Take Flight

Flying without feathers

is not easy;

my wings

have no feathers.

~Titus Maccius Plautus

(picture by my sister, Colleen)

Take Flight

The time has come to dust off your wings and fly to new heights. You've needed some time to think about what your next move would be and now is the time to launch it with courage and faith. This may mean taking a completely new direction with your life or even career but this new adventure will give you the room that you deserve to soar! Don't let fear dictate your path; you are ready to go out there and carve a new one. You just might find that everything you have been hoping for and dreaming for is just over the horizon.

Actions

(Mama's famous Arroz con Gandules)

Talk doesn't cook rice.

~Chinese Proverb

Actions

We all say a lot and promise a lot, but do we actually follow through with our words or even our intentions? The answer is probably a no. Why is that? Why do we have a problem following through? Well guess what, today is not a day to sit and ponder the answer. Today is a day to conquer our procrastinations. Our actions can lead us out of a bad situation. Our actions can fix a problem. Our actions can change the course of our lives and even those around us. It's time to stop pondering what we "ought" to do and go on and "Just Do It" already. So many times we get stuck because we spend most of our time thinking too much about a situation and not taking the action steps needed to accomplish or get through it. Words are powerful but actions speak volumes over our promises. It's our follow through that make a situation better and also make people believe in our words. What have you been putting off? Today is a day to take action, no excuses, just action!

Perfection

(pic by my mom, Sue)

Sometimes... when you hold out for everything,

you walk away with nothing.

~From the television show Ally McBeal

Perfection

We all strive to be better and do better. We all want to be flawless. We reach as far as we can for this thing called perfection. But what does it mean to be perfect and is that even possible? Being perfect means we are without mistakes and what would life really mean if we had it all figured out all of the time? It means we wouldn't grow and learn and that's not what life is about.

Maybe it's our concept of perfection that we have all wrong. Maybe being imperfect actually makes us all perfect. Now that's a concept! If we all stopped trying to be perfect and just concentrate on living a fulfilling life, then we would all be free! Free from the guilt we place on ourselves; free from the control we try to have; free from the demands we feel in our every day lives and free from berating ourselves for not being better. If we embrace ourselves, imperfections and all, then we can truly start to live and enjoy each day and each other. It's time to realize that we can not be perfect, ever. Imperfection + us = uniqueness. I would rather be imperfect and not like anyone else than be perfect just like the rest of the world. So today, embrace your imperfections with a smile and a wink! ;-)

Frenzy

As we express our gratitude,

we must never forget that the highest appreciation

is not to utter words, but to live by them.

~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Frenzy

Thanksgiving is upon us and although today is a day to be grateful, to spend time enjoying loved ones and hopefully good food, this holiday has become more about shopping and sales than rest and reflection. When did our holiday break turn into a shopping extravaganza? When did it become okay to open stores so early loved ones are having to leave the dinner table to get a store ready? When did it become the "norm" to not get any sleep, work ourselves up into a frenzied state, and not be able to enjoy the entire day?

It's time to regroup ourselves. Today is a day to be thankful. It is a day to stop the madness and realize who and what is important in our lives. Today is a day to enjoy good food (and be so very grateful for those taking the time to cook and prepare it) and enjoy good friends and family. Today is not about sales and pushing through people trying to get to the item before anyone else. That's not being grateful, that's being greedy. Take stock in who and what you are grateful for and stay centered in that for the next few days. If you go shopping, go with a sense of peace and calm and remember to thank the cashiers, managers and helpers in the stores for taking their time away from their families to hep you. Find your blessings today, cast aside old burdens and be thankful for another day to try again!

Individuality

(picture of Hannah by her mom, Andrea Yellen)

A graduation ceremony is an event where

the commencement speaker tells

thousands of students dressed in

identical caps and gowns

that "individuality" is the key to success.

~Robert Orben

Individuality

What makes you different from the next person? What is it about you that makes you who you are? The answer is quite simple; it's your individuality! There is only one you in this world. There is only one person who thinks like you, talks like you and loves like you. You are not the clone of someone else which means your fingerprint on this world is unique. It's your individuality that makes such a difference. If we all thought alike, dressed alike, liked the same food, movies, music and held the same jobs, life would be so boring! Being "like" everyone else is not something that anyone should strive for. It should be quite the opposite. Be who you are, not what someone else tells you or expects you to be. Define your life on your own terms. Embrace your spirit and rejoice in your individuality!

The Fire Within

(picture by Lisa Slomin)

Success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion.

You must set yourself on fire.

~Arnold H. Glasow

The Fire Within

Have you been feeling restless lately? Do you feel the need to break out of your shell? Has the burning desire to be more and do more gotten so overwhelming that you can no longer squelch it? That's because it's time to ignite that fire within into a full roar! No more waiting for tomorrow. No more making excuses as to why you can't be fantastic right now. No more letting yourself off the hook. The fire burning within is your soul is getting restless because there is so much for you to and experience in this world. The more you ignore it, the more uncomfortable you will get. It's time to turn the knob from simmer to high! Think of this as the permission you have been waiting for to fully ignite that fire within. Go ahead and show the world what you can really accomplish.

Reconnect

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.

"Pooh!" he whispered.

"Yes, Piglet?"

"Nothing," said Piglet,

taking Pooh's paw.

"I just wanted to be sure of you."

~A.A. Milne

Reconnect

Have you ever felt like you were disconnected to something, someone or even yourself? Have you felt that you just needed to get your life back on track and heading in the right direction? Well now is the time to stop thinking about it and start reconnecting to yourself and others. It's so easy to get caught up in the craziness of life and forget to pay attention to your own needs as well as cultivating meaningful relationships with other people along the way. Reconnecting with yourself and others will boost your energy, help keep you focused and will also help make you just feel good all around. For the rest of today, think about how you can reconnect with yourself to make sure your feeling good about all aspects of your life. Also, find a meaningful way to reconnect with someone important to you that you have been distant from. This could change your whole day (or even week) for the better.

Oops

(picture by Lisa Slomin)

I never make stupid mistakes.

Only very, very clever ones.

~John Peel

Oops

We all have had moments in our life when we have to stop and say "oops". Maybe you forgot to send out an email, purchase a gift, send out a card, call someone for their birthday or didn't follow through on a promise. Whatever your "oops" may be (big or small), understand that mistakes are just that, mistakes. Don't dwell on your "oops" moments. Learn from those moments, give yourself permission to not be perfect and move forward. You are a human being not a machine and you will have a few blunders along the way. Don't' forget to laugh about them because usually they are fixable and in the scheme of things, very minor. Turn your "oops" moments into just that, a brief moment and carry on!



Please note: I am taking a "mini"cation from writing the Pearl. I need some time to recharge my own battery, get refocused and fix some of the "oops" in my life. I will be back online on Monday, November 22nd. Take care and stay safe!

In peace,

Mary

Dance

There are short-cuts to happiness,

and dancing is one of them.

~Vicki Baum

(sister Karen having a great

time dancing in Turks & Caicos!)

Dance

Life is too short not to have fun, not too enjoy it and certainly to remain sedentary! Today is a day to put on some fun music and dance. Let go of the stress of this week and have some fun releasing it by dancing to your favorite music. Whether it's dancing while get ready to go out, with friends, in your bedroom with a hairbrush as a microphone, with your children, or with a loved one, find the time to just lose yourself in some good music. Dancing is good exercise for your mind, body and spirit. So go on and dance the day away!

Tested

Releasing the pressure,

it's good for the teapot and the water.

Try it sometime.

~Jeb Dickerson

(cousin Lucas at the Children's Museum figuring out how a conveyor belt works)

Tested

Did you ever feel like you were being tested by the universe? That everything was piling up not in your favor and you want to say "just stop". Well guess what, you can. When things are not going your way, look at the reasons why and not just be upset that they are happening. What is within your own control? What choices can you make in order to start to relieve some of the tension and pressure? There are many things you can do to make your situation better. You just have to want it, believe that it can get better and stop letting fear hold you back in order to make the right decisions for you. Happiness comes down to a state of mind. If you can find your place of peace, then everything will work out in due time. You just have to relax into the situation, take control and breathe.

Health

The best six doctors anywhere

And no one can deny it

Are sunshine, water, rest, and air

Exercise and diet.

These six will gladly you attend

If only you are willing

Your mind they'll ease

Your will they'll mend

And charge you not a shilling.

~Nursery rhyme quoted by Wayne Fields,

What the River Knows, 1990

Health

Taking care of yourself is important; even more important then we truly realize. We all know what we need to do in order to feel at our best but it's the day to day follow through that is the hard part. If we start to look at our health and our bodies in a different way though, taking care of ourselves no longer becomes a chore but something that brings us joy and satisfaction. Your body is the only thing you truly have control over and it's usually the last thing we pay real attention to. Not anymore! Start giving your body, mind and soul the nutrition, exercise, laughter and rest it needs to run at its optimum capacity. Don't you deserve to be the best you that you can be? Don't you deserve to treat yourself as good as you treat others? Don't you deserve to take the advice you give out to everyone else in the world? Yep, I thought so!

Good News

(picture by my good friend, Lisa Slomin)

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather,

always bring your own sunshine.

~Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book

Good News

So today's Pearl is quite simple. It's all about good news! What in your life is going the right way? What news have you heard today that made you smile and breath a sigh a relief? Good news is all around us but sometimes it's the louder angrier voices we hear more clearly. Well shut out those negative voices and decide only to hear the good news that is swirling around you. That's not being in denial, that's called self preservation!

Note: The gentleman I wrote a Pearl about on October 20 (The Human Spirit) who was in the motorcycle accident is fine! That's right, fine. He didn't even break anything ~ thank goodness. He only suffered some bumps and bruises. So now I will refer everyone to my Pearl about Miracles (October 14) again. :)

Epiphany

You don't get to choose how you're going to die.

Or when.

You can only decide how you're going to live.

Now.

~Joan Baez

Epiphany

Sometimes life has a funny way of waking us up. It may be a little thing that makes a huge impact on us or a really big thing that we just can't ignore but either way, we all have light bulb moments now and then. Well this is one of those times for you. You've been waiting for a sign, a feeling, something to let you know that it's time. Well, here is your sign and now is the time. It's time to let down your walls and step out in faith. You know what you want, you know what you need to do and you know who you need in your life to help you get there. So go for it. Stop letting fear jump out and stop you at every turn. Where has that gotten you in the past, oh yeah ~ in the same place! Think of this as your epiphany and now go live the life you were always meant to!

Living

Having spent the better part of my life trying either to relive the past or experience the future before it arrives, I have come to believe that in between these two extremes is peace.

~Author Unknown

Living

Most of us like to live in the world we have created in our minds. We fantasize about the future, soften our pasts and tie pretty bows around our present. But living in our minds does not really free our spirit or get us closer to living our life purpose. It's time to bring down those walls and uncover our truths in the present moment. I bet when you do this, you will find that it's really not so bad! This will allow you to start to living a more authentic life. Start getting in tune with who you really are, what you really want and go live that life, not the alternative one in your head. That's an escape and there is no reason for that. Your life, in the present moment, can be just as beautiful, peaceful and wonderful as the one you have created in your thoughts and dreams. It may be hard work at times but the more you start to live in today and not anywhere else, the more you will start to really enjoy your life and the people around you. Your life, your true present life, is the one worth concentrating on and enjoying. So go on, get out of your head and back into your life!

To-Do List

(Dedicated to my mom. Happy Birthday! Picture by my mom, Sue)

Life is short, God's way of encouraging a bit of focus.

~Robert Brault

To-Do List

We all have a "To-Do" list. Whether it's in our minds or we actually write it down, we all have "stuff" we need to accomplish. The problem is that we usually ignore our list or put it off until the items become critical enough for us to take care of. The more we wait on accomplishing our tasks, no matter how small they might seem, the more they will grow and can turn into a crisis. We don't want that now do we! Take a look at what you have been procrastinating on your list. This is your chance to start to check these items off your list! Maybe you need to file paperwork, maybe you need to take a real look at your bills and budget, maybe you need to place a follow-up phone call about an issue and so on. Whatever these items are, now is the time to take care of them. Stop the excuses and don't let another day go by. Start taking ownership over your life, your goals, your dreams and realize that the more you can cross off your to-do list, the closer you are to a peaceful state of mind!

Smile

Always remember to be happy because you never

know who's falling in love with your smile.

~Author Unknown

Smile

Sometimes we all can take life way too seriously. We need to find the joy and humor in our daily lives. Laughing and smiling can heal your life in ways that it's hard to even imagine at times. A smile can put someone at ease, take a moment of pain away, stop someone from saying something they will regret or make you feel whole again. Smiling is not harmful, it doesn't hurt to do and it can change the course of your day or someone else's for the better. We often underestimate the power of a smile. No matter how you may be feeling today, find something to smile about. You will be happy that you did!

Today

If you have one eye on yesterday,

and one eye on tomorrow,

you're going to be cockeyed today.

~Author Unknown

Today

Stop concentrating on what happened yesterday. Stop anticipating what may happen tomorrow. Start putting all of your energy and focus into today. We spend so much time living in our past and future that we forget to enjoy what's right in front of us. We take so much time out of our days by not really participating in them or focusing on what's currently happening all around us. Do your remember actually driving to work this morning? What you saw, smelled and experienced along the way? Did you already eat your breakfast and not even taste it? Have you made your to-do-list and already were wishing for the day to be over? Well stop living in your head and start being present in your life. Enjoy every moment of today from who you meet, the conversations you have, the beauty that you walk past, the savory smells of life (and coffee) and above all, make sure you let yourself truly be alive today. Smile and mean it. Say something and make your words count. Do something that brings instant joy to you and others. Spend today present in every moment and you will start to see today, and every day hence forth, as a miracle and a gift not to be wasted.

Believe in Yourself

It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.

~W.C. Fields

Believe in Yourself

Today is all about confidence! You know who you are, what you know and what skills you have so this is not the day to hide that from the world. Today is a day to show everyone who you really are. Believe in your knowledge, your experiences, what life has taught you thus far and the skills that you bring to every situation. Do not sell yourself short today. You never know how a bit of confidence in yourself can translate to some major positive changes in your life. Go on and give yourself a wink in the mirror of knowing that you are worthy of wonderful things. It's okay to believe in yourself, sometimes it just takes a little confidence to move mountains in your life.