Guess what? I just turned 100!

Just kidding.

But I have written 100 blog posts since beginning my blogging journey. It all started back in January with a restless yearning, something in me seeking expression, which became my blogging commitment and hence my contract with Spirit, my commitment to the Divine partnership of co-creation.

And so I set off on my blogging journey, and soon into the trail I realized I was weighted down, my pack back was just way too heavy.  I got to chuck out a bunch of stuff I hadn’t even realized I was carrying around: Perfectionism, Procrastination, Judgment, Worry….. ever run into those?

Whew, that felt better! But you know what? They were back again the very next morning! Hence the humbling realization that these mindsets require daily vigilance lest they creep back in. This sparked my re-commitment to my daily meditation practice. I find that it really is the pause that refreshes, the space that allows something Beyond to find its way into my consciousness, the opening for Spirit to make Itself known in my life.

Along the trail, I got to learn a lot about the fear of failure, and how tempting it can be to use it as an excuse not to go forward. I also learned that those gremlin voices in my head (perfectionism, procrastination, judgment and worry) are probably never going to go away for good. The trick is to just know that, accept it, acknowledge their presence, and carry on anyway.

Looking back over these 100 posts I realize I’ve covered a lot of ground. Ups and downs, twists and turns, epiphanies and insights, explorations into productivity, parenting your elderly parent, what it means to be a spiritual being on a human journey, the daily ins and outs of our lives…

The best parts?  The strength and self confidence that comes from staying true to my commitment. Choosing to get back on the trail when I slip. Realizing I am surrounded by a loving community of readers who are journeying with me. Feeling my connection with all of you, dear readers. So thank you, thank you for being a part of my journey, thank you for hanging in there with me, thank you for your comments and likes and shares.

Can’t wait to see where we go from here!  Ready for the next 100?

What does it mean to me to live well?

What a wonderful question. To me, to live well means to live in alignment with my deepest knowing, truth, values, Self. To be true to myself, to my highest aspirations and deepest longings. To really live well means to be a place where Love shows up, to be more loving today than I was yesterday. To live well means to discover who I am meant to be, my reason for being here on this planet at this time, and to express that ever more fully and clearly. To be a clear channel for what Spirit wants to express through me.

To live well means to make meaningful heartfelt connections with others, to respect, honor, appreciate and enjoy all people. To live well means to cherish my friends and family, to allow them to fully be who they are and to rejoice in the love that we share. To live well means to enjoy the unique dynamics and dance of my roles as wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, cousin, friend, colleague, teacher, student and all the other ways in which we connect and share life’s challenges, milestones and celebrations.

Celebration and compassion
To live well means to grow, stretch, expand, reach, and change while staying connected to that which is changeless. It means to not always believe my own mind, to question my perception of reality, to be willing to see the other side. It means to have a sense of humor and compassion for the human condition, including my own.

To live well means to celebrate life in every moment, to take the time to look up at the sky, listen to the birds, smell the roses, feel the sunshine on my face, breathe in the scent of springtime, walk on the beach. To live well means to allow the awe-inspiring beauty of nature to remind me of the infinite abundance and goodness of Spirit.

Nourishment, stewardship and renewal
To live well means nourishment – to enjoy the fruits of the earth with deep appreciation for its whole food goodness; to purchase my food directly from the farmers who grow or raise it with deep consciousness of the sacred dance of life and death and food; to cook with flair and creativity, to share delicious meals and good times with friends and family around the table.

To live really well means to be a good steward of this vehicle for Spirit that is my body – to care for it, feed it good food, exercise it, listen to its messages, enjoy its senses, appreciate its energy, vitality, strength, endurance.

To live really well means renewal – to spend time away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, exploring new places, enjoying nature, connecting with other cultures, sampling other cuisines, making new connections. To simply sit and be with no agenda. To let only inspiration guide my daily choice of activities. To share this time with family and friends, and also to have windows of solitude and contemplation.

Connection to the One Life
To live really well is to be a part of a spiritual community that nourishes my soul, helps me to connect to the One Life, encourages me to release old ways of seeing and being, uplifts my spirits, inspires me to adopt new attitudes and to be my best self, and offers me the opportunity of giving back in Seva.

Home is where the heart is

To live really well means to live in a home that radiates light and simplicity and color and comfort. Where every object has a place, a function, meaning. Where we enjoy the play of light on the flowering cactus, the heat of the fireplace on a cold evening, the warm evening breeze on the deck, the hawks nesting in the pine trees, our cat stretched out in the sunshine.

My work in the world

To live really well means to do work that I love and that is meaningful to me and to be compensated abundantly for doing so, not only monetarily but also with appreciation. To know that my work in the world brings value, wellbeing and joy. To allow my creativity and inspiration to flow into new ideas and ventures, to make a difference in the world, to help planet earth become a healthier place for our children and grandchildren and the generations to come. To live really well means to create new partnerships, to put together a team of inspired colleagues who are expressing their own gifts in the world and to generously compensate them for helping me to bring my ideas and vision into fruition.

Giving and appreciating

To live really well means to share generously of my gifts, my talents, my resources, my heart, my time, my attention, my caring, my understanding, my being.

To live really well is to enjoy and appreciate each and every moment of this wondrous thing called my life.