I Am Here

As usual, found this post,
and couldn't leave it alone.
Had to embellish, just a smidge.
Enjoy!

For every fear that shakes your peace,

for every doubt that shatters your confidence,

for every ache that pains your heart,

for every night you feel alone,

for every injustice that pierces your soul,

for every loss that rattles your core,

for every moment you lose a little hope,

there is an Angel that whispers,

"I Am Here."

Spot On

Just some random snippets 

that truly seem to fit all together.

The past
is in your head.

The future

is in your hands.

If you never heal

from what hurt you,

you'll bleed on people

who didn't cut you.

Don't shine

so that others can see you,

Shine so brightly

that through you

others can see Him.

Your first thought

in the morning

should be:

"Thank You"

and

inner peace begins

the moment you choose

not to allow 

another person or event

to control you or your emotions.

BE

If you want to see change,

BE the change you want to see.

If you want to make a difference,

BE the difference you want to make.

If you want to see inclusion,

BE inclusive of every body.

If you want to have acceptance,

BE accepting of all people. 

If you want to attain peace,

BE peaceful in your actions.

If you want to live in kindness,

BE kind in your speech and efforts.

If you want to acquire equality,

BE equal in your actions and expectations.

If we demand change and difference,

inclusion and acceptance,

peace and kindness and equality,

but behave with stagnation and mindless conformity,

division and dissension,

anger and hate and superiority,

we will never BE what we hope to BE.

BE what you were created to be.

BE extraordinary.

BE amazing.

BE love.

BE.

Just Because

Today is National Just Because Day.

So share

a compliment,

a smile,

a hug,

a task.

Just Because.

So give

your time,

your efforts,

your talents,

your support.

Just Because.

So do

the right thing,

what you can,

good deeds,

only positive works.

Just Because.

No applause. 

No accolades.

No awards or neon lights.

Just

Because.

Plenty

A quote by Jack Anthony:

I have never been a millionaire.

But I have enjoyed a great meal,

a crackling fire,

a glorious sunset,

a walk with a friend,

a hug from a child,

a cup of soup,

a kiss behind the ear.

There are plenty

of life's tiny delights

for all of us.

Success

Success
is not always best measured

by wealth

and accumulation.

Rather

it is tallied

by the hands you've held,

the hearts you've impacted,

the lives you've touched,

the souls you've supported,

the memories you've made,

the inspiration you've provided,

the legacy you've left,

the love you've shared.

How successful are you?

Make 'Em Count!

There are precisely
86,400 seconds

in a day.

How many of them

does it take

to say 'Thank You'?

to say 'I Love You'?

to say 'I'm Sorry'?

to be kind?

to share a compliment?

to be positive?

to give a hug?

Make 'Em Count, people!!!

My Birthday Wish For You

You,
yes you,

you deserve

the love

you so freely give

to everyone else.

Enjoy your day.

Simple and Easy

I enjoy the people who get excited about
the beauty of a sunrise,

the change of seasons,

the sound of the ocean,

children's laughter,

watching the sunset,

a real, sincere hug,

the smell of rain,

an unexpected compliment,

a walk in the woods,

quiet connections,

slow dancing without music,

blooming flowers,

sharing a meal,

holding hands,

endless chatter with those you love,

making moments into memories,

giving,

staring at a starry sky.

Because of You

Rivers do not drink their own water;
trees do not eat their own fruit;

the sun does not shine on itself

and flowers do not spread their fragrance 

for themselves.

Living for others

is a rule of nature.

We are all born to help each other.

Not matter how difficult it is ...

Life is good when you are happy;

but much better 

when others are happy

because of you.

~ Pope Francis

Wise Words

From Martha:

I've learned that

the greater part of our happiness

depends not upon our circumstances

but on our dispositions.

And, from a beautiful friend's post:

"Which is more important,"

asked the Giant Panda.

"the journey or the destination?"

The Tiny Dragon replied,

"The company."

Say Your Name

If I asked you
to name

all of the things

that you love,

how long

would it take

to

name

yourself?

Live

I kind of liked this and wanted to share:

Your purpose

is not to spend your entire life

wandering around

looking for your purpose.

Your purpose is

to walk in your magic

and move in your power.

Your purpose is

to be fully alive.

That's it.

The rest will come naturally.

Stop searching and just live.

Small Things

Maybe we ought to live
for the small things,

like handwritten notes,

the soft light at day's end,

soft and gentle kisses,

rainy days curled up on couches,

unexpected chats,

fireside hand-holding,

put-you-back together hugs,

the beauty of the first snow,

or the smell of spring.

Maybe,

in the end,

it's those small things

that will mean and we'll remember

most.

For You

For You
out there, some where
that might need to read this
and reread it.

Don't take criticism from people
you would never go to for advice.

Sometimes that 'you' is me,
but I'm sure there's some other you's
that need this.

Have a beautiful day!
Remember how extraordinary you are.

Gotta Love Lord Byron

There is a pleasure
in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture
on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
by the deep sea and music in its roar,
I love not man the less,
but nature more.

Proof

Simplistic truth today:

Sunsets are proof
that endings
can be beautiful.

Enjoy your day.

Pay Attention

I love this quote ... and it's very "me".
People, pay attention ...

I understand now that I'm not a mess
but a deeply feeling person
in a messy world.
I explain that now,
when someone asks me why I cry so often,
I say,
"For the same reason I laugh so often -
because I'm paying attention."

Be you, bravely and boldly.

With Only

We have all read the quote:
Take only pictures. Leave only footprints.

Of course I can never leave well enough alone.
So ...
let me embellish ...

Let us leave this earth,
not with monuments of our accomplishments,
not with sculptures of our idolized,
not with ruins from our outrage,
not with neon names lit up;
but with only footprints of our explorations,
mended hearts we've helped to heal,
lessons we have grasped to teach,
lives we took a moment to improve,
smiles we have shared and induced,
and love we have freely given to others.

Happiness Happens

Today is

National Happiness Happens Day!

Do I really need

to say anything else?

Whether you're out there

making it happy,

or out there

just soaking happy up,

let all of the happiness happen.

The world could use

more happy.

Dear Self

 Sometimes,

in this crazy little world,

we need to take a moment

to realize our own worth.

We spend so much time

taking care of others

that we forget that 

we need to take care 

of ourselves.

Write yourself a note;

heck, write several.

Leave them strewn around

to regularly recollect

how important you are.

Sign it: "With Love"

and

P.S. I hope you feel beautiful today.

Mustard Seed

The straps upon my boots have snapped,

the muscles in my chin are weak.

My knees are sore and calloused;

the future seems oh so bleak.

The bright side's dimmed a bit.

My glass may have a hole.

My stem of thorns has lost its rose.

I've lost all sense of control.

Both ends of my candle have met,

the brass ring's really aluminum foil.

My get up and go, got up and left

and my blood's too congealed to boil.

Despite the odds against me,

I will carpe this diem indeed

For I never fight all by myself

I'm armed with faith the size of a mustard seed.

Be the Blessing

When in sports, we've all heard

"Be the ball!"

Well, perhaps in life, we need to hear

"Be the Blessing!"

What kind of kindness would you like to see?

What kind of hope would you like to feel?

What kind of compassion would you like to realize?

What kind of trust would you like to know?

What kind of healing would you like to accept?

What kind of joy would you like to experience?

What kind of love would you like to be enveloped in?

What kind of blessing would you like to have?

Then ...

Be that kindness.

Be that hope.

Be that compassion.

Be that trust.

Be that healing.

Be that joy.

Be that love.

Be the Blessing.

The NEW Low Carb Diet

Not sure this is going to help you lose weight,

but it sure is going to help you

with a plethora of other issues:

Cut down or cut out:

C-atastrophizing

A-nger

R-etaliation

B-igotry

You're welcome.

Enjoy the new you.

Things I've Learned

As another birthday sneaks up on me,

I tend to reflect on life -

accomplishments,

disappointments,

lessons,

values,

all that jazz.

Here's a couple of things I've learned.

Perhaps someone out there

needs to see one ... or all ... of these.

Sometimes, a fresh perspective is an amazing thing.

1. Just because he/she doesn't love you the way you'd like,

doesn't mean he/she doesn't love you with everything they are.

2. Failures and betrayals are not negative events. They are lessons.

3. The mean people are not pointing out your flaws,

they are trying to hide and diminish their own.

4. I have had scraps and I have eaten well. My table is best set

with friends and family all around it.

5. Some friends are the best family I have ever had.

6. Listen with your heart. See with your soul. Feel with everything you are.

7. Selflessness is a gift unto itself.

8. Love and time are fleeting. Grab every bit of both.

9. You can be right without screaming or making a scene about it.

10. Change is difficult, but inevitable. Be pliable, patient, and positive.

Go and have yourself an extraordinary day.

Peacefulness

Do not succumb

to the negative energy

within a space.

Instead,

influence the energy

with positivity

and peacefulness.