Zen Jeweled jewelry business is growing!

I have been working hard on my jewelry business. What this means is that I have been “working very hard” managing MANY responsibilities and obligations in my life; writing, Adoptee Search Friends business and my normal day job. Time is the friend of nobody, but it helps when we make our seconds matter. This is something I have been practicing diligently. I am proud to announce that Zen Jeweled is up and running on Etsy. You may visit my growing store by going here: http://zenjeweled.etsy.comf50

Since I happened to make this stunning creature (literally) I decided to make her the model for my jewelry. What is pictured is the gemstone choker with ohm charm. Come visit my store!!!

The Soulmate Curveball…

Wow! Does time fly….Holy Moly it has been a while.

So I have been busy getting my jewelry business off the ground, Zen Jeweled. It has been a tremendous undertaking balancing a job, family, kids, adoptee search efforts (Adoptee Search Friends, LLC), writing, etc…

Most of the time life is just like Groundhogs Day….get up, “time to make the donuts”…move forward and forge ahead. Other times, not so much with the universe acting like a giant prankster throwing curve-balls in out path to throw us “off course.” Ahhh, this is life. Not much we can do about it. And then there is pesky SOULMATES.

Soulmates are most definitely a kick in the ass when it comes to time and life. These are the people we either can’t wait to get away from and can’t (literally, stuck) or can’t get enough of and we never know why, but we don’t care because it/they feel marvelous. Soulmates come in all shapes and sizes and if you want to know who they are, you just look at your circle of the “closest” people in your life and they are right there, like “right there” in front of your nose. They may be old or new, but they are just a slap away at any given moment. Sometimes, literally “a thought away” and the phone rings, or your text alert goes off.

The craziest thing about soulmates is most often the illogical “draw” – the invisible connection between two people which pays no mind to time nor space or pretty much anything for that matter. When you find yourself in this position with another person it is much more sensible to not ask questions like, “I wonder why we finish eachothers’ sentences?” The reason this happens is because you have known eachother in another time in another space. Your “draw” is nothing more then “memory.” The “memory” that your soul has of another person does recognize it in the present. I know it sounds crazy, however true it is. Throughout your lives you will meet many soul connections and they are all there to serve a different purpose; kindred spirits to travel through life with, romantic partners, pains in the ass to learn life lessons from. In either of the cases there is growth in all of those relationships. With that said sometimes we are put in situations where we have to sever the connection as sad as that may be for various reasons, most often our well-being and sanity is at stake. With that said I offer this one piece of advice……galaxyIt is always your job to find and take away the positive in those experiences.

Crossroads…

Midlife crisis? Midlife blues? Midlife maybes? Pick any one and it leads to reflection.

Ah… Good old reflection and taking inventory of our lives. Where have you been? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Welp, friends all of those places have value.

You wouldn’t be you without your past; good, bad or ugly. In the here and now you are living your truths obtained from your past and literally creating the future you are looking for, but have not yet reached. Your future is a question mark. It sits there waiting for you to make decisions and overcome obstacles while the universe throws you challenges, curve balls and things unexpected. Your future needs you to navigate all of those things in a manner which will allow you to obtain your goals (which may be ever changing).

If you find yourself in a situation where after taking inventory of your current position, your future goals seem barely visible then it is time to make some changes. As far as I am concerned, that’s A – O.K. As long as you are aware then you are capable of changing your direction. However, if you don’t realize where you have been, where you currently are and where you want to be you will then be what I like to call “stuck.”

Please try to not get “stuck” (although we can expect this to happen from time to time). But, remember life is for living, for changing and experimenting so that you and I can grow to be the very best we can be. Always keep your eye on the prize! ❤

prize

One thousand years old…..

Have you ever woke up in the morning, stretched, creaked a little, maybe even groaned and thought to yourself, I feel AT LEAST one thousand years old?

Yep, this is my life as of lately. It happens. Shit happens. Life happens. Sometimes it throws us curve-balls and unimaginable speed bumps. Parental obligations, work responsibilities, relationship challenges, the relentless chasing of pipe dreams can lead to a dreadful situation like forgetting your beloved pound of coffee on your last grocery trip. (You may think this is not a big deal, however that depends on how much you love your coffee). EEEEK! How is one to deal? Good question. Now, you are left with feeling like a “forgetful thousand year old.”

Like all things in life, most things are not that complicated. It is always your attitude that drives your direction. The universe always wants you to move forward at all times…there is no backwards, there may be a sideways, but there is most definitely a “forward.” Sometimes you have dig deep down and muster up the energy to help move you in a forward direction. If your attitude is stopping you from being able to forge ahead then change it. Only you control it. Tears won’t change it, nor will a bottle of Pino Grigio and waiting for someone else to change their attitude won’t change yours.

Life is filled with the opportunity to find more “goodness.” When you feel a thousand years old you may have to change your attitude and direction, friends.

path

 

Ringing In The New Year! Welcome 2018!

“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline
or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces
while regret weighs tons.”

– Jim Rohn

 I saw this quote and it resonated with me for SEVERAL REASONS. I thought about how it applies to “what I want to do with my life,” “what I would like to accomplish” and also about “what I HAVE accomplished” in my life thus far….some things I never thought possible! Some may say even “miracles”……

 It is  true that “regret” weighs far more than discipline. Discipline MUST have PERSEVERANCE and DEDICATION to “stay the course” when things look “bleak.”  One must never loose “HOPE” or the belief that YOU CAN DO IT – you CAN do ANYTHING if you want it enough.

 In the New Year, let go of fear, forgive your shortcomings, believe in HOPE, have DISCIPLINE to move yourself to where you WANT to be in your lives. DREAM BIG!!!!

mountains

Almost a Writer’s Missed Calling

I (yes, I) missed my calling. I am a late bloomer or maybe a collector of information. Many moons ago I strayed off my path of turning words into thoughts and thoughts into change. I am not quite certain what happened, but  as many people know some paths can become difficult to follow when we are not sure where they may lead with nothing more than passion and curiosity to guide us. I got married, made babies and became a Brownie Troop leader while taking more college classes in creative writing and English.  I became most proficient in MLA and APA styles of writing. I dabbled in content writing and learned about SEO (search engine optimization) and keywords. Six years ago I even took the infamous Chicago Writer’s Loft Workshop with the exceptionally talented Jerry Cleaver. I wrote many things which were never shared but with a mere few people. Most writers are avid readers and I have always had many questions about life and living. The more I lived, the more I read, the more stones I turned over. I have turned over lifetimes of stones and wrote about it! At times I thought maybe I wrote for myself and that was the way I was supposed to do this. (This would be a crying shame if it were the case). Maybe I like the “sound” of my own voice? (No, I don’t think so). Maybe it was therapy of sorts? (While therapeutic, I am really more of a global thinker). A horrifying thought came to me thinking I was destined to be a “closet” writer! For shame!

This was getting quite silly and I was getting more antsy by the minute with nobody to listen, share or critique anything I was writing. So, I slapped myself sane due to the 20 years of turning over rocks and writing about it. I finally thought I must have created some useful and helpful information. It must be shared. I am not greedy! On March 23, 2015 I hopped a plane from Chicago to The Florida Keys to go to the ocean (void of distraction) determined to start “the book” I have been wanting to write for the last ten years. Guess what! I finished it! I wrote an entire book with all of the information I have collected being a good student of the universe. This blog will become a platform for sharing words and life in an attempt to achieve the unthinkable…….becoming eternally infinite navigating grace. This is the path of all “BEINGS.”  B- Becoming E- Eternally I- Infinite N- Navigating G- Grace and you are doing it right NOW! Navigating this life is immensely easier with a tool chest full of tools………

compass

Very Exciting news!

I was on a journey for 5 years that in part has come to an end. I was searching for my biological family. If you want to know what that feels like I would say something like being in a desert searching for water. This was a very difficult task due to the fact that I had an original birth certificate with all FALSE information. Hence, it taking me 5 years. At points I never expected that I would ever get the answers I was looking for. Actually, many times in the search process. Sometimes it was hard to keep pushing forward when it appeared like there was no forward to move to. Sometimes I thought I was going forward only to go backwards…….unintentionally. I would say that more then anything this experience taught me determination and perseverance. I also gained useful tools to help others in need and I created a business to help people like myself and have had success. I am a firm believer of “living your truth.”

http://www.adopteesearchfriends.com

Truth can  sometimes be good, bad or ugly, but when it’s yours it’s still beautiful. This is my brother Christopher, he is my full sibling along with 2 more. Amazing! Meeting him for the first time was beautiful…….Chris bro1

 

A “Life Expert”

So, I have been spending some quiet time thinking about people who are “experts.” What is an “expert” really? It seems that the word “expert” is supported by a combination of education and experience. However, I do believe “experience” trumps formal education, sometimes even existing merely by default. The “education” part almost doesn’t have to exist at all because through experience you gain knowledge.

I am working on fine tuning my already written book, editing and giving it a literary haircut. Through this process I am also filling in some missing pieces and one of my missing pieces was the preface which had already been written. I kept reading it feeling it had the tone of a “used car salesman” and like I was trying to sell myself to the reader before delving into Chapter 1. “Screw this” came to mind and I decided what I needed to say was this….

I am not a “life expert,” but what I do have is experience. Some are quite unique. My life experiences are different then yours and the knowledge I have gained will be also be different. At that point I am left with my unique perspective and voice. I have the choice to do what I want with sum of all of those moving parts – and they are constantly moving. I chose to write a book I thought could assist others helping to fill their lives with more time, joy and peace.

A “life expert” is a person who is able to navigate through experience, knowledge and  application with FINESSE……path sunset

 

I have been horribly neglectful of my blog….I’m sorry blog.

Dear Blog,

Life has been moving quite fast lately. While I have been moving in a positive direction, I have been quite neglectful of you. I should set aside some time ie; make a schedule and pencil you in so that when I think of you (which is often) I am also giving you the attention you deserve. I am sorry that when I think of writing here you are unaware of my thinking and are left with no entry.

I guess one could say, “we make time for what matters.”  I am reminded that when “spinning our wheels,” we don’t really end up “anywhere” unless we choose to stop.

Note to self: Make time to “stop” for the things that matter even when you are “spinning your wheels.” I got the memo.

Dear self