Tag: American Author

My Abundant Life 1-23-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

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.

My Abundant Life 1-11-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant Life2 Comments

January 11th, 2026

Is It Recession or Depression?

“No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.”

Helen Keller (American Author, Disability Rights Advocate, Political Activist and Lecturer; June 27th, 1880 ~ June 1st, 1968)

“It’s time we put thoughts of lack behind us. It’s time for us to discover the secrets of the stars, to sail to an uncharted land, to open up a new heaven where our spirits can soar.”

“Lasting change happens in infinitesimal increments: a day, an hour, a minute, a heartbeat at a time.”

“Optimism, like the happiness habit, can be learned. …Realize the past no longer holds you captive. It can only continue to hurt you if you hold on to it. Let the past go. A simply abundant world waits.”

“I choose my life newly over my past. The past is what it is, but it no longer holds me back or defines me. I define myself newly, in the here and now.” (Heather Houston 1-11-22)

“As I stretch myself in my new self, I feel the baggage I held so tight for so many years fall away. I feel lighter, freer and more hopeful for the day-to-day living of my life. I am excited about the chapters I am writing now.” (Heather Houston 1-11-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 10-11 of 501.

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

My Abundant Life 1-1-26 (Part 3/3)

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

January 1st, 2026

A Transformative Year of Delight and Discovery

“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”

Zora Neale Hurston (American Author, Anthropologist, and Filmmaker; January 7th 1891 ~ January 28th, 1960)

“New Year’s Day. A fresh start. A new chapter in life waiting to be written. New questions to be asked, embraced, and loved. Answers to be discovered and them lived in this transformative year of delight and self-discovery.”

“Only dreams give birth to change. What are your hopes for the future as you reflect on the years that have passed?”

I am creating the following possibilities (These are a working list.)

2023 Possibilities

  • Reconnection with my adult children.
  • A new job closer to home.✅
  • Find a house to rent.
  • Travel, if COVID safe.
  • Visit my parents.✅
  • Trace my heritage via genealogy.
  • Connect and affiliate with my native tribes.
  • Write a mixology/cocktail recipe book.
  • Design sewing patterns for women’s clothing for the transgender community.
  • Attend a sweat lodge.
  • Learn indigenous medicinal tinctures and remedies.
  • Walk 10k steps daily.
  • Explore knitting via old Goodwill sweaters.
  • Explore quilting via Old Goodwill clothing.
  • Write a book.

2026 Possibilities

  • Sharing and connectedness with my mother by reading this book together. Thus, having more regular and timely connection in the present day for both of us.
  • Get closure on my Me Too moment.
  • Plan for wedding #3.
  • Plan for a summer vacation to the Hoh rainforest.
  • Bake more pastries and candies.
  • Complete 10,000 steps daily.
  • Journal daily.
  • Work on genealogy ongoingly and regularly.
  • Connect with family daily.
  • Place my health and wellness first before helping others.
  • Visit Oklahoma to get reconnected to my roots and culture.
  • Participate in South Dakota tribal work via my job.
  • Create new fusion pizzas recipes.

“Gradually, as you become curator of your own contentment, you will learn to embrace the gentle yearnings of your heart. But this year, instead of resolutions, write down your most private aspirations. Those longings you have kept tucked away until the time seems right. Trust that now is the time. Ask the questions.”

“Take a leap of faith and begin this wondrous new year by believing. Believe in yourself. And believe that there is a loving Source—a Sower of Dreams—just waiting to be asked to help you make your dreams come true.”

“Ah yes, the “Sower of Dreams”. I know her best as my fairy godmother! LET THE GAMES BEGIN!” (Heather Houston 1-1-23)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 1-2 of 501.

Ongoing Notes In Reflection

Original blog posted on January 1, 2022. Reread January 1, 2023…This helped me reevaluate where my priorities need to be present. Thank you self. Ambitious in 2024 and put some time into building my gratitude list. 2026 marks my effort to intentionally share this blog with my family to increase interactions and their knowingness of the me today.

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

My Sacred Life 12-29-25

On By Heather HoustonIn My Sacred LifeLeave a comment

December 29th, 2025

Chapter 9: Living In Gratitude

“Life is not that of a hierarchical chart, or a straight line where you go from start to finish, winner or loser. Life is a circle in which we attempt to get closer to that sacred place of spirit within us, which connects us to the sacredness of who we really are. This movement allows us to fulfill our sacred purpose, complete ourselves with a sense of harmony and peace, collectively move to a better place, where our relations are filled with more light, love integrity, respect, trust and dignity.”

“I am sacred and part of the sacred We of the universe.

I have a sacred purpose that is essential and interconnected to the universal sacred story.

I have sacred ancestral wisdom within me that guides and can re-ground me throughout my life.

I have sacred medicine and blessings in me that can heal others and myself, which I can share with the world.

I give thanks to the Creator, the ancestors, and all my relations Tlamish Tonatiuh (May the light of the Creator shine on you always.).“

Jerry Trello (American Author)

–Trello, Jerry. “Recovering Your Sacredness: Ancestral Teachings For Today’s Living”. Sueños Publications, L.L.C.. (2018). Pages 152-172.

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

My Sacred Life 12-28-25

On By Heather HoustonIn My Sacred LifeLeave a comment

December 28th, 2025

“The secret to living well and longer is to eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure.”

Tibetan Proverb

Chapter 8: Living Sacredness As A Daily Practice

In Tloque Nahuaque: Sacred Connectedness

“This first sacred practice of sacred connection is taking time to honor the Creator, praying/meditating and connecting to your sacredness every day. …Do so in quiet, listening and paying attention to your inner voice. …In connecting with the Creator/God/Spirit, you are really honoring yourself, reconnecting, and plugging yourself in.”

“To strengthen your daily practice, it’s good to have a sacred space (alter) in your house or wherever you spend this sacred time. Have a sacred space that you use regularly, so that it collects this energy.”

Flor Y Canto: Living Your Life To Flower And Sing In Gratitude

“Give thanks and have gratitude for what you have, not what you don’t, for where you are and not where you want to be, or where you have been. Being grateful is a sacred energetic act. This practice is about watering what you want to grow. …But if you take a moment every day to be thankful, and express gratitude for what you have, who you are, and for those around you, then joy will surround you.”

Todo Se Paga: Be Of Service And Advocate For The Needs Of Others

“Serving others is a powerful way to grow, learn and heal. There is sacred medicine in service to others. After you take care of your own basic needs, do for others. …You will be surprised that in serving others, there is joy and healing that will be manifested.”

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9

Ollin: Blessings And Abundance

” The Creator send us blessings in abundance, and people to help us every day. …Take off the limits, and recognize that there’s nothing wrong with being blessed with goodness of health, positive emotions, and comfort. …What I have found is that the more that you share, the more you receive. It’s the interconnected circle of giving and receiving, Ollin.

In Lak’ech – Tu’ Eres Mi Otro Yo – You Are My Other Me

“In essence, the concept speaks to our fundamental interconnectedness. When you hurt, we all hurt. When you heal, we all heal. When you grow, we all grow. And when you get closer to your sacredness, we all get closer to universal sacredness. Peace in the world starts one piece (peace) at a time, and each of us has a part to fulfill.”

Living Your Sacred Circle

“Intuition is a sacred gift you were born with, innate in every cell of your being. Follow it and allow your soul to carry out your highest expression of life.”

Melinda Rodriguez

“We all are born with a deep spiritual voice – that grandmother/grandfather spirit that give us signals when things are right or not. Blessings are a part of life that we deserve. If we can heal and move forward with a sense of face and heart in balance, then we can find peace in ourselves. When we arrive, there is a sense of face that looks backward but doesn’t live backwards, a sense of face that looks forward after having shed the need to know ‘why.’ releasing anger, resentment, and shame, and seeing fear as a teacher and not a bully in our lives. We must shed the anger and resentment, transforming the shame and fear so that we can once again live in happiness and harmony.”

“And finally, forgiving ourselves and others. The internalized sacred teachings also give us a heart that doesn’t lead by fear, but is guided by faith. It is a heart that allows us to pay attention to our intuition and the spiritual, ancestral-voice deep inside us. This allows us to continue along a path of integrity, hope, vision and the true fulfillment of our sacredness, allowing us to recover our sacred purpose.”

“The Creator and life’s teachers give us opportunities and the medicine to release those burdens and open a path for us to step into a new day. Grandfather sun has shined its light on you this new day to water today’s light in you. And I remind you that: today, right now, with all your dark and light, the light lessons that you carry and the shadow lessons that challenge you, you are sacred, you are a blessing, just the way you are.”

“The greatest wisdom is simplicity. Love, respect. tolerance, sharing, gratitude, forgiveness. It is not complex or elaborate. The real knowledge is free. It’s encoded in our DNA. All you need is within you. Great teachers have said that from the beginning. Find your heart and you will find your way.”

Carlos Barrios (Mayan Elder)

–Trello, Jerry. “Recovering Your Sacredness: Ancestral Teachings For Today’s Living”. Sueños Publications, L.L.C.. (2018). Pages 145-151.

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

My Sacred Life 12-27-25

On By Heather HoustonIn My Sacred LifeLeave a comment

December 27th, 2025

“Surrender simply means keeping God’s will before your own.”

Radhanath Swami (Gaudiya Vaishnava Guru and Author; 1950)

Chapter 7: Surrender To The Creator In You

“As we move on this journey of life, we begin to recognize that life is a circle. It is a circle that can bring us many blessings and many gifts. Life is also a cycle. I describe circles as those things that create movement and connect us to our sacredness, and cycles are those things that stagnate and disconnect us. A cycle includes wounds and patterns that have come to us in painful or difficult ways… The circles are the elements of nature: the earth, water, wind, sun and moon that are always available to us; our positive ancestral teachings, values, traditions, and life enhancing relationships.”

“So now we move to the fourth lesson; one that is so significant for completing this circle of healing. It is the teaching of ‘Xochitl in Cuicatl,’ that of Flower and Song. This teaching points to us being able to surrender to the totality of who you are, past and present, and allowing your future to flower in growth and sing in beauty.”

“If we don’t get stuck in the old wounds and the expectations of what we thought should be, we can create life from whatever has been presented to us that can flower beautifully and sin g with joy. ..The practice of surrendering is one’s willingness to give up our need to control life’s journey, while knowing that there is a greater plan in place.

“You need to trust to surrender, to ask for guidance and go within for the answers. All you need to do is ask.”

Karen Hackel (Author; September 2nd, 1956)

–Trello, Jerry. “Recovering Your Sacredness: Ancestral Teachings For Today’s Living”. Sueños Publications, L.L.C.. (2018). Pages 125-144.

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