Tag Archive | wisdom

BeYOUtiful♡

“I’m not too short, I’m not too tall, I’m not too big, I’m not too small. Ooh, don’t lemme start lovin’ myself! Ooh, don’t lemme start lovin’ myself! I’m not too white, I’m not too black, I’m not too this, I’m not too that…. I’m beautiful, dammit.”

Check out my under-eye wrinkles. I love to put pretty effects/filters on my pictures to make them look glossy or make the colors pop and things like that. I was going to post this pic on Instagram with inspiring song lyrics (not the ones above) and was looking for a filter to put on the pic, not to cover anything up but just to make it glossier and fix the lighting, things like that.

I found a filter called “portrait” and love it! It makes the pic look glossy and bright but not overly bright to where it looks washed out or grainy. And then I noticed what that photo effect does to my under-eye wrinkles. It covers them up and makes my skin look almost flawless. My wrinkles don’t show up clearly in every pic but as you can see, they definitely do in this one.

I wasn’t completely sure what they’re called at first, lines? Wrinkles? Laughlines? So i looked it up on Google. Lol Turns out, they are wrinkles. And every single thing that showed up on Google, that I saw, page after page, after page, is how to get rid of them, conceal them, or lessen them, makeup, medical procedures, home remedies, lifestyle changes….it struck me how much I don’t mind that I have them. In this society (U.S., where I live), we (especially girls/women, it seems), are very much pressured to look certain ways and to look as young as possible, years, even decades younger than we are. We’re not supposed to have wrinkles or gray hair or laugh lines or stretch marks or extra flubber or under eye bags….the list goes on & on & on.

Seeing all these Google search results with all these women so desperately searching for ways to get rid of & cover up these wrinkles and seeing all these companies desperate to sell their products to help us perfect our skin, I experience deep compassion for all of those girls who obsess and feel so self conscious and like they aren’t enough just how they are. What a blessing it is to not only not mind our wrinkles but to actually find them beautiful. And I do find my under-eye wrinkles incredibly beautiful. And not only mine but beautiful on every face.

They are signs of years of living, years of wisdom, years of laughter, experience, smiles, pain….good & bad, happy & sad….

Getting older, aging, old age, middle age, signs of aging….is not something to regret or conceal or fret about. It just is and is a blessing. More years living means more years loving & experiencing.

So here I am sharing my picture with no filter/effect at all, flaunting my wrinkles. In this picture, I have on blue eyeshadow and light bronze eyeliner and that’s it.

I am sharing this in the hope that anyone feeling low about wrinkles or any signs of aging will be inspired and embrace it instead. I have scars on my right leg (and much lighter ones on the left) on different parts because I was attacked by a dog on a few occasions. My scars are permanent. My skin on my legs used to be flawless. I see so many pictures of girls flaunting their perfect legs and I have no problem with it at all. I’m so happy they love their bodies and want to show them off and I love seeing beautiful women of all sizes, colors, ages, appearances and love celebrating their beauty, both inner & outer beauty, as well as my own.

Sometimes though, I feel a pang, deep inside, a longing, when I see those perfect legs, knowing mine can never again be like that. My scars arent terrible but are very noticeable. I’m not self conscious about them at all but still sometimes wish that I never got them. Then I see other girls, with way more obvious scars than me, big, beautiful, deep surgical scars, that they share in pictures, along with their stories of perseverance, inner strength, courage and self love and I am inspired. I’m reminded to accept my scars, embrace them, love them. They’re part of me and they tell a story, one of trauma, fear, pain, hope, healing, love.

So I know that showing off my wrinkles and loving them, can potentially inspire another woman to not feel so low about hers. This isn’t a post against covering up scars, wrinkles….or any blemishes. It’s about accepting and loving who/what we are and loving the body we are blessed with. Nothing wrong with concealing anything. Whatever floats your boat! But some things can’t be concealed or ever go away. So let’s love them. And even if they can be covered up or gotten rid of, love them in the process! It’s beautiful, all the things the body can do, get sick, injured, then heal. Move around, allow us to experience, carry organs, a heart that pumps non stop day & night. Awe-inspiring!

I’m Beautiful (song/youtube)

Much love & light to you, always! And remember to be your own kind of beautiful! ♡

Xoxo Kim

If you could be….

Sep27

Just for fun…..
If you could be any….

month/animal/car/food/color/household appliance/clothing/shoes/alcoholic beverage/song/character in novel

1.) Month -May – I would choose a month in Spring because Spring is the season of rebirth. It symbolizes hope and is so life affirming. I love the concept more than the season itself and Spring seems to be the most fragrant season, smelling of sweet flowers & grass. So lovely

2.) Animal – dog – dogs are often known for being cute, cuddly, friendly, & bestfriends – Who doesn’t want to be these things?!

3.) Food -Pizza- Pizza is loved by those of all ages, kids & adults alike! It’s simple and fun for parties and movie nights and just yummy! It seems like a fun food to be! And can be dressed up with various toppings!

4.) Color – green – Green, like Spring, is life affirming and I always loved it for that. It’s symbolic of growth & health. Just like Spring, I love the concept more than the color itself, though the color is pretty also.

5.) Household appliance- heater/heating system – They are warm and welcoming & comforting. Imagine being out in a bitter cold Winter night all blustery and the wind nipping at your skin then walking into a warm, cozy house or apartment or any building & the heat is just there waiting to wrap you in a warm, comforting embrace! I want to be that for others. ♡

6.) Clothing- bra – sexy and supportive, a great thing to be! lol 😉

7.) Alcoholic beverage- Bubblegum vodka because it’s sweet & playful…..like me! 😉

8.) Shoes- Stilettos because they’re sexy & confident

9.) Car – Purple lamborghini because they’re sexy, impressive, & expensive! Lol N I love the color purple! ♡ It’s an unusual and fun color for a car. I have seen one like this in person.

(Not my photo)

This thing costs a pretty penny! Over $200,000 – Holy guacamole, costs more than my house!

10.) Song – Sailing sung by Christopher Cross – It’s a song that deeply resonates with me, not just the words but the tune, his voice, everything, I don’t know exactly why – I just have this mysterious connection to it. I can imagine being this song, so light and beautiful, deep

“Sailing takes me away to where I’ve always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free

Fantasy, it gets the best of me
When I’m sailing
All caught up in the reverie, every word is a symphony” ♡

Sailing – Christopher Cross

Song gives me chills!

11.) Character in a novel- Alex – Alex is a character in a beautiful novel called My Grandfather’s Eyes. She’s a kind of psycho and tried to kill her husband just because she did not want to be married to him anymore. She also fantasized about killing a girl just because the girl annoyed her. She has psychopathic traits but there are three people she loves unconditionally, the only three people she has ever loved, her grandfather (she has his eyes) & her best friend, Lizzy, who she is romantically in love with and has been since they were kids(but Lizzy is a straight girl). She also loves her self.

When I started reading the book I was repulsed by Alex but then I came to love her. She’s not a very lovable character and it’s easy to judge her negatively but I came to see beauty in her. She has a deformity on her face that people are shocked by and stare at her. Kids made fun of her as a child. But Alex always refused to get cosmetic surgery. She loves herself just the way she is. I read so many books with compassionate, loving, kind characters who are so easy to love but I chose Alex, the psycho. Lol Of course I don’t actually want to be her for real but it’s a fun thought experiment.

Here is what Alex says about 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.”

I’m in love with this! How beautiful! She doesn’t care about her age or her deformity across her face, or what others think of her. To her, she is beautiful and that’s all that matters! ♡ It’s rare to meet a woman like this in reality, a woman so in love with her own imperfections, deformities, scars, her own face, her own body, a girl who doesn’t care about her age or what others think about her flaws. Perfect!

So here are my answers! If you want, take the survey and I’ll check it out, either on your own blog or right here in the comments!

Also, this may be a bit random but there’s an adorable golden retriever girl I take care of and her brother. Dalia & Trigo. ♡ They were rescued and adopted out of a golden retriever rescue organization. I have been taking care of them for almost a year. They are the most calm, gentle, balanced dogs I have ever met. And two of the sweetest, most loving. I can feel the loving energy just radiating whenever I’m near them. In the almost year I have known them, I never once heard them bark. I knew they probably bark sometimes when their mommy & daddy are with them but couldn’t imagine it. Today on our walk, Dalia just started barking with this loud, deep bark! Lol I havent a clue what she was barking at. I was so amazed and find it so adorable! Little things like that just make me laugh & smile. So I find it worth mentioning here since it’s something I think is important and cute. ♡ The simplest things just brighten my day! 😀

♡♡♡♡♡ I love these sweet babies. Such beauties.

Much love & light to you, always! I hope you are having a beautiful day or night wherever in the world you are! ♡

Xoxo Kim

Essence.

Sep27

“I do not think there is anyone who takes quite such a fierce pleasure in things being themselves as I do. The startling wetness of water excites and intoxicates me: the fieriness of fire, the steeliness of steel, the unutterable muddiness of mud.” ♡

Let’s remember the extraordinary in the ordinary! Even the most mundane things are magical when we pay attention! Things are beautiful just how they are. And sentient beings also. ♡ 😀

Much love & light to you, always

Xoxo Kim ♡

A Light in the Darkness♡

Sep26

“I was alone in the forest meditating. At nightfall, my only company was the flickering light from a kerosene lamp that someone gave. The little it may be, that light gave me strength to keep on striving. It taught me to remember the kindness of others no matter how simple or how small the acts appear to be. A Light in the darkness is a gift we must always remember.” ♡

There’s a song I love so much called A Light in the Darkness. It’s a Buddhist hymn but can apply to everyone. It’s seriously the most inspiring song I have ever heard! It’s about seeing light, being Light even in the darkest places. It’s so empowering.

There’s a cafe somewhat close to where I live. The owner of the cafe is one of the most caring, kind, friendliest people you can meet. He loves animals & warmly welcomes all the doggies! He has free treats & water out for them. ♡

I don’t know him but had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of occasions. He is very well loved in the community. Recently, he suffered a massive heart attack and has been in a hospital, unresponsive for a few days. He is in critical condition and his family & friends/coworkers and all who know him are devastated and fearful.

They don’t know if he’s ever going to wake up. I was walking by the cafe and saw this door. All these people, friends, family, coworkers, strangers, customers…all stopped to express love to Sal and his family. ♡ Each one of these people has brought light into this dark, dark place. Even though I don’t know Sal and probably only seen him on no more than two or three occasions, I felt so much warmth, love, light, & gratitude upon seeing all these sweet messages of love for him. I was inspired to write one myself.

This is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. All these notes written in love and put on display to inspire others to act in love.

I already had this post planned before I learned about Sal’s devastating situation. After seeing all the love just pouring in, I decided to incorporate it into my post here. It’s the perfect example of Light in the darkness.

“Its flame burns to comfort lost feeling. Its flame burns to comfort lost feeling. A light in the darkness can be seen from afar. Burn of fire for the comfort of many.”

Each day there are little gems of hope all over the place, slivers of light, Earth angels….let’s focus on them no matter how dark it may get where we are. Every favor someone does for us, every smile, every act of kindness we experience/witness, every thing that goes good, let’s give thanks. They are all lights in the darkness.

Whatever we are experiencing…grief, anxiety, physical pain, depression, anger, breakup of some sort, job loss, betrayal by someone we trusted, regrets, happiness, joy, beginnings, good things, success of different kinds, new job, new relationships/friendships….., let’s remember the kindness of others.

And let’s remember to BE kind to others even on those occasions it may be difficult.

“If you have no light in your heart, find one, light one…..If you have a light already burning, let it burn, let it burn, let it burn, let it burn, let it burn, let it burn.”

A Light in the Darkness – desktop

A light in the Darkness – Wayfarers – mobile

Remember if you have no light in your heart, find one, light one. Smile at strangers, perform an act of kindness for other sentient beings of any species, write a note wishing someone well even if we don’t know the person, say something kind even if we are angry, give to others, write a gratitude list….& if you have a light already burning, let it burn.

Let it burn.

~Hugs~♡♡♡

Also, my love & compassion go out to Sal and his family, including his family of friends & coworkers and customers. I hope so desperately that he will recover. ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Much love & light to you, always

xoxo Kim ♡

Om Mani Padme Hum♡

Sep19

“With devotion and trust, we will bring the Buddha’s love into our hearts, and from there we expand it gradually until it embraces infinite beings. The idea is similar to sunbathing. As our body absorbs the sun’s heat, it becomes warm and gradually emanates that warmth into our surroundings. In the same way, through devotion and trust in the Buddha, we immerse our mind in his unconditional love, which we then radiate to those around us.” ♡

How beautiful! When our head is filled with love, kindness, light, compassion, joy, happiness, gratitude…it radiates positive energy/vibrations to everyone & everything around us. And when our head is filled with anger, vengeful intentions, jealousy….that’s the energy that goes out to everyone. What kind of energy/vibrations do we want to be sending out into the uni-verse? Not that toxic energy, hopefully! So let’s choose positivity!

Think about things to be thankful for, take a deep breath (if we can, if we have breathing difficulties/allergies, this can be difficult so just take whatever breath we can!) and let trivial things slide even if we’re annoyed or angry, let other people’s happiness & success inspire & motivate us instead of feeling jealous, surround our selves with pleasant colors & things that resonate with us, reading uplifting books & quotes, listen to happy songs, be kind even when we may not feel very kind, smile at strangers and make eye contact, hold our tongue if we have the urge to lash out, save insects, share food with stray animals, reach out and touch someone’s hand, give someone, human or animal, a hug/kiss, do good even if it’s not known or appreciated by others….and let Love prevail.

There’s a Buddhist song I love, Law of Karma, and the man sings “Avoid the bad, do only good.”

Listen here:

Law of Karma – mobile

Law of Karma – desktop

So beautiful & inspiring! Whether or not we believe in karma, it’s a beautiful concept to do good as much as we can and avoid the bad. It will surely contribute to happiness in this life. I’m so inspired when I hear him sing “Do only good.” Not mostly good. Only good.

Imagine how much Light we will be filled with and radiate, when all that we do is done in love. Just imagine! It won’t always be easy and we may not succeed right away but it’s an incredible goal to have and to work on. Do as much good as we can, be as loving as possible and eventually we will do only good and be as infinitely & deeply loving as the Buddha! ♡

I’m wishing you much love & light today & always! ♡♡♡ Hugs to you!

Xoxo Kim

♡more

Sep8

“A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.”

Love, can be expressed/experienced in various ways. It can be a feeling of affection, romantic or platonic, that isn’t acted upon and also a verb/action. Whenever we do something kind for others or wish someone well, whether we know those beings or not, we are experiencing/expressing love. I saw this today while walking one of my babies and after taking him home, I walked back to get a picture! I love all the inspiring messages I see around!

It’s a beautiful message to love more, in general. Let’s love whoever & whatever is around to be loved. ♡

I hope you are having a beautiful day or night wherever in the world you are!

Much love & light,

Xoxo Kim

No act of kindness is ever wasted ♡

Sep5

I saw this outside of a bar this morning, while walking one of my babies. (An adorable pitbull!) ♡ When I read the first part, I automatically thought how sweet it is that a saying like that is chalked on the building of a bar! Then I quickly saw the last part and burst out laughing! Lol How funny!

Anyway, I very much agree with the first part! No matter how seemingly small or simple an act of kindness is and even if it’s not appreciated by the recipient of the kind act, it’s never wasted! It generates positive energy and is a beautiful way to live. Sometimes I see social media posts or hear people in person speak about how they are too kind and it’s not appreciated and how they have to stop being so caring. I hope people won’t stop being kind and caring no matter what. We need all the kind, caring people we can get! Why regret something we do out of love for others?!

I love this funny, lighthearted, & inspiring quote I came across this morning!!

I hope you are having a beautiful day or night wherever you are! ♡♡♡

Much love & light to you always,

Xoxo Kim

Stay. ♡

Aug22

“There’s going to be days when you don’t want to be here anymore. You just STAY. You fucking stay. Somewhere out there, somebody needs your voice — I promise. I swear to God, your laughter is someone’s saving grace. Hold on tight, baby. The sun is coming for you.” ♡

This quote is attributed to Erin Van Vuren. I don’t know if that’s correct. She seems to curse a lot in her quotes! Lol Maybe some people think profanity is a good way to express passion more strongly? Anyway, this quote (and the beautiful heart!) is a great reminder to anyone struggling with suicidal tendencies or depressive illness.

That’s why I chose this heart. It’s a beautiful reminder. When things get too difficult, painful, scary, confusing, dull, numb, or whatever, stay.

Stay.

If you are contemplating if you should stay or go, please stay!

Much love & light to you, always! I hope you are having a beautiful day or night wherever you are! ♡♡♡

Xoxo Kim

No bad days♡

Aug22

I was walking a dog one day (an adorable German Shorthair Pointer! I love him to pieces! ♡) and saw a cup in a window of a store that says no bad days. I don’t drink out of cups like that but decided I would go back later and buy the cup anyway because the saying on it is so very inspiring. No bad days. That has been my life philosophy for as long as I can remember. To me, there’s no such thing as a “bad day.”

Even if I’m severely depressed, my chronic pain is flaring up, I’m struggling with a raw grief flareup, I’m just in a bad mood, it’s 100 degrees…..that doesn’t constitute a “bad day.” Any day I’m alive and can experience, is actually a good day because I can choose what to focus on. Everyday has good & bad and I have the ability to choose which to dwell on. Sometimes it will be easier to focus on the good than others but I always have that choice even if some occasions it takes some extra work.

The saying on the cup deeply resonates with me so later I went back to buy it but decided to look around the store and found this planner with the same saying! One left on the shelf! I would much prefer a notebook/planner than a cup! So I bought it instead! And the sweet girl at the register gave me a discount because the coloring on the book got faded by the sun. I had no idea and thought it was made like that and think it looks even better with the washed out look.

I dont use it as a planner but just to write inspiring quotes and things. And it came with stickers!

This is my gratitude journal! ♡

Me having a great day, this morning! 😀 ♡

I hope you are having a beautiful day or night, wherever in the world you are! ♡

Much love & light to you, always!

Xoxo Kim

Kindness♡

Jul10

(Diane – July 14, 1956 – February 14, 2015)

“Treat everyone with kindness, even those who are rude to you – not because they are kind, but because you are.”

I wrote this about a week ago but never posted it so here it is!

Recently, I have had some difficult interactions with some people acting unreasonably and petty. I have been pissed for the last couple days and so distressed it triggered a severe flareup of my chronic pain disorder. Last night I laid awake in agony. It was one of my worst experiences. I felt like I was going insane. And it’s all my own doing. I let those people drive me to this point.
Today when I was out walking, I caught myself thinking of ways to unleash my anger in unpleasant ways. I wanted people to know what I think of them (it’s definitely not kind, loving thoughts!) and I realized that my usual kind, loving, patient self was pushed aside and very unpleasant, destructive emotions took the place of the love & patience I usually experience & display.

While I was standing there dwelling on my resentment for the people I had unpleasant encounters with and conjuring up unkind ways to let them know of my resentment, I thought of Diane. My close friend who always talked to and about me and bragged about me like I was her own daughter. She has three sons and grandchildren but no daughter of her own. Her love for me always seemed like a mother’s love.

I used to have it planned to have a job working with people with “extra/special” needs. Diane knew that those kinds of jobs arent the easiest and not always pleasant. She worked at a hospital for a while. She told me one of her worst fears was that I would lose my patience, softness, warmth, kindness….if I had to encounter people who are not easy to deal with. She said she couldn’t bear to think of me changing. As I write this, my heart wells up with gratitude, love, warmth….someone who loved me so much, the real me, that she was terrified of me changing! To have a love like that is a blessing. Diane is no longer is this world and I still struggle so hard with my deep grief, even years later, but not once since losing her have I ever felt that I lost her love. I carry it with me always. Her love for me will survive as long as I do. And even longer since I have stories about her in my writing here.

Diane wasn’t what people would probably describe as “warm” or “soft.” She was loud, assertive, sarcastic, outspoken. We knew when she was pissed, when she had a problem with us, when she was fed up, when she loved us; she did not hold back. On multiple occasions, she threatened to kick my ass. The very last word I heard her say before she was taken so suddenly, so unexpectedly, was “unfuckingbelievable.” She said this then slammed a window in my face. I still smile & laugh when I remember this.

She cursed a lot and even yelled at people. But she was deeply compassionate, extremely generous, caring, loving…she cared for people with drug addiction, mental health problems, financial problems(which she struggled with herself). She always gave to others what she hardly had herself. She would go above & beyond to help people; even those who wouldn’t do the same for her.

She never gossiped about others. If she had something to say, she said it right to our faces. She wasn’t always pleasant, though she often was. I did not always care for her sarcasm, especially when I first met her, many years ago. She did not have the patience I have. But I have always loved her (and still love her!) just how she was.

I love how she did not want me to be like her; she wanted me to be just how I am. Always.

Since she died a couple years ago I have struggled to find ways to honor her life. I have a silver necklace with her name engraved, have performed acts of kindness in her memory, posted things about her…all which I find healing to some degree. But I have just kept having this inkling that there must be more. A more profound way to keep her memory, her love going. And I have longed for a deeper healing.

Then as I was standing outside, contemplating a kind of revenge, giving into thoughts & emotions of anger, aggression, destruction….I thought of her and her worst fear. Her fear that I would let others drag me down to the point that I stop being kind, patient, loving, warm. And I made the decision right then and there that for her, I won’t give in. I won’t give into the temptation to seek revenge, to lash out, to say or do something unkind to someone for doing that to me. I would never become bitter & unkind completely but I can temporarily slip into those things.

There may be occasions in this life that I will be less patient, less kind, less warm, than I am, but I will let Diane’s love for me, wash over me and inspire me to let my love ultimately prevail. I choose to not let this difficult situation with these difficult people drag me so low that I act in destructive ways towards them or myself.

What better way to honor Diane than to keep shining my own light, the light she was so afraid would be snuffed by difficult circumstances? I will keep shining, keep smiling, and keep trying to lift others along the way. ♡

I would love to invite everyone to join me on my journey of love!

I hope you are having a beautiful day or night wherever in the world you are. ♡ Hugs to you. ♡

Much love & light, always,

Xoxo Kim