Posts tagged "family"

Recently I met my new friend.  We talked for hours, walked in a drizzling rain, went to the beach in the dark.  We had a great time and conversation.

In talking with her, I realized how far I came.  My attitude towards everything has changed.  Like the saying goes, “Do not look for me in the past.  I am not there anymore.”  It rings so true to me.

I realized all the struggles I been through in the past only made me stronger.  The people who treated me unfairly are no longer in my life.  Some things that I would be dead serious about before, just made me laugh.  I know what I want and nothing will stop me.

By talking to my friend, I glanced into my past and right now.  I came a LONG way. Wow!  I am not afraid of little setbacks anymore.  It only makes me stronger.  Setbacks are just a little building blocks that goes to the top of the castle of our dreams come true.

By summing up all our conversations about life and people, an enormous gratitude filled my heart.  I am grateful for:

1. My family and friends.  You are truly amazing, each one of you!

2.  My health.  Where I was and where I am now – HUGE difference!

3.  My pets who give an unconditional bundles of love and joy.

4.  A peace in my heart.  Forgiveness plays a huge part.

5.  My self-confidence.  Gosh, even my back is straight and I see clearer.

6.  My cheerfulness and positivity.  A simple smile makes the whole difference not only for me, but for others.

7.  My creativity and curiosity.  I LOVE making ordinary into extraordinary, to challenge myself to see in creative ways.

8.  Challenges.  They teach me lessons and test me how strong I’ve become.  It builds a character, so bring it on.

9.  New opportunities that unexpectedly present themselves.

10. LIFE.  I cherish every minute that I am alive!

What are you grateful in your life?

I feel an enormous gratitude to my family and friends.  For my family, thank you for being my inspiration.  I love our deep conversations about life and what is possible, remembrance of our past moments and seeing how far we came, and where we are going next.

For my friends, thank you for cheering me on, for inspiring me to strive for the better.  You inspire me to be more creative and share the beauty of life and the world with you.  Thank you!

I wish you heart-felt moments with your family and friends.  These precious moments are more important than any gifts in the world. I wish for you lots of laughter, many surprises, heartfelt hugs and great conversations.

Love dearly, smile widely, hug wholeheartedly, laugh till tears, dance till whole room spins, and sing from your whole being!  Create something that nobody but you can create!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Thank you for being a HUGE part of my life, each one of you!  You are a True Blessing!

This is a time to stop and think about what we are grateful for.  For me the list is HUGE not simply in words, but in feelings, too!!!

I am thankful for my life and health.

I am thankful for my family and friends who are INCREDIBLE in every way. Thank you for being You!

I am thankful for my family who are true inspirations full of courage, determination and so much love.

I am thankful for our pets who always warm our hearts and make us smile.

I am thankful for wildlife that cause me by surprise and leads me on curiosity trips.

I am thankful for every magical moment I see everyday: from diamond sparkles on the leaves and flowers after the rain to a sunset that takes my breath away.

I am thankful for challenges that life throws in order to let me think creatively.

I am thankful for my creativity to see and feel things.

I am thankful for moments of inspiration from people, books, and life.

I am thankful for freedom of my heart and thoughts.

I am thankful for great wisdom teachers who challenge to see life in a heart-felt way.

I am thankful for my fans who cheer me on and see the beauty of life the way I do.

I am thankful for all the love I feel within my heart.

I am thankful for all the artists who make a world more beautiful with their creations.

I am thankful for music that lets my heart sing.

I am thankful for having a courage to let go of things that do not serve me anymore.

I am thankful for a new space I am creating for new possibilities.

I am thankful for an incredible future that will come because I know what I want.

I am thankful for nature how it always refreshes me and makes me wonder and gives me an inspiration.

I am thankful for every day, hour and minute I live.

What are you grateful?

Have an awesome Thanksgiving, my family and friends!!!!  Sending you lots of love!

These are excerpts from the book “A Walk on the Beach” by Joan Anderson.  This book always inspires me.  So much wisdom here.

Here is a Joan Erikson’s Unconventional Wisdom.  It will make you think.  It will make you come alive.  It will make you feel grateful for what it is.  Make it a fantastic day, and live each moment to the fullest:

1.  OVERDOSE ON THE SENSES.  “Get out of your body, absorbing all that you come in contact with.”

“The great joy is when something happens seredipitously,” Joan says, “like an unexpected breeze, or finding this boat.  I never feel as though I am living unless I am making contact with the world like we’re doing now.  In my youth, I would walk the streets of New York and smell the neighborhoods, all the aromas of people from other places, or walk across the great bridges with rain-soaked hair and the wind on my skin, or go to museums where I would get so close to a painting that I could smell the oil.  Do you know what I mean, dear?” she asks, extending her hand now over the edge of the boat and letting the water race through her fingers.  “We taught early on to stop sensing the world.  Parents say no to their toddlers all the time, when all their child wants to do is sense the world around him.  Pity, isn’t it!  Overdose on the senses is what I say, all the way through life.”

“…the way to feel a whole range of emotions is to use them.”

“I want to be nature – you know, unblemished, natural, primitive, even, That makes all the difference.”

“We came away from that moment realizing the importance of reflection.  If I recall we spent the rest of the afternoon reflecting on reflection.  It’s a matter of using all that is around you, merging your senses with the world like an animal or child would do to find the clarity you seek.  Once again, the key is to loosen up.  Where curiosity and playful discovery are the focus of activity, there’s little opportunity to fail.”

“See, smell, touch, and taste everything… that’s what enlivens and links us in a sensuous way to the world outside ourselves.  It’s the very food we need for our body and soul.”

2. DANCE BEYOND THE BREAKERS.  “Having direction and going after something – going toward that which gives you purpose is the way – otherwise your life becomes avoiding trouble and there is no strength in that.”

“That’s the beauty of this life.  You leave all the rigid rules behind.”

“Dance is so absolutely glorious.  There’s no end to what you can do with pure energy.”  “…especially with modern dance, which isn’t restricting.  Rather, it’s about breaking boundaries.”

“And down the street and onto the beach.  Why not?” she laughs.  “Dance beyond the breakers, that’s what I say… be willing to go as far as you dare.  Hell, it’s one of the few legitimate ways to be sexy and sensuous,” she says, her naughty twinkle appearing again.  “The motion of the whole thing…and the flexibility it evokes!  The lucky ones are those that grow up near water where everything is in motion – you crave it the rest of your life,” she says, reaching for my water glass and taking a gulp.”

“Dance when you’re broken open, and, Dance if you’ve torn the bandage off, Dance in the middle of the fighting, Dance in your blood, Dance, when you’re perfectly free.”

“There should never be any set way to dance.  It’s about losing yourself and giving your body over to the music.”

“Always remember, my dears,” Joan says by way of a toast, “that no matter how hard you dance, not everyone will clap.” She lifts her glass to both of us. “At the very least, from here on in, you’ll be creating your own rules.  Take your dreams by the hand and let them float.  It’s a gift being your own person.  In any case, it’s pretty deadly not to be.”

3. LEAN ON YOUR STRENGTHS.  “In order not to fail in the end, you have to be dependent on yourself and know that you can handle things.  Most importantly, bring a little humor into despair.  Lightness, imagination, flexibility – these are the things that go into making a new start.”

“Adventure gets you to a feeling level and keeps the mind at bay.  Allow your imagination and feelings to follow whatever image moves you.”

“You must have confidence in your body.  It’s a portable world-a wonder, really.  It will get you through anything if you take care of it.”

“Passion is a force, a direction you are moved to.  It comes when you are open and vulnerable…  Still, passion is only a lofty word if you stay closed and not open.  All the words attached to the stages are so grand.  Only when we turn them into verbs and connect them with action do they make sense.  Always remember, dear, that theory without action has no strength at all.”

“It was she who told me that she didn’t hit bottom awfully easily.  “When I do,” she once admitted, “I try to focus, not on the problem but on my strength.  One way out of doldrums is to do something…take action rather than sit passively.”

“I keep telling myself that I can be either powerful like the sea or as weak as the broken shells under out feet.  Of course you know which I’d prefer.”

“One thing I’ve learned is that when you can no longer get in touch with your instinct and intuition, It’s all over.”

“You must imagine your capacities, how much strength you can muster, what you can do even before you set out.  Then you will have the confidence to stretch yourself like never before.”

4. SPONSOR YOURSELF.  “Don’t deny yourself to please others.  You only lose yourself in the promise.”

“Many a woman makes it a goal to know her man without knowing herself, first.  She sees loving him as the solution to her problems, but love soon becomes the center of her problem.  She is thinking rather than feeling her way through the relationship and eventually becomes isolated from the very essence of herself.  That is a tragedy.”

“Well, in any case, I always envisioned marriage as a collaboration,” she continues.  “Mutuality, reciprocity, interdependence are the keys to the game.  If you don’t have them, what’s the point?”

“We must have sensed a deep need to know ourselves better if we were ever to know anyone else.”

“When you are willing to pull back and look at your neglected dreams and foibles, you bring a newfound energy into your partnership.  You learn to respect what makes you an individual and you learn to accept the other person’s quirks as well.  It isn’t easy work.  The big trap most of us fall into is believing that love and joy always go together.  It can’t possibly be so because truth comes with love and many times truth is not so playful because of its honesty.”

“You get love by participating in it.”

5. SHARE WHAT YOU KNOW. “Be generative.  Pass on what you know.  In sharing there is real delight.  People in every stage depend on other people.  Out of connection real growth happens.  If there is no reciprocity, nothing ever works.”

“It’s not about you, dear.  It’s about being generative and giving back.  Can’t you see how people are sick for the truth?  Nothing in our culture encourages us to break out of the mold.”

“Henry James said that a writer must be willing to embarrass himself,” “Everyone wants to hear the voice of someone who has gone through something real.”

“You have something unique to share, my dear.  People are dying for adventure, and if they can’t make themselves get out there, they will content themselves with living vicariously off of others.”

6. PLAY OUT YOUR EXPERIENCES.  “We don’t stop playing because we grow old.  We grow old because we stop playing.  Anyway, the opposite of play is obey!”

“The point is to be less serious,” Joan says, “and more playful.  Children have it right – that is, until someone knocks sense into them and the life out of them.  I always insist that joy is a duty.”

“If only we could spread our wings and be freer with our bodies, we too could lighten up and recharge our souls.”

“Stop relying so much on your mind and get in touch with experience.”

“It’s one thing to hazard out in a safe place and another in unknown territory.  Taking chances and risking routine are two important ingredients for keeping alive.  Besides, a new panorama always offers fresh insight.”

“I make a silent promise to remember always to strive toward more unimaginable experiences.”

“I have been leveled and grounded by intangibles – such things as endurance, patience, will, commitment – a pleasant combination of active and passive ingredients needed for a harmony and balance.  Sitting here and taking stock forces me to remember and cherish what is to be vitally alive – somehow to transcend the mundane, to be broken and remade.”

“In any case, richness of experience is a potential generator of wisdom.”

“Life works best when there is a flow between times of intentional quiet and informed action. ” Action needs a counterpoint and destiny always develops in silence.”

7. REACH FOR SATISFACTION.  “Does what you are doing (in work or play) satisfy you? Does it make you laugh?  Does it make you sing?  If so, latch on to it.”

“You emerge slowly when you truly listen to your heart.  There’s no putting a time frame on soul work.”

“Practice nonsense, Have some joy during all your trudging, and don’t forget to laugh.  Tears no longer become you.”

“I want to remember to reach for the unknown or exotic as well as a measure of joy.  “It’s there for the taking, ” Joan constantly says, “and we must seize it for ourselves.  The opposite of joy is shame and doubt.  There’s hardly any fun in that.”

8. ALWAYS BE WILLING TO EMBRACE CHALLENGES.  “A good life is like a weaving.  Energy is created in the tension.  The struggle, the pull and tug are everything.”

“It’s the hard that makes it great.”

“The only way to pass the test is to take the test. – Native American Regal Black Swan. “Whether I’m giving a speech, walking my talk, or climbing the mountain, it’s all about taking one step and then another.

“Sigmund Freud though that out of one’s vulnerability comes strength.”

“you need to shake your life up in order to find new intentions.”

“No more asking permission, Whose life is it anyhow?…Besides, haven’t you learned by now that no one ever pushes you towards freedom.  You need to take that for yourself.”

Take Action

Have Adventures

Face Your Fears

Seize the Moments

Tolerate Isolation

Overdose on the Senses

Lean on Your Body

Reach Beyond Your Grasp

“Please let your sun – your concentrated energy, your own submerged authentic vital power – shine out from you.”

I Love Big Cats:  their beauty, their agility, their determination.  Their eyes captivate me.  They are huge, curious, powerful and regal.  Here are some photos I took at Bush Gardens in Tampa, FL.  Also, I included some fun facts about Big Cats:

The King of the Jungle.

Lionesses are faster than male Lions.

Lionesses are mainly the ones who hunt while male lions guard the territory.

Lion’s roar can be heard at 5 mile distance.

Tigers like water and they are great swimmers.

Unfortunately, tigers are highly endangered because of poaching and habitat loss.

Tigers live twice as long in a captivity than in the wild.

Tigers are the largest of the cat family.

White tigers are a color variation of Bengal Tiger

They have blue eyes and a pink nose.

Tigers are usually lone hunters.

Tiger stripes are unique just like human fingertips.  No two tigers are alike.

Tiger’s roar can be heard one mile away.

Not only Tiger’s fur is striped, but also its skin underneath.

Scientists recognize each tiger by its stripes.

I took the following pictures at Disney World Animal Kingdom.  These were the tricky shots to do because the enclosure was fenced in and pretty far from us.  Therefore, on a windy day, I had to align my camera with the holes in the fence, which was not easy.

At night, tiger can see 6 times better than human.

Unleashing power from within.

Sweet dreams, Tiger.  Notice a little tongue sticking out.  This shot was taken through the window.

Some of the tiger facts were taken from news-50-fun-facts-about-tigers.

I love big cats.  Which one is your favorite?

See small cat photography here

I love to take pictures, but when it comes to take pictures of me, forget about it. I don’t think so… Or it used to be.

When I look at my younger photos, I look shy, like being caught, feeling uncomfortable. I hated to pose, so that’s how I came out in the pictures: frozen in time – frozen literally. Then of course comes self-criticism and oh, I could be the best self-critic. Just don’t get me started.

Sounds familiar? Usually what stops us are outside or our inner critics. And we can always stop them, especially our self-critics. All others can think whatever they want.

So, one day I decided to change all that – I decided to overcome my camera shyness. I thought how can I relax in front of the camera – in unfamiliar territory? At first, I put my camera on a self-timer and snapped some photos. I felt uneasy and somewhat ridiculous, but I overcame that. I just completely ignored my self-criticism. Hey, in this Facebook age, many people take self-portraits. Right?

Then I made a game out of it. Whenever my friend Sandy and I go out on photoshoot, first I take shots of her. Then, when she asks to take pictures of me, instead of declining, I agree. Instead of standing frozen, I make different poses. I encourage my friend to do the same. Posing is actually fun when we use our imagination. It gives us freedom and creativity. When we are flexible in posing, the pictures come out great. They show our wild side.

Using props are great, too. If none is available at the time, we can find anything in nature, like palm tree branches or tall grass at the beach.

Here is Sandy at the beach among tall grass.

I find candid shots are the greatest. No posing required. When we act normally without seeing camera present, we come out naturally.

Actually, now to take photos is fun: behind and in the front of camera. It is a great game to play. All those advices: you got to look pretty and photogenic, wear lots of make-up is not a real solution. Don’t need any of that as long as we:

1. Make fun poses and be creative;
2. Use any props available
3. Shoot candidly

So, next time anyone will ask you to say “cheese,” make it a fun game.  Bring your wild side out. The rest is easy.

There is the whole new world in Shadow play.  Shadows bring us mystery and wonder.  We can tell a story with shadows.  We can make a shadow game with the whole family and kids.  All we need is camera and our great imagination.

Shadows can cause an illusion

They make pictures more fun.

Shadows make simplicity more interesting and somewhat complicated

Here is another view of making an interesting masterpiece

A chair is a chair.  Now add some shadows and it makes it an interesting picture.

Now, look at this incredible light and shadow show.  Guess what it is?

Shadows can create a mystery

and a surprising look.

We can have fun with shadows

and again cause a funny illusion

It is fun to make different poses.

and have our imagination play a big part

Even the light looks like from mystery movie.

We never know unless we look behind us and above us and down in the daylight or at night.  There is a different world we can capture if we look more closely.  All we need is open eyes and our imagination and great lighting.  Now go out and see what you can capture.  What new world opens up to you?

Mom is a beautiful treasure in our lives.  She brings love and care to us and in turn teaches how to love and care about people in our lives.  Mother’s dedication is unbeatable and unconquered.  She is strong like a tigress, and at the same time gentle as a dove.  Everything she does is from her heart.  Her love is abundant and she shares it in everything she does.

Thank you so much, Mom, for the best gift in our lives – Thank you for You.

Thank you for being by our side

…and showing us the way

Thank you for protecting us from danger

…and for encouraging us to take on challenges

Thank you for encouraging to be curious about everything

… and taking us on different life’s adventures

Thank you for all the fun and joy and great conversations that we have

Thank you for teaching us to be close no matter what

Thank you, Mom for all you do.  We love you and Happy Mother’s Day!

There is a fine line between being alone and feeling lonely.  Yet, some people think it is the same.  When we are single, our friends constantly want to “fix us” up with somebody.  We are not broken.  They think, we are alone; therefore, we must feel lonely.

Being alone is a physical state.  It might be a transitional phase when we choose to have a time to ourselves.  It might be a time when we need to heal, or we do not feel like having a relationship right now.  Either way, we choose to be that way.  We are comfortable in our skin.  We are self-reliant and independent.  We just enjoy to spend time alone and in the process we grow stronger.  We get to know ourselves better, our wants and needs.

On other hand, feeling lonely is a state of mind.  It is a state when we do not know ourselves well enough; therefore, we are not comfortable.  We can have somebody next to us and still feel lonely.  When we feel lonely, we depend on somebody for our own happiness; we rely on somebody to tell us who we are.  We are not comfortable in our skin.  Therefore, we long for somebody to fill that gap, to show our best when the answer lays in our own hearts.

How to heal loneliness?  The thing is when we are not happy with ourselves, nobody will bring happiness to us.  At first, it might appear that way, but it is an illusion, and it will be a short-lived.  To cure loneliness, we got to find our passions, our loves, what makes our heart sing.  We got to re-discover ourselves and pursue our dreams.  When we are comfortable in ourselves and when the time is right, we might meet someone who will compliment us.

Wish you a day full of cuddles!

and a day full of mischief!

Wish a stomach filled with chocolates.

and a day full of quiet whispers

Wish you a day filled with joy and laughter

and a day full of adventure!

Wish a day filled with magic

and a day filled with love and heart-warming moments.

Sending you lots of love on Valentine’s Day!