Thirty-three years ago I stood at the base of the Eiffel Tower gazing up as the rain gently fell. There were only a few minutes to spare before heading to the airport. There hadn’t been time earlier to explore or experience the beautiful wrought-iron structure due to the tour schedule. Leaving that day, I knew one day I would return.

In life, there are moments when we experience a sudden burst of inspiration or flash of insight that seems to come out of nowhere. The message, inkling, or coincidence compels us to take action or recall something significant.

Out of all the family trips, my favorite by far was out last trip together in August of 2016. Along with my Mom and Dad, all four siblings were able to make the trek out to California for my nieces wedding.

We bring our garden gloves, handheld rakes and shovels, then begin building our individually designed masterpiece. Although, the flowers are the same varieties throughout the pots, they are put together in unique and different patterns and no two are alike.

“Nothing happens until you decide. Make a decision and watch your life move forward,” - Oprah Winfrey. I don’t know about you, but I often find myself in a quandary over an important decision.

Recently, my first grand child turned one. How is that even possible? I swear it was just yesterday my son was having his first birthday, wasn’t it?

“Unexpected events can set you back or set you up. It’s all a matter of perspective,” - Mary Anne Radmacher. Oh, how this quote hit home last week for me. How do you react when suddenly, out of the blue, your whole day gets altered, and everything is out of your control?

Recently, I woke up feeling anxious and on edge. I wouldn’t call it a panic, but I felt a bit out-of-sorts. At first I didn’t even challenge my feelings. However, they got the best of me and not in a good way. I was feeling uneasy but couldn’t pinpoint why. As I was throwing in a load of laundry, I stopped and questioned why was I in a tizzy.

Are you currently making time for you and giving yourself some much needed love? I’ve been on a mission to love myself for a while now, and even though some days I may not always get it right, I’m about a million times better than I was before.

“I hate being sick, I feel like a superhero with no powers.” – Unknown

How’s your mood when you’ve been feeling sick and under the weather? Recently, I’ve been dealing with a nasty little cold bug that’s been hanging on for dear life.

“When we come full circle there is a feeling that we have come to a familiar place but we are somehow different” - Daily OM.

In my adolescence years, my Mom enrolled both my sister and I into the Wendy Ward Charm School in hopes of teaching us all we needed to know about manners and social graces. In those early days after we graduated, my Mom would often refer to the school and lessons if she questioned how we completed a task she was sure we were taught during class. She’d say something like, “Didn’t you learn how to do that in Charm School?”

If something doesn’t go to plan, instead of getting anxious, mad, disappointed, or frustrated, try looking at the situation with a curious mind and say, “Hmmm, that’s interesting. I wonder why that happened?” Try embracing the unexpected experiences with curiosity and wonderment.

When was the last time you let something unexpected take you down a path of negativity, frustration, anger, and even fear? Sometimes when one bad thing happens we instantly fall prey to negative thoughts and feelings. It can lead to the start of an emotional avalanche. Once that happens it’s hard to stop the snow from barreling down the hill; causing devastation in its path.

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome,” — Anne Bradstreet. This quote rang true for me. Adversity and mediocrity have made me who I am today. It hasn’t always been about the beautiful flowers that show themselves, but rather the failures and lessons learned that created the next unfolding of my life.

It’s common for women to give to others first before they give to themselves. That’s exactly how and why I originally got into a battle with myself many years ago. The day I woke up and didn’t recognize myself, was the first day in a long line of days to arriving at my own independence of owning my worthiness, albeit little by little.

I’ve been studying the Law of Attraction for several years and have learned about the emotional scale as presented by Abraham Hicks. In the teachings the objective it to locate your current emotional state, then if possible, reach for a better feeling thought; moving up the scale.   

“You can be your own best friend and worst enemy. Each moment you get to choose which one you empower,” -  Milena Karanovic. I’m referring the worst and best enemy to our mind. Our thoughts can either beat us down, or lift us up. We get to choose which one controls our life.