Perhaps life isn’t about
becoming any one thing,
but becoming many things;
such as; kind, loving, grateful,
compassionate, and,
a good steward of the planet;
not rich, famous, beautiful,
perfect or idealized;
but BEING the things
that make us ALL better,
not just a few better.
Toni O’Keeffe🔆
Hmmmmm
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🔆🌈
We won’t grow love, compassion and acceptance by banning people, building walls, or keeping people out.
We will grow love, compassion and acceptance when we open our hearts, and let each other in.
Sharing our stories, our history, our wisdom, our table and, ourselves, will make us a better, wiser, more loving and peaceful human family.
Toni O’Keeffe🔆
Today, don’t focus on what you have to do, focus on what you’re going to BE.
BE Kind
BE happy
Be present
Be awesome
Be twinkly
BE grateful
BE gentle
BE loving
especially to yourself
Toni O’Keeffe🔆
Despite the chaos taking place around you, you can still choose love, kindness, and forgiveness, and create a peaceful and beautiful place within you.
Toni O’Keeffe🔆
If you;
…good for you, you know what we’re here to do.
Toni O’Keeffe🔆
The field~
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 reaching for the sky, 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.
Rays of sunlight touched each flower, and bounced off dew-drops, making every flower sparkle. Tiny delightful buttercups dancing between it all, knit this rich bouquet of diverse colours, scents, sizes and varieties together.
Bees, butterflies, birds and bugs of every type, moved above, below and upon the tapestry doing their part. 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 me 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.
I drifted back to this world, and woke, with new hope and optimism for our own diverse, and colourful human garden.
Toni O’Keeffe🌹❤️
Every day our lives touch the lives of others in ways we don’t always understand. These interactions, even small ones, can create positive or negative ripples in the lives of others.
For example; imagine the barista who made your coffee this morning, perhaps they’re having a bad day and accidentally messed up your order. You can be compassionate, extra patient, tell them it’s okay and maybe even double your tip. Or, you can be nasty and impatient.
Your actions have now set in motion a ripple of behaviour. If you choose to be nasty and impatient, that might be the behaviour that’s passed on to the next customer.
If you choose to be kind, your actions and words may have relieved the stress on the barista and allowed them to “reset”.
They are now more likely to pass along a kind act to another person, possibly without even realizing it. And, that person might do the same, and so on.
Along the way these acts of kindness inspire others, build momentum and create stronger human connections.
Science has proven that being kind boosts serotonin and dopamine, which are neurotransmitters in the brain that give you feelings of satisfaction and well-being, and cause the pleasure centers in your brain to light up and, release endorphins, which are your body’s natural pain killer.
The possibilities from your one small act of kindness are infinite.
So start a ripple. Your kindness ripple might be the one that grows into something absolutely beautiful, for all of us.
Kindness~ pass it on. Then, enjoy your coffee and have an absolutely wonderful day ☕️🤗.
Toni O’KEEFFE 🌹❤️
Millions of single people (and people in unhappy relationships) are consumed with finding the perfect partner.
They scour dating sites and social media profiles, look across crowded rooms, join singles clubs or go to bars looking for “the one”.
In reality, I don’t believe this perfect partner exists. They “become”.
When two perfectly flawed, quirky people come together, they can BECOME perfect for each other if they accept each other as they are, trusting that together they can grow into better versions of themselves.
Human beings have a tendency to be judgmental and look at the messy flaws in each other before we look at the endearing and beautiful qualities we all possess. If you do this (assess the flaws) you’ll never find “the one” because we’re all messy little humans filled with flaws and cracks.
When we plant a seed or a bulb in the ground, it’s messy, it doesn’t grow over night. When planted in the right conditions and when it’s taken care of, the seed grows into exactly what it’s supposed to be. Relationships are the same, they don’t just happen. When planted in the right conditions and with the right care, they can flourish and grow.
*The right conditions implies there are no abuse, infidelity, addiction, moral differences or other serious issues that have to be addressed.
Everything ever created (even YOU) was messy in the beginning. An oak tree, a symphony, a work-of-art, a relationship, all require time to germinate and grow before they BECOME the masterpiece they’re destined to be.
So try looking for the one who is not perfect, but is authentic and possesses qualities such as kindness, respect, a sense of humour, someone who’s supportive, caring, playful and shares similar values.
Then cheer each other on, comfort each other when things don’t go according to plan. When you disagree don’t argue, communicate.
There is some irony in me writing this piece, as I’ve had, hmm a few relationships. They all provided me with insights about myself and human relationships. In particular;
She may not have the perfect body, he may not be perfectly groomed, you may not see eye-to-eye on a-lot of things and, you probably both have flaws, annoying little habits and imperfections. Don’t let that stop you. If the core building blocks of kindness, respect, honesty and trust are there, and you’re both committed to becoming better versions of yourself, together you can BECOME a masterpiece.
Treat your partner like the partner of your dreams, and, they just might BECOME exactly that.
Toni O’Keeffe~🌹❤️
The Whimsey Angel 