Tag: American Author

My Abundant Life 2-14-26

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February 14th, 2026

Buried Dreams

“Where there is great love there are always miracles.”

Willa Cather (American Writer; December 12th, 1873 ~April 24th, 1947)

“Once we were going to set the world on fire. Remember? Today we all have our share of ashes, along with the memory of a few bright sparks, to show for our efforts. Ove the years we’ve buried many a precious dream under layers of soot and rubble. Layers of naivete, good intentions, relinquishment, bitter failures, detours, disappointments, rejections, wrong choices, bad timing, bungled efforts, stupid mistakes, unforseen circumstances, whims of fate and missed opportunities. It’s no wonder that we’ll need courage to retrace our steps.”

“…courage is the price that Life extracts for granting peace.”

Amelia Mary Earhart (American Aviation Pioneer and Author; July 24th, 1897 ~ Disappeared July 2nd, 1937 ~ Declared Dead January 5th, 1939)

“A wise woman once advised me not to be a ‘would-be-if-I-could-be or a could-be-if-I-would-be. Just be.’ And while I have learned that dreams need doing as much as they need being, I have learned that the being always come first.”

“Today is a day for being. Be with those you love, be kind to yourself. Be quiet and call forth the dream you buried long ago. The ember is still glowing in your soul. See it in your mind, hold it tenderly in your heart.”

“The dream was always running ahead of one…TO catch up, to live for a moment in union with it, that was the miracle.”

Angela Anaïs Juana Antolina Rosa Edelmira Nin y Culmell (French-Cuban-American Diarist, Essayist, Novelist and Writer of Short Stories and Erotica; February 21st, 1903, 1911 ~ January 14th, 1977)

My Bucket List

Relax on Tikehau Island Beach, Tikehau Island, French Polynesia
  • Wine Taste in Walla Walla

“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 2-14-22)

1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower

“Today felt like my first Valentines Day ever. I actually am spending a Valentines with someone I love and who loves me back…just the way I am. He is my one and only Valentine and I feel like the luckiest woman on earth. I bought him a dozen red roses, our favorite bottle of wine and dinner (pesto linguine and fillets) for us to cook to create a delicious meal. FABULOUS!”💗 (Heather Houston 2-14-22)

“Today I reclaimed Valentines Day for myself. Not interested in the commercial hype. Quite simply I am pampering and lavishing my husband with love. Being with him in a day to celebrate our passion for one another.” ❤️❤️❤️ (Heather Houston 2-14-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 48-49 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 2-7-26

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February 7th, 2026

An Artist Is Someone Who Creates

“I have made my world and it is a much better world thLiving is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how…The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark.”

Agnes DeMille (American Dancer and Choreographer; September 18th, 1905 ~ October 7th, 1993)

“Every day we’re given chances to embrace the new.”

“…take a risk a day—one small or bold stroke that makes you feel great once you have done it.”

Susan Jeffers (American Psychologist and Author of self-help literature; March 3rd, 1938 ~ October 27th, 2012)

“Today, take a real risk that can change your life: start thinking of yourself as an artist and your life as a work-in-progress. Works-in-progress are never perfect. But changes can be made to the rough draft during rewrites. Another color can be added to the canvas. The film can be tightened during editing. Art evolves. So does life. Art is never stagnant. Neither if life. The beautiful, authentic life you are creating for yourself and those you love is your art. It’s the highest art.”

“Since you are like no other being ever creted since the beginning of time, you are incomparable.”

Brenda Ueland (Journalist, Editor, Freelance Writer, and Teacher of writing; October 24th, 1891 ~ March 5th, 1985)

My Bucket List

Drive the Autoban In Style
Dancing at Carnival in Rio.

“Mondays are always a busy day at work, but I felt proud that I accomplished all my duties. So poopy tired when I returned home today, my partner suggested I take a nap. Late afternoon naps are simply glorious!” (Heather Houston 2-7-22)

“I believe today’s meditation is speaking to the idea of leading a created life. Style is where I struggle with this. I only recently have been in a financial circumstance where I could begin to explore this. I believe exploring how I want to show up for me is most important. Sometimes I feel practical…sometimes I feel androgenous…sometimes I feel delicate…sometimes I feel sexy…sometimes I feel powerful… I wonder what that style looks like? This is the inquiry I am on. Wish me luck!”🍀(Heather Houston 2-7-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 41-42 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 2-3-26

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February 3rd, 2026

Discovering Your Authentic Self

“To love oneself id the beginning of a life-long romance.”

Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde (Irish Poet and Playwright; October 16th, 1854 ~ November 30th, 1900)

“One of the surprises that comes when you catch glimpses of your authentic self is the discovery that she’s such a positive, upbeat woman. She’s always smiling. She’s always calm. She’s always reassuring. She exudes confidence. Who is this woman, you might ask, and does she bear any resemblance to you?”

“Yes and no. This is who you are on the inside. The real you. If you don’t act this way all the time, it’s simply because you haven’t evolved to a higher plane of existence yet.”

“…embrace the Goddess…When a woman falls in love with the magnificent possibilities within herself, the forces that would limit those possibilities hold less and less sway over her.”

Marianne Deborah Williamson (American Author, Spiritual Leader, and Political Activist; July 8th, 1952 ~ )

“When moments like these occur, we tend to think that all’s right with the world. Everything just fell into place. What we don’t realize is that all’s right with ourselves. We’re in the flow of life and loving it. We’re in place that special alignment when authenticity and reality merge into Wholeness.”

“But how do we tap into this spiritual energy source more often? How do we access the flow of life more frequently? How do we learn to live at full throttle?”

“…above all, being open to change. Welcoming it.”

“Watch. Wait. Time will unfold and fulfill its purpose. While we wait, we must not go unconscious. We must think and grow. Rejoice and dream, but kneel and pray. There is holiness in the air today; we are giving birth to goddesses. They are who we are, for they are us: friends, therapists, artists, businesswomen, teachers, healers, mothers. Start laughing, girls. We have a new calling.”

Marianne Deborah Williamson (American Author, Spiritual Leader, and Political Activist; July 8th, 1952 ~ )

My Bucket List

Drive The Whole PCH (2022)
The Blue Lagoon, Iceland (2026)

“Hot ‘n cold, that was how the day went. A whirlwind of test driving cars and getting blasted by hungry used car salesmen. I thought I was going to drive a car home tonight, but it seemed to fall apart as the salesmen began shuffling the price, warranties and lenders. I left without a deal and felt strong for not caving in. Best of all my partner was there to support me the whole time. Hard going through transformation. Funny how people have no idea what every other person is going through or what they might be dealing with. For me it was my first attempt at buying my own car ever. It will happen soon and I will have learned a ton and be more confident on the other side.”😘 (Heather Houston 2-3-22)

“I am the goddess birthed by my own commitment to being present in my own life. The sacredness of each of our journeys is reflected in our own transformation.” (Heather Houston 2-3-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 37-38 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 1-28-26

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January 28th, 2026

The Illustrated Discovery Journal

“Knowledge of what you love somehow comes to you; you don’t have to read nor analyze nor study. If you love a thing enough, knowledge of it seeps into you, with particulars more real than any chart can furnish.”

Jessamyn West (American Author of Short Stories and Novels; July 18th, 1902 ~ February 23rd, 1984)

“The key to loving how you live is in knowing what it is you truly love.”

“To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to keep your soul alive.”

Robert Louis Stevenson (Scottish Novelist, Essayist, Poet and Travel Writer; November 13th, 1850 ~ December 3rd, 1894)

“One of the most pleasurable ways to start finding out your personal preferences is by creating an illustrated discovery journal. This is your explorer’s log as you begin to make your way into the darkest terra incognita: your authentic inner world. We feed our imaginations and get in touch with our authenticity by gathering together beautiful images that speak to our souls.”

“Meditating on one visual image a day can jump-start your creativity and lead to revealing insights.”

“At night before you go to bed, when you’re in a drowsy, relaxed, and receptive state,…” select images and place in your “Illustrated Discovery Journal.” = My Bucket List…”Soon they will give you directions about where your heart wants you to go.”

My Bucket List

Positano, Italy (2022)
Iguazú Falls, Argentina and Brazil (2026)

“I found a couple new job opportunities that seem to have fallen into my lap today. All three are within my professional expertise and potentially advance my career while paying me what I am worth. I am revamping my resume to market myself specific to these positions. I know a few people with in two of the organizations I am applying to who I am reaching out to for referrals. Here goes my hat…throwing it into the ring.”🤞(Heather Houston 1-28-22)

“I am at a point in my career where making a difference and having an impact is paramount. Today, One of our social workers was planning a visit to an indigenous youth and wanted to develop a connection. This youth is transexual and 9-years old. I encouraged the social worker to connect with the youth’s tribe who offered to provide him a quilt. I also suggested he visit 8th Generation in Seattle to purchase a blanket for the youth. She picked a purple toned blanket. I also encouraged the social worker to connect with the youth’s identity by gifting her a hair accessory. The social worker was not sure what to get so I offered to make her something as an indigenous elder. Below is what I created and I hope this gift will help her be seen as she sees herself.” (Heather Houston 1-28-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 29-30 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 1-27-26

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January 27th, 2026

The Daily Dialogue

“I will write myself into well-being.”

Nancy Mair (Author; July 23rd, 1943 ~ December 3rd, 2016)

“I took a spiral notebook and began having a conversation with myself on the paper. Everything I was worried about just pilled out in a rapid stream of consciousness. What I was doing was not so much recording the events in my life as much as eliminating the mental minutiae that was depleting my creative energy and driving me crazy.”

“Groan and forget it.”

Jessamyn West (American Author of short stories and Novels; July 18th, 1902 ~ February 23rd, 1984)

“I call this ritual the daily dialogue because you are really conversing with someone much wiser and saner as you write: your authentic self.”

“Try writing a daily dialogue as an experiment for twenty-one days. That’s the length of time psychologists tell us we need to perform a new behavior before it becomes habitual….Stressed souls need the reassuring rhythm of self-nurturing rituals.”

“Just get down on paper whatever’s hovering on the horizon of your brain disguised as a dull headache.”

“With pencil and paper, I could revise the world.”

Alison Lurie (American Novelist and Academic; September 3rd, 1926 ~ December 3rd, 2020)

“The last few weeks have been frustrating as I learned my salary for the next 5-years in my current contract was not even near the COLA (2.5%) increase annually. What is did for me was give me clarity on my next steps in my career. With this shift, I was able to let go of some of the frustrations in my current workplace. I am still doing complete work, but I am not going above and beyond. This has given me relief in the level of stressors in my work environment. My co-workers are beginning to realize what I was actually doing for the team and what is now left for them to complete without my assistance. I am on a quest to find the perfect fit for my new career chapter. This excites me and I am committed to strive toward this without fear or reservation. I appreciate knowing how much my employer values me so I can find a place and a position where my efforts and contributions will be valued for what they are.”🙏 (Heather Houston 1-27-22)

“My biopsy really zapped my energy. It is not everyday you get a puncture wound the size of a 1/4-thikness of an arrow. Yes, I said an arrow like Robin Hood. I found at the end of he day I felt like I collapsed into bed from the sheer ongoing ache and soreness. I can’t wait until my histology results are complete so I can close this chapter.” (Heather Houston 1-27-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 27-29 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 1-23-26

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January 23rd, 2026

Accepting Real Life

“Everything in life that we really accept undergoes a change.”

Kathleen Mansfield Murry (known as: Katherine Mansfield) (New Zealand Writer; October 14th, 1888 ~ January 9th, 1923)

“Acceptance is surrendering to what is: our circumstances, our feelings, our problems, our financial status, our work, our health, our relationships with other people, the delay of our dreams. Before we can change anything in our life we have to recognize that this is the way it’s meant to be right now.”

“…I have also learned that when I surrender to the reality of a particular situation—when I don’t continue to resist, but accept—a softening in my soul occurs. Suddenly, I am able to open up to receive all the goodness and abundance available to me because acceptance brings with it so much relief and release. It’s as if the stream of struggle has been allowed to escape from life’s pressure cooker.”

“What happens when we accept our circumstances? Well, first of all, we relax. Next we change our vibration, our energy pattern, and the rate of our heartbeat.”

“Acceptance also illuminates reality so that we’re better able to see the next steps.”

“Our task is to say a holy yes to the real things our life as they exist.”

Natalie Goldberg (American Author and Speaker; January 4th, 1948 ~ )

“To accept my present circumstances is to be at peace with what is so. It allows me not to fester on the daily grind, but to then take new actions. These actions will lead to unexpected outcomes and add to my abundance. My partner always reminds me…’If you worry, you will eventually die. If you don’t worry, you will eventually die. So why worry?'” (Heather Houston 1-23-22 & 1-22-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 24 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 1-22-26

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January 22nd, 2026

The Prosperity of Living

“Woman must be the pioneer in this turning inward for strength. In a sense she has always been the pioneer.”

Anne Spencer Morrow Lindbergh (American Author and Aviator; June 22nd, 1906 ~ February 2nd, 2001)

“The return of good times is not wholly a matter of money. There is a prosperity of the pocketbook,”

Ladies’ Home Journal (Editorial; October 1932)

“”It is not enough to be willing to make the best of things as they are. Resignation will get us nowhere. We must build what amounts to a new country. We must revive the ideals of the founders. We must learn the new values of money. It is a time for pioneering—to create a new security for the home and the family…Where we were specialists in living.”

Ladies’ Home Journal (Editorial; October 1932)

“Are you ready to become a pioneer?”

“I am committed to being a pioneer to find my new place in this portion of my life. It is all new territory, but I am brave, courageous and persistent. I am in action to create new possibilities in my life toward a life of abundance.” (Heather Houston 1-22-22)

“Wow…flash forward and I am living abundantly. Merely BEing present in my life in each moment has given me access to see and appreciate the abundance everywhere. I am so thankful to have learned this skill.” (Heather Houston 1-22-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 22-24 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 1-17-26

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January 17th, 2026

Harmony: Achieving Balance in Our Lives

“The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes—ah, that is where the art resides.”

Artur Schnabel (Austrian-American Classical Pianist, Composer and Pedagogue; April 17th, 1882 ~ August 15th, 1951)

“Harmony is the inner cadence of contentment we feel when the melody of life is in tune. When somehow we’re able to strike the right chord—to balance the expectations of our families and our responsibilities in the world on the one hand with our inner needs for spiritual growth and personal expression on the other.”

“…we often hear only a cacophony of dissonant demands that drown out the symphonies our souls long to compose.”

“Today, just try slowing down. Approach the day as if it were an adagio—a melody played in an easy, graceful manner. Listen to music that soothes and uplifts your spirit. And while you listen, pause to consider how all the individual notes come together harmoniously to give expression to the entire score.”

“I commit to enjoying the music of my life today to add greater harmony to my life.” (Heather Houston 1-17-22)

“This time around I plan to create a new page on my blog called, “My Musical Life” where I will share decade by decade the top 100 songs for each year of my life that I enjoy. This will be a fun way to share with others and remind us all that music is the soundtrack of our life.” (Heather Houston 1-17-26)

“With harmony as your guide, trust that your everyday moments will soon begin to resonate in a rhapsody of fulfillment.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 17-18 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 1-14-26

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January 14th, 2026

The Gratitude Journal

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

Melody Beattie (American Author; July 2nd, 1948)

“…this first tool could change the quality of your life beyond belief: it’s what I call a daily gratitude journal.”

“…I write down five things that I can be grateful about that day.”

“Real life isn’t always going to be perfect or go our way, but the recurring acknowledgment of what is working in our lives can help us not only survive but surmount our difficulties. The gratitude journal has to be the first step on the Simple Abundance path or it just won’t work for you. Simplicity, order, harmony, beauty, and joy—all the other principles that can transform your life will not blossom and flourish without gratitude.”

“…you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.”

“…the Simple Abundance path is a transformative process. We’re going to work on one principle for two months at a time, trying to weave that principle into the fabric of our daily life.”

“…it is the smallest details that the flavor of life is savored.”

“As you focus on the abundance rather than on the lack in your life, you will be designing a wonderful new blueprint for the future. This sense of fulfillment is gratitude at work, transforming your dreams into reality.

“Gratitude is the heart’s memory.”

A French Proverb

“The miracle you have been seeking will unfold to your wonder and amazement.”

“I am excited to start my gratitude journal later today!” (Heather Houston 1-14-22 & 1-14-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 14-15 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 1-13-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant Life2 Comments

January 13th, 2026

Gratitude: Awakening the Heart

“The eyes of my eyes are opened.”

Edward Estlin Cummings (known as: E.E. Cummings) (American Poet, Painter, Essayist, Author, and Playwright; October 14th, 1894 ~ September 3rd, 1962)

“…what you give to the world will be returned to you—maybe not all at once or in the way you expect it—but if you give your very best, the very best will come back to you.”

“I have always believed in paying it forward. I have great abundance in my life that is surely because of what I have put forth into others and the world.” (Heather Houston 1-13-22 & 1-13-26)

“..my personal net worth couldn’t possibly be determined by the size of my checking account balance.”

“Absolutely! I choose to see my life as abundant. Cash-flow challenges do not define me or create my context of abundance.” (Heather 1-13-22)

“My net worth for life is HUGE! I have the most amazing husband, I am healthy (my scale is even telling me I am getting younger), I am employed and I live each day like it was a party by making love to my husband, enjoying a delicious cocktail, eating a fabulous home cooked meal and spending the evening curled up on the couch with my love…SIMPLY PERFECT!” (Heather Houston 1-13-26)

“…pause for a moment and give thanks. Let your heart awaken to the transforming power of gratefulness. Be open to exchanging your need for emotional and financial security for serenity.”

“No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life are made. Destiny is made known silently.”

Agnes de Mille (American dancer and choreographer; September 18th, 1905 ~ October 7th, 1993)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 12-14 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.