Creative Burst of Energy with Lizzie!

  Contemplation Take a step back Re-center Who are you? What are your goals? Take it slow Don't rush Make a list Contemplate What do you want? “The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.” ―  Thich Nhat Hanh

 Butterflies don't lay their eggs on just any random plant. Each species of butterfly has a specific host plant, or perhaps a small assortment of host plants, that are the exclusive food plant of the butterfly caterpillar. Without these specific species of host plant available, the adult female butterfly won't lay eggs, and there would be no next generation of butterflies. One of the most well-known butterfly and host plant combinations is the Monarch Butterfly and the butterfly milkweed plant. Monarch caterpillars munch exclusively on milkweed plants. They start as a tiny egg and within a few weeks have eaten enough milkweed to grow into a full-size caterpillar, ready to find a safe location to transform into a chrysalis, and finally into the next generation of beautiful butterfly. What feeds you, both in body and soul? Do you have a favorite comfort food? Do you have a daily ritual or routine that makes you feel connected with yourself, with others around you, or with spiritu...

  Inner Peace The path to inner peace Twists and turns Full of learning opportunities Full of challenges and questions Whichever path you follow is yours alone No two journeys are the same Inner peace blooms from within Seek it within yourself

  Life’s Grand Adventure   Life is one grand adventure One small adventure after another Put all the small adventures together That’s life   Come out of your shell To try something new Retreat into your shell To feel safe, secure   You are always changing Growing, getting older, learning new things Yet through all of life’s adventures Big and small You are still you.

  Advice to my Older Self Recently, I asked many people what advice they would like to offer to their younger selves. One person asked me what advice I would give to my older self. Hmmm, I hadn’t thought of that, and it is an interesting question. Obviously, giving my childhood-self advice is simply a fantasy, but I could perhaps tell my older self some things. I could write myself a letter and put it in an envelope marked, “DO NOT OPEN UNTIL 2030!” Or I could take a more short-term approach. Tomorrow, I’ll be a day older than I am today. Okay, Tomorrow-Self, go out for a nice long walk, and enjoy being present in the moment. Smile and say “Hi” to a passer-by. Listen to the birds singing. Notice the colors, patterns, and textures all around. But what about my 20-years-older self, the person I will be in the year 2042? What advice would I give to her (and what makes me think I’ll be any more open to receiving advice in 20 years than I am now)? Assuming I am still alive and...

  A rainbow of flowers. Photos by L Bowen Beauty is Not Just a Rainbow Open your eyes, slow down Put on your observation glasses, and look around There is beauty everywhere It's not just in the rainbow after a storm Or the colors of flowers Or a pretty photo of an exotic place you've never been There's beauty in everyone, all around the world, even you In the ordinary everyday things we don't take the time to notice Sometimes we have to look past the ugly to see the beauty But it's there Next time you have a moment Slow down  Look around Notice the beauty, details, colors, patterns The complexities of every living thing

 In Part 1 of "Advice to my Younger Self " I shared advice I would have given to my younger self, if such a thing were possible. In Part 2 of "Advice to my Younger Self" I will share answers from others, in response to the question, "What bit of advice would you give to your younger self?" I asked many people, younger and older, male and female, what advice they would give to their younger selves. The following, in random order, is an anonymous compilation of replies. Some have been slightly edited for brevity and clarity. Thank you to everyone who shared their bits of advice with me. ·          Stand up straight. ·          I would tell my younger self to hold off on committing to someone else as a life partner until I'm sure I've fulfilled a commitment to loving and discovering myself - to know what I want, be fearless in reaching for it, and strong enough to say no to what feels like someone...