making the most of mornings

It is early in the morning.  The sun has not yet risen and I quietly get out of bed not wanting to wake him.  The morning is my sacred time.  A chance to enter into the day gently, on my own terms.   I savor the quiet, the darkness, the peace before the world wakes up.

I have not always been a morning person.  I used to hit the snooze button more times than I can even remember.  I would then roll out of bed in a hurry and rush to work, eating breakfast at my desk.  My mind not yet ready to begin.  A sudden jolt into the day leaving me feeling off and out of sorts. 

Once I began to carve out time in the morning my entire day shifted.  I give myself a chance to begin where I am and enter into the day slowly and with ease.  Some days I go to a yoga class or just do five moves in my living room.  I am looking forward to the warmer weather returning so I will be motivated to lace up my sneakers and head out for a run.  I meditate and sometimes write in my journal.  When I arrive at work my mind is calm.  I feel refreshed and ready to take on the day.  

I did not think switching up my morning routine could change my life, but it has.  What I do in the morning sets the tone for the rest of my day.  On the days that I don't wake up early I can feel it in my body and my mind.  It has taken work to push myself out of bed, especially on those cold winter mornings but carving out this time just for me is soul tending and a big part of my self care routine.   

What way can you tend to your soul?  What time can you carve out in your day for a little bit of self care?  

keep stepping forward

Some days you feel like you have been knocked down
Struggling to get back up
An enormous weight crushing your heart and shattering your every move
You can't tell up from down
And you wish you would have just stayed in bed
We all have had these days
It could be just one thing that knocks you to your knees
Or many tiny little ones
It becomes a struggle to take that next step forward
But you must
Because you do not know what is on the other side
A new opportunity
Another chance
That ray of sunshine that will brighten everything
Yes, of course I know it could just be something else to knock you down
But you must keep moving forward
Because eventually you will get through
You will come out on the other side
One way or the other
Lean on others when you need support
Reach out
Ask for help
Remember, you aren't in this alone
Keep stepping forward

snail mail sunday

When is the last time you took a moment to sit down and write someone a letter?  Yes, with a pen and paper.  Has it been so long that you cannot even remember? The Love Notes Postcard Project sparks my creativity throughout the year but even in between rounds I find it is important to  send out little bits of snail mail love.

There does not need to be a special occasion to send out a card or letter.  And you do not need any fancy type of paper.  I am sure around your home right now you have something you could write on, and something you could write with.  

Sundays have become turned into my day to take time to write out some snail mail love.  It feels good to intentionally write to someone.  To think of them as the words spill onto the page and to know that they will be surprised when the letter arrives.  

Aren't sure what to say?  How about starting with one of these prompts:

• I remember the first day we met.  You were ____ and I was ____.  
• My most favorite memory of us together is ....
• Top three things I love about you are ...

Go ahead and send someone a letter.  I guarantee you will make their day.  

stay true to your heart

Because now more than ever you must listen to your heart and carve our own path forward.  There are many other voices looking to find their way in.  Stealing your time, trying to push you from where you are going.  But you know what what you want to do.  You know where you want to go.  

Go for it!

Happiness is your priority.  Kindness is something you hold dear.  Love is all that really matters.  Stay true to your values.  Speak up for what you believe in.  Do not let anyone rob you of the goodness that is in your heart.  

Listen to what others are saying, not only their words but their actions.  Understand where they are coming from and do not place any judgment on why you think they are doing what they are doing.  Just show up as you.  With your heart wide open ready to give.  

You will find your way when you stay true to YOU.  Don't give up, even when you get pushed down.  Don't give in, even when others are trying to string you along.  Smile wide.  Invite someone in.  

Be brave.  Be bold.  Be YOU

because your words can change someones day

"Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change" ~ Bob Kerrey

Throughout our lives we all encounter moments of struggle that rip us apart.  It is in these moments that we cannot tell up from down and we aren't sure if we will ever be able to stand on our own two feet again.  So we retreat into the comfort of the darkness.  

Yet, we are not meant to go at it alone.  There is a world filled with divine human beings who want to reach out, lend a helping hand, and let you know that you are seen.  

I have watched this unfold first hand through the Love Notes Fairy's and it has continuously restored my faith in love, compassion, and kindness.  

The Love Notes Fairy's are a group of individuals with wide open hearts.   They are ready and willing to send out handwritten notes to individuals they have never met.  They open their hearts because they understand the power of good will and they know that even a few words written on a card can shift someones day. Most likely they will never meet the people they write to, but they are ok with that.  They know what matters most is reaching out.     

Each month nominations are submitted by friends, family, and neighbors of individuals who could use a little extra love.  Some life circumstance has brought them to their knees and receiving a bouquet of love notes delivered to their mailbox (yes, their real mailbox) is something their friend knows will help bring a bit of sunshine to their days.  

And so the fairy's get to work.  They send out cards with no expectation of anything in return.  They may never even hear if their card was received.  But, they understand the chain reaction of kindness that can occur and trust the universe to inspire others to continue passing it along.  These fairies are beacons of light on dark days, carrying messages of hope, love, and compassion.  There is no judgment for where the other person is in their life, just words of tenderness.  

Sometimes all we need is to know that we are not alone. 

For the past five months the Fairies have been showing up and each day more join in on this secret mission of love. It is the simplest things in life, the small acts of kindness, that mean the most.  We must never forget this and choose that kindness each and every day.  

One recipient of the Love Note's Fairy Love has shared these words about her experience being surprised by the notes:

"I feel loved
I feel wrapped up in a blanket of healing
I feel a burst of joy in my heart
I feel how much they care
The love of strangers is one of my greatest joys!" - Ingrid

This is what it is all about.  A blanket of healing letting a stranger know that there are others out there who care, and that they are never ever alone. Yes, this can all happen with one single card arriving in someone's mailbox. Something that may take you two minutes to do can cause an incredible shift in someone's life.  

Go ahead, send a card today.  I dare you!  Let someone know you see them, you love them, and that they are never alone.  Pop it in the mail and release all expectations of what is to come.  Just allow the universe space to work it's magic.  

And if you want to spread a little more joy and love join in on the Love Note's Fairy Secret Mission.  You will be so glad you did.  

happiness is always there, take a moment to see it

I arrive home exhausted. The weight of the work day can been seen in my tired eyes.  Running from meeting to meeting I didn't get a chance to step outside and breathe in the fresh air.  I feel has if I have been put through the ringer, all my energy depleted. 

Darkness has set in and feel a pang of regret for not seeking out the light.  

Nothing grand happened today.  No monumental moment of fun.  It was an average workday where I felt buried in all that I needed to accomplish  But admits the piles of paper, the inbox filled with emails that need responding, and the countless number of meetings I know that there is still something to be grateful for.  Even if it is only one thing there is something that has filled my heart with happiness.  

Before heading off to bed I pause in front of my happiness jar and pull out one slip of paper. I take the time to reflect on my day and think about what moment I want to write down.  There was the text from a friend that arrived right when I needed it most.  There was the way he smiled when I tucked him in before I headed out the door.  The light of my salt lamp on my desk filing my heart with peace and calm.  The warmth of my heated seat on the cold morning drive.  The way the printer cooperated and did not jam as I was running to get something printed moments before the meeting.

What may have felt like an exhausting day was filled with ordinary moments of goodness.  It is these slivers of time that make up my days and if I do not slow down to appreciate them they will simply slip away.  

Moments of happiness do not need to be grand and extravagant.  It can be as simple as a smile from a stranger.  A warm bed in the morning.  A chance to begin again.  

Take the time seek out the happiness.  Cherish every bit of it and the love the heck out of your life.  For each moment is a new beginning.  An opportunity to choose the light over the darkness.  What moment made you happy today?