Girls Like Us (April 15th column)

Hello again. How have you been? Is time just speeding by for you, too? All the more reason to build our repertoire of Awareness skills, don’t you think?

Awareness is about being interested in change. To be aware is to respond to a different way of doing things. It can be the precursor to educating ourselves about making well informed decisions in our lives that can really change the course of our lives. Sound heavy? I like to think that education can be exciting; learning something new, even at our age! And…awareness is fifty percent of putting a new plan together for change. We can’t do anything if we are not aware of what it is.

It can be daunting when we think about beginning new patterns like say, for instance, “how can I create change, when I can’t find a moment to even think about what I want to change”! I read this quote once and although it was seemingly simple, the meaning it carried was HUGE! It talked about being able to create a calm space in time while carrying on with whatever we are in the midst of in our daily lives. That’s a tall order, but I urge you to embrace the message behind it. By keeping a peaceful mind, we can create the awareness we need to move toward our goal of living our best lives. What’s the alternative?

Here are a few more ideas meant to guide you…as your personal “talis-woman”. Try one or two on for size and see how you feel.

Remember that list I mentioned a while back? You know...that little piece of paper where we have scribbled down the inner most wishes of our hearts? Dig it out and see what has come to pass. Are you able to check something off? You know…once we make up our minds to alter something, the answer seems to show up! Creating the clearing for the change to occur, now that is the challenge.

Let’s take April out in style! Let’s be women with imagination and Spirit! They say that whatever we can imagine can be possible. What do you say? I invite you to take yourself out into the world and explore something that encourages your muse to come out of hiding and join you for some real fun! Spring is such a lovely time to deepen your level of awareness, which by the way, is a form of sprouting, now isn’t it? We’ve been sowing the seeds of change all month, now let’s get out there and feed those little pods by enriching our lives, one day at a time. Oprah calls these little mind-awakening experiences “AHA moments”. Do you know what AHA stands for? I’ll tell ya…Awesomely Heightened Awareness! I bet Oprah didn’t even know that.

I will close today with just this one though…Change is scary…but the lack of it is frightening. Pick one thing you want to change and make a new list of how you are going to get there. And, remember…not a bit list…just a couple things that really jazz you and then, dig out your dancing shoes and get to work.

Deborah Viapiana-Ricci is a freelance columnist living in Maynard with her husband, Wil. She can be found learning a new step just in time for Prom!
Feel free to share your comments. Deborah@teresinas.com

Good Morning! The weather is such a blessing, isn't it? I took a road trip to be with my youngest brother yesterday who turned 49! We teased him about this being his last "40's" birthday. He lives a very full life, so I doubt he is worried.

I loved turning 50! (Of course I was praying all my wisdom I was meant to get would be magically gifted me that day!!)...We celebrated somewhat quietly and never really "took it in"...Then, on my 53rd...which was my "golden" birthday...Since I was born in '53...it is a special year...Anyway, we had a HUGE bash...right here in our wonderful back yard....complete with our "House Band"...Verbal Therapy...so, so great.

I think since then (almost 4 years ago), I have learned that everyday needs to be a celebration of any kind! We get to witness the miracle of just waking up and going about our business.

As I said in my last posting, I am discovering myself more and more...and one of the biggest things I am learning is that we can make each day distinctive and memorable...I like to try and make the weekend jealous...I pretend one of the weekdays are a Sunday and take myself out to celebrate it in some small way.

I was given a bumper sticker a while ago that says: "Don't Postpone Joy"....I have it on our fridge (not permanently), but yes...permanently. A couple weeks ago during my "Girls Like Us" group was meeting, I talked about the fact that most of us are in a "waiting" mode...which of course is like "Choosing what ISN'T"....so, we are not doing a great job with choosing what, in fact...IS! Waiting is like hoping....Instead, let's take a pro-active stance for our own lives and see if we can create something special in the here and now...

I invite you all to seek your own joy, today, tomorrow and keep going from there...hopefully it will be contagious and you would be able to stop yourself...

Have a wonderful day!

Following our BLISS!

Hello All! It's been a while, but I'm back...and glad to be! Ahh...Spring is definitely taunting us with her sultry weather already...albeit, a bit early...but welcome none the less. There is something so wonderful about Spring in New England, isn't there? After a few cold, snowy months, we are raring to get out there and begin anew...Yes? What shall we begin anew? I have had a wonderful winter, however, getting reacquainted with many people, things, but mostly myself. I have discovered my identity, for so, so many years, 25 to be exact, has been wrapped up in my store....really wrapped up...eating, breathing, sleeping, and of course doing....everything it took to keep the store up and running....WHEW....and what I have come up with is this....As much as I have loved being the chief cook and hanger shuffler of my delightful little shop, it was time to make a much needed change...and change I have made.

Closing the shop right before the 2 busiest months was something! I actually got to enjoy the holidays from a whole new perspective. And...this is why I have decided to pick back up on my blog...There is so much to share...so much to share!

I am very busy with a few different things; all of which are wonderful! My teaching, writing, and Trunk Shows encompass most of my time...and surprisingly enough, I really don't know how I was doing IT all, before I closed!

As some of you may know, I have been happily writing my column for more than 3 years, now and some of my readership have been asking me to teach a group that echoes my column...so that's what I am doing! I call it: "Girls Like Us"...a Group! We are into our second week and suffice it to say, it is a good thing....

I am also very involved with teaching my "Image Awareness" classes to girls from 11-16 in both schools and camps all over the Greater Boston and Metro-West areas....very rewarding.

My cookbook project is literally the "icing on the cake"...totally inter-meshed with everything I talk about in my column...living a holistic lifestyle, creating our best lives! It's so important.

So...that brings me to the theme of this particular posting...What jazzes YOU? What would it take to really come up with something that would make you follow it to the ends of the earth...or at least the end of your street? Let's think about this...and hopefully some of you will write back and let me know how much this means to you....I think the time is ripe for a special kind of springtime awareness to blossom....I look forward to hearing from you!