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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

The Art of Extreme Self Care

" Life isn't about finding yourself. Life's about creating yourself."
- George Bernard Shaw




A few months ago a friend and co-worker lent me the audio book "The Art of Extreme Self Care" by Cheryl Richardson. It was during a time of my life when I felt lost and confused, not knowing which steps to take or which direction to go. When I listened to it then I found it helped bring me back to a kind of center, a more stable place to find my feet again.

Recently I have been listening to it again (and again, and again...I must confess). However, this time it's during a time of my life full of change, a time where I sense a blossoming plan for my life. It really has been a wonderful tool in guiding me on the discovery of a new life purpose. Learning to care for myself, on a new and deeper level has taught me many things...about life and myself. 

 Seasons change and plans do too, but as the new baby blooms inside me, and as my non-profit organization I've co-founded with the most wonderful people comes to life, I feel the winds of change will bring gentle, sweet, and wonderful things my way. They have so far...and the best is yet to come...

Friday, October 26, 2012

Words to live by...


Something clicked these past two weeks, and I am most definitely not complaining! I receive acupuncture treatments weekly, and all through this pregnancy my acupuncturist has been saying "Corrie, you carry 100 pounds, when you should be carrying 10".

 I had become so overwhelmed in the dealings and woes of day to day living I was forgetting to truly LIVE! My life's motto has always been "Be the change you wish to see in the world"(-Mahatma Gandhi). However, I had been keeping it on the back burner, always in my mind, but just waiting for that chance to truly be the change I wanted to see in the world. To make an impact, change the world!  Then I had this mini epiphany.  I had simply been using this phrase as an expression to wait for my purpose in life to come knocking on my door. I then realized that I needed to stop waiting for the chance to change my world, but to truly embody and BE the change I wished to see in the ever changing world around me.

 I have since determined that these three words are my words to live by:  Love simplicity and gratitude. In order to be the change I wish to see in the world I need to love deeply and unconditionally. Including myself as well as every one around me. Live simply, basking in the simplicity the joys of life have to offer even through the mists of hard times. In every dark forest there is a sun beam that reaches the floor. Finding those simple moments of joy is what living is all about. Gratitude, live each day in gratitude and thankfulness and you can never go wrong. When I look at all I have to be thankful for in my life, its hard to focus on the "things" I lack or the barriers to making greater change in my life.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

My Rainbows after the Rain, My Anchors through the Storm


"After rain there's a rainbow, after a storm there's a calm, after the night there's a morning, and after an ending there's a new beginning."

- Unknown

Almost 20 weeks pregnant and time keeps flying by, but this pregnancy has been no easy feat... It has been a whirlwind of stress, hormones, emotions, 
ups, downs, and did I mention hormones? 

Most days I go through about 10 million emotions in about..hmm...I'd say 30 minutes. I feel like a stressed out, frazzled, and emotional wreck about 70% of the time. I do understand it's just part of the pregnancy thing...but its still unnerving, and extremely overwhelming. I call these moments my pregnancy storms....and they are an all too frequent and uninvited guest lately in this household...

This post is not a "cry for help", or a "please tell me how wonderful I am" ploy (Although I am pretty wonderful when not floundering through the storms of  pregnancy ;-) ) It is meant to serve as a thank you, a very big thank you to all my anchors through the storms and all my rainbows when they pass...


To my wonderful husband...you are my rock, and no matter what crap I throw your way through the hormones and emotions you continue to love me..God bless your patient and kind soul! I put you through a lot. 

To my son, who...yes, I'm not ashamed to admit it..pushes my buttons and aggravates the hell out of me sometimes, some days more than others,  (but isn't that part of being a kid?). You are my sunshine, and you are and  always will be that little ball of happiness in my life. You are a blessing...

To my friends and family, too numerous to name individually, you know who you are..and I thank each and every one of you for your words of encouragement, kicks in the ass, warm hugs, and kind thoughts.. you seem to  know exactly what I need and when, whether it be to make me laugh, let me cry, or tell me to get over it and put my big girl panties on...
(but trust me there really are only 'big girl panties' when you are pregnant...maternity underwear is not the most flattering of under garments... :) ) 

Words are not enough to say how much you all mean to me, but thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!