Let’s not wait till we die, to love, appreciate and honour each other.

As I get older, the frequency in which I receive news that a friend, acquaintance, colleague, neighbour or family member has passed away, increases.

When we, or someone we know, loses a loved one, the realization that our time here is temporary comes sharply into focus.

Each loss moves us to scour the cracks that separate our days, making sure we didn’t miss an opportunity to say;
“I love you”,
“I miss you”,
“I’m sorry.”
“Can I help.”

We look back on that last conversation and our last moments together and replay what we wish we had said or done.

Then, we “what if” ourselves, asking questions like;
“What if I had been there?”
“What if I hadn’t been so angry during our last conversation?”
“What if I had reached out?”
“What if we had spent more time together?” …….would things have turned out differently?

We waste so much time and energy, being “busy”, angry, negative, stubborn, dismissive, judgmental, stuck or offended.

“What If” we set our egos aside and let kindness, compassion, gratitude and love be our guides? Then perhaps when it’s time to say goodbye, we will not lament, but celebrate and give thanks for the pleasure of sharing time with the ones we loved and lost.

It’s the impermanence of life that should make every waking breath a cherished event. We should savour every beautiful, simple, pleasure and every ordinary moment shared with those we love.
Every child’s laugh and every story retold by our elders for the umpteenth time, should fill us with warmth and delight.

Let’s spend more time holding the ones we love as we marvel at the explosion of colour created as the sun rises and sets. Let our hearts be moved by the power in every stormy sky or the magic in each twinkling star and rainbow above.

Lets hold each other in reverence every day for being the amazing, unique, miracles we all are.

Let’s not wait until we die, to love, appreciate and honour each other.
Let’s do it while we’re still here.

“Live every day like it’s your 100th birthday .”~ By Toni O’Keeffe

He asked her;
“What’s the secret to your longevity?”
She stared at him for along time over the thick rim
of her glasses.
Then, she picked up her double scotch,
shot it back, slowly rose from her chair,
shuffled over to her birthday cake, lit
a smoke off a candle and blew it into his face.

“Live every day like it’s your 100th birthday.”
she said.
Put on your crown,
know your worth and know you matter.
I’m a god damn work of art.
We all are. Yes, even you.
We should start treating each other
that way.”

TO’K🌹❤️

Today, I will love you as you are.

“Today, I will love you as you are.
Tomorrow, I will do the same.”
What if we made this pledge to each other every single day?

What if we decided to stop judging each other based on race, gender, looks, wealth, lifestyle, belief system and trusted that each of us is on the path designed specifically for our individual soul?

What if we were kind, embraced our differences and lifted each other up when we witnessed one another struggling, rather than strike each other down?

What if we acted from a place of love, rather than a place of fear?

What if…we stopped making it so hard for each other?

Today, I will love you as you are.
Tomorrow, I will do the same.

Toni O’KEEFFE ~ 🌹❤️

Surround yourself with light

By Toni O’KEEFFE

Nov, 30, 2020

Surround yourself with light ~
When we focus on the dark, negative aspects of life, this darkness begins to poison our minds, body’s and souls, making us sick, discouraged and depressed.

When we focus on the light, positive, beautiful aspects of life, we feel “light”, calm, peaceful and we’re able to heal our minds, body’s and souls.

You know toxic substances harm your internal well-being, likewise toxic thoughts, information, ideas and toxic people can alter your perspective, poison your life and make you ill.

Surround yourself with people and things, that bring you light, peace, healing and encourage you to shine.
Toni O’K~ 🌹 ❤️

Don’t Just Count your Blessings, Live them.

By Toni O’Keeffe

December 8, 2020

I woke this morning with a warm puppy snuggled into the nape of my neck. This tiny bundle of caramel coloured fur always makes me smile. As I scratched his belly, I heard the click of my coffee maker come on and smiled again, proud I had remembered to set the timer.

I wandered to the kitchen, poured a cup, turned on the fireplace, settle into my favourite chair with puppy in my lap, took that first bless’ed sip, and listened to the silence fall around me.

Most mornings start this way, calm, peaceful and reflective.

There was a time when my life was busy and noisy. I didn’t always appreciate the colours of the day, or have the time to slowly sip my coffee and gaze out the window.

Decades were spent on the move, hustling my boys to and from day-care, school, sports, and other activities. Bouncing between work, community services and my own educational pursuits, always busy, always rushing, always something to do, somewhere to go or someone waiting for something.

The “busy stuff” is the means needed to build our lives, but, the busy stuff doesn’t define our lives. It’s the simple beautiful moments that bring us joy and give meaning to the journeys we’re on.

Moments watching a child fall asleep in your lap because that’s where they feel safe, moments making messes and allowing pumpkin guts to fall on the floors and get stuck in your hair because they’re having fun, moments spent with two little guys on a skip-out day appreciating the wonder and silence of the forest or sitting in an open field, feeling content watching birds glide on the wind.

Then, there’s the quiet morning moments, when all the busy is behind you, those two little guys are grown and now its a puppy falling a sleep in your lap.

We need a balance of busy days and days when we’re able to just “be”. Days when we don’t just count our blessings, we live them, being fully present, taking in all the magic and meaning they bring. Because these are the days we will remember, these are the moments that will warm our hearts for ALL THE DAYS of our lives.

Don’t let life’s storms rain on your peace-of-mind

By Toni OKeeffe

November 18,2020

As we begin the slow descent out of the dark clouds of 2020, and prepare to launch a new year, things are still not right with the world.

Covid continues to wreak havoc across the planet and is now way to close to home. Election chaos continues to play out for our friends in the south. There is civil unrest breaking out in several countries around the world. Wind and rainstorms are keeping people hunkered. Christmas is pretty much cancelled and there will be no fancy festivities to ring in 2021.

People are out of work, many businesses have shut down, we can’t travel, and we miss our families and friends. Add to that, many of us haven’t touched another human in months, haven’t gone to a concert, a play, a restaurant or a celebration, wedding, birthday or graduation for almost a year.

However, amidst all the chaos, I’m still happy, really happy. My spirit is light, my heart is settled and my mind is peaceful. I find multiple reasons to smile or laugh out loud every day. My inner child is as goofy and playful as she has ever been. I’m truly grateful for this life despite what’s going on around me and the rest of the world.

This feeling of contentment is proof (for me) that happiness comes from the inside.
No matter what is going on around us, we still have the capacity to feel joy and be grateful.
What happens inside us, not outside us, is what regulates our happiness meter.
In my case, having hobbies, exercising daily, eating right, meditating, spending time in nature and engaging in creative activities, all fuel my sense of positivity and well-being.

This sense of happiness and well-being doesn’t mean I’m not affected by what’s happening around me and the people I love and the world, of course I am. It means I won’t let it unravel me or get me down, because that serves no purpose.

When the weather outside is turbulent, we generally seek shelter from the wind, rain and the cold by coming inside and creating a cozy internal retreat. When the world around you is turbulent, seek shelter from the chaos by creating a cozy, peaceful place in your mind.
You can do this by engaging in positive and creative activities, practicing gratitude, staying physically active, being kind and carrying out random acts of kindness, celebrating small successes, eliminating toxic people, toxic media content and toxic substances from your life. Read uplifting information and listen to uplifting music.
Make your mental wellness your first priority.

Life’s storms can not rain on your peace of mind, unless you let them.
Don’t let them.

Toni O’K~ 🌹❤️

You’re allowed to stop

By Toni O’Keeffe

You’re allowed to stop,
to rest,
to reflect,
and catch your breath.
Go find your sanctuary amongst the trees, under the stars, next to the lull of moving water or in a field of wild flowers or tall soft grass.
Somewhere tranquil, uncluttered, and away from the noise, where you can surrender to the sound of your soul whispering all that she wants you to know.
You’re allowed to step away from everything that ails you and everything and everyone that demands something from you. You don’t have to explain why, you may not even know why.
Give yourself permission to take a break from all of it and drown yourself in peace.
It’s in this peacefulness that the answers will come.

Toni O’K~ 🌹❤️

Why did we step into each other’s lives?

By Toni O’Keeffe

I’ve often wondered why certain people have come into my life, or why I stepped into theirs.
Some have turned my world upset down leaving me to clean up the rubble and put the piece of my shattered self back together.
Others made my think, made me laugh, made me shake my head, inspired me or loved me just enough and then they were gone.
I have come to understand and appreciate that sometimes we’re meant to step into someone’s life for barely a moment.
Just long enough to leave a small imprint and change each other in ways we might never know.
We walk together from one place and time to another, and then, head to separate shores, knowing with great clarity that we’re profoundly different, although not quite sure how.
Be grateful for everyone that comes in and out of your life. Wish them peace, happiness and love.
Each of these beautiful souls brought you something magnificent, even if it was painful. They helped shape you into who you are.
And who you are, is wonderful.

Thank you for stepping into my world, if only for a moment.

TO’K~🌹❤️

You were born perfect.

By Toni O’Keeffe

You were born curious and with a strong sense of purpose. You were also born with authentic wisdom and a knowledge of what’s right and wrong. Then society changed you and slowly reset your original “factory” settings.

Our “civilized” culture has taken us away from our true nature and forced us into activities, learning, jobs, relationships, rules, beliefs and tribes that might not “feel” right for us.

These societal expectations and rules are not the truth, they are merely guidelines to achieve social cooperation. We go along with what we know is wrong for the sake of these societal rules, afraid to speak our truth as we might be shunned, disciplined, mocked, or rejected.

We witness harm, destruction, inequality, environmental ruin, greed and violations to the human spirit and other living beings every single day. Our spirits know these things are wrong, yet, for the sake of societal cooperation, we continue to outwardly accept and live these lies.

You can feel when things are not aligned to your personal wisdom, purpose and joy. When we feel sad, angry, depressed or tired, it may be that you’re off your path, wandering away from your purpose and your personal truth.

Your inner guru speaks to you through feelings, through your reaction to things and through a deep sense of knowing. We all have to tap into this knowing. We can do this by being quiet and listening to our intuition and “feeling” our wisdom.

You deserve to reset to your original factory settings, to be curious again and find your joy, your people, your purpose and YOUR truth. Don’t be afraid to challenge the beliefs and expectations that were draped upon you. In fact, you should, we all should.

Toni O’K ~🌹❤️