Archive for June, 2012

June 27th, 2012

The Surprising Thing That’s Causing You Suffering

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What’s causing you the most suffering in life isn’t the things you don’t have or even not being grateful for the things you do. The reason why most of us endure so much unnecessary pain is that we believe in the picture painted by another artist’s brush. To put it simply, understanding why you’re in grief right now, could be due to these two reasons:

1) You believe that you’re not living the life that you’re supposed to have.

2) You know this because you compare yourself to other people your age and just don’t measure up.

“People suffer when they pursue a life or chase a dream that doesn’t belong to them.” – Carolyn Myss, Anatomy of the Spirit

A lot of times we get caught up in somebody else’s light and in doing so get lost in our own shadows. I think people who read blogs, listen to webinars or read biographies (me included) get swept up in the success of others. We’re drawn to it like a moth is drawn to a flame. At first, we’re attracted because we want so much to be that successful. And hope that by spending as much time with these people, we will catch some of their star power and be like them.

The truth is…

{Read more on my Beliefnet Health blog Happy Haven.}

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June 25th, 2012

Photos from the HGTV Green Home Tour

Yes it’s one of the reasons why we ventured out to Georgia for the first time. And yes I’m not too embarrassed to admit it. But once we got a shot of the 2012 HGTV Green Home’s new home in Serenbe, Georgia, I was determined to get out there just to see the eco-dream home myself.

And it didn’t disappoint. In fact, it was a lot smaller than it looked on TV and more cozier. Perfect for my husband and I. If only…

Anyway, we had to pay $20 bucks to see it in-person, but for you? Free!

{photos by The Inspiring Bee}

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June 20th, 2012

How to Bring Meaning Back Into Your Life

{photo by The Inspiring Bee}

Have you lost that loving feeling for your current job? Has blogging become a monotonous activity? Do you find yourself daydreaming about the other life you didn’t take?

If you said, “Yes,” to the following, there are probably two reasons why you’re going through what you’re going through:

1) You’re ready for change.

2) You’ve lost the purpose of why you’re doing it all in the first place.

The good news is that what you’re going through is normal. It’s just our intuitive voice nudging us in a different direction. It’s saying, “Hey maybe it’s time you refocus your life.” Or, “When was the last time you did something meaningful in your life?”

If you keep going without adhering to that voice, you will seek deeper and deeper into a fit of unhappiness so great that you may even lose yourself.

Wake up now before it’s too late.

How to Bring Meaning Back

1. Revisit your goals. Remember that goal you had in 2011 to take a photography class, give back to your community or learn how to paint? Maybe it’s time you do that. There’s no time like now to begin fulfilling your purpose.

2. Discover what your purpose is. Is it to help others, be more creative, have more meaningful moments in your life? Perhaps along the way you gave up on your dreams. You let life derail you from getting what you want or believing it was possible. You create your life. Find out what you want out of it and just let yourself dream of its possibility. You’ll be amazed and how that tiny shift can ripple into big shifts into and what you think you can do in your life.

3. Surround yourself with people who are living their purpose. There’s nothing that will bring you down more than someone who has become jaded with time. But the same can be said of someone who’s lived their dreams. They’ll inspire you, remind you that with perseverance, determination and courage you can also achieve your goals. They may even give you the push you need to achieve greater meaning in your life.

4. Do less. It may seem crazy that doing less could bring more meaning into your life, but it can. Feeling burnt out and overwhelmed can suck out inspiration and meaning faster than anything else. It can make you forget that life is supposed to be magical and beautiful instead of tedious and predictable. Giving yourself time to explore life, to literally smell the roses, can help you to redefine what’s really important in life. And in doing so, you may begin to incorporate more meaningful activities and less busy ones.

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June 19th, 2012

Being Okay With the Unknown

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I guarantee our ancestors were better at it than we are. They didn’t have smart phones back then, or tablets, or digital notebooks. They looked to the stars for guidance and their hearts for hope. And when it got really bad, they sat on the earth, lifted their palms up to the sky and prayed for guidance.

I wish I had their faith and confidence. (I’m the type of girl who needs to check her iPad for the weather before deciding what to wear in the morning.)

With all our fancy gadgets, you’d think we’d be stronger, more courageous and adventurous. In some ways, yes. But surprisingly, it’s getting good with the not knowing in life that makes us strong.

The Bad Thing About Technology

I think technology has just given us a false sense of control. And we’ve gotten too comfortable in thinking we can know and control everything. So much so that when something hits us (an illness, a death, a loss), when something alters the way we perceived things previously, we’re shaken to our core. And that unsettling experience propels us from the false veil/shield we thought would prevent us from difficulty.

I don’t think we will ever get to a point where we enjoy the hardships, look forward to the pain or feel automatically grateful for it. But I think in learning that none of us really had control to begin with, we can let go just a little bit. We can stretch our arms into the unknown, feel the fear and be in awe of its power. We can remember that our lives are both greater and smaller than we make it. And instead of feeling anxious and overwhelmed by the enormity of that knowledge, we can remember that love, spirituality, hope, and faith always trumps fear…

{Read more on my Happy Haven column for Beliefnet Health.}

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June 18th, 2012

An Inspiring Idea: Kitchen Cupboards

Saw this at an open house in Serenbe and thought: “What a great idea!”

Instead of boring glass or wooden doors, how about exchanging the norm for chicken wire?

It adds country charm and just minimal cleaning needed.

 Also love this one because of its sweet honey bee pattern.

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June 14th, 2012

If You’re Feeling Overwhelmed…

What to do when you're overwhelmed

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Yesterday all was well. But today? Hell broke lose and today’s an all together different story. Suddenly, your work load, your kids, your bank account, your health all need your attention and they need it now!

What seemed easy to put off yesterday, feels like an emergency today. How will you manage the seemingly unmanageable? And as your anxiety holds hands with fear, will you be able to survive whatever it is and make it out okay?

It’s a question that could likely leave most us wishing to be kids again, to want to hide from the responsibility that adulthood brings.

As someone who’s suffered from health issues and constant career fears (I am a writer), I understand the urgency. I know what it’s like to need answers now, to want to wake up from the nightmare that is your current life.

Fortunately there is always another way. I’ve discovered that even in the worst circumstances, light paves the way through the darkest of shadows. We only need to to know where to look to get to it.

Bite-Size Pieces

The majority of the time, we get overwhelmed because we think we need to do it all, and do it all right. It’s only in adulthood where we miraculously believe that because we’re older now, we should be able to tackle each mountain that comes our way. We forget that as children, it took patience, determination and hard work to learn how to roll, crawl and finally walk. Life is still like that. Sometimes we need to take bite-sized pieces and small steps to get what we want. We may not have it all right now. But we will eventually get there, if we give ourselves the time and space to achieve it.

Get Back to the Basics

One of my favorite bloggers is Sarah Wilson, a beautiful Australian media personality who blogs about life, health, travel and more. She wrote once that sometimes when she’s not feeling well, she simply lies down. As in, completely relinquishing to the earth or corpse pose for all you yogis out there. When life hits us hard, there is an automatic reaction in us that says, “Fight harder.” But in reality, the best thing we can do is ride the wave. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, go back to basics. Live simply. Breathe deeply. Work hard against being hard. Like the branches of a tree, be strong in your roots while allowing the wind to move you. You WILL get back on track.

{You can read the rest of this post on my Beliefnet column Happy Haven.}

CategoryBurnout, Dealing with Fear, Inspired Life | Comment1 Comment »

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June 12th, 2012

This Post is Long Over Due: Georgia On My Mind

I’ve been MIA a lot lately. But have been crazy excited to show you all the photos I took (about 2,000 of them just kidding) while we in Georgia. Never knew it was such a mecca for beautiful design and inspiration. It was like a waterfall in a desert, like dry  cracked dirt welcoming the raindrops.

It made me grateful for being alive.

In addition to being embraced by the shade of gorgeous Georgian trees, we saw alligators, and owls and an infamous pug owned by this lady.

I tell you I thought I was dreaming.

We spent a lot of time in Europe never knowing the jewels in our own country.

Instead of tell you, why don’t I just show you?




Photos were taken in the small town of Serenbe. Still have lots more to share from our HGTV home tour visit and more!

CategoryInspired Life, Travel | CommentNo Comments »

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