Letting Go

I felt compelled to write on this, because I think it's something I do well, and some thing that at times I can struggle with.

"Letting go" two words, a total of 9 letters, but the power the principle packs is incredible. Every day I watch people struggling to let go, but why. For some it's the situation, after all, losing someone close to you is one of the hardest things we do in our life. Whether we must lose someone to time and space, or because of the "life" transition known to many as "death." Other situations, most fail to take a second thought for, for instance, do you scream in agony emotionally to let go the carbon dioxide you expel each day? We are constantly gaining and giving on a daily basis.

I have resolved to "let go" more often, and I think I am all the better for it. Throughout my life I have let go of "expectations" that were never mine, but that I felt I had to meet. I have let go of pain, that was too hard to hold onto. I have done my best to let go of anger, because time is too precious to waste on it. And, the list goes one.

I guess my point is, what would your life look like, if you "let go" more often, more specifically, let go of all the garbage/negativity we are so intent on holding onto. We've all been hurt, and probably experienced unspeakable pains. But we have also experienced unspeakable joy, at least I have been so fortunate. Hold onto the good and the sometimes elusive but necessary "possibilities" in life. Life is too short to be bogged down.

Honestly try "letting go," I promise you will be all the better for it.

Lessons of a Web Weaver

So there is this spider that lives on the front area of our apartment. I think it's been there almost as long as we have lived here. I'm not really a fan of spiders, but I take the "don't bother me, and I won't bother you" approach, when it comes to them. However, this evening I stepped outside to take in the dawning sky, and noticed the spider was once again weaving it's web. Now this seems insignificant, but what I know is that the spider's web was washed out by the rain either last night or at some point today, completely gone. I noticed the absence of this amazing ever growing natrual piece of art around 4pm today, and by 8:30pm another web is now present and quickly approaching the size and incatricy of the one that came before it.

I don't know why, but in this moment, in this observation, it struck me that this spider is representative of the human condition, or really the condition of anything that has a life. We do our best to spin this beautiful weave of a life, and we all know that some days are better than others. However, it never fails there are days that our web is either severely damaged or completely knocked. It may take some time, but eventually we get back up and repair or completely recreate the web we had begun. How powerful a message is that?!

Blessings of Friendship

This past week has been a reminder to me of the blessing of friends. As I progressed through this past week, there were moments when I wanted to scream, pull my hair out, and lash out in all ways socially unacceptable. However, a friend was ever near to be my voice of reason. To all of you, I say "thank you" and in case you do not no, I love you like sisters (and brothers). Thank you for the encouraging words, your listening ears, and the special moments. You are my friends, but you are also my family, and I love you. You hold a special place in my heart that few get to occupy. You are worthy and often the receiver of tears that you may or may not see because of the joy you bring to my life. And it is because of the blessing of friendship that I am made better with each passing day.

I hope that all of you who read this, will recognize the friends in your life. I feel like our world spins faster and time passes us by without us ever truly recognizing friends in the manner that they should be recognized. Never pass up a moment to tell them you love them, share a laugh, and to revel in the memories of the past and dream of the possibilities of the future. Cherish every moment.

Love y'all!!!

Love Songs

I love music!!!! My favorite music, is something that says something. And lately, I have been feelin' the love songs! Now that could be because the wedding anniversary is coming up, but I will attribute it to the fact that it has been a while since people have written love songs that even remotely come close to the greatness of generations gone by; Man, they knew how to sang about a thing called love!

So in honor of love, what are some of your favorite love songs?


Some of mine (old and new, in no particular order)

"Home" by Michael Buble
"Ordinary People" by John Legend
"The Prayer" by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli
"Unforgettable" and "When I Fall in Love" by Nat King Cole
"L-O-V-E" and "Oranged Colored Sky" by Natalie Cole
"These Three Words" by Stevie Wonder
"1234" by Plain White Ts
"Make Me Whole" by Amel Larrieux
"Lost Without U" by Robin Thicke
"4 Seasons of Loneliness" by Boyz II Men

Uncertainty

Today I had a conversation with a friend, that got me thinking. She is responsible for my "aha moment" today, so to her I say "Thank you, I needed it." As I am in a period of transition (more than I would like to be at times), it's just a reminder of how hard it is to be there. One of my favorite sayings is "if you want to make God, the universe, or whatever you refer to "it" as, laugh, tell him your plans."

One thing I have learned in my short time on this planet, is that I AM NOT IN CONTROL (and for a self-professed control freak, that's a hard pill to swallow). You mean after all the plans I have made in my life, and all the successes I have had, I am not in control? You have got to be kidding me!

No matter how hard I fight, that truth remains... I am not in control. I can only control how I prepare for and react to the occurrences in my life, the choices I make, and even the type of person I want to be, but the rest is out of my hands.

I am fortunate, I have my faith. Now, I will not sit here and lie to the world, and act like I never worry or stress out. I am only human, however, when push comes to shove (and I finally throw up my hands), from my perspective and my belief system, I can trust that God has my best interest at heart. My experience has taught me that while in man's eyes I should not be where I am, God has different plans. I have faced much uncertainty in my life, and I am wise enough to know that I will continue to, but I know that one thing has and will continue to remain constant, God is with me every step of the way.

So no, I don't know what my future holds, I don't even know if I will wake up tomorrow, or for that fact, make it to the end of the day. But either way, life will go on. I guess I say all this to leave you with this thought, and what I hope will encourage many of you (including myself).

Uncertainty is a beast, and we spend most of my life there. However, we're not completely helpless at these times in our lives. No matter where we are in life, we are always in a state of transition. So, we must have faith, hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and realize there's only so much that we can control.

Are You Letting Your Light Shine?

“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. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~Marianne Williamson

I love this quotation. It encompasses everything that I believe, and yet when it comes to personalizing it, I find it soooo hard to do. Why is it that I am so readily able to assist others with letting their light shine, but I struggle to even recognize that I have a light to offer? I definitely question "who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?" and I often wonder "what is my purpose for being on this planet?" There is nothing that makes me so significant that I "deserve" to be here. I have not cured cancer, saved the dolphins, or created a work of art that touches the very soul of any human being. I just am. But then I think, I have been on this earth for almost 27 years, surely my work is not finished, because as Richard Bach said "Here's the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you're alive, it isn't." So what to do?

Work on learning my purpose, recognizing my light, and doing everything I can to let it shine so bright, people will need to wear shades ;). And to all lights that shine in my life, continue to recognize your power, embrace, and use your gifts, and share your love because we all know you're AWESOME!

The Plunge

I have finally decided to take the plunge and become a blogger (the world must be coming to an end)! While I decided to begin this blog to share what I will call "my whispers," I really do not know what this space will become. I think that I hope this will be my place of constant reminders. You see, I have a tendency to forget some times; forget what is important, what life is about and how to live it. I also want those who read this blog, whether I know you or not, to know that whatever you're going through in life, you're not alone, and neither am I. So hopefully we can share in "listening to the whispers" and living inspired.