My Abundant Life 2-16-26

February 16th, 2026

At The End of Our Exploring

“We shall not cease exploration

An the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time.”

Thomas Stearns Eliot OM (Known as: T.S. Eliot) (Poet, Essayist, Publisher, Playwright, Literary Critic and Editor; September 26th, 1888 ~ January 4th, 1965)

“When we live our lives authentically, we discover our true place in the world for the first time.”

“It takes tenacity and daring to travel to the darkest interior of one’s self. Who knows what we might find there?”

“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.”

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE FRSL (known as: J. R. R. Tolkien) (English Writer, Poet, Philologist, and Academic; January 3rd, 1892 ~ September 2nd, 1973)

“Our dragons are our fears : our day stalkers, our night sweats. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failing. Fear of starting something new and not finishing. Again. Or the real fear, the one that sends shivers up our spines: the fear of succeeding, of becoming our authentic selves and facing the changes that will inevitably bring. We ight not be happy with the way we are living now, but at least it’s daftly familiar.”

“…there is really nothing to fear from self-awareness because at the end of all our personal ecploration, we will arrive back where we started and know in our hearts that we finally belong there.”

Thomas Stearns Eliot OM (Known as: T.S. Eliot) (Poet, Essayist, Publisher, Playwright, Literary Critic and Editor; September 26th, 1888 ~ January 4th, 1965)

“Today, if you feel frightened or unsure about the future, pick up the double-edged sword of Light and Love. Always remember, it’s simple not an adventure worth telling if there aren’t any dragons. But as in the best old tales, at the end of your exploring, you will live happily ever after.”

My Bucket List

Visit Caerlaverock Castle; Scotland
See the King Penguins on Volunteer Point, Falkland Islands

Before my story began…(Heather Houston 2-16-22)

1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower

“I drove the MINI Cooper out of the garage tis morning for the first time since I purchased it last night. Wouldn’t you know it, As I pulled out the garage a warning light came on…”Low Tire”. UGH! I got out checked all the tires and they felt just fine. I choose to drive to work and check the pressure and then reset the light. I think during the detailing a setting malfunctioned. This is new for me to not worry myself to death about something minor. YEAH ME!” (Heather Houston 2-16-22)

“The dragons that lurk in the shadows of our lives can only be slayed with the double edge sword of love and light. Lately, I have been feeling empty in my job. It is not using my skills and I am surrounded by extremely needy people who suck the energy from people like myself. As an empath, I have to buffer myself from people who are vampires. I need to find something that fulfills my purpose and what gifts I can provide the world. Funny how when we age we must reinvent ourselves.” (Heather Houston 2-16-26)


–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 50-51 of 501.

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

My Abundant Life 1-21-26

January 21st, 2026

Letting Go of Limiting Illusions

“I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.”

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie (known as: Lady Mallowan or DBE) (English Writer; September 15th, 1890 ~ January 12th, 1976)

“For some of us the thought of trusting a power outside ourselves to help make our dreams come true is definitely a threatening concept, especially if we’re used to being in control—or rather, used to the illusion of being in control.”

“This is a challenging idea, as I do not believe in a god/God. However, I do believe the universe has an energy within it that links us all to one another. Tapping into this is the key to “flow”. I strive to find my “flow” each and every day.” (Heather Houston 1-21-22 & 1-21-26)


–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 21-22 of 501.

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

My Abundant Life 1-18-26

January 18th, 2026

Beauty: Opening Our Eyes to the Beauty That Surrounds Us

“You agree—I’m sure you agree, that beauty is the only thing worth living for.”

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie (known as:  Lady Mallowan or Agatha Christie) (English Writer; September 15th, 1890 ~ January 12th, 1976)

“…we learn to be grateful no matter what our circumstances may be. In offering gratitude dor our real lives, we discover how to change them for the better. As we embrace simplicity, we learn that less is truly more. This freedom encourages us to bring order to our affairs and cultivate harmony in our inner world. Going at our own pace, learning to recognize our limitations, appreciating our progress, we weave the lessons into the fabric of our daily moments until they become a part of us.”

“It was as if I had worked for years on the wrong side of a tapestry, learning accurately all its lines and figures, yet always missing its color and sheen.”

Anna Louise Strong (American Journalist and Activist; November 24th, 1885 ~ March 29thm 1970)

“Gazing into my lovers eyes to see his smile envelope his whole being is magical. I always use my best plates and dishes to serve food we create together because we are living right now…there is no other now than the present.” (Heather Houston 1-18-26)

“It is in the details of life that beauty is revealed, sustained, and nurtured.”


–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 18-19 of 501.

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