If you’ve got one that you love, please share it in the comments below!!

Blinded by the light by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band

Light my fire by the Doors

You light up my life by Debbie Boone

Light (noun) 1. something that makes things visible. 2. luminous energy. 3. radiance from a particular source.

(verb) 1. to ignite 2. to turn on or brighten 3. to illuminate.

(adjective) 1. bright; well-lighted 2. pale, or not deep in color.

Today is my birthday, my friendly blog reader!! I’ve been so busy this week with my new job, that I haven’t had a chance to write about the Inspirational word of the week until now. I’m so glad to be able to sit back and enjoy this time to write. It’s a gift I give to myself and I hope you enjoy it as well.

Last week I was absolutely blessed to be able to help out my lady-friend Mary Kalocsay. She needed some help cutting in and painting some walls on her job in a gorgeous home in Goodrich. I happen to be extremely proficient at painting, (I’ve painted every wall in my house, so I’ve had a lot of practice)  so I was more than willing to help her out. I spent 19 hours in 4 days painting light blue in 2 different rooms.  Benjamin Moore Ashley, Windchill and Steel Away. Light blue is the color of patience and understanding.  Although my body  was sore (boy, and how!) my mind and soul were just absolutely blissed out and zen from staring at these beautiful colors for so many hours at a time. My mind felt light and happy.

Just yesterday, on FaceBook I saw Lisa Firke post this quote from an interview with Bill Murray. “Do you ever feel pressure to keep things fun on set? ” to which he replied

“I feel that pressure in life. Actually I don’t feel like it’s a pressure, it’s sort of an obligation – not to entertain and be funny but to have a certain levity. I don’t mean in terms of just being jocular, I mean that there’s got to be a lightness in your way. There has to be a lightness; you have to be as light as you can be and not get weighed down and stuck in your emotion, stuck in your body, stuck in your head. You just want to always be trying to elevate somehow.”

That really spoke to me.

To be as light as you can be and not get weight down and stuck in your emotion, your body, your head.

To elevate.

I really needed that reminder this week. My new job is challenging, in a good way because I really like working with new people, but challenging, none the less. This quote reminded me to not take myself so seriously. To lighten up and enjoy the chance to try something new.

“It’s good to be doin’ what I’m supposed to be doin’ with the people I’m doin’ it with.”

I saw this prayer on FaceBook this morning and I just knew it was a message from the Divine……

“Dear angels, Thank you for helping me lighten up and see the many gifts that are before me. Please help me release any worries, and fill my heart with faith that everything is going exactly according to a wonderful Divine plan. I don’t have to know all the behind-the-scenes details of this agenda. I simply need to keep my heart open and joyful, and be willing to receive all the good that you bring to me each day.” Doreen Virtue

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, my friendly blog reader.

I wish you a most wonderful weekend, filled with light, joy and happiness!

Have a marvelous weekend and I’ll be back on Monday with the Inspirational song of the week.

p.s. Steven Tyler sings……  It’s Amazing! In the blink of an eye you finally see the light.

Remember, the light at the end of the tunnel maybe You!”

“Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas, “I need to get myself away from this place“.

I said “Yep, what a concept. I could use a little fuel myself and we could all use a little change.”

This song started playing in my head yesterday morning, when I got up at 5am to let my dog out. (Freakin’ Sunday morning, and the dog just doesn’t understand sleeping in!  Aaaarrgh!)  It’s been on pretty much constant loop since then.

I’ve loved Smash Mouth for years. In fact they helped me get thru my divorce back in 1993 (banging my head to Let’s Rock!!!). I’ve just never really thought of them as ‘inspirational’ but I guess inspiration shows up wherever you’re looking for it!

Today was the first day of my new job. There was a lot to do and I still have a tremendous amount to learn. It’s going to be a busy week, as I try to fit my new career into my already busy life.

But as the song says “Only shooting stars break the mold.”

I hope you’re having a wonderful week, my friendly blog reader.

I’ll be back later this week with the Inspirational word of the week…..Bonus.

xoxo Pam

Open (adjective) 1. accessible 2. free of obstructions 3. clear

“Keep an open mind. The influence of grace is often found in unexpected places.” Cheryl Richardson

I’ve had a most interesting day, my friendly blog reader, although it started out normal enough. I got Garrett off to school and then walked with Mary and Tootsie around the lake. It was while I has having coffee with my lady-friends (support Ho’s) at MJ’s house that I noticed things were definitely changing. For one thing, MJ is remodelling her kitchen so we all sat in her living room to drink coffee and chat. She told us she’s not only working on her house, but having Lasik done on her eyes this coming week! Fantastic news!! Then Brenda started talking about her meeting with the real estate agent to buy a building in downtown Ortonville so she can open up a coffee/computer cafe! Huzzah!!! Debbie filled us in on the Village’s plan to bring sewers into downtown! Wow!!! All very strange and wonderful stuff! Then I told them about my appointment to meet with my friend Lisa about an opportunity for a job. Yes, a real job! With the Welcome Wagon! How perfect for me, they all agreed!

So after coffee I went in to listen to Lisa tell me all about the position. She was just finishing up a phone call as I walked in the door, so the timing seemed perfect. As she talked, I could feel how passionate Lisa is about this job, helping new people feel welcome and giving businesses an opportunity to grow. As I listened to her, I paid close attention to my stomach and my shoulders. Usually when something isn’t quite right, my body will give me physical clues to help me decide. I felt calm and comfortable the whole time. Even when the paperwork seemed a little bit confusing, I thought to myself  ”I’ve done complicated things before. I can learn this“. This job seems like a really good fit. So when Lisa asked me “So what do you think?” I didn’t even hesitate. I told her “Sounds great! I’m in!“

So we shook hands on it, to make it official. Lisa beamed at me because she’s so excited to get me on board. And although I was feeling nervous about how I’m going to factor this new position into my life, I’m thrilled to be working again after all these years.

Of course there’s all sorts of things I could worry about, timing with Garrett’s school and karate, finding time to write and get my book published, getting dinner on the table, wearing work clothes and make-up all the time again. But I’m not going to let it stress me. This is a good opportunity and it really feels right. Of course it’s going to be a challenge, but that’s where growth happens. I’m open to that!

So, my friendly blog reader?

Are you noticing changes or opportunities?

Are you keeping yourself open to grace?

I’ve love to read your thoughts in the comments!

Have a wonderful week and I’ll be back on Monday with the Inspirational song of the week.

xoxo Pam

Over the past week, I’ve been waking up in the morning with this song stuck in my head.

Well, not the whole song, just this part…

“You know you can’t please everyone, so you’ve got to please yourself.”

It’s a wonderful reminder as well as a very catchy tune.

As I was looking up the video on YouTube, I came across this one that tells the story behind the song. Take a moment and watch the video.

Cool, huh?!

I’m always interested in hearing how other people handle their trials and tribulations. I’m especially inspired to see them turn their pain into art. To take their personal tragedy and create a masterpiece!

There’s a miracle in that!

I hope you enjoy this song, my friendly blog reader.

Do you have one that reminds you of the choice to make the best of a bad situation?

I’d love to see it in the comments below!

Have a great week and I’ll be back later with the Inspirational word of the week.

xoxo Pam

Choose: (verb) 1. to select 2. to decide or prefer 3. to want; desire 4. to be inclined.

I’m often amazed at how the Inspirational word of the week seems to choose me. This week is no exception.

This weeks word started with a lady-friend pulling the Oracle card of Choice while a group of us all sat around the kitchen table of another friends house. She looked at it and remarked that it didn’t seem to make any sense to her. I didn’t want to seem over-bearing so I didn’t say anything at the time. Everyone had chosen their own card with their own message from Grace. (Mine said “Shine, Step into the light. You’re a gift to the world). As I put the cards away I glanced at what my lady-friend’s card said. “For every action there is a reaction. Choose wisely.” Well, that sure made sense to me!

Without going into detail, later that evening as I was sitting around the table, another couple of ladies inadvertently insulted me.  I had to quickly choose how I would react to it. At the time, I simply pretended it didn’t bother me (of course) and let the conversation move on to something less painful. However, later on, as I talked to my husband about what happened, I decided to use the really intense energy I felt from being hurt and ‘boomerang’ it into finishing my You’re the Boat project. It took me two full days and a dozen pin pricks, not to mention a really gnarly splinter, but I did it!!  Take a look...

I’m very pleased with how well it turned out and I’m especially proud of myself for finally getting it off of my dining room table!! Now I can set about getting pictures made for my book and workbook, as well as finishing up the writing of the book. It will be done before my birthday the beginning of next month. Pinky swear!

Most especially, I’m glad I chose to react to being hurt with an act of creativity, not destruction or anger. Neither of those reactions would have made me feel nearly as AWESOME as finishing my project did!

The next sign for the Inspirational word of the week came yesterday in a blog post from Dr. Lissa Rankin of Owning Pink. She wrote

“I want to help you - I really do - but I need to do it by filling myself up first. When I do, the abundant life force I wilI generate will spill over so others will benefit from it. When there’s a surplus of life force, everybody wins. If I let myself wind up depleted, everybody loses.”

Her powerful declaration to fill herself up first, felt to me like Moses’s tablets when he came down from the mountain. Absolute truth. I wish every single person on earth would make the effort to choose their own health and happiness over trying to please other people. Actually, when you think about it, taking care of yourself and filling yourself up first can save the world!  It’s that creation of healthy life force spilling over that heals everyone. So taking care of yourself really well doesn’t have to make you feel guilty! Look at it as your contribution to saving the world!  Huzzah!!

Last night, just before shutting off the computer for the day, I saw a lady-friend post a link to Eckhart Tolle’s ‘Uncourse‘. I’ve been fascinated with Eckhart Tolle, but never actually read any of his books, so I decided to look into the course. It’s free, so I figured I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. It was really easy to sign up for and within minutes I was looking at the first section of the course titled “Choices, Choices”.  I’ve already been through the first question and instead of writing more about it, I’m just going to let you, my friendly blog reader, choose whether you want to look into it for yourself, or not. However, I will offer you just this little nugget of wisdom from Mr. Tolle…..“All choices eventually bring you into wakefulness”. So whether you choose to look into it or not, you still have made a choice bringing you closer to wakefulness. Your welcome!

This morning, as I sat down to do my meditation with Susan Piver, her e-mail was titled “Choosing a path”. Now, the signs from the Universe are becoming just outrageous so instead of heading straight into the meditation, I chose to watch her video where she described why she chose the spiritual path of Tibetan Buddhism. She describes how she had the revelation of knowing that Buddhism was for her when her teacher said “The only possible spiritual path for a person is your own experience.”

“Well, of course!” she said. “That’s what I already believe!”

And I completely agree. Nobody else can save our souls. Our souls don’t need saving. They just need to grow.

Finally, as I was checking FaceBook this morning, I saw this quote from Marianne Williamson that summed it all up.

“Everyone you meet is either your crucifier or your savior, depending on what you choose them to be.”

Every single day we choose to grow or not. It’s just as simple as that.

The lessons we need to learn in order to grow are woven into the experiences we allow ourselves to have. When we trust Grace to guide us in the right direction, we learn to see how everything we’ve experienced has lead us to be exactly where we’re supposed to be. Right here. Right now.

So what do you think, my friendly blog reader?

What are you choosing? How have your choices enabled you to learn and grow?

I’d love to read what you think in the comments below.

Have a wonderful week, and I’ll be back next Monday with the Inspirational song of the week.

xoxo Pam

My darling husband and I actually went out this past Saturday!!  Yeah for Date night!!

We went to the Irish Tavern in Waterford, MI to watch our friend’s band play. It was great to see his face light up when he saw us watching from the back of the bar!

The band played some really good, rocking music, including this wonderful number. It was fantastic to feel the pulse of the music along with the groove of all the people.

This song especially just ROCKED!!  As I looked it up this morning, I noticed it was written by  ’Motown Hero’ Stevie Wonder!  Detroit’s pride and joy! And today kicks off of the North American International Auto Show. It’s nice to see the Spirit of Detroit still moving people.

“Gonna keep on tryin’ til I reach the highest ground”

I hope the driving beat of this song helps to kick your week off into high gear!!  (get it? Motown, Detroit, Motor City, Auto Show)

Have a wonderful day and I’ll be back later this week with the Inspirational word of the week.

xoxo Pam

Benefit: (noun) 1. an advantage 2. a payment or gift, as one made to help someone. 3. an act of kindness; a good deed.

As I was writing last weeks post, I must admit, my friendly blog reader, that I was little bit nervous about putting my heart out on the table like I did.

However, once I finished, I realized that it was exactly what I needed to say. I was very pleased and in fact, the post got quite a few positive responses!  WooHoo!

That’s just one of many benefits of living an inspired life.

When doing something is scary, as long as it comes from your heart, you can be assured it will turn out well. You just have to be persistent and have faith in yourself.

So that’s what this post is about today……the benefits of living an inspired life. I’m not exactly sure how this post is going to turn out, but I can assure you that I’ll do my very best to let the energy of the Divine speak through me. That’s the best I have to offer.

Being inspired means you learn to trust the energy (the Universe, the Divine, the Source, the Force, God or Allah) that supports you to help yourself and others. It starts by asking for help and then most importantly accepting it when it comes. It may not be exactly what you expected, but help always come through. You finally begin to understand that you’re not alone. You’re loved and supported just for being who you are. You’re purpose on this planet, is to be happy, and by being happy and dedicated to expressing that happiness, you create the life you’ve always wanted. Everyone who see’s you and watches you live a happy, fulfilling life will be inspired by you.

You discover the power you need to follow your dreams and fulfill your purpose doesn’t come from you but through you.

Living an inspired life gives you a sense of relief that your needs will be met. Funny thing is, you start to realize that you need a lot less than you thought you did. You find more satisfaction in doing small, but significant things, like reaching out to help other people, making art (whatever your art is) and smiling and laughing with your family and friends. You can see how your energy benefits other people and then comes back to you. None of these things take money, but they all fill you up, way, way up. You no longer have to waste time trying to find someone else to give you what you need to be happy.

You become your own happiness.

The Divine creates opportunities for us to grow and stretch, to transform ourselves. That transformative process can be very uncomfortable. Think of a snake shedding it’s skin. It rubs against rocks and tree trunks to relieve the itching. There’s no sin in that. It’s just part of the process. Being inspired allows you the compassion and patience you need to not take that pain and discomfort personally. It’s just ‘growing pains’. Instead of focusing on the pain, you focus on the sweetness of life, the laughter of children, the warmth of a sunbeam and allow it to soothe your soul. You find ways to comfort yourself, like yoga, meditation, exercise, dancing, singing and laughter because you want to offer the best of yourself. You realize you get what you give.

Living an inspired life gives you the tools you need to get past the discomfort, to look past the doubts and resistance to see the bigger picture.

“Life is lived on the edge where every day we learn how to think bigger because we fly higher where we can see possibilities that persistence will yield.”

Tammy Vitale

The more you give yourself over to living an inspired life, the faster you’ll see the benefits. And your Crew will see the benefits too. They’ll see the sparkle in your eye and the bounce in your step. They’ll feel the benefit of your energy whenever you walk into a room and look forward to being around you. By allowing the energy of the Divine to flow through you, you’ll become more clear and effective. You’ll experience more laughter and less angst. You’ll grow into the person you always hoped you’d become. And that’s the best benefit of all!

What do you think, my friendly blog reader?

Do you live an inspired life? Would you like to?

I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments below.

If you’re interested in life-coaching with me, or hosting a Current Inspiration party, feel free to e-mail me at pambelding at gmail dot com.

xoxo Pam

p.s. Do yourself a favor and go check out Tammy Vitale’s website . She’s a full-time artist and a phenomenal example of someone living an inspired life!!

I’ve been trying to think of a song for you, my friendly blog reader.

However, the only thing I can think of…… is….. silence.

I’ve been enjoying the quiet in the house since the end of Christmas vacation.

It’s given me a chance to contemplate where I am and what I’m planning on creating in the upcoming months.

And most importantly, it’s allowed me some time to rest my mind and clear a path for the Divine.

When there’s too much noise and distractions, I start to feel like I’m running behind, worried that I won’t be able to finish everything that needs to be done. Then I do get distracted and end up forgetting something and that sets me back even more. It’s a vicious cycle!!

Silence gives me a chance to sort out what’s really important while letting go of what’s not.

It seems quiet is becoming much more difficult to find these days, with televisions springing up everywhere you turn.

But, that’s all the more reason I really and truly appreciate the sound of silence.

I hope you find what you’re looking for this week, my friendly blog reader.

I’ll be back later this week with the Inspirational word of the week…….Benefit.

xoxo Pam

Appreciate: (verb) 1. to be thankful for 2. to value or regard highly 3. to be fully conscious or aware of 4. to increase in value

I got this message from God on FaceBook yesterday…

“Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.”

As I was writing up the curriculum for my Feed your Soul class, one of the first things that came to me was the need to Appreciate your gifts.

I’m not talking about that sweater you got from your mother-in-law. (although it would be nice to say thank you). What I’m talking about is that special something that makes you stand out from everyone else. That thing that makes you tick, brings a spring to your step and a twinkle in your eye.  That gift from God that allows you to go out and be AWESOME!!

“If you are what you should be, you will set the world on fire.” St. Catherine of Siena

(Thanks to Desiree Adaway for sharing this quote on FaceBook!)

But it’s hard.

Because we don’t really want to stick out. We don’t want to have people point at us and say “Wow, you really think a lot of yourself, don’t you?!” We don’t want people to think we’re pushy, arrogant or narcissistic, so we hide our gifts. We dull down our shine in order to fit in. We down-play our awesome so we don’t make our friends and family uncomfortable.

Of course, when I say ‘we‘, I’m talking about me.

I know what my gifts are. I have a talent for observing people and situations and then explaining ideas in simple terms. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard someone tell me “Wow, that’s a really good analogy.” or “Yeah, that makes sense.” I could buy my husband a really nice dinner with a great bottle of wine! Plus tip!

I’m intuitive, kind, funny and compassionate with a strong desire to be a part of the solution to the problems on this planet.

When I get a chance to really stretch out and be completely myself ……. ‘OH Yeah! I feel like I could move mountains!!!

But (and there’s always a but) if I let  my little light shine too brightly, my friends and loved ones can be embarrassed and uncomfortable. If I’m in the wrong place around the wrong people (read ‘business dinner’) then I feel like I need to shrink back, to ‘dumb down’ so I don’t hurt anyones feelings.

I think, to really appreciate my gifts, I need to harness them. To give them a regular, steady outlet so that they don’t ‘leak out’ at inappropriate times. (Just like walking my dog. As long as she’s walked, she behaves wonderfully, but if she doesn’t get out, then she acts up.) I don’t want to force myself on anyone, because not everyone needs or wants to hear what I have to say. But some folks do. They really, really do.

That’s why I’ve decided to start offering life-coaching and my catalogue of classes. I’ve decided to become more open about the fact that I want to inspire people. There, I said it.

I want to inspire people.

I’ve been waking up in the mornings, literally bolting out of bed with the undeniable urge to coach, teach, reach out and help people.  I truly appreciate that energy. It’s my gift from God. In order to show my appreciation, I’d like to share that gift, my gift, with you. If you are one of the people who likes and needs some inspiration, then PLEASE get a hold of me. E-mail me at pambelding at gmail dot com. I can help you.

Or if it’s not you, then maybe someone you know could use a good, healthy dose of encouragement. Do us both a favor and send them my way.

I would sure appreciate it!!

So what do you think, my friendly blog reader?

Do you know of someone who could use some inspiration?

I’d love to hear what you think, either in the comments or by e-mail.

xoxo Pam