inspiration

The Summer Solstice

Here I stand on the longest day of the year…. stretching my hands to the universe accepting of the energy that comes fourth. Thankful for the blessings in my life and hopeful of a future filled with many more.

A time when the days stop growing and the nights stop shrinking …
A time to begin working with your dreams.

Tonight when the sun finally slips down and calls it a night… I’ll lay my head upon my pillow and dream many dreams for happy days to come.

Dreaming of  the love I have found and growing old together… still smiling at each other when those days come to an end. Dreaming of creations yet to be realized and created. Dreaming of peace and love for all my family and friends. Dreaming of the future… of an ease of life, of fresh air, clean water and our warm and cozy home. Dreaming dreams that  keep us dreaming, keep us hoping, keep us living, keep us smiling.

Tomorrow I shall awake and follow those dreams as I do each and every day. Never giving up, never stopping when I fall. I’ll continue to chase those dreams til my days find their end.

The Solstice, where the days are still much longer than the night, we have time to bring our dreams into creation… and as each night comes to be, we are given a wee bit more time to focus our intent within our dreaming.  Use this time wisely.

Let your dreams be realized in the sun lit hours while the moon guides you through the night and keeps you dreaming those dreams that keep you living the life you always knew could be possible.

 

 

Many Blessings for a Happy and Bright Solstice,

Waya

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Raven Pep Talk – Free Yourself

Today is a bit of a pep talk and encouragement for those who need it. Life changes are hard but the hardest part is what we allow the mind to believe. When we let go of those self created fears, worry and doubt we free ourselves. You’ve got this.. you can change you life… you deserve it!

 

Many Blessings,
ravensig

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You’ve Got This!

Spirit reminds us that it is within ourselves to make the changes we need.. physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. YOU HAVE GOT THIS! You are so close to getting where you have always dreamed of being… don’t give up now. You have got this!

Many Blessings,
ravensig

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The Summer Solstice

The Solstice is at the end of out week but we need to begin to prepare now. Spirit urges us to go inside and inspect the many aspects of our lives and of our inner self. Look at where you draw light and power from and then look at the areas of your life and  within yourself that you need extra light and a bit more power. Strengthen the parts that need strengthening and lighten the areas that aren’t so filled with light. By the time the Solstice arrives you will be dancing and celebrating!

Many Blessings,
ravensig

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I am having one of those moments….
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You know that moment when you want to write something deep and profound that will move others… to relay how you feel inside and there are just so many words that come to you that you can’t seem to get them in the right order???

I am having one of those moments….

I sit here taking a look back into my memory banks and browse upon all the most memorable moments of my life. I see all the good times and all the bad. I look over them carefully and pause for reflection. I search through my feelings about these moments and I realize quickly that the MOST important moments were the ones filled with love. All of the bad moments, important as well but for different reasons. The bad moments in life were times of growth and lessons to be learned. Those moments showed me the strength inside, they showed me how I have abilities greater than I thought possible. I am grateful for those moments but the moments that fill me with light are the moments that were made with love.

The moments in life where love is present are indeed for me the MOST important. The moments I want to reflect on most. Those are the moments when our spirit soar with the greatest power. When love is in our hearts, we become unstoppable, there are no mountains too tall to climb, no rivers too rapid to cross, no oceans to vast to overcome and no obstacle that is too difficult to stand in our way. When you meet someone who is filled with love you can’t help but feel it, absorb some of it yourself and then pass it on to others. Love is truly limitless. It fuels the light within us to levels unimaginable but definitely attainable. The more you are filled with love the more you feel capable of doing and becoming. The light within grows brighter and brighter with every moment that you are filled with love.

Think about the moments in your life that are the most memorable. You will find the bad days and the strength that they unveiled and you will see the growth that those days created. You will then move on to the good days and how much love was felt on those days. You will see that those were days where moments were laced together with true love. Those were the days where your smile was the brightest, your heart filled to the brim and nothing could possibly get in your way of experiencing what we all wish to attain… HAPPINESS in it’s purest form. LOVE.

Today, I am filled with endless LOVE!

Many Blessings,
ravensig

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Magical Moments

You never know when magic might pop into your life… so you can’t give up on life or give up on yourself. The magical moments that come into our lives heal all the painful parts. They make us forget all the hard times, even if only for a moment.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Being the Weirdo

I have always felt that I wasn’t like everyone else. As far back as I can possibly remember, I felt different. I have always been okay with being different, in fact being different made me feel more special. I wasn’t following the crowd, I stood out and wasn’t afraid to walk in a different direction. There is great power in feeling that you can choose to be different and not care about how others see you. We were not created to all be the same.. we were always meant to be different. Being different scares most people, not me! I enjoy every blissful moment of it!

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Climbing the Wall – Believing in Ourselves

We all have within us the ability to do more than what we “believe” we can do. We just have to let go of the thoughts that hold us back. There is nothing stopping us but ourselves.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Seeing Your Dreams Come True

You are never too old to dream and to see your dreams come true. Dreams take work, they take believing in them, they take energy to manifest them and they take work… the necessary steps to making them happen. Aren’t your dreams worth believing in? Aren’t they worth the effort? Aren’t you worth the effort? Keep dreaming and keep believing in those dreams!

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Life’s Ups and Downs

Life brings us many ups and downs and all arounds… good moments and bad. My love for life remains strong. I choose what my life is like and I choose a happy, magical life filled with love. There will be more obstacles and hardships, but none of that matters … I already know that I have it within me to weather the storm. What matters are the moments of magic, love and happiness.. I’ll not let them slip past me again.. I am reaching out and taking hold of every moment life sends my way. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, we must live each day as though it were our last.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Being the Weird One

I have always been considered the weird one by most people…. but that’s perfectly fine by me. I enjoy being weird, I am most happy being myself. In this video I tell you a life changing story about why I don’t mind at all not being like everyone else. For all of you fellow weirdos out there.. you are not alone… there are others like you and when you meet them you will know that it’s perfectly okay to be who you are.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Finding Yourself

We were all born knowing who we are. Over the process of growing up, we have all of these outside influences telling us who we are and who we should be… parents, family, friends and teachers all telling us who we are and what we should be doing. We loose our own truth. Years later we get to a point in our lives where we find ourselves wondering what happened. We ask ourselves… How did I get here? Who am I? What do I want? It’s confusing to say the least. We then have to go through the painful process of figuring it all out again. Find the things that light your soul on fire and you will find your true self.


Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Choosing Your Own Happiness

Don’t put your happiness in the hands of those who don’t deserve it.. those who don’t truly love and appreciate your worth. Remember that YOU have the power to choose how you feel. 
Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Tis the Season

                                                          Tis the Season to Believe…

WP_20141220_006Believe in Magic, even though you may have never seen it.
Believe in Love, even when it has left a hurtful mark.
Believe in Yourself, even more so when others don’t.
Believe in Miracles, even when you are filled with doubt.
Believe in Wishes, even the ones left unanswered.
Believe in Kindness, even when others forget to show it.
Believe in Hope, even when you are feeling hopeless.
Believe in Angels, even if you’ve never seen them.
Believe in Goodness, even when you are surrounded by bad.
Believe in in the Unseen, even though you have clearly not seen it.
Believe in Tradition, even when it’s been broken.
Believe in Forgiveness, even when others won’t.
Believe in Your Dreams, even the ones not followed.
Believe…

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

I Promise …

IMG_0181Promises I make to myself…

I promise to allow myself as much time as I need to heal when life has caused me heartache and pain.

I promise to always, always follow my dreams.

I promise to never give up on my dreams, goals and ambitions.

I promise to be kind to myself.

I promise to trust my own intuition.

I promise to believe in myself more.

I promise to never give up on me.

I promise to make the best of every situation.

I promise to keep trying.

I promise to always get up after I have fallen down.

I promise to stay creative.

I promise to do my best.

I promise to trust myself more.

I promise to try and stay positive.

I promise to treat myself with love and understanding more.

I promise to always stay true to myself.

I promise to keep an open mind.

I promise to keep my heart open.

I promise to allow myself time alone.

I promise to allow myself time to relax.

I promise myself down time.

I promise to take care of me.

I promise to try and worry less.

I promise to let myself grieve when grieving needs to be done.

I promise not to feel bad about who I am and what I believe.

I promise to do my best at not letting others negative words get in my head.

I promise to try and keeping looking forward instead of backward.

I promise to not give up on me.

I promise to try my best to keep my promises.

This is not going to be easy…. but a promise is a promise.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Our Connection to the Rain

There certainly is something special about the rain… don’t ya think?

Feeling quite artistic this morning. Admiring the beauty that magically comes after the rain.

What is it about the rain that makes us feel so much more deeply? Could it be water being associated with our emotion and rain drops resembling tears?

The rain is said to soothe and lull us to sleep with its rhythmic sounds. There is a hush that comes over the Earth as the rain begins to fall and the only sound is that of the rain pounding against your shelter, your own heartbeat and your breathing.

Maybe it’s how the rain slows us down, physically and mentally. We certainly slow our pace and think before we rush out into it. Sometimes we even stay put and wait it out. It’s the perfect time to curl up in favorite place to read, watch a movie or just hang out with your favorite person or pet.

There certainly is something special about the rain… don’t ya think?

Here are some red roses on their last days, fading with the times, soon to give way to it’s life so another can be born.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Starting the Day with Positivity

How we choose to start each day makes a huge impact in our lives. It certainly doesn’t stop bad things from happening to us but it improves our general outlook and productivity. This morning I started my day with a little positive reinforcement from Karen Drucker with her song “Thank you for this day”.  I have to admit, when the song came on and I started singing along.. I did instantly feel better. My energy level raised up and I am feeling quite the happy camper and nothing special has even really happened to my day. That little moment of positivity and the message of being grateful just for having another day to live has been enough to get me moving in an uplifting and joyful way. Thank you Karen Drucker for this song and the positive energy it brings.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Being Motivated

IMG_3841 This morning I watched a video about some women who have worked so hard at perfecting their martial art skills that their abilities were simply amazing. Personally, I have struggled lately to find my drive. There is a place inside all of us where our motivation, our drive and our will to succeed lives. Through the daily grind that life gives us, we sometimes lose that place. It’s still there we just forget to tap into it’s power.

When you start utilizing that force inside yourself, you begin to work like a well oil machine. Nothing can get in your way, you are unstoppable. I need to tap back into my own force and stop making all those excuses I tell myself that today isn’t the day, maybe tomorrow.

You know the old saying, “There’s no time like the present!”. Oh man, this means a lot of work is in store for me. I can handle it, I just have to want to handle it. So here I am, before all of you, saying: “I can handle this! I got this! I will do it!”

Ready set go!

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Finding the Light

WP_20140616_010I woke up this morning with no idea what I was going to talk about today, so I have been throwing all kinds of topics around in my head. None of these seemed to be the topic of the day. For a moment I thought, oh well I may not have a blog to post today and then life happened.

My co-workers started making their way into the office and I felt my thoughts falling into a big ol’ bucket of negativity as they began all their banter with each other and interrupting the peace and tranquility I’ve had so far this morning. I thought to myself, “Wow! I really might be anti-social today”. I stepped outside to get away from the noise for a moment and I thought, this is a good time to take my daily sky watch photo.

Stepping outside, I found not a cloud in the sky… only sunlight and blue skies. Great, but kind of boring from a photography point of view. Heavy sigh. So as I was feeling more relaxed and walking around, I looked up and saw the sunlight twinkle in and out of the crape myrtle flowers blowing in the wind and my thoughts were instantly lightened. I took my phone out and started snapping photos, trying to catch the light as it was peeking through the branches. It was a fun, playful experience… dancing with the tree, the sun and the wind. Finally I caught it!! I caught the light!

You see today’s message is a simple one. “There is light where you choose to see it.”

I am now out of my anti-social pit of negativity and in a more positive frame of mind.

Thank you Spirit and thank you to the sun and the wind for the playful dance beneath the crape myrtle tree.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

What’s to Come….

IMG_8573  We are smack dab in the middle of winter and outside look bleak while the Earth continues to rest for the remainder of winter. It won’t be long and she will awake with much to do. Flowers to grow, trees to bud, animals to birth and life to nourish.

Today is one of those crazy Tennessee days where it’s nearly 60 degrees, mid-January…. I have stepped outside with my camera several times in hope to click something spectacular but I’ve not found much at all to focus on.

As I stepped outside and was leaning against the railing I spotted this little downy feather in one of the shrubs, it was waving back and fourth with the breeze. It is a reminder that although today might not bring me the things I hoped…. there is still that… HOPE. I smiled at the little feather, so small and delicate there waving at me. So tiny and yes it still got my attention and I am thankful for the reminder that there is always more to come. More to look forward to and more to live for.


 IMG_8576I  made my way back around to the other side of the building, about to step back inside to get back to work when I noticed this bird nest in a little tree up on the hill. I stepped up to take a couple of shots and again smiled at the thought that in a few shorts month this nest might be home to a new family, creating new life. I’ll definitely keep my eyes on this one and with any luck we’ll all get to witness the miracle of life in the Spring.

So much to look forward to.

Don’t waste your time energy thinking about the things you don’t have… instead shift your focus on what’s to come, life will be so much more fun and enjoyable with that new perspective.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Our Inner Instincts

crow 2This morning as I was driving to work I was thinking about one of the Olympic ads about a cross country skier I had seen last night. While I was watching the commercial, it made me think back to when I had that kind of determination as a child. I had found an old pair of roller skates at my Grandmother’s house, they were way to big at the time but I put them on anyway and began teaching myself how to skate in her living room. I can’t tell you how many times I fell down and got back up. The thing that stuck with me was how determined I was to stay upright on those skates and to be able to use them without having to hold onto things. I remember doing this for days and days, for hours at a time until I finally found myself skating without any trouble at all.

My mind then went to how fearless I once was. The road I lived on as a child was a steep hill with a level part right where my house was and then back to a steep hill again. I would skate up to the top of the hill and without consideration of traffic (thankfully back then there wasn’t much) I would then skate down the hill. I wish I knew how fast I was going.

At this point you are probably wondering what all this has to do with instinct, well I’m getting to that. The instinct comes from how I skated down that steep hill. Without anyone showing me how to do it, without seeing anyone else ever do it, somehow I just knew the best way to skate down the hill. By some magical inner knowing once I got to the top of the hill, I would squat down low as I made my way down the first steep section of the road, once the road started leveling out I would stand up and then as I approached the next steep section I would squat down again and ready myself to skate into an empty lot across the street from my house. Just before turning my body to glide into the empty lot I pushed one foot forward to keep me balanced as I transitioned from pavement to the grassy lot. This kept me balanced and shifted my weight to the back so that I wouldn’t go head over heels into the grass on my face. No one ever told me this and no one ever showed me and I had never seen it done. Something inside me just automatically knew what to do and what might happen if I didn’t do this. As a kid I never gave any thought to it. All I knew is how much fun it was to coast down that hill at full speed ahead.

Determination taught me how to skate, instinct kept me from killing myself.

When we stop over-thinking, when we let go and trust our inner knowing, when we let go of our fears… we find the tools to do anything we wish to accomplish.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Learning New Things Now vs Then

WP_20140107_003This morning on my way to work while wearing my newly knitted scarf, I was appreciating how easy it is in this day and time to learn new things. I went back to when my mom use to knit and thought about how if she wanted to learn a new stitch, pattern or whatever, she would have to go to the library or buy a book. Yesterday I learned a new stitch by typing in a few key words on Youtube. In less than 5 minutes I learned a new knitting stitch and implemented it in my knitting and have made plans for a new project with what I had just learned.

My husband and I have taught ourselves many things thanks richard lampworkto Youtube and the world wide web. We took up lampworking recently and learned everything we’ve done so far from videos. There isn’t much in this day and time that  there isn’t a video how-to for. Within minutes you can learn just about anything your heart desires. What a fantastic time we live in!

Here’s to always learning!

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

The Drum

drum

This weekend I had the privilege of creating my very own hand drum. My dear hubby got me a kit for my birthday and I was finally able to sit down and devote time to creating this beautiful gift. Here’s a photo of my drum just as I finished getting it all together.. the tape will be removed once dry, it takes about 12 hours to fully dry so by the time I get home today I should be able to hear her sound. I can’t wait!!

drumstickHere’s a photo of my drumstick as well.

I thought that this would be a good time to share with you all, more information about the significance of the drum.

To most it is just a drum, nothing more than an instrument that creates sound. But then there are those who have a deeper understanding and connection to the drum. To these people (me included), it is far more than just an instrument of sound… it is the heartbeat of Mother Earth and connects all living beings.

The drum gives us both rhythm and meaning to life. It is the healing rhythm that we hear when singing, dancing, or walking through the world. The round form of the drum represents the circle of life and the whole universe.

Here’s a beautiful story I found on prairieedge.com that must be shared about the drum: 

By: Lynn Thomas  –  entitled “Heartbeats”

“As I write this, snow is gently falling outside and I can’t help but think about how quiet it is out in the Black Hills right now. Imagine, one of those perfect days where you can hear even the smallest rustle in the trees and you realize that it is so quiet that you can even hear your own heart beating.

Before long, you begin to notice a rhythm, and as you listen, the beat grows louder and seems to flow outward into your surroundings. It is at that point you ask yourself: Is the rhythm drawn from what’s around me or am I adding my beat to a dance already in progress?

This ‘heartbeat’ is central to many tribal cultures all over the world and is often manifested into one of human kind’s earliest instruments of communication – the drum.

We understand the message of the drum because we heard it even before we were born. As we came to life in our mother’s womb, we heard a soft repeating sound that lulled us to sleep or alerted us to danger. Her heartbeat became our guide and the forever binding connection between mother and child was established. To this day, it is that first memory of our mother’s heartbeat that draws us to the drum.

From large pedestal drums, to smaller hand drums, it is said the drum’s ability to unite people in one emotion is what makes it such an integral part of Native American culture. It is considered sacred because of its ‘voice’ and the spiritual nature of its power.

Once you hear the drum, you will never be the same.

So, the next time you are standing in that perfect moment of unbroken silence, remember that there really is no silence. There will always be a ‘heartbeat’, and maybe, if you are listening, you will start to hear the song too.”

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Blessings From Nature

Shared  from my photo blog: I have had one really stressful week…. and things still aren’t coming together as hoped.. but hopefully soon I’ll find a moment to relax. I stepped outside the office a few minutes ago just to get some fresh air and as I was walking around with camera in hand I said … ” I need a nice big butterfly to come by and share with me it’s magic”. Just then I looked up to find a feather sticking up out of the grass… and then another just over by the edge of the building … I picked up my feathers and continued walking around … just trying to find a way to let go and relax for a bit before going back inside to get some work done. When I popped around to the front of our building a butterfly… oops nope a month (upon closer examination) fluttered by and landed on a rose… I said “it’s no butterfly .. but it’ll sure do!” “Close enough!” … as I walked around the last little bit of building another feather was on my path.

Today’s message: Be thankful for the small blessings that come your way.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

 

Perspective

upside down birdToday I got a great lesson in perspective. I posted an inspirational video online.. well it was “suppose” to be inspirational.

The theme of the video was to follow your path in life doing what makes you feel good, what makes you happy and what you enjoy doing. That’s the message I took away from the video.

To me, he speaker was saying … why work all your life doing something you hate when there are opportunities out there that enable you to do something you enjoy. The speaker spoke for a moment about working for the sake of just making more money and mentioned that in order to find happiness in our “Living” we may or may not have to take a pay cut… make your life about what you enjoy doing and not about just making a dollar. I totally understood where they were coming from. Especially since I had spent the previous day on the phone for well over an hour, being transferred from one person to the next in comcast’s customer service department. I went from one miserable person to the next … none wanting to actually give me any quality “customer service” .. until finally I came upon someone who didn’t hate their job and was actually wanting to help.

Another person viewed the same exact video and all they took from it was that everyone should do what they want and join Peter Pan in fantasy land. He said that it didn’t encourage hard work at all.

Wow! I don’t recall the speaker saying anything about slacking off. In fact I remember him saying that when you enjoy what you do you soon become an expert at whatever it is simply because you will put your whole self into it far more than a job you are doing simply to make a dollar. AND you will find yourself a much happier person while doing it.

For instance: Some people actually like working in customer service and enjoy helping others.. THOSE people will excel at their jobs while the others will just do the least expected to make that paycheck.

As with all things lets use some common sense folks. Don’t watch a video and quit your job without making sure your responsibilities are covered … instead take the inspiration from that video and go the extra mile to make your own dreams happen. Go back to school, learn a new hobby or trade, make the effort while keeping your responsibilities in life met.

The resources are there if you look long and hard enough. The change may not happen over night but with commitment and drive .. you will someday begin to live your dreams.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

P.S. if your dream is to just sit on the sofa, stuffing your face and watching TV …. well I was going to say … find a new dream but now thinking about it for a moment .. I’m sure there is probably a job out there for you somewhere that will allow you to do just that! LOL

My Photo Scavenger Hunt

This morning after arriving at work.. I felt this pull to take my camera outside to see what there was to see. I looked at my surroundings with thoughts of wonder and hopes of inspiration. Here are a few of the things that I saw through the lense of my camera. ENJOY!

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Many Blessings,
Raventalker

 

Going For It!

Whatever it is in life you wish to do … you have it within you to make it happen. The hardest part is to stop listening to the part of your brain that keeps telling you that you can’t. As my Grandmother always use to say.. “Can’t never could do anything”.

Changes take place when you start reminding yourself that YOU CAN. You change, your attitude changes, your goals change, your perception changes, your whole life changes when you adopt the attitude of “I CAN, I WILL, I AM!”.

Life hands every one obstacles, it’s how we adapt and get ourselves over, around and past these obstacles that determines how far we will go and how quickly. Sure other things may come into play .. but at the end of the day you will be far more fulfilled by having at least tried instead of just dreamed.

Take baby steps if you must .. but don’t sit on the sidelines waiting or watching others … take the steps to begin your journey.. no matter where you want to go.. remember you are the only thing holding you back.

I have to go into personal story of my own: Now this was by no means a great feat or any type of mind blowing event or goal.. but I feel like I must share: When I was a little girl there were 2 things I wanted to do that I saw other girls doing. The first was turn a cartwheel and the other doing a split. I remember day after day I would practice those cartwheels.. I can’t tell you how many times I failed.. how many times I fell over and how many times I got back up.. dusted myself off and went for it again. Every day after school I was out in the yard practicing until dark. Suddenly one day I did the most perfect cartwheel “I” had ever done. The joy and excitement of reaching my goal was tremendous! From that day on I did cartwheels all over the place.. I remember being in the school yard and doing cartwheel races with my friends. The pride that I had in myself for teaching myself how to do that and not giving up was worth more than any gift anyone could have given me at the time. The split was the same way .. my cousin and I would practice every weekend that we were together. we would hold onto each other as we slowly stretched out legs out trying to reach the ground. This took months.. but eventually we did it! Once we were able to do the splits we were always showing off .. lol doing them everywhere. It’s that determination and the innocence of childhood thinking that made us believe we could do it. No one was telling us we couldn’t.. it never even entered our minds that it wasn’t possible.. for all we knew … it was possible and we weren’t going to stop until we made it happen. These may have been childhood dreams but the success from way back when has driven me to this day of believing that “I CAN”. I just have to work with the possibilities  and not give thought to “Can’t be done” way of thinking.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Road Block Ahead!

Life will strategically place many road blocks before you as you travel through life…

The question of the day is: Will you allow that road block to stop you or will you find a way around it and continue your journey despite the road block?

It’s a test of how much you want whatever it is that is on the other side of that road block. If you want to continue down that road bad enough… then you will find a way. If it doesn’t matter so much, then you will probably just turn around and head in another direction or like some.. just stop where you are and go no further.

You always have a choice.

I like to approach the road blocks of my life like a game… not meaning I don’t take it seriously .. but more so on the idea and strategy of how I will find my way around the obstacle course.

From early on in my life, I have had people say that I couldn’t do this or that and people who just did not believe in me and my abilities. Others have always wanted to put me in some sort of box … and their thoughts were that I couldn’t or shouldn’t do anything outside their little boxes.

I took that as a challenge and pushed myself to do more, learn more and become more. I do this for myself .. not for others. It makes me feel good when I have moved out of my comfort zone and beyond obstacles .. .into a better place.

It doesn’t matter the size of the road block or obstacle that is before you .. what matters is how you approach this blockage and how you manage your life to move past it.

Food for thought…

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

This blog inspired by a conversation with my good friend Tammy Lane-Coleman.. Thanks Tammy for the inspiration!

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We want this sign to say 2012! :-)

Please please don’t forget to cast your votes for me this year in Toast of Music City

I’m running for Best Blog and Best Visual Artist …. just click each link below to cast your votes.. Thank you in advance to everyone that takes the time to vote this year.. I appreciate you guys far more than you know! Voting is daily through the whole month of June.

Thank you all!

Best Blog

Best Local Artist (Visual)

 

Watch Me!

This is what I have done all my life. In fact, I strive on proving others wrong when it comes to what I can and can’t do. It  fuels me in a way that no obstacle is too big.. nothing shall get in my way .. I become this super hero of whatever it is I’m about to take on and so I leap tall buildings and scale the mountains before me to show the evil doubter that “Yes indeed, I CAN!“.

It is a great feeling to transform a can’t into a DONE!

You are suddenly filled with a sense of pride and well being. At that moment you are truly happy inside and out. It is euphoric and feels oh so good to be alive. Not only did you show others that you COULD .. you showed yourself that you could do it and that is far more important and rewarding.

Today’s message: Don’t let fear and doubt fill your mind.. Go at life with a CAN DO attitude and watch as the doors to possibilities continue to open right before you.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

On My Way There

I may not have a universal map showing me every turn that I need to take in life but I have however learned that inside me is a map all of my own and when I am on the correct road there is something inside me that knows it and I find peace in that knowing that although I may not be exactly where I wish I was.. I am on my way.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

and so it begins…………….

Tonight we say our goodbyes to 2011 and we welcome in a new year… a new year of possibilities…  a new year of second, third, fourth, etc chances… a new year of becoming your own personal best… a new year to set your own records… a new year to hope … a new year to love… a new year to dream… and a new year to make those dreams a reality.

I keep hearing this commercial on television and radio about this speaker who encourages our young to go after their dreams the quote the commercial ends with is ” If you do nothing to make your dreams happen… your dream dies with you”.  If you take a moment to think about that statement… you can imagine how sad that must be. I also think about all the dreams in this world that were never realized and that must have died within the dreamer. The question of the day is: Will you be one of those dreamers who’s ideas and dreams die when you do or will you be one of those dreamers who goes after your dreams to make them happen.

If you have passion about something, why not at least try your best to make it happen. If it happens or not, at least you tried and maybe someone around you caught that same passion and maybe .. just maybe they will carry on with your vision after you are gone. You never know unless you go after it.

Tonight here are a few things you may want to try:

~ Light a green candle with the intent of creating your future in a positive and productive way.. imagine your dreams coming true and your reality just as you dreamed it to be. Allow this candle to fully burn out. Light it before the end of this year and let it burn over into the new one. (Green can be substituted with any  color if you don’t have a green one handy. Green is the color of health, wealth, success and prosperity)

~ Do something productive to help manifest your dreams. (even if it’s simply writing down your vision)

~ Create a vision board of things you want to make happen this year and keep it visible so that you can be reminded daily of your dreams and of what you wish to manifest in the year to come.

~ Think postive thoughts…. sounds simple … but as you go through your day pay attention to your thoughts and when a negative thought pops into your head … push it away. Negative thoughts damper our productivity and progress and are useless to us or anyone else.

Be sure and do at least 1 thing each day to help manifest your dreams.. even if it’s something as simple as meditating on that dream, recognizing that dream, reminding yourself of the tasks you need to do to make that dream a reality. Every day doesn’t have to be filled with huge tasks… but every day does need to be filled with a type of energy that someday will help you realize your dreams.

Many Blessings for a great year ahead!
Raventalker

2012 or Bust!

Some say the end is near while others will tell you that 2012 is a year of dramatic changes not only for the Earth but for everyone living upon it.

I ask that you forget what you have read and what you have heard and let go of those ideas of others. Make 2012 YOUR year. Allow 2012 and the all the years after be what YOU want them to be. Forget New Year resolutions and make LIFE RESOLUTIONS! I’ve never been one fond of doing what others do or what others think I should do. I have always been one to follow my own set of rules. Life is what we make it and I plan on making it the best that I possibly can. I am sure hard times will come but they will also pass as they have in the years gone by.

We all have life sitting there right in front of us waiting for us to take it into our own hands and do with it what we wish. Sure there are unexpected things that come up.. thats all a part of life.. it’s what makes it interesting .. it keeps us awake and aware.

If your goal this year is to find love… then find that love within yourself first.

If you wish to shed some weight… rid yourself of what stress you can and watch as the weight follows suit. (exercise and eating right must follow as well)

Exercise you mind, body and spirit daily.

Allow goodness to come into your life by giving it frequently.

Go after your dreams and believe in yourself.

Be smart in your decisions but don’t let fear guide you.

Make no excuses. Plan and then DO!

Life is there waiting …

You don’t want to come to the end of your days thinking of all the lost opportunities and “what ifs” … you want to look back and say “At least I gave it a go!” ” I tried” “I did” “I dreamed”  ” I was true to ME”

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

My Christmas Wish

My wishes don’t cost money .. only a little of your consideration and time
Please bear with me while I turn my wishes into a Christmas rhyme

I wish for everyone to know what it’s like to feel loved and blessed
and I wish for for you to have less worries and a whole lot less stress

I wish for you to know the magic that surrounds us every day
and I wish for fewer obstacles to get in your way

I wish for you that the years be kind
and I wish for many happy moments to fill your heart and mind

I wish for you to know a love that is everlasting and true
and I wish for angel blessings to always follow you

I wish for you to know a kiss and a hug can cure all things
and I wish you happy smiles every time you see butterfly wings

I wish for all your dreams become reality
and I wish you to know that within you is the ability

May the spirit fill you.. not only now but every day
These are my Christmas wishes for you and they are on their way

I placed them carefully upon butterfly wings
So that they’ll be carried to the heavens as the bluebird sings

Merry Christmas
Raventalker

Daily Insight – Uggggggg

Yeah that’s right today’s insight is “Uggggggg”

So I felt the pull to post my daily insight today and so I pulled out my cards.. shuffled .. shuffled and shuffled some more. The growth card popped right out of the deck. I thought, ok I reckon growth it is.. and then as I started typing the subject line I just did not want to visit this subject today. I was just not ready to embark on this task. I have talked about growth many times before but today was not the day for me to share any light on this particular subject.

So what’s the insight for the day?

Be fully aware of what your own body and intuition tells you. Know when to push and when to let go. You see, I could have pushed through my insight on growth but if I had done that while I wasn’t really feeling that particular topic, chances are it wouldn’t have reached the ones who may really need it right now. So, I let it go. It is what it is and today is just not the day for growth. Today is the day we learn more about listening to ourselves and our own inner knowing. Today we let go of that feeling that we need to always be doing and always .. constantly growing .. and allow ourselves to just be.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

What We Allow

Today Spirit urges me to talk about what we allow in our lives.

We need to stop often and take a look at the things we allow in our own lives. It’s easy to see what others allow but we must stop for a moment, step back and truly look at our own lives to see what it is we are or are not allowing.

Think about a few examples here: (Things we allow or block from our lives)

Love – we know how to give it but are we allowing it to be returned to us?
Kindness – same as above
Fear – ooooooo that’s a mean and nasty one.. be careful not to let your actions be guided by it
Creativity – are you doubting your creative self – blocking the creativity from flowing through you … when it comes to creativity you have got to let it flow  – also don’t let others stifle your creative ideas
Doubt – Oh  another ugly one … doubt can cause us and the people around us far more harm that one might think. Practice trusting yourself and that inner knowing that stirs inside you. If you can’t trust yourself, you’ll not trust anyone else either.
Success – are you truly allowing yourself to succeed or are you putting your own road blocks in the way?
Growth – are we allowing growth in all areas of our lives or are we again stifling or even pushing ourselves… trying to control how much we grow… how much we move forward … let nature take its course and allow your own growth to come at its own pace.

These are just a few examples… throughout our lives there are so many things we will find ourselves allowing in that are no good for us.. we talk ourselves into accepting what is … instead of seeing what could be or what is best for us.

Many blessings,
Raventalker

If your soul wants to….

If your soul wants to sing … Let it sing
If your soul wants to dance … Let it dance
If your soul wants to cry… Let it cry
If your soul wants to dare… Let it dare
If your soul wants to laugh – Let it laugh
If your soul wants to hide.. Let it hide
If your soul wants to praise .. Let it praise
If you soul wants to complain.. Let it complain
If your soul wants to love… Let it love.
If your soul wants to be.. Let it be

 To often that we push ourselves into doing or acting in a way that is not good for us. Somewhere down the line we will find ourselves saying .. “I should have” “I could have” “Why didn’t I”.

 We will hold on to the things that need to fall away from our lives, hoping to keep whatever “normal” we think we should have in tact. We’ll hold onto relationships (friends, family  and lovers) longer than we should for fear of hurting someone else’s feelings. We’ll hold onto bad habits for fear of change.
We stop nature from taking its course so often that we damage not only our own lives but all those involved and then we sit and ask that every so popular
question.. “Why?”.

 Well because we did it to ourselves. We held on when everything inside of us said “LET GO!”. We need not worry about what we have already done and focus more on this moment forward. The past is done, there is no changing it. However, we are able to shape the future.

 We need to learn how to listen to our inner knowing, pay  attention to our surroundings and when the universe sends us a gigantic sign to
say STOP..RUN..GO THE OTHER WAY!! then we should listen and do that very thing!

 Don’t be afraid of what you can become.

 All of our lives we have heard others says things like: “If I was younger..” “If I knew then what I know now…” “The youth holds the world in their
hands”

 We hold our own world in our hands. WE have unlimited possibilities. It is not wasted on the young, it is wasted on those who do not believe in
themselves.

 It’s time we are start believing!

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

What Tomorrow Brings

hdr_00021_0What tomorrow brings…. Tomorrow is a new day… A new beginning….

Life is what you make it. You get what you put into it.

Life has it’s ups and downs and all-arounds … it’s not what happens to us but how we react to what happens to us that determines how our day will be, how it will end and how the next day begins.

You have the power within you to make your own life whatever you want it to be. Let’s do be reasonable tho, of course we would all like to be millionaires but that’s not likely to happen. We can create our own magic, our own happiness and our own success.

Many walk through this life seemingly asleep and zombie-like. They just go through the motions of the day without truly living. So much is lost for them. They do not see their own possibilities. Life is constantly buzzing all around them and yet they are numb to it.

We all go through periods of seclusion and detachment from the world.. how long that period lasts is up to us. Some seem to stay in that period for their whole lives. I am sad for those who feel stuck in that period. My wish today is that they are able to see the world with new eyes and see their way out of this dark time. I can’t imagine how it must be to live everyday without light, love and a zest for truly living.

If you take nothing else from my words today.. my hope is that you know these few things: You do have the power inside you to turn your world around. Life’s possibilities are endless. It is never too late. Dreams do come true. Life is worth living. Love and happiness are inside you always. Magic is real.

Many Blessings for a magical day,
Raventalker

Daily Insight New Beginnings and Change

Daily Insight 11-7

New Beginning – Listen to your inner being and trust your intuition … old things will fall away painlessly as you start something new. This may be a new way of thinking, a new way of doing things or even new projects and or work.

Change – Change strengthens us… to more we allow it the stronger we become. I know it may sound strange but think about the changes you have gone through so far and take a look at where you are now. Have you not grown from your experiences? Have you not become stronger? Now you see. Don’t fight change… it’s going to happen sooner or later .. why drag out the process and make things far more complicated than they need to be.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

It’s All About How You Look At it

click to enlarge

When first stepping outside it may look like a wet, damp and dreary day with no sun and no bright blue skies.. but when you look a bit closer.. the beauty of the day quietly reveals itself.

The beauty is there .. you just have to want to see it.

click to enlarge

Many Blessings for a beautiful day,
Raventalker

What’s Stopping You?

What’s stopping you from succeeding?

What excuses do you allow to keep you from doing?

We all make them when we really don’t want to do something. Some excuses are pretty good.. and then there are those that are just that.. excuses!

If we have a vision in our mind of what we want to manifest, complete, bring to life… then we must take on the work that goes along with making that happen.

Waiting for things to just come to us is a fantasy… it just doesn’t happen.

Do you think Mark Zuckerberg just sat down one night and coded facebook… ok so nearly but still.. to make it what it is today he had hours upon hours of work put into it… and once it came to be he didn’t just stop there. His vision continued and so did his work. He probably entered numerous lines of code that didn’t work before he came upon the ones that did. What he didn’t do was allow himself excuses.

Let’s go back even further .. Thomas Edison, Ben Franklin, the Wright Brothers… How many times do you think they failed before finding the one thing that worked??? They had an idea, a goal and they worked toward that goal until they got the results they were looking for.

Here’s an excuse I hear every day: “I don’t know how.”

Really? You are going to say this today and settle for that answer? Are you not going to at least try and find out? Umm Google, Youtube, this thing called the internet!!!! AMAZING resource for just about anything in the world you wish to learn. But that’s ok.. YOU DON’T KNOW HOW.

Sigh….. I’m certainly glad the great inventors of the world didn’t just settle for “I don’t know how”

We’d still be without lights, electricity, cars, computers,  internet, refrigeration, facebook (Oh God the horror!!) LOL.. just think about it.

I’m not saying you have to take on the task of being the next big thing .. I’m just saying that if you want something then you have to WORK to get it! Stop allowing excuses and get out there and start DOING to make those dreams a reality.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Daily Insight – Endurance

Daily Insight – Oct. 13 – Endurance

Endurance isn’t based solely on the physical but also the mental  and the emotional self. All three are tied together however, for you must draw from inside yourself to endure any of the above.

You may be physically able to run a marathon, but the drive that keeps you running when your body is ready to quit comes from inside.

Learn to use the obstacles in your path as opportunities for growth.  Take heed the lessons that come your way and stay steadily focused on the goal ahead.

When you feel as though you can’t walk another mile, take another blow to your heart or make it through another crisis … know that within the embers still burn, the fire may be doused but the embers to once again ignite that fire are there. You can do it. This feeling to stop, give up or quit will pass and you will make it through.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Daily Insight – Oct. 7

Today I’ve got 2 cards … Love and Power.. oh what a pair!

Love: Two hands reaching out to hold one another. This speaks of a connectedness that is complete in itself. It needs nothing more than to be what it is. Its the kind of love that gives without expecting and receives gratefully what is returned.  I’m talking about a love so true it is nothing like you have experienced before…. a love that is solid and pure that flows straight from the heart and soul. A selfless love that never stops flowing. A love that completes you in a spiritual way that reveals to you your true purpose. Enjoy it! It lasts for eternity once found.

Power: Most may see the word power and think if has to do with strength or position in life.. but that is not always the meaning. The power I am talking about today is the power within you….. the things you are capable of doing and manifesting. I am speaking about your own internal power. Draw upon that power to manifest all that you dream your life to be.

You have it in you to manifest your visions. YOU HAVE THE POWER! Take the reigns and go forward with all your plans… as you feel this burst  of energy inside you.. all things are possible. get out there and make them happen!

 

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Something Amazing is About to Happen

 Something Amazing is About to Happen

Question of the day: Are you a spectator or a player? Are you waiting for that something amazing to happen or are you a part of that something amazing?

WP_20140616_010Waiting for the phone the ring, waiting for that big break, waiting for that special someone to walk into your life, waiting …. will get you nowhere.

You have to be up and doing, you have to play an active role in your own life.

We accomplish by doing, not by waiting.

What more do I need to say? It should be clear. How many people do you honestly know that have accomplished great things just from sitting around waiting on things to happen?

Those you know that get things done…. whats the one thing they all have in common?

Just sayin…

The choice is yours…. you can continue to wait .. or you can get up and DO!

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Remember Who You Are

IMG_8974Remember who you wanted to be when you were young?

Remember the dreams of growing up?

Remember ………

It is time to find yourself again …. through the chore of growing up and living you have forgotten or lost who you are …

It is time to remember ….

It is never too late to be who you are.. Walk with love in the direction of your dreams and keep with you always that inner child who wishes on stars, pinky swears and who believes in fairytales and wishes coming true.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

My Magical Life

I love, love, love my magical life.. I really do.. it brightens my days and brightens the light inside me as well.  That being said.. I have to tell you about my commute home from work this afternoon. Here we go:

Well, earlier today I was blogging about work ethics and about doing the best you can do and then taking it a step further … all the while that I was writing about this I was thinking about my husband because he is that way as well. He just cannot make himself do something half way. He always has to go a step beyond what one might think you should do so that he does it better than what was done before.

Well.. the thoughts of my darling husband lingered through my mind all the way home. Every time I think of him, I can’t help but smile. It’s one of those smiles that starts right in the center of your being and just jumps right out onto your face as though it cannot be contained! So, I’m driving home and thinking about him and smiling all the while and I thought to myself, “thoughts of my hubby are just fluttering through my mind like a butterfly upon a breeze” I know,  I know.. I’m sappy that way.

Just a few minutes into my drive and “Our Song” comes on the radio… ok so you know I had to chuckle a bit to myself as a grin covered my entire face. I reach over and turn up the radio and at that moment I am in a que to merge onto another section of the interstate and as I sat there singing along to “our song” I look over at the traffic and in the median bounces a butterfly right past my car.. LOL! Finally I make it up to the merge and as traffic from the other lanes are mingling a truck moves over in front of me with the license plate of 777LVV. I think to myself…. “OMG, can this get much better!” You see we were married on 7/7/07 :-). I continue singing and making my way home.

The song is over and I can’t get much happier. I’m on my way home, I have a wonderful husband and life is pretty good today. As these thoughts fill my mind, it’s time to merge again and you won’t believe this but now I am behind another car with one of those angelic numbered license plates. This time it’s 444, which means the angels are surrounding you and  with you. You can imagine, I am all grins!

My commute is about an hours drive and now I am getting really close to home. Again, I am qed up to merge onto the last bit of highway just before hitting the back streets to home. I’m sitting there at a mere crawl inching my way forward, the windows are down, the radio is on and a cool breeze comes into my window. I breathe a heavy sigh and think to myself,” What a beautiful day” just then a car slowly passes by and yep you guessed it another plate with angelic numbers. This time it’s 111, which means opportunity and new doorways opening up.

Just seconds after seeing the 111, this thought rolled into my head,  “I just need to let go of thinking about the things I don’t have and concentrate on what I do have in my life”. Just as that thought finished, I look over and there is yet another car with 444 on the license plate! I’m thinking.. no one will ever believe this! This was the universe confirming my path or at least that’s how I like to believe.

Just amazing! Funny how life works. Those things that can’t be explained. Some call them coincidences … I call it magic!

Love life and watch it love you back!

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Reaching Out to Others

Reaching Beyond Yourself

Reach out beyond yourself.. beyond you own circle.. reach out to friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, people in your community, etc.

It is a great feeling to touch the lives of others in a positive way ..  Don’t let the holidays or special events be the only time of the year you reach out to help another.

The greatest gift is a gift given from the heart…  gifts come in many sizes and in many ways.. sometimes it is a gift to just listen. Gifts don’t always need to cost money. Give a gift of your time. Whatever you have, reach beyond yourself and give it with your heart… act with love and watch and feel how that love is returned.

Sometimes others just need an ear to listen.. a shoulder to cry on or a friend to lean on… be there for others.. and not just when it’s convienent.

It’s not always easy to be so available… and it’s not that you should ALWAYS be .. you do need time for yourself as well. But try and make yourself more available to help… that’s all I ask today.

You just never know what storm is going on inside someones life and you just may be that smile that helped them make it through.

Most don’t ask for help.. but if you are aware of others and you have opened up your perception of the world around you …  then you will know when someone needs that help.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Time for Appreciation

Today being 9-11, I thought this would be fitting.

Take some time today to think about all the things that made you laugh or smile. I bet most of those things had nothing at all to do with material possesions… but more likely they were acts of kindness, friendship, family bonding, and basic human interaction. Maybe it was finding your very first 4 leaf clover, or watching the sunset or rise.  Maybe it was the look on someone face when they had lost the plot and became confused… maybe it was your child’s first steps… whatever it was … I can almost guarantee it had nothing at all to do with something you “thought” you wanted or needed.. instead it was something that just came to you freely and without some supermarket price tag.

I’m not saying that life isn’t hard and that there are no tragedies.. today is a reminder that tragedy happens …. I’m simply saying to take a moment and appreciate all the little things in life that bring you unexpected joy.. take a moment to appreciate those around you … tell those close to you that you love them and appreciate them. Hug a whole lot more and complain a whole lot less.

Take time today to appeciate the fact that if nothing else in this world you still have life to live … and if you still have life you have dreams, hopes and possibilities.

Remember to take time daily for appreciating all the great gifts that have come your way. You just never know when one of those gifts will be gone.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

It’s all about who you know….

“It’s all about who you know….” How many times have you heard that phrase?

Well, it’s true!

In so many instances it really is about who you know…. some of the best breaks, opportunities, deals.. etc.. come from people you know or are connected to in some way.

This year I won 1st place for Best Visual Artist and Best Blog because of who I know… yep .. that’s right .. because of who I know!

But, it’s not exactly what you think…. Let me explain.

The people I know come from all walks of life.. most everyday folks just like me. All of us doing our best to make our way in this world.

They may or may not be the most politically influential, they may or may not be the highest in command at what they do, they may or may not be the wealthiest  (as far as monetary value goes), they may or may not have much power in this world … but they are by far the most caring, dedicated, hard working, dependable, friendliest and kind hearted people that I know!

It is because of these people, standing by me throughout the voting process that I was able to win 1st place.

The thing is …. the award and acknowledgement is great .. but what’s even greater is that I have enough of these people on my side… who cared enough about me to cast their votes daily for an entire month..  who despite my constant and annoying voting reminders .. still stood by me and together we ruled the Toast of Music City 2011!!

It is indeed  “who you know”  and in this case I am proud and honored to know so many wonderful, caring folks!

Who you know doesn’t always mean you have to know the wealthiest, most powerful people…  you just have to know the ones who truly care about others.

Thank you to everyone who voted for me this year… and most of all thank you all for your friendship, support and for being who you are!

I’m so glad I know the best of the best! The Cream of the Crop! Love You All!

Many Blessings,
Raventalker