Category: Something to think about

Under the INFLUENCE

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“Because everything we say and do is the length and shadow of our own souls, our influence is determined by the quality of our being.” -Dale Turner

My heart sinks every time I talk to my brother because his life is under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol has become his out, his “honest communication,” his excuse, his best & only friend, his world away from his reality. He is almost fifty years old and literally has become an alcoholic within the last ten years. How does that even happen? He didn’t even drink before that! What!?! Conversations with him have turned family against him, his children don’t talk to him anymore and he is creating more and more of a burnt bridge to anywhere he remotely is. Slowly but surely no one will be able to reach him. It is a sad reality.

I thought about the phrase, “Under the Influence,” and it began to hit me that life is a constant influence. What influences are you allowing to rule? What influences are you living? Are you an influence for good? Are you under the influence of light or darkness? Are you under the influence of good or bad relationships? Are you under the influence of addictions, whether they are food, shopping, drugs, lying, drinking, media time, gaming, etc. It is even easier to get sucked in to various avenues of influence because the world seems to attract the weaknesses that exist within us.

Would you say that you are aware of your influence? How are you around other people? What kind of energy do you carry? Do you lift and build or pull others down? Do you judge or shame? Do you gossip or hate? What do you say to others? Are you an influence of positive or negative? Think about it.

Again, what influences are you under? What influence are you? What influences you? good or bad. Look at your life.

My brother who has a drinking problem has been in a very serious life eddy and it has been hard for anyone in our family to pull him out. He drinks and drinks, sends text that say F*** you to my dear mother and other family. He has no respect for others and it is so hard to see him spiral under such an influence. He often uses the excuse, “it makes me be honest with my feelings.” He will call me so drunk and never remember our conversation. It is so hard. But, the saddest part is how it has ruined his relationships with his children. He could be such a positive influence within their life, but he chooses alcohol every time. It is a vicious cycle of such a mind-numbing, life-stealing, heart-breaking, addictive influence.

What is influencing your life??

How are you spending your time?

Be selective of who you spend time with, what you do with your time, where you spend your money, what influences you allow in…what you are filling your life with. Every single decision you make…it is a choice. It will have a direct influence on you, whether it is good or bad. Think of it like this. Do you think you will feel better by getting lost on social media for hours or taking one of you kids out for a one-on-one dinner conversation. What about tv time—would it be better spent getting lost in a reality show of hot bodies all vying for shallow intent or a documentary where you will learn something and expand your mind? Honestly, influences are all around you, so you have to be aware and make daily decisions on how, what, where and when your influences will sway you for your life.

“In every day, there are 1440 minutes. That means we have 1, 440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact.” -Les Brown

“We have a responsibility to influence the people in our lives to be the best possible people they can be: Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.” -Henry Cloud

I have talked to my daughter numerous times about this topic. She is in her second year in college and the campus she is on has been a challenge on various levels. My daughter is a very outgoing, bubbly, positive light of a person, but the time she has been there has been very lonely. She has found people don’t have the social skills to reciprocate her positive energy. She is constantly filling up other people with kindness, compliments, connections, bringing people together, planning gatherings, etc. Only to have everything feel very one-sided. It has been very tough.

“Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.” -Napoleon Hill

We had a conversation about influence and how she needs to just keep trying to be that positive influence, to continue shining a light and doing those things that will help fuel good…to plant good seeds within those people around her. She continues to strive to just be an influence for good. Sometimes you just have to plant the seed and have patience that it will grow into beautiful things across the campus. She is a leader, so it is in her nature to influence for good. It is a great gift that she has been given. Sometimes it might be hard to open the gift, but with the right intentions—good things come.

How can you be a positive influence for others? According to the Keller Institute, There is an ever-increasing epidemic of unhappiness in the world. There are 580,000,000 people Googling “How to be happy?” People complain, find fault, reject, criticize, and ridicule. Often for no reason other than they have found this the best way to get attention. Or perhaps they believe this is their only option for action. But there is another way to get attention or to find additional options. You can get others to respond to you with excitement and eagerness. How? By using positive influence. Positive influence is the impact you have on another person (AND yourself) by pointing out strengths and virtues. It is how you are, what you do, and the power you have on others to value what is best within themselves. Positive influence helps a person be better today than they were yesterday.

“If you can’t be your authentic self, you are connecting with the wrong people, they are wasting your time and holding you back. Meaningful connections require you to be your authentic self.” -Dr Henry Cloud

Strive for authentic connections. Ask people great questions, be genuinely interested in their life/stories, seek to understand their personal journey. Find those stepping stones through care and conversation that will bring authentic connection. I am always talking to my daughter telling her that questions are the building blocks to friendships, deeper relationships, etc. She is always afraid to ask deeper questions and I continue to push her to that authentic part of her that is vulnerable to share and let others in. We are all a work in progress, but with those connections comes greater influence, respect, care and deeper authenticity as a person.

Be positive. Be aware of the energy you carry. Do people truly want to listen or be around people who complain, vent, brag, negatively gossip about others, put down people in conversations, etc. Do your best to keep your conversations in a positive direction, listen, build, be aware of the energy and influence that you are sharing. You can FEEL what you are giving off or sharing with others. Is it good or bad?

Be kind instead of needing to be right. We are human. Everyone wants to be right, but being right is always putting yourself first and not listening or being aware of another person’s needs, voice or feelings. Kindness comes in as a equal.

Lead by example. I always tell my daughter, “Be the kind of friend you would want.” Begin with you. Put good out into the world, lead with love and others will notice and follow your example.

Be exquisitely present. How you listen, they way you resist the urge to talk over someone, avoid distractions (phone, texts, other people, etc), your eye contact, the genuine care you place in your conversations will make people feel seen and heard. Your influence with them will be reflected. It is the golden rule…treat others how you would like to be treated. It goes the same for being present with someone…listen with intent, truly listen to what is being said, don’t think about your response, just BE there with the other person.

“By being yourself, you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before.” -Edwin Elliot

Do you. When you are freely sharing your gifts, your enthusiasm, your light….then it also allows other people to see your vulnerability and feel like they can be more themself. When people can be who they authentically are, that is when things begin to change, which leads to groups of people using their gifts and talents, which brings greater influence and bigger changes.

Share your purpose. Thousands of people today don’t believe in meaning and purpose as something to discover or pursue in life.  And others believe in a life purpose but won’t take the risk to identify or honor it.  Those with positive influence feel otherwise.  They have found that there is a purpose to their life, and that purpose usually involves some aspect of turning their “mess into a message,” or using what they’ve learned (often the hard way) as a means of being of service to others.  People with a sense of purpose are driven, focused, committed, and lit up from the inside – unable to be deterred or distracted from what they believe is the reason they’re on this planet at this time. -Forbes. Love that! mess into message.

Always be a beginner. I love this idea…to always be learning and growing…always a beginner of something. I have lived most of my life this way. I LOVE learning and have challenged myself to take various community education classes to grow. Whether it has been teaching a yoga class, taking a photography trip with strangers, meditation, writing, art, Irish dancing, Sailing, etc. There are so many things to learn in this life…that is an incredible influence, in itself. You can always be learning and loving the process of becoming better by just beginning.

Share your visions and ideas. The world only changes by the ideas and visions we can create. Nothing changes without the influence of artists, creators, visionaries, those willing to expand their thinking and share it with others.

“YOU have the power to make a favorable. impact and a positive difference in the world just by being YOU.”

Those are a few ideas to get you influencing others. But the real work begins with you and what influences you are under and how they effect your world. Look at where you are, what you want from life and be selective in the process of what you allow into your life. The people, the circumstances, the environments, the choices, the mindset, your self-talk, the way you communicate, the way you dress, the way you live…there is an influence in all things—be aware and choose the best directions for your life. It is your life. Make it the best possible adventure you can live. It begins with YOU.

xoxo Peace, Love and Light to you. -H

Live LOVE

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Our lovies—Teag and Lola

PLAY with LOVE: We just got a new addition to our family about a month ago. We have had our dog, Teag for about five years but always thought it might be fun to find another dog for him to play with. Well, I saw an ad for a female dog who was about Teag’s same age, so I set up a time to meet with the current owner and see how the two might do together. Her name is Lola and she is the sweetest, little spirit of an animal. At first the two were checking each other out, unsure of the dual existence. There were tough growls of territory, standoffish stares, fights over toys & I genuinely was not sure how they would do. They seemed to just stand each other.

Its been a month and they both seem to know and understand that this is their fate–to be living and loving the same family, under the same roof. Our Teag has been a spoiled pup & it has honestly been a little harder for him. We have made sure he feels included, loved, and knows he is and always will be the top dog. Lola has just been happily along for every ride. Her patience with Teag has grown and she follows him everywhere like a groupie of some sort.

I have been working on getting them to try and play but the two are not quite sure how to. Lola lived with a woman who was emotionally disturbed, diabetic and unable to barely walk, so Lola has had to learn how to play, period. It is almost like a whole new lease on life. She clumsily runs and jumps and is doing her best to find any type of coordination. Our dog Teag is soo fast so Lola has just been studying him and watching him run back and forth in play. When we first got her she could not get near his speed but the last couple of weeks she is finding her way & keeping up.

I started walking towards Teag and in my playful voice, “I am going to get you, Teag. I am going to get you.” He would playfully pull away. Then I would look at Lola, “Should we go get him?” Lola would take off in the direction of Teag and the two would start chasing each other and the games would begin. Teag would then turn to chase her and start to bark and get a little intense. Lola would instantly stop and look at him. He would then come over to me and start nipping at me in his intense play.

I stopped and looked at Teag. I then made a heart with my hands, “You need to play with LOVE,” I said to him. I explained, “Lola thinks you are playing too fierce and needs to feel a more loving energy.”

They have been playing more since my new game & if Teag starts to get too intense I flash him my hands in the shape of a heart & say, “Play with more love.”

There is a lot of love between these two and time will only bring them closer. It is always wonderful to see them lying on the couch together, sharing the same chair, tugging on toys together. LOVE wants to break their hearts open and day by day there is more love—that is a wonderful thing.

Fun show. Fun personalities.

GIVE LOVE: While we were in Corona quarantine I was watching a fun show my daughter & I love called, “Zumbo’s Just Desserts.” It is always so interesting to see people out of their normal elements and how they react to things, situations, other people, etc. This particular season there was a man who since the very first show said he was going to win and had already spent the 100K prize. He was a very talented man & had many incredible skills. Throughout the show we noticed he was never giving other people praise, thanks, acknowledgement. He just seemed to talk all about himself and outdoing everyone else. It made my heart sad feeling that this person could not be happy for other people when they would win—it was all about him.

My daughter and I talked about what a different experience he would have if he could appreciate the others skillset, see and praise their abilities, give love and acknowledgement for the efforts of others. I told my daughter, “it is so sad to think he does not know how to give love to others because he is so focused on his own needs. That will cripple him in his life and his advancement.”

He did make it very far, but in the end there was not enough love in anything he did, so even though he had a pretty plate and it looked beautiful—I believe he did not give enough love and it showed through.

LIVE LOVE: In all you do you need to remember there is an energy you carry and share in every situation, every conversation, every interaction. When you are living from a place of love it will be felt.

There truly is something said for the idea of Karma—the spiritual principle of cause and effect where intent and actions of an individual (cause) influence the future of that individual (effect).

One last funny–my little family was at a small pond fishing. My husband and daughter have bonded over the years fishing & love it. They both egged me on to throw a line. [I have not thrown a line in over 20 years] but I decided to make things fun & told them I would try my luck. I quickly explained I was already so lucky… because I have them…I casted & on my first try…I snagged a fish!! They couldn’t believe it. It was soo great!! The next cast wasn’t so fluid & I lashed it into the water just off the bank. My daughter laughed so hard and teased me.

Then I handed the rod back to her & her first cast she then accidentally lashed it into the bank where she had just been teasing me. I quickly smiled & said…KARMA!! We both laughed hard. It was great!!

LIVE in LOVE. Do all you can to foster the love within to overflow from you and touch those who need to feel of your light and love. You do YOU..be the LOVE you were meant to shine.

Peace, Love and Light in all you do. xoxo H

Wildfire of LOVE

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Kindling-the-Fire-of-Divine-Love“Be lit up. Be unstoppable. Be a force of nature. Be a light in the dark. Be a wildfire for LOVE.”

Yesterday my daughter looked at me and said, “Wow! 2020 is quite the year!”

The night before there was a fire started by a firework that was five miles from our home & lit up the dark night sky. Hundreds of people were evacuated.

Now, we were sitting in our truck overlooking the valley to see another fire devastating a nearby mountain. Thousands were evacuated and the winds were howling, making the fire run further along the mountain with great speed. We literally watched as pockets ignited and began to get brighter and brighter. Our hearts sank thinking of the families that feared for their homes, all the poor animals & plants that were overtaken by the smoke and fire. We sat and prayed that rain would come and help put out the fire. We talked about the firemen that were probably exhausted working from one fire to another to another.

In situations like this you feel helpless.

Just turn on the news–[actually dont!] 🙂 Our world has been feeling very helpless in various situations. Emotions have flared like wildfires.

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To me this quote states, that there will always be various chaos, but sometimes we have to seek the good that can come from where we are. The world will have haters on every side of every fence, but that does not mean we have to hate. We need to spread LOVE like wildfire. Can you imagine the force for good that would come from a wildfire of LOVE.

All I am saying is, LOVE should always guide our hearts. The world will be stronger and overall better if we can follow good feelings, loving energy, and good will for ALL.

2020 has been a year of ongoing struggle and challenges for the world but also a chance for us to use our LOVE for good. It is an opportunity to look at the pain, the heartache, the hurt and seek to understand and to hopefully find warmth in the LOVE we can give, share, and maybe even spread like wildfire.original-4

What can you do? JUST BE LOVE. It is the little LOVEs that can help fan the flames of kindness, connection, unity, peace and love.

A few ideas of LITTLE LOVES: SMILE. Say THANK YOU. Give a compliment. Remark positively on a blog you enjoy. Give a sandwich to someone in need. Donate things you don’t need. Tell people you love and appreciate them. Send notes of gratitude.  Avoid the negative television or online resources that will bring you down. Listen to someone who needs a friend. Share heartfelt praise to those you work with or love. Volunteer at an animal shelter or for a good cause. Make someone laugh with a funny joke. Make a positive sign to share on your street. Share a positive quote, message, video or beautiful photo via social media. Plant a tree. Make a list of things you are grateful for & share it somewhere. Pick up trash at a local pond or field. Be a force for LOVE.

“Those best parts of a good life: little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.”                     ~ William Wordsworth

Peace, Love and Light to all today. Bless you. Stay safe.  -H

 

 

Are you an ‘influencer’?

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unnamed-1Yesterday I heard a very thought-inspiring phrase said by a character on a television show. There was dialogue about someone being a “follower” to a blog and the other person stating, “I am more a leader.”

I LOVED that.

In this day and age there are so many new social media lingos, trends, “influencers”, your “audience.” People have their own “avatar” that represents who they are or what they look like. You also see what people are “feeding” (different streams of content) to others. We have “tags” and we have phrases like FOMO (fear of missing out). The list goes on and on in the social media avenues.

My question—what influences YOU?

Are you among the crowd that spends hours on social media outlets to get lost in the “compare and dispair” situations. Do you see what old friends are up to and it fuels different emotions or feelings about what they are doing or where they are in their life. OR do you find inspiration in various videos that are shared? What influences you?

There are so many influences going on in our world at the moment. We are connected via social media more than ever because it has become almost a necessity. We have been locked in our homes for months. We have this ongoing fear of unknown illnesses. We have bands of people hurt and struggling to make sense of so many struggles from race to racing to leave areas that are full of fear and rage. There is anger. There is hope. There are an abundance of feelings that are bubbling to the surface of this little planet and the people in it.

 

51y+Z1ukSKL._AC_SY400_My question—what can you do? You are just one person. 

ONE person who can heal. ONE person who can send LOVE. ONE person who can be LIGHT. ONE person who can love over fear. ONE person who can have HOPE. One person who CAN and will INFLUENCE in either LOVE or FEAR. It is YOUR decision. How you live is influencing more than you know. Begin with people around you—send LOVE and LIGHT in all you do and that will begin a beautiful ripple effect…or a butterfly effect.

Well…have your heard of the BUTTERFLY EFFECT? EveryTHING has an effect. The question is, Will you have positive or negative effects?  Will your purpose be from your personal truth?

I LOVE Andy Andrews work & in this clip he tells about the butterfly effect. Its amazing! Its a ten minute clip worth the watch. He also has many incredible books that weave true stories with life lessons.

 

PLEASE WATCH THAT VIDEO!! It is exactly what YOU need TODAY. YOU have INFLUENCE. LIVE your TRUTH. Follow your heart in LOVE not FEAR.

Peace be with you today and always.

xoxo  -H

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Happy, Beautiful Earth Day

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“WE SHARE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL WORLD. IF NOTHING ELSE, MAY WE ALWAYS FIND COMMONALITY AND CONVERSATION ON THAT BASIS.” -Melanie Charlene

This year is the 50th year of Earth Day. The earth has been sick with a human illness for some time—pollution of various forms–light, sound, movement, smog, debris, deforestation, destruction, etc. It has been overwhelmed by excess and for the first time in a very long time it has had a moment to truly breathe.

This pandemic is not to be belittled or reduced in any way of the horrors and heartache it has brought to our beautiful globe, but one tiny glimmer of something good, is the little ways nature has been able to shine a little brighter for once.

There have been amazing stories of humans sharing, giving, selflessly living & I hope I have had some posts that have shined a little light there. But today, I wanted to share some things you may or may not hear about happening in nature & affecting our incredible planet for the good.

As people around the globe take precautions against COVID-19, “I think one of the interesting things about it is, wow, the earth bounces back,” says FGCU professor of ecology and environmental studies, Dr. Win Everham.

Here are some beautiful things our earth has been gifted through all this:

China residents had not seen the beautiful, blue, clear skies because of the lack of pollution they usually had because of the immense sanctions on travel and business. Most of its 11 million inhabitants have been confined to their homes and industry, plus travel effectively came to a halt. This resulted in a 10-30% drop in emissions over the period. -Interestingengineering

Italy waterways became crystal-clear due to the reduction in tourism. Fish are now seen swimming in the canals. Locals say it has not been this clear in over sixty years.

In Europe, satellite images show nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions fading away over northern Italy. A similar story is playing out in Spain and the UK. -bbc

In New York Compared with this time last year, levels of pollution in New York have reduced by nearly 50% because of measures to contain the virus. -bbc

According to Nasa the earth is vibrating less

Leatherback Sea Turtle Nests: Thailand has discovered the largest number of nests of rare leatherback sea turtles in two decades on beaches bereft of tourists because of the coronavirus pandemic, environmentalists say.  -The Guardian

Another endangered Sea Turtle: In Playa Paulisa, Brazil the Critically endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtles were able to nest because of the lack of people on the beaches & over 100 hatched this season.

Animals everywhere are enjoying the break from human activity: In Chile big cats (Cougars) ventured back into some of their traditional range. In Yosemite Bobcats, bears and coyotes were found exploring. In the oceans, a reduction in shipping traffic has meant less acoustic pollution in the water. Marine biologists surmise that sensitive marine mammals are getting a break too. An ‘extinct’ formosan clouded leopard spotted in E. Taiwan -happyeconews

Views of the Himalayan Mountains: (CNN) — People in the northern Indian state of Punjab are reacting with awe at the sight of the Himalayan mountain range, which is now visible from more than 100 miles away due to the reduction in air pollution caused by the country’s coronavirus lockdown. They had not been able to see them in over 30 years. The pollution levels are at an all-time low.

Become a Birder! According to Euronews it could be a bigger bird year than past because parks are quieter this year with people locked indoors. It may be a great year to start bird watching!

 

010959dddb71e5d9dfccc76c90f498b9well, just MAYBE...after this is moving in a more normal direction we need to pause, reflect and figure out better solutions for us and our planet. Maybe we need to have serious discussions about working remotely, driving less, moving more, evaluate the careless & meaningless things we do…People are not bad for our planet, it is just the systems in place that seem to drive things to extremes. We need to find better ways. We need to find better ways to make our lives and our planet thrive and grow in harmony.

We are now capable of changing the planet in ways almost unimaginable even 50 years ago. In one lifetime we have gained almost complete power over all of nature (except this nasty virus and some large weather events), yet we cannot survive without our planet’s ecosystems intact. We need good food, clean water, and clean air in order to live. It has become apparent that the world will heal if left alone. It has also become apparent that as a society we can make huge sacrifices and changes to overcome a huge challenge like that which is occurring right now. Coronavirus has meant incredible damage to our traditional fuel-driven economy because it was forced upon us in such a short period of time. We have a similar challenge ahead; we must fix our planet, and it will require a great change to how we conduct trade, how we work and how we play. -happyeconews

-Peace, Love and Light to everyone.  -H

In Awe.

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All I can say is…watch the following two videos and notice what you FEEL.

 

 

After watching those videos all I can say is…humbling. To FEEL is to evoke the emotions within us and we need to remember our feelings throughout this world experience. When I first saw the video of Italy and the quiet streets I was so humbled. It made me think of how unusual a time we are living in. To see these streets so still, so empty brought about a certain respect. It was almost like a spiritual prayer of quiet. There was a seeming reverence that seemed to echo throughout the streets. A hush, a stillness.

It made me think of how quickly the world was brought to its knees by a virus that began with ONE person and was then able to spread like a wildfire throughout our world. Wow. It is humbling.

It is also humbling to think that we are each given such individual gifts and powers. If you think about it, there are great, inspiring things that also begin with ONE person. There are so many things that change and move the world. It is where we place our focus that matters most. We can either fold and give in to the negative powers and let situations get the better of us as individuals or we can focus on the positives and see the good things that come about through the bad. If we focus on the light of the world, then we will all be able to see through the dark moments.

This is but a moment in time. This to shall pass and we will look back and remember the good that came from such tragedy. That is how we are as a people. The world is resilient. We are each forces of nature and we shall rise by lifting one another.

Peace, Love, and Light to you today. May the beauty in these videos lift you.  -H

Looking for the GOOD in all this

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GREAT MESSAGES OF HOPE…so much GOOD.

I just LOVE Bindi. She has been through challenges and continues to inspire and guide in goodness. She is a great role model for many. LOVE the work she does.

The outspoken wildlife warrior posted a quote written by ‘Walk the Earth’ writer Nikki Banas on her Instagram page. ‘If you only carry one thing throughout your entire life, let it be hope,’ the 21-year-old shared.'If you only carry one thing your entire life, let it be hope':  Bindi Irwin has shared a message of 'hope' with her Instagram followers amid the coronavirus pandemic

‘Let it be hope that better things are always ahead. Let it be hope that you can get through even the toughest of times. Let it be hope that you are stronger than any challenge that comes your way.’

PRINCE HARRY & MEGHAN – “These are uncertain times. And now, more than ever, we need each other,” their post read. “We need each other for truth, for support, and to feel less alone during a time that can honestly feel quite scary. There are so many around the world who need support right now, who are working tirelessly to respond to this crisis behind the scenes, on the frontline, or at home. Our willingness, as a people, to step up in the face of what we are all experiencing with COVID-19 is awe-inspiring. This moment is as true a testament there is to the human spirit.”

“We often speak of compassion,” they continued. “All of our lives are in some way affected by this, uniting each of us globally. How we approach each other and our communities with empathy and kindness is indisputably important right now.”

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PEOPLE DOING WHAT THEY CAN to make a positive difference during these challenging times.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/c/embed/9ca7a6f9-eead-40f9-8b08-219e597e365a

 

THANK YOU MSN for your GOOD NEWS section!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/good-news.

You can always find GOOD stories here.

Here are some of my favorite stories to inspire from MSN

Restaurant regular stuns staff by tipping $9,400 to help. On the reciept, the patron wrote: “Hold tip to pay your guys over the next few weeks.” https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/good-news/restaurant-regular-stuns-staff-by-tipping-dollar9400-to-help-with-coronavirus/ar-BB11jMOJ

One man’s birthday GoFundMe raised $16k in 18 hours to help Milwaukee restaurants during virus. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/good-news/this-mans-birthday-gofundme-raised-dollar16k-in-18-hours-to-help-milwaukee-restaurants-during-coronavirus/ar-BB11qTS7

 

Student delivering groceries for free to the elderly. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/good-news/this-student-is-delivering-groceries-for-free-to-the-elderly-during-coronavirus-outbreak/ar-BB11qnxu

People are also donating funds. A search on the GoFundMe website for “coronavirus” brings up more than 6,000 results, many for Italian hospitals. One campaign for the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan has raised more than 4 million euros ($4.47 million) via the site.

So many other great stories that I am sure change every day—cards to nursing homes, Penguins taking field trips, Property owners tell restaurants to pay staff instead of rent, etc. There are so many good stories if we seek after them.

CHINO High records their concert from home after they could not perform. Very COOL.

LOVE the resilience of this beautiful world. 

A BEAUTIFUL tribute to Italy—a country that has gone through so much

Just great!!

 

JOY over FEAR

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I am doing my best to embrace the little things I am noticing around the world and in my own backyard. There are many fears at the moment, but my state is brimming with the virus & woke up to a 5.7 earthquake yesterday! Talk about FEAR!! I have never experienced an earthquake, so it was definitely scary and the fear set in as my little family loaded our car with essentials (just in case) & then sat around our large table for hours, so we could hide under it we needed to. The fear was real, BUT, with anything life gives, it is what we do with the moments that truly help us grow.  As the day went on I smiled as I noticed a calm reporter sharing earthquake stats. I looked at my daughter, pointed at the television and said, “That reporter was in our front yard about ten years ago covering a story about a huge flooding situation that was going on next to our home. The mountain was flooding, so the city decided to divert the waters down the middle of our neighborhood street into a nearby canal that was next to our home. It was a crazy situation.” I continued to explain to my daughter how there will always be things that happen in life, but what you learn from them will help your life. You learn you can get through tough and scary things. So much of how we react is what we take from any situation.

We need LIGHT. JOY. HOPE.

So, this morning I came across this great article that spreads hope, light and helps take away the fear that has spread across the globe. Read, watch and enjoy this little bit of JOY that definitely overcomes the FEAR across the globe. It is a fun montage of people singing from rooftops across the globe and ends with a great video of everyone clapping to thank hospitals and health workers. It is a feel-good…a good JOY!

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/16/kind-triumph-spirit-locked-down-italians-singing-balconies-inspire-hope-across-world

Do what you can in your neighborhood.  Put out a positive sign of hope in your yard. Make cookies and secretly leave them on porches. Leave notes of wellness. Leave boxes of chalk for neighbor kids to draw on their driveways. Smile. Ask neighbors if they need anything & drop it at their door with a kind note. The little things will make a big difference.

Focus on the good things I have noticed around my neighborhood… I have seen more than ever, families playing outside together. I have seen Dad’s with their kids and more kids outside than I have ever seen. This is healing time. This is together time. This is what we need to notice. We need to find the moments of JOY that linger…the stories that touch our hearts, the hope that can be amplified by spreading good things, the smiles we share as we walk past others. We can be safe, but also good-spirited. We need to allow LOVE to flow over FEAR.

Find the JOYS A few JOYS–my daughter works at the local aquarium, but it has obviously been closed, so the employees have been doing different things to enjoy their time in an empty aquarium. All the employees were gathering together & doing live presentations at the animal exhibits and posting them online. They were all cheering each other on during the presentations. One of my daughter’s co-workers made a video of herself singing in the shark gallery & sent it to her. Another friend of hers had guy realize life is too short & wanted to ask her on a date. My husband has had multiple people at his work donate their paid time off to give to other workers who need the coverage.

This is what we need to see. This is where we need to focus—-to find the little JOYS.

Peace, Love and Light to all.  -H

DONT let FEAR live

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FEAR is that force that brings with it so many dark emotions, questions that seem to get bigger, actions that scare or minimize. It is the opposite end of the spectrum of LIGHT, LOVE, FAITH, HOPE…

Our world at this moment is in deep FEAR and those fears are bringing about quick actions that are causing more concerns. We cannot change what is, but we can take personal responsibility for how we react, or how we use our energy.

My husband called me and explained that his work is stopping any travel (we are talking in the U.S.) & I shared that with my parents who then mentioned my brother-in-law’s large company also banned travel, their religion has a world conference & told everyone to not travel, the list goes on. I have been thinking of the devastating impact that is going to have on airlines, the economy, hotels, travel, business, etc. Those are just apparent things.

My brother-in-law has been researching masks, ordering boxed food and preparing for the worst. I understand the logic, but if everyone begins to panic—FEAR wins and takes over and leaves us with more fears.

I understand the worry, the health concerns…but with 2 percent being fatal, this virus is seemingly taking bigger control with corporations, stock markets, world trade…the FEAR is taking control in even larger ways. We must be careful of even larger collapses.

I am NOT trying to minimize this world event in any way or make light of people dying and families on larger scales being affected. I just feel we need to each take a moment and pray. Pray that the world can be healed effectively and quickly. Pray that we can send love to those families who are hurting. Pray for the world to hold together. Pray that light can find a way through all the thick fog of fear. There is power in PRAYER. There is power in LOVE over FEAR.

DOES PRAYER WORK? Should we and could we pray across the globe and have a positive outcome?? Here is what I found:

Although science is ill-equipped to prove the existence of God, scientific research does show that prayer works. The literature I looked at states, regardless of God’s existence, elements of prayer are universally valid – across various religions, traditions, and practices. The act of prayer itself has beneficial physiological effects.

Prayer, much like meditation in Buddhism, or concentration on breathing techniques in Yoga, causes the mind and body to focus on singular focal points that align the mind, soul, and physical aspects of a person to lower cortisol levels, improve oxygen utilization, and confer numerous other psychological benefits.

Marilyn Schlitz, Ph.D., and lecturer at Harvard, says, “It’s clear from the correlational studies within the epidemiology data that positive relationships exist between religious and spiritual practice and health outcomes on a variety of different conditions.” Moreover, she says that in a study and confirmation study on intercessory prayer, “the prayer groups had statistically significant improvements in outcome, suggesting that the intervention has clinical relevance.” https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/the-power-of-prayer-science-proves-it-works-has-positive-physiological-effects

A SERIOUS STUDY: Back in 1996 Michael Onstott, then 46, thought he was going to die. Sick with AIDS, he had only a few T-cells left in his body to fight deadly germs. Kaposi’s sarcoma, a form of cancer, was spreading across his body, creating dark lesions everywhere. He was rapidly losing weight. He was deeply depressed. He prepared for the worst.

Two months later Onstott was putting on weight. The Kaposi’s sarcoma had slowed down. His depression had lifted. All of a sudden, he recalls, “I began to be optimistic.” He attributed his miraculously improved health to a new anti-viral regimen.

But doctors at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco had a far more shocking explanation: Onstott, one of 40 men and women in a ground-breaking double-blind study, had been receiving long distance healing energy an hour a day, six days a week, for ten weeks.

Onstott had no idea he had been receiving healings. Although he had signed up for the study, he never met or talked to a single healer. The healers and the patients never met each other. The healers were given the names of the patients and a photo to work with-that was it. While Onstott was in San Francisco, the healers were all over the country, some as far away as New York and Pennsylvania. The doctors overseeing the study wanted to control for the power of touch and the power of suggestion. They were trying to isolate the healing energy in a pure form.

For the healers who volunteered to participate in the study, published in the Western Journal Of Medicine in December 1998, the healing work was quite visceral. “I didn’t just sit there and pray for someone,” recalls Susan Ulfelder, a healer based in Washington, D.C. “I was literally pulling globs of virus out of their fields.”

At the end of the study, Onstott and the others who received long distance healing all did significantly better than those in the control group, even when the new anti-viral cocktails were factored in. They had fewer illnesses, fewer visits to the doctor and spent less time in the hospital. They even had improvements in their moods. The results were so dramatic-and statistically significant–that The National Institutes of Health gave a $500,000 grant to California Pacific Medical Center to do another study of distance healing, this time focusing on glioblastoma, a deadly form of brain cancer. That study is now underway.

Other studies have found that healers can influence plants, fungi, and even cancer cells in vitro, just by intention, even if the healer and the subject of the healing intention were in different rooms, cities or states, as Dr. Daniel Benoir notes in Healing Research. Recently, several double-blind studies of heart patients have looked at the power of prayer, considered a form of distance healing. These studies, including one published in the conservative research journal, Annals of Internal Medicine, on October 25, 1999, found that intercessory prayers significantly improved medical outcomes in the critically ill, even when they had no idea they were being prayed for by people they had never met. “This result suggests that prayer may be an effective adjunct to standard medical care,” wrote the researchers, a group of doctors and scientists.

Why people who pray are healthier article: Stay healthy. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-people-who-pray-are-heathier_b_1197313?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGgM0uEgsNEOnNyEOEJAg8M4erMvmJu_NG2SpsB2Bc_HBF_WgLEhdvJM1jdRrnsy4Njz7eTqjHa-8rZE1VOO9ngYi7yXruTtzITTFkLb5lA7lVbr1WqvuD25D8bjW9X2ySdf0652U7-MC_UHndnOgOAxr_4nXn00MkjJuJ56Cfbe

Young woman practicing yoga on the beach.SO, DOESNT IT MAKE SENSE WE AT LEAST TRY TO PRAY FOR THE WORLD AND THOSE WHO ARE ILL?? If studies can tell us ‘distant prayers’ have been answered in numerous ways, or how people who pray are healthier, then why would we not put our energy there and focus on FAITH not FEAR for our world.

I pray that you will strive to send good vibes, positive energy…energy that is full of LOVE and LIGHT out into the world and NOT the energy of FEAR. We need everyone to think higher, pray and pray the world will find the solution.

-PEACE, LOVE and LIGHT to you.  -H

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Remember your light

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1-1“Every day, wherever you are, you have the opportunity to be a light and a blessing.” -BB

I recently came across a lovely blog, diaryofanaesthete, (aesthete–a person who has a special appreciation of art and beauty) by a truly beautiful soul. If you need the inspiration to become better, along with exquisite photographs and an overall rich journey for the soul, check out this blog. James journeys to find himself and help others along the way, while finding beauty everywhere. It is truly a gift for the soul. Thank you, James. Bless you in all you do.

I think there is some deeper part of all of us that yearns to feel and find a higher part of ourselves. Everyone is a seeker, whether for joy, for humility, for service, for spirit, for love, beauty, purpose, strength, etc. We are all in search of those inner ingredients that will fill up the voids of the divine that has been hidden within this earthly journey. We are all seeking to find a little piece of home while we are here.

We are having a glimpse in time; an experience that challenges us to awaken and to hopefully remember where we are from. We are divine gifts that have so much power and infinite possibilities that we sometimes get caught in the human traps that lure us to lower living and forget who we are. Ultimately, we are supposed to seek a higher place that will help us nurture our rich talents that lie within our hearts. Doesn’t it make more sense to live this life and find the deep riches hidden within that add to the world? Ways to use our talents, to spread our wings, to be a light in some way? We were not sent into this life to become powerless, depressed, lonely and in need of excess to fill our voids.

What helps us to be better is to remember the stars within us, to awake in this dream and find those things that light us up. I LOVE the quote Howard Thurman shares, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

When we are doing something…anything that improves the world, even in some tiny way, we are fueling the light within. The stars within us shine a little brighter. Try it.  And then hopefully, the world is a little better.

For LOVE week (aka Valentines) I did some little things to bring light. I am always seeking to notice and find someone who may need me or something I can give. First, I put a sign outside on my street that tastefully read, “Spread Love” and listed ideas, hoping to spark something in the passerby’s.  I then had a great exchange at a local grocery store, so I decided to surprise the cashier with a pink shake to spread some love. She was so moved and so gracious that someone would think to do something nice for her. She gave me a huge hug & expressed how grateful she was because she had a bit of a sore throat and knew the shake would feel great. I handed out “fortune fish” to drive-thru attendants & told them how fortunate I was to know them. I then had a sweet “Godwink” while I was waiting in another check-out line. The woman ahead of me was buying a bunch of small toys, binders, games, etc. I merely said, “it looks like you are going to bring a lot of joy.” I honestly thought she was probably buying fun gifts for her grandchildren, so my heart sang when she began to tell me about her journey of running a dyslexia center for youth. She told me how she had six locations & felt like she was always buying lots of incentive prizes that took more money than she was making. She was a good-hearted woman trying to do good things. We had a genuinely sweet exchange & I told her she didn’t need to do everything on her own & that people would be happy to help. I gave her my contact info. & I look forward to helping her with a fundraiser or buying little gifts or something.  While she was being checked out the line became very long, so by the time I was leaving there were probably eight people behind me. I smiled a big smile & yelled to everyone to have a happy love week and to spread lots of love. There were lots of smiles and love was shared.

We all need one another in some way–even if it is just a loving lift, a smile or encouragement. If you do anything today, I challenge you to begin doing small things that may light the way for your heart or those around you.

May you have peace, love, and light within your lives.  -H

Be LOVE in all you do.

PS Next week is RAK (Random Acts of Kindness) week, so now is the perfect time to do tiny things that will have a big benefit. Begin. Do. Do everything with love and everything will begin to lead to better places for your life.