Hope

Hope lives inside of me. I get up each day looking toward new possibilities. Not to be ‘be good’ or ‘do better’ but to surrender to the amazing person I am and what I might create with a deep appreciation of all that is abundant in me. I take small movements toward my dreams and with each little step find open doors and opportunities. I believe in the power of perspective and positive outlook. I choose to live into today with hope in my heart.

Images courtesy of www.thequotepedia.com and vi.sualize.us. 

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Confidence Building – Gratitude

 

I’ve decided to make November ‘Confidence Building’ month. I posted over at my Leading with Intention blog how I’ve been challenged recently with Sustaining Confidence. To support myself – and maybe you, too – I’m going to declare a word and mantra each day to move me toward greater integrity with myself and my Guiding Principles.

courtesy of http://www.positiveparentingconnection.net

I am grateful for all the blessings in my life, among them my family, my friends, my home, and my work. Today I appreciate who I am and what I can do with the body, mind and spirit that I am. By practicing gratitude, I am shifting my energy to bring what I want into my life.

Stories touch common humanness

This weekend I once again pulled from my bookshelf Rachel Naomi Remen’s Kitchen Table Wisdom. Rachel describes stories as a way that wisdom gets passed along. She notes that stories take time. Everyone’s story matters. Hidden in all stories is One story – of common humanness. Discovery of one’s story comes from experiencing life. Stories reflect our truth, with all of its subjectivity and unique meaning. There is an ease and contentment possible when we experience the richness of life and share our inner experiences of life with others. That’s a delicious invitation to open the pages to the first story in the book tomorrow.

 

As I read her introduction to the book, for at least the third time, I realized that I have a much clearer sense of my story than when I read the book before. I guess to her that would be no surprise…

 

Life stopped me and gave me a seat at the kitchen table two years ago when I was diagnosed with breast cancer (for some of my stories about that, visit Mostly My Heart Sings). It was then I was invited to pay more attention to my life, to appreciate the fullness and richness that life has to offer, and to experience my life even more fully.

 

I’m grateful to have Rachel’s stories, and her wisdom and inspiration, and I look forward to the light her stories will provide in the months ahead (I typically read one of the collection of short stories at a time, often in the morning as a heart-full way to start my day). I know I will find new and deeper meaning in her wisdom and sharing.