See the Beauty

There is more than enough seriousness to go around.  If I pay too much attention to it, it takes over my life. 

It is an ongoing lesson for me to look for all that is good in the world and there is a lot of it.

When I can do that, everything feels brighter, and I can see the beauty beyond the dark clouds.

"It's not what you look at that matters, it is what you see" - Henry David Thoreau

Feel Good

It's easy to think happy thoughts when we are feeling good, not so much when we aren't.  That is why it is important to develop a practice or something that will help to carry us through until we are feeling better.

One of my favorite quotes from Abraham Hicks is "You never get it done and you can't get it wrong."

No matter what is happening, life is always changing.  

I used to think that I had to work hard to eliminate unwanted things from my life.  What I am learning is that it is much easier to simply replace them with something, anything, that feels just a little bit better.

It doesn't take much to change the direction of your life, just consistently pay attention to how you feel and do more of anything that feels good. 

 
Something as simple as a casual walk can produce more positive results than furiously trying to get something done.

Be kind to yourself!

Something Wonderful

Many years ago, I was working at a very challenging job and desperately needed to find some peace.

  
I understood that what I was going through would not last and that it would all work out but remembering that was easier said than done.

One morning, before going to work, I jotted down a little note and tucked it away in my purse.

Every so often I still come across it and it makes me smile to see the perfect message to myself.

Day 1 - New Year

With a new year, fresh start and new beginnings - all things are possible. 

I don't make resolutions, but I do like to set intentions.

This year I want to broaden my scope and clear some space for something new.

I am ready to trade the rituals and traditions that have served me so well in the past for a future that is unknown and limitless.

Now, I feel the need to explore in a way that I never have before.

Not just in the world, but within myself.

Wishing you a New Year filled with love and joy!

Christmas Magic

It was just a few weeks until Christmas and I could hardly wait.

We had moved into our beautiful new house, and I had my very own bedroom.  No more sharing with my annoying younger brother.

Mom was busy decorating and getting ready for the holiday.  I’m not sure I had ever seen her so happy.  She finally met someone who treated her well and even liked us kids too. 

Buzz was a kind man, quiet and gentle with a warm smile.  Walking in with his dusty work boots, exhausted from work, he was never too tired to pick me up and give me a huge bear hug.

We were living a life I could never have imagined.  There was so much food in the house we had to put another refrigerator on the back porch.  We didn’t have to worry about moving in the middle of the night because we couldn’t pay the rent.  Life was very good.

“You are not going to start another project this close to Christmas.” I heard my mom telling Buzz.

He was always working on something.  He built a new patio with a rock garden for mom in the summer and a mini playhouse for me and my brother.

Despite her protests, he began working.  

It was unusual for him to be doing it inside, but it was winter, so I didn’t think much of it. 

Mom was beside herself with the mess.  She had worked so hard to clean and decorate the house.  He had even pushed the Christmas tree off into the corner.

I was surprised and confused when I came home from school and saw that he was actually tearing down the living room wall. 

He and mom almost never argued but this was different.  There were pieces of wood and sheet rock everywhere.  I was happy I had a room to go to where I could stay away from it all.

As the days passed, mom accepted that this was going to happen whether she liked it or not. 

Just a couple of days until Christmas now and I was more excited than ever.  This was our first Christmas in the new house.

Behind the canvas tarps, Buzz worked away, he looked like the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain.

He even enlisted my brother to help with his “secret project”.

I was a little jealous that I wasn’t included but I kept myself busy playing with my dolls and reading in my room.

Finally, it was Christmas eve.  I knew this year would be special, but I had no idea how much. 

After dinner, mom sent me and my brother to our rooms.  “We have something to do before Santa comes, so you have to stay there until we tell you to come out,” she instructed. “And no peeking,” she nodded to my brother.

Presents, it must be our presents we both thought. 

When she opened the door, she told me to close my eyes.  Gently guiding me, we walked into the front room. 

When I opened my eyes, I saw the most incredible fireplace I had ever seen.  

That is what Buzz had been working on.  Whoever had lived there before had covered up the fireplace with a wall.

It looked like something out of a fairy tale – the fire was glowing with twinkles of light reflecting on the hearth.

Under the tree were two boxes, one for me and one for my brother. 

We didn’t usually get to open any gifts before Christmas morning, so this was another unexpected surprise. 

My box was not wrapped, so it was easy to just open the top.  As I did, up popped the most beautiful little gray kitten in the world.  

Immediately I began to cry, as I carefully lifted her out of the box.

“Is she really for me?” I asked in disbelief, petting her gently. "I think I'll call her Thumbelina because she's so tiny," I said.

My brother grinned at me and began opening his package.  It was a toolbox with real tools to build things, he was thrilled.

Mom smiled and watched quietly as we laughed and played.  Buzz reached down from his rocking chair and lifted me, still holding the kitten, into his lap.

It was truly a magical Christmas.

Powers of Manifestation

I need to remember to use my powers of manifestation to attract wanted, not unwanted experiences.

I believe that there are no actual coincidences in life – although there may be incidents that coincide but whatever is appearing in our lives is because we are attracting it with our vibration.

This week has been a great reminder for me to be more deliberate in how I think about seemingly little things that can easily become much larger if I don’t pay attention.

A couple of months ago, I rented my house out and started traveling again.  I’ve been staying at hotels and planning the rest of my journey.

This is the perfect opportunity for me to get out of my comfort zone and press reset.  

It is also an environment full of unique experiences that require much more consideration than when I am at home. 

When I am away, I know that my energy can be so strong that even the slightest thought will manifest in some unexpected way.

This past week I have had several experiences that have literally woken me up to the absolute power of the law of attraction. 

A few days ago, I was having dinner at the hotel when a large family with several young children came in.  They were adorable and very lively, I remember thinking how those parents really had their hands full.  

I finished my dinner and went back upstairs only to find that they were in the room next to me.  Needless to say, I didn’t get much sleep. 

How did I attract that?  I was tired and hoping that I wouldn’t have noisy neighbors.  I had focused on that family in a way that was not what I wanted. 

The next morning, I realized I had been thinking about it in a negative way and started to think about them as a beautiful family traveling together and how happy those children were laughing and playing.  Within an hour the family checked out of the hotel.

Still a bit tired from lack of sleep, I decided to take myself out to lunch.  Pizza and a beer sounded great.  

It was midweek so there weren’t many people there.  As I looked over the menu, I thought I might try something new.  The waiter was a very kind young man and said the dish I was thinking of trying was his favorite and they didn’t have the beer I wanted but had a good alternative.  

He was right, both were delicious.  I enjoyed a nice relaxing meal and then headed back to the hotel for a great nap.

How did I attract that?  I thought about how much I enjoy peace and quiet.  That I love meeting nice people wherever I go.   And, how truly fortunate I feel to have such a wonderful life.

Next, as I was going to take some belongings back to storage, I discovered my car battery was dead.  I have never, ever had a dead battery in over 50 years of driving.  I also have never used my auto roadside service. 

How did I attract that?  Earlier that day, I received a renewal notice for the service and I thought I might not renew because I had never used it.  Also, I was feeling a little overwhelmed at how disorganized my car was with all my excess baggage.

At first, I panicked.  I hadn’t dealt with this before and felt very insecure.  I wondered how easy or difficult this process would really be.  

For the next hour, I tried to navigate the phone and online system to get my request processed.  It was feeling like a challenge.

I knew I needed to relax, I was in a safe place and as always had many options.  I decided to walk across the street to get some lunch while I waited.  

As soon as I placed my order, the service technician called to say they were on the way.  I wondered what this man would be like or maybe it could be a woman? 

Inside of 30 minutes, a lovely young woman from the auto club, recharged my battery and I was back on track.

Then last night – I ran a hot shower to get some moisture into a very dry hotel room.  I checked to see where the smoke detectors were, so I didn’t accidently set one off.  I had a nice relaxing evening and went to bed.  

At midnight, the fire alarm was shrieking, and I had to scramble to get my clothes on and get outside in the freezing cold. 

How did I attract that?  As I was checking for the smoke detectors, I noticed the unit on the wall next to the bed and thought I would certainly wake up if that goes off.  It absolutely did, my ears are still ringing it was so loud.  I had also been thinking of how scattered my clothes were and what would I do if I needed to leave in a hurry.  

I went down to my car where I could get warm and remembered I had extra winter gear in my trunk for emergencies.  Once again, I remembered that I was safe and no matter what, everything would be fine.  Of course, it was a false alarm, someone probably triggered it burning popcorn in the microwave or maybe even taking a shower?

This post began as a simple thought about the Law of Attraction and how it works in our lives.

Whatever I give my attention to will expand and how I feel about it will dictate the manifestation. 

I love knowing that I can create anything and that I need to stay mindful about how that comes about.

There were a few reasons for this trip.  One was to write more, and another was to focus on my spiritual journey.  

So far both are feeling very satisfying and that I will happily continue to manifest.
 

Travel Adventures After 50

When I turned 50, I noticed that my travel style was beginning to change.  I was less interested in speeding from place to place and more interested in a slower, more relaxed pace.  I wanted to visit fewer places and stay longer.  Taking the time to savor the entire experience.
 
I always begin by listing locations that I want to visit and what I might like to do while I’m there.  Keeping in mind that I don’t want a packed schedule, I plan my down time as well as my activities. 
 
Especially with overseas trips, I know that I will need a little time to recover from jet lag so now I give myself a couple of days to relax without making a lot of plans.  I can always do more if I’m feeling up to it but I don’t feel obligated.  It’s a nice opportunity to treat myself to a nice lunch or just a cup of tea on the patio.
 
Something I love to do everywhere I go is to visit gardens and museums, so I usually will build my trip around that.  It helps to narrow down where I want to stay and what type of transportation is available. 
 
I like to book at a nice hotel with a restaurant so that I don’t even have to go out if I don’t want to.  This also helps me feel more comfortable in a new area when I’m away.  Even though I always research the hotel and surrounding area carefully before I leave home, sometimes it isn’t what I expected or my flight is delayed and I arrive in the middle of the night.  Staying safe is always a priority.
 
Another nice alternative is a Bed and Breakfast.  Very often the family will help you with whatever you need and provide great information about the local area.  Do remember that they only serve breakfast so you will have to get lunch and dinner on your own. 
 
When I was younger, I would usually rent a car when I was away but now, I prefer to use public transportation.  I love to take taxis, buses and trains where ever I can and with ride-share available almost everywhere in the world it is easier than ever to get around.  You just need to pay close attention to schedules and plan for unexpected delays and cancelations.
 
Something that has helped me, especially as I’ve gotten older, is to be as prepared as possible for the inevitable travel disruptions.  More than ever, travel is unpredictable, and if you can stay flexible and be willing to make the necessary adjustments, you will have a more pleasant journey.  Some of my best experiences came from what otherwise seemed to be problems while I was traveling.
 
One thing, the biggest thing, I have learned while traveling is to Pack Light! 
For some, this may seem impossible but I’ve found it is more of an art than a science and with a little bit of planning and some practice, anyone can do it.
 
After 40 years of traveling for work and pleasure I now know that there is very little that I can’t get wherever I am and how easy it is to pivot when those unexpected issues arise if I don’t have too much baggage with me.
 
Everything from broken wheels and handles to the infamous cobblestone streets of Europe, I have never been sorry to have too little luggage.
 
I travel with one small carry-on bag that has wheels and shoulder straps and one small personal item that will fit into my carry-on if necessary.  Even for a 2-week holiday in the middle of winter, it must fit into my one carry-on or it doesn’t go.
 
Not only do I not have to worry about lost or stolen luggage but it also makes it possible for me to quickly change flights or get on and off of crowded buses or trains.
 
If you are new to travel, the best thing to do is to start small and build from there.  Plan one short excursion to do something you enjoy either in your own city or somewhere nearby for a short weekend stay and see how it feels.
 
Everywhere I go, I discover something new and interesting, not just about the place I’m visiting but about myself as well.
 
Happy Travels!

Published on - HoneyGood.com
 
Do you like to travel?  Has your travel style changed as you’ve gotten older?  Share your stories.