Gifts & Love, Happy Friday!

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, not to anticipate troubles,  but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly."
~Siddhartha Gautama
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Today's Affirmation
I lovingly care for my body temple.

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My birthday this year was a day I won’t forget anytime soon.  Between all the birthday wishes online, in game, on the phone, the gifts, the candy, the lit candles, the silk Pj’s ;) (Yup I got silk pjs!), and even this morning, the emails from friends & the flowers from work folks (who all forgot my birthday yesterday for the second year in a row :P), it’s been a day of happiness for me.

I spent the night yesterday lounging around in my new silk nightgown and silk robe, drinking wine and eating chocolate truffles as if I had been born to do that everyday for the rest of my life.  It was FABULOUS.  It’s like having a fabulous Christmas the memory of which lingers in your mind in the form of faint scents of apples cinnamon and hot chocolate.  It’s been a long time since I had a birthday that felt special.  And I owe this one to all of you.

I wont say that my birthday prepared me for surgery, because I’m still terrified of it, and it does unfortunately loom closer now…but I know that when I have my anesthesia the last thing I’ll be thinking about is the love I’ve felt from many and the memory of the very special day on my 35th birthday when you all made me feel like a queen.  

Now that my birthday has passed, we move along my fear timeline towards the approaching surgery.  This weekend and one other comes, and then I’m in surgery.  I’m terrified of that.  I will be attempting to see as many people as possible and getting things in order.  But now is a critical time where more than ever, I need your help.  I need your prayers for the surgery, that it is smooth, for the recovery that it is quick, and for the future that this gets it all…  

Please continue to light candles, it will give me joy to put together more gift books for you all and will help yourself as well as many others feel peace.  

Be well today my friends, be well…

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DAILY INSPIRATION

Following the Current
Going With the Flow

The expression going with the flow is a metaphor that applies to navigating a river. When we go with the flow, we follow the current of the river rather than push against it. People who go with the flow may be interpreted as lazy or passive, but to truly go with the flow requires awareness, presence, and the ability to blend one's own energy with the prevailing energy. Going with the flow doesn't mean we toss our oars into the water and kick back in the boat, hoping for the best. Going with the flow means we let go of our individual agenda and notice the play of energy all around us. We tap into that energy and flow with it, which gets us going where we need to go a whole lot faster than resistance will.

Going with the flow doesn't mean that we don't know where we're going; it means that we are open to multiple ways of getting there. We are also open to changing our destination, clinging more to the essence of our goal than to the particulars. We acknowledge that letting go and modifying our plans is part of the process. Going with the flow means that we are aware of an energy that is larger than our small selves and we are open to working with it, not against it.

Many of us are afraid of going with the flow because we don't trust that we will get where we want to go if we do. This causes us to cling to plans that aren't working, stick to routes that are obstructed, and obsess over relationships that aren't fulfilling. When you find yourself stuck in these kinds of patterns, do yourself a favor and open to the flow of what is rather than resisting it. Trust that the big river of your life has a plan for you and let it carry you onward. Throw overboard those things that are weighing you down. Be open to revising your maps. Take a deep breath and move into the current.

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WELL WISHES
It’s Friday!  May the joy of the day strike you early, so that all day you have a smile on your face that can’t help but be infectious!  You are loved; you are cared for and thought about.  Spread that to someone else and make it a fabulous day.

You are a blessing to me
xo

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AND REMEMBER

There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story.  ~Linda Hogan