Musical Interlude

It’s a lovely, breezy summer night and I’m in the mood for a musical interlude. Enjoy the tunes, feel the love, dream the dream …  and be blessed!

CLOSE YOUR EYES – Michael Buble:

JUST THE WAY YOU ARE – Bruno Mars:

BUBBLY – Colbie Caillat:

 

 

Musical Repose – Summertime

My first day of vacation as we prepare for my son’s wedding. Nothing better to get you in the mood than a little summertime music. Here’s a few samples to get you in the summertime mood. Enjoy and be blessed!

When You Believe

Today my stomach has butterflies as I allow my mind to wander to the dream that I am creating into reality. Each day something else seems to line up with my intentions. What a wonderful feeling. So, here’s a song that keeps running through my head (When You Believe by Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston). Enjoy and be blessed!

Unwritten

This New Year Day I have a song stuck in my head. It goes with the blank slate of the day. I share it with you and hope it lightens your heart and inspires your fresh start.

Happy New Year and be blessed!

 

Reach Out and Touch …

In a crowded town on the first day of December the weather was unusually warm here. The sun peeked in and out and I found myself grabbing over and over for the protection of my sunglasses. It doesn’t feel like the 3 weeks leading up to Christmas. Oh, the Christmas music is playing on all my favorite radio stations. And the shops are decorated and the billboards are touting the season. But something was amiss today.

After some welcome reflective time spent in community, I realized as I turned to go home, that the emotion closest to the surface was loneliness. Not because I am physically alone in the world – I have my wonderful children, friends, and family who love me. But a deeper melancholy – one that speaks of the soul. One that soaks in the realization that in spite of what I own and who I know, I am travelling on this life journey alone. I am influenced by others and seek to do the same. But I am learning my lessons, one at a time, on my own. I am opening my heart to greater awareness in solitary cadence and with a rhythm all my own. This is not the loneliness of the heart, this is the loneliness of the mind when we realize that we are surrounded by a voice, our own voice, narrating our life one thought at a time.

Perhaps I am alone in these thoughts as well. In that moment I knew that I had a choice to make. I could focus on the solitary emotions of the journey or I could relish the connections of the heart. And that is what I chose. I chose to connect with the woman at the restaurant where I picked up my dinner. I chose to connect with my son who is rarely home when I am. I chose to connect with my dogs who make home just a little bit warmer. And now, I choose to connect with you. This is the only thing – the touch of other solitary travelers, that chases the loneliness away.

On your solitary journey, when the melancholy sinks in a little too close, reach out and connect and be blessed!

Summer Song Challenge

It’s HOT, HOT, HOT here in the US. We hit 104 F yesterday in Cincinnati, which is pretty rare. The next few days won’t be much better. With the heat outside, the heat of tempers seems to be rising as well. People are testier and crankier … myself included. What we need is a change in focus. Music always does that for me.

So … I challenge you to share a song that reminds you of some summer fun and relief. Here’s my contribution.

Post a link to your favorite summer time song … and be blessed!

Just Speak – original poem

JUST SPEAK!

From stem to stern and back again.

Top to bottom, without end.

Your cells know the energy of a positive flow.

Your words bellow forth with new life.

The sentiment of your heart changes the air.

Every part of you responding to the beat of your cares.

With heavy heart the day goes dark.

With lightness of hope the day glows.

It isn’t the outside that colors your world.

But the rainbow of thoughts and words.

With practice your mind can shift your view.

Allowing the breaking of dawn.

Brushing aside the darkest of thoughts.

You harness the power of control.

With it comes swift changes to your world.

It’s your words that speak your thoughts to life.

As your energy entwines with others.

A thought, a word, a positive shift.

Is all it takes to change your path.

From slowly slipping away with regret.

To a warm embrace of belonging.

It only takes one act from you.

You have the power within.

To shift the story of who you are.

Just speak your life to your dreams.

It changes everything.

~ Barbara Bernard Miller

Breath of Life

Today at work our women’s network had nationally recognized self-defense speakers Debbie and Mike Gardner. They were excellent and I highly recommend them. She’s a former police officer and I believe he’s still a current officer.  They teach the “really-really” message of how to prevent and/or survive an attack. Excellent stuff but not the same old messages of  fear. This is the gritty stuff that you need to know. But most importantly – it was filled with courage coaching and how to enable yourself to do what you need to do.

The first thing they teach you is why people “freeze”. It’s actually not freezing at all – it’s holding our breath. And when we hold our breath we cannot think, walk, or react because the blood and oxygen aren’t there. There was so much info packed in the 2 hours but it was surprisingly easy to remember.

What really strikes me is, once again, it’s a lesson on not holding our breath as a foundational lesson. It brings another level of awareness that the “breath of life” is indeed not just for stress reduction – it’s for survival. As Debbie says, “The last one breathing wins!”  Here’s a link back to my previous posting/poem related to breathing – Shifting.

There is a repeating message in my life these days. I can shift my life by breathing. I can relax and calm myself by breathing. And now, I can save myself and others by breathing. I’m excited to know that it STARTS with something as simple as this, now the hard part is remembering it and following through with the rest.

And this reminds me of a song … and another “breath” I cannot live without. Take a listen to Amy Grant singing “Breath of Heaven”. 

Breathe my friends! Don’t forget that this simple thing is the key to so many things we need to live and to survive. Breathe and be blessed!

Any way the wind blows …

Okay, so I’ve had some of the lyrics of this song stuck in my head all night and all morning. I think the only way to get rid of it is to pass it along.

Rock out … anyway the wind blows, and be blessed!

Silliness and Nonsense

I saw this quote on the signature of a friend’s email today, and frankly I LOVE it!  (Thanks Maureen)

“A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men.”~Willy Wonka

In these days of economic hardship, high student loan debt, layoffs and unemployment, and the general stress and busyness of life, it is important that we balance the serious with the lighthearted. Another friend, Lynette, has been sharing about laughter yoga. What a fun concept is that? I can’t wait to hear more about it.

Do you need a funny bone break? Since laughter is the best medicine, I thought I’d share this clip from YouTube. There is nothing that makes me giggle more than the sheer innocent joy and silliness of little children and babies. This clip has some of my favorites.

Have you heard or told a joke lately – if you have a clean one, share it in the comments section today.

Lighten up and be blessed!