another bold step

It’s the end of the month and have I been more fearless?

Yes! Yes, and yes! But the thing I’m most proud of is that I think in a different way. I focus on being fearless when I have to make a decision. I think about it all the time. I’ve tried to say yes to some new things and am trying to be open when new situations arise.

So for this new month that is at my doorstep…….. well I want to focus on fearlessly being creative.

One of the obstacles of being creative is finding the time to do something creative or put the ideas together. I know best time for me to really think seems to be in the shower or the car. More likely the car.

But the other thing that hinders creativity is fear! Ah-ha…...back to being fearless! I think it goes back to being afraid of failing or looking dumb or not being able to do something well. Duh! Of course I’m not going to do it well if I’m too afraid to try.

So today I fearlessly bought some watercolors!

It’s been so long since I’ve painted that the majority of my paints are dried and hard. Kind of makes me feel like my creative juices have done the same.

But the good news is that that’s fixable. I will be fearless! And creative this month.

Who will sign up too? Please share what creative things you want to do this month!

at the end of the day

Since I take a picture everyday I always have my camera with me. (It's been a great habit to develop.) Anyway the other evening I caught this breathtaking sunset. All I could do was sit in my car and just revel in the beauty and feel so grateful to be a small part of it.....I think being an appreciating spectator is an important part to play too. Anyway, it had been a hard day and so to see this at the end was a treasured gift. Later that evening as I was viewing the picture on my computer I reflected that it kind of summed up life. Sometimes things don't go the way you want, they're hard, messy, complicated or just 'not fun'. And yet you learn from those experiences, you come away appreciating the lessons and become better, wiser, stronger, and hopefully more beautiful because of them. You don't get spectacular sunsets when it's a clear sky.

I had a friend who once wisely told me, "I hope you have enough clouds and difficulties in your life to make a beautiful sunset." He was quadriplegic. I'll never forget his lesson.

So in becoming fearless I need to realize it's good to do hard things. I should welcome the hard things and realize they are a gift to help bring out the brilliance.

fearlessly finding happiness

I read an article the other day which asked the question: What makes you truly happy? I've been pondering on that for a few days now. I think it's a question to ask if I'm truly going to be fearless. We spend a lot of time as mothers trying to make sure everyone in our lives are happy but then for some reason think it's selfish to make sure we are too. Or even worse, we don't really know what will make us happy.

A while ago as I watched my grandson jump and splash in the only puddle there was at the zoo he found pure delight. His whole countenance radiated because he was so ultimately living in the moment and finding sheer joy.

So what makes me happy? Not what should make me happy, or what do I want to make me happy. What really makes me smile inside just thinking about it?

What can't I just wait to do? What makes me giddy? Ooh, don't you just love being giddy.

I'd love to hear some of your responses. This morning a friend mentioned she once made a list of 10 things that really made her happy.

So here are some of the things that make me happy:
creating
doing things anonymously for others
talking with good friends
seeing a beautiful sky
eating fruit
listening to loud music and dancing
reading a good book
cuddling with my grand kids
talking late into the night with my kids
singing around the piano with my family

Just writing these down made me realize that there are a lot of things that make me happy. Really happy. I need to just run to those puddles fearlessly, jump, splash, soak in the moment and relish pure sheer wonderful happiness. And do it today.

I'm kind of giddy thinking about learning what makes you happy!

seeing clearly

The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding go out to meet it. Thucydides

I read this quote a few days ago and I've been pondering whether my vision of what I want to become is clear. I'm pretty good at visualizing (I always get those close parking spots) but when it comes to who I want to become it's not quite as clear.I loved this picture because it's fuzzy....kind of like me. To be truly fearless I need to have that vision. I need to spend time on my knees...my Heavenly Father clearly knows my potential and knows what path is best for me. And the good news is that when the path gets too hard...as fearless as I may try to be, He will be there to urge me on, protect me, and even carry me.

So what is my vision? What is yours? In terms of baby steps, what do I want to be doing at the end of the month that will reflect my fearlessness? Where do I ultimately want to get to?

What does "me - living at my potential" look like?

One thing I do know...it's where joy is found.

one of the many miracles i love

just had to share one of the many wonderful miracles around me....my newest little grandbaby, stephen. ooh life is good!

it's gone!

Well my dress is gone...fearlessly given to DI....and it feels great! Plus I'm so inspired that many of you are joining me. 2011 is going to be an extraordinary year because we are choosing to become all that our Heavenly Father knows we can be.

Pres. Hinckley said, "Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for its opportunities."

I love that...we should look for life's opportunities. I want to look for ways to fearlessly tell people how much I love them, fearlessly look for ways to build and lift and not be afraid to give more.

fearless

This month I want to focus on being fearless. I’ve been afraid of so many things in my life… some because of fear of failure, fear of getting hurt, fear of the unknown. I’ve been afraid of people or I hate to admit it but of what they would think. I’ve been afraid of not doing things the right way, or of costing too much or taking too much time, or not doing it well enough. And you know, I’m thinking none of those things...now that I see them in print- really matter.

So I’m choosing to be fearless this month. So what will that look like?

Well as silly as it may seem I’m going to fearlessly dejunk some closets to start with. I’m going to throw out stuff I’ve been saving or been afraid I may want later. I’ve hung onto a dress for 10 years (that I love) but ‘just in case’’ I may want it. 10 years!!! That’s ridiculous. Being single is forcing me to make changes and do things I’ve never done (online banking and paying bills! I know someone out there is rolling their eyes) but baby steps are still steps. Taxes are coming up and that will be a whole new ballgame…but I will be fearless.

Anyone want to join me? What fearless thing will you do this week or month? Let me know...you'll inspire me.

my yearly focus

My focus for this year (which I always put on my planner cover) is the Time Out For Women theme: Choose to become.

I love the possibilities this creates in my mind. It makes me excited to get going just thinking about it.

So each picture on my planner represents something I want to work on
which are:

fearless
creative
giving
learning
humble
higher thoughts
focus
faith
beauty

I'll explore each one of those later but I'm choosing to have an extraordinary year of great growth, great change and great joy.

a new year - a new path

Last year I took a picture everyday of something I was grateful for or some happy moment... thinking I would document what my life was like. Well, that happened, but a better thing happened...something I hadn't really expected.

It changed my thinking. It changed how I saw things in my life.

I found myself 'looking' more for the good and wonderful things. I started feeling more grateful for those things and realizing to a greater extent how my Heavenly Father pours buckets of blessings down on me. And even though it was the hardest year of my life, I saw that it was so full of wonderful moments and miracles and tender mercies that I was able to get through the hard parts.

So I've been trying to decide what I want to do for this year. I will still be taking lots of pictures, but I also want to write more, explore my ideas and thoughts more. I've been following several blogs and I noticed there are some great blogs for young moms but not a lot for women in my category. The 'the kids are all gone and now what' stage. So I want to explore some of that.

So there you have it....I'm heading down a new path. One that's going to lead to an extraordinary year. Gotta start running.