Caterpillars into butterflies …

This quote hung above my desk for a loooooong time.  Because, well, I was going through a lot of adversity at work.  It encouraged me, and the reference to a butterfly gave me much-needed hope.

Speaking of butterflies, did you know that if you try to “help” a butterfly out of its chrysalis, you actually do more harm than good?  As it turns out, their struggle to free themselves actually releases a chemical that strengthens their wings. Without that struggle, their wings would never be strong enough to fly.

So, go ahead and read that quote above again and know that YOU GOT THIS!  (Whatever “this” may be).

The only person …

When I took yoga teacher training, my instructor sat with me one rainy day and listened (God love her) to me finish telling her a pretty painful story from my past.  Toward the end, I remember asking her: “I wonder what it will take to change or heal this?”

She replied (and I’ll never forget this): “What if you just decided? What if you just gave yourself permission? Maybe that’s all it takes.”   

It’s like all along I’d been waiting for someone else to tell me it was all okay, but maybe I’m the only person who can truly decide that it IS okay.

Question:  What is one thing you wish you could change from your past?

Food For Thought:  What if you decided to accept that it happened?

Challenge:  Can you acknowledge this one thing from your past (cry, scream or do whatever your heart needs to do), and then decide to set it down so that you can step forward releasing its grip upon your heart and mind?

The greatest gift of all.

So here’s a quote from one of my favorite authors (he-he).  Me!!! 

When I turned 50, I decided to stop dying my hair.  I remember walking alone one day (during the pandemic) and realizing: “Hey, this is what 50 looks like! My face has wrinkles, but those lines around my eyes are from times that I laughed!  My skin is looser and hangs more under my jaw and chin, but that’s gravity.  That’s just what happens!”

So then I had the thought: “What if I just decided to accept and love myself the way I already am? And what if I DECIDED that I was beautiful?” The minute I had this thought, I could feel every muscle in my body heave a sigh of relief.

Question: Do you often wish that you saw yourself as beautiful?

Food For Thought: Feeling good about yourself is just a choice away.  What if it IS that easy?

Challenge:  What if you just decided to accept and love yourself the way you already are?  How does that feel in the tissues of your body?

Embrace who you are.

My whole life, it used to seem like I was striving to be something great:  from obtaining great grades in school, to securing a worthwhile, respectable career … I’ve spent a huge chunk of my life trying to become “memorable.”

So, when I first read the above quote, it slapped me right across the face.  It was like that scene in the movie “Moonstruck” (do you remember this?) where Loretta slaps Ronny and tells him to “Snap out of it!”

And what does this even mean to un-become?  Well, maybe it’s time for me to let go of some of the expectations I’ve piled upon myself. Maybe it’s time to embrace who I am as a human being, and to stop stressing about what I’m doing. Hmmm.  Food for thought.

Question: Are you placing too much emphasis on what you do?

Food For Thought:  Do you think it’s O.K. for you just to “be” who you already are?

Challenge:  Can you remember a time when you were doing something that made you happy?  If so, what was it you were doing?  Can you find a way to do more of that?

Authentic Self.

I stumbled across this quote about ten years ago.  As a busy, full-time working mom, I wasn’t even really able to put my finger on exactly what it was about this quote that unsettled me.

Reflecting back, I think it was very possibly the first time I’d ever had an invitation to just “be myself.” There were so many layers over my “Authentic Self” that I wasn’t even really sure how to gain access to that person.

Question: Are you someone who hides their true self, ignores it, or keeps it under wraps?

Food For Thought: Did you know that these are quite possibly the things you were brought here to share with the rest of us?

Challenge: Are you ready to share the “true you” with those around you?  Please, please, please?

Angel wings.

My kind, generous friend opened her heart and home and became a foster parent to a beautiful baby girl. Now the time has come for that baby to return to the home of her birth parents.

To say that my friend is heartbroken is an absolute understatement.  But today I can’t help but think about how that little girl got to be in a safe environment, and how, even for a short time, her heart was surrounded by protection and love and grace.

I pray that the seeds of love that were planted by my friend will take root in the heart of that precious little girl.  And that she (and my friend) will continue to be surrounded by angel wings.

~ May it be so.

Light the way for love.

I think I’ve spent most of my life, as I’m sure many of us have, trying to stuff myself into the “Beauty Box”:  a slender body, flawless skin, saying all the right things.  But … that’s not even attainable.  And it’s certainly not what we’re here for.

Maybe beauty starts at the center of LOVE.  And everybody has it, because love is the energy and the thread that connects every one of us.

Maybe today when you walk past a mirror, you’ll stop, take a good look and remember all the times you’ve been kind.  All the times you’ve gotten up after getting your butt kicked by life and still done something kind for another human.  That, my friend, is Beautiful.  And…

You.

Are.

BEAUTIFUL.

You’re allowed.

I am guilty of wanting to have everything in my life worked out RIGHT NOW!  Can I get an amen? I think it comes from my childhood … from a deeply rooted need to please, and the false belief that I had to “make things right” for everyone else around me.

However, in my late 40s and early 50s, life began to unravel due to the death of my sister and then the subsequent death of my father. I was forced to re-examine some of my core beliefs.  Things like: “Am I really responsible for everyone else around me?” and “Do I really need to care for everyone else first?”

I think the lovely quote above is a reminder that we don’t have to figure it all out today. But, what if we took one step towards our own self care each day?

What is one thing you can do today that brings YOU joy?  What if you did one little thing every day? 

I give you permission, my friend.  And every time you choose to make your own health a priority, you will be silently inspiring a younger generation around you to do the same.

Go take care of yourself.  I dare you!!

Forget not …

I’ve always found the natural world to be my “reset” button.  No matter how harried my life becomes, when I go outside, the chaos subsides.

When the wind caresses my face and lifts my hair, it’s inviting me to calm down.  The rhythmic blowing of the leaves and grasses; the sounds of birds singing and animal noises; the heat of the sun on my skin; or the light of the moon and stars … it all reminds me that I am small and yet part of something larger than myself.  Regular breathing, steady heartbeat, feet tapping the earth … it all calms me.

And when I forget how much my body craves the out of doors, I find beautiful quotes like this one to remind me:  Elizabeth, get outside!

Question:  Are you someone who is soothed by being outside?

Food For Thought:  If so, when was the last time you went outside?

Challenge:  Take 10-15 minutes (minimum) to go for a walk outside.  Take a deep breath of fresh air, feel your heart beat, and let your feet tap the earth.

Here is a secret.

Our oldest daughter just went off to college, and suddenly I find myself with so much more free time on my hands.  For the last 18 years, it feels like I have put a host of my hopes and dreams on hold.  But it’s been so long since I focused on the things I love, that I almost can’t even remember what they were.

Then I read this quote, and it landed in the center of my mama’s heart.  How do I remember what it was that I love to do?  Find something that sounds interesting and start there.

I will find the rhythm of my own heartbeat again.  One clumsy dance at a time.

Question:  Have you put your hopes and dreams on the back burner?

Food For Thought:  Does the thought of reviving them make your heart leap a little?

Challenge:  Think of one thing that you really love (or used to love) to do, and start it back up.

Empathy

It’s me again, with another quote from the amazing actor and activist, Audrey Hepburn:

I find it interesting that the things listed in the body of her quote are what society typically stresses as the things to strive for in this lifetime:  career, wealth, intelligence, status. However, as Ms. Hepburn so aptly points out, nothing is more important than our ability to empathize with each other.

And I love the phrase “to survive with dignity.” We are all on a shared journey.  We experience the same heartaches, losses, and struggles.

What if we decided to join hands and run this human race together with dignity?

Question:  What do you value above all else?

Food For Thought:  Is it things? Or people?

Challenge:  The next time you go out to a public place, look around.  Is there someone who could use some help?

Gratitude

Gratitude is my secret “mood-boosting” weapon.  You see, many, many days I would find myself in a grumpy mood because it was soooo hard for me to leave my kiddos and go to work.  I KNEW I had to do it — because we had to eat, pay the bills, keep our home.  So, off to work I went.

But my attitude on soooo many days was dark, dreary and downright dismal.  In these moments, I would force myself to list 10 things I was grateful for.  It could be coffee, chocolate, hugs, birdsongs, music, love … whatever 10 things my grumpy self could come up with.

On really bad days I had to list 25 things before I saw a difference, but every single time I did this exercise, my focus changed, my heart lifted, and I would find myself walking into the office with more joy in my heart.  It was an honest-to-goodness, full on game changer.

Question:  Do you have downright dismal days?

Food For Thought:  What if making a simple gratitude list could change your day?  (It costs nothing and takes very little time).

Challenge: I dare you to try it today.  Start with any 5 things (if you need help: clean water, plentiful food, conversation, love, the ability to contribute), and see where it takes you.

Nothing is impossible.

I have always been a fan of Audrey Hepburn.  In my mind, she lit up the screen with her grace and beauty.  Turns out, she was actually quite humble.  Take this quote of hers, for instance:

For one of Hollywood’s “royalty” to say something like this hits home even more so for me.  I mean, that she could look back and point out something so beautiful makes it feel like she’s giving permission for me to feel special, unique, and exquisite myself.

I’m always gobsmacked that more celebrities don’t use their fame to spread goodness and beauty amongst this planet.  If I ever become famous someday, I hope I use that platform to encourage, uplift and inspire others.  But in the meantime, the mission of The Quiet Whisper is to be a voice that encourages, uplifts and inspires others. So, whether I become famous or not, I’m going to do it anyway. May it be so.