Good Friends, Good Food - Good Times

J and I had a party last night with good friends, good food and yummy drinks.  It was so much fun!  I made a traditional Brazilian dinner for everyone (it was a total hit...even with our Brazilian friends - which makes it so much better when you have their blessing.  lol).

We had candles lit all over the house to make for a very peaceful interior.

Outside we had tiki torches, a fire pit, hanging lights and lots of candles.  It was so beautiful!

Music was Brazilian Jazz for the most part.

Laughter, conversation, talks of old times, talks of times to come...

It was wonderful!

How was your St. Patrick's Day?  Fun?  I sure hope so!

Blessings to all!

Much Love,
Mercedes

Searching for Peace at Work

Most of the time I love my job but lately, I've been feeling very unsettled there.  I'm not really sure what it is, but I think I've had too much of the chaos of corporate life.  I want to feel peace and I'm certainly not feeling it there.

I have a dream to have a career that revolves around peace and softness.  Something where I have plenty of time to meditate and contemplate life and love.

I want to write.  I would love to have a job that brings in steady cash but at the same time allows me the freedom to write whatever I want to write. 

If money were no object, I know just what I would do.  But...*sigh*...it is an object.  Quite a bit one.

They say people who start their own businesses are fearless and must be able to take chances.  I take chances all the time and nothing much scares me.  Except...not having money.  I am terrified of losing everything or not being able to pay my bills.  Terrified of it.  I have to have steady money coming in.  Anything else, I'll risk it all.  Not having money...I just can't.

I think I believe in myself, but I also know myself.  I know that I've started LOTS of projects and once I got bored with them, I'm on to other things.  I'm unwilling to risk my income if I were to even potentially get bored and abandon my new found peaceful job.  What if I missed the corporate world someday?  What if I couldn't think of anything to write?  What if...???

Has anyone out there ever taken a chance on something they love to do?  Given up everything you really know to start a whole new career without knowing if you could even make any money at it?  Were you scared to death?  Did it work out?

What advice do you have for me?  What would you do?  Start saving now for a downpayment on the startup loan and take a huge risk?  Or...keep doing what I do and hope for a trip to the top of the corporate ladder?

I just don't feel settled and good until I get home at night and when I do, I usually have a screaming headache because of all the stress.  And the problem is...I'm really good at what I do.  Really good at it and it's beginning to pay off well financially.

Ugh!

Much Love,
Mercedes

So, So Sleepy...

I'm so incredibly sleepy today!

Part of it is probably the time change and part of it is the fact that J and I went out last night until much later than expected...then came home and shared a bottle of wine in the hot tub.

But...I also slept til noon today, did a little (very little) shopping and have spent the rest of the day lazing around the house.

Still, my body is asking me to sleep...just sleep for a very long time!

I wish I could take a week's vacation and just sleep and rest my body and my mind but I can't so I'll wake up tomorrow...really early.  I will not hit the snooze button (gave that up for lent), I will exercise vigorously, I will meditate and pray and I will give it my all at work.  Because that's what I do.  And I will hope my sleepy self will feel much more invigoraged than it does today.

Because today...I am sleepy.

Much Love (and rest) to all,
Mercedes

Choosing Happiness

Happiness is something we can decide on ahead of time. Whether we like something in our lives or not doesn’t depend on how it looks or what it costs or who gave it to us or even how we feel about it when we look at it…it depends on how we have arranged it in our minds…and that arrangement can be made first thing in the morning. Our perception can be determined in advance. If you already decide to love everything that you have and everything that will come your way today, you are one step ahead of the game.


Each morning when I pray and meditate, I decide to have a wonderful day. Everything that is thrown at me obviously isn’t wonderful but, I make up my mind to greet it that way. It’s not about what happens to me, it’s about my attitude toward all that happens to me.

I can’t determine how others will treat me. I CAN determine my reaction to it.

I can’t be the one to decide I will have no enemies. I CAN decide to think of those enemies as tools to help me practice patience and tolerance.

As I get older, I can choose to stay in bed all day and complain about how horrible it is to have a body with parts that don’t always work anymore OR I can get out of bed, thankful for those that DO still work.

I can be jealous when I see another woman flirt with J OR I can smile and think about how wonderful it is to have an attractive man for a partner.

I can be hurt when someone lies about me OR I can develop compassion for them and pray that whatever is hurting in them and making them want to hurt me is healed soon.

I can be frustrated with the economy OR I can be grateful I have a job to go to each day.

I can want a better car or house or larger bank account or whatever…OR I can be grateful for all that is mine.

Happiness is something we decide on ahead of time.

My morning meditation time is dedicated to deciding I’m going to be happy today.

And it works!

Much Love,

Mercedes