I wish you love~

I wish you Love ~

My wish for each of you is LOVE. Real LOVE. A Love that is kind, respectful, comforting, brings you joy and extends beyond a single day, a box of chocolates and some roses each year.

I wish you a LOVE that allows you to feel safe and secure in who you are and inspires you to grow into the best version of yourself. A LOVE built on soul-to-soul connections, with no expectations, only an enduring appreciation, acceptance, respect and admiration for the beautiful, perfect and unique soul YOU are.

But more than that, I wish YOU a LOVE of self, where YOU see yourself as worthy and deserving of all that is beautiful and good. A self-LOVE that allows YOU to be kind and gentle with your heart as you surrender to and inhale, this epic journey called life. A self-LOVE that offers you the absolute knowing you are a beautiful work in progress, a perfect heart under construction and an amazing, magical, being destine to do great things, even if they’re small things. And with this perfect LOVE flowing around you, I hope you reach into the world, sharing all that you know and make the world a better, softer, gentler and more loving place to be.

Yes, that’s the kind of LOVE I wish for you – not just on Valentines day, but every-single-day.

Toni O’KEEFFE~🌹❤️

Not all empty spaces need to be filled~

From time-to-time many of us feel an emptiness, a lacking or void we think we need to fill in order to be happy.

We exhaust ourselves chasing happiness, chasing love, searching for meaning, chasing more of this or more of that, buying stuff to try and fill the emptiness or the sense of “lacking” in our lives.

Trying to fill this emptiness with material possessions, temporary companionship, drugs, alcohol, and busyness, almost never works. These things might mask what’s going on beneath the surface for a short period of time, but, they rarely lead to sustained fulfillment.

Perhaps this sense of emptiness is not something that needs to be filled, but something that needs to be FELT.

Perhaps this space within the ether of our chaotic human mind, is actually a waiting room that’s meant to be left wide-open, allowing old feelings, attitudes and pain to leave, and new feelings, thoughts and peace to arrive. A space we visit to lance our wounds, release our tears and the stifled ache of pent-up grief, pain, loneliness, remorse or sadness until we understand “it” and find the lesson in “it”. A space to purge the ugliness of what’s hurt us in the past and let “it” go – creating space for new things, new purpose, new meaning, to arrive. A space where we push the darkness out, and let the light in.

When the ache of emptiness or lacking creeps in, rather than trying to fill it, try to feel it. Take a walk, exercise, journal, open up and start talking to someone, go into nature, sit quietly and meditate. It doesn’t matter which path you take to get to this space, what matters is that you arrive, and when you do, you ask your pain what it’s trying to teach you. Then listen, feel, and release the things that no longer serve you or bring you peace. The answer(s) may not come right away. You may need to visit this space several times. When the answers begin to arrive, thank your pain for the lessons, then let it go. As it leaves, visualize new energy, new purpose, new feelings of wellness and hopefulness arrive. Then go out and live this one beautiful life you’ve been given.

This concept may sound abstract, however, if you’ve been feeling the ache of emptiness within, and what you’ve been doing to fill the void has not been working, what have you got to lose? other than the ache of the emptiness that haunts you.

Perhaps not all empty spaces are meant to be filled, perhaps they’re meant to be felt.

Toni O’KEEFFE~🌹❤️

Look for the helpers~

Mr Rogers said; “look for the helpers”.
This is wise advise for both children and adults.

When you’re struggling, be aware of who comes into your life unexpectedly. These helpers may be different than the people you generally welcome into your tribe, all the more reason to welcome them in.

If you’re in pain, lost, drowning in your own messy life circumstances, grief or chaos, you might not recognize these helpers when they show up, you might even push them away.

Put your ego, pride, judgment and stubbornness aside and accept that they are here to help and guide you through the storms in your life. If you don’t have the strength to reach out, accept the help when others reach in.

No matter how strong, brave, smart or tough we think we are, none of us can do this alone. We all need a village.

There are people you haven’t met yet, (and some you have) who will bring peace, comfort, laughter, wisdom, light, healing and help into your life.
Let them.

Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️

“Helping Hand” painting By Emile Renouf

Touch the ocean

I wander back to places I’ve been,

people I’ve met,

wonder why they’re part of

this one life I get.

It goes by fast,

this adventure is swift,

Every breath, every step,

every scene is a gift

Your days will end,

It’s not a race.

Slow down, breath,

Laugh, love and embrace.

I understanding,

why we’re here,

But, the lessons that come

are not always clear.

Candles of hope,

lit day-after-day,

the choices we make,

lighting our way.

Vistas to feast on,

new lives to hold,

Stories are written,

then rewritten and retold.

Keep your heart open,

your mind curious,

enjoy the dance,

don’t be so serious.

Kindness is key

Don’t hold a grudge,

What your neighbours doing,

is not yours to judge.

This path seems long

when we first arrive,

It’s not long at all,

I now realize.

Release the things

that tie you down

They won’t matter,

when you’re no longer around

So touch the ocean,

Kiss the sky,

Embrace this life

Before you die.

Toni O’Keeffe~🌹❤️

This is where I’m going

… to arrive at a place where the soul is calm and at peace with the storms its walked through,

…to hold no anger or regret,

… to carry a deep love and gratitude for the ones who have shared the journey, even if what was shared was painful,

…to love and be loved authentically,

…to sit in silence with the messiness of the world beside me and still be okay.

Ah yes, this is where I’m going…

Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹 ❤️

What’s calling you?

You were born with a “calling”, a “ gift”, a “talent”, and it’s meant to be exercised and shared.

Your calling might be creating music, poetry, art, laughter, or joy. It could be building, healing, teaching, cooking, inspiring, protecting, inventing or caring for or being of service to others. It could be anything.

Depending on the cultural, religious, social and political environments we grow up in, our natural callings might be stifled. We may be forced to put our callings aside and place ourselves into boxes that fit our environment, but don’t fit us.

When we’re NOT exercising our callings we’re not being our authentic selves and, we might feel un-easy, sad, depressed, frustrated, confused and a sense of longing to find and understand ourselves creeps in. We might feel uninspired, lethargic or bored and adopt toxic habits and addictive or risky behaviours in order to feel something and fill the void of whats missing. This dis-ease, can make us physically and mentally unwell.

When we’re doing what we’re born to do, we “feel”it. We feel inspired and motivated, we feel joy, a sense of purpose and we feel grateful and happy.

Some people know early on what their calling is. Others have a hard time finding it beneath the layers of life circumstances that have been thrown upon them.

If you haven’t found your calling, go into the world and experience new art, music, architecture, food, nature, culture and people. Read, travel, learn, meditate, develop networks of friends who are different than you. As you do these things, be aware of what resonates for you, sense what feels right. These feelings, might be a calling pointing you towards a happier, healthier life.

Become a curious explorer and dive deep into the mysteries of your own mind, attitudes and beliefs to unearth where your gift(s) have been buried and then set them free.

You beautiful, wild and whimsy spirit, is something calling you? Don’t be afraid to answer the call.

Toni O’KEEFFE~🌹❤️

When life knocks you down, stay there for awhile

When life knocks you down,
stay there for awhile.
Catch your breath,
rest, look up at the sky,
gaze at the clouds,
the birds, the stars,
the moon, whatever’s
up there, and know,
this thing that knocked
you down, is only a
lesson along a path that
leads to something better.

What happens to us,
doesn’t determine
who we are. So rest.
When you’re ready,
carry on knowing
this lesson is now
behind you.

Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️

Is it time?

A moment will arrive when you realize it’s time to tread beyond your comfort zone, escape your fears and everything weighing you down.

In this moment you will know with great clarity, it’s time to move beyond the obstacles blocking your path and allow the things calling you from beyond the veil of fear, doubt and judgment, to be born. Let them be born.

The fear you face may appear larger than it actually is, because it’s standing right in front of you. This fear may merely be the voices of others who have constantly told you what you should or shouldn’t be. Tune the voices out and walk, ride, skip, jump, sail or fly forward. Once you do, the fear will be gone, the fog will lift and you will clearly see the path towards the things you’ve been wanting to do, see, say, and become.

Be brave and muster your courage.
We never know exactly when our journey here will end, but we know it will end.
So, those dreams, goals, aspirations, creations ~ is it time?🌟

Toni O’Keeffe ~🌹❤️

Let’s Dance

Let’s dance ~

You may be sent into the lives of others to help them find a way through the heaviness of their pain or the turmoil in their life.

They may not understand or appreciate the meaning of your presence, help them anyway.

Plant seeds of kindness, compassion and wisdom all around them and hope the seeds take root and grow.

No matter how strong, brave, smart or tough we think we are, none of us can do this alone. We’re not supposed to.

We’re at our best when we show up for each other to offer comfort, create laughter, provide light, offer healing and love. In fact, when we’re helping others, we realize, we’re really helping ourselves.

And maybe that’s what this human journey is all about, just showing up for each other, without expectation, because it feels so good when our messy, yet amazing little souls are entangled in this colourful cosmic dance.

Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️

Step into this day with purpose

~Toni O’KEEFFE

Step into this day, knowing every step and every choice, leads you closer to, or further from, the life you want to live.

Stop wasting time on what doesn’t matter.
Do what you love, with whom you love.
Walk towards the life you want to live, not away from it.

Lace up those boots, slip on those flip flops, and run, (ride, fly or sail) into this day and make it count.

If what you do today does not lead you towards who you want to be, and who you want to be with, why are you doing it?

Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️