Love Flourishes in a Happy Heart!

"We love to the degree we're happy. While we are unhappy and attending to our fears, we are not loving. The self is always crying out for acceptance. When we deny it that acceptance, things get hairy. Our attention gets sucked into a void inside ourselves, leaving nothing left to give to another." ~Jennifer Hautman

How true it is...

When I am happy, my heart overflows with love..

I think of how much more loving I am after I have received a warm note of appreciation.

I think of how much more loving I am when I am well rested.

I think of how loving I am when I have taken a break and strolled around a reflecting pool of water.

I am much more likely to greet that stranger with a smile, take time to encourage my teenager, or give my husband a hug.

When I am crying for acceptance, I begin to draw within..

I think of how unloving I am when I have been criticized.

I think of how unloving I am when I am hungry.

I think of how unloving I am when I am struggling with an assignment and feeling inadequate.

I am much less likely to make eye contact with the office intern, listen to the complaints of a colleague or volunteer for another project.

If this is true for me, I am sure it is true for many of you. It is also true for our husbands, our children and our colleagues.

If you want to be happy and be able to share love, begin by nourishing yourself. Begin with a full cup, so you will have much to share.

I Believe in a Ray of Hope and I believe your cup will be constantly replenished....

Start loving yourself today!

You are Never Alone!

In facing pain, we often shrink within. We see smiling faces, hear laughing voices, and we want to run away and distance ourselves. I can remember a time of great pain in my own life and I remember feeling very much alone. To read my story, go to Believe in a Ray of Hope.

For now, I want to show you how to connect with your heart, your head, and your humanity while avoiding needless suffering. In the video below, Pema Chodron helps you to learn about a simple practice that can help you to transform your pain into compassion. She teaches a simple phrase, that shakes you out of complacency. As of consequence of implementing this practice, our energies are shifted, and we start thinking bigger which benefits not only ourselves but those who are special to us!



May we all open our hearts and minds and remember that "other people feel this." May we all be free of this pain and this sense of isolation! May we always remember to connect with our hearts, our minds, and our humanity. This is my hope.

What are your hopes?

Seven Affirmations for Moms with Teens in Transition

Letting Go Isn't Easy!

If you are like me and many other parents, you will be saying good bye to your teens this month. College has begun for many already. I dropped off my daughter at her dorm a week ago and in the week since, I have found myself reflecting on how fast the years have flown by. It seems like only yesterday, that she was a small toddler. Now, she is 6.5 hours away and deciding when to get up, when to go to bed, and what to do with the hours in between! I do hope she is finding time for her classes....

When a day goes by without a telephone call, I wonder:

Have I prepared her? Have I sheltered her too much? Will she be able to make it without daily reminders from her Dad and I? Will she steer away from dangerous situations? Will she speak up for herself and get answers to her questions. Will she find supportive friends and teachers to walk with her on this new path?

You may remember, incidents from your own years of transition and fear that your own teen will make similar or worse mistakes. You may wish to turn back the clock and regain the control you once had. This wish can not be granted, this moment is no longer in the distant future. It is here! I realize that I can choose to use my imagination to support or diminish my peace of mind. Rather than play out the worst case scenarios in my mind, I look up to the clouds above and affirm:


1. I release control, let go of my negative beliefs and see new possibilities for me and my teen.

2. My nurturing skills soothe my soul and spirit.

3. I laugh every day and connect with my teen in new ways.

4. I find a perfect place to relax and enjoy moments of solitude every day.

5. I enjoy a new sight every day.

6. I rejoice in pleasant memories shared with my teen.

7. I am talented, skilled and appreciated for my past and present efforts.

Affirmations can help you and me as we confront new terrain without those wild and wonderful teens who grew up so fast. Without those who have traveled with us in the past, we may find ourselves focusing on our fears which doesn't help our children, our spouses or ourselves. In fact, our thoughts influence our emotions and lives significantly. At this time of transition, we must remember that our thoughts and beliefs can be changed in an instant. Knowing that fear drains us while joy energizes us, we must seek to change limiting beliefs to empowering beliefs and follow up with action.

Wayne Dyer reminds us the fastest way to get from fear to love is through compassion. It is in reaching out to another and offering a helping hand without expecting anything in return that we experience love and joy and leave fear behind.

• How can you get past your fear to love?
• What beliefs and affirmations will support you and your teen on this new path where you are no longer traveling hand and hand?
• What act of compassion or act of kindness will you extend and to who?

The choice is yours. You are in control and I encourage you use your imagination and to create affirmations that empower you and those you love. The time to has come to see you and your children rejoicing and celebrating lessons learned and eagerly embracing new adventures!