It's Not This, It's That

"Knowing what to do, has not made me wiser.

Knowing what to say, has not made me smarter.

Getting what I want, has not made me richer.

Giving what I give, has not made me poorer.

Suffering so much pain, has not made me sadder.

Eating what I love, has not made me fatter.

It's embracing my pain, and being relentless.

It's following my dreams, and not holding resentments.

It's paying with love, and opening my heart.

And staying strong when all fails, and never falling apart."

~@nit@~

Hugs xoxo

A Celebration of Love

Today is Valentine's Day, a day chosen to "Celebrate Love" and though we would all like to have someone special to celebrate with that may not always be the case.

I remember when I was in elementary school, I used to look forward to this day; in those days we had to give cards to everyone in our class and I'd spend days preparing for that. I'd give the best cards to those friends I loved the most, I tried not to be too obvious with the boy I had a crush on at the time, but he would get the best lollipop, and I left my least favorite for those I didn't care for that much, but I'm sure that especially those who didn't expect it felt loved.

I remember running home at the end of the day to read each card I had received with exciting anticipation and how surprised I was at how some of my friends felt that they could not otherwise express.

So why not tell your family, friends, co workers, neighbors or anyone in your life that you care about them and make them feel as special as you would like to feel, And while you're at it, don't forget to 'LOVE YOURSELF'. When we love ourselves there is more of ourselves to give away.

I wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day every day!
Hugs xoxo
Anita

Uniting the World through Music

This is a fantastic video that demonstrates that Music has no frontiers. A profound and emotional lesson for all mankind.

Puts a BIG smile on my face!!!!
Go make someone smile.

Hugs xoxo
Anita

Finding blame...

My dear father-in-law is very proactive. He loves to stay on top of important issues around the world, especially those that have to do with wars because he experienced them first hand.

But the beauty of dad's involvement is that he speaks his mind and sends these articles to newspapers around and they always get picked up and published. I'm sure that at the very least he makes a lot of people think, and some might decide to get involved in being part of the solution and not the problem.

This article in particular hits very close to home since in the next couple of months I will be fulfilling a dream that I've had since I was 17 yrs. old, and that is to move to Israel. I guess I'll get to see first hand what goes on there. Meantime I'm very excited moving forward with my dream.

It's your fault Israel...

by Harold Shaffer

I made it known to some of my friends that Israel will be condemned, cursed and blamed for the latest turmoil that took place on the Gaza Strip.

All you did Israel was to defend your country and citizens from constant rocket attacks from the Hamas that control The Gaza.

You were nice enough to warn them if they didn't stop you would retaliate; you even warned the civilians to leave the area. Unheard of in all the conflicts I've been in and have read about.

Israel you're surrounded by millions of people that would dance in the streets if your nation and all your population was wiped off the face of the earth. All you did Israel is do what every other country would've done in the same situation.

After the Twin Towers went down we sent a couple of hundred thousand troops over to the Near East to chase the bad guys. Same thing, you have a right to defend your nation that was built on the bones of 6 million innocent men, women and dear children that were murdered in cold blood. Didn't hear all these anti-Israel countries trying to stop the Holocaust. Israel you are not aggressors, you are DEFENDERS!!!

Good Luck!

Tis that Season Again!

It doesn't matter who you are, where you are or what you celebrate this season, what matters is that whatever you do you do it with JOY and PASSION, and make it contagious so you can also bring HAPPINESS to others Over and Over and Over again!

From my little family to yours, blessings and hugs everyone xoxo

Ilana, Josh and Anita

Don't bury me on Friday Morning...

This was written by my handsome and youthful 92 yr. old Father in Law! That's why he is still so young and vibrant, because he lives his life with humor.

Love you Dad xoxo

"I had to take my wife to the hospital last week. While being examined the first words she spoke to the doctor were "I got to get out by Thursday, got a beauty shop appointment Friday".

Fellows, you're wasting your time taking them to doctors, picking up prescriptions, taking them for MRI's, CAT scans or X-rays. Forget about doctors' appointments, just get them to the beauty shop. That's the best treatment.

I told my Rabbi, "When I die, don't bury me on Friday morning, my wife goes to the beauty shop on Friday morning."

Harold

My Birthday Suit...

My birthday suit doesn't fit anymore. What happened to my body? What happened to the suit? It used to fit so tight, smooth silky supple, wrapped so tightly that it made me look like a little sausage.Then it grew when I grew, filling and stretching around every milestone, bulging with me, allowing me to keep my belongings comfortably sheltered and offering me protection from the wear and tear of daily fulfillment.

You never seemed to care how I treated you. I burnt you, skinned you cut you, abused you with unhealthy diets and customs knowing you would always bounce back. And then one day you seemed awkward, uncomfortable, not quite what I was used to.

I don't know when it started happening but it did happen slowly almost imperceptibly, until one mirror morning I couldn't believe my tired eyes. What devastation, my suit no longer fit. It sagged in the wrong places, melted off of old chronic fixtures, and showed harrowing evidence of the battle. Scared, blemished and unforgiving. Unrecognizable except for the reminders of times past, not unlike the marred surface of an ancient tree who's only history can be found in its rings.

My suit is abandoning me, reluctant to regenerate once more, becoming more of a hindrance than a companion, apparently wanting to fade off the mannequin before its put away into storage. I'm sorry my friend. I took you for granted, and now I expect you to fit like yesterday. Maybe a trip to the skin tailor for a rejuvenating nip and tuck to delay the inevitable.

No, I think will gently give in and shed you in time. Thank you for standing with me throughout the battle. You were there for the good and the bad. Ill try to be gentler on you. Stitch up the gaps, soothe the abrasions, and prop up the stance not unlike Dali would his timepiece.

Hang in there as you always have. Be assured you will only be retired alongside me when Father Time and Sir Isaac Newton quit.

Marco

Get Happy... Your Life is Right Now!

"Your life is right now! It's not later! It's not in that time of retirement. It's not when the lover gets here. It's not when you've moved into the new house. It's not when you get the better job. Your life is right now. It will always be right now. You might as well decide to start enjoying your life right now, because it's not ever going to get better than right now--until it gets better right now!"

Excerpted from a workshop in Silver Spring, MD on Saturday, May 11th, 2002
Abraham/Hicks

The Diaper

Its amazing how time distorts perspective. Emotions change as time transpires. Take the diaper. At first the excitement and anticipation we experience when we first wrap the silky smooth skin of our newborn in the first of an infinite pile of disposable gem catchers. Because after all, our treasures can only create gems.

They're so cute and soft and loving. So defenseless and dependent, a bundle of dreams, hopes and unfulfilled expectations. We are at their beck and call, all day, every day. Their cries are angelical, their odors pungent but heavenly, their regurgitations a long awaited sign that we have patted them long enough to resume their feeding. How effortless the otherwise daunting tasks, always finding eagerly awaiting family and friends who trample over themselves in the hopes we would allow them the honor of changing their full diaper. How we cling to that fleeting period when our heirs are hopelessly clinging to our every blink.

We are sadly joyful when they stumble away from their potty and graduate sigma cum-laude.

Fast forward eighty years. All accomplishments behind us. Our future is measured not in years but by the sweeping second hand.

How ironic. The diaper is the same but different. No one standing in line to change it. No longer are the contents cute. We will no longer hear rushing footsteps eager to clean the soiled wrapper. The skin no longer soft. The rashes no longer soothed. The cries no longer heard. The anticipation is no longer for the first step but for the last breath.

The diaper full cycle.

Parallel Parked in a Perpendicular World...

I often wonder if I read that phrase somewhere, or made it up in a moment of solace and despair. I just remember thinking one day that I felt as if I was 'Parallel Parked, in a Perpendicular World' because I can't see life the way most people do.

I have spent the past 5 years of my life getting to know my inner Source, and came to the conclusion that I was right all along, I'm definitely "Parallel Parked in a Perpendicular World".

In these past 5 years I discovered that I had no idea how life worked for the first 52 yrs, so can you imagine all of a sudden waking up at 52 and saying OMG you gotta be kidding me, I was just doing it the way I was taught.

OK so I say well I'm a bit beaten up and exhausted, I put a LOT into my life and it failed me in many ways, but I ain't quitting now that I figured out how it works. 'Lets Make Life Happen on Purpose.' this time.

So I get all excited, put on my rugged boots, some comfortable jeans, I know I have a long haul here because the more I read, the more I realize how much I need to learn.

I get bombarded with information, it comes from so many different sources, and every one of them claims to be the best one. And of course I want to learn all of it so I can mold my destiny the right way this time, but it gets overwhelming when you keep on reading that so many people claim to know just the right secret. And the one thing that they all have in common is that if you don't learn their secret, you'll never be able to mold your destiny the way you want to.

So I rise up to the ocasion and I go to the seminars and take on the courses, read the books and listen to the tapes and that's not easy because you have to earn a living and you have responsibilities to fulfill, and I'm still sitting here behind my desk thinking "I know all of this but what's the secret to getting it faster, I'm missing an element here. From what you tell me I should have gotten everything I dream of and thensome and I'm still two legs short a five legged stool.

There wouldn't be enough hours in a month to do the things I'm supposed to do in a day if I followed everyone's advice.

I mean don't take me wrong, I owe A LOT to all of the people out there who give so freely of yourselves and you are so dedicated to your cause, my admiration and outmost gratitude, I'd be even further behind without you, but in the very humble opinion of a simple, caring, middle-aged Mexican/Jewish/American and soon to be Israeli woman, I actually believe life is very simple, a lot of people resist change and everyone goes their own way, there is way too much negative energy out in the world for it to work in harmony. You can try to make a dent and you guys are doing an awsome job at that, but the negative energy still permeates the air and it gets tiring to be constantly pushing against it. Seems that most people rather suffer than change.

I've said this many times, we all have a talent, a gift, something we are passionate about, we ought to give freely of our gift to others who need it, since we love doing it anyways, and then others can share their gift and we can all have everything. Do you see that ever happening?

If everyone did that we wouldn't need meditation and there wouldn't be wars because we would be in a constant state of serenity and zest for life instead of so much turmoil and chaos, nobody would lack for anything. All of mankinds advances are amazing, but sometimes I think that the more we create the more we destroy.What we need to do is go back to basics and start teaching all of the new generations how it works so we can stop the chaos instead of perpetuating it or contribute to making it worse.

I never want to stop learning and teaching, to me that's what keeps life challenging and interesting, never complacent or boring.

I'm on my own mission, while enjoying learning to live in the moment, no matter what, just for right now I have everything I need, and since now is all there is, I have everything all the time. I guess I'm just happy "Making my Life Happen on Purpose"


Hugs everyone xoxo

@nit@

What is a Friend?

A true friend will never ask you to compromise your principles in the name of friendship and is willing to put your happiness before your friendship. 

It is said that "good advice grates on the ear," but a real friend will not hesitate to tell you something you don't want to hear, even at a risk of breaking the friendship if they think it's in your best interest. They will correct you when you are wrong, confront you with your addictions or suggest you get a check-up if they notice something you might not. 

A true friend inspires you to reach your best potential not to indulge on your bad habits.

"A friend is a second self."
 ~ Aristotle

Are you being the friend you want to have?

Hugs xoxo
@nit@

What is Courage?

Cowardly Lion: Courage! What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got? 
Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman: Courage! 
Cowardly Lion: You can say that again! Huh? 

"Without courage, wisdom bears no fruit.”
— Baltasar Gracián

What stops us? Keeps us from doing what we need to do? Prevents us from experiencing the depth of relationships, love and meaning in our lives? Fear is something we all experience—it’s part of the human condition. The only way to dispel fear is to look it in the face and utilize courage.

Courage is not the absence of fear, it’s the triumph over it, revealing to you what you’re truly capable of.

"Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others. "
- Aristotle

Dreams, they are never in the place you expected them to be...

There is so much to life, we must experience!

"Why do we get all these feelings and dreams 

and hopes if we don't ever use them? "

~ Shirley Valentine ~

Live your Life with Passion!

Hugs xoxo
@nit@

Is there ANYTHING more important than LOVE?

"Perhaps Love"
by John Denver

Perhaps love is like a resting place, a shelter from the storm
It exist to give you comfort, it is there to keep you warm,
And in those times of trouble when you are most alone,
The memory of love will bring you home.

Perhaps love is like a window, perhaps an open door,
It invites you to come closer, it wants to show you more,
And even if you lose yourself and don't know what to do,
The memory of love will see you through.

Oh, love to some is like a cloud, to some as strong as steel,
For some a way of living, for some a way to feel,
And some say love is holding on and some say letting go,
And some say love is everything and some say they don't know.

Perhaps love is like the ocean, full of conflict, full of change,
Like a fire when its cold outside, or thunder when it rains,
If I should live forever, and all my dreams come true,
My memories of love with be with you.

"Love is all there is, and That's That!" ~ @nit@

Hugs xoxo
@nit@

Boredom...

~ Boredom occurs when you're not happily occupied. If you really have to spend 40 hours of your life a week making money to support the rest of it, shouldn't you enjoy it? ~

This was a part of my horoscope today, and I thought it was RIGHT ON!!! After I read it I said to myself OMG Anita what have you been doing? wasting your time with work when you could be having fun doing what you love to do, why are you still postponing it?

I wanted to share it with you because it applies to us all! in one way or another we postpone having fun, until...

Until we go on vacation,
Until we get home,
Until we graduate,
Until we become rich,
Until....


I need to start having more fun!!!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone,

Hugs xoxo
Anita

School Days, school days...

Dear, old golden rule days...

Honesty is like pregnancy...

"Honesty, is such a lonely word

Everyone is so untrue

Honesty, is hardly ever heard

And mostly what I need from you"...

Honestly, have you ever really stopped to analyze how honest you are with yourself and with others? Give it a try, it's a good place to start. Honestly!

Honesty is like pregnancy, you either are or you aren't...

Hugs xoxo

@nit@ 

Work Harder Than You Think You Should

One of the reasons why I'm not around here as often as I used to is because I'm really 'Making my Life Happen on Purpose.'

I created a social life that could keep me busy every day if I find the time, I have a job I like, but since it's not the job of my dreams I go to work with joy while I continue to study in order to pursue those dreams.


I prepare by taking courses, going to seminars, reading books, listening to CDs, watching videos and talking to experts.

I enjoy adding to my blog, read, workout when I'm not too lazy or tired; take care of my puppy, take long walks with her at the park at least twice daily, help my kids, visit my father weekly and try to help others when I can.

And the truth is that I still feel and know I should be doing more!

I just find that when you're motivated enough you can do a lot and not notice it.

Hugs, xoxo
Anita

Work Harder Than You Think You Should
By Gary Vurnum
=====================
Can you honestly, in your heart-of-hearts, say that you deserve a pay rise every year?

It probably wouldn't surprise you to find that most people would say 'yes'…but if you were to ask their bosses they almost certainly would say 'no'. Why?

Well…in the workplace at least…we always tend to overestimate our contribution. I know…I used to. I spent about five years thinking that I was indispensable…until I had to suddenly take a couple of months off…and found out that I wasn't.

You KNOW if you are getting in a little late…or taking a long lunch break…or surfing the Internet instead of working. We all do it. But…it's how much you do it that has an impact on your future.

Laziness is a habit that is contagious. The more you do it…the easier it is to do it even more.

Action Point:
In what little ways might you be letting yourself down? Sure…you won't get any thanks for working your best or for turning up that little bit earlier, but in the minds of those in charge…you will set yourself apart from everyone else who doesn't do exactly that! Plus…it gets you into the habit of working at your best…which is an amazingly useful habit to have if you want to make more of yourself!
========================

I'm a Rebel...

I consider myself to be a rebel and proud of it!

I'll admit I'll break every rule I can, so long as I don't hurt anyone in the process.

I believe we are all unique and as such have unique talents, and it's our responsibility to find ours and put it to good use.

So do you know what yours is? I challenge you to find it!

Hugs xoxo
Anita

Challenge The Status-Quo
by Gary Vurnum
======================
It's almost as if we are expected to be robots. Our parents' generation were happy with working 40 hours a week for 40 years to retire on 40% less than their salary. Are you?

We are all under pressure to 'conform' to the stereotypical view of who, or what, we are. You work in accountancy so you are dull…you work in a fast-food restaurant so you are stupid…or you are a mother who stays at home to look after her kids so that she doesn't have to 'work'. Don't accept it!

Challenge other people's expectations of you. Never accept something because you feel that you should. You have unique talents that go far beyond your occupation…use them or lose them!

Action Point: What unique talents are you holding back? What's the point in having a life if you don't get some satisfaction from it? Don't wait until it's too late before you start having regrets of making more of your life…where's the fun in that?
===========================

To Know what We do NOT Know....

Tonight I was looking for a good quote, I came across this one, and it became one of my favorites, because nothing can be more true and valuable than to know that there are things that we just don't know, and that we have to continue to pursue knowledge!

~ To know that we know what we know, and to know that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge.~ Copernicus

What inspired me to write this blog was a British Man whose articles I receive daily; his suggestions are very practical and he gives you a 'Recipe for Success' that is simple to follow. He was talking about planning your day and it hit me that the reason why I'm stuck and am not growing faster, is because I don't plan my day, I usually just go with the flow.

Being a free spirited and passionate being comes with some huge handicaps, and the worst one is not planning.

What's happened to me is that every time I plan something, it NEVER turns out the way I thought it would. Sometimes it turns out much better, sometimes much worse, sometimes it doesn't work out at all, and many levels in between, but never the way I thought it would so that made me stop planning and stop worrying and started to just enjoy 'THE ADVENTURE' of living.

I usually just live in the moment and try to always go in the direction of my dreams, but I don't have a set plan, and without a plan it's a lot harder to move forward faster.

So tonight I made a commitment to 'THE UNIVERSE' that I'm making a plan, so I can get there faster, because I'm starting to get a little bored with the Adventure, I need to spice it up a bit... I'll add on some Latino Spice!

I HAVE to finish writing my book, starting TONIGHT!

Do you have a Plan?

Hugs xoxo

Anita

Don't put Happiness on Hold...

In reading one of the postings of a blog I subscribe to by the name of AWAKE it reminded me of one of the handicaps that I've had to work on overcoming, which was thinking that I was supposed to put on hold my happiness until.... and you can fill that blank with anything, like:

• I'll be happy when I finish school

• When I get married

• When I have kids

• When I buy my own home

• When my kids go off to college, etc. etc. etc.

I decided to post this blog because I think it illustrates what most of us do.

I hope you find something to bring you joy today and everyday.

Hugs xoxo

Anita

Don't Delay your Joy

by Louis Majors

Driving to town today, I listened to an interview of Charles Marshall regarding his book ‘The Soul Mechanic.’ When I got home and started to read the introduction one line really jumped out at me… Live for the experience of living! Wow…what a line! It re-minded me that when we choose a ‘goal’ to trigger joy and satisfaction (ie: I’ll be happy when….) it might delay us from living in joy all the moments leading up to that one point and all the points after our acheivement.

Don’t get me wrong…there is nothing wrong in setting goals and working towards that end. But if I don’t enjoy the process all the way it doesn’t make any sense to be unhappy 99% of the time when I can create and hold the energy of joy any time or all the time if I so choose and program my subconscious to surprise me with joyful and happy events in my human experience. Most of this is unconscious because as infants we were taught the ‘reward’ system by our parents/guardians. It started with the ‘good child/bad child’ program as we tried to appease our parents/guardians and evolved into peer approval to gain self-worth.

Of course the easiest path to ultimate self-worth and self-love is found within where we always have the power to effect our energetic resonance and therefore our experience. That reminds me not to delay the experience of the energy of joy and love that already exists within me AND that I can trigger and release any time and all the time if I so choose.

We know as ‘conscious’ humans I can choose as a goal to experience and expect JOY every moment and the universe will respond each moment with the appropriate objects, people, and events.

PS: One problem with setting target goals to trigger joy is it tends to make us evaluate each event as ‘working for’ or ‘working against’ my goal thus triggering the appropriate up and down energy in my emotional resonance. Also it’s putting the horse ahead of the cart to ‘wait and see’ if events bring me joy INSTEAD of knowing my personal power and changing my subconscious expectations to expect joy and fulfillment from every experience thus making it happen correcting the disruption created by my past self-imposed uncertainty.

Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows

I remember as a kid this song playing on the radio in the 60s many times, it made you want to dance; I never knew Marvin Hamlisch wrote it when he was about 15 yrs. old. Leslie Gore sang it, she also sang some of my favorite songs from that time like "It's my Party", "Judy's Turn to Cry" and "You Don't Own Me" songs that my kids have heard me sing many times.

It was from a much more optimistic era where our future was bright, as reflected in the lyrics. Back then songs were about LOVE; today they're about suicide and sex. I'm not one to miss things but I do miss those times!

Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows


For those interested here are the lyrics.
Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows,
Everything that's wonderful is what I feel when we're together,
Brighter than a lucky penny,
When you're near the rain cloud disappears, dear,
And I feel so fine just to know that you are mine.

My life is sunshine, lollipops and rainbows,
That's how this refrain goes, so come on, join in everybody!

Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows,
Everything that's wonderful is sure to come your way
When you're in love to stay.

Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows,
Everything that's wonderful is what I feel when we're together,
Brighter than a lucky penny,
When you're near the rain cloud disappears, dear,
And I feel so fine just to know that you are mine.

My life is sunshine, lollipops and rainbows,
That's how this refrain goes, so come on, join in everybody!

Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows,
Everything that's wonderful is sure to come your way
'Cause you're in love, you're in love,And love is here to stay!

There's more to ABC than meets the I...

A - Achieve your dreams. Avoid negative people, things and places.

B - Believe in your self, and in what you can do.
C - Consider things on every angle and aspect. To be able to understand life, you should feel the sun from both sides.
D - Don't give up and don't give in.
E - Enjoy. Motivation takes place when people are happy.
F - Family and Friends -- Don't loose sight of them.
G - Give more than what is enough.

H - Hang on to your dreams. They may sway for a second, but these will be your driving force.
I - Ignore those who try to destroy you. Don't let other people get the best of you.

J - Just be you. The key to failure is to try to please everyone.
K - Keep trying no matter how hard life may seem.
L - Learn to love your self.
M - Make things happen. Motivation is when your dreams are put into work clothes.

N - Never lie, cheat or steal. Always play a fair game.
O - Open your eyes.
P - Practice makes perfect.
Q - Quitters never win. And winners never quit. So, choose your fate - are you going to be a quitter or a winner?
R - Ready yourself. Motivation is also about preparation.
S - Stop procrastinating.
T - Take control of your life. Discipline and self-control are synonymous with drive.
U - Understand others. Yearn to understand first, and to be understood the second.
V - Visualize it.
W - Want it more than anything. Dreaming means believing.
X - X Factor is what will make you different from the others. When you are motivated, you tend to put on "extras" on your life like extra time for family, extra help at work, extra care for friends, and so on.
Y - You are unique. Value your life and existence.
Z - Zero in on your dreams and go for it!!!

Unknown Author

"Now I know my ABCs, next time won't you sing with me?"

Hugs xoxo
@nit@

Age is but a number, and I was never very good at Math!...

Like with everything else in life there are different attitudes regarding age. Take my mother for example (may she rest in peace), bless her heart I believe she was born old, at least I felt that way around her. She had very old fashioned ideas, she never drove or worked, and I can still remember how upset she was when she saw my first boyfriend kissing me. I can recall feeling very self-conscious and embarassed going into my room at my parent's home with my husband on the day we got married to change clothes after the wedding, to go off on our honeymoon.

Then there’s my ex father in law, ‘Poppo’, he always talks about his high school days as a star athlete and the time he spent as a Marine; it seems those were his favorite years since he keeps on referring back to them, and the one thing he keeps on stressing to me is how fast he feels his life is going, since he is still holding on to those years.

To tell you the truth for a long time, it wasn’t that I didn’t believe him, but I just couldn’t relate to what he was saying, I kept on thinking that he should try to live and enjoy the present and stop looking back, and in many ways he is, since to this day, getting closer to his late eighties, he is still handsome, in good health, great spirits, has a good group of friends, he travels, he works-out and looks good, and maybe his re-living those years is what’s kept him feeling and looking younger.

I, on the other hand, live very much in the present, and it was only recently that I started to relate to what ‘Poppo’ has been telling me all these years regarding how fast life goes, since I’ve never really paid too much attention to my age. That was up until about a year ago when I turned 55 and acquired the label of ‘Senior Citizen’. How could this be? I thought to myself, wasn’t I just 20 yesterday? Who’s that older lady in the mirror looking back at me? I don’t feel any different; I haven’t stopped wanting, needing, feeling, caring, hurting, enjoying, and most of all dreaming!

At that point I realized that I could either become like my mom, or start thinking about the good old days like ‘Poppo’ or simply realize that “Age is but a number, and I was never very good at Math!” ~ @nit@
Hugs xoxo
Anita

Europe

And they lived "Happily Ever After"

It is through LOVE that we find happiness!

An incredible love story has come out of China recently and managed to touch the world. It is a story of a man and an older woman who ran off to live and love each other in peace for over half a century. The 70-year-old Chinese man who hand-carved over 6,000 stairs up a mountain for his 80-year-old wife has passed away in the cave which has been the couple's home for the last 50 years.

Over 50 years ago, Liu Guojiang a 19 year-old boy, fell in love with a 29 year-old widowed mother named Xu Chaoqin.. 

In a twist worthy of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, friends and relatives criticized the relationship because of the age difference and the fact that Xu already had children. At that time, it was unacceptable and immoral for a young man to love an older woman. To avoid the market gossip and the scorn of their communities, the couple decided to elope and lived in a cave in Jiangjin County in Southern ChongQing Municipality. In the beginning, life was harsh as they had nothing, no electricity or even food. They had to eat grass and roots they found in the mountain, and Liu made a kerosene lamp that they used to light up their lives. Xu felt that she had tied Liu down and repeatedly asked him, 'Are you regretful? Liu always replied, 'As long as we are industrious, life will improve.'In the second year of living in the mountain, Liu began and continued for over 50 years, to hand-carve the steps so that his wife could get down the mountain easily.

Half a century later in 2001, a group of adventurers were exploring the forest and were surprised to find the elderly couple and the over 6,000 hand-carved steps. Liu MingSheng, one of their seven children said, 'My parents loved each other so much, they have lived in seclusion for over 50 years and never been apart a single day. He hand carved more than 6,000 steps over the years for my mother's convenience, although she doesn't go down the mountain that much.'

The couple had lived in peace for over 50 years until last week. Liu, now 72 years, returned from his daily farm work and collapsed. Xu sat and prayed with her husband as he passed away in her arms. So in love with Xu, was Liu, that no one was able to release the grip he had on his wife's hand even after he had passed away. 'You promised me you'll take care of me, you'll always be with me until the day I died, now you left before me, how am I going to live without you?' Xu spent days softly repeating this sentence and touching her husband's black coffin with tears rolling down her cheeks.

In 2006, their story became one of the top 10 love stories from China , collected by the Chinese Women Weekly. The local government has decided to preserve the love ladder and the place they lived as a museum, so this love story can live forever.

The reason why Love feels so good is because that's our Nature, we came from love, it's in our DNA 

My love to everyone out there xoxo
@nit@

The World is Watching....

Today after I got home from work and finally settled in and began to write, while sitting in front of my computer reading some articles I spotted the little 'Cluster Map' that I added to my blog less than a month ago, just curious to see for fun if anyone in the "World was Watching ME," and to my surprise I noticed that for someone they don't know or care about, someone they might never meet, there were a lot of people watching from all parts of the world. Some have even taken the time to write to me, and leave me comments it's been very rewarding and a real eye opener!

At first it felt sort of strange, because when you expose your life to strangers, you make yourself vulnerable and open for judgement, but fortunately for me, like I said before in one of my blogs, "Who Cares?" I figure I harm nobody and maybe I can even help someone who is going through something difficult, maybe they can just come to my cyber-house to watch a short video, or listen to some music, or read one of my stories and smile. I know from the experience of living them, I've had many interesting stories, like we all do. Maybe some people just need someone to vent with who will listen to them, or someone who can witness a part of their story.

I like to listen to people's stories, they fascinate me because I always learn something from all of them, you can learn from the kind and the evil, the wise and the not so smart, you can even learn from crazy people. Lately I've been learning a lot from my new little puppy, not to mention my kids.

I write because I love to help people, I love to be part of the solution and not the problem and I believe we all have a lot to give and the obligation to give it.

We all have something we are good at, I am good at giving and I'm even learning how to receive ;o) now that's a biggie for me!

It feels good, have you tried it lately?

Go give, and then come back and tell me about it, I'll pat you in the back.

Hugs xoxo

@nit@

What a Difference a Day Makes!...

About 3 months ago I was listening to my favorite music while getting ready to go to work. I had awaken around 5:30 am, give or take. I usually wake up happy and ready to take on the day.

Once at work I get a call from the woman who kindly took our dogs to live at her farm, since we didn’t have a place to keep them; to let me know that our beloved Duke had passed away. Nobody had a clue he was sick, he didn't show any signs of illness, and I didn’t even get a chance to be there for him or to say goodbye. Only a couple months before I had also lost my mom. I felt this huge sense of despair and void mixed with remorse, pain and even anger at my situation. 

After a while of experiencing these intense and painful emotions, I decided to quiet them down by switching my thinking. I began feeling grateful for all those years and memories of fabulous times we spent together as a family.

So that night I was sitting on my balcony, the only space I have at home right now to be in touch with nature somehow, and while staring at the stars I started remembering what it was like to have everything I could ever hope for, and I was able to see it very clearly, and most of all to feel it. Soon I was up in my room all excited, I wanted to celebrate their lives instead of mourn their deaths. I couldn’t wait to put on the right music and dance, laugh and rejoice at my life, and be ever so grateful for all I've experienced, and for what I already have. I could see a bright future there waiting for me, just having to take a few more steps to manifest it, as it takes a few steps to reach me ;o)

It’s like that scene in movies with the two lovers looking at each other from a distance for the first time in AGES… her with a flowing floral skirt and long curly hair, pink ballerina-type shoes that tie up the calf, and him with light beige pants, a silky long sleeve shirt and moccasins. She yells at him from afar “HEATHCLIFFE”!!!!!!! and he replies in a deep voice equally as loud and with so much love coming straight from the heart… “PENELOPE”!!!!...... and they run for what seems like forever, in slow motion, wanting impatiently to be wrapped in each others arms! And when they embrace and passionately kiss, almost instantaneously, they forget what it was like to be without.

Can you say you’ve had an interesting life so far?
Are you satisfied?Are you grateful for what you have?Do you know what you want?

Then go “Make Life Happen on Purpose”!

Hugs xoxo
@nit@

Who are you?

My heart is Bohemian, free spirited and passionate. I'm the architect of my destiny, proud mother wife and friend, closet wannabe producer, director, singer, actor and dancer.

My first name means 'Favored Grace', my last name means 'Valley of Roses'; put them together and you've got one graceful sensitive but sturdy flower with a few thorns in a vast open space!

I study faces, notice the rhythm people move to and the orchestra they create together. I do things that feel right and those that will help me fulfill dreams.

I love using my senses, laugh and cry at movies and make up names for the people I love.

I travel the world and get lost on the streets of wonderful places where I manage to create great adventures.

I press my snooze button twice, involuntarily close one eye when I apply lipstick, sing and dance when I'm alone, study body language for fun, talk to strangers to learn their stories and try to teach and learn from all those who cross my path.

Do you know who you are?

Hugs xoxo

@nit@

Life is a Miracle!

Can you see the beauty in this, what an amazing miracle life is?

Can you remember the immense joy you felt? you knew life would never be the same!!

Can you recall the feeling enough to feel it again?

Can you see that love is all there is, that you can do anything if someone believes in you and is there to love you no matter what?

I dare you to feel it again!! and see what happens then! ;o)

Don't forget to come back and tell me! I'd Love to hear!

http://www.baluart.net/videos/la-guia-maxima-del-embarazo

Hugs xoxo

@nit@

Help someone, anyone...

I know it isn't easy to think of helping others when we have our own lives to deal with on a daily basis. Most of the time there is always something pressing that takes our full attention, let alone the things we have on our 'TO DO LIST', where we usually scratch one thing only to add a new one. But you would be surprised how easy it is to help others without taking away from what we need to do for ourselves. Help comes in many ways, shapes, sizes, deeds, actions, etc.

Lets take for example one very small thing I do on weekdays. Every day on my drive to work I have a choice of either taking the freeway that gets me closer to work and where I would spend less on gasoline, or get off on another exit and drive for a couple of miles on a long street with many stoplights, where I know I am going to come across these guys that sell newspapers for a quarter on a specific corner. They are recovering addicts that do this as a project, and you see them walking towards the cars when the light turns red, always waving at everyone with a huge smile on their faces. I see car after car sitting at the light chosing to ignore them, not only by not purchasing the paper, and we know everyone can afford a quarter, but by not waving or smiling in return.

I happen to work in Marketing, so part of my job is placing ads in newspapers, and I get tons of them for free, I don't even like reading the newspaper, but I LOVE the warmth that comes out of these men's faces when I hand them that quarter. You would think I was giving them the keys to a new car by the way they thank and bless me.

I can't think of a better way for me to start the day, and it certainly didn't take much to make someone else happy. So today when you walk out your door, find ways of making a difference; smile at someone, pay them a compliment, make people that cross your path know that someone cares.

Hugs everyone xoxo
@nit@

I'll vote for him ANYTIME...

I think the best way to describe what it takes to make it to where you want to be in life, is to listen to someone like this kid. You can feel the passion in his words and see it in his actions, and though he is only 17, not only does he know what he wants, he already has it, (very well deserved) and you can tell how getting to where he is has been a lot of fun for him.

It takes that combination of desire, belief, passion and action. I sure enjoyed watching this, hope it inspires you.

Hugs xoxo

@nit@

Finding Happiness...

This afternoon I watched an MSN video of this ADORABLE big elephant who takes a dainty paintbrush with his nose, and he draws an elephant on a canvas, holding a lovely flower, and even draws the leaves and the grass. I couldn't help but smile the entire time I was watching it, and in spite of the fact that I had just had a very difficult experience the whole day and night before, at the end of this video, I had released the tension I had and began to feel happy again, which is now my normal condition (most of the time of course).

First it made me wish I could get inside the elephant's mind to see if this was bringing him as much joy as what he was giving to those of us watching him. I wondered if he had any idea of how talented he was compared to most of the other elephants in the whole world :) or if it was just us humans who could actually be conscious of those emotions.

If everything is energy, and thoughts do become things, and humans are doing most of the thinking, I knew I had the responsibility to try to control what I was thinking by learning how to control my emotions.
Happiness is MOST DEFINITELY and without a doubt, a conscious emotion. It's a decision we make with every single thought.

There are some incredible resources that are available to all of us just for the taking, and when you manage to pay attention to your life, you begin to see how these resources come to you when you ask for them consciously, when you find out what your purpose in life is.

I will highly recommend a few main resources, at least I have been able to get the most comprehensive information after weeding through the huge amount of information you find out there.

Start by login into http://www.universeofpower.com/ and http://www.ourultimatereality.com/ in those two sites alone you have a lot of intelligent and well written information based more on scientific findings, but with a very simple, positive and encouraging outlook, without making you feel overwhelmed or that it is out of your reach, because it's not at all!

Read the New Eckardt Tolle Book 'A New Earth' or his previous book 'The Power of Now'' http://eckharttolle.com/ and you can watch the class Oprah conducted every Monday for 10 weeks to cover the book in detail with the author, you can see all the classes on her website for free, http://www.oprah.com/

Get the 'Science of Success' tapes or the 'Harmonic Wealth' book from James Ray, http://jamesray.com/ go experience one of his free seminars, he does them all over the country. I am lucky because a lot of the people who were in "The Secret" live right in my backyard, so I guess I'm surrounded by good Energy :) Deepak Chopra lived a few blocks from where I raised my kids.

Sign up for the free 'Thoughts from the Universe' by Mike Dooley http://www.tut.com/ they inspire you while putting a smile on your face.

Order the Astonishing Power of Emotions (The Teachings of Abraham) by Esther and Jerry Hicks http://www.abraham-hicks.com/. It comes with a great excerpt CD from one of Esther-Abraham seminars. Not only is it insightful and leaves you feeling very empowered, but it's done with humor and makes you feel that it is so easy to attain.

Get the free Sedona Method DVD http://www.sedona.com/. you realize how simple it is to let go of anything that you don't want in your life.

Happiness is as much a habit as sadness, you just have to substitute one for the other, but to do that you need to understand how it works, and then you just go do what you need to do, to feel the way you want to feel, and in the meantime, love what you already have.

For me, my best teachers have been my kids. I wrote an article once called "My mom gave me my life, but my kids taught me how to live it." I gotta find that article!

Good luck to you finding happiness, its right there, see it?

Hugs xoxo
@nit@