To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter; to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life. — John Burroughs
This is where you shall find me for the next 10 mornings — on my dock, greeting the sun, taking in its energy, connecting with its essence, recognizing our sameness.
Nature teaches us so much about ourselves. It nourishes. It delights.
It calls us home.
photo credit: khalid almasoud
We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn.
Henry David Thoreau
photo credit: Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton
pretty flower I be
blossoming I am
steps I take
paths I walk
love I give
light I live.
photo credit: Matt McGee
I’ve been doing it a lot lately…. typing ‘Good Morning’ but accidently forgetting the second ‘o’.
It’s a God Morning… don’t you think?
photo credit: gari.baldi
What a fabulous picture! Enjoy a beautiful serene day.
Hello my friends! Hope you had an amazing Canada Day yesterday. Here’s a maple leaf smile for you. And for those of you in the U.S., an early Happy July 4th! Much is unfolding in my world these days! I’ve begun writing daily affirmations and emailing them to myself. It’s amazing how a few intentional words can powerfully shape my day. Soon, I’ll make these affirmations available to you too. You’ll be able to sign up and receive them in your inbox, if that speaks to you.
I’ve been asked to speak at a teacher’s conference in Saskatchewan next May. How exciting! The conference theme is “Empowering the Dream” — right up my alley. I quickly accepted this engagement.
Then I had my own process with it. What are my dreams? Am I actively living them?
Kinda, was my response. But, I could tell, ‘kinda’ didn’t cut it for me.
‘Empowering the Dream’ is such a great theme for this conference and our lives. We all have dreams. The question is, what power are we bringing to our dreams? Are we feeding our dreams with our finest creative fuel or are we handing them our left-over, half-spent energy? Do we believe in ourselves and in Spirit enough to allow our dreams to unfold, or are we squashing them with fears, doubts and limiting beliefs? Will we pursue a dream just because it matters deeply to us?
It’s a whole new game when our lives are dedicated to living our dreams. What one action will you take today to empower your dream?
Today I am struck with the beauty of life — the blissful unfolding, the learnings and the ordinary miracles. I love synchronicities and heart connections. I love to laugh and cry. Then I know I’m truly alive.
If I look at my life in the last few months, it’s been rich beyond belief — the full monty of experiences. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I feel like a big chunk has been shed and a new lightness has me skipping.
What about you?
photo credit: Roger Smith
I’ve had a major breakthrough!
But not the kind you might expect. I was driving home yesterday on the highway and not five minutes from my home, I heard this big
I looked up to see my sunroof had exploded. Shattered glass went flying into the sky and danced on the road behind me. Some fell into the car on me. I peered up cautiously again.
What the “bleep” just happened? What just came flying at me directly from above????
I was completely stunned. I couldn’t figure it out. It didn’t seem like a rock hit it. It’s like the pressure had gotten so intense that the sunroof window reached its breaking point.
And then POW, it released, without any warning.
Hmmm… a perfect reflection.
Luckily most of the glass flew out of the car, not in. Luckily Hanna wasn’t with me.
(But we know luck has nothing to do with it. Don’t we?)
I came home to discover that the window will cost $1,000 to replace. Then 5 minutes later I received an email from a joint venture that I’ll need to invest another $4500 in one of my investments. All of this in a month where I’m practicing financial serenity!!!
I sat even more stunned. Shannon, this was the SAME afternoon you and I had lunch. HOLY! For the rest of you, I spoke very vulnerably with Shannon about my current truths surrounding money.
Then another email lands on my laptop.
When we attach value to things that aren’t love — the money, the car, the house, the prestige — we are loving things that can’t love us back. We are searching for meaning in the meaningless. Money, of itself, means nothing. Material things, of themselves, mean nothing. It’s not that they’re bad. It’s that they’re nothing.
—Excerpted from A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles by Marianne Williamson
By this time, I’m almost in disbelief that this can all happen on the same day! I’m struck with the timing of it all. Okay Spirit, I’m listening… But can you please tone down the drama?
And instantly I feel myself breaking through.
The drama originates within you, Paula.
You know those funhouses at the fair with the distorted mirrors? They’d make you look wider, shorter, taller or stretch your head two feet higher. It was so fun to see. You would even laugh. Why? Because you knew it was just a distortion and not real.
My favourite mirror was in our old house. It made everyone look thinner! My dad loved it, especially when he was trying to lose weight.
Our minds our like funhouses — full of mirrors that distort reality. Sometimes, the distortion can work in our favour making life look most fabulous (well actually, life is fabulous — no distortion required!), and sometimes it can serve to ’squash’ our reality.
Which mirror are you looking into today?
