ignite the spark

Greg Hindy is 22 years old.  He is an artist inspired by America and is walking from New Hampshire to California in silence.  Yes you heard that right, silence!  Could you imagine?  

He doesn't have a cell phone.  He doesn't have any electronics.  He is simply just walking and appreciating the world.  He is documenting his journey through photographs.  

Photos of Greg sent by people who have met him during his walk can be round here.  It is so inspiring to see his journey.  

"It's not just the things people don't notice, it's the things they get out of their way not to see" Hindy wrote in one of his notes.  

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Mabel is coming and boy does she look pretty.  Can't wait to hold the first issue in my hands.  

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And if you haven't seen this amazing TED talk yet you will definitely want to tune in.  

"Its not my job to judge the work.  It's only my job to make the work." Jolie Guillebeau

Jolie is an artist, a teacher, a storyteller. Daily rituals and frequent collaboration with others energize her and fuel her creativity. Back in 2010, she set a goal to paint 100 paintings in 100 days. Instead she kept the project going for three and a half years, sharing stories along with the paintings.

writing the letter

There was a time when my voice was shaky
I was unable to speak my feelings
Tongue tied and afraid
I couldn't get it out

"Write it down" he would say when I was struggling
And so I did

The page gave me freedom to sort through the feelings
What was in my head had space to come out
The fear dissipated 
As I wrote him letters expressing what was in my heart

Today my voice is stronger
I stand taller in who I am
I am no longer afraid to speak my mind

But I have held onto letter writing
Using it as a tool
Turning to it in difficult situations 
Even if the letter is never going to get sent 

A letter is personal
Upon the page you are choosing to share your heart with another
Addressing them you let it all spill out
Word after word your feelings become cohesive thoughts

The paper allows you a moment to pause
To think it through with out jumping the gun
It is open, and spacious
Never once judging as you sort through the muck

When you are at a cross roads
Afraid of the feelings brewing inside
Or unsure of how to really say what is in your heart
Turn to the page, and write them a letter

Give yourself permission to be honest
You could always tear it up in the end
And know that the letter doesn't have to get sent
But it must get written

dear brave warrior

Dear Brave Warrior

I am so proud of the way you have shown up and stood in your light.  There were years when you hid in the darkness, and slowly you have emerged.  You took your time.  Found your path.  Discovered what truly moved you.  

There were moments when you lost your way.  Took off and tried to hide.  You may have ran, but you always found your way back home.  You stood in your disappointment.  You digested the shame you casted on yourself.    You rose above it all.  

You faced your fears.  You got really honest with what you had done and how you had felt.  You never let anything take you down for to long.  You stood back up and dusted yourself off.  You kept at it.  

And here you are standing brilliantly in your light.  You are strong.  You know who you are.  You go after your dreams.  You reach higher, and higher.  And you live with your heart wide open.  

I am so proud of the person  you have grown into.  I admire your courage and your quiet strength.  I feel how strong your heart beats and I soak in the love you share with others.  Your eyes tell the stories of a thousand journeys.  

I see how brave you are.  How you risk your heart time and time again.  How you great each challenge with a smile and aren't afraid to ask for help.  You are so much wiser than you give yourself credit for.  

Look at all the love that surrounds you.  Look at what you have created with your own two hands.  Soak in the stories of the moments when you have inspired others.  It was you, yes you, who stood on the brink of disaster and carved her own path.  Step by step.  Day by day.  

You followed your heart and found your way.  No one told you what to do.  No one told you who you were.  You searched and found friends along the way.  Look around you know.  Soak in the sunshine, the beauty, the love.  Soak in the lofty dreams that are coming true right in front of your own eyes.  Revel in it all, because you were the one who made it happen.  

I feel so lucky to call you a friend.  I love you and wish you many more giggles as you continue to carve your own path.  

xo :: Love :: xo
Your Biggest Fan

and so it begins

Yesterday I officially began training for the NYC Marathon.  For some reason I thought my training began in the end May.  In fact, that is what I have been telling everyone.  It felt safe to say that.  Almost as if running the marathon was a distant dream and I actually hadn't really committed to it.  But alas it is not a dream.  In 181 days I will show up at the starting line, bright and early, and trudge off to complete 26.2 miles.  

Leading up to that day in November I will spend a countless number of hours preparing.  Physically, I will get my body into shape,  however, the largest obstacle I will need overcome is my mind.  There will be moments during training when  I know my mind will say "Hey lady, what are you doing?  Stop running already."  There will also be the mantra of "I don't want to do this, I don't want to do this, I don't want to do this" playing on repeat in my head when things get tough.  

I will need to train my mind to push through barriers I thought I couldn't get past.  Small victories will need to be celebrated.  A new mantra will have to be learned.  

Although this is a race to the finish, the journey is long.  What matters most is showing up each day and putting one foot in front of the other.  This is most important on days when I do not want to take a single step.  

I run for those who cannot 
I run for friends I have lost
And for those who are currently fighting
I run to bring hope
I run to support cancer research
And I run with love in my heart
 

Please help me reach my goal of raising $3,000 for the Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital as I run with Fred's Team on November 2nd.   

ignite the spark

I am a big fan of Jennifer Lawrence.  She is honest, confidante, and real.  She is never afraid to laugh at herself, and seems so incredibly genuine.  These clips of her had me loving her even more.  

Totally in love with Book Book.  I have the case for my phone and laptop.  Before I had it for my phone I was constantly locked out of work because I would forget my Work ID.  Now it is always on me because I always have my phone.  What a life saver.  

If you are ever in need of a little laughter, watch this video.  

Every Christmas Love Actually is a must watch!  But even in Spring I still enjoy it.  And this is one of my favorite moments from this film.  

Have you heard of Creative Live?  It is a place where you can watch free online classes taught by the world's top instructors.  They have classes in Photo & Video, Art & Design, Music & Audio, Maker & Crafter, and Business & Money.  It is so good!!

it is time

I know these roads well
I have traveled them often
I could close my eyes and still navigate the uneven terrain
My body has come accustom to the twist and turns
It prepares for the steep uphill, even before I round the corner

Each day I show up
Ready or not I begin
One step in front of the other
The comfort of knowing the path makes each step a little bit easier
My mind settles and I find my pace

As I breathe in and out, so much comes to mind
The things I want to do
The adventures I want to take
The things I wish I would just begin already
And the deeper desire to live more boldly

I find comfort on these roads
But know I must break free from them
Before I traveled down them, I wasn't sure I would make it to the end
But I have, and I did
And in my soul I can feel that I am ready for a new challenge

These roads have infused me with confidence
They have taught me that I can make it
My mind and legs are strong
They are ready to run father
Ready to run faster

There comes a moment in everything
Where we have learned from it what we will
Tucking into our pockets the strength that has been built
We are ready for the next adventure
And with confidence we take that step forward

It is time to find a new path
To chart roads I have yet to  navigate
It is time to find my way, again
To see what is out there just over the horizon
To deepen that passion that has been ignited