Morning Meditation - Reflection

 Morning Meditation. Become a reflection of the beauty you see. ✨

#HealingMorning #MorningMeditation #Peacefulness #ReflectTheBeautyYouSee #Joy

Morning Meditation - Live for YOU

 Morning Meditation. We spend so much time living according to someone else’s expectations. Live for YOU. ✨

#HealingMorning #MorningMeditation #NoExpectations #LiveForYOU #Liberated #NewWayOfBeing #StrengthOfPurpose #Freedom #Joy

Morning Meditation - Truth and Peace

 Morning Meditation™️. A moment of truth and peace. ✨

#HealingMorning  #MorningMeditation™️ #NehemiahEightTen  #Joy  #Strength

Morning Meditation - Components of Joy

 Morning Meditation™️. Knowing & recognizing the components of Joy makes it easier to welcome & embrace! ✨

#HealingMorning  #MorningMeditation  #ComponentsOfJoy  #WelcomeAndEmbrace  #Joy  #Delight  #Success #GoodFortune

The Essence of Christmas

 Christmas Blessings. 🕊️

#HealingMorning  #ChristmasBlessings  #Joy  #Peace  #Love

Morning Meditation - Lovely Prose

 Morning Meditation™️. Begin your day with a lovely snippet of prose. ✨

#HealingMorning™️  #MorningMeditation™️ #HenriFrédéricAmiel #Bard

Morning Meditation - Beauty Is A Vital Blessing

 Morning Meditation™️. We are incredibly blessed to live on a world that has unending beauty to inspire us, delight us, offer us peace, and uplift us. ✨

#HealingMorning™️  #MorningMeditation™️  #BlessingOfBeauty  #BeautyHeals  #Uplift  #Joy  #Inspiration

Morning Meditation - Simple Pursuit

 Morning Meditation™️. A great deal of pondering and resolving can be accomplished whilst enjoying a simple pursuit! ✨

#HealingMorning™️  #MorningMeditationArchives™️  #SimplePursuits

Morning Meditation - Golden Glow of Joy

 Morning meditation. I have always felt that emotions carry their own shades of color, with Joy being a golden glow. Today, I wish you Joy! ✨

#HealingMorning™️  #MorningMeditationArchives™️  #Joy  #GoldenGlow

Morning Meditation - Treasure Joyful Moments

 Morning meditation™️. Treasure the joyful moments. ✨

#HealingMorning™️  #MorningMeditation™️  #PercyByssheShelley  #Bard

In this moment



Photo courtesy of
Bing images

If you read my blog occasionally, you'll know that quite often I will gather inspiration from a quote.  This has happened today.  Being a fan of Jerry and Esther Hicks, authors of many books on Universal Law as delivered by Abraham, I receive weekly emails to my Inbox that contain a Quote of the Day.  Today's quote is as follows:

No one can deny you or grant you anything. It all comes to you by virtue of your vibration. - Abraham (Excerpted from the workshop in Lincroft, NJ on Tuesday, October 15th, 1996 #600)

This is such a simple, yet powerful thought and statement. Just before it hit my Inbox, I was sitting here reflecting on how I feel.  I do this on a regular basis, throughout each day, becoming a sort of bellwether for myself.  The way that I feel in that specific moment in time indicates how I react and move forward throughout the rest of my day.  If I'm not feeling so great in that specific moment, that is my immediate signal to shift my thoughts, per Jerry and Esther's books' suggestions, and create a different harmony, or vibration.

You know how sometimes, God/Universe will interact with us in a beautiful way and deliver just the most perfect thought that matches how we're feeling?  This is what occurred with the above quote, and it is the personification of Universal Law, to my way of thinking.

I have made no secret of the fact that Life isn't always a bright, sunshiney, flower-strewn meadow for me.  I step out of bed each day with my own personal challenges, responsibilities and dreams to better myself and my circumstances.  Some days I hit the best note possible, other days I don't.  Here very recently, I have been making more of those wee steps of progression, embracing the better thoughts, choosing to focus on uplifting mindset. 

And today, in the small, quiet hours of the morning, just moments prior to reading the Hicks-Abraham quote, I was smiling because I was very consciously aware of feeling....happy.  That warm, satisfied, just all around good feeling that we are occasionally blessed with was suffusing my mind and body.  Then I opened the email containing the quote above and I laughed out loud at the delightful Divine Order of it all.

I am in a space where my skills are being recognized and appreciated by colleagues - both those in the blogging world, and also those in the professional arenas where I make my living.  I am building up a client roster of people that I truly enjoy working with, and this makes me equally happy.  As Abraham has indicated, this generates happiness and that uplifting tone, harmony and energy begets more of the same.  It has happened over a vast stretch of time for me, yet now that it is clearly manifesting, it has almost caught me off guard with the gentle evidence. 

My last post, Choosing Positivity, was a requested guest post for Mansi Bhatia's wonderful blog, First Impressions.  Perhaps this post is an adjunct, or continuation of that general theme.  Normally, I do my best to not repeat themes in concurrent blog posts, but this is what hit me this morning and it felt appropriate to write about.

I have pondered esoteric laws and concepts from my very early years, as I have always been a rapt student of this type of knowledge.  For a great many years, I understood the concept of Universal Law on an intellectual basis, but it was the nuances that escaped me.  I spent many years focusing more on the "Don't wants" than focusing on what felt better in that particular moment.  When I finally came to clarity on that specific application of Universal Law, I remember rolling my eyes at myself with how I managed to overlook that part of the whole equation for so long.  As we all know, the Lightbulb Moments hit when we are ready to receive them.  I was close, so very close in my younger years to that clarity, but not quite ready to fully grasp the simplicity therein.

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Bing images

I'm very good at what I call "getting in my own way".  I have a strong tendency to do things the hard way first, every time.  Why, you might ask?  My brain just seems to be hardwired in that manner.  Until someone points out the exquisite beauty and obviousness of the more simple approach, it just doesn't occur to me to do it that way.  It can be comical to family and friends, because I confuse them at times with my elaborate approach to some very simple task, applying great amounts of energy and concentration and enthusiasm...until someone says, "Dawn, have you ever thought of doing it THIS way?"  This is the point where I always stop dead, absolutely captivated by their suggestion, my brain all a-goggle with the searingly simple method they have suggested.  It is as though the Heavens open and a bright ray of sunshine beams down upon my fair head, with an accompanying orchestra and choir in the background.

No, I'm really not kidding.  Sometimes I really do just do things the hard way first.  Okay, LOTS of times I do things the hard way first.  It's just my nature, apparently.  This is not to say, however, that I enjoy making things difficult for myself! Indeed, it is always a goal of mine to simplify and find more logical methods. 

At this point in my life, I feel I have come to a very solid, positive approach that serves me well.  I know this because when I check in with myself throughout the day, the majority of the time, I detect joy.  Happiness is the note of the morning for me and I have to admit, it feels pretty darned good!  What makes it even more enjoyable is that I am quite aware that I am responsible for this inner feeling of satisfaction and happiness.  I have chosen the steps to maintain that positive outlook, even during the days where I would much rather embrace gloom and irritability.  I've made that conscious effort to focus on the next best feeling thought and emotion.

Oftentimes, that next best feeling thought is tiny....minor to the point of being relevant only to my heart.  Yesterday, it was me standing at the mailbox and glancing up in the sky to see a cloud shaped like a bird's wing.  This morning, it was the simple realization that although my work is not where I would wish for it to be just yet, it IS getting there.  I have work coming in the door after a very long, stressful dry period, and it is work that I enjoy.  I am helping people and making a difference in the world with these new projects, and for me as a writer, this is sublimely satisfying.  That satisfaction is glowing inside of me this morning, blossoming into a larger sensation of happiness as I take time to identify it, focus upon it and feel appreciation for it.

So, today, my inner feeling is one of simple happiness.  Nothing complex, although admittedly the path to get here was riddled with obstacles and myriad frustrations at times.  I am happy, in this moment, and I am taking time to focus on this emotion that is welling up inside me.  I imagine it to be a warm glowing ball of Light, much as I have described in other blog posts, and I imagine that this same emotion, this same energy, vibration and tone is calling out.  Remember, my friends, that thoughts and words are energy and translate into electrical impulses that dart outward to the Universe!  According to Universal Law, this energy is attracted to similar energy...vibrating and spinning, flying outward to unite with more of the same, then returning to us, bringing again, more of the same.  More of the same, only amplified! 


Photo courtesy of
Bing images


I am reaping the benefits of structuring my thoughts, habits and actions, and these benefits are that I am happy, satisfied and feeling fulfilled on many different levels. My plan for navigating the day is to continue to dwell in this feeling of happiness.  In each moment that I focus on this quiet sensation of bliss, I am, in effect, dialing accurately into the vibration of God/Universe/Spirit and creating a high level of harmony that will continue to perpetuate itself.  In this moment, this awareness brings a smile.  In this moment, I greet myself as an incredible part of the bigger picture that creates my reality.  In this moment, I am basking in a lovely, happy place.  I hope your own day brings you equal joy, my friends.

The art and language of comfies

We all have those days.  You know the ones; usually a weekend day or a week night where you don't have any particular place to be and don't feel like being particularly productive.  Household chores and responsibilities outside the house can be blithely relegated to the back burner and you declare it a Comfie Day.  Comfie Days, obviously, require comfie attire.  That can span the gamut from disreputable jeans or cut-offs (if it's warm weather) and a t-shirt that has seen better days, to sweats that are loose and soft, to yoga attire that is more form fitting but equally soft and comfortable.  If you're a guy in a relationship, you may find your personal closet lightened by a few dress shirts or t-shirts that your significant other has claimed for her comfie days.

If I'm the one declaring a Comfie Day, then you can pretty much bet that there will be one of two things involved during winter months - fuzzy socks or critter slippers.  Summertime comfie attire is completely different, but as we're still winding down the cold weather months, I'm focusing on the warmer version of comfie attire.

I've frequently wondered, since they hit the retail market, who in the world invented fuzzy socks.  They're a marvelous product!  The concept of kicked back, comfortable lounge wear reached new heights of comfie-ness when these socks were born.  They take chenille, flannel, and other soft materials and relegate them to the annals of history for what used to be comfies.  Fuzzy socks, simply, rule the world for cold weather comfie status.  They are thick, soft, fuzzy (of course) and come in a wide range of zany colors and patterns.  Some even have those little rubberized skid-proof patterns fused to the bottom to prevent you from slipping on slick flooring surfaces.

Better yet, they are very affordable and can be found at most drug stores and larger chain retail stores.   For those of you old enough to remember Toe Socks from the late 1970's, yes, my friends, there are now Fuzzy Toe Socks.  That's one trend I doubt I'll embrace, as I remember how uncomfortable Toe Socks really are to wear, but I know that teen girls the world over are probably in raptures over Fuzzy Toe Socks!  There's a fuzzy sock mania going on these days, and I, for one, hope it never dies down!

Moving on to critter slippers - this is another pinnacle in comfie status.  I rarely mix fuzzy sockedness with critter slippers because I'm fairly warm natured and wearing both make my feet feel smothered.  I also never wear fuzzy socks with shoes because they're so thick and plush that my toes get squished inside my shoes.  One or the other is my choice, but I realize I may be unusual in that regard.  There may be many who wear fuzzy socks outside the house; I wear them in lieu of slippers. 

When I do choose slippers over fuzzy socks, my slippers are of the critter variety.  I have one pair of the half-slipper, backless kind that my Mom got me years ago and these have baby lambs on them.  Baby lambs complete with ridiculous, flirty eyes with long lashes and equally absurd long, floppy ears with pink satin inside, soft fleecy, lamb-ish fur outside.  When I walk, the lamb's ears flap and wag, adding all sorts of hilarity to my sashay. 

My ultimate comfie punctuation, of course, are my Snoopy ™ slippers.  If you know me at all, you know I am a Snoopy fan and have a genuine appreciation for the Peanuts™ brand of humor.  Again, a gift from my Mom, they are wonderful!  They are these big, poofy, marshmallowy kind of full slippers that keep my feet warm as well as appeal to my sense of comedy.  Snoopy just makes a fashion statement of the best comfie kind and I wear these slippers proudly.

Okay, yes, I admit that this is perhaps more of a girl thing, embracing comfie-ness with fuzzy socks and critter slippers.  Manly men have their version of laid back attire for a quiet day or evening at home, but rarely do they embrace fuzzy socks and critter slippers.  That's more the territory of women who are not afraid to embrace their inner child and delight in the pure silliness of being relaxed. 

The best part about fuzzy socks and critter slippers is that they "go" with any and everything (well, within the confines of home, of course)!  In fact, the more bizarre and absurd your fuzzy sock colors and designs, the better.  When I was in my mid-twenties, I worked in a restaurant that had a very rigid dress code for the front of the house staff.  Black slacks, white button down Oxford dress shirt, black tie and suspenders, black shoes for everyone, male and female alike.  The one way we could express ourselves was through our socks, and I amassed a huge collection of colors and designs.  Jump forward to present day and fuzzy socks are being created in equally unique designs and colors.  Obviously this appeals to my sense of humor and once again, I am expressing myself with the language of socks.  Critter slippers are just a happy adjunct of that theme.

Why choose something of this nature for a blog article?  Because I feel that mental and emotional health can be addressed and catered to with humor and a dash of irreverance at times.  Taking time for ourselves and just being relaxed and free in whatever expression that appeals to us is important in the grand scheme of things. 

Something that I have always found of interest is that men like women in comfie attire!  I've taken informal surveys over the years about this with close male friends, and also with men I've been in relationships with and surprisingly, the overall consensus is that laid back, no makeup, hair in a ponytail, wearing comfortable clothes and the odd splash of personality via socks or slippers look is when they all find us ladies to be at our most attractive.  That never ceases to amaze me.

Granted, men are always appreciative when we do the full, glamourous, girlie presentation, done up to the nines for a night out on the town.  But from the informal surveys I've taken, it is when we are relaxed and not trying to impress anyone that our true beauty shines most brightly.  This always makes me smile, because it is true for everyone, regardless of embracing any fuzzy sockedness or critter slipper humor.

The art of comfies will vary from person to person, from season to season, from age to age.  Not everyone will "get" your personal application of comfie-ness.  That isn't important; what matters is that your particular brand of comfie-ness gives you joy and allows you to completely relax, be yourself and find that inner glow of peace and contentment. 

Spring is approaching and my fuzzy socks and critter slippers will be relegated to the winter clothing storage section of my closet.  Comfie attire will shift to yoga style clothing and oversized shirts with cutoff shorts.  Bare feet with cute pedicures will rule the warmer months of the calendar.  Flip flops and pretty sandals will be the form of expression that is embraced.

The art of comfies are simply an extension of who we each are, deep down inside.  If you look closely at that comfy attire, it will tell a unique story and if you ask questions, will spark a fascinating conversation a good 90% of the time.  Moving days, rehabs of furniture or additions to a home will be told in the form of tears in fabric, paint stains or ragged hems.  Clothing that should be banished to the rag bin or garbage will be held onto for those warm memories and brought out on comfie days to give voice to that inner contentment we all have deep inside. 

As a story teller, I am always captured by other peoples' comfies, and I will always be the one asking questions about that intriguing dash of outlandish style you have chosen to wear when you are the most genuinely relaxed.  It gives me an open door to learn beautiful, profound things about who you are at your most authentic level.  Comfies will definitely be different from one person to the next, but what is true for all of us is that our comfies define us in a very elemental manner. 

Who says each day should be rigid and formulaic in clothing? Embrace your unique comfie-ness, I say!  It is a slightly different version of the old standard of "Let your light shine"!  So, shine on in comfie-ness, my friends, and give voice to your own laid back contentment. 

*Disclaimer:  Mention of Snoopy ™ and Peanuts™ brands in this article are not meant to indicate, imply or suggest monetary compensation of any form was received by the blog author.*

Musical thoughts

Photo: parklandmusicalacademy.com

Last night I was reading about Einstein. I've always found him to be a fascinating character, as much for his personality, humor and quirky observations as for his scientific achievements. According to his contemporaries, he was a bit of an odd bird in many ways, which seems to highlight the warm side of his nature that much more. Perhaps, though, I am extrapolating - only those close to him could say if the man was warm-natured. I will say this much; Einstein provides a great deal of inspiration and contemplation for me on a wide range of topics. Today's inspiration comes back to one that I draw from frequently....music.

"If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music...I draw most joy in life out of music." ~ Albert Einstein

I found it fascinating to read that particular passage. Hmm, I thought, another soul who thinks (or thought when he was living) the way that I do, and it turns out to be Einstein. Go figure. I am in no way equating my mindset to that of a scientific genius. In fact, I find the comparison and similarity to be rather unusual. I've noted in a past blog my own particular absorption with music and lyrics. This is something I have always experienced and for a good many years, I just assumed everyone else viewed the world in a similar manner. When I found this to be untrue, I admit to being a bit stunned. Confused might be a better word. I just wasn't prepared to learn that, no, most people don't get caught up in the layers of music and the tiny shifts in wording and lyrics the way that I do. I'm not kidding - this was a revelation to me, around the age of eleven. Over time, I also discovered that people like me, who relate strongly to music, often seem to have a strong eye for gradations of color. I would love to know the genetic reasoning behind those traits seeming to co-exist. Little things like this just rivet my attention.

I can tell you one thing for certain - throwing the topic out for discussion can spark some deeply interesting conversations. I have a close girlfriend who thinks, daydreams, breathes in mathematical equations. That absolutely captivates me, simply because my brain doesn't work with linear logic the way that her brain does. To her, I daresay, mathematics is a form of equational poetry. It has a cadence that makes sense to her, and that makes her heart sing. I have a cousin who thinks, daydreams and breathes all things mechanically related. He can listen to a car motor and his ear picks up some infinitesimal nuance that the rest of us are deaf to hearing. His hands are as delicate and talented as any brain surgeons as he works on restoring classic cars and the finished projects are dazzling to the senses.

I guess that I can sum this post up by saying that we all have our own unique Einstein-ian musical thoughts. It manifests differently, and beautifully in each of us, specific to the harmony of our individual spirits. While music definitely is the primary manner in which my own thoughts drift and flow, I'm not musically gifted in regard to playing a musical instrument or singing. Therefore, my thoughts eventually translate into words. Putting words on paper is my tangible application of musical thoughts. It delights me to create with words, splashing them with mad fervor at times, brushing them lightly and softly as a sigh at other moments. All the while, during my creative moments, in my mind are my own Einstein-ian musical thoughts.

I admit to wondering how Einstein might regard this blog, sparked by what may have been some random comment he made in passing. Would he find it interesting? Would he nod in companionable understanding? Would he shake his head in doubt that I missed his point entirely? Of course it doesn't really matter, but those thoughts flit about in my writer's mind and I enjoy the various scenarios. I just know that once I read the above quote last night, the thoughts began to swarm in my head, much like the lyrics of a song that demands to not be forgotten. I knew that a blog was the inevitable result and here I am, finishing up. I, too, live my daydreams in music....and I translate them into a reality and my own personal symphony, of words. I count myself fortunate that the result always makes me happy.

"Get to know Me again"

The above statement was taken from an email from a friend I'm getting to know all over again. I've commented a couple of times recently about the dynamic that Facebook has for reuniting people. I have only been active with my own Facebook page since the middle of this summer of 2009 and have been astonished at all the reunions that have been occurring in my life. I'm reconnecting with friends from childhood, grade school through high school, and from multiple past companies I've worked for over the years. The process is particularly fascinating when the connections are with childhood friends.

With some of these people, I go as far back as kindgergarten years. That's a long time, my friends! Here's another interesting thing - some of the people from school years I'm reconnecting with via Facebook are people that I wasn't that close to way back then, but now am growing strong new friendships with. Others were good, solid connections that just got cut off when high school years ended and people went their separate ways. Revisiting, re-establishing and re-learning these relationships is a joyful thing for me.

We're all familiar with the fact that high school tends to be fraught with tensions, uncertainties, competition, insecurities and lack of communication. I don't know that we're ever really perceived in what we could consider a true light during those years, as everyone is busy with gossiping, judging and trying to keep their own heads above the social whirlpool that high school creates. Most of us get branded with a specific title, or label, very early in grade school and that, right or wrong, tends to be the perception that sticks throughout the whole school experience.

The friend that made the statement above was someone I knew throughout high school, was friendly with, socialized with, but all on a fairly surface level. Now, over 25 years later, we're talking on an adult level without the distractions of teenage angst. This is allowing us both to get to know the true people we each are and so far, it's been a lot of fun.

This getting to know one another all these years later provides a strong mirror for each person. As adults, we're able to be much stronger in our identities, secure with ourselves and as a result, secure in learning who that other person has become. It is fascinating to reconnect with childhood acquaintances and learn who they have become as adults. The things that you learn about yourself as a result of these reconnections are equally fascinating. Cue the statement above, in its entirety:

"You cheer me up, Dawn, open my eyes and allow me to almost get to know Me again."

First of all, what a lovely compliment to receive. I can't think of a greater gift to give someone than to let them know they're making a difference in someone else's life, and that comment gave me that gift. I've said it countless times before - we rarely realize that we DO make an impact on others, unless they let us know. The second, and most important fact about all of this, is the simple pleasure that these old-yet-new-again friendships give us. Regardless of the depth of interactions that may have occurred during childhood growth years, we have history with those people that forges a very strong bond. If we're very lucky, and we choose to seize opportunity when it is presented to us, we are given the chance to develop that bond into a new friendship.

I'm experiencing this with several people from those childhood years. I'm also experiencing it with several people from those various past work incarnations. They all bring new layers, complexities and color to our lives, conjuring up memories of shared laughter, absurd moments and emotions revisited, while at the same time bringing the newest, current version of ourselves together with these people.

If we're alive, we're growing. That's a basic truth. Life throws endless curves, twists and surprises at us along the road. We reconnect with people at various moments, and as a result, we reconnect with ourselves, remember who we were, recognize who we are now and see the potential and the surprising strengths that we have in the mirror of these other people's eyes. That's a beautiful experience to recognize.