Tag Archives: Inspiration

The Power of Gratitude

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I’m reading Rhonda Byrne’s hugely popular The Secret at the moment and it is changing the way I see the world. Seriously. It’s getting easier to feel happier, lighter, more energetic, and above all, thankful. I am so thankful for life and love and the many blessings all around me. Yes there’s a lot going on in the world and there’s a lot of negative energy out there, but all of that can’t take away the simple joy of being grateful for the good things we have and the things we want.

Say “thank you” today. Put a skip in your step. Get a smile on your face and your heart. Let your spirit rise and soar wild and free because you tap into the power of gratitude, the power of thank you, the power of you.

Write a list of things for which you are grateful. Make it a habit. As you write them, I can promise you’ll find yourself smiling and feeling truly blessed because you’re putting them down in black and white. It often happens that we get caught up in the rush of daily living, in the fog of negativity that clouds our perception and thinking when things go wrong, but one important fact still remains: there is so much to genuinely appreciate. So much.

I’ve been filling pages of my journal with reasons why I’m grateful. Pages. My heart and mouth are smiling and my soul is singing because I’m taking time out to appreciate the good in the world. To sit and just say “thank you”, to just be happy and grateful. Because it’s not really about what happens to us but actually about our reactions to such happenings, about the lessons we take from them, about the conscious decisions to keep the positive energy flowing even when we experience setbacks.

I know there’ll be hardship. I know there’ll be pain. I’m not saying it’s all sunshine and rainbows, but I am saying that you can make the sun shine even when it feels like rain. Choose happiness. Choose gratitude. Feel the power of saying “I’m so thankful for (whatever reason)” and the boost of being present in the moment, right here and right now.

All we have is this moment in time. We can’t get back yesterday, and who knows if we’ll see tomorrow? All we have is now. NOW. How will you spend it? How will you live it? Hugging the pain of the past or freeing yourself in the now? Obsessing over what went wrong or making your present go right? Clutching the fear and dark or braving the action and light?

It’s a process. It gets easier. It can become a state of being. Tap into the power of gratitude today. Why? Because you can. Because you deserve it. Because it’s yours. :)

Thank you for reading and please come again. Feel free to share your thoughts and comments below or email me at findotitihere@hotmail.com Ciao! :)

Guest Post – Rise + resolve

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Hello! How are all you lovely souls today? :) I do hope everyone’s holding on to the momentum of the New Year.

I have another guest post today, this time by intuitive wordsmith Premakarini. In her own words, she’s a “Creative passionista . . . philanthropist” who’s “Empowering you to make a difference with unlimited life + love.” She’s all about love and you totally feel it each time you read her weekly update.

Anyway, I asked if she’d sprinkle her fairy dust here and she graciously agreed. Yay! 😀 So excited to present her work. When you’re done here, head on over to her site and enjoy some more fruits of her intuition. You can thank me later. :)

I wanted something to remind us it’s okay to be ourselves, to permit our spirits to reach higher and live truer to our essence. Give yourself permission to be you, to step into the role that no one else can pull off, into the light that is yours and yours alone. Dare to unfurl your wings and take to the skies. Yes you can. :)

Rise + resolve: this is your year
Are you ready to be TOTALLY You?
The greatest success in the world is to be absolutely you + live life on your terms, only doing what you passionately adore.
Resolve + rise:
Evaluate how much you are You + how much you are holding back in all levels of your life: relationships {where it shows up most clearly} career, your social interaction. Look at everything. Envy is your cue. When creative envy strikes, dive into it + see what it’s pointing out to you. This is what you really want {+ who you really are}
Now do it. Continue reading →

Celebrating Your Essence

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Claiming your path.

Because it’s calling, enticing, scintillating.

Delighting in its pull.

Because it’s glowing, burning, lighting you up inside.

Finding your voice.

Because your truth is welling, urging, bursting to be let loose.

Living your passion.

Because anything else is settling for second-best.

Stop waiting.

Stop settling.

Step up, step out, and step into your light.

Bask in it. Shine with it. Dance in the brilliance of your star.

Inspired by Sandi Amorim‘s awesome post Starbursts, Sirens, and Siriously Shining :)

Guest Post – “Dark Hour”

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Hey, people. I’m featuring something by my dear friend Kuceli today. I’ve been trying to get her to write for a couple weeks now and she finally caved with this. Heh heh heh. I’m wearing her down, LOL. 😀 So I hope she writes some more because I totally loved her material. Show her some love and either comment below or email me. Thanks in advance!

Do you feel so sad and miserable you feel so much weight in your hear like the world crumbling in on you?
Do you feel so lonely and deserted even in the midst of a multitude?
Do you feel so heartbroken you can never trust again?

You cry yourself to sleep every night. Nothing is going the way you planned. You look at yourself in the mirror and say "why me" "I'm such a failure"
You say life is so hard and unfair. You say "I don't belong here", "I don't fit in".  





Nobody gets you, nobody understands you. Oh, the emptiness and pain is so deep, it's from your soul. So overwhelming. 





You take a walk or look out the window and everyone else seems so happy. Seems so peaceful and contented without a care in the world. 'Their lives are so perfect, you say. Why can't I feel that way?'.

 


My dear friend, no one has a perfect life. None of those smiling faces were created better than you. They are not better than you but the attitude they have is what is better. You too can have that. You see every human being you see today or will meet in the future has - either gone through, is presently going through, or will go through some really low moments in their lifetime. 





I know how overwhelming these moments can get because I've been there...a lot. But never let it consume your whole being, don't dwell so much on sorrow, disappointment, heartbreak, failure or whatever is eating you up. The only difference between those who committed suicide and the successful people in our world today is that the successful ones tried one more time. They said to themselves, this is what I want and I will keep trying till I get there. We all face the same challenges, failures and rejection everyday. How you take it is what makes you different. The minute you start to entertain regrets, self-pity, depression e.t.c. it slowly eats you up and you give up. 





Those happy faces you see have gone through the same road, had the same challenges and hardships (most even more than you). They wept hard, took a final look at it and said "this is not me, this is not my life, I know what I want and I won't stop till I get it". Some are currently in situations that are painful and sad, some are even dying. But they chose to be happy. That you're alive today is enough to be grateful for. Don't limit yourself, you can do it with the right attitude. Let it go, breathe, relax, think and be innovative. 





Our biggest obstacles in life is that we attached our happiness or depend on people, money, jobs, food etc for happiness. Only you can make yourself happy. That's why you see someone with the life you think you want, companionship, wealth, a good job, a nice house and yet they're miserable. Because if you don't learn to be happy on your own, NOTHING in this life can. 





The void will always be there. It all starts with you, NEVER STAY DOWN, DON'T BE SCARED TO TRY AGAIN, HAVE A POSITIVE SPIRIT (what's in your mind its what you will most likely attract), BREAK THE BAD HABITS, SMILE, LAUGH, LOVE. 





Remember, you don't have to get it right, you just have to get it going. 

Reverb11 – Day 10 – Soul Food!

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Caught up once again, phew! Today’s Reverb11 prompt is all about the soul food, babay. 😉

10. Soul Food
How do you nourish your soul? What activities are essential nutrients for your soul’s well-being?

My soul feeds on inspiration. What am I talking about, she positively gobbles up the stuff, LOL. I find the written word to be the most satisfying and the longest-lasting in my system. It’s incredibly filling to read the words of thinkers and motivators, people whose auras pump out light and inspiration.

There are two such women I absolutely love because of their outlooks on life and their way with words: Danielle LaPorte and Premakarini. I don’t know what miracles of fate made me stumble on their blogs a couple months ago, but I’m so glad and grateful to have them as online resources. Look through some of their latest posts and you’ll see what I mean.

I also find nourishment in expressing myself and going back to those words at a later date. There are times when we don’t realise the impact of what we jot down, when we don’t appreciate the flow of words simply because they come from within and we feel it’s not up to par or worth much anyway. It’s important to go back over your written thoughts because they often have hidden gems to make your existence richer and more fulfilling. Hands in the air if you’ve thought “Wow, I wrote that?” as you read over your stuff.

Interpersonal interaction, listening to music, and writing are my essential nutrients. I believe it’s important to stay connected to your friends and close to your family. I think we should all have days to just hang out and bond because it’s so easy to get caught up in life’s frantic pace and forget to do the simple things that bring us joy.

Put away your smartphone and go share a pizza with a friend. Get off the internet and go hang out in the real world. Write cards and letters. Call. Go dancing. Go skiing. Go bungee-jumping? 😀 LOL, maybe not. Whatever you do, though, remember to keep your soul well fed. It helps. :)

Have Faith

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Often times when you’re poised on the verge of breakthrough, there’s a loud voice of doubt that tries to drown out the hopes of your dreams. Doubt weighs you down, smothers you, makes you question if you can really achieve that for which you strive. Whenever you hear that voice of doubt, stay strong and shout “YES I CAN!”

You can do whatever you choose to accomplish. I read somewhere that our dreams are limited only by the scope of our imagination and the truth of those words struck me. After all, how can you do something if you can’t envision it? How can you reach the pinnacle if you can’t imagine it? I believe I’ve said before that fear is only natural because we’re human; with that in mind, fear and doubt are interchangeable forces that try to rob you of precious blessings.

Don’t listen to them. Have faith in yourself. Have faith in your talent, your gifts, your ambition, and your heart. Have faith to silence the voice of doubt. Have faith to calm the fear. Have faith to stand up and work towards your vision. Have faith to follow your dreams and live them every day. And when it seems like you can’t go on anymore, when you feel like you’ve used up every ounce of ability and endurance, have the faith to tap into the infinite well of strength slumbering within you. Believe that you can move forward.

I speak these words to myself even as I speak them to you. I have struggled with self-esteem and self-confidence. I have felt I didn’t matter and I wasn’t loved. Personal trials have made me doubt beauty, truth, love, even the existence of God. I’m here to tell you that those same trials are now opening my eyes to things I would never have imagined otherwise. I’m here to tell you that there are times you need to bleed before you can shine; times you must go through fire so it purifies you, times you must find yourself so far down there’s no other place to go but up. Sometimes you need to change direction in order to take the right path and it might require drastic measures to make the right changes happen.

Dare to think without boundaries. Dare to seek your truth and shine with the brightness itching to burst forth from within you. Learn from every tear. Bounce back from every setback. Cultivate a positive outlook that turns every obstacle into a stepping stone. Life is a journey with twists and turns and you must adapt to thrive in every situation.

When I say thrive, I don’t mean to simply do well within certain confines. I mean to flourish beyond your expectations, to let your spirit bloom and grow in leaps and bounds. I mean to choose to excel and refuse to settle for anything less. I mean to avoid mediocrity like the plague and have no time for negativity. I mean to build resources that cheer you up when you’re sad and light your path when you’re surrounded by darkness. You are what you accept, so why accept anything but the best and most fulfilled version of yourself? Everything you need is already within you; you just need to discover it. There’s so much swirling beneath the surface. Take the time to tap into your creativity and inspiration is sure to follow.

Dare yourself today. Have faith. Shalom.

No Matter What

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Life is full of risks. We often avoid taking them because we fear getting hurt, getting scarred, losing ourselves in the process. 

But when you really think about it, a safe life is a boring one.

How can you discover new and exciting things if you are too afraid to try?

How can you gain your heart’s desires if you don’t put yourself out there?

Fear is debilitating and often groundless. The only way to fight it is to take a leap of faith and damn the consequences. The very phrase “leap of faith” is an affirmation of the necessity of action. You must act before you can overcome fear. It’s hard, I know. Everyone struggles with it. We’re only human and fear is a natural reaction to the unknown. It is, however, also a restriction from the exhilarating and the thrilling.

Everybody gets hurt. We all bleed. We all ache. It’s left to each person to love hard and for real no matter what. 

Choose to live without restrictions and regrets. Every mistake is a learning opportunity, and every failed experiment is one step closer to success. 

Choose to grab life in both hands and make it a full experience. Taste the exotic. Embrace the thrilling. Live the fabulous. No matter what.

The Will to Live

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For those who know me on a personal level, it is no secret that I believe we need to stop existing and start living. 

As individuals, as members of our families and communities, as citizens of our countries, and as members of the global community, it is time to live. 

It is no longer enough to simply strive for the basics, to accept perceived limitations and restraints, to settle for what they say is possible and let go of “unrealistic” dreams.

If we do not try, who will? If you do not take a stand now, then when? Complacency is comfortable, but also deadly. It is no longer enough to blame widespread problems on governments; what about the people? What are we doing to turn our lives around? What are we doing to eradicate poverty, unemployment, crime rates, and other societal afflictions? 

We leave so much to the government, shake our heads and wonder what the world is coming to, but how often do we ask ourselves what we can do to improve the world? It is often said that Utopia is an unattainable illusion, that such a paradise cannot last on this earth. So what? So what if we fall short of perfection? It is more honourable to strive for it than to remain locked in stagnation.

Break free today. Make the vow to start a revolution, to propagate a new way of thinking and a new way of life. A fellow blogger once said “you are what you believe” and it is a true statement. 

If you believe things will never change, they won’t. If you believe that there is no point in trying because your efforts would only be wasted, you won’t achieve anything. 

But if you believe that change is possible, that you can make a difference, then you will. If you believe you can work with others towards a better world and make it happen, you can. 

I believe in idealism.

I believe in positivity and the ability to leave a lasting impact as your legacy. Many will read these lines and scoff at my so-called naivete, and to them I say this: cynics live lives empty of the hope and passion enjoyed by dreamers. Naysayers are not happy people, innit?

The will to live. It is the desire to live a full life, the passion to experience more, and the determination to keep moving forward beyond all obstacles. It is not limited to personal gain and comfort, and it is not restricted to a chosen few.

It is a way of life embraced by heroes and pioneers, by dreamers and children, by those with hope and those with faith. Faith in human good, in values and ideals; hope for better days and brighter tomorrows, for a safer world for our children, for the continuous reign of peace over war; and the sacrifices made to protect these things are what make us heroes. We are all heroes. We are all protectors. Some of us have forgotten, and some have cast aside their roles.

I urge you to remember. Remember who and what you are. You are a beautiful person with potential and worth. 

Rouse yourself from slumber and be an agent of change. Act against bribery and corruption. Fight against oppression of the poor and the helpless. Work towards a kinder and safer society. 

Enough time has been spent wishing and waiting for something to happen; now is the time to make that nebulous “something” into concrete reality. 

It starts today, and it starts with you.

The Illumination of Imagination

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Imagination. A driving force behind every visionary. A light to dispel the darkness of restriction and stagnation. Imagination is the ability to take the sights and sounds and colours of our dreams, and express them through art. Melodies, movies, poetry, literature, sculptures, mosaics … they bloom when we dream but fade away as we wake. The illumination of imagination guides us to those lost treasures, makes it possible to capture and recreate the richness of expression, and helps us explore the worlds we carry within us.

We are all artists. Each of us creates something beautiful through one medium or the other. When I was a child, I  thought artists were only those who painted on easels. I didn’t understand how anyone else could claim that title, but then I didn’t understand the true nature of art. It is all around us, present from dawn till dusk, in everything we do. Now I realise that there are artists of the spoken word, of written rhetoric, of visual brilliance and auditory pleasure.

You can be an artist through dance and sport and intellectual avenues. It is simply the level of intensity that separates the professionals from the amateurs. You may not be able to earn a living with your particular art form, but you do have one. The question is, are you aware of yours?

Art is my craft. My expression is art. Love is my passion. How do I know? I am an artist of the mind. I express myself through my journal, poetry, my blog, and my drawing. I believe in intellectual bliss, in the power of the written word, in the beauty of love as an emotion and a lifestyle. I read, I write, and I observe. I am inspired by life: the triumphs and defeats, the flow of time and creation of history, the constant search for something higher and purer.

So when I speak of the illumination of imagination, I think of the bright fire burning in my soul and exciting my spirit to reach until I touch the stars. The same fire burns in every child but snuffs out when the joy of discovery fades after childhood. Fuel that bright blaze. There is so much to be enjoyed that way: vibrancy and diversity of sounds and colours in dreams, a richer life as an individual, and a greater range of expression and emotions. Try the illumination of imagination. I promise you it rocks. 😉 Shalom.

The Banner of Social Awareness

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It can be flown anytime, anywhere, by anyone. It is a way of life: a belief system that transcends age, gender, and political or religious affiliation. The ability to operate on a higher plane of awareness, to envision progress on a grand scale, to make your dreams reality and effect widespread change: that is flying the banner.

You don’t have to be a genius for people to listen. You don’t have to be drop-dead gorgeous, filthy rich, or terribly prestigious to get others interested in your cause. You just need the core of a great idea. When you allow yourself the illumination of imagination, you tread the path of transformation.

What you see and what could be are often two sides of the same coin, and they are separated only by your ability to recognise that. So when you find yourself wondering if things can’t be different, you are simply following the lead of your subconscious, which by the way is more in tune with the world around you than your conscious self. The subconscious is not bound by any laws or restrictions; it simply exists. As such, its potential is limitless and its scope of vision is much wider than one would allow the conscious mind.

Questioning the status quo is often the psyche prodding one to reach higher and do better, to go beyond the constraints placed on us by others and achieve what we see in the mind’s eye. It is the subliminal urge to step outside a comfort zone and stretch for excellence, to challenge oneself on a constant basis, to aim for a lasting legacy of enlightenment and positive change.

Deep down in each and every one of us, we know when a situation can be better. We know when something can be improved or renewed, when change is inevitable, and when it is necessary to act or risk being stifled. We know when we must cast off apathy and achieve the “impossible”. It is left to us to be courageous enough to take that first step.

In order to fly the banner, you must act. In order to act, you must believe. In order to believe, you must think. Think. Task your mind. Mine the treasures waiting within you. Know that having a vision seemingly ahead of your time or generation is an awesome thing, a sure sign that you are aware of the power of an open mind. When your mind is broad, limber, and receptive to new ideas, you are capable of great things.

Embrace the chance to be the best version of yourself. Live your dreams. Fly the banner with pride.