Let go and let flow

This is from one of my favorite sites, Daily Om.Let Go And Let Flow: Taking A Leap Of FaithMany people, in heeding the guidance of their souls, find themselves contemplating goals that seem outrageous or unattainable. In the mind’s eye, these individuals stand at the edge of a precipice and look out over the abyss at the fruit of their ambition. Some resist the urge to jump, paralyzed by the gap between their current...