this is your moment

This is your moment
To stand in your light
To be who you always wanted to be
Yes, the time is now
There is no reason to back down
Hide in the corner
Or live in the fear
Right now is your moment to shine
Recognize what is holding you back
Examine it for a brief moment
Then let it go
You do not need to carry around your baggage
You can set it down
All if it
And start again
You can begin
Right now
Yes, this is your moment
Do not let it pass by without you grabbing hold of it
Speak your dreams out loud
Take the leap
Do what it is you have always wanted to to
Right now
It is time to begin
Get going
Make it happen
 

what life will you live?

"You don't choose a life, you live one" ~ The Way

Because you have no idea what tomorrow is going to bring
Sure we make plans
We dream, we wish
But there is no guarantee that you will ever make it to where you want to go
Your road may come to an end sooner than you ever expected
There may be twist and turns you didn't plan for
You may get flipped completely upside down
And have no idea what to do next
This is why you have to live in the moment
Be right here
Take a deep breathe in and appreciate the beauty around you
It could all go away tomorrow
Life as you know it may change forever
It may feel like a stab to your heart
Or bring you down to your knees
And all you can do is get back up
Learn how to navigate this new normal
You cannot count on anything to last forever
Life ebb's and flows
You cannot hold on to anything to tightly
You must carve your own path
Be kind along the way
Appreciate the beauty
And savor the moment
Because this is your one wild and precious life
You are the one who is holding up the pen
You are the one who is writing the story
What will your  next line be?
What life will you live?

the way they believed in you

Sometimes someone else needs to believe in you
Before you can believe in yourself
They tell you what they think you are capable of
And you chuckle inside because you do not see it
But they stand in front of you holding up the mirror
Not letting you give up
And not giving up on you
All you can do is put one foot in front of the other
Following their lead
You feel like you are struggling to keep up
But you keep driving yourself forward
You want to make them proud
You want to show them
That you can do what they think you can
And so you continue to push
Somehow on your own you find your strength
And you don't give up
One foot in front of the other
Staying present in the moment
You dig deep down inside
And you keep on going
Slowly you realize you are doing it
Somehow, someway
You can finally see what they saw in you
And you cling to it
Stepping forward with more confidence and grace
You had it in you this whole time
You just needed someone to help you unearth it
You are so much stronger than you ever thought you were
You know that now
You feel it
Because they believed in you
You now believe in you
And that is a powerful feeling

sending out your words

What changes you?
What moments wake you up?
Who inspires you to keep stepping forward?
Who holds your hand on the bumps of life?
How do you show your gratitude?
How do you bring light to others?

There are so many ways to do this and one of my favorites is through snail mail.  The simple act of reaching out, saying hello, and letting someone know you thought of them.  Don't get me wrong I am a social media maven like so many.  I love the instant connection and ability to reach out at any time.  But there is something special about a handwritten note.  I love that you can hold it in your hand, tuck it in your pocket, hang up to admire.  You can see it day after day and each time you do it brings you joy.  

Knowing that another individual took this time to write to you warms your heart.  It must be done with intention, thought, and kindness.  When you choose to send a bit of snail mail you are letting the other person know that they are important to you, you care, and you want to make them happy. 

When I first created the Love Notes Postcard Project I did it because I myself longed for connection with others and a bit of old school snail mail.  And if I did, I was sure there were others out there just like me.  And do you know what ... there are.  In fact there is a whole community of individuals who appreciate the art of sending things through the mail.  

These individuals show up for strangers and let them know they aren't alone.  Along with the words they send they also send smiles, hugs, and gratitude.  They recognize the magic of a mailbox and know that anything can happen when you find a ray of sunshine inside.  

One postcard could change you forever!

And so we write to one another
We share our hearts
We spill open and allow a stranger to see us
We invite them in
And even if they don't want to stay
We let them know how grateful we were for their visit
We appreciate the time, the thought, the care
We soak it up
And we keep on sending
We are the writers of the world
The connectors
The believers
The optimist
We take chances
We show up
We want to leave our mark on this world
And so we put ourselves out there
One postcard at a time

be right here

Be right here with me in the moment
Do not allow your thoughts to drift to what could or could not be
Just be right here
Look deep into my eyes
Do you see and feel what I do
Our days are numbered
Our moments unknown
So be right here with me
Share your hopes and fears
Lean deeply in and feel the trust between us
I want to hear your stories
I want to see your soul awaken
Be right here
Yes in this very moment
Slow down
Allow the light and love to circle you
I know it may feel scary
But trust all that you are feeling
Let down your guard
Invest your love
Be right here

dear mom

There are signs of her everywhere and it warms my heart
When I miss her she reminds me that she is never that far away
Her offering of feathers brings her close to me

Dear Mom,
There are so many words I want to say, so many stories I want to share.  The world keeps spinning on and it doesn't feel right that you aren't here.  I can't believe it has been a little over a year since you began your next journey.  My world is not the same without you in it.  

As I have been training for the NYC Marathon you have been in my thoughts and keeping me company along the way.  Thank you for all of the feathers you have sent down just when I needed them most.  I know how much you loved the marathon and I am running this one for you.  

I remember the pride you had in your eyes when you would tell people your daughter was training.  I think you told more people than I did.  You then stood on the streets that cold November day and cheered me on wildly.  It was those cheers that helped push me to the finish line.  

I know I won't see your face there this time around, but you will be in my heart. With each step memories flood back. Moments I have long forgotten.  They bring a smile to my face and a tear to my eye.  You taught me to never give up and so even when it get's hard I am going to keep putting one foot in front of the other and cross that finish line for you.  

I love you and I miss you.

Love,
Jennifer