Category Archives: Enlightenment

Save the Unicorns

Enlightenment, Humor, Nature, Starbucks, Unicorn Frappuccino, unicorns,

Image from wallpapersafari.com
I have been giving this a fair amount of thought since I first learned of the highly anticipated release of a new drink on the Starbucks menu, the Unicorn Frappuccino.

Now, just let me say, that I rarely weigh in on thee types of “hot button” issues,  but this cause is way too important for me to remain mum. My silence would be paramount to culpability, and I need to be able to sleep at night with a clear conscience.

So, with that said, here are the reasons why I will be saying NO to the new Unicorn Frappuccino…

First and foremost, it’s not vegan.

And thank goodness I don’t have to worry about this particular conundrum, since clearly, if it’s in fact made with real Unicorns, its totally NOT vegan.

Secondly, I am not a monster.

But, if I were a carnivore of mystical creatures, I would be curious to know if it is derived from organic, sustainable Unicorn magic, or if the “mystical” components are just refined pre-packaged concentrated whimsy, or processed imitation rainbows from a can.

It’s important to be informed about the widespread use of GMU’s (genetically modified Unicorn’s).

Continue reading Save the Unicorns →

The Gift

Enlightenment, Inspiration, Motivation, Poetry, Support

Photo from crafthubs.com
Turning the page,

on yet another year,

She wondered if it was finally her time.

To live for herself,

and take her life off the shelf,

To tackle that mountain and climb.

But the journey seemed far, 

and she had waited so long,

She’d grown weary from inside the gate,

She had learned how to be,

while dreaming to be free,

And she now pondered if it was too late. Continue reading The Gift →

The Year of the Purge

Enlightenment, Inspiration, Motivation, Support, Weight Loss, ,

 

Photo courtesy of http://www.clipartkid.com
I really thought I had it all figured out.

I honestly did believe that I had solved my problem. That I had moved past what was holding me back, and freed myself from all of the things that had kept me trapped inside of myself all of those years. I thought it was over once I finally shed the weight.

After all, I had worked really hard to lose over 150 pounds. I had put my nose to the grind stone and sacrificed more than I ever thought I could to give myself a chance at a healthy life. I put 100% of my effort into changing my life for the better, and I was hell-bent on never looking back. I was never going back to the way things were. I was adamant that I was never going to allow myself to undo what I had so purposefully done. And I wasn’t even a tiny bit worried that I might falter. I was Teflon, and I had put on a brave face.

That was my first mistake.

Because, truth be told, deep down, there was a lingering doubt. I always did feel like it was a little too good to be true. I had such great success all during my weight loss journey, that I started to wonder if I was just fooling myself. And the closer that I got to my final goal, I began to get nervous.

I had tried so many times to lose the weight in the past, so what had been so different this time? What was the catch?

Something had always happened.

Invariably something unforeseen would get in the way and derail me. Always my success would be hindered by some form of self sabotage, or an inevitable motivation meltdown.

I started having an undercurrent of anxiety the closer I got to my goal, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I was outwardly excited and eager to finish what I had started, but still secretly cautious of failure. And as a result, I began having a recurring nightmare that I couldn’t shake. It was always there on the outskirts of my consciousness haunting me. Continue reading The Year of the Purge →

The Turning

Enlightenment, Nature, Poetry, Spirituality, Weight Loss, , ,

As the pendulum swings in measure,

The hands of time have moved once more-

For the shift has come from cadence,

The sway that unlocks this temporal door.

 

The equinox chimes in balance,

All things equal of day and night-

As soon the darkness gathers,

With the fading of the light.

 

The change is now upon us,

That which revolves, comes back around-

By letting go of olde,

We gain strength to stand our ground.

 

You can feel the weather shifting,

When an icy chill comes in the air-

And with the summer quickly drifting,

Autumn’s bluster comes to bear. Continue reading The Turning →

The Happiness Jar

Enlightenment, Humor, Motivation, Weight Loss, ,

Find 365 days of happiness.

The idea was simple enough, and it seemed like it wouldn’t be terribly difficult to follow through with.

The challenge was, to find one thing, every day for a year, that made me happy, then write it on a piece of paper, and put it in the jar.

Piece of cake, right?

Challenge accepted.

But what is happiness, really?

Could it truly be that simple?

Is there a difference between being happy, and experiencing happiness?

When I started this challenge at the beginning of this year, things were going well, and I had no trouble finding a happy thing in my life to contribute to the jar each day.

But what became very evident soon after, was that happiness does not necessarily come in days… it comes in moments.

Moments that can get lost in a sea of negativity if you don’t snatch them up.

It’s easy to lose perspective when things go awry.

It’s easy to string a series of unfortunate events into a general sense of disappointment.

But even when you’ve had a bad day, if you take a step back, and look at the entire day, it breaks down into many thousands of individual moments. And somewhere, in there, despite the overwhelming initial negative take away, there is bound to be at least one moment of happiness to salvage. Continue reading The Happiness Jar →

May the Forest Be With You

Enlightenment, Humor, Motivation, New Age, Poetry, , , ,

The forest is my happy place.

A place of pensive reflection and whimsical exploration for the inner musings of my soul.

To connect with nature and to find my place within the universal fold.

A touchstone to the energy that radiates from deep within the earth and courses up through the core of my very being.

Especially in times of chaos and uncertainty, it has the power to move me with primal and ancient rhythms, and awaken me with a sense of enchantment and whimsy.

And on this particular day, I stopped to chat with a squirrel.

Because sometimes, a hot cup of coffee and a delightful conversation with a new (furry) friend is all you need to start the day off on the right foot.

But earlier, when I had walked by, I had been pelted by an acorn from above, and I had taken it to mean that on my way past that first time, I should have acknowledged his presence and given a nod to his territorial supremacy.

So this time, I stopped, and gave him his due.

First I offered a formal greeting recognizing his station as a Mad Hatter of sorts, and then, a stern chastising in reference to his tantrum.

But he was unreceptive of my input regarding his rudeness, and his manners as a result, had most assuredly not improved. This was more apparent as he proceeded to read me the riot act.

Apparently, he was not at all impressed with my conversational skills either, because he cocked his head vigorously several times whilst chirping and barking at me and giving me the what for.

I had attempted to apologize with a peanut, which he suspiciously snatched from my grasp and spun under his nose to inspect. But it was still an uncertainty whether or not my reparations were to be wholeheartedly entertained or unceremoniously rebuffed.

He began chirping more loudly.

Now, granted, my “squirr-lish” is a bit rusty (and not at all the strongest of my known woodland languages)… 

But, none the less, I was still fairly certain that I had just received a rather dubious proposition to join a shady backwoods tea party of suspect origins that would require me to bring my own nuts.

Hmmmm… Continue reading May the Forest Be With You →