Happy Monday! I realize that many of you might be running for cover because of the Hurricane; if you're stuck inside and have access to an electronic reader, I highly recommend picking up any of the following reads, they will inspire you, perhaps help heal some old wounds and make your life a lot brighter. I've enjoyed reading all three.
A hip guide to address any negative feelings you may have, including fear, anger, etc. With her personal experience and her suggested guided meditations, she'll help you find your inner guidance, balance and happiness. We can all use a reminder, n'est-ce pas?
My yoga teacher recommended this one, written by Toronto yogi, Michael Stone. I really appreciated his suggestions on how to bring yoga off the mat and into your daily life. Certain chapters really spoke to me, especially those about the environment, excessive consumerism and the virtues of patience and humble receiving.
I adored this book. I read it twice. I wrote to the author to let her know. If you're a writer or work in any creative sphere, I can't begin to tell you how great and helpful this book can be.
May your week be filled with peace, no matter how forceful the storm.
I came across this article on Positively Positive, and thought it was lovely and touching, I'm now sharing it with you. It's about savoring the little things that make life so special.
No matter what big cities you go off to and big opportunities you are
graced with, always take time to acknowledge the little things.
Never give up on the things that make you smile, because smiling is one of the most important things we can do in this world.
Find time to just wander. With No Direction. No Plan. No Time Restrictions.
Look
for beauty everywhere you go. The ladybugs on the windowsill. The
sunflowers in the backyard. The skyscrapers in a new city. The faces of
strangers and family alike.
Form family in every place. Form
family by reaching out a hand to people who need to hold one, calling
someone to brighten their day, giving up your time for others with no
exasperation of ever needing to have those minutes repaid.
Leap. Leap High. Leap Far. Leap when you see the landing point. Leap when you see nothing but darkness.
Find
God in the nooks of this world. Find God everywhere around you. Help
others find him too. Because others are looking, and some don’t even
know it.
It’s worth repetition: Stay a lover of little
things. Spider Webs. Children Laughing. Band Aids. Light Weight
Sneakers. Coins. Cheetos.
Refuse to keep your feelings
bottled up: cry, scream, yell, stomp your feet, spit. Do whatever it
takes to feel outside of your own mind.
Go to concerts. Dance on stage. Be the best damn tambourine player you can be. Have a crush on the lead singer.
Be
unafraid of your heart: Whatever and whoever makes it beat. You could
keep it sheltered forever if you please, but hearts become more
versatile the more we use them. Better that we risk them breaking
through good use rather than breaking them from never using them at all.
Wake
up every day with the intention of painting something beautiful. Some
days, you won’t feel like you have all the right colors. These days,
borrow colors from others.
Carry a kazoo wherever you go. You will
continually stumble across people who are having a birthday and are in
need of a good song.
Aspire to be something wonderful. Something Remarkable. Every Single Day.
Don’t
pay too much attention to all of the hubbub about ultraviolet rays. The
sun is far too glorious to not let it kiss your face and plant freckles
on your shoulders sometimes.
Drop everything. Absolutely everything. For a good friend in need.
Nothing
in this world stops you from being an artist, a dancer, the best writer
this world has ever seen. If anyone stops you, it is only yourself.
Counting
Blessings. Don’t count calories too crazily. Count kisses (especially
the forehead ones). Never ever worry about counting friends. Don’t count
money before you have it.
Ask outlandish questions.
You can tell a lot about a person by asking the question, “If you had one night to be any performer on stage, who would it be?”
Be
good to people but don’t give them everything or every part of you.
Especially if there is evidence that they may tamper with your heart.
Take long walks on the beach.
Walk sometimes instead of drive.
One
last thing on walking, take time every day to walk outside of yourself.
You will quickly find that the world does not revolve around you, and
sorry to say, it never did.
And remember: Stay a lover of
little things no matter how big your dreams may be. Stamps. Sonnets. Hot
Chocolate. Dessert. Songs that read your soul. Tears of Joy. Tears, in
general.
Home is not so much a noun as it is a cross
between an adjective and a verb. Be home to someone. Hold close to those
who feel like home.
Add something sequined, silver, or red to any
outfit you wear out for a night. A silver bangle never fails, and
patent red pumps are unstoppable at any age.
Write poems.
Without rhyming or worry about iambic pentameter. Without judging them.
Just write poems because they are groovy and we are all poets.
Make pet names with every letter of the alphabet. Leave no B, G, or E unused.
Start
the morning quietly. When you step outside or get stuck in your dose of
morning traffic, you will have wished you had that solitude.
Make your efforts big but remain little. No one likes a big head.
When
you feel a pulling in your heart or a weight on your chest, don’t push
off the feeling. Let it flood you, push you around, challenge you. Under
pressure, diamonds are made. Welcome darkness and welcome change.
Never stop asking yourself, “What do I want to be when I grow up?”
Not
everyone in life is going to care about you, your favorite breakfast
foods, or your pet peeves. Don’t even try to make them. Just appreciate
those who come into your life and do care.
Have coffee or tea in the morning. Or just something warm. Feel the warmth on your hands. Let it spread to your soul.
Don’t
expect the world to understand all that you attempt to do. Your dreams
will only fly if you first give them wings. And another thing, let the
world think you are crazy. Crazy is good.
And never
forget: Stay a lover of little things, above all else. Prayers. Pearls.
Compliments. Movie Nights. Letters from Home…Home.
And those who believed in you first.
Hannah Brencher
is a writer, speaker, and creator pinning her passion to projects that
bring the human touch back into the digital age. After spending a year
writing and mailing over 400 love letters to strangers across the world,
Hannah launched The World Needs More Love Letters in August 2011
Happy Monday!! I hope you enjoyed a lovely weekend!
I managed to gets lots of writing done, which makes me very happy (and tired!) Wishing I could just lounge around in a cashmere blanket today...What about you? Wishing you all a wonderful week.
We must combine the toughness of the serpent with the softness of the dove, a tough mind and tender heart. -Martin Luther King Jr.
Happy Friday!! I hope you enjoyed a wonderful week! Mine was busy and exciting, with a few fabulous events ( you can read about them in French here) and lots of work. Looking forward to some down time this weekend.
Speaking of fabulous events, there's an exciting one coming up In New York, just in time to replenish your fall and winter wardrobe.
Lucky is hosting its ninth annual LUCKY SHOPS event November 1st – 3rd in NYC with a VIP charity event on November 1st – hosted by Grammy® Award-winning recording artist, Jennifer Hudson.
Now in its ninth year, LUCKY SHOPS has become the benchmark for all
shopping events, bringing the pages of the magazine to life with a
unique mix of established and up-and-coming designer brands
at a variety of price points. Lucky’s team of experts have carefully edited and selected their favorite fashions, shoes, jewelry and more with items selling at
up to 70%off retail.Shoppers will also enjoy music, refreshments, giveaways and much more!
*To purchase tickets and for more information, please visit
LuckyShops.com
Where:
82Mercer @ 82 Mercer Street between Spring and Broome Streets, New York City
I have a confession to make: I've been procrastinating. Big time. Yes, I've been putting off facing the blank page again....Why? Out of fear, of course. Fear of failure, fear of ridicule and most importantly fear of not being able to do it again. Writing a novel is like climbing a mountain. A big frickin' mountain. For me, it's Everest x 100.
When it's done it's totally exhilarating, like giving birth I suppose. In my case, I cry, I dance, I jump for joy, I travel, I see my friends, I shop. Then it's just me and the darn blank page again and it's pretty scary. Back to zero, here I go.
What do I do when I'm afraid? Yesterday is a perfect example: I ate junk food, drank way too much coffee, bought a cheaply crafted blazer for no reason and spent two hours on a luxury shopping site trying to figure out how to pay for a dress I don't need and will never wear. That's what I do: waste time and energy on useless stuff...!
Today however is a different story: I woke up early, feeling determined to take the bull by the horns. I read a good portion of a great book about writing that incorporates yoga as a tool to face your fears: Writing Begins with the Breath( I highly recommend it to all you aspiring writers...), made myself some green juice and headed to my yoga studio for some meditation.
Now I'm feeling ready to face another adventure: I'm almost done writing the first chapter of my third novel and, after I return the blazer, I'll hit chapter number two. My message to you is simple: face your fears and just do it.
You'll be so proud you did. :)
P.S. Stay tuned for some upcoming news about book number two!
(images via Christina Lilly photography via Ruffled)
