Everyday Wholeness

Everyday Wholeness I write these mindful musings to inspire & uplift you. You’re not alone in your crazy thoughts & y

2-26-24 I was recently teaching a class on self-love. As soon as I mentioned the word you could feel a drop of energy in...
02/26/2024

2-26-24 I was recently teaching a class on self-love. As soon as I mentioned the word you could feel a drop of energy in the room. As if it was something to be dreaded, something difficult and overwhelming. The consensus seemed to be: “I want more of it … but…” A multitude of reasons and excuses came forth as to why folks couldn’t or didn’t give themselves more love. Topping the list was “feeling undeserving”, with “it feels selfish” coming in a close second. Even when people believed in it, they realized they didn’t indulge in it more often because it just wasn’t a habit. Hmmmmm.

That non-deserving belief, which I have experienced often, is simply utter bu****it!!! Yes, it is true I make mistakes and I don’t always act and speak in a loving manner. Even so, there is nothing I could ever say or do; there is nothing I “should have” said or done but didn’t, that is a good reason to withhold love, compassion, kindness, or respect from myself. I am human and that’s what humans sometimes do.

We are all human and we will continue to forget our intentions to reside in our hearts and be an instrument of Love, especially to ourselves. It’s OK to forget…and it’s especially OK to show ourselves compassion for that forgetting. We ALL deserve to love ourselves (and let others love us, too, for that matter) and there is absolutely no exceptions to this. I would recommend re-reading the paragraph above to yourself right now, and again, and again whenever you need to.

Showering myself in compassion when I slip out of my true nature (that knows only Love) is one of the best acts of self-love I can do. Other things I do for myself involve carving out some time in the day, or at least in the week, to do something fun – adventurous – nurturing – peaceful – inspiring for myself. I get to pick what that looks like each time.

If you’re like me, you’re a person who has a big heart and cares about others and that usually plays out as doing for others. But a good question to ask yourself is why would you give ALL your time away? Even having a young child to take care of, or a business to run, I always made sure to carve out some “me” time. There’s an old adage that our actions speak louder than words. Even as I told my daughter, Ari how special and important she was, it was even more powerful to demonstrate the truth of it by valuing my own worth enough to spend time on me.

I have learned that self-love begins with self-inquiry, in order to become more aware of what I’m thinking and feeling. So…what’s the kindest thing you can say to yourself right now? What’s the most loving way you can go through each day, not just for those around you, but for yourself? Today is a good day...and I make it so! www.everydaywholeness.net

2-1-24 I reprinted this blog I wrote 4 years ago, with some minor changes. I hope you don’t mind but it resonates a lot ...
02/01/2024

2-1-24 I reprinted this blog I wrote 4 years ago, with some minor changes. I hope you don’t mind but it resonates a lot with me now, and I hope it does for you, too.
En-joy.

What does your world look like now? I don’t mean the world out there, I think we’d all agree it’s pretty dismal, although even then, when I look more closely, I find many examples of compassion, kindness and caring. But that’s another topic. I’m asking you about the world that you, and only you, create – your consciousness -- and how you are responding to the external insanity. Now more than ever, it is up to each one of us, my friends, to hold and maintain a cozy, warm cloak of peace around us.

Whatever is going on around me, I always remember words from A Course In Miracles, which I studied for quite a few years: “Deep within you is everything that is perfect, ready to radiate through you and out into the world.” That means that within me lies the wholeness and perfection of love, with its peace, ease, strength and hope. It’s always there, waiting to be accessed, but I so often let myself get distracted by the external. Then my head only screams gloom and doom, and feelings of chaos and despair are not far behind.

I remind you (as I remind myself) of additional powerful words, these from Sigafoose, one of my greatest mentors, who often said, “No retreat, no surrender, take no prisoners”. Taking these words to heart, I have become a strict guardian of what I allow into my thoughts. IT’S ALWAYS MY CHOICE. So, I invite you to engage in some self-inquiry: explore your dominant thoughts, feelings words, and actions and notice whether or not they reveal that you believe and trust in a safe universe and that love will prevail. Or do they reveal a hidden counter belief?

You and I can choose love instead of fear at any given moment, regardless of whatever else we’ve chosen in the past. There was a time I literally repeated that to myself over and over until it stuck and I got it.

Join me in slowing down and becoming more aware of your thoughts…paying attention to whether you’re in your head and letting the world rule you or you’re in your heart and influencing the world…living more heartfully from the wholeness of love. Every time I read or hear something that is scary or just f****g unbelievable, I stop, go to my heart, and breathe into love. I visualize love in my imagination, I feel it in my body, I make it real and accessible and I remind myself I am in charge of my well-being. I’m also in charge of what energies I put out into the world. It’s time for a love revolution. We can - we do - we will - make a difference! Today is a good day...and we make it so! www.everydaywholeness.net

1-22-23 I was recently involved in a group discussion around giving and receiving. Most of the people said they were big...
01/23/2024

1-22-23 I was recently involved in a group discussion around giving and receiving. Most of the people said they were big givers and not as capable of receiving. Does that ring true for you, too? If so, you might want to re-think that because receiving is a vital component of the circle of energy. Think about breathing in and out…one isn’t more important than the other; you can’t do one without the other and keep living.

I’ve always been a big giver and happily, now, I am big on giving AND receiving. I’ve learned the hard way, by losing a few valued friendships, that when I give without allowing the other person an avenue to give as well, resentments can build up. If I’m unwilling to receive, how can I expect others to receive? When I can’t, I’m not being a very good model, am I? That’s also important to me – I take to heart the phrase, “I am the change I wish to see in the world”.

As I have learned to receive, I’ve really had to exercise my deserving muscle and let in my worthiness. It’s amazing how many limiting and disempowering thoughts I unearthed when I started examining this issue. Giving feels good to me, and as I learned to receive, I realized how good it also feels to open up to others’ caring and acts of appreciation. It also feels good to know that I am giving them a huge gift in allowing their giving.

The best thing about giving and receiving is realizing that both are going on at the very same time. There is absolutely no space between the two. Every single time I give, I’m receiving so much. Every single time I’m a receiver I am giving away a gift, too. Wahoo, now that’s connection within a web of Love!

Balanced giving and receiving is true abundance. As I give from a purer heart and am willing to be on the receiving end as well, I find that the flow of Life’s giving blesses me as well. Now I’m living the dream. I believe it was always there, as all the gifts of Life are, but until I stopped blocking it, how could I experience it? Stew and I have a motto now – “Don’t offer us anything if you don’t want us to take it – because we will!” How big a receiver do you want to be? Today is a good day...and I make it so! www.everydaywholeness.net

1-10-23 Happy 2024 my friends. When I talk to people at this time of the year, invariably I get asked the question, “Wha...
01/10/2024

1-10-23 Happy 2024 my friends. When I talk to people at this time of the year, invariably I get asked the question, “What New Year resolutions did you make?” My answer is absolutely none, I’m not a big fan as they have always tended to contribute to me feeling bad about myself, somewhere down the road, when I realized I hadn’t followed through. Sound familiar?

I have a different suggestion…I make an intention for myself. It narrows down to a single moment…this moment. I intend to go to my heart and remember Love is my source and my truest essence, and therefore, an active resource for me. Always working, always available. So, when I’m in the midst of difficulty, I can pause, breathe and ask for my heart’s wisdom, taking it forward.

Sometimes, though, I forget to do this. Instead, I entertain strange thoughts, I make mistakes, I’m unskillful in my communication, and yet…there is always some moment when I remember my intention.
Whether I remember it quickly or slower IT DOESN’T MATTER. Yes, perhaps I’ve been forgetful, unkind, judgmental or afraid. Yes, I’ve probably created complications in my head and in my relationships because of my forgetfulness (AKA being human) but IT DOESN’T MATTER. All that matters is the present moment when I say yes to Love. All that matters is that I acknowledge myself as Love, and, therefore, loved and loveable as well as capable of loving.

As I truly listen with the ears of my heart, I simply feel love filling me, opening my heart and softening my hard edges. I can now be receptive to my heart’s wisdom. Sometimes it tells me that I have to make amends, or it allows me to see from a different perspective. Then my natural kindness, compassion and joy kick in, flowing out of me, connecting me to the greater world, creating a healing.

I came here to be Love. I stand firm in my intention to say YES to Love in every moment, and certainly if I’m not achieving that, it’s OK, because my intention takes me into a future where I am Love in more of my moments, and gentler and kinder with myself when I forget. Aho to all of that! Will you join me? Today is a good day...and I make it so! www.everydaywholeness.net

12-20-23 A friend recently said, “when I’m doing everything right, then life feels like teddy bears and roses. And when ...
12/22/2023

12-20-23 A friend recently said, “when I’m doing everything right, then life feels like teddy bears and roses. And when life isn’t going right, I make it mean I’m doing something wrong, and I beat myself up”. Wow…right?! Do you see yourself in that statement? Too often, I allow my brain to lead me down the fight or flight path. I forget to get back into my heart where I know I’m ok, even with whatever schmutz I find myself in and whatever it’s bringing up for me.

Tonight is the Solstice…the promise of the return of the light. That must be especially welcome when you live in the far North. I use the Solstice as a great opportunity to affirm the Light within me and build the flame into a bonfire. But how about when we put ourselves in the “far North”, when we evict ourselves from our heart, and everything seems so dark and overwhelming, where we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. That’s how I felt when I awoke this morning, and every fiber of my being was resisting doing a ceremony. Yesterday I had a difficult meeting with someone, and I was feeling raw, beaten up and stepped on. I recognized my inner child’s need for fairness coming out, with her stubbornly saying, “I’m not going to look for the light…I’m going to stay here in the dark even though I know I’m sabotaging myself.” This was an extremely old pattern of hurt reaction. So, I voiced a very heart-felt sigh – and proceeded to do my self-work.

First and foremost, I gave myself compassion, right where I was and just as I was expressing - for where I was in my consciousness, for how I felt, for what I had experienced to bring me to this depth. Gentle, baby steps of self-compassion.

Then I asked for help. I reached out and had a call with a friend, who reminded me she knows a different Hillary. And when she does see the “faults” in me, she loves me anyway. That helped me remember that I can always love me anyway as well—because I am love and I am lovable. I’m hoping you have friends like that, too.

Please, in this season of Light, however you may celebrate the holidays, take hope that even when you’re struggling with the darkness and feeling so bad, there is something within you that knows the light…every cell in your body came from the light; it was birthed from Love, from original goodness. You deserve to claim, “I Am the Light”, so I invite you to join me in diving into being willing. If you can’t dive in, take some baby steps like the ones I described above. As long as we’re heading in the direction of our heart, we’ll always get there. And when we are willing to give up even the merest shred of beating ourselves up to be a smidgeon more gentle with ourselves – the spark of light within us can become a huge flame. Once you discover the spark, ask even more of it – to expand within you, take root in you, and become an inspiration of strength for you even when things seem difficult. Make the intention to get to know yourself as The Light, becoming more and more comfortable with affirming that for yourself.

Finally, be absolutely unwilling to allow that darkness to tell its lies to you. In being an inspiration for yourself, you will be an inspiration for others to find their own light.

Welcome home. You matter and the world needs you. Today is a good day...and I make it so! www.everydaywholeness.net

11-22-23 I’m back after 2½ weeks away to Toronto (Stew had a gig there), and 2 Chiropractic from the Heart workshops, 1 ...
12/08/2023

11-22-23 I’m back after 2½ weeks away to Toronto (Stew had a gig there), and 2 Chiropractic from the Heart workshops, 1 in England and 1 in Spain. I love my life! It might be worth honestly asking yourself if you love your life. Cuz if you don’t, now would be the time to do something about that (and of course I can help you with that).

So, a friend asked me if the workshops energized me or depleted me. Good question. And the honest answer is they do both. I hold a container so folks feel safe and seen and heard, and that takes sustained focus and presence. Some of what we do there is very physically demanding on me, as well. And it’s a lot of energy; there are more people than I am usually around when I’m home. So, I do feel a little drained and that’s why it’s important that I do my own work in between sessions, heal my stuff and clear out as much as I can. More often than not, a major part of my healing involves simply acknowledging stuff and unconditionally loving myself even with that. That builds up my resilience as well so I can give as much as I do and hold the container.

Overall, though, the workshops absolutely nurture and energize me. I’m surrounded by like-minded folks who love what I love. I am always filled with awe at the courage, honesty and vulnerability they express. I am nourished by their trust in me (and Stew). I am lifted up by all the love, tears and laughter that’s shared. I feel my own self-imposed boundaries melt away, my heart bursts wide open and I experience a deep connection to each person present. I am bathed in Love’s deep healing. So, thank you to all the warriors who participated!

There is no greater gift than knowing that l deserve love…no matter what I have done or left undone…no matter what I have said, or think I should have said…no matter what crazy, terrible, hateful, judgmental thoughts I entertain…I deserve love! Always! And so do you! I invite you to say exactly that to yourself now – and as often as you can – and say it with deep love and feeling for your awesome self.

So, if you’ve been holding out on giving yourself love, it doesn’t matter. It only matters that you begin the journey now. It’s the most important thing you can do for yourself, your loved ones, those you serve, and the world. Reach out to me, to someone else, or a group where you live, or just start doing the work yourself (I have found it’s easier to do the work with support). You deserve it, and so do we. Today is a good day...and I make it so! www.everydaywholeness.net

Hello my heart friends, I am so excited to share something new I am doing. I will be facilitating a free 30-35 minute Zo...
10/19/2023

Hello my heart friends, I am so excited to share something new I am doing. I will be facilitating a free 30-35 minute Zoom experience of heart-connecting meditations, under the umbrella of WeAddHeart, the UK branch of HeartMath (more info on that below).

This will happen once per month (the 4th Wednesday of each month, starting this Wednesday, October 26th at 11am Pacific time/7pm UK time). You are getting this invitation because you have been a part of my HeartMath mentoring, or my Everyday Wholeness blog, or the Warrior Circle, or Chiropractic From the Heart. If you are interested in joining me, send me a DM or email me at [email protected] and I’ll send you the Zoom link. Whether you join me or not, I appreciate you and all the heart you put out into the world. Below you’ll find some information about exactly what we’ll be doing…

What will happen during the WeAddHeart group?
During our time together we will be practicing simple heart-focused techniques/meditations (many of you have experienced these with me already). Specifically, we place our attention in our hearts, on our breath and on creating and sustaining positive and elevated heart-based feelings such as care, appreciation, gratitude, and compassion. We will then spend time directing these feelings to ourselves, towards our fellow group members, towards others, and then out into the world.

At the time of the online meetup session, you just need to click on the Zoom link which I will have sent to you once you request it. You can participate with your video on or off, although I would encourage you to have it on. During the session your microphone will be muted.

From WeAddHeart: “We are a growing international movement for people who feel the pull to connect with their own heart and the hearts of others, to live life more fully from the heart and to create a more heart-based world. By coming together, our intention is to practice simple heart-focused techniques which will improve our personal health and happiness, help us to connect with the hearts of others and to play our part in raising social and global consciousness with the aim of creating greater fairness, understanding and peace between peoples and nations.

The techniques we practice create individual and group “coherence.” Coherence is a real, measurable state characterized by increased order and harmony in our physiological and psychological processes. It is an optimal state for individual health and for building deeper connections with others.”

In peace, Hillary

10-17-23 I think everyone is familiar with the first 2 lines of Rumi’s poem. And those 2 lines are worth living your lif...
10/18/2023

10-17-23 I think everyone is familiar with the first 2 lines of Rumi’s poem. And those 2 lines are worth living your life by. But give some of the rest your attention, too. This is but an excerpt of a much larger poem.

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field. I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase “each other”
doesn’t make any sense.
The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don’t go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don’t go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don’t go back to sleep.”

Today is a good day...and I make it so! www.everydaywholeness.net

10-11-23 I was waiting to get my oil changed. My phone was without a charge.  My computer, which I brought to do work, d...
10/12/2023

10-11-23 I was waiting to get my oil changed. My phone was without a charge. My computer, which I brought to do work, didn’t have a connection to internet. I tried meditating but the music was blasting and definitely not “my style”. What’s a body to do? In one of my last posts I wrote about “killing time” and not being in favor of it. Here was another opportunity to look at that and I invite you to, as well. How often, for instance, do you fill up time by running to your cellphone…for example, when you’re in your car and stop at a light, do you immediately reach for your cellphone?

At the oil change station, I chose to breathe into my heart and transform my impatience into being with the present moment, and immediately felt love well up within me. I started looking at the young men working all around me and was able to see how hard they were working, and I sent them love. I was grateful for not having to work so hard like that which expanded into being grateful for my own experience of living a thriving life. Do you see how one moment can expand into the next changing the scenery?! Then I sent out that renewing energy to all those beings around me, for them to feel and know how good life is and to have their own dream life experiences.

With the music blasting, my guy is shouting at me to turn my lights on and off. I had a little trouble hearing him, but I ultimately did. In the moment there was gratitude for my hearing. I remembered that yesterday I was seated at a small creek, and the sound of the gentle ripples over the rocks was so peaceful. Being reminded of that hike, I also felt grateful for my eyes, blessing them for allowing me to see all the beautiful changing autumn colors. Feeling good, my body even started moving and grooving to the (still loud) beat.

There’s always something to be grateful for if I look for it. The good news is that when I am entertaining a gratitude consciousness I am tending to my own well-being. I experience renewing or regenerative feelings which takes me into a coherent state, that energetic state of being where I am able to draw upon my best self when my most empowering thoughts are easily available and my body is rebuilding itself in ease and strength.

I hope I am inspiring you to realize how powerful you are. You can always bring in a positive energy and a new perspective to whatever is going on in your life and certainly, around the world. One more example, if you’ll indulge me. The window washer, Chris was here and he was ready to do the outside. I tell him, “Let me know if you need anything.” He says, “Yea, peace in the world.” I respond, “I’m working on it,” to which he replies, “Work harder.” He’s joking, but I’m not. I truly believe that every time I choose a peaceful thought, especially in the face of conflict in my personal life, and even with what’s going on in the world, I add peaceful energy into the world’s energy field, making it one smidgeon more possible to find peaceful solutions.

That goes for all of us. What you’re thinking and feeling makes a difference! You might be feeling hopeless at the world situation or how your life is going, but, please, keep aligning yourself with your heart. Every single time makes a difference! That is one of the most important and powerful actions you can take.

So, I realized, when Chris said, “Work harder,” I can. There are still so many times I’d rather be right rather than loving. There are still moments where I unwittingly dismiss someone because they have a different opinion. I still sometimes let myself unconsciously get away with “they” language, talking about 1 person and lumping them with a whole group. I am so grateful to have the tools to know I matter, that I’m powerful, and I can make a difference. Today is a good day...and I make it so! www.everydaywholeness.net

10-3-23 The following “6 Practices of Integrity” came up in my calendar book this month. It caught my interest because i...
10/03/2023

10-3-23 The following “6 Practices of Integrity” came up in my calendar book this month. It caught my interest because integrity is one of my power words. Here are my thots on what was presented (the following is their specific order):

1.Think Before We Act. Do you already know what I’d say to this? Hopefully, because it’s really all I talk about and the only thing that matters and makes a true difference. Go to your heart! First. Second. Third. When I do that, all that I do is an expression of Love as the truth of me.

2.Never Commit To Anything Where We Lack Passion. Love this one. Doing something without passion is a great clue that I am motivated from “I should do this” and disconnected from the heart, life and power of who I want to be. Even if I feel I have no choice, I still have a choice in what kind of energy I can put into doing something.

3. Keep Your Word. Definitely a biggie in the integrity department and is extremely important to me. “Flakey” is a word we attribute to people who say they’ll do something and don’t follow through. We all know them, perhaps you even have a friend you label that way. We laugh about it, because after all, they’re good-hearted people. Yet, I believe we are all guilty of not following through on our word to ourselves to some degree. That makes me very sad because we don’t realize that when we don’t keep our word, we are fragmenting ourselves. Unconsciously, we are sabotaging ourselves from being our biggest best self and that’s an unnecessary tragedy.

4. Always Treat Others With Respect. If I am living according to my principles, AKA being in integrity, how could I do otherwise? This has been one of my life-long learning lessons, and one where I still struggle. When I make others wrong, I am out of integrity, and I suffer. And so I’m learning to treat MYSELF with respect and not allow myself to get away with such unacceptable behavior (in my case, thoughts). It always starts with me and ends with me, thank goodness.

5. Tell The Truth. This one is like #3. Many of us don’t outright lie but we’re pretty comfortable with white lies. We believe that a white lie is preferable to causing unnecessary hurt. I would ask you to examine this belief. When I used to indulge in white lies it was more likely that I was more concerned with myself and not having to deal with the consequences of being honest. My friends tell me I’m the most honest person they know. Stew knows I never lie. I’m proud of that. Even a hard truth can be shared compassionately, and in that vulnerability more connection is created. That’s the kind of world I want to live in.

6. Always Favor Action. There’s a native American quote I love, “When you pray, move your feet”. But I also know that they sat in the stillness for as long as it took to get heart-centered before taking any action. This is my practice, too. And sometimes my guidance is a “sacred no”. When I give myself time to be in the stillness it helps me to take right action, as well as what actions to NOT take. I am very action-oriented, but I also advocate a slowed-down life. I choose to not be wrapped up in busy-ness, even though that is the world I see all around me. I am the change I wish to see in the world. Today is a good day...and I make it so! www.everydaywholeness.net

9-16-23 Here are some lessons I learned from the summer:I injured a rib and movement, especially hiking, caused my heart...
09/21/2023

9-16-23 Here are some lessons I learned from the summer:

I injured a rib and movement, especially hiking, caused my heart rate to accelerate, which then caused my mind to go to some dark rabbit holes. AND, every single time I went to my heart and breathed into Love, as I’ve trained myself to do, my body ailments somewhat eased and my mind anxieties quieted down. Every single time. I was also reminded that it’s appropriate, from a heart space, to mourn what seems like aging body failures and give myself compassion for the sometimes-crazy ways in which my brain responds to that. I always have a choice and I can always change my reality.

I have an abundance of nature-awe-moments because I cultivate that. When I am in nature, I spend a lot of it in silence so I can hear what the Life around me is saying. My silence doesn’t mean I am busy thinking about stuff; that would also prevent me from seeing what’s going on around me that most people miss. Instead, I walk with softer eyes that are tuned into a different frequency than the “normal” busy, faster, not-really-present energy that’s so prevalent in our world. Then I’m creating a reservoir to draw from when the environment and the world feels harsher to deal with. Joy is always available to me because I’ve cultivated that knowing and it lives right inside of me.

As usual, this summer there have been many moments of reflection and feelings of deep gratitude for my very blessed life during my silent hikes. But I have also shed a lot more tears this summer, even as I found myself in the midst of a beautiful scene, whether immersed in the embrace of water, or expanding my perspectives from a peak view, or celebrating life in the color glory of the flowers. As I’ve mentioned in recent writings, I have a dear friend going through a journey with cancer. It’s very strange that we spend most of our lives ignoring the fact of how fleeting life is, and therefore, we waste so many of our precious moments. I’m guessing that many of you can relate to how different things seem and feel when the awareness of our mortality touches us when someone close to us is struggling to stay alive or perhaps has given up the struggle. Our hearts crack wide open as we experience everything so much more deeply. One gift of that is, very often, we realize that so much of what we carry around and surround ourselves with is bu****it and unimportant, and we can let it all go.

For myself, I have worked hard to remember that I don’t want to waste any of this life, and that’s where all the motivation for all my self-work comes from. Valuing my life in more of my moments also fuels my mission to share whatever I can to inspire you and others to do that work, too.

If not now, when? What I do matters, what you do matters, and it all builds heart reservoir for the planet, and that really matters. Today is a good day...and I make it so! www.everydaywholeness.net

8-15-23 I’m at Donner Lake, passing time while Stew is adjusting folks nearby. Afterwards we’re heading for a week away ...
08/21/2023

8-15-23 I’m at Donner Lake, passing time while Stew is adjusting folks nearby. Afterwards we’re heading for a week away at the coast to see our daughter. It isn’t as nice here as “my” Lake Tahoe. There’s a lot of traffic noise as a major highway climbs up the mountain above the lake. The lake is narrow so there’s a lot of jet ski and motor boat noise close to the shore, and there’s WAY more folks walking along than I’m used to. Yet, as I sit here, many folks passing by are saying, “Oh how beautiful!”

Hearing that, I realize that I’m wasting wonderful moments by complaining and comparing when I could be enjoying. It occurs to me that I am simply “killing time.” What a strange concept when I think about it. Time is so very precious! The older I get the faster life seems to fly by, but when I’m present and in the moment time slows down.

Right now I have a dear friend who is fighting for her life and she would undoubtedly appreciate all the time she can get. Each moment is so very precious!

It's all a matter of perspective, isn’t it?! And since I’m definitely not in favor of killing time, I tell myself to shift my perspective and look with different eyes. I take a plunge into the water even though it’s a little cool and breezy and it immediately blesses me, as it always does. I choose an attitude of gratitude – after all there are lots of folks sweltering in the heat right now, with absolutely no access to water. And how many people can take a dip on any day, looking at the clouds while floating?

I was in the bathroom earlier, and there were a couple of kids who were aghast and complaining that there were no toilet seat covers, paper towels or soap. They had no idea what a privilege it is to live in a place like ours; to have that public bathroom available in the first place. That helped me look around with my fresh eyes and I saw so many people enjoying themselves, dogs playing, babies and children shrieking with joy.

I have to wonder why do I ever waste any of my moments in any unhealthy use of imagination? Comparison and judgment, as well as worry, anger, anxiety, etc. all take me away from my heart and from residing in this present moment. Now is the only time when love is available - to heal me and fill me with awe, wonder and well-being. When I choose to be grateful, practicing in those times when things are good but maybe just not as I would prefer, it strengthens the muscle that allows me to be grateful even when things are really difficult or rotten. I can always choose a different perspective that includes love. So can you. I invite you to consciously choose a different perspective, one that includes love and gratitude, the next time you notice you’re grumbling about something. Expand yourself into the true magic of life.

Back at the lake, now that I’m paying more attention to appreciating where I am just as it is, the background noises fade. I notice I’m feeling calmer, happier, more relaxed. Today is a good day...and I make it so! www.everydaywholeness.net

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South Lake Tahoe, CA

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