The Power of Nature!!!

                Good Morning Universe your power and beauty is amazing.  Today I am reminded of the amazing gift of nature and re-birth.  I am not physically outside experiencing the gifts nature gives us, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be constantly in awe and appreciation.

                I am simply inspired, and that inspiration came from something very small and simple, a photograph.  I was looking at different images of nature online and was struck by this image of a volcanic eruption.

                It struck me how violent and scary it must be to witness something like this, but what also struck me was how Amazing it must be to witness the Power of Nature.  The best part about nature is that it’s beauty can come from something large and powerful like a volcano, or something as small as an insect resting on a blade of grass.  AMAZING!!!

                No one will disagree that nature is amazing and beautiful.  No one will disagree that the cycle of nature which includes destruction and rebirth is beautiful, necessary, and reflects Life Itself.  Nature isn’t just plants, animals, landscapes….Nature is Us.

                We are ALL part of the cycle of nature, our bodies, our minds, our lives.  The cycle of death and rebirth, positive and negative, isn’t just nature it’s OUR LIVES.  Next time something bad happens let’s try to remember that after the rain comes the growth.

                Let’s all work on taking the storm of our past, and using it to push our growth in the future.  We are ALL beautiful, not because we are perfect, but because we DIFFERENT.  We are ALL beautiful, not because of what others think, but because we are part of Nature.  RESPECT yourself, RESPECT others, RESPECT Nature, and LOVE YOUR LIFE!!!

To The Universe

LOVE BRANDY

Do You Believe in Yourself?

               Have you every stopped to ask yourself if you believe in your personal potential?  Do you believe in your heart that you can live your dreams?  Even more important, do you believe you deserve to live the life of your dreams?  These questions are very important to ask yourself, and your answers will tell you if you are being guided by the Universe

               The Universe wants us to live a life filled with positivity, but will put up road blocks to ensure you are willing to put in the work.  The Universe isn’t going to give us everything we want unless we are willing to commit and put in the work.  Yes, we deserve happiness, but The Universe knows that people often don’t appreciate or truly enjoy things that come to easily.

               The Universe doesn’t want us to be lazy, because as I’ve said before being lazy and apathetic is not TRULY living.  The Universe doesn’t want us to just exist, it want us to THRIVE.  I simply EXISTED for years before I started on a path to find out what the Universe had for me.

               Most of the mistakes I’ve made in my life, like drugs, jail, dysfunctional relationships (the list goes on) simply because I didn’t want to put in the effort.  I didn’t want to give up what seemed easy to me.  I surrounded myself with people who didn’t treat me the way I wanted to be treated because I didn’t have the courage or self-esteem to go out into the world alone.

              If we settle for circumstances that we believe we have no control over, it’s the first step in setting aside the dreams and desires we have for the future.  If we want to be happy and Live in Love, we must not settle.  We must stop simply Existing and step out in faith.  When we step forward into our future and BELIEVE in it, the Universe will guide us to a life that we could only dream of before.

To The Universe

Love Brandy

Your Mind is Your Power

                Did you know that the most powerful tool for change is our own minds?  There are so many sayings that express our individual power.  A few examples that I like are, “Mind over Matter” and “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder?”  Well I have always believed these to be true.  I have also come to realize that most suffering is in the mind of those who suffer.  Everyone at one time or another has or will experience suffering.

                Knowing that we all suffer and choose what to internalize means is that no one can make us feel a certain way.  People can influence our lives in both negative and positive ways, but WE are the ones who decide what to do with those external influences.

            We are the only people with control over our minds.  Other people can influence us, but in the end we are the creators of our own thoughts.  Our thoughts come from our brains, and our brains can be controlled.  Just like many things control of our minds is never perfect, we are human, and part of a world which contains plenty of imperfection.

            Just because we are the controller of our own minds, thoughts, and emotions doesn’t mean we can always make ourselves stop feeling pain.  What it does mean is that we CAN and should continually work our minds.  We should never stop practicing having control of our thoughts and emotions.

                We also shouldn’t blame ourselves when we can’t ALWAYS be in complete control of our thoughts or emotions.  We just need to be aware of the choices we make so that we don’t hurt ourselves or others with our decisions.  What can you do with the power of Your Mind?  What kind of positive choices can you make today? 

To The Universe

Love Brandy

Leaving it up to "The Universe”

                Do you know how to “Leave It Up To The Universe?”  I didn’t know how to believe.  I was sure I had to have a perfect plan mapped out to achieve everything I was asking of the Universe.  It seems that’s what we are supposed to do. Otherwise how can we be working towards what we want if we’re just Waiting Around For It.  Well there is a distinction to be had between having a plan, which is important, and being able to bend “your plan” when The Universe speaks to you.

            A plan is just that, “A Plan” and plans just like our minds, are made to change and to alter when needed.  Think of it like this, when constructing a building the first step is to have an architect draw plans.  It is necessary to have these plans as a basis for the building, but that doesn’t mean the plans may not have to be altered. 

                They may have to be altered because the building needs different structural support depending on landscape and ground conditions.  This does not mean that the house will look different when it’s finished, it only means adjustments need to be made for the environment.  This is the same thing as planning your life and asking for what you want, but being able to listen to the Universe and make when adjustments when necessary.  It’s that simple.

            You have to believe in every fiber of your being that what you want and ask of the Universe will come to you, though you have to listen for the guidance of the Universe along the way.  You are the Architect and The Universe if you are paying attention and working with it, will the construct your life based on your desires and designs.  It requires faith in yourself, the Universe, and little bit of flexibility when necessary. 

                Never give up, if you fall you must try to get up and the Universe will be there to give you a hand.  If you fall and never try to get up, that’s where you’ll stay because the Universe can’t do all the work for you.  Every step forward is a step towards happiness and every fall is a learning lesson.

To The Universe

Love Brandy

Connect with Your Spiritual Self

"It's not the idea of a particular religion that's important; it's the development of a spiritual life.  Because spirituality creates well-being, health, and happiness."  Goldie Hawn

                Spirituality is a very broad word, or at least that’s what I used to think.  I used to believe that to be spiritual you had to be religious.  I used to believe that in order to be spiritual you had to believe in God or attach yourself to a specific religion.

                I am not writing today to speak about religion or God.  I am writing about spirituality, but the spirituality I speak about is what is inside each and every one of us.  It doesn’t matter if you are religious, if you believe God, or if you are an atheist.  We are ALL spiritual in one way or another.

                The dictionary defines the word spiritual as relating to one’s spirit, relating to religion or one’s religious beliefs, and having similar values or beliefs.  What I noticed most about these definitions is that they all revolve around the individual.  It’s the individual who chooses how their beliefs will form into their spiritual nature.

                Even people who may not be conscious of their spiritual beliefs are practicing all the time.  Your spirituality comes from within, it’s part of your subconscious, it’s part of your emotions, your decisions, your beliefs, and your actions.

                When each of us works to connect with our spiritual side, we are really connecting with ourselves.  When we connect with ourselves we can understand our thoughts, emotions, and actions on a deeper level.  When understand our “inner self” and our “spirituality” we can grow and love in ways we never knew were possible.  Feed your Spirit with Love and it will Nourish You!!!

To The Universe

Love Brandy

Balance the Responsibility with the FUN!!!

                Good Morning Universe.  This morning I have been considering the importance of BALANCE.  More specifically the balance between the responsibilities we have as productive adults and the side of each and every one of us that Just Wants To Have Fun!!!

                A healthy and happy life is all about balance.  We should be eating a balanced diet to keep our bodies healthy.  But occasionally we just want to eat the “bad for you” stuff, like cookies, chips or whatever your indulgence is.  We shouldn’t deny ourselves the indulgent foods, we just need to remember balance.

                We should be going to work, earning a living, and working to achieve and retain our financial stability.  But many people just want to have fun.  I understand the desire to just enjoy yourself and forget about whatever responsibilities we have, but forgetting doesn’t make things go away.  We should experience as much carefree fun as we can, but not at the expense of our day to day responsibilities.

                Every day we choose to wake up and most people take care of the responsibilities of life like work, kids, bills etc.  Once we have a decent grasp on our responsibilities it is important to have fun.  As we walk through life sometimes we have more responsibilities and less time and money for fun.  Other times in life we will have less responsibilities and more time and money for fun.  Either way it is a balance, and you can balance anything in your life as long as you strive for it.

                Don’t forget your responsibilities in place of fun, and don’t let your responsibilities overwhelm you so much that you forget to have some fun in your life.  Work every day to balance your life, and you will be much happier and more secure.

To The Universe
Love Brandy

Pull Yourself out of The Rut!!!

            I have been in a creative rut for days, or at least that’s how I saw it.  Though, if I look more closely at the situation I am able to see it differently.  Last week I started a new job, it’s a marketing job and it’s very difficult for me.  It’s new to me and this change had caused me to be happy but extremely preoccupied.  Thankfully today I am starting to feel better, but I am nervous that I may lose these positive feelings if I am not careful. 

                I look back and realize I can view my creative rut as a Circumstance or a Reaction.  If I sat here today and let my thoughts turn negative or see my lack of creativity as failure then that is a reaction, and an unproductive one at that.  That type of reaction will not help me get back on track.  That type of reaction will only cause me to extend my current situation.

               I can choose to see my lack of creativity as a Circumstance that simply resulted from a significant change and therefore is completely normal and expected.  Well that thought is what has helped me get back to Belief.  Belief that I would get back on track with my writing.

            Now look at me, I’m writing.  Some people will like what I have to say and some people won’t, but I feel good to be doing it again.  Those good feelings are going out into The Universe and I know they will come back to me.  I know that my positive thoughts and feelings will bring more Positivity back into my life.  It’s like KNOWING the check is in the mail and it will be awesome.

                I feel like I already have the things I want and it’s THOSE FEELINGS that make life worth living.  It’s not the things you have that bring you happiness, but how you FEEL about the things you have.   How can you feel good about what you have today, no matter how small?

To The Universe

Love Brandy