Multi-Millionaire...

Photo taken by me...




I was hoping, while I was writing this, that I would be a multi-millionaire. Unfortunately, my plan did not turn out to be that way. So I am hoping to hit a hole in one the first day I hit the links with my new (only been used 2 times) golf clubs. I mean, the odds are clearly in my favor to hit a hole in one, right? Since I didn't win the Mega Millions, I know I can at least hit a hole in one. Hey, maybe even get struck by lightening while I am hitting the ball with my golf club. Now that would be pretty intense.

I think the best part of yesterday, was not only dreaming about what I would do with all that money, but to see the smile on everyone's faces when they were buying the tickets. To see the joy they got for those few seconds, dreaming of winning all that money. I have to say, when I went in to buy my ticket I was smiling ear to ear after all, I picked out my own numbers and I thought for once in my life I was psychic. And for those few seconds, I truly believed I was. (Okay, I thought I was psychic for more than a few seconds, but really, who's counting anyways?)

The joy of believing you could possibly be a multi-millionaire is truly incredible. What are some of the ways you would spend your money? What would you do first?

Honestly, I think the best part of the lottery is the dreaming of what you would do with all that money. The planning in your head, the wonderful thoughts of taking care of your family and friends, the dream of buying land and building a new house, the dream of being a professional Philanthropist, of building schools in Africa, like Oprah, or bringing in clean water to places that don't have clean water, traveling the world and trying to make it a better place. O, the possibilities!

Isn't dreaming a wonderful thing?

What is life without dreaming about the "What ifs"? Sometimes the "what ifs" are what keep us going, to see what the future will hold for us. But my "what ifs" are not the past "what ifs", but the future "what ifs". We can't change the past, we can only move forward and learn from it and decide to make changes so that the days ahead will have the outcome of what you dream of.

Think about your "what ifs", make a list, a drawing or a vision board. Dream big. You never know what will happen.

CORRECTION... To My "Lucky" Post

My mother's family came from Skibbereen, County of Cork (West Cork), Ireland... Thank you to my sister-in-law for correcting me!!! ;) You are the BEST!

Lucky...

Photo by ME! of my boy's shamrock plant.

You know that saying, "The Luck of the Irish"? If you can believe it, yes, I am Irish... Ok, so, I am 30% Irish... You see, my mother is 100% Irish (her parents are from this little city called Cork, yes, in Ireland). My father is 50% Portuguese (from these tiny islands, the Azores) and 50% French Canadian (you know, that place above and attached to us and is called Canada - and when I say us, I mean the people who live in New England, but if you were my brother and his wife in Alaska, it would be more like that country attached and East of us)... So, that technically makes me 30% Irish, 10% Portuguese, 10% French Canadian and Ok, Ok, 50% Korean (you know, that cute Asian country South of North Korea, Westish of Japan and South Eastish of parts of China), if I got any of the locations wrong, I apologize - after all, I received my degree in Geography - but, I never really listened in class. ;)

Well, that makes me lucky enough to have "The Luck of the Irish". Don't believe me still? Awwww, that's ok. It's not really what you believe anyways, it is what I believe.

I do believe I am lucky. I am lucky because I was born. I am lucky because a family in America wanted me to be a part of their family. I am lucky because I was brought up by two loving, accepting, understanding, not too strict parents. I am lucky because I have four incredible brothers who helped shape me to be tough but sweet, smart but sassy, strong but dainty, and brave but sensitive. I am lucky for believing that blood is not thicker than water. And though the shape of my eyes may be different from my family, my heart is still the same.

But yet, I also believe it is not luck that got me here. It is just how it is supposed to be. What's luck got to do with it, anyway? No, I didn't say, What's LOVE got to do with it, I said LUCK... and as I had said before, it is all what you believe.

So let me ask you, What are your thoughts on Luck? Do you believe being lucky just happens? or do you believe that the choices we made were predestined? Which means, our choices really weren't ours at all.

Is this getting too deep? Because really, that is not what I am trying to do. I just want you to think about your life, why you may feel "lucky" or why you may feel that "bad luck" follows you wherever you go. Try to think about which glass you have, the half full, or half empty glass... That will determine your positive/pessimistic radar. Why, you ask? Because little by little you can make changes to your luck, just by the choices you make. Yup, I said it and I am probably totally confusing you, which I think I am confusing myself a little in the process too.

Ok, so let me explain. If you want to be more positive, have better "luck" how about training your brain to think about happier more positive outcomes. You can do it. It is possible. What is great about thinking positively, is that it is scientifically better for your health then thinking negatively. Okay, so I think I just made that part up. But there is no harm in being happy, is there?

So my homework for you today is - smile, when your face doesn't feel like smiling. Laugh, when maybe you want to cry. Say a kind word to a stranger, you never know the difference that may make to that person. And when you just want to cower in a corner alone, pick yourself up, realize you will never have another day like this one and move forward with your head held high.

Also, it helps in believing in yourself, as well. Happiness and your luck come from within, choose to be positive. Use your strength to make a difference in your life.

By the way, I am choosing to buy a ticket for the Mega Millions drawing on Friday, I am thinking positively and I am feeling pretty lucky, Just sayin'...

Blog about nothing...

Not sure what to write tonight. Remember when I said, back in my very first blog that some of them may be like a Jerry Seinfeld episode - about nothing... Well, I think this is one of them.

I absolutely LOVE writing, I absolutely love the art of writing. You see, I can't draw (except for stick figures). I can't paint (Thank you Paula, for that beautiful day you took us out to a cove in Gloucester to teach - you are a great teacher, I am just a horrible painter - but I tried, right?!). I can't sing (though, trust me, in the car, when I am all alone, I am a ROCK STAR!!!). I am not a very good dancer, either (but give me a few drinks, and I am like dancing with the stars and yes, to me, I am a star ;). So writing is MY thing. I love to do it, not sure if I am good at it, but I sure do love to put my thoughts down on paper (type it on a computer). It makes me feel like I have a talent in something.

When I was younger I had tons of journals, I could write in them all day long, but usually I would write in them right before I went to bed. I honestly think I had about 20+ notebooks of just page after page of my thoughts. When I went away to college my mother "cleaned" out my draw with my journals in them, and I never saw them again. I was heart broken.

At the time, I never thought those notebooks would amount to much, and I am sure they wouldn't have, but that was the start of my love for writing. Just being able to write down my thoughts each day. It made me feel like I was able to live that day over, of how I felt and reflect back on things I may have missed had I not taken the time to write them down.

Don't you wish you could, like a book, turn back pages and reflect on past chapters of your life? To me, that is what writing does.

What helps you reflect on life? What place do you have to go to, whether it be in front of a canvas, behind a microphone or sitting on your couch, to find yourself and reflect?

A little laid back...

Photo taken by my husband of me and our kids

I was talking to a close friend of mine the other day, telling her about an ailment that I may have, and she was quite concerned. So I told her, "don't worry, it's no big deal". And she said to me in return, "you are so laid back, so easy going with something that is serious". When she said that to me I realized, yes, I am laid back, yes, I don't worry about things, and yes, sweating the "small" stuff is something I just don't do. My time in this body, on this planet, is unknown. I like to think that no matter what, I will live my best life. I have said this before, and I have thought this many many times, time is a luxury that we have no control over. Time is something that is not guaranteed, but that we are fortunate to receive.

The time that I have, I would like to do all I can to make a better world for my children and for others. I would like to make a positive impact on people. I would like my legacy to my children to be, more than just giving them money (especially since I don't have any to give). I would like to leave them with the gift of loving to the fullest, helping where they can, knowing that honesty is the best policy, and believing that - "Damn my mom Rocked!". HAHAHA...

What legacy would you like to leave for the ones you love? What can you do to make a difference?

Never limit yourself. Know that you can make a difference, even in small ways. Don't worry about those small things in life, but also, make sure you don't miss them either. Remember to leave a legacy of love, happiness and fulfillment. Those gifts are free and easy to give.
Live your best life.

I'd like to thank...

I can't believe it! I am freaking out right now... Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! Thank you for believing in me when no one else did! Thank you for seeing my true self and loving me just the same. Thank you for your kind words, love and true dedication. Thank you to my mother and father who love me unconditionally and also told me, after you get your college degree you can do whatever you want - thanks mom and dad. Thank you to my husband and children who have put up with me. Putting up with me! Isn't that enough? You guys are the BEST! Thank you to my best friend, Kim for always being honest with me, like telling me my business cards look like wedding invitations and laughing at me and with me. Kim, you are always brutally honest with me, and I love you for that! Thank you to all my family and friends. I am so delighted and in total disbelief that I am up here, accepting this award for BEST Blogger of 2012. This is like winning the lottery, sort of. Except I still have to work, and I can't buy a new house, and I guess a shopping spree is out of the question too, isn't it? Soooo, maybe it isn't like winning the lottery...

Uh oh, my acceptance speech is sort of falling apart at the seams.

Ok, so I have never been asked to attend any awards show, nor have I been on a red carpet in my beautiful Atelier Versace gown in Fire Engine Red wearing Neil Lane jewelry for extra sparkle. I have not won any awards, like Oscar, SAG or Golden Globe, nor recognized for my excellence in, well, anything... So in saying that, I think it is only right, and fair (for me), that I get to say my acceptance speech, to thank all the people who have helped me get to where I am today, only, because I was so nervous I forgot to thank some people (sorry, to those I missed). Weird, I know, but I thought it may be fun doing this little role play for myself. Unfortunately, when I was walking up the stairs to my imaginary stage, in my beautiful imaginary Fire Engine Red Versace gown, wearing imaginary Neil Lane jewelry, accepting my imaginary award, and not hearing any imaginary applause the fun of my speech sort of waned. It wasn't as fun as I thought it may be. I guess I really needed to get that Versace gown, to have the more REAL effect... REAL Neil Lane diamonds would have helped too.

I guess my imaginary experiment was to see how I would feel being awarded for doing something I love just because. It is fun just to imagine things for yourself. Sometimes imagining helps to see yourself in a different light, doing something you may not do in real life. It may even get you thinking about what you could do for yourself, ways to better yourself, make things happen.

Haven't you heard of Vision Boards or something like that. What they are, are poster boards that you paste pictures of things you love, things that you are passionate about, things that you may want for yourself. They could be new shoes, or money, or a picture of a restaurant, if someday you want to own a restaurant, or a picture of where you want to vacation, anything, everything. It is supposed to help you visualize what you want for yourself and help you make it happen (in some unconscious way). To tell you the truth, at first I thought, those things are crazy. But now, not so much. Visualizing is the key to everything. If you visualize it, you can do it.

So, I am getting my "Vision Board" together (a small one), I am going to hang it up somewhere I can see it every day. I see nothing wrong in trying something new. You don't necessarily have to put pictures on your Vision Board, you could write a list of things you want for yourself and put it in a place where you can see it every day, read it, and remind yourself why you are working so hard.

What is stopping you from visualizing a life worth living? What do you want to do to make things happen in your life?

I hope someday when your visions come true, you could maybe, well, put my name on your acceptance speech.

Go my children... Visualize your dreams... Make them happen... Happy Visualizing!!!
*Applause* *Applause* *Applause*

Wash your hands...

Photo by Me of my little guy's hand...


So when you grow up, you are constantly told to wash your hands. Whether it be from food you were eating, or going to the bathroom, or playing outside. You always had to "Wash your hands" to get rid of the dirt and germs. Well, I am going to use that as my metaphor today as I am sure many have used before for all different reasons like, washing your hands of the bad karma or washing your hands of toxic people in your life, or washing your hands of anything and everything...

There has not been many things that I have washed my hands of, since I, to tell you the truth don't really like to "get rid" of anything. I, of course, wash my real hands, but have never metaphorically washed my hands. I believe in second chances. Realizing that everyone needs that second chance, a new beginning to start over. We all make mistakes, and we all do things we wished we hadn't (if you believe you have never done that, then hooray for you - *clap clap clap* - you, my dear are in denial).

I think it is such a gift to give to someone - a second chance. Whether they know it or not, it really doesn't matter. It is also a gift to give yourself. The gift of forgiveness. It is very affordable to give a gift like this, no money down and no interest either. All you have to do is use your heart and mind... It's as simple as that. I suggest trying it some time, you never know, you may actually feel good after "giving" it.

We all need a second chance sometimes.

What second chances have you given? If you had the opportunity to do it all over again, would you? and if not why?

Believe in the power of forgiveness, it rarely steers you in the wrong direction as long as you do it without wanting anything in return.

Taking time out...

ClipArt Photo




Don't you hear it everyday from at least one person or another, something like: I wish it were Friday, I wish the weekend would come sooner, I wish I could be on vacation, I wish, I wish, I wish... And sometimes, it just makes your week longer, because it puts you in that state of mind too. "O, he/she's right, I wish the weekend were here, or I wish I was on vacation..."

WHAT?!?!

Whether you know it or not, what you are doing is wishing your life away. Hoping to make today go by faster so that it gets you to tomorrow. Instead of wanting the tomorrow, how about taking a moment in time today and being happy with just being. Be in that moment.

So I hear you now, "What!!! Alyssa wants me to breathe in this crappy office air, close my eyes and pretend I am not sitting in an uncomfortable chair where the walls around me are fake and I can hear everything my co-worker is saying on the phone with her new boyfriend right next to me in the cube. And as I hear her, that breath that I just took in was not only the bad ventilation in this old office, but reheated dinner from last night that smells more like rotten eggs and spoiled fish from my other co-worker who is eating at his desk, what is that nasty smell anyway?!?! So you want me to take in THAT moment?"

My answer to you is, yes! Because that moment will never come again. Take in each and every little wonderful, miserable, happy, sad, loving, hating, etc. moment you can. This isn't a race, contrary to what you all may have heard, and we aren't rats either. So be happy for the day you have. Enjoy the stinky smells, the obnoxious conversations, the office drama, the bad haircuts and hair dyes, the ugly carpets and the same old B.S. because if you don't, you may miss the funny things that happen, the deep conversations, or the blissful blah of the day.

Take a moment to recharge yourself, whether it is just standing up and stretching your legs, or taking a deep breath, or walking down the hall. Because you never know what you may miss if you let that time go.

What can you do to make the most of the NOW? What little things can you do to mentally be in it?

Take that time out and just breathe.

March 20th...

Photo taken by: Silke Hase


A very Happy Day, my Son was born!

Where to go...

Photo taken by my husband of me sitting at/in one of my favorite places in the world... The Ocean!




Sometimes when I write, I need a little inspiration. What I usually do is listen to music or picture the things that make me most happy.

Sitting on a beach, the waves are crashing on the shore, grabbing the sand as the ocean pulls back out and snatches the waves back into its expansive endless wet home. I take in a deep breath of salty ocean air repairing my winter filled lungs. The hot sand is under my pre-sunburned feet and the warm thick air blows through my hair. I turn my head and look lovingly over at my family, my husband lies under an umbrella hoping to keep his skin protected and lazily reads a book with his sunglasses on, my daughter is lathering herself with sunscreen just to lie back out on her towel, letting her skin soak up the rays as she puts her earbuds back into her ears and listens to her iPod, and I notice my son digging his shovel into the sand, so that he can put it in his pail to make sandcastles. I am so blessed to be at the ocean with my loves.

Now that's my inspiration!

Whenever I have trouble thinking about something, or figuring something out, what I love to do is daydream about a place I want to go or a place I have been before with the people I love the most in my life. It isn't hard for me to think about the places where I am most happy.

I'll call that my BEACH perspective. Yes, you can have a beach perspective. It can mean anything to you. When I think of the beach I think of warmth and happiness. My husband would say, burned skin and oppressive heat. That would be his beach perspective.

What inspires you? What is your perspective on that?

Everyone has their own ideas of how they brainstorm, or get inspired. You need to inspire yourself the best way you know how and then go with it. Work with that inspiration to take you to new places in your life.

Where do you want to go now?

Live your life....

So, as I was driving to my class this morning I was be bopping to the music, and something resonated in me when I heard the song "Live your Life" by T.I. and Rihanna. Why? You ask... Well, I guess I never really listened to the words before, but for some reason, I was intently listening to it this morning.

"The hootin' and the hollerin', back and forth with the arguing.
Where you from, who you know, what you make and what kind of car you in.
Seems as though you lost sight of what's important with the positive.
And checks until your bank account and you up out of poverty.
Your values is a disarray, prioritizin' horribly.
Unhappy with the riches 'cause you're piss poor morally.
Ignoring all prior advice and fore warning.
And we mighty full of ourselves all of a sudden aren't we?"

So, again, I hear you asking why. I think mostly the part where it says, "Your values is a disarray, prioritizin' horribly. Unhappy with the riches 'cause you're piss poor morally." I love that line, because so many people have piss poor morals and values. Yup, I said it.

Lets look at the big picture here: the economy is in the toilet because of greed and mismanagement. People are losing their jobs, their homes, their lives as they knew it. Working hard, only got them laid off and homeless. Where is the accountability?

Hmmm... So I am not really sure where this rant is going... I figured I would get it out there and off my chest.

Well, the title of this song is Live your Life. I have made the conscious choice to live my life with deep morals and high values. I have made the conscious choice to love what I live, and live what I love. I am going to be accountable for the life I lead and will expect to be called on any misrepresentations I give to myself (which I hope, I will not do).

How will you live your best life? What do you want to be accountable for?

This is going to be a short one tonight, I am a little drained from the classes this past weekend. The weekend was absolutely fabulous, but they were mentally draining. That is probably why I may not be making much sense tonight. This post may not resonate with you, but I hope future posts will land right in your arms where you can grab them and hold them close and think, Yes, these are my thoughts exactly too!
A girl can dream, can't she?

Timing...

What is that saying? Timing is everything... Right, THAT saying! Timing is everything. Yet, I am not even sure I believe that. Is it the timing, or is it something that happens when you want it to happen at a certain time in your life that just seemed to work out? A decision made when you are ready to make it, which turns out to be at a good time in your life. So my question is, is timing really everything?

What? You thought I was going to answer that question? Silly Rabbit, this is for you! (Yeah, I know what you're thinking, but I am not eating Trix).

When I decided to take this leap into the blogging unknown, I never realized how good it would feel to write down my thoughts and perspectives on life. Even if no one read my blog, I knew it would just be refreshing and therapeutic for me to put words down on paper. I have always loved to write, whether it was a short note on a card, or a long letter to a friend, or even my dream of writing a book that I hoped to publish one day, my writing was always a very important part of my life, though I never took the time to truly sit down and cultivate it.

Now is that time. It works for me. It feels right. I have that motivation and inspiration to animate my thoughts to paper and bring my stories and ideas to life. The "timing" seems right.

What ideas or plans do you have on hold because you don't feel ready to start? Is there something in your life that you can change to make that idea or plan right for you now?

I can honestly say, I never really thought I could be that story teller I always wanted to be. But I realized if I could dream it, I could do it.

Your dreams are real, make them happen. Find your time and do it! What's stopping you?

Action and reaction

For every action, there is a reaction.

I am going to sleep. I will wake up restful with more important things to say.

A Brand New Day...

Photo taken by me (Boston)



A brand new day, as opposed to the same old day. Yes, I know, I know, you don't even have to say it, but, that was deep! It was. I'm as deep as a puddle on a rainy day. It happens sometimes when I have time on my hands to sit down and think.

A brand new day, as opposed to the same old day. I had to say it again, just for the effect.

So what's the point you ask? Well, that's my point. No day IS or could EVER BE the same. It is that new beginning we receive every single day of our lives. That is what makes it so unreal and so invigorating and so worth living. Like the wise Forest Gump once said, "Life's like a box of chocolates, you never know which one you're going to get". But as I said on Facebook this week, and for those who are not on FB, my spin to this little saying is: "Life's like a box of chocolates, and I have SO many yummy ones to choose from..." After all, life is about the choices we make. If you want to believe it or not, the HOW of how you got here, is due to the choices you made earlier. (I'm sorry if you are regretting your choice now... :)

The choices we made as children, made us who we are today. I think that is pretty fabulous, unless you are sitting in a jail cell, then I would rethink the choices you made.
Moving on...

What choices have you made that make you happy to be where you are today? What does that feel like to you?

They can be as small as: I watched the 5:00 a.m. newscast this morning; I put on my raincoat and brought an umbrella because I thought it was going to rain; I sang in the shower today, woke the family up with my tunes; or I walked my child to school and went to work a little late. It's those small choices that add up to big results. The baby steps of your life. Do we ever really think about those little things in our lives? It's okay if you don't. I never really did either. But today, I am taking that time to think about those little tiny small choices and being happy that I made them. Are you?

"I want to wake up in that city that doesn't sleep, and find I'm King of the hill, Top of the heap..." Thank you Frank. Now that is how someone would probably feel if they woke up and had won the Mega-Millions the night before. That would be a great choice that person made of buying a ticket and then waking up to that brand new day!

Make the choices that feel right to you. Sing in the shower, dance in the mirror, laugh out loud, and then tell me how your smile looked on your face. What will you do throughout that day to keep that smile? You, my friend are in control.

A brand new day, is coming tomorrow too!

A New Beginning...

Photo taken by: Silke Hase

It has been a few years since I looked like this... A big, bulging and heavy belly. Years earlier from that picture, I had a similar belly. I have to say, being pregnant twice, had been the most incredible experiences of my life. Anywhere I went, I was never alone. I always had someone I love with me. A new beginning was about to be born and I had the pleasure (and pain) of being part of that new beginning.

With every new beginning comes feelings of anticipation, uncertainty and certainty, anxiousness, hope, excitement, questions, anything and everything all at once, and even sometimes, years later... Either way, you never know what will come of that new beginning. Now when I say, new beginning, I'm not necessarily talking about birth and babies. (I'm sure you realize that, since, anyone who reads this blog is truly of genius status. Wink wink.) I have had many new beginnings in my life, which I am sure, most people have had as well.

Take a minute, think of some of the "New Beginnings" in your life. Think about what made them new and how you went about navigating through those "firsts" of your life.

What feelings were there? Were these new beginnings planned or on a whim? And if they were planned, did you anticipate some of the outcomes that came with them?

I'll tell you this, it is rare that I didn't feel joy and pride at most every new beginning I started. Sure there was anxiety and questions, but even now, looking at just two of my new beginnings (my daughter and son) the overwhelming feelings of love and happiness can never truly be articulated into words.

And so, as I embark on another of many new firsts, I never anticipated how wonderful this new beginning in my life would feel. Now this didn't just come out of the blue, it was years in the making and it isn't just one new journey I am on right now. I am taking control of my life, my destiny and making things happen. With many stops and starts in between, and many anxious nights of questioning myself and asking, am I doing the right thing? Will I be writing something people can relate to? By getting educated in the Coaching field, will the work I do with Coaching help in the decisions I make? I finally said, This Is It, I am doing it! So here I am, on my New Beginning.

In thinking about some of your past new beginnings, ask yourself, what can I do TODAY in my life that will be a new beginning and how can I cultivate it and make it grow? What do I think it will look like to me when it has blossomed?

Words of Wisdom...

I realized today, it was time... Time to get started on a few things I have been wanting to start on. First, I would like to say what a great journey it has been to get where I am today, though I still have plenty more places to go in my life, personally and professionally, I am happy to be on this adventure and to share it with you. What is most exciting about future journey's is the fact of not knowing where I am going, which route I may take, or the unknown abyss just waiting to be discovered.

Yes, the title for this first of many new blogs is "Words of Wisdom" and no, I don't think I am wise or that you should listen to me because I know what I am saying. Words of Wisdom can come from anyone, anytime, anywhere, just because. Words of Wisdom are "Ah Ha" words. They are the words that make people think deeper, that make you realize something in a fresh new way or see it in a way you may not have thought of before. Words of wisdom can come from a 3-year old or a 100-year old. Words have no boundaries or prejudices.

I am here to explore. Explore a life worth living. Your life and my life. To explore the words we use on a daily basis and see how they impact our lives. I am here to explore everything, and nothing. My future blogs, to me are like a Jerry Seinfeld episode, Blogs about nothing, but have some meaning and I hope they make you laugh too. The best part about life is to be able to laugh at yourself and never take yourself too seriously. That's what I do everyday. Laugh at myself first, ask questions later.

The questions today you should ask yourself is: Do I laugh at myself once a day? Do I smile just because? What does that look like to me to be happy?

Think about those questions. And get back to me on that. "Torlk amungst ya selves"