You Can

For so so so so so so many people
that I know and love ...

While you cannot control

someone's negative behavior,

you can control

how long you participate in it.

You don't have to act up

to act out.

You are better than

the bad behavior.

What if ...

Found this and absolutely Lynified it ...

What if ...

we stopped celebrating being busy

as a measurement of importance?

What if ...

instead, we celebrate how much time

we spend listening, learning, sharing,

understanding, helping, hoping,

laughing, exploring, memory-making,

singing, dancing, speaking kindness,

praying, playing, caring, loving,

and enjoying time

with the most important people

in our lives?

What if ...

we focused on positivity,

we focused on politeness,

we focused on purpose?

Your Heart

Just felt like some simple,
good, old-fashioned uplifting ...

nothing too deep or ponder-worthy ...

Let your heart

glow with love,

let it shine

with kindness,

let is sparkle

with hope.

That, really,

is all we ever need.

Wow!

There was no one to credit,
but good gravy, I'd sure like to thank whoever did.

The wound

was not your fault,

but the healing

is your responsibility.

So so so so so profound!

Light and Water

In a search this morning
for something positive to share ...

these two were found

one right after the other.

It truly caught my attention.

Hoping the right person

gets to see this ....

We are all broken ...

that's how the light gets in.

... and like water,

I always find my way.

~ Hemingway and Tolnoe, respectively.

Good stuff.

Good morning.

Shhhh!

Be silent.

Breathe and relax.

Feel the calm.

Heal and recover.

You need this moment.

Stories

Fill your life
with adventures,

not things.

Have stories to tell,

not stuff to show.

It is in the daily doings

that we live.

Have small adventures

every day ...

even if that means

simply taking a walk

at lunchtime.

Three Gates

A Rumi quote that's been Lynified:

Before you speak,

let your words

pass through three gates:

Is it true?

Is it necessary?

Is it kind?

Same goes for your actions:

Are they purposeful?

Are they positive?

Are they productive?

Choose wisely.

Proud of You

For whomever might need to read this today ...

I'm proud of you

for showing up for yourself every single day,

for the tough decisions you have to make,

and for your unwavering commitment

to your own well-being.

Your resilience inspires me,

and your grace in the face of adversity

is truly admirable.

I see your pain,

but more importantly,

I see your strength in overcoming it.

Your courage and determination

do not go unnoticed.

I believe in you.

I believe in the incredible person

that is emerging from the shambles

that you've trudged through.

You are incredible.

I'm proud of you.

Celebrate

Today,
we celebrate a birthday!

The hubmeister!!!

It's so much more

than just the day of his birth.

It is the opportunity

to realize how many people

he has impacted;

how often he has

rallied to save a day;

how, despite the need,

for machismo ...

he's an enormous teddy bear;

how gifted we are

with his presence;

how lucky I am 

to be married to him;

how grateful I am

to have been gifted his children;

how blessed we are

to see our little family grow;

how it truly is a day

to celebrate so very much!

Happy YOU Day, Victor!

Let's Celebrate You!!!

RAKtivism

Today is National Random Acts of Kindness Day!
What a glorious day, indeed!!!

With everything out there in the world right now,

the anger, the angst, the ugly, the insults ...

let's take a moment.

Let us find a way,

however small ...

however seemingly insignificant ...

however minute,

to improve the day,

the surroundings,

the life of someone else.

Let us not look for accolades

or attention or thanks.

Let us simply do some

Random Act of Kindness

with joy and eagerness

in every inch of who we are

for someone else.

Go be a RAKtivist!

Light

Your light
reminds others

of their light.

Your kindness

inspires others

to be kind.

Your patience

paves the way

for others' patience.

Your faith

instills hope

within others.

Your love

seeps into the souls

of all those around you.

Love

Although today has been
ridiculously overcommercialized,
let's get to its root ... LOVE!

You have a choice today

about what you want to put out there.

Turn off the news.

Get off the internet.

Stop the doom scrolling

or whatever they are calling it now.

Focus on yourself.

Focus on what is good in your life.

You woke up? Win!

If you have another person to

share the day with ... Win!

If you've got a furry friend

that gives unconditional love ... Win!

Listen to the birds, a good song,

whispering pines, lapping waves,

your own breathing.

There is so much to be in love with.

Find it. Share it. Be it!

Matter

I saw this
and it kinda struck me sideways.
I needed to Lynify it for sure.

It has been a topic in several 

recent conversations.

Let me know your thoughts ...

You are important.

Your feelings matter.

Your voice matters.

Your story matters.

Your life matters.

You matter.

Always.

But not more

than anyone else

matters.

Wherever

Woke up with this rolling around
in me wee noggin'.

Wherever your travels take you,

please go with

hope in your heart;

kindness on your tongue;

generosity in your hands;

a smile on your soul;

grace in your decisions;

and love in your actions.

No matter the journey,

it will always be positive ...

maybe not because

of where and how it takes you,

but because of

what you've added to that locale.

Words

This applies to absolutely
every
single
one of us!

And if you are the person

who believes that it doesn't ...

you're precisely the person

that needs to read this.

The words

you speak

become

the house

you live in.

Speak guiding, positive,

comforting, honest,

beautiful, thoughtful

things.

Teach

This statement, without creditable source,
is about as true as they come.

Everyone you meet

has something

to teach you.

Sometimes it is 

how to be a better person.

Sometimes it is

how NOT to be as a person.

We can observe and filter

and learn and grow

and absorb and discard

as needed.

We are all connected,

and worthy,

and necessary.

Tiny Miracles

From one Roald Dahl:

Life

is a series

of thousands

of tiny miracles.

Notice them.

From one me:

Those tiny miracles ...

may be words;

may be smiles;

may be kindness;

may be hugs;

may be grace;

may be patience;

may be vistas;

may be rest;

may be love.

They are

every freaking where.

Let It

This was one on a list of "note to self" items.
This one struck me as particularly purposeful.
I hope it finds who it needs to

Let it end.

Let it hurt.

Let it heal.

Let it go.

Do not carry what was

never meant to be your baggage.

That Person

Today's blog is in honor of the birthday boy: Miles Marinello!

This is him in a nutshell.

(It's actually both of my kids ... but it's his birthday.)

There's a stranger out there

who still thinks of you
because you were kind to them
when they really neeeded it.
Never stop being that person.

When you have the opportunity to help ...

help.

You ALWAYS have the opportunity.

Better Place

This did not have anyone to credit,
and ... of course ...
I have Lynified it ...
Enjoy!

We spend a lot of time looking for happiness

when the world right around us

is full of wonder.

Sunrises, blooming flowers,

towering trees, mountain trails,

untouched meadows, sandy shores,

pristine waters, forever skies,

creatures great and small,

childrens laughter, sunsets,

interlaced fingers and

intertwined hearts.

Aromas and sights and flavors.

To be alive and walk the earth

is a miracle,

and yet ...

most of us are running around

as if there were some better place to get to.

Enjoy Everything Around You!

Tears

From one Charlotte Bronte:

Crying

does not indicate

that you are weak.

Since birth,

it has always been

a sign that 

you are alive.

Do not fear your tears.

They cleanse;

they clear the way;

they strengthen;

they release.

Open the waterway

when in need.

Whispers of Hope

Here's to
the bridge-builders,
the hand-holders,

the light-bringers,

those extraordinary souls

wrapped in ordinary lives

who quietly weave

threads of humanity

into an inhumane world.

They are the unsung heroes

in a world at war with itself.

They are the whispers of hope

that peace is possible.

~ LR Knost

Found this over the weekend

and saved it for you kids.

This is something

EVERY 

SINGLE

ONE OF US

needs to hear

and see

and be.

Only One

In all of the universe
there is only one
you.

You are unique.

You are beautiful.

You are strong.

You are brave.

You are gifted.

You are deserving.

You are enough.

You are worthy.

You are loved.

I am thankful

for only one

you.