Rainbows and Sparkles and Glitter….

My Beauties,

Spring has sprung and it’s beginning to look like we might just get the March miracle of rain here in the Santa Ynez Valley.  And since I believe in miracles, let’s just go with, it’s already here, happening now.  After all, it is raining:)

Rainbows and Sparkles and Glitter….

These are the things I turn to when the world starts seeming a little extra dark and desperate and fear based.

Yes, there is A LOT going on right now… but when is there not a lot going on?  Life is busy and messy and wondrous and hard and, so damn much fun.  Of course, there’s A LOT going on.

And yes, we all need to be extra vigilant in taking care of ourselves and washing our hands and getting enough sleep and staying extra healthy… but when has this ever been a negative thing?

When I started Beautiful You in 2013, I committed to searching out JOY.  Joy in the little things, in the everyday, in the mundane, and in the magical.

And since that day, my life has been transformed by Rainbows and Sparkles and Glitter.

Yes, Life has its potholes and sink holes too, its mountains to traverse and rivers to swim.

AND my being hyper-vigilant in ALSO taking in the beauty and the sacred and the magical helps all that stuff be just a little bit easier to bear, a little less trying, a little less weighty.

Seeing the world through the lens of Either/Or creates a very different view than Both-And.  Neither is right, nor wrong.  Both are just a path… a way to journey through this thing we call Life.

Once upon a time I didn’t have a way to describe how I saw the world.  Now I do.  Both-And.

Both-And gives me permission to see the dark AND the light AND all the shades of gray in between, all in the same sacred space.  Both-And helps answer the why when the why can be so damn hard to take.  AND it helps answer the why when the why is so beautiful it boggles the mind.

But that’s the point.  Not to be in the mind of things, but to steep yourself in the heart of things.

Rainbows and Sparkles and Glitter… usually savored and horded and oh, let’s wait for a special occasion….

Damn, girrrl (and guy), stop that.  That “special occasion” is RIGHT NOW.

Every day IS a special occasion.

Every day IS a gift full of Rainbows and Sparkles and Glitter….

AND, sometimes you have to dig really deep in the ick and uck to find their sparkly glow, but it’s there.  I promise.  At least, it is for me.

BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT’S THERE.

I believe Rainbows and Sparkles and Glitter don’t hide.  It’s just that sometimes SOOO much happens that layer upon layer of STUFF gets piled on and covers up their magical glow.

But like the sun hidden behind a storm laden sky, that magical glow—the essence of Life—is always there waiting to be re-discovered and treasured and witnessed and admired so that it in turn can give you the gift of its treasure—to be seen and to be heard and to be recognized.

That’s all any of us want, anyway.  Why should Rainbows and Sparkles and Glitter be any different?  They actually NEED us to see them in order for them to shine brighter, sparkle with more delight, and glitter with more zing.

I know I’m being whimsical.  It’s my happy place.  And when the world seems to be closing in with the storms that are a brewin’ in big, seemingly nasty ways, I like to get extra cozy with what fills me up and keeps me grounded and whole, so I can weather the tempest with all of my self-presence.

If Either/Or isn’t working for you, may I offer the opportunity to see Life through the lens of Both-And where there’s a little more room for Rainbows and Sparkles and Glitter….

You don’t have to go all whimsy on me, but at least keep the doors and windows cracked to let in the fresh air of beauty, the healing light of love, and the magic of rainbows.

All it takes is a little presence of the heart to look for the brilliant colors within the rain, the sparkles of candles illuminating the darkest of nights, the glitter of laughter and appreciation and love to give you a little breathing room.

Search out what fills you up so that the darkness doesn’t have any place to hide within your being, you are so filled with light.

Drink it all up.

Rant and rave and scream and shout and shake your fist at the ridiculousness and nonsensical and awful and hard.

AND…

Giggle often.
Hug a puppy.
Hug your child, who’s a head taller than you.
Kiss your person.
Look in the mirror and say, thank you.
Hug yourself.
Hold hands with your mom and dad.
FaceTime your grandparents.
Make things.
Visit with your friends.
Talk to your cat, or dog, or bird.
Listen to that whisper deep inside that says, yes.

Know you are loved.  That you matter.  That you do make a difference.

Know that even if you choose not to see Rainbows and Sparkles and Glitter, they will always and in all ways be there waiting for when you do.  No judgment.  No timeline.  Just the presence of the magic called, LIFE.

Here’s to your own rainbows and sparkles and glittery magic.

May you shine big and bold and bright.

Hugs and Love.
In Joy,
Shannon

PS  If you have a friend you think might like Bright Joy, please share this purchase link with them:

https://joybalms.square.site/product/bright-joy-coloring-book-presale/1?cs=true 

I’d love to spread as much joy in the world as possible.  Hugs!