Summer time

I love summer time. We had the hottest summer ever in Vancouver. In fact, it was so hot I refused to leave the house if i didn't have to for about 2 weeks. 

Just some updates. This year was pretty interesting. I had a very fruitful early winter. Going into spring there were many weddings to attend and many friends to see. I went to Kelowna for a wedding too and it was nice to leave the city for a bit. I also put a down payment on a condo so my life style has changed a bit. 

There have been some additions and substractions in my personal life. Things always keep changing. Never know what's around the corner. That's a good thing though. Things only change to teach you. Things are only removed so you can grow. You only obtain the things that belong to you to begin with. Yet nothing will ever stay the same. 

I did end up going to the 8.5 day meditation retreat. I think it has really changed me. I continue to attend group meditations and events there. I keep experiencing things I can't explain. It's an exciting journey. Everything in life happens for a reason. Just don't question life. It's working for you as long as you slow down for a moment and listen to it whisper to you. In every moment we get a choice. We can choose consciously or blindly. Either way we keep getting what we ask for whether be feel that way or not. 

I am always feeling grateful now. So grateful. Try giving thanks everyday. Most of us have everything we need. We don't have to make life so complicated and so disatisfying. Do you complain more than you cherish? Is there always something that you think is wrong with your life? I try and spend my time thinking of all the things right with my world. I try not to be attached to outcomes and be open to changes in life. I also try to not expect anything from others. I let go of the control a little bit and you know what? It feels pretty good. At the end of the day you can look back at your life and think of everything that you don't like about it or you can just look at right now and think of how to make it better. Now. 

Peace and love. 

Thrifting... My love and obsession

I have a new obsession. Well... Not new. I've been thrifting for kitchenware and knick knacks for many years now but i usually zone in on a particular type of collectible at a time. Once upon a time it was antique tea ware. It took me years to collect enough beautiful teacups to the point that I can't imagine any other addition making much of a difference. So now I'm onto to vintage milk glass. This includes mainly Pyrex but I do collect random milk glass kitchen pieces from  other manufacturers. I also collect milk glass vases. I really do love and cherish each piece I have. I also love the history behind it all. I love the how vintage items have lived past their prime and are still in tip top condition. I also love the craftsmanship and thought put into the pieces. They are not your ordinary white porcelain or glass bowl or plate. There was some love out into those dishes. 

Today's post is a special post on thrifting strAnge I sometimes encounter. There are so many odd and sometimes ugly things found at the thrift store. Things thT make you question why anyone would buy it or why the store decided to sell it at a price that didn't seem reasonable. 

I love finding the thrift stranges. Here are some. 

Ugly trivets... It's rare to see a trivet but today I spotted two. This one was particularly ugly. I'm sure it was of some past contemporary design where everyone had metal flower decals on cups, plates, wine glasss... 

The second strange trivet spotted...

Cast iron dog trivet. Craiglist add placement: must love dogs lol. So unusual for a kitchen piece 

Creepy figurines are another thing common to thrifting. Today I gather a collection of creepy figurines for a horrifying display. 

Stand cats with feather head dresses. Two figurines with bleeding black eyes. Creepy clown and creepy old lady. How long has that clown been in that bag?? Brrr.  Last but not least giant rooster with gawking eyes. This picture deserves a zoom in. 

I think the most frightening item at the shop today was a handmade mask. Looked like a school project gone wrong. Such things were not meant for the thriftstore. The mom who donated it should have kept it packed away in a box and burried in an attic so that future home owners would have a good scare while riffling through things left behind. Cliche horror story moment.  

Why did someone price that at $2.99??? It's so scary.

Some interesting finds at the store today. 

Here's a quick overview. 

Large glass bead pineapple???

Dog calender. I think this is actually pretty cool. They should combine it with the trivet and other dog paraphenalia and make a doggy basket with it.  

Yet another pineapple but this time made with paper. Next to it is a beautiful metal and wood box made in India. I really liked it but have no use for it. 

Mason jar wine glass!!! From Bubbagumps too!  People be swipin from the dining table. 

Last but not least... Totally cute vintage teapots. I did not bring anything home today but it sure was a fun spread. 

Daily thrifting leads to great rewards. 

Soon to come... Some of my favourite thrifted items. 

Peace out! 

A window into a spiritual journey...try to get back to the good place.

When I listen to "The Secret" or "The Power" it says to that if you give off a negative feeling it will come back at you later. Today I encountered a moment when I was triggered. There are certain situations that will set me off and rolling waves of anger, frustration and resentment will come into me. They are hard to shut off. It's like a collective of the same situation happening over and over again and even if it's a single event it feels like every similar event that has happened in the last 20 years. Needless to say I need to learn to let go of certain things. Everyone has pet peeves... So my pet peeve showed up again today and though I did not get noticeably angry when it happened and tried to remain calm and supportive I was upset inside.  The feeling wouldn't go away. I tried to just feel it. I tried to ignore it. But eventually I had to tell someone how I felt and it including blaming another in my rant.  I was not supposed to gossip anymore too! It's so hard!

Conclusion... felt a bit guilty afterwards and still did not feel better. Those thoughts still lingered. But here's where things come back...

While driving and alert (except for the constant complaining in my head) someone turned right while I was driving straight and tried to cross two lanes into the second lane in which I was driving (obviously without looking). He was going SUPER fast and nearly crashed into me. I honked soooooo hard and braked with all my might.  Luckily we did not crash into each other as he eventually swerved into the other lane. It was a really close call. I took that as the negativity coming back at me (almost instantly) and the Universe telling me to stop repeating bad stories in my head. I tried to stay conscious for the rest of the drive.

That's my story for the day. I wanted to make note of this story as evidence that my negative thinking brought about more negative circumstances to me. I hope this will keep me conscious and help me change my thinking. I really want to focus on the good, in every situation, and continue moving forward, whether there are small or big unwanted changes in life. In the past, when I was negative, it had affected more than one area of life. I learn this lesson constantly. How do I maintain that lesson when I am emotionally high? I guess I keep getting moments to practice this until I get there.

I am thinking of joining an 8 day retreat at Bohdi Meditation in the summer as I've seen it do wonders for someone I know. My friend is so inspired by the change she sees in her family and herself after joining this center and meditating with dedication. Some changes that she noted was that her son has lessened anxiety and maladaptive behaviours. After 2 months of intense medication he has been taken off his anti-psychotic meds. I have never seen him so calm. He's relaxed. Smiles more. And he voices when he's uncomfortable or needs help. My friend has experienced a change in her reactions when she is met with opposing behaviour. She doesn't react in anger anymore. She just let's go. She said it was from the meditation as well as the lessons they were receiving from the center. Sounds like a miracle really.

I've been on a spiritual journey for a while now. There are ups and downs in this journey. Some sections are high and some are low. Some days you feel like you've gotten there. You are feel super content, happier, and cheerful. Other days it's a struggle to feel inspired or connected to "life".  "Life" is that joy in experiencing situations and people. Where you heart feels open and forgiving for all things.  When you have that lack of connectedness I think your mind might find a way to wander. It looks into the past and looks for reasons why you don't feel right. Then you gotta fight that mind to stay and come back to where you are. I don't feel like myself recently. It's been hard to not absorb negativity. But I am reminding myself that during the good times it's as important to practice the gratitude and love that is more effortless than in times that are hard. Just got to be consistent.  I will work on being grateful for my life which I am.  But I will work on feeling that way more in everyday moments. I think my mind is always somewhere in the clouds... can't see that clearly right now but at least I know it.

The two life lessons I learned today

April... has come and gone. It's already May! It seems as you get older time moves faster. Maybe it's like that story... when do you start heading out of the forest?... only when you reach the center. So maybe I'm at the center of my life now and I'm on my way out. Always...make every moment count.

In the last couple of weeks I have celebrated two friend's marriages, met a distant nephew of mine, gone to the Okanagan and ate and drank lots! Life is abundant is so many ways.

I've had two life lessons that I want to share that I've discovered recently...

1) Love... is our nature. I read it all the time but reading has very little to do with actual understanding and feeling. Today I was looking at my niece and I learned something. How many times have we walked this Earth feeling unlovable, unhappy, looking for love in all the wrong places and feeling a general lack of love... for yourself, for life, for others etc etc... We are all guilty of this once in a while. But look at your history and your history is love. From the moment of conception a body sacrificed itself to nourish you out of love. The Universe loved you so much it continue your conception into birth. For the fortunate ones we were born to family that loved us unconditionally, even when we didn't deserve it and even when we didn't give it back. That means even in times when we were most unlovable, like when we had soiled diapers, cried all night, threw a tantrum, was a teenager, an angry resentful adult, or whatever it may be.... even if it looked like people didn't love you, they did. You were made from the cushion of love and blessed by love. You are what you are made of and you are made by love. No matter where we go in search of what we think love is we can be free to know it's been within us all along. We are already loved, all the time, even when we allow our minds to take over and not love ourselves. Children teach me so much.  My niece probably doesn't know how loved she is. Each time something doesn't go her way in life she might see life as an enemy for that moment but in reality it's a forgiving world that loves her no matter what. That applies to all of us. It proves we have a great ability to love ourselves if we can love others so much.

2) Second lesson I learned today came from a student of mine that was learning about "slime mold" in his biology class. He wanted me to see a video about how scientist are trying to use the behaviour of slime mold to determine the best and most efficient ways to build subway stations in big cities like Tokyo. They put some slime mold in a pitri dish and scatter bits of oatmeal all over the dish. If you watch the video you will see that from a single point the slime mold begins to branch out and find the oatmeal. What's really interesting is that the branching is not random. The slime mold knows exactly where to go and how to reach it's goal of eating oatmeal. It b-lines for the grains. Slime mold has no brain. It has no obstacles. It just lives it's life and does it's thing and it hits the jack pot every time. It's directed by the power of the Universe and not by the power of thoughts. It creates the most efficient path to it's goal just by being slime mold. If we all stop struggling and just tried to be will we reach our goal of getting to where we are meant to be? The slime mold video moment was like evidence to me that the Universe has a plan for you. It has a most efficient plan, actually, to get you where you need to be if we don't resist.  If we want food... it will get us food. If we want money... it will get us money. If we want love... it was give us love. All things we want we can have... we just have to wish it and go with the flow of life.

*** update (days later)... so I researched the slime mold further and it's process of finding food isn't accurately stated above. I do love the idea that it just knows where to go because it's guided by the Universe but it's just not so. The slime old spreads out and branches out everywhere. When it finds food it strengthens that branch allowing it to access the food in the fastest way possible. Those branches that lead out to nothing get reabsorbed and the energy used to power those branches goes to the ones that are absorbing nutrients. The slime mold can identify and create a network of nutrients efficiently within a day in a petri dish. It can get so big that the naked eye can see the branches. It's patterns are beautiful. For a brainless creature it's very intelligent. So now that I know more accurate information about the slime mold I was trying to figure out what the slime could teach us about being successful in life. It's life is simple. Get food and grow. Get food and grow. Strengthen the bonds that nurture you now. Don't put any more energy into areas once ventured that offer you nothing. This is how you grow. Slime mold is wise.

I love slime mold.

A frustrating moment...need to let it out.

I've been feeling frustrated lately and a little down. No matter how hard I try to be positive and put on a happy face I don't feel it. There are moments that I do feel happy but they are fleeting. However, so are all emotions. I just want to feel at peace. I just want to feel complete and like I belong somewhere.  I have fantastic friends and family, I live in a beautiful city but I don't always feel like I belong anywhere?  So often, I feel like I am just wandering and not too sure where to go. This is the little frustration that seems to remain after all the other feelings go away. That is something that's hard for me to sweep under the rug. Is this a universal thing or is it just me?

Sometimes you find a place of belonging because it's a place of love. It is a place that nurtures you and makes you feel safe. Why is that place not always there? Shouldn't it be? No matter what shakes your life your place should always be there. You should always have a emotional home you can go to that will take care of you, love you and cherish you. I wish for everyone to have that. That's what everyone deserves. Everything I am reading right now speaks to how important it is to love yourself. I suppose that place should be YOU. But it's so hard to love yourself. It's much easier to see the good in others. It's much easier to admire others. Even when others see the good in you, you know there is so much more they don't know. What's hard to feel is the internal struggles I know we all go through. I've had so many special people in my life who have taught me that pain runs deep in all of us, however, on the surface we all just smile. Maybe it's an insecurity we all feel. According to research most people hate themselves more than they love themselves.

Brene Brown, a shame, vulnerability and wholehearted living researcher says you can't love others more than you love yourself. So if  I want anything in life that is important I need to love me first. That's the only way I can love my job, love my passions and love a partner wholeheartedly. She termed wholeheartedness as being all in, all in for life, and all in for circumstances. Someone who is wholehearted is unafraid of being vulnerable and allows others to see their imperfections, owns them and empathizes with other. It's like living in a truth that accepts all circumstances. Sounds wonderful. Wholehearted people don't have rose colored glasses. They haven't gone through less painful circumstances in life than others. However, what Brene Brown found was that wholehearted people were grateful. They weren't born with a grateful gene or were more inclined to being grateful.  They mindfully practiced gratefulness all the time. They chose to be grateful when there were times of difficulty. Wholehearted people also made time for play. They tried to enjoy life. She termed play as when you do something enjoyable and you can lose track of time doing it.

It shows me I have a long way to go for self development. But if I look at my old self I know I have already walked so many steps towards who I am to become. I still struggle, in fact, I think I struggle more now as I am always trying to evaluate what is going on inside and being mindful of that. I am also way more aware of others and their needs. My younger self was pretty blind. My younger self was pretty arrogant. After reading some of Brene Brown's books I had a lot to think about. I must love myself, right?  Sometimes when you sit around feeling decent you think that's self love but now I don't know if it is. Maybe it's just a moment of relief from the talk going on in my head all the time. Sometimes I think I just tolerate myself. I know sometimes I hate myself. Other feelings I have towards myself self are impatience, anger, disappointment, and feeling proud to name a few.  But when do I ever feel like I LOVE me? That's a hard one. When I think about it I can't think of any moment where I really loved myself. I never felt that I am fine just the way I am, and that even the things I don't like about myself is OK because I love myself that much. That's how I would feel towards someone else. It's also way harder to forgive myself that to forgive another. There were very few moments when I felt like I was so glad that I was here. I know I have felt grateful for many people I have encountered in my life but that feeling I've never had for myself. How do you love yourself? What are the signs that you love yourself? Loving yourself now has become a foreign concept to me.

Another popular book on Amazon.com call "Love yourself like your life depended on it." said to repeatedly say to yourself in your mind "I love myself... I love myself... I love myself... etc..." the entire day instead of festering in negative thoughts or replaying stories in your head of things you didn't want to happen. It's to be treated like a 24/7 mantra. I tried that today and I feel that focusing on "loving myself" made me feel so frustrated. Although it did help me curb my thoughts from negative thinking or negative stories repeating in my mind, or finding solutions to stories from the past that have no resolution the moment I stopped saying that I felt kinda dumb. Then I felt bad about feeling dumb because that was not loving myself. Ugh... Where's the reward? They say there is a reward when you do these things? All these things will magically happen for you. You will meet all these amazing people. Your dreams will come true if you set your intentions and emanate love. Your body will heal all of it's diseases. Your relationships will improve in quality. This guy swears miracles happened after weeks of repeatedly saying "I love myself... I love myself" I didn't have the patience to last through the morning. I feel like I'm losing faith in love. I've tried to be a generator of love. I've tried playing fair. I've given and helped people in need. I do things for others. I do things for myself. I go have a good time.  I've tried to do to learn from my past but it seems like it doesn't make a difference in any actual life situations. The same circumstances come up. Any different approach I try always leads to the same results.

I know my life is full. It's full of so many things. I've had great experiences. I am not being ungrateful but I do feel down. I am trying to make sense of all my experiences and all that I've tried to accomplish. So many things don't make sense to me. I'm sulking right now because I think I haven't really dealt with some pain recently. I thought I dealt with it but it's obviously still here and it's invading my mind. The stories won't leave me alone. But I've been through wayyyyyy worse than this story so I don't know why my mind can't let things go. I've let go of so many things...why not this? Why doesn't it get easier? Seriously... after a while, with enough practice, things should be easier... like practice makes perfect...so not true when it comes to emotions. They don't go right away. You don't bounce back quick enough. It's just really hard. I am getting frustrated with myself for not being able to heal faster. I have never been a quick healer, but there should be some improvement...

 Tomorrow I will tell myself I love myself again and again and try to create that safe place that's always there for me so that I will always be emotionally available for those around me because right now and for weeks now... I don't feel I have been. If I am there for anyone, it's through much internal struggle of putting on a happy face. I'm so tired. I feel distant and emotional.  How do you not get just get jaded. Why do things still mean so much... ugh...

At the end of the day, maybe this is just a very egoic day and I have lost the battle to my ego. It's probably over inflated with these new stories.  It's probably tapped into every emotional trigger I have so that I will go crazy.  I can deal with this... I love myself... I love myself... I shall be grateful for whatever is causing me frustration and pain because ultimately it helps me understand myself better and helps me become a better person. When I come out of this I'll be stronger than before and I can be there for others the way I want to be. Right now, I just gotta be there for me because I think I really need it.

Something put my mind at ease just now so I wanted to add it onto this post. Thoughts: Where I've been has definitely brought me to this place right now. It did not take me down a dark road, in fact all things have only been good for me. So, although I'm struggling right now this is where I need to be and what I need in order to get to my ultimate destination. I gotta keep that in mind and not get get stuck in my mind instead. I need a little more trust. 

Thanks to whoever posted that message. 

I am saying no to gossip. Consider it a spiritual cleanse.

Gossip. We are all guilty of it. We have all been at the brunt of it or the instigators of it. We have all been within the circle of gossiping or on the outside looking in. Gossip is something that connects us. Gossip is a good excuse to relieve stress. It is a good excuse to "express emotions" and release some frustrations. But in reality it's just an ugly act and it's an immature way of dealing with emotions. I don't want to be ugly anymore. When we are gossiping we are spending our time and energy focusing on what we hate, what is horrible in this world and what offends us  that we don't focus on being happy instead. Why do we take such joy in criticizing others? We are not perfect beings. What gives us the right to point out someone's imperfection and then snark at them for it?  Every time we gossip we only create negativity. We might feel we are growing strong as a group and seeing the light but we are really creating a bond of hate and this flow of negative energy spreads farther than the circle it was born in.  

There are lots of reasons to stop gossiping. For one, it sends the wrong message to the Universe. Do we want to be on the vibration of bad things in life or the vibration of good things in life? Just because gossiping makes you closer to someone and makes you laugh it does not generate goodness.  When you gossip sometimes you feel a false strength. For one, your strength is only based on someone's weakness, not because you are actually strong. Secondly, your strength is based on group validation, not from any kind of achievement. When someone agrees with your hate you it can feel like you are winning something but  you are just winning more hate. That is no prize. Realize, you can't talk trash without having trash in you. You  also can't expect good things to fall into your lap when you only give others bad intentions . Whether they are close to you or not, view someone else not as separate from you and act with compassion because what you do will eventually come back to you one day. We are all connected.

I've been on the gossip train in one way or another and too many times to count. I've been pulled into it before and I've also led it. I am not proud. Sometimes when people hurt you it seems so justified but you end up hurting them and yourself. The damage done is unmeasurable and sometimes you can't repair it so be careful with your actions.  Sometimes you only have one chance to make the right decision. One moment of gossip, leads to subsequent moments where anything an happen. Isn't it funny how one negative thing a person does suddenly defines their entire character when it's gossiped about?  Things that didn't bother you before can suddenly become so meaningful. It makes everything personal. Gossip creates so much negativity that maybe it started at work, but then it can show up at home later that day, or in a cherish relationship somewhere else. Save yourself the complications of carrying around all that negativity and try another route. Instead of tearing someone's character take that time to build up yours.  Think with your own mind, instead of relying on others to validate your feelings and existence. Try to be an observer finding a open door for healing and helping rather than a reactor. Don't become a victim. Learn to listen. Support, rather than spread hate. Lift others up and don't judge.  Forgive when people hurt you and treat others how we want to be treated. You can also get a high from great acts of love.

We are individual forces that can choose to propagate love in the world or propagate hate. Those who gossip are not that different from those who spend their time hurting others in the name of religion. We gossip in the name of a different religion... the religion of self righteousness. Rather than using lethal weapons we are using lethal words.

Use your energy to create love instead.

I think Dr. Wayne Dyer was on the same wave length as me today... on my FB today he posted this tidbit of advice...love it.. thank you to all my teachers.

Embracing it all.

This year I decided to go old school by picking up a paper calendar. This came out of a deep seeded insecurity of losing data on my phone. Although electronic calendars are extremely convenient I've had the experience of my entire schedule being wiped out on more than one occasion due to technical glitches. I've also had my phone broken and stolen. Those were all very traumatic experiences. For my own peace of mind I decided to go back to paper.

After searching Chapters up and down during the New Year I found the last remaining calendar that wasn't a giant wall calendar or a mom's guide to this or that calendar. In fact, it was exactly what I had wanted.  It was a beautifully decorated book small enough to fit into my purse and was made by a company called Paper Blanks. They make beautiful paper products with a wide array of elaborate and funky designs to choose from. My design is called Safavid and was inspired by the Islamic Golden Age marked by the gold filigree. It seems that each Paper Blank design has a name and a historical source of inspiration.  The moment I saw the calendar I felt a deep connection with it. Maybe it was because of it's beauty. Or maybe it was because it had fit the journal in my mind so perfectly.  From that day on I used my calendar vigilantly with a conscious mindfulness. I tried to record as much of my daily events and used it almost like a journal. Little did I know this little book and this process served a greater purpose for me than just organizing my client sessions and social events.

This morning, while looking through my calendar for upcoming wedding events, I thought about something that had happened in the recent past and went in search for the date. While flipping back I decided to do a review of my year in progress. I started from January, reading each and every entry. Most of the entries were full. Each day was dappled with detail. I was amazed at all the things that had taken place in the last 3 months. I felt a bit of awe mixed with sentimentality. My eyes widened as I re-experienced all my days. There were those notes I wrote when something had touched me that day. Some words jumped out at me more than others. Other days I had adorned events with only symbols and pictures. For instance, the day my nieces were coming for a visit I drew a little heart. On another day I had gone on a date with special someone and I drew a little smiley face. I still remember the feelings I had when I drew those pictures. With those memories, doors were opening to other memories that have been put away. Conversation flash backs occurred in milliseconds. The delicate features and gestures of talking faces blinked in and out of my mind.  Moments of fun and laughter came in and out. Like a picture I saw snow on my face and frost on my nose. The cold white snow blizzard was blowing around on a frozen lake. Moments of excitement and moments of shock happened all at once. Then there were moments of  comfort and trust and moments of fear and pain. It was like they reminded each other that they were part of the same memory. Just like a flip book those pictures kept appearing, only for a moment, but felt in the whole. Chunks of events, buckets loads of emotions, all in one go. The passage of time was passing through my fingers as I turned each page. How strange it is to relive life that way. How wonderful it was to appreciate those things that gave you so much joy again.  I was very grateful for all those memories. It was heart jolting and heart warming.  Though it was only April, so many things have already passed.Thousands of moments had come and gone. Many of them were once cherished experience and then had somehow gone to the waste bin of my mind, forgotten and discarded until now. Others, were vivid flashing neon signs that fought and screamed for my attention. Those were the memories I had not been able to let go of just yet. I realized how unjustified that was.

I felt thankful for all those little tugs at my heart. If I didn't have a moment to reflect today I would have forgotten how precious all my moments were.  It gave me an appreciation that I haven't been able to feel lately. Sometimes it feels like you are just chugging your way through life like an exhausted engine going from one place to another. Parts of the journey seem so pointless and rather cruel.  But after reviewing my notes I realized my life wasn't a bunch of wasted experiences that never added up to anything... and life wasn't exhausting and meaningless. It was, in actuality, really great and full.  It was like a bunch of ripe citrus fruit exploding with juices and flying through the air. It was a tropical fruit salad! This calendar was just a little chapter in the chronicle of my life and the 3 month snippet was inspiring. It gave me a reason to celebrate.  I saw what I have been given and felt happy. I am grateful of my full life. It is full of hard work, exploration, fun, play, lessons and most importantly love. You have to make ALL things count.

They say don't look into the past as it is gone. They say it doesn't help to open up old wounds. But there are more than just wounds in the past. In the past, there is light, there is love and there is the essence of your creation. Looking into the past can give you the wisdom to unlock the restraints of rigid thoughts, at least for a moment or two. It can help you forgive and it encourages you to move forward. It can give inspire greatness and it can remind you of the amazing life you have if you look away from the bright neon flashing signs.  Sometimes it offers a memory filled with happiness and sometimes it offers one filled with pain. But if you look with a mindful heart you will realize that these feelings are equal. One is not greater than the other. They are all just part of the fabric of life. What I got from today was an overwhelming sense of gratefulness... true gratefulness for the fullness of my life. I AM GRATEFUL for the good and the "bad". Alone, memories can make time stand still. If you focus on one particular memory too much the others get lost. However, if you put them together time moves again and life looks dynamic, monumental and vibrant. So don't get stuck in one moment. Look at the big picture. Put all the pieces together and be in awe of the puzzle that is your life. It is a true masterpiece.

Every droplet of water is small and insignificant by itself even if 1 drop can cause a ripple. However, when a multitude of droplets come together they lose their identify and form lakes, oceans, and sustain life on Earth. They create abundance where there was once nothing. Our experiences, good and bad,  may seem daunting and meaningless on their own.  However, when you put those droplets of existence together they provide the great abundance of knowledge and direction that enable us to flourish, elevate and grow. This is our unique recipe. It is the sweet and the spice of life. Embrace it all and be thankful.

Happy Easter