Tag: life

life curation

Making Dreams Come True Using Conscious Creation

MstldelanoLeave a comment

Recently, I came across a post from my favorite LOA coach, Jeannette Maw. As it just so happens, she is launching a brand new course titled The Dream Render. Jeannette will be teaching participants how to manifest one of their big dreams in under 30 days. As someone that has personally worked with Jeannette and has seen what she can do, I have no doubt that this course will be a powerful one.

Screenshot 2018-09-14 at 8.48.57 AM - Edited

Jeannette Maw of GoodVibeBlog and GoodVibeUniversity

The course kicks off on September 27, and the best way to take advantage of this awesome opportunity is to join Good Vibe University. I have an annual membership and it’s worth every penny, but there are also monthly options for those that want to test the waters.

To catch up with the latest over at Good Vibe Blog, check out the most recent post, 10 Insights From Studying Successful Creators. This will be a great way to get familiar with Jeannette’s work and perspective. While you’re over there, go ahead and read everything she’s written – it’s all great stuff!

Enjoy your Friday, friends, and I’ll talk to you all soon!

Uncategorized

Enjoy Your Labor Day!

MstldelanoLeave a comment

Today is Labor Day, a federal holiday that honors the American workforce and the many people who pushed for labor standards that protected workers. My parents were both union members, and I’ve been a member of a few unions during my career. I know that a good union can make the difference between a comfortable workplace and an intolerable one.

Happy Labor Day!

So enjoy your Labor Day – I know that I will!

Uncategorized

In Denial About Fall . . .

Mstldelano6 Comments

Here we are, staring September right in the face.

I’m not happy about it. At all. I love the summertime and I hate to see it end. Summer is my favorite season and I get a little mopey every time September rolls around again.

August.png

Yes, I know that this is inevitable: I live in an area that has four distinct seasons and after summer, I can reasonably expect fall weather to arrive shortly. But that doesn’t mean that I have to pretend to like it!

Since i’m unable to do anything about the weather, I will try to remember the things that I do like about the cooler months. Here are some of my favorite things about the fall:

  1. Most of my paid holidays come during the fall and winter months.
  2. Fall time is apple season!
  3. Leaves that change to brilliant shades of red and gold are a sight to behold.
  4. Layering clothes can create some really cute looks.
  5. The weather is perfect for curling up with a good book, a snuggly blanket, or a cute beau.

While I’m sad to see summer come to a close, there are reasons to look forward to the months ahead. So today, I’ll savor what’s left of August. I hope you all get a chance to do the same!

Talk to you all tomorrow!

art · culture

When Maturity Was Valued

MstldelanoLeave a comment

A couple of weeks ago, I gave an abbreviated review of Nasher Museum in Durham, NC. I mentioned in that post that I was considering doing a separate post about a particular exhibit that caught my eye. Well, I had a moment to really process what I saw, and I want to share my thoughts with you here.

I want you all to take a good look at the marble bust below.

This is a bust of a Roman matron, sculpted sometime between 40 and 30 BCE. She’s poised, stately and undeniably mature. The sculptor didn’t attempt to depict this woman as a youthful maiden or an adorable waif. This likeness captured is that of an adult woman, self-possessed and satisfied with her position in life.

What really struck me is the caption next to the bust. The museum described this period of art as being one where “portraits tended toward a realism that valued maturity and experience over idealized youthfulness”.  I looked in awe at this woman that was able to enjoy her maturity being captured in marble and I thought to myself, “When did things change?”

I know that every adult was once young, and there are many beautiful things about youth. But I wonder why we spend so much time idealizing youth, both in art and culture. Is it because the fleeting nature of it is akin to the scarcity factor that fuels the supply/demand concept that we learned so well in those college economics courses? Is it because life’s disappointments make us long for the days before we knew the troubles that laid ahead for us? Is it because we wish for some of the fearlessness that we once knew but had to trade in for the “seriousness” of adulthood?

I’m not exactly sure when youth became the ideal, but I long for a time when we return to reverence for maturity. After all, the average person spends way more years as a mature adult than as an inexperienced youth, and if you have experience, you can make wiser choices that lead to a happier life. Even though I’ve had my share of disappointments and frustration, I can honestly say that I’ve enjoyed my 30s far more than my 20s, and once I get to my 40s, I’m sure my life will be even better.

I can’t change an entire culture that worships youth, but I can share this lovely bust with you, and encourage you to see the beauty in being aged, experienced and (hopefully) wise.

That’s it for today. Have a great afternoon, and take care!

life curation · reading list

Reading List Temporarily on Hiatus . . .

MstldelanoLeave a comment

Happy Saturday, beloveds! As you all know, I’m gearing up to start regularly producing content on my YouTube channel and, as a result, there will be a few changes to the blog.

For now, I’ll be putting the reading list posts on a bit of a hiatus. I’m still reading – a lot – but I’m going to save my reviews for the really special books that cross my path. That way, I’m focusing on creating content that I’m truly excited about, and I believe that enthusiasm will be contagious.

book1

Other than that tidbit, I’m doing a lot of writing today (I’m updating my word count once I finish up for the day) so I can make a real impact on my 365k words goal. I’m glad that I’m making progress, but I’m being gentle with myself because I know I’ll see the most impact in the fall, when I go on vacation (which is always a good time to write) and when NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writers Month – rolls around.

After I finish my writing, I’m going out. I deserve a treat! I hope you all get to treat yourselves to something nice today, as well.

Take care, and enjoy your Saturday!

travel

Review: Hyatt Regency Washington on Capital Hill

MstldelanoLeave a comment

A couple weeks ago, when I attended the event at the Haitian Embassy, I stayed in DC so that I wouldn’t have to drive home late. I reserved a room at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capital Hill, a hotel that is walking distance from my job. I was impressed with the friendly staff that welcomed me as I walked into the hotel.

Screenshot 2018-08-22 at 8.37.37 PM - Edited

I went to the front desk and was greeted graciously by a charming young lady (I wish I could remember her name – I’d give her a proper shoutout if I could!). The only downside with my check-in experience was getting to my room: the elevator took FOREVER to get to the lobby. However, the hotel is doing some renovations so the elevator delays are to be expected. Aside from that, it was a smooth check-in process.

The room was comfortable, beautiful and quiet. I really liked the immaculate restroom and super comfy bed. Sadly, I didn’t spend much time in the room, since I left out early the next morning. But the time I spent in there was wonderfully restorative.

This was a good hotel experience overall: the location is great, the room was lovely, and I had a great night’s rest there. I’d love to visit again!

life curation

My Not-So-Secret Tool for Getting Things Done

Mstldelano1 Comment

Happy Wednesday, friends! I wanted to quickly share one of my favorite tools for getting stuff done. I recently started back to using this tool regularly after I discovered that time was “getting away from me” and I wasn’t quite as productive as I’d like.

We’re all so busy that I know you all can relate to the feeling of too much to do and not enough time to do it. I honestly feel that the reason why we feel that we don’t have enough time is that we try to “make stuff happen” even when the best thing to do is to take a hands-off approach and let the chips falls where they may. The harder we push, the more difficult we make things for ourselves.

checklist

So, to help me with this, I reach for the placemat process. The placemat process is a tool described by Abraham Hicks (if you aren’t familiar with Abraham-Hicks, then you probably haven’t gone deep enough down the law of attraction rabbit hole LOL!) that allocates the day’s tasks based on things to do and emotions you want to feel. The day’s tasks are divided into things that you intend to do yourself, things that you intend for the Universe to handle on your behalf, and the way that you want to feel throughout the day. If I do a placemat, I do it as soon as I get to my desk, so that it sets the tone for the day.

For the record, I don’t follow Abraham’s teaching as much as many of my favorite LOA teachers. However, I recognize when there’s a beneficial teaching or tool being described, and the placemat process is one of my favorites. It has been extremely effective in creating more productive days and for helping me stay focused on what I need to do. There’s something gratifying about checking off completed tasks, and being clear on what I’m leaving up to God/Spirit/the Universe/Source really helps me to focus my energy where it is best served.

I use a template provided to me a couple of years ago, but I found a very similar one on this Abraham Hicks downloadable template page. The format that I enjoy most is Eva’s template.

Give this a whirl for a few days and see if you notice that you’re able to get more done. I think you’ll enjoy using it!

international

Another Visit to the Embassy of Haiti

MstldelanoLeave a comment

Recently, I visited the Haitian Embassy again: this time, it was for a cocktail-hour social event. The Embassy of Haiti is easily my favorite, and anytime I can find an excuse to go, I make it my business to be there.

img_4961-1

Bust of Toussaint L’Ouverture in the embassy

The last time I visited the embassy was last year, during the Around the World Embassy Tour weekend. Unfortunately, my time in the embassy was limited: it was my last stop during the tour and the embassy was closing within 30 minutes of my arrival. However, you couldn’t tell that the embassy was about to close by how gracious the staff was: the diplomats at the embassy were so charming, warm and friendly. This evening at the embassy was much of the same: the congenial spirit of Haiti was on full display.

img_4955-1

Photograph of His Excellency Jovenel Moise, President of Haiti

The food for the evening was catered by Gisele’s Creole Cuisine, and it was excellent! I’m fairly certain I’ve never had authentic Haitian food, so it was a real treat for me. I wish I had taken pictures of the food but alas, I was too busy eating!

img_4940

Gerard Valcin, Agoue Ceremony, 1977

The embassy is my favorite because of the fact that is absolutely gorgeous on the inside, and it could easily double as a Haitian museum. There is so much breathtakingly beautiful art on the walls that I never realized that they have a LIBRARY on site. I almost squealed out loud when I stumbled into the simple but elegant library that housed all sorts of books on Haitian history, culture, art, food, politics – you name it!

So, it’s official: I want to live in the Haitian Embassy. Just put an air mattress on the first floor and I’ll be set LOL! Seriously though, I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about the beauty of this embassy. It is easily one of my favorite places in DC, and I fall more in love with it every time I go. If you ever get a chance to go to this embassy, DO IT! You’ll be glad that you did.

beauty

More Beauty Reviews Coming!

MstldelanoLeave a comment

Happy Monday friends! It’s been a less-than-productive weekend (aside from working on my writing) because I had some beautiful distractions cross my path. Having my focus elsewhere was great for adding some variety to my daily routine.

But now that things are back to normal, I can get back into what matters – beauty reviews! I purchased a boatload of products that I’m dying to try out, and some overdue reviews from a while back. Yeah, I’ve been slacking a bit, but you have to forgive me: between my birthday and those previously mentioned distractions, I didn’t have much time!

makeup

If you want to get sneak previews of some of the products I’ll be trying, be sure to follow my Instagram and see some of the goodies that will eventually make their way over to the blog. Here’s a sneak preview of the last product shipment I got:

I have some more fun posts coming this week, so stay tuned. Talk to you all tomorrow!

life curation

Motivation for Writers

MstldelanoLeave a comment

Hey folks! Today’s post is going to be a super-short one, because I am majorly behind on my 1000-words-per-day goal. I don’t mind occasionally falling behind, but I don’t want to have to do a mad dash at any point because I’ve slacked too much. So, today is a writing day. Time to play catch up!

writing

However, if you’re a writer looking for a little motivation, check out this podcast from Side Hustle Nation. This is one of the earlier podcasts available on the website. An author lays out his exact formula for writing success including (you guessed it) a minimum writing quota that helps him generate enough content to create his books. This could easily work with any genre, and can be tweaked to accommodate anyone’s schedule. I highly recommend listening to this one if you’re a writer: I’ve listened to it more than once!

In fact, while you’re on Side Hustle Nation, check out all of the self-publishing podcasts and blog posts: you’ll find so many great resources for aspiring writers there. Have fun gleaning all sorts of tips, tricks and recommendations to help you achieve writing success!