Halloween candy is everywhere already, which means that the holidays are upon us! If we are lucky, we maintain an awa
It seems the speed of life has amped up again. Demands increase as kids return to school and the focus returns to work. Many got to experience some version of a summer break, and now we all feel the waining of summer weather and sense of the crisp weather that is just around the corner, perhaps after one last blast of Indian summer.
Work becomes so unimportant when someone is dying. Responsibilities get put to the side and priorities shift. I don’t regret this decision to set everything aside and focus on being fully present for my friend one little bit.
Now, with lessons learned and having felt the initial wave of grief, it seems time again to pick up where I left off, although life is not completely the same. I am a better person by having stepped into the uncertainties that come with illness, death, and loss because I chose whole-heartedly to become a part of an experience most people avoid if at all possible.
It was far from easy. I was stretched and expanded by my dance with the decline and loss of my dear friend. Marye also was my collaborative playmate The gift Marye left with me is a heightened awareness that my work has a worthwhile purpose. I also learned that Marye and I are connected far beyond time and space as we know it.
It is clear to me that the primary intention of my work is not to make money, although
What I experienced on my summer vacation with Marye reminded me of a few essential beliefs and insights we held in common that I am compelled to share with you to make the world a little easier place to be at a time that it feels upside-down:
Love is the answer to every question.
Loving ‘what is’ as if it is a child that needs your attention saves precious energy.
Life is short and precious. Don’t waste a moment of it.
What you resist, persists.
Don’t dwell on the past you can not change or the future that may not happen the way you imagine.
Spend time in stillness and allow answers to emerge from there.
To be free, let go of your old story.
Give AND receive generously.
Believe there is enough, you are enough and be love everywhere you go through collaboration, not competition.
Live love and a verb.
Forgive quickly.
Don’t give your power over to fear.
Be grateful for everything, even the messy stuff.
Be open to everything, and attached to nothing.
Be authentic, honest, and kind.
Look for miracles and blessings, even in the most bittersweet moments.
Trust that love transcends time and space.
You may have your fears, but don’t let your fears have you.
It is best to make friends with uncertainty because control is an illusion.
Despite our differences, we all share one thing in common. We are all born, and we will all die. No one gets out of this lifetime alive! We can either live until we die or die until we die. That choice is ours!
I used to be paralyzed by my fear of death until I realized it was not death I really feared, but facing the uncertainties of this world and living fully despite unknowns. I have come to a point where I am willing to risk the unknowns. I am certain I would rather live one day fully than years and years of playing small limited by old stories, and wasting the time I have here at the mercy of fear just to play it safe.
Magic happens when you surrender and leap. I have experienced the power that comes from daring to live fully believing the Universe is friendly. I know from my near-death experience that love really is all there is! Sometimes I forget or falter, and then I rise again even stronger remembering that every moment can be meaningful if I train my eyes to see it. I do what I can to design both my personal life and my work life around this knowing, using love as my compass and I use the energy and power of words channeled through my art to share that with you to upright our upside-down world.
Available on my website, I have created many meaningful products, designed to spread the power of love and make every moment matter, even the messy ones. The Healing Heart Cards and the Day Planner, Calendar and Reflection Guide for perfect 20/20 vision in 2020 are especially meaningful because they were keepsake products created with Marye.
If one calls to you, gift yourself. We so often tend to put ourselves last.
And then, if you have someone special in your life that you would like to acknowledge, don’t wait. Gift them with something special.
I promise there is nothing but love in every product.
Always, I am showering you with love!