Stop Blaming, Start Blessing

Standing outside Whole Foods today, I watched as a middle-age man passed by with a sad look on his face. Looking around, it struck me that among all the people seated outside, some were no doubt gossiping or complaining about someone or something. And I thought, Why are you wasting time and precious breath contributing negative energy to the world when you are surrounded by people starving for connection, compassion, validation and affection? Instead of clucking about somebody’s flaws, you can literally transform yourself and the world around you by choosing to be a source of love, hope and healing energy to all who cross your path.

What does that look like? It could be as

Nothing Was Unfriendly

Jacques Lusseyran

I just started reading And There Was Light, the astonishing autobiography of Jacques Lusseyran, who, though blinded at age eight, was a leader of the French Resistance in World War II. I am only five pages into his story, but what he wrote about his happy childhood resonated deep within me:

I felt sure that nothing was unfriendly, that the branches I used to swing on would hold firm, and that the paths, no matter how winding, would take me to a place where I would not be afraid; that all paths, eventually, would

That’s the Ticket!

At yoga class today, a woman from Israel named Rivka told us that her daughter Aliza had received a dollar bill in change on which someone had drawn a swastika and written “Heil Hitler!” Disgusted, Aliza said a prayer asking God to change the energy of the bill from toxic to positive, then used it to buy a scratch-offf ticket for her son’s birthday. Since Andre’s birthday, December 26, coincided with Hanukah, she bought three more tickets for a present for him.

That evening, after dinner and observance of Hanukkah, the family lit the Hanukkah candles and Andre

Everything Has Beauty

Look beyond the illusory “negative” aspects of an event and you may discover the golden nugget of divine wisdom lying just beneath the details.

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.
Confucius

Seek to find beauty in everything you look at and you

How to Become a Cancer Pre-vivor

Merit Gest

I enjoy reading about people with positive attitudes who remain optimistic in the face of serious life challenges. That’s why I liked this essay by Merit Gest on Mamapedia Voices, a website featuring posts from up-and-coming mom bloggers and well-known mom experts. I’m impressed by the way Merit reframed her approach to maintaining good  health and viewing the threat of cancer, and I know her words will inspire others.

WHO CHISELED THAT OVER THE DOOR?
Challenging Assumptions. Creating Possibilities.

Ten yeas ago, the assumption was that to find your buddies from high school and connect with them you would have to spend a lot of time doing research by phone. Now, Facebook has created new possibilities to connect people all over the world in moments.

Going back a little farther in time, here’s another assumption that’s changing — and it’s definitely more serious. Twenty years ago, if your mother died from breast cancer, you may have assumed that you were more likely to die from the disease as well. Now genetic testing and preventative surgeries are giving women options to outlive their mothers.

As someone who faced a double threat from both ovarian and breast cancer, I ask

Live a Sweet Life

Your thoughts are like paving stones, marking a path into a future of your own making.

If you want sweet dreams, you’ve got to live a sweet life.
Barbara Kingsolver

Expect nothing but the best to happen, and the universe interprets your faith and positivity as an invitation to shower you with abundance.

Wake up every morning expecting

Three Rules For a Happier Life

Would you like to live a more positive, peaceful life? Follow these three simple rules and you will.

Never