“You are playing a sacred role that was created just for you.”

~ Mary Davis

First, let’s talk Moon energy:

Welcome to “spooky” October, where we have a Supermoon arriving on the 6th in the sign of fiery Aries.

This moon energy is the spark to ignite you to take action in your life, to be courageous, and reawaken parts of yourself that have been dormant. Deep soul work, living your purpose, and delving into who you truly are are the things that truly matter.

It may also bring up something hidden that needs to be resolved, or something that has been bothering you.

Please keep an open mind, as your intuition will be heightened, and solutions may come to you easily when you least expect them.

**Remember, moon energy can be felt before and after the full moon, which means you may experience some of these things days after.**

Wonders in Nature: 

The hummingbirds that visited our porch all summer long have been such a source of joy and entertainment! One of the most amazing gifts we received from the hummingbirds was watching this tiny bird take a bath in the rain-soaked grass one morning, just a few steps away from our porch. Nature is so wonderful.

Our large herd of deer graces us with their daily presence, and watching the babies grow bigger and play in the pastures is another joy in our lives.

Books I have been reading/listening to:

The Women by Kristin Hannah – This book was hard at times, dealing with the Vietnam War in the 60s & 70s, the protests, hatred for the returning vets, and the women who served that were not recognized as vets. I remember some of the conflict. I was a teenager in the early 70s, so the protests and hatred for the vets, I do remember, along with the Kent State murders. History really does repeat itself, and there are striking similarities to the challenges we face today. It’s an amazing book, beautifully written. Please let me know your thoughts if you’ve had a chance to read it.

Cash Blackbear Mysteries by Marcie R. Rendon – These books (I’ve finished 1-3 and am currently reading the newest one) are based on an Ojibwe girl who spent time in white foster families, which was not pleasant, and discovers that she has a special sense when it comes to working with the local sheriff on murder cases. When I started the first book, the first few pages didn’t capture my attention, but then it took off, and as I said, I have read three and am on number four. Easy reads and full of twists and turns.

Enjoy this October, for me here in the South, Fall is one of my favorite times, so I’m soaking in every moment. 

The post Wild Wanderings – Stoke your inner flame appeared first on Zen Chick.

I’m so glad you are here!

This will be a gathering place for diverse thoughts, wanderings, and an extension of my long-standing Spirit Moon Notes series, which will be included here. Comments are always welcome and appreciated, so share your thoughts.

Let’s talk Moon Energy:

September is the perfect time for change, with two eclipses this month, change is what you can expect.

Eclipses signal growth, prompting the letting go of stagnant stories, perceptions, and beliefs, and allowing new ways of seeing the world and yourself to emerge.

Our Full Blood Moon Lunar eclipse is arriving in the sign of Pisces on the 7th. Endings will happen to clear your path for higher and more profound truths to enter. (it’s all about growth!)

Your beliefs may come into question as a greater sense of “more to know” knocks at your door. Trust your insights and intuition and keep an open mind. Yes, there is more to learn!

We, as the collective, are moving forward, opening our eyes to new and sometimes emotional things, but still changing as we go.

My favorite quote from my astrologer Lisa Salvatore,

“We can no longer keep pouring into cups that never pour back!”

As I have said before in SMN, we are entering a transitional time in our world, and we are all major players in those changes. It is time for you to stop spending your energy on people and things that no longer fill you up.

One thing that fills my cup and grounds me is nature, being outside, seeing deer run through my pastures, watching my horses and donkey play, or sitting on my porch in the mornings with a cup of coffee, when the world is silent and still.

Nature is always authentic, giving you the clues and wisdom you may need at that moment in your life. Step outside and enjoy her wisdom.

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As I was writing this morning, a bit of wisdom from a “good news story” I was listening to came to mind: “Small minds hate dreams.” This story was referring to a young man born without a left hand, and his grandfather had shared that bit of wisdom with him whenever he became discouraged about his own dreams. Today, he is helping others with disabilities find their dreams through building prosthetics with 3D printers.

Dream big, don’t stop, and never give up! I think that right now, with so much going on in the world, you can almost feel mentally beaten down, which means you may have to work a little harder to keep that dream alive, but it will be worth it!

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I have been recovering from a knee injury, and I was giving thanks to Creator for my progress and the fact that things were falling into place, when this bit of wisdom was whispered to me. “When you take care of yourself, the Universe takes care of you!” Such a powerful and true statement, one that I hope will help you along your journey.

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Books I have read: Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty. A little slow to start, but once you do, it has a surprise ending.

I’m reading: “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride.

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Lastly, I will leave you with some wisdom about change:

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” ~ Socrates

The post Welcome to “Wild Wanderings” appeared first on Zen Chick.

Happiness is not some “thing” to be pursued, it is a way of being born from appreciating – Rasheed Ogunlaru

At the beginning of 2023, I decided that instead of resolutions or goals, I would embrace two mantras, “Be Happy” and “My life is mine to create.” These two things seemed to be easy reminders to follow or so I thought.

Easing into the 3rd month of this year, I feel I have had several lessons appear about the happiness thing that I want to share with all of you.

First, have you ever noticed that when you make a proclamation like my mantras, everywhere you turn, someone is writing about that exact thing and the stories are popping up like rabbits? It’s like someone is stealing my thoughts or listening to my every word (oh wait, that’s our phones, LOL!)

Anyway, I did read some interesting stuff and what I learned is while I’m working on being happy, bad things are still happening around me that make me feel sad, mad, and lots of other feelings that are anything but happy.

What I learned from my reading is the minute you try to push all of those other feelings away, and work at getting back to “happy” the harder those feelings push back. The solution to this is to let those feelings happen, giving them the time and space that is needed before working your way back to being happy.

This is where I think “being happy” gets a bad rap because if you are happy you should not have time to give space to bad feelings. (Let me add here that negative feelings are not bad, they are part of the human experience, so let’s not discount them.)

If you went around all of the time, with rainbows shooting out of your head, how in the world could you ever feel compassion or empathy?

This leads me back to being happy, it’s not something you get from slapping a smile on your face when you feel like shit, or like the quote above says, it’s not a “thing”, it’s an appreciation and it happens in little moments, snippets of your daily life that makes your heart sing.

Life will crowd in, and bad things will happen to the people you love and care about, but in a small moment, the sunrise is so stunning that it makes you smile and you send a prayer to that person in need. You hold a door open for someone else, share a smile, or listen to the person speaking to you without interruption and their gratitude fills your heart.

That is my lesson about happiness and I’m working on being more aware of each of those happy moments as they come into my life, appreciating them more and more, filling my second mantra, “my life is mine to create” with them.

I hope your “happy” is a sunrise or sunset away, time with a friend or family, or just having that moment of peace all to yourself.

Happy for me is also having you, my tribe, right here in this little corner of the internet. Thank you for your support and love!  Drop one of your happy moments in the comments below, I would love to share in your joy.

The post My happiness lesson and how it changed my thinking. appeared first on Zen Chick.

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”

As I look back to January of this year, I’m reflecting on “My 10 things for 2021”, which were things I wanted to do and stand for, in place of goals and intentions. Looking back, I see what things I want to carry into 2022, what needs to be tweaked, and how well I accomplished these things on my list. So I thought I would share my end-of-year ritual with you…..

Here’s my list:

#1 – To stand in my truth as much as I can, this means not giving into someone else’s truth, I can listen and learn but I don’t need to sacrifice my truth for theirs.

#2 – To get very clear on that truth, through my meditation and writing.

#3 – To do a better job of staying in touch with my friends, yes I do well, but I think the physical act of writing notes and letters is even better, including phone calls.

#4 – To make sure my health and well-being (both physical and mental) are a priority and to safeguard that above all else, fill my cup first so I can give later.

#5 – Be bold enough to put my dreams and ideas into action. I proved to myself in 2020 by finally painting that I can do it and I just need to do more.

#6 – Be as open as possible to change, which could mean a different career or something else. Big or small.

#7 – LET SHIT GO, quit worrying and chewing on things, the past is truly the past and it can’t be changed so why replay it.

#8 – Enjoy the moments with my hubby and our girls, live each day as it is the only one I will have.

#9 – ENJOY LIFE DAMMIT, it may not be perfect but live with no regrets of not living it fully.

#10 – Share the love!

So how did I do?

#1 & #2 – I feel I have done well in standing in my truth and listening to other truths. My daily meditation and writing practice have helped so much and are such a part of my well-being.

#3 – I still feel I want to write more notes and letters (written words are things that you can read again and again which is very important) Also, it means a lot that someone took the time to write to you!

#4 – Doing better because the anxiety I was feeling had lots to do with not using my time well (yep sounds a little crazy but doing things that didn’t deserve my time caused the anxiety – Thanks Marie Forleo and Time Genius!)

#5 – I’m a little behind the curve on this one, yes I’ve made some strides, like working with my horse again and teaching her a new technique, taking a month-long course, and completing it, but I feel there is more to do so will stay open to what comes my way.

#6 – This I got, change is ongoing and I always strive to be open to all possibilities.

#7 – Oh yes, another anxiety-induced issue that I have learned gets you nothing so I have been so much better at letting shit go!

#8 – Covid helped show me a lot about this but it is always a work in progress and something I always want to strive for improvement.

#9 – Once I realized what little things I was doing to myself and getting anxious over, that reality made my life so much more enjoyable that now I am living my best life, even when things go south.

#10 – We all want to be loved and I try very hard to tell my peeps that I love them on a regular basis. (this includes all people in my life because love grows in lots of ways)

As I look back on my list and now evaluate how well I have done, yes there may be a few things I may change or tweak a little but overall this list is very evergreen and I can see it becoming my “thing” to revisit every December. To me, these are lessons in living my best life, which is what we all strive for, isn’t it?

What about you, my friend, what will be your list for 2022? Remember not every list has to start at the beginning of a new year, it can start on your birthday year, or you could do a mini version every 6 months, either way, make it about how YOU want to live your best life!

Let me hear your thoughts or one item from your list in the comments. I love hearing from all of you!

Peace and Love!

The post My “10 things for 2021” list and how I did. appeared first on Zen Chick.

Hello, 2021!

We have all lived through the tough year of 2020, and we welcome the new year with open arms, pinning our dreams and hopes to it, making our lists, and checking them twice. Call those lists resolutions, intentions, goals, or whatever, you have set down some sort of promise to this new year and yourself.

For me, I did my list a little different, calling it My 10 things for 2021, which consists of how I want to truly live my life, how I want to show up in the world as the real version of me, and what I don’t want in my life now. Before making my new list of 10 things, I first had to settle my struggle with permission.

First, let me circle back to the fall of 2020, when I had the realization that I was waiting for someone (don’t know who) to grant me permission to paint again, something I had not done in 40+ years. I had all my supplies ready to go, I even had what I wanted to paint in my head but I could not get it on the canvas.

Yes, there was fear involved, the fear of not getting it right like someone would correct me and point out my mistakes, but I knew there was something much bigger.

I was waiting for permission to start.

From whom, I do not know but in my head, I was waiting for the “Okay, go ahead, you have my permission” before I could start.

Once I had that realization, here’s what I did, I put on some disco music (yep, Donna Summers, Bee Gees) and started painting, not caring if it was perfect or if I was ready, I just started. And what I had envisioned in my head came out on my canvas, maybe not perfect in someone else’s eyes but perfect in mine and that’s is all that matters. And I’m continuing to paint and enjoying it more and more.

Ask yourself this, is the reason the same dreams/projects/ideas keep showing up year after year on your New Year’s list is because you may be waiting for someone to tell you it’s okay to start? And waiting for the “right” moment, time, or full moon eclipse to start is the exact same thing as waiting for permission.

What one thing will you take from your list and put into action in this new year, even before you feel ready? I’m granting you permission to bring more of YOU to the world and I hope you do!

Here’s to all of us, my wonderful tribe, to starting before we are ready!

Image by PicsbyFran from Pixabay

The post Your Mama don’t need to give you permission. appeared first on Zen Chick.

“Joy is the ultimate reward in life.”
― Sunday Adelaja

January is almost gone and with the month ending, reflection begins on the New Year’s resolutions, intentions or goals. Am I still doing what I set out to do or do I need to look for ways to keep the momentum going?

Just like the quote says, “Joy is the ultimate reward in life”, so when the resolve starts wavering the joy gets lost. Would more time or a different way to do things help?

Here are my thoughts…….

Knowing there was a reward waiting for me when I finished an extra workout, write an extra blog post, clean out a drawer/closet, would help my momentum but not necessarily my joy.

So I decided to switch it up and get the reward first……you know the saying “Eat dessert first.”

For me, I have found if I rewarded myself first, “I’m going to take a walk with the dogs and then I will sit with my project for the next 30 minutes,” my 30 minutes would last longer before my attention span hollered for the next reward/break.

Now I know for some this may seem like a bad idea, you may wander down a rabbit hole and never get your work done, which may be true unless you set a time limit for your reward too.

And that’s the key, your reward has to be on a time limit to balance out the benefit of reward first then work.

Tiny steps will move you forward in both reward and work balance, giving you the ability to get more done without feeling like you have to put your nose to the grindstone before you get to take the reward break.

Give it a try, switch up your reward system and see if there is more “joy” in your life, the joy in knowing that your New Year’s resolutions will survive in the long run.

The post Eat your cake first, shake up your reward system appeared first on Zen Chick.

“Baby steps count, too, as long as you’re moving forward.”

~Chris Gardner

I have been struggling with something, and maybe you can relate. A couple of years ago, I declared lots of white space in my calendar after hitting the wall, HARD, and burning down and out. 

Last year, I still set no goals or agendas, letting things free flow and waiting for something to drop from the sky: a project, an agenda, a reason to focus and work. 

Nothing! 

Okay I thought, I will still allow white space and time, letting the Universe tell me what I need to do.

Still Nothing!

Let me stop right here and say, I’m not a proponent for busy just to say I’m busy because creativity and ideas do need white space and time for things to take form. But what I have discovered this new year, is you need to take action in the form of movement for the Universe (aka Muse) to take you seriously. 

Baby steps to let the Universe know that you are ready to move forward, that you are welcoming what it may bring your way and you are ready to receive. 

During my morning meditation the message I received from my Sacred Path cards, was Warbonnet, which means Advance. Here’s one of the questions from the card’s description:

“Am I willing to be a pathfinder and to explore the possibilities of my future creations by boldly taking action now?”

Small steps, revisiting some creative ideas, tweaking some projects, setting a simple agenda to start working on some of these things I’ve started dusting off. Showing the Universe that I am here and I’m ready once again.

So I ask of you, “Are you ready to take that action, to move forward with baby steps, and explore your future creations?”

I hope you will join me in not being busy for the sake of doing something but moving toward that project, idea or thought that keeps dogging you. See if it is worthy of your time and energy or if there is something beyond that old idea that needs more of your attention. 

2019 is our year of putting things out in the world that the world needs. That “need” is YOU, your ideas, energy and how you show up for others.

Peace, Love and Tiny Steps!

P.S. I was interviewed Monday by a local writer, here is the article.

If you are on FB, you can find it here. Feel free to share and show this writer some love by following. Thanks!

The post Tiny Action Steps = The Wake-Up Call For Your Life appeared first on Zen Chick.

“Be yourself–not your idea of what you think somebody else’s idea of yourself should be.” –Henry David Thoreau

The start of a new year means a “do over” for most of us, a fresh start, kick the old year out of our lives and welcome the new one with open arms. Yay, you made it!

Now comes the question, “resolutions, goals, intentions, or what?” Let me answer this one for you, how about showing up every day as the REAL you? The true one, the authentic person that I want to see. That the world needs right now.

A little scary, yep.

Easy?

Hell no, it’s a journey that requires you to step up, step away, run away, worry, fear, judge yourself, judge others, exhaust yourself and then surrender.

But you surrender to who you really are and how that makes you feel.

Ask yourself these two questions when you feel yourself running for the safety of agreement with someone or something;

“Is this how I really want to present myself to the world?”

“Does my soul feel happy with this choice?”

That’s how you start showing up as the real you by looking at your choices, your answers and how you judge someone or something and deciding if it rings true to YOUR values and beliefs.

So start this year by standing in your truth and make your beautiful mark on the world. I’m standing right beside you holding your hand and encouraging you onward. And I promise, your year will be better for it!

Peace and Love,

Zen Chick

The post Kick Off 2019 By Giving Us The Real You! appeared first on Zen Chick.

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” ~ Mary Oliver

(disclaimer: this article is not intended to “shame” anyone who is still on FB or Twitter, it is about my journey and what I have learned this past year.)

My Independence Day is actually on July 19th, 2017, when I declared my independence from Facebook and Twitter by deactivating both accounts. As I celebrate my one year anniversary, I want to share with you what I have learned.

Let me begin by being completely honest, I still have an Instagram account that I visit maybe every 4 or 5 days, sometimes less frequently, so I do have a social media connection, but Facebook was my biggest addiction, with Twitter jumping in from time to time.

One year later and yes I documented the day to see how long I could go without the lure of FB and Twitter, life continues to go on, the world is still turning, and my ability to connect is stronger than ever!

What???? You can connect without social media (yes you know this already but let me remind you)

I have had lunches, dinners, and coffees, catching up with people who I have not seen in years by reaching out with emails, calls or letters and been more “social” in the last year since ditching social media than ever before.

I am doing more reading and writing, even starting a series here on Zen Chick called Spirit Moon Notes, delivered before the new and full moon of each month. Each note, explains the energy associated with those moon phases and gives a journal prompt to help you process that energy.

My creativity and intuition are better because I have more time for them both and I can listen more closely to them. I’m more connected with nature and the natural rhythms of life.

Now, before you think that its all been rainbows and unicorns, it has not, the first week, I got itchy, wanting something to distract me, like social media. There are still times when I get my addiction other ways, like the news feed app, which I recently deleted from my phone and iPad. And I do catch myself reaching for Instagram too often at times so again; I deleted the app.

My “monkey mind” is a busy little thing and I have to direct that cute little monkey to things that are worthy of my attention. It’s a process, and as long as I have a phone, iPad, and computer, the temptation will always be there.

But the difference I see in my life right now and the fact that I don’t miss FB or Twitter, keeps me moving forward with my “independence.” And for me, that feels good.

Let me hear from you in the comments; is there something in your life (not necessarily social media) that you have let go of that has given you a new sense of freedom or independence?

Sharing is caring, so please share because we all learn from each other.

Peace and Love!

The post My Independence Day – One Year Later appeared first on Zen Chick.

“It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease.

Hack away at the inessentials.” ~ Bruce Lee

There’s a new trend happening on the internet, and it’s been catching on like wildfire. It’s called, “Simplicity” and it’s making a come back in the digital world.

At the beginning of 2018, there was chatter among some of the well-known bloggers/writers that I follow, saying they wanted to take their businesses back down to a more simple format, less tech, less social media, more service to the people on their lists. Less fuss, more time for themselves and more service to the people that follow them.

Tear it down, rebuild the empire and take it back to old school “simple.”

With the more recent news of data breaches on Facebook and other social media outlets, even more, bloggers/writers/online businesses are ditching their social media accounts, going back to basics, only serving their tribes and feeling good about knowing people will find them without all of the “social fluff.”

Can I say I love all of this!

I ditched Facebook 9 months ago, along with Twitter and now only have an Instagram account that doesn’t see a lot of activity. Have I missed being less connected through social media? The answer is a resounding “No!”

What has happened to me personally, without social media, is more of a desire to connect face to face with friends and family, to teach more workshops and to share more through my writing. I don’t worry about the number of subscribers or people finding out about my workshops; I’m of the belief that people will find you when they need what you have to offer.

To some this may sound lame or a wrong business model, but it gives me the ability to change, tweak and take my time building what I want to develop without worrying about posting on FB, tweeting it out on Twitter or keeping track of  “likes” and tags.

Simplicity is where Zen Chick started, and that is where I will stay, making my life and hopefully yours a little more simple with my words and suggestions.

So ditch social media? That choice is yours, and I’m not here to make you feel guilty, but ask yourself how much simpler your life might be if you have a little more of your time back? Try a short sabbatical from social media and see how that feels, if it feels good then go a bit longer.

Connect with your friends, face to face more often, make dinner plans, go for coffee, get with your tribe. We are all herd animals, we need our peeps, and we need to connect on a physical level. Having a little more time in your life can make that possible.

Now, let me hear from you, how else could you simplify your life, what is one other little change you could make to add more time and less stress? Sharing is caring, and we all need to learn from each other so please share in the comments and share this post with someone in your life.

Peace and Love,

Gay ~ Zen Chick

The post Trending Now: Simplicity appeared first on Zen Chick.