Happy July 4th From Living In Courage

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO EVERYONE FROM LIVING IN COURAGE ONLINE IN LAGUNA BEACH CA.  HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

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We Are All True Champions Of Courage

“Have the Courage to love your humanity free as it seeks to balance the mind and heart.  In this balance you will find your freedom.” ~~Debra Oakland

A few days ago I decided to take my camera and walk into Laguna Beach, which is less than a mile from my home.  There have been many changes in Laguna lately.  Businesses closing, new ones opening or buildings left empty for the time being.  For some reason I wanted to document some of my favorite spots and old haunts on my camera.  I walked around willing myself to see Laguna as if I was visiting for the first time.

In the 20 years I have lived in Laguna Beach, I have missed many little details.  How very refreshing to see everything with a renewed sense of enthusiasm.  I think a great deal about courage. It lifts our souls and carries us forward.  Change may be feared at times but no change will transpire in time and space that happens before we are fully able to use it for our own growth and glory.  We are all true champions of courage when we lead our best life and share it with others.

Back to my walk about with the camera.  As I walked down an alley taking photos, I approached a corner and a small woman in her 70′s walked up to me and asked me if I thought it would be okay for her to pick one of the chrysanthemum buds growing next to us.  I said of course you can pick them.  We walked to the wall and she carefully chose the one she wanted and broke off the piece.  I noticed the care she took to hold it, as if it was the greatest gift.  A smile spread across her face as she looked at the little flower and ran her hand over it delicately.  We talked for 25 or 30 minutes as I asked about her life.  This little woman was dressed very simply.  I learned she was born in Brooklyn, left her career to care for her sick mother and now lives with her daughter in Laguna.  I also learned she loves to paint and sculpt roses.  There was an angelic quality about her and a deep inner strength that comes from living a courageous life.  I felt very blessed to have been walking down that alley to meet this wonderful woman.  I felt such a sense of peace about her.  That was my miracle of the day.  They happen to us every day.  I was very in tune with being in the moment that day, so for me the experience was magical.  If I had been in a hurry rushing right passed her, I would have missed sharing a very special experience I will never forget.

Debra Oakland @ Living In Courage Online

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Tom Lamb’s Courage To Help Save The Giant Panda’s in China

Tom Lamb has courage and a purpose – the nation’s endangered great panda population at China’s Wolong Nature Reserve. This was a home to to a large population of the endangered pandas.

On May 12th 2008, hundreds of Chinese school children were killed in a devastating earthquake.  The panda reserve was a few miles away from the epicenter of the quake. The reserve was preparing for some new modern construction for the breeding center, when the quake hit. Many existing buildings were compromised as well. Lamb said it will take at least 2 years to rebuild the villages and buildings at Wolong, as the Quing and Tibetan people who resided throughout the reserve lost virtually everything. For more information, please visit www.uscef.org. The panda’s natural habitat is threatened now from the earthquake and outside influences.

Tom Lamb is a Laguna Beach resident and multi faceted photographer.  Being into preservation, Lamb is the vice president of USCEF. This is a non-profit, non governmental, environmental agency in China that is largely responsible for the Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve and Breeding Center, which is virtually now unreachable by car or plane. Major destruction from the earthquake has destroyed roads leading in. To learn more about the projects and how to become involved in helping the panda’s, visit the site and give your support.

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COURAGE – What does this word mean to you?

I have decided to add a permanent category to my website called “COURAGE – what does this word mean to you”. I will post the comments I receive from people I meet out in the world or any comments you send here to the website. I will post your name and quote on what courage means to you. I know courage means something different to everyone and anticipate the answers to this question. The other night my husband Cody and I were at Sorrento Bar and Grill in Laguna Beach. I asked a couple people who work there what courage meant to them. Here are their responses:

Steven Collins ~ Courage means being in the moment or showing up for the moment.

Nick Siracusa (Mixologist Extrordinaire) ~ Being bold enough to decide what, when, where and who you spend your time with at all costs.

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