the power of positive thinking.

there definitely is power in positive thinking. so, i'm surrounding myself with positive energy, good thoughts and all the warm fuzzies & love you've sent my way. i'm not going to let life get me down. so pull up a chair & read a quote or two. & if i've missed YOUR favorite quote, be sure to let me know. i need all the help i can get. i'm hoping that sending all these positive thoughts out into the universe is going to get me (& a few of you too), through this. in the words of one of my very favorite willie nelson songs: you've got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative, don't mess with mister in-between. 

what seems impossible one minute becomes, through faith, possible the next. -norman vincent peale

today is the first day of the rest of your life. -american proverb

we should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry. -e.b. white

everything happens for a reason. -american proverb

just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly. -anonymous

never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do. -h. jackson brown, jr.

the best is yet to be! -robert browning

never never never give up. -churchill

if you're going through hell, keep going... -churchill

finish each day and be done with it. you have done what you could. some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. tomorrow is a new day. you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. -ralph waldo emerson

be the change you wish to see in the world... -gandhi

whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. -goethe

overcome the notion that you must be regular. it robs you of the chance to be extraordinary. -uta hagen

go with a spirit that fears nothing! -homer

when one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. -helen keller

have faith in yourself and in the future. -ted kennedy

believe in yourself and all that you are. know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle. -christian d. larson

it's never too late to be what you might have been. -george eliot

whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. -max ehrmann

do not go where the path may lead. go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. -ralph waldo emerson

find life experiences and swallow them whole. travel. meet many people. go down some dead ends and explore dark alleys. try everything. exhaust yourself in the glorious pursuit of life. -lawrence k. fish

whatever you are, be a good one. -abraham lincoln

go into the world and do well. but more importantly, go into the world and do good. -minor myers r. 

life does not put things in front of you that you are unable to handle. -unknown

life isn't about finding yourself. life is about creating yourself. -unknown

i think i can. i think i can. i know i can. i know i can. -the little engine that could

anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. the fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just like people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. life is just like an old time rail journey ... delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. the trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride. -gordon b. hinckley

the truth about motherhood.

going on month number two in little charlie's life, i still find myself pretty much housebound. that's right, i haven't quite gotten the hang of taking three kids out on the town. & as much as i'd prefer to be crafting, holding my little baby, doesn't leave much time for projects. so, these days i find myself watching lots of tv. did you happen to catch oprah's the truth about motherhood episode? maybe it's just the stage (of life) i'm in right now, but i swear the entire show was the extension of an on-going conversation playing inside my head. everything they said, i could totally relate to... "oprah is saluting moms everywhere and letting them know they have support. 'we hear from mothers all the time who say they feel alone. they feel overwhelmed; they feel sometimes inadequate. and you say you're afraid to admit the truth for fear of bing judge," oprah says. 'so today we're creating a judgment-free zone, a sisterhood of motherhood where anything goes."

when they said "the expectations we have on ourselves is completely unrealistic. this generation of women was raised to believe that we should and could do it all... and that list (of expectations) is so huge that we think if we can't live up to that, then we're not good moms." i wanted to shout: AMEN! & i couldn't agree more with the idea that "the one universal truth about motherhood seems to be that no one ever tells you what to really expect." so, today, i too am "creating a judgment-free zone, a sisterhood of motherhood where anything goes". & although i LOVE being a mom, (i really, really do!), sometimes, i wish i had been more prepared for motherhood, if you know what i mean. so, here are some of the truths about motherhood, that no one remembered to tell me. maybe someone else can benefit, or possibly at least relate...

* every woman doesn't LOVE being prego. there definitely are some women who do, but i wasn't one of them. i hated getting fat, i never had that "pregnancy glow". all in all, pregnancy isn't exactly my favorite stage in life.
* recovery AFTER the delivery can sometimes be harder, and worse, than the actual delivery. (i was put on bed rest for 6 weeks after i had gavin.)
* stay in the hospital as long as possible. you might be bored & lonely, but when you go home, you're on your own. at least in the hospital you can call a nurse for help.
* i must not have paid very good attention during health class, because i did not realize i would bleed for weeks. (a bit personal, i know, but a truth about motherhood that i did not know.)
* breastfeeding might be natural, but it is definitely NOT easy & often times it can be painful
* hemorrhoids, 'nuf said!
* your boobs will never be perfect again... they'll get super huge (& probably painful while engorged), & then they'll shrink down, practically becoming indentations.
* just because you carried the baby for nine months, doesn't mean you can soothe & quiet them when they are screaming bloody murder, for hours & hours on end.
* sometimes, you'll go days without showering. a pony tail will become your new 'do, a hat your new best friend, & you can go hours without realizing you haven't eaten anything.
* finding the energy & time to do all the things you "used" to do isn't going to be easy
* sleeping more than 2 hours in a row should be considered a luxury
* getting the time & energy to clean the house, fold the laundry, or load the dishwasher will make you feel like you've won the lottery
* counting the number of wet & dirty diapers will become your new hobby
* you'll find yourself thinking "of a day as units of time, each unit consisting of no more than thirty minutes. Full hours can be a little bit intimidating and most activities take about half an hour. Taking a bath: one unit, watching countdown: one unit, web-based research: two units, exercising: three units, having my hair carefully disheveled: four units. It's amazing how the day fills up. (especially when you are feeding the baby every 6 units!)"via about a boy.
* in the end, holding your little baby, seeing them smile, hearing them laugh... will make you forget everything else, as though it never happened, & make you willing to possibly, do it all over again.
edited to add:
* i always knew i was going to breastfeed, i just was never prepared for how much i could (and would) leak. i didn't realize that i could soak through my shirt, even while wearing a nursing pad.
* i wasn't prepared for being man-handled by everyone. i didn't realize that i would also get used to totally strangers grabbing & "feeling up" my boobs.

so, your turn. what are some of the truths about motherhood that you wished someone had told you? what's the real scoop on motherhood?

currently loving...

i spotted THIS print on decor8 & fell in love immediately.

beauty advice from gwyn...

"beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. that, or a kick-ass red lipstick."
gwyneth paltrow

in the words of the fabulous judy garland...

"always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else."

soon, i'll be breaking out my mickey ears.

a couple of nights ago i had the opportunity to get together with several women entrepreneurs. we chatted, we snacked & we learned a TON thanks to two incredible women, heather fish & patty vogan. both are amazingly successful business women & are just as superhero-like in real life. the night was incredibly powerful. &, there is no way i can possibly convey all that happened. but, whether or not you are business-minded, anyone & everyone can benefit from what i feel is a very important lesson they both stressed over & over... always, always, always stay true to yourself & your goals. whether it's in business or simply in life, decide now what your ultimate goal is, what your desired end-result is, & work backwards - figure out HOW to get there, don't just let it happen. as patty says "life is always a fun adventure live it by DESIGN not DEFAULT!"

if just a couple of hours one night can have had such a profound impact, i can't even imagine what will result from an entire weekend. you & i both know that i love any excuse to spend time at the happiest place on earth. but this particular weekend, you just might want to join me. if you're in the southern california area, or if you're willing to hop on a plane or in your car & head on down to the oc, & you're interested in meeting some incredible women, networking & learning about marketing to women online, then you definitely want to sign up for THIS. i'll be there. i'll be very very pregnant, but i wouldn't miss it for the world. & maybe, i'll even wear my mickey ears.

something to live by...

i'm loving THIS free download from ReadyMade Magazine. i think it might just be my new motto for life. as confucius once said "life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."

today is beautiful. i think, just maybe, i need to throw out the list of to-dos & chores, and just stop to smell the roses. care to join me?

guide to happiness.

i love real simple's article 48 ways to be nice & improve the world around you... it's a list full of easy (& often times effortless) ways you can do a little good in the world. one of my personal favorite tips? "when someone leaves a pie plate or a casserole dish at your house, return it with something tasty inside."

happiness is the way.

happiness is a journey, not a destination. for a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. but there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. at last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. this perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. happiness is the way. so treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one. 
 - souza

maybe tomorrow...

you pile up enough tomorrows,
and you'll find you are left
with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays.
i don't know about you,
but I'd like to make today worth remembering.
- prof. harold hill, in the music man

good luck? bad luck?

next time you've had a bad day & life gets you down, remember this story. today's trials, or perhaps your alexander type of day, more often than not, is just a blessing in disguise. our lives are full of blessings, sometimes the trick is simply learning to recognize them...

there is an ancient chinese story of a farmer who owned an old horse that till his fields. one day, the horse escaped into the hills and when the farmer's neighbors sympathized with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, “bad luck? good luck? who knows?”

a week later, the horse returned with a herd of horses from the hills and this time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. his reply was, “good luck? bad luck? who knows?”

then, when the farmer's son was attempting to tame one of the wild horses, he fell off its back and broke his leg. everyone thought this very bad luck. not the farmer, whose only reaction was, “bad luck? good luck? who knows?”

some weeks later, the army marched into the village and conscripted every able-bodied youth they found there. when they saw the farmer's son with his broken leg, they let him off. once again, the farmer's only reaction was, “bad luck? good luck? who knows?”

there are no misfortunes in life. there are only missed fortunes… missed only because we fail to recognise and appreciate them for what they truly are: fortunes, experiences, learning opportunities, seeds of wisdom.

- author unknown.

explore. dream. discover.

twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. so throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. explore. dream. discover. 
-Unknown

image via flickr.

do what gives you joy.

we should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry. -e.b. white

image via flickr.

today, i needed this.

lately i've been in a bit of a funk. most days i try my darndest... i try to appreciate the good & wonderful things in my life, & really concentrate on all the things i'm grateful for (of which they are so many). & most days this is enough. but then there are the days when i just can't seem to break through the fog. unfortunately, today is one of those days. so when i read the following forwarded email, it hit me like a ton of bricks. i don't know who the original author is, but i'm so grateful to them. today, i really needed to hear this. maybe you do too...

this should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where one could read it every day. you may not realize it, but it's 100% true.

1. there are at least two people in this world that you would die for.
2. at least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. the only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.
4. a smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
5. every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. you mean the world to someone.
7. you are special and unique.
8. someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
9. when you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
10. when you think the world has turned its back on you take another look.
11. always remember the compliments you received. forget about the rude remarks.

and always remember....

when life hands you lemons, ask for sugar and call me over!

good friends are like stars. you don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

'whenever God closes one door he always opens another. even though sometimes, it's hell in the hallway'

i would rather have one rose and a kind word from a friend while i'm here than a whole truckload when I'm gone.

happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong, sorrows keep you human, life keeps you humble, success keeps you glowing, but only God keeps you going.

happy mother's day.

in the words of abraham lincoln:

all that i am, or hope to be,
i owe to my angel mother.

be YOU.

today you are you,
that is truer than true.
there is no one alive
who is youer than you.
- dr. seuss

life is good.

i'm not saying life is perfect, but i'm doing okay, i'm hanging in there... thanks to everyone's thoughts, comments, phone calls & prayers. everyone struggles, i know and accept that. if we never experience the hard times, then it's difficult to appreciate the good ones. so each & every time i feel the weight of the world on my shoulders, i need to take a step back & just breathe... each & every time i feel alone, i need to remember that i have friends and family who love me... each & every time that i feel like i'm not good enough, or that what i'm doing doesn't make a difference, i need to remember the words of a wise man - gordon b. hinckley:

i have discovered that life is not a series of great heroic acts. life at its best is a matter of consistent goodness and decency, doing without fanfare that which needed to be done when it needed to be done. i have observed that it is not the geniuses that make the differences in this world. i have observed that the work of the world is done largely by men and women of ordinary talent who have worked in an extraordinary manner.

start tomorrow. just "one bulb at a time".

somedays it's hard to be a glass half-full kind of girl. life isn't always perfect. with the hustle & bustle of everyday life, sometimes i get a bit overwhelmed & am no longer my happy little self. recently, while trying to get myself out of recent "funk" i came across a favorite old story. reading it immediately put things in perspective for me, maybe it can do the same for you...

several times my daughter, julie, had telephoned to say, "mom, you must come see the daffodils before they are over." i wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from my place by the beach to her lakeside mountain home.

"i will come next tuesday," i promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call. the next tuesday dawned cold and rainy. still, i had promised, and so i got in the car and began the long, tedious drive.

when i finally walked into julie's house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, i said, "forget the daffodils, julie! the road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and the children that i want to see bad enough to drive another inch!"

my daughter smiled calmly, "we drive in this all the time, mom."

"well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears and then i'm heading straight for home!" i said, rather emphatically.

"gee, mom, I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage to pick up my car," julie said with a forlorn look in her eyes.

"how far will we have to drive?"

smiling she answered, "just a few blocks, i'll drive ... i'm used to this."

after several minutes on the cold, foggy road, i had to ask "where are we going? this isn't the way to the garage!"

"we're going to the garage the long way," julie smiled, "by way of the daffodils."

"julie," i said sternly, "please turn around."

"it's all right, mom, I promise, you will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

after about twenty minutes we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. on the far side of the church i saw a hand-lettered sign ... "daffodil garden"

we got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and i followed julie down the path. as we turned a corner of the path, i looked up and gasped. before me lay the most glorious sight. it looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes. the flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow. each different-colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue.

five acres of the most beautiful flowers i had ever seen!

"who planted all these?" i asked julie.

"it's just one woman," julie answered, "she lives on the property. that's her home," and she pointed to a well-kept a-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory.

we walked up to the house and on the little patio we saw a poster ...

answers to the questions i know you are asking

50,000 bulbs
one at a time
by one woman
2 hands, 2 feet
and very little brain
began in 1958

there it was ... "the daffodil principle"

for me that moment was a life-changing experience. i thought of this woman whom i had never met, who, more than thirty-five years before, had begun - one bulb at a time - to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top.

still, this unknown, old woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. she had created something of magnificent beauty, and inspiration.

the principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration:

* learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time, (often just one baby-step at a time)
* learning to love the doing,
* learning to use the accumulation of time

when we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. we can change the world.

"it makes me sad in a way," i admitted to julie, "what might i have accomplished if i had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years. just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

my daughter summed up the message of the day in her direct way, start tomorrow, mom," she said, "it's so pointless to think of the lost hours of our yesterdays. the way to make learning a lesson a celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask ... "how can I put this to use today?"

Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards, Author

for more information about this real garden, visit HERE.
image via flickr.

how i hope to live my life.

i don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, & with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. i want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. i want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing sister schenck's lawn. i want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children. i want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. i want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks & tears of a friend on my shoulder. i want the Lord to know i was really here & that i really lived.
-marjorie pay hinckley

image via flickr.

life can be an uphill battle.

blog-o-sphere, i'd like to introduce you to my newest training parter & friend, big red. if you haven't noticed already, beach season is almost upon us. (i think i just heard a collective gasp, followed by a long sigh.) i, like most of you, i'm sure, have a bit of a love/ hate relationship with summertime. on one hand i love all that it has to offer: warm weather, longer days, promises of bbq's, etc. but on the other hand - all of these goodies mean, it's bathing suit season. i think my whole outlook on wearing a bathing suit was shaped by a coffee mug by mom had in her cupboard (& still has to this day) that reads "things could be worse. we could be trying on bathing suits." with the fear of having to wear a swimming suit sooner, rather than later, i asked jeffy to help me get "bathing suit ready." that leads me to how big red & i met. it was monday, & jeffy & were out for a run. when we came across big red, jeffy announced, with a huge grin on his face, that my task for that day was to run up & down big red 10 times. although i didn't make the full 10 laps, my legs were like jello, i did manage to make 8. & seeing that i didn't bring my nano along, i had lots of time to think... & ya'll know that means i'm ready to dispense lots & lots of wisdom, because as i was running up big red, i started to think about how climbing this hill related to life, & i realized a couple of things.

first of all, that old adage is true. "slow & steady wins the race." about lap 3 or so, i was really pushing hard, trying to get up big red as fast as i could. on the way up i passed an older gent, who was walking. a little further up the hill, i lost my steam. i didn't stop running, but my steps definitely got closer & closer together & my pace slowed way down. & although he didn't pass me, i could really feel him on my tail. i for one know that this a lesson i need to take to heart regarding life. too often in life, whether it be a new project or simply cleaning the house, i start off going full throttle. usually though, it doesn't take long for me to get bored, or tired, & start to slack off. personally, instead of "go! go! go!", i need to remember to slow down, enjoy the scenery & just run along at an even, constant pace.

in addition to "slow & steady" i realized it's important to remain forward looking. what do i mean? in running, cycling, snowboarding (& probably several other sports i don't play) it's important to keep your eye on what's coming up ahead, instead of just the immediate future. by doing this, you can see obstacles like rocks or bumps, & have enough time to to respond. however, if you're only paying attention to the immediate future, no such luck. you'll see a rock, & you might side-step it, but without enough time to really process what's going on & your surroundings, you might end up in a hole or tripping over an even bigger rock. in life, it's easy to get caught up in "the now." sometimes i get so busy with what i have to do today & tomorrow, that i don't take the time to really plan for the future. things end up getting done at the last minute, are always rushed, & i'm constantly complaining that there isn't enough time. however, with some simple foresight & planning i think my life would run much smoother.

which leads me to my final thought. as much as i want to, i can't skip this whole "process" & immediately become bathing suit ready. i'm sad to say if that were possible, i would have no real appreciation of it, because i didn't have to work for it. a saying i often hear is "life's short eat dessert first." think about it. on the most literal of levels, is this really a good idea? if you were to constantly be eating dessert first (which really does sound divine), you would be filling yourself with sugar, chocolate & cream. although, i must admit, this is quite delicious sounding, it's not exactly the makings of a strong nutritional base. & if i was always eating dessert, i don't think i would really appreciate how good it really is. life works the same way. there are things i want to accomplish, places i want to travel, & i'd like to eventually be "at a certain place in life." i'm the first to admit, i'm totally impatient. i want it all, & i want it now! but just like learning to appreciate my "bathing suit ready" body, or a yummy dessert, if i could have it all & have it now, i wouldn't really appreciate it. instead, i need to better understand what life is truly all about - learning & preparing, so that one day, when have all that i want, i will be able to truly appreciate it & not take it for granted.

so with that, i'll step off my soap box & go snack of THIS (just don't tell jeffy, after all my hard work he'll be disappointed. but let me tell you... after working so hard & eating so well, i'll definitely appreciate a bite or two.) but before i say adieu, i'll once again reiterate the lessons big red has taught me:
1. slow & steady wins the race.
2. remain forward looking, keep your eye on the prize.
3. if you eat dessert first, you'll never gain a real appreciation for it.