“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it,
move with it, and join the dance.”
—Alan Watts
Come See All the Changes at SoulfulLiving.com!
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Perfect Time
“Everything happens in perfect time.”
Good morning and happy Tuesday! I am so honored and pleased to tell you that our newly redesigned and reimagined, 15-year-old website SoulfulLiving.com is officially launched!! Woot woot! I can hardly believe this day is here, and I am still pinching myself! I have been dreaming of her “modern tech makeover” and redesign for years, and I cannot even begin to describe my pleasure with finally seeing my dream come to life! I hope you’ll visit the website and help me celebrate this momentous day!!
As some of you may remember, I began the redesign in the spring, with the anticipation that it would only take a few weeks. Oh, my goodness, was I wrong about that! This year has served up SO many unanticipated events… some very sad, like losing my precious gray kitty to a terminal illness over the summer, to just a slew of life challenges, in general. It has been a difficult year, but through it all, I was grateful to have my redevelopment project to bring me some joy during my sad and difficult times.
A dear friend of mine used to tell me, “Man plans. God laughs.” I just looked this quote up online and see that it is a Yiddish proverb. This is a wise quote and has always seemed so true! We really can’t control the outcome of things — life — no matter how hard we may try… We must let go, give up our need to control, and trust in the Divine plan that our Higher Power has for us.
My father used to say, “Everything happens in perfect time.” He was right. We may think we know the perfect timing of events in our life, but I believe our Higher Power knows the truth — the “True” perfect time…
It seems that I have been struggling with this “perfect time” concept during the entire duration of the website’s redevelopment. I have been pushing myself and trying to make it happen on a certain time schedule. But, now, I can only ascertain that this may be my own personal life lesson for this year — about letting go and giving up control.
The crazy nature of it all continued, of course… After six months of setbacks and repeated course correction, I had finally planned to launch the redesigned website last week. Ha ha! That’s when technical issues began making trouble for me. And, then, I learned that “Mercury went retrograde.” No surprise there! Mercury is my ruling planet and, well, she also rules communications, publishing, etc…
But, last night, it was apparently my “Perfect Time,” and I finally launched my redeveloped website with ease and grace. It was beautiful. I said a prayer and sent it live as soon as it was complete, at exactly 11:11 pm Eastern Time, and I know that my precious kitty was with me in spirit, as were all of you. Thank you for believing in me, supporting me, and giving me the gift of creating SoulfulLiving.com for you!
Help Us Celebrate!!
To help celebrate our Grand-Reopening, my friend Dawn Reid-Reiner and I are giving away THREE beautiful, personalized “ZENWANDS”! Dawn is the genius mind behind these gorgeous, handcrafted masterpieces, which are perfect for meditation, mindfulness, and conscious healing. (Read more about them below.) You can Enter to Win 1 of 3 ZenWands now through Monday, October 13th!!
I also want to tell you about a series of Limited Edition “BE” T-Shirts that I have designed to help support the cost of redeveloping SoulfulLiving.com. I will be introducing a new T-Shirt each month, and the first T-Shirt, “BE SOULFUL,” is available in Raspberry and Black here at Booster.com through the end of October. The T-Shirt is high quality and affordable, and it would make a beautiful holiday gift! Thank you so much for your support. It is so greatly appreciated! ♥
Thank you so much for being a part of SoulfulLiving.com!
With love and blessings,
Valerie Rickel, Founder
SoulfulLiving.com
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In this moment, there is plenty of time
"In this moment, there is plenty of time.
In this moment, you are precisely as you should be.
In this moment, there is infinite possibility."
– Victoria Moran
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To Be in the Moment is the Miracle
Charming Gardeners
"Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy,
they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."
—Marcel Proust
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The Joy of Just Being
"In today's rush we all think too much,
seek too much, want too much
and forget about the joy of just Being."
― Eckhart Tolle
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When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.
"The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention.
When mindfulness embraces those we love,
they will bloom like flowers."
—Thich Nhat Hanh
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You Are The Peace You Are Looking For
"You already are, the peace you are looking for.
Be still and know that."
—Mooji
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And the World Will Be as One
“You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I hope someday you'll join us.
And the world will live as one.”
― John Lennon
Hello! I hope you are enjoying a beautiful day!! Mother nature had a last-minute March surprise for us this morning in New England and gave us a good walloping of snow!! It was quite a surprise after sun and rain for several weeks. We were just getting used to the more mild weather of spring after a very cold winter. Gratefully, temperatures are looking up again as this week progresses. That will be something to look forward to!
My sweet gray kitty is snuggling on my lap as I type today's Daily Soul Retreat. And, while, it's a wee bit tough to type with a cat head resting on my wrist, it's a 
precious moment that I would not give up for the world. I wrote a brief blog post on Friday about the loss of my mother thirteen years ago and how this precious cat came into my life. If you are interested, you can read it here.
I had planned to have a special surprise for you on Friday, but, the gods of "all things tech" had different plans, it seems. I have been working around the clock to redesign and redevelop our website, SoulfulLiving.com, as she is my labor of love, and I am very excited to announce that the first phase – the redevelopment of our Community at Soulful Living – is now complete and officially launched! Some of you will remember that our original social networking community at SoulfulLiving.com launched in 2008, but it has needed a "tech" overhaul, just as much as the main website. I am very pleased with the results and hope that you will come join us!! It is a private, sacred space for heart-centered people to come and gather in sanctuary, to share and inspire, to grow and be inspired!
You can sign up here: http://soulfulliving.com/community/register. Simply email me for an "Invite Code" or signup with your Facebook login. Please keep in mind that our Community is still in "beta" mode, and you will be one of our very first members! I hope to see you there!!
Enjoy today's Visual Inspiration! This is one of my favorite lyrics by John Lennon. ♥
I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments about today's Daily Soul Retreat! Please scroll down and leave your comments below.
And, if you haven’t already done so, be sure to pick up your special package of inspirational goodness exclusively for our Daily Soul Retreat Newsletter Subscribers — a “Soul Retreat Gift Pack” filled with over $300 worth of Ecourses, Ebooks, Audio Workshops and Meditations, donated by our awesome SoulfulLiving.com authors. If you aren’t already subscribed, click here for all the details. If you are already subscribed, watch your Daily Soul Retreats for all the details.
Wishing you a beautiful day!
Soulfully,
Valerie Rickel
Founder
SoulfulLiving.com
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Goodbye, Mom
“I wonder how you say goodbye to someone forever?”
― Ann M. Martin
Today is the thirteen-year anniversary of the day my mother passed over to the other side, March 28, 2001. That day marked the end of eight very long months of pain and suffering from the ill effects of a stroke, in and out of nearly every hospital and rehab care facility on the westside of Los Angeles. It was the one day of perhaps only as many days as I can count on one hand that I did not visit my mother, and that has always made me feel so very sad. I was on my way to see her that day, with a special little hydrangea plant in the back seat of my car to bring to her. But for some unknown reason, as I approached the freeway to drive in the direction of the care facility, where she was being cared for in the end, I just suddenly changed my mind, made a right-hand turn and decided to run a few errands and visit my sweet little rescue cat friend at the pet store, who, several months later, would become my precious adopted cat. ♥ I remember standing by this little cat's cage, stroking her, singing to her, loving her for a very long time that day — sharing the same tender love with her, as I had shared at my mother's bedside over the eight previous months. Eight months of love, tenderness, and daily "goodbyes" shared with my mom, never knowing if it would be our final goodbye, and then, when "that day" did arrive, there was no "final goodbye."
A dear friend, who had worked in hospices, comforted me in the days that followed, and told me that often our loved ones need space and alone time to cross over and make their transition and that it might have been a blessing that I hadn't visited her that day. Perhaps, my daily visits were keeping my mother here, suffering, far past her true time. Such sadness. But, today, I am able to find joy and even celebrate this day of my mom's passing. She was finally released from the pain and suffering her physical body had endured for those eight long months, and she was given the beautiful gift of being reunited with her family – her mom, her dad, a multitude of relatives who had left this planet before her, her beloved pets, and, of course, her Maker. A day to celebrate, indeed. I will love you forever, mom. Goodbye. ♥
~Valerie
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Visual Inspiration: Plant Seeds
Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success, and love;
it will all come back to you in abundance.
This is the law of nature.
—Steve Maraboli
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Change the Way You Look at Things
"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."
– Wayne Dyer
Good morning and happy Thursday! I have a Visual Inspiration for you today featuring one of my favorite quotes by motivational speaker and best-selling author Wayne Dyer.
Enjoy ♥
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Visual Inspiration: Change and the Butterfly
We delight in the beauty of the butterfly,
but rarely admit the changes it has
gone through to achieve that beauty.
– Maya Angelou
Good morning and happy Tuesday! I don't know about you, but I am VERY ready for spring to arrive! It has been a long, cold winter here in the Northeast, and I am greatly looking forward to all of the wonderful signs of seasonal change, new beginnings, hope, and renewal that spring brings with her — the young robins emerging from their nests, crocus and daffodils popping up here and there from beneath the melting snow and ice, and the young green buds appearing on the barren tree branches… It is my favorite time of year!
It is also the time of year when butterflies emerge from their chrysalises. The miraculous metamorphosis of the caterpillar into a butterfly is a beautiful symbol for change and transformation. When I came across this quote by Maya Angelou, I knew it was perfect for today's Visual Inspiration! Her words serve as an important reminder that change is not always an easy process. (It can be hard. Really hard, sometimes.) But the beauty of the outcome — like the caterpillar that transforms itself into a butterfly — makes it ALL worthwhile!!
I hope you enjoy today's Visual Inspiration ♥
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Every Day of Life is a Gift
"Every day of Life is a GIFT! Be sure to… Unwrap it. Play with it.
And, most importantly, Give thanks for it!"
—Valerie Rickel
~Valerie Rickel, Founder of SoulfulLiving.com
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The Art of Romance
“If I love myself, I love you. If I love you, I love myself.”
―Rumi
Good morning and happy Wednesday! I have a lovely article for you today by husband and wife authors, Judith Sherven and James Sniechowski, called, “The Art of Romance: Love and Be Loved, Every Day of Your Life.” Judith and James are authors of many books, including “Be Loved For Who You Really Are” and “The New Intimacy.”
I enjoyed their article so much, I was inspired to create a Visual Inspiration for you today, too, with the wonderful quote by Rumi that they discuss in their article.
Enjoy ♥
“The Art of Romance: Love and Be Loved, Every Day of Your Life”
by Judith Sherven & James Sniechowski
What one thing do you most want to know about love and relationship?
Recently we surveyed approximately 10,000 men and women asking that question. Ninety-five percent of those responding wanted to know how to keep romance alive throughout a relationship and marriage. No surprise. During our fifteen years working with singles and couples it’s been romance that has been the most desired as well as the most illusive of all relationship experiences. More than sex. More than good communication. More than family.
But what is romance?
That’s not a question with an easy answer. It’s the kind of thing that you know when you see it, and certainly yearn for it when it’s absent, but putting it into words leaves most people tongue-tied. So, before we can know how to keep it alive in our relationships, we need to identify just what it is we are after.
CONNECTEDNESS
When we experience romance we experience a quality of being transported, of being moved by an extraordinary moment of feeling, almost another dimension of feeling. And it is not by thought but by feeling that we can confidently say, “This is romance.” Through this special feeling we are extended beyond our everyday sense of self into an experience of unity and wholeness, a deep, spiritually rich connectedness with another person, and through that person to the wonder that is the whole of life. The separateness that is so much a part of most people’s daily life vanishes, even if only for a moment. And that is what is so extra-ordinary about romance. It may be fleeting but it leaves a mark on our senses and in our memory and it can stay with us for days if not years. No wonder romance is so desired.
Also, in the romantic moment we feel connected with another person without ever losing our sense of self. There is a profound oneness but not sameness, as the unique differences that two people bring to the moment are embraced. We remain ourselves, with an intense sense of our self, while in sweet and satisfying connection with another. And that allows us to feel truly loved. That allows the romance to be appreciated by each person in their own way.
As the poet Rumi says, “If I love myself, I love you. If I love you, I love myself.” By contrast, when we are steeped in a fantasy of romance, in the idea instead of the reality of romance, there is no connection and, as a result, no satisfaction. Why? Because we are fused with a ghost, a mere image that we are more loyal to than the flesh and blood reality. We are trapped in a dreamy castle of our own making, unconsciously insisting that our make-believe world will bring us what we want. Ironically, the person making-believe and the ghostly product of that make-believe are one and the same. The person is bound within their own spell, enclosed within their own expectations, ultimately unable to let anyone in.
Romance thrives only in that which is real and in the very distinct reality of two different people.
IMAGINATION
Imagination is at the heart of romance, but not when it serves the concoction of mere fantasy.
The best way to distinguish between these divergent paths is to identify fantasy as those envisionings which may even be pleasant and sometimes erotic, but that are never challenged. In fantasy everything goes the way we want it to. Even if we inject a little opposition to add drama, we still get everything we want, and more importantly, in just exactly the way we want.
On the other hand, imagination is that soul-filled experience wherein we apply the power of our creative imaging to manifest what we want in the world. With regard to romance, that involves another person who cannot help but impact our expectations differently than we anticipated. This is unavoidable because s/he is different, with a mind of their own, but more to the point, with an experience and expression of romance that will be uniquely their own…
Continue Reading “The Art of Romance”
Copyright Judith Sherven & James Sniechowski. All Rights Reserved.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments on this article! Please scroll down and leave your comments below.
And, if you haven’t already done so, be sure to pick up your special package of inspirational goodness exclusively for our Daily Soul Retreat Newsletter Subscribers — a “Soul Retreat Gift Pack” filled with over $300 worth of Ecourses, Ebooks, Audio Workshops and Meditations, donated by our awesome SoulfulLiving.com authors. If you aren’t already subscribed, click here for all the details. If you are already subscribed, watch your Daily Soul Retreats for all the details.
Wishing you a day filled with much love and romance!
Soulfully,
Valerie
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