From the first time I heard this song and still now, I feel joyful and appreciative for the blessing of waking up to a beautiful day! And my intention reminds me – make the most of it!
Since I’m a word girl and lyrics get butchered all the time,😄 I picked this video which showcases the impactful words of “Beautiful Day.”
It sounds like such a simple thing to do but so easy to forget. Each day, each moment is a gift. I know for me, next time I question what’s up with time, I’ll have to reflect on my own sense of appreciation.
This blog is all about a mind shift. Living life to the fullest by tapping into our talents, developing those gifts, and going after them with a determination for success.
Even if circumstances have been such to beat us down, tell us we’re failures or our lives are pointless, we still have to believe in ourselves, pursue enlightenment to advance our abilities and how we can contribute to society.
I recall a talk I had years ago with my son. In this discussion, I asked him how do you want to use your talents, for the good of society or without thought simply throw them away? The choice is yours. Be conscious of your effect on the world and the legacy you want to leave.
These are the questions that lift us up to our highest potential and become a decisive factor in our happiness on this journey called life.
I’ve been reflecting on the events of my life since cancer and what I believed from the beginning of that journey still holds true. Getting cancer was a blessing; it challenged my faith and pushed me to grow beyond my existence.
I learned to fully trust in God’s power and grace and not fear; enjoy each precious moment in the moment, the only reality there is. A great friend of mine since college whispered to me that God has a higher plan for me and he was right.
In this past year, I’ve celebrated another glorious birthday, fulfilled a lifelong dream and experienced the incredible beauty of Italy, and found my activist voice to make my community and the world a better place.
Thank you, Lord, for walking with me on this new path and giving me confidence and wings to fly.
Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy, shaping our lives and image of ourselves based on outside input and descriptions others have deemed to be true. From birth, we take on the totality of remarks and declarations outright or subtly put in our heads. Whether it’s from parents uttering – “oh, you’re so pretty” maybe trying to build up our self-esteem or to teachers concluding “you don’t really have a head for numbers” in an effort to shield us from what they perceive as a possible failure.
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These early definitions paint a picture we add to as we approach life and try to sort out how we fit in and what we’re capable of accomplishing. We are socialized by our peers, teachers, and loves. What we hear we sometimes assimilate to and believe.
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I used to call myself a late bloomer, but a therapist corrected me saying “No, you come into things in your own time.” That perspective totally changed the way I thought of myself and opened my eyes to the fact that I was basing my definition of self on what others deemed as “appropriate” timing or behavior. I had been primarily judging myself by letting society dictate, on some level, my worthiness.
Maybe, if we stop letting others define who we are, we might just find the person we were meant to be.
My favorite quote. I follow the teachings of Buddha and this perspective is the first intention I see every morning. It hangs in my bedroom in a place of prominent so as to always catch my eye. These words set my day on the path of happiness and gratitude to live my life like it’s precious – “golden”.
When people ask how my morning is going I say awesome! I was blessed to see another sunrise and be surrounded by the love and support of my wonderful family, and friends. It’s an absolutely beautiful day!
This Jill Scott tune from 2004, “Livin’ my life like it’s golden”, is all about living each day with joy; owning the richness of life and how amazing it is. Blessed and highly favored, happiness and abundance are yours!
I’m taking my freedom Pulling it off the shelf Putting it on my chain Wear it around my neck I’m taking my freedom Putting it in my car Wherever I choose to go It will take me far
I’m livin’ my life like it’s golden Livin’ my life like it’s golden Livin’ my life like it’s golden, golden Livin’ my life like it’s golden Livin’ my life like it’s golden, golden
I’m taking my own freedom Putting it in my song Singing loud and strong Grooving all day long I’m taking my freedom Putting it in my stroll I’ll be high-steppin‘ y’all Letting the joy unfold
I’m holding on to my freedom Can’t take it from me I was born into it It comes naturally I’m strumming my own freedom Playing the god in me Representing his glory Hope he’s proud of me
Livin’ my life like it’s golden It really matters to me, oh
“Fear is a thief. It robs us of the opportunity to stand in the moment and forces us to focus on the past and future instead of the now.”
DonnaMarie
This quote is in the true spirit of my philosophy that we create our own reality and the power of belief and faith is undeniable. I’m still pinching myself from the incredible reality I created upon realizing my dream adventure to Florence, Italy.
The Basilica of St. Mark’s Square in Venice
My wish is to see others realize their dreams and believe that all things are possible with faith. However, you can’t just lay on your sofa and hope for things to be, you make things happen by having an open mind and planning so you’re ready when the opportunity presents itself.
Let’s take the words can’t, maybe, someday and when I retire out of our vocabulary. As I’ve stated before and will continue to raise up, the only reality we have is in this moment. Not the past, and not the future but right NOW!
It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since I’ve heard this powerful song from the Broadway play and film “Rent”, my reaction is always the same; tears streaming down my face as the words forever ring true and the emotion it stirs remains very real.
Tomorrow is not promised so there is – “No Day But Today!”
I think a lot of people look at freedom as an external force. Looking for it, like love, in partners, their career, money. I believe freedom lies in the mind; giving ourselves permission to be who we are without seeking acceptance from anyone or anything.
From birth, we are socialized to accept certain pretext as the norm and that this is the only acceptable path to follow. Girls wear pink, boys wear blue. Women should be yielding and demure, and men should be tough and take the lead.
Society sets us up like one of those learning toys for children where you are trained to put the round peg in the round hole and the square peg into the square hole; demonstrating that things, and people, are suppose to fit into the corresponding receptacle.
This mindset creates pain and confusion when we don’t fit into what the establishment has deemed as proper and correct. True “Freedom” of the mind is when we become strong enough to realize that one size does not fit all, nude is in the eye of the beholder, and that we are charged in our life’s journey to express our own nuances and truths.
On my incredible journey exploring the wonders of Italy, my daily mantra was “Be Present”. Sometimes one of the hardest habits to follow is to live where you are, not in the past and not in the future. Our minds like our lives can be chaotic, pushing us to see the future as a destination instead of realizing the truth that there is no future, there is only now; this very moment.
In Florence, every step I took and every corner I turned was steeped in thousands of years of history in Art, Architecture, and a civilization that will forever live on in my soul as one of those fortunate enough to physically walk in the footsteps of artisans that made their mark centuries ago.
The Birth of Venus is a painting by Sandro Botticelli generally thought to have been made in the mid-1480s. Wikipedia
My continuing spiritual evolution is to appreciate the Power of Now; breathing in the immense beauty that surrounds me, which in Italy was an incredibly powerful experience.
A mantra that I embrace is that attitude is everything. Living a conscious life with intention and purpose. We reap what we believe. We all have the ability to create the world we wish to live in. What you visualize, you internalize and what you internalize dictates what you realize.
“You have within you right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you.”
There’s nothing like a united community to strengthen your resolve when struggling with pain or challenges in your life. So many of us who feared for our nation found out that we were not alone and that we have the power to affect change.
The Women’s March on January 21, 2017, in DC and around the world was a galvanizing moment of solidarity. We were all blown away by the sheer numbers of marchers and the overriding theme of we do not respect this “so-called” President and plan to do everything in our power to fight back against the horrendous agenda put forth during his disgusting campaign.
The energy generated on that day lit a fire under those of us involved and even those who had never been involved in politics or marches before. Simultaneously groups sprung up across the country to organize and strategize on how to defend our rights against proposed legislation and demonstrate our opposition to actions that had already occurred.
The determination to resist Trump has awakened a sleeping giant that is vehemently “woke” who won’t be lying back down anytime soon! The only positive effect Trump has had since his election is to force citizens to stand up for themselves and their neighbors; a realization that has had a profound effect not only on myself but the country as a whole.
The project that took me out of despairing and the corner of my living room after election night was the ResistTrumpTuesdays rallies created by the community organization MoveOn. The idea was to harness the overwhelming energy from the Women’s March into an actionable plan of protesting for the first 100 days of the administration at local representative’s offices to express your feelings and displeasure about the state of the nation.
Our Charlotte ResistTrumpTuesdays began on January 24th with hundreds of us regularly showing up at lunchtime to share our deeply personal stories on many topics including healthcare, Russian involvement in our election, the immigration ban. I’m proud to say we created a safe environment where everyone felt free to express themselves.
This past Tuesday was our last official gathering but definitely not the last in the fight to kick out of office those who would do harm to the American people.
This slideshow highlights the camaraderie and kinship we have felt and developed over these past 100 Days of Action!
Living in the Moment 