The Butterfly

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly. ~Richard Bach

I'm sitting outside on my patio enjoying the last few beautiful days of summer....taking in the sights, the smells, and the sounds. I also find myself daydreaming; waltzing with possibility, reflecting on lost opportunities. Thinking of things that could have been, things that should have been. And, alas, a butterfly to distract my negative thought process. This amazing and beautiful butterfly, taking me prisoner, just for this moment; forcing me to reflect on today; right here and right now. Taking me back to appreciating the beauty, the wonder, the gift of today.

If you are reading this now, there is no coincidence. Let this little bit of blog serve as your butterfly today. Let it take you to the present; pull you from living in yesterday, or living in tomorrow. The past is gone; it's already forgotten you. Tomorrow doesn't know you yet.

Live for today. Seize the power that you have today!

Someday

No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.

-William Blake

Our life experience is based on what we focus on. Many people go through life putting off their joy and happiness. To them, creating and achieving goals means "someday." Only after they achieve something will they be able to enjoy life and be happy.

The truth is happiness is a decision. If we decide to be happy now, we will immediately open ourselves up to receiving more. Life is like an orange; each and every day, we should strive to live life to its fullest, squeezing all the joy we can out of each moment.

Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.

-Babe Ruth

Someday is today. Take hold of what is yours. Believe it and receive it.

I am not young enough to know everything

"If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses."

-Henry Ford

When I read this quote, it stopped me in my tracks. I immediately copied it, pasted it and shared it with my social networking friends:)

We, as people, expect the norm; or perhaps a little above the norm. It's our comfort zone. We feel all warm and cozy; "the norm" is an adult's security blanket.

I am not young enough to know everything. - Oscar Wilde

This evening, Mr. Ford inspired me to break past my chains and barriers of limiting thoughts and beliefs and to once again allow myself to dream the impossible. If you are like me, it's not that we had forgotten to dream. It's just that life, work, family, and the grind of every day life get in the way; we get caught in what is, not what could be. We get caught in familiarity and repetition. We get caught in habit.

When did we lose the child-like thinking in us? The innocence? The possibilities? The time when thoughts were dreams and dreams were realities? When everything was possible and nothing was impossible. The time when if there wasn't a door to take us to what we wanted, we created one. When did the transformation in our thinking go from anything is possible to everything is impossible?

I can't say that I remember where or when that change took place, but I can say that most of us are driven by life; we are not driving our lives.

"Once you make a decision, the Universe conspires to make it happen."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Eat something different for breakfast today. Take different way to work today. Tell someone that you love them today. Break the habit of the same old thing and allow your creative juices to flow. If you are in a rut, it's time to get out. If we keep doing the same things that we did yesterday, than how can we expect different things to happen tomorrow?

Allow yourself to dream, even if it's just for a moment. Wherever you are, in your cubicle, in your office, at your kitchen table; let go of what is and begin to think of what could be. Write your thoughts down, create a dreamboard. Share your dreams with a friend. It doesn't really matter what you do, but do something. Do something to get your juices flowing. Do something to break the habitual thinking. Do something that will inspire you.

When we begin to drive our lives, great things and great discoveries can happen.

Have an amazingly creative and inspired day!

Anyone can sweep out the dirt in life if they just use the right broom

Did you ever drive right into a storm? On one side of the street it's dry as can be, and then you cross over a point where it's a torrential downfall?

Do you ever feel like that happens to you in life? Where one minute, you are walking as happy and content as can be, and then, out of nowhere you are hit with the storms of life?

Well, my friend, you are not alone. It seems to me just when we think we have it all figured out another storm will come along. I was wondering the other day if one day it will be smooth sailing. Well, as I prayed, I was given the answer that no, God doesn't promise that life will be easy. But, he does promise that he will give us all of the tools, strength, divine guidance and victory to make it through.

Every minute of every day you are divinely protected.

Just when you think you can't take another step; you can. Just when you think it's all over; it may be just beginning. Just when you think you are in the worst mess of your life; it may be opportunity to receive your best miracle of your life.

When we are at our weakest, we are at our strongest. Anyone can sweep out the dirt in life if they just use the right broom:)

A Mother's Prayer

Dear God, thank you for loving me.
Thank you for loving me so much that you care enough to present
me with challenges and obstacles so that I may grow.
Thank you for family and friends whom I am so
blessed to love and share life with.
Thank you for my home and for filling it with peace and love.
Thank you for my clothes, (including all of my favorite shoes),
for food, and for a safe place for me and my family to be.
Thank you for sending those who are teaching me.
Dear God, help me to do what you want me to do.
Help to make me the very best person, mother, and spouse that I can be.
In Jesus name, Amen.

The Gift

I was speaking with a friend the other day who was going through a very difficult season in her life. As I was listening to her, she mentioned that she had been given a gift. She continued to explain that even though she is going through one of the most difficult storms of her life, there was a gift to be found somewhere in the rubble.

The storms are going to come....the question is are we prepared? Do we have the right tools to weather the storm? The answer is yes. Within every storm there is a test and within every storm there is a solution.

Next time you are going through tough times, ask yourself "what is the test here?" What is it that I am supposed to learn? Your learning is the true gift. It's a gift that comes from God and a gift that is so special, so unique, and one that is to be treasured.

We become who we are through adversity. Adversity molds us, helps us to better ourselves, and helps us to grow both mentally and spiritually.

Many times, our greatest struggles births our greatest miracles.

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway

Do you ever get an idea that is just seems to have come out of nowhere? And, as you start thinking about it, your excitement rises. You really get that warm and fuzzy feeling, your mind is working a mile a minute, and you can almost taste the success on your tongue.

Then, bam! Fear sets in. You start analyzing your choices, you start looking at how much this is going to cost you, you start believing that there is just no way that you are going to be able to do this.

That's what fear is. A paralyzer. It's like a quick, vicious, and deadly sting that slowly begins to creep throughout your body holding you a prisoner of it's fate. Fear is not nice. Fear is not here to be your friend. In fact, fear is here to be your enemy.

With any task that you set out to do that reflects your calling and purpose, there will be someone or something that will try and stop you.

The way to overcome fear is to feel the fear for what it is, and do it anyway. So what if you miss the mark Each effort that y.ou put in just takes you closer to reaching your goal. Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before he reached the light bulb. And he noted that each time was not a failure; rather it was one step closer to reaching his goal.

If we are afraid to lose sight of the shore, how can we expect to experience new and different things in our lives? Let alone, expect different results? If you want a different result tomorrow, you must do something different today.

Tomorrow isn't set in stone. Tomorrow is created with you. If you let fear keep you down, then accept that your life will be the same tomorrow as it is today. Now, there is nothing wrong with that if that is what you want.

But, if you want something different, you will need to look fear in the face. You will need to feel all those nasty feelings that we would rather not feel. You know, those feelings that make you uncomfortable that you like to sweep under the carpet and forget about until another day.

Here's the reality check......no one is going to come and clean out those feelings for you except you. If you don't take control of fear, it will take control of you.

Here's the secret.....once you face fear, you can acknowledge fear. And once you acknowledge fear, you can neutralize fear.

Bottom line......fear sucks! But your will to succeed is stronger. Ask yourself this question right now....who are you going to let win?