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Did you get your ticket yet?
Hope to see you at the Stix & Brix Fundraiser to help build 10 homes in DFW for sex trafficked victims.
Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stix-brix-fundraiser-benefiting-treasured-vessels-foundation-tickets-27444134144?aff=es2
[Image courtesy of Vogue]
I trust you are having a fantastic weekend. You know what I’m going to ask… did you take some time to refuel and pamper yourself? I sure did by restricting my time on social media and had a movie & nap marathon with my hubby. Last week was so interesting and full of great work situations as well as several coffee & lunch dates with friends. This brings us to the topic for today-understanding the power of those 3 little words, how are you? I have discussed this topic before, but feel the nudge to raise the awareness again.
Because I surround myself with confident, loving and Spiritually- conscious women, it is rare these days when I encounter the opposite. So, when I do encounter an ego-driven, competitive and insecure type- I almost have an allergic reaction. Aahhhh-chooo! Seeking out new experiences and meeting new people is a way of life for me so I appreciate the learning lessons from each and every person. Whether it’s a positive or negative experience which makes my Spiritual allergies go haywire. We can’t live in a bubble surrounded by perfect people, but we can go boldly into the world prepared- mentally & Spiritually.
You know those beautiful moments you sit down to lunch with that equally encouraging girlfriend and she’s as anxious to ask about you, as you are about her? Both of you leave feeling valued, loved, seen, heard and cherished. You leave the lunch with more pep in your step and feel that there was an even exchange of love & appreciation. It’s all about honoring and respecting one another. Where has the honor in our relationships gone? Of course, during a hardship- when one of you may need to dominate the conversation & just plain vent- it is understood. Sometimes a friend just needs your ear & shoulder and you know she will be there for you when that’s what you need. That is also part of the honor I’m speaking of. You honor her troubled heart with your care and attention.
During an encounter last week, I chatted with a gal for about an hour. In that timeframe, she made sure to tell me all about herself including the exact amount of her salary without once asking me how I was doing. A few years ago, this would have totally pissed me off, but I left that encounter actually feeling sorry for her. You know my mission is for women to live a higher life, a more Spiritually connected and empowered life. I want that for this woman too! As I drove away, instead of wishing I could get back that hour of my life, I said a little prayer for her and reminded myself the importance of expressing interest in others.
This sparked a convo between a few other friends who brought up times when they had gone through an entire lunch with someone who talked about themselves the whole time without ever asking how they were. We all have experienced this and it makes us withdraw from nurturing those friendships. An enriching conversation between two empowered women is like a beautiful dance or a fun tennis match. One woman speaks then asks the other a question about themselves, their family, their career, hobbies, their life in general. This goes back and forth in a beautiful flow. How simple is that? When we have a convo with an insecure, fear-filled egoist it leaves us feeling like our ears were assaulted and the blood & energy was sucked right out of our bodies. I prefer the dance, how about you?
Being present and interested in someone is one of the greatest gifts and expressions of love you can give them. We all crave and thrive from genuine connection. If you are one who nervously talks about yourself too much, I encourage you to read the powerful book, How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie. The basic principle of the book is to be interested in other people and their interests. Ultimately, it brings you more joy and raises your level of influence within your circle and community. An important thing we can do is to continue modeling this behavior to the ‘over talkers’ in our lives. Hopefully, they will feel heard and cherished then want to reciprocate this behavior to you. But, make sure you continue keeping healthy boundaries with these types of people as well. “Honor all people, love the brotherhood (sisterhood), fear God.” ~ 1 Peter 2:17. Let’s all listen a bit better, make eye contact and put those stupid phones away!
Happy Monday. I trust you all had a wonderful weekend and many of you will be off of work today to celebrate Veteran’s Day. God Bless all the heroes and sheroes who have so courageously served our country.
Over the past few weeks, the following topic has been on my heart and I wanted to share it here with you. If you are tuned into Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday’s or have your nose in the latest self-development books, you know the topic of Ego is everywhere. Allowing the ego to rule is an epidemic that, we as a society, try to protect ourselves with it. Is is really protection? No, it’s not. The Ego robs you of the beauty, love, grace, joy and connection we all long for. We can view the EGO as Edging God Out. When we edge God out, we are edging LOVE out. I wore so many masks for years and would throw a wall up in a New York minute if my Ego felt threatened. This was misery! Life is lackluster and in black & white, it’s cold and unfulfilling when you allow the Ego to run things.
Look beyond…open your eyes. This week see beyond a person’s mask, walls, hard heart and the superficial facade they guard themselves with. Allow your HEART to see their HEART.. instead of your Ego greeting their Ego. Beyond everyone’s Ego is a Child of God longing to BE SEEN for who they really are.
I challenge us all to really SEE the purity and greatness in others and in turn, others will be free to see the greatness in us. Lose the term “take it for face value” and look deeper. You will be blessed for it!
Yes, we all know it is the month for love and I’m fully aware that we have Valentine’s messages coming at us from all directions. Does it make you want to puke already? Well, be relieved– I am not going to talk about chocolates, lingerie or roses. Usually my posts are colorful and whimsical. Sorry, there’s no red or pink in today’s post. I’m giving it to you straight and would rather share the simple but PROFOUND truth about love. By now, if you have been following my blog for a while you know I have a strong faith in God and because of all the obstacles I’ve faced in life, I have had to work HARD on my “love walk”. I admit I had become cynical toward love and it’s taken a while for my heart to soften. Now it’s like puddy.
I have had a long journey to trusting and loving others. This is where I have to give mad props to my hubby for being an example of love and humility every single day. We just celebrated our 9 year wedding anniversary on the 11th and I’m not sure if I would fully understand the purity of love if it wasn’t for him. That man has put up with my walls, my anger and my issues. He just kept loving me through it all. See, I allowed the wrong men in my life for years and with all the baggage I carried including ‘daddy issues’– I don’t think I truly understood real love until I found God. Then, God brought my hubby and I was officially on the Love Train.. woo hoo! So– if you have a problem with the Bible, go ahead and log off this blog post now. BUT, I would hope you would open your heart because I believe the Bible to be the very best ‘self-help’ book on the planet. 1 Corinthians 13 is known as the “Love Chapter” and it’s the greatest reminder of how we should all live our lives…….and not just on Valentine’s Day.
When we focus on coming from a place of love- AT ALL TIMES- instead of allowing our ego to take over, we remain in peace and peace is a place of power! Many issues, squabbles and stupid altercations come from allowing our ego to rule over us. I have to read 1 Corinthians 13 on weekly basis to keep myself in-check.
SANCTUARY OF STYLE 