Good morning ♡

As you know, I love to read Iyanla’s stories & inspirationals, & today’s Thoughtful Thursday post is inspired by one of the stories she shared. This particular story was on my heart, a story that may help us understand the process of when we can’t seem to find our Peace, how to get back to it. In one of her books, she shared a story about a farmer’s dog who sat on the porch, whimpering in pain. The farmer didn’t help/move the dog, & when entertaining his local priest one Sunday afternoon, the priest asked the farmer: “Why does he whimper so? Why doesn’t he move?” Sometimes things bring us such unrest but we stay in it. Why? You see, the dog’s paw was on a nail, & the farmer had tried to get him to move but to no avail. The farmer answered, “It doesn’t hurt bad enough yet.” So simple yet so profound. We may be in a place that causes us such turmoil, such confusion, & yet we stay in that one place. A lot of times it’s Fear, fear that if we shift position we may hurt more, that we may be worse off than we were. Sometimes it will feel like that, at first, but you will be surprised at how moving out of our comfort zones, even the ones that are leading us nowhere, we will come to see that we are stronger than we ever thought we were. Sometimes, we just haven’t gotten to the point of having enough of pain, confusion or whateverit is that is disrupting your Peace uet. That was the message of the story, that although it hurts & causes us unrest, we haven’t reached that point of enough is enough. We may be close, but I firmly believe that as Life teaches us lessons at all times, there is usually something we still need to learn before we get the point of needing to change our situations. What’s keeping you back from that change? As with everything, Love yourself through it. Be patient with yourself as you go through the tumultuous waves of emotions & solutions th at pop up. When the time comes for you to make a move you will know. Your Spirit will make you aware. That’s why giving it Love will help because without that, the darkness of that place of hurt & despair will keep you in the dark & unable to see what you need to do & when you need to do it. When it hurts bad enough, you’ll move♡ Love yourself & be yourself. Peace & Love ♡ ☆

“Coming out of your comfort zone is tough in the beginning, chaotic in the middle, and awesome in the end…because in the end, it shows you a whole new world!! Make an attempt..”-Manoj Arora

Good morning ♡

The ebbs & flows of life can have us feeling like two sides of the same coin, don’t they? One day, the sun is shining & your future looks so bright. The next, the rain clouds are so dark, you can literally feel the tornado brewing in your soul. Life’s troubles tend to make us feel as though Almighty has forgotten us. That negative voice in our head starts messing with us, telling us that we are not Love, that we are not Peace, that what we have done in the past is so terrible that we can never be forgiven, that it’s a waste of time to strive for more & better within yourself & with others. But as we were created to live, we live. Until the day comes where we transition into our other lives, we live. Our light shines despite the clouds that try to overshadow us. Ever notice how a tree tends to bow it’s branches when the clouds show up, but lifts all its branches when the warm returns? Like the trees, so are we. Deep within, we have that Light, that warmth, that Peace that gives us hope, that Almighty hasn’t left us but has always been right there on the inside. How do we activate this light, you ask? Put on your happy face & smile like you have no worries. Trust me, I know that even smiling through the pain will make tears fall like rain. I’ve been there, & sometimes I find myself there from time to time. By putting my phyiscial in a position to show my light, by walking in confidence, I reflect that Peace that is in my heart & soul, pushing it through & creating that vibration of Peace everywhere I go & with everyone I meet. Even if you want to break down & scream, do so if you have to, & then pick up the pieces & face towards the sunshinie 🙂 Love yourself & be yourself. Peace & Love ♡ ☆

” After every storm the sun will smile; for every problem there is a solution, and the soul’s indefeasible duty is to be of good cheer.”- William R. Alger

Good afternoon ♡

We are all works in progress. We are forever growing, forever learning something new (or relearning something we maybe forgot from a long time ago). Remember this on this beautiful weekend when your negative ego tries to bring you down. Learn from what happened & from what is happening, & move forward in Love for Self, as this flows into every area of your life. Have a lovely weekend 🙂 Peace & Love ♡ ☆

“You are allowed to be both a masterpiece &  a work in progress, simultaneously. ” – Sophia Bush

Good morning ♡
We teach people how to treat us….class is now in session. Love yourself & be yourself. Peace & Love ♡ ☆

Good afternoon ♡

I hope everyone had a great weekend & enjoyed Father’s Day 🙂

Some of my fondest Daddy memories stem from the smallest,most every day things. As a kindergartner, I remember that my pick up time had come when the sound of my dad’s cowboy boots could be heard click-clocking down the hall. I’d run to the doors and run into his arms screaming, “Daddy!!!!” He would chuckle, smile big & wide, scoop me up in his arms & say, “Danielle D!” say, & all my 4 & 5yr old kid troubles of the day seemed like nothing anymore. He’d always have a snack for me & we would chat about our day on the ride home. The exchange seems so small now, & this among many other memories stay with me to this day, but it made a lasting impression with me about much the little things mean.  Now, I watch my daughter do it: “Grandpa!!!” & he says the same thing he would say to me: “Nia!!!” I watch as her face lights up when she sees her daddy as well, that look of unconditional love, that daddy is the best man in the world.

As girls, we look to our dads to show us how to be treated by other men. We not only watch how they are with us, we also observe how they are with our mothers, aunties, grandmothers, etc. We take that into our adult lives & hope that the good we saw in out daddy then, is the good we consciously & subconsciously see in the men who love us in adulthood. We may have uncles & other male figures in our lives, but there is something about Daddy that sets the bar for our expectations & requirements. As a woman, I can’t comment too much on how men look to their fathers, but I can definitely say, that the same way women look at their fathers to teach them how men treat a lady & what a man is like, is the same way boys look to their fathers, to teach them how to be men, how to love & protect your family look out for your siblings & friends, how to love their women. That being said,the role of the father is just as important as the role of the mother, that his consistent presence & direction provides the balance needed to go through life with a stability that doesn’t leave one questioning parts of who they are.

Fathers, we need you. Fathers, we love you. Have a blessed day my loves! Love yourself & be yourself. Peace & Love ♡ ☆

“A son’s first hero…a daughter’s first love.”- anonymous

Good morning ♡

I came across this story, & I think I saw this before, but in any case, it’s refreshing to see this type of compassion taking place. Meet Minu Pauline, a young woman who left her “cushy” bank job to pursue her goals of opening her own restaurant. Sadly to her surprise,she noticed there were a large amount of homeless people digging in her trash looking for food to eat. She made a decision at that time to make accessing food for them a lot easier (& more dignified). Minu set up a fridge outside her restaurant, Pappadavada in Kochi, India. From her restaurant, she puts left over food in the fridge to allow people in need to come & take what they need. Since setting it up in 2013, the fridge has become a huge success. Community members are also welcome to contribute as well. Minu has even mamed the fridge, “Nanma Maram,” meaning “tree of goodness” or “virtue tree,” & stays open 24/7.

I found this to be so inspiring. This woman, not only followed her own dreams of owning & running her own restaurant, she saw a need in her community & made moves to meet it. Sometimes we see things that require attention & we think maybe we are not equipped to meet the need. We underestimate ourselves & our true power to actually make things happen. Whatever it is in your life, big or small, make the moves you need to make things happen. Baby steps are better than none, & of course you will run into obstacles (or as I like to say, stepoing stones), that will test your will & strength, but we were made by Divine energy, Divine power, & we really can do anything. Remember this as you go about your day today, that your energies, your thoughts, words, & actions, create the environment you live in. Let’s contribute to making it a good one, as the vibrations we send out are not only what comes back to us but also affects those around us ♡ What have you seen lately that requires attention that you can possibly contribute to?

Visit http://www.upworthy.com/a-woman-saw-hungry-people-digging-in-her-restaurants-trash-so-she-put-a-fridge-outside to read more about Minu Pauline 🙂

Love yourself & be yourself. Peace & Love ♡ ☆

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us.”-Marianne Williamson

Good morning ♡

Tuesday Talks:

The tragedies of this weekend where more than 50 people lost their lives & even more injured, sparks many questions about what goes through the minds of those who perpetrate these crimes. What makes someone so angry & full of hate that they would take it upon themselves to take the life another? On a deeper level, what is that person missing in their own life?

The importance of living with a daily spiritual practice is taken for granted. We know that our Creator is everywhere, but we tend to forget that we need to stay connected. But prayer, going to church (if that’s what you do), & other similar ways are not the only way to keep that connection. They are very important, & please don’t get me wrong now. I believe that having a solid prayer practice,as well as meeting with others who share some of the same Spiritual values as you (not nessecarily in a traditional church setting, but even a simple gathering & meeting od the minds, does wonders for the Spirit), meditation, & learning other positive ways to stay connected to Spirit. But let us not forget spreading that around to those we encounter on the daily. We get stressed, we get lost in our own problems, but as part of the Human family, we also need to remember that others may have it worse. Someone may have just lost a loved one as those in Orlando did on Saturday night, or may have been served an eviction notice, lost their job….we don’t know. So spread some Peace. Share a smile. Pay for someone’s coffee behind you in line if you can. Hold the door instead of rushing off to your destination. It’s the little things that mean so much & can make the day for another person. Sometimes it can save someone from possibly ending their life, thinking thay no one cares, but your smile or simple compliment made them reconsider.

The World needs Love. The more of it we give,the more it we will receive. My prayers are with those who lost their lives recently, in Orlando & around the World, & that somehow, a difference be made to spread Love & not hate. Love yourself & be yourself. Peace & Love ♡ ☆

“Love is the cure, yes, love is the remedy”- Shi Wisdom

Good morning ♡

Happy Friday! Hope & Faith are more than just waiting for something favorable to happen. It’s the positive energy you give yourself, knowing that whatever the outcome, you will be okay. It’s the positive action that you put forth while allowing the work to take place behind the scenes, knowing the Universe responds to what you give out & Almighty working in your best interests. So whatever it is that you are hoping for, do your best to keep your head up & Love yourself through the process. It will help ease the anxieties that tend to weigh you down & help keep your frown upside down! 🙂 Have a great weekend everyone! Love yourself & be yourself. Peace & Love ♡ ☆

“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” -Paul Coelho

Good morning ♡

A lot of times, it’s when we reach a certain level of pain, wounded-ness, despair, & feeeling fed up, thay we truly begin looking for answers. There may be something you’re going through or have gone through & you haven’t fully healed yet. The wounds are still visible to you & hurt like heck. It’s during these times that we truly begin to seek ways to uplift ourselves. We go in search of a better way to deal with what troubles us. Sometimes, the right things find us. All in all, during the times of our hurt & sadness is when we begin to feel & see the light of Love shining from within that has been with us all along. If you remember nothing else, remember this: a wound that is healing turns to a scab, which gets cracked & letting in light, & in its own time, it falls off, revealing new skin underneath. This new skin is ready to weather any storm, but is still fresh and requires tender care to toughen up and join the rest of the experienced skin cells. Take that as part of your lessons in life, that pain may come but it doesn’t last. If we let it heal & let the Love light shine in, we can become more ready to face the World we live in, one day a time. Love yourself& be yourself. Peace & Love ♡ ☆

“The wound is the place where light enters”-Rumi

Good morning ♡

Sometimes we are our worst critics. We judge ourselves & our actions so harshly that we miss the lesson we are meant to learn from the experience. In my day to day readings, I recently came across the concept if the Negative Ego. The Negative Ego replays the negative self judgements we have of ourselves, some the we are aware of & others we have hidden deep within that we may have even forgot they exist. This can cause us to block out the importnat messages of Peace with who are & the decisions we make, of knowing that what we do or not do,say or not say, is a way to help us learn more about who we truly are & to embrace that. How many of us can relate to this: comparing ourselves to others &trying to live up to someone else’s standards of how they live or how they think we should live? How many if us can relate to setting unrealistic goals for yourself & then beating yourself up when you don’t totally follow through? I know I can totally relate to both, & reading up on the Negative Ego is helping me to understand that those negative self talks & harsh judgements are doing nothing but hold me back from learning about the REAL me. Reflecting on our words & actions are important for development of self. We look back on things in attempts to understand why. Guilt & shame tend to try & poke their heads in. Sometimes we let them in, wollowing with them, thinking less & less of oursleves. But when we remember that we are human, bound to make mistakes, it’s the first step in self Forgiveness, leading us to move on in a clearer direction & path. There’s no need for negative self talk like “I’m so stupid,” “Why did I do that? ” “They are going to think I’m…..” & so on & so on. We can choose to think & feel more positive, telling ourslevs that we are “worthy”, that we are “beautiful “, that we will go through rough patches but they will turn around for the better & we will be okay. It is the ebb & flow of Life. Love yourself & be yourself. Peace & Love ♡ ☆

“I do not fix my problems. I fix my thinking.  Then problems fix themselves.”- Louise Hay