Revitalize Your Soul - Honesty Series 4

“To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful.”
~Edward R. Murrow

Honesty is a part of who you are and affects many areas of your life....it is the core of your character....it is the foundation that builds bonds and true friendships with others. Do the people in your life believe you, do they trust you?

Revitalize Your Soul - Honesty Series 2

“If it is not right don't do it; if it is not true don't say it.” ~Marcus Aurelius

Enough said ....

Revitalize Your Soul - Gratitude Series

It's so uplifting and life changing to take time to be thankful each day of our lives. You can surprise yourself by how many blessings surround you, when you take the time to recognize and reflect on each one. I am beginning a series on our blog that will be dedicated to expressing my deep gratitude to each blessing in my life. I am so excited to share this part of my heart with all of you...my old friends, my new friends, my future friends, my family, my angels. I hope that this will awaken your soul to see all the blessings in your life and will inspire you to meditate in gratitude.

Peace, Love and Light!
~Ami

Choas by Mute Math

Listen to Chaos by Mute Math

This is SOOoooo my song right now. Reminds me of how my pain makes me feel, but also about how important God is in my life.

Lyrics to Chaos :
Complication is my claim to fame
I can’t believe there’ s another, constantly just another
and I can’t avoid what I can’t control
I’m losing ground, still I can’t stand down
I Know, yeah I know… Yeah

I know you stay true when my world is false
everything around’s breaking down to chaos
I always see you when my sight is lost
everything around’s breaking down to chaos
(Repeat 1x)

It’s hard to trust anyone again
after all the let downs I’ve been through,
haunted by what I’ve been through.

Air’s still trapped, while I still can’t breathe
and I’m screaming out, give me help somehow
I know, yeah I know… Yeah

I know you stay true when my world is false
everything around’s breaking down to chaos
I always see you when my sight is lost
everything around’s breaking down to chaos
(Repeat 1x)

The Shift - A movie being made by a movement

Check it out!

Reusable is what they are....

"Next time you go to toss a reusable sandwich bag, think to yourself: Can I rinse out and resuse? They don't call them reusable for nothin', honey"
~Healthy Bitch Daily

Revitalize Your Soul

Forgive quickly. Love without boundaries or fear. Laugh without control. Never stop smiling. Be thankful for all your blessings. Live with hope and positivity. Embrace every moment.

xoxo,
Lovebug

God and Dog

This is so beautiful! Made me appreciate and love my Hannah even more. Can't wait to take my morning walk ... and my walks are also my pray time. This video really touched my heart :)

Revitalize Your Health

Here are a few articles I wanted to share:

A Little Planning Can Lead to Big Weight Loss

You Can Eat Great and Still Lose Weight

Self-Sneaking: How to Trick Yourself into Eating Healthy Food

Revitalize Your Soul!

Good morning! And what a beautiful morning it is! Remember to smile today and take time to be thankful for all your blessings. Stop and smell the flowers or (depending where you live) stop and breath in the crisp air and take in the beautiful colors of the falling leaves. Do something nice for a stranger. Tell someone special in your life that you love them or how beautiful/handsome they are. Brush off your challenges...they are probably smaller than you think and soon they will be in the past. For those of you going through any real tragedies, may you be surrounded by love and comfort that will heal your heart and bring you peace.

Sending my warmest wishes to you all!
~Lovebug

Earthlings - Intense!

The trailer to this documentary called Earthlings is why I am a vegetarian. Please prepare yourself before watching this trailer. It is intense - AND real! I've read a bunch of details about what we are doing to our animals and could barely get through each word, but actually seeing some of it goes way deeper. The cruelty and inhumane torture of animals is beyond my comprehension. Please take the time to watch this....it's hard to watch, but if we can eat it, we need to see it .... we need to know.... we need to be aware of what we are promoting by what we eat. So please have the courage and the heart to watch this and help spread awareness by sharing it with others.

Earthlings - watch the trailer here

A few more health & fitness articles ....

....I read today and wanted to share

Boost Your Metabolism All Day Long

10 Appetite-Suppressing Foods to Conquer Your Cravings


7 Common Factors of Successful Weight Management

7 Tips for Fast Food Survival

Have a super day!
~Ami

Revitalize Your Soul! - Healthy lifestyle

Most of you who know me well are aware that I have made some big changes recently to live a healthy lifestyle. I quit smoking, barely drink alcohol, no longer eat chicken and rarely eat red meat. I also work out a lot at home and love going to the gym! My life has changed for the better in so many ways. I feel strong, emotionally balanced, healthy, fit and just all around blissful. I just want to spread my happiness to everyone and let you all know what a great blessing these changes have been to my life.

For those of you that are trying to make some of the same changes in your life, I wish you all the will power, motivation and encouragement you may need to carry you through. You will definitely reap all the benefits of taking care of your mind, body and soul. I know I am :)

Here are a couple of articles I read today that you may want to read:
Eat your way to great abs
Does exercise matter for weight loss?

Much Love and Peace to all!
~Ami

Revitalize Your Soul - Change

There will always be something going on in our lives or around us that we wish were different or wish it would just go away. Although somethings are completed out of our control, we need to focus on the areas that we do have control over. Instead of complaining about it and dwelling on the negative, lets take the time to figure out what we can change - what we need to change, in order to improve the situation. Usually the change has to be within ourselves. We have full power over our actions, reactions, emotions and decisions, how we treat ourselves and how we treat others...even every word we speak has an outcome. So if something is picking at you and you want it to go away - sit back, take a deep breath and figure out what you can do to set that change in motion. Don't just think about it - BE the CHANGE!

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always gotten”.
-unknown

Peace & Blessings to all!
Lovebug

Revitalize Your Soul! - Life according to Mister Rogers

A friend of Jessica's posted this on facebook and we wanted to share this wonderful message with everyone:

"If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person." Mister Rogers

Every encounter we have leaves a lasting effect; even when we don't realize. And the ripple effects are limitless. We should always present the best, most real version of who we are in all we do.

"Won't you be ....my neighbor?"

Revitalize Your Soul - Let the color within you shine

Lately, my light has dimmed.

But in my darkest moment, somehow a spark appeared and pulled me out of what I thought was going to be a never ending hole of despair.

"And then there was Light."

It may sound cheesy, but since the day after my 30th birthday I've felt more alive than I have in the longest time. I'm feeling all of the colors of me resurface into a beautiful being that has so much to offer the world.

At my lowest, I didn't know what to do, how to think or who I was. Thankfully, it didn't take me long to realize that I am a Light Being - full of the colors of the rainbow and beyond.

My hopes are up, my focus is on my well being - no one else's, my businesses are bringing a renewed joy and I am finally getting my body and mind back into shape.

I will never forget my low - the dark period - so I can constantly be more appreciative of the light...of my light...of the colors within me so they will shine like never before.

With so much more than a glimmer of hope,
Jess

Revitalize Your Soul - Mistakes

We are all human and we tend to make mistakes…..it’s inevitable. Of course there are different levels of mistakes that we can make and we should have full control on the line that should not be crossed; which is usually based on our beliefs and morals of what is right and wrong. Those are guides that live deep within us…they are a part of us and who we are.

However, no matter how hard we try to listen to our guides…sometimes we make a bad decision or ignore our instincts or even refuse to do the right thing. We may try hard to beat temptations and keep a balanced life, but we are not perfect and sometimes we slip.

Whatever mistakes we have made, it is important that we try our very best to not dwell or regret on what has come to pass. We can not reverse time, decisions or actions….and if we dwell on them, we can not move forward in life. We end up trapping ourselves in feelings of guilt, remorse and sadness. Wishing we could change something that we’ve already done. I am a strong believer that regret and dwelling are a complete waste of our time and energy. We should definitely acknowledge our mistakes and take the time to reflect on them, but we must accept that we are human, take the lesson of our mistakes and use them to grow and become a better person. Lets promise ourselves to not repeat our mistakes, so we can continue to move forward in this beautiful journey of life. Lets forgive ourselves and release the trap of the past…the trap of regret.

Be free with me!

Peace and Love,
~Ami

Revitalize Your Soul!

It can be so hard not to let each day pass, constantly letting our minds be consumed with the everyday problems that surround our lives and those around us. There are so many thoughts of worry, concern, stress and negativity that we allow our emotions to indulge in on a daily basis.

The fact is that there is always going to be something that we can waste our energy complaining about or stressing about. Life wouldn’t make sense without these constant challenges that we are forced to face. We would be bored and confused and we probably wouldn’t even know what happiness felt like. We need these challenges in order to appreciate all the amazing things about life, earth, love …… and ourselves. It’s just so easy for us to hate these moments…..we sometimes despise them and just want them to go away. However, we usually choose to indulge in these terrible emotions, spreading the negative poison to others and sharing the misery.

So, I say…Lets try a different approach. Lets take these moments in as blessings of growth, lessons to be learned and an opportunity for us to cherish the good moments and remember the beauty of life which far exceeds these challenges. They are a gift….They are what give essence and meaning to everything that matters in our lives.

So bring it on! It will only make me Love Life even more!

Peace and Light to all!
~Lovebug

Revitalize Your Soul – One more birthday message

Do you remember your previous birthdays as a child? I do and a lot has changed since then. It’s all different now. Mommy doesn’t bake me a cake and throw me a birthday party anymore and family members no longer send me cards in the mail full of cash, even though it is now that I need it the most. Haha! Actually, once you become a full grown adult, birthdays just don’t seem to be much fun anymore. They can become just another day. A lot of us stress about becoming older and some of us feel forgotten and/or alone. What happened to the excitement and anticipation to celebrate the day we were brought into this world? Many of us have forgotten what it means and how special our birthday really is.

This year, I have decided to enjoy my birthday in a whole new way. It is the day I celebrate LIFE! It’s another year that I am absolutely blessed to be alive, another year to cherish each lesson I have learned and every amazing experience that I have been carried through that has lead be to become the person I am today. It is a fresh start, a new beginning, a whole new year of being me! I have been given a gift to continue this amazing journey of becoming who I want to be, to fulfilling my purpose in life, to finding the peace and bliss that comes from expressing unconditional love for myself and everyone around me. It is a chance to accomplish the goals and dreams I hold dear to my heart and the opportunity to be grateful for every moment I have been given and to look forward to continuing this magnificent voyage. Every birthday is most definitely a cause for celebration!!! I pray to always remember how important it truly is….

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to everyone!

Have a beautiful day!
~Lovebug xoxo

Revitalize Your Soul - Birthday Time!

Sooooooo, this past Friday, 8.1.08 was my birthday! Happy Birthday to me! This year I turned 29 and I feel DIVINE! As I quickly approach my fabulous thirties, I realize that my thought process and decision making continues to grow and change. This year I have felt maturity and adulthood more intensely than ever before. I have been on my own and supporting myself since I was 18 years old, I have been married AND divorced, I have had several surgeries and health issues in the past, I have traveled a decent amount and have seen, survived and enjoyed all levels of experiences (the good, the bad, the best and the rest). Yet, this is the year…..2008… that I feel the most mature.

This got me thinking…..why after all these years of living an adult life am I finally feeling the most “grown up”? I am really not sure what the answer is, but I will tell you this….It feels Incredible!!! I have gone through so many phases of self discovery in the past 29 years and I feel very accomplished and content with where my life currently stands. There are so many pressures out there as to where we should all be by a certain age. The fact is that no one has the right to tell us who we should be, where we should be and how we should live our lives (especially not according to our age). If I had followed the “guidelines” and “timelines” of this world, I probably would have never gotten a divorce and stayed in an unhappy marriage OR would already be married again, I definitely would already have children, own a house, have my degree and be set in my career. I can definitely admit that these all can be wonderful accomplishments. However, I do not have any of them right now, yet there are so many things I have done in my life that I am most proud of. Things that I chose over everything else and I still have so much to look forward to. I refuse to feel that time is running out. We have been gifted the blessing of life and our sole purpose is to cherish and enjoy all the beauty it has to offer….at free will and on our own terms. I am blessed to have an amazing bond with my mom and brother, I am surrounded by the comfort and support of true friendships, I have a magical connection with the love of my life, I am co-owner of a business that specializes in Wedding Design (the celebration of Love!), I run a charity organization with my best friend, I try to focus on living each day filled with gratefulness, peace, love, balance and bliss that extends itself to all those who are the closest to me and to anyone that comes in contact with me. I am content, proud and at peace with who I am, where I stand and how I live my life. The best part is that I still have the opportunity to live and accomplish so much more. I can marry the man of my dreams (after waiting very patiently for him), I can be a mom at a time that I feel I know myself the best and can give the most, I can see my business grow into a success that becomes my livelihood, I can see Revitalize grow into a huge community the glows with positivity, encouragement and the unending act of giving, sharing and coming together to extend our love to the world.….

….My life is in my hands and I choose to be guided by my faith, spirituality and heart.

Big warm hugs to all!
~Lovebug