Life | With an Open Heart

Feb 25

In Order to See the Path to What You Want, You Must First See What is Hold You Back.

This post is part of The Awakened Heart Project

Week 9: In Order to See the Path to What You Want, You Must First See What is Hold You Back.

“You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy. So let them go, let go of them. I tie no weights to my ankles.” -C. JoyBell C.

You Gotta Move Forward, But First…

See what’s’ holding me back? What do you mean? I know EXACTLY what I want, and what path to take, but everyone else is getting in the way. I’m not the problem, everything and everyone else is!

Really? I’m sorry to break it to you, but I highly doubt that everyone else is the problem, and you have nothing to do with YOUR OWN PROBLEM. Yes, sometimes there’s some red tape in your way. And yes, sometimes, people in positions higher than you can deter your progress up the latter of growth (for instance in work situations). However, if you REALLY want to grow, and REALLY want to move forward, why are you still letting these people or things get in your way? Take a minute and really think about it. You can’t control how other people or things pan out, only how you do. If you want things to be different you have to change. Sometimes, that means quitting your job to pursue your passions. Sometimes that means taking the road less traveled. But you always have the choice to say, “No, I will not take this anymore, I want better for myself, and I know I deserve better, so SEE YOU LATER friend!”

When you get into the pattern of saying (and believing) that you are not the problem and your external circumstances are, you get into the pattern of allowing everything and everyone else to control you. When you believe that you have options, and you control your own destiny, that is when you break free from the perceived barriers that are holding you back.

We all have things within ourselves that are holding us back, -some of them small, some of them large. But the real problem is not that these things exist, it’s that most people aren’t self-aware enough to even know they exist. Read more

Feb 18

Stop Being What People Want You to Be, and Start Being Who You Really Are!

This post is part of The Awakened Heart Project

Week 8: If you keep doing what you’ve always been doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always been getting.

“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.” ~E.E. Cummings, 1955

Being Who You Are Can Be Hard

In this world of crazy competition and competiveness, it’s often difficult to ignore the pressure. It seems that even in early childhood we’re being pushed to “be better” to “do better” and to be “the best”. We’re graded from A-F, where F literally stands for “failure”. It’s a vast contradiction from the lesson that there are no such things as failures, just learning opportunities. We also have numerous tests to past, and major ones at that, such as the ACT and SAT, which can truly make or break a college experience. When we enter to workforce and “adult life” there’s so much focus on what job you have, where you work, what clothes you wear, what labels you have in your closet, what you know, etc. Social media allows us to share things in different ways as well, but no matter what, whether we like it or not, nowadays, we’re constantly in the public eye and therefore being judge. How difficult. What a lot of pressure that is!!

Sadly, with that pressure, you might start to pretend you’re Read more

Feb 11

If You Keep Doing What You’ve Always Been Doing, You’ll Keep Getting What You’ve Always Been Getting.

This post is part of The Awakened Heart Project

Week 7: If you keep doing what you’ve always been doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always been getting.

“There are three kinds of people; those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.” -Nicholas Butler Murray

Jump Start Changes, Jump Start Life

Often we try to control when changes come to us, so we can be ready and there will be no fear involved. We want our circumstances to be “just right”. We want change to come when we most expect it and then we’ll be prepared; we’ll be in control! Ha! Yeah right! Seriously, life rarely works that way. Some of us even avoid it at all costs and simply wait for life changes anxiously. Why start something so scary by choice, right? Well, if you’re sick of your circumstances, and tired of the way things are going currently, you CAN’T JUST WAIT.

How many times have you wished things would be different but then you did nothing about it? How many times have you said, “I hate this job” but continue to go to work every day never looking for a new job? Often, our reluctance for changing our circumstances is not due to not knowing what we really want to change, but rather, fearing that Read more

Jan 28

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The Only Thing Constant in Life is Change

This post is part of The Awakened Heart Project

Week 5: The Only Thing Constant in Life is Change

“Some changes look negative on the surface, but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.”

–Eckhart Tolle

Change is Inevitable

It’s simply inevitable. Change is something that will happen no matter how hard we try to stop it. Change is a part of the world we live in. With every passing moment, things change. So why fight it?

Sometimes, the changes that take place in our lives are slow, and sometimes even anticipated. While other times, the changes are abrupt. Abrupt changes can throw us into a place of fear and uncertainty. This place may be a place of darkness. Even anticipated changes may make us feel fear or anxiety for what’s to come. Moreover, changes (even anticipated ones) don’t always produce an outcome that we favor. For instance, ending a relationship: even if you were the one that ended it, it doesn’t always feel great; you may still have a period of great sadness and maybe even depression. Or, lets say, losing your job: you needed that job; without it you can’t pay your bills, and so, clouds of darkness begin to shadow you’re life. Read more

Jan 24

Lungleavin Day: A Celebration of Life and Facing Your Fears

This week, I was approached by an amazing woman, Heather Von St. James, and asked to write a small post to help spread the word about Lungleavin Day, a holiday she created after suffering from Mesothelioma. Actually, Heather asked if I would write a post about inspiration and link to her article about Lungleavin Day, but frankly, writing about Heather, her battle with cancer, and the message behind Lungleavin Day is inspiration in itself.

For those of you who are not aware, Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer caused by asbestos exposure, which kills 90-95% of those who are diagnosed with it. Heather was diagnosed 7 years ago, when her daughter was only 3 ½ months old. I can only image the fear that must of struck Heather at this point in her life. But after reading her story, it’s clear that her strength far out weighed her fears. Today, Heather is cancer free and is using her experience in a positive way to help others. One of the ways Heather spreads her positivity, and strength is through Lungleavin Day. Read more

Jan 21

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Some Things Are Not Meant To Be. Some People Are Not Meant To Be. Sometimes, What Once Was, -Is No Longer

This post is part of The Awakened Heart Project

Week 4: Some Things Are Not Meant To Be. Some People Are Not Meant To Be. Sometimes, What Once Was, -Is No Longer. to Respond

“Do not bring people in your life who weigh you down. And trust your instincts … good relationships feel good. They feel right. They don’t hurt. They’re not painful. That’s not just with somebody you want to marry, but it’s with the friends that you choose. It’s with the people you surround yourselves with.”

-Michelle Obama

Life and Opportunity

You have so many countless opportunities throughout your lifetime, and you’ll meet so many different people throughout your lifetime as well. Some of these people will come into you life and stay forever. Others will barely leave an impression. Some will stay awhile and leave you behind, leaving you feeling saddened and empty. Others’ you will have to make the same decision about. Opportunities too, have a way of coming and going. Sometimes, the things we want (and people) aren’t meant to be. We try desperately to make some of these relationships and opportunities work out, but sometimes it’s just not mean to be. The sooner you realize that everything in this life has a phase, -some longer than others, the sooner you will find peace with the present, and Read more

Jan 14

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Happiness Has Little to Do With What Happens to You. It Has Everything to Do With How You Choose to Respond

This post is part of The Awakened Heart Project

Week 3: Happiness Has Little to do With What Happens to You. It Has Everything to do With How You Choose to Respond

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”

-Wayne Dyer

Emotional Responses and Life Decisions

It’s inevitable: Life will throw you some curve balls. But YOU and YOU ALONE choose the emotional response you will have to these situations. No one makes you feel a certain way, or makes you react a certain way. That is all up to you.

For instance, Read more

Jan 7

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Out of Your Vulnerabilities Will Come Your Strength: Where there’s pain, there’s growth

This post is part of The Awakened Heart Project

Week 2: Out of Your Vulnerabilities Will Come Your Strength: Where there’s pain, there’s growth

“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.”

― Andy Rooney

Pain Exists. Life can hurt. And sometimes, life can hurt A LOT. But this pain is for your benefit.

How many times have your heard it, “Life is not fair”. It’s true. Life is often unfair. We often get the shaft. Good people sometimes find themselves in bad situations, and painful experiences. While others, who you may believe live horrible lives always seem to get the “best possible scenario” in life. Don’t worry, karma has a way of working things out, sometimes you just have to be patient. Now don’t take that the wrong way, I’m not saying go ahead and resent people or wish bad things upon them. That’s wasted energy (and bad karma). Rather, don’t waste your energy, because the universe will take care of them. You have more important things to do with your life.

Let face it, sometimes, life is PAINFUL! Sometimes, it hurts so much, you feel as though you can’t go on. Perhaps you’ve even had a few nights where you’ve cried your eyes shut (I know I have). You may think, “Why? Why? WHHHYYYY???!!” Read more

Jan 6

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30 Things To Stop Doing To Yourself to Improve Your Life

Last year I reblogged the article, 30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself . You may or may not have had the opportunity to read it, which is why I am posting it again. Even if you did read it, chances are it’s time for a refresher, and there’s no better time then the New Year. We’re all looking for inspiration, for change, for new beginnings; anything to help us keep up with our New Years resolutions! I hope you find it inspiring, helpful, and pushes you towards the direction of personal growth. Enjoy: )

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Photo by Rob Brucker

When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.

As Maria Robinson once said, “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” Nothing could be closer to the truth. But before you can begin this process of transformation you have to stop doing the things that have been holding you back.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends. Read more

Jan 4

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The Story of the Lotus Flower

This post is part of The Awakened Heart Project

Week 1: The Story of the Lotus Flower

Given that The Awakened Heart Project is about helping you release your fears, to grow, to discover, to learn and to awaken, the story of the lotus flower and its symbolism seems like the perfect place to start this journey.

The lotus flower is a beautiful flower that can be found all over the world. But the start of this flowers life is not as beautiful is one might image. It’s unlike many other flowers. When the lotus first begins to sprout, it is under water, making its home in lakes and ponds in areas where the water remains fairly still on the surface. But underneath the surface, the lotus is surrounded by mud and muck and by fish, by insects, and simply dirty, rough conditions

Despite these conditions, Read more

Dec 14

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Delicate

There are so many different interpretations of “delicate”. It seems impossible to even include the best ideas of this term in just one post. The first thing I thought of when reading The Daily Post, Weekly Photo Challenge was: a child. But since this was already alluded to in the challenge post itself, I decided to go in a different direction.

The next few things that came to mind were: flower petals, bubbles (which I love playing with, with the children I care for), and animal life. For instance, a tiny turtle I saw this past summer while running and a picture I took of a caterpillar that same day. Also, how tiny my kitten was when we decided to take him in after his mother abandoned him in our shed. He was just 4 weeks old and weighed just 400 grams (YES! Be bottle fed that little fluff). So, for this post, “delicate” are things that are tiny, soft, and easily destroyed items; and with the exception of bubbles, need nurturing in order to survive. I hope you enjoy them!!

Magdon the mouse cat

Dec 5

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The Perspective of People With Down Syndrome

This image was created from the inspirational words of a young man with Down syndrome, Ben Smith. His words touched close to home . As many of you already know, my sister Jessica has Down syndrome. Jessica is also battling with breast cancer right now. This meme was created by my brother Justin . The image is of my sister Jessica and my mom just days after Jessica’s mastectomy. Jessica has shown tremendous strength and resilience throughout her treatment, something we truly believe is largely the result of the unconditional love for life and others that she carries with herself every day.

Share this image with others and spread some love to others today. And if you have a moment, come visit us at Jessica & Life, to learn more about Jessica’s unique experience with cancer.

Have a wonderful day!!!

Did you find this post inspiring / Thought provoking / Worth reading? Share it with your friends!

Dec 4

Truths to Remember Daily

Sometimes these things get forgotten in our busy lives, but they’re important to remember each and every day. Take risks, know who you are and always have the courage to be just that, and don’t worry about what others say. Be true to yourself. Always.

A Dream Comes True: Jessica Meets Justin Bieber!!

I think I’ve become a pro at delayed posts lately. But it’s better late than never I suppose!

About six weeks back, I posted an image of my sister Jessica that read “HELP JESS MEET BIEBS”, -a campaign if you will, to help Jessica meet Justin Bieber at his concert in Minneapolis. The image went up on Facebook on October 16^th. Between then, and early afternoon the next day, 80 people had shared the photo on their Facebook pages; many of whom, we didn’t even know. It was inspiring to say the least. But the true highlight came when we received an email from an old grade school friend letting us know that she had three meet and greet tickets for Jessica, my brother Justin, and myself. It turns out she’s one of the executive assistants to the President at Paramount Motion Picture Music (very cool!). We were thrilled, and a bit speechless! It was so exciting to know that we got this done for Jessica, but the love and support from others, Read more

Oct 5

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[FEATURED POST] Vulnerability at the Core: When Your Sister is Diagnosed With Breast Cancer

Tuesday, July 31^st began like any other day. I studied in the morning, went to work in the afternoon, and came home. When I arrived home, I talked to my mom about my day, said hello to my sister Jessica, who has Down syndrome and who was coloring at the kitchen table, and then I went up to my room to grab a couple things before heading back down to the kitchen to have a snack. As I made my way down to the kitchen, my mom softly called to me from the top of the stairs, “Nina, can you come here a second?” I continued on, and yelled up to her, “What is it?” Again, my mom says, “Nina, can you please just come here a second? I need to talk to you about something”. What? I thought. My stomach sank. That sick feeling that lingers in your gut when you’ve done something wrong and you’re about to get caught ran through me. I immediately felt like I did as a kid, -especially as a teenager, when I was about to face a major lecture and punishment for whatever terrible deed I had committed. My mind began to scramble: What did I do? Read more

Sep 11

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The Battle Between Good and Evil

We all have both negative and positive attributes. We have good and evil sides. Most of us would readily admit that those negative aspects of ourselves, and our lives, are ones in which we wish we no longer befriended. Despite this truth, we often struggle to escape from the evil which resides so close to our hearts and our minds. It is no easy task to escape it, I know. It becomes apart of us. It’s so easy lose sight of the good at times, especially during times of grief and sorrow. But remember, that we can only breathe life into the things we feed. Read more