the belovelive creed
at be.love.live, i believe that what i value should influence how i live. beliefs and values and priorities mean nothing if i do not put them into practice in my life. but, it doesn’t magically happen overnight. no, for me, this learning to live the be.love.live way of life is a long journey. the journey of a lifetime, actually. one that i’ve been on since i was born, but that i only claimed as my way of moving through my life in 2007. so, yes, i do my best to actually live the life that i talk about. and i call that following my bliss.
if you are looking for a way to live that is authentic, real, and meaningful, then i hope you’ll hang out here for a while. explore + adventure + get caught up in the stories that i tell… which are just different versions of the stories that you would tell me. i hope that you find some information and inspiration that speaks to your soul + gives you a bit of peace or challenges you to follow your bliss.
so, what do i believe? what are my values? and what does be.love.live actually mean?
the belovelive life | a life of balance
i have discovered that, for me, life is all about balance. it’s all about learning to take care of ourselves, others, + the world. we cannot have one without the other. and they are all dependent on each other. we must carve out time for ourselves + our souls so that we are inspired and grounded. from that grounding, we learn to accept + love + take care of each other. and, then, together, we help each other create a world of peace and justice.
be.love.live is my vision for how we learn to balance our lives. and a balanced life is a life that is creating a path to bliss.
on being
meditation :: slow down + get silent. listen. get to know yourself + feel your soul – it is there that you will find your calling, your purpose, your destiny (or whatever you want to call it). nurture and create a life where inner peace is the main thing. find a way to incorporate spirituality… whatever kind of spirituality you crave. native, pagan, eastern, christian, humanist, scientific. but, connect with that mysterious feeling, to energy… that inner voice that you have within you.
nature :: get outside. a lot. explore + discover + get in touch with nature. find that wild, grounded, organic part of you and let her run free + breathe deep.
soul :: learn to be authentically you. trust your uniqueness + worthiness. you are a special gift, here to make a difference. so, embrace every single little part of you. and learn to love who you are. exactly as you are.
on loving
truth be told, we don’t like everybody. and we’re not going to. but, that’s ok. there is a difference between liking people + loving them, i believe. loving people means that we see the light that is within them is the same light that is within us. it is namaste. it is knowing that we are all different + diverse, and yet, we are all equals simply because we are connected in our divine humanness.
therefore, justice, peace + equality are important values that i try to let influence everything that i do. and when i don’t live up to my own expectations, i work hard to reconcile myself to myself + to others.
learning to love is all about learning to live in community. as a semi-introvert, i sometimes find that annoying, if i’m totally honest with you. don’t get me wrong, i love people. but, i also want/need my me time. solitude comes naturally to me. still, one cannot live in isolation – nor do i wish too. but that’s what being is all about (see above). i know that family, friends, + strangers make life richer.
we are a global family, all living together, trying to figure out the best ways to do just that. so seeking out places and people that are diverse is a must. learning to see individuals and families in different ways in necessary in this world. experiencing new cultures, meeting new people, crossing borders, so that we can grow together, is a direct path to peace. we are only afraid of what we do not know. so, if we take the time to meet each other, and acknowledge our human connections, then we create an atmosphere of openness, diversity, reconciliation, and equalty. and from this kind of environment peace and justice flourish.
in the end, it’s really all about sharing life with one other. it’s all about working together to create a world that is as beautiful as it was meant to be. it is all about doing this cosmic dance together – and loving every minute of it.
on living
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” ― Mary Oliver
i just love this quote. i love it to pieces. it says everything and i should just let it be… but, if you know me, you know that i have more to say. i can’t just let it be. hehe.
life is wild. and beautiful. and painful. and confusing. and exciting. but, it is the only one that we have. and it is insanely short, something that we tend to forget on a daily basis until some crisis or tragedy creeps into our life.
i remember that in my early 30s i had a revelation, an epiphany after visiting a nursing home when i worked as a minister. i imagined myself in my 80s or 90s, sitting in my rocking chair, sipping on some sweet tea on my front porch, thinking back over my life and wondering…. what if i’d…? what if i’d lived all over the world? what if i’d written that book? what if? what if? what if?
and then, immediately, i refused to be that 80-90 year old person asking “what if?” so, i resolved on the day that i had this vision/daydream, that i would not wonder. i would grab life by the horns and live it to the absolute freaking fullest. i would soak up every single moment, embrace my fears, take risks, find courage, challenge myself, + dream big.
and you know what? i have lived in europe. and i’ll probably live there again. i have not completed that book, but it’s in progress. i will travel all around the world. and i live every day with gratitude and joy. the end. you see? it is all possible. we have the power to choose how our life will be lived.
in order to live life like that, though, i have had accept the consequences of choosing to live my life the way that i want to live it (mainly, not everyone agrees with me, understands me, and i don’t give a flip). and i’ve had to prioritize what i want more: security + societal acceptance or a freaking amazing life filled with stories + experiences.
here are my priorities.
// my money goes to travel + my home. i want to wander across the whole wide world. and i want my home to be a sanctuary.
// i’m risky + courageous. if i’m not, i stay stagnant and i don’t try new things. (and then i become that old, wondering, rocking chair woman).
// i seek out adventure + love spontaneity. road trips and unplanned vacations/weekends are a must.
// good food + drink must be a part of daily life. coffee, wine, beer, dining out. and all of that with good, inspiring people.
// photography is a spiritual discipline for me. when i snap photos, i literally giggle with glee. my soul feels like it’s dancing. to capture beauty + a moment in time, and to share that with others fills me with a deep, peaceful happiness.
// art + nature teach me what is important in life. they educate me + ground me.
so, now, are you ready to follow your bliss? how do you take care of yourself? what do others teach you? and what does living life to the fullest mean to you? what would that look like for you? if you don’t know or have never thought about these things, feel free to contact me (my contact form is in the menu at the top). anything is possible, my friends. anything. you can be the hero of your own life. we can try to discover how together. what’s at stake here is your path in life. your bliss.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.” – Joseph Campbell