Subject: You

“The act of naming the world, in ways uniquely your own, 

is one way to spark the creative energy 

that lives inside each human being.”  

- Rebecca McClanahan

I came across this quote in a magazine this week. It felt so relevant following my last post about being comfortable in one’s own skin. Spend some time alone. Learn to like yourself. Enjoy doing things with yourself. Make time for just yourself. You will see that a great fire burns within – the fire of imagination and creativity. We keep so busy being accountable that we forget to circle back and look within. Children have it but we spend a lifetime dulling that fire. What if we made room for it again? For possibility? For creativity?

Joy is contagious!

I was reading a story about two moms and their children hiking through an old garden. As they climbed through the overgrown paths in the early morning mist, they tried to keep their eager children close. A child’s voice yelled as they came towards the end of the path, "Look! There's a stream. And look at that tree!” As the children rushed ahead to get a closer look, the early morning sunlight was breaking through the thick branches of the tree, making it appear even more grand. Its deeply etched roots and thick storied bark let them all know that this was not an ordinary tree. This tree had lived through many seasons of life yet still stood strong.  With pure joy, some of the children rested under its majestic limbs while others started climbing to seek new horizons.  It was indeed a 'treasure tree.' 

We often forget during our busy days to look up and see the simple pleasures and joyous discoveries around us.  On a recent late afternoon walk, I ran into my friend Paul.  We had not seen each other in a while so we began to share about our lives and our families.  During our conversation, I told Paul that I was working on a piece about the simplicity of joy, and about finding joy in all things. “How easy it is for us to forget or get lost in all the noise and distractions around us!” said Paul.  “We should just stop for a moment and observe the many joyous gifts around us. I mean, just look at this sunset!” We paused and took in the unique colors of the sunset, its wispy blues and rusty yellows, and contemplated the fact that each night is a different painting made expressly for our joy.

So often we take these gifts for granted. Slow down and allow the childlike discoveries of our surroundings to fill our hearts with joy. The more we allow joy to be part of our daily lives, the more joy is contagious. Pass on the gift of joy to others!

Welcome Spring!

As we welcome in the Spring season, enjoy new beginnings and appreciate your surroundings!
Have a wonderful and peaceful holiday weekend.
Keep following your heart and living your dreams!

How to Be a Green Leaf

Longer days are an invitation to get outside. All those new buds make me brim with anticipation and excitement for more growth ahead.

Practice being a green leaf by taking part in nature. Get outside -- whether you live in the city, by the coast or in the country, take a walk outside. Make it longer than usual or try a new route just to heighten your senses. Even better, invite a friend.

Marvel at the beauty of nature -- its cycles and the evolving color palette throughout the day and throughout this month.

This is a great time to plant some seeds and watch them grow! Spring is in the air, green leaf! Opportunities are there for the taking!

Be A Green Leaf in Drought

There are so many joys I find in gardening: the discovery of life in a new blossom, the first burst of rose buds in the spring, and that grand tree, dormant for winter, finally stretches and releases fresh green leaves. The doves coo in the quiet dawn mornings as the butterflies practice the choreography of the season.

I often write about gardening because it teaches me so much about life.  Most of all, it has taught me to slow down the day and avoid list-making in order to truly take in the moments that nature created for us to enjoy.

Because of my love for gardening,  I have become fascinated with garden stories and metaphors.  Many refer to the garden for cultural significance while others look to the garden for spiritual understanding.

During a recent trip to Asia, I became fascinated with the green leaf. Its design was on clothing, jewelry and notebooks. It was everywhere— an icon of new life, good luck and good health.  

When I returned home, I came across a book, Green Leaf in Drought by Isobel Kuhn, a true story about the lives of missionaries who traveled in the most eastern part of China during the early 1950s. It documented their lives and the many trials they faced trying to be "green leaves" during many seasons of drought, loss and sadness.  The story of their lives touched my heart.

We all go through droughts such as loss, uncertainty and sadness during the seasons of life and yet, through these challenging times, there is always hope for newness.

How To Be a Green Leaf in Drought

- Find a time in your day to refill yourself with something you enjoy.

- Play some music, sketch, take a walk, read, putter in the garden, try a new recipe or set some time aside to just sit, be still and breathe.

- Once you refill the soil of your soul, you will discover the newness of life that gives you strength to continue to shine. You will have the strength to continue to grow through all seasons. You are a green leaf.

- Plant a seed of encouragement to help others who may be going through a drought.

Lend a Helping Hand

Remember to be helpful this time of year. 

Helping is Healing, Empowering, Loving, Peaceful!

Three things to be thankful for

November is a magical month for me. The month opens a wonderful season of giving -- around the globe. Like the trees that give us magical colors this time of year, we come out of our "me" cocoons, spread our wings and share. We look out rather than look in. 

We think about others. We are helpful. We extend a hand. 

Here's my best advice for November. 

Name three things to be thankful for. 

Do this right now. Do this every day for the month of November. 

Don’t make it complicated. Take in the essence of what is surrounding you. 

The power of this exercise will stay with you long after November has passed. 

Where will this season take you?

I am reminded of Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling, when a swan egg accidentally rolls into a duck's nest. Fate unfolds unfortunately for the duckling who feels ostracized then faces hardship and solitude. When Spring arrives, he throws himself in with a flock of swans, expecting to be attacked, but when he sees his reflection, he realizes he is one of them.

The swan always reminds me that personal transformation for the better is always possible!

Embrace Change

Why do we avoid change?

So often we look at change as negative.  Yes, change is not always a choice; it may be a loss, or something we had not anticipated to take place in our lives.  How much my life has changed this last year and, even more recently, these last several months! And though some of the changes seemed to be ever so difficult, many of the changes have really helped me to grow, learn and stretch myself in new directions.

The more I welcome and embrace change as a gift of opportunity, I find I actually think differently. Change simply means not getting “stuck” in the routine.

Every six months, I like to do a self-assessment to make sure that I am tuned into the changes that are happening around me so that I am still reaching and growing. It’s a lot like pruning and cleaning a garden to keep it fresh and healthy through the seasons. During a process of change, take a moment to be quiet and listen.  You’ll start to enjoy the new precisely because it is different! 

As we begin to welcome in the cooler air and rich colors of the autumn season, I encourage all of us to embrace the many changes ahead as a positive experience of “newness”—a refresh and refill for one’s soul.