Good Question!

     From the pen of Cynthia James, some powerful and interesting questions to ponder:
Are you treating yourself the way you want to be treated?
Are you honoring and respecting yourself and asking others to do the same?
Are you caring for your body temple and presenting your best self every time that you leave your house?
Are you being the love that you desire?
What would your life be like if you loved yourself so deeply that the world had no choice but to love you back?
     Hmmmmm....
     Have a great week!
            Leta

"We have rain!"

     Our area has been blessed with rain over the past couple of days.
     I was reminded of the words of Gregg Braden and an unnamed Tibetan monk that "the feeling is the prayer," and when we pray asking for something, it means we don't have it, and we are reinforcing that belief. Jesus said to pray, BELIEVING, that what you seek already exists. So all the past week, I've been chanting to myself, "We have rain." I've also been adding the imaginative aspects of how things smell when it rains, the squishy feeling of the soaked ground, the glorious beauty of rain droplets on our bald cypress tree. This morning when I stepped outside, all those imagined things were a reality. We have rain!
    Just a reminder (to myself as well as my readers) that this practice applies to more than rain!
        Happy Holiday Weekend!
             Leta

Domestic Goddess

     Today is Monday, which usually includes for me a couple loads of laundry and a trip to the grocery store. Everyone does those two activities at some point during the week. How do you see them? Drudgery? "Have to"? "I hate doing laundry"?
     There was a time in my life wherein I had so much back pain that I couldn't do the laundry. I was on bed rest, so that I couldn't leave the house. I was ecstatic when I had healed enough to do laundry and shop for groceries again.
     One of my special talents is being able to see alternatives. So in this instance, I have applied the term "domestic goddess" to those rather mundane chores of the household. It makes me smile and feel better, and to me, it adds additional value to me completing those tasks.
     Can you come up with a nickname for yourself doing your less-enjoyable tasks? Please share it!
Love from a DG,
     Leta

Beauty

     As I look out my woman cave office window this morning, I see beauty. Iris and peonies blooming. Green grass (we got rain!!!). Trees. Greenery with flowers to come.
     We see beauty because it is a part of us. We are beautiful and beloved creations of Spirit.
     This is Mother's Day. I appreciate the beautiful gestures of all those who have nurtured me. My own mother left the planet about 35 years ago. She was a very beautiful woman.
     I encourage you today to see the beauty in yourself, your mother, and all the feminine influences in your life, including our loving earth mother, Gaia. We are so blessed.
     I am grateful to BE a mom!
          Love to all,
             Leta

"We will not regret the past nor nor wish to shut the door on it."

     This blog title is one of the Promises of Recovery from the AA Big Book.
     I was given the assignment in my Self Mastery Project group to write my "Once Upon a Time" story. This fits well with the title--my story is where I came from and what's shaped me, and I've released the trauma of it, yet I appreciate the person I've come to be. I wouldn't be who I am without it!
     So here's what I wrote: Once upon a time a princess was born into a family of chaos--Mom, Dad, Arlie (age 16), Ken (age 14). Mom, Dad and Arlie adored her. Ken spent his whole life crazy jealous of her, and spent his first four years with her being as abusive as possible. Eventually the physical abuse stopped (I bit him!), but the verbal and emotional abuse continued. My family's most consistent behavior was substance abuse--food, cigarettes, alcohol. Food = love, and I became a food addict. My grandma (Mom's mother) died suddenly of a heart attack when I was four years old, and I lived in terror that my mom would die. I was fat all my school years, and bullied and teased because of it. My way to excel was good grades-- valedictorian, then college and MBA degrees. Mom and Dad had a "we live in the same house, but really can't stand each other" relationship, insanely passive aggressive. Mom died of cancer when I left home. Yes, there is a connection--I was her last reason to live. THAT was a big load of baggage to release! Weight and food issues have been part of my whole life. My spiritual journey began in earnest in 1988 with a 12-step program and Unity Church. From the bottom I hit in 1987, my life has improved by quantum leaps, and I love my life, all of it!
     Thanking Spirit continuously for excellent life guidance!
             Leta

Lifespan

     Oh, my, how just the right words, at just the right time, when I am at just the right level of awareness, so much becomes clear. And afterwards, there's that DUH! feeling, which to me is an indicator of some concept moving from my head to my heart.
     I was in a webinar last night with my magnificent mentor, Dr. Chris Michaels, and he was speaking of how everything has a lifespan.  Here's the quote he offered:

"Spiritual leaders know that everything has a lifespan. An approach or strategy that used to work perfectly in an organization will go through a period where it moves from totally effective to completely ineffective.  In the end, everything must change and everything that used to work, stops working.  Those who resist this natural phenomenon will become stagnant and immaterial.  Those who embrace it will adapt to change by creating new strategies and remain relevant."

     Everything, whether in an organization or life in general, has a lifespan! For years I have struggled mightily with the concepts of failure and disappointment. This idea of lifespan ends that struggle. I am completely content with the idea of things naturally and organically passing into other more dynamic things. Oh, yes, it's a DUH!, I realize. But it takes a huge burden off my spirit, and for that I am crazy grateful.

     Going with the flow,

          Leta

Some Fun and Useful Stuff

     There's an app for that. Of course there is! This post is about some fun things I've found to be useful in terms of supporting my positive attitude in life.
     Using Google Drive, I've created several documents that show up both on my laptop and on my smartphone, which can be updated from either place, and the changes show up right away on the other device. I have three files I especially like and use daily:
     1. My goals--this file includes those, as well as my vision, core values, and my list of goals completed.
     2. A list of inspirational/motivational quotes.
     3. My Win List--this comes from Inspired & Unstoppable by Tama Kieves. It's a daily notation of successes and instances wherein the Universe has supported me. It's not a to-do list check-off, it's more powerful than that. An example: "Retirement planning meeting indicates we are in WAY better shape for retirement than we realized!" It's an awesome thing to see a long list of wins piling up.
     I'm training myself, for instance while sitting and waiting, to review these files rather than play a game on my phone.
     An app that's fun and useful is BugMe--you can create "post-it notes to self" that pop up on your phone at scheduled time(s) each day. It's a great way to keep affirmations or goals in front of you.
     Dang, why didn't I get a smartphone sooner?!?
Having more fun than ever,
                Leta