Transending by Kelly Corigan

I love this and believe it is so true. I first saw it on my friend Julie's blog and play it every once in a while when I need a good cry and to be reminded of how special girlfriends are. Please watch this and let me know by writing a comment. Have a beautiful day and thank God for friends!!!!
Namaste.

Will You Help Me Change the World?

"Will you help me change the world?" was the opening question from Don Miguel Ruiz the author of the "Four Agreements" as he and his son Mikey began their lecture at Geva Theater here in Rochester, NY yesterday. I am very grateful that I was present for such a beautiful and inspiring talk.

We each have our own story in which we are the main character and the rest of the people in our lives are secondary characters. When we own our own story and embrace who we authentically are and stop pretending to be what we are not, that action will help us live in peace. It is effortless to be who we truly are and it is a lot of energy to be who we are not. Just imagine if you will for a moment, all the energy we could invest into doing for others if we just let go of pretending to be what we are not. Think of all we could accomplish.

The word is very powerful. It can be the tool to create great beauty or the tool to create great despair. If we could embrace one agreement let it be this - be impeccable with your word. The word starts in our heads; it is how we talk to ourselves. If we start showing greater kindness here just think how that will translate when we start to speak to others. Being kind with our words towards ourselves first shows great respect. When we respect ourselves it shows and others will follow suit and respect us back.

The other agreements are: Do not take anything personally; Do not assume anything; Always do you best!

When we take things personally we are allowing a power shift to occure. Instead of believing ourselves we are letting someone's point view become our own. The example used yesterday by Mikey was this; You are walking down the street when a stranger points at you and shouts, 'You're stupid!' Well if you know that you are not stupid you can let it go. However you if take it personally all of the sudden you start to question yourself and you start asking 'Do I look stupid?' and the stranger's words now have power over you. But, going back to the first agreement if we speak kindly to ourselves, someone else’s words will have no power over us.

When we assume we are the story tellers at that moment. What we are assuming is not based on fact rather it is based on what we preseeve as the truth. We take action on assumption - be mindful of this because it could lead to great and unnecessary drama in our lives. When we do not assume, we judge less and get more out of life. Remember judgment is not excepting ourselves and others the way we are.

Doing our best puts all these agreements into action. Know yourself well, be kind with your words, understand your intent and have faith. This will help us know what our best is at a giving moment, and know that our best will change from moment to moment. Use focus and attention, they are the bridges from one mind to another.

And finally in the words of Einstein, "Imagination is better than knowledge because it has no limitations!"

You are a child playing adult - always remember the child in each of us!

My prayer is that I will help change the world for the better! I hope this information based on the "Four Agreements" by Don Miiguel Ruiz has started you to think differently. Please read this book - it is life changing!
Namaste!

A Serendipity Weekend!

Serendipity: The faculty of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for. This definition basically explains my weekend. What a wonderful, humbling and surprising weekend it was.

The Memorial Art Gallery’s annual Clothesline Arts Festival was this past weekend. I am blissfully exhausted from it and thrilled I was a participating artist in this wonderful event.



Quick timeline:
Friday my husband and I brought the displays etc… that I would be using for the weekend and dropped everything off at my tent/booth.

Saturday my friend Kim helped me decorate and open up the booth. My mother-in-law came to help me in the afternoon. Saturday rained and it was slow. I was a bit discouraged with the sales of that day but the company I kept was beautiful and the conversations warm and wonderful. The day brightened towards the end and little did I know things were in the works for a serendipitous day on Sunday. That was when I met Alison an artist who’s paintings are beautiful and familiar but I could place my finger on it. That evening when I got home I looked through my stack of business cards from artists I have collected over the years. Sure enough I found her card from 12 years ago! Well the next morning I showed her and how we laughed. One things lead to another and we traded our artwork and both walked away with a huge smiles on our faces knowing we were kindred spirits! How fun!

Sunday my son Nick came early (7am) to help me set up and open. The weather was perfect. When the coffee cart came around they even had our favorite muffins to boot! Nick and I set the tent up a little differently that morning and had a blast doing it. That was when the magic started. My dad popped in to say hi and wish me good luck and then people started coming in droves! It was awesome. I encountered many smiles and stories as ladies read my “Treasured Lockets” as they were picking out just the right piece for a dear friend. It made me feel so wonderful that my art was affecting so many in such a positive way. My friend Cindy came to help and the luck continued. My friends popped in and out all day and each one touched my heart with their words of encouragement and friendly smiles – I am blessed! The cherry on top was when Mike and Timmy came to pick up Nick and how they loved the booth and all the action inside. Timmy asked if next year he could help and I am thrilled!!!!!

As I write this posting, my coffee is hot, the weather is chilly and bright and I still have a huge smile on my face!
Namaste.

Creating and Remembering

I have been creating a new body of work to be unveiled at the Rochester Memorial Art Gallery’s Annual “Clothesline Arts Festival” next weekend September 12-13.

This year preserving, reusing and remembering what is important in life is the main theme of my collection for autumn. I have been expanding my “Treasured Locket” line to include glass hearts and cut up jelly jars. I have been combining antique and vintage papers to create one of a kind miniature collages that are then sandwiched between the new shapes of glass and soldering them. To finish the pieces I have added vintage ribbon from France dated 1920’s to 1940’s, military laundry pins from the 1940’s, sticks, gems, pearls, my handmade PMC charms and Indian nickels, depending on the design.

In most of my pieces you will find a heart, a house and a pearl. The heart and house will be found in every collage that is in my “Treasured Lockets” to symbolize love, family, friendship and home. The pearl that is added to most pieces stands for love, honesty and protection.

My hope is if you are in Rochester next weekend that you will stop by my booth #429 and say hi!

Meanwhile make it an amazing week and smile often!
Namaste.