Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Epiphany!

To learn about Elise Ballard and her incredibly inspirational book ... click here!

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!

  

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Memory!

The word from my heart pocket is, ah, oh right ... Memory.
 
Ladies and Gentlemen, the delightful Pam Peterson!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzSaoN2LdfU 

Have a memorable week everyone!

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Sensitivity!

Thank you to Linda Viet for her sensitively beautiful photography - Click here to see more!

The word from my heart pocket is Sensitivity.

Have you experienced a moment when everything seemed completely clear? It might stop you in your tracks on the most ordinary day. Suddenly everything feels ... easy. You aren't struggling. You aren't worried. Your senses are aroused and peaked. You don't feel fat or broke or unsuccessful. In that moment, you feel in tune, perfectly pitched within your life. For that moment, you are.

Our sensitivity to our surroundings defines our experience in the world. Exactly as it feels, every experience is unique to each person. Different people encounter identical outward circumstances and can experience them exactly opposite. Contrary to how it feels, every experience begins inside ourselves. Our cognizance, our emotional state, our habits and our belief system - everything we are comes into play when our sensitivity responds to every second - every nanosecond - of our lives.

Let's talk about what sensitivity is. An acute impression. A consciousness to self and beyond. Affected by a situation, an idea, a belief. The nervous system is keenly in tune with one's surroundings. A knowing and understanding. A relationship quality. Our many senses are heightened including perception and intuition. We are vulnerable in this state if we are deeply hurt or enduring great pain. We are ingenious - in genius - penetrating the usual layers of emotional fog and the distracting noise of the world. In its most practiced form, our sensitivity is one of our most powerful human tools. It is our willingness to be vulnerable that fuels this power. It is our choice to see beyond ourselves that makes us sensitive. Every human being has this incredible tool at his disposal and completely at his discretion. Any choice made without using this tool is questionable. 

The source of sensitivity is personal. It begins by being sensitive to oneself. If we avoid our feelings, discard our self-worth, devalue and discount ourselves, we cannot be sensitive to others in a balanced way. We will come to the aid of others from a needy place. Our intuition will be blocked and our advice and help will be colored by our own lack of self-knowledge. This doesn't mean we should wait to help others before we are "perfect". When we offer help - in an emergency or in an act of good will - we are practicing our sensitivity and we give ourselves the opportunity to learn not only about others, most of all, about ourselves.

To be sensitive is to be human. It means we want to get and give love. It is basic to our nature. Any act that isn't sensitive bears examination.

To live sensitively isn't a prerequisite to living. But like each of our behavioral choices, with practice it becomes a habit ... and this particular habit enhances and deepens the beauty of daily life.

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Anxiety!

Image by Pauline McGee - Click here to see more of her beautiful work! 

The word from my heart pocket is Anxiety. 

The word itself raises our blood pressure. 

Anxiety is a secondary emotion. It acts as a mask for all sorts of real emotional offenders like jealousy or hurt or disappointment or fear. It's what is known as a "secondary emotion" because it distracts us and provides temporary protection for us to wear. Defenses come in artful disguises. We usually choose the one that best fits the underlying primary emotion. It could be by rationalizing the situation intellectually or by trying to ignore it or by distorting the situation and selectively seeing only what we fear most. Sometimes we "project" our feeling onto others and despise them for it or attack before we can experience any more negativity. This is commonly known as "the best defense is a good offense."

No matter how we color it, anxiety is a reaction that results due to an emotional threat. In its best light, anxiety is a GIANT CLUE that something is amiss. When anxiety occurs, it shuts down the awareness of the source emotion and in many cases, this defense temporarily aids us in functioning, riding on the secondary emotion until we can open the window a bit wider to allow reality to show itself. It also limits our thought and creativity.

It is when we hang onto worry that anxiety takes its toll ... on the body, on the mind, on our lives. All sorts of illnesses have been exacerbated by a person's focus on fear, sadness and jealousy, including cancer, heart disease, and strokes. 

There are some wonderful ways to release anxiety. Just knowing that anxiety is a warning device, a siren that goes off to alert us something is wrong but is not the root of the bad feeling, allows us to stop right where we are and examine what is happening. Once the signal is acknowledged, we can find a quiet place to calm our anxiety, to breathe deeply and slow our pulse. Clearing the mind through exercise (brisk walking or running or swimming) helps curb our anxious armor, and gets us to a more relaxed state of mind so we can organize our thoughts without the cloud of high emotion. The image of opening a window - wider and wider - helps us feel less trapped during a panic attack. When we can see ourselves "taking off the sweater of anxiety", laying it across a chair while we face what is really bothering us, we know our defense is in proximity if we need it. We don't feel so alone.

There are deep rooted anxieties that require relief with the help of professionals trained in guiding us to a place of revelation and release. There is no substitution for having a "safe place" to unleash our biggest fears and our most painful grief. When our anxiety is immediately noticed and given the attention it warrants, it is more easily soothed and our underlying emotions more effectively resolved. Imagining a safe place in our minds allows us to ease into a more relaxed frame of mind. Our muscles loosen, our mind thaws and even expands so we can once again think clearly enough to move to a next step.

The next time anxiety knocks on your door, imagine excusing yourself to open a window, and another and another and another, if need be. Let the air clear your brain and lighten your heart. Thank you, Anxiety, for sounding the alarm. I can take it from here ...

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Challenge!

Unfinished Sculpture by Deb Clay - click here to learn more about her charming artwork & poetry!

The word from my heart pocket is Challenge. 

A challenge isn't always welcomed. It is never convenient. That's part of the challenge. The word has taken on nuances of meaning: difficulty, obstacle, trial. Originally, the word came from Middle English, around the year 1125, and it was associated with invitations to duel. Or so it is recorded. 

If we think about our lives in this way, a challenge is an invitation to confront ourselves, to make a demand, to question and to dare. It doesn't have to be a negative experience! Even when it is a surprise, something we hadn't planned, we have a choice on how to see it. Instead of immediately reacting, we can stop and evaluate the qualities of the challenge in front of us. The bigger the challenge, the greater the possibility for reward. 

When we feel threatened or trapped by a challenge, we use a different name. We call it a burden, bad luck, suffering, distress. We spend energy worrying and imagining the worst that can happen when we are in this frame of mind. It works wonders to re-frame and rename what is before us. The word challenge helps us see we have choices. It is open-ended and for some, is motivating and activates movement toward a resolution and even a triumph! If the challenging situation feels overwhelming and beyond our imagination (and control), we can compartmentalize it, breaking it down into manageable bits so it doesn't seem so large. We see we can have an impact. We can feel inspired to "rise to the challenge".

Each of us has felt this! Each of us has overcome our miserable self to become our heroic self. We like this feeling, even if circumstances don't evolve the way we imagined. If we participate fully, using everything we know, we emerge with new information and the good feeling of having tried our best.

These are challenging times. If we focus on the outside - that is, the world around us - we miss the opportunity to personally succeed. The world around us warrants our compassion and observance, our participation when we are needed, and of course, it is there to enjoy. The challenge in changing the circumstances of the world begins with the personal challenges of us as individuals. How we respond to our daily challenges, the manner in which we approach personal hardship and suffering, the way we "see" and relate - calls for exploration. Whenever we do this, what follows is discovery and if taken far enough, success and real understanding. When we choose to give ourselves a challenge, we are taking charge of our lives and there is no greater way to experience living.

Give yourself an edge in 2011. Challenge yourself to get what you want this year. Do you want to go back to school? Have more free time? Create a new lifestyle? Do you want to make art or write or finally learn to play an instrument? Join a theater group? Change jobs? Lose weight? Get into a loving relationship? Make more money? Have more fun?

The idea of having to work for something - to rise to the challenge - gives us that edge. Big or small, when we accept a challenge, we become the hero of our story. 

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Simple!

Internal Heart by Kathleen Tennant. Click to learn more!

The word from my heart pocket is Simple.

A simple fact. 

The simple truth.

A simple life.

The word almost works like onomatopoeia. Just saying simple makes me want to remove the clutter around me. I want to go through the spaces in my mind and sweep out the corners, freeing it from remnants no longer of service, making room for what is new. I want to see what is there without having to rearrange and re-stack the piles of ideas and plans and once-useful-no-longer-clear opportunities in order to have stretches of surface and time and fields of energy where all that wants to grow has ample light and a place to take root. 

Every year we have a great symbol that rolls by us, THE NEW YEAR, and if we let it, we can be inspired to let go of what isn't working, to simplify the view so we can envision what we want in our future. There is no right or wrong way to do this. We may want to be physical with this process by literally cleaning out drawers and cupboards and shelves. We may need to be free of relationships that bind us to harmful emotions and behavior. Maybe we have a habit(s) that is holding us back. Usually it takes a simple first step to get the ball rolling. The Nike adage "Just Do It", is brilliant in its simple message. In a single movement, we activate. The power is unified and uncomplicated. In simplicity, we begin.

If you are having trouble with your New Year's resolutions, if you want to make sense of the change that is happening, whether your dream is directly in front of you or on the horizon, now is the time. Simply begin, and begin simply. Be singular in your actions and savor the pleasure simplicity brings. The chaos will come soon enough. It is a vital part of creating your goal. And when you start in this uncomplicated and natural way, there is a fascinating and sometimes mysterious quality to it, as if you placed an order and what you need to begin appears. To get to the heart of the matter the fastest and finest way, make it simple.  

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Festival!

The word from my heart pocket is Festival!

The holidays! A time of celebration that gives opportunity to feel and to express. Each of us chooses how we want to experience the holidays - commercially, religiously, wildly, reverently, tropically, knee-deep in snow. For some it is a time of sadness, a melancholy that comes out as symbolically and as ceremoniously as trimming the tree. Some people have birthdays during the season and feel a bit cheated by Christmas thunder. Traditions, expectations, heightened sensibilities - we are vulnerable this time of year. We are easily manipulated to joy or sadness, which is a clue to us that we also have the power to choose the experience. Because Christmas is a Festival of the Heart, we are open to all it has to offer. 

The playful nature of any festival allows us to let down our guard, to be lighthearted as well as honor what we hold dear. Anything goes! By throwing expectations out the window, we make room for possibility for more fun and a richer experience ... and even new traditions.  

I know about sadness at the holidays. I have also experienced great joy! I have felt completely alone and completely surrounded by love. Every year, something is added to my Christmas memories and my Festival of the Heart writes a new chapter. For me, it is a festival like no other because it draws me in and when I emerge, I am better for my participation. The thoughtfulness, the busyness, the food and drink and music and decorations. The whimsy, the reverence, the majesty, the glitz. Homespun, heartfelt, delicious smells and taste that satisfies every vision of sugarplums I ever had. Wonder, reflection, transporting me to a deeper life experience. What a powerful celebration, this Festival of the Heart!

This holiday season, let your heart lead the way. Celebrate your humanity! Feel the connection among us as humans, and as Souls. We have the power to change moods, moments, our life experience. Let us do it together and bring meaning to the Festival of the Heart!