Tag: Consciousness

My Abundant Life 8-1-26

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August 1st, 2026

“Summer’s lease hat all too short a date.”

William Shakespeare (English Playwright & Poet; April 1564 to April 23rd, 1616)

The Harmonic Convergence of an Authentic Life

“But if you have nothing at all to create, then perhaps you create yourself.”

Carl Jung (Swiss Psychiatrist & Psychotherapist; July 26th, 1875 to June 6th, 1961)

“In undertaking a spiritual life, what matters is simple. …We must make certain that our path is connected with our heart… When we ask, ‘Am I following a path with heart?’ we discover that no one can define for us exactly what our path should be. Instead, we must allow the mystery and beauty of this question to resonate within our being. Then somewhere within us an answer will come and understanding will arise. If we are still and listen deeply, even for a moment, we will know if we are following a path with heart.”

Jack Kornfield (American Psychologist & Writer; July 16th, 1945)

“For me, bearing witness to my authentic self is the most joyous and fulfilling spiritual path I have ever followed. It is truly ‘a path with heart,’ It began when I acknowledged that creativity is holy.”

“It’s never too late to reclaim your individual gifts, resuscitated a dream, create an authentic life. Consider this: what if ‘original sin’ is denying instead of celebrating your originality?”

“Each of us possesses an exquisite, extraordinary gift: The opportunity to give expression to Divinity on earth through our everyday lives. When we choose to honor this priceless gift, we participate in the re-creation of the world.”

“Our own life is the instrument with which we experiment with truth.”

Thich Nhat Hanh (Vietnamese Monk & Peace Activist; 1910 to March 13th, 2002)

“I have been reclaiming my love for self. To recognize I am a gift and deserving to add to the world and my life has been the most important exploration I have ever embarked upon.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 281 to 283 of 501.

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

My Abundant Life 7-5-26

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July 5th, 2026

Cooking Companions

“No one who cooks cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers.”

Laurie Colwin (American Writer; June 14th, 1944 to October 24th, 1992)

“I know that young children will wander away from the table, and that family life will never smooth, and that life itself is full…not only of charm and warmth and comfort but of sorrow and tears. But whether we are happy or sad, we must be fed.”

Laurie Colwin (American Writer; June 14th, 1944 to October 24th, 1992)

“Convincing my husband he is a chef has transformed his cooking to epic levels!

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 243 to 245 of 501.

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

My Abundant Life 7-4-26

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July 4th, 2026

Getting Real and Personal in the Pursuit of Happiness

“Expect nothing; live frugally on surprise.”

Alice Walker (American Novelist & Short Story Writer; February 9th, 1944)

“William James was also an eloquent and persuasive champion of a philosophical school of thought known as Pragmatism. He argued that the world already exists when we are born, and we have to accept it as it is. But our ability to create our own inner reality can determine if we view the Universe as friendly or hostile.”

“Be willing to have it so… Acceptance of what has happened is the first step in overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.”

William James (American Philosopher & Psychologist; January 11th, 1842 to August 26th, 1910)

“Being a pragmatist, Dr. James believed that personal happiness hinges on a practicality: if your reality lives up to your expectations, you’re happy. If it doesn’t, you’re depressed.”

“Do we consciously and continually strive for more accomplishments and accumulations? Or do we lower our expectations, live with what we have, and learn to be content?”

“Many of us mistakenly think that lowering our expectations means we must surrender our dreams.”

“Absolutely not. Dreams and expectations are two very different things. Dreams call for a leap of faith, trusting, that Spirit is holding the net, so that you can continue in the re-creation of the world with your energy, soul gifts, and vision. Expectations are the emotional investment the ego makes in a particular outcome: what needs to happen to make that dream come true. The ego’s expectations are never vague: Oscars, magazine covers, the New York Times best-seller list. Your dreams must manifest exactly as the ego imagines or someone isn’t going to be very happy. And guess who that is? The ego! Since none of us can always predict either the future or the best outcome for our authentic path, this kind of thinking is self-destructive. Because if we don’t live up to the ego’s expectations, we’ve failed again. And at some point we really do give up.”

“The passionate pursuit of dreams sets your soul soaring; expectations that measure the dream’s success tie stones around your soul. I don’t think we should just lower our expectations; I believe if we truly want to live a joyous and adventurous life, we should relinquish them.”

“Living your life as a dreamer and not as an ‘expector’ is a personal declaration of independence. You’re able to pursue happiness more directly when you don’t get caught up in the delivery details. Dreaming, not expecting, allows Spirit to step in and surprise you with connection, completion, consummation, celebration. You dream. Show up for work, Then let Spirit deliver your dreams to the world.”

“When once a decision is reached and execution is the order of the day, dismiss absolutely all responsibility and care about the outcome.”

William James (American Philosopher & Psychologist; January 11th, 1842 to August 26th, 1910)

“I don’t think any of our dreams begin to come close to the dreams Spirit has waiting with our names on them. I also believe we’ll only find out once we start investing our emotions in authentic expression, and not in spefici outcomes.”

“I say let the flow carry you on your life journey…PLUG IN!”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 241 to 243 of 501.

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

My Abundant Life 3-11-26

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March 11th, 2026

Sending and Receiving Personal Signals

“If you will resolve to work each day for self-realization, your whole world can change…The two women you are, they can make you over.”

Pond’s Cold Cream Advertisement (Good Housekeeping, December 1947)

“Each of us transmits personal signals about our self-esteem very day in myriad ways.”

“But there is an important reason why we should give a second thought to our personal appearance, even when we’re alone: the inner joy we experience when we look our best.”

“Many women feel in their hearts that they have missed full realization. Yet they need not accept this–help is within themselves. You can feel it within you–an inner drive for happiness. The close interrelation between this Inner You and this Outer You, the almost uncanny power of each to change the other–can change you from drabness to joyous self-fulfillment.”

Pond’s Cold Cream Advertisement (Good Housekeeping, March 1949)

“…one of the most marvelous lessons you learn on a path of personal transformation is that when your heart is open to change, you’re able to recognize the personal signals of encouragement your authentic delf is constantly sending, no matter how unlikely the source.”

“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 3-11-22)

1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower

“It is do coincidental, the Pond’s cold cream reference to a beauty tip my paternal grandmother shared with me. Grandma Houston had the most porcelain of skin well into her 70s. She shared that all she ever used was Pond’s cold cream at night. Amazing!” (Heather Houston 3-11-22)

“I found I took on another beauty technique from my Grandmother Houston, witch hazel. I have never been able to use an astringent as it always stripped my natural oil and made my skin shiny and irritated. The witch hazel is forgiving and still cleans the bacteria and surface oils without stripping my face. Thank you grandma!” (Heather Houston 3-11-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 78-79 of 501.

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

My Abundant Life 2-27-26

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February 27th, 2026

Committing to Your Spiritual Awakening

“I don’t believe; I know.”

Carl Jung (Swiss Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst; July 26th, 1875 ~ June 6th, 1961)

“If you consciously work to bring more gratitude, simplicity, order, harmony, beauty, and joy into your daily life, your world will be transformed whether you believe a Higher Power is guiding you or not. But if you commit to your spiritual awakening as the most important part of the process, something marvelous will happen. Life will not feel as fraught, as frazzled, or as fragmented as before because you’ll realize that the spiritual, the creative, and the practical can’t be separated. They each count. They each mean something. They’re all connected.”

“…ready ourselves with spiritual openness. …Spirituality is the sacred center of which all life comes, including Mondays and Tuesdays and rainy Saturday afternoons in all their mundane and glorious details.”

Christina Balwin (Author; April 16th, 1946 ~ )

My Bucket List

Spiritual Awakening
Hike Toketee Falls in Oregon

“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 2-27-22)

1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower

“I am excited to discover myself newly while at the same time love the being I already am. My thoughts today are on the people of Ukraine. I also have a pang of fear wondering if my son has been deployed to bolster the Ukrainian cause. If so, I send him all my protective motherly love to keep him safe. I love you Porter!”💝 (Heather Houston 2-27-22)

“Seems full circle as we began bombing Iran and hoping my children are not deployed anywhere near the Middle East. The “Sacred Center of Life” is the BEing present within the moment. My husband made Pho and the gloriousness was not just the first bite. It was the intentional shopping, the smell of the cooking beef bones, the cooking of the aromatics, and the final boil of the broth…all leading to the first sip of soup that unfolded the sacred beautiful creation. Relish the daily routine intertwined with the beauty of living in the moment.” (Heather Houston 2-27-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 61 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments 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.