8 February 2021 – Share the Love

Weekly YES Quote!

“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Weekly Reflection

Love is a difficult venture.

Anyone who tells you that love is easy is either full of it (you know exactly what it is), or has had a life “lucky” beyond belief.

I’ve been reflecting these last two weeks on love and what it means to me – two weeks ago I posted about my cousin’s wedding, and how she got married despite the numerous obstacles she faced (25 January 2021 – Never Let Your Determination Waver).

Love is never simple.

Love is complicated and intricate. It’s one of the most beautiful, innate feelings.

And when you least expect it the most, love could consume you or leave you.

My dad’s sister, my closest Aunt, is dying of cancer. By the way, “FU CANCER!”

“Fortunately” – I can’t even believe I’m typing that word… – it’s not a surprise.

She’s been trying to send the cancer into the netherworld for about two years now, but doctors don’t believe it’s possible.

I have a lot of anger.

I have a lot of emotion.

I have a lot of sorrow.

To be as blunt as possible… THIS SUCKS!!!

If you’ve been in my shoes or in deeper shoes than I – you get it. I have the biggest virtual hug for you.

I love her – she’s fun, charismatic, smart, lovely… quite frankly she’s one of the most amazing women that I know.

And, beyond belief, at 60, the world isn’t yet ready for her departure – yet here we are, and I’m at a loss.

Last weekend we spent memorable time together.

We laughed, told stories, showcased photos/videos… maybe more than she wanted or would’ve ever wanted to see (I have a promising chat thread dedicated to sending her images and videos of me… I think she’s welcome).

I was trying to find a skinny dipping video of my best friend and I invading Ice Lakes (+12K’ elevation), but fortunately for her health I wasn’t able to.

Regardless, love was in the air this past weekend, and I wouldn’t have missed spending this time with her for the world.

Weekly Challenge

Times are beyond hard right now.

I’m with you.

If you’ve lost someone close to you or are knowingly about to lose someone close to you, know that I’m here for you.

It’s not easy to lose someone you love.

Maybe you haven’t spoken with that friend, family member, romantic partner, coworker, neighbor… and take it from me: don’t wait.

Tomorrow everything could change.

Don’t let tomorrow sneak up on you.

The weekend is over and all I want is more time with my Aunt. Unfortunately for all involved time is the one thing we’re not forecasted to have.

Challenge yourself this week to reach out to those most dear to your heart.

Pick up the phone.

Shoot over a text.

Write a letter or email.

Whatever your preferred form of communication, please exercise it to tell those around you who you love that you love them. Let them know you love them.

You’ll be forever grateful, and your loved one will be as well.

Reminder to Just Say Yes!

As always, say yes to experiences that present themselves to you! Life is full of fun and wonder – don’t be stuck at home wondering what life could be like, should be like, would be like… drop that nonsense! Get out there, say yes, and never look back!

Click on the links below to follow me on my social media accounts, and definitely subscribe to the blog for more Weekly Yes Quotes to help set your intention to kick start your week.

I’d love it if you shared some of the ways this week’s quote has made you feel, and how you’re going to challenge yourself to reach out to those you love!

We each have a unique journey, and I would love to share in yours.

25 January 2021 – Never Let Your Determination Waver

Weekly YES Quote!

“I decided long ago never to walk in anyone’s shadow; if I fail, or if I succeed, at least I did as I believe.”

Whitney Houston

Weekly Reflection

A few months ago I was fortunate enough to visit my family up in Humboldt County, California.

Usually, during a regular calendar year pre-COVID, I only make it home for Christmas because it’s such a trek to get up to that area in Northern California.

I added this venture home for the year because my beautiful cousin was getting married.

I not proudly admit that I word vomited plenty of negative comments prior to my arrival back home…

Getting married during COVID… is she crazy?! Are we wearing masks? Are we hugging? Are we going to be able to genuinely enjoy each other’s company and celebrate, or are we going to sit around social distancing while being exceptionally celebration-awkward? She doesn’t have a bridal party… only her Maid of Honor?! But she already picked out the bridesmaid dresses and and and…

These and other thoughts circled through my mind.

And to top it off California… yes, the entire State of California… was on fire (again).

Like come on!

When I landed in San Francisco on my stopover to the Eureka/Arcata airport it looked like I was in the middle of an apocalypse…

Prior to taking off from San Francisco our pilot even cracked a joke about how we’d shortly be departing Middle Earth once some paperwork and routine checks were completed.

As if my mind wasn’t already hating on the COVID struggles the wedding would face now we have to deal with fire on top of it.

Can you imagine?

As if you aren’t already upset enough that the headcount for your wedding has greatly diminished due to the pandemic, but now your gorgeous wedding dress is going to glow orange because of the fires in the area – sad headcount and orange photos… great.

Through all this my cousin’s attitude never wavered.

The pandemic reared its ugly face, and she refused to move her wedding date.

The fire came fiercely ripping through the State, and she again refused to move her wedding date.

I thought she was stubborn and being a bit ridiculous… I truly did. Until the day of the wedding.

Marrying your best friend isn’t about having the perfect attendance, date, weather…

Marrying your best friend is about making a commitment to the person you cherish the most and want to be with forever.

Those who want to be there for you to celebrate with you will be there, and it’ll be the best party ever in celebration of your union because everyone who is there wants to be together.

I learned that lesson that day.

I felt so foolish for all my negative, snarky comments… it wasn’t my wedding to judge or be judgmental over. I should’ve been feeling happy and ecstatic that I was even invited to her wedding… grateful even that she would want me there to share her special day with her.

Yet there I was being superficial about how she was deviating from social norms when they don’t even matter!

Weekly Challenge

We should never lose sight of what’s most important to us especially when faced with obstacles no matter how impossible they may seem.

When you want something bad enough, when you believe in something strongly enough, when you know deep down in your heart that something needs to change… you should never let your determination waver.

My cousin did just that: she wanted to marry the love of her life and nothing was going to prevent that from happening.

She was brave, strong, and resolute.

It didn’t matter that some people couldn’t attend the wedding due to the pandemic – she had her immediate family, her partner’s immediate family, her maid of honor, the best man, and my immediate family present. Everyone who was present was truly present in the moment and happily there to celebrate with the wed couple to be.

It didn’t matter that the sky had a tinge of orange due to the fires throughout the State. So what if her dress would appear more orange than white… she would still look lovely nonetheless. If anything she will be able to tell her children that you never falter when something is important to you, and she can use her wedding photos as the perfect example.

We each have things in our lives that are of the upmost importance to us, and we’d be doing a disservice to ourselves and the world if we didn’t strive for them because of a social norm or other unimportant happening.

Commit to what matters most to you!

Don’t hesitate to reach, scramble, scratch, claw, or get your hands dirty.

Challenge yourself this week to make strides in your life towards the things that matter most to you, and don’t let any seemingly impossible obstacle(s) get in your way of your path to success.

Reminder to Just Say Yes!

As always, say yes to experiences that present themselves to you! Life is full of fun and wonder – don’t be stuck at home wondering what life could be like, should be like, would be like… drop that nonsense! Get out there, say yes, and never look back!

Click on the links below to follow me on my social media accounts, and definitely subscribe to the blog for more Weekly Yes Quotes to help set your intention to kick start your week.

The quote was taken from Becca Anderson’s book, Badass Affirmations: The Wit and Wisdom of Wild Women, which is an affiliate link. If you purchase the book following my link I will receive a small kickback, and you will receive a wonderful edition to your collection! This book is filled with quotes from amazing women, who inspire me to thrive in my own element as they have in theirs.

I’d love it if you shared some of the ways this week’s quote has made you feel, and obstacles you’ve come across that are hindering your path towards success or obstacles you’ve overcome recently to continue on your path to success!

We each have a unique journey, and I would love to share in yours.

18 January 2021 – Stick to Your Intentions

“I don’t promise you it will be easy. I do promise you it will be worthwhile.”

Art Williams

Weekly Reflection

Second week down with two weeks to go before January concludes! I’ll be saluting the conclusion of my sobriety with a beer or glass or wine – of this you can be certain.

It feels good to set a goal and stick to it!

I’ve had plenty of temptations and cravings that have reared their ugly heads to try and steer me off my course, but I have not given into either of them.

Now I get it – it’s just alcohol, it’s only been 17 days, and I’m not looking to quit forever, but…

Just because something is brief doesn’t mean it’s less important.

If something, no matter the size or volume of effect it’ll have on your life, sparks joy for you – then commit to doing it!

Weekly Challenge

What intentions have you made for yourself this year? Have you stuck to any one of them? Have you stuck to all of them? Have you discarded your original list and made a new one?

It’s okay if you’re still on the meh, not for me path.

Notice that I’ve chosen to write “intentions” instead of “resolutions.”

The word “intention” is defined as an aim or a plan whereas a “resolution” is defined as a firm decision to do or not do something by Google dictionary.

Resolutions for the new year fail time and time again – why might that be?

I feel it’s because we apply too much pressure on ourselves to do or not do something.

The term resolute doesn’t imply an aim for why we’re bettering ourselves or a plan by which we’re going to succeed in accomplishing the discontinuation or continuation of this firm decision we’ve made…

Setting an intention does.

I cannot begin to tell you how fulfilling and freeing it feels to have set my mind to something and to have followed it through – something that has become difficult for me since turning 21 years of age.

It’s so easy, readily available, and ya know what – after a long day at work it’s comforting to sit down and crack a cold one while turning on some mindless TV.

Challenge yourself to stick to your intentions you make for yourself and assist others on their journeys as well.

Challenge yourself to set intentions throughout your life and don’t bottleneck yourself to the beginning of each new year to start change or forward progression in your life.

Your life is valued! You are special and uniquely you! You have so much to offer the world!

So make your life happen for you!

We all benefit when we’re stronger as a whole.

Reminder to Just Say Yes!

As always, say yes to experiences that present themselves to you! Life is full of fun and wonder – don’t be stuck at home wondering what life could be like, should be like, would be like… drop that nonsense! Get out there, say yes, and never look back!

Click on the links below to follow me on my social media accounts, and definitely subscribe to the blog for more Weekly Yes Quotes to help set your intention to kick start your week.

I’d love it if you shared some of the ways this week’s quote has made you feel, and how you’re going to ensure you set and remain faithful to your intentions!

We each have a unique journey, and I would love to share in yours.

11 January 2021 – Start Each Week with Purpose

Weekly YES Quote!

“The decisions do not have to be so large. Sometimes the matter to be weighed is taking a walk versus making a poem.”

Dr. Clarissa Pinkola

Quote from Dr. Clarissa Pinkola’s book, Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype

Weekly Reflection

Happy Monday my beautiful readers!

As a matter of fact: Happy second Monday of 2021! Not that I’m counting… or anything…

Okay yes, I’m counting… I admit it. But I’m only counting because I’m thinking about the amount of time remaining dedicated to the intentions I’ve set for the 2021 calendar year (for more on setting your intentions, check out last week’s blog post here: 4 January 2021 – Set Your Intentions).

Think about it: out of the 365 days in 2021 there are only 52 weeks meaning that there are only 52 Mondays meaning that there are only 52 starts to each week of the 2021 calendar year.

The number 52 doesn’t seem very large because it isn’t that large.

Let that soak in a bit… there are only 52 starts to each week in 2021.

In addition to setting the intention to stay dry during the month of January, I’ve also set the intention to ensure a blog post goes live every Monday in 2021.

That means that there will be 52 weekly yes quotes gracing your preferred digital viewing surface every Monday!

While that doesn’t seem like very many blog posts, and truly 52 posts is quite a low volume of posting occurring when other bloggers are cranking out multiple posts in a day, it’s a lot for me to commit to while balancing everything else I have going on in my life.

So then why bother to ensure a post goes live every Monday if I’m feeling that I’m oh so busy? Because it provides me time to reflect on my own life, to share with you a reflection that may resonate with you, to challenge myself to do better in this life, and to hopefully challenge you to do better in yours.

Every day, every breath, every step… every chance to check in with ourselves to ask ourselves if we’re on the right path or to redirect ourselves if we realize through that checking in time that we’re not on the right path is essential towards our growth – we need this time, even if it’s only 52 times out of the calendar year.

As this week’s quote by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola reminds us,

“The decisions do not have to be so large. Sometimes the matter to be weighed is taking a walk versus making a poem.”

Regardless if this Monday is seemingly the worst, best, or somewhere in the middle start to your week, remember: there are only 50 Mondays remaining after this one.

So, rather than sulk, swim, or be impartial in your feelings towards this Monday and ultimately this week, make the decision to start this week with purpose.

I’ve made the decision to post 52 times this year dedicated to kickstarting the week. This isn’t a massive undertaking, but it’s important to me, and I hope it benefits you.

Weekly Challenge

The overall intention of this blog is about saying yes to your life so that you can live a flourishing, happy life.

Do yourself a favor and close your eyes, take a deep breath in through your nose so that you can feel the air filling every inch of your body, hold it for 3 seconds, and then release it through your open mouth letting whatever negative energies your breath picked up along the way: LET. THEM. GO.

If you feel you weren’t able to expel all the negative energies, simply continue the breathing pattern until you feel centered and present.

Challenge yourself to be present.

When you feel yourself falling off your path, being drug away from your path, or losing sight of your path, come back to this place – come back to this place of peace and centering.

For most 2021 isn’t much different than 2020 – I include myself in this count.

That’s why the intentions I’ve set this year have been more important to me than ever – my intentions have centered me and helped me to focus on what’s most important to me so that I can continue to grow on my life path.

52 starts in 2021 and today marks the 2nd of those starts leaving only 50 more starts remaining.

Challenge yourself to make the most of the remaining starts to this year.

Challenge yourself to make every moment count.

Challenge yourself to ensure that no matter the obstacles you’ve yet to face or the hardships you’ve already had to endure, that you’re committed to your intentions and that you see them through.

Challenge yourself to start this week and every week of your life with purpose.

I’ll be challenging myself right alongside you.

Reminder to Just Say Yes!

As always, say yes to experiences that present themselves to you! Life is full of fun and wonder – don’t be stuck at home wondering what life could be like, should be like, would be like… drop that nonsense! Get out there, say yes, and never look back!

Click on the links below to follow me on my social media accounts, and definitely subscribe to the blog for more Weekly Yes Quotes to help set your intention to kick start your week.

I’d love it if you shared some of the ways this week’s quote has made you feel, and how you’re going to ensure you take advantage of the remaining weeks ahead!

We each have a unique journey, and I would love to share in yours.

4 January 2021 – Set Your Intentions

Weekly YES Quote!

“When you walk with purpose, you collide with destiny.”

Dr. Bertice Berry

Weekly Reflection

I took the month of December (and the latter half of November) off writing these blog posts to re-center so that I could set intentions for myself.

Selfish a bit, yes… I won’t argue with you there, but 2021 will be filled with more empowering quotes, reflections, and challenges to kickstart your week because of it.

I discussed with a dear friend recently the importance of setting your intentions when you commit to do or not do something.

For example, I’ve decided not to consume alcohol for the month of January – cliché, agreed – however, I want to walk into the new year with a clear mind so that I can positively commit myself to beginning anew, fresh, and focused.

The holidays are a lovely time to gather and celebrate with loved ones (even via Zoom meetings as was the case for most families this holiday season), but a lot of your energy gets redirected away from you and towards your loved ones.

No part of me is saying this in a negative context, but remember:

You have to take care of number one before you can take care of anyone else, and the number one person in your life is Y-O-U.

And that’s where I’m at as we begin this beautiful yet challenging new year in 2021.

I’m ready to give back to myself and start the year off right for me.

No one else can tell me what I need in order to feel fulfilled as we kick off this new year.

Only I can give back to myself through centering, focusing, and directing my best efforts towards achieving the intentions I set for myself. The same is true for you.

Weekly Challenge

To ensure we successfully achieve our goals we need to set our intention.

If you don’t set the intention to do or not do something it makes it all the more easy to break the commitment to yourself.

When setting your intentions, you need to clearly define:

• what you are going to commit to do or not do,
• when you’re going to make that commitment (length of time), and
• why you’re making the commitment.

Staying with the example above, I’ve determined my:

• what to not consuming alcohol,
• when as the month of January, and
• why so that I can walk into the new year with a clear, focused mind.

We’re not all the same – thank goodness for that as the creativity each of us brings to the table is tremendous!

But we each have needs that support our ability to flourish in this life.

Maybe you haven’t sat aside to set any intentions – that’s okay, it’s been a hectic year and this new year, although new, isn’t exactly starting out with any “wow” content to make it feel all the more different than last year.

Challenge yourself to take this moment, which you’ve already committed to yourself by setting aside time to read this post, to set some intentions for yourself as we embark on our first Monday of 2021.

Grab a journal, piece of paper, open Word or the equivalent on your computer, or even grab a post-it note off the face of the refrigerator and begin jotting down some intentions you have for yourself.

Focus thoroughly on your why. Give extra thought to it.

Your why will keep you aligned with your commitments to self.

Reminder to Just Say Yes!

As always, say yes to experiences that present themselves to you! Life is full of fun and wonder – don’t be stuck at home wondering what life could be like, should be like, would be like… drop that nonsense! Get out there, say yes, and never look back!

Click on the links below to follow me on my social media accounts, and definitely subscribe to the blog for more Weekly Yes Quotes to help set your intention to kick start your week.

I’d love it if you shared some of the ways this week’s quote has made you feel, and what intentions you’re setting for yourself as we embark on the first Monday of 2021!

We each have a unique journey, and I would love to share in yours.

Happy 2021 fellow yessers!