Love: Life's Sweetest Reward

Love. Life's Sweetest Reward.
Recognize the opening line to The Love Boat?
It's an Open Smile on a Friendly Shore.

Open is the key word here.
You can't love unless you're open--to give and to receive.

But being open also makes you vulnerable--to hurt, pain, disappointment, and the frightening unknown.

It's hard to love someone when they do the same things over and over, and it's usually the opposite of what you want to see them do--for their own sake.

It's hard to love when you've seen the track record of disappointments, illusions and that merry-go-round that you just want to get off of.

It's hard to love when you think there might be another circumstance that will just hurt your heart, especially when your heart is already hurting from previous circumstances that haven't fully healed.

BUT. (Yes, there is a BUT.)

If you don't love, what will you do? Become indifferent? Callous? Numb? Apathetic?
That's certainly no way to live.

If we stay closed in order to protect ourselves, it will only create a space in our hearts just big enough for resentment, bitterness, anger and grieve to grow and lodge there. That's a very heavy place to be.

Certainly NOT Refreshing.

No.

So what do you do when you're afraid to love?

Love Yourself First. A LOT.
Do everything that you love.
Fill your days with activities that lift you up, that open you to Who You Are in the fullest sense of the word.
Be with those who LOVE you truly, those you trust who have a proven track record of having your best interests at heart.
Connect with the LOVE of the Universe; let it seep into your veins like life blood; let it pulse through right to the core of your being and Keep It There.
As that Love of the Universe makes it home in your heart, you will then be able to open up and love even when that love may be rejected or dishonored or ignored.
Then go back and do more of What You LOVE. Keep yourself filled with those things that continue to lift you up.

Some of my favorite things that I LOVE to do:
Paint. Yes, I would say painting is one of the my favorite things to do. It opens my heart in a way that amazes me. It lifts me up and gives me opportunity to listen to the Voice Within and Really Pay Attention.

Journal. My journal and I are best friends; we meet often and share much. It's where I Listen to my Higher Self tell me things I need to know. (I also journal about my art too; they go hand in hand.)

Spend time with HUBBY who LOVES me truly (after 25 years, it just keeps getting better.)

Spend time with Grandboy. He never ceases to make me smile and laugh; and he's just getting started.

Listen to my Mocking bird; every time I hear him, I smile; sometimes I laugh. Especially if there's more than one.

Make a list of what you LOVE to do and do them often. Daily. Even hourly if necessary.
Loving yourself is a healing activity that is essential to your vitality and growth as a person in this Universe.
You can't love anyone else til you love yourself.

So that's the Perfect Place to Start.
Love is the Sweetest Reward...Give It To Yourself Often.
Then Go Make the World a Better Place.

© 2014 by Dawn Herring

My Year 2013: A Rewind

As I did last year, I wanted to do a bit of review of my year in 2013, to celebrate, share and consider what I've learned and accomplished, with the hope of making a meaningful mark in my world.

What I share in this post reflects my life as a journal keeper, an artist, host of #JournalChat Live, as writer, as a grandma, as a refreshment specialist, as a researcher, as an author, and as a newsletter creator.

As you can see, my life is very layered, multi-dimensional and rich! For that I am grateful.

So, without further ado, (drum roll, please! ;)) my life in 2013!

I shall begin with my life as a journal keeper:
I continue to enjoy engaging with my written journal, usually recording entries in the a.m. and p.m. and others when the situation calls for it. But starting in November, I began to take more breaks in my day and record in my journal three or four times per day, which has given me an even deeper clarity and insight into what I'm experiencing, thinking about, and determining needs to be done, especially with creating positive change--always vitally important! My journal gives me space to pay close attention to my intuition, my inner wisdom and to the divine spark given to me by the Creator.

I continue to use my dominant and non-dominant hand approach to my entries, activating both sides of the brain for a more holistic, logical and creative result. My journaling exercise, using Xs for negatives and * for positives, continues to give me visual clues for where I need more balance (key word here!). I also add a summary word that tells my day succinctly; that really gets me thinking in the big picture. Just a few months ago, I started using colored markers to write my entries, and I've written so much, that I need a new set already! Also, I even did a little of backwards writing as the suggestion of a friend (Thanks, Suzanna!) on #JournalChat. It takes a lot of concentration so I don't do that every day. It has also been fun to incorporate some other ideas I've gleaned from my reading and chatting on #JournalChat this year; that's always fun!

Now to my Authentic Refreshment with Art Journaling:
In January, it will be three years that I've kept an art journal; I am truly hooked!! I love using watercolors, oil pastels, crayon, tissue paper (for texture), colored paper (for collage), and rubber stamps to create messages as well as letters cut from magazines. In the latter half of this year, I've been experimenting with image transfers, getting the hang of working with gel mediums and creating layers on the page. Some of it has been a challenge, but I'm getting better and loving the process.

I always have so much fun going through magazines to pull images, text and color to work into my collages, my paintings and my pages. I love designing and combining different techniques to create fun works of art from the heart.

Also as a fine artist in watercolor, I did my first replicating rendering, using the stipple method, of a mocking bird, my adored bird you will find on my website, who delights my heart with his song and dance. It was such a delight to paint "In Your Element" considering my love for watercolor and for the mocking bird itself. I also continue to do intuitive paintings from my imagination and heart.

As an artist, I am absolutely delighted to have my Dawn Herring Collection Art Gallery available on my website, a long held dream of mine. It contains a page of my fine art paintings as well as my mixed media and watercolor bookmarks and message cards which are available for order! I love designing empowering message cards with favorite colors as reminders of who we really are and how we can make our meaningful mark in the world!

My whole website, Refresh with Dawn Herring, has been fully refreshed this year, featuring my empowering products and services, information about #JournalChat Live and Links Edition along with journaling prompts and resources for all things journaling that I've compiled from my reading and posting as host of #JournalChat Live on Twitter. There's a place to sign up for my now monthly Refresh Journal, which contains #JournalChat information, refreshing tips, music, and so much more, and to purchase my book, The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child, which had its one year anniversary of publication in March. My daughter, Sarah, shared her point of view on The Birthday Wall this year.

As Host of #JournalChat Live, I reached my two year anniversary in June with the structure of a weekly chat with new topic based on the journaling resource I choose for #JournalChat Pick of the Week. I even wrote a blog post covering all the resources and topics we covered for 2013 as a big THANK YOU for those who authored them and to those who participated. One big change that occurred back on October was the switch from Thursday afternoons to Sunday afternoons to hold the live chat on Twitter. And this month, another big change is being implemented in 2014, with #JournalChat Live being held the first Sunday of each month. Plus I've changed what was Pick of the Day to Dawn's #JournalChat Favorite and what was once Pick of the Week to Dawn's #JournalChat Choice to reflect those changes to once per month. I'm excited about these changes which I explain from the heart.

#JournalChat Live continues to be a source of fun, inspiration and ideas for journal keeping enthusiasts and we've had a lot of insightful conversation and support for our journaling community. Come join us the first Sunday of each month at 4 EST/1 PST on Twitter using the #JournalChat Hashtag in your tweet!

One of my good friends, Nathan Ohren of Write4Life, who has been a special guest on #JournalChat Live as well as an active contributor to our chats, interviewed me on his #JournalTalk podcast which was fun, interesting and fun! (When you listen, bear in mind that the time and day of #JournalChat Live is now on first Sunday of each month.) One of my favorite things about Nathan's approach to his podcast and his work in the world is his sense of humor (plus his heart). He has been a true supporter of my work with the live chat as well as my life as artist and refreshment enthusiast. It was a pleasure to work with him and to chat with him on #JournalChat Live. His podcasts with journaling experts are well worth listening to; I was glad to be a part of his series.

As a Refreshment Specialist, I've engaged in some refreshment research and have started a new blog called Your Authentic Refreshment, showcasing interviews with folks who engage in authentic refreshment which is something to help you appreciate yourself for who you are, validate your emotions and feelings and nurture your soul. Also new are my Refresh Sessions which I provide to work with people privately to help them discover what will refresh them and help them gain a fresh perspective in all of life's dimensions, thus loving themselves from the inside out and living empowered lives as a result!

As a writer, I have published several guests posts this year focused on journaling and refreshment on the websites/blogs of Kathleen Pooler, Karen Horneffer-Ginter, and in Outlet Magazine. I also continue to post on my Refresh with Dawn Herring blog (that you're reading now!) about once per month in addition to the content for Refresh Journal. I also have several longer works in progress, with one I hope to share in 2014.

As a grandma, I am deighted to say that my grandboy turned two! He is such a delight, always making Grandma smile and laugh with his chatter, his personality, and his love, always looking for hugs which I gladly give. We have so much fun together building with blocks, talking to his stuffed animals, doing sock puppets, and talking on the "phone." I just love to teach him all kinds of things, tell him stories, and just be plain silly to make him laugh. And Boy Does He Laugh! :D

When I look back on all of this good stuff, it really makes me want to do a happy dance; won't you dance with me?

My 2013 has been full, rich, insightful, and creative in many aspects and I look forward to what 2014 will hold.

My desire is to encourage folks to refresh themselves daily, keep a journal to record their special story for all posterity, and to love themselves heartily from the inside out.

I hope you will join me in this wild, wonderful journey; lets keep in touch in 2014!

© 2013 by Dawn Herring

Delighted

Delight is what you experience when something greatly pleases you. When you are delighted, you feel great pleasure.

Now, doesn't that sound just lovely?

I am absolutely delighted when I have a butterfly cross my path in greeting as I venture to my local park on my walk. Seeing a mocking bird on a top-most tree branch, trilling in a way only he can do, delights me. I stop and smile, thrilled with the joy that erupts with his sweet sounds.

I am delighted when my grandboy says a new word or laughs heartily, needing to catch his breath or when he takes steps and knows he's a big boy when he does so.

Delight finds my heart when I am laughing with my family because someone says something unexpected. Those are the best moments.

I experience delight when I see something that is vibrant and colorful; and then I want to paint it.

My art journal delights me since it gives me the opportunity to put my soul on the page, choosing whatever color suits me at the moment, stamping a meaningful word/message, and designing to my heart's content. And it lifts my spirit all at once in a way nothing else does.

My written journal often delights me when I can describe something fabulous I experienced or a great idea I've just come up with that excites me.

My connection with Spirit is a great source of delight to me; I am often surprised by the sense of humor, the relaxing elixir God's presence and powerful energy becomes to me. I don't take that for granted; it is a gift to my soul.

What delights us speaks worlds about who we are and what really matters to us. What delights us can often trigger delight in another; and when that happens, a relationship/friendship is sometimes created due to the resonation of what we love and why.

When we focus on what delights us, either by being in the moment of that delight and relishing it fully, or telling a friend or loved one about that delightful experience we had, or by writing it down so we can relish it in the re-telling and even in the re-reading at a later time, that delight becomes something that we carry with us, that becomes a part of us deep in our hearts.

Which only sets the stage for more delight, for more deep understanding of our authenticity, our creativity, our purpose.

Pay close attention to what delights you.

As the Professor in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe once said to Peter and Susan, brother and sister in the story, when they came to speak with him about Lucy: "Why, I am absolutely Delighted to be interrupted. Otherwise, life would only be work and study, no FUN at all."

Don't forget that what Delights Refreshes.

© 2013 by Dawn Herring

The Real Thing

I usually use the rain option on my sound machine for its consistent rhythm with no lulls, but I decided during a recent evening to check out the other optional sounds to see if there was another one I liked that was just as effective.

I chose the rain forest option to be met with the sound of what I would assume to be a variety of tropical birds. As I listened for a few minutes at the quality of the birds' tweets, which sounded very close to the real thing, I thought of my cat Sophie and wondered if she would notice.

Sure enough, within minutes, she had picked up the sound from whatever distant place she was located at within the other parts of the house and came to investigate. I sat down in my recliner to wait and watch for her reaction.

The recording of the birds had her ears twitching as she attempted to figure out where the sound was coming from. After all, there were no birds in the room she could see. She jumped onto the writing surface of my desk and then tiptoed around the edges of the attached shelf where the sound machine was located, sniffing and listening. She remained in the area for several minutes, even going behind the headboard of the bed to see if she could find something tangible that would be making the sound of birds in a rain forest.

She came back out to the desk, sniffed one more time, and then settled at the foot of our recliners to relax, with her ears still twitching to the sound of tweeting. It looked as if she had given up on finding the 'real thing', but wanted to stay close by just in case it showed up unannounced.

The Real Thing. Something genuine: the definition and evidence of Authenticity.
A Star Quality that makes us who we are and how we make a difference.

And we all have it.

Some of those star qualities lay dormant in our authentic selves yet to be discovered. Some are used every day and perhaps we don't even realize it.

The undiscovered chef who has a knack for detecting high quality in their cooking ingredients and is able to produce a gourmet meal satisfying to anyone's palette.

The master mechanic who can turn a clunker into a muscle machine that purrs.

The savvy stylist who can make all of her clients look and feel like a million bucks.

The hostess who knows how to organize and execute the most festive party that leaves a lasting memory with all who attend.

The master story teller who keeps listeners on the edge of their seat or has them laughing themselves to the point of tears.

The snappy dresser who can give The most masterful makeover, transforming average to eye popping.

The interior decorator with such an eye for color and design, all those who view are immediately wowed.

A smiling, cheerful cashier who makes sure you have all you need and makes an ordinary shopping day pleasurable.

A word smith with the ability to string together a line of words that leave a burning or exhilarating impression in the mind, not be forgotten.

Star quality. Authenticity. Is it something you actively pursue or does it lay dormant inside your deepest self, just waiting for expression and the chance to make the difference in a way only you can make in your world?

Each one who investigates their own star quality and pursues its expression to the fullest will be the ones who can change the world one person and one action at a time. And even be the catalyst toward helping someone else discover their own star quality.

What you do with yours, once you discover what it is, can bring immense satisfaction and purpose to your life. And you'll be the real thing. Your true authentic self.

Which is what we are all meant to be. Even the birds. :)

And, of course, Sophie would choose to watch the 'real' thing outside her window over a recording any day.

© by Dawn Herring

Echoes

Last week after I came back from dropping my daughter off at school, I got out of the car and could hear several mocking birds in the trees in my front yard. I found myself enthralled by their winged chorus line. They sounded like they were singing a round together, echoing each other in succession.

The next day I listened to the same birds in the same trees (at least I think they were), only this time their chorus was a bit off key, with one bird singing one tune while another was doing something totally different.

It amazed me how much I could hear in just a few minutes giving my attention to my front and back yard mocking birds. Whether it resonated or clashed, the sounds fascinated me. They were distinct.

I began to ruminate on the mocking bird itself. It's not an especially colorful bird, not overly large, but you can hear its song from a long way off. And of course, its song is not an original. It is truly a mimic of other birds and insect sounds. But you can hear them above the other birds in the neighborhood as if, even though they have no sound of their own, they seem to have no trouble getting attention with their chorus of tweets.

Sometimes I've gotten the impression from my local mocking bird that it enjoys showing off its vocal talent. As if it is saying, Look at me. Although I have no sound of my own, I'm still an awesome bird, and let's see if you can sing as well as I can. Maybe I should pull out all the stops, set up a spotlight for him, give him a mike, and let him do some feathered karaoke. ;)

Of course, this bird gets its name for the very 'mock' sound it imitates as it sings its repetitive song. And yet despite this name, I find myself drawn to this special bird. It amazes me how many different sounds (up to 40) it can make. Listening to the succession of tweets it makes never gets old.

It seems ironic to me that the bird that stands out the most to me would be the one who can only imitate what it hears.

When it comes to human interaction, the people who have the most recognized voices are usually the ones who stand out. Whether it's an author's distinctive voice in fiction or memoir or newspaper column, or the sound of a famous vocalist who is spotlighted in his or her genre. A distinctive voice can be seen as the catalyst toward success in whatever genre of business you work in.

Yet, when you speak to a person who achieves success with that distinctive voice, they can usually tell you the influences that helped to bring them where they are, whether it be musical influences, authors they enjoy reading, or a political figure who exemplifies their point of view.

Those who influence us most powerfully become our source of inspiration, a catalyst of sorts in helping us find our distinctive voice. Although we all have our unique points of view, they are collaborative from all that has come before and has influenced us. In a sense, we echo what we learn from others.

And that echo can be the most beautiful sound, especially when it comes from the heart.

Who are you echoing today?

© by Dawn Herring