What inspires you?

I went to a speech contest for my Toastmaster’s District tonight. There was a wide variety of speeches. Funny tall tales started the night off with great humor. There were passionate speeches, speeches that were serving a mission, and teaching speeches. The speakers were all good, brave, and inspiring. It got me thinking about what is inspiring. What inspired me? What inspires you?

Motivation is an external, temporary high that PUSHES you forward. Inspiration is a sustainable internal glow which PULLS you forward.

~ Thomas Leonard

What is it that makes something inspiring? Why is it when we read or hear some message, we feel that pull to take action. Something inside us resonates with the message. One of the speeches tonight was about running. I have run for fitness and to train for events. I have completed several road races (enough to have a quilt made from the t-shirts) and 3 half marathons. I know the love hate relationship with running. I hate to do it but love to be able to do it. My husband is a kayaker and hiker but has never been much of a runner. I asked him if the speech had the same motivating effect on him. He said that it did make him consider giving it a try. Was the inspirational call to lace up the sneakers more of a call to me, because I know the sound of shoes hitting the pavement in a rhythmic pattern in the still, quiet morning? The feel of runners lined up for a big 5K event with the group excitement carrying everyone across the starting line when the pistol fires, runs in my veins. I have a running playlist on my phone and certain songs that have play during my train times will always be linked to running in my heart. Does all of this predispose me to be inspired by her speech, even though I have not run in a few years?

I want to inspire people to overcome their self limiting beliefs. I want to help people do what they may not; even believe is a possibly for them. Am I more likely to reach those people who have already experienced overcoming their own fears? Those who have moved past their own self doubt in the past, are they the spirits I can reach? I am happy to to inspire all of these people, but I also want to inspire those who have not had that experience before. I want to reach that person who is feeling my messages are for others… who hasn’t tasted success. I want that sneaky inspiration to get beyond their walls and start to pull them out of the darkness. I want them to break the shell they have been in and grow beyond what they thought was impossible. Then I want them to share their stories to inspire others! We have all been there. I was the overweight kid, who had no athletic ability and poor self esteem. Somehow I have become a woman who has roughed it in the boundary waters, ran half marathons, kayaked on the Mississippi, hiked on Mount Reiner, traveled to 18 different countries (so far), and Co-authored 3 books.

I want to inspire you! I want you to feel the pull to do what you think or thought you couldn’t! I want to hear about you blazing trails, taking the trip of a lifetime, and surpassing your dreams! Be inspired fiends and inspire others!

Please Follow the Adventure Sisters:
Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister
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Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister
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11 ways to Live Life to the fullest

As I write this, it is my birthday. What has happened over the past year?

New grandchild was born•Another grandchild is in a better situation•Traveled to England and saw Stonehenge•Traveled to the Netherlands and saw my grandfathers homeland•Lost my grandmother and a couple of friends•Purchased a boat as a second home in Florida•Had family photos taken with all four children and all four grandchild for the first time ever•Finished renovations on our home•Started renovations on our rental property•Helped my daughters move•Attended a writers workshop and started proposals on, not one, but three books•Started blogging•Traveled to Canada and explored Amethyst mines•Joined Toastmasters and became the club Secretary•Navigated changes in my day job•Began completing my coaching certification•Joined instagram•Had my 1 year wedding anniversary•Formed a deeper more loving relationship with my stepson•Watched as all three of my daughters became even more amazing women•Completed a 5k for charity•Took my stepson and a granddaughter to see the Grand Canyon•Served several holiday meals•Gained ten pounds•Entertained friends•Hosted gatherings to create community•Donated my time to fundraisers, raking leaves for seniors, and my local Buy-Nothing group•Broke my wrist and had surgery to put in a plate to repair it•Went dogsledding for the first time ever•Watched several movies•Cried a little and laughed a lot•Had more than a few glasses of wine•Baked goodies for others•Tried to make the world a brighter place•Listened to my friends and encouraged them when I could•Camped in three different states•Worked hard to be the best wife I can be•Worried about my family and strived to improve my relationships•Read several books•And many more items I cannot even think of right now.

It is amazing how much life can be packed into 365 days. I believe in using everyday to the fullest. We do not know how many breaths we will have in our life. Why waste any of them. I work hard and play harder. Striving to find joy in all aspects of my life, helps keep my focus positive.

It is interesting to reflect on a year. They seem to go by so quickly but when I look back, it has been a glorious year. Full of joy and a little bit of sorrow. The duality of sorrow amongst the joy helps us appreciate the joy. It takes the darkness so we appreciate the light. We need both.

How can we live our life to the fullest between the demands of work, family, and other responsibilities? Make them fun! Find the joy!

Talk. During a family meal, pose a question to get a conversation going. “What did you learn today? What kindness did you witness, what was the most interesting part of your day? What do you hope to accomplish is year?”

Plan a trip. It does not have to be a month long cruise around the world, although it can if that is accessible to you. Take a day trip to a nearby town to explore. Go camping in a state park. Plan a family get away to a historic part of the country or go on a romantic weekend retreat with your love. Whatever kind of trip is right for you, it’ll give you a break from the routine. It refreshes you and gives you a pause, to enjoy.

Get outside. Go for a walk; feel the sun on your face, hike, run, play, sled, whatever is enjoyable to you.

Laugh. Find the joy in life and share it. One of my Yogi friends is passionate about her mantra: “Feel joy and share it!” It is a beautiful sediment!

Accept yourself Be kind to your self, love yourself as is. If you want to work on things about yourself, fine, but know you are perfect just as you are.

Notice the positive things A beautiful tulip in the spring, pretty snow in the winter, a child laughing, the hug of a loved one, a delicious fresh and healthy meal. There are always positive things to be grateful for.

Play. Work is important, it gives us purpose and allows for money to pay for our life, but play is important too. Whether it is paint night with your friends, hopscotch with your child, or bowling with your league, playing is an important part of living life. Just because we grow into adulthood does not mean we should stop playing.

Love. Love your family, friends, furrbabies, coworkers, neighbors, strangers walking down the street; allow that love to flow from you to others, even if you only share a smile with that person.

Create. Create art, community, recipes, games, whatever gets your creative juices flowing. Children create works of art, games, even imaginary worlds. Just because we grow older, does not mean we should stop.

Share Share stories, thoughts, or journal, even if this means just sharing with yourself.

Learn. Learning should never stop. We can learn formally from classes and seminars, but we can also learn informally from others, watching interesting programs, taking tours, or looking things up in books or on the internet. Learning things enriches our life and helps us grow.

I am wishing you a life full of joy! Thank you for reading my blog today!

A Brand New Adventure

Thursday was a beautiful winter day in Northern Minnesota. The sky was a crystal blue and clear. The sun was bright and white against the blue of the sky. The ground was blanketed with a layer of sparkling white snow. It was 7 degrees above zero with an expected high of 31. This was as lovely a day as we could hope for on our first ever dog sledding adventure.

The dogs were friendly and happy. They excitedly greeted each one of us. We walked amongst the dogs giving them hugs and loves. They were as excited as we were about the days adventure. It was to be a day long experience that would cover 15-30 miles in Superior National Forest.

It started out with the guides teaching us how to drive the sled and mush the dogs. The most important lesson learned was how to stop the sled; the dogs needed no encouragement to go. They loved to run. Instruction halted for a bit when a dog came over looking for affection. Theo (one of our teachers) stopped what she was doing to give the pup what she was looking for. I was impressed by the love and respect the animals were treated with. Our guides taught us how to safely and kindly harness the team. Lead dogs in front, team dogs in the middle, and wheel dogs in the back. As we secured them to the line, all of the huskies started barking and howling, saying they too wanted to go on the excursion.

As we set off into the middle of the forest, the dogs were excited and wanting to run. Marty (my amazing husband) was driving the sled while I was tucked safely inside, ready for an experience unlike anything I have done before.

We glided through the crystalline world, encompassed completely by nature. Giant boulders, some as big as our house, stood as reminders of the glaciers that dropped them there long years ago. The uphill climbs were slow and steady, while on the downhills the canines poured on the speed. The sound of an occasional bark was the only noise other than the paws on the trail and that of the sled. It was breathtaking! Large pines and bare birch trees stood in alliance protecting this sacred space. We pulled out of the trees to journey across a frozen lake. As we first glided onto the lake, one of the sleds lost its balance and tipped, throwing its driver. The passenger continued on behind the enthusiastic team in the sled, on its side, for a good 20 feet before the team came to a stop. I thanked my lucky stars that Marty had kept us upright. We stopped for lunch on the lake. A fire was started and brats were cooked on sticks found in the woods. Homemade cookies and hot chocolate rounded out the meal. While we ate and chatted, the dogs lounged in the sun. One of the younger dogs barked excitedly but the older dogs took it easy or rolled and played in the snow. The crackle and smell of the fire, which I usually associate with summer, was in such contrast to this silent cold environment.

After a nice break, we loaded back up, tummies full of warm food. As soon as the teams saw us coming they got all lined up and start making a joyous sound, more than ready to get going again.

The trip back was faster and with tighter curves. There were times my shoulder brushed trees as we raced on. As we came around one turn, the end of a downed tree protruded from the snow into the trail. Marty tried to shift the sled to avoid it but it caught us just right and our sled was pushed over onto it right side. Luckily Marty held on and the team stopped after a somewhat short drag on my side. Marty pulled the sled back upright and the dogs immediately took off before he could get himself situated. This time we were thrown onto our left side. Marty got the sled upright and again, the dogs took off. The fact that I was not dragged away is because Marty threw himself on the brake and held the team back until he could get situated. Dan, our other excellent guide, had tied off his team and was running back to help us, but by now we were all set and ready to go again.

The rest of the trip was a wild ride through the evergreens and naked brush. I can not describe how exciting and fun it was to be zooming through this majestic forest, pulled onward by these amazing animals. I am so impressed with the dogs and their enthusiasm. As we neared the end of our trip, a large cast iron bell hung in a tree. I reached up and grabbed the rope and rang the bell as we glided under it to let them know of our return.

We pulled back into the dog yard. The dogs were happy to be home and only slightly winded. We thanked each dog with pets, hugs, and treats. We got to help unharness the team and get them safely back to their homes.

This was a great adventure. I was in need of some forest bathing time and this was a beautiful and fun way to get to experience northern Minnesota nature in March. I recommend, if you are looking for something different to do during the frozen months, to give it a try! You will learn a lot, have a new adventure, and maybe even discover some things about yourself.

Adventure on my friends! I wish you a life filled with fun and new experiences.

Thank you Theo, Dan, and White Wilderness Dog Sledding Adventures for the grand day!

Who Am I?

Recently I asked a group of friends for advice. The answer heard over and over again was to be myself. What does that mean? Who am I, really? When you think about yourself, do you know who you are? We have many different faces that we show the world. Is one of them truly you?

Eckhart Tolle would tell you that you are the watcher. The consciousness who sits behind your personality watching the story of your life play out. Are you aware of your observer? Do you notice the noticing? It is wild to think about? This is what meditation is supposed to help with. Some people get confused and think meditation is supposed to quiet the mind, but really what should happen is the noticing. Noticing the thoughts and allowing them. Don’t try and stop them or control them. If you try to do this you will just have more thoughts, about why you can’t stop your thoughts. Then you will notice that is also a thought and the cycle goes on. By just peacefully allowing the thoughts, with no judgement, you find quiet. If you are walking through a prairie of beautiful wild flowers, you allow the flowers, you do not make them wrong or right. Some may be more pleasing than others but you do not try and control them. You allow them to grow in their own perfect time and place. You are content to be the watcher, strolling through the field of flowers.

However, when someone tells you to be yourself, I do not think the silent observer is really who they mean. So where does that leave us? Did they mean I should be myself as I am with my daughters; a mother and nurturer? Do they think I should be the me I am when I am at work; driven and ambitious? Maybe I should be the me I am with my friends; happy and encouraging. Perhaps the me who is a spiritual teacher; guiding and confidant. Guess I should have ask them what they meant by being myself. Who I am when I am with my husband is different from who I am with my grandchildren or parents. They are all true versions of me but each role asks something different of me. My husband needs me to be his teammate and best friend. My parents need me to be someone who has grown up and made them proud. My grandchildren need me to be fun, loving, caring, and to help them explore and learn about the world. These are all true versions of myself. No one, is more true, than any other one.

So with the advise to be myself, where does that leave me? The watcher who sits quietly in the back of my mind or one of the other roles that I play in life? It is all of it. It is staying true to what intuitively feels right in the time and space I am in. To hold on to the parts of myself that sees the divine in all people. That believes only love can conquer fear and that fear is at the root of all negative emotions. This is who I am at a soul level.

Nameste my friends! The Divine in me sees the Divine in you. May your day be filled with peace and a sureness of who you are. I love you.

Gratitude: Mastering Manifesting Part 3 of the Series

Being grateful for the lives we have is an important part of manifesting. There is more to it than just that though. It is also being grateful for what we want. Here are three tips or ticks to help you make gratitude a part of your daily practice.

So, does it sound strange to you to be grateful for what you want but don’t have yet? It can feel a bit strange, but the emotions of how you will feel when you receive what you are asking for, is a powerful way to manifest. Let’s say you want an improved relationship with a family member. Focus on the gratitude and love you will have when you and that person work out your differences. By focusing on that emotion, our energy aligns with what we are wanting. Let’s say you feel you need a new car. When you think about the vehicle you want, jump for joy at the prospect of having it! Feel the gratitude and excitment flow through you for this new automobile which will soon be yours. Remember, even though your logical mind knows you don’t have it yet, that doesn’t matter. Keep the gratitude flowing as if you do own it.

Here are some tips to help you remember to be grateful for what you already have as well as being grateful for what is coming to you.

Gratitude button or stone; something small you keep in your pocket. I like the idea of a stone because I really like stones and crystals. Every time you touch this item you think about something you are grateful for. We have our hands in and out of our pockets many times a day. So this can be a powerful way to get gratitude to be a daily part of your life. You can even raise the score and tell yourself you will think of 5 things every time you touch it. You get to make the rules for your life. Make it fun. You do not want stressful emotions associated with this.
Gratitude journal. They actually sell these, but any notebook, journal or memo pad on your phone will do. I even have a journaling app on my phone that I can add a picture to each entry. However you do it, start by making a list of all the things you already have that you are grateful for. Then add the other items, experiences, feelings that are coming to you that you can be grateful for. This is another way to really get the gratitude moving through you. You will be surprised how many things you can think of. Some will be very small like I am glad I am able to write this today. Others may be huge like gratitude for a science report that shows improved water quality in the world. I like to get into a nice relaxed state before I start this exercise. Take some nice deep breaths. Feel your body resting comfortably on the chair, couch, bed, floor (wherever) and then begin.
Incorporate it into other daily activities. Do you have a drive with many traffic lights? Every time you have to stop, make a list, mentally in your head. Do you eat lunch alone? With each bite, think of something you are grateful for. Really feel that gratitude while you chew your food. Are you a runner or do some other form of physical fitness? Incorporate gratitude into that time too.

These are just some ideas how you can incorporate more gratitude into your day. However you do it, keep that attitude of gratitude flowing. I am grateful for all of you who read my blog. Thank you! What do you do to keep gratitude a part of your life?

Happy manifesting friends! I wish for you abundance, excellent experiences, and magic to be grateful for!

Part 1

Part 2

More about what to be thankful for

Mastering Manifesting: a series

Manifestation! You hear a lot about it these days. Emy and I have become practiced at it over the last several years. It was 2007 when I first stumbled across the book, The Secret. It changed my life, my thoughts, and my world. Suddenly anything was possible. I find that it is a subject that often comes up in my blogs, so I have decided to write a series about manifestation.

I remember hearing Louis L Hay say; she was getting green lights and the parking spots and thought she was pretty cool. That is a great place to start but there is so much more to manifesting, than just that, which Louis and many other spiritual teachers learned over the years. It is fun and very affirming when you see the little things work. You can manifest a lot of “stuff” too. Getting the “things” you want is very fun. How about making your dreams come true, healing the earth, and having a harmonious life? How does that sound? Would you like all of that? I too started with green lights and parking spots but my current work is on harmonious relationships.

I am living the life of my dreams. Which spurs me on to find bigger and better dreams. I also want to heal the earth! While my Adventure Sister, Emy, works to heal the earth through political activism, I intend to do it through positive thinking. One of the important things about manifesting is not to say “how” the result will appear. You place the intention and allow it to comes into being however the Universe decides to send it to you. Perhaps Emy’s activism will be how the Universe delivers healing to the earth or perhaps it will be some other way that I can not even begin to imagine. Luckily I don’t have to figure that out. I just have to set the intention and trust that it will be delivered!

I have written several blogs that address manifesting already. I want to share these with you along with more about what Emy and I have learned about manifesting.

One great way to start manifesting is to create a vision board. There are techniques you can use to make your vision board more powerful. A vision board is a great starting place for new manifesters and a way to increase your effectiveness for experienced manifesters. You can “see” what you want.

On New Years, I do not write resolutions, instead I list what I want to manifest in the New Year. It takes the pressure away from setting the intention to have a wonderful, productive year of growth and improved life.

Gratitude is an important part of manifestation. The more we are grateful for, the more the Universe brings us to be grateful for! Gratitude carries a high vibration which the Universe loves to respond to with more and more blessings. There is so much in our lives to be grateful for.

Manifesting was also a big part of finding love in my life again. You can read more about that journey here. I also had to work through my past and be ready for my perfect partner.

When manifesting, you act as if it is true…even if you do not believe it. “I have plenty of time and endless energy”. There may be a voice in your head that says; “no way”. Some times we do not even believe we are worthy of having our dreams coming true. As we chase happiness we have to trust that the Universe will only send us what is good and right for us right now. Be willing to reach out and take what the Universe offers.

Setting goals is another type of manifesting. It is telling the Universe where you intend to get to.

I chose the picture of the Eiffel Tower for this blog because that was a manifestation too. My husband and I took our honeymoon in Italy. On the way home we had a layover in Paris. I remember thinking that I wished I could have a night in Paris on our honeymoon. Well the Universe delivered. Our plane out of Rome was late and we missed our connection in Paris. The Airline gave us a hotel room and credits for food. We found a taxi driver who spoke English and for a flat fee, took us to see and take pictures of all the most popular sites in Paris. It was a one night whirlwind tour and an amazing adventure. Never underestimate the power of the Universe to deliver your dreams to you. Keep your thoughts positive even in the face of missed and canceled flights or other such events and you will suddenly notice that you are living the life of your dreams.

What future topics would you like to see on Manifesting? What tips would you like to share? Do you have a blog on manifesting? Is there an important piece of information that I may have missed sharing? Feel free to add it to the comments. Let’s teach everyone to live the life of their dreams!

Happy manifesting friends! Thank you for reading my blog today. May you live the life of your dreams today and always!

Laughter As Medicine

Laughter was a huge part of our BWCA trips. I think I saw it inside a Dove chocolate wrapper once; “laughter is inner jogging”. I love this idea and it is so true. We had so many fun and funny moments, while we were letting the summer days drift away with the natural rhythm of the wilderness.

One very funny moment was when we almost tipped the canoe. We were out fishing and got excited over a fish and both leaned to the same side of the canoe. Being the canoe novices that we were at that time and not having a good awareness on how far one could lean, without tipping the canoe, I decided to sacrificed myself and went head first into the lake. When it became obvious that the canoe was going to tip. Because of this, Emy was able to get the canoe balanced again. Luckily all of our stuff and the canoe did not also fall into the lake. The look of crazy concern on Emy’s face soon broke into laughter once she knew I was okay. Some people may have gotten angry or frustrated but we just laughed and laughed and did what we needed to do to get everything taken care of so we could continue our fishing. Another of the very funny moments, was when we got to shore and looked into the bottom of the canoe. There was a fair amount of water in the bottom. Swimming through the water, as if they could make their great escape, was our bait! The leaches container had over turned and the leaches were doing the backstroke in the bottom of the canoe. We simply giggled about this, scooped them up, and put them back into the container. My camera also got wet in this little mishap. I hung it from a tree to drip dry, while we emptied the water from the canoe and got everything else put back right. The camera, continued to work for the rest of the trip, but it has never really been right since then.

Go ahead and laugh with us! Laughter is truly the best medicine. I much prefer to laugh my way through life, not taking myself too seriously. It feels good to laugh! When was the last time you had a deep belly laugh? We would return from our BWCA trips with sore abs from all the laughing we would do. I often have wondered if other campers heard the laughter coming from our campsite and wondered what we were up to.

When was your last deep belly laugh? How do you feel when you have a great big, tears running down your cheeks, belly laugh?

Keep laughing friends! Thank you for reading my blog today.

Do You See Me?

I am listening to an interesting audiobook. Because Emy and I are in the process of getting our own books published, we have been reading other peoples’ teaching memoirs, as a way to compare and contrast to our own. Right now I am listening to The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer. Amanda was, for about 5 years, a street performer. You know, one of those statues you see in touristy sections of large towns,when you throw some money in their hat they start to move and do something (hopefully) entertaining. She talks about our desire (as humans)for connection. She talks about our desire to be seen. These are things we all want, even if each in our own way.
How do you seek out human connection? Is it through close relationships with friends and family? Is is through a blog? Emy and I fostered a deep human connection with one another through our trips to the BWCA. Now we hope to expand that connection by publishing the books we have written about those experiences. My marriage is another form of connection. We witness each others lives. We are there for the tears, laughter, missteps, and all the in-betweens. Most of us have connections with friends and family but it seems that is not enough. We have a drive and a desire to continue to find connections with others. It seems to me we all want to connect, even in the smallest ways with strangers.
Is the drive to find connection with others, a deep seated survival instinct? If we notice that we are the same maybe we won’t want to harm the other? If we notice that we are the same, maybe if we need help, the other will come help us? Another possibility is that of soul connections. Maybe on an energetic level we recognize each other from another time and space. Namaste means the Divine in me recognizes the Divine in you. Perhaps that is the connection we are all looking for. Namaste! What ever the reason, we have small brief connections with others all the time. On the rental car shuttle someone will sneeze and invariably someone else, often all the way across the bus, will say, “bless you”. When I am settled into my seat on the airplane and someone sits in the center seat next to me, they feel compelled to say hello or apologize while they are getting settled into their space for the flight. Holding doors and elevators are other ways we have minuscule relationships with our fellow humans. These are all brief forms of connection with strangers. When that stranger smiles at us, looks us in the eye, and says; “Thank you”. We feel fulfilled in that moment.
I can not tell you why we feel this drive to connect with others. I only know, I witness it in small ways, every day. In small insignificant interactions, human connection between strangers takes place like a spiderweb. The way the morning dew glistens on the soft fibers of the sider’s web, the spark of recognition, glistens in the eyes of our human brothers and sisters during these momentary threads of connection.
Namaste my friends! I do see you. I do see the Divine within you. Thank you for reading my blog today. Thank you for connecting with me in this brief moment in time.
What are your thoughts? How do you look for connection with others? What little interactions with strangers makes you feel the best?

Beneficial Forgiveness

Who are you unable to forgive and why? What things do you consider to be unforgivable? What mistakes have you made in life that you are still holding tight to because the pain is too much to think about? Being able to forgive others and even more so, to forgive yourself, can be life changing.

Most people do not set out in life to be a pain the the you know what. As humans, I believe we do the best we can, in the time and space we are in. But because of what we are holding on to, sometime the decisions we make will cause pain for ourselves and or others. I think if we realize that people do the best they can in the time and space they are in, it’ll help you leg go of the anger, regret and disappointment in order to find it in your heart to offer forgiveness.

I was in a toxic marriage once. There was verbal and emotional things happening that have had a lasting impact. I stayed in the marriage because I really believed that my children needed a home with a father and a mother. I also did not believe I could be successful in providing my children with a home and the other things they needed without two incomes. I was wrong about both of these things. I stayed because I didn’t know I was wrong. I stayed because I didn’t understand the lasting impact that this environment was having on my children. I stayed because I did not have enough self worth to believe I could leave. Eventually, I found my self worth and did leave the marriage. I am only now starting to fully understand how my children were hurt and affected by this.

So who do I need to forgive as a result of this story. I need to forgive myself for staying way to long. I need to forgive my ex-husband for the way he treated me and the children. I need to forgive my daughter who still holds so much anger at me for staying too long and for not protecting her more. I need to forgive my catholic up bringing that made me think I couldn’t leave. I need to forgive myself for feeling like a failure, because I couldn’t fix it.

I will tell you I have worked through this and have been able to forgive. Much of this processing and healing took place in the BWCA, with Emy’s support and love. I was able to touch those very painful emotions that were pushed down deep inside. I was able to feel them and understand them and eventually let them go. I was able to understand that my ex-husband was doing the best he could in the time and space he was in. He had learned how to be a family from his own family. Perhaps what had been modeled for him, when he was a child, was also not healthy. I came to understand that he had his own inner demons and probably did not like himself very much. He did not know how to deal with or heal these things. So it came out in these ways that harmed our family. Once I had some understanding of why he acted the way he did, I was able to forgive him. This forgiveness was a gift to him but more importantly it was a gift to myself. Forgiving him freed me from wallowing in the hate and self loathing. Forgiving him allowed me to get to the place where I could forgive myself. Forgiving him allowed me to let go of that “failed” marriage and give it blessings for the experiences I had and the things I learned as a result of it. Forgiving him gave me a new found freedom and a new found peace. Forgiving him was far more beneficial to me than it will ever be to him. Forgiving my daughter is easy. I pray the someday she will forgive me. Not because I feel I need forgiveness but because it will free her and allow her to heal. Forgiving my catholic up bringing was easier once I realized that it was a result of good intentions on my parents part. They were doing what they thought was right. They were doing the best they could to raise their children. “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”. I think when we can see the good intentions behind the things that hurt us, it is easier to find forgiveness.

The hardest forgiveness that took place from the story I shared above was forgiving myself. We hold ourselves to a higher standard. We do not allow for our own mistakes. We take these perceived “failures” and hold on to them. We often feel they are unforgivable. None of us are perfect. Once I was able to realize that I too did the best I could in the time and place I was in, I began to see that I was able to forgive myself. I forgave myself for staying too long, for “failing” at marriage, for the mistakes I made in the midst of the marriage that made situations worse. The freedom of no longer holding on to these things allowed for a sense of freedom. The chains had been released. I was able to move on. I was able to work on myself and become a healthier version of me. I was able to find a relationship that is happy and healthy.

What in your life are you not able to forgive? Yourself? Others? Situations? Is there a way that you can see these situations from another perspective and find forgiveness? It will change your life. Forgive others, not for their benefit but for your own benefit. Free yourself from having to hold on to that disappointment any longer.

Do you have a story to share about how forgiveness improved your life? Do you have things you are currently working on forgiving yourself for? Do you have things you have learned along the way you would like to share with others?

Thank you for reading my blogs today. Feel free to share it with others you feel it may help. May your life be filled with healthy forgiveness. Blessings, Stacy

Allowing Dreams to Come True

Too often in life we talk about what we want, but we are afraid to believe that we could really have it or are even worthy of it. We want to believe but we may feel we are just making a wish list of things/experience we want. In our heart of hearts we do not believe it will really happen or that it could even possibly really happen. Over the years I have made vision boards, done gratitude journals, employed techniques to keep my vibration high, and written manifestation lists for; New Years, New Moons, and other various events. I have used mantras such as “Money comes frequently and easily” and “I have endless energy and plenty of time”. In the beginning, it never seems true or possible.

I recently commented to my husband that I would really like to start participating in 5Ks again. I used to live in Florida and participated in many such events. When I moved to Minnesota, I had plans to continue, but I never really got into the groove of it there. Part of my problem was after years of running in Florida, where the running season starts in the fall, in Minnesota it was growing cooler or even cold and the running season was ending. This conflicted with my usual excitement/energy to start the season. Maybe this was just a cop out for not doing it. Whatever the reason, I have never done more than a few events since moving to Minnesota.

I think that manifesting at times is a bit like scales. On one side is the manifestation list. On the other side you have what you see as reality. As you start to see things on the manifestation side of the scale come into being, that side of the scale starts to drop and gets heavier and heavier. This is where the magic happens. All of a sudden you start to think, “Wow, this stuff really works!” Which brings more into being. Lets go back to the 5K story. When I told my husband I wished I could do more 5Ks, and told him my excuses/reasons why I just can’t seem to do it in Minnesota, he calmly said why don’t you go to Florida and do them with your friends. My job allows me the ability to travel and do this if I want, so this wasn’t really outside the realm of possibility for me.

The magic started to happen when my friend, Donna, called and asked if I would come to Florida in February to do a 5K with her. Wow, crazy right! Then an amazing opportunity showed up for Marty and I to buy a boat as a vacation home in Florida. This would mean we would be in the state more often, making the reality of participating in weekend 5K events more likely!
We completed a 5K yesterday, Marty’s first. It was as fun and exhilarating as I remember. At supper with friends last night we started making plans for future 5Ks.

Don’t give up on the dreams, my friends! You will see how those scales will start to tip until more and more of your dreams are coming true. As you see them appear in your life, you will believe even more strongly. Keep believing in the possibilities. Before long they will be a part of your life.

Do you have magical manifestation stories you would like to share? We would love to hear them!