Stained Glass

Here's what part of my horoscope said today:

Like a stained-glass window in a Gothic cathedral, the many colors and components of who you are right now have combined to create something quite breathtaking. You are completing a growth phase; you're moving away from confusion and toward clarity and simplicity. Whether you realize it or not, you have created a strong personal philosophy that is informing your choices. Congratulations on your progress. Do not fear memories of what you've been through.

I love it.

Quote for the Day

"Everyone wants to be

appreciated. So if you

appreciate someone,

don't keep it a secret."

~Mary Kay Ash

The Red Road

Here's what I found on The Red Road..I'm still looking for a clean cut explanation or description of this part of Native American lore...

The Red Road is a way of being and living in the world where we are connected to all things in creation. On this path we live with integrity, honor, confidence, compassion and respect. Walking the Red Road is a life long journey …ever learning…ever growing…ever evolving. The quest: to live in balance with all that is.
Sandy Range, (SC Cherokee). www.redroadcoach.com

According to Native American tradition, walking the Red Road is a metaphor for living within the Creator’s rules—a life of truth, friendship, respect, spirituality, and humanitarianism. For centuries, Native American elders, parents, teachers, and spiritual leaders have handed down their wisdom and values from generation to generation, leading others down the path of self-discovery and enlightenment.
Terri Jean “365 Days of Walking the Red Road.”

"One may be of any race or of almost any religion and walk the Red Road… Its full meaning is the way one acts, the methods one uses, and what directs one's doing. It is behavior, attitude, a way of living, a way of "doing" with reverence - of walking strong yet softly, so as not to harm or disturb other life." --
John Redtail Freesoul (Cheyenne-Arapahoe), http://www.proaxis.com/~bakerb/path.html

When I worked for Walkabout, now called Outback Therapeutic Expeditions, I had a little bit of exposure to the legend of The Red Road. It was one of the most memorable and cherished weeks I spent hiking and living with teenage boys, counseling them every day, putting my blood, sweat, and tears into their personal progression and emotional growth. Just thinking about that week right now almost brings me to tears.

Our group consisted of about 9 boys and 3 staff, including me. We had spent an entire day hiking only 10 miles to our campsite. The multiple "break-throughs" the boys were experiencing during the hike made for a very long day. It was early in the morning when we finally arrived at the site.

The next day, the Field Director came out to visit our group. We had decided we wanted to build a sweat lodge and have that experience with these boys. Before any construction began, the Field Director gathered us together and held a brief ceremony. He talked about the Red Road.

He shared with us what it meant to walk on the Red Road...to walk with honor and integrity, even with your enemies...honoring yourelf and your family and heritage through honoring all things that surround you... While he shared this with us, captivating every single boy in the story of being a man, warrior, and peacemaker on the Red Road, he pulled out a bowl made from a gourd and a small wooden vile. He gently poured red ochre into the bowl and put a few drops of water on top of the powder. As he finished the story, he mixed the powder and the water with his finger and one at a time asked each boy if they would walk the Red Road. As they answered a confident yes, he painted a red strip over their right eye, forehead to cheek.

The boys were absolutely captivated by the experience. I have never seen a group work together so productively to reach a group goal...building the sweat lodge, gathering the right rocks, and gathering a TON of wood. It was remarkable.

That night the boys and the male staff had a sweat that I'm sure they all still remember to this day. I love those boys...I still think about them and wonder what fabulous accomplishments and profound growth they have experienced in their young lives. I wish them the very best...

What is life?

I was looking up the Red Road online to find out more about this part of Native American culture, and I came across some really great quotes. I loved this one:

"What is life?
It is the flash of a firefly in the night.
It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.
It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset."

~Crowfoot, Blackfoot warrior and orator

You are The High Priestess

Science, Wisdom, Knowledge, Education.

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know. The High Priestess is also associated with the moon however and can also indicate change or fluxuation, particularily when it comes to your moods.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Failing Successfully

Last night I had a really good conversation with my Mary Kay Director, Amy. She asked me, "Have you learned a lot this month?" For some reason the question caught me off guard a little bit, and I quickly responded, "Yes," though I wasn't entirely sure what she meant. Then she explained a little bit... Prior to this point in my Mary Kay career, I haven't had a whole lot going on. Just sporatic appointments scheduled and a few reorders from current customers. Now that I have been putting in the effort consistently for the last month or two and have more going on, it's easier to see what I need to adjust to be more successful. So now I need to make the adjustments and see how that affects my success.

I am grateful that I'm not feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of getting the momentum built back up in my business. I told Amy that in looking back at the last month or two, I can see that I'm working harder and more consistently than I ever have, and I'm not seeing the success I dream of...yet. But regardless of that frustration, I know that being consistent and persevering will bring me that success. Now is the time for fine tuning. People who cancel, don't show, or need to reschedule are teaching me how to be a better business woman...how to let my customers know that I care about them and want to meet their needs... cosmetically, as a friend, and as a dreamer of bigger and greater experiences.

Here's a quote I read today on a website I enjoy:

"The greatest achievements of all time are built upon multiple failures. The greatest achievers are those who are willing to experience failure on their way to the success they know will most certainly come." ~Ralph Marston

I think the key to failing successfully is the last part of that quote..."on their way to the success they know will most certainly come." You've got to believe it, see it, think it, and dream it, and it will come to be. You might fall down on the way, but because you have that vision and believe it, you're going to get up and learn from the fall, becoming a greater, stronger, and wiser person.

Life is great. I don't know what's up with all these positive posts lately...it's not as interesting, but what can I say??? Life is just that damn good! :)

Sick again

My throat is unhappy again. :) I add the smiley face because it's almost to the point of ridiculously funny how often I've been getting sick. My glands in my throat are totally swollen, and tender to the touch. If I look up, you can see the puffiness of my glands, bulging out of my throat. It's awesome. :) So, I'm trying to doctor myself...using my Theives essential oil, drinking lots of herbal tea and water, getting 7 hours of sleep each night, and thinking happy healthy thoughts. I think I could sleep for 15 hours straight right now...mmm...that would be soooo nice!

I wish that was me in that picture. That's what heaven is going to be like!! ;)

It's not true...accept it and move on

Something I think I knew, but now I know it's true...nearly all the time:

So when you're in a relationship and the other person tells you they just aren't ready for a committed relationship, that's not really true. Fact of the matter is that they just haven't met someone that rocks their entire world. As soon as they do, regardless of how "ready" they think they are, it'll happen.

This recently happened to me where the guy just didn't want to be in a committed relationship, and funny enough, now I'm currently in that position.

Damn it all. :)