Remember to Breathe

Posted on by serenitisparkles

The greatest comfort is that we are ALL in this together.  This moment that we find ourselves in will change the world as we knew it to be.  We are being forced as an entire species to find a way to survive and work together.  We are being forced to look in the mirror and recognize where we could have done more.

We HOPE that a day will come when we have the chance to do better.  We HOPE that we get through this unscathed.  We HOPE for humanity.

If there was ever a time to wake up and listen to the signs around us, it was now.  This is not a rich or poor problem, this is not a race problem, this is something that effects EVERY human on this planet.  This is something that can walk through our door at any moment and bring great sadness and loss with it.  This is something that has stopped our lives.  This virus has managed to make the world stand still.

What power this lesson has over all of us.  We have gone so many years, taking advantage of life itself.  Since the beginning of time, humans have taken this earth for granted.  Every year we grow as a species, we lose sight of what really matters.  Fresh air, a hug from a loved one, health.  These are all things we can say we have overlooked.  We get lost in addiction, depression, envy, and sorrow.  We don’t for one moment think that in one day the entire world as we know it could change.

Well it has.  Look around.  What do you see?  Empty roads, media controlled by a pandemic, grocery stores are empty, and fear looms.  We have now entered a really dark moment in time.

Now BREATHE, we are all here.  We are here at the same moment.  No one is exempt from this hell on earth.

The question now remains, how to we adapt?

As humans, we are resilient.  We can overcome.  History itself tells a story of how our species survived and thrived.

So BREATHE, this too shall pass.

So what do we do in the mean time?

Haven’t you been so busy with not living that you never had time to read that book so many have told you is life changing?

Haven’t you been so busy chasing something in the future that you didn’t have a moment to live for today?

And what about those lessons on youtube you have been planning to watch so you could learn to play that guitar thats been hanging on your wall collecting dust?

Or what about that movie you and your family have been wanting to watch together for months, but you just haven’t had the chance yet?

Weren’t you supposed to call your grandma back last week, but just couldn’t find the time?

Well, I have the best news for you!  Today, ALL of you can.  Everyone of you now has the time to focus on what makes you happy.  Wow, what a concept.  Through all of this chaos, time has slowed down to give us an opportunity to LIVE the right way and focus on what matters.

There is always a reason to smile.

What is the message? We ALL know better than this.

Posted on by serenitisparkles

Don’t use all that toilet paper.  Be conscious of how much you consume.  We don’t know what lies ahead but what we do know…..a message.

In order to make sense of the chaos, one must find the purpose.  For most, it is not the illness that we fear most.  It is what is happening all around us.

Everything is closing, everything changing.  We look into the news, into our feeds and we watch the world unravel before our eyes.  We try to answer the questions from our children in a lighthearted and positive way, yet we find that harder and harder to accomplish.

We can’t help but pay attention to….Well frankly, all of it.

So what does it all mean.  What can we do to ease the burden of our anxiety?

I believe it is our duty to be conscious.  We knew something like this would face us.  We knew we couldn’t keep going like this.

We must look at the feat in front of us, be strong, and remember we are all here to learn.  COVID-19 may be the most valuable lesson many us will ever face in this lifetime.  Our mothers and fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers, they all had something similar to this.  No it has never been so heavy.  But we have been heavy.  We have been taking and taking, climbing and stepping on our brothers and sisters.

We are humanity and this is a peril.  Many of us will make it through this, but the question remains, what will we do different.

Oh Mother Nature, The Irony…

Posted on by serenitisparkles

In the 1970s, chemist James Lovelock and microbiologist Lynn Margulis developed the Gaia hypothesis; the theory that all organic and inorganic components on the planet are part of one self-regulating system, working to maintain and perpetuate life on earth.

As the earth becomes more polluted by human greed, and most of us can barely survive, we must recognize the obvious.

COVID-19 has infected 218,220 and killed almost 9,000 people.  It has forced entire countries to shut down, air and land travel has rapidly declined, and people are being forced to isolate.

Think of the symbolism of what has been taken from us humans since COVID-19 showed up.

Our feeling of security is gone.  Our fun and adventure, gone.  Our food stores are almost empty.  Our friends and family, apart.

Our moments, at a stand still.

Mother Nature has a way of showing us, who is the most powerful.  As we watch the rich and powerful hoard and destroy what is left on this beautiful planet, Mother Nature has made a statement.

COVID-19 will teach us a valuable lesson.

The richest in the world are rapidly losing money as they have to carry the poor.  If they do not assist the poor, this virus will be sure to spread faster and wider.

How ironic that today we watch as the rich scramble to hold all of us up.  Governments are having to tell the truth and listen to the science.  They are forced to donate their billions to save the world.  They know that if the world financially collapses, their billions will disappear.  If they don’t help cure people, THEY may be next to be infected.

Ohhhh Mother Nature, how you really have humbled us this time.  You have forced us to see that no matter the race, religion, or amount of money, WE ALL NEED EACH OTHER.  We are connected.  Hopefully COVID-19 will show everyone that to save themselves, they must save another.  Take time to appreciate that the birds are still chirping, the wind still blowing, and the best place for you to stand is in the sun.

Sereniti

Posted on by serenitisparkles

God Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change

Courage to change the things I can

and the Wisdom to know the difference…

This is the most simple and rewarding path to true inner peace.

We often go through hardships that we feel overtake our soul.  They are so painful that we can’t find a way through.  Usually the pain is in sync with so many other feelings, such as love, disappointment, fear, anxiety, and sadness.  When we feel this type of pain, it can be almost too unbearable for us.  Days can go by that you sit in this dark place.  There is no light at the end of the tunnel and you can’t imagine a day without this pain.

This is when I turn to the words listed at the beginning. 

God Grant me the serenity to ACCEPT the things I cannot change. This is most valuable.  There are external factors to your experience on earth.  That be, the feelings of others, the actions of others, environmental circumstance, economic loss, among many others.  These are things that we have to accept. It is just the way it is, but how can you make a difference for your life.  How can you become better, despite the circumstance.  Baby Steps…

Courage to change the things I can.  Courage is a word so powerful in its sound that it lifts us.  What is courage?  Courage can mean extreme change, control, or thoughtfulness no matter the circumstance.  Courage is walking through the fire because you believe happiness is to come again.

And, WISDOM to know the difference.  Be wise with your choices.  Accept when you can’t change something and move on.  Walk through the fire if you know that you will be lifted because of it.  Always, be wise, listen to your inner voice.  It is the voice that guides us all.

 

This blog post is dedicated to my daughter, Sereniti.  Mommy has always got you, in this life and forever.

 

 

Break Away From The Clouds, Find HUMILITY.

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Believe that you can be happy for this moment in time.  Believe that you were meant to live in the light.

I write these words, because there was once a time where the words were the only clue of what it felt like to live in the light.  These words that I give often are the same words that saved me from a grim future.  These words, my words, saved my life.

These are how the words would speak to me, even when I was blinded by gloom.

Believe that you can be happy for a moment in time, stop living with the burden that something tragic is about to present itself.

The burden becomes the chains that wear you.  They inhibit true bliss.  They live in the unexpected, because the chains are uncertain.  They live because of the tragic moments you’ve experienced and fear to relive.  You lie awake at night and your mind races.  The chains cover you.  Each day brings new sunlight and new opportunity, but you don’t seek it.  At times you can’t even see the light ahead.

Then one day you face the fear and remove the burden.  You recognize that without each tragedy, the happy moments and miracles that come to you wouldn’t have been possible.  That you have become even more authentic because of the pain.  You realize that you walked through abuse, death, illness, loneliness and found the light again.

The glimpse of light came from the voice within you.  You learned to wear those tragic experiences like a badge.  At one point you felt the world had failed you, that you had failed you, but instead of ending it all, you chose to keep searching for the light.

You realized that through your entire life, subconsciously, you had been filling a bottle of happy experiences and excited feelings.  When in you darkest moments, the bottle would show you the light.

Humility is that bottle.  Humility is what reminds us all that no matter how tragic or terrible our existence is, if we are granted another day, then we have everything we need to HEAL.

Only the Survivors…

Posted on by serenitisparkles

If you haven’t had to fall, then you can’t possibly understand what low means.  What it means to begin with nothing or to lose everything.  To have never felt indescribable pain, you are unable to feel true peace.

Many that fall, however, will never get back up.  Many will lie down and let the world fall down upon them.  Then, there will be some, survivors.

A survivor is one of the most powerful and influential people ever known.  Not by their wealth in property or material, but by the wealth of their spirit.  They will captivate your circle as they speak through their eyes.

A survivor will have a sparkle, that others cannot generate.  Not because they didn’t have the chance to be the survivor, but they allowed hopelessness to bleed into the deepest parts of their soul.

Hope, Redemption, and Love are vital to every survivor.  Because without those, they too would be drowning in the vault of emptiness.

When you have a survivor in your life, their number one goal is to influence others.  To drive away despair with the energy they have come to know in their fight.

A survivor has hope, beyond your imagination.  They have been to the darkest places in their lives, found a way to rise up, and smile to light up a room.  They use their pain to give other’s appreciation and humility.

A survivor won’t give up on themselves or the rest of the world.  They will believe in redemption and reclamation of the young child they once were.  They will remember the innocence, focus on that, and heal.

Most of all, the survivor will give love.  The feeling of their energy will make you feel lifted.  Without a word, they can speak to your heart.  Their experiences will allow you a space to comprehend what it truly means to pick yourself back up.

A survivor, gives. 

I am a SURVIVOR.

I learned to accept and respect all of it, take something good out of it, and I chose to rise above it.  I chose to give my deepest emotions. It’s the reason I still believe. 

This world is not walking all over me, I am walking.  I am not a victim of circumstance, I am a survivor and teacher.  Life doesn’t happen to you, you happen to it.

We all have the opportunity to overcome, but we all can’t remember how we began in this place called earth.  Can You?

Look In The Mirror; The Art of Self Reflection

Posted on by serenitisparkles

lookinthemirror

When you look in the mirror, who is staring back at you? Do you even take the time to look under all of the layers that have become you? What do others say about you, the ones who are closest? What do they say is your greatest gift and your biggest fault?

It took me a long time to even start to evaluate these things for myself, until I became a mother. It wasn’t just that I became a mother and decided to self reflect. It was that I became a mother and was pushed against the wall and on the brink of losing everything, including my self worth. It was the moment that I no longer had the answers or direction. It was a feeling of pure helplessness that brought me to stand in the mirror and dive into my deepest layers to discover how to dig myself out of the madness.

As I would look at my daughter, a gift.  She must have meant that I was worth something,  right?  I created a miracle. A healthy, happy beauty in this world, yet I couldn’t enjoy it. I was fighting my faults and my light was beginning to burn out.

Luckily, I began to stare into the mirror. I began to identify what and who I was in this world and to be honest about my weaknesses.

By identifying my weaknesses, I was able to search for ways to become stronger. One weakness in particular was my inability to be consistent. Scatterbrained is what most would call me. So I searched for books and people who were organized. I searched for the things that I was not so I could learn the HOW.

I read, “Think and Grow Rich” and there was a chapter on Auto Suggestion. It described how to trick your mind into doing instead of thinking. And there it was, a eureka moment. So I began with putting my keys in the same place everyday. Then going to the gym every other day. Then writing down notes to myself. I realized the key to my weaknesses was being open. I had to be open to the strength that others possessed. I had to be real about the fact that I did not. I had to be humble about starting from the basics.

If you have even one more year on this planet, what would you do with it? Who would you become and HOW would you do it? The answer is simple. LOOK IN THE MIRROR.

Time is Our Most Valuable Resource

Posted on by serenitisparkles

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If I lose a dollar, I can replace it with another, but, If I lose an hour of time, I will NEVER get that hour back.  My father once said to me, “I’ll sleep when I die.”  This was a man who woke up every morning at sunrise and didn’t go to sleep until 1 or 2 in the morning.  He couldn’t have been more right.  Today, that same man is asleep forever, may he rest in peace.

Watching so closely the full cycle of life, from my daughter being born to my father’s untimely death,  has taught me a crucial lesson.  Time is my most valuable resource.  Every moment of each day is an opportunity.  It can be an opportunity to share time with a loved one, an opportunity to write, an opportunity to take a chance, and the most beautiful fact is that every moment is an OPPORTUNITY.

Many of us live in the past, or look to the future.  How many of us actually live in the NOW?  Since my father’s passing I try to ALWAYS live in the present.  I am constantly asking myself, am I happy with my moment right now.  If I am not, then I quickly adjust myself to think positively and change course.  I do not know many things, but what I am definite of is that this is my moment.  My life span could last another 50 years, or 50 seconds, but what I choose to do with my moment is vital to my quality of life.

When we fail to look around us and bask in our present, we fail to see the beauty of living.  Life is a gift.  No matter how many times we fall short, we are alive.  We have something that is so precious.  We have something that for all of us, will run out.  So when you wake up in the morning, appreciate and utilize the time you are given because it will be gone before you know it.

Dreams and The Law Of Attraction

Posted on by serenitisparkles

My entire life has been a road of relentless determination and focus toward success.  I have always believed that I am someone who will work with talent in the music industry and create great artists.  I have found that no matter how many people told me it wasn’t going to happen, I stayed positive toward reaching my end goal.  This focus has landed me in positions as publicist, engineer, MC, event coordinator, songwriter, and manager.  Yet there were so many times that I was lost.  The only thing that remained in my heart in those times was my dream and love of music.

bobbi blogMusic has helped me stay positive no matter what the challenge, and my determination has guided me to reach many goals.  It wasn’t until recently that an old friend of mine explained to me the definition of what I was doing through my entire quest.  It is called the LAW OF ATTRACTION.  This law that states LIKE ATTRACTS LIKE, and that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts, one can bring about positive or negative results.  The belief is based upon the idea that people and their thoughts are made from pure energy.  The idea of the law of attraction was first noted by author James Allen in 1901.  And in 2006 became an international sensation with the movie, The Secret.

Numerous authors have referred to the law of attraction as the key to success.  Many well-known celebrities have used the law of attraction to reach their dreams.

Will Smith “There is a redemptive power that making a choice has…I want to represent an idea that you really can make what you want.”

Jim Carrey “Not one single thing has ever been accomplished without intent.”

Oprah “It is very true that the way you think, creates a reality for yourself.”

Steve Harvey “If you see it in your mind you can hold it in your hand”

UFC Champion, Jon Jones “When you know where your going and know what you want, the universe has a way of stepping aside for you.”

Bob Proctor “Your brain is an electronic switching station, when you think you activate brain cells, those brain cells set up a vibration…Whatever my vibration is is going to dictate what I attract.”

We are all a product of our minds.  Once that is fully understood and we are able to listen to our deepest desires, we are able to create a reality that is derived from our energy.  “We are not what we are, but what we think we are.”

Is our inner voice following the leader?

Posted on by serenitisparkles

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If someone asked you to tell them about yourself and what you represented, would your answer be found on someone else’s Facebook page? I’m sure you have seen the same inspirational quotes and stories, the horrific acts of violence, and the newest billboard hits flooding the Facebook and Twitter news feeds.

With people spending 50% of their time on social media, it is very hard to tell what was derived from your own intuition and what was a result of someone’s post.  The bandwagon effect is real and is one of the oldest forms of human interaction.  It is an observation of social behaviour in which people tend to go along with what others do or think without considering their own beliefs or values.

The more lonely or socially incapable a person is, the more likely they will follow the bandwagon.  Facebook is an excellent example of the bandwagon effect.  A story is most likely to go VIRAL if there are key names leading the way such as famous personalities, musicians, and big brands.  Social media makes it very hard for an individual to gain importance through their own beliefs because the key to social media, is that what becomes VIRAL is what is considered important.  In the real world, for the survival and quality of our lives, standing up for our “gut feeling” is necessary.

In order for a person to live without regret, or to live the life THEY see fit, they must follow their intuition.  However, when the internet has found a way to be a part of half of your day, and 55 million people share status updates each day, how do we even hear what the voice inside is saying to you.

The fact is that Facebook and other social media networks are about following the leaders of the world.  The ones with the most followers are the ones that we follow and that we admire.  If they say it is a good idea, then chances are we will share that good idea to our friends on social media. We are entering a world where people spend most of their time socializing online, where, it is not the one with the voice of reason that is heard, but the one with the most popularity.

We have to remember that social media was derived by pop culture, it is a key player in creating followers around the world.    If you are trying to lead an individual path for your life, don’t spend too much time following the masses.   The moral of the story is, Listen to your gut because if you don’t then you are living someone else’s life.