“A meal, however simple, is a moment of intersection. It is at once the most basic, the most fundamental, of our life’s activities, maintaining the life of our bodies. Shared with others, it can be an occasion of joy and communion, uniting people deeply.” ~ Elise Boulding

When I read this quote today, it made me think back on all of the meals I have shared with others. The memories of some of the really special ones will always be with me. Thanksgiving, comes to mind, as well as Christmas turkey dinners, but the ones that are the most memorable, are the simple ones. The ones that were spontaneous, the ones outside in the garden, the crazy ones in the forest, the ones by the ocean, the ones in the sky, the ones on top of a mountain, the ones with only one other person and the ones with just little old me.

I especially remember the one where I crawled on my belly, on the ice and snow, for a very long time, to get to the picnic table beside the fireplace, in the middle of a campsite, in the winter, where no one else was around, but the two of us. I will never forget that one. We were so cold, we had to burn the picnic basket for wood. However, whenever I think of it, it always brings a smile to my face. It is one of my most cherished memories of perseverance and determination and oh, the food tasted sooo good!

What are some of your delicious memories? Take some time today to remember, savor and delight in once again. And if you find you do not have too many memories yet, go out and make some.

As Auntie Mame used to say,
“Life is a banquet – and most poor suckers are starving to death.”

Take your place at the head table, and enjoy the feast before you.
Have a scrumptious day.
Taste every bite of life!

Love and blessings, Veronica

Follow me On Twitter http://www.veronicaontwitter.com

In January many of us are still getting over the busyness of the holidays. Some of us have made resolutions for the New Year yet by the end of January most of those resolutions have already gone by the wayside. However, February is a great month to pick up those dreams, dust them off and really begin to Focus.

I am sure most of you have already heard that what we focus on expands, but have you really experienced that in your own life? Have you really noticed it, because if you did, you would be very diligent about where you put your attention. Have you been tuning into the new with its stories of doom and gloom or have you decided to create your own news, direct your own show, with you as the star.

I’ll share with you a story here to illustrate the power of “Intention and Focus”.

I was in the grocery store last week and it was very crowed. Every single isle was filled with people and shopping carts. It was very difficult to maneuver my way through this crowd and on top of that there were a few screaming children along the way as well. I began to feel anxious and frustrated. I had to be at an appointment and I could see that this was going to take more time than I thought. And then I remembered the words -Intention and Focus.

So, I stood at the very top of one of the store isles, and I looked straight ahead to the very end of the isle. I focused there. That was where I wanted to go, to the end of that isle in record time, as if there was no one else there but me. Then all of a sudden, out of the blue, people started moving their carts out of the way for me to move by. I did this very same thing through the rest of the store, isle by isle. I kept my eyes straight ahead focusing on where I wanted to go. I did not waver. It seemed like there was a shift in energy, the children stopped crying, the carts moved, and in a few minutes there I was, at my destination, groceries quickly bought and paid for. It worked like a charm. It seemed like a miracle to me, but it happened. I finished my shopping with plenty of time to get to my appointment.

So, there you have it, Intention and Focus at its best, in a simple grocery store. If you don’t believe me, try it for yourself.

What about you? Have you set your intention for February to be the very best month of your life so far and if you have, then what will you focus on today?

I invite you to share your experiences, ideas and insights here by leaving a comment below. Your words just may help someone else see things in a new way.

My New Years Resolutions
Copyright © 2010 by Veronica Hay

I want to be happy for no reason this year except that I am here and alive and I claim this moment as my own. It’s mine. Its got my name on it!

This year, I want to spend more time in nature, not on the path near my home, with its iPods, and cell phones and incessant chatter, but deep in a forest, where the earth recognizes my step, and the ground kisses my feet as I walk.

This year, I want to say no, more often, and not feel guilty, and say yes, more often, and not feel embarrassed.

I want to take the time to grieve fully this year, for those people that I have lost and mourn those things that I shall never have or be again.

I want to hear the sounds of creation and I can’t tell you what those sounds are, because I have never really heard them before. I ‘ve been too busy for that. But their music beckons to me in the stillness when I have finally given up my need to control.

I want to see, really see the sights of the universe and I can’t tell you what those sights are, because I have never really seen them before. I’ve had my eyes closed. But their vision haunts me in my dreams and gently calls forth to me in my waking hours.

I want to take the child in me out to play more this year and step in mud puddles, get my feet wet, eat cotton candy, build a snowman, talk to strangers, kiss furry dogs and chase mangy cats.

This year I want to eat my spaghetti with a fork and forget about the spoon and get my face really dirty.

I want to get to know my teddy bear more this year. After all, he is really the only one who has always been there for me, in my darkest hour, comforting me and whispering sweet messages into my heart, that were more accurate than any psychic ever could be.

I want to see the world with new eyes this year, as if I have never seen it before, like an alien on an unfamiliar planet, and not take anything for granted.

This year, I want to talk less and say more. I want to taste more and eat less.

I want to write more about those things that really matter to me, with passion, the things that I know in my gut, the things that stir up my soul, and not give a damn about keywords or tags or where I rank in Google.

I want to sit with a flower this year and watch it bloom, and know what it feels like to finally surrender to life, to succumb to a purpose bigger than my own.

I want to talk to the moon and bask in the sun and gaze at the stars for hours and hours.

I want to be much more silly this year, and care much less about what people think of me. I have forgotten just how much fun being silly can be.

I want to laugh, harder than I have ever laughed before. And cry less for all of the pain and suffering that I think I can’t fix, because I know that I can. Every time that I make the choice to be free, there is less suffering in the world, not a world with less pain, but less pain in the world.

I want to love more this year, not the sappy, greeting card kind of love they sell on Valentine’s day cards, but a love that surpasses all distance, time, space and differences.

This year, I want to make friends with those parts of me that I am afraid of and attempt to do those things that still scare me to death. Well, at least some of them.

I want to appreciate more and complain less, accept more and judge less, forgive more and blame less. I want to ultimately do nothing and allow everything.

This year I want to break open the windows of my life and knock down the doors remove the shackles and stare down the illusion until it sets me free.

So you won’t find goals here or projects or timelines or objectives or plans or directions or bucket lists or targets.

You’ll only find me.

From Veronica Hay – Inspirational Writer – Insights and Inspirations Hub
Email: veronicahay@telus.net

“The reason someone is a genius and knows things you do not know is because he has opened his mind to contemplate the “what if’s,” the outrageous thoughts, the thoughts of brilliance that go beyond the limited thinking of man. He has allowed himself to entertain and reason with these thoughts, whereas you have rejected them. It is very simple to be a genius. All you have to do is think for yourself.”
~ Ramtha

As 2011 begins to unfold, this would be the perfect time to take the advice in the above quotation to heart and start thinking for yourself, to start thinking bigger, greater, grander than you ever have before. To say “yes” more to what life is wanting to offer you. To dream new dreams and imagine more lofty ideals for your life.

I’d like to tell you a story here that may help you understand this idea of just thinking “bigger”. Several years ago I designed a website for my FREE, inspirational, self-help, print magazine. The site had over 300 pages on it filled with articles, interviews and a lot of really valuable content. At that time I also created a daily inspiration and daily kindness page where I included uplifting and inspiring stories and suggestions for possible acts of kindness. These pages were very popular with lots of visitors and some great feedback. I also provided a link where people could send in donations. During one particular month I was feeling very discouraged and even a little angry. I felt I was putting in a lot of effort with very little return. That month no one had donated anything at all. At the time, on this donation page, I offered specific amounts of money that people could choose to donate, along with various gifts for each price level. These suggested offerings ranged from $25.00 up to $100.00. So on this particular day, in a bit of a huff, I just thought to myself, “Well, if I am going to get nothing for this work, I might as well ask the Universe for bigger amounts of nothing.”

Don’t ask me where the logic was in that. I have no idea. It didn’t really make any sense at the time, and I can’t even believe now that I even thought that. However, I went ahead and changed the donation amounts to start at $50 and go right up to $500.00. To make a long story short, that very same day, I received my first $500.00 donation with two more to follow shortly thereafter. I can’t really explain it, since nothing else had changed, except to say that in that moment I started thinking bigger. And I don’t believe it mattered what the catalyst was to get me to do that. The end result was what mattered. I asked for more. I demanded more. I felt I really did deserve more and so, I was given more.

So I ask you today, where in your life, do you feel you deserve more and why aren’t you asking for it? And if it takes getting angry to get you to move out of your comfort zone, then go for it! Anger can catapult you to freedom and help motivate you into making more empowered choices that move you in a new and bigger direction.

And if you would like some help in allowing more prosperity into your life, then I invite you to claim your free instant access to our Wealth Without Limits – Self-Improvement Series – Lesson 1, as well as many other goodies and bonuses when you visit: http://www.insightsandinspirations.com/gift.html
You will find a free uplifting audio and inspiring video there for you to use as well.

From Veronica Hay – The Prosperity Poet and Insights and Inspirations Hub

Some inspirational words today… about your everyday thoughts…

For for the past 10 days or so, I have been writing down any negative thoughts that I have, as soon as I become aware of them. I am surprised by how many seemingly insignificant, critical thoughts cross my mind each day. I have always considered myself to be a very positive person, and so I am amazed at how many negative little musings still sneak in.

As soon as I made a commitment to do this, I started really noticing them. LIttle things like, “what a gloomy looking day”, or “that person isn’t doing a very good job”, or “what a terrible driver” etc. I suddenly became very conscious of what was going on in my head. I am also recording the positive thoughts and experiences as well, and in time, there will be much more positive than negative.

Most of us have these kinds of thoughts running through our minds constantly, all day long, but we are so used to them, that we don’t even notice they are there. These are the things that keep our dreams and desires from manifesting.

I will give you another example of this. This morning, I suddenly started thinking of one of my relatives. I started to think of this person and of how thoughtless and inconsiderate he is and those thoughts made me feel very uncomfortable. I knew that I was having an unpleasant thought that would not serve me in any way, except to open me up to thinking even more damaging thoughts. What we focus on expands.

It does not do me any good to have those kinds of thoughts racing through my head. In fact, it actually stops my progress. I realized I was doing it right away, and this time, I stopped it right away. I even sat down and wrote some positive things that I remembered about this fellow over the years.

As for actions, what are the daily little choices we make that are really not in the direction of our goals and aspirations, eg. like not keeping our word to someone else or even ourselves, when we said that we would do something and we don’t. Just little things like that, that don’t seem so important at the time.

Well, guess what? In the big picture, all of these little things add up and keep us stuck!

It is all really about living your life in a very conscious way. This is hard to do in the beginning, but after a while, it will become much easier and you will begin to notice when you are off centre, so to speak.

The objective is to remain focused on ONLY those things that we desire by appreciating all that we already have. Staying in a really good feeling place fueled by positive thoughts and emotions. This is not to say that when we feel very sad and need to cry, that we should not. We should let that sadness move through us. Once we allow ourselves to really feel it, it will move very quickly and we will feel so much better for having experienced it.

That is why Eckhart Tolle, the author of the Power of Now, recommends that we try to BE in the moment. Because when we are fully present in the now, we are not having these kinds of thoughts. When you are totally absorbed in the beauty of a flower, noticing every detail of the stem and leaves, captivated by the exquisite colors and textures, intoxicated by the sweet fragrance and aroma, your mind is only there. You and the flower are one, in a kind of bliss state. I have done this with many flowers and they have spoken to me.

It can be the same for anything that we are doing, even folding the laundry. When we are so enthralled with that one experience, those negative thoughts really can’t get in. The illusion of time no longer exists, it appears to stand still, and we seem to have forever.

Copyright © by Veronica Hay

Imagine telling God what’s on your mind and actually having him respond. That’s exactly what happened to author Neale Donald Walsch, who says he found out God has a sense of humour, thinks suffering is an unnecessary part of life, and had nothing to do with creating the concepts of right and wrong or heaven and hell.

In an interview with Neale, I asked him the following question… What is the most important message of book 1, as you see it?

Neale: That we are all one. That there is only one being in the universe and therefore only one being on this planet. The difficulties and challenges facing the human race all revolve around our misunderstanding of this crucial point. We imagine ourselves to be separate from each other and also separate from God. We are neither. If we understood that we are neither, then we would act accordingly and our fundamental experiences on the earth would shift dramatically, maybe even incomprehensibly, to some people. We would never again do a thing which would damage another or fail to do a thing which would potentially assist or bring joy to another. We would re-contextualize the totality of our experience and create a new and far different world.

To read the entire interview click on the following link:
http://www.peopleandpossibilities.com/neale2.html

Enjoy, take care and have a beautiful day.

May there be a miracle in YOUR life today and may you have the EYES to see it.

Some inspirational words today about… the joy in simple things.

I am a morning person and some days I think that the light will just never come. Sometimes the darkness scares me. I think this time of year brings up a lot of feelings that we don’t really have to deal with in the Spring and Summertime. Deep seated feelings of sadness and even despair. It is not fashionable these days to talk about that. But I do think that there comes a time when we really do have to feel those things. Really feel them, not dwell on them, but feel them, share them if we need to and then let them go. There will always be more feelings that surface as long as we are in these human bodies, much like the peeling of an onion. It is part of life. Part of being human. It helps to know that we are not alone. That others are feeling the same way. Not because misery loves company, but because we are all connected at a very deep level and as we have the courage to heal ourselves, we heal each other.

Several years ago I spent two weeks in the Arctic, ninety miles from the North Pole at Christmas time. The Arctic is a very desolate place. There are NO trees. Only ocean and flat land. There was no light at all except for about 1/2 hour a day. I don’t know how I survived it. I felt as though I was dying inside. Not to see the light or even one tree for two long weeks. There were some wonderful experiences during the two weeks like being 3 feet away from the most beautiful polar bear I had ever seen and watching the playful Arctic fox from my window. But when it was over and I arrived home, I literally ran to the first tree I could find, fell to my knees and cried.

There are many sad things going on right now in the world and you would have to be ice cold not to be affected by them in some way. This morning I sat for awhile on my balcony and watched the sun rise with a cup of tea and a warm blanket. It was a simple thing but I felt profound joy in doing it. I think that is what keeps me going. Somehow I am able through all the difficult times along this journey to find the joy in simple things.

I wish the same for you, that today you are able to find JOY in simple things and please remember to give yourself permission to feel whatever you need to feel. Do it with loving kindness. I wish you Godspeed on your journey, my dear and precious friends.

From my heart to yours, Love and blessings, Veronica

veronicahay@telus.net

May there be a miracle in YOUR life today and may you have the EYES to see it.

For Today’s Insights and Inspirations…

It is the end of another work week ( a long and hectic one for me ) and I thought some of you may be in need of some peace and relaxation.

So I am offering my guided audio meditation entitled “Gifts From the Soul” in order to help you do just that.

I have to tell you that l listened to it myself this morning, I hadn’t listened to it in a very long time and it made me cry and really helped me to put things in perspective once again.

So please sit back, relax and just enjoy being transported to another place and time for a little while.
Here is the link, please share with anyone you know who would benefit from a little more peace in their life today. Enjoy!

http://www.peopleandpossibilities.com/guidedmeditation.html

Take care and have a beautiful day.

From my heart to yours
Love and blessings, Veronica
veronicahay@telus.net

May there be a miracle in YOUR life today and may you have the EYES to see it.

Good Thursday Morning Everyone

For today’s Insights and Inspirations…Passion

Passion…
The difference between a job and a career.
The difference between an actor and a star.
The difference between a song and a symphony.
The difference between a painting and a work of art.

Passion…
The difference between caring and intimacy.
The difference between romance and rapture.
The difference between intelligence and genius.
The difference between living and being alive.

To read the entire piece click on the following link:
http://www.peopleandpossibilities.com/passion.html

Take care and have a passionate day.

From my heart to yours
Love and blessings, Veronica
veronicahay@telus.net

When my home is clear, my mind is clear, and so this year I took advantage of the time off during the holidays to clear the clutter out of my life.I spent several days over Christmas and New Year’s Eve going through all of my stuff. I discovered a lot about myself and my things.

I have over 700 books, and some of them I didn’t even know I had. I love books! Just being surrounded by them makes me feel great. As if all that knowledge will seep into my brain, just by being in the same room with them. I find them comforting to read and also just to look at on the shelves.

I have hundreds of cassette tapes and CD’s and DVD’s as well, and this week I found several that I thought were long gone. I discovered items in the cupboards that I had totally forgotten about. I found things I once cherished and felt so happy to see them again, the way you would a long lost friend. I felt compelled to do this de-cluttering.

I am not really sure why. Perhaps because a New Year was right around the corner and I wanted to start it being clear in all areas of my life. When my home is out of balance, I feel the same way myself, and so, I needed to make things right. It feels wonderful to walk around here now. Much more alive and free and easy.

Today, I am going to think about, get clear about, what it is I would like to accomplish in this new year. I am going to think about the things that would bring me joy and a sense of fulfillment. I am not going to make a list of things I must do, should do, have to do. No! I am goint to make a list of only those things I have always truly longed to do.

Last year, I took a class from a woman who is a “doer”. She usually has about 15 projects on the go all the time, and accomplishes almost all of them, one after the other, and while I felt a great deal of admiration for her, I couldn’t help but also feel exhausted just watching her.We live in a world where “doing” is considered much more important than just “being”. We place much more importance on what a person “has to SHOW for themselves”, than what a person IS!

Sometimes, it is fun to get things done, and sometimes, it is not. Sometimes, it just feels right to do NOTHING! When I was sick several months ago, this became so clear to me. I had no choice but to just lie down and rest and do nothing, and turn everything over to a higher power. Part of me felt so relieved. Ironically, things worked out just fine without me being there trying to make something happen.

I guess the point I am trying to make here is: do whatever you feel called to do. If that means cleaning out your cupboards, then do that. If it means setting yourself some significant goals for the New Year, then by all means get out your pen and paper and make your list.You may find yourself listing as one of your goals: time for yourself, time to just sit and daydream, time to listen to the birds sing and watch the flowers grow, time to walk in a forest and hear the message in a babbling brook, time to delight in a beautiful sunrise and mellow in the setting sun, time to be alone and revel in your most cherished memories, time to curl up with a good book and a hot cup of camomile tea.

Dear Heart, my wish for you this New Year is that you take the time to laugh, and dream, and cry, and plan, and sing, and dance, and savor, and devour, and watch, and witness, and meditate, and contemplate, and remember, and forget, and allow, and wish, and just BE, the beautiful, wonderful, resourceful, brilliant, spectacular being, you already are.

Veronica Hay is the author of In a Dream, You Can Do Anything, A Collection of Words, An Extraordinary Collection Of WritingsThat Will Uplift You, Motivate You, Inspire You, And Gently Guide You Along The Inner Path Of Your Life. http://www.insightsandinspirations.com