I am in Control of My Emotions

            I am appreciative that I FEEL life, and not just the Good Stuff.  I am filled with emotions and I am beginning to appreciate just how wonderful that is.  I spent so long trying to only acknowledge my Happy feelings.  Wow, I completely underestimated the POWER that comes from ALL emotions.

            I am not saying that feeling the “bad” or “depressing” emotions is good.  Honestly last night I lost many hours of sleep lost in my anxiety, but thankfully I am doing better this morning.  What I am saying is that when I have a thought or emotion that I would classify as negative I realize I can work to change it, I can learn from it, and I can grow from it.

            My thoughts and emotions are one of the things in life I Have Complete Control of.  Many times my thoughts and emotions seem out of my control, but I realize that is not true.

            I gain strength, pride, and power when I control my thoughts and emotions.  I even like a good cry every once and a while.  For me it’s like a day of work where I am hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable.  When the day is over I feel empowered to have persevered through something that is technically not “fun” or “happy”.

            A hard day of work is just that, it’s HARD.  That hard day of work can result in an emotional state of gratitude and pride that I couldn’t accomplish without it.  That hard day of work makes my down time that much sweeter.

            My father likes to say people should operate from “love” and an “attitude of gratitude” and I agree with him.  Gratitude leads to an appreciation of what we have in life, good and bad, we can CHOOSE to see our lives for whatever we want.

To The Universe

Love Brandy

I INTEND to have an Awesome 2013!!!!

                Lately I have been contemplating what kinds of experiences I can garner in order to lead a more fulfilling and happy life.  I feel good today, but I KNOW I can FEEL BETTER.  I have been making changes in my life to help me achieve that goal, but maybe I should stop thinking about gaining more happiness as a goal.

A goal implies something that can be reached, a milestone.  Having excessive amounts of happiness in my life is completely attainable, but it’s not specific.   A goal is measurable, I don’t want to start the year off trying to MEASURE my Happiness. 

                I am setting my intentions, not goals.  I intend to experience happiness every day.  I intend to discover more people, places, and experiences which will enrich my life and fill me with happiness.  I intend to release the negative experiences and cultivate the positive experiences in my life.  I intend to grow as a person through evaluation of my thoughts and emotions.  I intend to take ACTION Every Day that will make My Intentions into My Reality.  I intend to be GRATEFUL for my Life, my Freedom, my Experiences, and the LOVE I feel.

                What are your intentions for the New Year?  Are you ready to surrender your old habits in order to garner new experiences?  Are you ready to forgive yourself and others for things you feel may be holding you back from LOVE?  Are you ready and willing to bring EXCITEMENT, GRATITUDE, and LOVE into your life EVERYDAY in the New Year?  Let’s DO IT!!!  Let’s be Happy!!!  Let’s Celebrate!!!

To The Universe

LOVE BRANDY

I Miss Christmas….But CAN’T WAIT for the New Year

                Wow, I can’t believe the year is almost over.  This year has been full of changes, and for the first time in many years the majority of those changes have been All Good.  I am not saying change hasn’t been a struggle, but I feel GOOD.  I am Excited to see what the New Year has, I am not dreading 2013.

                I have been thinking a lot about what I want my life to look like in The New Year.  Every year people talk about resolutions, and what changes they want to make, but all too often we fail to follow through.  I am SO GUILTY of doing this in the Past, but this year I am not making resolutions, I am setting intentions.

                What is the difference between setting an intention and making a resolution?  Resolutions seem more set in stone, I want a plan for my New Year, but I want to be able to adapt as needed.  I want to really look at what I WANT, how I WANT to feel, what will make me happy then go from there.

                I am ready to commit to change and operating from a place in my heart that is filled with LOVE and not FEAR.  I am ready to set my intentions, take steps to make them happen, and adjust them when I feel called to do so.

                I KNOW as I walk my path through the next year I can experience wonderful things, but I am not ready to stop listening for the whispers of “The Universe.”  My intentions are the groundwork for my future, but the future is always changing. 

                What I am sure of is that as long as I listen to my heart, I will grow and be happy.  I am sure that I will have times when I experience negative emotions, but I am also SURE that with the right tools and solid plan of action I can grow and have a GREAT NEW YEAR!!!

To The Universe

Love Brandy

Holiday Traditions in Your Heart…MOVE with You!!!

                Good Morning Christmas.  Oops it’s still a few days before Christmas.  What I meant to say is GOOD MORNING CHRISTMAS COOKIES!!!   My father’s fiancé, her daughter, and our friends started making cookies yesterday.  I was mixing, baking, laughing, and LOVING the experience ALL DAY.

                We made so many cookies, and we aren’t even done yet.  I have one more kind of cookie to bake, though the dough was made yesterday.  Then it’s the MOST IMPORTANT step….DECORATING!!!! 

I think we are planning on giving away a lot of cookies to our friends and family, that’s if I can let go of them.  Just Kidding, if I ate ALL the cookies we baked I would have to be admitted to the hospital in a Sugar Coma. 

                I am so excited.  Making Christmas cookies with the family has been a tradition for me since I was a child.  Though unfortunately my Mother isn’t here with me today, because she is still in Sacramento, her Holiday Spirit is with me.  I LOVE YOU MOM!!!

                One of the greatest moments yesterday was given to me by my future step mother, Susan.  Susan is an AWESOME cook.  She makes wonderful food and many delicious healthy recipes, her kitchen skills are Legendary.  But I found out yesterday she has never really baked Christmas Cookies.  This “of course” we were about to rectify.

                She put on an apron and was READY to GO!!!  She was such a mixing maniac, that she burned up my blender.  Technically it was my blenders fault, it was really inexpensive and I knew it would blow up someday.  But it went out fighting and now I have another GREAT HOLIDAY cookie memory.

                Back to my other favorite moment, besides the blender, It was Susan’s face.  I will always remember when she turned to me while mixing up peanut butter cookies with a Huge Smile on her face and excitement in her voice.  She shared with me that she wasn’t really a “baker” and never baked Christmas Cookies as a holiday tradition, but I could SEE and FEEL something special.  It was AWESOME!!!

                I am blessed to be able to share my Holiday Traditions with my new friends and family.  I am blessed to give and receive LOVE at this wonderful time of year.  I will continue to share the LOVE I have in my heart with others, not just at the holidays, but ALL YEAR ROUND.

To The Universe

LOVE BRANDY

Everyone Needs LOVE!!!!

                Good Morning Universe.  I have been struggling over the past few days with whether or not I should weigh in on the school shooting our country experienced last week. 

                I have been reticent to offer my comments, because everyone is commenting and opinions aren't enough to change things.  Opinions can start a conversation but if we don’t follow through with Action it can be meaningless.

                Our conversations should not start with blame, they should start with HOPE, BELIEF, and LOVE.  Hope is a powerful emotion that can combat grief.  Belief and Love are emotions we would be lost without.

                While politicians argue about Gun Control and where our system failed to prevent this tragedy I think they are missing something.  All regulation and laws they produce are limited by our society.  Criminals don’t care about laws and regulations.  People will always find a way to cause suffering for others, unless we attack the issue at it’s most finite point.  LOVE

                People who are lacking LOVE are in pain.   If we want to stop the violence, we need to Start Spreading LOVE.  It can seem impossible to LOVE others who don’t seem capable of compassion, happiness, forgiveness, and LOVE.  But it’s those people who need us most.

                If each of can reach out to ONE person and show some LOVE.  Can you imagine how quickly that LOVE could spread to everyone in our world.  If we stopped wondering if others deserve the LOVE we can give, then we might realize that LOVE is our powerful weapon to combat sadness, violence, madness, depression and a Host of other NEGATIVITY.

                Tis the season to spread the LOVE.  It can be difficult to give LOVE away, but it will always make you feel better.  It will always make someone else feel better.  LOVE is our most Precious Gift, don’t keep it to yourself.

To The Universe

LOVE BRANDY

Don’t let the Gloom Outside Bring You Down.

                        How many times do people say things like, “I feel down, I think it’s the weather.”  I know that many times “Good Weather” can bring a smile to my face, though I wonder why bad weather often makes people gloomy.

            It has been cold, dark, and cloudy for the past few days .  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Clouds, they are beautiful and can Elevate my mood in wonderful ways.  But I miss the warmth and beauty of Fall.

            I think I am finally able to enjoy the clouds and rain, not because I need it to appreciate the Sun, but because I find beauty in it.  Like the ups and downs of life, the “good” and “bad” weather is beautiful if you are able to view it in the proper context.

            If it never rained, how would we grow food?  If it was always sunny, how could we be witness to the amazing cloud formations that the sky creates?  If it was never “too hot” or “too cold”, how could we appreciate the perfect temperature?

            Just like in nature, it is the opposites of life that make appreciation possible.  I don’t want to live in a perfect world, with perfect people, and perfect weather.  Perfect is nice, but if that’s all there is then boredom would soon set in.

            If people worked as hard to see the positive as they do at dwelling on the negative, then we would have a revolution.  A revolution that could inspire beauty, kindness, greatness, and compassion.

            I want to live in a “perfect” world, but my “perfect” world would be where everyone can see the Bad as just another way to increase their perception of the Good.  We could see that darkness isn’t Bad, it’s just waiting to be LIT UP.

            How can you Light Up your world?  Can you look at life from a different perspective and truly appreciate it?  Can you see the “bad weather” as just another example of the greatness of Mother Nature?

To The Universe

Love Brandy

Spread Love from Your SOUL

                How do you Heal the World?  This question has been on the minds of people throughout history.  This question is important to each and every one of us and the answer is surprisingly simple, LOVE.

                When each of us learns to LOVE ourselves and LOVE others we CAN HEAL THE WORLD.  When each of us learns to operate from a place inside us that is filled with LOVE it will spread like wildfire.

                I think the problem many people have with operating from LOVE is that too often we feel we are lacking love, therefore we don’t have enough to share with others.  That isn’t true.  When we feel like we are in need of more LOVE for ourselves, that is EXACTLY when we should focus on giving More Love To Others.

                The More LOVE you put out into the world, the More LOVE will come back to you.  Even better, when you give your LOVE to others it can help those who are lacking in LOVE to heal.

                If we are going to Heal the World and FILL the World with LOVE we have to begin with ourselves.  If you are unsure how to begin, start with a kind a word for yourself.  Then give a kind a word away to a stranger.

                If you are operating from a place of Love within yourself, you will feel it deep in your soul.  When you feel LOVE in your soul, your light will shine bright.  Be the Light for others, share your Love with others and watch your life and the lives of those around BE WONDEROUS.

To The Universe

LOVE Brandy