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Finding the Upside When Life Takes a Downside

What do you think of when you hear the word upside? Simply speaking, it is something positive that follows a downside. It is the promise or potential of a given situation. It's finding some clarity in the midst of chaos. Once the dust settles in your life, there is a little light or glimmer of hope that appears. But you have to be willing to reach out and grab the opportunity, nurture it and turn it into something meaningful. For example, I had a downside experience - a severe stress fracture in my leg, which laid me up for many…

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Surviving Life’s Storms

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo! I used to sing this and dance to it when I was four years old. My father had given me the most wondrous magic wand made from cardboard and wrapped in aluminum foil. It sparkled like a star! I believed in magic – my wand and my paintbrush transported me to the Invisible World. I lived then, and still live now, with wonder and excitement. Life for me has been a magical journey. I have learned in my life that with every step we take, every thought we have, we are nourishing the shadows – or nourishing the Light.…

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Give Yourself the Permission You Need

Did someone in your past hurt you to the point where you can't let go? Were you abused as a child by a parent, guardian, or another adult? Or were you mistreated as a young adult and you're still waiting for that person to apologize for what they did? You are a beautiful, talented, and precious individual. The people you love need you here and now—100%. But it’s very possible that past experiences may be holding you back from living your dreams and being fully present for them. There’s also a chance you’re never going to get the apology you've needed for…

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Patience – A Practice for Success

As a survivor of a Traumatic Brain Injury, I experienced a rebirth in my life. As someone who had to re-learn how to successfully work and share with people in every aspect of life, there is one practice that applies everywhere. That practice is patience. Patience is fed with the ability to listen, stay centered and be thoughtful. Trust in those things and there will be patience. Patience proves that the old phrase endures: Good things come to those who wait. What are you waiting for? To get better from an illness? For a loved one to recover from a…

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Always Know Your Why

So many people reference survivors and how strong they must be. Yet strength is only part of it. An ability to be mindful, to dance with the full circle of emotions that arise from adversity, to process feelings of discomfort, to lean on another for support and to deeply attune with your own inner-truths are the qualities that make you resilient. In this you can do more than just survive. You can thrive. When you awake, take a moment to quietly experience the space. Open your minds’ eye with the curiosity of a child to see what is available to you. Take…

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You Always End Up Where You Are Supposed To Be!

Nearly everyone ends up in a situation that was not what they expected or wanted it to be.  For example, you may find your soul mate and discover that they lack the maturity necessary for your relationship to grow and blossom. Another example may be finding the perfect job and discovering within the first month or two that the environment is toxic, and your supervisor or manager is determined to destroy you or have you fired. Things like this happen all the time. Instead of beating yourself up, feeling like a caged animal and letting your fear take over, stop…

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5 Steps to Take Action

Take Action! So many of us wait for things to be perfectly aligned before we take action. I’m not talking about following a specific timeline that gives you the necessary steps to reach your goal. I’m referring to those who wait for things to be aligned just right before they make a move. We wait for the perfect time to get married. The perfect time to own a home. The right time to have children. The right time to start a business. The right time to take a family vacation. The right time to make a business decision. The right…

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Are You Ready to Embrace Adversity?

Live your life in such a manner that it makes yesterday jealous. Always seeking, always hungry, always yearning for greatness. Attach a purpose to all that you do, understanding that it is on purpose that you are here. Never take for granted this purpose, by remaining forever grateful. Love yourself more tomorrow than you did today. Always strive to show yourself more love than you give others, yet never forsaking the importance of paying it forward. This will create around you a circle of love that will grow not only yourself, but also everyone that you encounter. Never underestimate the…

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How to Transition From Cancer to Calm

In 2013, our dreamy life changed dramatically when my husband’s barber asked, “What’s that on your neck?” David saw three doctors and had six procedures by the time we heard the five words that rocked our world, “You have stage IV cancer.” The lump protruding from his neck was a malignant growth that had metastasized from the base of his tongue. Four days prior, our thirteen-year-old son was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. “What’s happening to our family?” I thought desperately, trying to make sense of it. Life was going along nicely, when suddenly our roles changed: husband and son became…

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5 Ways You Can Stand Up to Challenges

I started writing inspirational poetry for people 30 years ago. It wasn’t because I was a master of the English language; it was because I heard the poems when people would tell me about things in their lives. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first. But after the first hundred you start to notice that there’s something more going on. Over the years I’ve written poems for people facing just about every challenge imaginable. I’ve seen the same themes repeat themselves. For anyone facing challenge in their life, here are 5 things I’ve found to be true for…

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Invite the Lightning Bolt of Change into Your Life

There is a moment when the dirt and the dust rises up in your life, maybe it is abuse, lack of money, lack of kindness, whatever it is. There is a turning point when you stand still in time. Everything stops. It is very quiet. You say, this is going to change. You become a radical demand for change in your life, and in that moment, the world shifts. It is a glorious shift into the light when you know you're knowing, again. When you stand in the brightness of you. This is you that everyone else always knew and you…

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Blessed With a Hard Life

In Zaatari camp, a young Syrian boy with a love for soccer invited me into his home to show off his extensive collection of soccer medals. He so valued them that he packed them into a small pack slung on his shoulder during his journey fleeing the violence of his Syrian home, by foot, seeking refuge and safety in the desert. As I was leaving, he motioned for me to bend down, slipping one of his gold medals around my neck. I didn’t understand the Arabic words he whispered, but the power, love, and impact I felt in that exchange…

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