From the day we’re born, we’re programmed to, two-step, side-step, hop, skip, jump, twist, twirl and boogie, between the demands and expectations of family, school, career, relationships, society, our human emotions, our quest for happiness and ultimately “our purpose.” It’s quite the dance.
The music is continually playing and changing. We bump into others, trying not to step on toes. We slip, fall, break a heal, or break a leg. Some days we dance alone but still, we dance.
And even though we all have different dance moves, different tastes in music, wear different colours to the dance and none of us knows when this life ballet will end, we still have to show up, get along and dance whether we want to or not.
So what’s the point of this little song and dance? It’s this; ~ Life IS the dance.
Our purpose is to make the most of every step, every misstep, every song, every partner, every blister, every moment, every “thing”.
No matter how well you dance, what songs you dance to, how fast or slow, you move, who you dance with, how often you change partners or if you dance alone, find the music that’s in harmony with YOU and tap, waltz, jig, jive, polka, salsa, hip-hop, twirl, tango, do-si-do, or plié and enjoy the insanely beautiful rhythm of it all.
Regardless of who you are, what you do, how much money you have, who you voted for or who you worship, we’ll all get sore feet, the shoes will come off and the music will stop, for all of us.
So while you’re here, get those moves on and, enjoy the dance.
Whatever he, she or they, did or said to you, let it go. You are NOT the pain or burdens others placed upon you. Nor are you the opinions anyone has of you.
Put it down. Put it all down.
This weight is no longer yours to carry.
Some of it was NEVER yours to carry.
Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️
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~ Happiness is YOU!
It’s ;
~ YOU not judging and comparing yourselves to others and you accept yourselves as YOU are.
YOU seeing and appreciating the blessings (big and small) all around YOU.
YOU realizing happiness does not come from stuff, but from the attitude we (YOU) have about life.
YOU making the choice to be happy.
Happiness isn’t something we look for. Happiness is YOU.
Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️
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A wise soul will exercise curiosity
before judgement, ask questions
before criticizing, and attempt
to understand before making assumptions.
We all have it in us
to be wise, funky,
beautiful souls.
So let’s be funky!
Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️
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That emptiness you sometimes feel?
Perhaps it’s your soul creating space for;
new things,
new ideas,
new adventures,
new people,
to arrive.
This emptiness may feel like loneliness, sadness, a sense of wanting, or disappointment.
Don’t try and fill the emptiness, sit with it, feel it. Then invite it to leave. Use this feeling as an opportunity to open your heart, your mind to receiving something new.
There’s a season for all things and all people, to come in and out of our lives.
Let them come, and,
Let them go.
Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️
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In the
right light,
even the
darkest of
storms cast
a beautiful
light.
No matter what
you’re going through,
there’s light
behind this storm.
Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️
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We miss so much
as we rush through life.
If you knew
everything you
love today, would
be gone tomorrow,
including your family,
friends, your stuff,
your home, your pets,
would you slow down and
live differently?
would you look
at the world differently?
would you act differently?
It all will be gone, all of it,
love it all exactly like that.
Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️
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“Thank you for the good times, the bad times and the learning and growing we did together. I’m wiser, stronger and kinder because I had this time with you.”
Let these be your parting words as you walk away from ANY personal, professional or intimate relationship that’s come to an end.
If they you hurt you, let you down, caused you pain ~ forgive them. Learn from it.
The hate, disappointment, anger, fear, or regret you carry, feeds your pain, not theirs.
Walk away with a grateful heart knowing you’re wiser, stronger and kinder because of the time you spent together.
Even if it was painful, be grateful that this lesson is over.
Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️
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Life will hurt.
Nature will heal.
If you want
to hurt less,
you know
where to go.
Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️
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Look at you,
enjoying life,
finding joy,
laughing, spending
time with people
who lift you up,
loving yourself,
letting go
of all that
toxic stuff.
Way to go!!!
Oh, this isn’t you?
Why not?
Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️
—————
Pain has purpose.
let it hurt,
let it heal
then,
let it go.
Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️
———-
At any moment,
in any day,
you can stop,
and decide to
do things differently.
to live differently,
to love differently,
to care for yourself
or others
differently.
You have more
control over this
grand adventure
than you realize.
Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️
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Want to heal
the heart,
the mind,
the body,
the soul.
slow your pace,
slow your breath,
Step into nature
Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️
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Don’t waste your energy creating anger, hate, doubt, jealousy,disappointment, physical pain
Use it to create warmth, kindness, tolerance, self love
Your past has shaped you, taught you and led you to places and people that helped you grow. Some of those places and people have hurt you, pushed you down or left you with scars.
But, you my dear, you are not your past. You are NOT the opinions others had, or have, of you. You are NOT the things you did or the things that were done to you. Nor are you the mistakes you THINK you’ve made.
You have never made a single mistake, ever. There are no mistakes, only lessons. What you do with those lessons is up to you.
You are the sum of all your experiences and the learning these experiences brought you. You get to decide how to build upon all that.
So, take a deep breath, forgive yourself for the mistakes “you think” you’ve made, give thanks for the lessons and celebrate how far you’ve come, because wow, you’ve come along way my friend, and here you are, still standing❤️
Now, get out there and build something, anything you want, upon everything you’ve ever done, and enjoy this one big amazing life you’ve been given.
To the artists, dancers, singers, musicians, composers, poets, writers and creators~ who were told “you’re not good enough” and told to give up your creative dream and get a real job…….. THANK YOU for NOT giving up! You add the colour, the music, the passion, the words, the fun and the inspiration our world so desperately needs right now.
Your creative gifts are the tether we cling to as our world dangles in peril.
Some of the most creative minds including; Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cezanne, JK Rowling, Elvis Presley, Fred Astaire, Walt Disney, and many more, were told to give up their creative dreams ~ thankfully they didn’t listen.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” ~ Albert Einstein
Be grateful for the ones who show up and love you exactly as you are.
The ones who go along for the ride, just to make sure you’re safe.
The ones who shelter you from life’s storms and bring out the sun to celebrate your greatness achievements.
The ones who know when you need time alone to just be.
They ones who are patient, stand back and let you live your learning.
The ones who never judge you or ask you to change, in fact, they ask for almost nothing.
The ones you turn your back on from time-to-time and when you turn back around, there they are, still standing in your corner cheering you on.
The ones you call to talk to about anything and they listen without judgment even when you make no sense at all.
They might be a parent, grandparent, a sister, brother, cousin, lover or loyal friend ~ you may not always be kind to them ~ you may not always thank them for showing up – but, they always do.
One day they might be gone, don’t take them for granted. Be grateful for the ones who show up and love you ~ exactly as you are.
In the end, nothing will hurt more than; ~ the paths not taken, ~ words not spoken, ~ wounds that didn’t heal, ~ moments lost, ~ joy never found, ~ a life not lived.
We’re here to take a few chances, have a colourful adventure or two, learn about ourselves, the planet and everything around us. To fully feel the highs and lows of this unique human journey. Don’t waste it. Be brave, bold, and curious as you own this thing called life!!
Yup you’ll make mistakes, you’re supposed to. You’ll get hurt, don’t let that stop you. You’ll get knocked down, eventually you’ll get back up and, you’ll get messy, oh well 🤷🏻♀️.
Be fearless, have fun and laugh till it hurts. Everyone of us is a student of life, and everyone of us will mess up, so, forgive those who hurt you, forgive yourself for the times you’ve been less then perfect. Face your fears with all the courage you can muster.
When you exit this ride, I hope your hair is a mess, your knees are wobbly, you’ve lost your hat, the wind has kissed your face so many times your cheeks are raw and, your final thought is “wow, that was amazing, absolutely frickin’ amazing, let’s do it again.”
The day may come when the people, things and habits you’re used to, no longer fit or feel like you. Embrace the calling to let these things go and move on.
We’re not meant to stay stuck in the same place or the same mindset.
When water stops flowing it can become stagnate, foul, murky and toxic. If we stay stuck in the same place or mind set for too long, we can also become stagnant, foul, murky and toxic.
Our minds are meant to be exercised and fed. When we’re not grazing on new knowledge, new vistas, new opportunities or new adventures, we can get stuck.
We’re meant to flow, to move forward, to have new experiences, learn new things, challenge our own thinking, and grow.
Change can feel overwhelming and it might feel easier to stay in the box we know. Human beings do this all the time. We stay in uncomfortable relationships, uncomfortable situations, uncomfortable jobs, uncomfortable communities, uncomfortable shoes and uncomfortable behaviours and habits that add little joy to ours lives, because it’s familiar, it’s what, or sometimes “ALL”, we know.
But, once you rise, step out of your comfort zone, stretch your enthusiasm, move beyond your fear and shake off the old, you’re ready to take on the new.
Don’t waste your one beautiful life and your curious and hungry mind, remaining stuck in one place. The place that feels familiar may not be the place you belong. Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️
***If you need help getting unstuck, reach out for support🙏🤗
Stop believing anyone who tells you you’re broken. You’re not, you’re absolutely beautiful.
You might hurt and have scars, but the pain you feel is growth, not brokenness.
Our life experiences aren’t supposed to feel, look or be the same as everyone else. So lets stop judging ourselves against the lives we see others live.
Your life journey might be painful because it’s about falling down and learning to get back up.
My journey might be filled with grief and heartache so I can understand loss and then comfort and have compassion for others when they experience it.
My neighbours journey might be about tolerance, acceptance and compassion, so they can become advocates for diversity and understanding.
We’re all going to fall and get hurt along the way, it’s part of the journey. Our hearts might get heavy and our spirits might crumble but, these are the experiences and emotions we’re meant to “grow” through.
Each stabbing ache, each crushing disappointment, every loss or painful fall from grace, provides us and those who bear witness to our lives, the opportunities to learn and transform. This pain shouldn’t break us, it should makes us stronger and wiser.
If you perceive your life as broken because you’ve been knocked down a few times, then you’ll feel broken. However, if you perceive your life as an amazing classroom, where you’re constantly learning and growing, then, you’ll greet each day with curiosity and excitement. You’ll become stronger and better equipped to deal with the tough stuff when it comes along. Let your scars be a reminder of how far you’ve come.
So relax, inhale the lessons, exhale and live the learning. No matter what people tell you or what you see in the mirror, you’re not broken. You’re both a beautiful student and teacher in this insanely wild and wonderful classroom called life. And, you’re right where you’re supposed to be, bumps, bruises, dents, scrapes, scars and all.
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.
The Whimsey Angel 