Gratitude

grat·i·tude  

/ˈgratəˌt(y)o͞od/

Noun The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

Synonyms gratefulness - thankfulness - thanks - appreciation Ever have moments when you feel overwhelmed with thankfulness in your heart.  I feel the last year of my life has been a lot like a tornado.  I am a different person because of it.  Experiences have moulded me into the lady I am right now in this moment, and I am thankful for that.  Now I am on the other side of it with a different focus and perspective.  I tried to rationalize (the last year) and just think about the silver linings in each tough situation.  To my surprise there always is one.  In every hard situation and moment you find yourself involved in, look for them.  The silver linings are there.   Starting today I am going to do 30 days of gratitude.  Just like the definition states, its the quality of being thankful.  A good friend of mine is doing this and it has motivated me to start.  On a new path.  There is always a calm before the storm, once you are through the storm and on the other side there is a freshness that cleanses us.  Feeling thankful for even the smallest details in life help you to keep a positive outlook.   I hope that by doing this little project it will help me to keep this positivity flowing and that in turn maybe I can be a help to others.

Choices

choice  

/CHois/

Noun An act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities.

Adjective (esp. of food) Of very good quality.

Synonyms noun.   selection - option - pick - election - assortment adjective.   select - selected - picked - chosen - exquisite

  Have you ever felt like you were in just the right place at the right time?  That the choices you are sometimes faced with might not be pleasing to everyone around you?  Those are usually the choices that make you the happiest.  Make you feel like "you", give you confidence which helps you to be the most genuine version of yourself you could be.  Maybe its a crossroad in life where you have to choose to turn left and it takes you down one path in life, turn right and it takes you down the other.  The thought in the back of your mind is always "I wonder".  Where would you be if you had made the other choice.  At that particular moment it was the best choice you could have made, its these choices through life that take us and shape us into what we are presently.  Right now.  In life there are key choices, those decisions that you make that not only affect your life, but of your loved ones.  Could you live in regret with choices you've made?  Knowing that you were never truly content?  Choices shouldn't be made with the intent to hurt someone (yes we've all made those), but choices should be made on the basis of peace.  Does this bring me peace in my heart, mind, body and soul?  

         

Where is Peace?

  There is something that has been made really clear to me the last little while and this phrase has come up in a couple of conversations that I have had with someone.  It is this,    " There is no peace on the fence".  Do any of you feel like that?  Like one choice, one decision, one step, one look, one conversation can change everything you ever believed to be true?  
  On one side there lies what is expected of you on the other side is what makes you happy.  What makes you feel whole, complete, and totally yourself.  On the fence is what you are actually doing in your life.  Afraid to choose, because you are afraid to hurt someone (and maybe yourself).  Instead of following your heart, you are ruled by your thoughts and what is normal, maybe easy.  It is a ripple effect.  If you jump on one side its hard because you know what you felt when you chose a side, then do you go back to sitting on the fence?  Could you go back the side you chose?  Could you convince yourself that it was what you wanted and what you have been searching for or is it a fleeting moment in time?  Or do you just stay in limbo?  Waiting for a sign or maybe waiting for someone to guide you and help you make that choice.  After all isn't life about choices and understanding and learning from the choices we make?  
  Sometimes what we as humans (that have feelings) need in life is just for someone to listen with the intent to understand.  To not judge, criticize or debate.  To simply just listen to what is plaguing us. To give us some space in their heart and mind.  
  I encourage everyone to try this.  Listen with the intent to understand.  If you love someone or even just know someone who is in a situation where they have no peace encourage them to talk and just listen.  

Storms

Do you ever wonder how you you can ever make it through the storms of life?  When the clouds part and you can you see the sun?  I often wonder this.  Basically my life is pretty great and drama free, but there have been a few storms in life that have pushed me down and make me question everything.  The things we hold onto because it is comfortable and safe.  I would struggle on and just take everything day to day and wait patiently until the storm subsides.  Then you can look back and be thankful for that time in life that helped you to grow and develop into the person you are today.
  The thing about storms is that you can almost see them coming, but there is nothing that you can really do to stop them.  Its almost like you hold on and just try really hard to make it through.  You can't see past the present.  We are all going through something? I am too.  Its called life.  Choose wisely, seek peace and give love.  Nothing is greater than knowing that you have the strength and power to overcome the storms of life.  Let go of that which doesn't bring out the best in you.  Trust in yourself and the abilities that lie within.  

Stretching Myself

I was thinking about this magnet project all week and it finally hit me!  The girls have ripped a few vintage looking books and I love the little pictures on them, so instead of throwing them out I decided to take the scissors to them and make magnets.  I need to laminate them so they don't get wrecked as easily, but I might just continue with this little idea and do whole stories and get a magnet board for them.  I might have just found a fun and easy thing to do!

Enjoy!