why? why??? Why do you do that???
May 17, 2016 § Leave a comment
I still chuckle when I think of this conversation with my Mother. Mom asked me, “Why are you so honest?” The question came out of the blue on a Sunday afternoon phone call. I laughed but not unkindly and replied, “It’s the only way I want to be.”
Wait a minute, wasn’t I raised to be honest?
Isn’t honesty a core value?
Is it weird that my Mother is questioning my virtue or am I on Candid Camera? (for you Millennials, this was a TV show a hundred years ago.) « Read the rest of this entry »
Like Puppies and Toddlers…..
April 19, 2016 § Leave a comment
“Tell me, where does it hurt?” This is a common question, right? When someone isn’t feeling well, we want to know the source of the discomfort. We add up the symptoms to zero in on a diagnosis. Most times their suffering is the result of a virus or bacterial infection – nothing too serious, but do you realize that you can also suffer physically from emotional pain? We hold our emotions in our body, tucked away to be forgotten or dealt with at another time.
Like puppies and toddlers, our emotions can wreak havoc if left unattended for too long. « Read the rest of this entry »
Word of the Week (WoW): GENTLE
April 14, 2016 § 2 Comments
Gentle: neither harsh or severe; tender and lovingly
When your heart is hurting, hold it gently. Give yourself the care and compassion your body is yearning to receive.
When you feel frustrated, pause and allow a gentleness to settle over you.
Anytime you feel uncomfortable, …….pause…….breathe……and be gentle with your thoughts.
Wisdomcommons.org provided this beautiful statement on gentleness. They say, “Gentleness means recognizing that the world around us is fragile, especially other people. It is recognizing our own capacity to do harm and choosing instead to be tender, soft-spoken, soft-hearted, and careful. When we are gentle we touch the world in ways that protect and preserve it.
Being gentle doesn’t mean being weak; gentleness can be firm, even powerful. To behave in a gentle manner requires that we stay centered in our own values and strength — that we are active rather than reactive. Coming from this center, a gentle word or touch can channel our energy into healing or making peace.”
“When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time.” Saint Francis de Sales
From the heart,
Cara
©MyGirlfriendVoice2011-2016
Baggage Claim; Misery Loves Company
March 21, 2016 § 2 Comments
I am lucky, at least when it comes finding sources of inspiration. Or is it that inspiration easily finds me? I was inspired yesterday by pink tulips mirroring the morning sky in their heavy dew drops. I was inspired by a video featuring a childhood friend in her role as a Wetlands Biologist in Tennessee—another scientist from our small Midwestern town! Then there is my source of constant inspiration from a former colleague fighting cancer (again) yet she is the most positive person I have ever encountered. Inspiration surrounds me.
Inspiration wasn’t always at my fingertips. I was too busy fighting my demons, both real and imagined. I had work to do and that didn’t leave room for inspiration or much else for that matter. Blaming, angry, tired, unappreciated…… can you relate to how I was feeling? « Read the rest of this entry »
The Best Gift You Can Give Yourself
December 24, 2015 § Leave a comment
SELF-CARE! Taking time out is necessary for our health. Along with Pianist Daniel Roberts, I created a free Guided Meditation for my friends and family. It is approximately 15 minutes of total body relaxation and it is free for you! Please fill out the request below and I will send you the download link.
Enjoy your much deserved time out and feel free to share this recording with those you love!
Warmest regards from my heart to your heart,
Caramia
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Good Feelings!
December 22, 2015 § 2 Comments
Last July, I participated in a free Facebook challenge and it wasn’t the ice bucket challenge!! This was a challenge to “journal artistically” for 30 days. Based on an email prompt you received daily from Artist Lisa Sonora, you would fill the page with the ideas inspired by the prompt. (getting started with a blank page is often the hardest part so the prompt was really helpful!) You had complete freedom to do whatever the heck you wanted! I admit, doing anything on a daily basis is hard, especially something new AND in an area where you are weak but during July something magical happened. I got FREE-feeling. I felt the freedom creativity invites in to your brain. « Read the rest of this entry »
