Wishcast Wednesday - How do you wish to sparkle?

The incredible Jamie Ridler has done it again!  Her Wishcast Wednesday prompt is right on the money!  (As usual!)

This week's Wishcast prompt is:

How do you wish to *sparkle*?

The reason that this is such a good prompt for me this week, is that I am currently working on an upward rise of attitude, intention, consciousness...

The last few weeks (or even longer) have been a roller-coaster of emotions, thoughts, and energy.  I've made a few decisions about my life--one of them being joining a 12 step program in regards to my eating habits (or addiction as I've come to realize).  The first meeting was last night and it was good.  Another decision is to cut back on a lot of the things I was trying (unsuccessfully*) to take part in.  I've paired down to the most important things I wish to participate in or accomplish.

Which leads me to my *sparkle* list...

I wish that my new updated blog (coming soon) is sparkly, delicious, and inviting--and a place where others feel worthwhile spending a bit of time.

I wish to sparkle with my creativity--this year I'm going to do my first craft show, put on a few Dream Board workshops with a friend, and I might even have a creativity blog (working on that too!)

My 12 step journey--I know it will probably be frought with lots of emotions, but my wish is that with the support of peers I will sparkle my way to a level of consciousness that I have yet to achieve.

I wish to sparkle with my relationships--that they are fun, easygoing, and enjoyable.

I wish to radiate sparkle!

Your diamonds are not in far distant mountains or in yonder seas; they are in your own backyard, if you but dig for them. - Russel H. Conwell

Wishcast Wednesday - What gifts do you wish to share?

Wowzers!  Jamie Ridler's Wishcast wish prompt this week is "What gifts do you wish to share?" 

And that question kind of hit me between the eyes...the last several weeks I've been having some difficult moments with feeling like what I have to offer isn't necessarily what people want.  This question really put the words to what I've been feeling--I've been trying to offer some gifts of myself but, in certain circumstances, those gifts have been rebuffed.  Hence, the "wowzers!"

As I said, this feeling of rejection--because that's what it's really about, isn't in all situations or with all people.  But each time it happens, it does hurt deep--obviously a deep wound from my past.  Feelings of rejection are a recurring issue of mine. 

But...I'm digressing into painful feelings and not focusing on the question at hand.  It's important for me to process these feelings of rejection, and I will, but not here.  My wishes are for focusing on the positives in life, to help change my feelings of pain to feelings of possibilities and light.  To know that the uncomfortable feelings also provide an opportunity to shift my focus.  Today, it's to know that the opposite of "rejection" is "acceptance"--and that acceptance is really my goal--my acceptance of ME!

So...the gifts I wish to share are:

- My ability to shift focus to the where I want to go (sometimes it takes me longer than I'd like though...)

- My collection of quotes--some times it feels inexhaustible.  Words have such deep meaning to me.

- My creativity--my arts, my crafts, my vision, my standards of detail.

- My love--my wounded heart (it's healing)
- My joy--need to share it more with myself too!

- My gratitude--to everyone who "gets" me; and to Spirit, always!

To be born is to be chosen.  No one is here by accident.  Each one of us was sent here for a special destiny.  For millions of years, before you arrived here, the dream of your individuality was carefully prepared.  You were sent to be a shape of destiny in which you would be able to express the special gift you bring the world…Sometimes this gift may involve suffering and pain that can neither be accounted for or explained…It is in the depths of your life that you will discover the invisible necessity that has brought you here.  - John O’Donahue

The blessings for which we hunger are not to be found in other places or people.  These gifts can only be given to you by yourself.  They are at home in the hearth of your soul.  - John O’Donahue

All of us are gifted.  Every person has a gift that can bring great joy and light to those who encounter it.  Our task is to stand in the sun and create a climate that will develop and nurture our gift.  - Anonymous

Because our gifts carry us out into the world and make us participants in life, the uncovering of them is one of the most important tasks confronting any one of us.  When we talk about being true to ourselves--being the persons we are intended to be--we are talking about gifts.  We cannot be ourselves unless we are true to our gifts.  - Elizabeth O’Connor

We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and adventure to discover our own special light. - Mary Dunbar

Thanks!!

Wishcast Wednesday - What do you wish for your home?

Talk about synchonicity!

It's been a few weeks since I posted.  I have been going through a bit of deep contemplation and change but had nothing much I wanted to really post about.  I had already decided that I would post this week for Wishcast Wednesday when I received a post from my friend and inspiration Andrea from ABC Creativity.  Her post so inspired me that I responded to her post and thanked her:

Thanks for this post! There are several things you said that really struck me (inspired me).

1. "I'm not interested in living an "ordinary life" and I sure didn't want an "ordinary" house."  - So often I look around my house and it doesn't reflect who I really am--there's only one room in my house that does and that's my bedroom--because I decorated in colors, textures, and items I LOVE. I am going to take more time and reflect on who I actually am as I continue to redo my house in my own "authentic style"! -- you know this is something I have been working towards for years, and I AM getting there--this is just a huge great reminder.

2. "I wanted a house that would nurture me and my creative dreams."    - I'm more in that space now than ever before and, as above, am working on making sure I have creative space that inspires me.

3. "If you want more of something in your life - you have to make space for it. In your home or your calendar or your thoughts or your heart--somewhere you've got to make space for it."    - YES!!! Thank you for that glorious reminder!!

 

As I start getting ready to write here about Andrea's post and her inspiration when my e-mail pops up with an e-mail from Jamie and her question this week is...

 

What do you wish for your home? 

 

Almost as if Andrea and Jamie were talking--but definately on the same wavelength!!

 

So, in addition to the above, I wish for my home to (and it already does a lot of these):

 

- Welcome me when I come home, to envelope me in it's warmth and comfort.

- Inspire me, motivate me when needed.

- Provide a place of rest and rebuilding when life gets tough.  A lifting off spot for me.

- Show who Ceanne really is, so that when anyone walks in they "get" that this is my home.

- That others are comfortable and feel at ease and welcome.
- Julie Jordon Scott talked once about how she has quotes on her front door - I have that on my creativity "to do" list as something I'll be doing this summer.
- I think I may take some of Andrea's inspiration and do some creative art work right on my walls.  I actually have recurring dreams where I do that--perhaps Spirit has been trying to talk to me!

 

When you learn to love and let yourself be loved, you come home to the hearth of your spirit.  You are warm and sheltered.  You are completely at one in the house of your own longing and belonging.  - John O’Donahue

Prayer and housekeeping--they go together.  They have always gone together.  We simply know that our daily round is how we live.  When we clean and order our homes, we are somehow cleaning and ordering ourselves.  - Gunilla Norris

Here is everything I’ve cherished;

That these walls should glow with beauty,

Spurred my lagging soul to duty;

That there should be gladness here,

Kept me toiling, year by year…

Every thought and every act,

Were to keep this home intact.

- Edgar A. Guest

Wishcast Wednesday - What burden to you wish to put down?

Wishcast Wednesday again and this week, Jamie Ridler asks...

What burden to you wish to put down?

This wish prompt makes me want to just sit right down and sob.  I didn't realize how burdened I felt until I read this prompt.

I think that I try so much to be optimistic and positive and I try to think of my issues in a positive light that they will soon be gone.  I do positive affirmations, positive thinking and yet I know that I still carry a lot of "stuff".

Of course, I wish to let go of the burden of my "stuff", but I also know that I am a work in progress and that the "stuff" is full of lessons that I have not learned yet and issues I need to work through.

I have one specific burden that weighs heavier and is more painful than the others; that is the burden of the pain, heartbreak, fear, and self-recriminations that is the residue of an abusive relationship.

I wish to put down and walk away from the burden of thinking I could have changed anything about that situation.  That I could have changed how I responded or how he treated me.  That I could have or should have left earlier than I did.  That I let him change me. 

I think I have been holding onto these self-loathing thoughts for too long--it's time to let them go.

You did what you knew, now that you know better, you'll do better.

- Maya Angelou/Oprah


It's never too late--in fiction or in life--to reivise.  - Nancy Thayer

Thank you!

As you all wish for yourself, I so truly and sincerly wish for all of you!

Intention - Calm/Peace

It's Monday again, and time to set an intention for the week.  Thanks Andrea!!

From ABC Creativity, Andrea's creative and inspirational site.

Every Monday, I share my intention for the week and welcome you to do the same.

This is not about setting goals or creating to-do lists and working our tails off to achieve them. This is about taking some time to be quiet and still and ask “What do I need this week?” and setting an intention from there to align ourselves with that. It’s about paving the way for success, joy and dreams come true to find us throughout the week.

Last week, my intention was to "plan"--plan what to do with my extra time now that I had turned my cable TV off.  But...what I found was that I was unsettled as having a TV has been such an integral part of my life--almost addictive, which is the reason I wanted to turn it off.

But...it takes time to settle down and get used to the idea of not being with a TV, so this week, I'm actually going to give myself a break and just try to be calm and at peace with the quiet in my home before I try to fill it again.

I'm also going through a huge lifestyle shift with my eating habits changing to just "real" food (no bad fats, no sugar, no white flour, etc.--only fruit, veg, and "real" foods).  This is also a HUGE shift for me and I know it's right for me.  But, just like the TV, it takes time to adjust to the change.

And peace and calm is exactly what my mind, body, and soul need this week while I'm in this transformative place in my life.

Thanks!!

Wishcast Wednesday - What do you wish to enjoy? #2

Jamie Ridler asked this week - What do you wish to enjoy? 

This question was asked in November too, and when I went back and looked at my post, I thought it still relevant, so decided to repeat it--but add updates and a few new quotes.

Such a great word, "enjoy", I just had to do some research on it. It's synonyms are: experience pleasure, relish, savor, undergo improvement...

I wish to "enjoy"...


- rich, restful, re-energizing sleep (I'm being tested for sleep apnea and my hope is this will happen really soon!) - *Update - I have now been provided with a CPAP machine and my restful sleep is slowly coming back and so is my energy!!  (yay!!)
- my continued path of improving my life so that I may "be" the person I am meant to be. - *Update - Interesting that "BE!" is my One Little Word for 2011-- I will be doing a post on that really soon.
- the walks I take with my dog--right now with my weight being so high it is a bit of a struggle, but as I walk daily I get stronger and more capable of enjoying it (she loves the walks so much that it's a shame not to be as happy as her).  - *Update - After a recent health issue, I have started to lose weight - down 16 lbs from my highest around the time of this post!
- my family - sometimes our relationships can be strained but we are working toward getting to know each other and accepting each other as we are--and in the end, love each other regardless where we're at.- *Update - I do love my family.
- great health! - *Update - It's getting better and better every day!
- a career with pay that more than supports my lifestyle and allows me the grace to give with ease to others who need it more than I. - *Update - As Karen Drucker sings "Money is coming to me easily and effortlessly, money is coming to me."  I'm building a side enterprise to increase my income.
- a romantic relationship with a man who is loving and loves me for who I am.  - *Update - Sigh, no man, but I am loving me for me!

Watch your thoughts; they become your words.

Watch your words; they become your actions.

Watch your actions; they become your habits.

Watch your habits; they become your character.

Watch your character for it will become your destiny.

- Hillel

The best way to get people to think out of the box

 is not to create the box in the first place.

– Martin Copper

Not everything that is faced can be changed,

but nothing can be changed until it is faced.

– James Baldwin

Have a great week everyone!  As you all wish for yourselves, I also wish for you!!

Intention: Plan

Every Monday, Andrea at ABC Creativity asks, “What do I need for this week?”

She states, “This is not about setting goals or creating to-do lists and working our tails off to achieve them. This is about taking some time to be quiet and still and ask “What do I need this week?” and setting an intention from there to align ourselves with that. It’s about paving the way for success, joy and dreams come true to find us throughout the week.”

This week, I feel I need to plan. I finally took the leap I discussed about a month ago (or longer) and turned off my TV channels as of last Friday.  So, I have more time on my hands to do the things I want to be getting done, but I don`t want to find another way to waste that time so I need to do some planning on how to spend this new precious time I have.

I know that some of the things that I want to be doing are:

- Reading

- Taking a bit more care of my home (I do keep it mostly okay, but maybe a bit tidier)

- Cooking `real`and `clean` foods - after my gallbladder attack I am cooking more and making salads, salad dressings from scratch, etc.  I will need to continue to do that.

- Listening to books on tape

- Walking or exercising -- with my precious dog, Ruby

- Spending time on my creativity -- I`ve actually had a few `commissions`of afghans to make so need to make the time to complete them (I would have normally worked on them while watching TV so will  now probably work on them while I listen to books on tape)

- Explore my creativity more--I like to try  new things

- Collaging and dream board(ing)

- etc.

Have a great week everyone!

C.

Discover Yourself: What is your philosophy of life after death?

Years ago, I gathered up hundreds of journal prompts and put them on labels and into a cute little box for my "Discovery Journal Prompts". I would then, put my hand into the box and pull out a label at random and that would be the perfect prompt for me for that particular day. Great plans, right???


I haven't done a thing with them since...until now! Welcome to my Discovery Journal Prompt! If you'd like a badge to put on your page, please go here.

Here's today's...

What is your philosophy of life after death?

Okay, a deeeeep subject this week.  Interesting that today is my birthday and were looking at life after death on a day that I am celebrating my life.

The answer to this question is so subjective and I think there must be as many answers to this question as there are people on Earth.  I, myself, have believed a few things in my life--depending on which religious faith I was following at the time.

At this point in my life, I am not following a particular religious doctrine because there is not one that I have found that seems to teach what I believe about spiritualism.  I believed that after death people are reincarnated on the Earth again to live another life.  I have believed that we go to Heaven after we die and that we live a perfect life after we pass on--if we lived a "good" life on Earth.  If we did not life a "good" life then we go to Hell for all eternity.  I absolutely do NOT believe that any longer!!!  I actually do not believe in "Heaven" or "Hell" as I was taught when I was younger.  I do not believe in "Hell" at all.  I do believe in a form of `Heaven` but only on this plain of existence, not in the hereafter--it`s what you make of your life here on Earth that determines who you live; in `Heaven` or someplace darker.

I think there is a part of me that still believes in reincarnation to some degree.  I like the thought of us being "humans having a spiritual existence" and that each time we come to Earth we learn more an more about true spiritualism (whatever that is--wink).  I like the idea that if we live a completely unconscious existence on Earth and are about victimhood then we live a very unhappy life and we get a chance to have a "redo" and get it more right. 

I do believe there is something after we pass, that Earth is not all there is, but the fact is I don't have a true belief in what really happens.

I can tell you the one experience I had when my father passed away and how close I felt to him after he passed away.  I felt him with me while I was grieving--not in human or ghost form, just his presence near me.  I talked to him a lot and felt (didn't hear) him talking back to me.  I can still feel him with me when I think of him and call him to mind, `what would dad think of this?`

The last religious philosophy that I followed teaches that we all return to the Universal Energy that everything is created from.  That's probably the closest to what I believe happens--that explains to me how my father was so close to me, he was all around me and he was me to some extent.  If that makes sense to anyone I'm not sure but it does to me.

Have a great week!!