"Rules To Live By"

I found this list of "Rules To Live By" saved in my computer, but unfortunately, I didn't copy who actually wrote these with it. They're great rules though, which is probably why I saved them to begin with!

• You must be willing to give up who you are for the next grandest, greatest, joyful version of yourself.
• You must be willing to give and receive love with a completely open heart - no self-protection, no giving into your fears.
• You must be willing to laugh loudly, deeply, and often. Especially if it means laughing at yourself.
• You must be willing to make new friends who are more aligned with the spiritual path you are on.
• You must be willing to do the work it entails to know God, yourself, and others in a way that will open new doorways in your heart.
• You must stop complaining. Whatever you complain about, you attract more of.
• You must envision who you want to be, and the life you want to live, and act like that has already come to pass so that you can manifest it.
• You must stop suffering. If you are in pain about anything, do something about it. Anything at all. Feeling bad won't ever change a thing but action, even in it's smallest form, always does.
• You must not think negative thoughts. As soon as one comes to you say to yourself as many times as it takes to make that thought melt away, "I love myself." Being loving, especially to yourself, can create miracles of transformation.
• You must not mistake being disciplined for "beating yourself up". Being disciplined means being focused on what you would like to manifest, not demeaning yourself for falling short of utter perfection.
• You must not try to hide from yourself. Face your inner "demons" with courage and confidence.
• You must do things that will nourish yourself. Stay away from any substance, or person, that robs you of clarity, vitality, and discipline.

This Is The Reason

The entire reason I've gone through everything I have. The being single throughout my entire pregnancy. The being completely alone with a newborn after my first month of Maternity Leave. The having to work full-time which I loathe because it means being away from him. The crying, the doubting myself, the fears and anxieties, the utter EXHAUSTION. It was all for this moment right here.

Thank God I hung in there.

Gratitude Letter

I was asked to write a letter of gratitude to myself as an excercise in self-appreciation. It seems like an odd thing to do, writing a letter of gratitude to oneself, but it actually is a wonderful way to take stock of all the things about you that are truly wonderful instead of allowing that critical voice in your head to be the one who gets all the say. As down as I can get, and as hard on myself as I am (and those who know me best know that I am punishingly hard on myself most of the time), I was surprised that I found it fairly easy to find things about me to be grateful for. I'm thinking everyone should write one of these -- so here, now, I am sharing my letter with you.


Dear Issa,

Thank you for being so very strong that you are constantly amazed with what you are capable of. Thank you for deciding to have your son even after you had to break up with his father while pregnant. Thank you for always being such a good friend that everyone knows you are someone who can be counted on. Thank you for being the kind of person that always keeps her word unless something unavoidable happens. You are a pillar of strength for me, for your friends, and for your family - and now that pillar will be of service to your beautiful son, Theo.

Thank you for hearing the call of Spirit to open yourself to a new form of spirituality. Thank you for having the courage to convert to a religion your family and friends knew nothing about when you felt that only Buddhism would aid you in your quest for a higher spiritual existence. Thank you for being such a seeker, a maverick, despite how grounded and reliable you are. Thank you for not stopping at Buddhism, but for allowing all aspects of Truth to be intergrated into your spiritual perspective. Thank you for meditating every single day you were pregnant, more so for the baby than even for yourself.

Thank you for finding the light in the darkness again and again and again. Thank you for not going through with giving up those two times you wanted to call it quits. Theo would not be here had you been successful!!! Thank you for believing in yourself, even when all of the negativity that you had been conditioned with all of your life threatened to take that away. Thank you for your wicked sense of humor -- that humor has saved you from despair more times than even you might know.

Thank you for being smart, beautiful, and loving. Thank you for always being as honest as possible.

Thank you for you, Issa. You don't always feel it, but you are an amazingly wonderful human being. And when the light of your soul shines through? Not many can resist basking in that glow.

Love always,
Issa