#followyourheart

There Is Better

I bought a yard globe for the front yard.

It looked fabulous in the store, but when I got it home and placed it in the flower bed, I didn’t like it at all. It was not right so, I took it back to the store.

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Is there such a thing as too much bling?

I was happy for not hesitating long before taking it back. I’m a laid back soul, so I pondered it trying to make it work, but I’m just not willing to settle.

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I read a Blog yesterday written by someone I follow. We are on the same page in our philosophy of letting things go. She let go of her supplies to a long time craft she had loved, but wasn’t enjoying anymore. The title of her Blog sums it up nicely.

It says, “Cut the ties that bind, even though you loved them.“~Co-Creating and Cowgirl Wisdom.

She says in her post that even if she returns to the craft she would buy new tools, so it was time to let go of what she had. Let someone else enjoy them like a beginner. The tools for the craft have been updated, and now she knows there is better.

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It was easy to return the yard globe to the hardware store, but other choices pull at our heartstrings more. I assure you lovely. There is better.

A Gratitude Jar

I didn’t do my Morning Pages this morning.

It’s all good though. My daughter has classes, and I chose to spend time with her before she left.

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Thank you for your encouraging comments yesterday about These Two Jars. I found a shoe-box and dumped the pieces of paper inside. It lost all appeal. It was like the shoe box covered up the idea. I’d probably forget about writing on a slip of paper a day using the box, so back to the jar we went.

Walking away from the shoe box with jar in hand, I just plopped it down on top of the coffee bar to ponder it’s placement. Seeing the jar sitting there this morning, it looked at home, even though it was not planned. Scooping up the pieces of paper from the box I placed them back inside the jar.

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Sometimes I make things more complicated than they should be. The gratitude jar was a simple idea I read about, and then tried to make perfect.

The first idea is the best idea.

Stick with the original idea. That is called inspiration when the idea of adding something meaningful to our lives first strikes. To hear that still small voice and follow through. Logic is overrated in my opinion because by following your heart there doesn’t seem to be a lot of logic to it.

By  paying attention to what’s around us, we can instill the simplistic beauty of a gratitude jar.

Follow Your Heart

My daughter left me a note of advice.

Reading this part makes me feel like I did something right. How many 19-year-old’s say this?

“Take this time while I’m gone to do things that fill you up and make your heart smile.”

This morning, I woke up feeling guilty about recent purchases. Does that ever happen to you?

I’m over it now because without even realizing it, I took her advice and acted on it.

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Photo Credit: Scott Stabile

As you see in A Doggo’s Life, our doggo’s are sharing a dog bed. I wanted our new puppo to have her own bed, so went in search of the perfect dog bed. In my mind I pictured exactly what it should look like, but 4 stores later didn’t result in that bed.

That was my mind, but what did my heart say?

Step One.

Back before Thanksgiving, my daughter and I were in a store where everything is pretty, but reasonably priced. I saw a rug that made my heart smile. My daughter saw my face light up, but she also knew we were setting aside all extra money for England.

Guess what? She’s in England and I still have money. Glory to God!

Yesterday, I went back to that store see if the rug was still there. It had been months, so what were the odds? Would it be on sale after Christmas?

It was in the rug bin along with one other rug.

It wasn’t on sale, but I had a price in mind that I was willing to pay. I found a sales lady, and inquired about the price of the rug. Full price was too much, but I’d walk out of there with it if she took $50 off.

Step Two.

The sales lady found an online coupon she could apply to meet my price! Then it became confusing.

She asked, “Is that the color you want? We have another one in the back that’s grey.”

The rug standing in the bin is a light color, which I gravitate toward, and it has pale gold shimmers running through it, but my daughter loves grey!

They grey one was equally pretty, and I knew my daughter would love it. What did I do? Like any good Mother, I loaded the grey one in my truck.

Score one for the mind.

Step Three.

I sat in front of the store staring at the rug laying across the backseat. The sales lady told me if it wasn’t right, to bring it back and get the other one, but I wanted to know in my heart what to do.

I found myself walking back into the store swapping the grey for the one I wanted. I followed my heart all the way through. My daughter will be happy.

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Looks like we found the perfect dog bed after all.

Taking Her Advice

She followed her heart, and so shall I.

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Photo Cred: Simply Semloh Eiffel Tower lastnight.

Do What You Truly Want to Do

I am honored to receive another Sunshine Blogger Award within the same week. Thank you Pascales Healing Journey for the lovely nomination.

Her questions are thought provoking, so I wanted to share. If you have won an award, and cannot think of appropriate questions, maybe these will help. I’ve been pondering the first question for over a week.

  • Are you doing what you truly want to do?
  • Do you have a dream to follow?
  • Are you proud of what you’re doing or what you’ve done?
  • What’s the one thing you really want to do but have never done so, and why?
  • Have you ever abandoned a creative idea that you believed because others thought you were a fool?
  • Is there anything you can’t let go of, but you know you should?
  • Is there anyone who inspired you and made you who you are today?
  • What’s the thing you’re most satisfied with?
  • When was the last time you laughed and what did you laugh at?
  • Are you doing anything which makes you and people around you happy?
  • If happiness is a currency, how rich do you think you are?

They are all good questions, but that first one really got me. At first, I looked at the overall scope of my life. Life is a beautiful journey, but there is always room for improvement. I find this question works best applying it minute by minute, hourly, or daily.

Are you doing what you truly want to do?

If not, we have the power to change it at any moment. Maybe you have a job you don’t particularly like, but it brings in income, which is a good tool to have. I have two jobs that are not ideal, but I can work them while practicing this dream.

The hours are flexible, and I get to work from home.

Time is my most valued commodity, and my jobs don’t take a lot of time or energy. What I really want to do is write, and become better at it each day. It takes time to find your voice, and I feel I’m getting close.

Our voice evolves with every click of publish.

I hope you enjoy the list of questions.

May you find yourself doing what you truly want to do.

Be the Love

My daughter left Saturday for Boston, and will not be home until Wednesday. Her father took her to see Harry Styles in concert. If you don’t know who Harry Styles is, he was the member of One Direction with the massive head of hair. If you don’t know who One D is, I don’t know what to say.

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Harry!

Here are some things I learned while she’s been gone.

*Kick up the self-care a notch. Take the Yoga class already!

*Buy the t-shirt you fell in love with the minute you saw it.

*Go to the coffee shop that re-opened, and encourage the owner.

*Start a Google search, and follow the trail. It leads to a book you wish to read during this quiet time. Call the local bookstore to see if they have it. They have ONE. Drive.

*On the way to the bookstore, stop at places you haven’t stopped in forever. Encourage the owners of the business, and the people working there. Tell them, “I appreciate you.”

*Smile at people. Be kind, and leave them with a smile.

*Hug someone when they least expect it.

*If you invite chaos into your life, take it back, and leave it.

*Use your voice if your heart is not happy. It may begin an avalanche, and your world may fall apart for a bit, but it will fall back together even better than before. Trust me.

*Clear off the giant coffee table, and use it to work a puzzle.

*Just be what you want to see. If it’s love, then be the love.

Feel the Music

I woke up this morning pondering the men that have passed through my life. I’ve loved them all, and still do on a certain level. As I began making changes last year, the tagline to this Blog changed, and I’m still standing firm in these words. “Let it all go, and see what stays.” God stayed.

Hoping in my truck earlier today, this song began playing on the radio. Maybe it doesn’t pertain to only the men, but everything I have let go of to bring me to this space today.

I know my heart will never be the same
But I’m telling myself I’ll be okay
Even on my weakest days,
I get a little bit stronger.

Thank you God for pulling me through, and making me stronger.