Aug 9
Do you meditate? In this busy life, finding a place of inner peace can be difficult to say the least. We are constantly overwhelmed with stimulation, thoughts, judgements, responsibilities, etc., etc., etc. We all need moments of quiet. Those moments of escape. Meditation can give you that. It’s a practice that is truly just that; a practice. But the more you practice, the easier, more rhythmic it’ll become.
Remember that there are ups and downs in life; that there are moments of great despair, because it is these moments that remind us of what’s most important. Without the bad, how would be know how good life can really be? Read more
This is a wonderful post. Stop a moment and think about it…
I wish I knew the author of this great quote, but I simply haven’t got a clue. Nonetheless, it’s beautiful. Read more
Life is hard. Sometimes very hard. But it’s amazingly beautiful as well. If you open your eyes, and your heart, you’ll find there’s beauty in just about everything. Many of those moments, words, or experiences that hold immense beauty to me, cannot be captured in an image or a photograph.
For instance, the sound of a child laughing. Read more
Throughout my travels and my life, one of the prominent themes that I’m constantly aware of, is that here in America, we (many, but not all of us) rarely sit comfortably in the present moment. One of my favorite memories of Italy is sitting outside and actually enjoying my cappuccinos! Read more
Okay, so a couple of months back, I embarked on a new “blogging regimen” if you will. Every Monday, I would write about what I was grateful for in the previous week. I started this exercise right as I was beginning my second-to-last quarter of graduate school and my last 600 hours of practicum/residency. I was expecting it to me a crazy, hectic, stressful experience at the time, -and it was/has been!
Here is an excerpt from my first Weekly Gratitude explaining my deeper thoughts and purpose for sharing my gratitude:
In the mist of my panic over the major changes beginning in my life today, I’ve realized Read more
Almost three months back, I received The Beautiful Blogger Award from MeaningfulWesternLife,and The Very Inspiring Blog Award from Make Believe Boutique. Despite my major delay in giving thanks, and passing this special award onto other great bloggers, I was, and still am thrilled to have received it. Better late than never right? Read more
This past week busy, busy, busy! I hardly had a moment to rest. But it was a very productive week nonetheless.
As a part of my commitment to self-care I tried very hard to make a conscious effort to give myself some time to just chill and do things for my own enjoyment. Making time for myself made a world of difference in my mood and ability to cope. I certainly hope to make a commitment to this new habit that almost always go to the back burner. Read more
There is no better place for growth then when we face our fears. Take the leap and see what happens. If you constantly hide behind your shadow, and stand stagnent paralized by your fears, you’ll never know all that you can acheive and where your fears might take you. Read more
“…Learn to silence the chattering of your ego, whether through prayer, meditation, or a long walk in the park. Find that place where you can detach from the pressures of the world. Find that place where your body and spirit work together in harmony…You don’t need the right car, the right shoes, the right girlfriend to be complete. All you really need is to be yourself. Your spirit is the real you. Let it guide you…Be still. Listen to your spirit say, I am, and I am enough. In the silence, you’ll hear God…” Read more
Last week I started writing this “Weekly Gratitude”, post to keep my spirits up as my life quickly got crazy, to keep my mind focused on what matters most, and hopefully (both fingers crossed!) help myself let go a little and relax! But all week I ended up struggling to figure out what I have to be grateful for, or at least that were worthy enough to write about. The harder I tried, the less I felt grateful. Writing this post became more of a chore that needed to be done perfectly, rather than a tool to help me reflect and relax a little. As I whined about this post to a friend, he said, “Nina, just be thankful that you’re even able to juggle your schedule right now”. Isn’t that the truth…
~Sir Thomas Beecham
Music has always touched me in an emotional way. The musical gene runs in my family, and run through my blood. Music has simply always had a way with me. I feel it, and comprehend it in a way I cannot express fully with words; it’s just natural, I just get it. It’s not my many years of classical piano training. It’s something more. Music has the ability to reach me deep within my mind and soul. Frankly, I cannot image a world without music. Life without any artistic expression would simply be dark. Read more
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About two weeks ago, I was out with a friend for dinner. We had a nice meal, discussed our days, and then I headed home to pack for my trip to Trinidad. On my way home driving through downtown Minneapolis, I spotted a bicyclist a little ways ahead me. He was swerving between lanes, biking in the car lane rather than the designated bike lane clearly marked to the right of me, and seemed to be oblivious to other cars on the road. As the distance between us grew smaller, and I was coming up behind him, I began wondering what direction he was planning on going when we reached the red light up ahead. Was he going to make a right hand turn at the light like I was planning to do? Read more
Authenticity is something I strive for everyday. I’ve become incredibly conscious of my thoughts, behaviors and my feelings in recent months, and I believe much of this is due my growing self-acceptance (perhaps not 100%. -I’m still working on it!), and allowing myself to “just be” rather than trying to be what others would find appealing. Making the transition to authenticity required me to be self-aware to a degree I had never practiced before. It has been hard work, but completely and totally worth it in the end. The lack of consciousness I carried with me previously, caused me to be driven more-often-than-not by my ego, which is completely based on external factors. The ego is a reflection of what others think; it is fallacious. Read more
I'm just a twenty-something trying to find my place in the world. I'm rather silly, fairly light hearted, and I laugh often. I have the curiosity of a small child, fueling my desire to constantly be learning. I hope to use my BA in Psychology and MS in Mental Health Counseling to help others live authentic, fulfilling lives full of purpose. I strongly believe life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain!!
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