Lose Count

April 1, 2020.Reading time 1 minute.

It’s deeper than that. Deeper than the surface, the grains of sand, the ocean. Deeper than the flesh, the bones. It’s all worthless if you serve no purpose. Deeper than bank accounts and possession amounts. We’re still searching. This game of life, we’re all players, until we dive deep, peeling back the layers. We’ve been dressed up, made up, to forget what we’re really made of… Just love.

Just a spirit.

Just a soul, without limits.

Just wondering where the winds were born, where they traveled from, and where they’re off to next. Just wondering how the oceans stay put, all that water, and only once in a while does she hurricane her tsunamis.

Now’s the time to check your baggage. What are you carrying? Everything can’t go, and in due time – none of it can go.

Check your baggage, what do you possess, – is it un·quan·ti·fi·a·ble?

Don’t Wait.

November 28, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

Hobbiton Movie Set. New Zealand. 2018.

Let’s go back twenty years. It’s 1998, and the theme song comes on. We’re hooked, only to possibly realize the true meaning of these lyrics, years later…

“I don’t want to wait for our lives to be over
I want to know right now what will it be
I don’t want to wait for our lives to be over
Will it be yes or will it be sorry?”

Life is meant to pass us by, and each day it does – it’s to remind us of how easily time slips, right, through, our, hands.

What or who are we finding to be of importance?

What are we grasping?

Let’s not be sorry.

“The trouble is, you think you have time.” -Buddha

“There’s only one thing more precious than our time and that’s who we spend it on.” – Leo

When in doubt – just think… “What would Beyonce do?”

Don’t wait.

Make a Wish

November 11, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

Photo by Griffin Glaze. Mexico. 2018.

We’re not here long. This physical human machine our souls are trapped inside of will die out one day. The type of death that can’t be recharged. While we’re here, let’s do the best we can to make it worthwhile. Let’s do the best we can to have an energy so strong, that it creates light. To have a light so bright, that we never lose ourselves. Let’s.

What makes you giggle? What makes your heart smile? What gives you that extra boost of energy? Who keeps you honest? Where is your happy place? What do you care most about? Why do you care? Why don’t you care? What do you love about yourself? What do you dislike? Who do you love? Where are you right now? Where are you going? When do you take the necessary breaks? Who are you? Who created you? Do you love them? Do you love yourself? How are you feeling, right now, today, here, in this moment? When is the last time you listened to your heart. When’s the last time you trusted your intuition? When is the last time you listened closely to the silence? Shhh… take a second. Breathe. Were you meditating? Where do you find solace? If you could be anywhere in the world, doing anything in the world…where? What? Why? With whom? What’s the greatest feeling you can remember? It’s nearly 2019, how have you changed since January? Who left your life, who entered? What do you want? How will you get it?

Today is 11:11, make a wish. Love yourself.

Rise Up

August 27, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

Isla de Barú, Cartagena, Colombia. 2018

“Ready or not, here I come, you can’t hide.” That’s what the storm says. That’s what time says. That’s what nature says. (That’s what The Fugees say).

Well, we can try to hide, but not well enough. Sometimes it’s better to just stay out in the open, where we find ourselves vulnerable and forced to face the changes. Hiding from these changes will only make us feel small, because we were afraid. Also, because we’d be left with a mountain of “shoulda, coulda, wouldas.” In hiding, especially from the storm, we lose out on the universe’s offer to cleanse us of anything that no longer serves us. All it wants to do is lighten our load. Free us of conscious and subconscious burdens. It wants to condition us to become fearless, and embrace change. The storm; the change in weather is just a metaphor otherwise, of the possibilities in life.

The oceans run deep, and at times they rise up. They become stormy, because there’s a sort of tension that needs to be released. We, as humans, have oceans of emotions. They run deep. They become stormy, because there are sorts of tension that have a need to be released. We have to face those storms to move on, to grow, to become stronger.

It’s all temporary. The weather, our feelings, our circumstances. When we embrace that, it’s likely because we have not forgotten about our sunny days. We have not forgotten the rainbows. We have not forgotten how clean the air has become after the storm. We have not forgotten the pleasure of breathing easy.

We can’t expect the sun to shine on our days, and not have the water rise as well. It’s a responsibility. We all have rhythm, we all move. It’s in how we interpret our experiences, that transform our livelihoods.

We are the ups and downs, the ins and outs, the comings and goings, because we’re alive. We are supposed to dance. We are living art. So, whether the weather is stormy, sunny, or sorta funny, be fearless. Weather, the weather. Rise up.

Poor, Until You’re Free.

August 8, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

I’m not the only one who’s rich. There are a lot of us. We have an abundance, and it just continues to pour, helping us grow. There was an influx in the last year. The world blew me away. It was a world-wind (whirlwind). I became a bird, just as free. With that realization, knowing I could fly, I became powerful. The dream was to see the world, as much of it as possible. The manifestation was seeing the world, because it was possible. With each landing, in each international city, my networth increased. I’m rich. At this point in life, I’ve explored over sixty international cities, across six continents. Each experience was a coin in the bank. I became exposed to many lifestyles. Exposed to the bigger picture; I realized, even more, during each engagement, that life on this planet is everything, and nothing at all. I saw so much beauty from various hills, mountain tops and through the eyes of others. I listened to natives tell stories about their people and their country, the good times and the ugly. Taking me from a moment of accepting the beauty and charm of their environment, to seeing it all flash into bits after hearing of the devastation that has swept through. The stages of life. Things aren’t always pretty. Behind every smile, every scenic route, is a story. Everyday, with each experience, celebration, trial and tribulation, there are lessons to be learned. These lessons are keys, used to unlock the understanding of whatever is coming next. There are no coincidences. As long as we’re present and paying attention, we in return, become rich.

And the “horse” will remain poor, until it becomes free.

Freedom is liberation. With liberation, everything is gold. With gold, you’re rich!

Spiritually. Mentally. Physically. Morally. Purposefully. Honorably.

In Love. In Peace. In Quality. In Respect. In Health. In Experiences. In Joy. In Creativity.

What’s holding you back, tying you down, locking you in, from being rich?

How do you become free?

Her Words.

June 27, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

Buenos Aires, Argentina – on what would have been her seventy-ninth birthday.

My grandmother would always say, “I wish you all the lucks in the world.”

On every card, for birthdays and graduations, she faithfully wished me all the lucks in the world. Her simple words, were not so simple to me. I wondered why she wished more than one luck. Deep down inside, I felt touched by her spirit – and even when it was written in a card, I could hear her voice saying the words so clearly. Sweet and simple, with grace and confidence. She wished it for me, because she knew it was possible to have luck in the world. That pleasant memory of her is etched on my soul.

In some selfish way, I began to believe that she actually wished me the world. That she wished me great purpose in the world. That she wished me to see the world. That she wished me to make a difference in the lives of people in the world. I translated her words to mean that she wished for me to learn as much about the world, and to travel the world, and to share my spirit with the world. I’d like to believe that she wished me to seek out my talents and place them ever so humbly in the world. Perhaps she wanted me to see the world as my school, a place where learning never-ends. What if she meant for me to see what the world has to offer, and confidently go after whatever I desired? She could have easily meant she wished for my safety in the world. Perhaps finding genuine love in the world. Having good health. Financial stability. Peace of mind. I believe she wanted me to do some of the things she wished for herself, but she would never say that. She would just wish me all the lucks in the world. She would have never disclosed to me that she wished she could have been a dressmaker, if I didn’t ask. It wasn’t about her dreams and her sacrifices. It wasn’t about her past decisions. It was a message of hope to her granddaughter, that the world has so much going on, and she simply wanted me to be well in it. I believe she wanted me to live purposefully, not letting too much time go by without seeing my dreams come true. She didn’t place any specific ideas in my mind. Her words were careful. Perhaps, general. I believe they were plentiful. Those words were full of love, hope, and imagination.

My grandmother passed away shortly after her seventieth birthday. I’d like to believe she had many experiences in the world. One may see her message as simple, as something anyone would wish for their loved ones. It’s true. Many grandparents must wish this for their grandchildren. Many parents must wish this for children. The variety of life experiences in this world are inevitable. There’s much good, bad, and ugly. Wishing luck or blessings are prayers for peaceful paths. The luck brings about a light of hope, it brings about a purpose to inspire, it brings about the drive to live before you die.

In the case no one has told you once before, accept this message:

“I wish you all the lucks in the world!” – my grandmother

We can all use a little luck…

Everything is Everything

June 6, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

Cold Spring, NY. 2018

“What is meant to be, will be. After winter, must come spring. Change, it comes eventually.” – Lauryn Hill

I’m so ready for it. I feel ready for a lot of changes. Especially now that I’m sitting still. The fast-paced life I was experiencing, moving from country to country has come to create a greater sense of stillness within.

I went hiking on Sunday. Left the city scene, to become engulfed in nature. I needed that. It was a dose of medicine. The feeling I have right now can be metaphorically compared to a caterpillar. I’m in a place where something is happening, I feel a shift coming – but I don’t really know how or in what way things will change. My hike through the trails, up the rocks, walking swiftly pass the trees, I would see caterpillars every few feet. They were symbolic of my stage of life. I am getting ready for a transformation. Some people would confuse a time like this for the end of something; complete darkness and uncertainty. I’m more hopeful. I can feel a beginning of something new about to occur. I feel ready for whatever it is. I can see myself embracing the new experiences and giving my all, doing my best, and showering each moment with an abundance of love and appreciation. I’m in my caterpillar phase, and I don’t feel worried at all. I’m just going through it. I am in the moment. Always. Feeling appreciative. Feeling grateful. When I reached the top of the hill, I felt so free, like a butterfly. Whatever is coming, just know, I’m ready to fly.

“What if that change you’re avoiding is the one that gives you wings?”

“A season of loneliness and isolation is when the caterpillar gets its wings. Remember that, next time you feel alone.”

“Just when the caterpillar thought her life was over, she began to fly.”

“I wonder if the caterpillars know they’re gonna fly some day, or they just start building a cocoon and are like, ‘why am I doing this?’”

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”

“There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.”

“Life is a balance of holding on and letting go.”

“Your time as a caterpillar has expired. Your wings are ready.”

“Within you is the power to rise above any situation or struggle, and transform into the brightest, strongest, version of you ever.”

“How does one become a butterfly?” she asked. You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.”

“Trust the process.”

“Like a butterfly, I am growing and changing and finding my true colors in life.”

Deeply Overthinking.

May 27, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

Somewhere in the world.

Having a moment. In my feelings, thinking deeply, overthinking. Curious and confused. Inspired and ambitious.

Early mornings, with a swollen face after some hours of sleep, looking at myself in the mirror and wondering about the new day. How shall I spend the time?

Glancing at the words hanging next to that mirror, paired with the voice in my head. “Keep moving, keep flowing.” (Do as water and light.) “Let things come to you.” (But never remain idle.) “All things with love.” (Even when you don’t understand.) “Stay humble.” (For better or for worse.) “If it doesn’t open, it’s not your door.” (Don’t ask any questions, just trust, and move on.)

Slipping into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. I somehow feel a need for it to join me as my thoughts land on the pages of my journal, during what seems like a very long five minutes.

Stepping out into the streets of the world, it’s the wandering of my mind that forced movement of my feet. What will I find? What will find me? No way to be certain. There’s a lot of noise out there. Lots of lies. Then, there I am, in the midst of it all. There we are. Each one of us, and our 70,000 thoughts. It can be overwhelming.

With the day flying by, stepping back over to that mirror, wondering if I spent too much time thinking about whether or not I used my time wisely. Wondering about time being a complete illusion. Thinking that it’s more than okay to have some days when I do absolutely nothing but overthink everything. Considering my thoughts, and those of others – and wondering where to draw the line. Checking in with myself, making sure that my peace is secure.

Falling into slumber, upon my lavender oiled pillow, looking forward to the time I’ll spend, not thinking too deeply.

Change, No Coins.

May 5, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

2014.

Inevitability. My hands are up, embracing the one thing I can’t control. Change. Along with it comes opportunity for unlimited growth. As much as I’d like to prepare for growth, it’s not as effective as it is to simply go through the changes. There’s not much power in preparing for it, because I have no idea what it will do to me. All I can do is pay close attention to what evolves and dissolves as it’s happening.

I go with the flow. I don’t try to force anything. It’s a feeling of empowerment to embrace change entirely. The experience of growing as changes naturally occur can be compared to a raw, unfiltered immersion that produces a sometimes painful beauty. It’s all about perspective. Something within myself changes with every experience. Change lies within all of the little tiny intricate things. I love how it’s not always recognizable right away. Change is the planting of seeds.

I’ve changed. I’m not the same person I was last year, last month or even yesterday. There are many things and people I care about, and different levels to which I care. There are levels to everything. I’m all for the significance of balance. If I’m feeling off, then I have some shifting to do. One of the four agreements shared with us by Don Miguel Ruiz tells us to not take anything personally. I’m embracing that. My flow through this world has everything to do with what moves my spirit. If I am not moved, then I will not move. I am my first priority, so I have to pay my attention to what has the potential to affect a change in me. Change is a currency. Change is a reaction. Change can be a choice. Change has inspired me to no longer take anything anyone does personally. There was a time I did, and I’m a greater person for now knowing better. To take things personally is sort of like taking a drug. That feeling would metaphorically place me “under the influence” causing a delusional belief that I could have influential powers over other people’s actions. I do not take what you do personally.

My change is reflected through my actions. My change is expressed through love. My change is presented through words and colors. I love and appreciate the universal law of change; a promise to the living that nothing is forever.

I will practice congratulating others when I notice their growth. It’s worth celebrating. It means we’re awake. Listening and learning. Sometimes when I write, I feel as though I’m rambling. What I appreciate most about my blog posts is the fact that they change over time. My mission to share my opinion about this life on earth doesn’t change, but my delivery does. There’s more value in personal change, than the kind I use to exchange currency for product. If I were to strip naked of material possessions, what do I really have. A woman evolving. Change, no coins.

2018.

Due Time

April 4, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

Singapore, Singapore. 2018.

When we know our gifts, and our purpose, and aren’t afraid of presenting them to the world, then we also know when it’s our turn to shine. We’re aware of everyone being on a different mission and having varied goals. Knowing this, we understand that we’re not here to run a race, perhaps we are here to run, just not all at the same time.

Sharon bakes really well, and her specialty is dessert. Marian also bakes really well, but she specializes in savory foods. Simply because they both bake well doesn’t mean that Marian should bring baked macaroni and cheese to the dessert party. The idea of passing the baton, stepping aside, and supporting others during their moment makes complete sense.

We are not in competition, and if we were, we’d at least stick to our lanes or categories. Let’s not exhaust our energy unnecessarily. The fitness trainer should never worry about the dance instructor taking their clients. The author does not have to worry about the illustrator outshining them. The lights on the trees serve a greater purpose when they are turned on during the night. No matter the person, the talent, the gift, it can never compare to that of another – because we’re all so different, and we’re all so necessary – just not all at the same time.

As we understand our roles, our lanes, and our purpose, we understand when it’s our time to shine. We are well aware that the light we possess and express would never threaten that of another. It just doesn’t work that way. “Life is a journey, not a competition.” So please, let’s not be stingy with our gifts, they’re meant to be shared with others.

“I am not competing with anyone but myself. I want to be excellent at whatever I do.” – Dr. Maya Angelou (remembering you on your birthday, and always).

“I’m not interested in competing with anyone, I hope we all make it.”

“…because she competes with no one, no one can compete with her.”

“Successful people never worry about what others are doing.”
“They’re not your competition if you don’t even compete.”

“When you’re in your own lane, there is no traffic.”

“Comparison kills joy.”

“You don’t compete, where you don’t compare.”

“Supporting another’s success won’t ever dampen yours.”

“Stay in your magic.”

…and for those who are afraid to find their magic or share their magic, this one’s for you:

“Never give up on a dream because of the time it will take to accomplish it, the time will pass anyway.”

“Let your fear of failure be your motivation to succeed.”

“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.”

When we know our gifts, and our purpose, and aren’t afraid of presenting them to the world, then we also know when it’s our turn to shine.

All Things DMC

Tag: Life