Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~ Dalai Lama Most people want to be happy; it is not a novel idea. Society has programmed us that happiness is a life goal. Feel-good movies abound, and songs are written about it. We all seem to want it, but…

“A person’s assumptions reveal who they are, more than the words they utter.” ~ Wayne Gerard Trotman We make assumptions because they save time. They are an effective way to process our lives, alleviating the need to analyze every nuance of every situation. Yet, making assumptions can also hinder us. When we make assumptions, we block the possibilities of things happening, keeping us in the confines of what we already…

Plato Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding.  Okay, I admit it. I am opinionated, and it has been a lifelong lesson to learn to keep my opinions to myself. I have opinions on most things and enjoy a lively debate when someone has a differing opinion; however, what I have come to understand after many of my views fall on deaf…

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” – Benjamin Franklin The wee hours of the night, when it is quiet and dark, is are my favorite time of day. Maybe because I was born in those early morning hours is why I feel my creative energy soaring. Yet, being a night owl when I need to maintain a morning schedule is challenging. It…

“Study the past if you would define the future.” ― Confucius   Sharing our stories has become a way to connect. For those who have also weathered storms, it creates a bond of solidarity. These stories are worn as a badge of honor for our survival. The media has significantly contributed to this, desensitizing us to estranged familial stories and torrid images of once-hidden events. Shame, which may at one time…

Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. ~Samuel Ullman Have you ever wondered why some people age at a seemingly slower rate than others while others seem to be on the express train to old age? When we think about age, we generally define it with our…

When we awaken to the idea that everything that has happened in our lives adds color to who we are, it is when we can begin to let go of the emotional triggers that we have been holding on to. Learning to unlearn what was, leaving behind the hurts and the perceived injustices we have carried with us, is the beginning of that change. Emotional triggers are anything that makes…

Vibrations create the rhythm of our lives. We are guided by them daily. When someone enters a room, their vibe is the first thing we connect to. Whether we are drawn closer or repelled, we all sense something. It’s undeniable. It’s a gut feeling. Just because we don’t understand something doesn’t mean it isn’t true. For example, most of us haven’t grasped how electricity turns on or off with the…

Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” ~ Winston S. Churchill The speech, known as The Man in the Arena made by Theodore Roosevelt in 1910, has resonated globally. And, through the power of his prophetic words, it has far overreached the audience in attendance. The evidenced appeal extends into commencement speeches, inspiration for sports teams, and rallies igniting a winning spirit.…

Chaos is merely order waiting to be deciphered ~Jose Saramago I haven’t done a jigsaw puzzle in years, but as I emptied the box of 1000 pieces on my table and looked at the heap of multi-colored and oddly shaped pieces, I realized how puzzles are easily a metaphor for life. Initially, it felt a bit daunting. Yet, as I methodically began to organize the pieces, it became clear how…