Tag Archive | beauty

Ordinary Angels <3

Jan16

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(a “stranger” & me hugging outside Love park in Philadelphia last may – What a wonderful world! My mom took the picture. <3)

“It could be someone walking down the street
A stranger on a bus
A little kid on his way to school or any one of us
We all got a little superman ready to take a fly
And save a life ohh save a life
Take a look around and you’ll see ordinary angels”

Today I encountered a couple ordinary angels walking to work. And I told a complete "stranger" "I love you!" 

A man walked up to me and asked me to buy him a banana split. He seems like he may be homeless and definitely struggling financially. At first I suspected it was a joke. I work at a store where we make banana splits. And occasionally my customers who see me on the streets or in other stores come over and playfully say give me a banana split or milkshake or sundae, just as a joke. I can't even count how many occasions I hear someone yelling across a store or up the street "Hey, it's the ice cream/banana split girl!" lol That's one of the many, many pleasures of working at a store where we serve something as joyous as ice cream! People automatically associate me with joy! ;-D

I did not recognize this man but it was possible he was at one point my customer and was joking. But I quickly realized he was serious. He wanted a banana split at the store Cold Stone. Unfortunately I did not have enough money to buy him one.

I did have enough to buy him coffee though. But he said no he already had coffee and donuts and he pointed to the trash can where he set his coffee and donuts. Some sweet souls already bought him it! It warmed me to see how sweet many people are to buy a person they don't know personally, coffee and donuts.

So I asked him if he would like something else in dunkin donuts, not Cold Stone because I physically did not have the money. I wish I did and would have gladly bought him a banana split and whatever else he wanted. But he said "no just give me whatever you got and I'll save up for my banana split!" lol Now that may seem kind of rude when I write it out like that but he wasn't rude. He was very friendly and told me he loves me! I know he was serious and I told him I love you back.

Now, people may be confused and think how can two perfect "strangers" love each other. Through the years on various occasions I heard my mom & dad ask “How can someone love a stranger?” when they would hear someone express love to a person not personally known to that person. My dad has a sweet & very loving old lady friend who tells everyone “I love you” and she has that as her voicemail at the end. My dad always said how can she love people she does not know. One day on tv my mom & me watched Ellen Degeneres (sp?) say “I love you” to a fan who said it to her first. My mom said the fan can love Ellen but how can Ellen love a person she does not know. But it's easy! There are different kinds of love and different ways to love. Most people probably aren't going to love a person they met two seconds ago the same way they love family & friends and others they know. But they can still love.

Love can be a warm affection, a verb or action, or just a genuine wish for someone else to be happy. When we reach out to help, heal, lift, inspire another, we reach out in love. ❤

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“The world can make you feel so small
Steal your dreams and make you crawl
And break you till you got you got nothing at all
When your in that dark place and you need that embrace
You know love is never too far away”

I put "strangers" in quotations because the longer I live and the deeper I meditate and the more I practice universal love, I realize there are no strangers. We all know each other and we are all One. We all have a basic wish to be happy and free of suffering. We all have desires, needs, longings, fears, dreams or goals, an aversion to suffering, we all lose things and all experience joy, suffering, happiness, heartache…we are all susceptible to tragedy and death and all have the boundless capacity to love & to give.

Think of your pain, your love, your joy, your sorrow, your hope, your tears & laughter & loneliness, your gratitude, your embarrassment, your anger, your patience and impatience, your restlessness and sense of victory, your sense of belonging and togetherness and family, your fears & grief & dreams, your will to live, and know each one you look at and each one you touch, and not just humans, has those experiences too. I already know so much about you, who are reading this, without knowing who you are. 

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One of my favorite books. I carry it everywhere with me.

~Our capacity to love is a currency that just never runs out~

Isn’t it truly amazing how love really cannot run out? There’s enough for everyone! Always! Unlike money and other material things, love cannot be used up. We can give & give & give and not only does it not run out, it increases! The more we love, the more we feel love! ❤

While this encounter with the needy man was going on, I noticed another man through the window of dunkin donuts carefully watching me, even leaning over his table to watch out the window.

Then he later approached me and told me to be careful. He said there are people out there who ask us for money or try to talk to us 
and when we least expect it, put their hands in our bag and carry off with our stuff! It never even occurred to me!

I walk around with my shoulder bag wide open with all my stuff just scattered in it. This man, another, "stranger" was very concerned. 

The man asked him for a banana split too but he said no he hardly has money for himself. But he expressed compassion for the man and said he's sorry he is struggling with destitution. 

I greatly appreciate his concern. The man who wanted a banana split did not seem at all suspicious and I think he truly just wanted a banana split. And he did not try to go anywhere near my bag. I'm extremely trusting often to the point I have done very stupid things and been called stupid by others.

It's a great reminder to be careful. The people who may put their hands in our bags are not necessarily horrible people, just desperate. They may be genuinely friendly but it doesn't mean they won't take our stuff necessarily.

Not all desperate people would do that but many do.

So it's great to be cautious along with compassionate.

When I was leaving the store, a friendly (at least to me) man was holding the door for me and said hello sweetheart when the man who wanted the banana split approached him and the man holding the door yelled "I ain't got two fucking cents!" I couldn't help but laugh.

And I understand his frustration. I never get angry at people asking me for money or stuff but I know just what it's like to not even have "two fucking cents" for myself!

As I was leaving the man who wanted the banana split said "goodbye love, have a great day!" and again, I could tell he truly meant it. 

Even though he is destitute in a financial & material way, I see he is rich in love. He was nothing but friendly, even to the people who weren't friendly to him. I hope he gets his banana split soon! 

I love sharing stories of acts of kindness & love whether they are ones I'm involved in, witness, or even just read or hear. Reading/hearing someone else's story of kindness can brighten our own day and inspire us to act in compassionate ways.

Every now and again I make a list of my ordinary angels and share them here with this beautiful song. I don't think there has ever been a song truer than this. Any one of us can be someone's ordinary angel today. 

“It could be a waitress at coffee shop you never saw before
A soldier thats just coming home from fighting in the war
We all got a little superman ready to take a fly
And save a life ohh save a life
Take a look around and you’ll see ordinary angels”

“Ordinary Angels” sung by Craig Morgan 
Mobile:

Desktop: 

It's a country song which I know many people don't like but even if you don't like the tune or style, you will probably love the message! Country music is my favorite! Especially inspirational country music!  😀

“Everyone can be great because everyone can serve.”

Much love & light, ❤ 

Hugs to you and always remember, I love you!!! ❤

Xoxo Kim 

Ugly-Beautiful 2

Jan16

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I keep posting here about the one word challenge for the new year. My word is Beauty. I have a post about the challenge and my views about it saved in my drafts and will post it soon. My word for 2016, beauty,reminds me of a post I wrote a while ago about a beautiful novel I read called My Grandfather’s Eyes.

 I wrote about it here before I read the ending when I still wasn’t sure what the novel is actually about. When I warned people that there may be violent sexual/abuse scenes in it and unnecessary violence. I read a book review that says that and couldn’t remember if the review is for “My Grandfather’s Eyes” or some other book. It is for another. “My Grandfather’s Eyes” has no such scene. No sexual or any kind of “unnecessary” violence. Just pure beauty.

And I recommend it. 

There’s another fiction book I read called, Alex, about a little boy who was kidnapped and murdered. It’s a good book with some slight supernatural overtones, I guess you can say. This one does have horrific sexual and other violence in it. The dad has visions after his son is found dead and sees the violence that was done to him. I don’t judge authors or artists who portray violence in their work. It doesn’t necessarily mean they support it. Many creators like to create things that provoke strong emotion whether pleasant or unpleasant. It brings their work to life and helps deepen our empathy and stir things within us. For the most part, even if it seems so, I don’t think anything in a work of art is “unnecessary.” Even if it seems the work can do without, for some reason the author wants it there so it does have purpose to that person. And it will resonate with some and not others. There is beauty in that.

 But most of that book is not violent scenes, just the dad not knowing if he’s mentally ill or actually being haunted by his dead son. It is very interesting.  The main character in My Grandfather’s Eyes, the woman telling her story, is named Alex as is the little boy in the fiction book, Alex. So I got the two confused. 

Anyway about “My Grandfather’s Eyes.”

My heroine, Alex, who is the narrator, is a woman who is about 32 years old and she’s kind of a sociopath, like really. She sort of has no conscience and attempts to kill her sincerely loving husband(i won’t give any spoilers and tell you if she succeeds or not, that’s for you to find out. Lol –  {he does die though}  But just know, she attempts to kill an innocent man just to be rid of him and yes, I called her my heroine!) just to get rid of him and get his stuff and live with her best girl, Liz. but she is very beautiful to me anyway. She was always in love with her best friend Lizzy but Lizzy is a straight girl and she’s married with children.  Alex has no kids and doesn’t want any. 

At first when I was confused about the other fiction book and thought this may be the one with the sexual violence, I wasn’t going to read this but the description of the beautiful love Alex has for Liz, is what inspired me to take the chance and read and I’m so happy I took that chance. Later I read the book, Alex, not realizing that’s the one with the horrific violence but I’m happy I read that too.   

Alex is arrogant, doesn’t give two shits what anyone (except Lizzy) thinks of her. Other than herself, the only two people Alex ever really loved are Lizzy and Alex’s grandfather. She is arrogant but also truly loves herself for how she genuinely is, both physically and her intriguing mind. She has big, dark moles on her face which she loves because they are part of who she is, and since she was little, refused to get removed when she had the chance. They grow bigger and darker. People stare. She doesn’t like it much but loves herself too much to care too much. As a child it hurt her deeply to be the target of cold stares and cruel words. But she still loves herself. She thinks she’s a beautiful woman. 

Here is what she says: 

“My moles continue to grow and darken. I take less care to hide the bump on my head, and I wonder whether my deformities will eventually take me over. I am impatient with them, wishing they would stabilize. I think I notice people staring more, and imagine they are whispering to each other but I decide that I will not try to hide myself away. It will be easier if the people who are alienated by such things have the chance to avoid me, and I reason that those who are indifferent to them will not care.” ~ Alex

And here is what I wrote one day in June (not the most recent one but the one before, if I remember correctly) about this excerpt:

I love this and completely agree. I would never want friends or people who like me only because they don’t know something about me that if they found out later they would reject me for it, whatever it may be. We don’t have to like everything about a person we like but we can accept, tolerate, or overlook it and love the person as a whole. I don’t necessarily want someone to like every single thing about me, like all of my opinions or anything, and I won’t conceal something just to have them like me or not reject me. It’s like an asshole repellent,if you show your ugliness or controversial views or something right off, you weed out the assholes and the true ones are still standing by your side. Or if you’re the asshole and people are going to reject you for it then they can back off and the ones who don’t mind asshole-ness will still be there. 
I don’t always like people’s opinions but I often appreciate the courage it takes them to stand up for whatever it is and the passion that drives them.

I am what I am whether I conceal it or not and whether someone likes it or not. So why deny or repress it? Instead I will give people the chance to know me and embrace me or know me and reject me.

I still agree with what I wrote. There are some things we may want to wait before revealing until someone gets to know us better. But for the most part, I believe it’s best to let our true selves loose and shine. If they love us, that’s amazing! If they reject us, oh well, we can love them and move forward. ❤

I love Alex's sense of beauty. It's kind of dark and unusual. 

“…the Gothic Hall complete with turrets and gargoyles – where I will study English Literature. It is ugly-beautiful and will suit me very well. A fitting place in which to study the works of great authors. I feel the hairs bristle on the back of my neck with the excitement it generates in me.” ~ Alex 

Here's the link to my original post about this:

https://inspirationalgem.wordpress.com/2014/06/25/ugly-beautiful/

"My Grandfather's Eyes"

😀

This is one of my favorite books ever! It is beautiful, unusual, fascinating, thought-provoking, and deeply inspiring!

After reading the whole book I love her more now than ever. I found beauty in her at first but also felt repulsed by her for her complete lack of empathy and compassion for others, not just that but her coldness, almost cruelty, towards people to the point of almost being a psycho. But I gave her a chance and fell in love with her. I wasn't going to read the book at first but then I did and am so thankful! ❤ This can apply to real life, we may have certain traits we adore in others and then meet people who lack those traits or have traits we strongly dislike in others and meet someone who possesses them, and think we don't like the person but it turns out that person is STILL somehow beautiful to us and catches our heart. We may just fall head over heels in love (either platonic or romantically) with someone we never would expect. I decided to buy the Kindle book merely because I love the powerful love she has for her best friend, which turns to unrequited romantic love. But doesn't destroy their friendship and the platonic love Liz has for Alex. Then I read it and love the entire book! She also has powerful love for herself. 

“In the mirror, I see a woman sitting bolt upright in her chair, with her handbag on her lap. She has long mousy hair, parted in the middle, her scalp white in the harsh fluorescent light. There is a large, dark mass spreading across the side of her face. I think her elegantly middle-aged, sensuously beautiful. I cannot identify with her. I see her smile, first with her eyes, which remain young, and then with the whole of her face. We fuse together, and I feel an energy building inside me, so that my reflection seems to disturb the air in the room, like a breeze across the surface of a lake.  It is a lake I have visited many times in my dreams. We are luminous and powerful.”

This scene is breathtaking. A woman who looks into a mirror and sees a woman who is incredibly beautiful in every way, scars, "flaws," and all.  And that woman is herself. I love how she dissociates and sees her own self without negative judgment, sees herself in perfect beauty, as if she's looking at another woman, then fuses with the woman in the mirror as they become whole, one. 

This is one of the most beautiful scenes I ever read in a book.

We often look at others without judgment in a negative way and see their beauty but hold ourselves to greater standards and criticize our own self in a destructive way. Imagine seeing yourself with loving eyes and a self compassionate  mind.  

How beautiful it is to be in love with our own self.  

I love how she refuses to cover up what many see as ugly. Not only does she not think her deformity is ugly, she thinks it's quite beautiful. She loves it because it is part of herself. 

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(meeee <3)

One reason I felt drawn to her right away, along with the fact that she has her grandfather’s eyes, is I have a facial dysfunction, though it cannot be seen. I mentioned here before that people with visible facial deformities or disfigurements, birthmarks, or scars probably would not agree with me since mine cannot be seen by others, only felt by me, but I often feel an especially  strong relation or connection to people with facial/head conditions whether visible or not, because I have one so bad. 

Alex speaks of "a large, dark mass spreading across the side of her face"  and wondering  "whether my deformities will eventually take me over." I feel this same way on different occasions. I cannot see that large, dark mass spreading across the side of my face. But I sure feel it. And so many moments, especially late into night, I wondered in fear and incredible loneliness whether it will eventually take me over. Hers isn't physically painful like mine but she has to endure the pain of society's cold, sometimes cruel reactions. 

Her self love inspires me to remember to love the parts of me that hurt. They are a part of me.
She inspires me to see beauty even in my agony.

My pain flares up to unbearable levels and feels so ugly. But I see beauty in my whole situation.

Sometimes I wonder what Alex would think of me if she were a real person or if I was a character in her book.  

I imagine we would get along well. And we both love to read! She attended college for English Literature. 

I love Alex and love how she loves herself. 

Give her a chance! Maybe you'll love her too! ❤

Love & light,

xoxo

Kim

Just Beautiful

Jan14

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(This is the old church in the process of being demolished. 😦 I wrote about it before. It reminds me of the mini creepy castle in the horror book I’m reading!)

“Once upon a time she had pretended that the castle had been built thousands upon thousands of years ago by men from Saturn. And well it could have been, so far as any local person knew. She had chosen Saturn because of its rings. She could place herself in imagination upon the planet and look up at the colorful rings encircling the planet and see the most beautiful of all sights. And on Saturn the trees were all colors, like flowers, like the rings, and beauty was everything, just for the purpose of being beautiful.” (pp. 39)

I’m reading a good mystery fiction book, published in 1981, called Hear the Children Cry .

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This excerpt is out of this book.

😀

I love it because not only is it beautiful, it’s also very wise. Not everything we do or have has to be practical/have a practical purpose. It reminds me that it’s ok to not always be productive, just to sit back and bask in the beauty.

http://oneword365.com/

Much, love, light, & beauty to you!
❤
xoxo Kim

Beautiful

Jan9

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“I know who I am. I am not perfect. I’m not the most beautiful woman in the world. But I’m one of them.” ~ Mary J. Blige

As I mentioned in my last post, my word for this year’s one word challenge is Beauty.

http://oneword365.com/

I believe it’s good to celebrate our own beauty as well as each other’s and the beauty of life in general.

I wrote a long post on the one word challenge and lost much of the post now have to rewrite it! That sucks! oh, well. I hope I remember it all. But like I shared here before, when I lose stuff I write, I try to make it even better. Remember to save your work every couple of seconds. It’s worth it!

This is a picture of me in Summer 2015 at Wildwood, NJ. I chose this to share because I love my geuine smile and did not know my dad was taking the picture. I was so happy about getting into the eight feet water to go swimming! 😀 ❤

I love this quote. It's a great attitude to have. If we believe we are one of the most beautiful then we are! Confidence is sexy.

I love when I see a woman I think is prettier than me. I'm blessed to be able to see and receive her beauty.

Instead of feeling low that someone has something more or better, we can just be happy for those people instead and bask in the beauty of those people. Let’s be inspired by their beauty and accomplishments.

I hope you are having a beautiful day or night! 😀

Much love, ❤

xoxo Kim

In your light

Jan8

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“In your light I learn how to love. In your beauty, how to make poems. You dance inside my chest where no-one sees you, but sometimes I do, and that sight becomes this art.”~ Rumi

I love this beautiful quote! It’s breathtaking. I chose this today because my word for the One Word challenge this year is Beauty.

This quote is a perfect example of beauty.

I will be posting soon about the “One Word” challenge and the word I chose.

Much love,

❤
xoxo Kim

The Life Before Her Eyes

Jan3

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“As much as we can be overwhelmed by the world, we can also draw hope from it, from beauty, from promise, from the simple fact that we have the talent to imagine our future selves from all the possible lives that pass before our eyes. We must imagine our lives well. We must engage our conscience.”

Some years ago, I watched a movie called “The Life Before Her Eyes” over & over. I love movies that have to do with friendship. This movie is a very sad movie but very good. It’s about two high school girls who are best friends, one is a “good girl” and the other is a “bad girl” but they are the best of friends. Their friendship is so tender and loving and warm and even after they get into an argument. The girls do a great job playing the part. A true friendship like this one is a great blessing! I think platonic friendship is one of the greatest gifts in life.

A kid comes to school one day with a gun and kills a lot of people, including one of the girls. The other girl develops severe post traumatic stress and struggles with her loss, guilt, and anxiety and caring for her family after she grows up with a family of her own years later. She can’t let go of the past and overcome it and move forward. I wouldn’t expect someone to completely forget that her best friend was murdered and all those other people and wouldn’t expect her grief to go away but it’s possible to heal to a certain point. She has a lot of difficulty. I recently watched the movie again. 

This line above is out of one of the scenes. Isn’t it inspiring? So full of hope & beauty.

I love how many scenes in this movie can be analyzed and interpreted, like they have underlying meanings.

It’s a great movie but I would never recommend it to someone who has ever been involved in a school (or any) massacre, especially one involving gun violence. It may be a serious trigger.

I hope you are having a beautiful day/night!

😀

Much love & light, ❤

Xoxo Kim 

Oh, Soul

Jan1

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“Oh soul,
you worry too much.
You have seen your own strength.
You have seen your own beauty.
You have seen your golden wings.
Of anything less,
why do you worry?
You are in truth
the soul, of the soul, of the soul.” ~Rumi ❤

I have been struggling with a severe episode of depression. The darkness has descended on me again and has felt unbearable. It started a few weeks ago but is worse now. I have recurrent episodes. This one started out gradually getting worse now seems like it may be ending. The most severe ones I have usually begin & end slowly with the worst of it in the middle. This is one of the worst ones. It's one of the ones where I can hardly feel any sense of pleasure in anything. Everything is dull, worn out. Music has no sound. Food has no flavor. My memory is just about non existent (except for all the bad things that ever happened to me…in this way it's perfect!) I can still find things amusing but not to the depth I usually do. It's hard to explain but with severe depression it's like everything is covered in plastic like that kind that food gets wrapped in and sometimes we can smell the food through the wrapper but it's dull because the plastic blocks out most of the scent. Or like a common cold when we lose most of our sense of taste but maybe catch a hint of it.
This is what severe depression is often like for me.
Even with it, I can often still laugh, even belly laughs sometimes. But there's something "dull" about it and it's not the same full laughs usually as I have when I'm not depressed. 
Even with severe depression, I can sometimes truly laugh and smile. Just because we're depressed or kill ourselves or try, doesn't mean all our smiles & laughing is/was fake or to cover up the pain. We are still us. Depression can't take away all that I am even when it seems to.

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I learned how to handle them better than I used to and I'm not constantly depressed anymore but it's very bad now. Some moments are ok then other moments I'm sure I'm going to kill myself and have a plan and all. I'm afraid to try it in case it doesn't work and triggers my physical pain disorder to flare up. That's all I need, right?! I don't want to do a half-assed job and mess things up even worse. But I keep holding on waiting for it to get better, waiting for it to end, either my life or the depression. Some moments I don't want it to get better, I just want it all to end, good, bad, everything. And I keep doing things to help myself like positive things and interesting things to distract my mind. It helps a little bit but it's hard to find the desire or motivation to do anything. But I force myself. My whole body feels heavy like something crushing me and my head feels so heavy. This episode is not triggered by anything specifically. It's not triggered by the holidays or anything. I love the holidays! And they cheer me up a little bit. It's just a deep, deep despair about nothing and everything.  A wretched kind of agony some occasions and almost numb other occasions. Nothing in my external environment has changed but inside my head is Hell. I can't wait for it to end. 

But today is much, much better than yesterday! So much better! I listened to some uplifting songs that helped a lot. Depression is biochemical as well as psychological and with practice and positive habits, we can learn to help ourselves and cope well. Not all depressed people can just listen to a happy song and be cheered up and I can't always do that. And not all depressed people can just think positively and be better but with practice, it's possible we can learn to handle it better with positive techniques like happy playlists and meditation.
I think gratitude and meditation can affect brain chemistry. It's not just things we put into our body that affect its chemistry but things we think and do. 

This quote I find so beautiful and reminds me that if we once felt something, we can feel it again no matter how long it has been or how deep our sorrow or despair is now. My cover photo on Facebook says "Life is beautiful" and I have a bracelet that says it as well. Whenever I'm in despair and see my bracelet or cover photo I am reminded that I once felt that life is beautiful and can feel that way again. 

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“Oh soul,
you worry too much.
You have seen your own strength.
You have seen your own beauty.
You have seen your golden wings.
Of anything less,
why do you worry?
You are in truth
the soul, of the soul, of the soul.” ~Rumi ❤

I have seen & felt my own strength, my own beauty, my golden wings so I know they are here with me and I will see them again. Even if now all I see is ugliness and weakness and all I feel are broken wings, I know some sort of strength dwells beneath the weakness and through my ugliness are glimpses of deep beauty within, and even with broken wings I will learn to fly again. 

This quote has managed to inspire me in some deep way even in the midst of this seemingly impenetrable depression. 

I want to share it here, not only because it helps me to write and share but more because it has the potential to touch someone else who may see it some day, now or later. 

Also I want to share two songs I find so uplifting. They really impact my mood for the better. 

Eye of the Tiger – Survivor- mobile

Eye of the Tiger – desktop

This song will get you pumped! If not the message, definitely the music! But I feel that it’s the perfect music for the perfect message. Some years ago, my friend at work died and I was inconsolable. This is one of the songs that helped me cope with my devastating loss. And it helps me with my devastating episodes of depression and headaches. I hope it inspires you too! 😀

Living Colour – Glamour Boys – mobile

Living Colour – Glamour Boys – desktop

This song, I shared on Facebook recently. It’s a mixture of funny, uplifting, & inspiring. The music is upbeat and also the lyrics and video are funny. There is some wisdom to the way those glamour boys live! Not thinking about tomorrow, always laughing, always dancing….lol! They sure know how to have fun! ;-D

Depression really sucks but I feel I may be winning this battle.

So, I hope you are having a beautiful day or night wherever you are and hope you’re not struggling like me but if you are, whether it’s depression, something not so severe or something even worse, remember your beauty, your strength, your golden wings…..and hold on, keep going! 

❤

Much love,

Xoxo Kim 

New Year’s Eve

Dec31

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I find the scene funny and it makes me giggle. ;-D 

I love how they included the red cups with all the New Year stuff for when people have their drunken celebrations! 😀

Anyway, I hope it’s a safe and happy one! I hope with everything I have in me there are no tragic accidents like people overdosing on alcohol, getting hit with stray bullets, driving recklessly and killing themselves or others. Every year, along with the thrill of holidays and celebrations and things, there’s also horrible accidents and senseless deaths that could have easily been prevented. I hope it’s a happy start of a new year for EVERYONE and especially a safe one. ❤ ❤ 

Here is something I share here every year. It's inspiring and uplifting!

In Sarah Ban Breathnach’s “Simple Abundance – A Daybook of Comfort and Joy,” she writes:

“January, the month of new beginnings and cherished memories, beckons. Come, let winter weave her wondrous spell: cold, crisp, woolen-muffler days, long dark evenings of savory suppers, lively conversations, or solitary joys. Outside the temperature drops as the snow falls softly. All of nature is at peace. We should be, too. Draw hearthside. This is the month to dream, to look forward to the year ahead and the journey within.”

She also writes, “…time is the New Year’s bountiful blessing: three hundred sixty-five bright mornings and starlit evenings; fifty-two promising weeks; twelve transformative months full of beautiful possibilities; and four splendid seasons. a simply abundant year to be savored.” 

We don’t have to wait for a new year to begin to be inspired to change for the better or to be motivated to try new things. The start of a new year is just made up or a social construct. We can just as soon change our mindset, lifestyle, anything, in the middle of July. And we can keep up the same old habits into the new year. It’s not about the date but about our inner power and desire, motivation & inspiration, which we can tap into any moment of any day of the year.  Each moment, each breath is a chance for new beginnings. But the new year is symbolic of restored hope and new beginnings. So let’s let it inspire us to feel hope, love, and empowered.

Isn’t the prospect of a New Year thrilling?! I just love the feel of it each year. I have always found it thrilling but tinged with sadness. I never liked saying goodbye, not even to a number given to a year. I would think it’s sad no longer living in the year 1996, 2002, 1999….whatever it was even though it was also happy. But for the last couple of years, I don’t feel that pang of sadness as much. I haven’t experienced as much wistfulness or nostalgia and I’m not in the mood for it either. Nostalgia and longing can be both beautiful and sad. Bittersweet. 

But I’m not always looking to experience bittersweet emotions. Sometimes just sweet is fantastic. 

Also, in 2016, there will be an extra day! 366 bright mornings & starlit evenings! An extra day full of beauty, hope, opportunities, & love!!

😀

Today, at least here in Philadelphia(and quite a few other places), it’s still 2015 though so let’s not forget to cherish these last moments of this year, soak up all the beauty & magic of Now.

And here’s a song for you just because….:-D ❤

I Just Called – Stevie Wonder – mobile

I Just Called – desktop

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Happy Ney Year’s Eve!! ❤
I'm off to Buddhist meditation class later tonight and hope you are having a beautiful day or night wherever you are. ❤

Much love,

Xoxo Kim