This present moment is so full of surprises that are just waiting to be unwrapped! It truly is a present, a gift and blessing from Heaven. It is no coincidence, then, that at this time you have found the people on your path and are undertaking this spiritual journey together. Know that this journey has a most profound purpose and that there is guidance and support every step of the way. As you go forth all you need to remember is is love. Love for one another, and love for the Divine Creator. We are all messengers of this love and it is important to remember this love throughout our daily lives and act as living expressions of this love. You are blessed and you are safe and you are loved. Remember too that this is FUN, so let us go joyously, with light loving hearts. Pack light for this journey!

Today’s featured artwork selection is Garden Tea by renowned garden artist Susan Rios. Garden Tea is used by permission od Susan Rios. For more information on Garden Tea and other artwork by Susan Rios, please visit her website at www.susanrioseditions.com

The Game of Life is really not much different than playing a game of Solitaire.  Life requires persistence, skill, and looking at things from many different angles…as does Solitaire - or any other card game for that matter.  Set your intention to win and you will win.  Persistence is key.  Although sometimes winning may look a little different than you think.  Sometimes you have to know when to scrap the game you are in and move on to the next one.  How do you know when to do this?  When you have looked at things from all angles and each one looks like a struggle.  At this juncture it is wise to start a new game.  Simply start again knowing that the new game will have a better outcome.  Don’t look at it as a failure for at least you know you have tried!  A true failure would be to really want something and not to have tried at all.  Resist not in the game of life, for resistance brings about struggle, which in turn can lead to misery.  Go with the flow of life, holding tight to your dreams, and you will be a high roller in the Game of Life!

The featured artwork selection for today is A Familiar Walk by world renowned figurative artist Susan Rios.  A Familiar Walk is used by permission of Susan Rios.  For more information on A Familiar Walk and other artwork by Susan Rios, please visit her website at www.susanrioseditions.com.

You have everything you need to make the world a better place. It is already there inside of you. You wonder about your purpose in life, about how to make a difference in the world, when in fact you already are! Let us not forget the simple things, for it is the simple things we do every day, that change the world for the better. This could mean picking up litter on the street. smiling at a child, or showing love to an animal. Any simple, or seemingly small thing, done in the spirit of love can make a monumental shift in the consciousness of the world. We often times get wrapped up in the grand scheme of things and forget about the small things, thereby doing nothing. Just do what you can every day. The opportunities will unfold before you, illuminating the pathway ahead. Like Mother Theresa said, “There are no great things, just small things, done with great love”.

The featured artwork selection is Afternoon Walk by California artist Susan Rios.  Afternoon Walk is used by permission of Susan Rios.  For more information on Afternoon walk and other artwork by Susan Rios, please visit her website at www.susanrioseditions.com.

We must release our notions of how love should be. Love is love, in and of itself, and is beautiful. Any preconceived notions of love can hinder our experience. Love is free floating, like a butterfly, and can not be caged or categorized. The best thing to do is embrace the experience, however it comes. To accept that the love we have today is a wondrous gift. This could be love for family, friends, pets, nature, or a piece of art that we connect with. Embracing the experience of the love we have in our lives today puts us in the love vibration. This vibration is where the magic of life happens and where we can manifest anything we want. The trick to maintaining the love vibration is to stay in the moment, and connect with the beauty that each moment has to offer. For there is always something beautiful and magical…if only we allow ourselves to see it. Therefore, there is always love.

Today’s featured painting is With Love by Internationally known painter Susan Rios.  With Love is among many nature paintings and paintings of natural subjects by Susan Rios, who has the ability to deepen the viewer’s connection to nature, simply by viewing her paintings.  For more information on With Love and other paintings by Susan Rios, please visit her website at www.susanrioseditions.com.

We are so blessed and lucky to have dreams!  Anything good that has ever happened started with a dream.  Dreams are tiny seeds that have been planted in our subconscious, so that we can create wonderful things, and also fulfill our life’s purpose.  The telephone started with a dream.  As did the Mona Lisa.  Or the ipod.  These are all things that started in the mind of the creator and have inevitably made the world a better place.  Now what would the world be without the Mona Lisa?  Surely we wouldn’t know the difference…or would we?  Every dreamer owes it to himself or herself to pursue their dream.  Because how do we know that the burning idea that we have won’t be every bit as life changing as the ideas of Leonardo Da Vinci?  We don’t.  So we must celebrate our dreams and celebrate the dreams of others.  Who wants to be the guy that said “Leo, the smile is crooked, forget it”?  Not me.  The dreamer in me salutes the dreamer in you!!!  And that’s what love is made of.

Today’s featured painting is A Place To Dream by California artist Susan Rios.  A Place To Dream is used by permission of Susan Rios.  For more information on A Place To Dream, and other artwork by Susan Rios, please visit her website at www.susanrioseditions.com.

Each of us has a responsibility to let our light shine.  A responsibility to ourselves and a responsibility to others…thereby allowing them the opportunity to do the same.  This comes with a note of caution, however.  Not everyone is comfortable in letting their light shine.  And sometimes when your light is shining brightly it can make others uncomfortable because it challenges them at a subconscious level to pull their own light out of the closet, dust it off, and let it shine as well.  But we say, so what if it makes others uncomfortable?  Let it shine anyway!!!  Because you never know the domino effect that you can create.  Plus it is fun!  By letting your light shine you can draw magnificent things to yourself.  By letting your light shine you become an active participant in life, not just a by-stander on the sidelines.  Watch what happens when you do.  Little children will smile at you.  Animals will approach you.  People will want to be with you.  That is because the light is love.  The kind of knock-your-socks-off kind of love that comes from the place where angels fly free.  Let it shine!

There are certain priorities that should be the same for everybody. Love, and laughter, and letting your light shine, are a few. We all have so many things to juggle with the busy lives we lead. And yet we need to make time for the things that make our hearts sing. For it is at those times when we are elated and filled with bliss that we are closest to the divine. Now…the thing that makes the heart sing is different for everybody. Notice the moments that feel lighter and more free than others. It is in these moments that we are truly inspired and divinely connected. Take special note when your heart feels light. These are the moments of truth for your life. Therein lie your true priorities. This is because our real purpose here is to feel joy and to spread that joy to others wherever we can. Dig your toes into the joy as you would sand at the beach. Breathe in the beauty that life has to offer. Spread joy to a stranger on the street by flashing a smile. A smile. There…now you have your priorities straight.

Today’s featured artwork selection is “Faith” by world renowned figurative painter Susan Rios. “Faith” is used by permission of Susan Rios. For more information on artwork by Susan Rios please visit her website at www.susanrioseditions.com.

We all hold onto things much longer than we should. A job, a relationship, or other habit can become toxic if we hold onto it when it no longer serves us. How can we tell if it serves us or not? The answer is simple. Joy. Does it bring joy into our lives or not? Joy is the barometer to guide us into making the right decision on something. If there is no joy left in a situation, or if all of the other factors outweigh the joy that it brings, then it is time to let go. The letting go process is easy but can be tricky if we have control or insecurity issues. Releasing is natural but it can be really foreign to us after holding on to something for way too long. Just release. Release and trust that something better will come along at the right time. Sometimes we hold on because we think we do not deserve anything better. Or even if we know we deserve better we rationalize the situation by creating reasons for holding on. All the while something better might be right around the corner but it can’t come into our hands if we are holding on to something else. Let go and let love.

Today’s Featured artwork selection is A Sweet Remembrance by internationally known painter, Susan Rios.  For more information on A Sweet Remembrance, and other paintings by Susan Rios, please visit her website at www.susanrioseditions.com.  A Sweet Remembrance is ssed by permission of Susan Rios.

Nobody feels good enough. Even the most secure person gets an occasional bout of the insecurity blues. Somehow we get programmed with not feeling good enough and it can be a real show stopper if it is not addressed and worked through. In order to work through it we need to recognize the feeling when it creeps up and de-program ourselves from the negative and instead focus on exactly what we want to be. We need to tell ourselves “I am good enough as a writer” or “I am good enough as an artist” or “I am good enough as a female” or whatever the case may be. Constant repetition of whatever affirmation suits the situation is an excellent remedy. Writing can also help. But the best thing to do when the thought runs through your head is to press stop and play another tape. One that comes from a place of love, laughter, or joy. Something moving or funny that can elevate the mood and take us to a higher place. Because in higher places everything is good enough, even perfect or holy. The key is to connect with that, and hold on as long as possible, until we can eventually “live” there.

We are given so many signs every day. The trick is to pay attention and recognize them, as they are often way more subtle than we would imagine. We expect the skies to part, or a big booming voice, or a bolt of lightning. But actual signs are much more gentle. Warning signs can come as a nagging feeling to drive a different way, or to delay a meeting with a friend that has a contagious flu bug until that person is feeling better, in order to protect our health. But there are also beautiful “green light” signs that show us that we are on the right track. These can come in the form of rainbows, crows, humming birds, butterflies, or any symbol that we may attach meaning to. These green light signs are every bit as important as warning signs and should be heeded and blessed and celebrated. They can be a sign that we are on the right path or that a certain decision we have made has been validated. But mostly they are a reminder to breathe in the moments of joy that exist for everyone. Time will pass the same whether we are happy and joyous or otherwise, so why not choose happiness? Each day we have is a gift, so embrace the signs of joy, and a blessed life you will live indeed!