Blog Posts

Choose Your Words Wisely

4/18/2017

Lately I have been compelled to give even more consideration to the energy and the intention behind my thoughts, words and beliefs. Remember the rice experiment (January 27, 2015 blog post)? Our thoughts, words and beliefs have an energetic impact on us and on the world around us.

Words are important. They not only hold meaning, but vibration and energy. It's not only in how they are spoken, or how they are written, it’s also in how we give them to one another. Words carry energy. The intention behind the word conveys the vibration. The energy you put behind a word will carry the meaning more deeply. Words are important to choose wisely.

I’ve been hearing a lot of words used that I believe people are intending to put out there as a way to bring more peace into the world, more love, light and good into the world. Words such as fight are being used. Daily I hear people choosing to view and think and speak about the “fight”. They're intending it to be the "good fight”, however stop for a moment if you would and consider the energy that the word fight is putting out into the universe. What vibration do you think the word fight carries?

I invite you to consider pausing and contemplating a different word choice. It may be subtle, but for me it is in important distinction. Not only is there potentially a different energy and vibration going out with a different word choice, I also believe that it conjures up a different visual and intention. Can we use the word activate or activation? A calling to action. Activate for peace, activate for love, activate for freedom, activate for good. Do you feel the difference? Fight feels negative to me and activate feels positive.

I also hear the word resist used quite frequently in regard to this so-called "fight ". The phrase “keep resisting”. I would also like you to consider the vibration and energy associated with the word resist. Sit with it for a minute, how does it make you feel? It’s my understanding that the word resist and resistance would be lower vibrating words. What we resist, exists/persists.

Our words contain power. Let's not forget the power that they carry and be purposeful, intentional and wise in our choice. Other word choices we might want to consider include…freedom, inspire, persistence, spirit, resourcefulness, harmony, action.

It feels like people are also putting a lot of time and energy into hating this or hating that. I hear words like hopeless and powerless being used. These are fear-based words, these are low vibrational words. I don’t believe that these words are going to positively affect or inspire the kind of change that the people using them are desiring that they will.

Words that signify spiritual qualities carry a high vibration. Words like love, peace, life, joy, patience, health, wealth and truth. Words that oppose these qualities hold lower vibrations. These would include fear, discord, sad, depression, hate, anger, pain, poverty, blame, shame and distrust. Low vibrational words are words that carry with it fear or anger or both. High vibrational energy feels good. Lower vibrations feel bad.

How do you feel if you quietly or silently recite a word to yourself? Try it for a minute or two and see how it feels. Give yourself time to tune in and sense its subtle energy.

Consider asking yourself, "What do I want?” Whatever you think about, put energy toward, will expand. If you want to see love and peace in the world, then intend love and peace for everyone and everything. You can't pick who gets the love and peace and not offer it to everyone. I invite you to focus your attention and energy on what you do want and not on what you don't want.

This concept applies to all areas of our life. What result are you wanting to manifest? Is it a fight or is it peace?

What do you think, does our choice of words matter? I would love to hear your feedback on this post. Please drop me a comment or send me an email.

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45 Life Lessons

4/11/2017

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This week's post was sent to me by a dear friend of mine. I enjoyed reading it, so I thought that you might too. Some of these I find to be truer than others, but I love them all. It's always great to have these little reminders, little pearls of wisdom, little bits of golden nuggets. We all can use a reminder now and then to help us keep life in perspective. Enjoy!

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio .

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written."

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short, enjoy it.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the future.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye, but don't worry, God never blinks.
16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19.. It's never too late to be happy. But it's all up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you need
42. The best is yet to come...
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

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Serenity, Hope, Faith

4/4/2017

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The words serenity, hope and faith keep coming to me over and over again lately. Even last night while I was sleeping and dreaming over and over again...serenity, hope, faith. So, today I decided to examine what this all means. First, let's look at their basic definitions.

Serenity...the state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled.

Hope...to want something to happen or be true and think that it could happen or be true. Hope is a feeling of optimism that something will change. Embedded in hope is faith.

Faith...belief, trust, and loyalty to a person or thing.

The word serenity for a lot of us brings to mind the serenity prayer. I decided to look up the serenity prayer and to examine it more closely and it's meaning to me.

The Serenity Prayer is one of the most widely known prayers. It was written and published by American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr in 1951.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that You will make all things right
if I surrender to Your Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with You
Forever in the next.
Amen.

Be calm...Grant me peace and calm to accept the things I cannot change. To be grateful, to let go and to surrender.

Be courageous...The courage to change the things I can. Living with courage, being brave versus living with fear and being fearful. Being brave enough to be me, to be vulnerable, to step into the arena of life and dare to be great. Having hope and faith.

Be still...Wisdom to know the difference. How do we know the difference? By being still. By praying and asking and then being still to hear the answer. By paying attention to the signs. By listening to your intuition. So often we seek, but we do not stop to be still or to pay attention.

Be present...Living one day at a time. Being present with the here and now. Not ruminating about the past or worrying about the future. Enjoying one moment at a time. Cherishing the present, so as to not miss out on life. Being mindful of today and of this moment with hope and faith.

Be aware...Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace. Seeing the hardships and the challenges as learning and growing opportunities. Opportunities to explore who I am, to see my shadow and to determine what I desire to embody. Having hope and faith.

Be faith...Having belief, trust and loyalty in a greater plan. Having hope and faith.

And so be it...Amen means “so be it”. Every time you say “amen” at the end of your prayers you are saying “so be it”. Another way I like to end my prayers is with the words "and so it is". Amen is truth. Amen is a solemn affirmation. When we say, “Amen” we are saying, "Yes before God I agree with that; I believe that to be true; I want that to be so". When you end your prayer with amen, mean what you say because you are asking God to let things be done that you have prayed for.

I'm going to start praying the Serenity Prayer as part of my daily prayer and meditation time. It embodies a lot of practices that I believe to be important. Peace, courage, stillness, awareness, presence, faith...Serenity, Hope, Faith.

I hope this served you too!

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You Reap What You Sow

3/28/2017

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Last week marked the spring equinox. This is a time in the spring where the amount of light and darkness are equal in any given day. Spring is a time for the planting of seeds, a time of renewal and rebirth. Many of us celebrate the rebirth of Christ. The spring flowers begin to surface and bloom, the trees begin budding, the grass turns green, farmers plant their fields, and the robins return.

Some of us mark spring by engaging in spring housecleaning. Decluttering our homes and renewing them for the year. It can be a time for the attitude of "out with the old and in with the new". Spring can also be a great time to declutter our minds, our mental energy, and our spiritual energy. An "out with the old and in with the new" so to speak. A planting of a new energetic seed.

It's a great time to check in and take a look at what we want to clear out and let go of and what it is that we want to plant. It's a time for transference and manifesting. A time to reflect on what it is that you want to draw into your life.

A time to remember that what you water, what you give energy to, what you give your attention to...grows. You reap what you sow.

What is it that you would like to energetically clear out to make space for planting some new seeds to grow? What old story are you willing to let go of, so you can energize a new story, a new way of being, a new mindset, a new experience? What are those seeds that you would like to plant this spring?

We are a quarter of the way through this year already. What is it that you were setting out to accomplish this year? Are you giving it some good energy, are you shining some light on it, some water and nourishment? You reap what you sow.

Take a few moments this week to be still and check in with where you are at. What's going well and what isn't? What would you like to clear out to make room for something different? Take a step off that hamster wheel of life and reflect, reevaluate, renew, reenergize and rejuvenate. Don't get sucked into the belief that you don't have time. Don't let the days, weeks and months float by unintentionally.

This week, I invite you to be still, to be intentional, to remember that what you water, what you give energy to, grows. You reap what you sow.

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Most Of Today's Problems Were Yesterday's Dream

3/20/2017

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Most of today's problems were yesterday's dreams. I'm not sure anymore where I heard that phrase, but it stuck with me. What does this mean? If you think about it, a lot of what we might complain about as being "problematic" or "annoying" or "frustrating" are things that we once wished for and dreamed of having in our lives.

Here are some examples:

I dream of having a job where I feel needed and can earn a living.

I dream of being married.

I dream of having a house.

I dream of having children and a family.

I dream of having a car.

I dream of making a difference in the world.

So, fast-forward a few years and you now have a job where you are needed, a home, a spouse, kids, a car, whatever those dreams were for you. What can easily happen is our daily complaining centers around caring for the things that we once dreamt of having in our lives :) Yep, I'm guilty of this too.

It can be easy to whine and complain about transporting kids to activities, doing yard work, about the mounds of laundry, about the pile of dishes, about taking the car in for an oil change, about going to work, the volunteering project, etc. The very things that we once upon a time dreamt of having in our life.

It's not that the reality isn't sometimes overwhelming, but what I've personally found is that it's not that the "reality" is really that problematic. Sure there are real struggles, challenges and suffering in life and I'm not trying to diminish or sweep them under the rug. However, it can be pretty easy to become fixated on the grind of life versus celebrating the beauty and richness of life and all that we have in it. This is where a gratitude practice is really helpful. It gives us perspective. It keeps our brains in check.

Instead we could be grateful for having a reliable vehicle that takes us where we need to go, that we have a washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, and running water to make our daily tasks so very much easier. Cherishing the loved ones in our lives and that we have things to care for and love and support. Celebrating and focusing our brains on the fabulous gifts, the dreams that became reality, and the amazing modern technology that helps us get things done with ease.

Remembering that most of today's problems were yesterday's dreams helps me keep perspective and appreciate. A pause where I can remember...oh yeah lucky me I wished for that, I dreamt of it, I worked hard for it, I am so grateful to have a life full of yesterday's dreams!

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How To Write Your Way To More Happiness

3/14/2017

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Do you journal? Journaling is something that I've been actively working on being more consistent at doing. A girlfriend of mine gave me a beautiful new journal and it's giving me incentive to get in there and write on a daily basis. What you may not know is that journaling is another tool for your happiness toolkit.

A journal is a place to write down your thoughts, your feelings, your experiences. A place to write down your story. A place to journal about your dreams and your plans. A place to express your appreciation and gratitude for the goodness in your life. A place to reflect. A place to savor the good. A place to notice the progress that you are making.

Research has shown that labeling your feelings and emotions through journal writing is healing, it's therapeutic and cathartic. There is something healing about getting those words down on paper and out of your head, so that your brain can stop ruminating about them. Telling the story that we record in our head.

In one study researchers established two groups. They asked the first group of individuals to talk about a negative experience. They asked the second group to write about a negative experience. The difference in the results between each group were significant. Journaling about a negative issue or thoughts versus just talking about it was proven to provide an increase in self-esteem and happiness.

The process of writing about an experience helps to put a story line to what you’re feeling. When the thoughts roll around in our head they just keep surfacing, being ignored, pushed back down, resurfacing, etc. over and over again. The act of labeling your thoughts, feelings and emotions has been proven to help diffuse their negative effect.

I've talked a lot about the benefits of having a gratitude practice. Keeping a journal of positive life experiences, things you are grateful for, has been shown to provide a large psychological benefit.

Researchers from Brigham Young and several other universities divided more than 100 people into groups, and asked everyone to keep a daily journal for four weeks. One group was instructed to write about positive experiences for which they were grateful, while another group was told to write generally about their day. Compared to people who wrote more generally, the grateful journal writers experienced significant boosts in happiness and life satisfaction. Writing in a journal helps us to savor the goodness, the positive experiences in life. This savoring enhances their impact.

Don't worry about it being perfect. Don't worry about your grammar, or your sentence structure, just go ahead and write. This is about you and it's for you only. It doesn't have to be special it just needs to capture what's on your mind, both the challenging life experiences and the positive life experiences. Journaling is another tool to add to the happiness toolkit.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Do you currently journal? What do you think about the idea of journaling bringing more happiness, self-esteem and life satisfaction? Drop me a comment or send me an email.

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Are You Feeling Restless?

3/6/2017

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Are you restless? Antsy? Feel like there is a void in your life? The feeling that you want to do more, that you NEED to do more? A lot of us are feeling a need to stand up for humanity, for decency, for kindness, for love.

Whether it's because of citizens living in poverty, homelessness and hunger, or because of the current political environment, or because of racial disparities, crime or terrorism, whatever your reasons, our reasons, many of us our feeling restless.

Part of why I am feeling restless is due to the continuous barrage of negative news. Is the onslaught of negative news getting you down? For me it's getting exhausting, overwhelming and down right negative and hard to continue to witness the news headlines, the endless social media posts, and related verbal commentary. For me, there is a fine line between fueling the fire with anger and in having your voice be heard.

As positive psychology researcher and author Michelle Gielan says, "We can focus on the problem, but it is equally important to move the brain onto discussion of what we can do about it. Getting the brain to see that there is another path forward and that your behavior matters in the face of challenges is the key to unlocking better health and happiness. The more you seek out inspiration and solutions, the more you fuel your success and that of the people around you."

I think we need more action and less reaction. As author Dottie Fuller recently wrote, "It is time to educate ourselves. It is time to get re-involved. It is time to make our voices heard proactively the right way, starting where we are. It is not the time to share articles that trigger us with the bait and switch headlines or un-researched, smart-ass memes that create more division." It's time to take action. Action instead of reaction.

The time for action is now. What action might look like for you is something that is personal and for you to decide. It depends on what you are passionate about and where your skills and interests lie.

An action-based solution that we can all begin to do today, which will make positive, impactful strides forward on all fronts is meditation. If you didn't see last week's post on the power of group meditation, I invite you to give it a read. It's a powerful intentional practice and a great addition to your activism.

Have hope and faith in the healing power of love and peace. The intention and activism of a small group of individuals is impactful. As Margaret Mead stated, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Stay tuned for more on the movement of bringing mindful love and peace to our communities. We will be organizing with the intention of creating change. Let me know if you would like to get involved.

I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on this post. Please drop me a comment or send me an email.

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The Power of 1%

2/28/2017

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What if 1% could make a difference? That's just 1 out of every 100 people. Wouldn't that be cool and amazing? Would that make you hopeful? Well, bring on the hope then because 1% can make a huge impactful difference! I want to share with you how this is possible and invite you to join in and help make a difference.

Research indicates that when 1% of a population regularly practices meditation (in particular Transcendental Meditation) it produces measurable improvements in the quality of life for the whole population. The collective consciousness is impacted. Crime rates in an area where 1% of a population regularly meditates has been found to significantly decrease. This phenomenon has been termed the Maharishi Effect after Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, or simply called the spill-over effect.

The Maharishi Effect says that when a certain number of people meditate together the coherence created in the energy field of the group is able to affect the collective consciousness of others in a constructive manner - at a local, national and worldwide level. If just 1% of a population's community practices meditation, the unified field or calming energy generated by that group would reach out and influence the rest of that community's population resulting in increased peace, harmony and happiness.

According to Maharishi, when people meditate together with unified good intentions, their alpha brain waves become synchronized or exhibit "coherence." The coherence of the brain waves causes others to receive the same properties in their subconscious mind.

Meditation not only positively impacts the person meditating, but its spill-over effect has a positive effect on the community as a whole. It's super cool to think that by meditating I can have a positive impact on not only myself and my immediate family, but also on the community in which I live. There are some awesome studies that demonstrate this amazing findings. In fact, over 600 studies have demonstrated this effect.

I invite and encourage you to be part of the 1%. I invite you to begin a meditation practice, if you don't already have one, and to begin practicing in group meditation. The time is now, it is needed in your community and the world now.

Every Tuesday from 6-7 pm group mediation is offered through Phitness Plus at the Badger Rock Neighborhood Center. It is a drop-in class. Through this powerful meditation group, you will discover a new way of thinking and living, a transformation that enriches your life and the lives of those around you. Information is located under both the "Upcoming Events" and the "Meditation" tabs on my website.

I also invite you to participate in a beautiful group meditation called The Circle of Sacred Activism that will begin on March 27th from 7:00-8:15 pm. It's being hosted by Perennial - Yoga, Wisdom, Community at their beautiful facility at 5500 East Cheryl Pkwy., Fitchburg, WI. The intention of the meditation circle is to bring together women and men who are ready to ignite, nurture and transmit their healing energy towards themselves and into a world that desperately needs it. Please join us and be part of the 1%!

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Spirit Love

2/21/2017

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Continuing on this month with the theme of LOVE, in this post I would like to focus on our Spirit love. What do I mean by Spirit love? in this post, my reference to Spirit love means the care and nurturing of our love of our own Spirit.

I firmly believe that our overall health, well-being and happiness is dependent on intentional practices that build a strong body, mind and spirit. If one of these areas is out of balance, it could limit your ability to thrive and to create an overall state of health and happiness.

Are you feeding your Spirit? What are you currently doing to nourish your Spirit? What does your Spirit long for? Does it long for ease, or connectivity, to expand and grow, to be creative, to be adventuresome, to be inspired, to love deeper, to explore more fully your hopes and dreams? Have you paused to notice? Is your Spirit starving for attention?

Here are a few ways to feed your Spirit:

Connect with something bigger than yourself. Ramp up your practice of meditation, prayer and spiritual reading. Practice being present and mindful. Building your spiritual practice will go a long way toward nourishing your Spirit.
Connect with nature. There is so much beauty in nature at all times of the year. Feel it's energy, bask in it's beauty, breathe in the healing oxygen and delicious smell, soak in the sounds. Allow yourself the time to connect with nature and feel its healing power. While connecting with nature, try practicing gratitude, some deep breathing, or a loving kindness meditation filling your mind, body and spirit with it's wonder and beauty.
Connect with supportive, positive, caring, growth-minded people. We are only as strong as the company that we keep. Your health and happiness are directly impacted by the 5 people that you most closely associate. Connecting with supportive, positive, caring, growth-minded people will nourish your Spirit and propel it to greater heights.
Do more of what you love and are passionate about. Knowing what fuels your Spirit, what you are passionate about and love to spend your time doing is not only important, but a deep spiritual practice. Regularly checking in with how you are doing balancing the things that matter most to you is a powerful way to feed your Spirit.
Connect to your breath. Just the act of being still and paying attention to our breath can go a long ways to feeding our Spirit. Jumping off the hamster wheel of life and pausing to breathe. So simple and yet so powerful.
Practice gratitude. My favorite, and one of the most powerful spiritual practices, is the practice of gratitude. Within it contains the ability to energize and fill your Spirit with hope, abundance and fullness.
Be of service to others. Practicing generosity and being of service to others is a great way to nourish and fill up our Spirit.

Pausing to notice how we can nourish and love our own Spirit is a wonderful expression of love. A strong and vibrant spiritual practice is a powerful way to maintain wellness.

I would love to hear your feedback on this post. What do you do to nourish your Spirit? Drop me a comment or send me an email.

Mark 6:31
Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourself to a quiet place and get some rest."

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Valentine Love

2/13/2017

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Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Valentine's Day invites us to love a little harder, a bit deeper, sweeter, kinder. It's an invitation to express our love more fully. An opportunity to connect with the loves of our life and sweeten their day with gestures of love, to whisper sweet nothings into their ear.

Valentine's Day is simply a time to pause and love a bit more, hug a little longer, kiss with more meaning, listen more intently, speak more clearly. To love with more intention.

If you are feeling lonely this Valentine's Day then I encourage you to reach out and to give love to someone else. Giving that of which we desire is a great way to have more of it come back to us. Being of service to others is a sure fire way to boost us up when we are feeling down.

Please consider this Valentine's Day intentionally extending your love to those who are in need. A random act of kindness, an act of love, can mean the world to someone in need. You never know who might need that gesture of kindness. People in need don't always look like they are in need, so why not go ahead and extend love out to everyone. Acts of kindness create ripples beyond measure.

May you open your heart wider today to wholehearted love. May you pull down the walls and live and love wholeheartedly.

May you open your heart wider today to Divine Love. May you feel it, embrace it and be inspired by it today. Wishing you love beyond measure this Valentine's Day and everyday.

"Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we have learned here. The spiritual journey is the relinquishment...or unlearning...of fear and the acceptance of love back into our hearts. Love is the essential existential fact. It is our ultimate reality and our purpose on earth. To be consciously aware of it, to experience love in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life." Marianne Williamson from A Return to Love.

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Choose Your Words Wisely

45 Life Lessons

Serenity, Hope, Faith

You Reap What You Sow

Most Of Today's Problems Were Yesterday's Dream

How To Write Your Way To More Happiness

Are You Feeling Restless?

The Power of 1%

Spirit Love

Valentine Love

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