Original

                                           Never be bullied into silence.
                                Never allow yourself to be made a victim.
                      Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself.
                                                      ~Harvey Fierstein


Original

Being who you are is the best thing you could ever do for yourself.  Don't ever try to live up to other people's expectations of who you should be or how you should do things.  Forge your own way and be an original.  Nobody is like you, as the same hand print like you or has the same heart like you.  Why would you ever try to be anything other than the best version of yourself that you could be?  Do what's right for you and always stay true to yourself, even if it means ruffling a few feathers along the way!

Smile

Smile!  It increases your face value.  

~Robert Harling, Steel Magnolias

Smile
When was the last time you really smiled?  When was the last time you smiled so big that your cheeks hurt from holding that position for a long time?  If you can't think of the last time then you need to start smiling more!  There are many things that you can worry about and stress over.  Most likely over 90% of those things are not in your control and the 10% that is, well you are not doing what you need to in order to be smiling about them! But (there's always a but) there are just as many things to smile about if you allow yourself to be present in every moment and see the beauty and fun all around you.  Smiling should be on your to-do list every single day until it just becomes a habit.  It not only brightens your face but it brightens your soul as well.  So go ahead and SMILE. :o)

The Human Spirit

Oh, my friend, it's not what they take away from you that counts.

It's what you do with what you have left.

~Hubert Humphrey

The Human Spirit
You are much stronger than you realize.  You are more powerful than you can comprehend.  No matter what happens in your life, the one thing that can never be taken from you is our spirit.  That is yours and yours alone.  People may try and take things away from you but they can't ever grab the essence of who you are at your core.  Let your inner guide navigate your throughout the day.  Let your spirit soar, dream and create a greater life.  Don't shackle yourself to your past and don't continue to carry toxic people alongside on your journey.  Let your spirit be free and steer you in the right direction.

Service

The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name 

and the inheritance of a great example.  

~Benjamin Disraeli

Service
The men and women who served our country bravely (and who paid the ultimate price that we remember today) understood that service meant something more than what you do for a few hours a year. Serving should be what leads you to a life of purpose. Most people have it the other way around. Most  people serve themselves and come up empty, unhappy and feeling lost. When you lead your life by waking up every day and saying to the universe, use me to create positive changes in my life and the world, then you will live a life of true purpose. Serving is what we should all be doing every single day. If you are not enriching and contributing to this life in a greater way, you will never be truly satisfied ~ ever! Remember that when it's all said and done, it's not the "stuff" you accumulated that will speak volumes of who you were, it's how you made a difference while you were here.

Shut it Down

Some days, we just need to turn the quiet up.  

~Dr. SunWolf

Shut it Down
When there is too much noise in your life, too much chaos hitting you at every turn and too many disappointments, it's time to shut it down. Your life is your responsibility. It can get overwhelming when you try and take care of too many things and too many people at once, except yourself. There comes a point where you need to shut out everyone (and all of their noise) and start listening to your inner voice. You deserve time and attention and the only way you are going to get that from yourself is to take a break and concentrate on all of that which makes you feel centered, peaceful, connected, grounded and whole.  Don't run yourself into the ground and don't take on other peoples burdens. Shut it all down for awhile in order to recharge your own batteries.

Measure Your Worth

If you really put a small value upon yourself,

rest assured that the world will not raise your price.

~Author Unknown

Measure Your Worth
At the end of each day, are you exhausted and feeling depleted?  Can you not even recall what happened throughout the day?  Do you fee like you are just going through the motions but not really engaged in your life?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, then there is really one one question you truly need to answer; how do you measure your worth?  If you measure who you are by your title, how much you have accumulated around you, what kind of car you drive, what type of house you live in, who your friends are, where you dine, how much money is in your bank account, where you shop, how much time you spend at your job, where you vacation, what kind of watch you are wearing on your wrist, what country club you belong to then guess what ~ you will NEVER be content or happy.  You are measuring your worth on fleeting materialistic "stuff".  That's all those things are and they take up way too much room in your life. 

Start measuring your worth by your character, how you spend your time, how many people you make smile, how you connect to spirit and what are you doing to make your life and the world better.  It's time to straighten out your priorities and realize that by being here, that alone makes you worthy.

Sparkle

Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, 

if one only remembers to turn on the light.  

~Steven Kloves 

(screenplay), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 2

004, spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore

Sparkle
Each one of us has an inner light, a sparkle, that is there even in our darkest moments.  This light connects us to the deeper understanding that there is a purpose and reason for why we are here.  Sometimes events occur that make us feel that our light is dim or even about to burn out but alas, it does not!  It can not ever leave us for the sparkle within is also our soul.  It is our job to let our sparkle shine as brightly as possible. It is our goal to protect it from other people who will try and snuff it out.  We are wonderful beings full of light and love, that is our true nature and that is where we have to build our foundation upon.  Sparkle brightly for all to see and never dull your light for anyone or anything.

Bon Voyage

To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else.  

~Emily Dickinson

Bon Voyage
Recently your life has started to kick itself into motion, more so than before. You are no longer stuck at the pier waiting to go on your journey. You are now starting to leave your comfort zone and are charting into new territory. Instead of being fearful of the uncertain and unknown, embrace these changes. You are the one who worked hard at putting your life into a forward motion. Don't stop now! Continue to foster this movement. Whether you come across stormy seas or calm waters, you need to go on this path. Make sure you stay out of your own way as much as possible and let your gut guide you to which direction you must travel. The important thing is that you are in motion and that you stay in motion. As the french would say bon voyage or (loosely )translated, have a good journey!

Rebirth

Flowers don't worry about how the're going to bloom.  

They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful. 

 ~Jim Carrey

Rebirth
May is a time for rebirth. Things lay dormant all winter long waiting for the first turn of spring & summer to start waking up and stretching as high as they can reach so they can blossom into their true beauty. We are just the same as nature. Our lives change, our attitudes change, our energy changes based on the seasons. This is not only a time for rebirth for everything around us, it's also a rebirth for our own lives. This is a time to start spreading our wings. This is a time to start moving into action. This is a time to change paths, try new things and take leaps of faith. May is a time to wake up every fiber of our beinsg and start picking up the pace of our goals and dreams.  

Trust

(picture by Colleen Sierra)

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. 

You can steer yourself any direction you choose. 

You're on your own. And you know what you know. 

And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...” 

Dr. Seuss

Trust
You must believe in yourself, and the opportunities coming your way. Trust in them wholeheartedly. You have worked very hard at speaking your truth and living your life according to them despite some obstacles and frustration along the way. Now is the time to witness the fruits of your labor. Watch how life unfolds before you in miraculous ways.  Be willing to walk through new doors that open to you and trust that you have manifested these new opportunities. Celebrate in what you have created. Believe in yourself. Trust that you know what's best for you and walk forward ~ no run forward fearlessly!

Evolve

Learning is a lifetime process, but there comes a time 

when we must stop adding and start updating.  

~Robert Brault

Evolve
As spiritual beings having a human experience, we are meant to grow throughout our journey.  Growth signifies learning.  We are not the same people we were 10 years ago or even maybe one year ago.  We experience new things, meet new people and the more we are engaged in life, the more we evolve.  By getting stuck in a way of thinking like "this is how I grew up so this is how it's supposed to be" or "I don't understand it and I'm not going to try to", is not healthy and ultimately will stifle any growth that is supposed to occur.  Evolving is not just an idea, it is real and something we should all be striving for.  We also need to not pigeon hole anyone else ~ allow room for other people to grow and learn as they manage their way through life as well.  Let's start to celebrate our experiences and the people we are now vs. the people we were from our past.  When we look at things differently, we will find beauty and messages that have always been there but now we see them clear as day.  As we truly open our eyes to life, the more we are open to the bigger picture and the happiness we all seek.

evolve backwards has the word love inside: ev(love)

Labor Pains

(a must read by Bethenny Frankel, A Place of Yes)

Life is tough enough without having 
someone kick you from the inside.  

~Rita Rudner

Labor Pains
When giving birth to a new idea or a new time in your life, you will go through labor pains. They can get quite unbearable the closer you get to an "ending"of one thing before something new is born. If we give up just because something gets to difficult, we will never truly know the strength we possess inside and the lessons to be learned from persevering through pain and difficulty. Something beautiful can come out of our pain and struggle but we must be willing to go through it in order to gain the abundance that is waiting for us on the other side.  Don't ever give up on yourself or your dreams.  Always come from a place of yes!

Patience

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap 

but by the seeds that you plant.  

~Robert Louis Stevenson

Patience
When you plant a seed, it takes time to grow.  You must nurture, water and take care of it along the way before you start to see it sprout above the foundation you created.  Our lives are just like a garden.  There is a time for everything and this is the time to have patience.  You have planted a few seeds in your own life and are getting anxious over seeing growth happen right now.  If you hurry along these seeds though, they will not be as strong and durable as you would have hoped for because you did not have the patience to let them take root below the surface.  The stronger the foundation, from the beginning, the more likely that these seeds will flourish and blossom when they are meant to.  For now, take a step back.  Keep tenderly nurturing the seeds in your life that you have planted and have patience and faith that once they start to grow, nothing will be able to stop them.  They might be even more beautiful then you could have ever imagined.

The Power of I

Don't ever save anything for a special occasion.

Being alive is the special occasion.

~Author Unknown

The Power of I
There is no excuse for us not to live up to our own potential.  We wait for other people to make a move when really, we must move ourselves first and foremost. 

The Power of I Leadership Poem by Anonymous

I am only one, but I am one.

I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And what I can do, I ought to do.

I will do more than belong...I will participate.

I will do more than care...I will help.

I will do more than believe...I will practice.

I will do more than be fair...I will be kind.

I will do more than dream...I will work.

I will do more than teach...I will inspire.

I will do more than earn...I will enrich.

I will do more than give...I will serve.

I will do more than live...I will grow.

I will do more than talk...I will act.

I will be more than good...I will be good for something.

 



Mother & Role Model

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.  

~Jewish Proverb

Mother & Role Model
Here's to all of the women out there that are changing lives for the better every single day.  Know that the time, attention and love you put in to your children, your neighbors children, children that you work with, your four legged children and other other child you are a mentor and a role model to, will come back to  you tenfold!  When you invest in an child, you are truly changing the world for the better.  Even though at times it can be overwhelming, trying of patience and frustrating, the rewards are immense.  Know that you are doing the most important work on the planet, helping someone else learn and grow.  Kudos to you and know that today and every day you are loved and appreciated!

Titles

You shouldn't gloat about anything you've done; 

you ought to keep going and find something better to do.  

~David Packard

Titles
You are more than your title, any letters written before or after your name or any achievements you have been given over the course of your lifetime.  Accolades & achievements are wonderful but they are not the only thing, nor should they ever define who you are as a person. What should define you?  How you treat others.  Who you stop to help.  How you use your time.  How you react when no one is watching.  Who you love.  How you love.  How you celebrate life.  That is true success.  Never allow yourself to be lost in a title.  Lose yourself in service to others and let your actions speak louder then any piece of paper on your wall.

Just Moseying Along

I may not have gone where I intended to go, 

but I think I have ended up where I intended to be.  

~Douglas Adams

(Today's Pearl is inspired by my dear friend, Mary Lally)

Just Moseying Along
Most of us spend our days in a frenzy, running from here to there, stressed beyond our limits and not sure what happened to us by the end of the day.  We drop, literally, when we get home and wake up to do the same thing the very next day.  Is this really being productive?  Are we really truly learning from operating this way?  If we are not appreciating and enjoying our days, why are we continuing to do the same thing over and over?  For some reason we feel the busy we are, the more important we must be.  The more important we are, then life will surely reward us, right?  Well, not necessarily!  By being too busy, we don't hear the whispers and lessons we are meant to learn.  We miss the laughter and love that is coming our way.  We ignore the beauty outside and the warmth of a smile as people pass us by.  We don't spend enough time just moseying along.  You can still accomplish your goals but it's your perspective and approach that drastically need to change.  When we invite the universe in and let it guide us throughout our day, amazing opportunities open up.  Peace and serenity flow through us and we are present in each and every moment so that we don't miss a thing!  Shift your approach, relax into life, let go of the tight control (that you really don't have anyway) and try just moseying along!

Silence the Noise

There is no need to go to India or anywhere else to find peace.

You will find that deep place of silence right in your room,

your garden or even your bathtub.

~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Silence the Noise
It's hard to think clearly when you are inundated with noise from all different directions.  The noise can come from a myriad of different places (family, friends, TV shows, work, etc.) but it has caused you to feel more chaotic and stressed then you need to be.  It's time to silence the noise, all of the noise, that is swirling around you.  Take some time to unplug from everything and everybody.  Sit in silence with yourself and start to hear your own inner voice again.  Let that be your guide.  Let your soul speak to you and show you the direction to move in.  This is where you gain clarity back and feel your inner peace grow from deep within.  When you silence the noise around you, balance and growth can flow in with abundance.

To Do List

God didn't do it all in one day.  What makes me think I can?  

~Author Unknown

To Do List
We all have a "To Do" list for the day whether we write it down on an actual notepad or keep it in our head.  We prioritize what we need to take care of in accordance with how much we value each item.  Usually on our list it to call people back, finish a project, print something out, run to a store, etc.  We run our days according to what we have to take care of.  Have you ever taken the time to notice though that there a few things left off your list constantly?  When was the last time you put your name on that list?  When was the last time you put a loved one's name on that list?  We spend most of our days running around thinking that we will get to ourselves and our loved ones eventually.  More often than not though, we don't and another day goes by without us really taking the time for ourselves or showing those around us how much they matter.  Somewhere we got it twisted and upside down.  People are more important than paper.  Expressing love is more important than waiting for another day.  Stopping to get to know you is more important than printing out directions.  Make sure your "To Do" list truly reflects (in order) what is important to you and what you value most.  Don't waste another day taking care of the ancillary items on your list and running out of time for the most important items.  Yourself and your loved ones should always have top billing.  From now on, make sure you take time for yourself first thing in the morning.  Make sure you call or send your loved one (or ones) a text, email, instant message telling them how you feel about them (not just a hi, how are you?).  It's time to redo your list!  By doing this rather minor adjustment, it will make major positive changes in your life.

Friends

Friends are kisses blown to us by angels.  

~Author Unknown

Friends
It's important to surround ourselves with supportive and loving people.  Friendships do more for us than sometimes we are aware of.  True friends are our sounding boards.  They make us laugh.  They support us when we need it and they let us just be ourselves without judgement.  Friendships help heal our hearts and enrich your life.  


If you are not taking the time to cultivate these relationships, fix that today!  Everyone needs a place to vent and a place to have fun.  There is no better place to have that then with a great friend but you also have to be that friend in return as well.  Friendship is a two way street.  You cultivate amazing relationships when you are a great friend in return.  Treasure those people in your life who you call friends and let them know just how special they are!

Healing

There is deep wisdom within our very flesh, 

if we can only come to our senses and feel it.  
~Elizabeth A. Behnke

Healing
There is something in your life that needs some healing.  It has caused you concern, worry, anxiety and even fear.  The longer you hold on to these feelings though, the more you block any true healing from occurring around the situation.  Take a step back, infuse love into the situation and release it.  Let the universe come in and heal it far greater then you could have ever imagined.  You deserve serenity but you must create it first, it will not just come to you.  Find your quiet inner space and listen for healing guidance.  When you can come from a place of true peace, you can heal your life in miraculous ways.

Thunderstorms

Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people feel 

as free to delight in whatever remains to them?  

~Rose F. Kennedy

Thunderstorms
Each one of us will get caught in a thunderstorm.  As we try and seek shelter, we might get soaked, we might be a bit scared and we may be unsure which way to turn.  We might end up under a small overhang with a few strangers that become good friends for those brief few minutes or we might make it back to a safe place and try to methodically dry ourselves off so that we can continue on.  Our lives mirror storms.  


Sometimes you are caught by surprise by them, or other times you see the warning signs coming before it occurs.  How are you going to handle it?  What decisions will you make that will keep you safe?  How are you going to proceed once it's all over with?  It's not a matter of being prepared or being caught off guard.  It's how you react that can make all the difference.  Are you going to seek shelter or stay in the midst of the storm?  Are you going to be paralyzed or take action?  


There are lessons in everything.  Every storm that rolls in is there to teach you something.  It's your job to learn the lesson and move forward.  

I Am

“I wish I could show you,

When you are lonely or in darkness,

The Astonishing Light

Of your own Being.”

~Hafiz

I Am
We are all searching for our purpose and our truth in this life.  We try and make sense of the circumstances we are in or have been given.  We walk forward every single day trying to figure out why we are feeling a certain way and how we are supposed to be moving forward.  We are constantly seeking outside sources to validate us, tell us who we are and lead us in the right direction.  Most of the time the last person we truly listen to is our own instinct and inner voice.  We pose questions like, "why me", "I wish I can change...", "I wish I could help", "what's wrong with the world today"...and a host of others.  The answer might surprise you (and it's the same answer for every question you have ever asked yourself) which is:
I AM


What is wrong with the world today?  I AM
What is right with the world today? I AM
Who should I ask to point me in the right direction? I AM
How do I go about changing something or my life? I AM the change


We need to all stop looking for someone else to answer the question and realize that we are always the answer!  We are powerful beings with amazing souls who can change the world with the will we all possess inside of us.  We need to stop looking for answers outside of ourselves and realize that it's us who can change the world one realization and connection at a time.


Please check out Tom Shadyac's documentary, I AM: The Shift is About to Hit the Fan
http://www.iamthedoc.com/thefilm/
It will change your whole perspective!  A must see.

Give Big

I find I always have to write something on a steamed mirror.  

~Elaine Dundy

Give Big
Have you ever given of yourself so big that you feel a stream of love flowing two fold right back at you?  Well if you haven't or if it's been awhile, boy is it time to change that.  Finding balance in your life is key but giving big to other beings will enrich your life more than you can imagine.  By waking up each day and surrendering it over to the universe by saying, "how can I be of service today" will guide you always in the right direction.  Doors will open, miracles will occur all around you just because you decided that this life is far greater than you realize and we are all connected.  By giving big, you receive even bigger.  It's as simple as that. 

Tread Lightly

Take care of your body.  It's the only place you have to live.

  ~Jim Rohn

Tread Lightly
As pressures mount, it's real easy to get stressed and not take care of yourself.  You run and run and then run some more and before you know it, you have run yourself straight into the ground.  Take some time today, if even for a few minutes, to stop, breathe deeply in and just stop the noise and chaos for a few moments.  Ground yourself and your thoughts.  It's time to tread lightly on your mind, body and soul so that you can stay centered and healthy!