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/

Episode 8 of Your Blooming. Read the Blog Post to learn more about this Episode.

 

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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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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.

Episode 6 of Your Blooming. Read the Blog Post to learn more about this Episode.

 

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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