Saying Goodbye.

What an amazing ride this has been! The women that I’ve connected with and the stories that I’ve shared has made this past (almost) year absolutely fabulous, but I am moving in a new’ish direction and I need to put my energy where it’s most needed.

My husband and I are launching our local Karate classes next week and our blog needs TLC. I have committed to studying Herbalism for Women with Aviva Romm and it, along with my Ayurvedic studies, needs to be my priority.

I’ve also been fortunate enough to wrangle writing for Tera Warner’s blog and that is taking up more time. And, my Finding Your OM program is filling up with the most creative women and we are having so much fun exploring yoga, Ayurveda and herbalism by the season…

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So, thank you all that submitted your stories! Thank you all that took the time to enter the giveaways or leave kind words for the writers.

*Please note that I will no longer be accepting submissions*

 

I wish you all the best and if you’d still like to follow along with my shenanigans, please drop by and LIKE my Balance, Rhythm and Joy page!

 

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Let Your Spirit Breathe ~ Submitted by Gyl Guaglianone

February here in the Midwest is a dreary affair. Between bitter cold and lack of sunlight, it’s hard for us to even drag ourselves out of bed let alone be productive. But as the days slowly brighten, this is a great time for creativity. I have not forgotten you, my south of the equator friends who are experiencing the dog days of summer. A summer thunderstorm can be transformational. So as we gear up for the changes in seasons which are approaching, creativity is a great way to let our spirits breathe.

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Here are some very simple ideas to get your brain clicking away and speak from your soul:

Write your story – There is no greater gift than to give your kids than your story. Children need to learn from their past to know who they are and the power of being true to your self. Write your story down, of how you were raised and what you learned from it…good and bad, of what the highs and lows were and are. Let them know your essence. They will learn from this and also pass this down to the next generations. Get as fancy as you want, from a full blown Practical Magic Book of Shadows with calligraphy and antique drawing to a simple poem written on the back of an envelope. The magic is in the words.

The more the merrier – Know other ladies who are into needlepoint like you? Know other ladies how are into drinking wine like you? Combine the two! Have a craft party. There is nothing more fun than getting together with girlfriends and doing something artsy. Find a pottery painting place and ask if they hold parties there. Most do, and they have the kiln to glaze your product which can be picked up in a couple of days. Or have one at our house……and your friends can bring whatever project they are working on. You may wind up with 3 needlepointers, a scrapbooker, and two quilt sewers…all crafting away in your dining room, talking and laughing their heads off. Ask them to bring a dish to pass (less trouble for you) and serve wine or lemonade and teas. Whatever you want. If you are lucky enough to have room for a bunch of kids, have the ladies bring theirs too if they like. Hire a neighborhood sitter to keep the darlings entertained for 2-3 hours. Who knows, you may learn new ideas from one another and set a once a month rotating gathering. Sounds like fun to me.

Start small – Trust me, I am NOT artsy. My craft is my words…however, if you asked me to draw? Quel Beast! However, that doesn’t stop me. I start small. My first craftsy project was a tiny cross stitch I made while on a road trip to Iowa. Took less than 6 hours to complete and I felt like I had painted the Sistine Chapel. I have since started a large cross stitch of Marilyn Monroe for my daughter’s room. It’s pretty awesome, like a black and white photo. If I had started with that one, I would never have finished it. I would have gotten overwhelmed and frustrated. By starting small, you gain confidence and know that sense of completion which is also great for the spirit. That is how we grow. So instead of painting a HUGE oil portrait of Mount Rushmore, try a little one of a door mouse for the corner of our den or guest bath. Instead of a lavish dinner party for 12, try a new quick Pinterest recipe for a Thursday night romantic dinner for two. You won’t be overwhelmed and will feel just as creative and fulfilled. We are not all Marthas out in the real world, so don’t try to be.

Your spirit needs to be fed along with the kids, and the dog, and the husband. Don’t forget about you and let your spirit sing out, sista!

Gyl-IMG_3543-150x150Growing up in the farmland of Indiana, at a young age I developed a love of nature and a communication with the energies surrounding us.  I use this knowledge to assist my clients in realizing their own passions and to make them realities.

I live in the Midwest with my husband, daughter, four dogs and a cat.

You can visit Gyl’s site here – Cat, Clover and Wren

The Unexamined Life is not Worth Living ~ Submitted by Anna Alexander.

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It’s the dead of winter for most of us in the United States. The shine from the holidays has worn off and all we have to look forward to is the next three day weekend or the arrival of allergy season. Here in the Pacific Northwest we’re drinking strong coffee and stronger coffee stouts as we stay indoors and watch the rain. For others in colder regions, the sub-zero temperatures and snow drifts are beginning to wear on one’s psyche and getting from place to place requires more thought and layers of clothing than previously planned. Being creative and living an inspired life this time of year is not easy. Curling up with a hot cup of tea and watching movies is more appealing than painting or writing the next great American novel. But we can’t wait for perfect conditions to be creative and live inspired lives. We have to create them ourselves. Here’s how:

1. Create Inspired Surroundings

I once had a co-worker tell me she had to work in inspired surroundings or she couldn’t get anything done. She is a poet and fellow writer and I loved her office for its color and light. She always had beautiful knick-knacks and unusual pieces of art on her walls asking for visitors to stop and give them their admiration. My working space at the time was dull and soulless. I commuted by bus and train and couldn’t haul large pictures or art to put on my walls. I was productive but I longed for something other than bland walls to look at as I worked. My home office is cluttered like most people’s but my workspace has art and wood prints by local artists on the walls, a beautiful calendar, and inspirational postcards and gifts.

Think about your own work space and how you can make it more inspiring. A coat of paint? A serious de-cluttering? Prints from your favorite paintings? By adding a few personal touches and dashes of color, your workspace will become a place you WANT to go instead of a place you HAVE to go to.

2. Do Something Else

Sitting in front of a computer for hours on end saps your creativity and turns your passion into a chore. I should know. As a writer, and I spend many an afternoon hammering out articles and newsletters when I could be outside walking and soaking up Vitamin D. When your creativity is at an all-time low, it’s best to get up and move, go for a run, or just do something else. Knit, draw, paint, do some yoga, take pictures of your pet just do something other than the frustrating task at hand.

One thing I do on a regular basis is schedule Artist Dates for myself. By doing on artist dates, I find all sorts of free or cheap lectures and events to stimulate my mind and help me stay inspired. Also, never underestimate the value of changing locations on the creative process.

3. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Doing the same thing over and over again doesn’t challenge your mind or your creativity, and neither does sitting at home staring a computer. As creative types we have to challenge ourselves and read our work in front of groups or put our work on display.

To be successful we must all create our own perfect conditions. We also need to acknowledge that even when conditions aren’t ideal there is always something to be inspired if we only open ourselves up to it. Opening up can be awfully scary for many people but creativity is all about becoming open. So when your creativity is lagging, go out and let yourself become inspired.

 

 

 

anna_headshotLike most women, I wear many hats: Wife, Sister, Daughter and Auntie. In addition to these titles, I am also a freelance writer, small business marketing strategist and spirit guide medium. What does that mean? It means I can tell you all about your guides and how they can help you with your life’s path.

I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with my husband and a black cat who lets us pay the mortgage on his house. I enjoy hiking and spending quiet time at the ocean while exploring my city and going on adventures. I love to travel, eat and have meaningful conversations late into the night with good friends and a glass of red wine.

I look forward to getting to you know you through WTSWG and imparting my life experiences and advice. To learn more about me and my writing, click on my website Anna-Alexander.Org

Ancestress ~ A Poem Submitted by Monica Devine.

I am an old woman sitting on the beach
pink scarf   holding back   windblown hair

 

a mother makes bird calls
to her children playing

 

they come running  whistling   a secret code
huh.  a family of birds
beating wings   forever young.

 

growing up was a long paddle then
slicing the wind   feeling the board   slip
out from under you

 

falling down, standing up

 

falling down, standing up

 

wave riders make their own delight
like babies   learning   to walk.

 

the sea pitches windflower caps
in harmony with   ringing sand    underfoot

 

you hear the possibility of
pure clarity, good health

 

 

though season’s children don’t recognize
these   sad    retreats.

 

water builds and fills your ears
for you are now swimming
with the ancients

 

glancing back
from time to time   you preen
to shore up morale.

 

I am an old woman sitting
on the beach
pink scarf     holding back
windblown hair

 

I’ll sleep high in a monkey pod
tree tonight

 

legs dangling in silk trousers,
butter cookies in a tin under my arm     dreaming

 

of the young long boarder on her knees

 

paddling smooth strokes & with
fluid grace punching through

 

the    wild surf    of her youth.

 

 

Monica Devine writes poetry, prose and children’s books. She is an avid photographer, traveler, nature lover and artist.

Her photo essays can be viewed on her blog, Between Two Rivers at: monicadevine.blogspot.com

Don’t Get in Your Own Way ~ Submitted by Gyl Guaglianone

The New Year brings new resolutions, goals, and that conquer the world type attitude. Fast forward to two weeks later and we are usually back to our old habits. Why? What happened? Where is that person who was going to make all those positive changes? I believe and experienced that we get in our own way or to put is differently, we self sabotage.

I know from my own experiences that I am the Queen of self-sabotage. A literal sniper with a gun aimed at my goals and dreams. I love to dream up all these fabulous ideas but when it actually comes down to doing the work and sticking with the length of time to make them happen, I fail almost every time. Or I used too.

I have evolved some practices which have helped me fulfill goals over the past two years. It is will a work in progress, but aren’t we all honey?

Exercise – I know….here’s that dreaded word again. It always seems to appear on my list of things to do and is just as irritating for me to add it as it is for you to see it. However, it is a multi faceted powerhouse to help you get stuff done. A weekly schedule of exercise will give you the focus and energy we all need to tackle all things in life. From a 15 minute walk with your baby love puppy to an hour and a half cardio/weight lifting extravaganza it doesn’t matter. MOVE THAT BOD! Break a sweat once every day and get back to me in 2 weeks. I guarantee you will feel better, have more focused thoughts, eat cleaner because you are feeling better about yourself, sleep deeper, and have more energy to get your goals and dreams accomplished. It also helps to add that you will start to look and feel so sexy that your lover won’t be able to keep their hands off you. That’ll put a bounce in your step.

Birds of a feather – What do you want to accomplish? Lose 20 pounds? Start your own business? Buy a motorcycle? Seek out people into the same goal as you and build a support group which will hold you up and keep you motivated. You want that motorcycle this summer so take a motorcycle street safely class through the police station or junior college. You will meet people with the same goal and make some new riding buddies. Before you know it a friend of a friend of your classmate has this bike for sale and it’s in your budget. How about this?… you want to lose 20 pounds for a 20 year high school reunion this summer. Make the back in the day prom queen pea green with envy. See if there are neighborhood friends who want to walk daily after work or going a gym with your partner. Take a yoga class at a studio and make new friends to go to Starbucks afterwards. Buy building a peer group with similar interests you will be more motivated to continue. It will start a network for your dreams where people help people.

Vision Boards – It can be a picture on your fridge to a 2ft by 2ft poster board on your wall. Put a visual of what you want to achieve somewhere in your house where you can see it several times a day. This will trigger focus and also manifest your desire to the universe. Get that energy out there to the cosmos. Make a collage of what you want. As you are making it, focus on the goal and envision it coming true. Teach others how to do this as well, like your kids and friends. That will also reinvigorate your own passion and sense the joy of showing others.

For my husband’s birthday last year, I threw a vision board party. We invited approximately 12 guest and served appetizers and cocktails. Then after everyone had mingled for a bit, I invited everyone into the dining room. Earlier in the day, I had put out scissors and glue sticks and a poster board for each setting and asked all the guests to bring as many old magazines as they could. I spread all the magazines down the middle of the dining room table so all could just grab. So with cocktails in hand and after a short explanation by me, we all sat and began to cut, paste, drink, laugh, and make our own vision boards. It was like kindergarten class kids with libations. We had a blast and all got to take their boards home with them.

My mini vision board is a photo of a total buffed Linda Hamilton from Terminator 2 on my iPhone desktop which I see every time I’m on my phone. Hey, we all have crazy goals *wink*.

These are just a few ideas to keep us going. We all have beautiful dreams which can come true! The power is within all of us. If you believe this and are willing to get out there and make changes, you will feel a shift and notice that you are moving forward in your life. You really will.

Gyl-IMG_3543-150x150Growing up in the farmland of Indiana, at a young age I developed a love of nature and a communication with the energies surrounding us.  I use this knowledge to assist my clients in realizing their own passions and to make them realities.

I live in the Midwest with my husband, daughter, four dogs and a cat.

You can visit Gyl’s site here – Cat, Clover and Wren

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