Monthly Archives: February 2010

The Community Speaks: Your Answers to ‘If You Could Know the Date of Your Death, Would You Want to Know?’

Earlier this week in response to Today's Brilliance by Michael Bungay Stanier, I asked our InspireMeToday.com family the question, "If you could know the date of your death, would you want to know?" The reactions were very interesting. Almost 2/3rds of those who commented on the main blog and on Twitter said "NO", about 5% said maybe, and the remaining 1/3  responded with "YES". The average age of those who responded with "No" was more than 10 years younger than those who responded with "Yes".  Perhaps as we age the date or our demise would be easier or more advantageous…

Read more

My Top Ten Ways to Find Your Magnificence During Tough Times

Times are tough. We hear it all around us everyday... another business going under, another bankruptcy being filed, another job being lost, another home going into foreclosure, or another pension disappearing into dust. Worry takes a toll as stress builds, creativity suffers, health is compromised and relationships are threatened. To keep with my transparent blogging style, I want to share this with you that this is one of the most difficult financial times of my life. I have always been an independent businesswoman and my background is in real estate, so all of my assets were in what I thought…

Read more

If You Could Know The Date of Your Death, Would You Want To Know?

When I first read Michael Bungay Stanier's Today's Brilliance, I was surprised to see the date of his death included. "September 15, 2043 is the big date", according to Michael and his statistical analysis, predicting the exact date of his death. Seeing it in writing stopped me in my tracks. If we could know the exact day of our demise... would you want to know? While it might be great for financial planning, how would knowing the date affect the quality of the days we have here to LIVE? I have friends that have gone to Nadi astrological readers in…

Read more

Reconnect to Who You Are

I woke this morning to the chirping of a bird. Not just any chirping, but a vast array of sounds from one little bird. He sang ten different songs and then started his repertoire all over again. It was as if he were inviting me to get up and come outside to play with him. I tried to bury my head under the pillow and go back to sleep, but he was insistent that it was time to rise and shine. This noisy little bird was a reminder of my connection to Nature. And sometimes with me it has to…

Read more

How to have fun with cancer: 5 basic steps to joy

Immerse yourself in the terror and fear of that horrible "C" word that was just thrown at you. If you're not there yet, just let the doctors tell you about the treatments and statistics and you'll be there in an instant. Trust me. Cry from all the pain, sorrow, and yes - more fear, until you're pretty sure that no store will be able to keep up with your demand for tissues. Be furious over this injustice - after all, you don't deserve this, you're a good person, and you try to live as healthily as possible. Laugh at yourself…

Read more

You’re Invited to Embrace Crazy With Me

Today I want to talk with you about something crazy- your ideas. Everyone has had a crazy idea at some point in their life. Perhaps it's the urge to start a new business, move to a different location or to do something outrageous to make a difference in your world. But very few people actually 'Embrace Crazy' and take the first step to implement their crazy idea into their lives. (Embrace Crazy is the name of my new book.) In order to understand what I'm talking about, I want to first define what I mean by the word "crazy". I'm…

Read more

The Heart Is The Home of Wonder

By Edie Weinstein Breathe in the warmth of this place, allowing yourself to feel a sense of welcome It is your own love, your own beauty that beckons you inside How long has it been, since you have crossed this threshold? The door has always been open, the invitation always extended Will you accept it now? Through the windows streams sunlight, casting rainbow designs on the walls As prism glass reflects the scattered sparkling illumination The floor beneath your feet is soft Caressing your skin as you tap your bare toes on its surface Daring to dance upon it to…

Read more

Happy Valentine’s Day: Give the Gift of Love and Life!

Happy Valentine's Day to our global community! For more than 1500 years, we've been celebrating Valentine's Day in one way or another. Since the middle ages, it's commonly been a holiday celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. According to History.com, one legend contends that Saint Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform…

Read more

Catch Someone Doing Something RIGHT!

Last evening as I watched the Opening Ceremonies for the Winter Olympics, K.D. Lang performed an amazing rendition of Leonard Cohen's song, Hallelujah. I was reminded of the last time I was in Canada, for Engage Today, last September. I was given a VIP ticket to a Bryan Adams and K.D. Lang concert that night, but due to a scheduling conflict, I was unable to attend. Between three friends and I, we had four VIP tickets and we couldn't attend the concert. It was just hours before the show. As we were sitting in a restaurant on the streets of…

Read more

Healthy People, Healthy Planet: It All Starts With Our Food

This past week I had the opportunity to visit La Cocina Que Canta-The Kitchen That Sings- the cooking school at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, located just a few miles away from the ranch. The farm is nestled in the flat lands at the base of a mountain in the most picture-perfect setting. The rustic, red brick Mexican style architecture set against the backdrop of lush gardens and cascading flowers is simply stunning. Most impressive were the organic gardens, in bloom with broccoli, baby lettuces, cabbage, radishes, onions, a large variety of herbs and many other vegetables. Our group of…

Read more

Fundacion La Puerta- Making a Difference in Tecate

A few days ago I was inspired by the smile of a small boy named Diego, who lives in a poor community of Tecate, Mexico. I spent last week in Mexico as a guest of Rancho La Puerta. Our group of 18 bloggers visited Diego's community last Thursday. As a border town, Tecate is known as a migrant town and is highly transient. The average worker earns $5-10 per day. Diego and his family live in the outskirts of Tecate where people can still acquire land by squatter's rights. Diego's neighborhood is crammed with one tiny home after another, many…

Read more

The Incredible Deborah Szekely of Rancho La Puerta

Recently I had the privilege of meeting Debrorah Szekely, the founder of Rancho La Puerta. I've been enjoying a luxurious week here at the ranch in Tecate, Mexico, as a part of a group of 18 women lifestyle bloggers. Deborah is an incredible woman and a mentor to all of us. The life story of Deborah is as full of achievements as it is improbable. Born in Brooklyn in 1922 and raised in New York City, Tahiti, and Marin County, California, Deborah found herself at age 18 jouncing down a dusty road in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico, in an old…

Read more

Inspiration from Rancho La Puerta

Ah.... morning inspiration from Rancho La Puerta.... While on a walk yesterday, I found a permanent exterior chalk board that is the ranch's version of InspireMeToday.com. This board is about 3' by 3' in a stone monument with inlaid tiles. The artwork is exquisite! Each day they feature a different  inspirational quote. Today's quote "The soul is not where it lives, but where it loves. " It was so beautifully done that I wanted to share it with you...... with hopes that some of the peace I'm feeling this morning comes through this post to you. Enjoy your day! With…

Read more