Body Talk eZine

Life Lessons

"When we feel peaceful within, we begin to attract more of the peace we desire because we're functioning from a spiritual place of peace." ~ Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

Mom Quotes

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler." -- Henry David Thoreau

Mom Quotes

"All things seem possible in May." -- Edwin Way Teale

What are you Made For? By Laura Marie

What Are You Made For?

Often society dictates our thoughts, our wardrobe, our style, even our weight.  But, what happens if we're not perfect in "their" eyes?  In my mind, there's two choices: 1) Spend endless hours chasing images of what we "should" be or 2) Spend time discovering the answer to the question: "what's perfect for me?" New article coming soon!

Bring Back the Holiday Magic by Laura Marie

In his beautiful book "Walden," Thoreau said of winter, "When the ponds were firmly frozen, they afforded not only new and shorter routes to many points but new views from their surfaces of the familiar landscape around them."

When I was a young person, my father came home from work one day and declared he had quit his job to start his own business.  We believed in him.  But, at the same time, we knew in our hearts that times would be lean for a while.  And so they were.  Yet, my mother - in her infinite wisdom - never made us feel as if we had "less." She would toil early and late, using her creative ability to keep us (my brother and me) beautifully clothed, well-fed, and always entertained.

She purchased a used Singer sewing machine and became our own personal clothier.  We gave up television for evenings of showcasing our individual talents.  We invited friends, sang, danced, and laughed until we collapsed in exhaustion.  And those hours (and years) in my young mind, flew by like a blink.

This behavior would carry over into the holidays, as well.  My brother and I, the enterprising young people we were, would make up carefully choreographed performances - me on the piano; and comedy skits - him with his sardonic wit and wisdom.  We eventually learned we could make money by selling tickets to our Vaudevillian routines.  Too, holiday gifts were hand-crafted sans Mom's powder blue Singer.  My memory still recalls falling asleep to the hum and rat-a-tat-tat of its working parts.  At supper time, we invited neighborhood friends to our home, and everyone brought a dish to pass.  To date, these were the best meals and happiest times I've ever had.

As I grow older, it seems all meaning has given in to media.  The rattle and hum of the Singer have translated into a "gotta have this, can't live without that," mentality of bigger, faster, more.  And although much time has passed and times are not as lean as they once were, I long for the joy that I felt as a child at holiday time.

As we move forward into this holiday season, I propose we all take a few moments to reflect on ways we can bring the magic back to the holiday.  I believe we can do this by sharing our most exact gifts: those inside our hearts.  It costs nothing more than time to love each other, after all.  And perhaps in doing so, we can view life as Thoreau once did.  For as he said of his winter pond in Walden, a fresh perspective can bring about unique beauty in what was once an otherwise routine pathway.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

Finding Joy During the Holidays by Laura Marie

It's holiday time again. We love them, yes. But, if you're like me, all the media commotion makes it easy to forget their true meaning. And what's behind the true meaning of the Holidays? This year, after meditating on this question, three ideas came to mind: grace, gratitude, and random acts of kindness. With these thoughts, I give you my own three steps for making the Holidays more meaningful.

Step One: Find Grace

It's been a rough year full of deadlines, long hours, and a whole lot of doing. Now we enter into an even busier season! There seems little room for enjoyment. And therein lies the answer. In my experience, the business of life far overshadows its genuine excitement: the thrill of living in the moment, choosing a meaningful gift, or spending time with one another. How to get back to this state of childlike wonder during the Holiday season?

When I'm feeling frazzled or anxious during this time of year, there's nothing that centers me faster than reading the words of my favorite authors. Over the years, I've built an extensive arsenal of motivational books just for this purpose. I offer this solution to you, as well. If you're looking for a portal to peace and guidance: it's instantaneous.

Here are some of my favorites:

Dr. Wayne Dyer: “There's A Spiritual Solution To Every Problem”

Neale Donald Walsh: “Conversations With God, Book One”

Iyanla Vanant: “One Day My Soul Just Opened Up!”

Step Two: Be Grateful

To me, gratitude is an instrument of faith. Faith is paramount for bringing meaning and fulfillment to the Holidays. Here's an example: During this pre-holiday season, I felt hurt and disappointed by a friend who just stopped calling. In the past, the Holidays seemed to escalate disappointments, family tension, or friendships gone awry. Somewhere in my mind, the fairy-tale says holidays are about setting aside differences and loving each other. Yet, sometimes, friendships end and families disagree.

If you've had a similar experience, I've found asking for guidance from the universe in handling these situations can often dispel disappointment and create a sense of gratitude. Focusing on what is in your life that brings you joy can usually help you realize, everything is as it should be. If a friendship ends or family hardship moves to the fore during the holiday, we can learn to forgive. Moreover, when we are grateful for what we have, trust that we will be guided to handle the situation with a loving heart. Then we can open ourselves to receive the joy of the holiday moment.

Need A way To Find Gratitude This Season? Give This Exercise a Try:

Each day commit to taking a long look around yourself. When doing so, find everything you can to be grateful for: a kind and loving family, health, a particular passion or gift you possess. If you practice, soon you'll become overwhelmed with gratitude for what you already have. I hope you will find every ounce of negativity falls away. If you feel inspired, say, "Thank You!" aloud, in praise of the gifts you have already received.

Random Acts of Kindness:

When we've taken the time to nurture our souls by becoming more grateful and accepting this holiday season, there is a way to continue to expand our gratitude. How? By sharing it. For example, I've noticed, if I continue to give away what I have in earnest, it expands. Therefore, if we choose to create more joy, we can do so by causing another to feel pleasure. Here's my favorite way: random acts of kindness.

Need More Joy This Holiday Season? Give This Exercise A Try:

Begin by asking yourself, “How is it I may serve during this holiday season?” Can I give a few extra dollars to charity? Can I send a card and a short message to someone who I haven't seen in a while? Can I send flowers to my mom "just because?" If you look around, it is not hard to find ways to share a loving thought or message. For a small amount of time, effort, and money, it's easy to cause an earthquake of joy.

My Blessing To You:

May you find grace, joy, and love in this holiday season. For when your heart expands, you can give to others in earnest. Love is the true meaning of the Holidays: sharing what you have with those you love. I think you'll find, by giving a healthy dose of kindness away—there's just that much more to go around.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

Life Lessons: The Enduring Magic of Meditation by Laura Marie

“How will you make a living?” asked my dubious father when I'd told him of my early aspirations to be a writer. It happened in my senior English class. I'd published my first poem, viewed my name in print, and instantly had the bug. I lowered my head into my hands; I didn't know.

     Later, when I entered college, I didn't try to scrub out the dream. Instead, I buried it thoroughly by studying and focusing on the medical program I'd enrolled in. Calculus, physics, and biology occupied the spaces where poetry had once been.   

     While in college, I met my friend Janet who was the spiritual sort. We both liked to share our big (and secret) dreams for the future. And now that our friendship gave me a dose of permission, I started scribbling in my journal again and knew my writing fancy was still alive.

     One day at the beginning of the spring semester, Janet announced we needed to check out the meditation class led by her Buddhist religious studies teacher. She'd taken the course as an elective and thought meditation sounded okay to her. Sandra (the professor) promised it would help her find her center. “I'm in,” I told her. And we both signed up.

     Janet and I arrived for our guided meditation class with no expectations. We each located a bare spot on the floor, dropped our provided meditation cushions, and waited. Our teacher, Sandra, entered promptly and then guided us to do, well, not much. We were instructed to follow our breath, close our eyes to half-mast, and count slowly in our minds from one to 10 and then back again. After 20 minutes, we were told to stop. That's it.

     We dutifully attended class weekly, and it didn't seem like much was changing. But I did recognize I was increasingly peaceful in my heart, my thoughts were on center, and they didn't race anymore. 

     As the months passed, however, I became acutely aware of my intuition. Janet did, too. And at semester's end, she decided to apply for a Ph.D. program. I leaped, changing majors to study English literature. Academically, Janet and I parted ways then, but we both knew we were on to something.

     The dream of becoming a full-time writer didn't happen immediately. After college, I worked for a long while as a bookkeeper. I continued to scribble on the side, though, until my first book realized the light of day. The constants remained the same; I continued meditating, and I kept writing.

     When I hit my last decade birthday, I decided it was time to jump into my enterprise. I was already working a few side-hustles, transcription, and article writing for content websites, but when my last “regular” job changed course, I jumped headlong into freelancing full-time.

     Meditation was and continues to be the common thread throughout my journey. It stabilizes me when I feel lost or alone or unsure of my next steps. In retrospect, it has always been there for me to count on. Meditation helped to ground me when I lost my Dad, as well. And before he passed, he told me he was proud of me. “You're not like the other sheep,” he said finally. “You don't stick with the pack, and that will take you a long way.”

     Well, maybe I didn't become the doctor my father imagined, but I followed my heart and am at peace. That's what he said was his most important life lesson, too.

 

A Meditation from Spiritual Fitness: The 7-Steps to Living Well.

     Use this meditation to draw positive, loving energy toward you: Sitting in a comfortable position, preferably legs crossed and hands folded together, try this simple meditation for 10 to 20 minutes three times each week.

     1) Visualize a bright light coming up from the Earth's core and surrounding you with its light and warmth.

     2) Imagine this light is connecting the center of the Earth to the sun with you inside of it.

     3) Visualize this bright light around you. Imagine you have an energy “brush” and are brushing this area clean of negative energy.

     4) Allow the negative energy to fall to the ground, become neutralized, and then become reabsorbed by the light.

     5) There are many spaces now that need to be filled in by your positive energy lost in other places. Thus, imagine you have an energy whistle, and when you blow it, it will call your lost energy back to you.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

Making Every Day Matter by Laura Marie

Recently, I read The Alchemist by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho. If you haven't read it yet, the main character, Santiago, has a dream that he must go to the pyramids of Egypt. Here, he's told, he will find a treasure waiting just for him. Inspired, he followed his calling. What he found was, most on this path were either too afraid or became sidetracked when it came to developing their journey to what he later named "the quest for a personal legend."

All this got me thinking. First, what does it mean to have and find a personal legend? And how do we go about the business of following the call to our treasure? To me, it involves the simple (or not so simple) task of making everyday matter. In this article then, I will aim to document what I think are several ways we can each align ourselves with our treasure. In the light of a new season, we can all do well by taking time to think about the possibilities our legend holds for us and, with this mindset, aim to make each day a meaningful one.

1) Aim To Do Something Each Day To Make It Special.

We all have circumstances in our life that are beyond our control. I'm thinking specifically about health concerns, job stress factors, and balancing our relationships with others. There are always pockets of time that each of us can use to make each day special. To me, it involves a ritualistic expression of creativity.

Here's how I suggest managing this time. First, think of something that you can do each day to make it unique. I can be something different each day; however, for our purposes here, I propose planning to create a daily ritual. Here's mine: Each day of this season, I plan to sit down for a one-half hour with tea and my dreams. I will use this time to write in my journal. I hope to pen three pages each day, as Julia Cameron prescribes in her book The Artists Way. Why have I chosen this activity? It's what brings me my greatest joy. How to find your happiness? Read on to objective number two.

2) Find What Brings You Joy.

I often think of happiness in terms of energy currency and am continually taking my energetic temperature. I believe, when we do things that bring us joy, we allow this positive energy to expand. I've written before, to receive what we wish, we have to give away that something first. For example, if I long for joy, I can create joy in my life by giving "joy" away. How? By sharing what I have. And it's easy to do this time of year. For example, I can share by giving to the Salvation Army at the mall's entrance at Christmastime or sending care packages to the homeless. All this creates a forum for joy to expand.

3) Express Your Creativity.

Once you've allowed your joy to expand and know what joy "feels" like, use this same ritual to develop your creativity if you like to write or have another creative passion, try taking more time for that gift. I think you will find that it will help your inspiration grow and with it, bring along more happiness and peace to your soul. Further, and along the same lines of making every day unique, look for ways you can share your creativity and if you are not sure where your creative talents lie, experiment. Take free internet classes or low-cost courses at your local craft store. In my experience, this activity alone will help you become closer to your legend.

4) Learn To Follow Your Heart.

Here's the real challenge: Before we can evolve, we must learn to let go of our expectations. What does letting go of expectations have to do with discovering your legend? It's simple. If we let go of our controlling ways (and I am speaking to myself, here) we can open ourselves to the blessings of life and allow it to show us the way. We are all gifted with a unique personal legend. We must learn how to dance marrying intention with inspiration to find our balance within. Life will always guide us if we let her. Moreover, it is up to us to be aware of our circumstances and open our hearts for the answers. For as Santiago learned from the alchemist, "To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

Live Healthy Naturally: Identify Your Wellness Potential in 3 Easy Steps by Laura Marie

“You will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.  It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Each day, are you becoming healthier? According to the mind/body model of wellness as outlined by The Wellness Book by Herbert Benson, the pursuit of being "well" expands as you continue along the road to self-discovery and what the author calls "self-wholeness."  Think of it this way, according to the mind/body model of wellness; you are in a constant process of becoming "whole" and healthier as you learn to become more and more of yourself. Therefore, if you're not even sure where you are on this continuum or if you need a push in the right direction, these three steps will help you tap your continued health and wellness potential.

1) Create Your “Loves” List

Discovering your wellness potential begins by identifying yourself.  To begin, make what the author of The Wellness Book calls your “10 Loves List.” This list is easy to create.  Choose 10 things in your life you love to do that do not involve risking your physical or emotional health.  Next, rate these items in terms of importance and decide if you've been spending enough time doing them.  No need to think deeply about this.  To make things simple, jot down your first instincts.

For example, your list could look like mine:

Write, read, exercise, meditate/journal/listen to music, listen to guided imagery tapes, watch movies, pet the cat, spend time with friends and family, and make jewelry.

2) Uncover Your Missing Pieces and Create a Long-Term Goal for Your Health

Next, decide what images this exercise brings up for you.  If the premise of wellness is gathering or "re-membering" your missing pieces to create wholeness, what activities are you missing in your life or not doing enough of? Usually, your mind and heart will provide the answer to this question.  Now, ask yourself how you can change your life to include more of what's missing?

From this jumping-off point, you should now be able to create a long term goal.  This goal should be challenging enough to be exciting yet not troublesome or burden you.  It should also be a goal you feel you can accomplish within a year. This list should conjure up the notion that you can expand your mind and health by bringing forward what you consider your gifts to the world.  Continue to examine your list and decide what you can contribute.

3) Create Monthly Short-Term Goals and Begin to Re-Member Yourself

Next create a month's worth of short term goals, based on time constraints.  To summarize, define short term goals as "specific, realistic, measurable and behavior-oriented," according to the author. For example, if , like me, your goal is to write a book, set the goal of writing five pages each day for five days each week.

After you've defined your short term goals, make a genuine commitment to them.  If you need to, create a contract with yourself, sign it, date it and put it in an envelope.  Plan to revisit this goal chart at the end of the month.  This simple, effective exercise relies on one idea—it only takes 21 days to create a habit. If you are consistent and work through a month of short-term goals, chances are you will be successful in reaching your longer goal. And as The Wellness Book author says, this passion work will reap dividends on your health and wellness.

Identifying Your Wellness Potential, In Conclusion:

Each month continue to renew and recommit to your long term goal by retooling your short term goals as you move along.  Also, continue to re-explore your "List of Loves" and see where you can apply them into your life.  According to the author, you will soon find that what you focus on expands and you will create more space for in your life.  As a result, you will then be on your way to re-membering all the lost pieces of yourself and to enhance your health and longevity.  You'll wonder why you didn't strive to become more of yourself sooner!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

Life Lessons: The Art of Doing Nothing

The Tao is at ease.
It overcomes without competing
answers without speaking a word,
arrives without being summoned,
accomplishes without a plan.

Its net covers the whole universe.
And though its meshes are wide,
it doesn't let a thing slip through.
(Tao 73)

How can doing nothing help you? Here's an example. During college, I always dreaded exams. Not because I didn't study for them or feel confident that I'd learned the information, it was more that I'd decided I wasn't a good "test-taker." I wondered why everyone else seemed to get great grades without losing much sleep and why mine were mediocre, and I'd stayed up later. "I want to be sure I've got all the information embedded solidly in my mind," I told myself. Too, I had myself convinced, because I was more of a "right-brained" thinker, my creativity prevented me from doing exceptionally well on science-based exams.

After observing my colleagues (the ones who seemed naturally gifted in test-taking), I'd decided to try something new. I would be as interactive as I could during class, then review what we'd discussed each evening. I would show up being mindful of the information, read the homework and highlight what I thought were the most important ideas. The next day I would do the same, then review my highlights from the day before. When it came time for the exam, I would consider my notes thoroughly—one final time—then go to bed and rest. My grades immediately improved.

This contemplation made me think: How much of life is merely becoming mindful of our experiences? And how much emphasis am I placing on the "wrong" kinds of thinking? By convincing myself that I wasn't a good test-taker, I'd merely talked myself out of getting the most I could from my experience.

With this in mind: Taoists offer help through Wu Wei. The term as they've defined it means "doing/not doing" or "action/nonaction." Taoism teaches us that we need to take a significant amount of time doing nothing, to contemplate and to let nature show us the way. It's the idea that less is more and to be fully present we must be the observers of our life, every day. It is, as author Diane Dreher reminds us in her book The Tao of Inner Peace, the way of harmonious action. I started by asking myself, "Am dialed into my inner self at all times?" To me dialing in is a gut-level reaction to the circumstances at hand. It is taking a mindful approach to all of life and devoting a significant amount of time to finding your center. Here's how.

Take Time to do Nothing. 

Take time each day to sit still for several minutes. Observe your breath. Use deep breaths (in through the nose and out through the nose) to bring the body into a state of peace. Studies have shown that nose breathing is both clarifying and invokes a calm in the body, unlike any other exercise. When you reach a state of silence, focus on this feeling. Aim to "bookmark" it as you would a webpage you enjoy or a phone number in your database. Choose an anchor (an idea, a word, a visual) that can take you to this place, then attach the feeling to it.

Later when you are out in your day and in a place where an unknown stressor crops up, you can easily reach your Tao space by invoking the anchor image in your mind or creating a body motion that takes you to this state of peace. When stressed, you can always stop what you are doing and take several deep and cleansing nose breaths, as well.

Take Non-action Vacations Throughout the Day. 

When we slow down, we can get more from the day. When we slow the body, the laws of nature bring us everything we need. Just as we invoke a sweat to cool us in the heat and shiver to warm us from the cold our energy and the energetic flow of nature works its magic when we are in a peaceful state of mind.

Become Aware of Your Actions.  

This week as you move forward into your life, begin by being mindful. Aim to notice details that you usually overlook. When writing a fictional story, I use as many senses as I can: smell, taste, touch, and sight to enhance the reading experience. Try this yourself. Find something new on the same well-traveled route. If you practice staying focused this week, you should begin to find grounding in your life. I think you'll find this practice invokes joy, brings the heart to peace and makes your life feel like a new and exciting journey.

If you missed them, please read the first two posts in this series: Why Follow The Tao? Simple: It Promises Health, Wellness, and Abundance and Treasures on the Path to Wellness.

Taoist Affirmation

Today is my day to create
I trust all that is mine will naturally flow to me
while tapping into the infinite source, infinite wisdom.
Personal peace is mine and is available to me—always.
I walk forward today, carefully, mindfully.
Today becomes part of my past, and my footprints become
first embedded then solidified.
I walk forward with confidence and in divine intention
knowing that I am an example—and leaving tracks
that lead to home.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

Why Follow The Tao? Simple: It Promises Health, Wellness, and Abundance.

This is an update of Body Talk's original first post from January of 2007; its message is still relevant!  If you enjoy searching for your spiritual side, it will reward you with health, wellness, and abundance. Please enjoy these words.

The great Tao flows everywhere.
All things are born from it,
yet it doesn't create them.
It pours itself into its work,
yet it makes no claim.
It nourishes infinite worlds,
yet it doesn't hold on to them.
Since it is merged with all Things
and hidden in their hearts,
it can be called humble.
Since all things vanish into it
and it alone endures,
it can be called great.
It isn't aware of its greatness;
thus it is truly great.
(Tao 34)

Why Follow The Tao?

What then is the Tao and why should I follow it?  You may be wondering.  For centuries, seekers have been asking this same question.  Its answer is as simple as its pages.  The slim volume known as the Tao Te Ching, originally penned by Lao Tzu in ancient China over 25 centuries ago has been translated more than any other book but the Bible.  It teaches us to follow our own organic flow in the cycles of nature.

Could it be that this simple concept is the way to peace and health?  I happen to think so.  What's more? For this journey, you will pack nothing.  For the journey to the Tao will not take us "away."  Our travels will take us to a much more important place, that of nature within ourselves. 

I first learned of "Taoism" while taking a World Religions course as an undergraduate in college.  Taoism had its own place in this study, yes.  However, many Taoists can also be Christians, Buddhists or members of any other religious group.  This because its message is universal: If we can learn to cooperate with the energies in and around us, we can gain health, peace, and balance of ourselves and our world.  This is the journey I invite you to take along with me.  It is my hope that I can return the favor: for after meeting the Tao - I've been allowing it to show me its way ever since.  It's the gift that is endless.  I want to share this gift with you.

How Does The Tao Work?

Although the Tao teaches us to look inside, the outward action is more authentic as a result.  The way of the Tao teaches us to come from within in all of our daily activities.  Here we find our inner rhythm, the music of our hearts and can then translate it into outward activity.

Tao Te Ching - Where Does The Title Come From? 

According to the ancients, "Ching" is a sacred text.  The Tao then has been known as "The Way" or a path of order, a tuning into the laws and the rhythms of nature.  Te then means "virtue" or being authentically intuitive and compassionate in all that you do.  Can you think of a better way to live?

According to author Diane Dreher in her book The Tao of Inner Peace, the Tao Te Ching is the path that leads from the heart. If you follow it, you are aligning yourself with the path of nature.  This journeying inward can pay dividends on your health and well being.  Life, when you learn to go within, will show you the way.  Using the Tao, you can work with your own cycles and energy to create a healthy positive outward life.  In the following weeks, I will show you how.

Taoist Affirmations:

Today I realize that my life is a process and I am an evolution.

My life and my health are perfectly wound within my DNA uncoiling each moment of each day when I follow my own intuition.

When I come from within, I never go without.

Perfect health is mine, as are abundance, love, and joy.

I know that I am an evolution, and each moment is sacred. I love and live in each moment knowing that all health, all life, and all joy happen now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

Into The Wild: Build and [Hopefully] They Will Come.

Real life, it seems, is certainly no “Field of Dreams,” the mystical place where we manifest those things—the perfect team—from thin air. No. People die, things change, the solid footing we once thought we had becomes loose and shaky. Or is that just the way things are supposed to be?

I guess it depends on your perspective. After a series of life-changing events in my own life, I’ve found myself living in a sort of fear-based reality; there’s a boogeyman under my bed, new dangers lurk around every corner. I’d grown to expect horrible things to happen. What was I doing? In truth, sometimes life does fall apart.  But what if I made a new decision—one of not being afraid? What if, instead, I took a step toward my dreams and expected good things and only good things to happen? Will I then build the perfect team?

Well, the short answer is, I’ll let you know. But here’s some of what has helped me change my thinking in the meantime.

Facing Fear Head On.

Have you read “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed? I recently saw her interviewed on “Marie TV” and ran out to grab the book. The book was a life-changer for me. “Why have I not read this sooner?” I asked myself while jotting notes from everything from self-help wisdom to book titles that she’d read while on her journey. What’s more, Strayed’s book is a treatise for overcoming fear. With nothing to lose [she’d lost her mother, her marriage failing] she hiked the Pacific Crest Trail by herself through the state of California and Oregon to the Bridge of the Gods bordering Washington state. I won’t give away all the details, but there are so many instances when all seems lost; her boots cascade over the edge of a cliff, no water in 110-degree heat. Throughout, she never gives up and always soldiers forward—everything righting itself eventually. 

If Strayed can accomplish this brave act, I reasoned, why can’t I simply submit my novel to publishers and agents and move forward in my journey of becoming a writer? What’s my problem?

Guilt Packs A Wallop, But Can Be Tempered With Gratitude. 

Guilt has been another rattlesnake on my own personal wilderness trail, tempting, always, to starve me from my path’s way forward.  “Why don’t you get one 'regular' job, Laura?” I have often asked myself since our family closed the doors of its business in January of 2016. I, instead, continued on, ramping up hours with two of the side-hustle jobs I’d had. I was going to write within the gaps, I promised myself. After all, what is “regular” and what of my lifelong dream of becoming a writer? Pushing guilt aside, I decided, “Yes, this is how it is. I will work two part-time jobs to support my craft just as my hero’s and favorite writers have.”

After all, I’ve spent a lifetime wanting to be a writer [more on deferred dreams in a moment] perhaps I should instead be grateful that I’ve been given this opportunity to fulfill my dream—no matter how outlandish. I’m paying my bills; I’m not hurting anyone [laughs]. What at first seemed like a horrible event [family business closing], now seems as if it’s opened up an opportunity for me. 

You Are Never Too Old To Begin Anew.

Once a freelance journalist, I spent 10 years of my life not writing.  As I look back on that time now, what the hell had I been doing?  The time wasn’t lost to the ethers, I reasoned, I’d helped my father face his illness head-on and been witness to enjoy every last moment I’d had with him until his eventual passing.  I was supporting my family and their business and made peace with the fact that it was not meant to go on without its faithful leader; too, I overcame my own several-year dark bought with depression.  Like Strayed on the Pacific Crest Trail, however, I’ve finally made the choice—there’s only one way to go and that’s ahead. Picking up where I’d left off with my writing, was better than never picking myself up at all.

Fast forward to this moment from January 2016, I’m still alive regardless of how I felt at the time—save the doom I felt after losing my dear father, letting go of his business was akin to reliving his passing all over again. Yet, here I sit at my desk, I have a novel [as of yet, unsold] under my belt and out to publishers, a new one forming itself in my gray matter. And so I ask myself once more, “If I build, will they come?” I do hope they will. But until then, I’m looking ahead into the wild, keeping fear and guilt in check and every day watering the seeds of good intentions and timeless gratitude.

Talk To Me:

Is there something in your life that you’ve been resisting? How do you decide when to hold on and when to let go? I’d love to know. If you’d care to share, please leave a comment below. As always, thank you for reading and do consider sharing Body Talk with your friends.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

Life Lessons: Living In The NOW Moment; The Power of The Present.

This week I gave myself a new challenge: to stay in the moment; to live in the present each day. I tend to be futuristic in my thinking, always planning ahead, creating my next project in my head, planning my next move. It was a new way of thinking for me and it changed my approach to life, entirely. Here’s what I’ve learned:

Now Is The Only Moment You Have.

During the week, I made an effort to stay with what I was doing at each second of each day. If I was washing dishes or doing laundry, I would be with the dishes or the laundry. If I was working on my book project, I would simply be with that. In turn, I tended to make the most time for the things I enjoyed doing -- and letting go of or spending less time on those things that are time-wasting. It works. One of my favorite spiritual gurus, Dr. Wayne Dyer, offers this challenge to improve our lives by living in the present: 1.) Think consciously about your activities – what activities can you go without? 2.) Let go of menial tasks and instead spend time doing more activities that bring about enjoyment and fulfillment each day. Good lessons!

Decide Who You Want To Be And Then Change Your NOW Moments.

If you want to lose weight, for example, instead of planning ahead to how things will be next year or once you’ve lost the weight, plan how you can live your life in the day – what foods do you need to eat in the NOW that will support your body and who you want to be? Focus on who you are today and think about what you can do to expand and support your purpose. For me, I have a hard time approaching the task of writing my books – yet, I want to be an author. In the moment of NOW, I ask myself: What do authors do? Simple, they write. What can I do today – what small piece can I add to the bigger framework of being a writer? I can find one or two hours today to write. One word at a time, one moment at a time, the next the book begins to evolve – and so does my goal of being a writer. How does this idea apply to you?

Create Small Goals For The Day That Support Who You Want To Be.

This applies directly to my “be an author” example. It’s also applied to my “be a thinner version of yourself” example or anything else you’d care to create. The question becomes: What are the goals and efforts I can put into this day that will make me more at peace with who I am now? Finding peace in the NOW moment involves being happy with who you are already; loving yourself as you already are and finding peace with where you’re at. For this purpose, it’s important to realize that we already have everything we need. The universe can support us when we stay with who we are in the NOW, when we find peace in the day; when we take the time to give thanks for who we are, what we are, and where we are.

In conclusion, when focusing on the NOW, I’ve found that the right things have begun to line up for me. I have greater peace in my heart. I can appreciate where I am at the moment instead of wishing for tomorrow or longing for yesterday. We are here and the time is now. When you think it over the message comes through quite clearly – NOW is all we have. And in the words of Kalidasa: “Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow is only a vision. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.”  

Talk To Me:

Is there something in your life that you’ve been wanting to change? Would you consider taking a week off from living futuristically to reflect on the now? I’d love to know. If you’d care to share, please leave a comment below. As always, thank you for reading and do consider sharing Body Talk with your friends.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

Life Lessons: My Non-Complaining Experiment

Last week I decided to give myself a new challenge. I was feeling despondent; sad over the anniversary loss of my dad, the anniversary loss of my cat. I needed to get out of a dark place. The challenge was: to spend one week without complaining. “Is that possible?” I was asked.  “Yes, for a whole week.”

In all, I received about an A minus for the assignment. It wasn’t a perfect week of bliss; I did find myself slipping. But the key here is that I caught myself in action and I stopped the negativity in its tracks. It wasn’t easy either, I’d received a rejection from an agent that I’d sent my novel to – that happened on day one of the campaign. Yet I prevailed – pretty much. Here are three things that I learned from my experiment and why I will do it again.

Complaining is Negative and Breeds Negativity.

The words of the Texas pastor Joel Osteen come to mind: “If you complain, you’ll remain.” I kept these words at the fore of my mind when I was trying to avoid complaining. Complaining puts us into a downward spiral, it feeds on itself. It says, “I am not happy about [place your item here] and I’m not moving forward because I need to tell you about it.” This behavior breeds negative energy. When I made the conscious effort not to complain, I felt altogether lighter; I chose to speak of happier more positive subjects. I felt like I was growing toward the light, so to speak. Now, even though I’m not following my campaign slavishly, I do aim to catch myself when I feel the urge to get grumpy about an event.

Not Complaining Breeds Gratitude.

When I told my friends on Facebook that I was spending a week not complaining many remarked, “Good for you, there is always something to be grateful for.” And throughout the week, I found this to be true. Not complaining almost forces you to be grateful for more things and observe what you already do have.  Even when I was disappointed that the agent said, “No,” I thought to myself, “Well, he did send me a detailed reasoning of why he said no; perhaps I can use this to redefine my novel and get a ‘yes’ next time.” Not complaining immediately forces one to look at the positive spin on what would otherwise be a negative event.

Not Complaining Allows Good Things to Happen.

Even though I received a rejection on my novel proposal, I didn’t let negativity overwhelm me. I kept moving and have been sharpening up my story ever since.  Coincidently, in that same week, I also received a kind, personal email note from an assistant editor of one of the magazines I queried about another project. They asked, enthusiastically, to have a look at it. So, in short, it seems the lesson here is this: keep moving. When negativity strikes and the urge to complain creeps in, keep looking forward to the next great thing that is positive, it will arrive.

In all, my non-complaining campaign has been a positive experience. There have been moments – I’ll admit – when I’ve wanted to have an all-out complain-a-thon when my campaign had finished. Yet, I kept remembering back to how light I’d felt when I resisted the urge to complain and now have become slower to do so. I would much rather feel light than heavy and burdensome, I would much rather open my heart then remain closed. Yes, bad things are going to happen, but when you keep moving past them, the good things seem to come around quickly enough.

Talk To Me:

Is there something in your life that you’ve been complaining about? Would you consider taking a week off from complaining to reflect? I’d love to know. If you’d care to share, please leave a comment below. As always, thank you for reading and do consider sharing Body Talk with your friends.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

Life Lessons: Bloom Where You're Planted.

Since I was a child – when I was feeling lost or off-track – my mother always told me, “Bloom where you’re planted.” As a special needs mom, no one understood this adage more that she does. It took me some years to process this thought, however. And now that I’m getting along in time – this has proved wonderful wisdom. It’s easy to look over your shoulder and say: “I wish I were here,” or, “I wish I could be doing this...”

“No,” she says. It’s more about the Now moment. And the more I’ve come to understand this notion, the more comfortable I feel in my own skin. What follows then are three ways you can bloom right where you are.

Stay in the Now Moment.

Like I said, it’s easy to look over our shoulder at what everyone else is doing. Staying in the Now moment brings us back to the present and helps us find the joy in each day. It’s not hard to do – simply be with what you are doing. Take pride in each step of the day. Staying in the Now challenges us to be the best at our accomplishments and to take stock in the events of each day. When we take inventory of the day’s events, we can expand more on the activities that bring us joy and energy. It also helps us to extract some contentment from even the most mundane tasks. It prevents anxiety when we think that we are exactly where we need to be and life will show us the way if we slow down and act deliberately.

Follow the Serenity Prayer.

The Serenity Prayer states, “God grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” What events in our life are in our control? Where can you make a difference? There is wisdom in making the distinction between what we can change and the places in life that we have no control over. Another lesson that my mother taught me – if something is out of your control, let go. This is not to say that we shouldn’t speak up when we feel passionate and the opportunity presents itself, but as the serenity prayer tells us, it’s up to us to find, “The wisdom to know the difference.”

Start Where You Are.

To bloom where you’re planted, you have no other choice but to begin where you are right now. When I lost my job last year, I knew I’d already been waiting too long to write a new book. I had a few ideas that had been hanging around in my hard drive for a while but I never found the right time to get started. So one day, I did it. I put one foot in front of the next and created an outline, then wrote it up one chapter at a time. Before I knew it a new novel was living on my computer and looking for publication. This made me think: Life is like writing a book. First, you put one foot in front of the next then you create an outline. Next, you write it up chapter by chapter and day by day – and before you know it, you’ve created something new.

My mother is a wise woman. She understands that life doesn’t give us what we think it will. But there’s always a gem in the day if we pay attention. “Take pride in everything that you do,” she would have me tell you. From my mom, I’ve learned life is not a race. Instead, it’s all about slowing down and listening to our hearts.

Talk To Me:

Is there something in your life that you’ve been resisting? How do you decide when to hold on and when to let go? I’d love to know. If you’d care to share, please leave a comment below. As always, thank you for reading and do consider sharing Body Talk with your friends.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

Life Lessons: Facing Ch-Ch-Changes

This year we lost the legendary artist David Bowie who told us: "Time may change me, but I can't trace time." No, we can't trace time.  Change, however, large or small is always on the horizon, and its ebbs and flows change us in many ways -- sometimes good, sometimes well... 

I've really made it no secret that my life has been in upheaval this year -- losing the j-0-b, the change in hands of the family business -- and I've just been bracing myself and holding on for dear life until it all settles down.  It's a learning process, though.  And here are a couple things that I'm learning about how to adapt to change.

Life Isn't So Big and Scary if you Learn to Live it Day By Day.

When I first was let go from my job of 20-something years in January I had no idea what would happen to me.  What would I do for work?  Where would I get healthcare?  What would happen to my family? (It was a family business, after all).  The truth is, the universe picks us up when we take care of business day-by-day.  Each day I ask myself: "What do I need to do to move forward, today?"  And the answer usually comes.  It took five months, but I received healthcare I could afford.  It's been since January, and I've ramped up all my side-jobs to patch together a schedule and a budget I can live with -- it's all going along okay when I take it one day at a time.

Rely on the Things that Bring You Joy.

I always speak of utilizing gifts and talents and this is especially true during times of change.  I have relied a lot on my journal and my writing -- I'm even considering adding to my freelance work and (hopefully) penning a new book soon.  Your heart will show you the way to go, is my deepest feeling.  My writing has always been my go-to source for comfort and direction.  It's almost as if I work myself out on the page as I go.  We all have amazing talents -- that's what makes shows like "The Voice" and "America's Got Talent" so exciting; people just like you and me can be recognized for their "thing." The trick with gifts -- I've found -- is you have to stay with them.  In terms of money -- that's another story.  In truth, our gifts owe us nothing even though they beg to be utilized.  Often they don't provide the "big score" right away, but I do believe with all my heart that they lead us where we need to go.

Stay Focused -- Stay Positive -- Set New Goals.

I am a dreamer, but I am also realistic.  I believe that life happens as it should when we listen to our hearts.  I feel strongly about focusing on the day-to-day, but also feel it's important to have a direction by which to steer the ship.  I've been spending a lot of time with my goals -- setting out a game plan for my future.  What do I want my future to look like?  What can I do now to create a success story for later?  These are just a few things that I've stopped to think about when I had such a big life-change here in mid-life.  If you're facing changes -- I hope these ideas will help you.  I've been hit hard in the last year -- but, I can't imagine I'm the only one.  Stay strong, be brave.  Life happens day-by-day.  And as Bowie tells us: just "Turn and face  the strange -- gonna have to be a different man."

Talk to Me:

Are you struggling to make your own way when life has made a mess of things?  If you are, what have your experiences been like?  I’d love to know.  If you’d care to share, please leave a comment below the post on the website.  As always, thank you for reading and do consider sharing Body Talk with your friends.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

Life Lessons: If You Are What You Do -- Then When You Don't, You're Not

I recently lost a job that I had for over 20 years.  It wasn't just any job, mind you.  I was an accountant/bookkeeper/customer service representative for my family's business.  I was devastated.  It wasn't supposed to happen this way.  This was a part of my family and a piece of my father's legacy that helped me keep him alive a little while longer.

But one day it was all over.

Who am I now?  I'm left to wonder -- although I did have a guess.  Even though I was an accountant/bookkeeper, I've secretly always thought I was a writer.  There have been times -- even with the old job -- that I have written volumes and thought, "Hey, I can do this!  One day I will be a writer."  But, then I would just get busy and be accountant/bookkeeper for awhile more.  And I didn't mind.  I remember Dr. Wayne Dyer (one of my favorite authors) saying, "If you are what you do, then when you don't, you're not." Good news! Until one fine day you have no job -- and you realize that writing professionally is really hard.  Then you think, "Hey, If I am what I did and I'm NOT that anymore, now what?" 

You Are Always You Inside -- No Matter What.

From past experience I've learned, whether I'm wearing a bookkeeper's hat or a writer's, I'm still just me inside of me; regardless of what I'm doing.  Maybe I'm identified differently by others, but the real Laura still lives out her days just being kind, being introspective, being focused, being driven.  Even though my desk isn't there at the shop anymore, I'm still here, I'm still me,  I'm still okay, and I'm still waking up each morning.  The world did not end. 

My Father's Legacy Can Still Live On.

Parent's legacies are still alive and well even if we are not living them out.  My Dad and I were alike in many ways, but in even more ways we were different.  In all, I admired him so much and wanted to keep his spirit alive through his business.  Yet, I cannot be my father.  No one can be.  And business or no business, without Dad things are just not the same.  My father was unique to all the world and one of the most special people to walk this planet and his business reflected him.  If he were here, I hope he would understand we had to let the business go, it was time.  We did our best, but we couldn't be him.   

You Reinvent Yourself By Expanding Other Pieces of Yourself.

What happens next?  Only the universe knows.  What I know is, I have been online since I graduated with my English degree in 2001 sharing my thoughts and writing up my musings.  In 2007, I received my M.Sc. in Natural Health and began sharing the Young Living network marketing opportunity.  That is still a piece of my enterprise that I focus on and enjoy today.  In 2013, I took a course in transcription and spend some of my time freelancing as a legal/governmental transcriptionist -- and love it.  And in 2014, I began working as a home health aide for the Center for Disability Rights.  I still love to write, and I love to edit.  And, of course, I still want to write another book one day.  Maybe that will be the part of me that plays out next.

In Short, It's Time To Move Forward.

I am no longer who I was, but I feel  like life is about becoming.  Becoming more of ourselves and more of who we really are inside.  Was I ready to dive in head-first to my own inner-workings?  No.  Not at all.  I wanted to live out my father's dream and keep his legacy alive a little longer, if not forever.  But it wasn't meant to be.  Sometimes we know which way we're going and sometimes we just have to trust life to show us the way there.

Talk to Me:

Are you struggling to make your own way after life has sent you a curve ball?  If you are, what have your experiences been like?  I’d love to know.  If you’d care to share, please leave a comment below the post on the website. As always, thank you for reading and do consider sharing Body Talk with your friends.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

How To Find Your Life's Purpose? Use These Tricks To Guide The Way

In his book Miles To Go, author Richard Peterson, Ph.D. tells us that finding your life's purpose is one of the keys to staying young.  Often, however, society tries to dictate our thoughts, our wardrobe, our style, even our weight.  But what happens if we're not perfect in "their" eyes?  In my mind, there's two choices: 1) Spend endless hours chasing images of what we "should" be or 2) Spend time discovering the answer to the question, "What's perfect for me?"

If you've ever found yourself struggling with your image of self as it pertains to your peers, consider this your freedom ticket.  Here, I'll outline several ways to enhance your personal beauty and self-worth, and help you discover more of who you really are.  Further, it won't cost you anything more than your time and focus.  It may even liberate you and empower you to be free to be who you are and become more of who you want to be. Here's three of my favorite ways to get you moving toward the "you" you desire to become.

Take Time To Discover Your "Self":
In effort to find ourselves truly and authentically, we need to first do what my favorite spiritual guru, Dr. Wayne Dyer says: "leave the tribe."  This does not mean moving to a remote area of the country, nor does it mean ex-communicating yourself from friends and family.  Simply, taking time to dream and imagine who you'd like to be authentically can create a foundation for true self-definition.

Dr. Dyer also tells us that the tribe need not know we've even left!  He explains: You are the only one who needs to know you are working toward establishing yourself away and apart from the masses.  Again, this does not mean selling off worldly belongings and moving to the woods. Perhaps it simply means turning off the tube for a week and spending down-time being quiet.  Or expressing your creativity through the art of writing, drawing or doing something of your choice that you love to do.  The list is endless.  You will know when you've found your own piece of nature if the place or activity gives you peace and quiets the world around you.

Take Responsibility For Your Gifts
We have all been given gifts by the universe, but here's the challenge, it is up to us to use them!  We know that our gifts were given to us for a reason, to use, explore, enjoy and share with others.  As my friend tells me: When we use our gifts, God smiles.  It pleases God when we use our talents and when doing so we are blessed.

Listen closely to your intuition to find what gives you energy.  Follow this path toward your gifts.  I truly believe If we each learn to live more authentically, share our gifts with the world and focus on the positive -- we will be shown more ways to express our talents and serve the greater good. In my mind, it cannot happen any other way.  What we care about and place our attention on expands.  Take some time to observe yourself closely: Do you have an ear for music, eye for art, literature?  What's your gift?  Ask yourself are you taking absolute responsibility for it (them)?

Create a Personal Mission Statement:
If you are with me so far, you'll be taking time out of your busy schedule to find and nurture the God given gifts bestowed upon you.  In addition, once you've identified your talents or dreams, try one of my favorite siren songs to the universe: create a personal mission statement.  This is a technique I like to use and my contribution to the notion of discovering yourself.

Pause for a moment and ask yourself what you'd like people to remember about you.  What do you believe you are here to do?  In other words: What do you stand for?  As Martin Luther King tells us: "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." It need only be a short statement.  Here's mine: To inspire.  It's that simple. Identify your mission (or choose one) and put it in pen -- I hope you'll be amazed at what develops.  Each day I look carefully for ways to use my gifts in concert with my personal mission statement.

In Conclusion:
In Conversations With God, the author Neale Donald Walsch teaches us that life has no purpose save the one we give it.  What's your purpose?  It's a simple, yet thought provoking question.  Give it some thought.  If you need help sorting out your ideas, check out the classic: What Color Is Your Parachute? By Richard Nelson Bolles or my personal favorite: Finding Your Own North Star By Martha Beck.  Most of all, I hope you will be brave! Declare you mission, identify and take responsibility for your gifts.  Let them expand and contribute them to the world.  You're positive energy will become contagious.  And when evaluating your self-image remember: it all begins with you.

Talk to Me:

Do you feel like you are living authentically? Or are you struggling to get on or back on your path? I’d love to know. If you’d care to share, please leave a comment below the post on the website. As always, thank you for reading and do consider sharing Body Talk with your friends.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

Life Lessons: Letting Go Is Hard To Do

Last week on Monday, January 25 we said goodbye to our baby girl, Sarah.  She was 20 years old. 

Although she had an amazing run, the sadness and emptiness of our home is incredible.  Just when I feel like I've cried myself dry, I look in her favorite perch in my office window (where the sun would shine in on her) now empty, and it's waterworks all over again.  A rescue cat, obtained from my cousin Candy, Sarah has been our baby since the beginning.  Since Eddie and I have no children, this was especially true; she was our baby, our companion, the love of our life.  And for us, life will never be the same.

For 20 years, however, Sarah taught us a few things.  And in her memory, I'd like to share a couple of them here.

There Is Such A Thing As Unconditional Love

No matter what happened during my day, I would always know that Sarah's sweet face would be there to greet me when I arrived home.  I'd get extra love for bearing treats, and lots of purring when we'd snuggle up on the couch to watch TV. How I will miss these moments.

Cats Bring You Into Their World And You Never Want to Go Back

Eddie and I have learned how to talk cat with our girl.  We always thought people would think us crazy if they were a fly on the wall in our house, but cat talk is the best.  It basically involves placing an "S" on the end of certain words. "Are you ready to eats?" As an example. Or, "Is it time for beds?" It seems impossible to go back to normal now that our baby isn't here anymore.

Sometimes It's Okay To Open Up A Can Of Whomp-Ass

Sarah was the spirited sort -- she did not like to be manhandled by veterinarians, nor did she care to be "scruffed." Doing so could land you a wound that would leave a scar, to be sure.  When pressed, she could make herself extra large and expand from her little 10 pound frame to what we came to call "super kitty."  She had many stick-notes attached to her veterinary chart to prove her displeasure for being compromised.

Cats Are Angels With Fur

I have a SARK poem that hangs on the wall it says, "Cats are angels with fur." And for us it is true.  When Sarah was with us, and even more so now that she's in heaven, I imagine her gentle purring and loving, playful ways will always be a part of our lives.   I think of her now like a guardian angel, orchestrating goodness and love and sending it from above. For now, I hold tightly to this angel thought of my sweet girl; my best friend. Yet, I fully trust we will be together someday, once again.

In memory of Sarah Marie who was on this earth from February of 1996 - January 25, 2016

Life Lessons: Dealing With The Fear of Fifty

Although I'm only 46 (soon to be 47), I'm finding myself thinking much about reaching yet another decade birthday.  As each one passes, however, I find the one that succeeds it becomes somehow younger; do you feel this way, too?  For example, when I was 20, 50 seemed so far away -- and seemed, well, old.  I remember my mom and her friends with their "Fifty is Nifty" T-shirts and thinking, "No. Fifty is not that at all.  But, no worries," I'd say to myself, "I won't be there for a long, long time." 

Yet, here I am looking down the face of Niftyness; and sans a bit of panic, its not as bad as originally anticipated.  No, I don't have a traditional set of circumstances; I have no children (I do have an adorable cat); never been married (although we're working on it), but I have had my lumps and bumps.  I never really felt "my age" per se until I hit on a debilitating depression at age 39.  And then losing my dear father on the heels of that.

So if circumstances "age" us somehow, is there a way to change our daily perception; to stay on course and tracking forward?  Although we can't change the numbers, there are ways to find inner peace on this journey, at least in my experience.  And that's the goal, isn't it? The goals as I see them are inner peace, health, fulfillment, finding authenticity.  Here's how I do it.

Live in the Moment

In the past I've written a lot about the inner journey and have studied some Eastern philosophy as an English major.  You can see more of what I mean here:

>>>Why Follow the Tao?

Inner peace can be found at any point in time -- during times of chaos or peace -- by choosing to live in the moment.  When times are hard, I've even been known to study each dish as I'm washing it, "One potato, two..." I stay with each thing as I'm doing it.  I remember Ray Charles in the biopic "Ray" discussing his anticipated success in putting out a new album:  "It's going to do what it does," he said.  "I can only write one song at a time."  And so it is with living in the moment; detaching from outcomes and embracing what our authentic life holds for us.

Meditation

I've been writing about meditation since I studied the craft with a Buddhist professor in college.  Meditation gets you into the present moment.  You let thoughts come and go; time slows and following the breath gives life its rhythm and heartbeat.  It is all very simple; find ten minutes or more a day to just do nothing.  If you wish you can read more here:

>>>How to Meditate; a Beginner's Guide

I could easily expand on many of the topics in this post as they pertain to aging -- and I may very well do just that.  But, as it pertains to the fear of fifty; these are just two of the ways I have used to get myself into real time, bring my self back to center and help to find my authentic self. They are my favorite tools to keep me at my place of peace and have moved me through my most difficult times.  I hope you will find they make you "nifty," too.

Talk to Me:

Are you nearing a decade birthday and having a fuss about it? I’d love to know. If you’d care to share, please leave a comment below the post on the website. As always, thank you for reading and do consider sharing Body Talk with your friends.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

The Writing Is Calling; Would My Father Be Proud Of Me?

My father always told me, "Laura, enjoy life while you can, because one day it will all become very serious."

Boy, he wasn't kidding.

When I started this website, I wanted people to know how simple it could be to get older, how complicated we sometimes make things, and to cover all the topics as it pertained to the physical body.  For example:

>>> 10 Easy Ways to Lose Weight

But, as I grow older, I've realized that although important to aging, just the physical body isn't all there is.  In fact, getting older is just as much of an inner journey as it is an outer one.  It is also about the constant process of becoming more of who you are. 

And so I digress.

It's been almost three years since I've lost my dear father.  And there is not a day that goes by that I don't think of him, miss him, or have a laugh when one of his pearls of wisdom becomes true in my life.

And so it is today.  Today, I have realized that it is time that I come out of the shadows and begin living my own truth.  That truth is:  I love to write.  Just that.  Plain and simple.  At first admission, my father would ask me, "Well, how does that make you any money?"  And quietly I said that I didn't know. 

What I did know was that he was proud of me when I published my first book, and loved to tell his friends and customers all about it.  And he was proud of me when I started earning some checks as a result of writing about health for my own enterprise.

Yet, life has gone on from there.  And now we fast-forward nearly ten years; my father is gone.  My family and I have been working hard to keep his business and his legacy going, and me and my words have been slipping further and further into the past.  The good new is, I still haven't forgotten how to do it.  I still remember how it is to put words to a page and my enterprise is still up and running.  And in 2016 I've decided that it's time for me, again.  To get back to basics and give it all I've got once more.

Would my father be proud of me?

I do hope that he would.  At a certain juncture, I believe, it becomes time to do less gathering and begin trusting in our hearts; searching for the messages that it holds.  And with that said, I feel it's time to gather less and apply more.  And hope, with all my heart, that my dad would approve.

Talk to Me:

Have you ever reached a juncture in your life when you knew it was time to take action? I’d love to know. If you’d care to share, please leave a comment below. As always, thank you for reading and do consider sharing Body Talk with your friends.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

Life Lessons: What I Know About Courage.

When it comes to observing courage, I am blessed.  There is courage all around me.  I’ve surrounded myself with courageous people all my life, my friends and family all are inspiring me daily with their unique contributions of ambition and wisdom.  Yet closest to me are the most courageous influences to my heart.  Today, I want to tell you about them, in hopes that they inspire you, too.

Endurance and Perseverance: Lessons from My Brother, Tom.

My brother, Tom, has grown to be a large and positive influence in my life.  Hopefully, he wouldn’t mind me telling you, he was born with the birth defect Spina Bifida.  Although it’s left him paralyzed from the waist down, it’s done nothing to dampen his spirit.  For 40-plus years now, I’ve watched in awe as he inspires others through this wit, his wisdom, and his ability to overcome all obstacles. 

His life hasn’t been easy, to be sure.  He’s often had to sit on the sidelines to watch as his friends go about their activities of daily living.  Yet Tom’s spirit and his focus remain on what he CAN do.  I believe this is the greatest lesson I’ve learned from him.   It has been a life-saving lesson for me when dealing with my own personal struggles; do not focus on what you are unable to do, focus instead on what is before you and what you can accomplish.

Selflessness and Kindness: Lessons from My Mother, Donna.

My mother, Donna, embodies the words “selfless caregiver” and “gentle soul.”  She amazes me every day with her kindness and endless spirit.  Her energy is generous and positive, gentle yet powerful.  She is able to get things accomplished and move mountains in a big way. 

My mom has dedicated herself and her life to others;  from taking care of my brother’s needs to looking after my father and his business during their married life of nearly 50 years.  All this, plus her unwavering care for my father during his illness all the way through to his transition.  Throughout all, she never let go and she never gave up.  These are the qualities that make my mother courageous to me:  She never lets go and she never gives up.  These aspects of my mom are infectious, wrapped in a kindness which is unwavering and unending.

Strength and Success: Lessons from My Father, William.

Just being around my father, William, reminded me daily of what it means to be courageous.  His strength in business, his leadership, and his special way of treating his friends and his customers were all qualities I admire about him.  He was strong but kind, generous, and had a depth of spirit and character unlike any other person I’ve ever known in my life. 

What I most admire about my dad and what makes him most courageous to me is his strength.  Strength of character and will to succeed were two things I could always count on with my dad.  These are the courageous qualities I aim to bring with me every day in memory of him. I am sure I am not alone, as these are the qualities that people loved most about my dad.  What most people didn’t see, however, was the way he silently fought for his life behind the scenes.  And although he did transition from this earth, he left behind his story of success, strength, and courage which will remain with me through all of my days.

Talk To Me:

Who inspires you?  Who are the courageous people in your life?  I’d love to know.  If you’d care to share, please leave a comment below.  As always, thank you for reading and do consider sharing Body Talk with your friends.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

The Curse of Being Kind and Other Conundrums (Is It Possible To Be Too Nice?)

I’ve been accused of being “too nice.”  I take time to understand people’s problems, I say “yes” whenever possible, I send out hand written Thank You cards as much as I can.

Yet, my love of people and need to understand the human condition has gotten me into trouble – big trouble.  You see dear friends; there are wolves out there in sheep’s clothing and plenty of them.  And after you say “yes” to everything you think you can, sometimes you realize there’s not much left over and you’re giving away the store.

Does kindness really need to be a curse?  I, for one, refuse to think so.  Yet for those of us of like kind, we need to curb our need to please others and get back to the business of taking care of ourselves.  When you are a people pleaser, it’s hard to center yourself.  And if you are like me, you’ve realized centering yourself is a matter of survival.  Sure we can run with the wolves, as long as we’re wearing our cloak of protection.

Here’s what I mean.

Don’t Be a Doormat

This year I lost a true cyber-friend and the world lost a brilliant writer, Daylle Deanna Schwartz.  Her mission on her blog and in life was to teach others how to love yourself first.  She told us how on her “Lessons From a Recovering Doormat” blog.  I learned a lot from her, to be sure.  The take home message I gleaned from Daylle is to learn how to remain a safe distance from those who aim to take advantage of our kind ways.

Those wolves are easy to spot.  Your instinct will tell you when someone’s gone too far.  Set healthy boundaries for yourself and distance yourself.  Limit your time with these offenders as much as possible.  Understand that not everyone is appreciative of deep and kind people and gravitate more toward opening up with those select few who understand you.

Learn The Art of Balancing Listening With Assertion

My father always told me that God gave us two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.  I’ve gotten much mileage out of this wisdom.  At the same time it is also important to remember another pearl of his wise thinking that said “choose you battles wisely.”

My father was never one to “draw lines” as he called it.  It is always important for us to remember our boundaries and do our best to find a common ground.  Is it always possible?  No.  But we have to remember what we want and know that what we need is so important.  Learn when to ask and when to listen – it is a great art to develop.

Know What You Want

A firm decision will always keep you moving in a forward direction.  This is where the rubber hits the road and can turn your kindness into a place of power.  In all, the world needs more kind souls sharing their gifts and opening their hearts.  Knowing what you want can shift you from a place of vulnerability to a power source.  Take some time to discover where you are and where you are going.  Then you will understand the meaning behind everything you do and won’t be afraid to say “no” if you have to.  I don’t need to tell you that life is short and we need to choose wisely always and on all fronts.

Talk To Me:

Do you think it’s a curse to be kind?  I’d love to know.  If you’d care to share, please leave a comment below.  As always, thank you for reading and do consider sharing Body Talk with your friends.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

What to Do When Life Makes a Mess Out Of Things (Hitting the "Reset" Button and More...)

It’s been two years since I’ve been to this page and to this blog.  I haven’t written a single line since I lost my Dear Father in February of 2013.  It’s not because I haven’t wanted to, it’s just that I’ve felt kind-of stuck:  Family business, grieving, and rebuilding have all taken precedent over my life and what I consider to be “my calling.”

Last week, on March the third, I turned 46-years old.  It was on that day, I realized I’ve been missing out on my gifts, on myself, and on my life.  I suppose there’s no time limit for grieving. No. When you lose someone this close to you, it rocks your world, pulls you up from the roots, and forces you to face life on its terms.  There’s no turning back; things are forever changed.

Yet, this idea isn’t specific to just losing someone.  It applies to all setbacks of impact or enormity; health issues, weight gain, relationships ending – there are simply times in life when there’s nothing else to do but reset and (try your best to) move on. 

In all, I’ve learned a lot.  I’ve learned that when life makes a mess of things, there are a few go-to places I love and can count on; a few ideas I have to always remember.  And I’d like to share them now, with you.

Begin Where You Are; The Time is Now

Sometimes it’s hard to have a forward-thinking mentality.  Anger creeps in and says, “Well, what if this could have been different?” Or, “What if I made the wrong move?” And, “If I only could have changed things when they were changeable,” are just some of the voices in my head.

Dear friends, I’ve learned the past is gone.  You have to take a hard look at where you are right now and be honest with yourself.  For me, I’ve had to realize my dad is never coming back, my body is 46-years old, my life is not going to change unless I take action.  And this brings me to my second go-to source of comfort:

Find Your Passion and Live It

I love to write.  It inspires me.  It makes me feel as if I have a unique contribution to the world and can offer a “cyber hug” to someone in need.

Yet, having said that, all the while my father was sick and for two years since, I haven’t been able to offer that creative gift to myself or anyone else.  I’ve been on empty.  I know now that you don’t need a setback to realize that your gifts and passions are what make life worth living.  As soon as I set this pen to the page, my heart opened up.  I felt like I was coming home to myself. 

What do you like to do?  If you are in a difficult place as I was, try re-focusing on what brings you out of yourself; away from the day-to-day issues and into the place of contributing to the greater good.

Read Books and Inspiring Literature

During my slump, I barely read at all.  My saving grace was the gift subscription of a spiritual journal given to me by my Aunt Gail for my birthday last year.  In one issue, I read a story about a man who was caught driving in a rainstorm.  The rain was so bad, he couldn’t stop on the road for fear he would get into an accident with an oncoming vehicle.  He could only move forward.

All he could do was follow the white line on the edge of the road.  He slowly moved along following that line until he was finally on safe ground.  This story said a lot to me.  After all, isn’t life just like that?  We can’t see ahead or go back but there is only a fine white line to follow if we choose to see it.  That story has stayed with me and I think of it often.

Dear friends, are you following your path?  I can tell you for the past two years, I haven’t been and I’ve been in a dark place.  It’s time to come out into the light.  Will you join me? 

Talk To Me:

What do you do when life makes a mess for you?  I’d love to know.  If you’d care to share, please leave a comment below.  As always, thank you for reading and do consider sharing Body Talk with your friends.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura M. Turner, journalist, author and Certified Natural Health Practitioner is the creator of the Body Talk eZine: Nature's Anti-Aging Treasures Website. She invites you to join her "10 Years Younger" Campaign and to learn more about living younger, healing yourself and those you love with quality retail or wholesale Young Living essential oils and essential oil-based products. Visit today and begin a healthier tomorrow.

 

Lessons My Father Taught Me - In Memory Of William H. Turner

On February 13, 2013 my dear father passed from this earth. The sorrow, loss, and insurmountable anguish I felt and continue to feel is more than I can describe here. My saving grace, the things that keep me putting one foot in front of the other and embracing each day and what it contains are the important life lessons he's left me. His simple but effective wisdom lives on as does the remembrance of his daily habits, all which implied his keys to the kingdom. Although this is not an exhaustive list, I'd like to share some of these life lessons with you.

Live Your Passion

Hard work was always important to my dad. I remember giving him a quote that I cut out from the paper once. It said, "The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary." He kept that quote at his desk for as long as I can remember. My father built a beautiful business surrounding himself and his passion; he put his personal imprint on everything he did. Everyone who walked into his Corvette dealership was made to feel special and would always have their unique needs met.  In his 41 years of doing business, he never faltered. I watched him daily, in awe every step of the way.  To me, it is my dad who should be in the dictionary, his name after the word "success."

Stay Close to Your Friends and Family

My dad had an extensive slide and photo library. He kept the slides in the basement of our childhood home and adorned the walls of his business with his photographs. He would disappear for hours on Sundays and holidays viewing reel after reel of past experiences, his days in the army while stationed in Hawaii, early Daytona 500 races he attended with his friends and pictures of my brother and me as kids at our camp in the Adirondacks of New York. "We sure did a lot of living," he would always say to us as he emerged from the basement teary-eyed. "I just want more time," he would say, frequently.

My dad always let us kids, as well as his customers, know that these experiences he captured were everything to him. He took his camera everywhere he went. "These are the good old days," he would tell customers as they viewed the plethora of pictures at the shop. "Not then, but today, right now. We have to make the best of them."

Sometimes Things Must Change

My dear father always had a knack for timing.  "Knows when to hold 'em and knows when to fold 'em," my mom always said of him. He knew that timing was key in making a great car purchase, in selling to the right customer. My dad knew the art of growth and change. He did not ever like to make waves or "draw lines" as he put it. Yet even in his last days he told us, "Just hang on. I'm telling you, I'm going to get better, Summer's coming."

My dad understood life is filled with love and loss, customers and friends, family and memories. He also knew that nothing lasts forever just as each experience turned to a photograph and each car he carefully detailed needed to be sold. My father taught me what was important: to love and live with reckless abandon, and always to trust my heart.  And from today forward when I pass by a beautiful Corvette on the street, I'll do a double take and for a second I'll pretend it's my dad behind the wheel... taking one more Summer drive.

In memory of William H. Turner June 23, 1940 - February 13, 2013