This year we (in PackerLand…home of the Green Bay Packers!) were just given another HUGE reason to celebrate…we won (well, the guys in the green and gold, on the field) won Super Bowl XLV!!!!  Can I get a wOOt?!?  Now, I’m not even a big ol’ football fan.  I’ll tell you what I am, though.  I’m the BIGGEST FAN EVER of FEELING JOY and BASKING IN JOY…and MILKING it for all it’s worth. Yup.  I’m a FAN of Celebrating all things that induce uninhibited, free flowing, juicy, wild and crazy JOY…from the inside, out.

What’s to Celebrate?!

Celebrate BIG! Your JOY is Waiting

Not sure?  Nothing immediately screaming to be celebrated?  Look closer.
The thing is…I’m pretty darn good at finding things to celebrate, even if there’s not a biggie like a birthday or an anniversary on the calendar. How about you?

• Do you easily find reasons to jump up and down, hooting and hollering in ecstatic, blissful JOY?

Excitement is contagious.  Let it flow…Celebrate BIG…and SHARE the JOY!  Without further ado…here’s my~

Top 10 Reasons to Celebrate RIGHT NOW!

1. SUNRISE! (In case you haven’t noticed, it does it EVERY SINGLE DAY.  Without question.  It rises.  Gifting us a new day, a new beginning, a new life.  Now *that’s reason to celebrate…don’t you think?!?)
2. BREATH! (Yeah!  Cool right?  If you’re reading this, you’re breathing. That’s HUGE reason to celebrate, in my opinion.  Breath = LIFE.)
3. PRESENCE! (No, not the wrapped kind.  The ‘here I AM‘ kind.  The I exist, I BE…kind.  Can you feel how remarkable that is? Holla!!)
4. LOVE! (Seriously.  There’s a whole lot of it.  Look around.  Look within.  FEEL it. Tap into it.  Celebrate it.  LOVE, just for the sake of loving…love what ever feels good to LOVE.  Just LOVE.  …and celebrate it!)
5. LIGHT! (OK…so I know we already celebrated the sunrise…this one’s about the LIGHT that is within.  Your BRILLIANCE. The very essence that breathes through you…from the heart, from your soul…the Source Energy that you are.  SHINE On, Brilliant One…and celebrate your luminescence! )
6. HEART! (Yours.  Different than Love…and very much the same.  It’s a gift.  It pulses LIFE through your very being-ness. You are alive, thanks to your heart.  Put your hand there…feel your heart beating…connect to the rhythm of you.  Can you feel it?  It’s a party…going non-stop, 24/7…until it doesn’t anymore and then a whole ‘nother party starts!  Celebrate it!)
7. INSPIRATION! (…and don’t tell me you’re not feeling it.  Do you know that every single time you feel moved to do something, from your own accord…from your own creation…not based on someone else telling you to, not based on self-imposed obligation, that it’s inspiration leading the way?  YOUR INspiration! Get in touch w/the smallest of inspiring moments that move you throughout your day…celebrate them and give yourself permission to tap the inspiring aspects of YOU more often.  Now *that’s* a party!)
8. FREEDOM! (Freedom to choose.  EVERYthing! Freedom to choose your thoughts and your moods, most wonderfully amazing!  In the choosing, we create our entire reality…and if we’re utilizing our freedom, and choosing deliberately, intentionally, on purpose, well…heck!…there’s gonna be a LOT MORE reason to celebrate!  Can I get a YES!?!)
9. NATURE! (Because Mother Nature rocks! Well yes…her rocks, trees, flowers, grass, sand between your toes, ocean water lapping the shores, snow covered majestic peaks, lush green valleys with flowing rivers…gently guiding us downstream, winged & feathered ones, gilled and scaly ones, flippers waving, leaping from the water ones, 4-legged ones, great and small, domestic and wild, …come on, who’s with me…celebrate the puppy breath, the purring vibration of kitty on your lap, the soft nuzzle of your horse’s warm breath embracing you, the excited chirping of your feathered friend…the wind harmonizing with the birds in the trees, the call of the lone wolf, the owl hooting in the night, the silly chippies and squirrels frolicking as they work, the whale mamas birthing their young in warm ocean waters, the sea turtles basking in the sun…  Mmmm.  Nature.  Nurtures us. Roots.  Leaves.  Wind.  Water.   Soil.  Flesh and Blood. All reasons to connect.  All reasons to celebrate!  Let NATURE keep your party going, NOW.)
10. YOU! (OK, so some of the other ‘things’ on this list are already about or in you…I know.  And…this one’s about celebrating the WHOLEness of YOU.  The Divine Brilliance of YOU.  The JOY of YOU…just for the JOY of it.  Do you know how AWESOME you are?  I do!  And I’m celebrating YOU right now.  And now.  And NOW. …Still celebrating…

Coolest List EVER!

Wanna know why?  This is the coolest list ever because it is CELEBRATION WORTHY at ALL TIMES!!!

• It’s not dependent on a birthday, anniversary, superbowl winning, or any other sort of click on the calendar.
• This list is reason to celebrate every moment of every day.
• This list, when celebrated makes your inner JOY bubble forth like nobody’s business!  And that’s the heart of the whole thing.

Your JOY is nobody’s business…but, your own!  Your JOY is YOURS.  It’s not something anyone else can give you…and it’s nothing anyone else can take from you.  It’s YOURS!!!

Hmm…  It would seem that would be a bonus thing to add to our list.  Make that…

**BONUS:  JOY! (It’s nobody’s business but yours.  It’s YOURS.  It’s inside.  Always.  YOURS to FEEL!  YOURS to INDUCE.  YOURS to REVEL in, BASK in…MILK that JOY…and know that it’s infinite…never depleting, never ending…a continuously self-replenishing resource that resides within YOU.  *Holy Hannah, LIFE is GOOD!* Celebrate JOY…feel more JOY!  Talk about a win-win!

JOY~It’s inside each one of us.  It’s up to us to give ourselves permission to SING IT!  …or dance it, shout it, paint it, drive it, walk it, shout it, write it…heck…all out REVEL in IT (JOY)!

What are you celebrating today?  Let’s add to this list…there are endless things to celebrate, right here, right now…in this awesomely brilliant moment!

I’ll meet you in the comments, let’s get this party started continued!

Photo Credit

However, every now and again, I come across something from the scientific research realm that screams, “See, I told you so!”…and I just have to share it as further evidence and confirmation of what my own life experience confirms daily.

Vulnerability

Here’s what I found, thanks to my friend Sarah’s blog pointing to this TED Talk from Brene Brown (video below).  Brene’s a researcher/storyteller (heavy on the researcher, easy on the storyteller, so she says).

A true academic at heart, Brene loved the idea that a real life researcher/professor told her in the beginning of her studies as a social worker: “If you can’t measure it, it doesn’t exist.” She also appreciated the saying common amongst social workers, “lean into the discomfort”…although Brene’s natural tendency was the desire to clean it up real quick.

I begin with this basis because Brene’s outlook could not be more distant from mine at this point.  Lean into the discomfort? Are you kidding me?  Why would we do that?!?

I say lean as heavily as possible in the direction of comfort, relief, etc…run if you have to…MOVE in the direction of feeling better, NOW. Why?  Because feeling better leads to feeling good and feeling good always brings more feel good.

Connection: Easy or Queazy?

Brene set out to research why people experienced discomfort with connection.  It boiled down to some things that weren’t surprising to me at all. Basically, shame and fear.  Fear of not belonging.  Fear of unworthiness.

And then, suddenly…Brene’s research discoveries were singing my song.  This new evidence made perfect sense to me, made my heart swell and my body tingle.

She made the discovery of people who experience connection without challenge (or, even in spite of it)…and their experience with connection was based on them feeling authentically aligned with their REALness, (their Joy of Brilliance, some may say).

Their positive experience with connection was tied to their willingness to be vulnerable…and that very vulnerability led them to their greatest Joy, Creativity and Sense of Belonging. ~Go figure!~

Brene’s research revealed that people who were willing to be vulnerable held three important values,

1. Courage (Which she tells us is much different than bravery when defined from its original root meaning, “tell the story of who you are with your whole heart”.
2. Compassion (…to treat themselves kindly.  Sounds like Self Love to me!)
3. Connection (willingness to be who they really are, authentically, which allows true connection.)

These same people reported that they believed that what made them vulnerable, made them beautiful. How sweet is that?!  Can I get an AMEN?!

For Brene, this idea of vulnerability was excruciatingly uncomfortable.  This was also true for many of her 1000′s of data entries from real live people who had taken part in her 6 years of research.

• How could something that seemed so fundamentally obvious and easy for some, be so detrimentally difficult, and even painful for others?
• How could one person feel blissfully vulnerable, leading to JOY…while another felt completely stifled by vulnerability, leading to numbing and shrinking from their very being-ness?

JOYful Discovery

What Brene continued to discover was what I’ve known forever…what I’ve been blabbing on about to you beloveds that read my heartfelt words…what I’m deeply, ever so appreciative of; Brene discovered that it’s just best if we:

Be authentic.  Be real.

Let ourselves be seen, deeply seen, vulnerably seen.

Love with our whole hearts.

Practice gratitude and JOY.

To feel this vulnerable means, I’m alive.

To believe, I am enough.
When we know this, we stop screaming and start listening…

We become gentler with ourselves.

Photo Credit

I’ve been a very, very good girl.  How do I know?  Because I feel good, happy, awake, vibrant, alive and well.  And I like feeling like that.  So I just keep on reminding myself how good it feels…and the feelings keep renewing!

Have there been any days that weren’t ‘all that’?  Maybe.  But Santa, you know as well as I do that where we focus, magically creates more of the same.

So Santa…

I’m choosing to focus on the Feel Good.  (Which is why I’m writing this letter to you…)

Dear Santa…

I’ve been a very, very good girl.

I believe in abundance.  I believe in dreams come true.  I believe that JOY is my merry purpose.  (Pretty sure it’s yours, too! ) I believe that SHINING is my Birthright.

Me and my BIG heart appreciate all that life has delivered to me over the last year.

What I appreciate most are the FEELINGS I’ve felt…

Feelings like~

• Wonder
• Passion
• Exhilaration
• Peace
• Feisty Friskiness
• JOY (and all it’s Happy Cousins, including GLEE, Euphoric & Bliss!)
• Uplift-ment
• Appreciation (yes, I can appreciate feeling appreciation!)
• Loving
• Hopefulness
• Creativity
• Curios
• Guided
• Energized
• Inspired
• Safe
• Balanced
• Focused
• In Awe
• BRILLIANT!
• …just to name a few.  :)

Hey Santa…

Know what’s cool?  Now that I’ve experienced all of these nifty feelings, they’re mine.  And because they’re mine…I can feel them again.  And again.  Cool, right?

What do I want?  More of the same and better, of course!

But, don’t sweat it, Santa.  I know it’s all up to me.

I know it’s not your responsibility to bring me happiness or JOY…or anything else for that matter.

I also know that everything I want is available to me…all I have to do is enJOY life, line up with the feel good…have FUN…and allow…and open my heart and my arms to receive.  And I can DO that!  Easy Peasy!

So all I’m asking Santa, is that you keep shining.  You know, your eyes how they twinkle, your dimples how merry…a right jolly, (b)old elf.

Because clearly, you’ve got JOY and a whole lot of other feel good vibes fully covered.

You’re an inspiration, Santa.

I know this letter is somewhat unorthodox.  You won’t mind; you like it like that.

After all, anyone who lives at the North Pole with hundreds of elves, eating cookies all day and playing with reindeer while you get ready to fly across the sky one night a year to deliver good vibes to good little boys and girls, GETS unorthodox!

You GET it, Santa.  And I just wanted you to know that I get it, too.  I like magic.  Heck, if the North Pole wasn’t so darn cold all year, I’d probably come move in with you like Buddy the Elf did!

Have a blessed and abundantly JOYful Holiday and New Year, Santa!  (If that’s what you want, of course.  It’s your story, you get to write it as you desire it to be!  As do I…and the way I see it…it’s ALL looking pretty magnificently brilliant!)

Here’s to all the New Stories we create for ourselves in the approaching New Year!

And Santa?

My gift to you…  Loads of LOVE, Laughs and Photos of my doggie niece and nephew.  Rosie and Faron.  I’m pretty sure they’ve got visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads.  Faron’s on the floor, dazed with amazement and Rosie’s eager, forward looking and totally ready for all the GOOD that awaits her.  I hope you enjoy their pictures, Rosie and Faron’s person (my sis!) took them.

With Love and Appreciation, Santa!
And by the way…
You ROCK the Red Suit!  Keep flying high!
One JOYful GOOD Feeling Girl…

XO ~ Debra

A BIG PS~

Just in case Santa’s not the only one reading this…  Here’s a FEEL GOOD way to start your New Story for 2011…

You’re a FIREWORK!  It’s TRUE!  I SEE YOU!
Let your LIGHT SHINE…Brilliant Ones!  All the BEST, just exactly as you dream it to be.  FEEL it!  BE it!  REST into it!

Breathe.  Believe.  Receive.  It’s ALL Happening!

Any NEW Stories you’re creating for 2011?

Any FEELINGS you’re intending to feel more of?

As always, LOVE to hear from you!!
Happy Holidays…I’m envisioning all the BEST for each and every one of you.  Shine on!!

Last night, while scrubbing the pasta kettle,

Abraham mentioned

a new way that Esther is choosing to play with the ABC game.

Since Esther

Up Level Your ABC Feel Good

loves how the ABC game puts her joyfully right into the vortex, she thought she’d see if she could amp up the stakes.  She’s now playing to string a sentence together using her favorite ABC words in alphabetical order.

What fun, I thought…and I thought it would pose to be a bit of a challenge.  Surprisingly, it didn’t!

I thought surely I’d have to add some prepositions or something in between words; I didn’t!
Very cool how easily this flowed.
It must have had something to do with being in the vortex!!  :0)

Here’s what I came up with…

(OK, so I had to cheat just a little for X…Abraham said it was OK.  ;~)

Attention Brilliant Creators!

Deliberately ease flow.  Great happiness invites joyful, kind, loving, manifestors now.  Open purpose…quiet relief…simply terrific understanding…veritably welcomes eXuberantly, your zeal.

Cool, huh?  :)  Anyone else want to play?

I’d love to hear your string of high vibe ABC’s in the comments below!!

Photo Credit

“Another absolutely gorgeous day. Can I bottle these for use at a later date?”

My dear friend Katja, on Kauai responded:

“The bottle is your heart and yes you can!!”

That was the most absolutely perfect response and I replied with huge heart:

"The Bottle is Your Heart"

“Katja… I love you!”

And then Katja expanded on her gift:

“Love you too, Miss!!!!

I always consciously acknowledge times that are simply blissful and connect with their blue print for later use!!!

I like the visual of “bottling” the energy.

Since negative thought patterns cruise around for a while, these much more pleasant times do too, so let’s catch ourselves some of the bubbles of JOY, FUN, BLISS and shower in them whenever we are are in a less uplifted mood.”

But of course! What a great idea, bottling the energy of feel good…why not? The best plan ever! And so I replied:

“Brilliant way of putting it, Katja! Love it!”

Finding the Good Stuff~

We all know that focusing on a good feeling thought brings more good feeling thoughts…and good feelings.

And, let’s face it. Sometimes when we’re feeling blue, it can feel tricky at best to find the better feeling thoughts that lead to a better feeling place.

Katja’s right. Pleasant times and experiences cruise around us all the time. In fact, in my opinion, much more often than the unpleasant ones do. Some of us have just trained ourselves to notice the unpleasant more than the pleasant. (Strange beings, we humans.)

What if we committed to re-training. What if we committed to recognizing, appreciating, basking and down right LOVING the pleasant-ness around us each and every day…down to the smallest of details.

Fill it Up!

I love doing that. It’s great fun to pause in the moment and look around…feel around…drink in all the precious pleasant things that surround me…right now…

• A purring cat,
• a dreaming dog,
• a crystal carnelian orb,
• a salt crystal lamp’s glow,
• the wind dancing in the trees outside my window,
• the smell of lavender and wintergreen,
• bright-vivid gold of Black-eyed Susans,
• feeling of inspired creation bubbling to the surface,
• excitement of new opportunities on the horizon,
• rested contentment and peaceful, easy feeling of flow,
• …Mmmm.

Your turn. Right here, right now. Give it a try…

• What do you see, feel, hear, taste, touch, sense?
• Dig deep if you have to…extend your awareness.
• Surely there’s something right exactly where you’re positioned.
• What pleasant yumminess can you find to appreciate?
• Need inspiration? Look out a window and prepare to be amazed.
• Nature will always offer some (or many) pleasant things to notice and bask in.

I love Katja’s metaphor; the bottle is your heart. It’s true! And it has limitless space!

Fill it intentionally with all things good.

And when the time comes when you’re feeling less than brilliant, open that bottle and shower yourself in goodness!

The Blueprint~

Katja’s ‘blueprint’ analogy is awesome.

The blueprint is our map, our foundation, our compass…and it’s an exact match to what becomes. The better the blueprint, the better the outcome.

In fact, the better the blueprint, the EVEN better the outcome as a good blueprint always leaves room for improvement…so we know it’ll be at least that good, or better!

Appreciation & Acknowledgment!

Thanks Katja, for sharing these inspired metaphors!

• Here’s to acknowledging the blissful, the pleasant, the joyful and the awesomeness.

• Here’s to connecting to the very blueprint of the experience so that it can be re-created as good or better again and again.

• Here’s to bottling the energy of it all in our heart of hearts so that we can, at our choosing, shower in its infinite goodness whenever and wherever we desire to.

So…

What are you finding that’s magically delicious to bottle today?

Photo Credit Blue Sky Bottle Flower
Photo Credit Heart Bottle

I know. That title could take us a variety of places. You’ll soon see where I’m going.

Alternate Title:

Cruella Cloudy with a Chance of Sunshine Meets Suzy Sunshine with a Chance of Clouds

or

Who Are You…and What Did You Do with My Rose Colored Glasses?

The past forever (scratch that, three weeks) have been some of the most challenging (scratch that, interesting) in the story of me and my becoming in a long while.

The usual naturally JOYful, centered, clear, aware, in-her-Brilliance-with-a-capital-B has taken a back seat to someone I haven’t seen much of in a very long time.

This visitor was uninvited and her arrival came as quite a shock, to say the least. …and like the occasional visitor that we’ve all had, it seemed as though there was no intended check out date!

Checking In…

What?!? You mean, I’ve got to live with this Mini Me?!? I’ve got to put up with this less-than-all-that-I-AM-me…this not-so-shiny-playing-small-for-no-real-apparent-reason-at-all me?!? What’s up with that?!?

Mini Me is in the House

To be completely honest, I don’t know how I could possibly have managed this intruder (uh, I mean, guest)…except that Mini Me did agree to take frequent down time so that I could still see, feel and touch the Bigger Me…the Brilliant, Joyful, Got-shine! me.

Just ask Mark, my hubby; having Mini Me in the house has been less than a picnic for him, too. However, he’s been the perfect example of “well, that’s your parade…I’ve got my own and you’re not raining on it!” For Abraham fans that’s a good thing.

Mark knows that to leave his Brilliance (his Vortex as Abe calls it) in order to assist another is futile. So from his shiny vantage point, he continues to see me with my shine on (and trust me, that’s not been super easy these days with Mini Me running rampant). He showers love and continues to walk in his light, knowing, *trusting* that eventually (let’s face it, hopefully sooner than later) I’ll meet him in the light.

Out of the Blue~

Some of you may be wondering… So where did Mini Me come from? Why this visit now? (and who gave Mini Me a passport & visiting visa here, anyway?!?) OK…well, I wondered that.

Trust me. I’ve been asking myself these questions, too.

Here’s the tricky part. Knowing what I know… I know that I am responsible for my reality. I create every tiny detail of it. I can not blame anything or anyone outside of me for *making* this happen. I *can* observe certain things that *may* encourage me to dull my own shine and shrink back from my Bigger Me, my Brilliant Me. …knowing full well that if I go there it’s MY choice.

I can tell stories like, I feel like I’ve lost my best friend ‘cause he’s out paddling every (OK, not every) day with his new buds and it’s just so different for me. I can tell stories like, why does he have all the fun while I just sit here taking care of dull details? I can tell stories like, I’m bummed, I don’t feel well, my back hurts, and no one likes me! Waaaaa!!!!
(Oh brother! Is that what I’ve been sounding like?! Sheesh! …and ew. Seriously. Shudders.)

Mini Me in the House!

So here I am as Mini Me. I still have access to Bigger *Brilliant* Me…but I’m keeping her at arms length.
There will be no Suzy Sunshine wearing her Rose Colored Glasses ‘round these parts right now!
OY! Seriously?!?

(Who’s ready to have me admitted? LOL Did you know you were dealing with a crazy??)

Abraham shares stories about Esther and her experience staying out of the Vortex for two whole days straight! *gasp!* Hah! While that’s given me comfort on some levels, two days is nothin’! I’ve got that beat by a landslide.
OK, wait. Am I being too harsh on myself?
Who’s writing this anyway? Mini Me? You’re outta here!

Taking the Bounce~

Truth is I’ve had lots of ‘Bounce’ experiences within these last three weeks. Plenty of moments where I found myself playing small and less than I know myself to be. Plenty of moments where I found myself on the opposite end of my usual spectrum where everything is sunshine and roses. (It’s dark over there! …and kind of creepy.) Thankfully, I was still in touch with the bounce. I knew that when I hit the contrast of the doom and gloom, woe is me experience that it created a provocative bounce to what I really wanted…making that super clear (…even if seemingly out of reach at times, available).

Contrast has been, shall we say, BIG from my perspective (and that’s the only place I can see it from).

From my Brilliance, the world around me is still painted magically delicious! All is WELL. Vibrant, alive, blissful, peaceful, JOYously, perfectly, amazing.

Thank God I can see that!!!

I remember a time when Mini Me was a larger part of my reality, and Bigger Brilliant Shining Me was still a growing part of my reality…unfolding petal by petal like the rose coming into full bloom.

The petals of this rose are in continuous unfolding.  (There are a LOT of petals, I choose when I’m complete…and I can always add more petals. It’s a BIG, beautiful rose.) Mini Me is now like an ant crawling amidst the gorgeousness that I’ve created…that I continue to create.

For what ever reason, I’ve been holding a magnifying glass up to Mini Me…amping her power, giving her more magnification in my experience.

Funny thought: Where was the sun while I was choosing to hold up that magnifying glass? Had I been shining, I’d have fried her!

Too scary? Sorry. Hopefully you can receive the metaphor.

Are You IN or Out?

Abraham also says that most of us live our life experience more out than in, regarding the vortex…or living in our Joy of Brilliance as I like to say.

I’ve had the experience of living more IN than out. And I want that. Always good to know (and be clear about) what we want…creates an ease and flow path right to it. Whew for that, huh?

So has Mini Me left the building? No. Not entirely. And I’m guessing that’s a good thing. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be as aware as I am, I may not be as able to relate to others as I assist and guide them take their bounces and come into their most amazing Joy of Brilliance.

Am I ready to step back into my shine and take my place at the helm of this magnificent journey I continue to embark on? Absolutely!

Will I be gentle with myself if Mini Me slides into the front seat again? I sure hope so.

The Credits!

In my next post, I’ll share a video that came to me via Kelly, a Joy of Brilliance fan and Earth Harmony Home frequent flyer. It was Kelly’s email and link that lit the fire of inspiration for this post. The Bigger Me was SO desiring to write. Mini Me had a lock on the keys.

Thanks to Kelly for being more than she knows in my experience! What a catalyst. Love and Hugs to you, Kelly. All aspects of me are in appreciation of YOU…and your Joy of Brilliance, in this shining moment right now.

Thanks to all of you reading this. Knowingly, or unknowingly…you’re all a part of what makes my desire to shine so great. I love and appreciate each and everyone of you for being here…and for growing in your Joy of Brilliance each and every day.

Joy is the Journey. The destination? Does it matter?
(Ooo…I *like* that! Yup. Juices are flowing. Brilliance engaged. Woo-Hoo!!)

Talk to Me~

Have any of you had any *you* vs. *YOU* experiences lately?

I’d love to hear about them… Always so good to know we’re in good company. LOL

Photo Credit

Not geographically… Rather, emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually…etc.

JOY of Brilliance is my chosen, beloved, ecstatically WONDER-full State of Being.

When giving presentations, I share it like this…

“Where do I live?  I live in a State of Being called Joy of Brilliance.  And I have a second ‘home’ I love equally; it’s the pathway to Joy of Brilliance if ever I feel  displaced from my Joy of Brilliance, and it’s another state that just feels so good.  In fact, both feel so good that I’ve learned to bi-locate and live in both simultaneously.  That state is the State of Appreciation!

Joy of Brilliance, when matched with a State of Appreciation is a place of BEing-ness that FEELS SO GOOD.  It is a ‘Connected to the Source Within Us’, JOY-full, Brilliant State of Being that exudes our uniqueness, our naturalness, the magic of Who We Really Are.”

When we live in and from natural Joy of Brilliance…

• we are ALIVE in all senses of the word…
• and we THRIVE blissfully in all we are…
• not to mention in all we do.

How do you find your JOY of Brilliance?

• You FEEL your way there!
• By focusing on what FEELS GOOD…
• By focusing on how you want to feel, and choosing to feel that right now.

I ask again…

• Which State do you live in?
• Are you choosing consciously?
• Does it FEEL GOOD there?

Joy of Brilliance has room for everyone!  It’s an open circle…a community of yumminess!!

Are you coming?

Joy of Brilliance Guidance~

I lovingly assist others to their own Joy of Brilliance,
through the gateway of Self Love,
following Path of Feel Good,
where we re-member that our thoughts create our reality…
and the reality we desire is to live JOY first and foremost.

The word BEAM…ever so slowing created space in the center…now revealing two words.  Be Am.
How profound, I thought.  I’d never thought of the word ‘beam’ in this way before.
For someone who’s all about shining her brilliance and beaming the light of her Divine Spark just because it feels so good, you’d have thought I may have considered this nifty word’s hidden message before.

BEAM ~

How cool is it that BEAM, which defined as a noun means:

1. A ray or shaft of light
* a directional flow of particles or radiation (energy beam)
2. A radiant or good-natured look or smile (a beam of satisfaction)

And that BEAM, when defined as a verb means:

1. transmit (energy) in a specified direction
2. shine brightly
3. smile radiantly

…how cool is it that BEAM as it is defined is so magically supportive of the two words brilliantly encoded within it, BE and AM?!?

Got BeAm?

My Joy of Brilliance Messengers rock so deep!  They know just how much I LOVE words and discovering more to them than meets the eye, so to speak.

Awakening to this BEAMing sign was one of those moments that has left me tingling with JOY ever since.

BE and AM ~

I’m sure I learned this somewhere back in the history of my grammatical English training.  And I’m sure I haven’t thought about it a day since.  Until now.

• The words BE and AM are representative of one another.
• ‘Am’ is the 1st person singular present of ‘Be’.
• Of course it is!

Both words have the same definition.
Be and Am ~

1. exist
2. occur; take place
3. having the state, quality, identity, nature, role, etc., specified

BEAM the AHA!

When we BEAM our BE AM-ness, we shine our light into the world from the inside, out…exuding the very qualities of our Joy of Brilliance!

It’s the eternal I AM.  It’s BE-ing.  It’s beam, with a wonderful, magical, brilliant capital B!

From this point forward BEAM will forever hold a deeper, more meaningful significance in the expression of my Joy of Brilliance.
I’m beaming with JOY, visualizing each and every one of you receiving this message of BeAm-ness into your experience.

‘Shine on’ rides side car today.
‘BEAM on’ is in the driver’s seat. Be Am your Joy of Brilliance to the max!

What will you BeAm today?
BEAM me up…let me hear all about it!

**All definitions courtesy of my MacBook Pro Dictionary**

Photo Credit

Did you ever have one of those days where everything you did left you flying high?  Yesterday was one of those days for me.

It started with my Manifestation Success Story and me being guests on one of Good Vibe University’s calls, hosted by Good Vibe Coach, Jeannette Maw.

On the call I shared the pretty darn incredible (if I do say so myself) story of how we (and when I say WE, I mean the ONEness, collective energy essence of the word to the max)…how WE manifested the clean, clear, smooth sale of our house…the house we used to own in Colorado.

After a year and a half on the market, we needed to pull out all the stops!  And we did!  With a little ton of help from our Outsourcerer friends at Good Vibe University we created a reality that knocked my socks off and got me dancing the Happy Dance all over the place for days!!

Listen in!  I’ve been told the call was inspiring on many levels.  I know it inspired me just being a part of it.  As I said, it got me flying high…and I’m still feeling it!

You may have read my recent post, Outsourcerers ~ The Power of Shared Manifesting.  And you may have noticed I’ve been sharing quite a lot lately about my experiences with the good vibers in Jeannette’s community.

That’s because some amazingly BRILLIANT stuff has been going on!  Wanna come and play?  Click here to become a member at GVU and let’s get even more JOY on together!

Love to hear from you!

Love, love, LOVE to hear your thoughts after you listen…please share in the comment stream…I’ll see you there!

photo credit sold w/happy face
photo credit sold w/sky

I had an OY! moment just a few days ago.

My horse and I were out for a lovely sleigh ride…

Horse Play

It was MAGICAL! Sun glistening on new fallen snow…birds singing in the quiet woods…just she and I dashing along on a one horse open sleigh. It was so enJOYable that I was singing songs to her…and I’m sure she was liking it!

JOY!

When suddenly…!

While coming across one of the fields I saw my boarder’s hubby coming down the drive on a new to the farm horse. The mare was weaving and bobbing and didn’t look like she was too excited to be being ridden. My horse hadn’t met this horse before…in fact the new horse hadn’t properly met any of the horses on the farm yet.  (There’s a certain protocol that’s helpful when introducing a new horse to the herd.)

All of the horses were getting a little amped. I quieted my Lindy as best I could…I was feeling anxious right along w/the herd (not my job, 1st signal that I was creating a reality I may not desire.)
Boarder’s hubby & his mare kept approaching and I yelled out to them that I didn’t feel like it was a good idea for them to come over and ride with us.
He insisted we’d all be fine.

OY!

And if I’d have bought his version of reality all would have been fine…
For me, it didn’t feel right (and thus I played my role in creating what happened next).

All 30 horses on the farm went crazy at once.
My horse (and me on the very open, nothing to hang on to, nothing to brace myself on, box sleigh) took off at FULL speed.  I did my best to bring her in…calm her down to a halt but she was not thinking about me or listening…she was OFF like a rocket.

I started sliding and in the moment felt I had two choices,

1. to slide down off the front of the sleigh and have it run over me…
2. to bail and fly off the side of the very fast moving sleigh.

I chose to bail.

OY!
I blacked out, lost my hearing for a few moments…and then came to and felt pretty OK.

My horse continued running like a crazy girl…eventually destroying the sleigh, wood splinters & bits flying every where…which caused all the horses in their pastures to panic, bolt and break through several fence lines.

OY!

It was utter mayhem!

The good news is…everyone is fine, no broken bones, nothing super serious.  (JOY!)

A stiff reality

The next day I was VERY, very sore and stiff…concerned some what about my neck, feeling not so great about how and why this all happened and how I took part in creating it, etc.

You see, you know me…I’m the one who believes wholeheartedly that we create our reality.  That’s true no matter what the reality is.  Good…or what we may consider less than good.

• I felt like this could happen, thereby creating space for it in my reality
• I felt strongly that I did not want Boarder’s Hubby & new mare to approach & ride w/us, but I did not clearly state my feelings and I didn’t say NO, thereby creating more space for something that did not feel good to me in my reality
• I felt fear, thereby creating misalignment and separation from Source/My Brilliance
• I saw a less than desirable outcome in my mind’s eye…and my horse responded to meet my expectations

All the while I could have chosen to see things differently, but I was caught up in a state of ‘oh-no!’…and I went with it.
It’s OK.  It happens sometimes.  And all of life is on purpose.

I’ve been so busy of late…enJOYing every moment of it, and at the same time feeling the need to have some slow down time.

Funny, right? (Know where I’m going…?)

I was enjoying my pace and activity so much that even though a part of me was requesting some slow down time…I wasn’t listening and probably wouldn’t have given it to myself without this (fast paced) situation.  Hah!  (Yeah, thanks for that reminder…I’ll make better choices next time!)  *Catch 22 is…I was giving myself some ME time with my horsey…one of my favorite things to do for me.*

On the plus side… (JOY!) I got myself some couch R&R time.  This body was in no shape for taking clients, etc.  I needed to just BE.

As I pondered what had happened and how much of me was feeling pretty darn aligned with OY!  I started feeling that feeling I’ve always got going for me…deep down…

I’ve got that Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy

…down in my heart… 

I ran right over (virtually, of course) to my friends in the Outsourcerers Forum at Good Vibe University.  I knew that if I shared my OY! story that they’d support me in turning it right ‘round to JOY! lickity-split.

I requested that they see me and my body finding our way back to our usual vibrant, strong, vital, supple, happy place…and I invited them to have fun and embellish the manifestation intentions in any way they saw fit.

It came as no surprise that I felt better immediately.  I had released the ‘story’…and was on my way to creating a better feeling place, a new story…and I had friends supporting my journey! (I’ll share some of the outsourcerer magic they sent me in the comment stream…)
JOY!

The moral of the story?

There are many…  In the interest of keeping it light, it feels good to me to recognize that the distance between OY! and JOY! is purely what we make of it.  In fact, just look at it…

OY! only needs one letter to turn it into JOY! Pretty quick and easy, huh?

It’s as easy as a choice.

• A choice to turn around and feel better.
• A choice to see things in a better feeling light…no matter how dim one reality may seem.

I could have wallowed in physical, emotional, mental pain…I had some of each.

Alternatively…

• I chose to get connected with the good stuff.
• I chose to align with the miraculous nature of my body’s ability to spring back to health and wholeness.
• I chose to enlist the support of friends and family I knew would see me as my brilliant, happy, shining self
• …thereby supporting it to reality.

As I write this it’s just 48 hours since I flew from the sleigh.

• I’m cozy on the couch; giving myself what I need…rest and recharging time.
• Sun’s streaming in the windows.
• House is quiet and peaceful…accented by the fire crackling in the fireplace.
• I’m happy, content, feeling restful.
• My body is finding her way back to being her pain free…vital, vibrant self.  (Miraculously fast, I might add!)
• And I’m aligned with my Brilliance…feeling my JOY and laughing at the OY that was.

Life is Good.

Has there been an OY turned to JOY moment for you recently?

• How did you turn it around?
• Was the distance between OY and JOY great, or small?
• Have you recently made the choice to close the gap and create transformation?
• Have you feel an OY coming on & switched up the vibe quickly enough to add the J before it was anything less than JOY?

Tell me about it…!

Out of OY…and IN JOY!
Debra

Photo Credit:  My very own Lindy Rose w/Barn/Boarder Mistress on the sleigh

Have questions about Good Vibe University & how to become a member?  Ask me!  I LOVE it there!!!  A most supportive community of Good Vibers hosted by THE Good Vibe Coach, Jeannette Maw.

It’s been said that ‘going off’, in a rampage of appreciation does wonders for the soul.  It lightens the mood, stimulates good vibes and creates space for everything you’ve ever wanted in life to become reality.

I’ve found this to be more than true.

Today, at Good Vibe University a fellow member started a forum topic inviting others to share their Rampage of Appreciation.  It’s been awhile since I rampaged publicly and I thought, what a fun thing to share…maybe you’ll be inspired to join me!

How to go on a Rampage of Appreciation

There’s no right or wrong way to rampage…there’s no magic number of things to rampage about…you just do

Rampage of Appreciation

it…you let it flow out of you in perfect random order, no editing, no considering…just pure appreciation…and you do it ‘til you feel done…’til you’re filled with JOY with your vibe running so high absolutely everything not only *seems* possible, it IS.

The only tricky part is it feels so good you may find yourself wanting to do it continuously!  No end, no beginning…just continuous Rampage of Appreciation.  Now that, my friends sounds heavenly!

So here I go…right here, right now, in this moment…

THIS is my Rampage of Appreciation!

• I love and appreciate how even though I’m so ready for spring I can’t help but see the amazing beauty of the big fluffy flakes of snow falling right now outside giving everything a pure, new blanket of white.
• I love and appreciate how my kitty, Hina is curled up beside me right now while I write this post, her purring creating the purrfect backdrop to my appreciation.
• I love and appreciate that I get to choose what I feel inspired to write about and how writing always feels SO gooood!
• I love and appreciate how Ashki, our dog is always within 4 feet of me…she’s my best friend in literally every moment.  (yes, often times in the bathroom/shower, too)
• I love and appreciate the hum of silence in my house.  How it breathes peace and stillness.
• I love and appreciate how my days are (mostly) designed by me.
• I love and appreciate knowing there are a multitude of like-hearted, like-minded souls pulsing the same vibe with me right now around the world (many of which in attendance at GVU)
• I love and appreciate that my house is a haven, a sanctuary that supports my creativity, my need for aesthetic beauty, my connection to the natural world and my desire for comfortable, peaceful, inspired surroundings.
• I love and appreciate how I can choose to work in my comfy pj’s most any day of the week from the comfort of my home.
• I also love and appreciate how sometimes I get to dress up and remember what it’s like to leave the house to go to work and mix and connect with other delicious beings.
• I love and appreciate how being in appreciation brings me JOY…and connects me to this very present moment.
• I love and appreciate how my body supports me in my desire to serve and how I give her a rest when necessary…like now, when we’re envisioning a happy, healthy, vibrant immune system.
• I love and appreciate that Destin (our son) is growing into an amazing young man who turns 15 on Thursday!
• I love and appreciate the MOM I Am.
• I love and appreciate parenting from the heart and how when my eyes meet my son’s we love, respect, appreciate and recognize each other.
• I love and appreciate my beloved husband who is the best partner a girl could ever wish for.
• I love and appreciate how much time we spend in the vortex together…and that we know how to hold space for each other while one or the other journeys around just outside.
• I love and appreciate how we teach each other so much and how we grow together through each other’s contrast.
• I love and appreciate the colors of my world…rich, alive, vibrant.
• I love and appreciate how easily I get turned on by simple things that bring me JOY.
• I love and appreciate my life.
• I love and appreciate the community of others in my life who understand how good it feels to love and appreciate!
• I love and appreciate YOU!

Whew!  …and I’m just getting started…

Who would like to join me this amazing minute?

Warning!! ~ Immense JOY likely to ensue

Taking part in this activity may cause ecstatic bouts of JOY and feelings of Deep Love and Connectedness.  Proceed at your own risk! LOL

Please…I’m passing you the torch.  Carry on this Rampage of Appreciation. Look around you.  Let it flow.  What do you see, feel, hear…right here, right now that sends you into a Rampage of Appreciation?

Bring it!  The comment stream is warm and open…

**If you find yourself reading this wondering where in the world to begin…if you question just how to start your Rampage of Appreciation, connect with me and we’ll do it together.  I can help you find your way to JOY…and on the way there, we’ll discover the power of a positive rampage (or two, or three…)!  email me: debra[at]soulitude[dot]com.  I’m so excited to play together!

Fireworks Photo Credit

In fact, days before Christmas I updated my Facebook and Twitter with this:

Your best gift to the world is YOU! …during this fast paced season of giving and always. YOU are the shining star. Give the gift of YOU!

Know what I love most about this gift?  It’s perfect, readily available, easily accessible, and it never stops giving.  If you’re breathing, you’re giving.  You being here, alive on this planet right here, right now is the greatest gift.

Do you know the miracle of the Gift of You?

To give the Gift of YOU, to give the gift of your Brilliance to everything…in everything you do is the most amazingly magnificent gift anyone could ever hope to receive!

Imagine what would happen if we gave our attention to the magic in this idea.

When we recognize our Brilliance, the shining star we are each born to be…we become (and we already are) our most heavenly gift to the world.

Being conscious of our Gift and how we share it is yet another gift…to others, as well as to ourselves.

Within the Gift of You there are many glorious Nuggets of Brilliance that make up the whole.

It feels good to share the Brilliance of who we are freely and deliberately.  From this space we are aligned with the Essence that is our most Divine Self and our gifts are even more magnificent!

What are Your Nuggets of Brilliance?

We’ve all got many!  I’d love to hear at least 3 favorites that you love to give others…and if you’re in a giving mood and more than 3 flow forth…wahoo, it’s a celebration!!

I’ll start…

My favorite gifts to give others are:

My JOY (and my irresistible desire to help others find theirs)

My Love

My Ability to Listen with my Heart

My Loving Guidance & Inspired Perspective

My Reflection of Your Brilliance  (I see the JOY of Brilliance in each of you and give the gift of reflecting it back to you so that you can see yourself through J.O.B. eyes!)

It’s Your Turn~

Let’s here it Brilliant Beings!!  Share the Gift of YOU with the world…deliberately, on purpose…here…now.

We’re all ready to receive the Gift of YOU with deep appreciation and love.

Join in…share the Gift of YOU with us now…

Beautiful Eyes Photo Credit

I’ve written about the importance of Self-Love before…here and here … oh and HERE too.  (OK, so it’s a fave topic of mine.  In fact, the theme of Self-Love is inherent in most every post I write, blatant or subtle, it’s there.)

Now, it’s time to get down to it.

Can you shout from the mountain tops and proclaim your Self-Love?

What…? Is there a part of you that feels a little squeamish at the thought of that?

Why?  When you think of another in your life whom you love, is it easy to come up with 5 things you love about them?  Can you rattle those 5 things off without blinking an eye?

I believe it’s important for us to recognize the qualities within ourselves that make us fall in love with ourselves over and over again.

We’re better in everything we do when we have an honest, loving relationship with ourselves.  We’re better in every other relationship we have in our lives when our relationship with our Self is in L-O-V-E, Love.

Define Self-Love

Do you know what the dictionary says about Self-Love?  My Mac dictionary says this:

“Self-Love~ regard for one’s own well-being and happiness (chiefly considered as a desirable rather than narcissistic characteristic).”

You see?  Even the dictionary agrees Self-Love is a desirable trait! And a ‘regard for one’s own well-being and happiness’?  Hello.  That is truly what life is all about.  Abraham says life is meant to be JOYful.  Seems to me that Self-Love is the passageway.

So let’s go ahead and give ourselves permission to rattle off 5 things we love about ourselves.

I’ll go first…

5 Things I Love About Me:

1. My infectious smile. When I smile I feel it in my whole body…every cell, every nerve ending, every single bit of me feels my smile.  And it feels good.
2. My JOY factor. The smallest things turn me on.  I love that about me.  It doesn’t take much…and I’m all gleeful…like a kid in a candy store.
3. My HUGE Heart. I love how much LOVE I feel inside.  Sometimes I wonder just how much my chest can expand…I mean, there’s gotta be a lot of room in there for this great big heart!…really easy to get to 3 things……slight pause now……oh, and here come the other two…
4. My Way with Words. I love how words flow through me…I love how easy it is to communicate with my words…and how I find lots of feel good words floating through my thoughts.
5. My Inner Knowing. My sensitivity. (Does that count for two?  …for me they’re kind of the same.  Close relatives.  Like twins, if not one and the same.)  I’m a feeling person.  I love that about me.  I love how my sensitivity, my inner messenger, draws me nearer to my Brilliance, the one true essence of who I AM.

There.  5 Things I Love About Me.  Woo-Hoo!!!  …and you know what?  Now that I’ve proclaimed these 5 I can feel a river of love qualities flowing freely. Mmm…that feels good.

OK…now it’s your turn!

Please come along!  Use the comment section to Proclaim Your Self-Love from the Mountain Tops!

I want to hear you shout 5 things You LOVE about Your Self…right here…right now!

Self Love Fortune Photo

“Scary.. going offline at midnight.. till Friday. Time out for self care, go within & reconnect with myself. Calling Inner Guidance forth.”

I replied:
“@TiaSparkles Oooo…enJOY your time with yourself/guidance, Tia!!! Magical space that it is! It’s gonna rock!  See ya Fri!!

She said:
“@debsoul I still have 3 somethin’ hours in the online world! LOL.

I replied:
“@TiaSparkles You’re right. Be in the moment. EnJOY these 3 hours…and then…immerse yourself in the magic of YOU!

And she responded:
“@debsoul Tx! I like your take on it. Mine was more the `get away & go within to find what I seek` kinda sabbatical! LOL. Just need time out.

And I simply replied:
“@TiaSparkles :0) I LOVE time outs! :0)”

This morning I woke up and thought about Tia…starting her Time Out/Sabbatical with herself, away from the computer, appointments, obligations, etc…and I smiled.

I love Time Outs and give them to myself frequently.  They’re powerful.  They’re necessary.

When I came to my own computer (as I’m not on a computer time out right now) I noticed Tia’s new post announcing her Time Out…posted just before midnight last night.

In her post she talks about the movie Penelope (spoiler alert!! for Tia’s post) and how the story centers around Penelope, a beautiful girl who is seemingly cursed with a pig’s nose until she can find her one true love.  It’s a wonderful movie that teaches us the value and importance of Self Love.

Here is my comment (hardly a comment, more of a post, that’s why it’s here) in response to Tia’s post:

Dear Tia…

YAY for YOU!!!!  I love every post you share, my friend.  And I love this one like crazy ’cause it’s one of the most important themes you’ll ever touch on…and one of the most important all of us can give our awareness to.

I loved Penelope, the movie!  What a great example for talking about Self Love!

I’m a Self Love fanatic!! (That must sound so crazy to those who are still thinking that being selfish is a bad thing…)

Thanks for recognizing the need in yourself for a time out…and for giving yourself one…RIGHT NOW!  What a gift.  …not only for you, but for everyone of us who’s path you touch.  (Can you seriously get any better??)

When we give ourselves permission to be with ourselves…in a loving, nurturing, ‘I’m there for you’ kind of a way…it’s like getting the best bear hug ever!  It feels sooo goood.  The connection with our Divine Self deepens…and we all know what happens then.  Our vibration rises yet again, we’re more aligned with the Pure Brilliance we were born to be, we beam Happy-Power-Joy-JOY all over the place…and our lives and the lives of those around us are infinitely more alive and enriched simply because we said YES! to falling more deeply in Self Love!

Pretty darn cool.

Oh yeah, you asked what some of my favorite time outs for myself include~

First of all, I look at every day and say…OK, where is my time-out today?  I need one every day…and if I don’t feel I’m giving myself that I get kinda cranky…and then I need a BIG time out…which is OK too…but, getting them every day makes me feel SUPER Special & keeps the whole ‘overwhelm’ thing out of the picture.

My favorite time-outs include one or more of the following:

• Time with my horse, Lindy Rose…at liberty…in the pasture, being one w/the herd
• Walking in nature…especially a forest trail
• Reading my favorite book of the moment
• Soaking in my hot tub or extra large soak tub~immersing myself in water feels so yummy
• Cooking or Baking~when it’s just for fun, something special and creative…at a time of my choosing…but even making dinner each night feels like ‘time-out’ activity most of the time (think Chocolat!)
• Listening to my fave music & letting my inner rock star shine (except I’m usually singing along with Snatam Kaur or Tina Malia, hardly rock stars…but their music stirs my soul!)
• Laying on the floor with my dog, Ashki for some scratch & snuggle time
• …that’s the short of it!  The list could easily go on and on.

I’ve created our home as a sanctuary/retreat in and of itself.  Everything I need (except my horse, she’s a few miles down the road) is right here…including a mini forest for tree hugging and contemplation space.  When your home space supports your desire to connect to your full Brilliance, Self Love becomes second nature…it’s just so easy to give yourself what you need.

I’m so excited and happy for you, Tia!!!  You GO Girl!
Much LOVE and JOY…  Debra (@debsoul)

Being the Self Love Fanatic that I am, you’ve probably recognized this theme running through other posts…especially this one and this one.  And remember, being in deep Self Love helps you rock your Joy of Brilliance!  What are you waiting for?!?  Give yourself the Time Out you deserve so you can shine like the Divine Elephant you are!!  (Does anyone else see a recurring theme here??)

Give yourself a Self Love Time Out today…and tomorrow…and the next day…you get the picture.  You deserve it!  In fact, you owe it to yourself.

In honor of Tia and Self Love Time Outs…I’d love to hear about some of your favorite Self Love Time Outs.  What do you do that helps you fall more deeply in Self Love?

Photo Credit: My Niece, Mother Nature, Grandfather Tree & Me

As I pondered what to write I considered all the topics that speak to me…and grabbed the one that sings to me.  The topic of Brilliance and Living Your Shine to the Fullest. As soon as I knew that’s what I wanted to write about I stumbled upon the quote that you’ll read a couple sentences from now.  I had the spark and the quote ignited the post.  I LOVE it when that happens!!

The Good Vibe Community loved the post…and naturally I wanted to share it with you too.  Here it is!

Hafiz wrote:

“You are a Divine Elephant with amnesia trying to live in an ant hole.”

The imagery of this quote is alarmingly vivid.  Seriously, are you picturing it?

The funniest part is, this is exactly what each of us looks like when we choose to live smaller than the brilliance that we are each born to be!

A portion of one of my all time favorite quotes from Marianne Williamson says,

“Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.”

It’s becoming ever clearer to me that we, as a humanity are awakening to our purest Soul Brilliance.

As generational stories of oppression and suppression dot the path of our histories we are becoming more and more enlightened by the idea that we are meant to shine more than anything else in this life.

The Spark of Divinity that courses through our veins has been there since the beginning of time.  No matter what experiences have gone before us that spark is alive and well.  It can not be extinguished.

No matter what the ‘looks as if’ is on the movie screen of life…something deep inside continues to pulse, telling us there’s a better picture…a picture we alone create for ourselves.

It is our Divine Right to shine.  And it is our choice to exercise this right.

What are you choosing?

• Are you the elephant w/amnesia trying to squeeze yourself into the ant hole?

• Or are you the elephant divinely aware of your majestic nature, fully aware of your HUGE Brilliance, fully willing to Live Large?

Perhaps you are the ant.  One ant in a colony of millions.

• One ant who in that colony of millions could choose to get lost in the ant hill of anonymity…

• Or one ant who will choose to claim his uniqueness and be counted as the one he is.

No matter the choice, choose on purpose.

• Choose because you want to.
• Because you know you can.
• Choose because no one else can make the choice for you.

Let the amnesia fade.

Stand up and claim your birthright.

You are a Divine Soul living a Human Experience.

What a gift!

The best part?…

It’s a gift that keeps on giving.  Another line from the same Marianne Williamson quote says,

“And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

I know my perfect JOB.  It’s to serve others through my own Light, assisting others to fully discover their own Light…their own Joy of Brilliance in life.

Just by becoming the Divine Being we are…elephant, ant, human…each of us uniquely brilliant, shining our gleaming wonderfulness in all we are…leading by the clarity of our example as Abraham suggests…

…just by this, we encourage others to do the same.

It’s that easy.  It’s that important.  It’s that brilliant.

We create heaven on earth just by being the brilliance of who we are.

Heaven feels good.  I choose brilliance.  In JOY.  Will you join me?

Let me hear you claim it!

• What amnesia have you recently come out of?
• What is the “Brilliance of YOU” that you are now, more than ever, willing to BE?

Living amnesia free ~ In my Joy of Brilliance…  Debra  aka @debsoul

Divine Elephant Photo

For example, I do things like:

• live JOYfully,
• express creatively,
• love unconditionally,
• dance wildly,
• sit quietly,
• speak passionately,
• BE brilliantly.

In fact the premise of that post was inspired by the nursery rhyme ‘Row, Row, Row Your Boat’ in which one floats gently down(the)stream…because…merrily, merrily, merrily Life is but a Dream!

Oh, the Magic!

Last night I was updating my Facebook status and something magical happened.

I saw something in a word that had been there all the while, except I had never seen it that way before.  (LOVE when that happens!)

I was giggling to myself about how people I’ve known for years, but haven’t seen for a long time seem to be perplexed about all the different ‘jobs’ I have.  Currently I am:

• a Social Media Consultant,
• an Intuitive Guide,
• a Copywriting Coach,
• an Alkaline-Antioxidant Water System Fan & Promoter
• and even the Magic Hairdresser in me may be getting dusted off to shine in the spotlight once again.

As I considered how funny it is to me that I don’t fit into another’s ‘I do this and this alone!’ box, I stared at the word ‘job’ that I had just typed.

As I stared the letters started dancing before me …J…O…B… and that’s when it happened.  I saw the word JOB as an acronym for Joy of Brilliance!!!

J.O.B. = Joy of Brilliance

Oh My Goodness!!!  It’s everything I ever say, share, be, do, live, encourage, etc. to the max!!

Who knew that a little word like ‘job’ held the magic of J.O.B. ~ Joy of Brilliance?!?

This is perfect! JOBs are meant to be born of our Soul Brilliance and expressed with great JOY!

The secret to life is about living JOY and Feeling Good…and when we do we become like Midas; everything we touch turns to GOLD.

Life is not meant to be about ‘work’ or ‘job-jobs’.  It’s meant to be about a continuous joyful flow of expression…and within that we receive abundance as a result of living that joy.  (Some may refer to parts of that abundance as a ‘pay check’)

My friend, Star Rinaldi on Facebook shares a quote by Rabindranath Tagore in her sidebar that I resonate with so deeply:

“I slept and dreamt that Life was Joy.  I awoke and saw that Life was Service.  I acted and behold, Service was Joy.”

In dream time we often recognize the brilliance of who we are.  To wake up and express that with joy each and every moment of every day is the best JOB we could ever dream of.

The best part is…every job we have can be this if we choose it to be.  Every one.  Even the most seemingly mundane.  Putting our Brilliance to work with Joy is possible no matter what we do.

Do You Want a JOB?

So…I ask you, what is your JOB?  Are you working it?  Do you have your Joy of Brilliance (JOB) turned on in everything you do? If not, what can you do to shift it?

Now, when someone asks, “What do you do?” I can simply reply, “In everything I do, I have the BEST JOB in the world because I’m working my Joy of Brilliance!”

It’s up to you.  You are Brilliant beyond measure. Will you work it?

If you need help finding your J.O.B., let me know…one of my favorite J.O.B.s is helping others find theirs.

And you know what?  When you work your Joy of Brilliance it is as easy as you choose it to be to turn that into your Midas Touch JOB…the one that creates the paycheck you desire as well as other joyful abundance.

In future JOB posts we’ll talk about how to find your JOB in any job, the Age of the Entrepreneur related to JOBs, Creativity, Passion, Purpose and Connection JOBs, why being a Jack or Jill of all trades creates great JOBs, etc.

Are you as excited as me about this Re-Frame? Tell me about it!  I want to hear about your JOBs.  What is your Joy Of Brilliance?  …and if you’re not sure, I want to hear about that, too!

In JOY…with my new JOB…  Deb

BEe JOB Photo Credit

It doesn’t matter.  Not really.  Ultimately what matters is that I’ve been busily living life and enJOYing every moment.

I’ve had 42+ Good Days!!  (Seriously.  At the end of day inventory, they were ALL GOOD.)

“Weren’t there a few moments of stuck & yuck here & there”, you may ask?   …OK, maybe a few…but not enough for me to care to give my lasting attention to.

Give Me a Cloud…

I’m all about the JOY.  You give me a cloud and I’ll find the silver lining.  The JOY is always there for us.

That’s really all there is.  Being in JOY as often as possible.  And when that’s where our attention goes…it’s amazing just how many JOYful moments we live.

Have you been living JOYfully? Are you giving attention to how much JOY is in your life?  Look around you.  Can you see anything at all to be JOYful about?  If you aren’t immediately noticing anything…  Look CLOSER.

• What about how your dog’s body rises and falls with each relaxed breath, reminding you that life is good?
• What about the wonder in a child’s eyes?
• Or how your partner sweetly says, “I love you” a bunch of times each day?
• How about that forwarded email that’s been around the world and back again?  You know, the one with the incredible photos of animals in nature.

(OK, so these are a few things that ‘do it’ for me…what does it for you?)

• What about the fact that you’re alive?
• What about all the blessings, big and small that grace your path in life every day?

Want an immediate JOY boost?

Think of 3 things right now that you LOVE in life.

Dig deep and give gratitude for each of them.

Feel what it’s like to be with what ever those 3 things are.

If it’s food, taste it.  If it’s flowers, smell them.  If it’s a loved one, give them an imaginary squeeze!  Right now.

Can you feel it?

JOY isn’t far away.  JOY isn’t something for some day.  Joy is for right now. In every moment.  Did you know that?  JOY is a choice just like everything else. In every moment there is something just screaming to be recognized for the JOY it brings you.

When we begin to realize that we are surrounded by JOY INDUCERS, we begin to realize that we are the igniters.  We are responsible for turning our JOY on.

Every day is a Good Day…if that’s what we choose it to be.

What are you choosing?

Will you choose to notice and count the JOYful blessings in each day?  Or will you choose to notice the things that make you go a little buggy?

A YouTube video from Brother David Steindl-Rast titled, “A Good Day” moved me to tears of JOY this morning.

So much so that I was inspired to write this post.  I just had to get back in touch with you.  I just had to tell you that Life is Good.  Better than good, really.  Downright GREAT.

As I watched the video I found my inner self shouting, “YES!  Beautiful!  Yes!  I feel that!  I see that!  I am deeply, ever so deeply GRATEFUL for that!!”

May your every day be a Good Day.  May you see and live each day as if it were your very first…and your very last.  Now that, as Brother David points out, makes for a day well spent.  A Good Day, indeed.

So…What’s UP…What’s All the JOY About?!

For those of you wondering just what’s been so JOYful for me these past six weeks…

We’ve followed our hearts once again.  We moved from Colorado where we’ve been feeling a bit like misfits for the last two years back to Wisconsin, our birth home.  We’ve been away for over six years…and coming ‘home’ to family, friends and the natural green space and water we love feels sooo good!

We’ve been blessed with a gorgeous sanctuary atop a hill in the woods.  It’s the perfect retreat for us.  We’re surrounded by nature in every direction.  This place feeds our souls…and inspires deep creative passion within us.  It’s a constant re-charging station and we are eternally grateful.

The past 6 weeks have been about the transition, the move, the settling in and making a house a home.  The past 6 weeks have been about re-connecting with family and friends; such JOY.  And the past 6 weeks have been about re-connecting with Mother Nature…boating, hiking, sitting, exploring, listening, watching nature in all her splendor.

Such Good Days.  Such JOY.  So much to give Gratitude for!

JOY is contagious. I’m willing to share so you can catch some. 

• Let’s be friends on Facebook~

• Let’s get in the stream together on Twitter~

I want to feel your JOY, too.  Share it.  Please? 

Awesome HEART Cloud Photo Credit:  Me!…and Heaven, of course. (photo taken while JOYfully boating w/Mark & Destin on White Lake in WI)

Need some assistance in finding the JOY in your life?  I can help.  Let’s discover your JOY together through my Soulitude Intuitive Coaching Sessions (that’s just a fancy name for us getting together via phone, skype, iChat…or even in person…to talk about stuff so that I can help you feel into the Feel Good Joy in your life).  If that idea feels good, email me now:  debra[at]soulitude[dot]com

A trip to the Post Office.

Now, it’s December so going to any post office this time of year ‘can’ be a daunting task fraught with cranky, stressed out beings who don’t want to have to take the time to stand in enormously long lines waiting to send out their obligatory holiday packages (not my personal story…I’m just saying). I knew this was the potential atmosphere I could be entering and I consciously chose BEFORE even pulling into the parking lot (’cause that’s where it all begins…) that it was going to be a cheery, warm fuzzy experience. In so deciding of course I, myself, became (even more) cheery, warm fuzzy like and I’m pretty sure I was glowing. ;~)

Create it.

The lines were indeed long. Many people had what looked like Santa’s sack slug across their back with the weight of packages held snugly inside. As I took my place in line I consciously smiled and made eye contact with as many people as were looking in my direction. I stood behind another soul who seemed to be in good spirits and was soon sandwiched by another woman, an elder whose perfume reminded me of my dearly departed Grandma. (How’s that for reinforcing happy cell stimulation!?)

There were others in line with disgruntled looks on their faces, some with major toe tapping going on, others complaining to ??? on their cell phone about the length of the line and wasted time.

I just continued to exude my happy vibe…sharing and spreading the energy surely and quietly, intuitively inviting everyone present to meet me in my patient, happy place.

As if on cue, the good smelling Grandma behind me leaned forward and said to me, “I’m sure glad I’m not in any hurry today”. I turned to her and said, “yes…you know, the world rushes by so quickly, I’m just grateful to be here right now having a few moments to notice how very happy I am.” She looked taken aback for a brief second and then responded, “Oh yes! Me too…we all have so much to be grateful for.” By this time the woman in front of us had caught wind of our conversation and she joined in, supporting our “happy talk” and offering her own gratitude for the various blessings in her life. Soon we had engaged six people deep!

By the time we approached our turn we had all bonded, noticed a more relaxed vibe in the post office and giggled at how wonderful it was to have this time together with perfect strangers.

I thought the mission was complete…successful even. In all of my bliss I hadn’t noticed the postal clerk at the far end of the counter. The look on his face looked a bit bah-humbug-ish and I quickly added one more thing to my “envision it before you get there” theme. I visualized ME being his next customer (which I had no control over as you take which ever clerk becomes available next).

Guess what? I got him! He was a little tougher to penetrate. I could feel a VERY small part of myself saying, “sheesh! Listen buddy, if you don’t shape up I’m going to stop being Miss Happy Pants!” I gave that little voice a hug and told it to wait patiently for the magic that was about to occur.

To this point this clerk had not made eye contact with me. It was as if he were consciously attempting to avoid it. His words were quick, gruff, bordering on rude. They bounced off my ‘negativity vest’ and I watched them turn to sparkles of light that danced over our heads.

We were nearing the end of our short interaction, he was a bit annoyed that I was sending my cd’s in a penguin embossed envelope…and that I had chosen and filled out the wrong mailing label for my intended purposes. It was at that moment that I apologized and our eyes met. I said, “I’m SO sorry…can you help me make it right?” He melted. Suddenly, with no more than the blink of an eye we were on the same team; helping each other. He confided he was worried he was going to get a crabby person at his station. Can you believe that?? Obviously his walls were up ’cause he was defending himself just in case!

Talk about a moment made in heaven. I couldn’t have orchestrated this if I had tried. He trusted me now, so I said to him, “just be kindness and goodness…and see everyone who steps up to your counter as the same…before they get here…and I promise you, you have my word…you’ll get only kindness and goodness!

We smiled, he looked as if he at least half believed me (that part is out of my control…no attachment!)…and I went on my merry way!

* Jeanette Maw’s Blog:  www.goodvibeblog.com Give her a visit and please tell her Debra sends her love!

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A few days ago I posted, “Let Your Love Create Your World”. In that post I shared the lyrics to a song that our homeschool kids used to sing on Kauai. The song has always stuck with me; it’s catchy, fun and has great depth of meaning.

Now, I have to say I know I’m not the best singer in the world (far from it, I know)…but there’s something about singing this song that just feels good! So no worries, I won’t be auditioning for American Idol any time soon, and I know it’s “pitchy” (thank you Randy Jackson!)…I just wanted to share it so that those of you who were wondering which tune to put to the lyrics could wonder no more. (Well, sort of.) Now if only technology allowed for sing alongs! :0)

I won’t be surprised when I hear someone standing next to me in the grocery store humming the tune…it’s catchy…and it WILL BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY! :0)

Letting Love Create My World..
Debra

I am the only one who can make myself happy.
I am the only one who can fill my life with joy.
I am the only one who can make myself happy.
I open up my heart and let my love create my world!

I don’t wonder why this song keeps popping in…I understand it’s a gift from my Higher Self; a reminder of the Love and the Light that we are. I understand that my Higher Self knows I may just need a little reminder, a True Reality check, during these days when so much is reflected that I could choose to respond to with negativity or unhappiness.

If you catch yourself feeling blue…think of this little song; repeat it to yourself. Or, if you’re like me, shout it at the top of your lungs and watch a smile zoom across your face as your cells light up with recognition. Then, share it with the world!

I am grateful every moment for my Higher Self, the Wholeness of Me that is connected 24/7 and beyond to Source. I Open Up My Heart and Let My Love Create My World!