Tag: Reflection

Healing

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in Life Journey

~Toni O’KEEFFE

Today feels like a good day to start healing from whatevers hurting or haunting you.

It doesn’t matter how you got here.
It matters how you muster the courage to move beyond it.

Healing can start by forgiving who or what hurt you, including forgiving yourself for the role you played or decisions you made that led to your emotional or physical pain.

Forgiveness does not mean you condone or forget what happened. Forgiveness is the act of reclaiming control over your mental and physical well being so you can live your best life.

When we forgive, we put the weight of our pain down and remove the power it has over us. Forgiveness allows peace to fill in the spaces where sorrow, guilt, regret, anger, grief or other pain once lived and, we begin to heal. You may not be able to get over your pain, but you can get through it.

Forgive the ones who hurt you, left you in a state of fear, or left you feeling less than you are. Forgive the disease, discomfort or physical pain hurting your body and ask it to move on. It doesn’t matter why or how this pain found you, it matters that you move on in spite of it.

Even if you have to live with your pain, as many of us do, you can still ease the hurt and take away the power it has over your life.

It’s on the path through our pain where some of our greatest learning and growth takes place.

You deserve, happiness, peace of mind, love and freedom from everything thats ever hurt you.

If you need help getting started; write down the things you want to heal from and who you need to forgive. Then, find your place of peace. This place might be a forest, the ocean, a wide open field, a mountain top, a lakeside, a garden, your backyard or a room with a view.
In this safe space set your words free in whatever way feels right for you. Burn, bury, scream, shred or flush, the choice is yours,

When you leave, this place, leave what and who hurt you behind. If you feel your pain creeping back in. Go back to this place and reclaim your peace of mind.

Whether your pain is anchored in grief, regret, remorse, abuse, addiction, heartbreak, an accident, disease or other physical or emotional suffering; today’s a good day to start healing.

Your pain can leave you paralyzed or, it can be the wind that allows to you set sail.

Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️

Your words have power

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in Life Journey

~ Toni O’KEEFFE

Today as I sat on the beach with my little dog Bo’, a young girl, about 4 years old, ran up to us happily excited to see Bo’ digging in the sand.

She gushed at how cute he was, stroked his fur ever so gently, softly tapped his head and utter the words; “good boy” and giggled as he licked her hands and face.

Her mother ran up to where we were and apologized for her daughter’s intrusion and excitement and told her to leave us alone.

“It’s quite alright,”I said. “His name is Bo and he loves the attention.”

Then, quite spontaneously, the little girl looked up at me and said “I love you, and I love Bo.”
It was very sweet.
“We love you too,” I replied.
“Thank you for making Bo so happy today.”
The little girl smiled.

Her mother appeared very uncomfortable, quickly grabbed her child’s hand and pulled her away. She turned to her daughter and in a harsh tone said; “You don’t tell strangers you love them. That’s silly, stop bothering this lady.” She went on publicly scolding the child and told her; “You don’t even know this person, You save those words for people you know.”

A quiet reserve fell over this sweet child’s face, erasing her glow and her smile.
Her slumped shoulders and nervous hair twirling, were signs she was confused about what she had done wrong.

I wanted to pick her up, hug her, tell her she had done nothing wrong and, in fact, she had made me and Bo quite happy.
But, I couldn’t, it wouldn’t have been “appropriate” and, her mother had quickly whisked her away.

Let me be clear, I understand the importance of educating our children about stranger-danger. Some people might not want their child running up to strangers saying “I love you”. This situation was different. And, it was a lost learning moment for the mother and the child.

There is nothing more beautiful than the innocence and vulnerability of a child speaking their truth.

Most young children do not possess social restraint, so their raw honesty can be insightful and even comical when they say things we might find inappropriate, such as;
“your breath is stinky like a dog butt”
“I think I barfed in my underpants”
“farts are my favourite thing about granpa”
“mom you look dizzy in that dress”
“we don’t eat meat ‘cause our moms trying to be a virgin”
……or other words and phrases describing the plethora of thought swirling inside a tiny human mind(and yes these are actual raw honest phrases spoken by my two little boys, in public, decades ago).

So when a child is moved to say the words “I love you” its a beautiful act from a little soul under construction.

Saying “I love you” in a platonic way, shouldn’t feel scary (my god I just wrote about this a few weeks ago).
When children say it, it should feel wonderful and they shouldn’t be shamed or scorned.

In a world filled with anger, hate and distrust, we need little people to feel comfortable expressing LOVE.

So what’s the moral of this story?
Our words have power.
The words spoken by this sweet child, lifted me up. Her words were beautiful, authentic and spoken from the innocence of her tender heart.

The words spoken by her mother, were filled with anger, disappointment, perhaps fear, and quickly had the power to bring a very happy, excited child down, and put me off balance for the rest of the day.

Our words can create ripples that echo on long after we’ve left them behind ( this post is an example of just that).
So lets create ripples of kindness that flow gently into (and beyond) each other’s lives, rather than cause and waves of fear, hurt and destruction.

Love Toni~🌹❤️

****Fun fact, I was not successful in my attempts to eliminate meat from my diet. I did not become a “vegetarian”. (You might have to go back and re-read paragraph 11 to fully understand 😁)

Healing spaces

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in Life Journey

~ Toni O’KEEFFE

We all need quiet, healing spaces where we can be still, clear our minds and listen to whatever the universe wants us to hear.

Places to unpack our emotions and sort through our thoughts without the noise and buzz that constantly calls to us from our chaotic human world.

Places we can pause, hit reset, then walk away with settled hearts, peaceful minds and contented souls.

You deserve to find a place of peace which does exactly that, and I hope you do❤️.
Love Toni 🌹❤️

Be still and listen ~

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

Be still ~
Close yours eye ~
Slowly inhale ~
Hold ~
Now, let your shoulders drop and the muscles across your neck and brow loosen and relax as you slowly exhale.
As you release your breath, imagine all pain, stress, anger, jealousy, fear, fatigue, regret or sadness, melting and floating away.
Let it all go.

These uncomfortable emotions and physical discomfort are often sent to wake us up. They remind us to stop wasting time on the wrong people and the wrong things. They are calling us to to live, create, explore and love in ways that lift us up, not break us down.

If each day is a repeat of the day before and you’re not fully living, your mind, body and spirit will send you messages through feelings of discontent, fatigue, tension and illness. Listen to those messages.

My Dad used to say, “learn something, create something, observe something, meet someone or go somewhere new everyday, it’ll keep life interesting.” He was right.

We never know when we’ll take our last breath. Don’t waste this day, this life, this moment on things and people that bring you down.

You deserve happiness and joy. You have this one, big, colourful life. What wild and wonderful things are you going to do with it?

Don’t die with your hopes, dreams, desires, words, art, music, love, passion still in you. Open your heart and unleash your magic into the world.

Now, be still and listen, where does your mind, body and soul want you to go?

Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️

  • photo Paul Zizka

The “L” word

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in Life Journey, love, Love and relationships, Personal Growth, Toni O’Keeffe

I use the “L” word a lot. I tell my family, friends, even my dog, “I LOVE them.”

I love my home, my community, my morning coffee, cinnamon buns, Prosecco, chocolate, harp music, a good “who-done-it”, walks in the forest, starry nights, the sound of the ocean, crazy wild storms, songs that make me cry and spontaneous adventures ( lol- sounds like an online dating profile😁).
My point is, each of us use this one small word; “LOVE”, to define the emotion, passion and affection we have for so many things.

So why then are so many afraid to say it? Maybe it’s because we’ve made saying “I LOVE you” weird. Our socialized definition of the word is based on romantic love, when actually, LOVE goes further and so much deeper than that.

If you’re a part of my tribe and I tell you “I LOVE you.” it means; I’m grateful for the bond and history we share, the memories we’ve made and the time we’ve spent together. I appreciate the energy and wisdom you bring into my life. I’m drawn to your creativity, your soulfulness, your wit, the way you lift me up and make me feel. When I say “I LOVE you” I’m saying I’m glad you were born and I’m happy you’re a part of my life.

Now, what’s so scary about that?

Just saying the words “I LOVE you” is uplifting to the one speaking them.
Being told we’re loved is not just nice, it’s necessary. We all need to know we matter.

LOVE has the power to inspire, comfort, heal, and pull us up from the darkest of places. There are more songs, books, movies and poetry written about LOVE then any other topic. We have special days to celebrate love, we’re consumed with finding love, and without love our species would, well, die off.

In a world that always seems to be in peril, sharing our love for one another is the glue that will strengthen our bonds and allow us to better navigate the challenges, conflicts and disagreements life throws at us.

So let’s stop making it weird.
Spread the “L”word. I promise the more you give, the more you’ll get.

Have an absolutely fabulous day.
PS – I Love You

You, that’s what’s important

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in follow your path, Life Journey, Personal Growth, Toni O’Keeffe, wisdom

Every day, the rest of the world,
will try to tell you;
~ who you should be,
~ what you should do,
~ where you should go,
and what’s important.
DON’T LISTEN.
Look in the mirror, see that face?
That’s what and who’s important.
The dreams pounding in your chest,
the adventures waiting to be had,
the roads calling you to travel,
the art-music-poetry, whatever it is,
that’s urning to be born,
~ this is your souls desperate plea to live.
Listen to that.

Toni O’KEEFFE~🌹❤️

Look for the light

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in blessing, gratitude, growth, healing, kindness, life challenges, Life Journey, mindfulness, Personal Growth

Imagine you’re on a day hike in the forest, it’s getting dark and you wander off the path.

Your lost. You don’t know which way to go. You don’t have provisions to get through the night, you’re feeling stressed, hopeless, anxious and mad at yourself for not being better prepared.

Then, as you’re stumbling in the dark, exhausted and disoriented, you see a light in the darkness. A spark of hope surges within you and you make your way towards the light.

Your anxiousness turns to excitement.
Your hopelessness turns to optimism.
All because you saw a small comforting glow in the distance.

You’re overcome with joy when you come upon another hiker sitting next to a cozy fire. This person is a stranger, yet, in this moment they’re the most important person in your life.

They offer you shelter, warmth, food and water. You graciously accept. You’re relieved and you feel safe.

In the morning this stranger guides you out of the forest to safety. You hug, shed a tear and say goodbye. Your grateful, humbled and alive.
~~~~~~~
We all stumble. At times, we feel lost, alone, anxious, stressed or hopeless. Pride or self doubt might stop us from seeking help.

You sweet soul, when you’re lost, do what you’d do in the forest, look for the ones with the light and let them guide you.
Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️

This storm will pass

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in healing, life challenges, Life Journey, Toni O’Keeffe, Wisdom, Life Journey,

Not all of life’s storms are destructive.
Some come to shake us up, so we can put things back together, not the way they were, but, the way they’re meant to be.

Good things grow from the messiest parts of our lives. Every challenge, loss and disappointment brings new opportunities.

There really is calm and light after every storm. Yup, after, every, single, one.
🌈 ☀️❤️☀️🌈

Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️

Get a little messy

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in Life Journey, Toni O’Keeffe, wisdom

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

You’ve been messing up and falling down since the day you were born. That’s how you learnt to walk, to talk, feed and dress yourself, ride a bike, drive a car and build a life for yourself. This cycle of learning and growing never ends. We mess up, we learn, we grow, we move on. It’s all part of the journey.

So, if you fell, did the wrong thing or said the wrong thing yesterday, its okay. As long as you pulled yourself up, brushed yourself off, packed up the learning, you’re heading in the right direction.

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

Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️

Good “Bad” teachers.

by The Whimsey Angel, posted in Life Journey, Toni O’Keeffe

We cross path with thousands of people throughout our lives. Most are good, and we’re better because we’ve known them.

Then, there are those who turn our lives upside down. They’re negative, mean spirited, they may be unsupportive, narcissistic, angry, dishonest, disrespectful or cold hearted. They may reject us, judge us, use or abused us. They challenge our resilience, patience, courage, strength and our sense of self.

But, these people are important.

They help us establish the set-point for our own moral compass and help us unearth who and “how” we want to be.

By observing the impact their actions, behaviours and attitudes have on the people and world around them, we acquire some of our greatest learning.

They’re not always bad people, they are however, really good “bad” teachers.

Despite what these discontented souls portray on the surface, their life path is often hard and heavy.

Move past these “good bad teachers” with your heart open and filled with gratitude knowing you are stronger, better and wiser because of the lessons they’ve given you.

Everyones a teacher. The ones who teach us how “not to be” Hmmm, pay attention, they sometimes provide the greatest lessons of all.

Toni O’KEEFFE ~🌹❤️