Tag: Success

Healing, Life

Hear Me Long Enough to Listen

Erin Keane

One of the greatest ways to connect to another person is to give him/her the gift of your listening ear. Every single one of us wants to be heard. We want our words to mean something to someone else, because the words we speak come from within our being. Just as you long for attention from another person, someone else longs for your attention. During my years as a spiritual counselor, I’ve discovered that listening, usually without saying a word, to someone’s story is most often the greatest healing gift I can offer; and within personal relationships it is the one of the greatest gifts I can receive.

When you feel listened to you are empowered to trust more deeply in the wonderful, amazing, incredible, fabulous, unique, (& so much more) person you are! -Bella Bleue

I invite you:

  •  To make an extra special effort to really listen to someone you care about.
  • After you walk away from this experience take some time to reflect on what you learned about this person that you hadn’t noticed before AND
  • Reflect on what it was like to be so fully present for another.
  • If you are the one who needs to be listened to: Ask that the other person to listen

It’s amazing how when we “Hear Someone Long Enough to Listen” we are giving an incredible gift, and at the same time receiving so much in return.

I originally shared this post in my first weeks of blogging. I sometimes return to my writings to see if there is anything I need to reflect on, or that speaks to me in a different way at this moment in life. After sharing my last post about healing our brokenness, I reflected some more…and part of  ‘naming’ what I feel is also being able to share my story with someone and be listened to.

I continue to be grateful for the supportive community of readers and writers here from all over the world.

As we listen to each other and support each other, a deeper healing is happening in our lives and in our world.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue

©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All rights reserved.

If you like to read more from Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., check out her book: “Kitchen Table Wisdom :Stories that Heal”.  The quote is from her message, “Just Listen.” I have more about her in my Blogroll. Blessings!

Healing, Inspiration, Life

You Have the Potential for an Amazing Day

Erin Keane

Each new morning opens
My Life
to a story of Healing
I do not let my past define me
nor determine my future.
I go forward knowing my past
is a part of me
but I am
Strong,
Amazing
& Wonderfully Made.
So today my present is
the force that propels me foward.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All rights reserved.

Inspiration

Healing Through Inspiration Can Lead to Your Own Success Story

Erin Keane

I’ve always needed a bit more motivation on Mondays! Like the saying goes,” when you look you shall find!” In my search for healing I came across this article, Lee Rhodes, Glassybaby: A Battle With Cancer Gives Life To A Startup in the Huffington Post. Ms. Rhodes shares how she had an inspiring moment of healing in her life, which lead to her creating art that inspires healing in other individual’s lives. She has created a company out of her healing and inspiration. It is helpful to hear and share other individual’s stories–they affirm your own experiences of healing; and they motivate you to see your potential!

When we allow ourselves to be open to moments of healing, incredible things can happen! Maybe Lee Rhodes’ story will bring inspiration into your creative life as well. I know it has for me.

How has an experience of healing or the process of healing inspired you to share yourself with others? Share your comments!

For me, my healing journey has inspired me to share my passion for writing and photography with others, through my blog and other avenues in my life.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™

Life

“If I Had My Life to Live Over”

Erin Keane

If I Had My Life to Live Over…

Courtesy of Wallpaper from Iphone

I’d like to make more mistakes next time.
I’d relax.
I would be sillier than I’ve been this trip.
I would take fewer things seriously.
I would take more chances.
I would eat more ice cream and less beans.
I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I’d have fewer imaginary ones.
You see, I’m one of those people who lives sensibly and sanely, hour after hour, day after day.
Oh, I’ve had my moments,
And if I had it to do over again,
I’d have more of them.
In fact, I’d have nothing else,
Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day.

I’ve been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat, and a parachute.
If I had it to do over again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over…

I would start barefoot earlier in the spring, and stay that way later in the fall.
I would go to more dances.
I would ride more merry-go-rounds.
I would pick more daisies…

~ Nadine Stair
85 yrs. old

You are alive right now! So make the most of your life starting today!

Ask yourself this question right now:

What would I wish I had done differently?“—Thinking ahead to your future, knowing what you don’t want to regret/or wish was different about your life will help you know now how to better live your present life:

  •  Write down your answers on paper
  • Set up your answers like a “Bucket-List”
  • Hang the paper up somewhere where you will see it so you can be intentional about your goals
  • Start making the changes you want to see happening in your life immediately! –“You can do anything you put your mind to!”
  • Change the way you live your life now!

So this becomes your answer when asked,”What would you have done differently?”

 ” I love the life I’ve lived. I love the life I’m living! There’s not a single moment of my life I’d want to change.”—because you made the effort to work on living fulfilled in your present life!

  • Give yourself the gift of being fulfilled starting today!

If you like the question/quote from Nadine Stair you might also enjoy the answer of Erma Bombeck,– it may give you some ideas of things you want to work on in your life.

You deserve to be fulfilled in your life every moment!

Have a wonderful day!

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™

Healing, Inspiration, Life

Feel Great!–Free Yourself Today!

Erin Keane

You can strain every fiber of your being, trying to be flawless, only to face inevitable failure or you can stop worrying about perfection which instantly makes everything Feel Great—Martha Beck from her Oprah article, “Take a Load Off”

It certainly can be challenging to see yourself as the incredibly wonderful person you are, when you are always trying to be perfect. You are already fabulous with out being perfect. And Life is a gift,so why not enjoy it? And to enjoy it you need to let go of all the expectations you put on yourself, and just do the best you can and then move on. Letting go of your worries really will Free you!

People won’t remember how perfect you are, they will remember what kind of person you are! Your love, your laughter, your kindness, your sympathy, your empathy, your words, and your actions are more defining of who you are than how perfect you are.

Be Intentional About Change in Your Life:

  • Leave work at a reasonable hour and do something good for yourself—it will actually improve your performance!
  • Do something fun with your spouse, significant other, or friend on the spur of the moment instead of having to have all the laundry done, etc.—creating memories and celebrating just being with the ones in life who mean the most to you, will be what you remember when you begin to review your life.
  • There’s no way to be the perfect parent: You will make mistakes, but being loved is what matters most to your little one…so love with the depths of your heart, and you have succeeded!
  • Feel free to add in other things that YOU need to work on.
  • Create Goals: to make a significant change in your life, that will free you from your NEED to be perfect. Once you get at the root of why you have this NEED to be PERFECT, you will begin to be free of allowing worries and fears to drive your life, and instead begin to fully live a wonderful, meaningful Life, that is FREE!
Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™
Life

I am Living!

Erin Keane

Our children teach us that Life is worth stopping for, and worth taking notice of. -Bella Bleue

Look up into the sky; see the trees, and smile.

One of the most wonderful gifts in my life is my little boy. He has provided my life with such an amazing joy, and sense of awe. He reminds me to look at the world with wonder and appreciation. He has taught me to embrace a moment for what it is: a moment, and by doing so to find delight in being alive because I am Living.

Look under a bench and discover the earth.

I am Living! This very moment I am alive! I am grateful for this moment no matter what it brings, because I have been given this gift of Life. –Bella Bleue

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue

Copyright, text and photos, the blog, Bella Bleue Healing, Health, & Inspiration for Your Life

Inspiration

Nature’s Message: Inspiration and Hope are All Around Us

Erin Keane

When we take the time to see nature around us, we can learn deep truths about life. I live in the Northeast. The changes in the weather from one day to the next is a complete mystery this year….You never know what the day may bring. This can be true in our life too…we may wake up and expect the day to be one way, and it brings something completely different or unexpected. But when this happens, we have the choice to embrace the opportunity to be inspired by the experience or we can choose to completely miss it. This morning, I looked out my doorstep and saw this image in nature speaking to me.

This image is ironic in some ways. It’s the image of snow embracing a plant that has died for the season, against the backdrop of new life ‘springing forth.’ Walking out my door I could have just seen the snow, and the decaying plant, but instead, the green…the image of inspiration, and HOPE, caught my eye, and thus, changed the way I woke up to my day.

I felt

HOPE: New beginnings are just around the corner, for each of us, if we just open our eyes and take the time to look for them.

INSPIRATION: if nature can break through the winter and live, then we can break through those things that hold us back and LIVE our lives!

My invitation to you:

1.Take some time today to pause and look at life around you.

2. Note what you see.

3. Let yourself feel the inspiration within you.

4. Put the inspiration into your day and see where it leads you.

5. Write down what inspired you and where it lead you.

Blessings on your day,

Bella Bleue

Copyright, the blog, “Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life”

Comedy

Cat in Tub: The Unexpected Moments in Life that Heal Us

Erin Keane

So this morning, my cat, Max decided to visit after my shower. He was sitting outside the door “Meowing” and when I opened it he jumped right past me, and into the wet tub. So whoever said cat’s don’t like water was wrong. I have proof that some do, including my kitty: Max.

Sometimes the unexpected moments in life can make you smile. Max did that for me today. Even more unexpected than having him in the tub, was that he actually waited for me to take photos of him, as though he wanted to be on my blog today and make his mark. It’s quite possible he was watching me write about the dog outside in the snow, and got jealous. And thus, wanted to be the center of attention. Whatever his reason, he made the blog today.

And most importantly he reminded me that sometimes the little things in life, like an unexpected moment of a cat jumping in the tub, can make us feel really good; and for a moment heal us.

If we let these kinds of moments

stay with us for the day,

we actually will be happier

and our day will be better.

I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow, and that something unexpected happens that makes you smile. Be well the whole day through.

Blessings,Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All Rights Reserved.