Becoming the Whole You | lifesgoldenseason

September 3, 2020August 12, 2021

The Choice to Rise Above

This morning finds myself in my office. Another haven I love to inhabit is the stillness of the morning hours. The aroma of the diffusion of orange essential oil fills the room and the only sound I hear is the tick of the clock on the wall. The coffee cup sits filled to the brim and mixed perfectly with just the right amount of the whole cream. I consider this a “Perfect Moment”.

My journal entry today includes the many reasons I am grateful. The current days of complete chaos in the world offer an opportunity to make a choice. The choice of engaging with the absolute uncertainty and may I say “insanity” of the events of 2020 or a choice to use the events as a footstool to raise us to another level.

Another level is where you find a different season. The old saying goes “if something is not working for you, then do something different”. Seems simple right? However, many times we flounder with what the “something different” may contain. It will most likely reshape our perspectives, character, behavior, and understanding of our predestined purpose. Ultimately, it will require extended effort and time.

It requires conscious effort to stay separated from today’s events. Fear and deceit have invaded the boundaries of what we know as “normal”. I believe we have all found ourselves facing the decision to either rise above the circumstances that surround us or follow the road most traveled into fret and worry. It is wisdom to stay informed but it is torment to saturate your thoughts with every incoming “breaking news” bulletin.

Make the effort to find “your moments”. Yes, this means to make time in your day to purposely step outside of your normal routine. I know some people that find their solace in a good book or an afternoon massage. Others look for the rainbow by releasing their creativity while cooking in the kitchen. Some of us are releasing our inner expressions through writing and music. Whatever it is – I promise there is a creative spark in you that has never been ignited. You hold the key to igniting the flame that exposes a whole new season.

I leave you with this encouragement. Choose the high road above the noise of the temptation to engage in the chaos of the daily news. Choose a block of time each day and let it invite you into its opportunity to expand the world into a massive landscape of new beginnings. Become aware of your own abilities and the fact that someone is waiting for your purpose to flourish because your life will inevitably affect theirs. To broaden our view beyond ourselves can only cause an increase. Be a part of that increase.

Enjoy the Journey – VB

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August 27, 2020March 25, 2021

Stuck in a Season

I sat very still in my favorite chair and sipped the hot Earl Grey out of my favorite cup as the morning thunderstorm moved through. The view was the same as always but the sounds were so inviting IF you tuned into them. While we as humans are busy doing the daily grind, there is an entire world happening around us. It was one of those rains that came straight down and made the trees sing as if they were all in harmony with each other. The hummingbirds took advantage of the cool temperatures and buzzed at lightening speed in their destination to the sweet nectar in the feeders. I could hear a train make it’s way down the tracks while my winter poinsettias seemed to drink loudly of the fresh rain. I think most of us would be astonished at how much we really DON’T hear on a daily basis.

The picture above is of our cat, Earnie. We had just rescued him from a shelter. He hated wide open spaces so he would sit for hours in the bathroom sink. We would talk to him each time we passed by the bathroom. I am sure it seemed like a great place to be but life was passing him by and he didn’t know it.

While I am the first to recognize a “Perfect Moment”, I have also been guilty of remaining “Stuck in a Season”. The sad part is I didn’t even know I was stuck. Looking back, it was like a rat wheel of familiarity that was leading to nothing new. I had become so conditioned to the environment and events that shaped my life that considering something new seemed radical and foolish. If you are one of those people who DO NOT fear change – then I commend you and say “Journey ON with BOLDNESS and COURAGE!”. However, if you find yourself stuck in the season of doing things the same way every single day while deeply desiring change, then open your ears to hear. Listen to your heart. Afterall, isn’t it the wellspring of life? Wellspring literally means an original and bountiful source! Your heart holds the source of your genuine self! There is something that is specific to YOU. Something so original that unless it is uncapped and released – the world will NEVER see it.

Two years ago, I actually scheduled time on my own calendar to do nothing but write my dreams in a book. Do you know it was one of the most challenging things I have ever done? I was even nervous about meeting with myself and attempting to dream with no limits. 6 hours later I was exhausted. That little dream book is one of my most cherished items. I keep it close to me because dreaming is much easier now and I add to it often. It holds the future with no boundaries. The most exciting part is that many of those dreams have already came true!

I leave you with this – don’t let yourself be one of those folks who walk through every season of their life wearing the same attire. In other words, attempt to dream and surprise your friends and family with a “new outfit”! Let your hair down and run toward the thing that seems impossible. The blessing will be great for you and the world. The step forward will also lead to something else and before you know it – the sound of the rain will suddenly be louder than the stagnancy of being stuck.

For the record – Earnie is now a year old and has greatly expanded his territory. Let’s just say his daily adventures find him resting peacefully in the evening. May we all follow his example. 🙂

Enjoy the Journey – VB

August 20, 2020March 25, 2021

Do you Recognize Your Season?

This picture was taken in our fire pit this spring. It intrigued me to see beauty rise up out of the ashes.

One of the things I enjoy the most is reflecting on the season changes I get to witness from the deck while sitting in my favorite chair. Sometimes the air feels hot and humid in the active days of summer right before the rain. There is also the beauty of the leaves as they change colors as fall makes it entrance. My plants tell me after the first cold snap that its time to move inside and watch through the window as the winter season unfolds. Spring always brings the anticipation of sitting in the morning air once more and watching the wildlife wake up from the winter months.

The seasons of our lives are simultaneously changing with the seasons of the earth. It has been both a joy and a challenge for me to acknowledge that simple epiphany. To understand it is to know that whatever season one is currently experiencing will soon change. It’s important to know when to embrace a lovely summer or when to batten down the hatch and wait for a fall storm to blow over. It’s equally important to know the time to rest and watch a winter season from the safety and warmth of the inside or when to fling the windows open and shake the dust from the curtains to allow spring to help you do something different and exciting.

Most of us are wired for routine and find security in thinking we know what the next day is going to bring. It took a near death experience from an unexpected motorcycle accident to shake me out of that mentality. The truth is we do not know what the next day holds. Our season may change with the blink of an eye. I was suddenly thrust into a winter season of physical recovery. while we were riding the hills of the Ozarks in Arkansas on a beautiful fall day. My total focus changed to learning to sit still while my body healed the broken bones. I had a lot of time to watch the world around me from the recliner in our living room. Let’s just say I learned a lot. While I became one with the furniture, everyone else in the house went about their daily lives. It disturbed me to see the fast pace that had become our way of life. Living to work and working to live. While working is certainly a priority – so is stopping to smell the roses.

Even the season in the chair soon changed to long hours of physical therapy, going back to work myself, and moving through the huge array of orthopedic devices that offered assistance until I could stand on my own two feet again. Now I am left with only the reflection of that particular season.

In a nutshell, I encourage you to first recognize your current season and simply adjust accordingly because it will soon change. Anticipate the change and prepare to move through it fully awake. Stop and smell the roses along the way because flowers can bloom anywhere. You may be surprised how perfect moments can be captured when they are least expected. Every season has bright spots of growth and joy. Remember it is Your Season! Make it golden!

Enjoy the Journey – VB

August 13, 2020June 10, 2021

Create Your Haven

There is simply not a better time of the day than early morning. Every woman should have their “haven”. That place in the home you can call their own. The place where you can lock the rest of the world out before it even wakes up. I was once advised by a holistic doctor to wake up and experience the sunrise was one of the healthiest things you could do for your well-being. The morning light entering your body through the eyes sets the pace for the whole day. That was not hard advice for me to follow. I can be found in my office most mornings before the sun makes its appearance. A cup of hot tea by my side and soft jazz music filling the air. It is my creative space and I’ve made it my haven. The above picture is what I see out of the window.

I remember well my Mother’s 50th birthday. I teased her about being a half-century old! And now here I am- well over the half century mark myself! For me, it took an unexpected life event to change the course of my entire perspective on life. I sincerely hope that is not the case for my readers. On the other hand, my mother had an incredible way of making every season of life seem golden. She modeled a series of moment to moment positive decisions on how to spend each day. She blended the sunrise, hard work, and laughter into memorable moments for the whole family. Even her death was a golden moment. She left some big foot steps to fill but most of all she blazed a trail of influence lit with beams of sunshine.

I believe the half-century mark opens up an entire new opportunity to embrace. We would do ourselves a terrible injustice to not take advantage of this particular golden season. It certainly offers a time of reflection and reprioritizing. I encourage each person in my path to do the same because the rewards are large. You get more out of yourself and everyone around gets more of you.

One thing I did was write a book. I’ve always heard that your own life testimony is good material for your first book. My book, “Escape from Darkness” (mentioned on About Me ) , was more about the journey to freedom FROM that testimony. I learned some things. Your story is what defines your perspectives and behaviors. We are victims of our environments from the very day we enter the world. The beauty is that while we cannot change the past, we can certainly use it as a tool to define the trajectory of how to make the rest of our years on earth the best they can possibly be. There is always room for improving and adjusting even if you’re already living the best life. Each day has golden nuggets that we run past simply because we aren’t looking.

I will leave you with this encouragement. Plan to enjoy the sunrise. Slow down and find one golden nugget in your day that has been waiting for you all along. Take a moment and remember “THIS IS YOUR SEASON“. Create your haven and by all means

Enjoy the journey…VB

August 2, 2020July 24, 2021

Why I Blog….

Why I blog has been nothing less than an organic process for me. The truth is –it’s my therapy. In my day, we learned to write..like physically hold a pen and write in cursive. I loved that. The feel of the pen, the way the ink flowed on the paper, and the way thoughts can actually come out of your head so you could see them! Deep thinking for such a young mind but it brought me great joy and peace even then.

Learning to blog is certainly a modern version and a more professional way to journal. I do love the avenue it gives us writers to share with others.

Through the years I have filled up stacks of journals that document the many diverse seasons of my life. I am thankful for the written history now. It is interesting to travel back through the pages and see my story. A story that can only be my own. I am enjoying this season of my life more and more with each day.

I believe our stories are one of the most powerful tools of influence that we can possibly possess. Our own stories of trial, victories and even defeat will undoubtedly intertwine and bring a thread of encouragement for someone else at some point in time. I turned 56 this year. If I had known the things I know now, I certainly would have changed a few of the routes I took to get here. I suppose we could all say that. Yet, it is OUR story, right? It’s unique and the best part is that it is not fully written yet. We march on with the wisdom and knowledge we have gained through life experiences.

I recently wrote the book Escape from Darkness. It is a short easy read that took me two years to write. It was grueling because I first had to live what I wrote about. I simply penned the journey of finding freedom from my past that had held me captive for most of my years. Somewhere during the process, I thought to myself “Hey, this is going to be a book because I want everyone to find this sense of freedom.” That’s exactly how it happened.

Writing that book not only set me emotionally free but also threw a spark on the very part of me that enjoyed writing since the day I could hold a pen. So goes the Blog. I need a place to keep priming the pump (so to speak) and hopefully, it will also serve as valuable inspiration to some readers. A Blog is a vehicle for that to happen.

The Blog will fit perfectly into this season of my life as I form a new outlet to express myself and encourage others to do the same. Expressing ourselves is a must to achieve complete wholeness. I am excited to share the things I’ve learned thus far and more excited to make new friends from the blogging community and readers who enjoy the content. Stay tuned for more posts from my mind to the paper and by all means

Enjoy the journey…VB

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