Hello Girlfriends – Wikipedia defines luck as:  Luck or fortuity is good or bad fortune in life caused by accident or chance and attributed by some to reasons of faith or superstition, which happens beyond a person’s control. 

We hear the words, “Good Luck” and “How Lucky You Are”; what does this really mean?  Are we lucky or just at the right place at the right time?  Do random acts of luck happen?  Is it luck when we land a great job – the job we’ve been desiring  for a long time?  Or is it persistence, dedication and hard work?

Wikipedia further states, “Cultural views of luck vary from perceiving luck as a matter of random chance to attributing to luck explanation of faith or superstition.  For example, the Romans believed in the embodiment of luck as the Goddess Fortuna, while the atheist and philosopher Daniel Dennett believes that “luck is mere luck” rather than a property of a person or thing.

Lady Luck or Not - Throw the Dice!

Thomas Jefferson stated, “I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.”  I find these words very wise indeed!

Rasheed Ali wrote in this blog entitled, The Truth about Luck and How to Get It;  http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Truth-About-Luck-and-How-To-Get-It&id=71825

So when something fortuitous happens in your life, are you the first to say it was “LUCK” or was it that you were at the right place at the right time?  Even the lottery winners had to be at the right place at the right time to get those winning numbers.  Even if you picked every number but if you didn’t go play, you had the numbers but never put the action into motion and bought a ticket.  Could that be luck that you decided to go play the lottery and had the machine pick the numbers and each number came out?  Or – were you determined and felt compelled to go play the lottery at that exact time that the machine spitted out the winning ticket???

I feel that being at the right place at the right time is a big part of luck.  Well, maybe hard work, dedication, persistence is part of luck als0?  For now, I say the BEST to YOU and with hard work LUCK will happen!

Remember, may the possibilities of today excite us all! 

Determination, Luck, encouragement, inspiration, motivation encouargement, insight, inspiration, Luck

Hello Girlfriends –I read in a recent post dated July 4, 2010,  Maureen Simon (creator and founder of The Essential Woman); “Abundance Is A State of Mind” – .  Maureen has made some great points and I will add a few of my own.

Living in abundance, it sounds good, it’s something we would all love to achieve but how do we get there?  We have to start somewhere – let’s start at the very basic point.

1. Staying and living in the moment – not thinking about all the things we have to do later, tomorrow or in months to come – but instead living in the present moment, the NOW.

Take a breath in and out – feel your body present in the moment.  Observe whatever is in your space at this moment.  Hear the birds; listen to the sounds of the moment.  This is hard to do with all the distractions around us.  I believe we have to train ourselves to live in the moment, the NOW!  We get conditioned to run here, there and everywhere.  STOP – take a breath and feel life in the present moment.

1. Abundance is not purely financial, but a state of mind like Maureen Simon mentioned in her blog posting.

When we think of living abundantly, one of the first things that come to mind is money and having all the money in the world to live abundantly.  In my eyes, it’s not about the money; instead it’s about the mind.  It’s the choices we make with our life.  I have met homeless people with only the clothes on their backs but yet they are happy and living in their own abundance.  It’s all relative to what you have and what your attitudes in life are.

I ask that you envision “YOUR” abundance.  What does it look like?  Everyone will have their own idea of what it should look like.  My abundance looks like PEACE and feeling fulfilled at the end of each day.  I invite you to share what “YOUR” abundance looks like in the comments below.

As I write this blog, its early morning and I see the small lake I live on in front of me.  I hear many birds, an owl and a bull frog in the distance.  I breathe the mountain air and there is coolness in the morning.  I am living abundantly at this moment in time.

I will end this post with a quote from Marianne Williamson – “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” Live your abundance and be grateful for where you are in this very moment in time!

Living in the Moment as a Child Does

Remember, may the possibilities of today excite us all!

Abundance, encouragement, inspiration, integrity, motivation Abundance, awakening, encouargement, gratitude, inspiration

Hello Girlfriends – marriage is not for the meek of heart. 

I searched the definition of marriage in Wikipedia, and this is what it states:  Marriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship.  It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it’s found. 

 To me it’s a commitment to one person, a binding contract, agreement between two people.  A marriage is a bond – a connection.  I believe today’s society takes it too lightly.  You date a year, or two, and then the pressures of society get to us.  Our friends are all getting married, and the self induced pressure of holy matrimony deem us the victims.  I often notice that a couple does so well when they are dating, and once they tie the knot – things start to change. 

We have expectations for what it should be like.  Notice the word EXPECTATIONS!  When we put expectations on a person, we also must be ready for disappointments.  I feel the best way to live is without any expectations.  Just like giving, when you give – give without expectations.  You give freely!  That is what a great marriage is all about – we give freely of ourselves, without any expectations or wanting something in return.  We expect our significant other to act a certain way, behave a certain way, give you flowers and presents that you have picked out in your mind, and when he doesn’t – we hold it against him, and we get into an argument over what he failed to do for you. 

I remember reading the book, Mastery of Love, by Don Miguel Ruiz.  When we fall in love with a dog and we take it home, and then once its home, we want the dog to behave like a cat.  This is exactly what we do with our relationships.  We fall in love with this person and the infatuation stage is magical.  When that state is over, we expect the person to like what we like, and behave a certain way.  We buy a dog, expect a dog; it’s as simple as that.

A Sacred Bond Between Two People

In this book, Mastery of Love he states, “Relationship is an art.  The dream that two create is more difficult to master than one.  To keep the two of you happy, you have to keep your half perfect.  You are responsible for your half, and your half has a certain amount of garbage.”

True love is selfless; once we decide to be a couple, you are there to serve the one you love without expecting anything back.  It’s all about service to each other; you can do this when the love you have for yourself is very strong.  We must first love ourselves before we begin to love another. 

Before you take the big step towards holy matrimony, make sure you understand that marriage is a commitment not to be taken lightly.  You may also want to read this post entitled, Rules in Building Love Relationships: http://www.completepersonaldevelopment.com/14532/rules-of-building-love-relationships/comment-page-1/#comment-19199 

Love and be true to yourself first.  Honor one another, and may you live in eternal bliss! 

Remember, may the possibilities of today excite us all!

Marriage, encouragement, inspiration, integrity, motivation awakening, encouargement, inspiration, Marriage, new beginnings

Hello Girlfriends – Let’s talk shoes ladies: “What shoes do you dream of having in your closet?” (Please share, we want to hear)!

I will be honest – I LOVE SHOES!

I find shoes a necessary part of my life and I’m sure yours too! I remember my 94 year old nonna (“grandmother” in Italian) my daughter and I went to see her for she was in poor health and hospice had been called in to make her comfortable at home. She lived with her widowed daughter, my aunt, and one morning at 5:30 a.m. we hear the sweet voice of my nonna calling out to her daughter. “Pina, il scarpe” – which translates, “Josephine, my shoes”. Now remember, my nonna was bed ridden and could not walk anywhere but she wanted her shoes! My aunt diligently granted her wish and the magic shoes were put on her feet. I believe that as long as she laid in bed with her shoes, she knew she had another day of life. May the possibilities of NEW SHOES excite us ALL!

Jimmy Choo - One of My Own Personal Favorites!

Yves Sant Laurent - Incredibily Beautiful!

Manolo Blahnik - Birds of a Feather

Christian Louboutin - Need we say more???

Christian Louboutin - Spectacular!

Fendi - Simple and Elegant

Marc Jacobs - What a statement!

Gianmarco Lorenzi Boots - Watch out Ladies!

Shoes Shoes

Hello Girlfriends – I love the word shine.  To me, the word shine, means it looks polished, brilliant, and bright; a precious jewel – a gleaming light.  How many people do you know that really shine?  They are the ones that light up the room when they enter; these are the people that take pride in how they look.  These are people that smile inside and out.

Now there’s a different type of shine.  I’m talking about the shine in whatever you do.  It’s doing your best in each task before you.  It’s giving it your all – your everything.  In one example, be up front with people, don’t tell them you’ll get something done and then at the last minute not pull through.  I’d rather be told beforehand that the task cannot get done, instead of the very end when you expect something and you don’t get the expected results.  Of course, this is not shining. 

 
Don Miguel Ruiz, in his book, The Four Agreements, stated that one of the four agreements is always do your best.  If you think about it – if you consciously always do your best, you usually don’t have anything to worry about;  at a job, when you doing your best, you will shine above your peers.  How can you not be noticed if you are the one shining?  In a relationship, if you always do your best, there’s no room for second best.  Your significant other will know and see that you are giving it your all.  You will shine, and they’ll know – “Wow, she’s amazing!”  In your personal life, by doing your best, you will always take care of yourself, you will take care of your health; you will look in the mirror and make sure you are happy with what you see.  You will be your personal best to yourself first, and then the outside world.  

Shine in ALL YOU Do!

 
Be aware of the people that you see during the course of your day – raise your awareness to shining and doing your best as a woman, as a friend, as a mother, as a sister. 

Remember, may the possibilities of today excite us all!  

encouragement, inspiration, motivation awakening, encouargement, impeccable word, inspiration, Shine

Hello Girlfriends – Eleanor Roosevelt stated, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Challenges are beautiful opportunities in disguise.  Our dreams, our passions, our purposes in life – those opportunities are wanting something so bad, but not knowing how to achieve it.  If we sit back, it usually doesn’t come knocking on our door.  If we believe in what we are doing, we must go out and get it!  The more common is that we have to get out there and make our own way.  This teaches us perseverance.  This takes tenacity, persistence, desire, and determination.  How badly do we want something? I’ve always worked under the influence that if I want it bad enough – I go get it! I don’t like where I live, the job I’m in then do something about it. This indicates a time for a change; time to go to investigate new possibilities.

We must not get complacent and be okay not liking the way we are living, the job we are in, a relationship that is dysfunctional at best.  I believe it’s easier to stay in a situation than change the situation.  Of course, FEAR gets in the way.  FEAR stands for False Evidence Appearing Real.  We get scared of taking the leap of faith and actually jumping to new ground.  A much needed move may be exactly what will transform your life, but we stay stuck in the same place.  Some other reasons of not being able to move on would be children, spouses, jobs. I say it’s time to stop using these people in our lives as excuses.  If we don’t like something bad enough, then we’ll want and desire a change.  We must go out there and find our new possibilities. I assure you that they are out there; it’s our minds that can’t grasp that we can actually do something about it. We limit ourselves to thinking small - it’s time to think BIG! We must get out of our boxes and go play in this vast world that is before us.

Desire and Determination WILL take you to new heights

The paradox in life is that we can often stare for so long at the door which has closed; that we can miss a new one that has opened!

Remember, the possibilities of today excite us all!

Determination, encouragement, inspiration, motivation change, Determination, encouargement, inspiration

Hello Girlfriends – “there is nothing deader than a dead love”‘ – I recently read this on Corrine Edwards site.  How many of us have done everything in our power to keep a love

that obviously has been dead for a while.  We don’t want to let go of the memory of that relationship.  We hang onto him like molasses.  We fear being alone – being without that person in our life.  Think about what it feels like – to me it feels like cold ashes.  A wise man in New York City told me those words, when I was going through a period of a dead love in my own life.  It resounded in my heart, and over a year later, I get to share these words with you.

“Think about cold ashes – even if you can put a match to the ashes – they’re not going to flame up.”

They are just ashes!  It doesn’t feel right when you’re around each other, and the way he used to treat you is no longer.  His compassion for you has died and he may only be your company because he’s afraid to lose you totally.

I personally choose to be alone and happy than with someone and unhappy.  There comes a point where you have to make a decision.  When that flame of passion dies – it’s either time to start a new fire, or leave the ashes and move on in life.  At times it’s easier to leave since you both don’t have anything invested in this relationship – you part amicably and go out and make sure you’ve learned from your previous mistakes.

The hardest thing to do is to start a new fire.  This means that you both do things differently in the relationship.  We start the flame again – you reinvent the wheel.  You do things differently to reassure yourselves things won’t go back to the way they were before.  Again, it’s not easy depending on the situation of why the embers died.

The hardest flame to relight is when there was a trust issue that got broken.  An affair is a “BIG” one.  Can you trust that person again?  Will the memories of the other woman haunt you?  Can you forgive and look past the pain that this caused?  Nevertheless, you both have to be willing to start over again and re- ignite the fire.

Remember, may the possibilities today excite us all!

encouragement, inspiration, motivation awakening, Challenges, change, encouragement, inspiration, love

Hello Girlfriends – I really love this quote by Joseph F. Newton, “people are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.”  We all experience it at one time of our lives or another, this thing called loneliness.  Even if we are with a significant other, we can feel loneliness.  There is a healthy amount of loneliness that we feel from time to time.  We start to feel alienated when under stress or strain, and loneliness sets in.  Let me clarify there is a difference between loneliness and alone-ness.  Loneliness is self-induced, while alone-ness is a choice we make.  Alone-ness is a time for us to contemplate, to reflect and heal ourselves.  Being away from our everyday lives and being alone with our thoughts and with any challenge that may be happening in our lives. 

Loneliness on the other hand is a feeling of being separated from the world.  Sometimes we spiral into loneliness due to circumstances in our lives.  Depression, anger, fear are some of the emotions that make us feel lonely.  We feel no one will understand our situation, so we close ourselves off from the world.  We don’t want to burden others with our problems and what we are going through, and the result of this is loneliness.  We close ourselves off and feel different; you see others having friends, and feelings of why can’t I have friends set in.  The funny thing is, that we deceive ourselves to thinking that no one wants to hear our problems, but in reality there are so many that would reach out to help. 

In life, when we give, it makes us feel so much better than receiving.  Think about all the times you have given and the feelings it has created within you.  Being around people allows us to feel as if we are a part of a bigger picture.  When you don’t feel like going out, make sure you go out anyway.  Just like smiling, when you smile and you’re feeling sad this may induce a sense of happiness; so make yourself smile.  Be around people.  Get your issues that you’re dealing with out – TALK!  Embrace the support of your friends!

Build a bridge - Not a wall

Remember, may the possibilities of today excite us all!

encouragement, inspiration, motivation encouargement, inspiration, Lonliness, motivation