on SATURDAY IN THE CITY

On Saturday, I met up with Twin. We popped into Doughnut Plant for their deliciousness, then headed to Union Square for a great big adoption event.. and realized we were a day early. But there were still kittens to visit and squeal over. Twin loves kittens the way I love dogs.

We wandered around Chelsea and stumbled onto a street fair full of handmade goodies, baby clothing, and snacks. We drank water by the gallon, as it was the hottest of hots in our little city.

Later, I met up with a pal whom I've not seen in two years, and his incredibly handsome furchild. Murphy is the most well behaved dog I've ever met, and that's saying a lot. The friend, a former fling, regaled me with his wisdom, advice, and adventures. This little visit is about to get it's own post so hold tight.

Then I snaked my way across the park, and had a lovely epiphany on the walk home, before settling into a seat outside of Lincoln Center with a good book and an iced tea. It was the very most New Yorkish day.

ON love soundbites

Listening to them talk, I couldn't help but compare. Successful business, blossoming careers, amazing homes, celebrities for friends, elegant parties, solid relationships. I didn't realize it then, but my brain was storing these things away. By the time we got home, I was spinning in my mind.

"It just makes me feel like.. what am I doing with my life, you know? But at the same time, if I look at me from an outside point of view, I just up and moved across the country, am following my dreams, have been pretty successful, am already doing volunteer work here, having a life.."

"Exactly! That's how you should think. Don't get caught up in all that."

And this morning, a different conversation, a different person, reminded me of a powerful truth:

"Don't waste your time comparing. Things are not always what they seem or how they sound. Think about how long it took us to get where we are."

And these words settled into the space that had been created by fear, filling it back up with Love - for the words, the reminder, and the people who care enough to call me out, shake me out of my uncertainties, remind me of my journey.
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We were getting into the class, past the warm up but not yet into the thick of it, the bikes churning along, the sweat starting to drip off of our bodies, and she started to speak.

"Your health and your happiness are within you. Let me say it again: your health and your happiness are within you. No one else. Take care of these things, take responsibility for them."

And these words slammed into the space that had been created by blame, filling it back up with Love - for the strangers who affect us so much and will never know, for the rush of the moment, for the power that comes with owning this responsibility.
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They were up on the stage, the people who had just been sitting next to me, one of them the friend who had brought me, and they were addressing the hundreds sitting in the audience. Each spoke briefly, one of them saying words her father had told her as a child:

"Be still, Behold, and Be True."

And these words danced into the space that had been created by all of the distractions I create for myself, filling it back up with Love - for the comfort of this simple thought, for the settling back into my roots, for the people who have done all of this before me and their bravery to share their stories so I'm brave enough to face mine.

Keep going, friends. xo

On Words For Your Soul

I find that if I'm paying attention, the words I need come find me. Here are three sections of articles that have affected me lately. Let me know what's affecting you lately, yes? Yes. xo

"Want to inspire lasting change? Don’t tell somehow how you want them to change. Don’t nag them to do things a certain way. Instead, be the example and show them there’s a better way. Set a stage such that they get to experience what’s possible."

- From Amber Rae's latest How To Inspire Lasting Change - well worth reading the whole thing.

"I didn’t realize this until recently, but the most destructive thing smart people do is spend their lives waiting. Even people with lofty dreams and aspirations get distracted by the inertia of ordinary events and subconsciously store their goals in the waiting place."

- From Dustin Curtis' The Waiting Place - again, totally worth reading the whole thing. Then go seek out his post called The Fight.

"When you feel like life is wrapping its fingers around your spirit, clenching its fists around you energetically, placing its strong hands on top of your head in an attempt to say, "stop. growing." push back. It's a test. When you wonder if you're invisible, or perhaps no one will love you or see you, or that you may have to compromise your spirit because, "that's just life".... remember that the ground beneath you will always support you, that the heart that's beating inside of your chest is always your steady companion and that your life is YOURS, that you decide your shine, the only person who can switch on/off INNER LIGHT, is you. These are the ways you can love yourself. Light, on."

- From Chelsea Talks Smack's These Are The Ways You Can Love Yourself - for goodness sake please read this whole thing. I can't tell you the agonizing I did over choosing what section to quote here because all of it sits so dearly in my heart.

SoulFULL: Listen

-- Hafiz

SoulFULL: It Will Set You Free

Some of the words that have been inspiring me lately:

found

found

found

found

found

what's inspiring you?

xx