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/

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:

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.

The sixth episode of Your Blooming is here! In this episode I speak with Judith Da Rocha, author of the book “I Love the World Because.” Listen as Judith shares the inspiring story behind the book. This is a light-hearted episode with a strong and positive message about the environment. Judith was so much fun to talk to and the book, well, the book looks amazing. I just purchased my own copy today and cannot wait for it to come in the mail!

Listen to the Episode

Show Notes:

Links:

http://www.poz-art.com/i-love-the-world-because/

Quote:
By: Frank Lloyd Wright

Music:
By: “Blooming”  Teresa Smith

Contest:
What Do You Love About the World?

I have a special treat  for you for today’s Feel Good Friday post. It is episode number 5 of Your Blooming! Episode 5 is the story of Tabitha, an amazing woman doing inspiring things and inspiring others to do the same. Sounds familiar right?

Stories like Tabitha’s is what Your Blooming is all about. Tabitha reached out to me via the Be a Guest page of this website and briefly shared her story with me in writing. I was totally blown away. I immediately responded to her inquiry and said “I absolutely would like to have you on the show!” We set up a day and time to talk and Episode 5 is what came of our conversation.

Tabitha newest project – Project Uplift starts tonight at 7:00pm CST. You can get the call-in information on Tabitha’s website: http://www.afiveoh4uplifting.org/ Thank you Tabitha for sharing your story!

Listen to Episode 5

Show Links:
Tabitha’s website: http://www.afiveoh4uplifting.org/
Music by:  Teresa Smith “Blooming”
Quote Recited by: Source Unknown

For those that may not know this, in addition to producing Your Blooming, I also am a business owner (I own and operate my own Virtual Assistant business) and produce another podcast called A Virtual Perception. I am making connections in so many different ways and meeting so many awesome, inspiring individuals. Today’s podcast I speak with a fellow Virtual Assistant, Lisa Forbes, whom I met through the Virtual Assistant Forums. I found out that she has a blog focused on International Adoption and talks about her journey to adopting her son.  In 2004 she and her husband adopted their son from Russia and is now going through the process again, this time they are on the journey to adopt their daughter from China.

Lisa speaks about her adoption experiences and shares some solid advice for families going through the adoption process or thinking about it.

Lisa is full of positivity, hope and perseverance. Whether or not you are in the process of adopting a child –Lisa’s spirit is infectious and is sure to leave an impression on you.

Show Links:
http://www.adoption.gov
http://www.intladoptionguide.com

The Forbes Family Adoption Story
http://www.perfectsolutions.us/adoption/?page_id=193′

Listen to the Episode

Today’s Feel Good Friday entry simply is a quote that I received in my email this morning.

You know, no one’s sad when company’s coming. I have memories of company coming to my parents’ home and all of us getting well-dressed and anticipating good food. That’s the atmosphere I try to create, to always feel festive about our daily life.” –Vimala Rajendran

I actually look forward to the weekends (especially in the summer) because I know family and friends will be coming over to our house for food, fun and family time! What a great way to think and feel about every single day of your life! Amazing.

I am full of energy, gratitude and optimism today.  While my brother is my real-life hero, my mother is my inspiration and provides the strength I need to forge ahead.

She has always been by my side. That is why it was surprising to hear that prior to my being born, she never thought in a million years, that should could care for a sick child. However, she did it and was great at it too. She is the definition of strength and inspiration in my book. That is why I had asked her to be a guest on my podcast, specifically  to talk about her experiences as a mother to a child who was in and out of the hospital for the first six years of their life (me).

As you will hear in our conversation, this woman, is amazing. There is one sentence my mother kept repeating during our conversation “You just do what you have to do. You don’t think about it, you just do.” Mom, I have to tell you, not everyone thinks that way and that is why you, you are an inspiration.

Listen to Episode 3

In 2001 I had the chance to honor my brother at a Living Donor Appreciation Dinner which was given by the hospital we had our transplant surgery. Not many people get a chance to do this sort of thing, so I was honored, excited AND nervous to get up in front of a room of people and talk. At the time, my speech giving skills weren’t anything to write home about, but the words I said are true and I spoke from my heart.

Here is another video I created a while ago, as part of a college project, honoring my brother:

Did you know that April is National Donate Life Month? You can be somebody’s hero too. Visit: http://www.donatelife.net/to learn more.