Embracing Spring’s Renewal 

Hello, beautiful Saturday souls! As we bask in the energy of the first day of Spring and this absolutely fabulous day, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of celebration. It’s not just about the blooming flowers or the warming sun; it’s about embracing the essence of new beginnings and the boundless potential that lies ahead.

Spring arrives, bringing with it a cascade of festivities like Nowruz, Easter and Passover, offering us opportunities to rejoice in the beauty of life, the comfort of hope, and the anticipation of prosperity. These occasions teach us profound lessons in forgiveness and rebirth, reminding us to cherish the love that weaves through and connects our lives.

Today, I find myself immersed in contemplation, welcoming a fresh awareness of my being and a renewed dedication to my craft. What will I do next? Where will my creativity take me this year? How can I give more, love more? I too am embracing forgiveness, faith, hope and love – as these things create the foundation of our humanity and connects us, infusing our lives with beauty.

My wish for each of you is a profound inner awareness, illuminating the magnificent human being that you are. May you find hope that transcends your circumstances, and may you recognize the depth of real love.

While we hustle and go about our busy daily life, I urge you to pause, to breathe, and to revel in the essence of Spring blooming IN and AROUND you. Let go of the past, and allow this present moment to guide you. Open your heart so that your light can shine, and allow your authentic self to ignite the world you live in with joy.

And speaking of sunshine, I couldn’t resist sharing this uplifting song with you all. Let’s groove to the rhythm of “Aquarius – Let the Sunshine In” (1969 style!) as we embrace love and peace in our hearts.

Aquarius _ Let the Sunshine In

Warmest regards ,

…and there she was, Brooklyn Love just strolling down the street, happy and full of joy and carrying a train of pride behind her. You cannot keep love down.
~ Sandy Hibbard

I feel grateful today

As I sit here on this beautiful morning in Salt Lake City, working outdoors, fountains spraying a gentle cooling mist into the air, and nice music playing lightly in the background, I am overwhelmed with gratefulness. I think most of us are pretty lucky; in that we have a roof over our head, a job we love (or at least some income or support), and a beautiful group of people around us who truly care and love us. We are very fortunate to live in a place where there is beauty and convenience all around, I mean just look! Places you can go and sit and work, without being bothered, all the luxuries, and more than we really need.  I have to agree with Michelle Obama who said “America really is the greatest country in the world“.
I just wanted to share a quick note to encourage you today to think on the good in your life. Its an old way of thinking you guys, but one that holds great truth – Count your blessings!
There’s nothing really complicated or super smart about learning to be happy and having soul success – it is simply maintaining and practicing a grateful heart and being centered on good. Strengthen your will to follow your dreams. GIVE more than you take, and BLOOM.

Knowing when to UNPLUG from all this Sh*t

It’s all too easy to get caught up in the media noise and rhetoric that can easily divide and destroy the love between us. Learn when it’s time to SHUT IT OFF. Listen to your thoughts and feel your emotions. When they get to a point of anger and anxiety, it’s time to UNPLUG and focus on the good that is NOW.
Please make it a beautiful day, AND, I want to thank each of you for taking the time to embrace and accept my heart and read my words.
Love and hugs! XOXOX

Hemingway loved them. I have always been repulsed by them. That is until an insistent friend, Philou and his beautiful wife Dominique, properly introduced me in Paris. They took me to a cafe in the St. Germaine area that served the “best oysters in Paris”, they urged me to try them. I thought, “OK I am in Paris, why not?” After holding that ice-cold oyster doused in lemon juice up to my lips and sucking it down, I was hooked. Now I understand the feeling Hemingway was talking about. The sheer joy of daring something new, or partaking in what you love, truly does bring happiness.
Then my dear Melissa introduced me to a little bar in Brooklyn that had an oyster happy-hour. When she invited me, I thought “no way, I can only eat them in Paris”, but I discovered The Colonie’s offering of fresh oysters were as delicious as the ones I had in France. (Unknown to me that Brooklyn has quite a history for being THE place for fresh oysters.) Served by the dozen, these delicious little treats packed a cold zing when topped with their unique vinegar/garlic sauce. Add a bottle of Miraval Rosé Côtes de Provence with your dozen or so, and voila!
There was nothing better than being in the moment with my niece, following her lead, letting her introduce me to something SHE loved. Beautiful. I suppose you could say the same thing about a scoop of gelato or a perfectly grilled juicy piece of steak. However, in my case, there was something exciting about learning to eat oysters (something I had avoided my entire adult life)  and not being afraid of the texture and the taste. It made me feel a little fearless (thank you Hemingway), which did fill me up and make me happy!
 

 
I am talking about taking chances, living outside your current routine, not being so judgmental, opening up to new things, not always having to get your way, and above all, being present in the moment. When we are aware and stretch ourselves to reach beyond our fears, it promises to bring us to a new level of patience, understanding, and satisfaction. But not only that, it also expands our horizons to confidently see what we are made of and what our limitations are. When we boldly go outside our comfort level and beyond our preconceived opinions and experiences, the whole world becomes our oyster! That in and of itself is very satiating.
I am about to embark on a new adventure in my personal life. It’s scary. The task seems daunting and the emotions I am dealing with are pushing all kinds of buttons. Being uncomfortable and choosing to embrace the unknown is requiring me to cowboy up, focus, stand tall and take many deep breaths so I can leap past my insecurities toward unlimited possibilities.
After living in Plano Texas for 23 years, I have decided to pull up stakes and begin a new chapter in my life. I am very grateful that my business is a virtual model, so I can work from anywhere. I am single with no young children, and able to go and explore anywhere I want. The sky is the limit! Yet, it is taking everything within me to make this decision. I believe, I doubt. I trust, I don’t trust. I am confident, I am scared. Nevertheless, deep in my heart I am settled and focused and expecting that life will meet me and the Universe will guide my heart along the way.
Leaving my little nest is a lot more serious than popping salty, cold oysters. I mean wow!  But when I read Hemingway’s quote from A Moveable Feast, it became real to me in my current situation. I connected with him and could imagine him sitting on his beloved fishing boat eating oysters. Even with all of his problems, in a simple act of being present he found solace, he felt the emptiness leave and happiness return. Perhaps it wasn’t just the salty cold essence of the sea that had this effect on him, but also the joy of experiencing something he truly loved.
More to come on this journey…
Love and hugs,

30 Habits To Support Your Life and Happiness

Life has enough obstacles and challenges by itself that we don’t have to make it harder by adding a bad attitude or a stupid decision (ok, I know that SOMETIMES we are going to do that just because we’re human!) BUT, I believe we really can make it easier on ourselves.

We can prepare ourselves for a successful day, a wonderful life, by setting up patterns and habits that support the life we want.

It can be as simple as changing some of the basic decisions we make and actions  we do everyday. Getting out of our own head helps too. Get rid of the drama and strife – in all forms – past and future – and focus on embracing each moment (a lifelong challenge and journey for me indeed!)

I’m sharing 30 suggestions to help you keep the anxiety and complexity OUT and the simplicity and peace IN your life.  Don’t laugh, some of these are simple, but trust me, they carry amazing value!

1. Drink more water
2. Take deeper breaths
3. Respect your feelings, assess what you are truly feeling and why, then respond accordingly
4. Let go of the past
5. Stop spending so much money in hopes that it will bring more happiness
6. Depend upon yourself to discover happiness, not others
7. Move your body – walk, run, take a zumba class – move your most precious gift – a healthy body
8. Involve yourself in relationships that are uplifting, healthy and respectful
9. Stop the competition mindset and instead focus on discovering and embracing YOUR strengths
10. Give yourself at least 30 minutes a day to just be by yourself
11. Care about someone or something (pet, charity, etc) as much as you care about your own life
12. Clean up after yourself  – as you go
13. Never go to bed mad, especially at a loved one
14. Read more
15. Cook more meals at home
16. Let go of jealousy and instead recognize and foster your own gifts
17. Say less, listen more
18. Stop being involved in gossip – whether sharing or receiving
19. Change your oil every 3 months and rotate your tires
20. Keep your standards high instead of lowering them to be accepted
21. Never leave a dirty kitchen, clean it up after each use
22. Tell the truth – good heavens just be honest!
23. Send thank you cards
24. Be true to your word
25. Don’t take things personal, everyone comes from their own perspective, their own dream of their life, it has nothing to do with you
26. Limit your alcohol
27. Let go of perfection, and instead simply DO YOUR BEST
28. Take responsibility for yourself – stop blaming others
29. Don’t assume anything, if you don’t know, ASK!
30. Accept that you will have to work hard to attain what you desire and then get busy

I know there are many other habits that you could come up with that have helped you to overcome and secure more happiness and an inner joy and peace, so why don’t you share them with us!!

How many times have you blurted out something in anger, or frustration only to wish that you had kept your mouth shut and your opinion to yourself?  OMG! It happens to me too frequently, leaving me embarrassed and apologizing or feeling like poo! In this article from Lessons for Living, it teaches the importance on being aware so that you can temper yourself and your reactions by just taking a moment.  Breathe. Hesitate. Stop before you react. Think before you speak.

I hope it speaks to you like it did me.

Love and Peace,
Sandy

Learning to Hesitate

A recent luxury car radio commercial, which boasts of a new and smoother 8 speed automatic transmission, uses the announcers halting voice to effectively demonstrate just how frustrating hesitation can be, especially, when we need to be speeding ahead into traffic.
In daily life, however, learning to hesitate at the right moment may be one of the secrets of becoming a happier person.

A major obstacle to happiness often arises from being too impulsive, as when we rush into inappropriate comments, behaviors, and decisions. Hesitating just a moment before going into action can make a big difference in our lives.

Hesitation gives us time to reflect on what we are about to say or do by tuning in to our inner dialogue and making sure that we are talking sensibly to ourselves. Whenever life pushes our buttons, we go on “automatic” with no hesitation at all, and such habitual responses always begin with a thought. If we catch the thought, we can evaluate its usefulness.

This may be as simple as when in rushing to the office, a traffic light catches you, and leaves you sitting in your car wondering, “Why such bad things always happen to me.” (A good example of a negative automatic thought.) Or, upon finally arriving at work, your boss immediately gives you “another” difficult assignment, and all you can think of is how he always picks on you.

With a little hesitation in either instance you have the opportunity to realize that the traffic light has unexpectedly given you a chance to relax, rejuvenate, and enjoy the music on the radio. Hesitating and re-evaluating, you may also understand how much the boss depends on your ability to always get the job done no matter how tough it is. A moment of hesitation and reflection can enable a new attitudinal choice, which means a different behavior and better mood.

Knowing when to hesitate takes intention, awareness, and effort, however, successful hesitation means that you are no longer on automatic. Learn when to hesitate and see if life begins to go better.

Article from Lessons4Living

“You are responsible for all of your experiences of life.”

Kind of a tricky but true statement isn’t it? The trick is that it does not say “in life” but “of life.” You are not responsible for everything that happens to you, but you are responsible for how you react to what does happen to you – that part is our choice.    The formula then in life is this:  ” life ACTS, and I (we, you) REACT”.  
Our reaction is under our control. In any life situation you are responsible for at least one thing: How you react. You will always be responsible for the attitude towards the situation that you find yourself in. Your attitude is your reaction to what life hands you and it can either be more positive or more negative – it is under your control and can be changed. With the right attitude you can be a resilient person.
Everyday, I try to keep my focus on having the attitude that will bring me success in every way – financially, spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally.  Here is my tip to you on choosing the best attitude:  Choose to have a grateful heart for all that you have and have been given.  Choose to have a strong will, a strong will to live, love, laugh, give, and overcome adversity, no matter what.  Focus on having a grateful heart and a strong will and let it shape a more positive attitude about your experiences OF life.
Love and Peace!
Sandy

Remember how we use to play
play like there was no one looking
our imaginations engaged
our dreams set free
remember how we use to laugh
laugh like we discovered gold
we didn’t care if we disturbed anyone
the game was on to see who could laugh the longest
the loudest
magic shows, secret hideouts, adventures in the park
there was no end to what the mind could conjure up
there was no stopping the heart
Where does that child go
can you bring her wonder back
the part in us that easily believes
we don’t have to stop dreaming
if you play with me we will make a game of getting old
if you laugh with me we will lose complete control
And if you love me, if you choose to be with me
We will adventure like the young and discover the world from our hearts