Women's Life Link Be Well, Be Happy, Be YOU!

One of the very many things I like most about what I do – combining the stories of emerging showbiz talents (and some more experienced) with the fight against bullying – is hearing and learning about some of these people. What some of them have been through – bullying – and how they rise above it. They sing their wonderful talents to show the world that all their nightmares/tormenters have done is help bring them through – help make them who and what they are. Proving to other victims worldwide that they are certainly not alone and that they can be whatever they want – if they put their minds to it. No-one can stop you, not if you really want it.

A few days ago, while raking leaves, my cat loved attacking the rake. I laughed at the amount of joy that Mageara gained from this menial task I needed to finish. I enjoyed the task more because she did. Just as I began to pull in another pile of leaves and the cat jumped at the rake, I took delight in something else! I uncovered little white daisies. They were in full bloom, smiling up at me as if they had the secret to life. I laughed out loud at such a weird find in late fall. And then, of course, I took a picture! Several thoughts came to mind, which I want to share with you.

It is November now, the year nearly gone – I am looking at all those pieces that LIE INCOMPLETE – there are a few. I set a new goal this month, as I do when guilt sets in and I say no more procrastination, stay on track, etc.. Six A.M. arrives and I cannot sleep, so I actually get up and move onto one of those events and complete it – feeling very good about myself and wondering how long I can keep it up. As I seek to complete another task (this article) my newest baby kitten, who is still nameless, is also desperately seeking my attention by helping type and pushing things off my desk.

You know how you feel when someone rudely interrupts you? Awkward. Frustrated. Inferior. Angry. Maybe all of these emotions and more. I've been on both the interrupted and the interrupter sides of many conversations, and, honestly, I don't feel good about either position. Though I try not to ever cut anyone off, it happens...and I usually feel bad about it afterwards. I hate getting interrupted. It makes me feel disrespected and unimportant. I stand there wondering whether I should try to restate my point or just let go. Sometimes I forget what I was saying altogether.

Hi everyone! Today I'd like to introduce a new contributor to our Expert Team. Lannah Sawers-Diggins is a journalist and photographer from Australia who will be gracing us with her new Column called Diggin' for Talent. Lannah is an expert at talent discovery and her efforts to educate the public about the damaging effects of bullying. She has brilliantly combined her talents and dedicated her writing to promoting artists who also advocate for the fight against bullying. So we were thrilled when her first submission was about our friend singer, songwriter, actress, model, Meredith O'Connor. This follow up article catches up with Meredith and talks about the exciting things she's been up to. Please welcome Lannah to our community and visit her website Bullseye and the Fight Against Bullying.

I was given a rose a while back. I could not help but delight in the scent and the feel of silk as well as the deep color of the huge petals. There was such beauty in just that one rose, that I did not need a dozen. That one flower was created just for me for that moment. While others may have enjoyed its beauty before me and some will after, the fact is, in that moment, it was just for me. We are created to DO something... To touch someone...if only for just a moment.

What I mean is.... there are MANY things in life that we look at. We have looked at them so much, it becomes second nature to ignore them. For instance: The clouds... We know they are there most days so we do not take in the different shapes that could be talking to us. A dragon, an angel, a dog chasing a mouse. Yes, you read it correctly. A dog. Clouds don't care! Then you have the vast array of stars you may have glanced at a few weeks or months ago, but with all your business, you have been looking forward and not very often up. I looked up last night and found thousands and thousands of diamonds crying out for attention! I just stared in wonder at the beauty of them all. Big dipper, little dipper. Orion's belt. The North Star. We looked for them as kids. Have you looked at how big the moon is? With our naked eye, so many things are seen but not admired even though we may have admired them a lot.

Many of the thought leaders today talk about the story(s) we tell ourselves to get along, to survive, to feel better. As a writer, this resonates because I have always told stories and written scripts. I would like to invite you today to consider looking at the idea of what stories you tell yourself and why/what role these stories occupy in your life. Do they complement or contaminate your life – given the path you are on spiritually, is it possible that these stories are no longer necessary?

Have things in your life been a struggle? Maybe things have just been constrictive or you feel stuck. Maybe you are frustrated with a situation you just cannot seem to get past. Lately I have had butterflies on my mind. No, not the nervous butterflies in the tummy but the beautiful, flighty, colorful creatures that take to the sky and land on the wild flowers. They do not stay in one place long, but before those beautiful moments of flight, it was a caterpillar snug tight in it's cocoon. That is where it goes through metamorphosis. Changes. There are stages to it's growth. And then, when the time is right, the cocoon tears away to reveal the colorful wings that take flight.

How many times have we not paid attention to the beauty right in front of us? We go searching for beauty in magazines and in nature and in our experiences...But what are the simply beautiful things that we should take notice of all around us?

This month has been interesting for my family as we're coming up on some major life shifts. The company for which my husband had worked for 7 years closed recently. Though he has not gone a day without a job due to the favor he's received over the past few months from the company who purchased the building and land, he is now facing a major job or even industry change. For our family this could mean relocating out of state. Additionally, we are faced with moving out of our home very quickly due to circumstances out of our control. Without knowing where my husband will obtain a new position, we are unable to decide where to move or to begin even looking. The strange thing is I don't feel upset or stressed about the unknown, and the reason for my peace is that I invited change to come into my life.

I am always held spellbound by semantics and linguistics; words can say so much and mean so many different things to different people. This struck me the other day regarding the word ‘recreation’. Think about the word recreation; it might conjure images of fun, down time, sports and hobbies, time with the kids, relaxation and enjoyment. It’s the time spent away from your working life, the chores and the 'should be doing' tasks your mind keeps reminding you of.

I’ve recently discovered the pleasure, and pain, of being a motorcycle passenger. With that came an education in the definition of ‘squid’ according to the book of Mark. No, not that book. I’m talking about the book of Mark Hardman, my life partner and fellow adventurist. According to him, a squid is a newbie who is also a poser. On the road a squid is the guy wearing flip-flops, hunched way down over his bike while driving 65 mph or the girl wearing a bikini. They think they look like a sexy pro, but really just look a bit silly, and risky, to the experienced rider.

It is interesting how life events can give us the option to develop new perspectives which can then impact us on all levels. This happened to me on Thursday when I received a call from my dad about some family issues. After fretting over it, losing the day from fretting, I realized that this was an opportunity from the Universe, an invitation to review my feelings about the subject, previous work I had done on it and thought I had completed, and perhaps make a more conscious shift to position me better into the future.

Well, about a week ago, I got out of the car and noticed a butterfly on the ground. He was pretty damaged. An inch of one wing was missing. The rest of him was beautiful - a mix of colors; orange, yellow, brown and blue. He was broken, but he was still beautiful. I took a picture of him as I thought of how God had created this beautiful creature and how he could still be so lovely in his brokenness.