heart note for the passing year

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Last night I wrote the below words to the recipients of my Heart Notes tribe.  Writing to them each night for the past month has  been so lovely.  It has helped me to slow down and savor the holiday season that tends to go by in the blink of an eye.  The words I wrote to them spoke so deeply with me that I wanted to share them here with you as well; I now they won't mind.    

{ Heart Notes Letter }

As you welcome in the New Year be tender with yourself.  Know that you have traveled a year long journey.  Your feet my be tired.  Your heart may be worn.  For you have conquered another year.  Bask in the glory of all you have accomplished.  Give thanks for all the goodness that has come your way.  Remember the struggles you faced, and pat yourself on the back for making it through them.  

 You made decision after decision.  You showed up, even when you didn't want to.  You had difficult conversations.  You did the hard work, like deciding what to cook for dinner and tending to the souls around you.  You cleaned up your fair share of messes.  You figured things out.  You didn't always do it with grace and patience, but you did it nonetheless.  And along the way you learned how to do it a little bit better next time.  

 You created memories that will last a lifetime.  You traveled near and far, sometimes only taking the trip in your mind.  You made new connections and strengthened relationships.  New smile lines dance across your face.  You learned something new, about yourself, about those around you, about this divine world we are living in.  You danced with pure joy and delight.  You touched the life of a stranger, and never even knew it.  You saved the day for someone.  You were surprised by more than one thing, and you surprised someone else.  

 You loved deeply.  You lost someone you cared about it.  You misplaced so many things, some you have now found and others are still missing, like the charger for your camera.  You came alive.  You celebrated with others.  You found your way.  

 This past year you have done and felt so many things.  Remember this when the clock strikes midnight.  Recognize all that was and boldly step into all that will be.  Treat yourself kindly.  Give three cheers for arriving here with new battle scars, new memories, and another whole year filling you up.  Not did you just make it here, but you lived it - - each and every day.  For that is something to celebrate.  


P.S. I will be hosting Heart Notes again in 2014 and would love to be writing to you.  

blessed

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The wrapping paper has found it's way to the floor.  The sparkle the glitter, the wonder and hope has all been swooped up into one giant ball --- tossed in the air and scattered about.  

There was laughter
Tears, the good kind of tears
Deep hugs, and warm embraces.  

There were talks of dreams, and the beginning of building a future together
Seeing dear family we haven't seen in year's
And getting back someone we felt we lost

New memories have been made
Pajamas have been worn
And photos have been taken to show their kids one day

It was good, so very good
Gathering with family fills my heart with love
And reminds me of how deeply blessed I am

believe

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Now is the time to believe
Believe in what you think is not possible
Believe in the unknown
Believe that the world is working it's magic
And gifting you just what you need

Now is the time to take that chance
To follow your heart
Go after what it is you really want 
Leap into the unknown
And believe that it will work out as it is meant to

Now is the time to spread your love
Tell those around you that you care about them
Do not wait another day
Shout it from the mountain tops
And know that when you speak those words, it means so much

Now is the time to choose your own path
Don't follow someone else's lead
Take the reigns and go down your own road
Follow your heart
And know that by doing so the world will open up to you

Now is the time
There is no better time to start then today
What do you want your next step to be?
Where do you want to go?
Now is the time, believe in the power of your choices and leap

traveling down a road

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You are traveling down a road
Where is it taking you?
Where are you hoping to go?

You are traveling down a road
Is the path unexpected?
Or did you plan out each turn?

You are traveling down a road
Keep your eyes open
Soak in the new scenery

You are traveling down a road
Choosing your own destination
Savor the moments on your travels

You will go down this road only once
Don't forget to pause and look around every once and awhile
For you are traveling down a road, living the life, your life

the ripple effect

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I was like Rita.  I didn't care for hearts, or anything pink for that matter.  I thought it was little girlish to like hearts and so I stayed away from them.  

That is until I opened my own heart to love.  Not the romantic type of love, but a deep self love and appreciation for who I am.  I took time to find myself and to really learn what made me happy.  

It was during this self discovery that I saw hearts every where.  In rocks on the ground, up in the sky within the clouds, in the soap on my glass shower doors, in the crumb that feel off a piece of my sandwich.  Hearts were constantly showing up.  Perhaps they were always there, and I just never took the time to notice.  

Once I started seeing these hearts they showed up more and more.  In the piece of chicken that Dustin ordered for dinner, in the ice frozen over my windshield, in the small stain on the carpet at work.  Love is all around.  

I was reminded of how far I have come in my love of hearts when I read Rita's letter that Elizabeth shared on the Squam Website.  Rita shares how her heart opened when she took my class :: Love Notes Special Delivery ::  

I am blown away by this letter and the effect that class had on her.  I created that class because I felt a deep urge to introduce people to writing from the heart and showing up on the page.  I never expected that it would touch someone so deeply.  And it did.  

Throughout the class Rita shared such amazing, heartfelt, honest writing that blew me away.  I loved how she was showing up.  She inspired me immensely.  And that is the ripple effect.  When we show up and do what our heart is calling we can't help but effect those receiving our gift in a positive way.  And in turn that person goes out and follows there heart, and more people are affected.  The rings in the lake keep getting bigger and bigger.  

You do the world a disservice when you shy away from shining.  The world needs your light.  You are meant to sparkle.  Take the leap.  Follow your heart.  Watch how the ripple effect unfolds.  

You can read Rita's story here and find out more about the women who began the ripple affect for me, and how attending squam changed my life.  

stitching

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She was stitching up the contents of her heart
Carefully laying them down before the machine
Remembering when the threads got pulled out
Tracing over the lines of the ripped seams
And tattered fabric
She choose her favorite color to patch things up
And she continued, even when the needle went through her finger
She didn't understand how the machine worked
Or really what she was doing
All she knew was that with each step onto the peddle
The machine hummed
Her heart felt lighter
And she was sewing herself back together