The Gifts of 2008

I have spent the last couple of weeks contemplating, reviewing and assessing the last year or so of my life. I broke out of a corporate job that I hated, allowed myself to be open to having learning experiences with a wonderful man and confronted a deep wounded place that I had been carrying around for pretty much all of my life. This woundedness impacted my life in all areas, even though I couldn't admit that. Dealing with it brought on a deep, incapacitating funk of despair, sadness, loss and grief that lasted for a few months. Coming out on the otherside, I am now reclaiming myself and my life, along with my happiness, peace and joy in life.



So, after my contemplation, I have decided to record some of the biggest lessons of my year, some of my (hopefully) more profound insights and some of the things and people for whom I feel thankful.



There is beauty and strength in vulnerability. It is okay to allow others to see this.

The body is the deepest source of personal wisdom and power for me.

The body has its own personality and its own intelligence. It is wise to live life connected to this truth and to the body itself. (Have a body; be in it!)

If I want to be successful in making changes in my life, it is wise to ask my body how it feels about it and if it is willing to participate.

The idleness of the artist is life-giving. It allows me to commune with The Oneness, with my own soul and with the joy inherent in being fully present and alive in my own body.

We can all be artists in living fully and completely, with joy and passion.

The body is truly a Temple of Wisdom, Strength, Power and Truth for me. It is deserving of love and of worship and of respect.

I Am a being who deserves to be happy!

I can now admit to my own patterns of avoidance and resistance. Knowing these patterns allows me to make changes and move through the avoidance/resistance faster.

Judgment happens instantaneously and unconsciously. (Want to change your life? Take control of your mind.)

When I live my life with my heart surrendered open, I am happiest.

With my heart open, I can feel both anger and love, loneliness and Oneness, pain and peace.

Magic happens. (I have a very Magical friend--Miss Gretchen!)

I had asked for so many things over the course of 2008. As I was reading my journal entries, I realized how many of those things I have received. And the ones that I haven't yet received I trust are on their way! (How exciting is that?)

Being my quirky self is giving myself permission to be free. By giving myself permission, I am also giving this same permission to all those in my life.

Kindness matters. Be gentle with everyone--including me.

Perception is huge--it influences many aspects of life. If you want to change your life, just change how you think about the things in your life.

How you do anything is how you do everything.

My thanks and blessings to my children. Each of them has gifted me with an example of how to live life accepting myself and allowing others to see who I really am. My daughter has also been part of creating a wonderful mother/daughter relationship--the one that I always wanted when I was growing up...I just get to be the mom this time! To Steve, what can I say? I don't have words for my feelings...love, gratitude, respect and admiration. To Marielle, for all of your valuable support, wisdom, and willingness to guide me along in my process. To my fantastic rockin' Sisters in spirit--Gretchen, Kathleen, Loralee and Sue...thanks for being my friends and for listening. Thanks to those who have been examples to me of living your passion--Timothy.

"Work is love made visible." ~Kahlil Gibran