Way to (not) Fold~

" Comfort & prosperity have never enriched the world as mush as adversity has. Out of pain & problems has come the sweetest songs & the most gripping stories"~ Billy Graham


Then Mr. Graham I must be Mighty Mouse :=)


As I down in countdown mode for my pending surgery on August 11th & have been running to the hospital everyday for more pre-opt testing, I've had a lot of time sitting there observing other people and looking at myself in all of this.

I've gotten a LOT of "aren't you afraid?" to "how is your spirit today" to even being called by people who have not been exactly supportive or not believing the serious of my condition the last 2 years thinking "if she would ONLY lose some weight" etc when my issue for this surgery is NOT about my weight.

I suspect in some cases their may be some guilt or wanting to have a conscience cleared just in case... (just in case what?).

Because (I am thankful for this) I have a pretty intact, hard-earned level of self esteem, some see me as being without feelings or wanting for a moment to rest or have someone take care of ME for a change, which hasn't exactly been forthcoming. Yes I am strong but I am also very human with all the accompanying emotions.

Am I scared? What I would fear more is NOT having the surgery! My body will not withstand much more of where I a right now. For those who may not know I am NOT having batriatic surgery.

I have a very distended hernia that has been the bane of my existence. It has badly encroached on my other organs . It is most definitely not " just a hernia"

Back to topic:

Well I haven't exactly had the time to be afraid as I scurry fro one thing after another prepping for when I come home since I have little to no help available and I have to be able to function as if I do not.

I cannot afford to come home from major surgery and not be able to care for my basic needs as I recuperate let along any of the normal things that has to continue to be done. When things like this occurred I am very focused and so do know how to prioritize.

I do not have the energy or time to look to the right or to the left, so fear cannot be part of the program..Not now & perhaps not later. But it would be so nice to be cared for, but I have to take care of what I know needs to be done especially when you are operating from air, wish & a prayer.

Trust me when I say I absolutely will let things fold on the wayside as I heal...

I do indeed have a few people with offers.

One of my neighbors will care for my veggie & flower gardens while I am recoup-ping. Another friend who is coming to be with me the day of my surgery to advocate for me if something happens while I am unconscious. Another who will pick up my mail and another who will drive me to the hospital and bring me home afterward when they discharge me.

Still another not in the area who have stepped up paying my utility bills so I can have access to the outside world while I am still w/o income. Still yet, a few total strangers who have aided me the last few days at the hospital intervening when bureaucratic errors threatened my surgery with a cancellation.

Sometimes money is not required, just a little TLC & recognition of one's humanity is in order.

I am strong but not impervious to hesitation or angst. I am not concrete although unfortunately, some people think if you have emotional & spiritual strength somehow translate to unfeeling or being like concrete.

However it is to the contrary.

I have to trust people who I do not know from the surgeon to the anesthesiologist, to the nurse or the orderly to do their job well. I have to trust many people who are links to my health & well being that they will do their utmost to care for me at a time when I cannot care for myself.

And I have to trust (and I do) that all will be well in the final analysis...

...Now I just to have make sure that my laundry is done and my bed is prep to receive me the day I come home from the hospital... (Moon scribbles on her to do list)

I am looking forward to being able to stand upright and being able to resume walking (well) in a few weeks.

I am looking forward to being able to really handle my cause & care but personally & professionally without impediments.

I am looking forward to being able to put my shoes on w/o it being a major undertaking.

Of being able to laugh w/o having to hold my stomach because it hurts to much.

To be able to sit up and create without it physically hurting me.

To be able to viable in every sense.

As I have said the alternatives w/o the surgery is what I would be more afraid of. I am not looking forward to being alone in this though I won't be completely alone.

I expect I will have a moment of fear when it is time to roll me into the room, but I am expecting the cute surgeon with the great green eyes to be good at what he does & I will be just fine.

Ears

Photography JHM©10

Several days ago,I wrote this on a day when I was filled literally & figuratively of pretense & a level of selfishness, tackiness & yes even crudity that we are seeing a huge surge of in this country.

And as a disclaimer, No, I am not saying everyone or everyplace, so if the shoe does not fit, you do not have to wear it or make it applicable to yourself. If is only my observation on a day I was too filled...

With so many people having mad crazy distressful times, in my opinion, I see a level that borders on the absurd how people's "me-ism", the selfishness many are displaying, not even being honest with one's self let alone anything else.

Whether we like it or not, whether we can find justification or not to placate to ease our discomfort, we are indeed our brother (and our sisters) keepers good bad or indifferent. We are only as strong as our weakest link & even that weakest link has intelligence, capablilities, strength, fortitude.

What the link needs is a break.

Ears

By JHM ©10

My ears are as raw & full as they will be
So I cannot hear any longer
All the platitudes
About the sun coming out tomorrow
When I am standing in a torrential downpour today...
Those platitudes from flaccid lips
Are attitudes that does not practice what it preaches...
Words that are as vacant as the foreclosed homes
Whose disposed occupants are forced to look elsewhere...
Like the absentee jobs for those over over 50
Female
DIsabled
Or black (among others)...

My ears are raw & filled ...
There is no more room to hear any longer
When you whisper the words
"The sun will come out tomorrow"
as I stand drenched in the rain today...
Needing an umbrella or the ability to come out of the rain.
Say what you will
DO what you may
But my ears are too full & raw
To hear any longer...
What you have to say.

All rights reserved©7-20-10

Si, se puede' , Oui,nous pouvons...Yes we can..~My Class of 2010

Now I've made it through two graduations for two beautiful young people who are entering new stages in their lives... Mea graduates 1st & turns 18 on Monday. She will be off to college in Aug. Chance enters high school in the fall. This brother/ sister team are extraordinary although I know every proud grandmother says that. I up close & personal had to watch them grow through adversity's one would not desire on their worst enemies let along love ones.

Mary'Eleanor (we call her Mea for short since her full name is so long) was senior class secretary, cheerleader and an excellent vocalist. She will major in Psychology in college.
Chance a preemie at birth is a prolific cartoonist, already being sought after by the high school coach for sports (at 13 he is already 6'1). He is also carrying on the family's legacy as a musician.

Their mom, my daughter will be graduating from college in the fall. Despite pitfalls we all will share in the human experience, to see them and the family smiling like there is no tomorrow is beyond a smile...

Nothing beats an accomplishment.

I am also watching my daughter experience her rites."Losing" her 1st born to the adult world & her 1st born son approaching manhood...

I am delighted to be here to bear witness, so it was worth the 4 day trip, both ways, sacrificing much to be here and to see again how indomitable the human spirit can be & the resilience & flexibility we all can show when call to do so.We all can do what we are called to do with a fieceness that can often amaze even ourselves, despite naysayes, ones who delight comes from causing harm or even the roadblocks WE sometimes put in front of ownselves.

No matter what way you say it, it is & can be all good:

Si, se puede'
Oui, nous pouvons
Yes we can

All rights ReservedJHM©10

Oh Happy Feet~ Isaiah's Story...

Mr. Isaiah & his happy feet post performance of "Eye of the Tiger with his 3rd grade class annual talent show!

All rights ReservedJHM©10

Whenever you get a moment to reflect how many times you put a body part down onyourself (or someone else) when you think its not good enough, needs repair, refurbihing, ignored or punished, I hope you will re-read my 9 year old soft spoken sensitive soul of my grandson Isaiah.

While some made feel he is too wimpy or "soft" or he is not displaying all the bravado that a 9 year old "should", Isaiah has already learned something about himself that many adults have not grasp.

His teacher had his 3rd grade class write a story about what body part makes them happy or their best part. Isaiah chose to write about his feet, the most milinged apparatus we seem to treat the worst but carries us everywhere.

He's learned to see through his beautiful tiger's eye which people often admire him for to accpet another part that while through the distorted lens of the world would seem defective, to say it is his best body part.

So whenever you chance to open your mouth to put yourself down, remember Isaiah's words.

Better yet, let him tell you in his own words.

Introducing Isaiah:

My Feet

All Rights Reserved©10

My best part of me is my feet. My feet help me run fast & helps me to stand up, walk & move. My feet are my very best part in the world. My feet are very helpful in all. My feet are so helpful when we play with each other all day long. I like my feet so much we go outside. Feet are really good to have because how are you going to move (without them).

By Isaiah
All rights reservedIW5-10

Don't Walk Away Rene'...RIP

I am sadden today with the sudden death of a friend of 20 years Rene' Fagans on Wed May 26th, 2010 at 6:00p PST in San Diego. They remove the life support yesterday evening. She was healthy as a horse on Sunday fell broke her ankle on Monday, was on life support by Tues and dead by Wed eve.

We were suppose to get together for lunch before my return from Cali. Rene' was in the middle of writing a children's book & was having a blast. Drs. said with or without life support she would have been in a vegetative state. Her Drs had changed her meds, she was experiencing dizzy spells on Monday, fell hitting her head rather hard, taken to ER, treated for the broken ankle & sent home... By Monday eve she was complaining of being cold, Tues morning her son could not understand a word she was saying. She had a massive hemorrhaging so badly her brain stem was badly damaged.

Rene's family was all with her when they removed life support...

She was a joy, never had a bad word for anyone, funny as all get out & loved life. We recently had spoken about her coming to New Orleans as she had not had the experience....

She is already missed...

One thing I am going to do in her memory is when the dust settles is to have her son to send me a copy of her unfinished children's book & finish it for her with the view to finish her dream of having it published. I was already going to create the art for its cover.

Rene' was such a joyful person & I could at least keep her joy going in this book...

And then I read this & thought it was appropo:

Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.
- Sally Koch

You can impact more people than you'll ever know

Too many people sit on the sidelines of life waiting for that one great opportunity or the chance of a lifetime. We seldom realize that while we are waiting, we are missing the small opportunities to make a difference that surround us in our everyday lives. For example, you could pick up the litter on a street that you travel often, help someone carry her groceries to her car, or offer to help a child read a book. Of course, this list could go on and on. Your small action could make all the difference in the world to someone and you may never know it. Don't sit around and wait for the BIG CHANCE because you never know...one of those small opportunities might turn into the next chance of a lifetime.

The Return on one's Investment...

Bayou Couquille image- All Rights reservedJHM

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted"~- Aesop, Greek author of fables

Investing time and energy in others

People usually talk of "spending" energy and time on others as if once it's used, it's gone. In reality, that effort is a powerful investment because you'll get more in return. When a match lights a candle, the match's flame doesn't shrink--if anything, it grows. In the same way, you'll be even more inspired and successful by building others up. The bonus is that they'll also be better equipped to return the favor. Take action today to make someone's life a little better. Come up with just one nice thing to do for each of the important people in your life, one little thing that can make all the difference. After all, what good does it do to improve your health or your life if you're not going to do anything with it?

Makes me wonder how people can brandish the word "compassioin fatigue" with a straight face... Have we become so jaded or over-privilege that we are worn out from being helpful & generous? If we become fatigue, what in the world do we think the person(s) going through the trial must be experiencing?

I Get By with Some Help from My Friends...

Yesterday, I had 2 separate opportunities to converse with 2 sisterfrends on opposite sides of the U.S.

And the second one was a renewal of someone who had not seen or spoken to in several years. It was not that we had any problems with one another, just time, circumstances and busy stuff got in the way.

We fell in together as time melted away picking up a familiar rhythm from times of yore. I commented to her of the ones who have re-entered my life from a not to distance past that I'm happy to see again. in fact, she gift me wth a qote: "Between rocks & these hard places, I am makng diamonds". A right on spot at a moment I needed to hear it.

I also have been to connecting with my best friend from high school who I was delighted to tell her today what I did not know in 1964 & that she was my Nettie (from the Color Purple) when we were both 14. Much to my suprise she told me she used to call me Jackie O (in 1964 she wold have been Jackie Kennedy) that I had style even then...And here I thought of myself as this shy, skinny nobody wanted to be around me teenager...

Having friends near and far is something to not take lightly as they are your living breathing "her-story". I cringe when I hear yong(er)women say they do not get along with other "females". Or do not trust them or limit their tme or heart with other women. Not "females" but real flesh & blood walking recordings of your life, your phases, your growth.

To deny yourself the richness of that experience is sad & a loss not easy to retrieve.
Try to get by without help from your friends and see how empty your life will be.You will get by, yes, but s that what yo want to settle for?

As the Beatles sing: " What would you think if I sang out of tune
Would you stand up and walk out on me
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
And I'll try not o sing out of key

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends

Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends

Do you need anybody
I need somebody to love
Could it be anybody
I want somebody to love"

I'm gonna try with a lil help from my friends...

Do You Show Up?~ Sparks People

Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.

- Sam Ewing, humorist



A meaningful life requires hard work

Part of being a good leader and good example is holding people accountable to their promises. To reach your goals, you need to be a strong leader of yourself. That means making sure you live up to the promises you made to yourself and to others. Your goals are important to you. They'll also require some work. If you could put one person in charge of your most personal, most precious goals, would you hire someone who looks for the easy way out or just talks a good game? Or would you entrust them to the person who willingly takes action and does whatever is needed to make it happen? You can handle the job. Prove yourself trustworthy by showing up every day with your sleeves rolled up.

At Once

"We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once.

- Calvin Coolidge, American president



Tackling big challenges with small actions

This is a perfect illustration of tackling big challenges with small actions. It also shows the power of focus. There's a growing tendency for people to want to have it all. Not wanting to sacrifice anything, they run themselves straight into the ground--sometimes literally--only to end up frustrated, unhealthy, and tired, with nothing to show for it. What they don't realize is that you can have it all (or close to it). You just can't have it all right now. Does it feel like you're always busy, but you never seem to get anywhere? That's because when you try to do everything, you don't do anything well. Your child may force you to learn this lesson anyway. Instead of living your life all at once, try doing one thing at a time. Choose one goal and, through some small "things" every day, focus in on it until you've succeeded. During the day, put your full mind and efforts on one task at a time. You'll be much more productive (and calm) in the long run. "We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once.

- Calvin Coolidge, American president

Stepping closer to the light at the end of the tunnel

In the depths of winter, I finally found there was in me an invincible summer.
- Albert Camus, author

Stepping closer to the light at the end of the tunnel

Hard times are inevitable--death, financial struggle, family problems, the loss of a job, depression--all of these tough times are just seasons.

Abraham Lincoln once said, "This too shall pass," and you can apply it to both the good times and the bad.

The thrill of a new relationship won't endure forever, just as the grief of losing a loved one won't either. So endure the hardships of life, knowing that time will eventually heal your wounds and you will make it through.

Think about what struggles have occurred in your life and what they taught you. No matter how dim the light at the end of the tunnel seems, it is still a light. Each day is an opportunity for that light of hope to get closer and closer, until eventually the clouds above your head part and you feel the forgotten sunshine on you again. Overcoming pain makes you stronger and better equipped to handle the next valley.

Now from me...

Sur une note qui donne à réfléchir~On a sobering note...

Ok on August 29th,2005... Hurricane Katrina made landfall in South east Louisiana.

A sobering thought: Please take a moment today in the midst of all the everyday things, the stresses & the joys in your world & be mindful of the survivors of Katrina from Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana & Texas.

Today, observations on the anniversary of Katrina will be made with many reflections such as mine. And many will bring their own unique perspective, like I, to express what it means, not means, should have meant on this occasion.

There are still 4 years later well over 3,000+ people in Louisiana alone who were swept out to sea and many who are still MIA.

It is rather sad that now it has become a short byte on the news and even the major networks have not made a comment about it nationally, yet,except CNN. Easy how somethingcan fade so quickly as new troubles loom.

(If you have cable CNN tonight 10pm EST/7pm PST will be doing a piece called "After the Storm" where N.O is today).

I can say to one and all no matter where you sit on how all this happened and what was or not done do something.

And if you cannot do something for the citizens of the Gulf Coast, know among you in your towns are former evacuees who has set up residency. Be mindful that you may not know who you are talking to so if you have something negative to say, keep it to yourself. No matter if you feel people "should let go, move on or what's wrong with you etc" today they do not need to hear that opinion.

In fact it is nothing short of remarkable the improvements that have been made. Make no mistake it will all not come together at one time nor in the way people expect it to.

In the case of N.O you cannot rebuild almost 300 year old city in 4 years. Just like many here who are re sparking their lives & health, this is being done on a far larger scale. Pre Katrina there were 800 restaurants. Post Katrina there are over 1,000. It has been nothing short of extraordinary what ordinary people can do or rise to the challenge.

As of now 72% of N.O pre-Katrina population is there including, the visionaries, entrepreneurs, community activists, artists, planners and people looking to be of service in something bigger then themselves.

Oh the energy is alive & kicking.

Laissez la bonne ville grandir (Let the Good Town Grow!)

But we should not want to forget, ever. Not completely... To do so it will be as human being can do, become complacent & too comfortable. I am not talking about picking at wounds not allowing them to heal, but remember, not letting the ones who died, those communities still building or ones who are still dealing with trauma to have what they endured be in vain...
If you have never met with that level of devastation and shock you have no right to burden someone needlessly.

At least not today...

And if you cannot assist them, assist someone in your community with a kind word, a smile or a flower in honor of them...

I am not so naive as to believe things are idyllic or peachy keen.

Lots need to be done, but I think we are going to set anew, a level or a model for others not only in the U.S. but globally since we have been thrust into being the spectacle in the arena

I love the adage "Barn burn down. Now I can see the sky!"

Que le spectacle bonne ville (Let the Good Town Show)

Success Gems-House Building..

by Jewel Diamond Taylor

"A tired carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to retire and leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife and family. The contractor was sorry to see his experienced worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor.

The carpenter reluctantly said "yes", but his heart was not in his work. He rushed and used inferior materials.

When the carpenter finished his work the employer came to inspect the house. He handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you." The carpenter was shocked! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.


So it is with us.

We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. If we could do it over, we'd do it much differently. But we cannot go back.


You are a carpenter. What are you building?

Each day you hammer a nail, add a room or paint a wall.

"Life is a do-it-yourself project,"

Your attitudes and the choices you make today, build the "house" you live in tomorrow.

Build wisely!

be mediocre in the way you love and serve others.

Love smart with your heart and don't settle for less, mess and stress in your relationships. Build a life of peace, love, harmony, joy, faith, love and excellence.

Be above average in your work performance, the way you dress, speak, pray and play.

Strive for quality instead of seeking short cuts and below average living. Grow wise in your habits, emotions, spending and health choices.

Walk, talk, live and love at your best whether someone sees you or not.

Let your light shine bright in ALL that you do.

Polish up your image and your living space. Don't compromise your character.

Sow cheap, reap cheap.

Sow quality, reap quality.

Do your best whether or not you get credit and recognition.


God sees your sincere efforts and hears your prayers. BUILD righteously and be blessed beyond your wildest dreams."

JewelMotivaves@gmail.com

Don't Let them Bring You Down...

Candle in the Mirror photograph ©09~Courtesy Of Diana Stock-Prescott

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

THE LAW OF THE GARBAGE TRUCK

How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? The mark of a successful person is how quickly they can get back their focus on what's important.

Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened: I hopped in a taxi and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches! The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly.

So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" And this was the taxi driver's reply, "Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally...just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did."

So this was it: The 'Law of the Garbage Truck'.

I started thinking, how often do I let garbage trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do it anymore."

I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie 'The Sixth Sense',the little boy said, "I see dead people." Well, now "I see garbage trucks." I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my taxi driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

One of my favorite football players of all time, Walter Payton, did this every day on the football field. He would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground after being tackled and he never dwelled on a hit. Payton was ready to make the next play his best.

Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting.

Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses.

Leaders and parents should know that they have to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today,if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?

Here's my bet: you'll be happier.

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets,

So: Love the people who treat you right.

Forget about the ones who don't.

Believe that everything happens for a reason.

If you get a chance...TAKE IT!

And if it changes your life...LET IT!

A Ya Ya day~What an Amazing Awakening it 'tis!

You cannot speak that which you do not know. You cannot share that which you do not feel. You cannot translate that which you do not have. And you cannot give that which you do not possess. To give it and to share it, and for it to be effective you first need to have it. Good communication starts with good preparation.~ George C. Fraser

Yesterday I had a d'light*full day.

I actually spoke very eloquently, passionately and sincerely taking my authority in a matter that had to be cared for with a couple of people that had been long overdue in adjusting. It had been decades in the making. It was not something necessary for a Made for Tv Movie, but it was so forever more there is no doubt or question in my humanity, my belief and dreams. I will not go into what it was all about as I have no desire to embarrass or publicly need to do so. And in all fairness how would they have known if I had not said anything, choosing instead to swallowed again and again and again which in the finally anaylsis was me living a lie that had been proposed as truth then morphing into an unconsicous belief. A lie was told but I very passively, unconsciously opted to live, instead of throwing it off as the debris that it was.

This moment was not planned, it was simply that time had come. My focus that day was completely opposite from what did indeed happend.

Without drama or fanfare, I stated my case. Respectfully, truthfully & passionately. They listen.

I do not know if they heard.

And it does not matter since it was not a Movie made for Tv.

We will just say it was one of those "Ya Ya Sisterhood/ Towanda/I'm every woman" like moments that I can realistic enough to know may happen again with someone as life ain't over by a long shot. I so know my weight challenges had been in part because of anger & rage that had been swallowed again and again until it spilled over onto my bones. It took me years to acknowledge to myself in a very cellular way without excuses or justification of how angry I was and how much I had swallowed.

Make no mistake I am a pretty happy person and despite a lot of things. I had managed to have a pretty good life, but always in the corner of my mind was this anger...

And now there is no more room.

Here,I have to use a friend, a Ya Ya warrior woman in her own right words eloquently described of how it felt after her liberation day:

"I think a lot of us know subconsciously that it is a lie we are living but we are afraid of letting go and making space for whatever may come in its place.

WE almost dread change and when the universe finally sees that we are not going to let go it steps in and hits us with a whammy and we have no choices we kind of stop holding our breath and breathe out all that knotted, tied up poisonous anger inside that we have tried to bury with food or cigarettes or things or money.

WHAT AN AMAZING AWAKENING IT IS.

Colours take on a new brightness and things which were dark become clear and you find you actually can fly and are strong enough to handle anything. Fear is the bondage we place on ourselves. Faith and change are radical concepts but of the freedom and the colour and the love one finds when you let go and put down what you have been carrying. It pours out of everything and the fear just evaporates.

The corporeal part of you remains the way it is unless you wish to work on it but the spirit is free and so much more discerning and there is so much free beauty around us to fill in the dark spaces; I visualise a stained glass window with the sun streaming through the colours and falling on flagstones and irradiating them as well. There will be spaces remaining which are not filled but they enhance what the now holds. through their very contrast. Sometimes there are truths you have known and colours within which you have covered which only a loving Heavenly Creator can see and must do something about and the means may initially not be pleasant but oh the end!

The end is a Stained glass Rose window of multiple hue shedding light on all who pass beneath it. The end is a rainbow with a pot of molten rich gold velvet so soft and warm and all enfolding for you to put on and warm yourself in. It is diaphanous so that others may bask in it's light and form. It is freedom, true freedom that you may love yourself as a self in the now. I hope you understand the glorious feeling that I am trying to convey with these images. These are divinity. Each one of us can discover this. I wonder how many people do".

I could not have said it anybetter...

I had such a liberating Ya Ya day yesterday. I knew this time was coming as I've worked long and hard, sometimes veering off the trail to look at something, lollygagging, being distracted but then finding my way back to the happy trails. My now emptied room took a lot of time a lot more and far longer then I would have cared for and probably wore some people out in the process as I kept looking through boxes of stuff that was so dusty and faded it made me wonder why in the Sam Hill did I keep them around?

But rather then waste one more precious moment on wondering they were tossed away. Not tossed aside so they could be put back but tossed out!

And how gloriously, juicily, decisively liberated I felt.

Later in the day in my mailbox was to small packages that made me grin. One was one of my rewards for reaching a milestone, a big one for me. I had seen a vintage pair of checkered Mod sunglasses circa 1964 & treated myself to them. And are they not only fabu, looking great on me to boot! I was delighted and was showing them to several friends who really like them.

However, there was one person present, one which I've had to back off a few paces prior saw them and gave a lukewarm "oh they are so you" which wasn't very sincere, more of those "well I do not care for them how dare you wear them and they are not appropriate for a woman of your age , but if it makes you happy okaaaay" tone of voice to show her disapproval.

I let her tone and words roll right off my back as I neither needed or asked her permission to have them. She's done it before over a period of time. I have no seen her as being against me, just not necessarily for me. When she has been far meit was always on the terms she decided for me.

It did not rock my joy I got iv where she is coming from.

I've dealt with some people unfortunately most of my life who have attitudes like that and have allotted them to lessen my joy. But not after having a Ya Ya day like yesterday!

Golden hugs and sunshine from this one Sassy Lassy who has repacked her Sass & carrying it with her!

You Lift Me Up...

When things go wrong don't go with them.~ Elvis Presley, rock & roll icon

Lifting yourself up and continuing forward

Healthy Reflections http://www.sparkspeople.com/

Does it ever feel like trouble follows you around and won't cut you any slack? Sometimes it feels like you can't buy a break and everything you try just makes things worse. Who could blame you for feeling sorry for yourself or not forgive a little self-destructive behavior? Bad idea. The new, healthy way to spend down times is to lift yourself up and operate at a higher level. Remember that what happens to you is not who you are. It's history. It's past. Your true self takes that history and decides how to make the best possible future out of it. You have the power to keep your attitude and values from driving into the ditch along with the events in your life. From defeat, you can still emerge victorious.

What It Looks Like

"To be nobody but yourself--in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else-- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting". ~E.E Cummings

This remark by Cummings, a poet, made wonder why on earth would one have to fight to be fully themselves having the courage of their convictions or living a fruitful productive life?

Of course then I realize that there is always always, always someone who seem to want for you not to be acceptable of oneself or accepting what is an inalienable right to have a joyously, juicy, delicious golden life. When ones may have embarked on doing things like can make a life, their life shimmer as encased in gold.

Whether it is something as simple as learning to ride a bike at 65, going back to college at 50, even hang gliding (though its not something I want to do) or be like the Scottish woman who all she wanted to do was to fulfill a promise to her mother after years of loving care was to sing, someone had to put her up to put her down.

Anthony Robbins said once about dreaming so big that people will laugh at you. If they are not, you are not dreaming big enough. It don't matter if it not come to fruition, but wouldn't just imagining it can make your life golden? What will success look like to you now or when you reach the goal?

Are your preparing for that eventuality or is it somewhat half cocked, a vague idea of what life will be like. And what if life does not end up being what you envision?


Adjusting your vision tweaking it as you are going through the process is smart & healthy. Even if you have a regression which is also normal having an idea of your vision plan, a guide or outline will aid you greatly in saying on track or a map to guide you back if you were distracted.

A successful plan can engage you into seeing yourself doing something you've only talked about whether it is something as simple as learning to ride a bike at 65, going back to college at 50, even hang gliding (though its not something I want to do) or be like the Scottish woman who set out to accomplish all she wanted to do & that was to fulfill a promise to her mother & herself. After years of loving care she opened her mouth & the world fell in love with her heart's desire, to sing, reached a mega number audience in the process. What she had only dreamt about, she created a vision plan, acted on it & won.

Not the contest which was really secondary, but she won...

She won even as some put her up to put her down. Even the ones who did not want her to change. It was interesting both camps seemed to focus on the same thing; her weight "dumpiness" lack of sophistication, "unattractiveness". Some clamor for an improvement, others wanting none.

But she knew what she wanted, went after it and got it!

Although she did not win the top spot, tabloids trashed her had her in rehab, in a mental health hospital a Boyle gone wild scenario. Yet she was like most of us, an average person with an amazing voice who simply wanted to use it in a larger way. And dared to dream big so much that others took noticed.

And it is well earned for her, you & me. While that might not be our aspiration, your bigness could be something more modest.

Being motivated will only go so far... George Frasier, author of the book Click!;Ten Truths To Building Extraordinary Relationships, said recently:"Motivation alone is not enough. If you have an idiot and you motivate him, now you have a motivated idiot"... It seems apparent, to me, evidence by the gazillion self help books /programs that are out there, that there are tons of people who are motivational junkies enjoying the next rush in hearing ,the speech,, reading the next book, seeing the next inspiring movie, but never quite ever going past that point.

We all may know someone like that and sometimes it is no further then the mirror. And we could all use the infusion, I know I do, because some times we do take detours, get off the track, pay more attention to people who while not necessarily against us but not for us. We can get so close to seeing what success looks like and it can be so awesome we get a wee bit overwhelmed or downright scared and back off the plan.

You go after it, after all, to see what success can look like.

A vision is a very good thing.

One with a plan is an excellent one.

One put into action is supreme.

A vision keeps you excited, keeps it juicy, keeps you from bumping around in the
dark.

It will make you know success when you see it .

Feed your Mind-Coping

I heard this on Good Morning America 3 weeks ago and thought I could not find the link. Anthony Robbins made extremely excellent comments here and I would like to share with you...

He said it better then I so check it out at:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=7506072