Website updates

I've made some updates to the website. It's still not done, but it's getting there slowly. I feel it's a true representation of who I am and what I'm about. Check it out. I welcome feedback. Xo

www.LiveFullToday.com

"To the Wonder" Movie Op

"To the Wonder" 2012

The description of the movie states: After falling in love in Paris, Marina and Neil come to Oklahoma, where problems arise. Their church's Spanish-born pastor struggles with his faith, while Neil encounters a woman from his childhood.

I will admit, I had a very difficult time following what was going on as the movie is partially silent, narrated by the voices of the characters in it, speaking briefly and deeply. Despite my confusion of what was happening, there was something very real and very raw about the emotions portrayed in this movie.

The movie itself bared resemblance to "The New World" (2005) by way of the character narration.  The soft spoken words that rose up from the depths of their being.  I happened to love "The New World," so I took a liking to this movie, also.  And for the same reasons.

One of the main characters in "To the Wonder" was a French woman. She had a daughter. The two of them (but mostly the woman) were so playful. She walked barefoot in the grass. She danced around wherever she was going.  She was passionate in expressing her love and joy and equally as much so in her anger. There was something so natural about her, childlike. 

Though the tone of the movie was one of despair and broken love, it inspired me.  She inspired me.  I think of myself as someone who is always working towards being the best version of myself.  To be open, loving and grateful always.  Yet, watching this movie made me realize just how little I play.  In my quest to live fully, I forgot to sprinkle in the part where I actually play and live.

To the same degree, the natural and innocent ways of the main character in "The New World," Pocahontas, inspired me to live more naturally... to be in harmony with myself, and nature and the world - to realize we are all one.  The movie was peaceful, slow.  It made me understand just how far we have come as a culture, how fast-paced our lives are, how much we miss along the way.  

Both movies made me stop dead in my tracks and reflect upon my own life... and our lives as a collective whole. My passion and commitment to living fully, connecting back to nature and our own naturalness, and expressing authenticity in every form it comes (including being playful) was reignited.

If you have some time, and want to connect to the deeper parts of a character's spirit, I suggest these two movies.  Happy viewing. :) 

Be a Cloud

I was given an exercise to do.  Stare up into the sky, find a cloud naturally (don't look for one, yet just let one find you) and watch it for 5 minutes.  I had some resistance at first, the sun burning my eyes and making it difficult to watch any clouds.  I turned the other way and that's when I found it.

There was one cloud, and it looked like a tree! A full tree, with a trunk.  I was immediately transported to a mental vision of sitting under a tree on a beautiful day, in the shade, enjoying the calm quiet and peace.  It was not even a moment later that the tree figure began to dissipate and the cloud broke off into two parts.  The left side merged into another cloud, and the right side broke off on its own.  By the time I noticed that 4 minutes had passed, the two remaining clouds had joined together to create one huge, puffy cloud in the bright blue sky.  The most incredible part of this whole experience is that I did not even see it happen, yet I was watching intently.

The clouds ever so gracefully moved at a peaceful pace... slow yet rapid all at the same time.  They were beautiful; huge white puffs - unblemished and perfect - that looked so amazing I felt I could pick them like cotton candy. Or snuggle in them.

I took a lot with me, from that very simple and quick exercise. It was rather meditative.

I learned that the clouds moved with peace and serenity.  They broke apart on their own, they merged into other clouds.  They were completely individual yet interconnected in every way.  They were constantly evolving into new shapes, sizes and were moving in and out of groups of other clouds.  It happened so gracefully, I couldn't even distinguish the exact moment it happened that two clouds became one, or vice versa.

I highly recommend this exercise. Take a moment from your day to stop and be still. Sit in your car a few extra minutes. Sit outside. Look out the window. Watch one cloud that grabs your attention. Listen to the voice inside you. Play. What does the cloud look like to you? How do you feel remaining quiet and observing?

Then... Be a cloud! Move with serenity in and out of the day. Floating in one door and out another. Let the sun shine through your beautiful soul as you dance alone or with a partner or a group. As you switch hats, as the cloud changes form. And rest - as the clouds vanish into the black night sky. 

A memorial to the dearest Bo, lost today

I wrote this on the Hounds Town Charities Facebook page, but would like to share it here.

It is with the heaviest heart I write this to you all today.  I hope that my words can be a true reflection of the tears I shed, and the greatest love in my heart… and that the message is received, as it was intended, to guide you to stop for a moment, reflect and feel gratitude.

This morning, we lost our beautiful, vibrant and elegant Bo to an unknown illness that crept upon him literally overnight.  After hours in the emergency room, still no conclusions or diagnosis, and no physical, positive response to what was being done for him, Bo has passed on.

Though there is conflict in my body writing this due to sadness, I do not want Bo's life to slip away without it touching someone - even one person - out there.  I feel much shame, as I found out about Bo after making a phone call to another board member, upset that people were anxiously awaiting for a reply from me… ironically, about Bo's adoption.  I felt incredible pressure, with limited time, to respond to everyone and was feeling overwhelmed by the response and lack of time I have had to get back to everyone and find Bo his forever, loving home. 

I was in my "human" mind, venting my stresses and frustrations… about something so small in the big picture of life.  Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me at the time, Bo was on his way to leaving us all.  And that is the message here for you.  Weigh your words and upset with the big picture.  Time is one precious gift we cannot ever get back.  Show compassion to others, as we never know what is going on in their lives… behind closed doors… and when they may leave us, also. 

Tomorrow is never a promise, live full today. Live with love. Share love, show love… live in the moment, celebrate joy, family and friends.  Practice gratitude for all that you have, including life today, and all the people around you. Bo was an amazing animal.  His beauty (internal and external) and zest for life are shining examples of a precious existence.  He may not have lived long, but he lived fully.

It gives me some peace to know that we were able to pet Bo goodbye… so he knew he was not alone, and that he was loved. 

And with that, I conclude: We love you, Bo and will miss you greatly.  May your life live on in the hearts of all those that knew you… and in those reading this.  There will be no greater memorial for Bo than for you all to take this with you today, and to move through your day with gentleness, kindness and compassion.  And most of all, unconditional love for all those you encounter.

It's cloudy and heavy outside... and inside.

It is cloudy and dense outside, a thick and tense feeling in the air.  The external pressure is heavy.  Internally, my body and mind mimics the outside. I wonder, is it the weather dictacting my mood or is my mood dictating how I perceive the outside world? 

I don't particularly like being in a "funk," as I am sure anyone wouldn't.  I tried all my usual tactics to remove the fog from my mind and tension from my heavy heart. I had a most delicious Starbucks Soy Chai Tea Latte.  I listened to uplifting, heart-opening podcasts.  Checked emails.  Prepared for my morning meeting with a local businessman, taking the time and care to dress up (I spend most of my time in sweatpants on an average day unless I am seeing a client).

Nothing was really working.  The sky remained gray, humidity filling the cool air.  My body remained lethargic and felt like a ton of bricks I was dragging behind me.  My voice was quiet.  I moved around slowly while rushing at the very same time.  A paradox much like the warm humidity mixing with the cool temperature of the air.

It was not until after I had my morning meeting that I began to slowly realize that perhaps, in some small way, I was trying to run away from the inside...and the outside.  In my attempts to pull myself out of the "funk," I was looking for a bandaid rather than a cure.  It is in these moments we are given an opportunity to really feel ourselves out to see what is going on.  Take inventory of the feelings, thoughts and moods.  In everything lies a teacher, a lesson.  In every "funk" lies truth that is our own, yet universal.

The sun does not shine everyday.  And just the same, it is quite frivolous to think - or expect - that there will be sunshine inside ourselves everyday.  There must be days of rest (all too few in my world, which perhaps may be the precursor to my overall slump today) and reflection.  The yin and yang.

When we begin to pay attention to ourselves - our body, mind and spirit - we can peel away the layers we build on top of one another to reveal the truth beneath.  Maybe it's not about racing to feel better, but rather the process of accepting what is and letting it move through us.  We are not required to have great days everyday.  We are not made to smile every moment of every day.  We are, afterall, quite Human... and inevitably, we will have ups and downs and inbetweens.  Our bodies are not pieces of machinery... they need rest, energy, fuel, nourishment.  Sometimes we catch colds, or the flu.

Just another reminder that life is dynamic, and ever-changing.  While some things stay constant, others are evolving constantly. And we are no different.  And in that, I find peace and tranquility.  Most of all, acceptance and love.  Love for myself, love for life and what is.  Love for the gray, thick sky and the dense fog that is a superb representation of me in this moment.  Appreciation that I am here today, to share this and to experience this lull.

I feel lighter, amidst the heaviness.

TheoryB on Etsy.com

Albert Einstein Quote...

No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.

by BrookeMontesArt on Etsy.com

Clever organization tactic

For all those busy moms or working people out there... If you're anything like me you sometimes struggle with organization, especially of your thoughts and notes or to dos throughout the day. 

With so much to do and remember, always on the go, I often find myself texting myself notes to my computer for reference at a later time. It seems like a great idea. And it works sometimes. But then - remembering a thought or note from weeks prior can be rather grueling to dig up. Scanning hundreds or even thousands of messages in search of "the one."  On occasion my search turns up fruitless. 

I was sending myself some notes tonight. And then. An aha moment. How about a new twist on an already invented system?  Yes. It occurred to me tonight to take twitter's hashtag system and apply it to my own jumbled "tweets" of life. So clever, I thought to myself.

With a hashtag or symbol, I - or you - can easily search your computer or iPad or whatever device you use for something you want to find. 

For example- I often send myself songs or lyrics to look up on iTunes. Easy enough ... #song.  Notes I want to incorporate into my developing book ... #book.  Something I want to remember to buy.. #shop.  Nice. Simple. And oh so clever. 

I bet I will never lose a note, or thought, again! 

Unless I forget the hashtag :)

The Benefit of Journaling

I received an email from a dear friend today.  We had been collaborating on a project (TBA) a few years back.  The ball was dropped... and the project never took off.  Just this week, we reconnected and decided to pick up where we left off on that project (so exciting).

Here's a blurb from her email: Wow!  There's really nothing like looking back at things we're written to show us where we are, where we're been and how much work we've done to shift perspective.  I hope you're patting yourself on the back because - damn!  That's massive!

And she's right.  Looking back on the project, so much has changed within my life, and within my heart and spirit, that I can literally see - so clearly - and realize just how much I have grown in the last few years.  And journaling does just that for you.  It gives you a reference point.  Something to look back on, something tangible... evidence of what once was.

What a great way to not only add a voice to your daily happenings, but to also watch the progression of your journey.  The ups, the downs... and the inbetween moments that sometimes get lost in the hustle and bustle we encounter on our paths.

Journaling is also an amazing tool to sift through all the "stuff" in your mind, to get it out there and work through it.  To process it all, then move past it and leave it be on the pages of your journal so it doesn't get "stuck" inside you.

Happy Tuesday, all... and happy Journaling!

xo

Intuition & Synchronicity

The more that we become in tune with our bodies, the more that we are aware of our spirits inside those bodies... the more our intuition becomes obvious and tangible.

Physical feelings can rise inside our bodies, in our gut, tension in our shoulders, neck and back, tingling sensations or tightness in our chests, changes in our breathing pattern.  These are all physical reactions to our intuition's silent nudging.

What's more, once we join that intuition in harmony and alignment, synchronicity begins.  What would normally be considered a mere "coincidence" soon becomes suspiciously common. More and more, people and things begin to crop up in our lives that are interconnected with our intentions.  Once we open ourselves up to this magnificence, our worlds begin to shift.

The more aware, awake and open we are... the more our intuition speaks to us in a clear way, the more we recognize that voice... and the more our worlds begin to truly, truly make sense.

And all is beautiful and wonderful.

Art by PictureItSouthern

Inspiration for the day....

It is time to dream... to create... to inspire... and to believe.  Have a most beautiful day dreaming, creating, inspiring and believing! xo