Enjoying the ride of life!

I'm picking up good vibrations...No, there isn’t an earthquake going on, well not really. I do feel like my life has been shaken up a bit lately. That sometimes happens when you are kind of stuck in the same routine. Then suddenly you do one thing out of the ordinary and your life takes on a different tone. I do also believe that even when something bad happens and you go over the speed bump, there is a blessing on the other end. Life is all about the experience…enjoy the ride...it’s all good! Good, good, good, good vibrations…Keep Smiling! :)

Closed doors and open windows

When things need to change, one thing that we should always remember is that when a door closes a window of opportunity opens. I have been watching people my whole life bang on that closed door, try to unlock it, sit on the floor next to the door waiting for it to reopen. All the while, they just need to step away and notice that there is another option. Fear causes anxiety not change. Change happens because what you have been doing is no longer helping you reach your higher good. Embrace change and realize that something better is waiting for you outside that window. Keep Smiling! :)

One Community

One Community is a monthly photo project in which participants photograph their homes and community with a theme in mind. The theme varies by month. The goal is to both showcase similarities and differences in our communities worldwide – and bring us all closer together in understanding through art. This month’s themes are:

Nostalgia
Season
Celebrate
Red, White, Blue

NOSTALGIA: I am lucky to live in a community where historic properties provide both nostalgia and current purpose. The Asa Waters Mansion is one of those places. Some of history’s prominent people who once visited the Asa Waters Mansion are Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, President William Howard Taft and Alexander Graham Bell. The mansion is used for many functions to this day including weddings. Our children gather around its gazebo for photographing at prom time each year.

SEASON: Nothing says summer like the views from my own backyard. The sparkling water amidst the green trees and watching the parade of geese and ducks go by is a view I am blessed to see everyday in the summertime.

CELEBRATE: My little town of Millbury MA recently celebrated its bicentennial. It is a quiet town where any day of the week you can travel through Main Street and have barely any traffic.

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE: A beautiful arrangement of red, white and blue flowers found at my local Walmart. It just proves that you do not need to go to a fancy florist to enjoy a festive array of patriotic flowers!

One Community participants include:
Sarah is a life-long Missourian who shares her home with her husband, one (soon to be 2) son(s), and an old grumpy dachshund. Like every good Midwesterner, she can (and will) talk to you at length about the weather. Sarah blogs at www.beautyschooldropout.net.
Colleen lives with her handsome hubster and two feisty felines in Portland, Oregon. She loves rain and sun (in that order), words and pictures, and chatting up the neighbors. She blogs at:www.underaredroof.com
Rebekah lives in Kilkenny, Ireland with her husband. An American by birth, she's discovering what it means to be an expat on the Emerald Isle. She blogs at Honeysuckle Life.
Kara is a cheerful nerd living in downtown Phoenix, AZ with her law-studying husband and an anxious pound puppy. She works full time in the mental health field but in her off time enjoys sunshine, great food and the occasional craft beer. www.sunshine-cupcakes.com
Wife and Mom to a houseful of boys in sunny San Diego; word geek and all-kinds-of writer; maker of things both creative and useful. Sue is now blogging again at nobaddays.wordpress.com.
Teresa lives in Massachusetts with her husband, college aged daughter and two crazy cats. She is a creative spirit who tries to find the lesson, blessing and humor in everything and she blogs at http://laughteramongtears.blogspot.com/
Kelli lives in New Jersey with her dog, Willie Nelson Mandela, and her boyfriend, Dutch. A native Arizonan, she is enamored by the lush landscape, and looking to build community. She is a novelist, public health advocate and United Methodist. She blogs at: www.africankelli.com
Stephanie is a lifelong Wyomingite with ranch girl roots. She has her own marketing and graphic design business and in her free time, she enjoys knitting, fishing with her boyfriend, and team roping. She blogs at: www.nowicanseethemoon.co
Eduarda Schroder is a curious, visual creature who believes all pictures tell a story. She hails from Mozambique, via Portugal and NJ, and now is desert rate living with her husband and two teenage daughters in Chandler, AZ. http://of-blue.blogspot.com/

Oh no she didn’t…

The frenzy over Paula Dean’s admittance to using a racial slur got me thinking. Growing up in sixties and seventies, I think a lot of us were subjected to our elders making some off color joke remark about pretty much anything. Having said that, I feel that with the world the way it is nowadays that really shouldn’t exist anymore but clearly it still does. Most recently someone on Facebook commented that the world is too sensitive? I don’t happen to agree with that statement. Why is it considered okay by some to belittle or make fun of someone’s race, gender, religion, nationality, hair color, sexual preference…I could go on and on…and consider it a “joke”? The only problem with those “jokes” is that they are always at someone’s expense. One has to wonder what level of low self-esteem someone has to think that type of joking is okay when realistically it is basically a verbal slap in the face. I can only imagine how bad these joke-sters really feel inside that they have to make fun of others in order to feel better themselves. Laughing at yourself is one thing, but laughing at others is just a form of bullying. Growing up in a Polish family, I cannot tell you how many times people felt obligated to say a Polish joke around me. Oh did I mention that my hair was blonde when I was younger, well then along came the blonde jokes too. And then when I felt offended was told to “lighten up”! Well I did lighten up, I chose to promote kindness instead. It’s too heavy a load to bear to think that you make other people feel badly and feel no shame for it. I am proud of the fact that my husband and I raised our daughter to be accepting of everyone’s differences and embrace them rather than criticize them. Getting back to Paula Dean, whether it was a one time use of a racial slur or something she is trying to say falls under the umbrella of being “southern”, she was irresponsible. When you become a celebrity and spokesperson of not only a television network but name brand companies including your own, there is responsibility that goes along with it. Of course we can forgive and forget, but let this be a lesson to all of us. Whether we are in the limelight, in our little hometowns or with family and friends, use your words wisely and if you can’t say something nice…don’t say anything at all! Imagine what would happen if we replaced those “jokes” with words of kindness. Hmmm…now there is a thought! Keep Smiling! :)

Taprooting positivity

Taproot by definition is about going deep and creating a strong root by which other roots develop and branch outward. Dandelions are plants that taproot. I think this is a great exercise to do with our soul. Sometimes in our lives there are circumstances that make us feel overwhelmed and lost, not sure which direction to go in. Sometimes all it takes is to stop, be still and let the positive take root. Soon you will notice that what used to bother you has taken on a different appearance. You will be calmer and more at peace. You will begin to attract positive people and situations to you. Just like a field of dandelions, the positivity will flourish. Do you remember as a child blowing the seeds off a dandelion and watching them fly away. I read once where it is folklore that the seeds of a dandelion send your hopes and dreams to your loved one. Be strong and determined like the dandelion and taproot your soul. Spread the positive vibe! Keep Smiling! :)

Mirroring the real me

Did you ever notice that as we evolve and grow that there are some folks in our lives who still see us a certain way? It’s as though whatever memory they have of us is stuck like a needle on a record player (yes I am aging myself here). Then when you get together with this person you realize they don’t really know the real you. I have had this happen over and over again with family members and friends. I find it frustrating but also challenging because it usually gives me the opportunity to take a look inside and see what I am really showing the world. I have read that what you are shown is a mirror of what you are truly doing, feeling or showing. Now that is a scary thought isn't it? Just think now about the folks who rub you the wrong way or are downright nasty. Could it be that something we are afraid of or that we are putting out there in the universe is coming back to us in some weird cosmic way? Nevertheless, as I continue to get through the process of losing a loved one, I am left with these thoughts. What kind of legacy will I leave behind? How will I be remembered? I hope that with each passing day I choose to live as authentically as I can, so that one day folks will say “she was kind and understanding”. Sounds like a plan! Keep Smiling! :)

Retraining my inner voice

Lately, I find myself surrounded by a great group of positive influential women. Through them and their positivity I have learned to retrain my inner voice. You know what I mean...That little voice that makes you fear and question every decision you make. Yes that one. For years that voice filled me with fear and anxiety. Worrying that I would not succeed at a goal I set, so I stopped setting goals. Worrying about what people would think about me, so I wrapped myself in a cocoon. The only problem was that I was stuck in that cocoon with that little voice-eek! What I have been learning all along, but finally stopped for a moment to discover is that you truly do attract what you put out in the universe. So if you are feeling negative and worrisome, guess what happens...the universe sends toxic folks your way and gives you things to worry about. If you let fear stop you, guess what happens...you stop. So why could not the opposite be true. If you start each day with positive thoughts and share them with others, then you attract positive things. If you set small goals and succeed, you change and evolve. I no longer feel like I am in a prison that I myself created. I feel free and I feel like I have a lot to offer the world in terms of friendship, support and understanding. I feel like I can set a goal and follow through and succeed. I don't know why it took me so long to get here, but I am finally here and that inner voice is now singing...loudly! Keep Smiling! :)