Words from the Heart

The ability to say, "No," is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.  Too often, we become overwhelmed in life because we fear that agreeing to do something for others is expected and if we decline, then we have somehow done something wrong. This kind of thinking leads us to become resentful, exhausted and sick. Trust me, this is not an easy lesson to learn.  I didn't become good at it until well after I turned 50 and I still have to remind myself that it is OK to let go.  Recently, I had to let go of several duties I had taken on.  They were duties I had enjoyed, but, had now become burdensome when coupled with responsibilities at home and work as well as battling Epstein Barre virus. I knew in order to get back on my feet, I needed to give up some of what I was doing. Letting go, saying no, making wise choices about how to use what energy and resources you have is difficult, but you can get the hang of it with practice.   As we get close...

Photo Credit: Public Domain Image - Wikimedia Forty-seven years ago, I made a very conscious decision to serve my brothers and sisters around the world.  For the longest time, I didn't know how this was going to happen, after all, I was a poor, inner-city kid. However, as in all things, when we stay open to possibility, Creator sends us the tools, the mentors and the means to do the work we are here to do. For me, that work is partly creative (poet), partly sharing what I know (teacher) and partly serving in whatever way I can (minister).   I am blessed to be able to reach out to so many with Words from the Heart. I always hope that what I write touches others in some way and eases their journey through life, or inspires them to be their best, or even open them to new possibilities. Today, as we observe the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I challenge my readers to do something of service.  You don't have to give or raise money; you don't...

For the last few years, I have picked a word on New Year's to be my point of meditation.  Last year was Light and I explored all the ways "Light" is used in our lives.  This year, my word is "health."   As I get older, I am becoming more and more aware that our health has so much more to do with our mind and spirit than it does our actual physical selves.  So, I have begun the year improving, working on and developing my creativity.   Seems that when we decide to do something, Creator sends all kinds of help, so it was not surprise that my dear Soul-Sister, Eliza Fayle was thinking on the same tract as I was.  She is facilitating a great workshop, The Artful Joyful Me Project through her website, Artful Joyful You . Just learning about the project got me all fired up into researching how creativity helps reduce stress.  There are so many new reports available that it is mind boggling!  For Christmas, I gave my daughters adult col...