After a short hiatus, I am back with a new episode of Your Blooming. Through a shared love for a young boy battling cancer, CJ and a song dedicated to him, the non-profit organization Children Battling Cancer was formed.  Listen to Episode 9 by clicking on the icon labeled Audio MP3 at the end of this post.

Children Battling Cancer’s mission is to help raise awareness about childhood cancer and support the families affected by this grief stricken diagnosis. Awareness and support is done through special fundraisers and events, like  a Chemo Bag Awareness Fundraiser and a First Annual Charity Benefit Concert scheduled for April 2010.

Visit http://www.childrenbattlingcancer.com to learn more.

**The Gold Ribbon is for Childhood Cancer awareness.

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Nothing is more inspiring than love…

I have been away from the Your Blooming blog and podcast for two months.  You see, for reasons I do not wish to share, I began to question whether or not what I was doing here at Your Blooming really meant anything. Was it all worth it, I wondered? Was I truly bringing smiles, joy, inspiration and motivation to my readers? I didn’t know. After some soul searching, I realized, I was in need of some inspiration of my own!

And, guess what? I have found it, today on poz-art.com. I learned of some awesome news. You see, Poz-art, the people behind the book “I Love the World Because…” recently designed coloring pages to send off to “AFiveoh4Uplifting”, a charity that sends packages to children in the hospital and shelters, simply meant to brighten their days.

Judith and Julia Da Rocha (poz-art.com) and the woman behind AFiveoh4Uplifting, Tabitha are amazing individuals. I am not just saying this as an outsider observation. Both Judith and Tabitha have been guests on Your Blooming.  The fact that Judith and Tabitha formed a kinship in order to brighten the days of those in need, well, that gives me hope, that yes, Your Blooming is important, it has a purpose. If by some chance Your Blooming brought these two people together, well, that in and of itself is inspiring.

Thank you ladies for reminding me there are honest to goodness people out there doing good for others and not expecting anything in return. Inspiration to grow on, indeed.

Check out Poz-art.com for some amazing art, books and more: http://www.poz-art.com

Check out AFiveoh4Uplifting to learn more about Tabitha’s amazing charity: http://www.afiveoh4uplifting.org/

Another episode of Your Blooming is here~ In Episode 8, I speak with Meaghan, co-founder of Spirit Jump, a charity whose mission is to lift the spirits of those battling cancer.

Meaghan talks about the story behind the charity (why it was started), tells how one can get involved and also shares a few touching stories that have occurred as a result of this inspiring project. Meaghan, herself is a Stage 3B Cervical Cancer Survivor and also shares her story. I was so moved by my conversation with Meaghan; I hope it does the same for you.

Visit Spirit Jump for more information.

I Kicked Cancer’s @ss
A blog Meaghan started to help others battling cancer find a support, resources and information.

 

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We all have dreams. Maybe you have always wanted to sky dive, ride a horse, swim in the Great Barrier Reef or maybe, just maybe, you always wanted to have your own business.  Some follow their dream, others just let it sit idle and a dream is where it stays. So, what if your dream is to have your own business?  What sets the dreamers apart from the doers? The ability to conquer the fear head on and wade through the self-doubt that rears its ugly head when you first start your business. Thoughts like: Am I smart enough? Will I succeed? Oh, geez, this isn’t as easy as I thought, can I make it through? Those with the true Entrepreneurial spirit, well, forge ahead. Their spirit cannot be broken. Much like  Tammi Metzler, owner of The Write Associate. In this episode, Tammi talks about what inspired her to start her business and talks about the obstacles, fear and doubt she had to overcome to get to where she is today. Tammi is a true entrepreneur, living her dream. Learn more about Tammi and her business by visiting: http://www.writeassociate.com

Listen to the episode here.

 

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After writing this post about Snowflakes, I got to thinking about more complex and thought-provoking things. Like, the fact that no two individuals are exactly alike. We each have our own strengths and our own weaknesses. Acknowledge these differences. It is okay to reflect on what makes you different, whether it be good or bad. While it is fine to reflect and change things about yourself, remember, it is also not a good thing to ever judge a person based on their differences. You have no idea what is going on in another’s person’s life, the battles he or she may be facing (or not).  You may be smiling and happy and the person next to you may have their face all scrunched up in a frown. Instead of thinking…”What a grump!” take a step back and realize he or she may just be having a bad day, maybe they just lost their job or worse yet, a close relative or friend.

It seems that sometimes we bring others down to our level, thinking they are exactly like we are..with the same thoughts and feelings. When in actuality, no two individuals are exactly alike. Respect others and they too, will do the same.

I wanted to share with you some images I found to be inspiring, they are of snowflakes. Yes, I said snowflakes.  In fact, let me share with you a quick story.

I spent my 32nd birthday doing one of the things I enjoy the most… Shopping!  After buying a new pair of jeans and smelling different lotions and body sprays at Bath and Body Works, I headed over to my most favorite store in the whole wide world, Barnes and Noble. Ever since I was a child, I loved books. They fascinate and inspire me. They bring a calmness over me, unlike anything else. I heart books. I really really do. Now, when I enter a bookstore, I just walk up and down the aisles, pretty much aimlessly, until something catches my eye. This day was like any other. As I was walking down one of the aisles a purple book with a snowflake on the front of it caught my eye. So, I stopped dead in my tracks and started flipping through the pages.

I was instantly amazed. The book titled “Snowflakes” by Kenneth Libbrecht was full of breathtaking images of snowflakes. The colors and complexities of these white pieces of ice were astounding! It turns out the author of the book is a physicist who captured the crystals seconds after they fell to the ground using microscopic photography.  Another thing that inspired me about the book so much, were the quotes interspersed throughout the book.  I am a sucker for a good quote — take this one for example on page 162 of the book:

“New beauty meets us at every step in all our wanderings.” – John Muir

To make a long story short, I bought the book. How could I not? When I came home, I told my husband about it with excitement in my voice and showed it to him. It did not speak to him like it spoke to me. However, that is okay. What inspires one, may not inspire others.  To this day, the book still inspires me. In fact, as I type this post, I am flipping through the pages and am again, astounded by the beauty of it all. Nature is amazing.

Live Science.com has an image gallery of Libbrecht’s snowflakes. Here is just a taste of what inspired me so:

http://www.livescience.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/igviewer.php?gid=35

Also check out Kenneth Libbrecht’s website: http://www.snowcrystals.com

You may have seen this on the internet, links tweeted on Twitter…but it is definitely worth watching more than once. Believe it or not, this video choked me up! Here is a Feel Good Friday video just for you:

I am always on the lookout for inspiring stories to highlight either in a Your Blooming podcast or on my blog. I recently came across a website movement called: Spirit Jump.  Spirit Jump started in November 2008 by two women that battled cancer themselves. The first is Meaghan, who was diagnosed with end stage cancer in 2007 and after many treatments, is now cancer free.  Stacy, the other woman behind the program,  is currently fighting the battle against Stage IV Melanoma.

Spirit Jump directly connects a gift giver (or Spirit Jumper) with a person battling cancer, with the hopes of lifting the spirit of the gift receiver. The gift can be a hand-made craft, or simply a card. The choice is totally up to the giver. The entire point is to simply bring a smile to somebody’s day, that surely needs it.  Now, I ask you, how inspiring is that?

Learn more about Spirit Jump by visiting Spirit Jump’s website.

It is Feel Good Friday and I have released another episode of Your Blooming (listen to it here). Fridays are grand, aren’t they? Well, every day is a good day, especially when it is one filled with sun, birds singing and flowers blooming. Spring time is here in NJ and I am also surrounded by the smell of freshly cut lawns, mulch (not the stinky kind) and the aromas of beautiful blossoming flowers. These are the things I love about the world.

So, what do you love about the world? Answer the question below and one lucky person will receive a brand new copy of the book “I Love the World Because.