Can I really follow my bliss from my easy chair?

Today in my quest to find inspiration throughout my day to write my daily post, I find the my muse of words, Linda Gabriel on Facebook posting that she wrote a guest post on Tiny Buddha. It truly resonated with me as in my new years zeal to create my resolution for 2013, I stated I was committed to "being in my truth and follow my bliss." However, can I really follow my bliss from my easy chair with my laptop computer on my lap and HGTV on TV (which I tend to call the Oracle...the TV that is not HGTV)?

Linda turned on a light in my brain when she said, "If you are going to follow your bliss, the supposition is that you already know what it is. Maybe you do, and maybe you don’t. Yet."

Yes, Linda, you are right "what is my bliss?" The six points in Linda Gabriel's post opened my truth seeking eyes to the fact that I need to find what my bliss is or at least narrow it down to one bliss at a time so that I can follow it. Trying new things, being open to possibiites, being curious and trusting life. Well, I guess that means I have to leave my chair and my house?

When I am in LA at my home photo studio, I work work work, strategize and work some more. Linda's six points to discovering you bliss is very helpful. Her last point in finding your bliss is "trusting life." Yes, I am a big believer in trusting what life brings, being grateful and enjoying the journey.

And speaking of the journey, one thing I am very passionate about and confirms that in some of my searching moments of bliss finding is that I adore inspiring women to be the best they can be. That gives me a big inhale of happiness and exhale of peace.

So I am following my bliss up I 5 to San Francisco to share my new book, which Linda Gabriel is featured in and is the co-author of, Fearless Women, Visions of a New World at Book Passage. I look forward to sharing my journey creating my book project and listen to some of the other women from the book joining me, tell their story and hearing the beautiful voice of Karen Drucker doing a special performance of "I Am a Gift," featured on the CD that comes with the book. Yes, that feels like bliss to me!

Hey, I'm not only getting out of my easy chair tomorrow but getting in a car and driving up north on a fearless joureny to Northern California on the I 5 following my bliss.

What's your bliss and why are you following it?

Yours in fearless bliss following,

Mary Ann

Stop Whining and Look at the Sky!

Today being the 10th day of my commitment to the 31 Day bog challenge, I realize at 11:45 that I still hadn't written my blog. I'm looking around the internet in between watching Stephen Colbert to find something to inspire me. So many things every day when I pause for a moment, take a breath and look around, I find true wonderment.

Sometimes when I hike Fryman Canyon I pay attention to some of the snippets of conversation that I hear as people pass by on the trail. It's a practice I engage in for my own mental therapy. I feel like Spirit may give me messages through conversations from a hiker/teacher of life that passes me on the trail.

The best message I have eavesdropped is by a mom hiking with her family behind me. Her 10 year old daughter was whining that she was tired of hiking and blah blah blah. This particular day was warm and stunningly beautiful with a blue blue sky and puffs of white clouds that looked like they were painted by Monet. While the girl moaned on and on the mother says, in a very calm but firm voice, "Stop whining, look at the sky." It was a gasp moment for me! This was a zen moment, a gift of a Cohen for me to meditate on again and again.

I have used this inspired message in my life over and over again. It works every time I get depressed and wind up my whine machine. I go outside and look up at the sky or look at a tree or smell a flower and see the real truth of life. It's those moments that change your perspective from dark to light.

When I shared this message I heard on my hike she got it right away. Rebecca does beautiful pottery and decided to create a mug to inspire people to vote. On the mug it read, "Stop Whining and Vote."

I invite you to meditate on this Zen Cohen and see where it takes you. For me, right now, it's going to take me to bed, to dream and to luxuriate in the journey of deep sleep.

Yours in Fearless non-whining,

Mary Ann

The Pot Roast is Well Worth Writing About...

Here I am on day 9 of my 31 day blog challenge. As I flow through my day I wait and watch to see what will get my attention or tickle my inspirational insides to write a blog post. My friend Teresa is visiting us from Tennessee and said, "Well, the pot roast is well worth writing about!"

Well, this picture is not quite as pretty as my husbands dish. And speaking of dishes, Joe, my husband aka Singing Chef Joe, I also refer to him as my hunk of burnin' love is a fabulous cook. I am blessed to have such an amazing man that loves me, takes care of me (in sickness and health) and supports me and most of all cooks for me. Yes, I am a lucky broad!

All I must say is the pot roast was divine! As far as inspiration, it was sumptuous...the taste, the texture, just plain yummy.

Well, ladies and gents...that's my blog for today! I am filled with pot roast, great wine and great company. Life is great!

In full fearless bliss,

Mary Ann

A Love Letter to a Fearless Woman

On the 8th day of my 31 day blog challenge, I look for inspiration through my day. This time it came from my Goddess Badass friend, Christina Dunbar, with a sexy sweet heart and a soul of a poet. I have observed Christina over the years explore her Goddess side, her sensuous side, her bad girl side and mix it up with some warm brandy, chocolate and life experience into a smooth tasting coaching, speaking and empowering women branding.

“Visionary women don’t dream big, they dream BIGGER. Visionary women don’t expect to get it perfect, they allow themselves to be messy. Visionary women don’t play by the rules, they play by their passions. Visionary women don’t follow logic, they follow intuition. Visionary women don’t just say “why”, they say “why not?” Visionary women don’t hide out; they make their entrance on stage. Visionary women don’t dismiss their pain, they share their story. Visionary women don’t start a company, they start a movement.”~ Christina Dunbar

She inspired me in her last blogpost to write my own love letter to myself and to all fearless women. A letter to read when I am down, doubtful, insecure and stressed out. Oh dear, I think I need to read it now! LOL. Here goes...

To you my gorgeous, sexy, bodacious, change-maker, hilariously funny, warm & big hearted, soul-searching, deep thinking, ageless, brilliant visionary warrior, sword wielding Fearless Woman...

I'm speaking to you...
From the depth of my aching soul
My heart throbbing self of self....
Yes, you...look in the cosmic mirror and see who you are...
Really are....
I hand you the mirror sweet sister of everything brilliant and shiny...
You are the breathe of God and Goddess of all...
Make your mind sing with all the knowing that you have and will have...
Know that the ancestral sisters who blazed the trail before you are always with you to guide you
To push you, every so gently with, sometimes, their red spiked heals and taunt you with their caustic humor so that you can truly see the beauty not the beast you think you are and who you know you truly are
Oh ferocious wild Woman, dive into the water and drench yourself with all the fear you know that is deep in your Venus heart and just... let...go.....
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh....much better now
Float
Smile
Be naked in your new found truth
Luxuriate in the tears of realization
And weep for your whole self...the whole world...the whole Universe...
And surrender to the river of life
And finally, finally press the easy button 
Allow yourself to have the peace, the quiet, the freedom, the time, the completion, the total support, the hugs, the kisses, the love and everything everything that you have yearned for in your heart of hearts.
I love you with every part of my body, heart and soul.
And if you remember anything
Know, just know that I am here for you always and forever.
You are the bomb...

With Fearless Love,

Your Fearless Wise Woman

I Am Lost & Now I'm Found

This is the seventh day of my 31 day blog challenge. Just when I start racking my brain about what to blog about I get an inspired email from a friend of mine. She said, "In a way, I'm avoiding to face my life by staying here (at her mountain cabin)...I like what you told me, rather than I'm lost, may be I'm....what's the word you used? Finding" myself?"

I replied to my friend that I think rather than seeing yourself being "lost" see yourself being "found". It's one step in front of the other. Make a choice to do something and if it doesn't work, choose again. It's so easy that we complicate it and agonize over not having the right answer.

In this new year, I think we all wrestle with finding our passion, following our bliss and creating from our heart place. We over-think things and then either hide out, stay in confusion and overwhelm. Well, I say just make a choice any choice and if you don't like it choose again. Don't question it just do it! Yes, now doesn't that feel better?

Yours in fearless choosing,

Mary Ann

Girlfriends: A Fearless Celebration

Today I went to a friends birthday gathering with her nearest and dearest girlfriends. She was celebrating 7 decades orbiting around the sun. Amazing! This gathering was in our mountain community where we have our cabin. It's a very small community. The good news is that everyone knows each other. The bad news is that everyone knows each other.

My friend Sarah, whose birthday it was, gathered about 10 women in her living room. In just the right organized way that is so Sarah, she asked for everyone's attention and gathered us in a (somewhat) of a circle. Of course it was a group of very strong wise fearless women so you can't really wrangle them. However, Sarah pulled out her list of names of friends dear to her, many were not there as they didn't want to brave the freeway from LA through the snowy Grapevine on Interstate 5 to our mountain destination. So here we were sipping on our Godiva hot chocolate and listening to Sarah name off everyone on the list and in the room and how they made a difference in her life.

 

I looked around at each woman mentioned and realized how much history I have had with these wise women who have impacted not only Sarah's life but mine as well. I was genuinely touched by the ritual she created. I was moved by the stories, laughed at many and teared up at others.

It affirmed my passion for photographing women and telling their stories. How powerful and precious are the relationships with our girlfriends. Those moments we can celebrate our sisters are priceless. It's simple heartfelt and inspirational.

I invite you to call at least one friend tomorrow and tell her how much she means to you. Doesn't that make you feel fearlessly warm and fuzzy?

Yours feeling fearlessly warm, and loving my girlie friends and hot chocolate,

Mary Ann

Me Fearless?

Those of you who know me or follow my blog musings may think or perhaps not that I am a Fearless Woman or that I am a Fearless Leader. I capitalize these as it is daunting to me. Last year I would joke when someone called me a "Fearless Leader" I would say, "I should wear a t-shirt that says, Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost." Really? I did say that but not anymore....at least not out loud.

I have photographed women with a sword and created three Fearless Women books. Fearless Women: Midlife Portraits released in 2005, Fearless Women, Fearless Wisdom, released in 2010 and last year, Fearless Women, Visions of a New World. All of these books are a reflection of my life, moving into midlife, then my wisdom years and then with 2012 being the big shift, fearlessly exploring a vision for a new and better world.

Creating Fearless Women, Visions of a New World took a lot out of me and as many of you know, I crashed and burned, physically, a little over a month ago. I was in and out of bed and the hospital for two months with intestinal issues. No more details need to be told. The bottom line, I believe, is that I stressed and pushed myself into physical collapse. I didn't even feel it coming on because I was so caught up in the momentum.

Now is a time for me to reflect and perhaps sit for a while in the "I don't know what's next" thought and feeling. It's the perfect place to be. Yes, for this next year I want to be more of a human be-ing than do-ing! "Being Fearless" is letting go, breathing deeply, seeing problems as only situations and loving oneself and the journey. How do I want to continue with this Fearless Movement? It's not only a movement of women who are carrying the sword of transformation for the planet but transformation of themselves. Through our calling we find our lessons and also our brightest most precious gifts.

I am looking forward to meeting new fearless women and hearing their stories. We will be sharing this current book  Sunday, January 13th at Book Passage in Corte Madera in Northern California. I have been told it's an extraordinary book store. So few book stores are left and I am thrilled to be doing a book signing there with some of the beautiful fearless women featured in this photo/essay book, Tamara Archer, Paige Bearce-Beery and Jolin Halstead.

 

What also makes this new book special is the music CD that comes with the book and I am excited to have a this event at Book Passage a Live performance by Karen Drucker, featured artist on Songs for a New World, the CD included with Fearless Women, Visions of a New World.

I am very proud of all my books! They are my children that I birthed with some loving labor. They continue to teach me how to be fearless as I nurture them and share them with other women (and men). My hope is that with my art, my creations, they inspire hearts and souls where ever my books are found.

And the Fearless journey continues....

Mary Ann