Just Keep Working - You Can Turn It All Around

If life is what we make it then our joyfulness depends on the amount of effort we put into it. There is nothing more tiring than life itself, being beaten down every day by stress, worry and self doubt can be exhausting. Life will never be any different though; I mean your circumstances may change but there will always be stress and negativity and hardships somewhere in your life. It's just not possible to live a life of complete happiness because happiness can not exist without its opposite, sadness, to define it. We cannot be happy without being sad, just as we cannot have the good days without he bad days. If every day was perfect then it would cease to be perfect and it would just become routine and regular. That excitement and joy that comes with the good days, with the hard earned achievements, exists because we have felt the lows of the bad days. Without those lows we wouldn't have any highs.

So if life is always full of ups and downs the best way to stay on top is to push ahead always looking up. Never give up, the only way to lose at all of this is to give up and cut yourself out of a race in which everyone has the chance to win. Keep yourself busy, the more active you are, whether in mind or body, the better you are going to feel. A lot of times depression tends to sneak in when we aren't paying any attention and we allow ourselves to just take advantage of the down time and do nothing. Don't get me wrong, vegging out and just relaxing sometimes is exactly what we need, but we can't let ourselves fall into that pattern. Which is not very easy to do. I've fallen many times. When we allow our minds to slack off it makes it easy for those thoughts to creep in. It's always a good idea to start getting active when you can feel the black wave looming overhead. Start small by starting back up the things that bring you joy and make you happy. Grab a new book, a blank journal, a coloring book, an easel and paint - anything. Just express yourself and be creative. Go join a book club or explore that city park down the block. Go to the zoo one afternoon and walk around or go in search of a new restaurant you've never been to. Make life exciting, make some adventures. In fact, don't ever stop making adventures. We only live once after all, right? One chance at this thing called life. 

Finding projects and getting involved in the things that bring you joy helps keep you going when the sun gets blocked out by storm clouds. They not only give you the joy that powers you through life but also that sense of accomplishment. Like you contributed in a positive way to the world around you. Not just something you did at work, even though that too may be positive, but something for you. By you. We all have our own talents, hobbies, obsessions, ideas, creativity and on and on. With all of us being different in our own unique ways it's easy to see how there could literally be millions of ways to finding what brings you joy. The key is to never give up. Never stop challenging yourself. When I first moved to Los Angeles about five years ago I was an RN at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. It was a great job and I learned a lot, but on top of working full time nights I applied for and got a fellowship to conduct research in my unit of the hospital and then present my findings to hospital leadership with recommendations and policy guidelines. It was a lot, but it was a blast and I loved every second. Do you know what prompted me to even respond to that initial inquiry email regarding the application process? My first thought after reading it was that I wouldn't ever be able to do it. Then I stopped myself. I was going to do it. And I did. Last month the hospice that I consult for as Designee Director of Nursing closed which meant I lost some income. Today one of my friends messaged me and asked if I wanted to pick up a couple patients on the weekend once a month up in Palmdale for a little bit of money. My first thought - hell no. I'd be too tired, it's too far, it's too much work, blah blah blah. I stopped myself right there and texted her that instant that I would be able to do some visits for her hospice. It would bring me some of that lost income back and it would make me feel more like a real nurse again. And I will have proven to myself once more that I am capable of great things if I just let myself try.
With the craziness of life that constantly swarms around us it is our responsibility to turn things around when they get too gritty to bear. Take that extra challenge, push yourself to your limits and see what you are capable of. Your dreams are the only things that are the limit, anything is possible if you decide you want to do something. The quote above is one I found the other day while I was walking in Studio City along the LA River. There are three parts to the quote: 1 - Another downpour or hard times are here, 2 - tiny drops of water fall and collect over time, building up from individual droplets and giving it 3 - the power over time to build into the mighty force of a river. Do you know what formed the most-awesome and awe-inspiring Grand Canyon? The Colorado River. It's a nice little reminder that those hard times give us back the power to eventually carve our own existence, our own way out of the darkness and back into the light. Don't ever forget that even in the darkest night the answer is only one decision away. You can turn anything around - just never quit working, or hoping or trying. 

The Curving Archways Towering Overhead

Besides walking through doors and grabbing at opportunity, we pass under a countless number of arches in our lifetimes. By hard work and dedication you can influence where your pathway leads and through which archways you pass through. We will always pass underneath those curved and vaulted ceilings, it is just a part of life. We can't always bask in the warm glow of the sun. Then again they can protect us from the wintery cold, and after too long in the heat everyone needs a break. The shade they provide can give us a respite and chance to heal and reflect or it can be a place of dark depression and isolation. It is up to us whether we are joyful or not. 

The difference between a door and an archway is the amount of resistance we get back. A door can be closed, whether locked or open. Running into that door can slow you down a lot. Even the doors that are open to us aren't always open all the way, it takes some effort on our part as well. This slows us down and takes time. With an archway there is no resistance, just an opening to be thrown or swept through. 

Many times we end up stumbling or falling through without even realizing we are passing underneath anything at all. Think of those stone archways you've seen, they are everywhere. There are the famous ones like the one in Paris and there are the normal ones that seem to blend in with everyday life. Archways are everywhere, even in nature. Maybe it's the strength of it's shape or the way it seems to grow organically as two living things become one. Nature tends to make it's own archways in it's journey of growth. Natural arches are my favorite, they are so beautiful because they are so thriving, organic and living. Nature can seem to come together to form tunnels as well. What is a tunnel if not an arch extending onward? If you have ever been in a tunnel, whether a small one made by someone you know or a huge one excavated and outfitted for the public's interaction and pleasure by the parks department, think about the ceiling of the tunnel. Nine times out of ten it is curved, just like the top of an arch. The strength of the arch is repeatedly used throughout history and still continues to be used today. I love campuses and college universities; I graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Tennessee. There are stone arches everywhere, ranging in size from the outdoor passageway between two of the buildings on the hill to the arches repeated infinitely together around the football stadium, both at ground level and on top overlooking and towering over the university down below. Arches are, for some reason, pleasing to the eye and the heart as it both relaxes us and puts as more at peace. Often, as nature slowly but surely grows, natural arches are formed and then strengthened. Nature utilizes the shape of the arch to it's advantage, we should at least be doing that. Take a look at the world around you, really stop and look for just a minute or two. See the hidden arches around you, even the ones that only you see. When you walk through an arch think about how strong it is, how natural and affirming it can be no matter what it is made of. Take some of that strength for yourself, draw upon the healing powers of the natural and organic world around you. Arches are strong because they can also provide shelter. Their roots hold them strong and the columns of the bases kiss each other high above their origin as two things grow upwards and forwards together. 

When two people face each other and extend their arms to make an arch it forces each of them to stand up straight and lift up their shoulders slightly. Your arms have to go up and forward. Look at a friendship between two people. In order to form a strong arch together that helps both of you by making each stronger, you have to raise yourself up. That's the only way you can have that strength. Friendships that just keep you going or those that you don't really care too much about are never going to come together to form archways. Friendships that bring you down, tear at who you are and cast your gaze away, are the ones that will never form archways. They will never be strong. Why would you waste your time with something that not only hurts you but will continue to do so as the world turns and you grow on?A good friendship between two people, two columns, is made stronger when both reach out to one another as they both grow up and onward through time. Two arms on each side extended towards each other, lifted up and curved so as to fit together enough to be able to lean on the other completely. 

Examine your relationships and your views and stances. What do you see? Can you even see what's there? That's the first goal. Once you see what is right in front of you, you can make a choice to either do something about it or just sit back and let it happen. Are your friends or loved ones toxic for you? Do they make you a stronger person or do they drag you down time and time again? Those are the ones we want to get rid of, or at least step away from. And we can tell them why if they ask, I've been in this spot a few times and in the end the honesty was what held everything together. You have to protect yourself and look out for where you are going, yes we can help others but if we do not help ourselves we are of no value to anyone at all. The next time you go for a walk or the next time you are driving to work glance around you every now and then and see if you see any arches around you. Whether in the building or on the billboard or in the design of the car, see what you can find. Do you see arches in the world around you? Where? What are they? Can't find any? Take a deep breath, relax and let loose your mind. Take five minutes in the car or on your daily walk and don't think about anything else except what you are hearing and seeing around you. Most of us have to force ourselves to take a hard look because we are too stubborn and too busy to admit it on our own. Don't let yourself get so caught up; free your heart and mind. Try it today, take a look. While you're at it think about this, if a tunnel is nothing more than an archway extending into the distance then when we hit a roadblock do you think that the strongest arches we have will push us through instead of around our problems in life as they guide us forward in order to create a tunnel for us to pass through?

Springtime, Making Room For Fresh Growth

It's that time of year again, spring is here. It seems as if spring ended only a few weeks ago. Time flies as life goes on, I always heard but never believed that. Until I grew up. But it is now time to brush off the cobwebs, stand up, stretch your muscles and get back to life. As time changes it pushes us into longer days and warmer nights. Buds start to appear on the trees and slowly grow until flowering open a few weeks later. The street is lined with tall pines and eucalyptus trees and so many more types that I can't even name that over the last few weeks I've gotten to watch the trees come back to life and flower right before my very eyes. The sea of green is littered with flowers of every color, all gently waving in the wind. It's always so amazing to watch what seems like a dead tree slowly bring itself back to life and fill out with color.

It's the perfect time to evaluate yourself and where you're at and what you're doing. It must be something in the air, in the warm afternoon breeze that feels so good. The fresh smell lingering in the air is so refreshing. Everyone does spring cleaning of their closets and clothing, but what about our lives? Isn't that more important anyway? All of us have our dark corners filled with secrets, pain and memories. Everyone carries anxiety, doubt and fear with them, slowly letting it build up and shade your view of the world around you today. There is no need to carry all of that excess baggage with you through life. Those things that have hurt you in the past can now only hurt you if you give them permission. Clean out your closets and make room for something else. The more you allow to build up the more you weigh yourself down with unnecessary stress and worry. Don't let yourself be weighed down with this burden. You don't have to open up to someone else, but you have to at least be honest with yourself. We all owe that to ourselves.
I love springtime because everywhere you look it's like the whole world is fresh and clean. Like a breath of fresh air after the stale winter air you learn to grow accustomed to. Of course we aren't the only ones who get going when the warm weather moves in. The animal world starts to buzz and swarm, coming to life all around us. Whether it's the squirrels playing around the trees or the return of the opossum who used to visit every night we can find comfort in the living and thriving world around us. Nature is harsh and cruel and if the tiny clovers in the field next to the dam and the sprouting palm trees in the cracks of the sidewalk can thrive through such dangerous obstacles then we should be able to weather anything. After all, most of us have food to eat and somewhere to sleep, and if you're reading this then some electronic device of some kind. We are so lucky. There are so many people in the world who have no idea what a cell phone is or how one works. Remembering that, we can be grateful for the things we enjoy each and every day. It reminds me of the beetle I saw the other day when we were hiking. The sun was bright and warm and the ground held the heat well. In the path the beetle was digging away trying to either find something or make himself a nest. For a minute or two I just stood there and watched it, going at it like no one else was there. He was so determined, so driven. There was one task he had to do and he was doing just that. I almost envied him, the dedication to keep going through the heat and being tired. He was in danger though, as everything is in nature; except that his world was full of much more death and ways to accomplish such. He was working so hard like that because he knows that at any moment a bird can land right next to him, a dog run by and catch a glance, a rock might crumble and fall as it's crossing the dam or someone walking by could accidentally step on it without even knowing it were there. How depressing. But then again isn't the same true for us? There are an infinite number of things out there that can harm and kill us, we are pretty much always vulnerable to something. That's life. That's the world we live in. But to see it on such a scale made me pause. Looking down I saw how small that little beetle was; I saw how small his problem was compared to the expanse of trees and bushes in every direction. To him it looked so urgent, so consuming. In reality the world lived on a much grander scale. Looking down I felt like that little bug was all these things I've been stressing about and worrying over. I haven't been able to see the forest through the trees as it were. Letting go of all these little things that I have no control over and aren't worth my time anyway is the one thing that will free me enough to see the bigger picture and realize I am a lot more joyful than I first thought. After stopping my partner from stepping on it I headed out with him down the path, leaving my little friend to his worries and letting him slip from my mind. If only I could do that with everything else on my mind. That's the point though, to try and do just that. 

The other day my partner decided to take little Miss Stormborn on a walk just as I was leaving for work. I decided to take a few minutes and go with them. What better way to start off the day? Turning one of the corners he stopped and bent over to pick something up off the sidewalk. He showed me four of the smallest little flowers that had all fallen from the tree overhead. They were so small and delicate but also beautiful and wonderous. What's more, there were hundreds of them all over the sidewalk. As I was sitting in my truck getting ready to head out he leaned in the open window and placed the four of them on the dashboard for my drive. It made me grin so big. Driving to work, every time I looked down, I couldn't help but smile again. It served as a good reminder to me to not take things too seriously and to stop and take the time to not just smell but see the flowers. Something much easier said than done. Something I still need to be constantly reminded of. It worked, he made me smile and helped me start my day with hope and love and laughter instead of anxiety, dread or fear. The world is growing around us and we can build off of its growth ourselves if we take the time to just look. Growing means changing and changing means learning new ways to look at the world. Look at the world you have built around you. Do you like what you see? Are you thriving in your environment? Are you taking advantage of every opportunity available to you? Or do we all just kick it like a bug in a dirt pile and get so lost in the stress we create for ouselves that we lose sight of what's really real and beautiful, love and hope and courage and strength? Don't give up, keep going and pursue the path of joy. Well it's really more just the path in life that you choose lined with joy instead of hate. More than control over your life, you have control over yourself. So do something. Spring is here and the sun is shining. Time to grow. 

Seeing The Joy Through The Mud

This week I haven't really written as much; as I have mentioned before there is a lot going on at work - a lot more than normal. My partner is out of town; it's just me and little Miss Stormborn. There's the harassment investigation that it still out at work, it's been over two weeks now. A slow tedious two weeks it has been. I just want it all to be over with so that I can move on and just forget about it. I've learned what I needed to and now I can move on. Part of being joyful is being able to let go of the negative influences in our lives. It has been extremely hard this week and I have spent most of the week pulled down as if through mud, getting even more slippery as time goes by. I felt stuck to the ground and I didn't even want to try to get up again. I just wanted to lie there, too tired to care. No matter how hard I tried or attempting forcing my thoughts on happy things I couldn't shake it. I wasn't eating hardly anything at all. I only got a few hours of sleep each night, and that sleep was riddled with nightmares and dark ominous thoughts. I had bags under my eyes and people around me could tell there was something going on. Of course I always said that I was fine, nothing was happening, but in reality I felt like I had gone back to being eighteen when I was first diagnosed with bi-polar and when all hell broke loose in every single aspect of my life. That was the feeling I hated the most, like I was having to relive the most horrific times of my life and that they could be returning. I don't know how, it has taken all week, but I am much closer to being able to push forward than I have been. Not having someone here to help me, listen to me, keep me on track, tell me what to do, hold my hand, do certain things for me and on and on, it was really hard on me. I started to finally realize just how hard my partner's life really is. He has given up so much for me and sacrificed even more, but he tells me every day that he doesn't care because he loves me. He does so much for me and takes care of me in every way. Without him I would be stuck back where I was before, not able to understand or do anything in life. I would like to think that I could survive without him, I mean I am sure I could learn how to cope somehow if I must, but I know that I wouldn't be able to function. People like me need people like him. We finish each other's thoughts and sentences for a reason, we lean on one another enough to make us actually one person. I do feel guilty most of the time, but I also know that because of all he does and keeps doing I am able to do the things I am able to. I can be stable, I can hold down a job, I can pay the bills, I can make phone calls, I can go shopping, I can get groceries, I can cook, I can even clean up the apartment. All of that because he knows how to help me be me when I don't know and can't see how. With him being gone this week it has really opened my eyes. I have been so down and dragging and missed him so much, but what I seemed to forget was that love is not bound by time or space. The amount that he loves me here is the same that he loves me when he's standing in New York and I in Paris. That love has to be held on to and cherished. All kinds of love, this just happens to be the guiding love and stabling element of my life. I have been carrying my stone heart and wearing the infinity and friendship bracelets all week long, never taking them off and putting it down only to shower. It helped me a lot today actually. The point is I let go of the one thing that keeps me strong. He can't help me from afar if I am not willing and able to receive his guidance. It is hard on my own, most of the time I feel incapable, but all it takes is a reach out and he will be there to grab my hand. Treasure those who love you, who save you and who carry you. Without their love we would be nowhere. All we have is each other in this life and on this earth. Make the best of it, get all the joy that you possibly can out of it. Be thankful for the people who come along for the journey and be happy for the ones who tested you and gave you the opportunity to grow. We wouldn't be who we are today without the interactions with others that we have had in our past. Become a positive force and cause your interactions to result in positive growth and change. That part of life is under our control.
This week I was reminded about the harshness of life. I was challenged and tested and did only so-so.   Have I learned anything? Yes, one more step than I knew last time. I may not know my way yet but as I go I will pave it step by step with the confidence, love and joy that are in my heart. Thank you to my loving partner who has given up so much to help me lead a better life. Thank you to all the loving people out there who make sacrifices everyday for those you love, especially those suffering from a mental illness. It can be a terrifyingly hard thing to cope with, but with love and support anything can be overcome. When times get down, which they will, focus on the good, keep on pushing and look to those around you that love you and who will lift you up instead of tear you down. What keeps you going and how? Tell them how much you appreciate them. Like me, with out infinity bracelets and me just loving the idea and concept of it, the infinity sign has become a little representation of our love. When I see it in nature I stop, laugh and smile because I am reminded of the universality of the symbol of never-endedness. I started telling him that I loved him infinity, but that didn't roll off the tongue quite right. What did I do? "I love you to infinity & beyond!" Be silly, be goofy, have fun and focus on the joyful part of life. Be strong.

Love is Special, All Kinds of Love - PART II

The other day I reflected on love and the power it has to drive and motivate us. It is all around us and embedded in every action and intention. Love takes varying forms, shapes and sizes but always has one thing in common - when you love someone you think about them and their needs before your own. Love for your best friend won't be the same as the love for your husband, but they are both evolving and organic forms of love and compassion. When we interact with others we have the opportunity to pass that love along and spread joy through a chain reaction started by one simple act. The chain reactions we cause are infinite, but it is up to us whether we cause a positive or negative reaction. Whether they help or harm the world around us. Most of the time not acting causes just as much of a reaction. Just another reason to make a decision now, because in the end it won't be up to you. 
When you think of all the interactions you have throughout the day it becomes overwhelming. So many changes in the world, however minute. We find joy through the positive interactions. This means that other people can influence whether or not we are placed in joyful or potentially disheartening situations. As well though we must face responsibility. We are in control of most of our lives and decisions which means that with practice we should be able to make at least most of our lives joyful. By practicing small routines or carrying little tokens we can remind ourselves of the things that give us joy so that when we are faced with another decision there will be that positive energy behind you. What's even better than creating a life of joy for yourself is to be with someone who helps keep you up as well as encourages you to focus on the things you hold dear. That is where all those different forms of love come into play. The bonds that tie us together in order to lift us up. When we find these we must hold on to them for dear life because they are the bonds that keep us floating in deep waters. 
A token can be anything that brings a joyful memory back, anything that represents love. These tokens can be much stronger than you think and give a lot more strength than you can imagine to the carrier. When I first met my partner I was with someone else and slowly but suddenly fell for him and wanted nothing more than to be whisked away by a real life prince. He slowed things down though. First we were friends, then when it happened a few months later it was something more. After that I left my ex and we started our real relationship. For a long while he wasn't even my boyfriend, not until he felt like it was the right time. Eventually we became partners and hopefully someday soon I will get the pleasure of calling him my husband. At the time it drove me crazy how slow he wanted to go but in the end I now thank  him for making it meaningful, special and lasting. By building our friendship first we built the foundation that has kept us not only together but strong together. That gift is invaluable. Anyway, I remember the first night we met and the feelings I had when he left to go home. I remember the next  night too, because we had to see each other again the very next day. After he came to pick me up and we went out to his car he gave me this little silver box. He told me that when he met me yesterday it reminded him of me. It's a beautiful metal box that will last forever, well almost. Better than being a gift from someone I already knew I liked, I love small boxes and things like that to store things in. Silly, but it's me. I of course still have it next to the bed and keep only the most special of things in it. Every time I look at it or open it up I think of him and I remember that feeling sitting in the car when he first gave it to me. After a few weeks he gave me a sterling silver two piece puzzle ring that read "Only Love You" on the outside and when you lifted it apart, "Stay With Me" on the inside. It was also a pinky ring, we each had one on our pinky. It was a pinky ring for a pinky promise he told me. You better bet I still have that ring in a very safe place, I'm pretty sure the silver box. But things like that are the things that really have meaning and can help us stay strong and courageous through times of darkness. 
At the Natural History Museum last night I found a blue woven friendship bracelet that was misplaced. I looked through the whole store trying to find another so I could get two. I never found another and forgot about it after a few minutes. I did sneak and buy two little stone hearts and two color banded bracelets, each with a metal infinity sign. Small, not so expensive, gifts that once given increase their value exponentially. Today, away on his trip, he took the blue heart, blue is my favorite color, and his green infinity band. I wore my blue infinity band and carried my little red stone heart today. It's been nice to have something small and smooth to play with in my hand when I get nervous or anxious. My infinity bracelet never comes off, just as infinity never ends. When we got back into the car to drive home after the museum last night he handed me the map and brochures after we got into the truck. I was about to toss them in the back when he told me to stop, that it was for me. Slowly I opened the booklet and out fell the blue friendship band. On the card it said that this lucky bracelet must have a wished placed upon it as the giver ties it to their friends wrist. As time passes and the bracelet wears, it will fall off and according to legend that wish made will come true. After we got home he tied it on my wrist, and it isn't coming off as to keep true to the tradition of the friendship bracelet. I won't say what I wished, but it was something big and important to me. That's why this bracelet means so much to me. It's why I keep it on and why it gives me strength and joy. Little things can mean a lot, big things can mean a lot. Obviously the meaning comes from the significance it has to you. Don't be afraid to feel, we are humans and we were made with human logic and human emotion. Keep tokens you encounter in life, find some and make them tokens. Give something value and meaning so that it may return the favor to you. Love comes in all shapes and forms as does hope and inspiration. If you feel hopeless then look at the love and loved ones around you and draw from them. If you are blinded by situation and feel lost, look inward and make your own tokens from which to draw strength. You have the power and tools and potential inside yourself, all you have to do is draw on it in your time of need. I challenge you, take some time and find a new small token to carry that will help inspire you and encourage you to do the right thing. You can pick anything, it's all up to you. It's all about you. 

Love is Special, All Kinds of Love 😘 - PART I

PART I:

Love is key, love is life, love is joy. How better a way to go through life than filled with joy, love and hope. It is like a continuous cycle, each one recycling itself into the other for a never ending cascade of happiness. Love is what drives us and what keeps us going. It is the food for our soul and the source of our joy. That joy that we cling to so hard comes out of the love that we have for something or someone, from a partner or husband to a teacher or best friend. The Greek's had it right when they classified love into three words instead of only one single expression. To love is to live as breathing is to life. Everything we do is an expression of one form of love or another and the building bricks of love pile up to create a life of joy for us. 

Do you ever tell anyone that you love them? Lover or partner? Mom or dad? Friends or relatives? Your dog or your cat? There is someone in each of our lives that we love and to whom we can say that we love them, even if it is only ourselves. If you don't think there's anyone in your life that you love take a step back and really look at things. I think the best definition of love is the simplest, love is quite plainly the act of putting someone's needs before your own. In the case of looking within at ourselves it's important to remember that loving ourselves means accepting every part of ourselves and making sure we live up to own potential. I put my partners needs before mine daily without even thinking about it, it's become an automatic habit. I put my mom first when I call and talk to her on the phone for an hour and half listening and catching up. I put my dad before myself every time I buy and send him the last book I read that I know he will love or pick up a Blu-Ray or magazine I know he would like. I put my brother and his family, including my adorable little nephew Daniel, first by celebrating every holiday big and small with fun silly gifts and keeping in touch with him by texting at least every other day. I put the girls at work first whenever I plan my day around visiting them or when I bring them treats or candy or little silly gifts to make them smile and laugh. I put my administrators at work first when I do a few extra things in my spare time to help out. I put my little Miss Stormborn first when I wake up extra early to take her for a long walk before work or when I decide to go to that other park I like because it's the one she can go to with me. None of these things are particularly big or major, but they all create lasting   impressions on both the individual and the person they care about. The simplist things can turn someone else's day around. Think about that time when you were having a bad day and some random stranger did one tiny act of kindness, changing your whole day. All it takes is a poke and push in the right direction. All of those acts of kindness represent different forms of love. Love is infinite, but we can measure it by examining our own actions and the actions of others. When I am taking little Dany for a walk or when I am bringing home flowers and dinner to my partner I am showing love. Their needs are more important to me than my own problems. That's selflessness. The way that you love your mom and dad isn't the same way that you love your co-workers. Different people mean different relationships and varying degrees of commitment and love. The point is, however small or inconsequential, love is powerful and infectious. We have the ability to change someone's day for the better or for the worse, leading to any number of rippling affects in their lives. We are made up of memories and emotions regarding the people and world around us. By simply running into someone you have the chance to change the course of their day. 

The love you have for the random strangers living in the world around you is just as strong as the love for the closest thing to your heart. The only difference is that they are just that, different. Different expressions to a different degree of involvement. If we can say that we hate pickled pigs feet enough to never entertain the notion of eating one and that we hate our ex-boyfriend who cheated and stole five funded dollars then why can't we say I love you to the woman at 7/11 who holds open the door for us as well as our friends at work? I do understand that saying I love you is sometimes awkward and uncomfortable, especially for those people that are shy. It starts with seeing and then recognizing the feelings in you when they are happening. When we can see how we affect the world around us we gain the ability to exercise some semblance of control over our influence on people and events. If we are going to affect someone even unknowingly wouldn't it be better to at least know how you're affecting things? Every day we all have varying degrees of good news and bad news, besides lifting ourselves up, simple and small gestures of kindness from anyone can potentially help carry us through the turbulence we never even saw coming. 

So, examine your life, look at the things you did today in public, at the market, in line at the store, at work, in the truck and wherever else you just acted without thinking. Tomorrow try to recognize and think about the people you see and the things happening all around you. Look at your relationships and the people you interact with. Do you treat them like you love them? If you don't, then why shouldn't you? Treat others how you want to be treated. Laugh, but this is one of the few things in life that are sure as stone. Through time and experience we all learn just how true it really is. What's wrong with treating everyone with kindness, another word for an expression of love? Nothing at all. That is what opens the floodgates to joy, fulfillment and happiness. This is something you have control over, you just have to see it and take ahold for dear life. When you talk to someone on the phone or send an email look at your wording or think about the tone of your voice. Could you be a little nicer? If you added a "Hi, how are you?" or "How's your day going?" would it make things smoother and easier while making both of you feel better? The little things are the things that count. Stop and think about it. Love is powerful and it has a million faces in an infinite amount of forms, don't ignore the easiest way to find joy - spreading it to others. 

New Tee & Promo!

Check out the new "Joy" themed tee available now. I love the "Joy" logo, so simple and yet startlingly honest. Hope everyone likes. 

The new promos are out now too! I love them! Save and share and spread the joy. Once we've tapped into our own fountain of joy, spreading it to those around us becomes part of the awakening and an honorary duty so sacred because it brings joy right back to you instantly!