Gratitude Day 20 - Silver Linings

Every cloud has a silver lining ... 

This phrase has stuck with me through my life. One that makes me think of a cloud filled sky with the sun brilliantly shinning behind them... 

And me running off into the land of my daydreams.

Sure, clouds bring rain...

And the sun makes the silver lining...

And oh so much more!

Today as that phrase came to my mind, I started to think of what it would be like if we could just keep making the silver linings in our life bigger and bigger to the point that our clouds were just silver shining globes in the sky. 

I imagine that would be quite a sight. 

But then maybe it would be too bright. And so having a bit of cloud to give accent and contrast really actually creates more beauty.

And like a great metaphor, it inspired my thoughts towards day to day life. 

If everything was just perfect all the time, how would we measure perfect? Perfect would in some way just become the new normal.

The challenges in life help to create the contrast. 

It give us something to grow towards, create, make better... 

something to dream about...

I am so grateful for the silver linings in life. 

To find them everywhere, like blessing radiating and illuminating life in the most beautiful way.

Yes, I am grateful...

And I invite you to find your silver linings my friends... they truly are a sight to behold.

xoxo...Becca

Gratitude Day 17 - The Body

I have nothing but respect and love for this amazing vessel that I get to call home....my body. 

I am forever in awe with how intricate and advanced it its. This micro of the cosmos that holds worlds within worlds within. 

I love that, despite my ignorance of what is going on inside, my body is continually aligning itself with wholeness and balance.

I breathe without needing to think about it. 

My heart beats, my blood flows.

My immune system protects me.

I can sense the world around me in a beautiful array of ways.

I appreciate all the signals that I am given, the pain, the discomfort and the pleasure, that let me know when I need to assist in some form of action for continued well-being. 

Signals that inform me to rest, hydrate, stretch, move, eat...and so much more. 

What a gift to be given this advanced vehicle to explore this world.

To live life, to experience life, to feel life!

Yes, I am so grateful for this body I call home.

Remember to tell your body thank you!   
xoxo...Becca

Gratitude Day 15 - Fun

You know you are having fun when you forget to take out your phone and take a picture of the moment!

... & more importantly, you forget about your phone altogether.

When I was a kid we used to move a lot. This meant that I was always having to make new friends, or probably more correctly, figure out how to fit in. 

I remember seeing best friends together and thinking that was so cool. How great it must be to have that special someone that got all your innuendos and jokes. 


It took me a long time to realize that it was me that was holding myself back from joining in on all the fun, not my circumstance. Sure, having a long history with someone is great, but that isn't the requirement to having real connection and fun with someone. 

When I learned how to be transparent with myself, I opened myself to being transparent with others. This was one of the biggest key factors in freeing myself from the myth that I needed to "fit in" in the first place. 

All the fears of judgment, shyness, insecurities etc. started to fade away. 

Thank goodness for the mirror that showed me that I was the one barking in my own face. 

Our world is a mirror reflection of our perception!

Laughter,

Fun

Child like freedom

In the moment

Fun

Talk about everything & nothing

Playful

Fun

I am so grateful to share this fun with the new friends I meet and the friends that I have known through the years. 

I am so grateful for the healing recharge of mind body and spirit when we just let go and have fun!

Gratitude Day 14 - Laughter

Laughter, what a gift. 

Laughter changes everything

No matter what mood is hanging overhead

A good belly laugh 

Tears running down your cheeks

Can't help it and laugh out loud

Laugh

That stops time

Everything else dissapears

And lifts the floodgates of endorphins

yes, I am grateful for laughter! HA~!
xoxo...Becca

Gratitude Day 12 - Elders

I spent my day in the middle of thousands of people as they celebrated loved ones. I enjoy being in the midst of a large collective of humans all vibrating in this joyous state. 

I also got the opportunity to help a few elders to their cars. Their smiles and genuine happiness was so wonderful. One woman was 95 and had Alzheimer and so her answers to my questions were a small window into the world she was living in. Her world filled with happy people and jubilant events from her past. 

It was such an honor for me to be able to spend the time with those that I did today. 

And it reminded be how much I appreciate the wisdom and stories of those who have circled the sun for much longer than I have. 


This idea of legacy. Our story. What will we say at 95? What unique signature are we creating with our time here?

Time is so valuable. 

I am grateful for time with elders who bless me with their portals into a past that I now get to know in a richer way through their own words and memories. I am grateful for the gift of the personal experience they share with me. And I am grateful for the reminder to make my life the best biography in the making that I possibly can. 

What legacy are you creating?

xoxo...Becca

Gratitude Day 10 - Blessings

A while back our family made the conscious decision to start celebrating every blessing that we experience. This habit has become something that brings so much joy into our life.

We celebrate big and little victories, accomplishments, 11:11's (or other numbers like it), syncronicities and abundance however we receive it and anything else that we feel in our heart.

To us, finding a penny on the ground is a momentous occasion and brings a cheer. 

"Lucky penny!" 

"Look a blessing!"

But it's not only pennies, this celebration brings every currency and even paper bills and the occasional diamond too. 

And the thing that I really notice is that whether we find a penny or a $50 on the street, the joy feels the same.

It reminds me of the thought that What we celebrate we invite more of into our life!

I had quite a collection of lucky pennies going and I decided to make a jar of blessings. A little something that when I see it I think of all the celebrations we have had as a family and all the blessings that we are open to receiving.

It reminds me of all the great experiences, connections and loved ones we have in our life.

I am so gratitude for every blessing and I am so grateful that we are open to receive them with open arms and big smiles. 

What is your "jar of blessings"? 

And how do you celebrate the blessings in your life?

Let's share our ideas and help spark new ways to celebrate our gratitude!

xoxo...Becca

Universal Mind

Gratitude Day 8 - Home

It was a beautiful sunny Sunday here in Ventura so I decided to ride my bike down to the library. I love riding through all the neighborhoods and getting to know the area better. I don’t know much about the history of the area so I really just let myself get cruise and take in the vibes.

As I rolled down the streets people were out and about in all sorts of fashion, walking dogs, biking, shopping, back yard parties, it was great.

There is a beach washed kind of rustic charm here. It’s almost trendy but I can tell there is this vibe like “no way, keep it real”

From my perspective I feel that it’s very much an art town.

As I passed people we would wave and smile. I love this. And there was a feeling inside me like “yea, this is my town, and I like it!”

I ended up riding down to the pier and I was pleasantly surprised to find it opened up. One of the storms over the winter caused it to be closed for repairs so this was the first time since moving here that I was able to actually walk the pier.

I couldn’t put the experience into any one category. The planks were soiled from years of fish guts and scales, seagulls, pigeons and humans. There was trash left on park benches in some places and cared for places in others and a crisp American flag hung from every lamp post.

The entrance was lined with the homeless who were camped out rocking to their little radios and doing their thing. All along the pier, fishing rods leaned on the railing and everyone from families picnicking and fishing, to friends just hanging out. From young to old and every race, everyone was just enjoying the day. 

A real a salty dogs haven.

You could just feel the history and it was as if time hadn’t changed anything.

It was as if you could feel that even though tourism is a part of this town, it doesn’t change the vibe or the place.

If perception is in the eye of the beholder...all I know is I like what I see.

An artist’s cove where what you wear isn’t as important as who you are and a stranger passing by is quick to smile.

I am so grateful for a great place to call home.

Gratitude Day 7 - Patience

Patience, I'm not always very good at it. It's hard for me to sit still for too long. Hands on learning works better for me and yes, I'm the one that jumps at the idea of travel or a road trip if I've been in one place for too long.

When we moved from Virginia to California at the end of December, I had a clear vision of our start
up plan here, a plan that included me doing massage.

Well not this time, this time the "plan" was all fine and dandy but not what reality dished on our plate.

You see, usually getting your massage license transferred to a new state takes about 30 days but my 30 days turned into 2 months, 3 months, 4 months.....5 months!



It was this process alone that taught me so much.

I faced feelings of self doubt, fear, elation, freedom, worry and and surrender. Sometimes one at a time and sometimes all at once.

But dispute it all I kept coming back to just letting go...and I was so grateful of the patience that it showed me through this surrender of what I thought should be.

Every once in awhile I would still think about my massage license...what ever happened to that!?

And then there it was in my inbox ..."Congratulations!"

I had to laugh out loud!

Yes, patience. I am so grateful for patience and surrender. I am grateful that I allowed myself to trust and flow with the process. (not without some anxiety, ha!)



I have really stepped outside of the box now and had to face a lot of places in me. The truth is I didn't always like what I saw. But it was because of this experience that I got to shine the light on fears and insecurities that I may have never found otherwise.



And I'm sure to the universe, 1 month or 5 month....what's the difference? lol!

xoxo....Becca

Gratitude Day 6 - Core Truth

I am grateful for my core drive that keeps me focused on our dreams, our projects and the things that we are creating.

The drum beat of my core purpose that I move and dance to.

Sure I get knocked down from time to time. Sometimes a whole lot more than I would like (or would like to admit!)  

But there is something that moves inside of me like the molten core of the Earth. My own core truth. It pulls me right back up and has me focused with more determination than ever.

I was listening to a talk by Barbara Corcoran the other day and I was like “yes! yes! yes!” She talked about success and she made a statement about the thing that separated the successful people from the rest was how quickly they could get back up when they get knocked down.

I know I have had my share of pity parties in my life but what I want to acknowledge and celebrate is how few and far between they are the older I get. Not only that, I spend more of my time not just on my feet, but running towards our goals.

I have realized that most times “knocked down” is just a state of mind for me.

So I would like to celebrate courage, tenacity, vision and success in all of us.  

Because what we celebrate 

we reciprocate!

Yes please! Thank You! May I have another!

Today let us all celebrate and have gratitude for the core drive in us that picks us up, keeps us going and fuels us with purpose in life.

Let's celebrate us!

xoxo....Becca

Gratitude Day 3 - Friendship

Today I had the most amazing talk with a friend I hold so dear in my heart. We became friends back in massage school many moons ago and even though we don't live near each other, I still think about her all the time. And just that thought of our friendship and connection brings a smile to my face. 

Which is perfect because smiling is one thing that we do a LOT of when we are together. Laughter and fun. I still remember the day my son told me that we act like kids when we hang out. I told him "thank you!"


But what feels so special to me is that despite the time or distance, when we talk, it is as if it was just yesterday. 

Have you ever felt like that with a friend before? I hope so. This is something that I am so grateful to have in my life.

It's magical! 

Because to me that is what life is all about. This
connection that we can have with others.

And I find that it is really rare to find this kind of true friendship. True, comfortable, soul level, be yourself, honest friendship.

A friendship that lasts a lifetime. 

The language of friendship is not words but meanings. – Henry David Thoreau

A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow. – William Shakespeare

xoxo...Becca

Gratitude Day 2 - Mirrors

I was recently feeling a bit stressed. Some of this was probably from the move that we just made to a new state. And a lot of it from the situations that we are in the middle of right now. It all compiled together I was starting to feel just a little overwhelmed. So I decided to ask for help.

As part of asking for help I found somebody to talk to who happened to be in Ojai which is a little town up from where we live. It was my first time to the area. It was really kind of a neat drive in itself because Ojai is up away from the ocean so the energetics of the Earth were a bit different than what I was in the middle of in Ventura.

So even just that grounded mountain energy was already helpful.

I got in the office and I found myself trying to figure out the best way to explain my feelings. As I sat there talking, I felt the overwhelm and anxiety start to surface.

I would like to say that it was an extremely profound session, but the truth is that it was really quite simple. And it was that simpleness that I feel made such a great impact for me. So in essence, it was profound.

The more that I shared what was going on, the more I began to sense the calmness of the person that I was talking to. The more I sensed his calm, the more a part of me that felt a little agitated and a little bit aware that there was this rift. My energy was not matching his energy. 

I felt grateful for this outside perspective creating a mirror for me.

My energy was all amped up. And it was interesting because at one point he brought this up and shared that he felt I had this super fast paced energy and that what I was really needing was to ground and to allow myself to be a part of this new place that we had moved to. To allow myself to feel at home here in California and be grounded.

So, like I said, it wasn’t super profound information. I was very simple. But I allowed myself to receive that simplicity and I allowed myself to follow the emotion of what that simplicity felt like inside.

But it also made be giggle because it reminded me how actual mirrors are the same way.

I can get stuck in my head sometimes, lost in thought. I can spend half a day in my own world and then all of a sudden I will find myself passing a mirror and realize that the person looking back at me looks nothing like the way I was imagining myself!

Ha!

Most times the mirror is showing me that I have failed to comb my hair or that I am looking too comfortable in my “comfy” clothes for going out in public.

I really allowed myself to see the mirror that he was being for me. He was reflecting to me the calm that I know that I had inside, but allowing me to see a reflection of this crazy disheveled energy that I was sporting. My energy was in serious need of some grooming!  

Thank you mirror mirror….

This mirror that allowed to me see a reflection of myself where I was disconnected. And it reminded me that mirrors are all around us everyday. Each and every person that we connect with, we have the opportunity to look into that mirror and see some reflection of our self.

So yes, I am grateful for mirrors.

Mirrors to ground me. Mirrors to reflect to me where I am so that I can better navigate where I am going. Mirrors to guide me back to the wholeness of the true image of my highest self and my source within.

And I will say that I am also grateful to starting to ground into Ventura as home.

Gratitude - Day 1 - Photos

Year of Gratitude - Day 1  

I am grateful for photos....

I’m not sure why it is, but lately as I have been looking to the future, I have been experiencing questions in my mind about myself, about my childhood and past decisions that I have made. Could I have done better, been better or made better choices? I realize I have some self judgement that maybe I should have accomplished more or have more to show for my life travels.

As I have scoured my recollection of my past I realize I really don’t have many of the details, only snippets of moments. Stories that come from a child's mind because that is who recorded them in those moments.

Memories really are quite unreliable because they only represent the interpretation of person’s experience therefore they are incomplete and totally subjective.

And like so many others, I have my laundry list of hurtful and painful stories and I find myself telling them in ways that justify my excuses now. But I know the truth, they are just that….excuses!

But listening to those excuses has been so amazingly enlightening to me in order to become aware of my own limiting beliefs so that I can bring them into balance with my highest truth and divine self.

This idea came to me to ask those who knew me as a child what I was like. What my personality or character qualities where like. As a parent and someone who works with children, I know that I acknowledge there is a core drive that we have even as a child, I was curious what those that knew me when I was little would say. Was I shy, strong, happy, sad…..what image did I put out to the world from the start?

I can admit that there was a part of me that just wanted someone to tell me that I was a good person, that I was good.

It is funny how the things our child self longed to hear and have acknowledged can still be wedged in us no matter how old we are and no matter how much every other part of us knows without a doubt that we are amazing!

So on my recent trip to visit my sister, I asked her this question. She was 18 when I was born so her understanding of those past days had a few more details to share. As we went through old family photos we had tears of laughter running down our cheeks as we recounted stories and laughed at the wardrobe and hairstyles of days past.

As page after page turned, what I started to notice was smiles. No matter the pain or frustration I remembered, these photos showed me I still had the heart to be happy and smile.

And that is what was remembered. How happy I always was and how I loved to make others smile.

As we closed the photo album I said to everyone, I don’t care what all the stories are, or what we went through in our past. They are just stories. What I chose to embrace is that we are happy positive people who can overcome anything. We have heart and we share joy.

I am so grateful for that beautiful moment shared with family going through those pictures. And I am grateful to photographs for holding snapshots of moments to help fill in the faded memories. I do love to smile.

I am grateful for joy!

Astrocartography

Say What!

This has been an energetic point that I have been debating with inside of myself for years. The idea that our geography on the planet plays into our strengths and weaknesses of self. Years ago I had my astrocartography chart done. It is a chart that uses your birth chart to determine your planetary chart so to speak. You could say it's an extension of getting your Astrology chart done by showing places on the planet that your birth/planet lines run. And these planetary lines in their dualistic nature support or inhibit different natures of our personality.  

I didn't really put to much thought into the chart since I have been moving into the truth that when we really connect with our highest self, our core connection of our truth, our true self, then even our horoscope falls away. We are in a way moving towards a wholeness of self through embracing the entire astrological wheel and balancing into completeness. 

My feelings were that if I experienced the not so harmonious line places on the planet, I could just use that opportunity to bring more of myself into balance.

I have done a fair bit of traveling through the US and South East Asia and in my observation, when we are traveling we are not usually in one place long enough for these lines to really sway us in a significant way.

But when we live somewhere for a longer period of time, then we sort of soak in that vibration and it starts to have a greater effect. I don't know why the idea of a pollutant comes to mind as I type this but it is sort of like that. If you are exposed to a mild poison for a short period, it will not do much. But stay in it and keep exposing yourself to it, well....you get the picture. 

I just want to say again, I didn't put to much weight on this geographical placement of self thing, but the truth is, since our last move, I am really starting to think about this chart a whole lot more now. 

My personal experience with astrocartography.... 

I grew up moving, moving and moving again. I went to thirteen different schools growing up and three alone in my 9th grade year in two states. People always ask if I was a military brat and I say no, but I'm pretty sure my mom was just a gypsy. 

But in all this moving up until 18, I was moving up and down the west coast bouncing back and forth from WA to CA and places in between. The reason this is important is because lines tend to run at long arcs on our astrocartography chart so even through I moved around this much growing up, I was still under the same influences in my chart so energetically where I was along the lines didn't really change. 

My lines along the west coast are challenging to say the least.

My childhood was filled with introspection and even as a child I would analyze personality dynamics. (Moving so much gave me a lot of opportunity for this!) But most of my curiosity I would say was fueled by a desire to figure out the insecurity and depression I felt. My own inner journey into happiness has been my greatest tool in working with others to this day.

At 18 I booked a flight a one way flight to Maui and never looked back. It was the first time I lived in one place for so long....20 years. I tell people, if you want to heal your heart...go to Hawaii. 

A whole new alignment with wholeness and balance began to occur for me. I really began to infuse more of my Earth self with my divine truth. Years later when I looked at my astrocartography chart, I saw a multitude of supporting lines flowing right through the islands for me. I was in the perfect place! 

Then the decision came to move off the island and back to the mainland. This was a hard decision and a whole other post in itself but we ended up moving to Virginia with the goal of moving to NY for our plays. On my chart, the East coast was magical. And in the year and a half that we were there, I felt it. Things flowed, they were great. The only reason I didn't really grow my practice big from there was because I knew we were not going to stay there and we were supposed to be moving to NY so I set up foundations and prepared everything for a smooth transition to NY.  

Well....that didn't really happen. Somehow the whole NY thing changed to LA and the next thing I knew I was driving 3000 miles back across the states to California where we are now. Back to the same energetic planetary lines where I started my life. 

I have been here for almost five months now and what I have experienced in that time has made me really look at the whole chart thing again. And more importantly how to transcend it in order to integrate even more of myself so as to not be effected by it at all. 

The longer I am here, there is this feeling of me slipping away. Things that I know and love and resonated with now feel a little bit dull and like a dream or memory to me rather than something that fuels and fires me. But let me add, it is just a hue, or fog over me, not me. There is truth and information coming through that there is such a great opportunity there in becoming even more even if I feel a little less at first.  

What can we gain from this knowledge?

I have so many thoughts around this hole experience. I do feel that different places on the planet can activate different aspects of us. It makes me think of a black light or infrared light. Different light waves can show us things that are there that we don't see in regular light. Not good or bad, it just is. And with it we can use this information as a strength in order to grow and evolve even more into our core truth of the divine that we are.

We can shine and be the star that we are!