You make me smile

with my heart! :)

Be Strong, Be Powerful, but be a woman

You can be a strong woman and still be soft. You can be independent and still need people. Finding a balance between strong and independent and learning how to trust and allow someone else to be there can be a challenge. I have lived alone now for almost 4 years, and I have been on this amazing journey of self discovery and self awareness. I feel so good in my own skin and know that while I have things I want to change about who I am, there are so many things about me that I feel are awesome. Learning to focus on what you have to offer and not the things that you are insecure about is hard. We always tend to, okay, I always tend to see what I need to work on or change. I have been making a conscious effort lately to really embrace what I have to give others and what about me is good. This life we have is so short, and so precious. I just want to laugh and smile to bring light into other peoples lives as well. I love this journey, it is so rugged, and yet so smooth sometimes. The twists and turns have led to this place that I am at now. I am blessed beyond belief and truly thank God everyday for all that I have. What I don't have right now will all come in time. The things that will define me as I get older are not things that you can hold in your hand, they are not tangible, but instead they are the things I have to offer that can't be seen.

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“Too often we are so preoccupied with the destination, we forget the journey.”

My thoughts as the new year approaches

This year has been a trying one with many bumps in the road for me. I am stronger because of it, however I am definitely looking forward to the new year and what it brings. The idea of what could be gets me excited and makes me want to jump right into 2010. Bring it on, I am ready for the challenges and most of all for the happy times, I hope this year brings more laugh lines then I can handle. I am prepared for an amazing year!

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"Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb."

~ Sir Winston Churchill

Some things that make me happy

Waking up to my cat Ella giving me morning kisses.

Listening to my favorite Christmas songs.

Seeing the Christmas lights on the houses as I drive home at night.

The look on a childs face when they see something that amazes them and they can not contain there excitement.

a warm blanket on a cold night.

a big hug.

The sound of the rain on the roof.

My family and the constant love and support they show me on a daily basis.

My Nephew when he says Auntie Tawa - he can and does make everday of my life worth living, love that little man.

Holding a microphone and singing, fills my heart with ridiculous joy.

The quiet first thing in the morning before the day starts, it is still in the winter, and in the spring you can hear the sounds of the birds.

The feeling of the grass under my feet in the summer, it always feels so cool.

Laughter of any kind. It is contagious and we should hear more of it in our lives.

Long hot baths with a big glass of red wine.

Fresh flowers that brighten a whole room.

Hearing an awesome song that I can sing to at the top of my lungs come on the radio after a really long day!

to be cont.

Trust

Trust is a concept I used to be really great at. I would trust someone right away and not question. I now have reached the other end of the spectrum where I do not trust at all right away. I am learning that you need to put a little trust in someone or something, but also keep a clear head about it all. No one and no thing in your life is perfect, life and the people around you will let you down. That is reality. However I am learning to try and not let it all sour me to the person that I am. I am naturally a person that follows my heart, and I will do that continually throughout the course of my life. However I am also learning that I need to be more aware of my life and know when to put a hold on that trust in certain situations. It is a learning curve I think we all go through over and over again in life. It is not a bad thing, and I just need to find a certain balance with it all. Wearing my heart on my sleeve is part of what makes me who I am, and for that I am thankful. Life is short, I want to constantly embrace the moments. Some will make me laugh, some cry, but at the end of my amazing life, they will all be the things that made me who I am. In the words of one of my favorite poets Maya Angelou:

I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.