How do you determine if something is right or wrong? Who makes that decision? Is it based on what general society thinks? Religion? Opinions? Or do we just conform and put more unnecessary pressure on ourselves? I will admit I used to see things as black and white...but the last few years have really opened my eyes. I have known people to do things that I would AND was taught to label as "wrong". Honestly, I don't know what to think or how to feel but one thing for sure is...it's not my place to judge. I am not saying that we should go around purposely hurting one another or looking the other way when someone is in the need of help. I do believe we are here to help and support each other but in some situations...there are absolutely no clear right or wrong answers. This is real life though. Things can't always be filed in pretty little labeled boxes. Life is full of twists and turns and decisions. Each individual has to decide what works for them. After all, they are the ones who have to deal with the outcome. I guess nobody can really decide unless they are in a particular situation......

I would truly like to know other's views on this topic. Perhaps we can all learn something?

A few weeks ago I had an amazing thing happen to me. I was at the drive thru of a coffee shop waiting for my peppermint hot chocolate (I am not much of a coffee drinker). As the server opened the window to hand me my beverage, I held out my money to pay for the drink. She told me that my drink was already paid for. I know I had a look of shock on my face. The words didn't make sense to me at that moment. All I thought was...what?  She then explained that the man in the vehicle behind me was paying for my drink...that he wanted to "pay it forward". It was such an unexpected surprise!! Up until that point, my day wasn't going very well and I wasn't in the best of moods.  After I snapped out of my temporary shock, I waived a thank you to him in acknowledgment of his kind gesture. All of a sudden, I could feel the positive energy circulating around me, brightening my mood. I could tell he felt very good too as he waived back to me in excitement. I couldn't see his face but I know he was smiling back at me. I could also tell it affected the server in a positive way. She had a big grin on her face and seemed genuinely pleased to be a part of it all. With just that single moment of kindness, if affected all of us in a positive way. One thing I do know for certain, the positive energy the three of us shared, transferred to those around us.  This was a reminder to me from the universe of how one act of kindness can not only change a mood but can help others as well. Now it is my turn to "pay it forward". I hope others will join me.

Sending love and light

Have you ever been in a really good mood then all of a sudden it changes without warning? Or have you ever felt a strong emotion and not know why and later find out that someone close to you was having this same emotion due to a circumstance in their life? Sometimes this can also occur when I am around complete strangers.  In recent years I have been more aware of how other people's energies can affect me in a positive or negative manner. I can recall times when I was in a great mood only to feel completely drained and unpleasant after hanging out with someone who was angry or sad. It would often take me a few days to bounce back. I also know that I am one of those people who will change my energy to match that of someone else without realizing it. This can be very dangerous for me. I have my own issues to deal with and to take on someone else's negative energy makes things tougher on me. Luckily, there are great people in my life that have wonderful, happy, and positive energies. I always feel so refreshed after spending time with them either in person or simply talking to them on the phone. I know you can't avoid negative people in daily life. All of us have our good and bad days. But one thing for sure is to practice monitoring how you are feeling...especially when you are around certain people. If someone is always bringing you down; you may want to limit your contact with this person. Or at the very least visualize a bright, white, positive and protective light around you to help you from being impacted by the negative energies. I find that this has been a tremendous help to me. I hope it helps you as well!!! I would love to hear how you handle these types of situations. I'm sure there are many great ways in dealing with different energies in general.


I am sending love and light out to you all. May you be surrounded by positive energies!!!! Big hugs and smiles :o)

Give yourself permission to:

Be yourself
Love yourself
Forgive yourself
Live your dreams
Be different
Be happy
Live life without limits
Be the best you can be
Enjoy life
Embrace your flaws
Be loved
Be cherished
Be free
Say no
Ask for help when needed
Feel worthy
Live in the moment
Show emotion
Celebrate everyday
See that you are beautiful
But most of all....to be YOU!!!!!!!

I have so many things to be grateful for!!! The list is infinite. But here is one thing I am extremely grateful for:

I have been reflecting on my spiritual journey and thought about the wonderful people that have come into my life....even if just for a moment. I'm sure that most of the time they are unaware of what a positive impact they have had on my life. One example is when I felt moments of sadness, confusion, or even felt a bit lonely; I would receive an email from someone out of the blue letting me know they were thinking of me or simply saying hello. It's amazing just what a few nice words can do for somebody's day. There have been other occasions when strangers have reached out to help me - sometimes just giving me a piece of a puzzle to help me accomplish a goal. The fact they took time to help me in some small way has made me see just how kind and loving people can be....even if they don't know you. All of these individuals have inspired me to want to do the same. I hope that I touch others lives in a positive way as well. I am very grateful to have had a chance to meet all of these compassionate and caring people. After all, it's a rewarding feeling when you are able to help others - in return the love gets reflected back to you. It's a win-win situation for all involved.

I am grateful for the people who are reading this. I hope it makes you see how much you matter to others and the universe, YOU are important and YOU are a wonderful gift to this world!!!

Regrets and past mistakes...who doesn't have them? I used to cringe when I would think of less than perfect times from my past. I would wonder why I made such stupid mistakes. I often thought about them and would go over in my mind of how I could have avoided them....even though they were in the past. I held onto the negative effects and tortured myself.  I now realize they were opportunities to learn valuable lessons and have made me the person I am today. Would I go back and change anything? My answer used to be "yes" but I have since changed my answer to "no way". I never thought I would say that! I know that if I had not experienced some of my past troubles, I might not have discovered my spiritual side. I am very thankful for everything I have experienced - good or bad. The bad experiences were very challenging at times and I often wondered if I would make it through them. But I recognized that growing pains tend to be difficult...and yes...painful... but that's how you grow. I am a much stronger person because of them and I have much more compassion and empathy for others. I'm not saying that I wish or long for troubles to find me; I just know that's part of being human and you can't always avoid negative experiences. Usually, after some time has passed you can look back and see the lessons that were there. You have a choice......you can be a victim or turn it around to better yourself. So.....why not make the best of it and turn a negative into a positive?!!!

One of the hardest battles you will ever fight is the battle to be yourself. At least that's true for me. I spent many years worrying about what others thought of me. Always trying not to upset or offend anyone.  I was always in search of approval from someone. I was hiding my true self from others because I was afraid of not being accepted. I never felt "good enough" because I was trying to be what others wanted me to be. I wasted a lot of energy in doing so - that was energy I could have used to further my dreams instead.  I don't remember when or how this all started. Maybe it's just part of being human. Nobody wants to be judged, harshly criticized or made fun of. I think we learn this early in life so that we can "blend" and appear "normal". But by whose standards? Why should we care so much about what others say or think about us?

I had to make a conscious effort to overcome this (actually, it's something that I'm still working on). Nowadays I focus on what makes me happy. What makes me "ME". This is one of the ways I know I can be a better person for the people in my life and the rest of the world. If I'm happy, the people around me tend to be happier. This cycle continues all over the universe. There is enough misery in the world - we don't need to spread more. Sure, people will disagree with me, judge me or even hate me but I know I have no control over them. I can only control myself. What they think of me is none of my business. I direct my attention to the people who like, love and support me.  I am very grateful for these people. If others don't like me for who I am - then they don't need to know me. I can let them go. It's not always easy but what else can you do? I don't want to change "me" and pretend to be something that I'm not. I accept it and move on because I really love the person I am (and becoming). That's all that really matters anyway....what you think of yourself. So shine on!!

Have you ever stopped to think about the people in your life and how each person has contributed something to your life? I've been pondering this question quite a bit lately. You never know how people you meet will impact your life now and in the future. Some people seem to come in and out of my life and others are more active in my life. Either way, they have all given me a piece of a puzzle or have helped me to the next stage in my life. The funny thing is- it appears that they are not fully aware of how helpful they have been to me. Sometimes it's just a simple statement they have made that inspires me. Others have put me in touch with other individuals that could give me vital pieces of information. I have even had complete strangers help me in ways that they could not possibly realize. For instance, recently on a trip to Las Vegas, I sat next to a very nice woman on the airplane. I was so excited to get to my destination that I was not in the mood to be stuck on an airplane. We began to talk right away. We had similar interests in movies and the theatre. She gave me an abundance of information on the arts (something that I have not been partaking in but wanted to seek more actively). Since we were talking so much; the plane ride went by in a blink of an eye. I was so thankful. I even helped to keep her mind off the plane ride as she admitted she was terrified of flying. We both helped each other in that moment. Life is great that way. Realizing and knowing all of this makes me more conscious of my actions and behaviors. I'm hoping that I am helping others too.

For all of you that have touched my life....I want to express my gratitude and let you know how very special you are to me. Thank you!

Why do most of us find it so difficult to be patient? I believe there is perfect timing for everything. The universe always aligns people, places and opportunities for you. However, I still get caught up in wanting things to happen when I think they should happen. I get frustrated and the feeling of doubt starts to creep into my mind. I am getting better at catching my thoughts and getting back into the present moment. It's a very helpful practice because it helps me to be much calmer and focused on the now. I certainly do not want the good things in life to pass me by. 

I can say that there have been times that I wanted a particular event to happen right away, but turned out better by giving it a little time. I do believe in the law of attraction but things don't always fall into the place the way we think they should or when they should. This is not for us to decide. I am really striving to just let things flow naturally. I find when I do this I feel more at ease and things fall into place. I know that when I have tried to push things to happen now, it backfires on me (which has led to many disappointments and unpleasant feelings). But when I release the tight grasp I have; the things I want have always worked out for me. I know this happens because I have let go of the negative energy holding me back.

So my advice is to smile, breathe and live in the moment :o)

I am curious why many of us feel that we need validation from others. Why do we care some much about what others think? Where did all of this start? This kind of thinking puts an enormous amount of pressure on a person. Just think of all the great inventions that would not have been discovered if the individuals had listened to everyone else who thought their ideas were crazy. I have spent many years worrying about what people think of me. This is something I am still working on. Some days I really don't care - other days I worry myself to sleep. I guess it just depends on who is giving me the feedback. I usually get over it but it can take a few days and a lot of internal dialog to fix my anxieties. Besides I'm usually my own worst critic anyway. Another unhealthy habit that many of us have.

While I think people can provide you with informative feedback about yourself from time to time. It doesn't mean that they are necessarily right or wrong. Sometimes this information can be helpful to you. You may even learn a little about yourself along the way. I just know that worrying won't do you any good; even if the feedback is negative. I say you should just keep marching on and don't internalize the words into self destructing weapons. Who knows what great things you will accomplish by making your own path in the world? You don't need others to determine what is right or wrong for you. Only you yourself can make that determination.

What others say about you doesn't matter - it's what you think about yourself that really counts. If you're happy, you will make others around you happy. This benefits everyone you come into contact with. I believe happiness spreads joy all over the universe.