Life is a precious gift by @NNP_W_Light

Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more. -- Tony Robbins

Did you know that your life is a precious gift?  It is more sought-after than any piece of jewellery or electronics.

Read the quote above and ask yourself, "Am I living my life like that?"

I try my best to live in the moment and to bask in the glow.  But sometimes stress and worry creep in and I turn away from the glow into the darkness.  I become a stressed-out porcupine.

A small voice inside me nudges me and I take a few deep breaths.  I turn my face and I am back in the glow of life's magical rays.  I remember life is a gift and I need to refocus my perspective.

Life is a gift and every moment is a gift too.  Cherish every moment and be aware of what is going on around you.  Look at what life has to offer, and you will see beauty all around you.

Don't worry about the past for it has already happened.

Don't worry about the future for it hasn't happened yet.

Live for the present as it is a gift.  Moments come along once so capture them and enjoy!

MRS N

Fed up with life? Go wandering...

Whenever I get fed up with life I love to go wandering in nature. -- Andrea Arnold

Did you know that human beings have been wandering this Earth since time began?  It started with the cave people and we have been doing it ever since.

Did you know that wandering can also be a spiritual exercise?  

Tribes from all over the world have done this.  They wander into a special grove, forest, plains, desert and meditate.  Some go without food or drink.

When was the last time you wandered?  Was it physical, emotional or spiritual?

The last time I wandered was last year.  It was an amazing experience and a separate inspirational thought on its own.  It reconnected myself with my soul and with the world around me.  I had never felt more alive in my life.

If you like to travel, I would recommend visiting somewhere you have never been before.

You can also wander without leaving your home.  You can thank the internet for that.

Whatever way you wander, be sure to do it. It will reconnect you to the universe and you will feel the Light coursing through your veins once again!

MRS N

The magic of snow by @NNP_W_Light

Photo courtesy of Country Living Magazine

As I looked out my bedroom window this morning, snowflakes fell in quick succession. Ahh, the first snowfall... a magical event indeed. Watching the snow fall then cling to blades of grass, leaves in trees and roads makes me smile. Everything looks pretty and takes on a new identity. 

I love the first snowfall because it signals winter is on the way and with it comes my favorite holiday, Christmas. The first snowfall ushers in a sprinkling of magic and it's up to us to see it. What was once dirty and smelly instantly is cleansed and beautiful. Renewal is the word I think of when I see snow falling.

No matter where you live, embrace change and renewal. See the wonder and magic all around you. It's a brand new day and it's up to you to see your world for the enchanted place it is.

MRS N

Life is too short to wake up with regrets...

Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don’t. And believe that everything happens for a reason… if you get a chance, take it; if it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it would be easy… they just promised it would be worth it.

Life too short to wake up with regrets.

That is my mantra for this week.

Last week was a hard week for me. Over the weekend, I did a little retrospection and caught myself mulling over regrets. Here are some of my thoughts:

I wish I did better in school.

I wish I stood up to the bullies.

I wish...

I wish...

I wish...

The thoughts went around and around. It wasn't until MR N took my hand and said softly,

"I love you."

Silence.

I smiled at him.

I'm tired of living with regret. So today, I'm releasing all my regrets like little sparrows.

"Fly away," I say.

Are you living with regret?

Gather all your regrets and release them like little birds. They no longer have any hold over you.

MRS N

Are you surrounded by negativity?

Beautiful things happen when you distance yourself from all the negative things.

Are you surrounded by negativity?  Are your so-called friends bringing you down or reminding you of all the mistakes you've made?

Each of us deals with negative things and negative people all day long.  It's everywhere.  It's the car honking behind you as you're driving down the street.  It's the cranky bank teller who needs to take a break.  It's your boss who had a fight with his/her significant other before coming into work.

The key to uplifting yourself is to distance yourself from the negativity.  It can be as simple as showing kindness.  It can also be physically distancing yourself from the negativity.  It's hard to do but sometimes it needs to be done.  Friends come and go in your life.  It's your choice if you want to be free from the negativity.

Take a look around.  Are the people you're associated with blanketing you with negativity?  Maybe it's time to let them go.

Beautiful things happen when you distance yourself from all the negative things!

MRS N

Learning how to love is the goal...

Learning how to love is the goal and purpose of spiritual life – not learning how to develop psychic powers, not learning how to bow, chant, do yoga, or even meditate, but learning to love. Love is the truth. Love is the Light. – Lama Surya Bas

No matter what your spiritual belief, spiritual love with a higher being is another example of unconditional love. (If you are an atheist or an agnostic, this inspirational thought may not be for you and I'll see you tomorrow) But for those who have a spiritual love, listen up!

The purpose of being spiritual has nothing to do with learning how to pray, chant, do yoga, meditate, etc. but with learning how to love. All religions/spiritual beliefs teach their followers how to love.  Love your neighbors as yourself. Love is patient and kind. Love God.

Love is Truth and Light.

I love God. My first experience in unconditional love was when I learned how much God loves me. He doesn’t care what I have done in the past or what I look like. He loves me for me! He's been with me through all the bad times and rejoiced with me in all the good times. He has never let me down and I love Him.

I love my neighbors as I love myself (more so on some occasions). Through spiritual love, I learned how to love my fellow human beings. I don't judge anyone and I try to see the good in each person. Nowhere in the Bible does it say to hate those who are different than I am. It says to love.

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” – Matthew 7:12

I follow the Golden Rule and continue to spread the Light! Who's with me? 

MRS N

To be inspired is great but to inspire is...

To be inspired is great; to inspire is incredible.

No matter where you live or what you believe in, inspiration is all around you. It may be something you read or someone you talk to. Inspiration is just waiting for you to discover it. For me, I hunt for inspiration like mushroom foragers hunt for truffles. I focus all my energy and sniff it out. Here is a top ten list of things/people that inspire me.

1- My husband, MR N, inspires me each and every day. Together, we came up with the idea for each of our books as well as our business. He inspires me to work hard every day. He empowers me to be the best I can be. He continues to inspire me each day. “Spread the Light, darling,” he whispers to me as he kisses me good-bye before he leaves for work. 

2- The Walking Man inspires me every day. Who is that? In my debut novel, Mary meets a man known in the town of Golden Lake as the Walking Man. He is a homeless man who walks. He is based on a real homeless man I discovered in my neighborhood. I don’t know much about him except that he shuns contact and walks everywhere. Even though he doesn’t talk to me, I show him kindness. He inspires me to spread the Light so I can help others just like him.

3- Twitter inspires me. I have over 10,800 followers and throughout the day, I get tons of inspiring photos, tweets or quotes. It lightens my heart, feeds my imagination and sets my mind on fire.

4- Nature inspires me. I go for a morning walk and I surround myself with nature and wildlife. It inspires me to grow beyond my fingertips and to persevere no matter the weather.

5- Past/Present authors inspire me. No matter what I am dealing with, it is helpful that scores of successful authors have dealt with it too. Publishing is a small community and my fellow authors inspire me each and every day to be bold with my writing.

6- My father inspires me. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him and wish he was here with me. He passed away in 1998 and he inspires me to believe in myself. “You can do anything, angel.” I still hear his voice echo in my head.

7- My faith inspires me. I follow the Golden Rule and I do unto others as I would want them to do unto me. I don’t expect anything in return for being kind but it inspires me to be kind despite others.

8- The Naysayers inspire me. There have been people in my life that have told me that I couldn’t do something. To them, I say thank you. If not for them, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. The constant negative wave surges me forward to achieving my dreams.

9- Music inspires me. My personal favorites include Pink Floyd, AC/DC, Kacey Musgraves, Gov't Mule, Alanis Morissette, Steven Curtis Chapman, Jars of Clay, Vivaldi and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

10- Art inspires me. No matter the form it takes, I have always found inspiration in art. Instead of ink and paper, they tell a story with paint and canvas. So beautiful!

No matter what form inspiration takes, allow it to inspire you to be the best person you can be!

What inspires you?

MRS N

What will you learn today? @NNP_W_Light

If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.

Do you wake up each morning and wonder what you will learn today?

The world is full of wonder and there is always something new to learn.

I used to be afraid of learning. Instead I just sat in my own corner with my arms crossed.

When I graduated from high school, I chucked that old mentality.  I didn't want to be in a rut and stagnant.  I wanted to spread my wings and experience as much as I could.

Five years ago I was in the midst of learning all the ins and outs of self-publishing. At first, I was scared.  I mean, I only had five days to figure everything out. But with today's technology (and my friend Google), learning was easy and I picked it up in no time.

Learn something new today!  It's good for your mental and emotional self. You'll feel great and you can share what you have learned with others.

If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.

MRS N

What's your playlist of the decade?

Music can change the world. ~ Beethoven 

I read an interesting article this morning. In it, it listed the top 200 songs of the decade (2010-2019). The author opined these songs shaped our lives of the past ten years. While I didn't agree with most of the songs, it did get me thinking.

What song or songs defined my life over the past ten years?

I thought long and hard. It's hard to sum up your life in one song. But then it came to me.

Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves

My favorite lyric is:

It's different now
'Cause I love the light that I've found
In you

© Kacey Musgraves, all rights reserved

I asked Mr. N what his song is and he answered right away.

Resolution Come, Revolution Go by Gov't Mule

My favorite lyric is:

Smile in the face of your enemies
They can't kill your dreams

© Gov't Mule, all rights reserved

What's your playlist of the decade? What songs define your life the past ten years?

It's to look back on life and see how far we've come.

Mrs. N