When you choose to open your heart to love fully,

The magic of the moment stays with you forever.

When I create in life, I honor natural flow by investing my energy into that which I would like to magnify; all that I would not like to magnify sloughs off naturally.  As I place my attention on the new, I remove my focus from the ‘old’.  Because I live mindfully aware in the present moment, once I remove my focus, it is almost on par with erasing my memory.  When I choose to say hello it is exuberantly, passionately, joyfully; as I extend this greeting, all that is “old” is receiving an almost imperceptible goodbye….being erased.  

When I choose to open my heart to love you..I am investing into our connection.  I See you fully; it is a joy to connect; an honor to share space.  What we focus upon grows–as I focus my love upon you, you blossom; as you reflect to me, I blossom.  Beautiful connection.  Gratitude overflows within my heart.  The combination of love and gratitude is a potent mixture causing barriers to crumble, wounds to heal, creativity to flow; my heart opens ever farther (yours, too, if you choose).  Even when we no longer share physical space, and I no longer hold the details of you within my mind, this heart opening stays with me always. I may no longer “know you” but I Feel you, etched into the fiber of my being.  Because I create from my heart space, that Feeling infuses all that I create. 

I don’t say goodbye, because we remain connected. I do say “Thank you for allowing me to know you; your presence has greatly enriched my life”.

If you follow my journey through this site, then you are aware that in the past sixty days I have said goodbye to much, including: running, the boat I have lived on for five years, Magic Moonbeam pup, my full-time job (consistent income)..and now this site.  

It is my hope that you know, dear reader and friend, how much your support has enriched my life.  How sharing space through this site has allowed me to blossom into the woman I am today.  Often a blog is one-sided, the author providing words on a page, open for your interpretation.  But, this site has always been one of community..a community in which I was able to experiment creatively, explore the depths of my being, and become who I am today as an energy healer, inspirational writer, an online presence.  You encouraged and inspired me to present to you life enriching and spirit enlivening; in my quest to share with you with my best, I ventured outside of my little box to find an entire Universe waiting with open arms to welcome me to new and different. 

This is what love does, and why some are reluctant to invest fully into it.  Love shares the absolute best to allow us to grow past this container of safety we create as we relate.  Some people wish to stay “in love”/this perceived container of safety so refuse to share completely, or refuse to continue to grow, or even shrink in order to still fit. 

I appreciate that love you share allowed me to stretch..thank you!  And now.. the container no longer fits.

I’ve created a new container:  my new site Facets of Joy.  This site is a bold step for me..still a blog, but also a place to connect through offline events such as meetups and energy parties, a place to find free downloadable resources, and a place to share pieces of my inner core journey through a paid subscription letter. It is my hope that you decide to continue our steps together and to help me decorate this new container with all that your presence allows…   

So, rather than say goodbye to you, dear reader, who has inspired me, encouraged me, motivated me, and supported my work…I would like to extend a warm welcome and share an energetic hug at my new site..

Life is an amazing journey..may all that you have received through our connection inspire you to live peacefully, love fully, and create boldly.

 ”Thank you for allowing me to know you; your presence has greatly enriched my life”.

Much peace,

Joy

When I am fully Aware and present in this moment:

to all that I have versus all that “I do not have”..

I am gifted with abundance.

When I choose to create from an overflowing well of gratitude,

I may use all that is available to me *right now*..

And create something nourishing for my entire being. 

When I choose to share in gratitude..

That creation nourishes you as well…

“Not enough” is a state of mind; abundance is a state of being.

This morning I woke in my new space, knowing with great clarity and absolute certainty that this space is exactly where I am meant to be. What I have experienced within this space in just the few short days I have lived here is: utter peace, joy, comfort like I have not experienced in a very long time.  A gift. 

I am poised to continue to allow gratitude for this space to inspire me to create new and different within my life…to continue to release excess clutter in all realms as I remove long-standing barriers to flow.  This opportunity is exciting, invigorating, magnificent.  I Feel as if in the last few days I am living the life I have been dreaming of.  I Feel blessed beyond belief. 

I Feel this way because I have the ability to open my heart past fear and doubt through faith to abundance.  I wake in the morning and feel an immediate rush of extreme gratitude to be alive in this day, and that gratitude sets the intention and tone for all that I experience and create in the day. 

(Yes, I have used the word “feel” a lot.  My thoughts allow for restrictions and limitations; my feelings are expansive and empowering, so I choose to allow my thoughts to flow through while I access my heart space and create with feeling). 

As I stood in my kitchen this morning (thank you for a kitchen..which I have not had in five years!!!), I looked around at the scant ingredients available to me as I wondered what to prepare for breakfast.  Fear surfaced as I noticed all that I do not have (a pantry overflowing and the income to procure such a pantry) and I thought will I have ”enough” to share today.. and always.  I acknowledged fear because it is valid (the reality of the external details of my move–broken promises left me with a boat and a residence and not the amount of income to cover both)..and then I opened my heart through fear to allow for abundance.  I took the ingredients available to me and created something that was fresh, appealing, fragrant, and delicious…and then I shared my breakfast with someone who would enjoy it just as much.  My entire being felt full, as my heart overflowed with gratitude.

Even as I prepared breakfast, I wondered if this was so effortlessly possible with food (taking minimal, applying gratitude, and experiencing abundance)..what else is possible? Everything…Anything..when I open my heart to what is present and allow gratitude to magnify it. 

The Truth is: I have more than enough in this moment that I am in and all else is extraneous to what I am able to create with the resources I have right now.   

The Truth is: Peace, Joy, and Comfort cannot be bought, traded, negotiated upon…and Faith and Energy Flow are not just ideas that sound nice to me but the foundation upon which I live.  When I live my Truth, I am living now, embracing infinite possibility as I create. 

My life truly is as magical as I allow it to be. 

Much peace,

Joy

When I allow movement to create new and different within my life,

I am embracing my Heart Truth and allowing Faith to guide each step. 

Among the many very recent changes in my life, the children and I just yesterday moved off of our boat and onto land.  Having been on the boat together for five years, this is a step into complete unknown for me.  Honestly, there are simple things about living on land that I haven’t had to deal with while living on the boat, and as they surface I am left in wonder at how different life on land truly is.  For instance, when I would enter and exit the boat, I would leave the hatch fully open to allow for natural light and air circulation..but as I enter and exit this land based dwelling I find I cannot just leave my front and back doors open (for reasons obvious to most, but for me requires lots of reminding).  I can choose to feel overwhelmed by newness, or I can open my heart past what I know, and to embrace this experience fully.

My children provided the answer: they immediately began to revel in this new space; literally dancing and laughing and stretching as far as possible.   Delighted with the potential they could Feel, not thinking about anything other than the happiness they felt at moving in such a fun way.    This concept of spaciousness is quite new to me and opens up an entire new world; for example, not only may my physical self enjoy practicing yoga in my own living space (not feasible on the boat), my creative self may have an easel with a canvas, my culinary self has a full kitchen to enjoy, my quiet self has all of the books and writing utensils that the shelves may hold, and my social self has a lot of new neighbors to meet and connect with.  As I continue to embrace movement, I realize that my Awareness may expand as I experiment with spaciousness. 

As I share with you today, I also recognize that the concept of spaciousness is based upon perspective.  We moved from a 40ft sailboat into a studio apartment, which is enormous to my little family; what we are celebrating as huge may be the size of your living room:) I think physical space is what you allow it to be: our way of life in such a small living space has provided a depth and richness that no amount of money can buy; yet already on this first day on land, there is a freedom that “more space” provides for each of us to experiment with as we create.  This new appreciation of physical space is one example of how quickly Universe swoops in to meet me when I step out. 

What I left behind in yesterday is far more than I can comprehend or express in words here.  By day’s end, I was emotionally spent and physically exhausted..yet extremely ‘proud’ that despite obstacles I chose to step forward in faith.  To move required that I leave behind my physical boat and all that she represents to me, Magic Moonbeam pup whom I love with my being, clutter that had accumulated in our living space for five years, connections that had grown stale, fears and doubts that rendered me quite stuck for a bit.  There were moments I had the thought that I would rather be uncomfortable trying to squeeze myself and my family into a space that we had outgrown (in all realms) about one year ago, yet remained in…then to allow for this radical transformation that would require a sweeping release and a firm, bold step into the land of unknown.  When people and material possessions and “stuff” became a solid barrier to flow–a barrier I could not ignore and abundance could not penetrate–I chose to listen to my heart truth and allow movement to usher in this magnificently new experience on land.   

As I create, I use many tools, the most significant to me remains the ability to open my heart to the moment as it is presented to me and the appreciation of all that is magical in that moment.    Tapping into that, I woke this morning–my first day on land–full of excitement and joy and renewed creative energy.  I am reminded that as humans we tend to think of movement as one step: one shelter to another, one relationship to the next, one stretch..then we often allow something to curtail that movement: we become comfortable or we tire or “cap out”.  I may choose to be “rooted”..but my roots are faith, gratitude, and love; because I am completely fluid in energy, my rootedness allows me to soar.    From my heart to yours: may you allow your heart to lead, and your steps to move you beyond what you “think” is possible. 

When you choose to open your heart to the moment as it is presented to you, you are choosing to live in love.

Love is simplicity at its best.

Love magnifies beauty.

Love expands into the space it is given.

Love inspires and uplifts and strengthens.

Love heals.

Love reminds you of what you know to be true.

Love reflects to you the most perfect version you are willing to see.

Love is boundary free.

Everything is possible, when you Allow it to be.

May you open your heart to love…

And may you live this love every day.

Much peace,

Joy

Reminder: Explore.  Experiment.  Experience.

When I open my mind

and allow my Being

to travel…

through fear,

beyond doubt,

past resistance..

I effortlessly release my “old story”…step out of my box..

(of preconceived notions, constraint, restrictions,

self-imposed limitations…)

and

am welcomed into Light, Flow, Joy..

abundance…

infinite possibility.

Each day is ours to create within.  Sometimes we label a day (11-1-11) and the label reflects to us potential that we might not otherwise see.  Sometimes that label reflects to us a collective potential we may not otherwise see; empowering us to open beyond what we know to embrace that which we do not know. 

If I was to label today for you..11-1-11 the day of the dead…I would ask you to look at the power of the day, and to allow this power to guide you in all that you choose to create.  I would ask you to look within your life and identify all that seems “dead” to you..anything that zaps you of your power and allows you to “feel dead”.  I would ask you, why do you allow all of the se  layers to occupy your space..and would it be possible for you to let any of this go?  To release all that no longer serves your life purpose (keyword=life, all that allows you to live fully!)…to revel in the clean space..and then to allow Universe to fill that space with abundance, prosperity, love, joy, peace..all that is right here at your fingertips, waiting patiently for space.

As I ask you this, I am in the process of a huge surge of release.  There are moments of fear (will anything replace any of this that I am releasing? am I enough “on my own”? what if I step into this unknown and fall, hard? what if I release and am left with ‘nothing’?). 

As doctors work to identify why my physical self is pretty much being “gutted” these last thirty days, I am working diligently to identify on a metaphysical level why my self is being “gutted”.  I believe it is a time of rebirth..a time to release layer upon layer of stuff that keeps me rooted here in this very spot.  The truth is: I am a passionate woman who loves life..finding the magic in each moment, playing in nature, connecting with spirit, making music and food and love..yet I look at my life today and see that it is quite sterile..I have been creating within my little box, playing it quite safe indeed, when my essence is one that explores, experiments, experiences fully…

I love sharing my gift of clarity; it is a joy to share with others!  To allow that spark of Knowing to ignite your passion and observe as that spark illuminates your dreams and those dreams become your reality…a magnificent process to behold.  What do I do when I receive clarity into my own life, when Knowing may be transformational if I allow it to be?  Do I close my eyes, my ears, my heart..and continue to compromise, living a sterile, safe life…or do I allow for crystal clear vision, listen carefully, open my heart fully…and step into the land of unknown..allowing that little spark to illuminate my own dreams?  Do I dare to step out of my comfortable, safe, yet ill-fitting box..into a space that allows my essence to flourish?

Think of a plant..as the plant thrives: the roots spread, the stem grows, the flowers blossom..

soon you find you need to repot this plant…much like self.

When I resist Truth, I become physically ill..so I accept these last thirty days as a wake up call..a sign from the Universe requesting that I slow down, take inventory, and open my heart to the signs all around me.  I could understandably allow physical pain to ‘stop me’ or I could use that pain as a resource to propel movement. 

I want to share this short story with you.  My young children are precious to me, it is a joy to relate with them!  We have this bond that is enlivening, enriching, inspiring.  My son is intuitive and has watched me move through the last thirty days, he takes in far beyond my words.  He knows when I am pained (even if I do not express it) and he knows that the best medicine for me is laughter, fun, love.  He knows this not because we’ve ever communicated with words, but because he watches as I live, as I share with others, as I mother.   As I know him. (May all of my relations be so genuine and fruitful!).

Last night–as my children prepared to celebrate Halloween–my son went into my closet and came out with my hip skirt (for years I have practiced belly dancing).  And he asked me to wear it.  I hesitated at first, but then put the hip skirt over my sweat pants, and as the children dressed, I shimmied around the boat..the dog chasing us around..we were just playing and laughing, and although the movement of shimmying hurt, for a few moments I forgot how sick I was. 

My daughter was dressing as a beautiful fairy princess, and applying body glitter as part of her face makeup. I love all things glitter, so I asked her to apply some to my face..made me feel a bit magical:)  Again, we were laughing and playing..for when do the children ever get to dress up mom, and while I’ve been so caught up in managing my pain, when have we taken the time to just play?  The atmosphere was full of love and laughter. (Just us, love and laughter.  How simple.  How often we allow “not enough’ to prevent us from relating…when all that is truly necessary is the willingness to open your heart past barriers.. to laugh and play and just celebrate life together!  May we be surrounded by people who love to laugh, play, celebrate!). 

My son went back into my room and came out with the top of my belly dancing outfit.  He asked me to wear it to our friends for Halloween (good family friends who love us as we are and are not surprised when we express our selves–well, if they are surprised that still laugh and play with us*grin*).  Transparency: feeling quite bloated from medication, and very untoned from not being able to exercise, the last thing I wanted to do was to wear this pretty sexy outfit out in public.  My thought: who is this sterile and safe person, where is the daring woman known to shimmy confidently pretty much anywhere because I love to elicit that mega watt smile, and shimmying is a sure-fire way to receive a smile:)..where is she?

So, I wore it.  To my friend’s house.  For a bit.  And I posted the photo on Facebook, and then I used the photo here in this space.  Not because I think I’m ‘all that’; quite the opposite.  Because I know who I am..and this is a piece of me, a dormant piece that was able to surface one: because my son took the time and had the “courage” to remind me of who I am (may we all have the courage and confidence to be a mirror to our loved ones!) …and two: because I have been releasing much in the last thirty days, so am able to clearly recognize me when I am present. 

When you look at the above photo do you see a woman who has been on bed rest for thirty days or do you see a vibrant, glowing woman, full of joy to create this moment?

I share this story because *now* is ours to create with..we choose the quality of life, the depth of our connections, the joy of our spirit.  Sometimes the layers I’ve allowed to build up muddy the moment; I am Aware of the importance of releasing those layers so that I may fully live life!  This moment is truly all that I have: My Brother\’s Keeper: A Journey Into Healing is a poignant, heartfelt, beauty filled affirmation that reminds me I have a choice: sterile, safe, yet ill-fitting and painful or passion, vibrancy, radiance, brilliance..”unsafe” yet soul fulfilling.

I choose to live a resounding “Yes!”…

Much peace,

Joy

As you consider the practice of release, it is my pleasure to offer affirmations or reflections as you create..please contact me via email if I may assist you.

When we stand in stillness and turn to the sun..

We are offering Self to World.

When we close our eyes and breathe in the fresh air,

We are opening our heart to this very moment, exactly as it is.

When we reach beyond fear and doubt and:

Absorb Warmth into our very essence,

Brilliance into our very Being,

Power into our very Souls..

We are acknowledging connectedness..

And affirming our commitment to live

Truth, in Transparency..boldly, richly, magnificently so!

We are saying “Yes” to Flow, to Energy..

to the magic of the day…

What magic shall we create today?

I truly believe that my life is as magical as I allow it to be.  What does this truth mean to me as I create? Although I practice the art of unfolding–allowing my creations to flow naturally within the parameters of what is presented to me–I do not believe that external circumstances have any bearing on whether or not I have abundance or spirit in my life.  If I am limited in any way, it is due to an internal block–a reluctance to open my heart  and to fully tap into flow.  When I open my heart in gratitude for the moment my life is full of much to be grateful for.  When I open my heart to love..for life as it is…love is magnified.  All that I create is from my belief in “magic” and this overflowing well of gratitude and love. 

I choose what I will create (a moment, a connection, a tangible product) as well as the quality of that creation. In my life, I recognize the importance of simplicity, cleanliness, spaciousness, silence, harmony.  I understand that what I focus my attention on grows, so I choose to invest my energy into all that is life enriching, spirit enlivening, peace filled, joy filled.  I surround my self with people who inspire me with their creations; I do not have to understand them to learn from them..our differences encourage me to learn and grow, our similarities motivate me to push beyond my own self imposed constraints. 

I choose what I will not create when I choose not to invest my energy into it.  In my life, drama, deceit, imprisonment of any type is energy draining to me; when I honor transparency, truth, and freedom in my life anything “less than” naturally sloughs away.   I do not place blame upon someone for treating me a certain way, or curse the Universe (God, Mother Nature, whomever) for my circumstances..I remain Aware of my accountability for all that is in my life.  If “it” is there, I have allowed it to be..I may create new and different, I may embrace unknown, I may move through muck, but each step is mine.

Magic is essential to my life.  After spending an afternoon with a friend, this person commented something like “what if the magic you share isn’t real, what if it is your vision allows you to turn ordinary into whimsical?”  What if?  What if my vision is that powerful, that life altering..that when I choose to focus on the beauty, wonder, joy, splendor of all around me..I am then surrounded by All that is beautiful, wonderful, joy filled, splendid? 

When we listen to someone tell a piece of their story, we tend to think that is an extraordinary person stretching into a place that is ordinary for them with this “superpower they possess”. We think that talent or accomplishment is so far removed from our own reality.  What I truly believe is we are all super, powered..all extraordinary, unique beings each possessing skills and talents and abilities that will allow us to soar when we choose to.  Our reality is exactly what we create it to be.

“Do you feel like you can make magic happen? 

 If you had a magic wand, what would you transform within yourself or in your life?” Sandra Pawula

Much peace and abundant love,

Joy

“May you look into the mirror & say: “I love you. I appreciate you.

May you then allow self to Feel loved and appreciated.”

“…From an early age, I was taught to “dim my light” to fit in, so that is what I did..I learned to become “less than” enthusiastic, effervescent, joyfilled so that I wouldn’t stand out in a crowd, I would fit right in wherever I was.  My parents asked me, my friends asked me, my lovers asked me and I accommodated their requests in the hopes that I would feel the love, the peace that I so desired.

As you might imagine, this charade wreaked havoc on my body.  As an empath, I am extremely cognizant of– and sensitive to– emotion.  Where many “think something out”, I naturally “Feel it through”.  These compressed feelings manifested in physical ailments and these physical ailments kept me quite restricted in movement.  Very often, I ‘stayed put’..exactly where I was even though I knew I had gifts and talents that would allow me to soar far past the moon when I chose.

I wonder, can you identify with any of this?  Catering to other’s opinions, the feeling of “less than” or “not enough”, squelching your own dreams so that you may “fit in”, living an ordinary life when you know an extraordinary one is waiting patiently for you to step into….”

The above excerpt and photo are from an article in which I share a piece of my heart led journey through a guest post Living Love.  It is a pleasure to share space with Adrienne Jurado..please click the link to read the rest of the article and join us for a conversation about “Living Love”.

My reflection to you about this particular article:

I wrote the article about one month ago, right before my first of multiple visits to ER, doctors appointments, and various medical tests.  I believe in the mind/body connection, and in applying healing energy to physical ailments. As I put my physical self in the care of Western medicine and honor rest and medications, I am also in the hands of healer friends and prayer circles and my own healing energy.  I am applying self-care: sleeping, choosing foods that will energize my self and provide enlivening nutrients, spending time in fresh air, writing in my journal and healing wounds as they surface.  I am spending time with my children within my constraints; temporarily trading in the rough housing games of tag and running around with Magic pup and riding amusement park rides for time bundled within the boat watching movies or reading, time at the clubhouse drinking tea and being together. 

As I honor my body’s need to heal, I am creating new and different within my life.  I may Feel stagnant, but in pivotal ways I am honoring movement through fear, doubt, barriers, constraint.  I absolutely believe in the importance of mentors and teachers; yet I know the Answer is within, so I spend lots of time in solitude, along water’s edge, in meditation, in quiet.  And I am given the gift of my own words through the “Living Love” article..my own words reflecting to World (and significantly to me)..the exact answer I “need” as I continue to heal. 

That is how the Universe works.  When you ask, you create space, honor your beliefs…you are given the answer in ways you may use to tap into abundance and create magnificent within your life. 

What I have is words..so I would like to express here: I am fascinated by the visual of interconnectedness as I sit under a tree and look up to the sky to see the branches (thick, thin, full of green, barren) or stand out on the dock and look to the blanket of stars across the night sky…I think of you, and I thank you for being you and expressing your self in the ways that you choose to share.  Thank you for the emails, notes, texts, love, prayers, healing energy (all of the various ways you have expressed care)..you do matter, you do make a difference..and every time you open your heart to share love, it magnifies.  Thank you for choosing to share love. 

I ask you to consider these questions as I consider them within my own life: as you open to sharing love, is there an area in which you may create new and different..perhaps release an “old” idea, belief, connection..so that you may fully embrace peace, joy, passion, harmony, transparency?  Is your life as magical as it could be, or are you choosing to block abundance, magic, love because you are choosing to cling to something rather than surrender to infinite possibility?

I have closed comments here, so you may join me as we reflect upon Living Love.

Much peace and abundant love,

Joy

Photo credit: Raam Dev

Today is “Wishcasting Wednesday” at Jamie Ridler Studios  .  The question is:

How do you wish to be loved?

When you stand in stillness,

and

Honor silence..

When you look beyond what is visible,

To all that is reflected to you..

You will find a mirror of

your Self…

You will find

Love.

We wish to control love by making lists of compatibility, screening candidates, opening our hearts only in certain circumstances. We wish to understand love by labeling it,  reading books, participating in counseling sessions.  We wish to hide our imperfections, fears, doubts so we relate on a surface level.  We wish to express love with a safe, pat: “I love you”.  

Love becomes a struggle, chore, obligation. We run from it, deny it, avoid it..because we are afraid it will “hurt”. 

I release that.

When you choose to love me, I wish for you to turn off your mind and access your heart space. From this space of abundance and gratitude, we may relate transparently..beyond layers of fear, doubt, barriers, masks.. to genuine heart whispers.

I wish for you to allow those heart whispers to surface so that the love we share in this very moment will magnify your inner brilliance and allow your dreams to become your reality.  Your inner brilliance reflects to me my own..so that loving you inspires me to create within my own life.

May you love me not for what you see..but for what you Feel as we share space.  May you allow your self to Feel delight: passion, joy, peace, hope, creativity, pleasure, beauty..far beyond that which your mind may label as ‘good’ is all that is life enriching, soul nourishing, spirit enlivening.  As you love me, may you feel the magnificence of that love and allow it to color all of your creations.

May you express your love not in words: “I love you”…but in gratitude: “Thank you“. Thank you for being you and choosing to share energy and space with me.  Thank you for sharing the precious gift of your self with me. I will feel this gratitude through your actions, your choice to be mindfully present in the moments we physically share, as well as the moments we emotionally share.  I will know I am loved not because you told me so, but because your actions are full of care and show me so.   

May you apply patience as we plant the seed of love, then allow it to grow.  Instead of hovering, may we plant this seed together, then create individually and allow our connectedness to nurture this love with ease, joy, peace. 

When I open my heart to you, I See: all that you reflect to me, is me.  (Thank you for the opportunity to open my heart..thank you for such a beauty filled gift!).

As we love, may we honor simplicity…bask in the sunshine..and sleep bathed in moonbeams.

How do you wish to be loved?

Much peace,

Joy

To pass through moments of intense pain or vulnerability

I open my heart to the natural beauty around me,

Affirming effortless unfolding as I follow the path I’ve chosen..

I can choose to curse the gathering storm clouds..

Or

I can choose to allow the radiant sunshine to fill my heart,

to feel gratitude for the gift of this moment,

then to create magnificence from that gratitude. 

I look into my life and ask for great clarity as to where I may surrender my will, my expectation…any resistance to movement…any morsel of fear that impedes my steps rather than inspires them. 

Where in my life may I release that which I do know, so that I may fully embrace that which I do not know. 

I see the beauty around me, yet is my vision clear?  Am I wearing blinders, distorting reality with an old story that no longer fits? May I release that old story..or do I squeeze myself into it, causing pain and discomfort to my self and those around me as I invoke struggle?

Do I wake and open my heart to this very day as it is presented…or: am I stuck in the past holding onto a memory/does the anticipation of a future moment dull the Feeling of this one?   

As I move through my day, am I counting my blessings, allowing the bliss of gratitude to fill my heart and color all of my creations? Do I inventory the resources at my fingertips and use them in innovative ways or do I spend my time wishing for more..different..better..?  

Am I allowing a “mistake”, a hurt, a pain to stunt my growth..or do I process through slights and heal my wounds as I continue to embrace Awareness and fill this moment with my presence.

I know my path..my heart leads the way..

Am I willing to surrender to gratitude so that I may experience the glory of this moment?

Much peace and abundant love,

Joy

photo credit: Raam Dev

“When you stand up and speak your truth

–no matter when, where, or why–

a Goddess tattoos your name across her belly.” Sera Beak

(today then, She is adding *Joy*across her belly)

 Thank you for sharing a few moments of Truth with me..in transparency and love..may this piece of my history, my truth..inspire you to create something beautiful and changeworthy with your own truth..to not only embrace change as you continue to create your story..but to be the change that transforms another’s story. 

Here is my Truth:  my base heart wound is set at “not enough”.  I share the cause of that in this piece: The Lost Girl ).  From infancy through adulthood, my story is riddled with tales of abandonment, physical and emotional abuse, chaos, and financial debt. 

Living from this base means that I will choose a love relation who either tends to withdraw or who criticizes or lashes out at me; I will choose connections who take far more than they give; I will choose to give you my food or my money even if it means I will be hungry or penniless; I will sacrifice my self in some way because even if it is extremely uncomfortable for me, it has been my norm.   

When I live from this base of not enough, if you tell me I am beautiful, worthy, my opinion matters, my work is inspiring, my smile sparkles, that I matter or make a difference in any way..I cannot hear you..and if I am able to hear you, I am unable to process your words.  If you tell me “I love you”, I do not know what that means because in  the space of “not enough” love cannot touch me. 

In this space of “not enough” I survive, but it is exhausting..a pain filled struggle; some choose to avoid the pain, some choose to numb the pain..I choose to live with the pain which then manifests itself into physical illness, limiting my movement in some way. 

“Not enough” strips me of internal worth, of value, of all that allows me to not just “fill space” but stand solidly and occupy that space.  I feel like the one weed in a garden of gorgeous blossoms, a weed just waiting to be identified, pulled, and discarded.

In ”not enough”,  personal choices are discolored by feelings of hopelessness.  This was my story for most of my life. There came a point where I didn’t know “how” to rise above my external circumstances, so I no longer even wished to try.  And, my external circumstances were not as dire as that of some of the more than 600 million girls that live in the developing world..

A few sobering facts:

• One girl in seven in developing countries marries before age 15.
• Medical complications from pregnancy are the leading cause of death among girls ages 15-19 worldwide.  Compared with women ages 20 to 24, girls ages 10 to 14 are five times more likely to die from childbirth, and girls 15 to 19 are up to twice as likely, worldwide.
• 75 percent of 15- to 24-year-olds living with HIV in Africa are female, up from 62 percent in 2001.
• A survey in India found that girls who married before age 18 were twice as likely to report being beaten, slapped, or threatened by their husbands as were girls who married later.

Today, I’ve healed my heart wound and released my past. I release my story at the end of each day, as I embrace gratitude for the abundance and joy in my life.  I wake refreshed and ready to create a new story daily.  If you know me currently, you would find me to be a vibrant, enthusiastic, energetic woman who is passionate about peace; dedicated to sharing a message full of abundant love and joy; and occupies my space quite boldly.  I allow my space to contain “more than enough” so that I may share from this overflowing well of abundance.

I think you would agree, this is a huge transformation..so what was the answer?

Love.  (Always).  At each stage in my life, I was given a chance by someone who took the time to accept me and to invest energy with me; teaching me a life skill or sharing with me a valuable resource that I could grow to move through “not enough”.  In the space of not enough, love is best shared as a seed that is planted; this precious seed blossoms with the nutrients of awareness and accountability. When we choose to be aware and accountable, we choose to allow all that we create to be life enriching and spirit enlivening; all that we invest in and share is for growth–our own, and those around us.  

We tend to try to “shower” a person with love…with whatever it is we think they “need”.  However, when we kindly hand a person a seed then take the time to show them how to plant it and nurture it, we are beginning the process of healing, of creating a personal garden.  When given a seed, I am responsible for the outcome: as I choose to care for and nurture this seed, I learn valuable skills on how to care for and nurture my self.  When I was given the tools to work with–and shown how to use those tools–I was able to learn to create a new story.  I was fortunate that in my experience, in each stage of my life there was someone perfectly placed to plant the seed of love..and there were many someone’s perfectly placed with the right tools and the instruction on how to use them..so I quickly learned how to sow abundance and feel gratitude for it. 

Seeds of love (life skills to affirm one’s value, one’s ability to contribute, one’s presence in the world) can be in many different forms: education; monetary donations; life instruction.

When we take the time to hand a seed of love to a girl. then show her how to care for the soil and nurture the plant, we are empowering her to move through “not enough” to choices of more than plenty..of abundance.  When we invest in a girl, she will do the rest:

(Thank you to those who continue to invest in me..my heart is full of love and gratitude and each creation is one of appreciation as I continue to pass those seeds along to the next girl!)

This essay is from my heart, my contribution to spread the word about The Girl Effect, a powerful idea: by investing in girls in the developing world, we make an incredibly effective investment in eradicating poverty, creating thriving communities, and slowing the spread of AIDS. 

To read other inspiring stories, or to add your own essay, please follow this link Tara Sophia Mohr: Girl Effect Posts.

Together, we can change the world..one seed of love at a time.

Much peace and abundant love,

Joy

“I don’t know how I heal, but I can tell you a story that’s simple and timeless. I love you…”

-Simon Hay from \”The Universal Healing Gift of Love\”

And so it is…

I may not have “the answers”, but I do know that The Answer you are searching for *is not*out there somewhere..

It is right here in the palm of your hand, etched into the fiber of your being.

You experience this answer when you sit quietly; releasing all noise, clutter, busyness, “stuff”.  Releasing all labels, expectations, judgments.

Nature reflects this answer to you..whether you step outside to glance up at the sky and breathe in fresh air,or you:  hike the hills, swim in the ocean, camp in the forest, fly in the air, climb a mountain.

You express this answer through the fluidity you allow.. from your gentle morning stretch to the sun, to your reverent evening bow to the moon and all of the ways you choose to move in between.

The answer is found in simple delights..the moments of magic not seen with the eyes, but felt with your heart.

The answer is: Love.  Always.

May you experience the joy of breathing in love and breathing out gratitude and watch in wonder as love and gratitude transform not only this very moment, but each moment that follows.  As you create this day, this month…may you experience abundant peace, joy, and delight as you continue to choose *Love* as your Answer. 

Much peace,

Joy