Living In Courage Asks – How Creative Are You?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to let our creativity be something that unites us, not separates us?  Welcome creativity flowing in and through your life. We are creators. We are directors. We are the architects of our own lives. How about directing your life by welcoming all the greatness life has to offer you? Trust the hierarchy of your being that will set into motion the great possibilities you dare to dream. Let your brilliant mind express through you everything you can conceive in the future. What you can conceive you can achieve. Let the future come closer to you.

Mom in Disneyland at Tune Town

We are all given a divine spark of love and light to basically express the oneness of who and what we are. I am always inspired by Walt Disney, the creation and ongoing creativity during and since his passing. My mother BJ visited from Ruidoso, New Mexico to celebrate 75 years young and healthy.  Mom told me that thinking of going to Disneyland after 20 years made her feel 5 years old again.  We ran around like kids, met 2 wonderful people who surprised Mom and I with lunch and a birthday cake to celebrate.  Thank you Silio and Nikki.  You made our day and gave us memories that will last forever.

Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage Online

All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.
Walt Disney

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Courage to Walk into the House of 1000 Mirrors

Do you have the courage to walk into the house of 1000 mirrors to see what is reflected back to you?  People who are angry at the government, their employer, people, themselves and whatever they have created in a negative way, will see 1000 little dogs growling back at them.  People who walk in peace, love, authority, happiness and grace will see 1000 little happy bouncy dogs smiling back.  Which do you choose? The choice can only be made by you, so choose wisely.

Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage Online

The House of 1000 Mirrors

Long ago in a small, far away village, there was a place known as the House of 1000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog learned of this place and decided to visit. When he arrived, he bounced happily up the stairs to the doorway of the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears lifted high and his tail wagging as fast as it could. To his great surprise, he found himself staring at 1000 other happy little dogs with their tails wagging just as fast as his. He smiled a great smile, and was answered with 1000 great smiles just as warm and friendly. As he left the house, he thought to himself, “This is a wonderful place. I will come back and visit it often.”

In this same village, another little dog, who was not quite as happy as the first one, decided to visit the house. He slowly climbed the stairs and hung his head low as he looked into the door. When he saw the 1000 unfriendly looking dogs staring back at him, he growled at them and was horrified to see 1000 little dogs growling back at him. As he left, he thought to himself, “That is a horrible place, and I will never go back there again.”

All the faces in the world are mirrors. What kind of reflections do you see in the faces of the people you meet?

Japanese Folktale

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Peaks & Valleys, Courage & Sheryl Brown

Peaks and Valleys

This painting was created by my new friend on Facebook, Sheryl Brown. We have developed a wonderful friendship. Sheryl, coming from her heart with light and love, was inspired to paint “Peaks and Valleys” after visiting Living in Courage and reading my story. I love Sheryl’s authentic art, spirit and courage.  It is my pleasure to introduce you to Sheryl Brown, a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist with a private practice & Artist.

“Here is one of my recent paintings, “Peaks and Valleys,” which was inspired by reading some of the life story of my new Facebook friend, Debra Oakland. Though she has lost a number of close family members, she explains how she has chosen to be happy and not remain stuck in grief and the pain of loss. Interestingly enough, when I started out this painting, I enthusiastically loaded up the canvas with rather too much paint (some of which I transferred to another canvas – to be posted later). I had in mind some colors from looking at photos of a joyful occasion. In the process of working on this painting, however, the phrase – “oh, the jagged pain” – (or something close to that) went through my mind. This painting then became about my perception of Debra’s experience. Our lives here on earth really are characterized by both jubilant and sorrowful times – and everything in between. And sometimes, it really ain’t pretty. I had the feeling that I muddied up the warm colors as I was mixing them, and pondered whether to “clean” them up some by adding another layer. In the end, I decided to leave it as it is. Life isn’t perfect, but we still love it.”

Looking forward to reading your comments and feedback on this new painting.

To see this painting, click here.

Please visit Sheryl Brown at : http://www.sherylbrownart.blogspot.com/

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Napa Vacation – Courage – Three Cups of Tea

I am still in Napa. Last night I walked down to the vineyards while Cody laid by the pool (overlooking the vineyards) at The Wine Country Inn. I sat under a tree.  It was wonderful to hear the birds chirping, the crickets to my left and to my right was a large rabbit moving about the vineyard.  The sounds of nature, the breeze and the visual beauty was so peaceful.  Cody and I listen to stories of courage from people all over the country. It is always good to get away and renew perspective.  I am grateful.

I am about 1/4 of the way through the book Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and loving it.  I don’t think I have ever read a book about a man who has been through such a journey of courage and challenge.  He is unstoppable determination.  It is amazing he is alive today considering what he has been through.  It really makes you think about the day to day complaining people engage in.  I don’t think there is any reason to complain again after reading this book about Mortenson and the people he has come to love and support.  This book is one I highly recommend to you.

http://www.livingincourageonline.com

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Serenity & Courage

As I sit here in Napa California for a weekend of serenity and relaxation, I look forward to some fine wine and food. My husband Cody is finally reading the Shack (I was not ready to give it up!) and he loves it.  We sit in our room, overlooking the vineyards and hills.  Gratitude is the order of the day.  Cody took a long run thru Calistoga, and is preparing to find “the best coffe in town” as he is a coffee snob of the first order.  I think about courage and the ability we have each day to choose.  Well, today I choose to courageously move into the day and enjoy every moment.  I just began reading Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin.  I have heard about this man Mortenson the abundant consistant courage he exibits in his life.  I will let you know more about one man’s mission to promote peace, one school at a time.  He built 55 schools for girls in the forbidding terrain that gave birth to the Taliban.  I look forward to this story of adventure and the power of the humanitarian spirit.

Have a wonderful weekend.  I send you love and blessings from Napa Valley,

http://www.livingincourageonline.com

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Happy Sunday To All Happy Courage Seekers

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Hi all, it is Sunday in beautiful Laguna Beach, California.

I was thinking about my life, about you who visit my website on Living in Courage. BE HAPPY flooded my mind.  Try this fun way to have a better week.  Start on Sunday every week and make the decision to be happy all week.  Choose one thing each day to concentrate on without distraction.  Maybe Monday you compliment people on their smile, kindness, courage, grace, patience, attitude, etc.  Tuesday can be a day of gratitude – all day remind yourself to be grateful for everything in your life.  Wednesday you could call a friend or family member to connect.  Thursday do something for another out of the kindness of your heart.  It could change their day or their direction in life.  Never forget the impact you can have in another persons life.   Friday do something fun to celebrate your great week and to pat yourself on the back for all your accomplishments.  Saturday, have a self-indulgent day for just you or a day with he family or friends.  Sunday, start the whole process over and please relax – it’s Happy Sunday.

Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage Online

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I Wonder What the Courage of Love Will Do Now.

As I sit here pondering Courage and Love, I have to ask some questions about love.  What kind of love do we indulge in?  Love that is scintillating, ecstatic in its newness and grows like the sands of time.  Love that leaves you sad, empty, lonely, jealous or grieving.  All human love is based on positive and negative.  Then I began to think about a different kind of love.  An all encompassing pure, true love that is the essence of who we are when we are not in duality (positive or negative).

This kind of love can seem impossible to acquire, yet it exists in each one of us.  It seems to me that we are all one mind, one heart that has fragmented into thousands, millions of languages and skin color.  Yet we are all one, all connected.  People around the world talk about the connection we all have with each other.

In situations of your life, whether you are trying to create, accomplish, correct, start new, leave behind, overcome or anything you can throw out there, it seems that there is so much resistance acting. When there is not enough love, resistance acts.  I am not talking about human love, I am talking about a love that is our core..that we have been disconnected with as a human race.  This love holds the Unity of Light ( masculine, the mind) and Love (feminine, the heart)  and holds all the powers of the Universe.  It has intelligence, will, power and everything in it.  There is not one thing missing. Have you thought about this?  I really want to anchor some key ideas about this and let it integrate deep into the soul, the heart, where love is.

Love loves to fulfill, to make things happen. It is part of the Earth, a force that gives life to everything.  My best thinking tells me that when we disconnect from the mass collective consciousness of fear, there is a much higher consciousness to tap into. When you tap into pure love, one of the effects is that the mass consciousness has less power over your mind, feelings and body.  We all want miracles in our lives, where are they going to come from?  Can you carry a different kind of love?. Are you ready for it? I know I am.   There is a better way.  Use the courage you came into this world with and make some powerful decisions about how you want to live your life.  Love or Fear.  You have free will and you get to choose.  Our free will is what sets us apart from other life forms on earth.

There is a magnetic force in the atmosphere that assists us to manifest. This magnetic force is compromised because of the free will people have used for good and evil.  Our energy is tapped, we get tired, sometimes the clarity is not there.  When we move towards pure love that is timeless and selfless, there is this great storehouse of love waiting to broadcast out to the world, bringing into reality our purpose for this life on earth.  I wish you great success in your life’s journey.

I send you love from my heart to yours,

Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage

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I Celebrate the Courage in all Mothers

Today is my birthday and I celebrate the Courage in all mothers everywhere. I really think that if anyone gets a gift, it should be my mom. The photo here is of my beautiful mother, BJ Welch.  I must express my gratitude for all the years of nurturing, support and love I received. I was very fortunate to have had a great childhood. Thank you mom for all your unconditional love and the courage you exhibited throughout your life. Losing family to cancer, AIDS, a drunk driver, heart attacks, etc, has been challenging, but we have grown immensely through the process of life’s events. So I celebrate today for you. Thank you for bringing me safely into being who I am today. I dedicate Living In Courage to you. I love you.

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Gift Yourself with Courage

As I sit near a window overlooking the pacific ocean, I can in this moment, only feel grateful.  I look back on my life at all the stories, real, imagined, my history, each one that has brought me  to this moment. I have come to the conclusion that living in the present, “this now moment” is a gift I have been given and one I have not spent enough time with. I takes great courage to live in the moment, without being distracted by the furious pace of the world.

There are many gifts presented to us daily.  Which ones get opened is a choice only we can make for ourselves.  I wonder how many truly gratifying gifts I missed out on because they were not wrapped in pretty paper.  A gift that is content to wait patiently until I open my eyes enough to see it. When I live totally present in each moment, completely immersed, life is dramatically different than when I am distracted.

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift – that is why we call it the present.  ~~Unknown Author

Gift yourself in courage to live in the present moment.  Try it on for size and see how it fits.  I am sure you will find the more you live in the now, the happier your life will be. Here is a book “The Present Moment” by Thich Nhat Hanh you may enjoy.  It is a retreat on the practice of mindfulness.

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The Power of Peace

Most of my life I have waited for others around me to make the changes I wished to see in the world. I realize now that I am part of that change and have a voice for peace. It takes courage for me to speak out, which I will be doing on a more regular basis. Pleasing everyone is not important to me any longer. Nothing gets accomplished that way. Peace begins when we each participate. Here is my message to you today:

Let peace settle into each breath you take. Feel it. Hold this feeling deep inside of you. For only when peace is held in each moment, will your life transform.

The gift you desire to deliver to the world is the light you came here to shine. This world needs each and every one of us to stand tall in peace, shining our light. It takes strength and courage to break up the storm cloud of human discord that prevails in the world at this time. We have a duty to ourselves and each other to make this world a better place for all to live. You carry powerful light. You can direct your light wherever you want it to go. Humanity is crying out as never before, reaching for help, for freedom. There is a great mass pressure compelling people to come into peace and order.

Imagine yourself stepping onto a moving stairway of light. You walk up the stairway using your own effort as the stairway of light carries you forward. You have a power inside of you that carries you forward more powerfully than your own effort could ever do. When we align with that power inside of us, the gained momentum is tremendous. Call that power inside of you whatever you want, there are as many names for it as there are people. Call it Bob if you want, just identify it. The name is just how we identify or label for our own mental comfort. You know how many people feel the need to categorize or put things in a box. You can not put God (or whatever name you choose) in a box. Something that everyone has access to does not fit in any box or container. Back to the subject of light.

The light wants to expand, which will produce courage, strength, harmony, health, perfection, and more that life has to offer. Kindness and consideration (forms of light) to others is imperative if you want to bring peace into your life and then into the world. If you cannot have peaceful harmonious conversations over whatever points are being discussed, discontinue the conversation. You are not responsible for another persons thoughts and feelings. Take care of your own. You will unleash the power (light) inside of you when you are calm and peaceful.

If you want to walk around being negative, go for it. Just realize that you will experience the repercussions  that negativity will bring. You are solely responsible. You have the choice to close the door to your joy and miracles or open the door wide to access your greatness and everything that wants to come your way. I am here to experience life in all of its perfection, how about you? For each person that looks different, but if you can not participate, stay out of the way of those who do. Make every moment matter, they are more important than you realize.

Walk in the Power of Peace,

Debra Oakland

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