Contributors

Cory Thomsen is a seeker, on a continuous journey of discovery and growth. She helps women reconnect to their spark, practice balance and develop the compassionate strong mother within to slow down and show up authentically in service of their world. She Lives with her husband and two children in Katy, Texas. Her piece is on page 24.

cory.mindfulmommy@gmail.com

corythomsen.com

Renu Sachdeva, a Diversity Leader in her organization, is particularly passionate about breaking down gender-based stereotypes in the workplace and empowering women to be their best selves. In her free time, Renu Loves to travel to beautiful parts of the world (New Zealand, Ireland, and Scotland being her favorites), read voraciously (with dystopian fiction being a guilty pleasure), and write fiction, poetry, or anything else that her heart desires. Find her Valentine's Day piece on page 11 and poem on page 31. renusachdeva@gmail.com

Dina Talotta is an American coach and facilitator, based in Rome, Italy. Dina's work is focused on diversity and Leadership development for individuals and organizations. A Lover of Life and culture, she most enjoys spending free time exploring Italy with her husband. Her article "Oh, for the Love of breakfast" is featured on page 6.

dinatalotta@gmail.com

dinatalotta.com

Jon Zieve is President and Founder of Trust Your Energy, LLC., a Men's Life coaching practice in Austin, TX. He accepts Men as they are and teaches them to accept what they resist in themselves and others. Men no Longer need to hide their emotions to be accepted. They can open their heart to Live a Life of Love and purpose. His article "Love Equally" is featured on page 8.

jonzieve612@gmail.com

ionzieve.com •

Kelly helps dreamers & doers Live, Lead, & be well through personalized coaching programs so that you clear the clutter, take back your time, and authentically become the visible, successful boss Lady you want to be. Her article "Love Her" is found on page 28. You can download her freeguide with 5 powerfulquestions to ask yourself dailyor visit her at

kellyelizabethscott.com

Angela Butler is an expert on navigating Life transitions. As a dynamic and passionate Life coach, Angela works with people who are caught "in­between" where they were and who they want to be in creating their best Life. She believes this is the only way we can be of service to the world. Her 5 Cornerstones to Self Love are found on page 20.

a ngela .couragetoconnection@gma i L.com

couragetoco nnection .com

FEBRUARY 2016 SEXY SPIRIT MOM 4

F ea tu red Artist

Leslie Sabella is the artist behind True Spirit Art. Inspired by art history, symbolic and spiritual imagery, her ongoing yoga practice and Love to travel, the illustrations she creates are eclectic and meaningful. Offering a Little window into that bohemian, free­spirited Lifestyle we all really dream of. You can see more of her work on line at www.truespiritart.com and shop for fine art prints, greeting cards, and her newly released adult coloring book "Boho Soul." Connect and follow along on social media at @truespiritart.

"I Love being able to share my work with the world and an amazing online community of women seeking out daily inspiration. The messages and quotes I incorporate in my work are so meaningful to me and ask me to take time to reflect on Life even if it is just for a moment. Everyday we have a new opportunity to decide what kind of day we are going to have and although not everyday is always easy, I genuinely wake up excited to work on new art, share it, and connect with friends and followers. Namaste."

She currently Lives in Northern California with her husband and fellow artist Jonathan Sabella and their dog Bella.

A sampling of Leslie's art is featured on pages 10, 13, 18, and 30.

Photo Credit

Dina Talotta c/o Dina Talotta Kelly Scott c/o Kimberly Florence Renu Sachdeva c/o Renu Sachdeva Jon Zieve c/o Jon Zieve Angela Butler c/ o Angela Butler Leslie Sabella c/ o Leslie Sabella Sarah Cowart c/o Kristin Tetuan Photo

Cory Thomsen c/o Jessica Mullen

ALL other photos unless otherwise credited shared into public domain and free for commercial use via Pixabay.com

FEBRUARY 2016 SEXY SPIRIT MOM 5

7t � fa 7talian cia&St, week 3 of

Living in Rome. My teacher sweetly asked each of us at the beginning of class, "Cosa mangi a colazione ogni giorno?" What do you eat for breakfast each day? When my turn came around, I tried in my basic Italian to explain my preferences of oatmeal with fruit or poached eggs and toast. Immediately, my sweet Little teacher

1

s reaction was as though I described a bacon cheeseburger or perhaps deep fried Oreo cookies for my morning fare. She explained that if she ate those things, not only would she be

grossed out, she1

d become as big as a house, dramatically emphasizing by puffing out her cheeks. She also commented with "Chi ha il tempo ogni giorno!

11

Who has time each day!

Um, okay, chill lady, chill, I thought, just trying to make small talk in the class! But the truth is, I am a breakfast person. Always have been. Can

1

t leave the house without it! When I travel, I scope out the coffee/breakfast options the moment I check in. At home, first morning action is to immediately head to the kitchen to prepare a pot of coffee. In all phases of my Life, high school and college days in Florida, to singleton Life later in NYC, I've always made coffee and breakfast time a priority before starting my day. Clearly, me and breakfast have a thing.

For the record, Italians do not have leisurely breakfasts. Forget brunch. And they certainly do not eat savory items Like eggs & bacon for breakfast. They think it

1

s gross, "Che schifo.11

Yuck. And coffee? No lounging over a hot cup. Rather, they prefer a quick breakfast of a small cappuccino and cornetto (croissant). That

1

s it. Maybe you get to switch out the cornetto for some biscotti but that

1

s about it folks. They have to GO!

Despite being raised by Italian parents, visiting Italy multiple times as an adult and preparing to marry an Italian man, I had no idea how much this daily ritual of mine was not the norm and would come up as conversation topic with others. And it annoyed me.

Love

We've all heard the saying "If we can't Love

ourselves, we can't Love anyone else." To embrace this spiritual commandment I had to Look at what "Loving myself" means symbolically, not Literally. Fear and Love are opposite emotions on the spectrum of vibrational frequency (fear being Low and Love high).

"The quantum world is waiting for us to make a decision so that it knows how to behave." says Brandon West in Proof That the Human Body is a Projection of Consciousness.

Love over Fear. It seems so simple but why is it so hard? Why does fear have so much power?

I believe fear is a message - a gift in disguise. Fear is not random. It's purpose is to teach us about ourselves. I Learned I can ask fear to tell me what it's here to teach me. Sounds crazy but I encourage you to try it. Think of something you're afraid of and ask this fear questions. Listen first to your body. Feel where the fear Lives in your body and when you can feel it fully, start asking questions.

This is the dialogue I had with a fear of accepting what I don't Like about myself:

Me to Fear: "Why are you here?" Fear to Me: "What are you afraid of?" Me to Fear: "Myself" Fear to Me: "Why don't you trust yourself?" Me to Fear: "I'd rather fit in and be Like everyone else."

Fear is a message, a gift in disguise.

Fear to Me: "You're born unique. Why are you afraid?" Me to Fear: "I'm afraid others won't Like my uniqueness." Fear to Me: "Who are you then? Do you understand if you're not true to yourself, no one can trust you?" Me to Fear: "I can't answer you. To understand why I need to ask my higher self for an explanation. Hold on ...

II

Tapping into my higher self I asked for guidance and heard; "You inherited a belief, among many, that your value was to please others. Pleasing others served you only because you also believed you need approval outside yourself. You can't Love yourself and need others approval at the same time. Let go of these self-Limiting beliefs and plug into the belief that you are your only authority. There is no reason to give your power away for approval. Accept the emotions you've repressed seeking others approval. Accept your darkness; everything you don't Like about others Like anger, stubbornness and arrogance. These are not unique to you, they are part of all mankind. You can't be Light without darkness. This is the polarity of nature. Accepting the darkness in you allows you to Love yourself. Accepting the darkness in mankind allows you to Love all others. This is the only way to Love yourself and all others equally."

FEBRUARY 2016 SEXY SPIRIT MOM 8

Me to Fear: "Thanks, I'm ready to accept myself and all others. It no Longer serves me for you to hold me back."

Go ahead and try it yourself. I'd Like to hear the message fear tells you. After you've received your truth, this fear will no Longer serve you also. To Let fear go from your body, feel the fear in your body fully and ask the quantum world for help by saying "I'm ready to move through this fear now, please help me." This prayer is from the book Love Without Conditions by Paul Ferrini.

If I'm not aware enough to admit I'm afraid, I pretend I'm not. This keeps me in a shadow of repressing and overreacting (the two sides of fear) back and forth Like a pendulum I can't stop. Fear keeps me in my shadow if I resist my emotions and darkness.

Only when we think we are not equal do we fall into fear. We repress fear when we feel Less than others. We over- react to fear when we feel better than others. Its all about accepting myself and others. I struggled with this until I realized I'm a reflection for others so if I don't accept myself and others, I'm sending a message to others that I don't Love them.

Think of a mirror. Whatever I don't accept in myself and others is what others see in me. This is the key to unlock the door to my shadow.

First, I set an intention to accept myself. "Quantum world, my decision is to accept all of myself." Accepting repressed emotions requires stillness with your body. Allow each emotion to come into your awareness. Just Like with fear; you can ask how each emotion feels and honor whatever they share. Accept, embrace and Love each emotion just as it is. No resistance.

Others no Longer need to be a mirror back to me for what I'm not accepting anymore. Loving myself gives others permission to Love themselves. This is the symbolic meaning of "if we can't Love ourselves, we can't Love anyone else." Loving ourselves is the only way for others to feel our Love.

Imagine if we all Listen to our fears and stop giving our fears power? Imagine if we all accept our darkness and each person we see will see Love in us, not fear. Arrogance when accepted changes its vibration - its highest vibration is humility.* Intolerance when accepted changes its vibration -its highest vibration is forgiveness.* Conflict when accepted changes its vibration - its highest vibration becomes peace.* Fear when accepted changes its vibration to Love.

Loving ourselves and all others equally is our opportunity for Love and peace. Quantum world; "My decision is to accept and embrace my fears."

- Jon Zieve

* The Gene Keys: Unlocking theHigher Purpose Hidden in Your DNA

by Richard Rudd

FEBRUARY 2016 SEXY SPIRIT MOM 9

'Beloved 'H ·� 'H e

'TW'ned 'H How one act of kindness melted this naysayer's heart

Be mine

Valentine1

s Day is such an interesting holiday. Like so many other holidays, it has been commercialized to the point that its meaning seems buried beneath piles of greeting cards, chocolates, and stuffed animals. And Let

1

s not forget the imagery of a naked baby angel shooting an arrow into people - call me crazy, but what

1

s romantic about that?

Personally, 11

ve run the gamut of emotions on Valentine

1

s Day. As someone who has been single for quite a while, I once decided to declare war against a holiday that, in my opinion, was solely designed to make single people feel awful about themselves. So I donned all black on February 14th and shared my opinion about this evil holiday with anyone who was willing to Listen.

(Disclaimer: I was in my 20s then and sometimes exhibited questionable judgment.)

Then one day, one of my dear friends came to me in my own personal version of Scrooge (or was I the Scrooge??) and did something unthinkable: she made me hand-dipped chocolate-covered strawberries, gave me a big hug, and told me that she Loved me. And I melted, just Like the chocolate on that damned fruit. I went home, ate my strawberries (that may or may not have had a few tears mixed in with them), and came to an important realization: Valentine

1

s Day is simply a celebration of Love.

Now, 11

ve also questioned why we need a day reserved to celebrate Love. Shouldn

1

t we celebrate it every day? But we human beings are busy creatures, and we don

1

t always take the time to express or celebrate Love. So if we have a day that reminds us to tell our Loved ones how much they mean to us, then what

1

s the harm in that?

FEBRUARY 2016 SEXY SPIRIT MOM 11

Ultimately, Valentine's Day, Like all things, is a matter of perspective. I used to see it as a day that was designed to remind me of what I didn't have in my Life: romantic Love. But now I see it as a reminder to celebrate the Love that I do have in my Life: my Mom, my friends, my family, and myself.

Let's break this down even further: What is Love? Seriously, try to come up with a Webster-Like definition for the word (without cheating and breaking out a dictionary). If you're Like most, a definition doesn't come easily. And that's okay, because Love isn't meant to be defined Logically. It's a feeling, one that manifests itself in many ways: caring for our Loved ones, random acts of kindness for strangers, and even our devotion to completely inanimate objects. (Trust me, guys aren't kidding when they say they LOVE their cars.)

Being a spiritual person myself, I believe that God is the purest form of Love that exists and is the origin for all Love amongst Living beings in the world. If you're not spiritual, then consider Love as a universal connection that Links one soul to another. In a world where we see so much fear-based hatred perpetuated every day, it's sometimes easy to forget that Love exists as well, or could ever be strong enough to overcome all of the hatred. But it is, as Long as we remember that Loving acts start with us. We have no idea what impact a kind word, a hug, or even just a smile can have on a single person. And what that person can then turn around and do for others, because he or she was touched by Love in that moment. It is, quite Literally, the gift that keeps on giving (more so than any stuffed animal or box of chocolates - just sayin').

So Let Valentine's Day be a reminder of the Love that you do have, rather than the Love that you don't. And use it as a reminder to practice self­Love. ALL too often, we become focused on the relationships outside of us and forget to focus on the most important one - the relationship that we have with ourselves. Just Like any other relationship, it requires time and nourishment and practice. The good news is that we don't just have Valentine's Day - we have 364 other days in the year to remember to Love ourselves and others, and to spread that Love out into the world.

- Renu Sachdeva

I Love you

I Love you

I Love you

I love you

I love you

FEBRUARY 2016 SEXY SPIRIT MOM 12

tnat

<<Leslie Sabella, True Spirit Art

CA]�fL

your tpirit -.funu

FEBRUARY 2016 SEXY SPIRIT MOM 13

Sexy Spirit Mom of the Month

I "met" Sarah Cowart over lnstagram as @thoreau.yourself.together. and set up an interview with her because I was so curious about her posts.

Sarah loves the time she shares with her husband of 11 years and their 3 little girls in their Seattle area home. She enjoys her work as a high school English teacher. But something seemed to be nudging her to do something new, something For herself.

I hope you enjoy "meeting" Sarah as much I have.

- Cory

Sarah with her otdm daughter

C: What prompted you to start posti11g as @thoreauyourselftogether?

S: A couple silly things really. I l1ad a student ask me "Ms. Cowart, if you could do anything other than teaching, what would you do?" And students ask me weird questions all tl1e time, but that one made me pause. I thought, "You know, I think I'd be a fashion blogger." And we moved on witl1 our lesson pla11s, but that moment ki11d of stuck with me.

Then the senior class voted me "best dressed" for the yearbook.

C: A11other little silly tl1ing, right?

S: But these little silly things started creeping into me ... like maybe I should just do something that would make me happy - not that I'1n not happy -but you know, those are the initial sparks that made me decide that I would do it.

So just a LittLe over 2 months ago, Sarah began posting her outfits on Instagram each day with the brands and prices of each piece and an inspirationaL quote from some of her most beLoved authors.

FEBRUARY 2016 SEXY SPIRIT MOM 14

C: What's your "why" behind your postings? What does this practice bring to your life?

S: I'm getting access to a world that I didn't know existed, and it's actually a really supportive community that I didn't expect. And I just do it on Instagram, it's not a full blog yet, but I felt immediately part of this com1nunity, and that's nice. Especially as a working 1nom, that was another reason I started it, I thought you know I don't really have any hobbies. When people would ask me, what my hobbies are I was like "Well I take care of my kids, and I work, and I guess I exercise, but that's 1nore of just physical upkeep. So I get out of it something that is just for me. Where I can sort of just have a creative outlet that's more than my job or any of the roles that I carry. I'm working on it not letting it be a source of stress because I do have these perfectionist tendencies like - it has to be extremely successful or else I've failed - I sort of do that in all areas of 1ny life, but I'm trying to not let this beco1ne that. I'm trying not to say "well if I have 'x' amount of followers then it's worthy, you know? I'1n still working on that. If I'm in a bad mood, I try to observe and ask myself whether my 1nood is connected to [likes and followers], and if it is then I try to just stop and rearrange 1ny feelings towards it.

C: Hovv are you able to keep that balance? I talk to 1nyself in that way too, so what is it you're speaking to, to keep that in check?

S: To be completely transparent, as part of developing a self-care practice I started seeing a therapist this fall, because I wanted more tools to keep balanced. I have 3 kids, the oldest is in Kindergarten, so now 1nanaging a school-age kid and activities and a household and I'm a full-time teacher, I was just like I need tools on 1nanaging so I don't go crazy. She's been teaching me how to pause and observe myself, and see myself outside of myself if that 1nakes sense?

C: Yes, it does! I'm a professionally trained coach, and there is a lot of overlap between coaching and therapy. Part of what I work on with my clients is observing their thoughts and practicing non-judgment.

S: Yeah, so it's really helpful to visualize as if I was watching myself in a movie in order to e1npathize with myself. I get a lot of my tools from talking with her. I'1n learning to pause and observe myself. And she's also really encouraging of this little blog that I'1n doing because as someone who's overextended, a mom in general, to just take care of yourself. So yes, I'm investing in 1nyself in doing this, but I'm trying to use those observation tools to keep it what it is.

FEBRUARY 2016 SEXY SPIRIT MOM 15

C: Having shared all of that, where would you consider yourself to be on your self-love journey?

S: Well, I love that question because I'm in my 30s and as a child, as a teen, I never really felt like I struggled with self-love at all, in fact when I saw friends struggling with it I didn't get it. I had a super-healthy self-esteem, I was confident, and I always felt good about 1nyself. Not that I don't as a mom, but as I'm sure all moms know, you care most about your children, and their lives and making them feeling that way that you start to ignore yourself. So I feel like my self-love journey has really just started actually because I never struggled with it before, but I am actively seeking a positive image of myself and seeing a therapist is the most tangible thing that I've done. Also, I am Christian so I try to find a balance in keeping in touch with my spiritual side, like when I get too busy, and notice wow - I haven't prayed in forever, I haven't even brought'this' to God - no wonder I'm so crazy and feeling sofrantic. So keeping those things that I know to be trueto 1nyself at the forefront of my 1nind is also somethingthat I'm working on.

C: What are the ages of your children?

S: I have an almost 6 year-old in Kindergarten, a 3 year old, and 1 year old. And they're all girls.

C: Wow, so you have a lot of feminine energy on your hands!

S: Yes. They have a lot of emotions.

C: Having emotions flowing so freely in your home can be both a blessing and a challenge, as it is for us, right?

S: Yes, absolutely. (laughs)

C: What do you most want for your girls?

S: I want them to always know that they are loved and valued. If they struggle in school, struggle with a friend, if they have any struggle that kids growing up typically have, I want them to know, that at the center know that they are worthy and loved, and I take that as my job. Which is probably why, you know, it can cause a 1no1n to go crazy, because you can't fully control their feelings but I feel like I can at least invest in their sense of self. So that's what I most want.

C: That resonates so much with me, because we can second guess ourselves so easily but when I boil it down - I just want 1ny kids to feel loved.

S: Exactly, it helps my behavior too, when 1'1n irritated because when they are supposed to be cleaning their room and they're goofing around, it helps 1ne channel my potential anger or frustration - I'm like Ok. I don't want the1n to feel unloved. I stop myself from getting angry. I talk to myself that way - like how can I, even in discipline, make them feel that they are loved. That's a challenge. (laughs)

C: What does that do for you in those 1noments?

S: Instead of reacting emotionally, it helps me to pause and reme1nber they're kids. Of course they're going to be silly cleaning their rooms! They're kids. So yes - it really helps pausing, and stopping and reacting that way instead of a gut emotional reaction definitely helps.

C: How hard on you on yourself?

S: I'm learning that I'm quite hard on myself. I didn't think that I was. I'm an English teacher and I know all about language and the power of words, and so in learning to observe myself I'm becoming more aware that I use pretty harsh words towards myself, when I didn't think that I was.

C: Isn't that crazy how unconscious our self-talk can be sometimes?

S: So unconscious. I was completely unconscious of it. With my therapist, I was like "What do you mean I'm not kind to myself?" If you'd ask any of my friends or my family, they'd probably be like what do you mean? I'm not a melancholy woe-is-me person at all. But in my head, I have these really high expectations, and I get really upset when I don't achieve according to those expectations. I'm learning to be kinder to myself.

C: It's a process, isn't it, when we're learning to be kinder to ourselves, 1nore compassionate to ourselves?

S: Uh huh, even understanding what that meant, took me awhile.

"Morning is an important time of day, because how you spend your morning can often tell you what Rind of day you are going to have." -Lemony SnicRet

Rather than slumping through Monday and wishing it away, I'm going to taRe SnicRet's advice and get after it!

FEBRUARY 2016 SEXY SPIRIT MOM 16

C: Sarah, what's your dream?

S: Gosh, I don't know. (pause) Well, in ter1ns of Thoreau Yourself Together, I'm trying to let - and this is hard for me being a controlled be-in-charge person -I'm trying to let it lead me rather than me lead it .. Like, withthis, when you contacted me for a collaboration, I 1n like whoa, cool, you know I'll follow that lead. Or hey, we have a necklace we want you to post, can we send it to you? I'm like whoa, cool. I'1n trying to let it �ead me kind of as a practice of not being in control. I think my ulti1nate drea1n is, and I know I can't conquer certain patterns that I've set up, but I think my dream is to live the happiest life that I can. And that's one of the reasons I started Thoreau Yourself Together, one of the reasons I started seeing a therapist, not to quote Oprah and be cliche, but I want to live my best life. And I know that I can, if I can break patterns that I've had, and let go of control. I need remind myself that it's a journey and release that perf ectionis1n of "Am I there yet?" That's exactly why it's 1ny dream, I need to let go of that, that it's done and everything is perfect and good, you know? I need to release that.

C: Yeah. It's a practice right?

S: Right. Yes. That's another little mantra I need tell 1nyself that it's a practice, not necessarily a destination.

C: Yes! So, what are you reading now?

S: I just started a book called The Happiness �rap. I'm reading it because all of this, more tools, making all these dreams that I have more of a reality. But honestly, I wish I could read 1nore. I'm an English teacher, I teach books, so I'm technically reading the books I teach, but I've read them a million times, so that's actually another dream. I wish, and I know it's a choice that I make that I don't carve out time for reading, but I wish I read more. I love reading, but I don't ever read for pleasure because (sighs) there's no time. (laughs) I'm like ok the kids are in bed, I'm going to work on 1ny blog, or I'm going to relax and watch T.V.

C: What are you most grateful for in your life right now?

S: The health of my family. When I say my prayers at night, that's what it is. I am so grateful that I ��ve . healthy girls who are coinpletely capable of living theirbest life and a healthy husband, who's completely capable ... I am so grateful for that. Because so many of the things that I imagine and want for 1nyself and my family would not be possible without our strong, healthy bodies.

C: Beautiful. Sounds pretty simple.

S: Yeah, it is. I'm learning that also with parenting; I'1n learning to pray simply. When I pray with 1ny girls at night, you know they're little, we say we're thankful for our house, we're thankful for our health, and gosh that really is it. I'm grateful that we have a house that we can sleep in, and that we have warm blankets, and we never have to wonder where our food is coming fro1n. And being grateful for those things, is helping 1ne be happy and live 1ny best life because when I let everything else stress me out ... like I literally ha

1

ve �hundred essays to grade in the next week and I m like, you know what? I have a house that completely supports that. I have a healthy body that completely supports that. So, I try to keep things in perspective that way.

C: I can tell you're such a great model for your girls.

S: Oh, I try to be. I don't know if I always come off this way. (laughs)

C: Well, we all have our 1noments, right? "Just get in the car!" (both laugh)

You can follow Sarah's super cute style on

Ins ta gram @th ore au. yourself.together.

FEBRUARY 2016 SEXY SPIRIT MOM 17

http://amzn.to/1nqYpmt

Got * Service?

Customer Service (CS) Rep. : Yes, Ma'am, how may I help you today?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install LOVE. Can you guide me through the process?

CS Rep. : Yes, I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

?

CS Rep. : No problem. LOVE will gradually erase PAST-HURT.EXE from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no Longer disrupt other programs. LOVE will eventually overwrite LOW­ESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own called HIGH-ESTEEM.EXE. However, you have to completely turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM. Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ma'am? Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think •

I'm ready to install now. What do I do first?

CS Rep. : The first step is to open your HEART. Have you Located your HEART ma'am?

Customer: Yes I have, but there are several other programs running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running?

CS Rep. : What programs are running ma'am?

Customer: Let's see, I have PAST-HURT.EXE, LOW ESTEEM.EXE, GRUDGE.EXE, and RESENTMENT.COM running right now. ?

? •

•

Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

CS Rep.: My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and invoke FORGIVENESS.EXE. Do this as many times as necessary until GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM have been completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done. LOVE has started installing itself automatically. Is that normal?

FEBRUARY 2016 SEXY SPIRIT MOM

? •

? •

? •

26

CS Rep. : Yes. You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the Life of your HEART. Do you see that message?

?

Customer: Yes I do. Is it completely installed?

CS Rep. : Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other HEARTS in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops. I have an error message already. What should I do?

CS Rep. : What does the message say? ? •

Customer: It says ERROR 412 - PROGRAM NOT RUNNING ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS. What does that mean?

CS Rep. : Don't worry ma'am, that's a common problem. It means that the LOVE program is set up to run on external HEARTS but has not yet been run on your HEART. It is one of those complicated programming things, but in nontechnical terms it means you have to LOVE your own machine before it can LOVE others.

Customer: So what should I do?

•

CS Rep. : Can you pull down the directory called SELF-ACCEPTANCE?

Customer: Yes, I have it. ? •

CS Rep. : Excellent. You're getting good at this.

Customer: Thank you.

CS Rep. : You're welcome. Click on the following files and then copy them to the MY HEART directory: FORGIVE-SELF.DOC, REALIZE-WORTH.TXT, and ACKNOWLEDGE-LIMITATIONS.DOC.

? •

The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also, you need to delete VERBOSE-SELF-CRITIC.EXE from all directories, and then empty your recycle bin afterward to make sure it is completely and permanently

? gone -erased.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My HEART is filling up with new files. SMILE.MPG is playing on my monitor right now and it shows that PEACE.EXE, and CONTENTMENT.COM are copying themselves all over my HEART. Is this normal?

CS Rep. : Sometimes. For others it takes a while, but eventually everything gets downloaded at the proper time. So, LOVE is installed and running. You should be able to handle it from here. One more thing before I go.

Customer: Yes? ? •

CS Rep. : LOVE is freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everybody you meet. They will share it with other people and then return some similarly sacred modules back to you.

Customer: I will. Thanks for your help. By the way, what's your name?

CS Rep. : You may call me the Divine Cardiologist, also known as The Great Physician, but most call me God. Many people feel all they need is an annual checkup to stay heart-healthy, but the Manufacturer suggests a schedule of daily maintenance for maximum efficiency. Put another way, keep in touch . ..

* By Rick Anderson, based on an idea byan unknown author. This script may beused free of charge, provided no chargeis made for entrance to theperformance. He may be contacted atrande@be.bricker.com. Special thanksfor passing it along to Nancy Baker.

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FEBRUARY 2016 SEXY SPIRIT MOM 27

"My wife and I just don't have the same feelings for each other we used to have. I guess I just don't love her anymore and she doesn't love me. What can I do?"

"The feeling isn't there anymore?" I asked.

"That's right," he reaffirmed. "And we have three children we're really concerned about. What do you suggest?"

"Love her," I replied.

"I told you, the feeling just isn't there anymore."

"Love her."

"You don't understand. The feeling of love just isn't there."

"Then love her. If the feeling isn't there, that's a good reason to love her."

"But how do you love when you don't love?"

"My friend, love is a verb. Love - the feeling - is a fruit of love, the verb. So love her. Serve her. Sacrifice. Listen to her. Empathize. Appreciate. Affirm her. Are you willing to do that?"

Excerpted from Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change.

Love is a verb.

It's a compliment, a kind gesture, a selfless act, and putting someone else

1

s needs above your own.

Bestselling author Sheryl Paul puts it beautifully. "If Love isn't only a feeling, what is it? Once the honeymoon wears off, Love is primarily a verb, and to Love someone is an active experience. Love is action. Love is commitment. Love is making your partner a sandwich even when you don't

1

feel1

Like it. Love is recognizing that intimate, committed relationships are crucibles inside which both partners will be asked to grow emotionally and spiritually and Learn about the barriers that prevent them from Loving."

Being in Love is a feeling that comes from acts of Love.

Chances are we all could use more Love in our Lives, whether from a romantic partner, a friend, a family member, or even from strangers.

The teachings from Stephen Covey and Sheryl Paul remind us that the quickest way to feel Love is to give it away first.

FEBRUARY 2016 SEXY SPIRIT MOM 28

We need to Look at, and ultimately take responsibility for, our side of any relationship first. What can we do to show more Love? How can we give more attention? In what ways can we show our commitment?

For example, if you'd Like to feel more Love, attention, or even energy from someone else, think about two or three things you can do to show him/her Love, attention, and energy (in a way that is meaningful to him/her).

If you'd Like to be complimented more, start giving meaningful compliments first. If you'd Like undivided attention when talking about your day, start giving undivided attention when someone else is talking about his/her day. If you'd Like to be respected, make sure you are showing others as much respect as you possibly can.

In other words, we want to Look at, and take responsibility for, our side of the house first.

Of course, there are relationships where we've shown all the Love we can - with nothing (or with something very negative) in return. Here, I'm not talking about these relationships.

Instead, I'm talking about acknowledging the choice we have every day, the choice to actively Love or not Love another person. I'm talking about the choice we have to take a step back and honestly admit where we can show more Love, make a change, or give more of our energy.

If you need a starting place, consider a thoughtful compliment, surprising another with a gift, talking about your relationship as if your partner really is your hero, holding the door open for a few more people, or inviting a friend to coffee so that you can Listen to her story without interjecting your own.

Show more love in order to feel more loved.

Of course, this is not a new concept. But, it is still so useful in our Lives and our relationships, and beautifully, it applies to our relationship with ourselves, too.

If we want to Love our bodies, then we need to start showing our bodies Love first. If we want to Love ourselves, then we need to start showing ourselves Love first.

We need to eat well, move with pleasure, wear beautiful clothes that Light us up, do more of what makes us happy, get 8 hours of sleep at night, drink plenty of water, compliment ourselves before we walk out the door, buy flowers for ourselves next time we go out, appreciate what we can do and what our bodies are capable of doing, and create a beautiful environment around us.

We need to take accountability for our side of any relationship first.

- Kelly Scott

FEBRUARY 2016 SEXY SPIRIT MOM 29

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<<Leslie Sabella, True Spirit Art

FEBRUARY 2016 SEXY SPIRIT MOM

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