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Monthly Archives: January 2014

Come and Gone

Everyone leaves their Mark!

The memory of those we’ve lost will carry on within those they’ve known and/or inspired. Everyone leaves an indelible mark on the people whose lives they’ve truly touched, whether it was for a short or long period of time.

People within all walks of life can inspire personal growth and positive change in someone and their status in life is irrelevant. It’s who you are with others, how you treat them and in turn how they respond that makes the difference. My #1 mantra in life as quoted by Ralph Waldo Emerson below is the mark I want to leave. I know I’ve quoted it often but it bears repeating for they are truly words to live by and aspire to.

What got me thinking about this particular topic have been all the awards shows that have been airing in the last couple of weeks. There is a certain point in every awards show that is my favorite moment for two reasons and both touch opposite sides of the emotional spectrum. It is the point when acknowledgement of those in their industry that they have lost for that specific year are remembered.

I’m Happy, because they are being honored for their contribution and because I’ve have had the opportunity to see the beauty of work they’ve created through their unique style of artistic expression.

and;

I’m Sad, because they are gone and I won’t see their specific brand of artistic expression again and especially so when the loss is at an earlier age. All life is valuable but the loss seems to feel greater when there was so much more life ahead.

Even though they are gone it is likely that they’ve inspired one or many other artists in one way or another and through that inspiration emulation of the admired aspect will allow that artist to have some version of themselves live on through the generations. The reason we know of them is not because they are greater than others but because the profession they have chosen to enter into is highly publicized.

I use the entertainment/celebrity world as contrast here because there are many people that touch and affect our lives and even though they aren’t highly publicized in life it doesn’t diminish the mark they’ve left. That is evidenced every day through the various expressions of remembering and memorializing our loved ones so that our most cherished memories of them continue to have positive influence in our lives.

I believe that one of the most influential figures of this time has been Princess Diana, obviously not everyone in the world met or had a connective bond with her personally but her impact globally was epic.

Assumably for most, like myself, I had developed an attachment, an appreciation for her not only because of what she presented but because that presentation was authentically herself without any excuse and that is what made her real, we could identify with her on many levels.

Similarly I can develop just as much appreciation but to a greater extent for those that I have personal connection to and their impact on me is stronger because of that close connection.

Connection to others through whatever wavelength you channel has the opportunity to grow and strengthen the bond as time and shared experiences evolve. Each of those connections leave imprints on our psyche and in our hearts that transcend beyond the physical world.

I am a creative mix of my family and heritage as well as the environment I grew up in, influenced by many people that have left their mark in my life even if they weren’t aware of it. I’ve had the pleasure of observing and learning from people that have had such a positive influence on my life just by modelling aspects that I admire and aspire to emulate. These qualities that I have most admired in these people have helped shape my personality and enriched my life and in that regard some version of them will live on through me because of it.

The Tools in Life You Shouldn’t Live Without

23 Jan

What’s in Your Toolbox?

I Turn Every Experience into an Opportunity

I know that everything in life happens for some subliminal reason and we can’t always have the foresight to venture ahead to understand it or the gratitude for the wisdom gained from the experience but I have learned to recognize when opportunity arises.

Opportunities are actually abundant for everyone but I think many of us don’t see them because they haven’t appeared as grandiose as built them up in our minds. Even the smallest of opportunity is still an opportunity and when you take advantage of the small ones what follows suit is the big ones too because opportunity knows no boundaries and once you open that door you start to realize, recognize and become aware of how many there are around you. It’s not a matter of you changing, it’s just a matter of adjusting your vision, similar to wearing 3D glasses where the objects pop out at you, you will be able to see your opportunities in a heightened state of awareness that makes them stand out before you.

I Am Worth Loving

Knowing your worth and learning not to de-value yourself based on an opinion that isn’t your own is an inner dialogue you need to develop. Everyone has an opinion but if they haven’t walked in your shoes for any length of time then there is absolutely no foundation for that opinion to stand on. I’ve found that people with strong opinions usually aren’t very happy, I believe that is because they are so busy looking into someone else’s life that they aren’t living their own and by doing so they are depriving themselves of finding happiness and enjoying their life the way they were meant to. We are all worth loving, we are all worth finding happiness and we are all worth enjoying our lives, no matter what!

I Forgive Myself

Forgiveness is a major part of your own evolvement, without it you are literally held within a trap of your own making that keeps you in a state of sadness, hurt, discontent, anger, and so many more. Forgiveness is essential for moving past an experience that has caused negative disruption, disruption that has been awful that it has halted you in your tracks and kept you unable to look ahead. On one of my previous posts (Evolving Means Change) I put in a quote from Oprah Winfrey about forgiveness that I believe are words to live by as well as words to inspire you to forgive so you can enjoy your best life.

I Am in the Process of Positive Change

I’ve always lived within the positive mindset, outlook and attitude and I believe that maintaining and feeding those states of mind have made what has become a process not feel like one. It has become effortless so much so that I don’t have to work very hard at staying positive. Of course everyone has an off day, I do too, like you got up on the wrong side of the bed and everything bugs you but I don’t think that has as much to do with my positive outlook as it does with just being burnt out. My positivity never waivers, I have high hopes and aspirations for all areas of my life and I know that when the time is right all things fall into place. The Divine knows all, I’ve had my moment of doubting it when something didn’t happen when I expected but I found that when it happened later when I didn’t, it was better timing. The Universe just knows and part of positivity is having faith in that but I am always trying to create a better way and a better process for positive change. That’s the whole point of positivity, it inspires you continually improve, not because you need it but because you love it.

I Open New Doors to Life

I am continually looking for new doors to open and as much as I get scared at first, that’s my personal indication that I’m opening the right one. I think you have to scare yourself sometimes, really challenge yourself, push yourself forward even if you’re terrified because pushing past that fear enhances your own personal courage, builds self-confidence and sometimes it opens up an opportunity, one you might not have otherwise discovered. The more new doors you open the more your personal power grows because with each step into new territory you blaze trails for yourself and for others. Imagine how much inspiration one person can provide to another just by leading the way and vice versa, you may follow another’s path because they’ve inspired you to do so. Inspiration comes from a place of purity, a place of universal love and cannot be touched or tainted by negativity. Open as many new doors as you can find and I can assure you, your path will be found!

The Past is Over

There is a reason why it is called the past, and that is because you can’t go back and change it regardless of whether or not you think you will find some sort relief from the negativity that has transpired forth as a result of the experience. Chances are even if you were able to go back and hit the delete button to undo what was done, sure it may have changed where you are now but you would also lose the greater gifts that came with it. Don’t disparage the gifts, what you learn from lessons can help you in more experiences to come than you realize. I’ve learned how to adapt and handle situations that in my teen years wouldn’t have even entered my mind. I’ve learned how to trust (especially in the universe) that all things happen when they are meant to and there’s no point in me trying to rush the universe if it decides it’s going to move at a glacial pace, at least that’s how I view it when I get impatient, trust me my patience is still a work in progress. Without these lessons that are all from my past, I may not be as mindfully developed, and the mindful development is a work in progress as well and that is because if I don’t keep challenging myself, what am I doing then?

Keep the past where it belongs, allow yourself the presence and peace of mind to enjoy the present and even though your future is not yet written, look forward to living it, I know I do!

Don’t Let the Seed of Anger Consume You

16 Jan

How are Your Communications?

Sometimes it takes so little for a conversation to go sideways but it’s as easy as asking for clarification as to how you’ve heard something to determine someone’s intention. Your own awareness in maintaining a level of control over your emotions will help to keep your levels from rising during conversations that have the potential of becoming heated. Perception is Reality!

Anger serves no purpose except to upset and hurt those involved and if you let it, it will keep you stuck in that place of misery until you let go of it.

The best communication is listening, acknowledging and validating what you’ve heard. Verify back how you’re receiving things, not everyone interprets input the same way but you also need to be able to maintain some level of empathy and compassion to truly honor the communications so that resolution can be found, of course if that is the goal. Nasty verbal ping pong isn’t fair play but can be so easy to get dragged into if your emotions get away from you. I think it’s impossible not to have your emotions invested during open and honest communication but with determination it is possible to keep them respectful.

If you tune out during conversation to what someone is saying instead of really hearing and understanding them then you are sending them the wrong message but if you’re at a loss for words because you feel like you are in over your head and that you’re supposed to be helping them through an issue, the best thing you can do is to communicate that honestly. You don’t always need to fix someone’s world and you’re not meant to, sometimes all one needs is acknowledgement and validation that they’ve been heard to help direct them toward the road of self-healing.

If someone is or has treated you badly for whatever reason it likely has more to do with them than it does with you. People strike out at others for many reasons and usually it’s connected to their own emotional imbalances (eg: jealousy, inadequacy or defensiveness), to name a few. Alternatively it could be something that is going on or isn’t going on in their life that they are hurt by. Even though it’s not right that doesn’t make it any easier to take when you happen to be the punching bag in their immediate vicinity who is affected and sometimes it isn’t as easy to brush it off as we’d like it to be but again, awareness is key. Knowing you’re okay, validating your own self-worth and letting it go through whatever process works for you is the best solution and in the long run less damaging to your inner spirit. Any damage to your inner spirit that has the chance to continually cycle eventually has a consequential manifestation in your physical health and the longer it festers, the more the damage grows.

You can’t allow someone to take away from your personal power or to determine your level of worth, it’s their opinion, albeit an inconsiderate one but still just their opinion. Regardless of what someone else may think that opinion isn’t the truth of you, even if what they say hurts, you know who you really are!

Your true circle of friends and family should be your resource for honesty and comfort and it is through them that validation of who you are is affirmed.

Always try to keep things real with yourself, be aware of what you’re saying and of how others’ are perceiving what you’re saying and that awareness creates a foundation that will enhance all your communications in a very positive way!

Moving Forward

08 Jan

Evolving Means Change!

Not all things are lost during times of transition, some roots are strong enough to stand the test of time and there are both internal and external factors to consider within all experiences.

Sometimes things can get to the point where there is nothing left to give and no will to try because so much has been broken down that there is nothing left to build on.

I think that determination depends on what lies in your past, what you want to see in your future and whether or not you believe your consideration can stand that test of time.

When it comes down to evaluating the importance of all that you think is important right now in your life you may learn that what you placed value on doesn’t have the real value you had thought, especially within the bigger picture.

Sometimes we make decisions out of fear, sometimes out of emotion but a decision that isn’t in alignment with your inner spirit will always create conflict within because it just doesn’t feel right in your heart and that feeling is your confirmation. If you are honoring your true spirit you will feel a sense of inner peace in everything you do.

We all have things to get past, everyone has something in their history they may feel shame and/or regret about but it starts with acceptance. From acceptance comes forgiveness, and not in the way you may be thinking or expecting, a definition as quoted by Oprah Winfrey:

Forgiveness does not mean you have to accept the person back into your life.
It does not mean you are condoning what they did or that you are in any way saying it was OK what they did.
Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different.

From forgiveness comes the opportunity to start anew and there are many ways to change your life for the better. You can do it in small steps or make a plan to change it all around at once but taking advantage of the opportunity to positively change your life is entirely yours to do.

I find there are great sources of inspiration within everything around us, in particular through verbal communication, whether you are in conversation with someone or observing it. There are many great quotes & lines out there and I can really identify with this one from the movie “For Love of the Game”, which I thought was a good portrayal of the “out of body” experience one somewhat feels when reflecting on their life, choices and decisions they’ve made throughout.

“I used to believe, I still do, that if you give something your all, everything you have, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose as long as you risked everything, put everything out there”

I live my life this way, not for any other reason than because I just can’t see living life any other way. These are not just words but a path in life that offers the most rewards, through vision, karma and law of attraction. Everything and everyone in your life is enriched by any experience and/or relationship that you bring your heart and spirit to.

2 Comments

Posted by shelleyhallmark on January 8, 2014 in Blog

Tags: change, following your heart, forgiveness, inner strength, letting go, loving yourself, moving forward, transition

It’s a New Year, and……

02 Jan

Opportunity Awaits

I always look forward to the beginning of a New Year because it always feels like an endless amount of opportunities await and they do. I believe the New Year is the change sometimes needed to wipe the slate clean and there is never a bad time nor is it ever too late to start a new and more positive way of living. It’s not just the bountiful opportunities but the energy as well that is in the air and swirls all around and offers up change and the hope of new life.

The best time of the year to rid yourself of bad habits, a way of thinking or behaviour that is working against you rather than for you, or just changing/enhancing things for the better is at the beginning of the year when the universe is responding to all the positive energy of everyone’s grandest wishes and dreams. At the beginning of the year is when all we have the highest hopes and plans for how we want to see the year progress and the energy associated can either flourish or fall to the wayside, it’s completely up to you!

New Year’s Resolutions made with the best intentions aren’t always carried through but whether or not they are successful depends on your own determination and will, and of course the extra energy that is in the air is of great assistance and inspiration. I think the key to success is envisioning your end goal and seeing that in your mind’s eye, it helps maintain motivation during times of self-doubt, insecurity or impatience.

If you can see it, you can achieve it!

It’s not just motivating yourself but also supporting the lives and dreams of those around you, in doing that you are not only helping to enhance their life but yours as well and that builds good karma. Keep in mind that the good karma is built or increased only if the intention is pure and not for personal gain.

There are many ways to increase your chances of being successful in achieving resolutions you have made:

– If you plan to rid yourself of a bad habit doing so with a friend who also has that same goal can be motivational and you can support each other in times of considerations not to follow through.

– If you plan to make a positive lifestyle change you can chart it on a vision board which can help you to achieve goals in smaller steps so you gain motivation to reach the milestones.

– If you plan to wipe the slate clean and start anew, I think it may be a good idea to practice an “Act of Random Kindness” for each day of the New Year, although I think that’s a good plan for everyone to practice daily.

Don’t sell yourself short, you can do anything you want, there is no expiration date on dreams or goals.

There is no age limit that should deter you from changing anything you want to your liking.

I think the best thing we can do for ourselves is to be honest with who we really are, where we want to go, how we want to get there and what we will do along the way. I think that everyone deep down knows the difference between the right and wrong thing to do and if you live your life according to that standard, knowing that doing the right thing is the only honorable way through life than you’ll achieve great success in every aspect of your life.

The most important state of being to embrace is that of gratitude, having uninhibited appreciation for all the blessings in your life will keep the door of opportunity revolving and create a richness of spirit beyond any amount of wealth one could ever achieve.

I have great aspirations for this New Year, I’ve been looking forward to it the whole month of December, not that I was wishing away the time but rather that it’s been a challenging year and my passion for closure to those challenges and positive change runs deep.

I strongly feel that 2014 is going to be filled with so many positive changes in every aspect of my life and I am looking forward to it. I can feel that energy swirling and it has gained more momentum this year than I felt of it last year which can only lead to positive life changes that I know are going to enhance my life is more ways than I can possibly imagine.

Allow yourself the freedom to believe and the universe will respond to that belief. Be mindful of your thoughts and generous with your heart and dreams and success will be just around the corner.

Opportunity awaits!

2 Comments

Posted by shelleyhallmark on January 2, 2014 in Blog

Tags: believe, dreams, hopes, New Year 2014, new years resolutions, opportunity, positive change, positive energy

Shelley Hallmark

Monthly Archives: January 2014

Come and Gone

The Tools in Life You Shouldn’t Live Without

Don’t Let the Seed of Anger Consume You

Moving Forward

It’s a New Year, and……

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