Five Year Plan - Year 1

In August 2012 I took a tele class from Mind Trip Productions about the steps to my success.

One thing I really enjoyed about the class is that you can choose what thing you want to focus on to be successful in.  And it doesn't matter what that one thing is.  Michelle can tailor the class to help you achieve the perfect success for YOU.

I decided it was time to put into action something that I only allowed myself to dream about, and rarely followed through on.  My success as the LoonWitch.

My son turned 21 in September of 2012, and that was the start of my Five Year Plan.  And as I am approaching the first anniversary,  I wanted to write more about where I am, what I am doing, and what I am looking forward to manifesting for Year 2.

My son decided to start going to college.  I am so proud of him, and this allowed me to feel that he is moving forward with his own positive momentum, and will be able to do all that he wants in this life.  He is embracing a career that he can find passion in.

I decided to focus on my health.  My body helped me to do that by giving me a lot of pain and suffering until I couldn't take it anymore.  I had gastric bypass surgery in 2010, and that has helped my health become better.  But as a diabetic, I really wanted that to come into control.  And that has been a tough road.  Many people who have type 2 diabetes are able to get into remission with gastric bypass surgery.  I was not one of them - but my medication has been drastically reduced, and I can proudly say that currently and forever, my diabetes in controlled.  I will continue to strive for a medication free existence, but until then, I am blessed to be in good health.

This year, I also had a hysterectomy.  My body had just become very uncooperative, making it much of a challenge to go to work, and live a normal and productive life for at least one week each month.  And thankfully I have wonderful doctors who listened to me, and friends who supported me through this new and challenging phase of my life.  Since that moment, I have been so much healthier!

I went on vacation to Hawaii, and found the culture of Aloha so warm and wonderful, I am embracing that in my life.  I am making time for family, I am making time for health.  I am open to all the new opportunities that have and will continue to come my way.

I have embarked on a steady exercise routine in my life - I am either paddling on my surfboard, doing yoga or walking each day to keep me in shape and to improve that shape and stamina.

This year, I embraced new opportunities as the LoonWitch to do some events and classes outside of my comfort zone.  I have begun promoting myself to new shops up and down the East Coast of the US and have successfully completed my first "tour" stopping to introduce myself , and spending two wonderful days in Fort Myers, FL at The Mystical Moon.

I am currently planning my next trip, and will be stopping in Sarasota and hopefully again in Fort Myers.  I am also looking forward to getting into a couple of other shops closer to home - Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Looking forward to the Future.

I am Success

I am Healthy

I am Happy

Faith in People

Today I attended my nephew's confirmation at a United Church of Christ.  Ironically, this is the church that I recommended to my sister-in-law when she asked where she should have her children baptized.  I like this church because it is a small, local church.  It has no stained glass, it is a very typical and quaint New England white board church.  Very simple, as I believe that faith should be - no matter what your faith is.

Everyone who knows me, knows that I value faith.  And though I may not believe the same as you, I respect your right to believe as you will, and enjoy discussing peoples' beliefs with them, without judgement.

During the church service this morning, I was very moved by what I heard the pastor say.  They had a communion service.  And since I am not a Christian, I do not partake in this ceremony as I feel it would be disrespectful to people who believe in this.  But the pastor at this church remarked that she knew many people were there this morning to bear witness to these young people making a serious commitment to their faith.  And she understood that many people in attendance may be of different beliefs.  She wanted to assure those of us who were of a different faith, that we were welcome at the communion table.  And she stated that God loves each of us for who we are in this moment, because we are who we are meant to be.

I will say, that is the nicest thing I have ever heard any clergy person say.  It was said honestly, and embracing that there are many paths to the light we all strive for.  She encouraged these young people to be true to their beliefs and assured them that as they grew, and their beliefs changed, they would still be loved without judgement.

I hope that this is true for all of us.

Faith is a powerful thing.  Religion is something different.  Faith is belief in the intangible.  Science can debunk many things that we believe, and yet, we take the leap of faith to believe them outside of the scientific proof.  Faith is love and compassion.  Faith is warmth in the coldest places, and light in the darkness.  And faith can be unshakable even in the most tumultuous times.  Religion is the governing rules of faith.  We all crave structure in our lives, and religion is a way to give structure to the intangible things that we have faith in.  It gives us leaders to follow.  And sometimes we follow those leaders blindly.

I hope that we all will come to a place where faith is what binds us together, and religion will not tear us apart.  Many of our religious tenets are about having compassion for our fellow man, and often times these tenets do not state that we should have compassion for only those who follow the same religion that we do... instead, we are encouraged to have compassion (not pity) for ALL.

I have faith in people.  In spite of tragedy, war, senseless deaths, murder and the series of crimes we commit against each other.  I still have faith in people.  I believe in love that is boundless and unconditional.  And this morning, the light of my faith burned a little brighter when I was welcomed to a different table, with kindness and compassion.  When I was embraced without judgement.

A Year Later...

How can it be, I wonder, that a year has gone by without me blogging a single thing?  Well, it's simple.  As I teeter with trying to simplify my life in some areas, while expanding in other areas, it is clear that blogging, like my handwritten journal is not the first priority in my life.

My resolution is to blog at least once a week.  In fact, I will write it in my date-book to remind myself to get this done.  It surely isn't for the lack of interesting thoughts that pop into my mind.  It is simply due to the lack of desire to sit in front of my computer screen typing away.

I hope to entertain you all again very soon.