AP Inspired

yeah, but. . . .

i find pleasure in order.

of all kinds.

it first emerged in my writing. i learned how to do it well. and by well, i simply mean i possessed a very natural understanding of grammar and her rules. it was from here i learned to create order everywhere else.

this grew into a love affair with exacting my word choices.

and with the exception of public speaking, i now communicate confidently.

as a parent, i desire to impart these skills.

over the summer, we had a discussion about the word BUT.

my issue?

when you express an idea and follow it with BUT, you negate whatever you just said. BUT is an idea killer. either end your thought and begin a new one. or substitute AND in place of BUT. it might feel awkward initially; however, with practice, you become better acquainted.

yeah, but. . .had become a catchphrase around here, slipping from the lovelies' mouths with startling frequency.

so, i shared what it really meant, and our home erupted into syntax warfare. if only they clung to our other rules the way they fastened to this one. we are still ironing it out.

however.

i maintained my position.

funny enough, i came across an article last week.

and sighed deeply.

the author shares my sentiment. he says. . .

I'm sure you know somebody who can't say anything about any idea, plan, or activity without crutching the sentence with the word but.

It's always something like "Hey, that's a great idea, but..." or "I agree that we need to take action, but..." It's discouraging, and it kills momentum.

There's a substitute for but that actually creates momentum: the word and. Try it next time a but is about to emerge from your mouth.

pretty much sums it up for me, friends. and before you ignore it, remember this: it's in our small, daily choices where we ground ourselves in style, substance, and success. and from there, we gain real momentum.

xo

 

see what she says about using the word AND.

full stop.

i feast on inspiration.

nothing consumes me quite like another person's self awareness.

and because i hunt it, there are always morsels to share.

during my summer soujourn, i trekked across these goodies and they are ever awesome:

 

your art, your creativity is your spirituality. it is your gift to the world.

:: rainn wilson ::

 

what choices would we make if we could actually see their energy consequences?

:: caroline myss ::

 

you should expect excellence. because if you don't, you will be intimidated when you see it. we are living in a culture of mediocrity. when we show confidence, we are labeled arrogant. still be excellent. understand your place and don't put others down. do what you ought to be doing. be full of yourself because without confidence, you cannot achieve anything. you are competing with excellence, not others. don't think about the next second or the last second. think about the very second you are in. always.

:: carl lewis, 10-time gold medal olympic winner ::

 

inspired, right?

thanks to mr. wilson, i felt the rush to write again.

thanks to dr. myss, i imagine my words in color now. and the brighter, the better.

as for gold-medalist lewis, well, he is exellence personified. it is time to forget about good and make some room for excellence.

xo

 

 

no doubt.

sometimes my curiosity agitates me.

i wonder why my writing doesn't have the same traction as other blogs. and, believe me, i know how unbecoming this is to admit. out loud.

but, it is what it is.

my swishy, disquieting doubts.

so, i torturously lament to a few. who endure these brooding wiles.

and, usually, after i have yet again explored within an inch of my life all the reasons i should just stop, i keep writing instead.

i was in one of those slumps last week.

but doubt is universal. no matter the path you are on.

which is why i want you to tuck away what i am about to share.

because as providence would have it, i was watching morgan freeman last night.

and because i couldn't write what spilled from his mouth quickly enough, i am paraphrasing. but the wisdom is entirely his own:

there are times in your life you may question what you're doing. and think you should be doing something else. this is not necessarily so. you should probably be doing what it is you are doing. just do your best at it. when others move through life and seem to be passing you by, and you ask yourself WHY? WHY IS IT NOT HAPPENING FOR ME? I'M NOT BAD AT THIS. I'M PRETTY GOOD. it is happening all along. just not recognizably so. providence is on your side. it just takes a while to understand how she guides your life. she is infinitely wise. there is no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. be at peace with yourself. you are as important as the stars.

wow.

right?

xo

on my mind this morning // an afternoon edition

1. in the last two days, i have heard the following words spill out a lovely's mouth: parasol, beseech, and rubbish. hmmm. it seems we are proper-ing up around here, yes?

and in case you didn't know, a parasol is what one lovely calls an umbrella when the sun is out. i suppose there is something convivial about twirling a pink parasol under a beaming sun.

 

2. loving this sentiment. so very much.

There’s something sacred about reading a blog post on someone else’s site. It’s like visiting a friend’s house for a quick meal ’round the breakfast table. It’s personal — you’re in their space, and the environment is uniquely suited for idea exchange and uninterrupted conversation. In many ways, we should be treating our blogs like our breakfast tables. Be welcoming & gracious when you host, and kind & respectful when visiting.” – Trent Walton

well.

i couldn't agree more.

 

3. waking up early to make this. oh my. it was oh. so. good. but does nutella ever disappoint?

however. with merely one indulging bite, i completely forgot to take a picture of it baked and plated.

 

4. feeling twitterpated when i saw a lovely's camera, big colored pencils, and a sketch pad replete with blank canvases. all waiting. for freewheeling inspiration, ideas, and imagination.

 

5. and a gorgeous reminder from her that we "constantly affect one another by what we do and say, even if we aren't aware of it."

so.

it is important  to have "a really good, positive attitude for every moment of your life even if you don't see a reason for doing it in the first place."

{i love that.}

and, with that thought, i hope you have a deliciously buoyant + happy weekend.

xo

little by little

a lesson i learned over the weekend:

if someone says no offense...

they are going to offend you.

i never thought of it this way.

but i am grateful my lovely does...

and for the serendipity she was actually listening when her school coach was speaking.

and for the way the his words rooted within her own convictions.

and how she calmly proffered it in a moment that felt like quicksand.

when you understand something both simple but profound, it builds those muscles that know how to let loose those hurtful words sometimes hurled our way. we grow our courage.

and the only way to become braver, really, is little by little.

 

a happy heart

a question. posed to me.  by a lovely reader.

If you had to choose one thing that inspires you the most, what would it be?

well.

what i would think to have an easy and apparent answer did not.

i find inspiration to be like confetti. everywhere and anywhere all at once.

the power of words + books i can't stop thinking about

pleasant collaborations

setting my feet down somewhere new

music that catches you and then holds you forever

lyrics you simply never forget

watching talent unfold + wisdom earned from it

order+ structure

belly laughs + wide contagious smiles + happy eyes

unexpected compliments + unquestioned generosity

sunsets + summer nights

cool-ish weather + fireplaces burning

fresh foods + baked yummies

conversations you hope never end

spontaneous get togethers + loyal companionship

my lovelies' beaming faces + my mister's hugs

but.

you asked what inspires me the most.

and in my heart,

it comes down to this.

silence.

when i am quiet. alone with my thoughts. i suspend and transcend the mental noise that clogs up clear thinking and find myself in a wide pasture, finally open to whatever inspiration is wanting and waiting for me to fully show up.

and once i knew my answer, i couldn't stop thinking about this:

Drifting in almost total silence...his time unvaried and unbroken, his mind was freed of an encumbrance that civilization had imposed on it. In his head, he could roam anywhere, and he found that his mind was quick and clear, his imagination unfettered and supple. He could stay with a thought for hours, turning it about. His memory became infinitely more nimble, reaching back further, offering detail that had once escaped him.

seems silence is a buoyant source of inspiration after all.

j., thanks for the question. xo

 

dear january

I've given this year's resolutions a proper think-about, and I am eager to share. But, first, a word about choosing goals.

Go with what is believable, and then stretch it just ever-so. The reach is always more satisfying.

Don't repeat last year's goal if you gave it up quickly and easily or accomplished it quickly and easily.

Contemplate your goals long enough that you can imagine the satisfaction of accomplishing them. I find the most challenging resolutions are usually the ones I prefer daydreaming about. Another suggestion? Go with the ones that take your breath away when you think of accomplishing them this year.

Make your intentions clear. And trust the Universe to handle the details of HOW. If your intention is strong, its fulfillment is being orchestrated. Okay?

So, dear January, here is what I have in mind:

{1} Participate monthly in something new. Step to the left...instead of the right. Say YES to any quest that offers me an opportunity to learn, open up more, and receive in ways I haven't before.

{2} Travel. I once heard that when you speak another language, your brain reacts differently. Allowing you to slip on another persona. Charming concept, yes? Fluency in another language is not possible within a year for me, but travel is. My goal: 2 trips to places I have never been.

{3} Give up toxicity. I normally eye-roll at these goals. As I think they are ambiguous and lofty. However. I unabashedly believe that everything possesses energy. Our words, our thoughts, our actions. And while I am at it, so does our food, our friends, our homes. Basically everything we interact with. So. In order to make this goal even a remote success, I must suspend judgment. And, trust me, this is going to be a REAL challenge. Ugh. But. It is a starting point and hopefully a foundation for things to come. And if you are asking HOW, dearie, are you doing this? For now, I am beginning the day with a mantra {and reminding myself a million times before sunset} that today I am to judge nothing that occurs. The hope? The thought eventually becomes instinctual.

{4} Meditate and write more days of the week than I don't. You know the feeling of working so hard to become good at something {like running} only to take a few weeks off and finding it ridiculously difficult to begin again? Same thing applies here. When I take time off from either endeavor, those muscles atrophy. And, yet, they are two of the most grounding choices I can make in a day. So. More days than not, I shall meditate and write.

{5} Create an e-something. Okay. This is too vague for me, but I sense a seedling within me that wants to sprout. And with proper focus, I can bear this creation. I just know it. With visions of a life editor workshop still dancing in my head, I am now also waltzing with the notion of an e-book. Where to begin? Harnessing the intention to make this possible. To know how. And trust the Universe to provide the right amount of guidance along my way.

{6} Do something nice for myself every week. It sounds self-indulgent, but this isn't about buying things or whisking myself away to the spa {although an occasional whisk might be just the thing...}. This is about sending a powerful message that I value who I am and I deserve small celebrations. A cat nap, for instance, without the guilt. Or a long, hot bath at the end of the day. Maybe even a shrug of my responsibilities to do something spontaneous. Whatever it is, the intention is the same. I love myself enough to make time for me.

{7}Live Deepak Chopra's seven spirtual laws for success. I read his book the first day of January. Seemed a fitting way to usher in a new year. And as I absorbed every morsel of wisdom, the pages absorbed my highlighter. Since there are seven laws, it feels inspired to focus on one each day of the week. The way I intend it? A year of living in constant connection with these seven laws is going to rub off in a good way, right?

 

The thing I love about goals, and more specifically goal writing, is they earmark our lives. Who we were at the beckoning of a new year. And maybe we don't realize all the goals into something concrete and livable within the immediate 12 months ahead, but we plant seeds in our spirits. That, at any time, could find just the right conditions to sprout.

 

working my balance

When I started this blog, I'm not sure what expectations I had, if any.

Over the years, however, I attached myself to several bold + brilliant ideas of doing and being more. More of what exactly? Errr...that I never could articulate confidently, comfortably, courageously.

And if I am perfectly honest, when I stopped writing in the fall, I wasn't certain I would return to this space. My attention went from What ideas are tickling my brain today? to Will I ever find a doctor who can diagnose the culprit behind these alarming symptoms I am suddenly experiencing?.

Looking back at twenty-eleven, I now see it was a year of scaling high walls. Undeniably, there were some delicious moments tucked within its expanse. But, overall, the word challenging seems most encompassing for my year. Anxiety was a constant mate, and living with it will take its toll. So, when the doctors finally diagnosed me with low thyroid, I was immediately relieved to be free from something more serious.

And, then, I was crestfallen.

Some big and juicy and maybe even once-in-a-lifetime opportunities had literally just arrived at my doorstep. And I had neither strength nor stamina to step out into the world and deliver. The very symptoms that sent me on a wild goose chase demanded I slow down. Big break or my health?

And, so, I did the only thing I trusted.

I got still.

I focused on what really matters to me: my family, my health, and some long overdue silence.

And that is why I walked away from here. I finally began meditating. Every day. Detached from my expectations. Surrendered my attachment to all the What ifs?. And used the uncertainty to plant new seeds in its fertile soil.

And now? Well, I slowed my pace, learned to finally take deeper and wider breaths, and released my intentions. And in the continued expansion of living more mindfully, it somehow feels right to begin circulating words again. Which brings us full circle.

My expectations today for this blog? Only inspiration will tell...but I feel it is an extraordinary year to really live OUT LOUD with generous heaps of gratitude, bundles of bravery, and gracious giving along with suspending judgment on a daily basis and loving what is. If I can look back on twenty-twelve and any of these come to mind, it will have been a sweet + satisfying year well spent. How does that sound to you? 

 

 

tried + true

I can't recall how I discovered this e-course, but there was no hesitation in its purchase because three of the 7 women I consider tribe members.  Five of the 7 are best-selling authors whose words encouraged + challenged + changed me. And all of them are brilliant. Articulate. Contagious. Spiritual. Elegant. Beautiful. Compelling.

Just like a good book anchors within you, so do shared conversations where there is wide open space to simply be. I encourage you to seek these smart girls out...through this e-course or within their own workshops, books, and blogs.

Patti Digh | I've mentioned this spellbinding storyteller a time or two before. Her gift for galvanizing a message is why her books are captivating + inspiring. What she impressed upon me is a heightened awareness of now, and that no matter what happens, I should be able to say:

This is exactly the life I wanted.

 ***

Karen Maezen Miller | Profound reading is what I stumbled across in Momma Zen. Her wisdom? Flawless. Especially as she sheds her human touch on this very intimate, yet universal, experience of motherhood. From her, I learn:

Having the good life is simple when you savor the one you have.

 ***

Jen Louden | We rock many mutual friends in the social networking spheres; however, this e-course introduced me to her luminous contributions. The nugget of wisdom most resonate with me:

Stop tying self-esteem and creativity to results.

 ***

Dani Shapiro | What can I say that I haven't already? Her writing is perfectly poignant + her observations are whip smart. Her personal exploration into being a mother, a wife, a spiritual being is tremendously beautiful. Filled with immense gratitude for her endeavor, I now carry this:

Experience doubt not as a failure but experience it as an element of faith.

 ***

Susan Piver | When you follow warm hearts that blaze paths, you are bound to meet a new soul. Which is how came upon her work. And from listening to her, this much is clear: She is confident + inviting + completely herself. This nugget of truth cracked open a whole new world for me:

Authenticity and impulsiveness are quite different.

 ***

Katrina Kenison | When I read her book, I was consumed with every word + sentiment + intention. All so simply spoken. To find her in the company of these women was exhilarating. I am inspired by all her words, keeping them nearby in posts + thoughts as I sojourn through motherhood. And I when I question blogging, I recall:

It is the very work of writing that helps us process our emotions, our feelings, and wrestle them into some kind of form that makes sense to us and that then is really worth sharing with someone else.

 ***

Danielle LaPorte | I'm not known to have girl crushes. However. Ms. D is magnetic and you can't help but want your life changed + your world rocked by her. She is the queen bee. I could rave all day. Her wisdom is transformative, and it's truth- telling like this that makes changing things up so seductive:

If you muster up more love than you thought you had to give, then your vitality increases, satisfaction sets in, sweetness surfaces. I believe in the creative power of good feelings...and am convinced that the desire to be real is everyone's divine imperative.

 ***

Absoutely and amen. No question why these women have been + continue to be my teachers, my sherpas, my guiding lights. I embody their eyes-wide-open awareness, and my soul's mojo is always stoked when standing near their flames. Which is why I encourage + implore + demand you to confer with a few world makers + soul shakers yourself.

xo

 

 

let's talk luck

So the story goes something like this:

Her book was the second one I ever read on feng shui. The promise of making my own luck was irresistible, especially given my urgent nature.

Bounce forward several years and I was feeling compelled to contact her office. To request a 1:1 consult. She was booked. Solid. Oh, I was heavy with disappointment.

Months passed.

In the busyness of a blustery morning, an email appeared from her. Seemed there was a last minute cancellation and would I be interested in the opening. Ummm...YES! And, so, it was in the middle of a November day that she and I finally "met" and chatted for hours. When I hung up, I felt fresh + freed from frenzy. Her insight came from an internally deep well of enthusiasm, and I was its beneficiary. I was giddy with inspiration.

The holidays came + went. And a new year was ushered in. Along with it came a surprising invitation to guest post on her wildly popular blog. I enthusiastically accepted the opportunity...and the rest is history.

Here's what I think you should know about my mentor, my friend, the incredibly dynamic Ellen Whitehurst...SHE KNOWS HER STUFF. And I speak from a bit of experience here. Having studied many books + practices and initiated conversations with other feng shui experts + authors, she is my secret weapon. When I need a boost or tweak, it's her book I pull out. And when I have a question, well, I ask her.

Ellen's understanding + knowledge is mightily impressive, but it is her relentless enthusiasm and unwavering belief in self-empowerment that makes her one of my favorite tribe members. When I purchased her book off amazon.com forever ago, I had no inkling that she and I would become friends. But that's the beauty of seeking out a teacher...you just never know where it will lead you.