ignite the spark

A little bit of what has been inspiring me this week:

I am not sure how I discovered Aidan Donnelley Rowley but I am so glad I did.  Her words resonate with me and the below three post will open you up.  

     There is another way

     Me Too Moments

     Giving Ourselves Permission

I am also in love this post by Andrea Scher.  We all need to toot our own horns every once in awhile.  We are living big in our lives.  Accomplishing things day after day.  So go ahead...toot your own horn!  

My dear friend Mindy Tsonas has been cracking me wide open.  She opens up her doors to others on a regular basis and each time she does goodness ensues.  She has also been having really honest conversations about her open marriage.  Sign up for her mailing list to get her love letters delivered right to your inbox.  How she stands in her truth will blow you way and inspire you to stand in your own.  
 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.  If you are in the states, enjoy the extra day off.  xo

dreams come true

Growing up I always wanted to be a teacher

One year for christmas I received a teaching set, and was thrilled
I would make my brothers sit at the kitchen table as I taught 
Giving them report cards
Marking up their papers
Torturing them the way only a sister can
They didn't sit for long

For many years I taught at a day care center
Soaking in the inquisitive mind of three year olds
Keeping one little girl from flushing her shoe down the toilet
Creating projects, reading books, watching minds open up
As they learned something new, or made a friend
It was in the classroom that I was in my glory

There are many moments when I miss teaching
I love coming up with new ideas
Thinking outside of the norm
Creating connections, seeing growth
Each day was a new beginning
Another opportunity to try again

My mind used to be constricted
Thinking that teachers were only in the classroom
But they are not
Teachers are everywhere 
Each day we interact with them
As we ourselves grow and evolve

There are a multitude of ways to teach outside of the "traditional" classroom
In fact, the possibilities are endless
I have taught online and in person
Loving every minute of the experience
And in 14 short days I will be at Squam, teaching a letter writing workshop
There is nothing better than teaching something you are passionate about

My dream of teaching is living and breathing inside of me
And although I am not a "traditional" teacher
I am a teacher in so many other ways
It has taking me stepping back and observing to see this
There are many times are dreams come true the way we didn't plan
We just need to be open to the possibilities 

I am holding onto my teaching dream
Tucking it into my pocket and carrying it around with me
I never know when the big one will come true
But I know that no matter what happens along the way
I am ready to embrace it
Each small moment has something to teach us

:: what dream are you carrying around in your pocket? ::

what i have learned

Three things I have learned {so far} while training for the NYC Marathon

1. Sleep is really important {and I don’t get enough of it}
2. If I do not eat regularly throughout the day I will be ravenous {and you do not want to see me when I’m hungry.  Just ask Dustin}
3. I will never regret pushing yourself out the door to run {although I will fight with myself hardcore until I take that first step}

Training is a journey.  I will not be able to wake up tomorrow and run 26.2 miles.  I will need to work up it.  I show up, day after day pushing myself a little bit further each time.  I have gotten stronger mentally and physically.  

I am learning how take care of my body and listen to what it needs.  I am treating it kindly with more sleep.  Eating more veggies and eating more often.  I am not giving up, even when I may want to.  

The best part is, I can see and feel the pay off.  I believe in myself.  I am willing to taking the risk.  I know what I want, and I am going after it.  It feels so good!

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.  

 * * * * * * * * * * * *

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

 * * * * * * * * * * * *

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
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