Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Epiphany!

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The word from my heart pocket is Epiphany!

Revelation 

Communication

Cue

Discovery

Unveiling

Vision

Tip

Flash

Inspiration

Lightning bolt

Clue

Divination

Break

Uncovering

Eureka

Godsend

Jolt

Phenomenon

Stupefaction

Wonder

Transformation

Epiphany

"It may sound obvious, but one day I realized - not everyone thinks like me. And from that came, not everyone is supposed to think like me." 

"I can change my mind. In an instant, I can stop and go another direction."

"I don't have to be perfect. It's enough to just do my best."

"I can do anything I want to do."

"It doesn't matter what others think. My life belongs to me."

"We are all connected. My choices matter not only to me, but to the world."

"As teenagers, what truly matters is the fact that we want to make a difference and that one day our determination to do so will give us a lot to reflect on. We might be void of major accomplishments to reflect on right now; we have a whole life ahead of us to change that."  (from Akua. Thank you, wise one ...)

"I don't have to 'figure it out'. It's inside of me and all I have to do is stop living separately from my truth." 

"Slow is good. I don't have to be first or faster. I choose quality. Quality makes my life an every day experience instead of always reaching and not finding. Slow is good."

"I get better and better. Focus changed my life. Choosing - and then going for it. The goal is a great carrot. The real reward is the doing."

"I always have had what I need. I didn't always see that. Once I took the time to notice that fact, it changed everything and I could see that I actually had more than I needed and I could choose from a smorgasborg of tools to make the doing fun."

"Awareness. Awareness and then laughter. That was my Epiphany."

These are sharings of epiphanies, the transformational moments in the lives of some who offered when asked. There are wonderful stories that go with each revelation. Please share your epiphany, a turning point in your life - a thought, a happening, a wonder - that deepened your life experience or turned it around completely. No comments will be published without your permission and can also be published anonymously. Inspire others with your experience, your Epiphany!

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Courage!

What makes the muskrat guard his musk? - click to watch video

 The word from my heart pocket is Courage.

 We all have moments. We're faced with a difficult decision and from some place deep inside it rises to greet us: Courage. We're proud of ourselves for those moments and although they can come few and far between, it's wonderful to know it's a part of our character.

And what about daily challenges, the little things easy to ignore, thrown off as insignificant and unimportant? Do we call it courage to go the extra mile at work, to attend our child's ballgame even if it means inconveniencing a client? Is it courage to phone our creditors to ask for a lower payment or more time to get the money for a bill when finances are low? Are we courageous when we own up to mistakes or tell the truth when a lie might feel easier at the time? Do we have the fortitude to stand by our principles? Can we summon the confidence to speak up when needed? Are we able to move at the very moment an opportunity shows itself? Is courage a part every choice?

I've noticed that big can actually be quite small in the end, and that it's the little choices that make the difference in a life. Finding the courage to take the high road even though there's a hill to climb and it will take a bit longer than the low road builds strength of character. As in all behavioral habits, the more we practice, the more a part of our DNA they become. 

We think of our heroes as being strong and brave, filled with the courage not found in us common folk. But who among you knows a hero in your neighborhood, your office, your kid's ball team? What teacher can you name who braves the overcrowded classroom to not just teach to the test, but to inspire the joy in learning something new? Who do you know that overcame a physical obstacle to continue enjoying what we would call an ordinary day? When did you take the time to listen to someone's disappointment or let your child proudly and painstakingly read to you before bed? How often do you venture out of your comfort zone to get new clients, raise money for a good cause, submit that book proposal to a publisher for perusal? 

THE KEY TO COURAGE IS VULNERABILITY. IF YOU CANNOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE VULNERABLE, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW REAL COURAGE.

It takes courage to be compassionate. 

To delay gratification one more time so your dream has the chance to succeed requires grit, guts and fearlessness - courage.

They call it courage when we choose to start over, even if the odds are against us.  

It takes a big heart to display courage. It also requires temperance and forgiveness and sometimes the hardest and bravest choice is letting go.

Please share a story of courage in the comments section with today's readers. Better yet, take a courageous step today and feel the warmth that valor brings, even if it goes unnoticed by all but you.

Practice courage and find the hero inside ...

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Love!

 

Winter to Spring by Lynda Hoffman-Snodgrass 

Click here to be mesmerized by her heartfelt watercolors! 

The word from my heart pocket is Love

The thought of writing about love stopped me for days. I was bombarded by a bajillion notions and those thoughts took me on a roller coaster of tangents that led to memories and an awareness of the love in my life right now.

What about love?

Sometimes love makes my heart beat fast and sometimes it feels like my heart literally stops beating, if only for a second; It happens because love feels so intense or because of pain I can't comprehend; Or because I've never experienced that level of love before.

What about love?

It sneaks into my saddest moments and lifts me above despair. It cradles me in its arms when I think of my mother and father and the sacrifices they made in the name of love, and the joy I gave them because I loved them just as they loved me. Many times love has propped me up and spurred me onward when the two people I love most in the world came running toward me shouting, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" and now say, "Hey Mom, it's all good."

There is romantic love and love for God, love of nature, for our animal friends, and of our native culture. Each of us experiences love in our own way, whether we are open to receiving or willing to be vulnerable when we give love away. Love grows when it has plenty of room. Love is squandered without respect; love is squashed by fear and it soars when compassion comes out to play. Love is a noun and at once, a verb. More than a part of speech, it holds fast and lets us go as needed.

Love expresses itself from the ridiculous to the sublime: through laughter and sacrifice, endurance and strife; It maintains dignity, tells the truth, finds beauty when it isn't readily apparent, wears patience from moment to moment, risks looking silly, risks being wrong.

What about love? 

We make it complicated, we find it simple. We live for love. To know love is to be alive.

Who do you love? What does love do for you? How does love make you feel? Where have you found love? How do you express it? Do you experience some kind of love every day? Is love in the air where you live? Does your smile show your love? Can you hear it in your voice, see it in your eyes? Do you recognize it on an ordinary day? Is love a stranger to you, or is it an old friend?

I mentioned that just the thought of love stopped me from being able to write. I am humbled that my words are so inadequate and that after a full week of thinking about love, I still struggle to live up to the word. Love is so Big. Love means so much and touches us in so many ways. It belongs to every single living. We literally cannot survive without love. To love and be loved may be life's greatest experience.

Take time to love today. Let love in and feel how it warms your heart. Every day is Valentine's Day. Be mine, Valentine. Love will lead the way ...

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Palette!

Paintbox #1 by Pamela Mostek - Incredible quilts! Click here for more ...

The word from my heart pocket is Palette.

A blank canvas can be overwhelming. It's like the clean slate, the fresh piece of paper, the clear computer screen. It's so hard to begin because we might do it wrong; we might feel like it won't turn out right or we can't take it back once it's painted, written, expressed; people might think we're foolish or even bad for trying something out of the ordinary. They might criticize or disapprove or even ignore us.

A palette is a literal board of colors from which we choose to paint what we see. These are the most basic ingredients to our painting. It provides a place to begin. The range of colors depends on the artist's intent and the picture she has in mind.

Although it is the painter who readily claims the word, a palette comes in many forms. It provides a symphony in the vehicle of musical notes and octaves and vibrational sounds. It offers a quilt through multicolored fabrics and multifaceted weaves. We gain information and delight in stories through a growing dictionary of words and their meanings. We see into our souls within the palette of poetry. 

However we express ourselves - in our work, in our relationships, inside our days - life presents a variety of colors on its tool palette, for mixing and matching, to suit even our most immediate creations. The assortment is endless. We are always formulating, building, giving birth to never before seen solutions and ways of expression. We decorate our lives from tip to toe. Our palette grows with us. The more we experiment, the more confidence we gain in the power of the palette.

To bring something into our lives, we don't simply wish it and it happens. That's a very big first step, but it doesn't get the job done. And it is absolutely, positively, and unequivocally more exciting to lead the way! 

When an artist is first learning his instrument, he starts with primary elements. As he uses his time and energy getting to know how it feels and sounds and how it works best to express his voice, he begins to add more color, texture, dynamics and shading. He has a vision along with a desire to succeed and the most seasoned businessperson, the expert, the champion, the virtuoso knows it is through using the tools on his palette that he achieves his goal.

There is magic inside every choice on our palette. Sometimes it works best to limit the colors at the beginning. Sometimes we need to get all of our cards on the table so we can feel confident to start. Having the right tools is basic to success. Logically, it is what we do with those tools that makes our business plan, our poetry, our happiness flow.

What is it you want to accomplish today, this week, this year? Imagine a drawer full of colors to paint your accomplishment. What would they be? Try writing them down. Even better, draw them in a journal or make a poster to put above your desk, your bathroom mirror, your kitchen sink. Change out and add to your palette as you play with the ingredients of your project. Sometimes it comes out as you imagine it and if you allow a little wiggle room - the magic inside your choices will show itself. It is completely at your service. You can always rearrange or reprogram. I have started over many Many MANY times. Recognize the fun in possibility and experience the satisfaction of making something your own. Whether you are in charge of a vision or part of a plan, you are integral (meaningful), you are allowed to experiment (creative) and you can experience equal satisfaction (happiness) in its outcome. 

Start right where you are. Right now. Make a palette just for today. Wow. What an amazing picture today's going to be! I'm going to enjoy creating my part!