Day 89 – Overcoming

I have always found it strange that people have a tendency to have more fears as adults then when they are younger. It would seem to me that wisdom that comes with aging would make people less afraid. But I guess the realities of life create and evolve our fears as we age. When I was young, I was literally afraid of nothing – almost to the point of being reckless at times. I always called it being a free spirit (which I truly still am) but I think back then, well into my 20’s I was just fearless.

Now I have developed a few irrational fears. I am a total chicken of driving in the rain (which I attribute to being raised in AZ). I also get very nervous with driving over large bridges (especially east coast bridges cause they are SO high and SO narrow!) no matter what the weather. And I hate driving in fog. (Driving in the snow doesn’t bother me at all…go figure lol)

Well, today I had somewhere to go, it was very important to me to be there on time no matter what. It was pouring down rain, a spectacularly dense fog and I had to drive over a super high, narrow and long bridge to get off the island. Basically, it was my fear trifecta!! Today was the day to conquer these ridiculous, unfounded fears once and for all!

I got in the car, gathered myself for a moment, took some very deep breaths (said a prayer) and went for it. I drove carefully and slowly and continued to remind myself that these are irrational fears. At one point, I called Vinny and he talked me through the highest part of the bridge which was a huge blessing. And sure enough….when I got to where I needed to be, I was still a little rattled but I was so very proud of myself.

Understand…in the past I would have totally opted to just stay home no matter how much I needed or wanted to go out. There were times in NC that I would just pull over and wait the rain out (but those storms tend to pass quickly). I am happy and proud and feel that there was a lot of growth in my intention today and I am one step closer to kicking irrational fears out of my life completely!! And by the way… I am so glad I got to where I needed to be cause it was an awesome day!!! When I drove home, it was still rainy, foggy and I had to go back over that dreaded bridge but I did it with little to no anxiety at all. #oweittoHeatherandthisblog #cheerstohealingintentions

Day 88 – Bikini Ready

So, pretty much every woman I know has some sort of summer prep diet or exercise plan. Let’s face it…in the winter we just eat more- it is what it is. I never let myself get too out of control and just embrace the extra winter comfort food. I stay active and work out fairly regularly (nothing crazy) but I enjoy Zumba, Yoga and Spin classes and cardio at the gym. But I do usually make a few adjustments just before it’s time to get into my bikini for the first time- you know to shed that extra 5 pounds that seems to make such a difference.

I figure I am probably about a month away from beach time, so now is the perfect time to start my “Bikini Ready” plan. So my plan (it has worked in the past) is to eat celery throughout the day. It’s just that simple. Because celery is a negative-calorie food, it takes the body more calories to digest it than the food itself contains. A single stalk of celery has only one calorie, btw. And once I’m done chewing a stalk I feel like I’ve been eating for a long time and don’t feel like eating much else.

So, amongst this extremely busy day, that’s exactly what I did. I started my celery snacks. I will increase the amount of lemon water I drink and in the afternoon add cucumber slices to my water and I should be good to go in a few weeks to get right back into my bikini and hit the beaches here HARD! (lol) Today was a really good day and with this intention I feel one step closer to summer- yay. #HGAL

Day 87 – Sticky Notes

For today’s intention, I decided to give some love and attention to my husband and son by way of little sticky notes. I left my husbands on the inside of his Ipad cover so that the next time he opens it up, there it will be. I just expressed my appreciation and love and gave him a specific thank you for always having my coffee perfectly made and ready for me each morning. The “little” things he does like that are really the biggest things in my opinion (and he does so much).

I put my sons note on his laptop when he was at practice tonight so when he goes into his room, there it will be. I expressed my pride in his grades and behavior. I assured him if he stays on this path his life will surely be a great success. I also thanked him for always making me laugh (that kid is a riot!).

I randomly (at times) send these kinds of encouraging, loving and reassuring notes (on texts) to my other two kiddos and if they were here today I would have written them sticky notes too. I wish I would have specifically expressed more often to Heather how much I cherished our relationship and how much I absolutely adored her. I believe in my heart that she knew it through and through as did I. #HGAL

Day 86 – Poetic Beauty

Today as I was running errands and going about another busy (rainy) but lovely and productive day, I passed a sign that said it is National Poetry Month. I have been writing poetry since I was about 12 years old. I actually had one published in the National Voices of America publication when I was 14. I have a collection of poems I have written for many, many years and it’s fun to look back on some from my younger years. So, needless to say I do appreciate poetry. I actually went to a Poetry Slam when I was in Charlotte and that was a FUN time!

This evening, after dinner we were relaxing on the couch. Since Vinny was on his Ipad doing something, I turned off the TV and decided it would make a great intention to just read some poetry online in appreciation for this National Poetry Month. Although I don’t read a lot of poetry per se, I do have some favorite poems and a couple of poets I am fond of. I logged onto Pinterest and searched poems and found the writer -e.h who is a definite favorite of mine.

I found a poem from that author that I actually have displayed in our home that says:

There is freedom waiting for you

On the breezes of the sky

And you ask “What if I fall?”

Oh but my darling

What if you fly?

Anyhow, I found myself spending quite a while enjoying the poems on Pinterest and a couple of other websites. Some were funny, cute, deep, dark, sad and so on and I enjoyed the variety. I am including a picture of a couple of poems I especially enjoyed. Cheers to the beauty of a well written poem. #HGAL

Day 85 – Life’s Little Irony

Today was quite accomplished. I got a lot of things done and even had time to enjoy this beautifully bright, sunny, fairly warm day on the beach for over an hour. The breeze was cool but the sun made it totally enjoyable.

This evening as I was gathering my supplies to begin dinner, Vinny and I were catching up on our day and just hanging out together. I was trying to decide what I would do for my intention. I went over to pour myself a glass of wine. It was a bottle of Cupcake and I noticed the plate of treats they sent us home with yesterday and there was a cupcake sitting there. So I kind of laughed about it and told Vinny, I should totally embrace the irony and drink a glass of Cupcake wine and eat this cupcake. He was like “Yea, go for it.” So I did. Yup….before dinner.

It was so delish – no regrets. This blog is fun on days like this when something just makes me think, “Yea I should do it” and then actually do. If it wasn’t for needing to complete an intention I probably wouldn’t have done that. Not a big deal but a fun, silly and random addition to my day. #cheers #HGAL #cupcakekindaday

Day 84 – Easter Sunday

We spent this Easter Sunday at Vinny’s brothers house in Massachusetts. They always host the main holiday events here and we have gone for 4^th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas and now Easter. I feel blessed to be so lovingly included and embraced by all of the family and friends. My sister in law is the hostess with the mostest!! She is super nice, always so warm and inviting and all of the extended family and friends end up at their house and it is ALWAYS a great time.

There is so much amazing food, desserts, drinks and then some. Some foods they cook are with recipes that have been handed down for generations. I love hearing and learning of more family memories and history with each and every visit. Today there were over 30 people there and we had an amazing day.

On the way home I called Heathers husband and kids and was able to wish them a Happy Easter and they sounded so good, it warmed my heart. Today’s intention was well spent embracing and enjoying family and friends on a truly beautiful Easter Sunday.

Day 83 – State Park

OMG this is the first day I haven’t needed a coat in months! It is a bright, beautiful but SUPER windy day. The gusts have been at times over 40 miles/hr. But when we woke up we immediately made plans to go spend some of our day at the Brenton State Park. It is famous for being the place where people fly their kites- not just kites….huge, massive, crazy kites.

They have a kite festival in July that we are sure to go to. But today we wanted to just go see if anyone was flying their kites and whether they were or not, we wanted to go walk all the nooks and crannies of the ocean side park- and that’s just what we did. Btw, it was just far too windy for anyone to have their kites out so I’ll have to do this again and be sure to include pics of the amount of kite fliers- because I have NEVER seen anything like it. It’s quite a sight and a great vibe to be a part of.  

Anyhow, something pretty amazing happened when we were out and about walking around. For 12 years I have been looking for a pink rock and have never found one…until today. We have looked at beaches all over the Caribbean, Mexico, and US beaches on the west, south and east coasts. We have found pink shells but never a pink rock (weird right?!?!). I mentioned to Vinny the first time we went to a beach together 12 years ago that I had never found one and it’s been his mission of sorts since then. Today was his day. As we were walking around a small little inlet amongst some random large rocks, he shouted “OMG Sarah- I found your rock! I told you I would find it one day and here it is.” He gave it to me and I felt so incredibly special that he has remembered that all these years. We even found a rock that was the shape of a heart. Seems like a small thing, but it was an awesome find and truly made my day!!

So, after we got home we had a late lunch and played games as a family with our deck sliders open for the first time this year…ahhhh! So now we are getting ready to cook together and create a Mexican fiesta night. Today was a great day.  

 

Day 82 – Joy Ride

Today was jam packed again but it was a great day. We actually bought a new car today. So, for my intention we went on a nice long joy ride around the island this evening. We went to the beach just in time to catch the sunset. We sat there for a while and toyed around with all the knobs, buttons and features. We sat there for a bit and I just enjoyed the moment, embraced gratitude and slowly inhaled that lovely new car smell. It was lightly raining out but it didn’t matter even one bit- I am just a happy camper! I must admit- I love German engineering when it comes to my vehicles! #HAPPYFRIDAY

Day 81 – Book Donation

I love to read. When I read an especially good book, once I’m done with it (and maybe after a reread) I give them to friends/family or whatever. Only a select few I never get rid of though. But today I decided for my intention to donate to my local library some books that I haven’t read and don’t see myself getting around to reading anytime soon.

I might as well let someone else enjoy reading them rather than letting them remain on my bookshelf. I still have quite a few left but this was a good start.

Today has been busy and full. I am beginning to prep for some extremely exciting adventures coming up real soon. I am super excited for this summer and fall for sure! I wish I could share now but it’s going to be surprising and fun to let it all unfold on this blog as I enjoy where the rest of this year takes me!! #plansdreamsandmore #HGAL

Day 80 – Secret Refresher

Today was another busy day but lovely for sure. I got to spend some time with my friend, went on a walk on this beautiful, sunny day and was able to run all my errands and complete all my to-do’s. For my intention today I wanted to give myself a few moments to skim through the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne as a bit of a refresher of sorts.

When this book came out many years ago, I was invited to multiple “Secret” viewing parties where the movie would be watched and discussed. I had been given a copy of this book by my closest friend. I had one party of my own with a very large turnout and it was awesome.

This book and its theory of the law of attraction- ask, believe, receive took the West Coast by storm and I felt blessed to be a part of it. It is life altering- in such a magnificent way. I have always had a copy clearly visible in my home as a constant reminder. I enjoy making vision boards and seeing in later months or years all of the things that have actually happened or things I actually received. It works!!

Anyhow, I have a few key specific goals I’m working towards for both my immediate and distant future and there is no time like the present time to refresh the practice of appreciation, intention and the power of belief (ask, believe, receive) than right now today. So that is exactly what I did. I am so happy to have practiced today the law of attraction suggested by this amazing tool I was gifted so many years ago. #askbelievereceive #lawofattraction #shootforthestars #HGAL