Author: Celestial Goodness1111

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness. As always, thank you for joining me in this space and on this journey. See this week’s video here: https://youtu.be/hE2BpdB8k-o

Last week was a very busy week, and I don’t see this week being any different, however, I do have one thing that will greatly help with the week ahead. No, it is not endless meeting cancellations, or a magical wand to make all my work disappear or even better a wand that completed all the things on my to do list haha, but it is something that I think will help me immensely.

One day last week when I felt a little overwhelmed by my own to do list, and I love to make them, one of my friends sent me a Tik Tok video. For the record, I am not on Tik Tok lol, but a bunch of my friends, and they know who they are, love Tik Tok, so I get a steady stream of good videos. Admittedly, some of them are pretty hilarious, and others well, they are pretty inspirational. In this one, the “Tik Tokker” had this magnificent voice, and he said, this is a reminder that you are flipping awesome, you go out into the big wide world and find majesty and awesomeness. He said that if you find yourself being down on yourself and doubting how amazing you are, close your eyes, take three deep breaths, and realize that you are awesome.

It is amazing just how hearing those words can fill you with a sense of yes, yes, I am awesome, and yes, I can do this life thing. I think most of us are also familiar with vegan super star, Tabitha Brown, who has one of the most soothing voices on the planet. There are people out there on the planet right now who can soothe our spirit and our very soul with their presence and their words, and we are filled with gratitude for these lovely souls… but guess what?

We can also do that for ourselves. Yes, sometimes we have to give ourselves a pep talk. Sometimes we can be right in the midst of a mini storm or mini fire that needs to be put out, and we wonder, how am I going to do all of these things? Doubt can set in, and we might think we aren’t cut out to do something that we are very capable of doing. In these times, we need a pep talk.

I also think of Halls, and the brilliant marketing that they did for their cough drops. They called it a pep talk on every wrapper. Some examples were,

“Conquer today.

 You’ve survived tougher.

Don’t waste a precious minute.

Let’s hear your battle cry.

You can do it and you know it.

Don’t give up on yourself.”

I also think we can give ourselves a soothing pep talk before we even get to any of the more stressful points in our lives. I do remember talking to my former therapist, Alfonso, and he told me that some people refused to get “welmed,” let alone overwhelmed.

So sometimes the best time to give yourself a pep talk is before things get overwhelming. I might even go as far as encouraging you dear spirit to speak kindly to yourself each day. How amazing would it be if when we got up in the mornings, if we looked in the mirror and with every single fiber of our being said, “You got this!” Yes, you got this whole day, whatever comes—good or otherwise.

What if you got up each day and said, I am wiser today than I have ever been, I have more experience at life than I have ever had, and I truly deserve to be here on Earth today and every day. What if you realized that even though you have things that you consider weaknesses—and we will say, “things that you were working to develop,” that you also have your strengths. You have qualities that others admire, and even if you don’t know it, someone out there thinks you are the best thing since sliced bread. Essentially, even if no one claps for you every day, you amazing, brilliant, and capable. Christopher Robin said to Winnie Pooh and crew, ““You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” (by A. A. Milne)

That is the energy that I want you take into this week.

Look at how far you have come on the journey of life? Yes, you still have additional distance to cover, but don’t discount how many strides and steps you have taken to get here.

Look at all of the amazing things that have aligned for you to be where you are right at this moment. Look at the work that you put in, the effort, the sweat, the tears, and even if you didn’t you don’t have to actually do anything to deserve love and to be amazing, but if you did, if you were in the ring of life fighting, then please take some credit for your victories. Even moments that felt like failures added to future victories so treasure them too.

In the book Warrior of Light, Paulo Coelho says, “the warrior of light…accepts defeat as defeat and does not try to make a victory out of it, painful wounds, the indifference of friends, the loneliness or losing—all leave a bitter taste. But at these times, he says to himself…I fought for something and did not succeed. I lost the first battle. These words give him renewed strength. He knows that no one wins all the time, and he knows how to distinguish his successes from his failures.” I think it is important to highlight this. You won’t win all the time, but at least you tried something, and you can try again!

So this week, whatever comes, you will say:

Today will be a good day, this will be a good week. I feel grateful for the experience of being alive. I am getting healthier each day. I am growing and evolving into even more of the person that I want to be. I forgive myself for doubting my capabilities. I forgive myself for speaking harshly to myself. I am brilliant, I am amazing, I am capable, I am sure of myself, I am successful, I am confident, I am powerful, I am getting better and better each day, I am getting wiser and wiser, I am an unstoppable force of nature, I have everything that I need within me, and I am pure awesomeness. I am kind, I am powerful, I am intelligent, and things can go well. I want you to say this and to mean it. Say it as many time as you need to believe it. Tell the people around you that they are awesome too. They say that a butterfly can’t see its own colors. It can’t see how beautiful it is—so if you see someone in your life who is like a beautiful butterfly, don’t be afraid to share the awesomeness. Compliment them and watch their sunshine pour out. People need reminders of their amazingness, and we should not hold that back from each other.

You got this! So this is the pep talk for the week ahead. May the stars shine brightly over your week, and may it be a week in which you remember and know with certainty that you are a magnificent, majestic, amazing, vibrant, spirit having a human experience. May it be an amazing week indeed. Ciao.

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness. As always, thank you for joining me in this space and on this journey. How are you? Really? What word came to mind when I asked that question? Put your hand over your heart and feel the vibration from your most powerful organ. Let out a sigh, unclench your jaw, roll your neck gently from side to side and allow whatever tension you might be holding onto the opportunity to melt away from your body. See this week’s video here: https://youtu.be/tqVDSU-6gOA

Now I will ask again, how are you? I hope that you are well, and If the answer to that is no, then I am sending you a burst of love and hope that things turn around.

Love and hope have had it hard lately. The world has had a rough go lately.
No, thoughts and prayers are not enough for what is happening—we need action and change, but love and hope are still part of the equation. The energetic vibration of love matters even more than ever I would say. Without it—the energy of fear rules supreme. Without it, we lose our compassion, our empathy, our ability to care deeply for self, for others, and for the very planet on which we live.

We expend energy on things that ultimately create more stress for our lives. My most important message has to be that we should take action to care about the things that matter to us, but we should also be mindful about our thoughts—our mental and emotional health, and we should never give up on love.

It has certainly been a while since we were here in this space together—The sacred space that is Celestial Goodness. I hold this space for anyone reading, watching or listening that this moment infuses you with some positive vibes and an extra dose of love for whatever you are facing and feeling. The last time that I posted I had no intention of letting a long stretch of time pass between posts, but simultaneously I was running on all cylinders and feeling a growing level of exhaustion within myself.

I absolutely love to live life to the fullest and for me that means being out and about having memorable experiences and engaging with life and people. I do also enjoy the feeling of working, or creating and that can lead to some workaholicness admittedly. With all of that, maintaining relationships, keeping up with my hobbies and trying to stay sane in a world that is seemingly intent on bombarding us with tragedy, it was a lot. I also feel an internal shifting on a micro level which may have to do with this being a big birthday year for me.

What gets sacrificed when everything happens all at once? In my case my creative energy. I felt disconnected from myself, from the divine, and I was just able to do enough to get all the essentials done. That is surviving versus thriving. That is being reactive to life instead of proactive about it. And we want to thrive. We want rest, we want abundant creative energy, we want prosperity, we want to enjoy each morsel of life but also to know that we have a stable foundation. I knew that for what I was feeling, that I needed more than a good nights sleep. I needed deep rest, a sprinkle of adventure, and to get outside of my daily routines.

My rejuvenation came in the form of a trip with my friend Stephanie to Greece. We had many reasons for going to Greece this year; that is to say, you don’t need to leave home to carve out some serenity in your life, but if you can take a moment, if you can even take a step outside of the daily routine, you should.

Getting to Greece saw the levels of obstacles that would make two type A control freaks mad, and yet we managed hahaha. We were rewarded with days on azure beaches, bougainvillea covered homes, jasmine scented pathways, and an endless supply of aperol spritz. Mostly, I had time without my normal responsibilities, time to sleep and nap, and time to float in the sea. The sea is probably my favorite place so I felt tranquility as I hadn’t felt in a while. When I came home recently, Partially due to jet lag, I have been going to bed early and sleeping for hours. I woke up today and could feel the effect of rest in my spirit. I also felt my inspiration returning to me. The body can feel these things and so can the soul.

So when I ask how are you doing? How are you coping? How are you rebelling against just surviving? How are you feeling joy? Grieving? Balancing? How are you coping with having so many questions right, and not enough answers, I am also hoping that you are finding ways to carve out serenity so that you can thrive. It is easier to say than it is to do, but I have found that even a few minutes looking through the window—gazing rather, taking a walk in nature, a few moments of deep breathing and centering ourselves can help to gain clarity and to feel more centered.

No that won’t help us figure everything in life out, but the little moments that we take to tend to our spirit become big moments and they have an outward impact. Our peace, our love does in fact ripple out to all of humanity. We also need our energy. Action, advocacy, being agents of change also requires energy.

As I have done in this space before, let us take a brief reprieve from everything.
Get your body in a comfortable space.
Close your eyes.
Take a deep but comfortable breath.
Take another and be aware of your breathing.
Just let yourself savor the stillness.
There is nothing pressing that needs to be done.
There is no demand on your time beyond this moment.
You can feel your heart beating.
You can feel your breath.
That is all that is required of you in this moment.
Inhale
Exhale
Inhale
Exhale
Repeat this. Be aware of your breath. How powerfully you can feel your senses. How powerfully does your heart beat. You have the strength, the resilience, the fortitude for life.
Feel gratitude for this moment. You can close your eyes at any moment and there is a space where you can find peace and serenity. Hope, tranquility, and love.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Gently open your eyes.
Know that you can return here at any moment.

Over the coming months, this space may transform. More content, maybe smaller more frequent pieces at times and two friends are trying to help tech challenged me put the audio in podcast form. If there’s anything you would like to see or of this content has helped you in any way—please do let me know. May the stars shine brightly over your week and May it be a beautiful week indeed.

Hello everyone! The link in my previous post is not working, so just adding the correct video link to see this week’s video. Thanks so much. https://youtu.be/CfBsgwIP0Fo

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness. As always thank you for joining me in this space and on this journey. I am thankful that you are here. Before we move into today’s message, I just want you to take a moment to put your hand over your heart.

Take in a deep breath, drawing air up and into your nostrils, and hold it for a count of 4. Release it by breathing through your mouth to a count of 4. Do that two more times for no other reason than connecting to your breath. I forget that even a tiny moment of deep breathing can feel like an infusion of peace, and peace is something that a lot of people could use right now. Here is the link to this week’s video: https://youtu.be/CfBsgwIP0Fo

I am not going to lie, the last few weeks have “dragged me,” as the young people say. There have been a lot of ups and downs and while I am thankful for the lessons of both, spiraling through a sea of varying emotions can feel exhausting at times. While I can generally keep going and going through it all, as I have gotten older and hopefully wiser, I try to listen to my body when it says to rest.

I grew up thinking that rest was a luxury, but as it turns out, it is essential. Rest is an important part of life’s equation, and an important tool in my own self-care box. I don’t always listen to myself on the topic of rest, but when I do, it always feels good. It allows me to process what is unfolding in in the world and in my own life, and allows me to figure out how best to cope, to thrive, and to maybe impart love and hope where I can.

Did you know that not all rest was created equally? Different personality types might need different types of rest. The Enneagram Coach, Steph Barron Hall, made a list of nine types of rest based on your enneagram type. Even if you don’t know your enneagram type, I think they are still helpful to remember. My primary enneagram type is 3, and so sometimes it is helpful for me to do something “unproductive.” This has been a challenge sometimes, but I always find that it helps me to feel renewed. Downtime is essential for me.

When the world feels like it is burning, it might not be possible to rest as needed, but if you are somewhere safe that allows it, I think it is helpful. You cannot pour from an empty cup, and you cannot help others if you have nothing of yourself to give. Angela Davis said, “Anyone who’s interested in making change in the world also has to learn how to take care of themselves.” If you want to discover your own enneagram type, here is a link to the test that I took (for free). https://www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-test-eml

Nine Types of Rest (Steph Barron Hall)

1. Time away
2. Permission to not be helpful
3. Something “unproductive”
4. Connection to art and nature
5. Solitude to recharge
6. A break from responsibility
7. Stillness to decompress
8. Safe space
9. Alone time at home

 

I had been reflecting on the state of the world, and what I needed to do to feel energetically capable of moving through my own spaces and places, and that coincided with International Women’s Day. I saw a lot of poignant posts, and I thought about what that might mean right now in 2022. On my social media pages I wrote, “the sweet winds of spring have brought with it news of death, of personal evolutions, transformations, life, and of course the ever weighty chaos of the world. Despite it all, and maybe because of it, I am spiraling through all of the emotions. This is what it is to be a woman in these times, what it is for any of us to be part of humanity.”

On both a micro and a macro level, we are experiencing so much—on any given day we can feel joy at something that has happened, but also feel tremendous sadness at other things that might be happening. A lot of people are struggling with guilt from feeling joy or happiness while there are things that are devastating happening all around us. But there is nothing else that we can do—I don’t want to feel guilty about feeling joy just because there are things to feel outraged about. As humans we are capable of holding space for a wide range of emotions and feelings. We can honor them as they come up.

We can dance with our joy and also feel that something should be done about the injustices that we see. What does it mean to be a woman in this day and age? What does it mean to just be human? What are the things that we need to get up each day and to keep putting one foot in front of the other on this journey of life? I don’t have all of the answers, actually, I don’t have any answers.

The poet Rupi Kaur, has a beautiful poem that says, “What is the greatest lesson a woman should learn? That since day one, she’s already had everything she needs within herself. It’s the world that convinced her she did not.”

And I think that goes for everyone—we do have within us so much that can make life a beautiful thing—for ourselves and others. We have enough love, enough caring, enough kindness, enough compassion and empathy. We also have the outrage, the anger, the disgust to say no to things that are not of the world we would like to see. These days, on any given day we need the whole range of ourselves.

So in the last few weeks since we have connected in this space, I have been working, reading, grieving, loving, learning, trying to rest, and living life as best as possible. Admittedly, I sat for a long time, procrastinating on writing my blog and on adding to my channel because what do you say when the world feels like it is constantly burning? That is how it has felt and yet it was apparent to me that more than ever, it was important for me to create something for Celestial Goodness. I created this space for a time such as this. The welcome banner on my blog says, “This is a space of love and positive vibrations. It is a safe space for uplifting one’s soul.” It did not say that I would do these things only when the world felt good. Sometimes, it is in the darkest moments that we remember the coming of the dawn.

L.R. Knost wrote these beautiful words, words that I find myself sharing more and more. “Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things break. And all things can be mended. Not with time, as they say, but with intention. So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally. The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you.” And that is the message for this dose of Celestial Goodness.

There is a lot of uncertainty in the world, but we can rest on the certainties. We start small. We start where we are, with what we have, and we do what we can—for ourselves and for others around us. What might this look like? It might look like rest, like remembering to drink your water for the day, like calling a good friend to check on them, like donating to a cause that is meaningful to you. It might also look like stopping to admire the sunrise, or pausing to feel your breath. It might look like doing your best at work, but remembering that work is not all there is to your life. It might look like sharing funny memes with your friends, watering your plants, and taking small breaks from absorbing endless news cycles.

The world is going through a lot right now, and most of it is heartbreaking, but I maintain that we are all part of the larger mosaic, and if we take these actions where we are, change can ripple out—so what is it that you want the world to be? Please make it so, and please do take care of yourself. May the stars shine brightly over your week, and may it be a beautiful one indeed.

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness. As always, thank you for joining me in this space and on this journey. It has been a while, and I appreciate your patience while I am evolving through my own life. See this week’s video here: https://youtu.be/5zCDUjeYAdQ

I am happy that you are here, and if you are reading, listening, or watching, I do hope that something beautiful happens for you in the coming days. I also hope that you are doing well, checking in on your breathing, moving your body, resting, finding the things that bring you joy, and drinking your water. I say that to you, but I am also giving myself the same advice. On some days, it feels like we can do it all, and other days, achieving even one of these things is a major victory. Let me assure you that each day looks different for all of us, and our best looks different on different days. What might be your 100% today, is your 20% tomorrow. My mom always says, when men on earth have done their best, angels in heaven can do no better. Speaking of my mom, I got to spend some quality time with her yesterday.

Yesterday felt like spring. Where I live, it was a balmy 64 degrees, well, not quite balmy, but honestly, it was perfect. Winter has been dancing slowly through the weeks and yesterday felt like warmth, sunshine, and the promise of beautiful days. Despite being born in December and growing up in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin (I jest, sort of), I struggle with winter. I have had to be intentional about absorbing the lessons of winter, and about seeing the beauty in the season.

I am reminded always of Albert Camus’s words, “My dear, in the midst of hate, I found there was within me, an invincible love. In the midst of tears, I found there was within me, an invincible smile. In the midst of chaos, I found there was an invincible calm. I realized through it all, that in the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there is something stronger, something better, pushing right back.” There are so many treasures though from winter and when you look closely and intentionally, you can see them, but at least yesterday, I was thankful that the weather reminded of me of what spring feels like.

We did not know that it would be such a nice day, but it really set the stage for a beautiful evening with my mom and younger sister. I lamented to my mom that I had not written on my blog or made a video for my channel in a few months. She was very calm in her way, and said, “You know that everything is cyclical. Whatever was going on in your personal cycle meant that your focus and attention was elsewhere. That is ok too. You always come back to the things that you love.” That really filled me with a sense of peace. We are cyclical creatures—and for those of us who have spent time learning about our personal rhythm, we know when our body is whispering to us, life instructions—instructions on what it needs. At the end of 2021, I needed to rest, to travel, to see some of my dear ones. In December, we went to Mexico for a dear friend’s wedding, and to celebrate my birthday, my love and I went to Chichen Itza.

It was pretty awesome and amazing in a historical sense, but also just beautiful to see. I am a huge history nerd, and I am always filled with gratitude when I get to see something that was not only built centuries ago, but that has survived so much—including surviving humans. The sunshine in Mexico, the laughter with my friends by the seaside, and getting to celebrate love, did wonders for my soul.

After we left Mexico, we had had a short stint at home—we had some fun celebrating my love’s birthday on Christmas, went to Enchant Christmas, and an entire day of playing Unstable Unicorns with two of our favorite family members.

After that, and what felt like our millionth covid test, we left for the UK to see some of our treasured relatives that we had not seen in over two years. London during the holidays is one of my favorite experiences. We also go to visit the Harry Potter Studio tour in London, a highlight for this Gryffindor sun, Ravenclaw rising, and Slytherin moon hahaha. Another highlight was taking a walking tour of Oxford. Oxford is just a short train ride from London, so it is a worthy day trip. While I still think that I prefer the city of Bath to Oxford, it was really beautiful from an architectural perspective, and also very manageable. We rang in the New Year in the UK, and then as quickly as it began, vacation was over.

At the beginning of 2022, I needed to pick up the pieces of things unfinished, sit with my planner, and think about how I wanted this year to be. All of this has been informative to my spirit, and to how I set the intention for the year ahead. Speaking of intention and intent, those two words make up the essence of what I want this year to be for me. Each year since I turned 34, I have chosen a word that helps to anchor my year. Past words have included, “balance,” “flow,” and “prosperity.” This year, I will be turning 40 years old. I sat with down with my calendar/planner and thought about what I would like to experience in this year—in the buildup to a new decade. Intent, kept coming back to me. I have a beautiful planner, the Magic of I astrological planner. Not only is it packed with great information, it is also just beautiful and feels good to touch. One of the things that I love most is that in planning for the year ahead, there were eight areas to focus on. Each area had three additional words for more inspiration.

• Spiritual (expansion, soul, being)

• Mental (mind, learning, wisdom)

• Work (career, contribution, service)

• Love (family, relationships, connection)

• Wealth (financial goals, assets, resources)

• Social (connection, community, fun)

• Physical (health, fitness, well-being)

• Inspiration (travel, creativity, adventure)

When I thought about each area, I realized that I wanted to deepen my connections, be fully present when focused on a particular area, and to create more meaningful experiences in each area. For example, with relationships, one thing that I would like to do is to have more one-on-one conversations. In these conversations, there are no phones, nothing that draws my attention away from whoever it is that I am speaking with. One of the things that I missed the most during the pandemic was having in person conversations with my friends and family, and just really being present and not distracted while interacting with them. I look forward to doing more of that this year.

Another area is mental—somewhere along the way, it felt difficult to read more books, but I set a personal goal for this year, and whether through audio or reading the actual book, it is an important goal for me. There are so many things happening in the world, so much virtual and visual stimulation that I found myself unable to fully focus on reading like I use to.

Anyway, those are two of the things that are part of me being intentional in the leadup to my 40th. I do not have any hang-ups about getting older, I simply like to mark the decades—to be thankful for making it this far, and to reflect on what I have learned. What are some things that you are interested in doing this year? Is intentionality something that you have thought about? Do you have any goals for this year? I do also have other goals for this space as well, and I hope to continue to provide more uplifting content for the soul! I also want to expand my astrological practice, and will continue to do so. One of my friends has also suggested, and another has volunteered—maybe voluntold hehehe, to help transfer some of the audio into podcast files. So we will see—I am pushing even myself outside of my comfort zone and encouraging you to do the same.

Whatever you decide you want your year to look like, I hope that it will be an amazing one filled with beautiful and meaningful experiences, adventures, and insight that turns into wisdom. May the stars shine brightly over your week, and may it be an absolutely beautiful one indeed!

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness. Thank you as always for joining me in this space and on this journey. It has been a while, but you have always been on my mind! It has been an extremely busy few weeks for me, but I am always thinking of cool things to share with you in this space. Thank you for your patience on the quiet weeks, and a big thank you and my deep gratitude to my friends and family who encourage me, support me, and remind me that it is ok to take a break from one thing to focus on other things. I have said it before, but sometimes I need to be reminded of my own advice. Fancy that! See this week’s video here: https://youtu.be/9U0MN_6cupc

Now before I launch into the topic that has been on my mind lately, “How are you?” I mean, really, how are you? Are you hydrating? I have to confess that I fell off my water drinking, opting instead—and I say this with extreme guilt—for my favorite beverage—ginger ale. Ha. But, after many recent trips to the doctor and having blood work done, I remember why I was such an advocate for drinking lots of water to begin with. It’s so good for us. Also, before you start worrying, I am ok. The past few years have been difficult on a lot of people, and in this country where for most people health insurance is tied to work, I am very thankful for a stable career that I enjoy and along with it, good health insurance which allows me to check on my physical health as much as I need. I want to remind people that we never know what someone is dealing with. Some people, myself included are good at managing our stress, but sometimes we don’t even realize how much we are absorbing from the world, and how much what we are absorbing can be impacting our physical health.

In astrology speak, my moon is in Capricorn—an earth sign—a very hard working sign, and admittedly, I enjoy work—the feeling of accomplishment, and the feeling of getting things done. It is easy to admit this because the balance to this is that I also like to play.

By that I mean, I like to enjoy the experiences that life has to offer. This has manifested recently in a return to one of my favorite places—the Kennedy Center. We saw the entire Black Panther movie there, but with a twist. The National Symphony Orchestra played the entire soundtrack. There was also a special guest—a gentleman from Senegal, who played an ancient instrument—the talking drum. His music introduced the character of T’Challa. It was epic and amazing, and I cried because I am a water-bucket, and because I was so happy to be seeing live music again.

My mom and I also had a mother daughter moment, and went to see Hadestown—the musical. I know the story of Orpheus and his love Eurydice, but this was a fun take on it, and the music was amazing. It also reminded me that even though I know the ending of a story, the journey to that end can be different, and interesting.

Knowing the end also won’t stop me from continuing on with something. In life I often wonder—if we knew how something would end, would we persist. I suspect that is why life is full of mystery—so that we live, because if we always knew the ending, we might be tempted to remain stationary—afraid of the sadder endings. Some of my saddest endings have made way for some of my most beautiful beginnings. So be not afraid of what life has to offer. And don’t get tied to endings; enjoy the journey. Albert Einstein said, “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.”

Some other fun things: I went to the amazing Van Gogh interactive art museum, popped up to the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, went to the Spy Museum, went to the O street mansion where I immediately wanted to get rid of everything—it is a minimalist nightmare come to life, went for a long walk to the Tidal Basin and monuments, saw some good movies (I enjoyed Dune), and got some new books on Astrology.

I also got to spend some time in nature—fall is here. It is one of my favorite seasons because the leaves are just so beautiful. The air is crisp, and there is a winding down into what is comfortable. Although things have been busy for me, I am looking forward to some downtime soon. In that time, I want to snuggle in my favorite chair, with my favorite books, and blanket. I can’t wait. We also went to Harper’s Ferry National Park, and visited one of the amazing wineries in Northern Virginia.

It was at the winery where I had a bit of an epiphany. Virginia has well over 250 wineries, and over 100 of them are located in Northern Virginia. Yes, that means, when the 250^th winery opened in that state, it knew that there were already 249 wineries, but it opened anyway.

I had a conversation with my good friend Camilla about this—you can check out her blog the Photolibrarian—but we were talking about starting things when there are already “lots of people” doing that thing. Ultimately, we agreed that if you get a vision to start something, and you are worried about market saturation, you should still give it a start. See Camilla’s blog here: https://thephotolibrarian.com

What is “market saturation,” and why should you start “the thing” anyway? According to an article from American Express, “A saturated market occurs when existing businesses meet all the current demand for a product or service. Market saturation often happens when multiple businesses are offering similar products or services to the same customers.” You can think of a marketplace overrun with people all selling or offering the same thing. Like, there being 100 wineries in Northern Virginia. I think you should still start anyway because you bring your own unique and personal touch to whatever it is that you are doing.

In my case, I started this blog and YouTube channel even though there are a million plus blogs and YouTube channels out there. You can’t look at what everyone is doing—I mean—if you are a business then you have to do your SWOT analysis, but don’t let that dissuade you. Plan, think about your end goals, and think about what you have to offer. This is the lesson that I learned from the wineries. There are so many amazing wineries in this area—they all offer the same categories of wines—reds, whites, rosés, and so forth, but they add their own touch to the grapes, the barrels in which they ferment the wine, their style, and their offerings.

On the beautiful day of our visit to Two Twisted Post winery, we had cheese and wine while sitting outside in perfect autumn weather, laughing, chatting, and sampling the different wines. The grapes were heavy on the vines, and the staff was friendly and chatty even while working hard on the next batch of reds.

Please do not let the fear of “well other people are doing it…” stop you from doing something. You have a lot to offer to the world, you have vision, and a unique touch that will allow the right people to come to you. Not everyone will resonate with what you have to offer, and that is ok, but we have to start somewhere. Florence Scovel Shinn said, “Do not neglect the day of small things, for little beginnings have big endings.” Everything that we consume today—from the clothes we wear to the food we eat, to our entertain and work, all started in the mind of someone—they ran with their vision. Audre Lorde said, “When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” I am believing in this for you—so I want you to believe in you too. This long quote from Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic sums up a lot of the fears that we have! Fear not—you got this!!!

“Let me list for you some of the many ways in which you might be afraid to live a more creative life: You’re afraid you have no talent. You’re afraid you’ll be rejected or criticized or ridiculed or misunderstood or—worst of all—ignored. You’re afraid there’s no market for your creativity, and therefore no point in pursuing it. You’re afraid somebody else already did it better. You’re afraid everybody else already did it better. You’re afraid somebody will steal your ideas, so it’s safer to keep them hidden forever in the dark. You’re afraid you won’t be taken seriously. You’re afraid your work isn’t politically, emotionally, or artistically important enough to change anyone’s life. You’re afraid your dreams are embarrassing. You’re afraid that someday you’ll look back on your creative endeavors as having been a giant waste of time, effort, and money. You’re afraid you don’t have the right kind of discipline. You’re afraid you don’t have the right kind of work space, or financial freedom, or empty hours in which to focus on invention or exploration. You’re afraid you don’t have the right kind of training or degree. You’re afraid you’re too fat. (I don’t know what this has to do with creativity, exactly, but experience has taught me that most of us are afraid we’re too fat, so let’s just put that on the anxiety list, for good measure.) You’re afraid of being exposed as a hack, or a fool, or a dilettante, or a narcissist. You’re afraid of upsetting your family with what you may reveal. You’re afraid of what your peers and coworkers will say if you express your personal truth aloud. You’re afraid of unleashing your innermost demons, and you really don’t want to encounter your innermost demons. You’re afraid your best work is behind you. You’re afraid you never had any best work to begin with. You’re afraid you neglected your creativity for so long that now you can never get it back. You’re afraid you’re too old to start. You’re afraid you’re too young to start. You’re afraid because something went well in your life once, so obviously nothing can ever go well again. You’re afraid because nothing has ever gone well in your life, so why bother trying? You’re afraid of being a one-hit wonder. You’re afraid of being a no-hit wonder.”

I hope you realize how amazing you are and all of the things that you offer and have to offer. Just you being here on the planet is a gift. I also hope that this is a wonderful week for you—I hope you experience many beautiful, peaceful, and insightful moments that make you feel alive.

May the stars shine brightly over your week and may it be a beautiful one indeed! Until we meet again, dear friend, please remember to like, subscribe, comment and share. I appreciate you!

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness. As always, thank you for joining me in this space and on this journey. This week’s video is a little late but I had a busy two weeks and busy weekends. I had a very lovely time as usual, so don’t feel bad for me hahaha. See this week’s video here: https://youtu.be/eOXrIHrOCt0

That being said I was in a training class the week before last and my instructor asked a question that really made pause to think. She asked how many of us knew a foreign language. There were many people who knew a multitude of languages, and for some of the people in the class English was their second language. In my own life I grew up with British English as my first language and then Jamaican patois.

Some people would say that patois is a dialect but there are a multitude of words from other languages. Some sources say that patois is “a blend of African languages, English, Arawakan (the indigenous language of Jamaica), French, Chinese, Portuguese, Irish, Scottish and Spanish.” Some sources say that the primary foundation is from the Akan people of West Africa. I took this bit from Wikipedia, because the construct of patois fascinates me. It truly lives up to the Jamaican motto, “out of many, one people.” “Jamaican Patois contains many loanwords, most of which are African in origin, primarily from Twi (a dialect of Akan).[40] Many loanwords come from English, but are also borrowed from Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Arawak and African languages as well as Scottish and Irish dialects. Examples from African languages include /se/ meaning that (in the sense of “he told me that…” = /im tel mi se/), taken from Ashanti Twi, and Duppy meaning ghost, taken from the Twi word dupon (‘cotton tree root’), because of the African belief of malicious spirits originating in the root of trees (in Jamaica and Ghana, particularly the cotton tree known in both places as “Odom”).[41] The pronoun /unu/, used for the plural form of you, is taken from the Igbo language…Words from Hindi include ganja (marijuana), and janga (crawdad). Pickney or pickiney meaning child, taken from an earlier form (piccaninny) was ultimately borrowed from the Portuguese pequenino (the diminutive of pequeno, small) or Spanish pequeño (‘small’).”

Maybe it is no wonder that when I was little and someone asked what I wanted my superpowers to be, I said, “polygot.” No, I didn’t want to be able to fly or become invisible. I wanted to be able to speak with and to understand anyone, anywhere on the planet. A polygot is someone who knows and is able to use several languages. This might have been what led me to pursing learning different languages.

When I was in middle school I started learning Spanish and that led to me going to an immersion high school. In high school I studied Spanish as my main language. I also took French and Japanese. When I started college I studied Spanish as one of my majors. I also studied Japanese intensely for one year. That’s when I decided that I should probably focus more on Spanish since there were other things I wanted to major in as well, and Japanese was just a little too intense. In fact, we had to learn not one, but three alphabets, Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Kanji was by far the most difficult for me. Escaping back to Spanish, my first love, was a welcome treat since I only had to deal with one alphabet that was a romance language, like English.

During college I spent time in the Dominican Republic and also in Madrid, Spain honing my language skills. So when our instructor asked us about our language skills and experience learning another language, I could do a mental flashback of my process. She reminded us that when we start learning a new language that we start with the basics—things like the alphabet, simple sentences, and numbers. But we also learn that we have to practice and we have to utilize what we learn. Repetition is one of the best ways to learn a language and also immersing yourself into that language and culture if you can. I know that this advice can be applied in many areas of our lives.

It is my opinion and it is just an opinion—that in today’s day and age, many people are used to seeing the more advanced or finished product of something. Social media may have a role in this but I do also think that a lot of humans want to start something and just be great at it. We want to be doing Picasso level art and yet if we start and jump to that place without putting in the work, the practice, the time and the focused energy we can miss some valuable and important lessons.

I had this conversation with a friend recently. There is someone that I’ve known in my life who has never taken the time to hone a craft. Whenever they see someone doing something that brings them joy but mostly attention, this person will start to do the thing but after a while they will get bored with it. Some of that is because they find that even things that look simple on the surface can take a lot of work on the substantive level. So it is with most things in life. In Jamaica they say, “if you want good yuh nose haffi run.” Essentially, if you want good things you have to put in the work. I also think it discourages a lot of people when they don’t become an overnight sensation. I think the most common sensation is actually the person who has put in the work and keeps at it despite feeling discouraged at times.

And that is some of the lesson of learning a foreign language. Some days are going to be hard—you aren’t going to get it, you are going to say the wrong word or just not get it, but keep practicing and one day you will wake up as I did—dreaming in Spanish. There is a delightful day when you get it, you get the thing that you have been practicing. One of my favorite writers is Robert Greene. In his book, Mastery, he says that it takes 10,000 hours of doing something to become a master at it. That book has so many amazing tidbits and treasures to support you on your journey to mastering something—anything.

For example, he says, “Some 2,600 years ago the ancient Greek poet Pindar wrote, “Become who you are by learning who you are.” What he meant is the following: You are born with a particular makeup and tendencies that mark you as a piece of fate. It is who you are to the core. Some people never become who they are; they stop trusting in themselves; they conform to the tastes of others, and they end up wearing a mask that hides their true nature. If you allow yourself to learn who you really are by paying attention to that voice and force within you, then you can become what you were fated to become—an individual, a Master.”

And this one, “Think of it this way: There are two kinds of failure. The first comes from never trying out your ideas because you are afraid, or because you are waiting for the perfect time. This kind of failure you can never learn from, and such timidity will destroy you. The second kind comes from a bold and venturesome spirit. If you fail in this way, the hit that you take to your reputation is greatly outweighed by what you learn. Repeated failure will toughen your spirit and show you with absolute clarity how things must be done.”

But I really love this one, “In the future, the great division will be between those who have trained themselves to handle these complexities and those who are overwhelmed by them — those who can acquire skills and discipline their minds and those who are irrevocably distracted by all the media around them and can never focus enough to learn.” So, I suppose this is my challenge to you—what are you a master at? What is something that you can apply time, focus, and some intensity to learning beyond a superficial level? What is the thing that you feel passionately enough about that even when it feels like the odds are against you that you will keep going? I want you to think about it, and then I want you to do it. One step at a time.

Now, you might be wondering, how is she going to find a way to tie in astrology hahaha. You knew it was coming. Astrology contains its own language. It requires time, focus, and practice to get good at it. So the same rules apply. When you learn the basics, the alphabet, the numbers and the symbols then you can converse in the language. Most people who look at their birth chart for the first time feel overwhelmed because they see symbols, numbers, and lines that don’t make sense. However it is all about the language of astrology and it’s a beautiful one—as melodic as the Romance languages falling off the tongue. So a quick introductory class to some of the symbols that you might see when looking at a natal chart. 

You will see:

· The natal chart

·        The planets 

· The houses

· The signs

Once you get a little bit more familiar with these symbols, then you will be able to start to understand the language of astrology. We will get into that more in the coming weeks, but I just wanted to say a few words about the lessons that come from learning another language. Sam Altman said, “Hard work compounds like interest, and the earlier you do it, the more time you have for the benefits to pay off.”

So practice, take your time, don’t be discouraged, and above all, just keep going. May the stars shine brightly over your week and may it be a beautiful week indeed! Let me know in the comments what you are attempting to master or have already mastered. Maybe it’s another language! And as always, if you are enjoying the blog posts and/or videos, please like, share, comment, and subscribe. Thank you!

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness. As always, thank you for joining me in this space and on this journey. It has been a while hasn’t it. The last few weeks have been pretty busy for me, and as is the case, sometimes you have to triage the things that are happening in your life.

All of that and then some, but I am always thinking about this space thinking of things to share, and just reminders on the fullness of life despite what can sometimes feel like the world burning. So how have you been? Let me know in the comments! I would love to hear about anything delightful that has been unfolding in your world and in your space.

Now before we get into what this week is about, I want to just have us get present for a moment. Wherever you are, whatever time it is for you, and whatever you are doing (and if you are reading this on the blog vs. watching the video, I want you to read this intentional…meaning, I want you to give your attention to it, and then visualize it for yourself.) We are doing a check in. You may watch this week’s video here: https://youtu.be/6XCMgwT5iN0

If you can sit in a comfortable place and in a comfortable position, please do so now.

How does it feel to just sit or lay down or just to be?

How does it feel in this moment to not have anything really to do but just breath and be?

How is your breath? How are you breathing? Turn your attention to feeling yourself breath. How does your body move with your breath? Take in a deep but comfortable breath. Close your eyes if you need to, and just allow yourself to feel yourself breathing in and out.

As you do this, I want you to scan your body starting at your crown—the top of your head. Mentally move downward from your head all the way down. As you do this, do you feel any tension in any parts of your body? I generally hold stress in my shoulders and upper back area. As you are working your way down, I also want you to picture a golden light washing through your body, and easing away any tension that you might be feeling. Allow this warm light to linger at any places that feel tense or tight. As this light washes down though you, imagine that it goes right down through your feet and connects you to the beautiful, firm, solid, green Earth. You feel grounded and connected, and everything that has been creating any stress or tension for you melts away. The Earth takes it, and will transform it into nutrients for the soil.

You feel a sense of peace wash over you, and I just want you to mentally say “thank you” to the Earth. I also want you to tell your body thank you. Because we put our physical bodies through so much. Now thank your mind for all the thoughts and all the things that it has to process daily. Now if you can, put your hand over your heart space, and just imagine sending an extra infusion of love to your heart. The powerhouse of your organs; the one that keeps us going. Imagine your heart accepting this love and then sending some back out to you—but instead of just surrounding you alone, it cover the entirety of our world. Now I want you to think of one person who makes your heart smile. Imagine sending them an extra dose of love as well.

Now think of one thing that you are grateful for this week. It can be anything, even if is this moment, where you are creating a sacred space within yourself. Gratitude helps to center us. It is a moment that bridges the past, present, and future. Something has already happened that made our hearts sing, and we feel that thankfulness in the present moment, yet we know that we can experience more of these moments in the future. Focus again on your breath. How are you breathing now? How do you feel now. Take another deep but comfortable breath and open your eyes. Remember that you can check in with yourself anytime, and anywhere by just remembering to connect with your breath. Thank you for doing this with me.

 

Now this week, I wanted to talk a little bit about astrology and my deep love and appreciation for this subject. In over a year since I have had my channel and blog, I have talked about it a lot, but I haven’t really shared some of the information that I know. To be honest with you, I have been a little scared to put myself out there more as someone who knows about astrology beyond the basics. In reality, I have studied this topic and mythology since I was about twelve years old, and in the past year, I have increased my studies—taking classes, attending conferences, and learning more from some of the best teachers in the world. I have also been sharing some of my understanding of astrology with friends and family, and have even been reading their natal charts.

P.S. If you are interested in letting me practice on you, please reach out! So in overcoming one of my own fears—of what I really can’t tell you– I am just putting it out there to the world in this space that I am taking steps to become a professional astrologer (in addition to my regular work and side stuff haha), and that in coming years I will have a business that focuses on helping people learn more about themselves and how to navigate life by working with astrology and the cosmos. I will teach it, continue to learn it, and really dive deeper into something that I have loved for a long long time.

 

So what is astrology? 

Everyone has probably heard the question, What is your zodiac sign? Zodiac means, “Wheel of Animals” in Greek and refers to the 12 signs of astrology. When people ask that question, they are usually referring to your sun sign. Most people know their sun sign. To know your sun sign, you just need to know the day when you were born. That is the sign that the sun was in on that particular day. So for me, I was born in the middle of December. At the time of my birth, the sun was in the zodiac sign of Sagittarius. That makes me a Sagittarius.

There are 12 signs of the Zodiac: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. And there really is a beauty to the Zodiac. We won’t dive into that today, because this really is more of a dipping your toe in! But know that especially in Classical Astrology, there is depth, symmetry, and a true beauty to the structure of the cosmos. I hope that as I share more of this material that you will see it, and be able to apply it in your own life.

Now, that still doesn’t tell us what astrology is. Different people have different quotes for telling you what astrology is because it is truly a vast subject, but there are two that I really love. The first is from Christopher Penczak. He said: 

“Astrology is the science and the art of interpreting the heavens and its relationship to phenomenon upon the Earth. Bodies and movements within the heavens correspond to power and forces within ourselves and our environment. When patterns are too personal or immediate, looking at the “bigger picture,” of the heavens, and calculating patterns in the past and patterns to come give us a greater understanding.”

The second is from a class that I took with Rick Levine. He shared this quote:

“Astrology is firstly a discipline of mind, a technique for the development of holistic thinking. The study of the cyclic patterns of astrology places the mind in the habit of constantly perceiving things as wholes, rather than as unrelated parts. An understanding of astrology makes the mind aware that what is happening at any given moment is just one point, just one moment of an entire cycle of complex and intricate relationships. It gives one an objective awareness of the unity of all things, the conscious realization that all things are in some way intimately related to everything else.” – Michael Meyer, “A Handbook for the Humanistic Astrologer”

 

What I gleaned from both quotes and my own studies is that there are patterns to life, and if we study and understand these patterns we can have a greater understanding not just of the world around us, but also of ourselves. Self-awareness is such a wonderful tool for making our lives richer and more meaningful. I also have to point out that in all major civilizations and cultures there has been some form of practice of Astrology. It all used to be clumped together with Astronomy, but over the years they were separated, with Astronomy becoming more scientific and recognized, and Astrology falling to the way of parlor games and fluff. Not for me though—it is still very serious stuff. That being said, there is a fascinating history, and there are a multitude of different astrological systems, and viewpoints out there about on this subject matter. For me, astrology has helped me to make sense of life when things have gotten wild and crazy, or when there has been nothing at all happening.

 

And we do hear about astrology in popular culture, especially as with this coming week we are getting ready to head into another round of Mercury Retrograde. I did a whole video on Mercury Retrograde, but I will offer my usual advice here. When most people hear the term Mercury retrograde, they clamp up and groan—oh no, my technology is going to break down, my travel plans are going to go haywire, and I better not sign off on anything major. Why is this? In Roman Mythology, the God Mercury was known as the messenger god. He ruled over communication, technology, travel, commerce, and luck. He was also a notorious trickster, hence why sometimes in retrograde times, it feels like someone is playing a trick on you! Mercury’s Greek counterpart is Hermes, and his Egyptian counterpart was the God Thoth or Djehuty—God of Wisdom.

I hear the complaints about Mercury retrograde all the time, and my response is always the same. Treasure the time. It is a divine gift; it is a time to seek inner wisdom. It is a time to reset and to slow down. Because Mercury is very close to the sun, it retrogrades very frequently in relation to the Earth. It does this about 3 or 4 times per year for about 3-4 weeks. When a planet goes into retrograde motion, astrologers say that it impacts the psyche internally. Instead of tapping into the planet’s energy externally, we must go on an inward journey to gain certain lessons and blessings.

One of the best analogies that I heard for Mercury Retrograde was this. If you drive your car every day, what is going to happen? Before long, it will need service—new tires, an oil change. Humans are the same way. We also need times of rest, time to recharge. When Mercury retrogrades and we suffer delays, we are sometimes forced to slow down, to see things from a different perspective, and to rest. Most astrologers suggest that in retrograde periods we should do things that begin with RE. REST. RECHARGE. REJUVENATE. REVISIT. REMIND. REVITALIZE.

So, this is what I am also encouraging you to do this week. Take time to sit with yourself, to check in, and to make sure that you are feeling connected to source and to your center. Practice gratitude, and remember that we all have a role in helping to craft the world that we desire to see and to be a part of. The past weeks have been beautiful, but there have also been heartbreaking moments in the world. You feel those things especially when you remember that we are all truly connected. Astrology helps me to remember this. It reminders me that we each have a role to play. So it is important that you do what you can, where you are to help the overall energy of the world, and you help do that by knowing yourself deeply, and also staying grounded and loving. You cannot pour from an empty cup, and the retrograde is here to remind you of that! May the stars shine brightly over your week, and may it be an amazing one indeed.

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this week’s dose of Celestial Goodness. Thank you as always for joining me in this space and on this journey. See this week’s video here: https://youtu.be/JpqklUE8W4M

August has been one of those months that has felt like several months packed into one. I sat down recently to look back over my calendar, and to see what things need to carry over into September, and I was really amazed at how much happened. I will make another video/post on that another time. Each month, I like to plan out some goals for the next month. This has been a very cool way for me to keep organized, anchored, and it serves as a great tool for remembering some of the things that I have done—both for my personal and professional life.

Now in August, I kept saying to myself, “Oh wow, that did happen, just last week!” Or, “I can’t believe that it has been three weeks already.” From learning astrology, and from just being on the planet for as long as I have now hahaha, I know that life can be like that—sometimes it feels like nothing is happening, but then at other times it feels like everything is happening all at once. Paulo Coelho said, “Life has a way of testing a person’s will, either by having nothing happen at all, or having everything happen all at once.” So August felt like a month with a lot of good reminders about life in general, lessons, blessings, and shifting tides.

 

A few lessons from August:

·      Sometimes you need support. My houseplants remind me of this all the time. We need other people. Thank you to my people for infusing my life with love. 

·      Life will one day end. I had a dear relative pass away in the last month, and her burial was in August. Death always reminds me that this life is temporary. How are we deciding to show up in life?

· There is a quote that says, “Don’t let others pull you into their storm, pull them into your peace.” I would alter that a little to say, just don’t let them pull you into their storm. You don’t have to pull them into your peace, but don’t leave your peace for them.

·      Laughter and love are always healing, soothing, and necessary. There is so much power in a hug, so much joy in laughing with people, and so much peace in knowing that we are love and loved. 

So I say, “Thank you August for your lessons and blessings.” Now I am looking forward to September and to the fall. Gregory David Roberts said, “For this is what we do. Put one foot forward and then the other. Lift our eyes to the snarl and smile of the world once more. Think. Act. feel. Add our little consequence to the tides of good and evil that flood and drain the world. Drag our shadowed crosses into the hope of another night. Push our brave hearts into the promise of a new day. With love; the passionate search for truth other than our own. With longing; the pure, ineffable yearning to be saved. For so long as fate keeps waiting, we live on.” And we do keep living on, through whatever seasons we enter next.

I love all the seasons, because they have different things to look forward to, but this year, I am greatly anticipating the fall. I am looking forward to apple cider, the crisp but damp smell of the leaves in early October, sweater weather, and just the inward vibes that fall seems to bring with it. How do you know when you are transitioning into a new season of your life? What are the signs for you? I think that in the same way that seasons change, we can also feel when something is shifting in our personal world. I read a quote somewhere once that said, “Sometimes in the winds of change, we find our greatest direction.”

From an astrological standpoint, we are currently in Virgo season. That statement will mean different things to different people, but since Virgo is a mutual sign, it means that we are in an in-between. Mutual signs—Pisces, Gemini, Virgo, and Sagittarius prepare us for the next season. Pisces comes before Aries, astrologically that is the beginning of Spring. Gemini before Cancer, and the beginning of Summer, Virgo before Libra, and the beginning of Fall, and Sagittarius before Capricorn, and the beginning of winter. In that sense, these time periods in our year are not just a sign of the changing season, but also a sign that something is ending. I have a whole blog and video on the beauty of letting go, so this is not about that. Rather I have been thinking about how we welcome the changing seasons, and how we welcome change in our own lives.

Also, having a Virgo mother who woke me up a lot on weekends to clean up—listening to her favorite oldies—I think that the simple act of cleaning up is one of the most powerful ways to welcome a change and to let something go. When I was growing up I was a pretty messy kid, but my mom was not. She was pretty organized, and like things to always be “in their place.” She drilled this into my head, and I think over time it really settled in. Even when I went to live on my own, I still would try my best to make sure that things were organized. Over time, this has evolved into me wanting things to be neat and orderly, and I can see the lessons and blessings from this. Mind you, I am not the neatest person that I know. I know several incredibly orderly people, who always have everything in place and who are immaculate in their ability to keep their space and their lives in some orderly and consistent manner. Admittedly, I am more cyclical. There are some spaces that will always be extremely neat (living room, bathroom, and kitchen for example), and organized (lessons from mommy), but then I might have clothes pile up in the basket, and then I have to take care of them type cyclical. Papers might need sorting on my desk, type cyclical.

Over the years, there are some important things that I have learned from my friends about cleaning and organization. Gretchen Ruben said, “Outward order contributes to inner calm,” and another powerful quote is, “Once you learn how to see how your inner turmoil manifests itself through your surroundings, you can reverse engineer this, mastering yourself by mastering the space in which you live.”— Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk’s Guide to a Clean House and Mind. I believe it. Whenever things around me are disorganized, it almost feels like I can’t think properly. I feel like I need to organize so that I can function better. Clean your space, clear your mind. It is also easier to find things. I read somewhere that when things are out of place, people lose hours trying to find important papers—even their glasses. And it is also cost efficient to stay organized. Why? You don’t go out buying things that you already have!

So while I am no Marie Kondo, I would make the suggestion that in anticipation of a new season coming, and possibly a new personal season for your own life, that it is time to do a little “fall cleaning.” It is time to make room and make space for new blessings. 

Some tips:

· You don’t have to do everything all at once. Start with one room or space, and then cross that off your to do list. Along these same lines, it might be a useful tip to spread this out over time. Instead of trying to do everything on the weekend, maybe commit an hour or two to one room/space/task during the weekday.

·      Put things back in a specific place and commit to training yourself to putting and keeping things in their designated space.

·      Dust regularly. This is probably the lowest hanging fruit, but as someone with asthma, it is also essential and makes a difference.

· Use music to help motivate you. All those years ago when mommy would put on a certain playlist, I already knew it meant cleaning time. But singing along helped the process.

·      Remind yourself that someone out there could use some of the things you don’t need or use anymore. Trip to Goodwill anyone? 

·      My younger sister has a rule, one in one out. If you bring in something new, she is all about getting rid of something else to help create less clutter. I am not quite there yet, but it seems to be a concept that works for some people.

·      Solicit help. If it is within your means to do so, you might decide to pay for some cleaning services, or even get someone you care about to help. You can also use different smart gadgets to help you stay organized, and to clean up! 

· Just start, and if you fall off the cleaning/organization wagon, just start again. You got this!

 

I will say that I also had to look deep within myself once and acknowledge why I was holding on to certain things. Based on the way in which I grew up, there was an internal fear that we might run out of something. Or that I had to hold on to things like clothes or shoes and wear them till there was nothing left. Once I got older and had the ability to not have to do some of those things, I realized that it did impact some of why I hung on to things. Sometimes we have to let things go to make room for the things that we do want. If no one has told you this ever, let me say it. The universe is expansive and abundant, and you will be taken care of. You can let go of the ten thousand plastic bags you have under the sink or in that cabinet. Truly, it is ok. So, all of this is to say that I feel the winds of change coming in, I feel fall coming in, and I think it is a good time to think about what that might mean for my own life. To aid that along, I might spend some time deep cleaning, throwing some things out or donating some items, and then prepare myself for something else coming in.

As we move into the next week, I hope that you will feel more organized, and also more prepared to handle the next season of your life. May the stars shine over your week, and may it be a beautiful one indeed. If you are liking these posts and videos, please do like, share, comment, and subscribe. Also, feel free to share any of your cleaning or organizational tips! Thank you.

Hello beautiful people, and welcome to this week’s dose of Celestial Goodness. As always, thank you for joining me in this space and on this journey. I appreciate your time and your presence. So, I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to summon the energy to write something this week and to film my video. Something happened on Thursday that I am still grappling with, and it seems a bit surreal that I am taking it so seriously, while the world seems to carry on as though this event was just another day in the office. I don’t want to make a mountain from a molehill, but yet, my mind keeps wandering back to Thursday. See this week’s video here: https://youtu.be/EzVyLSgSs7g

On Thursday morning, I woke up and went out to the living room to greet the sun. Our apartment has great views of the East and the West, so I am fortunate enough to be able to see some beautiful sunrises, and sunsets.

In the wee hours of the morning when the rest of the world is sleeping, and I can hear some gentle and not so gentle snores from you know who—Plant daddy lol, I get my coffee or tea, talk to the plants, and just marvel at the magnitude and magnificence of nature. Each day is like witnessing a painting. In these precious quiet moments of the morning, I can hear myself think. I can feel my heart beating, and I can be reminded of the beauty of it all, even when the world might wake up later, and try to get me to think otherwise.

So, as it was on Thursday morning, I drank some tea, and then went to take my shower. I have a eucalyptus bundle hanging in the shower, so everything steams up and smells so good. I had to remind myself that I was in fact, not commuting to my home office, but to my actually workplace, and I needed to hurry. It took me a while to get ready, and then I realized that I might miss the train/metro that I planned to take. I felt agitated and a little annoyed. Since the pandemic, the morning trains were running every 17 minutes, and on my line, they were single tracking. I remembered that before the pandemic, the morning trains came every 3-4 minutes. I sort of admonished myself for feeling inconvenienced, when much of the world had been greatly turned upside down by the pandemic. This was just a minor inconvenience.

I walked over to the metro, across a small bridge, and a bubbling brook—leaves were scattered everywhere from a recent storm, and I had to be careful where I walked—another minor inconvenience. There is a small hill on my path to the metro, and I lamented a little how because of the mask that I was wearing, I was literally huffing and puffing, and nearly worked my way into an asthma attack. But really, this was a minor inconvenience. I had my inhaler, and honestly, wearing my mask was not that big of an ask. I made my way to metro, and looked up at how long I had to wait for the train—7 minutes. When it came, I was able to find a seat. I remember how in the before times, the train at this stop would be packed with people. I wondered; would we ever go back to that? I don’t know. I have to change trains, and when I did, I just missed one, and the next one was delayed. I felt annoyed. Why aren’t the trains running timely? I felt inconvenienced.

But I did not need to be in a hurry. I made it safely to work, and chit chatted with coworkers—some who I had not seen in almost 16 months, and got settled in for the day. All of my concerns at that point were about work things—how is the technology, what is my team doing, where should I start that day on my projects, did I have any meetings, where would my friends and I go for lunch? In the middle of a meeting, we started getting alerts that one of the buildings on our campus was being evacuated for a suspicious vehicle. Being on the Capitol complex, means getting alerts all the time for random things, but this felt serious, and it was triggering. Many people that I know still see alerts and think about the events of January 6^th. It is never far away from my mind, and so these alerts brought it front and center.

The next several hours unfolded very quickly, and while I was pretty calm, when I made it home, I found that I was trembling—shaking, and very cognizant that the day could have taken a turn for the worse. Long story short, a man came up to the Capitol Complex, parked in front of my workplace, and threatened to blow up two+ city blocks. While some of us were able to evacuate, some coworkers had to remain in the building because of directions from the police as the situation unfolded. My coworkers and I were calm and everyone truly cared about the well-being of everyone else. My phone was filled with messages from friends, family, and acquaintances about the unfolding situation, and whether my colleagues and I were okay. Once we were out of the building, we walked far away, wondering about our coworkers still in the situation, but also relieved to be out of harm’s way.

I saw online that some people didn’t believe that it was real, some called it a distraction for what was going on in Afghanistan, and the rest of the world, and some people later would say, “well they got him, and he didn’t have much in the car. It wouldn’t have done anything.” It was very real to me, and I can’t help but wonder, what if he did have tons of explosives in the vehicle and decided to detonate. Would my loved ones know how much I cared? Would my life have mattered here? Would I have left a positive impact on this planet? I don’t want to dwell on the incident, because this post isn’t about that. It is more about how all of the minor inconveniences of the day, melted away in the face of potential danger. It is about how when faced with “what ifs,” the things that I thought about—the important things in my life really did come to the forefront. It also made me look at my minor inconveniences in a new light. There is a Taoist fable that goes like this:

A farmer had only one horse. One day, his horse ran away.

His neighbors said, “I’m so sorry. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.”

The man just said, “We’ll see.”

A few days later, his horse came back with twenty wild horses following. The man and his son corralled all twenty-one horses.

His neighbors said, “Congratulations! This is such good news. You must be so happy!”

The man just said, “We’ll see.”

One of the wild horses kicked the man’s only son, breaking both his legs.

His neighbors said, “I’m so sorry. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.”

The man just said, “We’ll see.”

The country went to war, and every able-bodied young man was drafted to fight. The war was terrible and killed every young man, but the farmer’s son was spared, since his broken legs prevented him from being drafted.

His neighbors said, “Congratulations! This is such good news. You must be so happy!”

The man just said, “We’ll see.”

I feel that sometimes what inconveniences us can be looked as bad by some, but in other situations, it might be leading to something good. Thursday was filled with inconveniences. I didn’t get to do the work I planned that day, or to have lunch with my good friend as planned. But I did get a speedy reminder to appreciate this life because it is so fragile. I considered myself as someone who loves life anyway, but I felt gratitude to be able to make it home and hug my love, and to tell my family and friends once again that I loved them. I took the next day off, but I was a little agitated. Everything seemed to go on as though nothing happened.

I needed time to process the trauma, and I will give myself the space and grace to do that as it rises up in my mind. I won’t let the fear of what ifs, prevent me from living—from going to work, or from doing anything, but I felt the stress and the anxiety building in me from this. I suppose like the farmer in the fable, I will have to see… I know though, that I do feel more inclined to take time for myself, to tell the people that I love how much I love them, and to savor everything that feels like joy, like happiness, like love.

My message today is that life can bring the unexpected, we can feel inconvenienced, and yet, out of all of that, there might be some nugget of a reminder that we can’t take anything for granted—most of all life itself. I hope that wherever you are this week that the stars shine brightly over you, and that as one friend said to me, that you walk in the light, and that you are protected from the ills of the world.

I shared this quote from L.R. Knost on my Instagram page, and with my team after the incident, but it is worth repeating. “Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things break. All things can be mended. Not with time, as they say, but with intention. So go, love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally. The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you.” For everything wrong in the world, I do believe there are always people who will and who are rising to the occasion. You may not see them, but they are there—doing, helping, changing, and casting a loving light on a world that needs it so very much. If you don’t see it, remember that you can always be it.

One small step at a time, will take you further than you ever knew possible. May you be blessed, protected, and may there be divine intervention and intercession wherever it is needed now. Thank you.