Tag: American Filmmaker

My Abundant Life 3-15-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

March 15th, 2026

Self-Nurturing: The Hardest Task You’ll Ever Do

“Any little bit of experimenting in self-nurturance is very frightening for most of us. There is a connection between self-nurturing and self-respect.”

Julia B. Cameron (American Teacher, Author, artist, poet, playwright, novelist, filmmaker, pigeon fancier, composer, and journalist; March 4th, 1948 ~ )

“Perhaps we are all Scrooges when it comes to self-nurturing because if we were kind to ourselves, our creativity might begin to blossom like a plant moving toward the light. Of course, this would mean we’d want to make some changes in our lives, and we all know how we feel about changes, even positive ones. We may be in a rut, but at least our own familiar grooves are comforting in their own insidious fashion.”

“The way to take giant leaps and strides toward authenticity, however, is through small changes.”

“True life is lived when tiny changes occur.”

Count Lev “Leo” Nikolayevich Tolstoy (Russian Writer; September 9th, 1828 ~ November 20th, 1910)

“Today, make a list of ten nice things you could do for yourself. Now select one and do it.”

“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 3-15-22)

1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower

Ten Nice Things To Do For Myself: (Heather Houston 3-15-22)

  1. Pedicure
  2. Manicure
  3. Color Hair
  4. Buy Conditioner
  5. Buy Leave-In Conditioner
  6. Face Mask
  7. Go See A Movie
  8. Make Myself A Cocktail (Pour an apple whiskey on the rocks) 3-15-22
  9. Listen To Fun Music
  10. Take A Nap.

Ten Nice Things To Do For Myself: (Heather Houston 3-15-26)

  1. Pedicure
  2. Manicure
  3. Buy Conditioner
  4. Purchase 2 Boxes to hold our Malaysian/India Spices and Mexican Spices
  5. Schedule therapist appointments to deal with past trauma. ✅
  6. Purchase indigenous medicines at the NICWA conference in Oklahoma.
  7. Exercise a minimum of 5 days/week.
  8. Bake 1x/week.
  9. Practice my violin.
  10. Plan to get motorcycle to the shop to get a tune-up and repair the speaker system.

It seems some things keep reoccurring as I am not following through with nurturing myself.

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 81-82 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.