What do you see?

Taken during my SoulCollage® training!

Capturing a self moment

What do you see when you see yourself?

Look into the mirror and look, truly look.

See the beauty you hold within

Know that you are important and cherished!

What do you see when you see yourself?

Look deep into your heart,

 feel the emotions that come from within ...

what are they trying to say to you?

What do you see when you see yourself?

When you think thoughts that are negative,

do you speak words of self doubt?

Are you constantly unhappy with what you see?

What do you see when you see yourself?

Are you seeking moments of quiet,

calming your heart and your mind?

Finding those moments for self care and nurturing

What do you see when you see yourself?

Who is that girl staring back at you?

Fall in love with her again and again

Listen closely to what she has to say ...

Listen ... Carefully

and you will hear ...

if only you will Listen

(a poetic moment written in quiet 2-11-15 at 8:45am)

Taking a Rest ...

Seeing the simple beauty in things

(Photo taken at the beautiful Sanderling Inn, OBX)

Well it is Wednesday

and that is always my blog post day,

today it feels different.

I have a routine ... while my precious

little Annabelle naps,

I write my blog post,

sipping green tea and just being present,

somehow the words always come.

Yes today it is the same routine,

but I am writing knowing that it is time to

take a break,

a blog break.

My life message lately is to slow myself down,

be quiet, commit less and to get my house in order.

I have just begun a new work schedule,

after 41 years of working in the eye care field,

I am dropping my work days to just three days!

How exciting is that!!!!!

I want to use the time wisely

and the message I keep receiving is to go deep within,

slow myself down, create more just for pleasure,

write more and just be ...

If we don't slow down,

cut the computer and television off,

how do we hear what is deep inside?

I have a second grand baby due in October,

my son Drew and his wife Lauren

are expecting their first child,

a little boy.

I anxiously await his arrival!

One week from today,

I am leaving on a jet plane

to 

Providence, Rhode Island

to attend Squam in the City.

(Keeping my fingers crossed the whole time baby isn't extremely early!)

I am excited to be creative

and

reconnect with precious friends

and of course make new ones!

Fall is my favorite time of year,

it is a time that I remind myself

that I am truly ready for a change,

a life renewal,

a calming of the heart,

a slowing down process,

a listen to my inner self time,

I am ready for it!

So I will see you when I know it is time to return,

when I feel called to return to this

sacred space of mine!

How I love blogging,

writing and sharing with you.

So in the meantime ...

be well, be happy, take good care of yourself

and listen to your inner nudges,

they won't lead you astray!

You can't hear them guiding you

if you are too busy,

we all need time for a self check!

Beauty is all around us!

(Photo taken on an afternoon stroll with my little Annabelle Lily)

Love,

Donna Lee

Living creatively each and everyday!

Lessons from the Ocean . . .

My Ocean Mandala

I have just returned from a week in the Outer Banks

what a beautiful experience it was to be

with my family, to rest and restore, create art

and unplug from life's demands.

The Ocean's rhythm is so soothing and calming,

it naturally draws us in.

Just standing in the presence of the mighty sea

calms the spirit.

Walks along the ocean shore allowed me

the time I needed to pray, to think things through,

to collect beautiful shells (a gift from the sea),

and to sort out all the thoughts running around in my head.

I always learn something new when coming to the beach,

I think the lesson that so strongly came through this visit

was that my life needed to change a bit.

I need a quieter pace and carry less worry about the little things.

I always wonder why it is that at home,

I can't think as clearly as I can when I return to the sea.

I know there are life disruptions that get in the way at home ...

 yet I still can't find the stillness and quiet I so need.

So I thank the Ocean for teaching me

a quieter pace, a much needed slower walk in life,

to breathe in the salt and the sea and the sun,

and recognize the gift it is giving to me. . .
CLARITY

What a beautiful vacation I had ...

so many wonderful memories I will keep close to me.

Seeing Annabelle put her toes in the ocean for 

her very first time,

seeing my daughter n law Lauren

so cute and pregnant and growing each day

with our soon to be grand son,

watching my kids laugh and play and get along,

watching my husband and his sons

surf together in the ocean,

finding time to paint and create,
re-reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull
after all these years

and so much more!!

The Ocean is mighty

and certainly strong.

The Ocean waves are a gift,

drifting into shore and out to sea,

the natural rhythm it carries

teaches us to listen deep within,

if only we will.
Bringing into shore new beginnings and freshness
and certainly taking old habits,
ugly thoughts and sorrows
back out to the sea.

I hope to keep the lessons I carried home with me close,
never forgetting that my life is a gift,
and there is still so very much for me to learn,
to experience and to share.
I hope your summer gets you to an ocean shore,
somewhere, somehow.

Wishing you peace and love on this Wednesday,
as those of us on the East Coast
prepare for our first Tropical storm of the season;
yet another reminder of the
mightiness of the sea!