How Bad Do You Want It

So....here we are.....the last day of the year.  Were you able to achieve the goals that you set for 2014? Anything leftover.....left out.....unfinished.....never started?

If you have a list and few things have been checked off as 'completed'....well, perhaps you simply didn't want it bad enough.  We kid ourselves year after year...making resolutions...promising to start the business, lose the weight....be more forgiving, etc., blah, blah, blah and we come up short at the end of the year.

The question should be: Do I Want THIS (whatever that is) Bad Enough? If not.....quit kidding yourself.  You will only put into ACTION what you BELIEVE you are truly capable of doing....all of the dream-stuff/wish-list crap is just that......dreams.  The actual "doing" is the proof of your belief.

So....here we are....the last day of the year.....What are you truly willing to give up to get what you want in the coming new year?  Don't do it for the wrong reason or it will never get done.  Be on Purpose about your goals....write them down ...have a concise plan for execution.  Don't just wish it....Envision it and get in motion, bringing it to fruition.

The question:  How Bad Do You Want It? Prove it to Yourself......

Happy New Year!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

 Christmas Tree at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. 

Be Still and Listen

When all the world is swirling you into confusion and you can't recall which way to turn, you must quiet yourself and listen for your next move.  Trust that intuition/spirit will guide you purposely into divine peace and direction.

Recall the vision that was revealed when you first decided to  start the business, write the book, lose the weight/exercise/change your diet/quit smoking, ....it's still there, planted inside....just tossed into confusion with other distractions.

Never doubt your 'first mind' - Never second-guess the answer that rings clearly with peace attached.
Be Still and Listen....Just Listen and get back in gear.  Finish the year strong......Be Still and Listen.  

Release the weight of excess

The holiday season is once again upon us and everyone is gearing up for being stressed out trying to either people-please with gift-giving of items that you can't afford, so that you start your new year off in debt or you're trying to press yourself at the eleventh hour to wrap up goals that you've slouched on all year long.  Choose instead, to focus on resolving some of the issues of the past year that kept you awake at night and uneasy throughout the day.

If you've identified a problem...don't continue plugging efforts into focusing on the problem...You should now focus your efforts on the solution.  If there is an answer to a question...answer it....if there is a solution to a problem or dilemma in your life....resolve to bring closure to it and rest easy going into the holiday season and especially the new year ahead.

Don't put things off.  If you have a clutter of email, spam, etc., don't go past it....touch it...scan it and "Delete It"...... Get rid of garbage as it piles up or it will stink.  Let your daily goal be that of reducing the weight of each day before you sleep.  Reduce the weight of excess each day before you sleep. Lighten the load of the day before you sleep.  Release the burdens of the past...of the day...before you sleep.

Start each sunrise fresh.....with a clean canvass.  Focus on the solution for each and every problem/dilemma once identified, and live your life with the freedom to expand your horizons.

An offering of Thanksgiving...

May we find each day to be a day of Thanksgiving.....moments where we find time to reflect on the goodness of provision, in whatever form, through whatever means.  May we indulge our lives in the spirit of giving to those who find their days are without the necessities of life and may we take the time to offer a word of hope....encouragement....kindness to those whom we meet on our journey.

May we always remind those whom we love that we recognize them....that they are important and loved.

May we never miss an opportunity to Give Thanks daily and to share with others and simply be Love in Action!

Start anew with each sunrise

View each sunrise as a fresh slate....a brand new beginning....a second chance.  Forget about yesterday's troubles....lay those burdens down and the weight that it carried when you rested your body last night.

Plant new seeds with each new sunrise.  Nurture each new thought and idea that springs forth as you meditate upon the beginning of a new set of 24 hour moments.

Forget about blaming any circumstance or any other person for what may have perceivably gone 'wrong' a few minutes ago, a few days ago....several years ago.  Turn the page.....breathe deeply and treat it as new, fresh, crisp......clean.  Begin again....Start something new.....Set the world on fire again....with each sunrise!

Happy Veterans Day

...Honoring America's Veterans for their patriotism, love of country & willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good....Happy Veterans Day!

Not until you're satisfied

 

...Taking the ups with the downs....finding ways of turning things around...the good with the bad....the wins with the losses.....Making the day count - despite the - Setbacks....Setups and disappointments.  Find a way to make it work.....a different way to achieve the outcome.....Invent an alternative....create more options.....but whatever you do....Don't give up....Until you're satisfied....there's always another way of doing things!

Allow the gifts to emerge

There are gifts, talents, dreams and abilities that are lying dormant inside of you.  Now is a good time to purposely dust them off and activate what needs to emerge.

As long as you have breath, it's never too late. Everything that you dreamed about, set aside, placed a "to be continued" sign on...Call it forth today, add enthusiasm to the mix and believe that it can be accomplished.

Don't sit around hoping, dreaming, wishing and just praying about it.  You have the ultimate responsibility of putting those ideas into motion.  YOU must activate the plan...you must "bust" a move.....It takes plain old work....motion....So do something!

Take a chance on you and believe that the world is actually awaiting what you've tucked away.....We want the offering of your life through your gifts, talents and abilities.  Activate....dust it off....Bring forth your greatness!

Think Pink - October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Think Pink - What are the key statistics about breast cancer:

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, except for skin cancers. About 1 in 8 (12%) women in the US will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime.

The American Cancer Society's estimates for breast cancer in the United States for 2014 are:

About 232,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women.
About 62,570 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS) will be diagnosed (CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer).
About 40,000 women will die from breast cancer
After increasing for more than 2 decades, female breast cancer incidence rates began decreasing in 2000, then dropped by about 7% from 2002 to 2003. This large decrease was thought to be due to the decline in use of hormone therapy after menopause that occurred after the results of the Women's Health Initiative were published in 2002. This study linked the use of hormone therapy to an increased risk of breast cancer and heart diseases. Incidence rates have been stable in recent years.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer. The chance that breast cancer will be responsible for a woman's death is about 1 in 36 (about 3%). Death rates from breast cancer have been declining since about 1989, with larger decreases in women younger than 50. These decreases are believed to be the result of earlier detection through screening and increased awareness, as well as improved treatment.

At this time there are more than 2.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. Read more facts, figures, survival rates and other statistics here:

Last Medical Review: 09/25/2014

Last Revised: 09/25/2014

For Additional information on detection, visit here 

Bring about change

She looked around as she danced
and remembered
How yesterday passed so
quickly, so quietly
without much disturbance
without much pain
without much occasion
without much change

She looked around as she danced
and noticed
How today passes so
quickly, so quietly
without much disturbance
without much pain
without much occasion
without much change



So she decided to
create new memories
Shake things up a bit
Disturb the peace
Feel the pain
Attend the occasions
That bring about change.
© 2014 Brenda Gale

Trust Your Soul

There is a still small voice inside that steers you in the best directions for your life.  Don't second guess where you're headed, but be sure to listen for divine guidance.  Quiet yourself and listen for instructions....for guidance....for inspiration.....for advice.  Trust your intuition.....Trust Your Soul.

Never Forget

Never Forget.....Reflecting on the horrendous tragedy of this day, 13 years ago.....Remembering the heroes ... those who lost their lives and keeping in thought those affected by the loss of their dear loved ones.....Never Forget! #911Anniversary

Keep it Simple

Why do we insist on complicating things? Why must we complain about things that are already so beautiful.....so magnificent....so easy.....so Simple?

We add to life's misery.  All that is needed for our enjoyment has already been provided, however, because we've become so arrogant with our enhancements of everything, including nature, that we simply are no longer satisfied with the beautiful gifts that life presents to us with each sunrise.

Let's sit back, observe, breathe and delight in our surroundings for a change.  Let's practice gratitude....deep appreciation....love for the Simple Things......Let's Live with the attitude of: Simple is Just Fine with me.  Keep it light....Keep it Simple....Keep it Right.  Don't mess up a good thing by trying to make it more than it clearly is.....If you see it simply, receive it simply.

Keep it Moving....One Way or Another

Are you the person who figures it out? Are you the person who has decided that one way or another, I will make this work.....I will get this project off the ground, I will save this marriage (if it's still healthy enough to be salvaged), I will raise these kids alone, I will go back to school, I will lose this weight, I will unload that grudge, I will start that business.....Is this You?

You must never see a Stop Sign and view it as a permanent  display to become paralyzed, especially when you're already in motion...on your way somewhere....on a mission.  A stop sign is oftentimes a pause for you to simply re-calibrate, adjust your sails, revamp a formula and Keep it Moving.  Never Just Give up, give in or Stop. Sometimes, there is 'One Way' to achieve a goal, but most times there are alternative routes to come to the same conclusion and a variety of creative ways to make it happen.

Be Creative and resourceful when it comes to living out the full potential of the glory that's been placed inside of you.  Make up your mind that: One Way or Another, I will achieve what I set out to accomplish....either this way or that, but I refuse to Give up.....I will Not Stop....I will Keep It Moving!

Keep it Moving....Whistle while you work....Gain the experience from any blunders on the way....But....Whatever you do......Decide: "One Way or Another"....... I'm on my way there!

Too Much....

Sometimes you feel
Too much
Hear
Too much
Want
Too much
from this world

Sometimes more than enough
Is Felt
More than is listened to
Is Heard
More than is wanted
Is Received
from this world

Sometimes Enough
becomes too much
for some.....
Too much is
Far too much
For Some....
and they break,
they shatter,
they burst...they dream
they sleep.....
© 2014 Brenda Gale

Peaceful Rest Robin Williams.....

May he find the peace that his soul so desperately needed in eternity that he could not find here......

Beloved actor Robin Williams was found dead on Monday, police reported.
He was 63.

The apparent cause of death was suicide by asphyxiation, authorities said. Accordingto his publicist, Williams had been battling severe depression and spent time in rehab as recently as July.

Police said that Williams was found unconscious around noon in his home in Tiburon, California, near San Francisco.    Read the full update >here

Keep Rising....

Don't allow anyone to steal your joy, deter your purpose, nor kill your spirit. Continue rising to new heights and flourish in all the potential that has been entrusted with you. You are equipped to do and be all that your heart beckons you into.  If you stumble, catch your balance and keep moving ahead.  If you fall, get up and press on.  

...."Just like moons and like suns

With the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high, 

Still I'll Rise." - Maya Angelou

Here's to Life.....Live it Out Loud

Keep chasing dreams and placing bets and remember that: All You Give is All You Get, so Give it All You've Got!

You're called to Live your own life

You don't need to continue living the script of a life that someone else has written for you.
You must stop turning right when your soul's wind is blowing you in the direction of left.
Stop humming when you really want to sing.  If you've learned to lead after following for so long...stop following and now lead.  Speak up...Speak Out....Shine Baby Shine....Let your Life Shine.  Live YOUR life....not the one that's been planned out neatly for you.  The script does not fit your soul's yearning....Follow the direction of your blood beat.....Be accountable to the Life that you were called to live.

“You have to go the way your blood beats. If you don't live the only life you have, you won't live some other life, you won't live any life at all." - James Baldwin 

Remembering Nelson Mandela on his 96th Birthday (7/18/18 -12/5/13)

What's Next...

The bad, or 'not so good' day isn't the day that defines your life.  There is always tomorrow and always a chance to go for the gold again!  There will be another book to write, another song to sing, another competitive sport to engage in.....another relationship to experience.

Oftentimes, people will become paralyzed in their latest disappointment, not realizing that it will pass and they will soon forget the experience, once it has been replaced by a new endeavor.  Don't stay stuck in a life experience that adds no value to living today.  Constantly reach for more chances and look forward to new sunrises.  Whatever happened that wasn't in your opinion 'a success' was an experience that you can glean from.

Pick yourself up, brush yourself off and continue living.  Gather the lessons from the experience and smile, knowing that you still have life within you and Give it another try.....Start your next new venture...Stay Positive......Your Best Days are Ahead...You Got This!

Be About It.....Learn By Doing

Get in Motion......Do the thing to learn the thing.  Don't depend on the theory of a skill.....Become a part of the process .....Get in Motion....Lean In....Be Active.  Learn By Doing....Be About It!

Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Historic signing of the Civil Rights Act: July 2, 1964

This Day In History: Johnson signs the Historic Civil Rights Act- July 2, 1964 (50 years ago today) -- On this day in 1964, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs into law the historic Civil Rights Act in a nationally televised ceremony at the White House.

In the landmark 1954 case Brown v. Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional. The 10 years that followed saw great strides for the African-American civil rights movement, as non-violent demonstrations won thousands of supporters to the cause. Memorable landmarks in the struggle included the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955--sparked by the refusal of Alabama resident Rosa Parks to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger--and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I Have A Dream" speech at a rally of hundreds of thousands in Washington, D.C., in 1963.

As the strength of the civil rights movement grew, John F. Kennedy made passage of a new civil rights bill one of the platforms of his successful 1960 presidential campaign. As Kennedy's vice president, Johnson served as chairman of the President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunities. After Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963, Johnson vowed to carry out his proposals for civil rights reform.

The Civil Rights Act fought tough opposition in the House and a lengthy, heated debate in the Senate before being approved in July 1964. For the signing of the historic legislation, Johnson invited hundreds of guests to a televised ceremony in the White House's East Room. After using more than 75 pens to sign the bill, he gave them away as mementos of the historic occasion, according to tradition. One of the first pens went to King, leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), who called it one of his most cherished possessions. Johnson gave two more to Senators Hubert Humphrey and Everett McKinley Dirksen, the Democratic and Republican managers of the bill in the Senate.

The most sweeping civil rights legislation passed by Congress since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, the Civil Rights Act prohibited racial discrimination in employment and education and outlawed racial segregation in public places such as schools, buses, parks and swimming pools. In addition, the bill laid important groundwork for a number of other pieces of legislation--including the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which set strict rules for protecting the right of African Americans to vote--that have since been used to enforce equal rights for women as well as all minorities. 

Enthusiasm is the key

Keep your enthusiasm alive, even when the manifestation of your vision is moving slower than you anticipated. Never lose your enthusiasm....keep plugging away....Remain enthusiastic about Life and your Dreams! Just because someone else didn't get it done, doesn't mean you can't be creative and take a different approach and make great things happen! Never Give Up! Don't aim too low.....Stretch Yourself.......Believe that you have what's needed to make the difference. 

"Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it, nothing great was ever achieved." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quit Making Excuses

Everyone has the same amount of time. The only difference is what you're willing to do with your time. If you were trapped underground and only had 24 hours worth of oxygen you wouldn't check your Twitter feed or chat with friends or spend a little "me time" in front of the TV. You'd dig and dig and dig. Apply the same level of importance and urgency to what you want to accomplish and your schedule will instantly clear, because finding time is always a matter of how badly you want something.  It's possible that one of your excuses for not starting your own business is that you don't have enough time.  Check out 15 terrible excuses (article from Inc.com) that just might strike a nerve and ring a bell with you as Jeff Haden highlights some of the common excuses/rationalizations you might be convincing yourself of.  Take a look here

Legendary actress and civil rights activist, Ruby Dee, dies at age 91

 Rest in Peace.....Ruby Dee, an acclaimed actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist and civil rights activist, whose versatile career spanned stage, radio television and film, has died at age 91, according to her daughter.

Nora Davis Day told The Associated Press on Thursday that her mother died at home in New Rochelle on Wednesday night of "natural causes."
Read story > here

Sing Your Song...Live Out Loud

" A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song." - Maya Angelou

Remembering Dr. Maya Angelou - What a beautiful tribute to an authentic, well-lived soul,  whose spirit will live on forever with those who knew and loved her and who were ever touched or influenced by her great gifts to this world. Her words of wisdom are forever sketched on my heart....readily accessible Mother-wit!  #RIP #MayaAngelouMemorial

Find that place of unspeakable Joy and stay there....rest there for awhile and then get up and share, teach, reach and Love! There are gifts and lessons of love within you, that are entrusted to you, not necessarily for you, but for you to share with the world.  Trust yourself enough to believe that no mistakes have been made with what you have been created to give.  Live your life out loud for others....You never know when your light is leading someone home....Shine! -bg

 

Be Fruitful and Multiply

Remain Active.....Stay Sharp...Improvise....Brainstorm....Welcome new ideas.  Never become idle....Keep sharing and the ideas will just keep on coming.....Innovate! 

Release Me

Your gifts cry out
and scream "Release Me..
I want to be shared,
I want to be free,
not left in this prison
of fear within thee."


Your dreams, they lie dormant
won't glimpse the daylight
won't breathe fresh air
won't rest until night


Tucked in and settled
for less than you are
Not striving, just doubtful
Not living by far

Your gifts cry out
and scream "Release Me..
I want to be free,
not left in this prison
of fear within thee."

Release Me and Live
Share Me and Give
Celebrate and Thrive
Release Me....
© 2014 Brenda Gale

There's no value in complaining....

Maya Angelou, celebrated poet and author, dies

Peaceful rest .... beautiful, sweet spirit - I was in prayer for her over the weekend when I heard that she was cancelling events due to illness.....I'm heartbroken.....R.I.P. Dr. Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Ann Johnson) 

 Award-Winning Literary Icon, poet, activist, artist, actor, author and humanitarian, Maya Angelou has passed away. She was 86 years-old. She was set to be honored with the “Beacon of Life Award” at the 2014 MLB Beacon Award Luncheon on May 30th in Houston. She has received over 50 honorary degrees and was Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University.

My deepest, heartfelt condolences to her Family and ALL who knew and Loved Her......Her legacy, spirit and profound works will last forever! - A great influence....A powerhouse....I'm grateful that she shared her life with us all!
- I love the way she writes / the manner in which she delivers her gifts / teachings....(I'm currently reading "Mom & Me & Mom" a gift from my son.) 

Repost of her last tweet 5 days ago: 1:43 PM - 23 May 2014 - @DrMayaAngelou:
"Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God."

ABC news article > here 
Read more about her life >  here
To read the AP article, go > here

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
 
A free bird leaps on the back of the wind
and floats downstream till the current ends
and dips his wing in the orange suns rays and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage
can seldom see through his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom. 
- Maya Angelou
#RIP

Show up for Life

Everything that we're doing "on purpose" comes from a place of summoning.
Tuning in to your spirit allows you to hear Life.  You're able to surrender to the fullness of the beauty of the universe and you're open to receiving every moment that the present brings.

Showing up each and every single day allows you to experience something new, different and exciting. Each experience might not bring joy or smiles, but it allows for a daily experience and an exercise in living.

Each experience that we have on this journey gives us more to think about, to share and most importantly, if we're truly paying attention....we're inspired to become more of who we are....to evolve to a higher level of surrender....acceptance....Love!

Show up for life each day....Remain flexible, open and obedient to your Spirit. Receive the Inspiration for your greatest works!

Light the world with your Hope

Let your light shine
Let your soul flow freely
Live inside the hope of all
that you are dreaming of.

Live with Hope
Live with dreams
Live filled with Light
Light the world
with the Hope
that you bring! © 2014 BrendaGale

Dwelling with nature

....Sitting in my backyard, embraced by the beauty of nature's parade.  Find time each day to stop, breathe and pay attention to the natural beauty that surrounds you!

Reality as Truth

Reality as Truth
Reducing the imagination to
Reality.....
Helping me to imagine
and change  more of
what is my Truth.

Reality as Truth
holding me accountable
for acceptance of what is
Reality.....holding me
Accountable for changing my Reality...
Helping me live through
what is now the Truth.

Truth is Real
Reality is Truth
Reducing the imagination to
dwell in enhanced possibilities
of what can be changed...increasing more
of my truth, the reality of
what will be....Accepting
Reality....Changed Reality as Truth!
© 2014 Brenda Gale

Spring is in the air

Yes, Springtime.....Freshness....Newness....In the Air.....Grab it, hold on to it.....Dance and begin anew.  Let the season press you to new heights....toss out anything that hinders you or holds you back.  Remove it from your life and Live out Loud...Flourish!

Spring is in the air and certainly visible in my backyard!  I love this time of year.....everything is in bloom, the colors are popping, the birds are chirping and yes, the old cliche' and all seems right with the world (minus the pollen...yuck) - It's a great time for cleaning, balancing, restoring and simply following where the beauty of your heart and nature takes you.

The Moment

Be in the present moment of this day....every second, every minute, every hour. Don't get caught up in the past (it's a done deal).....don't fret about the future.... Live in 'This Moment' because it's what's real! Take full advantage of the NOW - Live  in 'The Moment'...Stay present in 'The Moment'

April: Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM)

April: Jazz Appreciation Month - Live It, Learn It, Love It, Support It! Every April, Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) highlights the glories of jazz as both a historical and a living treasure. Here is one special month to draw greater public attention to the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz and its importance to American culture. Musicians, concert halls, schools, colleges, museums, libraries and public broadcasters are encouraged to offer special programs during this month.

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History (which operates the world’s most comprehensive set of jazz programs) leads this initiative in concert with a distinguished roster of federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations and broadcasting networks.

The story of America is embedded in the spirit and rhythms of jazz; captured in beats that have traveled through the African Diaspora and a spirit of freedom that has impassioned slave and free born, immigrant and migrant since America’s founding.

- See more at: http://americanjazzmuseum.org/event/jazz-appreciation-month-jam-2014/#sthash.xU97c2sW.dpuf

Better is the difference...

Are you distinguishable from the competition? Have you branded yourself to be better or different? Have you set yourself apart from the crowd, from the cookie-cutter scene? Are you providing a product or service that others can distinctly identify as YOU? Is your footprint, modus operandi, your soul written, spoken, heard when the brand shows up?

If you're simply adding a new color or flavor....that doesn't necessarily make you/it different.....However, if you tweak it to the point, where the added difference has genuinely made the product/service 'Better'.....well, now we're talking.

Strive to Be Better....Do Better....Want Better. Don't resolve to simply be different.....allow the objective to be Different in order to Be Better! ..... Better is the difference!

The renowned designer Dieter Rams said: "Things which are different in order simply to be different are seldom better, but that which is made to be better is almost always different."

"The man with insight enough to admit his limitations comes nearest to perfection." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The Best Is Yet To Come

Your next move....the next big idea....the second chance....that light-bulb moment in the shower...It could happen and it could happen to YOU!

Never say never and never give up.....Keep pressing....whatever the situation is today can change in a moment.  If things aren't panning out as you planned, continue on the journey....make the needed adjustments and keep putting one foot in front of the other.  There are lessons in the trials....learn the lessons, because they are needed.

Just as consistent exercise gives strength, tone and endurance to the body, so does the trials that life brings.  It instills a capacity of resilience....a familiar strength that reminds you that the sun will continue to rise and fall and with each new day comes grand opportunities for us to 'choose' to stand tall and press our way through to our calling.

Never Give up....never give in....the tough days are behind you and you have gained new insight into adapting to change and you're more resilient than you were before you started, so....lace up...keep a good attitude....You ain't seen nothin' yet....The Best Is Yet To Come!

Happy Spring!

Yes....I'm skipping, whistling, singing and dancing....Spring has finally arrived! I'm sure most of you who have endured one of the worst seasons of winter are happy for the 'official' arrival of spring, although, this doesn't mean the effects of cold winter and continued effects of the winter season aren't still hanging around aggravating the heck out of some of us.

The sun is actually shining on the Southeastern coast and buds are on the trees, along with the aggravation of the pollen that arrives with it. I won't complain because I'm just happy that the atmosphere has physically changed/is changing.

Now is a great time to make some shifts/changes in your life that you've placed on hold. It's like putting away the winter clothing and spreading your wings for something lighter. Pull out that pad and wads of paper that you jotted down all those great ideas on during those dreary dark hours of frustration and cabin fever....Now is a great time to refresh the ideas, retool the invention, re-calibrate what you had in motion 'once upon a time.' Get the ball rolling again.....

It's the season of all things blooming.....Make sure you're in the mix....Plant seeds of success and nourish the dreams..../keep watch and prune often when adjustments should be made...Sow and watch for the harvest to spring forth in abundance. Happy Spring!

There is always a way.....

Erase the thoughts of impossibility, lack, can't and never from your life...from your vocabulary. There is always a way. Your course may not follow the pattern that others have used to achieve a similar accomplishment, but when you want something bad enough, you become the Innovator and you FIND a way....You MAKE a way....you BLAZE a trail. There is always a way: Figure it out and have fun on the journey of discovery! (No time to give up or give in...)  You have what it takes.....Become aware of your own greatness within....and Start believing in YOU!

Press Play Again...

No doubt, at some point in life, a few of you may have hit the 'pause' button on living and somewhere in the hustle and bustle of the ordinary, mundane, auto-pilot of daily activities, you failed to hit 'Play' again. Sure, there might have been something that called for you to take a sabbatical, regroup, get it together....whatever the cause for the pause, you became comfortable in the complacency of not having to confront the real business of living and you never got back in the game again.

For many, daylight savings time kicked in over the weekend and this usually signals an emerging season. Spring.....Yes, this is when everything starts to bloom again...the days are longer and brighter and you feel that you can get out, spread your wings....Begin Again.

Now is the perfect time to shake off the doldrums....Recall that you deserved the downtime, for whatever reason you needed it, but you absolutely must begin again....You must get right on back to living again.....the pause button is stuck....on nothing.....nothing happens until you Press PLAY again. Pause time is over.....Start anew....Get Back in the Game.....Press Play Again...a new season....new life begins....when you Begin!

Your Dreams are Valid......

"When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child, that no matter where you're from, your dreams are valid." - Lupita Nyong'o (Oscar winner, Best Supporting Actress- '12 Years a Slave')

“12 Years A Slave” won best picture at the 86th Academy Awards on Sunday night, a poignant victory for the harrowing look at slavery in the United States.

“Everyone deserves not just to survive but to live,” said British filmmaker Steve McQueen. “I dedicate this award to all the people who have endured slavery and to those who still suffer in slavery today." Besides best picture, the film received Oscars for John Ridley for adapted screenplay and newcomer Lupita Nyong’o for supporting actress.

Gather sweet memories

With the hole that's left when a life
suddenly flies away
Memories shall remain of the
life that takes flight

Gather moments to recall
Enjoy times that will soon
become thoughts of
yesterday, of yesteryear

The holes will be left to fill
with sweet times, good times
memories of love, laughter,
the best of times and the
worst of times.

Gather moments to recall
Enjoy times that will soon
become thoughts of
yesterday...of yesteryear

When that life takes flight
When that soul soars on
When only memories will
sustain you....Gather now.
© 2014 Brenda Gale