Tag: American Dancer

My Abundant Life 4-12-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

April 12th, 2026

Learning to Love and Honor Your Body

“The body is a sacred garment. It’s your first and last garment; it is what you enter life in and what you depart life with, and it should be treated with honor.”

Martha Graham (American Dancer and Teacher; May 11th, 1894 to April 1st, 1991)

“Which comes first, learning to love our bodies or possessing a positive body image?”

“If you can learn to like how you look, and not the way you think you look, it can set you free.”

Gloria Steinem (American Journalist and Social Activist; March 25th, 1934)

“Don’t wait for the world to celebrate you. Carve your own niche. Focus on what’s great, forget what’s not. Find joy in your own reflection. Instead of obsessing about a body that’s impossible to achieve without a personal trainer, begin to discover how you can feel better about living in the on e you now inhabit.”

“A woman’s relationship with her body is the most important relationship she’ll ever have. More important than husband, lover, children, friends, colleagues. This isn’t selfishness–it’s just fact. The body is, quite literally, our vehicle for being–for giving, for loving, for moving, for feeling–and if it doesn’t work, it’s fairly certain that nothing else in our lives will work, either.”

Diana K. Roesch (Health & Fitness Expert; December 2nd, 1963)

“Today, instead of hating your body, make peace with it. Choose to consciously love and honor the sacred garment Spirit provided for this lifetime’s journey.”

“I am so appreciative that my genetics and health active lifestyle has yielded me youth beyond my years. I have always liked my body and valued the movement it has been able to experience. I have counseled many young teens to adult women on body image for over 30+ years. On this path, the main culprit preventing women from achieving their health and wellness goals has largely been their own invisible conversation in their head about body image and self-love. For those who were able to share honestly with me how they saw themselves, I was able to help be their advocate and accountability partner in changing both behavior and their physical appearance. For those looking for a gimmick or a quick fix, they largely stayed trapped in their own story and thus their insides tended to match there outsides. It is not magic, it IS self love and grace for the garment that the Universe gifted you to wear in this life journey. Take care of it and it will take care of you. Use it or lose it.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 116 of 501.

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

My Abundant Life 4-1-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

April 1st, 2026

“April, the Angel of the Months.”

Vita Mary Sackerville-West, Lady Nicolson, CH (Known as: Vita Sackville-West) (English Author and Garden Designer; March 9th, 1892 ~ June 2nd, 1962)

Playing Dress-Up: Empowering Your Authentic Self with Fun

“Learn the craft of knowing how to open your heart and to turn on your creativity. There’s a light inside of you.”

Judith Ann Jamison (American Dancer and choreographer; May 10th, 1943 ~ )

“What the heck! The delights of self-discovery are always available.”

Gail Sheely (American Author, Journalist, and Lecturer; November 27th, 1936 ~August 24th, 2020)

“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 4-1-22)

1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower

“Spring has arrived, time to go through my closet and look at my clothes newly.” (Heather Houston 4-1-22)

“Today wearing my NICWA Conference shirt in native community was powerful. I saw so many relatives wearing items I have rotated in and out of my closet over time. Reassuring that my authentic self speaks to me in this way. Soaking up on as much as I can on the last day of the conference.” (Heather Houston 4-1-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 103-104 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

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

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 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 1-4-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

January 4th, 2026

This Isn’t A Dress Rehearsal

“When you perform…you are out of yourself—larger and more potent, more beautiful. You are for minutes heroic. This is power. This is glory on earth. And it is yours, nightly.”

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

“‘…life’s not a dress rehearsal.'”

“…cast ourselves as the leading ladies in our own lives.”

“This is powerful as it puts me forth first in my own life to live to my potential. I am perfect and beautiful just the way I am in this moment. Loving myself to put myself first is an ongoing work in progress. (Heather Houston 1-4-22)

“I am leaning into my authentic self expression as I feel most of my life has been mimicking others trying to find my own
style. Instead, I have begun listening to my own desire and urges outside of social norms or constraints. Exciting to find my own style that speaks to me and expresses me authentically.” (Heather Houston 1-4-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 4-5 of 501.

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