“Sometimes a person has to go back, really back–to have a sense, an understanding of all that’s gone to make them–before they can go forward.”
Sir Paul Roderick Clucas Marshall (British Investor; August 2nd, 1959 ~ )
“On the authentic dig we shall also go in search of a mosaic: what brought us moments of happiness and contentment.”
“Let your authnetic archaeologist gather artifacts that can coax memory: old photographs, letters, mementos.”
“See what memories are triggered as you reacquaint yourself with the girl and woman you once were. Linger only on the happy times. What you are searching for is a pattern of personal, authentic pleasures and preferences. These are the chips in your mosaic.”
“The events in our lives happen in a sequence in time, but in our significance to ourselves they find their own order…With patience and quiet observation, these events will provide the seeker in you with a ‘continuous thread of revelation.'”
Eudora Welty (American Short Story Writer, Novelist and Photographer; April 13th, 1909 ~ July 23rd, 2001)
“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 2-20-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“I think I will start with my year book to try to reconnect with classmates and find high school pictures of myself.” (Heather Houston 2-20-22)
“I have been uncovering my past to see how it lands for me now. I have been intentionally listening to the music and watching films from my birth year 1968. It has been so fun to watch and listen…waiting to see what bubbles up. I realize I have a huge music and film interest genre. I even reeled in my husband to watch a few flicks with me. I love this journey!” (Heather Houston 2-20-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 53-54 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
Matthew Arnold (English Poet and Cultural Critic; December 24th, 1822 ~ April 15th, 1888)
“Like the inner explorer who seekd adventure and the unknown, the authentic archaeologist knows how to unearth remnants of memory buried deeply in the fertile doil of the subconscious mind…The reason we want to awaken the archaeologist is to excavate the real you.”
“How we remember, and what we remember, and why we remember form the most personal map of our individuality.”
Christina Baldwin (Author; April 16th, 1946 ~ )
“Whether you realize it or not, you have lived many lives, and each one has left an indelible mark on your soul. I’m not referring to reincarnation. I’m referring to the episodic way in which our lives evovle: childhood, adolescence, college years or early career, marriages, motherhood…widowhood and onward. At each stage in our lives, we have both laughter and tears. But more important for our interests, we develop personal preferences. Each life experience leaves a layer of memory like a deposit of sdiment: things we’ve loved and moments of contentment we’ve cherished that when recalled, reveal glimmers of our true selves.”
“My past is often remembered in struggles and challenges vs. joy. I think the neglect I experienced at a young age scarred me and filtered how I saw the world. It makes me sad to realize this about myself.” (Heather Houston 2-19-22)
“I no longer look to the past hoping it holds reasons to the ‘Why’. Instead, I remember the past as something that no longer exists or defines me. The ‘NOW’ is the only thing that is real. In creating my beingness in the NOW, I soak up all the available joy in my life in each moment.” (Heather Houston 2-19-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 52-53 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“The heart is a lonely hunter that hunts on a lonely hill.”
William Sharp (known as: Fiona Macleod) (Scottish Writer, of Poetry and Literary Biography; September 12th, 1855 ~ December 12th, 1905)
“You could expect many things of God at night when the campfires burned before the tents….You were alone when you sat and talked with the others—and they were alone. …WHat you say has no ready ear but your own, and what you think is nothing except to yourself. The world is there and you are here—and these are the only poles, the only realities. You talk, but who listens? You listen, but who talks?”
Beryl Markham(English-Born Kenyan Aviator, Adventurer, Racehorse Trainer and Author; October 26th, 1902 ~ August 3rd, 1986)
“A safari of the self and Spirit is at times lonely. But we know we are never alone. It is a comfort to realize that this sense of isolation is necessary if we are to encounter Mystery, and mystery is very much a part of safari. Each day in the wilderness brings with it the struggle to survive and a heightened awareness of how wonderful it is just to see the sun set and rise again in the morning. Each day on safari is lived to the fullest because it is all that is guaranteed.”
“Today, expect many things as you sit around the campfire of your heart. Someone is listening. Someone is talking to you, encouraging you to take the next step as you embrace the Mystery of the wilderness within.”
“Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wonderous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again.”
“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 2-18-26)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“My life has really transformed the last three years. I am the happiest I have ever been, the most confident and living into my authentic self.” (Heather Houston 2-18-22)
“The Mystery of the wilderness within…such a deep concept. The safari dry season I have been navigating within has brough forth the rains again. My mother shared so authentically yesterday it brought tears to my eyes. She contributed profoundly to my life in her sharing. To learn the name of the town my great grandmother lived was a timely and heartfelt sharing. I plan to visit my ancestors homelands and reconnect to my cultural community. I dream of walk the ground of my ancestors and mingling with my people…5-weeks and counting.” (Heather Houston 2-18-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 51-52 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
Sam Walter Foss (American Librarian and Poet; June 19th, 1858 ~ February 26th, 1911)
“…not only desolate with grief but bereft of purpose.”
Mary Henrietta Kingsley (English Ethnographer, Scientific Writer, and Explorer; October 3rd, 1862 ~ June 3rd, 1900)
“In Africa, to go on safari—the Swahili word for journey—is to leave the comfort and safety of civilization to venture into the wilderness. Each time you listen to the woman within—your authentic self—you do the same.
“You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition…What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover will be yourself.”
Alan Alda (American Actor and Comedian; January 28th, 1936 ~ )
“Reading this today I found myself dreaming of adventure. Riding my motorcycle down the length of PCH. Going on a walk-about. Creating my own vision quest through my indigenous roots. Being free of debt to wander and explore would be glorious!” (Heather Houston 2-17-22)
“I find myself bereft with purpose in my career. I feel an urge to find my place in this world. Particularly since the life I lived for 30 years was far from authentic. I am not in a hurry, but feel a deep wanderlust inside me. My husband has been very supportive and offered for us to get our instruments out of storage to begin exploring our musical interests. I am game as I have not really focused on my music in years. I have spent the last 8-years on a safari of my authentic self and spirit. I yearn for new adventures to explore this beautiful world we inhabit. I am in action of this presently as I soon will be visiting Oklahoma City for an indigenous conference. This will be the first time I am able to sit and commune with people from my culture…Cherokee/Choctaw. I am beyond thrilled! I am hoping I will have time to also visit the town my grandfather and great grandparents resided to simply touch the earth of my ancestors. This is the exploration I am on.” (Heather Houston 2-17-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 51-52 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
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.”
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.
“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 2-15-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“Today was a red letter day! I bought my first car today…2009 MINI Cooper (2dr Hatchback; 1.6L 4cyl 6M) in excellent condition with 70k in miles. I was looking for a commuter car for the next couple years before finding what is next. YEAH ME!” (Heather Houston 2-15-26)
2-12-22 2009 MINI Cooper Getting Detailed Before Purchase
“Our authentic self discovery is the exploration of within. The most mysterious vista are the touchstones and transformation tiles that mark your personal exploration. I feel blessed to be cogent and brave enough to LOOK…look and BE.” (Heather Houston 2-15-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 49-50 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“Where there is great love there are always miracles.”
Willa Cather (American Writer; December 12th, 1873 ~April 24th, 1947)
“Once we were going to set the world on fire. Remember? Today we all have our share of ashes, along with the memory of a few bright sparks, to show for our efforts. Ove the years we’ve buried many a precious dream under layers of soot and rubble. Layers of naivete, good intentions, relinquishment, bitter failures, detours, disappointments, rejections, wrong choices, bad timing, bungled efforts, stupid mistakes, unforseen circumstances, whims of fate and missed opportunities. It’s no wonder that we’ll need courage to retrace our steps.”
“…courage is the price that Life extracts for granting peace.”
Amelia MaryEarhart (American Aviation Pioneer and Author; July 24th, 1897 ~ Disappeared July 2nd, 1937 ~ Declared Dead January 5th, 1939)
“A wise woman once advised me not to be a ‘would-be-if-I-could-be or a could-be-if-I-would-be. Just be.’ And while I have learned that dreams need doing as much as they need being, I have learned that the being always come first.”
“Today is a day for being. Be with those you love, be kind to yourself. Be quiet and call forth the dream you buried long ago. The ember is still glowing in your soul. See it in your mind, hold it tenderly in your heart.”
“The dream was always running ahead of one…TO catch up, to live for a moment in union with it, that was the miracle.”
Angela Anaïs Juana Antolina Rosa Edelmira Nin y Culmell (French-Cuban-American Diarist, Essayist, Novelist and Writer of Short Stories and Erotica; February 21st, 1903, 1911 ~ January 14th, 1977)
Relax on Tikehau Island Beach, Tikehau Island, French Polynesia
Wine Taste in Walla Walla
“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 2-14-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“Today felt like my first Valentines Day ever. I actually am spending a Valentines with someone I love and who loves me back…just the way I am. He is my one and only Valentine and I feel like the luckiest woman on earth. I bought him a dozen red roses, our favorite bottle of wine and dinner (pesto linguine and fillets) for us to cook to create a delicious meal. FABULOUS!”💗 (Heather Houston 2-14-22)
“Today I reclaimed Valentines Day for myself. Not interested in the commercial hype. Quite simply I am pampering and lavishing my husband with love. Being with him in a day to celebrate our passion for one another.” ❤️❤️❤️ (Heather Houston 2-14-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 48-49 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
You Have a Unique Point of View: Loving Your Authenticity
“A sobering thought: what if, right at this very moment, I am living up to my full potential?”
Jane Wagner (American writer, Director and Producer; February 26th, 1935 ~ )
“One of the most important milestones we’ll hit along the way is the moment when we finally own our unique point of view and realize how priceless it is.”
“I’d gone through life believing in the strength and competence of others; never my own…Now, dazzled, I discovered that my capacities were real. It was like finding a fortune in the lining of an old coat.”
Joan Mills (Musical Artist; UNKNOWN)
“Today, or as soon as you can, indulge yourself with one of my favorite perk-ups. Get $25 from the bank in $5 notes and place then in the pockets of all your coats and jackets. Now forget about it. The next time you wear a coat and find $5, laugh and let it remind you that each day that you love, honor, and respect your own unique point of view, you’re a step closer to finding a fortune.”
“Now do one thing more. Start to treat yourself more generously. Begin with $5…Just do something out of the ordinary that you normally wouldn’t do that will lift your spirits.”
“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line…You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”
Lucille Ball (American Actress, Comedian, and Producer; August 6th, 1911 ~ April 26th, 1989)
“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 2-13-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“Love myself ‘eh? Well that has been a battle my entire life.”
“My story began at 3-4 years of age at my maternal grandmother’s house. My parents were sitting on the blue couches holding my new baby brother and sharing newborn pictures of my brother and myself while surrounded by my maternal aunts and uncles. Somebody mentioned how cute my brother was and my parents beamed with pride. Someone said out loud, “He is a perfect Gerber Baby.” I knew who the Gerber Baby was from the baby food jars we had on hand. I thought how nice to know my brother is so cute. I was proud to be his big sister.”
“Then it happened…my parents said something like this…”It is amazing how he came out. Heather never looked like this. Frankly, when she was born, I thought she was a monkey. Covered in hair, wrinkled and curled up.” my dad stated. My mom piped in, “She had a pointy head.” I was shocked. My world seemed to melt away from me. What did they mean? I was a monkey…an ugly monkey? Not even human.”
“I immediately started to resent my brother fiercely. How dare he own all the beauty and affection? I was never the same after that day. My story was set…I knew I was ugly and repulsive…not enough. I felt shameful for existing and knew that being me was not enough. So, I knew had to be more then me…different. In my survival mode, I gravitated to perfectionistic behaviors in a way to clamor to be “SEEN”.”
“Alas, I spent most my life here and it led me down a very unhappy life path…sexual harassment, domineering abusive spouse, self-loathing, imposter syndrome on any achievement and low self worth. I fight every day to win the day over my story and find I still fail…even now almost 50-years since that day. My parents were young naive and learning to be parents. None of us as parents were given the parent manual…LOL! All of us as parents made mistakes…even me. I only hope my mistakes don’t plague and paralyze my children as much as my story has. I forgive my parents for their harsh statements as I know I can’t go back in time to change what I heard or wished someone noticed the pain on my face and showed me compassion. Instead, I was left to my own 3-4 year old mind devices, which led to me making meaning of the incident and creating a story. It is what it is.”
“But, I do wonder about that little girl…I wonder what her life might have been like if she loved and believed in herself. What might she had become? What might she be doing today? That is a fantasy and doesn’t exist. Claiming and owning my story by bringing it into the light allows it to be less powerful and affords me power to put it aside as not reality. I forgive myself also, I was just a 3-4 year old trying to make sense of a moment when I had little understanding of the grey parts of conversations and saw it only as black or white…good or bad…ugly or pretty. As such, my story latched onto this and filtered my entire life. I am trying to not live in my rearview mirror and live into the present by finding worth in myself now…newly. Pray for me to find my true love…of myself before I leave this dirtball. Thank you for listening.”
Gerber Baby
Heather Houston-DOB 3-30-68
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 47-48 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German Poet, Playwright, Novelist, Scientist, Statesman, Theatre Director, and Critic; August 28th, 1749 ~ March 22nd, 1832)
“Today, try to find a photograph of yourself when you were about ten…Send love to that young girl. Try to travel back in time and imagination. See yourself at ten: at home, at school, and at play.”
“…age ten was probably the last time you trusted your instincts. You didn’t listen to the opinions of your mother, your sister, or your friends because you had your own.”
“Try to contact the girl you once were. She’s all grown up now. She’s your authentic delf and she’s waiting to remind you how beautiful, accomplished, and extraordinary you really are.”
“The task today was to find a picture of myself when I was ten. The idea is that at ten we still trusted our instincts and didn’t let the opinions of others rule us. Regrettably, my story began at three or four-years old, so I had many stories by the time I hit ten. I included a picture when I was 4, which is likely the time when I last trusted myself. The other picture are closer to ten, but I was already manipulating myself by what I imagined others thought of me.“ (Heather Houston 2-12-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
1976 Christmas-Me, Santa & my brother
“See yourself at ten: at home, at school, and at play.”(Heather Houston 2-12-22)
“Where did you live?”
1324 Sunny Drive, Eugene, OR. 97404
“Can you see your house or apartment, and the street?”
Yes. Hedges lined the yard perimeter. An ancient golden locus tree in the front yard. The 2-Story garage in the side yard. The fat backyard had 2 filbert trees and a huge garden. A rock garden was nearest the house in the center of the backyard. Raspberry bushes lined the edge of the backyard with the far backyard. The street we a dead end and our house was located halfway down the length of the drive.
“Walk through your rooms in your childhood home. What did your bedroom look like?”
My room had oak floors. My bed was a separated bunk bed with drawers along the sides. I had a white bedspread with bright pink and orange butterflies printed on it. I had a small round wooden table, made by my father, with 4 red plastic chairs in the corner of the room. I had a family maple dresser with an oval mirror. Upon my bookshelf sat my phonograph.
“Who were your friends?”
Hannah Huntley
Lisa Humphreys
Clark Schaffer
Kyle Grey
Theresa Moso
Shari Shaffer
“Did you have a best pal?”
Theresa Moso
“Who was she?”
Classmate
“How did you play?”
Tag, dodgeball, hot lava
“What was your favorite color in the Crayola pack?”
Midnight Blue
“Did you play a musical instrument?”
Violin
“Who was your favorite doll?”
Stuffed Dumbo
Raggedy Ann & Andy
“Can you recall the scent of Play-Doh?”
Ohhhhh yes and silly putty.
“What were your favorite foods?”
Chicken Fried Steak
“What subject did you like best in fifth grade?”
Writing
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 46-47 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
Divine Discontent: Learning To Live By Your Own Lights
“Grace strikes us when we are in great pain and restlessness…Sometimes at that moment a wave of light breaks into our darkness, and it is as thought a voice were saying” ‘You are accepted.'”
Paul Johannes Tillich (German-American Christian Existentialist Philosopher and Lutheran Protestant Theologian; August 20th, 1886 ~ October 10th, 1965)
“Discontent and disorder are signs of energy and hope, not of despair.”
Dame Cicely Veronica Wedgewood, OM, DBE, FBA, FRHistS (known as: C. V. Wedgwood)(English Historian; July 20th, 1910 ~ March 9th, 1997)
“When we learn how to spin straw into gold. When we realize gratefully that we can live by our own lights if we access the Power.”
“T.G.I.F. This day always seems to fly by…thankfully. I am so excited to get home and reunite with my love!” (Heather Houston 2-11-22)
“I have been on a bit of a quest of late. Learning how to ask the Universe for what I want to manifest. Curiously, I have been intentionally asking the Universe to send me eagles. Like magic, I am sighting 1-3 eagles per day on the regular. The last 2weeks has been 10 total. My intention is to begin leaking this intention into other areas of my life. All very new and exciting. Watch me GROW!” (Heather Houston 2-11-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 45-46 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
My Distilled Life 