Tag: growth

Yes, you can say no!

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in acceptance, be you, Boundaries, Life Journey

~ YES you can say NO

How many times have you;
agreed to do favours, taken on extra work, loaned money, attended events, compromised your values, lifestyle or well-being to please others or, avoid conflict?

Of course we make sacrifices or compromises in support of our loved ones. However, when people-pleasing becomes “the norm” and you’re constantly sacrificing your time, resources, or your physical or mental well-being, it might be time to reevaluate the people you loan yourself out too.

Seeking acceptance from others can be exhausting. The right relationship won’t drain you, they should lift you up.

Setting boundaries and saying NO to the things that make you uncomfortable or put you in situations where you’re overextending, overspending, overindulging or make you unwell, is necessary.

Wasting time on things that don’t matter,
and those who don’t care, takes time away from the things and those who do.

So yes, you can say NO!

Toni O’Keeffe🔆

Your journey, your life

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in acceptance, authentic, be you, follow your path, Life Journey

Your journey, your life. No one will ever understand or walk your path, better than you.

If you’re living, dressing, or acting a certain way to please others, you’ll constantly be uncomfortable and, unhappy.

To feel fully alive, you have to follow your dreams, set your goals and dress for the life you want to live, not the life others want you to live.

The most uncomfortable, yet necessary thing, you might ever do, is learn how to be comfortable being you.

It might also be, the most beautiful and liberating thing you ever do.

Toni O’KEEFFE🔆

Get a little bit messy

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in Life Journey

If you got a little messy or made a few mistakes yesterday, good for you, you’re growing.

We’ve been messing up and falling down since the day we were born. That’s how we learned to walk, to talk, to feed and dress ourselves, to ride a bike, drive a car and build a life for ourselves.

This cycle of learning and growing never ends. We make an error, we course correct, we learn, we grow, we move on.

So, if things got a little messy yesterday and yet, you pulled yourself together and carried on, BRAVO 👏 you’re doing exactly what you’re here to do.

Have a fabulous fun-filled, mindful, maybe messy, day.

Toni O’KEEFFE🔆

~ Focus happiness, not perfection,

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in happiness, Life Journey

Perfection, if it exists at all, implies flawlessness, while happiness is a state of emotional wellbeing.

Happiness exists when we appreciate what we have and find joy in our everyday lives and relationships. The pursuit of perfection however, can be stressful, costly and erode the joy we have in our lives and negatively impact our self worth and emotional wellbeing.

Whether it’s the pursuit of a perfect face, a perfect body, the perfect outfit, perfect partner, perfect decor, perfect home, perfect job, or some other perfect “thing”, it’s exhausting.

If we’re always distracted seeking perfection, we will never be happy being who we are, with what we already have?

As children most of us were happy messy little characters, playing with sticks in the creek, wearing shirts with missing buttons and mismatched socks. Life was simple. Then, at some point, the world told us we weren’t good enough.

Seeking to improve oneself is different than seeking perfection. Improving oneself is about doing your best and being happy with what you’ve accomplished and happy with who you are, without comparing yourself to others.

Perfection is a constant competition to keep up with social standards that are completely subjective.

Striving for perfection holds us back from seeing and appreciating all the beautiful, simple things about ourselves that make each of us unique, and appreciating all the little miracles we bump into every day.

So be gentle with yourself. Stop seeking perfection in our imperfect world. Let’s teach our children to focus on gratitude, mindfulness, kindness and self love and, happiness will follow.

You don’t need to seek perfection, you’re already perfect, being you, and thats the only thing any of us can be perfectly, perfect at.

Toni O’Keeffe🔆

The raindrop

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in follow your path, growth, Life Journey

She began as a trickle. As she started to flow in harmony with her environment, she acquired experience that made her stronger, mightier and wiser. She now understood her purpose.

She knew she was a unique and beautiful part of a larger interconnected system, that worked beautifully when everyone did their part.

This wisdom allowed her to trust the pull of the flow, to have faith in her journey and, to enjoy the ride.

“She”, is a raindrop. When she fell from the sky, she had no idea where she would land, which field she might help grow, which river, stream, or lake she might become a part of, but, she did know, that eventually, she would become a part of the larger, more beautiful ocean and, that knowing, allowed her to surrender, accept and be grateful for everything she met along the way.

We’re all tiny raindrops that fell from the sky, having no idea where we would land, who would land beside us or where our paths might lead.

We’re also part of this amazing interconnected cosmic system that flows in unison. When we stop pushing against the flow, and instead, let it pull us, this life journey, becomes so much more enjoyable.

Enjoy the journey you beautiful little cosmic raindrops.

Toni O’Keeffe🔆

Those unspoken things

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in Life Journey

There are times we must speak.
Even if we’re afraid, we must speak.
We must say; this is wrong, this is broken, this is hurting me, this is hurting others.
I don’t believe in this, I can’t accept this.

History has shown us that the repercussions of not speaking out, can be far worse than the fear we feel of speaking out.

Change doesn’t happen through silence,
it happens by speaking our truth and challenging the lies, the liars and their brokenness.

Sometimes silence is beautiful, other times it’s loud, so loud it can shatter our freedoms, our way of life and crush our souls.

Those unspoken things, maybe we all need to stand up and speak them?

Toni O’KEEFFE🔆

~The dream

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in Life Journey

This sweet dream carried me away to a field of flowers, where I fell in awe of the tapestry of colour so brilliantly stitched together.

Floating above the field, I gazed down upon tall golden sunflowers, lupins exploding in hues of purple and blue, sunny daffodils and wild crocus all sharing the same soil and blooming side-by-side.

Crimson poppies, delicate white daisies and purple bachelor buttons, their stems splendidly entangled, grew freely, no fences, no boarders, just beautiful wide open space allowing their roots to stretch and grow.

Bees, butterflies, birds and bugs of every type, moved above, below and upon the tapestry all doing their part.

Rays of sunlight kissed each flower, and bounced off dew-drops, making everything sparkle. Tiny delightful buttercups dancing between it all, knit this rich bouquet of diverse colours, scents, sizes and varieties together.

How wonderfully all life here cooperated, grew, bloomed and thrived perfectly together, it was stunning.

Then a single dandelion, falling to seed at the end of her days, but still so beautiful, called to me and asked if I’d like to make a wish upon her, I did. I was moved that in her final moments of life, she still had something to offer, and she offered it to me.

As I continued to float above this kaleidoscope of grace and peacefulness, the flowers became us; me, you, my family, my neighbours, strangers and I knew this peaceful field was showing me, how life could be, how life should be.

Then, I drifted back to this world, and woke, with new hope and optimism for our own diverse, and colourful human garden.

~ Stare into a wild garden for a while and you’ll see how life could be.

Toni O’Keeffe🔆🌈

Healing

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in healing, Life Journey

~ Healing
by Toni O’Keeffe

When life is heavy,
if you feel alone,
step into nature,
you’ll feel at home.

Go to the Ocean,
lay under the stars,
allow the breeze,
to caress your heart.

Explore the forest,
it will lift your soul,
nourish your mind,
let worries unfold.

Walk through a meadow
or beside a brook,
replenish the peace,
your busy life took.

Touch the water,
sink your toes in the sand,
connect to the earth,
with your naked hand.

Sit down, get cozy
in your favourite place,
slow your breathing,
slow your pace.

Close your eyes,
raise your face to the sky,
Exhale and release,
a slow, heavy sigh.

Melt into peace,
feel the surrender,
as you’re surrounded by
natures splendour.

Be fully present,
in this sacred space,
focus on “now,”
feel natures embrace.

This is home,
its where we heal,
when we connect,
to what’s really “real.”

Retreat into nature,
to heal your soul,
to heal your heart,
to regain control.

Toni O’KEEFFE🔆

It’s time to play

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in Life Journey

This is your friendly reminder that, no matter how old you are, we all need time to play.

It’s through care-free playfulness that we exercising our curiosity, reduce stress, improve happiness, foster creativity, improve our relationships and cultivate a more positive, joyful, and resilient approach to life.

So, if you’ve been spending too much time on the couch, on your computer, in your office, or too much time worrying about the perils of life or world affairs, it might be time to exercise your curiosity and return to the unencumbered, worry-free, wilds of your youth and PLAY.

Toni O’KEEFFE🔆