Asking

Every evening I turn my worries over to God.

He's going to be up all night anyway.

~Mary C. Crowley

Asking
Sometimes you need a little help in life.  You need more of a direction, especially if you seem to be at a crossroads.  You have choices laid out before you but you get stuck in the choosing which way to go.  This is the time when you need to ask for some support and guidance.  It's great to get input from friends and family, but I'm talking about spiritual guidance.  When your contemplating something that will have a significant effect on your life, ask God, the universe, your angels, or whatever entity you garner strength and energy from, for help.  Ask them to guide you, to make clear the best path for you to take.  Get ready because you will be answered!  It might not be right away or the answer may not be the one you were hoping for but you will be given guidance.  Just make sure you don't miss the message in the translation.  Maybe it will come in a repetitious song that keeps playing, maybe you will get an overwhelming feeling in your gut, or maybe your dreams will reveal something to you.  Either way, be open to the guidance from your higher source.  Sometimes the best thing we can do, and usually the last thing we think of, is to ask for help!

Wounds

Turn your wounds into wisdom.

~Oprah Winfrey

Wounds
We all have been hurt and betrayed in our past. We have been wounded; sometimes several times over and by the same person. Our wounds run deep and the scars are prominent. Some of us wear our wounds like a badge saying "stay away" or we hide our wounds so that others can't truly see the depth of our pain. Either way, we usually pick at these wounds enough just to keep them from healing completely. We are so afraid that if we let them heal, we will no longer know who we are. We get so used to carrying around the past and the pain that we can't separate our scars from our soul. Who are we without them?  Or the bigger question is why are you letting these wounds define who you are? 


Wounds are meant to be healed. They are not supposed to keep hurting us forever.  Wounds are meant to remind us of how far we've come from the challenges of our past. Wounds are not meant to keep us stifled but to give us the power and the wisdom to walk in our truth and be a better human being. Take a look at your soul. See what wounds you have been keeping open and start dressing them with the band aid called love. For the first time in a long time, let them heal. Stop being one of the walking wounded souls just existing here. Be your authentic complete self, whose scars are faint yet whose wisdom is overflowing.

Starting Over

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, 

anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.  

~Author Unknown

Starting Over
Today is another day to get it right.  It's a brand new day to start over.  The past is the past so leave it there. Don't turn back, don't even hesitate.  It's time to leap forward, not walk.  Walking is so overrated sometimes and maybe just maybe, sometimes you need to run.  You just may even do some cartwheels!  Which ever way you choose, it's the kind of day that you welcome like looking at a blank canvas.  You can create anything you choose.  Today is that day for you.  Embrace the clean slate, take a deep breathe, let it out and go!

Just Be

If God had wanted me otherwise, 

He would have created me otherwise.  

~Johann von Goethe  

Just Be
Today be fearless.  
Be free from guilt.
Be free from pressure.
Be free from over analyzing your life.
Today be fun.
Be the one making the jokes.
Be the kind of person  you want to be around.
Be kind.
Be compassionate.
Today be loving.
Be open to others.
Be understanding of feelings.
Be there as a friend.
Be there as a partner.
Today be passionate.
Be the one to go after your future.
Be relentless in making your life better.
Be the one making the decisions.
Today be better.
Be the person you know you can be.
Be the more improved version of yourself.
Be the one making the changes.
Today be...yourself.

Expectations

Better to write for yourself and have no public, 

than to write for the public and have no self. 

~Cyril Connolly

Expectations
When we lower our standards, we never get what we deserve.  We settle for less than what we desire or should have because we don't believe that we are worthy enough, smart enough or that we can have "it all".  So we compromise more than we should.  We let others race past us.  We stifle our dreams so that other may grow.  Where has that led us?  Um, not much of anywhere!  When we raise our expectations, life will answer us back. When we up our standards, life will follow suit.  When we put our vision into action, we propel ourselves into forward motion.  Our lives will rise up to meet us exactly where we expect it to.  So go on, raise that bar and set your expectations high.  

The Bigger Picture

The miracle is not to fly in the air, 

or to walk on the water, 

but to walk on the earth.  

~Chinese Proverb

The Bigger Picture
Life certainly has its challenges.  You try and go along your day as best as possible but sometimes you feel burdened by current events, strapped in a bad situation or like a hamster on a wheel with no end in sight.  How can you change this?  It's quite simple.  Shift the way you are looking at your life.  When you take the opportunity to look at the bigger picture, you take the blinders off and see the world that is around you.  Too many times you have got caught up in the "it's not going to get better" frame of mind.  Well it can't unless you are willing to change your view.  By making a decision to look at life from a more balanced, harmonious and grateful place, you have just widened your circle by threefold.  Does this mean that you will never have bumps in the road to deal with?  No it does not but these bumps will be just that and not turn into permanent road blocks for you.  The more you can embrace all that is around you, relax into your life and see how enriched it truly is, then you will allow tranquility and opportunities to rush in.  And when you find this peaceful place, hold on to it tight and never let it go.

Happiness

If only we'd stop trying to be happy

we could have a pretty good time.  

~Edith Wharton 

Happiness
We all chase the idea of being "happy".  We all say, "If I just had...I would be so happy".  We are so busy looking for happiness that most of the time we don't even recognize when we are or even when we should  be.  That's because we have it all wrong!  What if we thought about happiness differently?  What if we were filled with happiness all of the time, we just haven't learned to tap into it or to see it for what it truly is?  Happiness is not something you strive to find, it's something that you have within you constantly.  We can't truly find happiness outside of ourselves (through work, relationships, etc.) but to find it within. The problem is we are looking for other people or things to make us feel fulfilled.  We are looking to gather material possessions in the hopes that these "things" will make us feel better about ourselves.  Yet our happy has always been and will always be right inside of our soul.  That's where we will find it every single time.  Not in anyone else or in anything else.  Look in the mirror and find your happiness.

Why

Life is simple, it's just not easy.  

~Author Unknown

Why
Why does life unfold the way it does?  Why are we faced with so many obstacles and challenges?  Why do we have to suffer?  What is the purpose?  These are questions you might have asked yourself recently.  Sometimes it seems that life can get hard, almost too hard and we start to question why.  It is at this time that we stop and say, "so now what"  or even the bigger question we tend to have is "why me"?


Every situation that life puts us in and through is for one purpose, to make us grow.  We can't learn who we are, what we are made of, who we want surrounding us and what we are capable of if life was presented to us every day in a neat little package full of rainbows and unicorns.  It would be nice but we wouldn't learn to go deeper.  Instead of asking, "why me", start to view life in a much bigger way and ask, "what am I suppose to learn and how am I suppose to grow".  This is so much easier said then done but the more you try and see what you have learned from these life challenges, the more you get closer to who you truly are and isn't that what life is really about?  We are not here to learn how to make more money.  We are not here to learn how to destroy each other.  We are not here to learn how to reek havoc in the world.  We are here to learn how to love, how to connect to each other and how to grow spiritually and emotionally.  For all of us, it is truly is about the journey along the way and not necessarily about our final destination.

No Regrets

We crucify ourselves between two thieves:  

regret for yesterday and fear of tomorrow.  

~Fulton Oursler

No Regrets
Live your life in the present moment and have no regrets.  If you have goals, go for them.  If you can achieve more, what are you waiting for?  If you desire more love, give more love.  If you are not living your life to the fullest and taking advantage of every opportunity that is surrounding you, then you are choosing not to fully live.  Life is precious and it's not guaranteed.  Go ahead and live your life embracing your dreams and open every door that comes across your path.  We are not meant to regret anything.  We are only meant to live our best life ever so go on and do just that!

New Ideas

If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.  

~Albert Einstein

New Ideas
The time has come to put those ideas you have been keeping inside of you finally into motion.  You are a creative person with many different thoughts on how you can contribute even more to the world.  You have been sitting on them for quite some time now.  Well today is the day to be assured that you are on the right path and you need to start bringing these ideas to the forefront.  Whether you have been working on a new project, designing a new product, desiring to further your education, making a purchase on something that will enhance your life's purpose, or infusing fun back into your life, well now is the day to start!  Write down your desires and ideas.  Pick one to start today and make sure you follow it through to completion.  This is the time of new beginnings. Join in on the fun and get started today!

Forgive Yourself

Forgiveness does not change the past, 

but it does enlarge the future.  

~Paul Boese

Forgive Yourself
Living your life with regret and self doubt will only block your path from having an authentic life.  Guilt that you inflict on yourself is like holding onto poison and that will slowly deteriorate your body and soul.  You can not expect miracles to occur in your life you are riddled with self loathing.  Take a look at your life and see where you need to forgive yourself.  Maybe there were choice that you made in the past that you have guilt over.  Maybe actions or even inactions of your past have lead you to this point of regret.  What good has come to you by harboring these feelings?  Oh, that's right ~ nothing!  It's time to take those decisions/situations in your life and infuse love and forgiveness into them.  Realize that you were doing the best that you could at that time and that's truly okay.  You have now grown and matured so let the guilt vanish and free your soul to move forward with the grace, dignity and love that you truly deserve.

Yes

(picture by my mom, Sue)

Say "Yes" to the seedlings and a giant forest cleaves the sky.  

Say "Yes" to the universe and the planets become your neighbors.  

Say "Yes" to dreams of love and freedom.  

It is the password to utopia.  

~Brooks Atkinson, Once Around the Sun, 1951

Yes
You have been pondering something lately.  You have come up with many scenarios of how this situation could play out.  Well the answer to your question is Yes!  Now is the time to act accordingly.  Now is the time to embrace your situation and walk fearlessly ahead.  Know that right in this moment, the timing couldn't be more right for you.

Justice

(Abraham Lincoln's hat at the Museum of American History, DC)

Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein.  

~Proverb

Justice
We all seek a life of balance.  We want to be free, to choose who or what is in our lives and define our journey on our own.  Most of us also seek to be fair.  But are we that way to others?  Are we really always fair?  Do we listen without speaking?  Do we get the information before we judge?  Do we react before we should?  Are we always treating others how we want to be treated or rather expect to be treated?  Justice works both ways.  What you give out is what will come back at you.  Maybe in a different shape or form but if you are not in balance in your own life, well then life tends to corrects itself without your permission! The more you can infuse balance in your thoughts and actions, the more you give your life permission to flourish and grow.  The more you "do what's right", that means listening to your gut and not outside forces, the more you will live a life that is fair and just.  Now isn't that something to strive for!

Listen

If animals could talk, the world would lose its best listeners.  

~Robert Brault

Listen
Most of our days are spent trying to be heard.  We speak over one another just to get our opinions out.  Well today is different.  Today is about listening.  It's time to take a step back from talking and instead really hear what people around you are saying.  You are not the only one with a good thought or brilliant idea.  You are not the only one with a valid opinion.  Everyone has something to say and something to contribute to this world.  By not hearing them, you are not validating them as a person.  It's time to stop talking and open up your ears as wide as you can.  You just might be pleasantly surprised by what you can learn about someone as well as what you can learn about yourself along the way.

Vision

(The ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz 

on display at the Museum of American History, DC)

Vision without action is a dream. 

Action without vision is simply passing the time. 

Action with Vision is making a positive difference.

~Joel Barker

Vision
There are certain things in life we wish for, be it a great career, financial security, a wonderful partner, a nice home or a healthy and happy family.  Having goals and dreams are a part of who we are.  But how many of us put these aspirations into a complete vision?  Creating a vision for yourself and your family will enhance your goals and dreams.  When you have a vision, you create a direct pathway from your values to your future.  You set a clear direction for your life.  So don't wait, celebrate your life by creating a wonderful vision for your future today!

Easy Does It

Releasing the pressure,

it's good for the teapot and the water.  

Try it sometime.  

~Jeb Dickerson

Easy Does It

You need to slow it down a bit right about now.  You've been going at full speed and if you keep it up, you just might run into a brick wall.  You can only put your body through so much tension and stress before it kicks you back.  Don't let yourself get to that point.  Take some time today to breath, unwind and let yourself just be.  Don't run errands.  Don't pack your night with phone calls.  Put down the work.  Right now is your time to get present in this moment and bring yourself back down a notch.  It's time to just be...

Connections

God, why do I storm heaven for answers that are already in my heart?  

Every grace I need has already been given me.  

Oh, lead me to the Beyond within.  

~Macrina Wieherkehr

Connections
We are all connected.  Whether we are in the same room, in different states, or no longer here on earth, we are all connected.  As human beings we share a bond; one that can never be broken no matter the distance. Our connections to each other go much deeper than we can even fathom.  Most of the time we stand in the way of feeling these connections with each other.  We intentionally block them out of fear.  We believe that they truly can't exist.  But on the contrary.  Our connection to each other is the strongest thing we have and the closest thing we can feel. It is a bond that can never be broken.  Instead of letting distance, emotionally or physically, come between you and your loved one (or ones), realize that all you have to do is close your eyes, picture them right next to you, feel their energy surround you and know that it's just as real as you are.  We are all energy and our energy is something we cannot see but feel.  It's our energy that connects us to another human being.  It's these connections that stay with us forever.  Celebrate your special connections today and feel the love and warmth from those closest to you even if they are far away.

Healing

Health is a relationship between you and your body.  

~Terri Guillemets

Healing
This is a time of great healing.  It's a time for you to take stock of your physical, emotional and spiritual wellness.  It's time to bring your needs, hopes, desires and goals to the forefront of your life.  The time has come to put you first, not last.  You can only start to heal all aspects of your life when you take the time to put you at the top of your priority list.  You have the support, the tools and the motivation to begin this process.  All you have to do is START, and boy are you ready!  You have had this burning desire to take care of yourself but have been waiting for the right time to do so. Well today is the right time.  This is your permission to start right now.  Only you have the power to change your life for the better and now is your time.  Let the process of healing begin!

The Past

What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment.  And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new.  Right now.  

~Author Unknown

The Past
Your past is just that; circumstances that have already occurred.  They are not happening at this present moment in time. Right now you are reading the Daily Pearl and yet your mind keeps trying to wonder backwards.  It wants to stay in the past and usually at a point that wasn't very pleasant.  Well it's time to not let that happen.  Your past cannot be changed.  No matter how much you wish it would have been different, it was not and cannot be undone.  What can be undone is your whole life ahead of you by insisting you pick up your past every day and drag it around on your shoulders.  By keeping the hurt, disappointment, anger, frustration and pain of your past, you are denying yourself a beautiful future.  You can no longer carry both the past and the present on your shoulders.  There is only room for one.  Which one are you going to choose?  Are you willing to stay in a place of hurt and anguish for the rest of your life or are you willing to finally place it down and leave it there so that you can now walk in peace and build the life you truly want and deserve to live?  Which do you want more?  The time has come to stop picking at your old wounds and scars.  It's time to let them close up and heal.  Remember your past but under no circumstance let it dictate your bright and beautiful future.

Purge

This mess is a place!  

~Author Unknown

Purge
It's time to clean house both emotionally and physically.  It's time to take a look in your closets, under your bed and within your soul to see where you need to dust things off, throw away those things that no longer serve you and release the past for good.  Why are you holding on to so much "stuff"? If you haven't used it in the last year, or especially in the last 2 years, it's time to let it go! The same goes for the emotional baggage you are holding on to as well. By purging our lives of the things that are holding us down, we give room for new opportunities to come our way. It's really that simple.  So dig deep in those drawers and in your soul and start clearing house today!

Movement

Trust only movement.  

Life happens at the level of events, not of words.  

Trust movement.  

~Alfred Adler

Movement
If you lack movement in all areas of your life, you lack growth.  Movement keeps the energy around you and within you flowing.  It's how you know you are either on the right path or need to change directions.  The lack of movement in your life, be it in your relationship, job, living situation, will keep you stagnant.  You cannot fully experience life and all that it has to offer, good or bad, by standing still.  Take a long hard look at your life and where you need to infuse more movement for your own personal well being.

Health

We drink one another's health and spoil our own.  

~Jerome K. Jerome

Health
Your health is something you can ignore for only a certain length of time before it starts to get in the way of you really living.  Once you start to feel your bones ache, your knees hurt, your muscles tighten, your heartburn increase, your feet swell and the weight start to creep up, it's way overdue to do something about it!  Don't wait until your body forces you to take care of it, do something about it today.  You have all the tools to keep yourself a well oiled machined.  You know what to eat, how much you should be eating, how often you should be getting some exercise in, you just have been refusing to do so.  Well guess what?  The only person you are hurting is your own body and soul.  When you feel good, everything else seems to fall into place.  When your body is in balance, your life tends to be more balanced.  When you feel free in your own skin, then you tend to live every day to the fullest.  It's time to get present in your own life, take your health seriously and start to be the person you were meant to be inside and out.