Sheep Notice...part 2

Notice how the U.S. "democratic" federal government is supposed to work for the people, yet has "shutdown" without consent by the people. Notice how the 18 year old soldier overseas is still being told to fight for his country, while the government, which he serves, is currently unable to provide benefits to his family in case he dies protecting the country (due to the shutdown). Notice how people complain about introduced bills becoming laws after being signed by the president, yet forgetting the bill gets voted on in the House and in the Senate by people who have been voted into their positions by the same people who do the complaining. Notice all the negative bashing on your social media newsfeed, yet no suggestions of constructive resolutions. Notice how intelligent conversation in the media is a label filled blame game by loud people who use ideology and religion to fuel their arguments. Notice how those intelligent conversations are plagiarized and show up on your social media newsfeed by people who forgot to site their source.  Notice how history is quickly forgotten and responsibility is quickly shifted in the political arena (to name an example: invading Iraq under the false pretenses Saddam Hussein was hiding WMDs. Realize who's failed responsibility this was and how it impacts our country's debt today). Notice how people curse their favorite football sports teams when they lose, yet are completely ok paying more taxes than their team does. So sheep...notice. Notice you are nothing more than a sheep if you are picking sides or failing to think for yourself.  Notice you are nothing more than a sheep if you believe what they feed you is real without bias. Notice you are nothing more than a sheep.

The Art of Self Love

The Art of self love

"Self-love seems so often unrequited." ~ Anthony Powell

When you sit alone and think about your life, are you proud of yourself? Are you content with the decisions you have made which has paved the path you are on? Can you look in the mirror and say with conviction and truth " I LOVE ME!"? My hope for you is that you have answered yes to all of these questions. For those of us who have answered no, it is time we learn the art of self love.

"To tell the truth is to become beautiful, to begin to love yourself, value yourself..." ~ June Jordan

Accept yourself as you are above all else. Acceptance is recognizing your imperfections make you perfect. It is being honest with yourself about who you truly are. Self acceptance does not mean there is no chance for improvement, it is actually stepping into reality and using it as the stepping stone towards what you would like to be, towards change. Accept yourself, embrace your imperfections and take the first step towards your desired chosen path.


"If you must love your neighbor as yourself, it is at least as fair to love yourself as your neighbor." ~ Nicholas de Chamfort

Accept others as they are. Recognizing your imperfections make you perfect, will also make you realize others' imperfections make them perfect as well. The best way to nurture and love ourselves as we are, is to nurture and love our neighbors as they are. If you want love, give love to yourself, and then to others. "Be the change you wish to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

 "Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers." ~ Veronica A. Shoffstall

Plant your roses and take the time to smell them. Take care of your garden, water the grass and walk in it barefoot. Enjoy the way the dirt feels in your hands and what has come out of accepting that dirt serves a greater purpose than to just smudge our character. It is used to make beautiful flowers, trees, and grass grow. No other person will be able to take better care of your garden or appreciate the unconditional love put into it better than you. It's time, love yourself.

"V. Kush Butterfly ship"

10 Things I have learned since February 1st 2012

I have had the most challenging year of my life thus far. It has been filled with ups, downs, tears, laughter, doubts, convictions and lots of surprises.I have and continue to get rid of the clutter and am taking some time today, to look back and share the 10 things I have learned this past year....

10. Attachment vs. Love. Attachment is about fear and dependency, and has more to do with love of self than love of another. Love without attachment is the purest love because it isn't about what others can give you because you're empty. It is about what you can give others because you're already full ~Yasmin Mogahed.

9. Listen first, then think if it is wiser to speak or to stay quiet.

8. Crying is best done alone.

7. Believe the actions that drown out people's words. The Words that speak louder than the actions are usually bullshit.

6. Expect nothing and be surprised. Expect something and be disappointed.

5. Anger gives your power away.

4. People first see you based on the way they see themselves, then on the way you see yourself. Never take judgement personally and keep seeing yourself in the most positive light possible.

3. 80% of people are more interested in the gossip about your life than about your well being...the other 20% should be kept close to your heart. The people who gossip to you, will gossip about you...get rid of that clutter.

2. The thought of making a decision and following through with it, can be much scarier than actually making it and following it through. Never let fear dictate the direction of your life.

1. Wake up saying THANK YOU, go to bed saying THANK YOU. Make extra time for the 20% that care and "never trade the something that is unique to you for something somebody else can do."


Thank you to my 20% who have held my hand through this year. I am forever grateful for you. You have shown me there is good in the world and to also BE THE GOOD.

The Importance of Resilience

 by Liggy Webb

"If you are going through hell, keep going"  - Winston Churchill

There is a certain irony that I have just written a book called 'Resilience' during what I can honestly say has been the most challenging year of my life. I remember starting out by declaring to anyone who cared to listen that this was going to be my best year yet. Whilst I had been realistic enough to appreciate that I would need to deal with a few unexpected curve balls along the way, I really wasn't prepared for the missile attack of mishaps and drama that occurred.

On a very positive note however, those personal experiences have given me such a deep and valuable insight into the importance of being able to be resilient no matter what you are faced with. In the increasingly demanding and changing world that we live in it is often so easy to become overwhelmed and feel as if you are sinking. Each setback you experience can make you feel weary and drained and despondent, and if you are not careful you can end up carrying with you the heavy baggage of that experience.

"I do find it fascinating how people react in extreme situations and I marvel at how amazingly well some people seem to pull through relatively unscathed."

At some point, everyone experiences varying degrees of setbacks. Some of these challenges might be relatively minor and others may have a major impact - to some degree it is all relative. How you deal with these problems can play a major part in the ultimate outcome and also your long-term psychological wellbeing.

Resilience comes from the Latin word 'resilio' which means 'jump back'. From my research and observations it strikes me that resilient people are able to utilize their skills and strengths to cope and bounce back from the knockbacks and challenges. Some setbacks and adverse experiences could include illness, job loss, financial problems, natural disasters, relationship break-ups, or the death of someone you love. If you lack the ability to be resilient you may become overwhelmed by these experiences and simply fall apart.

You may also find yourself dwelling on your problems and using unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with the pain and heartache. Over indulgence of food and alcohol can serve as a quick fix however the long term effect can be highly damaging. If you have the propensity to be addictive this is the time to really focus on a healthy pursuit that will be constructive rather than destructive.

I do find it fascinating how people react in extreme situations and I marvel at how amazingly well some people seem to pull through relatively unscathed. Certainly it would appear that some individuals do have personality traits that help them remain calm in the face of adversity whilst others may well react more emotionally and dramatically. We will, of course, all react differently to trauma and stress in our lives. Some people choose to take a more stoic approach and keep their feelings hidden to protect others and some people prefer to express and reach out. Different personalities tend to process information in a variety of ways and your reaction will be part of your coping mechanism.

Personally I don't think there is a wrong or right way to how you initially respond; it's more about how you choose to move forward. Do you just give in and fall apart, or do you do whatever you need to do to be able to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, select the lessons learnt, let go of the negative baggage and move onwards upwards. 

I have heard some people describe resilience as the ability to bend instead of breaking when experiencing pressure, or the ability to persevere and adapt when faced with challenges. The same abilities also help us to be more open and willing to take on new opportunities. In this way resilience is more than just survival, it is also about letting go and learning to grow.

"Resilient people do not allow adversity to drain their resolve; They find a way to pick themselves up, dust themselves off and keep going with a strong belief that things can and will get better."

The key however is about the end result. It isn't necessarily how far you fall, it is about how high you can bounce back, maybe even bigger, better and stronger as a result of the experience. Resilient people do not allow adversity to drain their resolve; They find a way to pick themselves up, dust themselves off and keep going with a strong belief that things can and will get better. I love this quote by Martin Luther - King of Resilience.

'Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree' - Martin Luther King

10 Tips for developing resilience

·         Take a journey of self-discovery and get to know yourself better

·         See the glass half-full and choose to be optimistic about life

·         Understand your emotions and learn to feed them intelligently

·         Accept change and learn how to be adaptable and resourceful

·         Manage conflict and cope better with difficult situations

·         Embrace problems and turn them positively into opportunities

·         Look after yourself physically, emotionally and environmentally

·         Make positive connections and develop your relationships and interests

·         No matter what happens to you in life, believe in yourself and keep going

·         Set objectives and goals and create a vision of the life you really want