“Every secret of a writer’s soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind, is written large in his works.” – Virginia Woolf
As a thinker and writer, I appreciate you, my readers, IMMENSELY.
A writer must write; a writer is a creator full of more ideas than they can express. A writer is an artist with words. We ponder, wonder, draft, organize, re-organize, agonize, rewrite, express, and criticize our writing more than you can imagine.
We read a lot.
We think a lot.
We love life and written communication. We love to learn. We live to ask, “What if?”
We want to be read and heard. We want the people in our lives to understand that writing is something we need to do. It is us.
Writers write to express who they are, to discover who they want to become, to change the world, to tell their story, to persuade, to convince, to examine, to entertain, to emote, to share, and just because. Because they must.
Thank you for reading my musings. My hope is that they have inspired you to think beyond what is familiar.
I wrote this last year in 2012, but one year later, today, I feel the need to pass this on again, so here goes …
Thanksgiving is a reflective and special time for me. It will always be because there was a time when I was not so thankful for my life. Years ago, during one Thanksgiving season, I left an abusive relationship. It was one of the most courageous steps I had to take to save myself, my spirit, my sanity. It had to be done, and there was no looking back.
To say that I am now a different person today is an understatement! As the years passed by, I gradually let go of my fear and learned how exciting life is and how beautiful I am as a person. I am still on a journey, as we all are, but I can say with assurance that…
It’s that time again – the end of the year and the beginning of a new one. The new year beckons us to start fresh, to bring in something new, to change something for the better, to be excited about possible change, and to make new commitments to ourselves and to others. Even though a new year with new possibilities is exciting, it can also feel frightening and stifling. Sometimes, we feel overwhelmed with our lives and start to believe that we can’t accomplish those things that we imagine would make our lives more enjoyable, even with a new, fresh start. So, what can we do to make this undeniable longing to better our lives smoother? Here is one plan of action and exercise to set your intentions for a happier life in the new year:
Grab six sheets of paper or use an Excel spreadsheet and write the following as a title on each page:
1. My Health
2. My Relationships
3. My Home
4. My Work
5. My Hobbies & Leisure Time
6. My Spirituality & Growth
Now below the title of each page, write the following: “This is what I desire for my health,” and “This is what I desire for my relationships,” and so on and so forth.
Once that is completed, start with the category “My Health” and write anything you want to change about your health and why. For example, you might write, “I want to gain muscle because it would make me stronger,” or “I want to buy new clothes because I lost some weight and I want to look my best,” or “I want to lose 20 lbs. because I want to look better and feel better.” You get the idea!
For your “Hobbies and Leisure Time,” you could write, “I want to take up golf because it would be fun,” or “I want to learn to play the guitar, because I love being creative with my hands.” You get the idea!
For “My Home,” you could write something like, “I want to organize my garage because it would be easier to find my tools, so I could work on my woodworking hobby,” or “I want to paint my basement because a fresh coat of paint would improve the look of the room.” Got it?
Do the same for the rest of the pages until you have written down your desires for each category.
Do not think about this too much or become anxious about it. Have fun with it! You can always go back and change it or add to it, if you desire. Enjoy the process and take it one step at a time!
Once you are finished, put this somewhere where you have access to it every day. Now start to imagine yourself and your life with these in motion. Think about these things for a few minutes every day. Think positively and believe they will happen. Take small steps towards these goals. You will then see things start to happen. You will then be excited and that will generate more positive action towards a life you imagine and want!
This exercise will accomplish three important things:
It will make you realize what might be missing in your life that would enhance it greatly.
It will put a plan in motion (on paper and not just in your head) to make your imagined life your REAL life.
And most importantly, if you think positively and imagine how your life would be if you were living your desires NOW and then take small action steps, you will eventually have what you desire.
I wrote this last year in 2012, but one year later, today, I feel the need to pass this on again, so here goes …
Thanksgiving is a reflective and special time for me. It will always be because there was a time when I was not so thankful for my life. Years ago, during one Thanksgiving season, I left an abusive relationship. It was one of the most courageous steps I had to take to save myself, my spirit, my sanity. It had to be done, and there was no looking back.
To say that I am now a different person today is an understatement! As the years passed by, I gradually let go of my fear and learned how exciting life is and how beautiful I am as a person. I am still on a journey, as we all are, but I can say with assurance that I am a NEW creation, with a new outlook, a new attitude, a renewed mind and definitely a new spirit! I will never be made to feel afraid again. I will never be made to feel “caged” again. I will never be treated again like I was “back then.” I will never experience that again because I now know that what I think about and who I am attracts what comes into my life. I have learned a lot from that terrible and enduring experience. I now remember it fondly but without the pain. I can now share it and not relive it. I am blessed. I am thankful.
Have you ever felt caged? Have you ever been in fear for your life? Did you ever feel like you truly had lost your mind, or have you ever felt so confused and numb from all the pain? I have been there. I now live to put an end to this type of torture and prison that many of us live in. There is not a day that passes by that I am not thankful for who I am, what I experienced and where I am today.
However, every holiday season, I cannot help think about other living beings that are caged, in fear, in emotional confinement, and in physical torture, too. And, on Thanksgiving, it is the turkeys that are caged and murdered to celebrate a time of “thanks.” Over forty million turkeys are slaughtered for this holiday. How hypocritical we are as human beings. How can we celebrate a time of peace, travel far to get together with our family and friends, and center our celebration around food and sit down and consume, with fervor, the remnants of an abused and murdered animal? It really does not make any sense. As a matter of fact, when you truly think about it, eating a turkey (or any animal) and giving thanks when it is not necessary for our survival is a senseless act. There will never be “peace on earth” or peace in our hearts and minds, if we continue to torture, abuse, murder, and eat animals. What we put into your bodies, our minds and hearts becomes a part of us. A person who consumes violence condones violence. If one partakes in the traditional Thanksgiving by eating a dead turkey, he participates in violence; he participates in abuse. He condones abuse. It is logical.
What can you do to end this abuse and not corrupt your mind, soul, and spirit? You can be part of the solution by feasting on vegan food for Thanksgiving and not consuming animals and their byproducts. You can begin that day to experience true life. Here is an example of a vegan Thanksgiving meal:
Vegan turkey: a vegan alternative to turkey that comes already made with stuffing and gravy.
Mashed potatoes made with olive oil without butter
Green bean casserole made with vegan mushroom sauce or coconut sauce
Boiled or mashed yams or sweet potatoes made with olive oil instead of butter
Fresh, raw cranberries blended into a sauce
Raw or cooked corn or corn on the cob spread with olive oil or vegan margarine
Your favorite green salad with a vinaigrette dressing
Vegan pumpkin, apple, or sweet potato pie
For some recipes and other alternatives, click below.
It is an atypical, gloomy Mother’s Day in my part of the world today, but my spirit is feeling content and peaceful. I am a mother; I have a precious child that I have been given to help walk through life to the best of my ability. However, today, like any other Mother’s Day, I am thinking of my own mom, who, more than any other person in my life, has made the biggest imprint on my heart.
Mom was one of the most giving and selfless persons I have ever known – perhaps to her detriment. She was in ill health almost the entire sixteen years I had with her. Despite not feeling well most of the time, she gave and gave. Her creative talent was sewing and decorating; every Halloween, my siblings and I would have the best costumes in the neighborhood that were created from scratch by Mom. We always had good food, warm clothes, and a cozy bed to sleep in; she took excellent care of us when we were sick, laying at our bed sides and making sure we were as comfortable as possible. She baked girl scout cookies, helped us with school projects, made an effort to be involved in our lives as much as possible. She made our home a beautiful place that in every corner demonstrated without any doubt her fabulous, creative side. She was also a wonderful wife. However, despite all the above, what I remember the most was how she suffered, and as a result, at times, was not the most loving mother. As I became an independent and very curious young adult, I could not understand Mom’s suffering and bad behavior. However, now, as a mother myself, I have come to realize how difficult life must have been for her.
Mom’s life ended while I was in high school one evening after collapsing two weeks earlier from a stroke-induced coma. She had not learned to love herself and take physical, emotional and spiritual care for herself first so she could best love others. She carried everyone else’s burdens in her body, spirit, and mind. It caught up to her eventually, as it does with everyone, and her life came to an abrupt halt when I least expected it. Mom taught me that life is precious, that every moment counts. Every day counts. Every thought and action counts and will spur on love or fear and destruction. It is really that simple.
Today, as a mom, I am living simply. I gave my daughter a massage, a manicure, a pedicure, and fixed her hair in a French braid. It is the first time I ever did all this at the same time for her, and other than the time it is taking me to write and post this blog, we are spending the rest of the day together with no distractions – no TV, internet, I-pod or any other twenty-first century time-consumers. She was delighted and especially loved spending time with her mom! I probably enjoyed it more than she did, because I remember how much I longed for my mother to spend this kind of time with me. As a working mom now, I know how difficult it can be to find time to spend with our children, and my mom did her best with what she knew. We all do what we know to do, and that is all we can do. What is important is implementing new ideas and strategies when we learn them and focusing on what is most important – time with our children.
So, I’ve learned many lessons from my mom. I suppose the most important one being the love for a child is beyond anything I can explain, and the limited time we have with our children together is priceless. I am going to make each moment I have with my gift count. It is time to spread the love and wisdom Mom bestowed upon me to my daughter.
Thanks, Mom.
Vilma Reynoso, www.vilmareynoso.com. Inspiration for Creative Health. Abundant Life.
