-Follow your Passion.

What is stopping you from your passion? Whether you do it for the money or purely for the love of your passion, whatever it may be, what is stopping you? Why aren't you giving something towards your passion each and every day?

Even if it's only a few minutes focusing on your passion, why not dedicate a bit of time to it? You'd be amazed at the difference it makes. Five minutes, ten minutes. Do it. Try it. See what happens. I promise you, you will want to devote more time to it each and every day. 

One of my passions happens to be photography...and I shoot nearly daily. When I don't shoot, I have withdrawals. I always have to shoot something, anything. And if I am not shooting, I am looking at other photographer's work or learning something new in Photoshop or LightRoom. I guess you could say I am nearly addicted to my passion. Not a bad thing. 

Passion inspires you to do more, to do better. Passion pushes you. Follow your passion. Go for it. Try it out. Each day. Do it. What do you have to lose?

-Levels of Friendship.

This seems to be a reoccurring topic this week....or these past couple of weeks. How do you know if your friends are truly on your side? If they truly have your back? If they are truly on your team?

How do we weed our true friends from the so-called friends? Should we constantly be questioning others' motives? How can we truly form relationships if we do this?

I do believe there are different levels of friendship. Some friends are in it for the long run. Those are the ones that stand by you through the good and the bad and the in between. They are the ones that you would share your deepest secrets with - and they are the smallest number of your friends. Their motives are pure. They have your back, no matter what. 

Then there are those friends that are not in it for the long run but for only a season....for whatever the reason. They come into your life for a period of time and then, they leave. For some, these friends can be hard to let go.....fear of losing a friend...and the hurt that could follow. But when we realize we are going in different directions and agree to go our separate ways, we grow. 

Then there are those acquaintances, those people we don't share much of our {personal} lives with.....

Different levels of friendships. Different levels of relationships. When things go wrong, we question motives. We question if that person was ever really there for us. When friends grow apart, we feel a sense of loss. 

We cannot go around questioning everyone's motives....we cannot ask what their "angle is" either. Relationships are about trust, no matter what level of friendship it might be. 

With this comes all sorts of emotions, feelings, sometimes hurt, sometimes happiness.

We have to learn to let go of those friends who may be toxic to us. Hold on to the ones that are dear to us.

If I call you my friend, I've got your back - unconditionally. No. Matter. What. I am there. Just call on me. No questions asked.

-Just. Remember. To. Breath. -

If one has never had or experienced extreme level anxiety, then it would be difficult for one to understand how dehabilitating it can be. It's nearly like a prison within yourself.

I've suffered from anxiety - on a severe level - add depression with the ever-so-frequent panic attack and it's a recipe for a near disaster. Trapped. Inside. Yourself.

Your chest feels like an elephant is sitting on it. You think you can't breath. When my anxiety level begins to rise (and I know when it is because suddenly my heart rate increases, my chest feels tight and heavy and I feel short of breath), I continue to remind myself to "Breath." Breath. In. Deeply. 

Breathing in deep is truly the way we are supposed to breath - not the shallow breaths most of us take. Deep breaths are calming, cleansing, soothing. Deep breaths heal the anxiety. 

Severe anxiety is no laughing matter. It's. Serious. It's scary. One feels helpless at times. Dehabilitating. Very Much So. Because you feel alone...as though no one else is or has gone through this. Many have. And many will. And it's okay to talk about it, share how you feel about it. It's healing as well. 

So next time you feel like the world is closing in on you....stop and remind yourself to "Just. Breath. Breath in Deeply. And Exhale." Before you know it, you will feel better.

Passion + Pain or Passion without Pain?

Today's "food for thought" question is this: I heard this said today and I quote (though not necessarily word for word here) "You can't have passion without pain."

I nearly was quick to disagree but then, I got to thinking. Is this really an untrue statement? Truly, it depends on what situation we apply this statement to.

If we apply this to something we are passionate about doing such as music or art or photography, I can see where the possibility of "pain" could potentially be beneficial. Pain can sometimes be that drive to push harder in your writings,  your art, your music. It can be that initiative to write that new song. Take that new photo. It can also keep you from achieving those dreams, those goals.

Artists are very passionate people. Passion is their driving force behind their creativity. But could pain also be their partner? Some of the most beautiful songs have been written out of pain. Listen to the lyrics. And some of the most beautiful paintings, also the same.

Then there's those things that are simply created out of joy. Passion + Pain? Or Passion without Pain? What do you think?

Recently, I had not only my palms read but my cards as well. I was absolutely shocked at the things she knew about me...so specifically. She was incredibly detailed and really got me to thinking.  About a lot of things. Seriously. How did she know so much? Am I that readable? Do I need to put on my poker face?

I went in with an open mind...completely ready to hear what she had to say. And she said a lot, in such a little time. Things confirmed that I need to continue to work towards. She confirmed that I am on the right path; that I shouldn't give up and keep moving, despite any distractions that may come my way, despite the negativity around me.

We all have distractions. We all have adversity. The thing is: How do you manage it? How do you deal with it?

We're a week into the new year and I am ready for new things. A Newer Me. Changes are coming. Get on board or get off the train.

{48 Hours.}

48 hour fast and detox. Two Days. No Food. Just Juice. Just Juice. Watered down juice: grapefruit, orange, lemon and water. The question was, Could I do it?

My biggest concern was weight-loss. I mean averaging between 89 - 90 pounds, I couldn't afford to lose a pound. Not. One.

Day One: Not so easy. I couldn't stop thinking about food. And my stomach growled so loud....it was insane!! Headache plus lightheadedness and then, it passed, quickly. Just. Keep. Drinking. 8 oz an hour to complete a gallon a day. Two gallons of fluids in TWO DAYS!!??!?! What was I thinking? I kept telling myself I could do this. Don't give up. Detoxing. Cleansing. Not only physically but mentally as well.

Day Two: Wow. I was feeling really good. I woke up ready to take on gallon number two. Yep. Let's get this thing going! :o) No headaches, no food cravings, and this inner peace I hadn't felt in a long time. I even threw some chili in the slow-cooker, that's how good I was feeling! (That was pure torture mind you to smell it cooking ALL night long!)

And then, I drank my last glass of juice last night at about 11:30. It was over. Sleep called and I woke up feeling great. No food cravings. Still feeling mentally at peace.

Detox + Fasting for 48 hours was tough at first but it got easier. And I did lose weight, much to my demise. A pound or so. Which means I will have to eat regularly and healthy too. No chocolate and sweets. I'd like to eliminate the little bit of meat I have in my diet but I'm not quite ready to do that yet.

Starting the new year off with some peaceful, cleansing moments. Followed by some new, healthy goals.

Learning to Shift.

Tackling new things already on this first day of *2014.* Learning to shift. This could be applied to not just learning to drive a manual transmission but to life as well.

I made my first solo run today in my 1969 Volkswagen Type III Square Back, lovingly named Penelope. A somewhat nail-biting experience as I stalled out not once but twice with a car behind me, on a hill, rolling backwards! But the confidence level I had while driving her today was amazing! I was doing it!

The thing with driving a manual transmission car is that you have to be in tuned to the cues from the engine and know when to shift. Just as in life...one has to pay attention to what is going on around them and know when to shift, when to make that change, so that everything is back in balance. It's a dance of sorts. Clutch in + brake pedal to stop. Clutch in, foot off gas pedal to change gears. It's rhythm, a dance...it all works together to keep things in balance, to keep things moving forward in a healthy manner.

The same principle can be applied to life. Listen closely for when things are out of balance, they are telling you it's time to shift gears.