HAPPY HEAVENLY BIRTHDAY - - GEORGE FREDERICK CHARLES WATSON!!!

 Dear Readers,

Today, on April 20th, I am honoring a VERY SPECIAL MAN who touched my heart with unspeakable joy, warmth, love and camaraderie. George Watson.

Though he passed away April 19, 2020, not a day goes by when I don't wake up in the morning and say "I love you, George." He left his mark on my life, left his tenderness and humor on my heart. People may pass on to the other realm, but they never REALLY leave us. They linger here in spirit, and I can feel George's spirit like the brush of a silk scarf on my shoulders, or the gentle stirring of an April breeze. Whenever I need comfort, he sends me signs, like a dime or nickel with the year for his passing or the year I first met him and his sweet wife, Mildred. Or a man will walk into a store randomly and the shopkeeper will say "George! Good to see you!" Little nudges like that, from spirit, are the things that make my hopeless like heart come alive, even on the gloomy days when I barely muster the courage to get out of bed. 

What is true love and genuine friendship? To me, it is the feeling of being ACCEPTED, SEEN and HEARD. Knowing that I can just be myself, in my own skin, and not have to modify any part of my conversations or put on a facade and pretend I am something I am not. True love is true acceptance, it is feeling a safety and security like nothing else. That is the kind of feeling I always felt from George. That he APPRECIATED me for me, and I didn't have to worry thay my life was not a fairy tale, that I was not a millionaire or drove a splashy car, nor had some big accolade on the wall in a gold frame or a status on a name card to boast about. No, I could be me, simple, loving, playful, quirky, creative, imaginative and sincere Rochelle. Simply me, as I am, as God made me, and that was enough for my friendship with George.

I never felt loved like that before. George had a way of lighting up a room when he walked in, of winning you over with those sparkling eyes and boisterous laugh. He was so damn lovable and REAL!!! Oh the ache I feel everyday, knowing I will never see him stroll up the hallway with his walker again. 

But I can carry him here in my heart, and remember the 17 months I shared with him, as his housekeeper and server in the lunch room at the senior's home. That is something NO ONE can ever steal away from me, not ever. My experience was real, I was loved and adored by that man, and it was not a fictional, made-up story, as some haters have tried to tarnish.

Right in front of his grown up sons in February 2020 in his apartment, when his wife passed, he said aloud about me "I wanna adopt her! She's a KEEPER!" His heartfelt boasting brought tears to my eyes, as I listened from the other room, where I was polishing a bathroom sink. I'd brought him butter pecan tarts and a pie with vanilla ice cream, and he was right in his glory.

Heartily, and with all my love and appreciation, a salute you, Georgy. Forever in my heart, always in my fond memories and warm thoughts.

With love,

Rochelle xo

EMBRACING THE CHANGES: Life Is What Happens When We're Busy Making Other Plans

Dear Readers,

I've discovered long ago --and have been reflecting on it this past week -- that the only constant thing in life is "change." Tomorrow is not promised, and all we have is the present moment, our true GIFT.

Change can be exhilarating, but it can also be downright TERRIFYING.In truth, how many of us are actually READY for that change when it comes?

This week I heard from a woman whose daughter, at 58 years old, was "let go" of her 20-year stint as an admin assistant at a prominent Toronto college. The woman was devastated. The letter addressed to her stated "you no longer fit the ethics and culture of our organization."

I can't imagine what that would feel like, being in a career you love to work in, and then one day, you are forced out of that job in the most unkind way.

In my own experience, I've been forced out of jobs for various reasons, and most of the time, I was not given a reason. I've understood that it was because I was simply "not a good fit." You know what? What a wonderful revelation! Just for the fact that --THANK GOD-- I was meant to be elsewhere!!!! Hallelujah to that! Let's raise a toast. Why would I ever want to waste my time, skills, talents and beauty on a career and people who don't celebrate me? No thanks! NEXT!!!

Let's not undermine the fact that "Life is what happens when we're busy making other plans" (John Lennon).
Did you ever notice that the most incredible adventures have happened when we were forced out of our comfort zone? When did you ever experience anything MONUMENTAL or news worthy, just by sitting there like a bump on a log, or "coasting"through life at the same boring and predictable pace? Exactly.

I'll admit...some changes have been painful and left deep scars. I was not ready for them. Now, looking back, I am grateful that I was transported to another time and place. Even outside of my zipcode!

For 2020, let's try our best to embrace the changes that occur. It's good for building character, we face new obstacles but we also experience fresh opportunities and BRAND NEW PEOPLE that might bring us the greatest JOY of our life. By holding onto the bland stuff from 2019, we may never know how incredibly stellar we could become, if only we took that plunge.

My wish for you this year is to take more chances, allow the changes, and forge a new path to a brave new frontier.

I wish you joy, love and happiness always.

Much love,

RR xo

Day #16 -- The 100 Day Gratitude Challenge -- Give Someone A List of Qualities You Like About Them

Dear Readers,

Today is Gratitude Day #16 of the 100 Day Gratitude Challenge.

I'm pleased to be writing about my daughter today. Today's theme is "Give Someone A List of Qualities You Like About Them."

I really can't say enough about this young woman who's grown from a sweet, quiet child into a smart, animator, computer whiz, artist and all-around lovable human being.

What can I say? I'll take credit for raising her as a single mom all these years (wink wink).

My Rachel is an Aries. I am Taurus. That means, from time to time, the "Ram" and the "Bull" might lock horns or butt heads. Come on, it's a given. Fire sign, Earth sign...but it happens rarely.

We're housemates, friends, confidantes, and basically, we just love each other fiercely.

I can't imagine my life without my Rachel Elizabeth. She arrived in April 1999 and my life has never been the same. She's taught me patience, long suffering, how to truly love another human, and many more necessary life lessons. She inspires me daily to never give up, to keep marching to my own drum and to be consistent on my path of self discovery

.

Here's my list of qualities that I love in her:

1) Blunt, honest. Always tells me the truth when I need to hear it.

2) Unconditional love. It's what I need. everyday. She accepts me for me, and I think only ONE other person on this planet loved me that way. May he rest in peace.

3) Independent thinker. She doesn't need anyone to tell her what to think or how to think. She knows what she wants and is clear about it.

4) Funny. Gut-busting funny. Sometimes I spray my beverage across the room when she pulls some comedy on me.

5) Steadfast. She might encounter obstacles, but she never gives up.

6) Compassionate. I've seen her give food or money to a friend at school who was down and out. She's also given money to the homeless. My heart melts when I hear of this.

7) Beautiful, so beautiful, with her clear skin, long hair and blue eyes. Heads turn. I'm proud to be her mama.

8) Happy. I always hear her, howling with laughter over random jokes and funny films she is watching with friends. That makes my heart happy, to know I've raised a happy person.

9) Smart, and not just book smart. Good with money. Careful at budgeting funds. Clever. Street smart.

10) Imaginative, creative, artistic. She can make amazing art on the computer. animation or paintings. I think she gets the artistic side from me, the writer.

Rachel, I Love You. Don't ever change. My heart is full of gratitude to have you as my loving daughter.

I will always be here for you.

Love,

xx Mom xx

100 Day Gratitude Challenge -- Day #3 -- Surround Yourself With Nature and be Grateful For The Sights

Dear Readers,

It's Day Number Three of this Gratitude Challenge which I will be posting about daily!

Today's mantra: "Surround Yourself With Nature and Be Grateful For The Sights."

What in your path today brings you joy when you are out walking or commuting?

I know for myself, it is my absolute FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR -- Autumn -- and incidentally, today is the Autumnal Equinox.

I can't resist those blue skies and fluffy white clouds that seem to float by without a care. The air is cooler and the earth has this wonderful scent of "Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall time." Trees that have been around for many decades are losing their leaves before the younger ones do in early to mid-October. Southern Ontario (GTA) has some really majestic scenery, depending where you are.

Farmer fields and rolling hills with magenta-tangerine sunsets have always been my favorite. The sunrise lately has been a lovely periwinkle-mauve-grey with splashes of hot pink across the canvas. Even if you're in the city, you can glimpse the trees shedding their leaves and some other older, quaint homes with fireplaces are burning logs, creating an atmosphere that is irresistible. I just love the scent of a wood-burning fireplace when I'm strolling past a storybook village or nice community.

I am sharing a poem that I just learned! It's beautiful:

Lord: it is time. The summer was immense.
Let thine shadows upon the sundials fall,
and unleash the winds upon the open fields.

Command the last fruits into fullness;
give them just two more ripe, southern days,
urge them into completion and press
the last bit of sweetness into the heavy wine.

He who has no house now, will no longer build.
He who is alone now, will stay alone,
will awake in the night, read, write long letters,
and will wander restlessly along the avenues,
back and forth, as the leaves begin to blow.

                         Rainer Maria Rilke
                               (tr. Cliff Crego)

http://picture-poems.com/week4/autumnday.html

What is YOUR favorite part about fall time and Nature? What are you grateful for this time of year, and what steals your breath away? A few of the pics in this blog post belong to my own past memories of Autumn - October 2013. Hope you enjoy!

Please do share! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Love,

RR xo

REFLECTIONS ON LOVE AND LOSS

Dear Readers,

Sometimes my heart swells with pride over the beautiful, sentimental things in my life that fill me with joy unspeakable.

Sometimes, the tears fall when I contemplate the losses. There's a few (sob) and they've stolen my breath away when they happened. The loss of my soulmate in 2016 and in 2017, the family home sold off and torn down. THAT one was a bitter pill to swallow. I think I died inside when it happened. 35 years of memories...too many to mention here. What a blow to the heart.

This post is not meant to be a downer. Please don't think for a second that I am depressed. It could be farther from the truth.

I'm playing the soundtrack to St. Elmo's Fire right now. Far out, man. Totally RAD!!! 1985 called and wants its denim back and big hair. I can't help it, I love me some David Foster gems.

Okay okay, all joking aside...tonight I'm reflective. The wind is howling outside my window, and the weatherman says possibility of snow flurries. Winter in Southern Ontario can bring a chill to the bones that never seems to go away til April's daffodils start pushing through the soil.

My headphones are on FULL BLAST at the laptop. Yes, I'm multi-tasking. Eating After Eight Chocolates that were gifted to me at Christmas. Playing my You Tube playlist (made especially for noveling. Writing this article. AND...drum roll please...editing and REWRITING the classic 2012 PASSION novel that I am SO DAMN PROUD of!!! It's getting a revamp for Valentine's Day.

Back to love and loss...

Well, I'm taking stock of those painful losses that broke me wide open to allow much more love to come sweeping into my heart. It's fascinating, isn't it? The way loss can do that to you, and make you appreciate what you have right in your hands.

Some people just build a barrier and block the brand new love or goodness from coming in...out of fear that they might get hurt again. But I've made a pact not to let that happen. Besides, what would it serve me? Nothing at all. No good can come from a Heart of Stone.

What have I learned from love and loss?

I've learned that love is only as good as the love that you give away. It's the sweetest prize in life, and no amount of money can surpass the value or feeling of being TRULY LOVED.

I've learned that loss can be a stepping stone to a higher altitude...that if you take the ashes from your loss, you can make something new, something beautiful and fulfilling, and it can give you wings to soar to your new destination.

Perhaps tonight, you will give yourself the gift of silence and reflection, and ponder how love and loss have affected you as well. There's a lot to be learned from these experiences. They both hurt us, mend us, transform us...in our quest to become a better soul.

Stay Passionate,

RR xo

CHRISTMAS JOY!!!

Dear Readers,


Don't you just love this time of year? The days are short, the nights cool and crisp, and the fireplace is burning with the living room lights down low. Just the glow of the Christmas tree to light the room.
There might be a fresh snowfall coming or the promise of one. If you have a special person in your life, this time is even more memorable, because the romance of the season is front and center. Everything just feels so ALIVE...and unforgettable. It has MEANING where

it would otherwise be just another day.

I want to share some Christmas joy tonight with you. I've just come from the most SPECTACULAR CHRISTMAS CONCERT!

The REAL Derek Keys (yes, there is a REAL LIVE MAN who inspired my book "The Christmas Keys") put on a stellar performance at Simcoe Street United Church, to raise funds for the homeless. As president of The Back Door Mission for The Relief of Poverty, Derek Giberson is my personal hero. Not only that, but is the modern day hero for countless homeless, hungry and addicted people who need a hand up in this community.

I am floored and honored to know him. Somehow, the Universe put me here in his ward. Where I once tried to resist this fate (being misplaced from my idyllic hometown to this awful city that I begrudged), I now ease into it and accept that RIGHT HERE AND NOW...I am meant to be.

The most PERFECT AND BEAUTIFUL story has come out of my spring of writing. Thank you Derek for all that you are, and for being the magnificent soul that God made you to be. I am GRATEFUL for your existence, HUMBLED by your presence, in awe of your beauty, and ENAMORED by the majestic man that you are.

Tonight you walked onto that stage in a red blazer with gold buttons, black pants, brown shoes and a crisp white shirt. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. My storybook hero had come to life!!

Sorry if this comes off as some sort of gloating fool. I just want you to know that...after my huge loss and heartache...I am infinitely happy to have found you on this planet. Did you know...that when I lost My beloved Trent...I feared the worst? That the stories in me would die, that the well of ideas would dry up and be no more, and that I would walk this earth as some shadow of who I used to be. Horrible, right? I feared that I would lose my edge and the ability to write with conviction...or any sort of talent that i was born with.

Lo and behold...I was wrong. Alas...from out of the blue...a vision appeared. Someone to chase away my fears and remind me that life is still...after all...worth living.

Derek, you have brought me Christmas Joy tonight at the concert. You and those amazing singers and performers...blew me away. I am blessed to know you. So many mouths will be fed. Lives will be touched. Hearts will be warmed in the midst of winter. Last year, in one night, you raised $17,000. This year, as the concert runs two nights, I am expecting you and the Mission to bring in over $30,000.

God Bless You, sweet man. If this blog post makes me a sap, then so be it.

You've brought me Christmas Joy beyond what I expected this season.

May your glass always be full, your heart be light, and your bankroll be forever replenished.

I love you, My friend.

Merry Christmas,

RR xo

HOW TO FEEL LIKE A MILLIONAIRE

Dear Readers,

I'll let you in on a little secret. It's called "How To Feel Like A Millionaire."

It's simple, really, and when you practice doing it, you'll take a step back in disbelief and look at yourself with a slow grin..."why wasn't I doing this a long time ago?"

The astounding part is...you don't need money to do it. Oh, sure, money would come in handy...after all, it can't hurt, really...to have a wallet full of crisp red or green bills, fresh from the ATM.

No, that's not the point, though.

Case in point:Three years ago. May 2015. The ABUNDANCE started in my life. First, it came in trickles. Like a drip from a faucet. Little windfalls here and there. Contest wins. Tickets won off the radio station. SEVERAL TIMES IN A FEW MONTHS!! What are the odds, right? $5,000 on a keno ticket (I scored 9 numbers out of 10. Came so close to the $250,000 jackpot). I'd dreamed of California for 22 years, and finally, manifested 8 trips there. All paid for!! And it all began with the BELIEF IN MYSELF. NURTURING MY PASSION, PUBLISHING MY BOOKS, LIVING MY DREAMS, FEELING THE JOY.

In a few months, all consecutively, I self-published three novels. Perfect Storm, Tempest and Passion. I was following my bliss. GLOWING. SMILING. FEELING HAPPY. FEELING GRATITUDE each day that I woke. This right here is the secret to FEELING LIKE A MILLIONAIRE.

I challenge you to try it sometime.Go out and do something you love. Anything. It could be coaching little league, refinishing antique furniture, renovating homes, riding a bike over the hills, joining a bowling league or a running club, starting a catering business, walking in Nature, feeling the surf on your skin, or journaling your emotions or dreams for the future.

What made you happy as a seven-year-old kid? Go and chase that. Psychologists say that by the age of seven, people are predisposed to choosing their life path. We might stray from it along our growing up years, with the limiting beliefs infiltrated by our parents and society, but later in life, that overwhelming "ITCH" will still be unscratched. So please, just take the plunge, and revisit your wildest dreams, your BIGGEST PASSION.

This, my friends, is the secret to having it all.

In 2015 (and I reference this year again because it truly was the "GOLDEN YEAR OF MY LIFE") I remember only the good happening to me. Because, like a snowball effect, once you get that ball rolling, and you stay in your BLISS and focus on the happy thoughts, the good things, the passions close to your heart, then and only then, will you experience the BREAKTHROUGH OF MIRACLES.

The times in my life that were the most prosperous and productive were the days I had little income or was in between jobs. Being an artist/creator/writer, these moments are the ones we MONOPOLIZE, because to bring an entire novel to fruition and have it sent to press, is truly THRILLING. After many months of writing, editing, and polishing, when that final product comes delivered to your door by the UPS man, it is truly like holding the golden egg in your hands.

I feel like a MILLIONAIRE when I follow my bliss. Right, now I have 3 books in the works. There's always some writing that I need to get to. Of course, I take breaks here and there, to get exercise, enjoy the sunshine, take the dog for a walk, birth new ideas, meet a friend for coffee, etc. It's mandatory for my creative process.

So, there you have it. Follow your bliss, do what you love, scrap the negative people and bad energy. Quit that job you hate, leave the stale relationship, get rid of all that weighs you down. Declutter your desk, donate those clothes taking space in your closet, volunteer your time to a worthy cause, get out and make new friends. Let the GOOD ENERGY in.

The MILLIONAIRE LIFE begins with you. It begins through your energy and thought process. It's less about bank roll, and much more about FEELING GOOD. So, step into your JOY, and experience that prestigious club. It works. Trust me.

Cheering for you,

RR xo

GRATITUDE SUNDAY

Dear Readers,

It's Sunday here in Southern Ontario. The weather is still a bit chilly, Spring is peeking around the corner at me, and I've just completed and sent off THE CHRISTMAS KEYS.

I'm so stoked for Derek and Ronnie's love story!! This one began as a small seed of an idea for the annual "NaNoWriMo" contest that runs every November and beckons 600,000-plus writers across North America to do what they do best...WRITE A COMPLETE NOVEL!! In 30 days, I had just that. THE CHRISTMAS KEYS is my labor of love, my pregnancy come to fruition, and now that it's time to "birth" this baby, I couldn't be prouder!

As the saying goes:"behind every successful person, there is a team or tribe of people who have helped shape that success story."

Here goes my GRATITUDE LIST (in no order of favor or priority -- because I LOVE YOU ALL!!):

***Rachel***your arrival in my life was truly a miracle. I was blessed with the most beautiful, lovable, blue-eyed baby girl. Now you've grown into a woman and I'm proud beyond measure. Love you always XOXO

***Trent Gardner***the soulmate of a lifetime. A dream come true to cherish forever. You gave me California (after dreaming of it for 22 years) & true, authentic love. Your eternal love is my reason for going on with this career. I only wish you were still here to walk this journey with me, hand-in-hand. But I know you are beside me (in another form). Keep sending me signs. I see them all. Love you Rigel XXXX R.I.P.

***Don, Lydia and family***for welcoming me with open arms and supporting me through my loss. You are loved so much!!

***Hinna A***my kindred spirit since kindergarten. You're the Diana Barry to my Anne Shirley. I will never forget your kindness. xoxo

***Donald A.*** for inspiring two novels and for a lifetime of smiles***

***Kelly M. for being the best muse a girl could ask for***you broke my 13 year writer's block. For this, I am ETERNALLY grateful!!

***Derek G***You're a bonafide star, in every way. You inspire me daily to dream big and chase my full potential. Your heart is so full of compassion. I see a lot of myself mirrored back at me. Soon, I hope you'll know just how important your presence is on this world.

***Renee***you've had my back for 13 years. Let's keep it going, dear friend. I love you and your family. Thanks for pep talks and sharing Chinese food with me. I will always be your kindred spirit.

***Carol D***you helped me through the hell of my loss, you're a Goddess, a warrior, a genius and a kindred soul. I can't thank you enough!!

***Cat T***your authenticity, determination, humor, honesty and talent makes me want to take on the world! Love you girl!!

***Robyn***for sticking by me, giving me laughs, reminding me there is still life out there, and for adventures and lattes!!! Thanks a million.

***Natalie***what can I say? We're sisters from another mister. I think I've had the most gut-busting laughs with you. Keep shining. You're a BIG deal in my life.

***Rob & Lorraine***for the music, the memories, the laughs***for always welcoming me like family. You're that golden couple who always reminds me "this is what love looks like." Thanks for everything xoxo

***Tekoa***31 years across the miles!!! We made it!! I'll see you soon!! :)

***Franny Armstrong***for being a talented author who inspires me! For all that you are. You shine a bright light and bring HOPE to every life you touch! Love you girl!

***Jennifer E***your support means the world to me!! One day I'll meet you in person and thank you properly. Thanks for the daily affirmations!! Much love!

***Bradley M***for editing the PASSION manuscript and getting MY VERY FIRST editor to look at my book!! kudos to you! I wish you the best today and always on your writing career. I'm here if you ever need me.

***Marissa C***for letting me win the Town Crier Essay Contest!! My very first win...ever!! You renewed my faith in my writing! I wish you all the very best in your writing career! You're a rockstar and I admire you!!

***Rhea D***your daily insights, wisdom, affirmations and support! I could never go without them! I am so blessed by your friendship across the miles :) Thank you xo

***Lena R***for buying my book, posting an AWESOME review!! And just for being YOU!! I truly love how "REAL" you are. Keep being a strong Goddess!! xoxo

***Glenda***for being there in my time of loss and sharing our love & faith for Trent!! thank you.

***Margie***for being a friend to Trent when he really needed one!! You are a gem xo

***Laurie Larson***for your courageous heart & beautiful soul!! another Trent connection!! One day I'll make it to Arizona!!! xoxo

***Daryl M***for putting me on the radio...so MANY times!! your east coast humor and rockin' music makes me want to get out my "Rocking Chair"...LOL! Thanks for the music :)

***Josephine***for buying my book! For setting the GODDESS standard! For just being you! Thanks so much :)

***Yvonne V***your review of COMING HOME made my day!! Thanks for your support!! I'll cherish you forever!

***FOR ANYONE I'VE MISSED...I'LL BE UPDATING THE LIST SOON***

Enjoy your Sunday!

Stay Passionate,

RR xo

BE A HERO IN SOMEONE'S LIFE

In our daily encounters, we have many chances to make a difference in someone's life. Do we take these opportunities when they are presented? Or do we rush on by in our self-focused little haze?

My own personal joy comes from giving to others, with no expectation of return. That $20 I slipped to the woman on the street who looked down and out? It gave me a rush of adrenaline like nothing else. Just knowing I may never run into her again, is remarkable itself. The beaming smile on her face affirmed that I'd made an impact. The added bonus was an hour later at a lotto counter, the machine went off with an instant win of $100. Now, THAT is something else. I don't expect miracles like this in the moment, but I gladly welcome them.

The lunch I covered for a friend "just because"? Well, a flutter of joy filled my heart when I paid the bill. No score keeping here. It's not authentic. Don't do that. Just give. It's a big boomerang effect, it comes back to you in profound ways you would never imagine.

Giving is joyful. It blesses the receiver, makes a huge difference (not always monetarily) and in turn, sends back a ripple of blessing and abundance to the giver. You just never know who you're impacting, what life you are making better by the random act of your kindness.

Being a hero in someone's life doesn't take much. It could be a favor granted, helping someone load a sofa on a truck to their new home. It might be just lending an ear to someone who lost her husband to cancer, or a friend who put her ailing mother into a long term care facility. These life changing moments hit hard, they can be very taxing emotionally and mentally on the people involved. Our friends and colleagues need us. Often, the ones who appear rock solid on the outside are actually the ones falling apart behind the scenes. They're feeling a river of tears course down their face, after a long day, sitting alone in an empty room. Believe me, I have been there. It takes a prayer and a strong heart to feel that wave of exhaustion ride out.

Who will you reach today, in your busy life? Will you strike up a conversation with that co worker on your smoke break at work? You know the one, she looks hard on the outside, rarely smiles. You think she is just "unfriendly" when really, she is going through hell. No one ever asks. They assume she is a snob or just a cold person. Go ahead, take a chance and send her a smile or word of encouragement. I have reached people on a whim like this. The floodgates that open are truly astounding!

Recently, doing a buy and sell for household items, a woman who is a repeat customer came to me. She stood in my driveway and poured her heart out to me. Her daughter had been murdered. The magnitude of trust and connection in our conversation really hit me like a tsunami. Wow, a total stranger was sharing her biggest defining life moment...I was blessed and honored by the gift of our exchange. She has come back a few more times, just to chat. She told me something that warmed me all over: "since the death of my daughter, I have become a hermit. I rarely go anywhere, except for the part time job I work. But YOU my dear, are someone I could go to lunch with. You're special. You actually care. The others don't have a clue."

Misty eyes here, as I write this entry. The Universe has brought me so many profound experiences, in 2015 alone. It blows my mind. You could say it's because I have an open mind and very receptive heart.

Just last night, someone asked, "how is it after all you've been through, that you remain open?" My response was simple. "I'm not a victim, but a VICTOR. Those scars I bear, they are just stepping stones, promptly me onward to the next BIG MIRACLE in my life.

You'd be amazed by what's coming to you...if you remain open and keep your heart warm. Please promise me you won't become bitter. It blocks the flow of abundance. It does you absolutely no good at all. You have so much to give, so many gifts to share with the wounded and lost who are searching for guidance.

If you will take a chance today -- BE A HERO IN SOME PERSON'S LIFE-- it will make a world of difference. Trust me.

Cheering for you always,

xo RR xo

Living Life With Orgasmic Joy

Most of us know the word "orgasmic" pertaining simply to sex, but in the business world, it takes on a whole new meaning.

As a novelist, I'll admit hearing this terminology outside the pages of a steamy romance is a little shocking. Especially when I spend my nights by candlelight creating such pulse-pounding intensity, filled with the goosebumps and shivers that come along with material that makes you go "MMMM."

What exactly am I getting at, you ask? Well, for starters, most people who live life on the "normal" cycle all the time, just go through the motions. They get up, make coffee, have breakfast, gas their car,  go to a job they may or may not like. Day in, day out, they repeat this mundane cycle, never fully connecting with the core of what it is that gives them their bread and butter. My guess is that they have no idea how to get pumped or excited for the life they've carved for themselves.

Orgasmic joy, I'll guess, is something most of the population doesn't experience when their feet hit the floor in the morning. How many of us bolt out of bed, feel a burst of energy from our spirit and yell out "OH YES!! YESSS!! at the thought of heading to work? I can almost bet good money that you're not mimicking Meg Ryan in that famous diner scene.

Go ahead, laugh a little. It's absurd, right? But let's be real. How bummed are you to head to work and feel that familiar dread creeping in your chest?

I can't remember when I felt ORGASMIC about a specific job I've held in my lifetime. There have been jobs I did enjoy, where the people were bearable, or pleasant. There's been places I worked where some co-workers shared laughs with me and great anecdotes. Others still, gave me gut-busting memories in the book of life. But, to be honest, I've yet to encounter a job that gave me the "BIG O."

That is, until February 2012,  when I sat down on a snowy winter night and crafted a romance novel called PASSION. For the first time, I realized just what it felt like to work in a spectrum that brought orgasmic feelings. Writing that love story was sheer joy. It was absolute ECSTASY. I'd finally found my ultimate bliss. What the heck took me so long? I was 35 years old, for crying out loud.

Let's flashback for a moment. At the tender age of 14, I discovered the power of prose and penned a young adult equestrian romance novel. That little manuscript gave me a feeling of pride that lasted momentarily. Til it sat in a dusty box for well over a decade. Years passed, 13 years of writer's block to be exact, and somehow in late 2011, I met a mentor who opened the portals for me, brought back my passion for noveling, and cured my writer's block (thanks KGM).

Nowhere else in the job industry have I come close to orgasmic joy in any field of work. Writing my passionate love stories of hope, healing and triumph really "does it for me," though. It gets the mercury rising, the pulse racing, the staccato beat of the heart going. In short, I feel ELATED when I sit down to write such thrilling stories. It truly is my niche.

That being said, it now begs to ask the question: Can others find their bliss doing what they love for a living? I would certainly like to think so. For everyone in this social network, I wish the same for you. I truly do.

How can we, in the meantime, bring about this heightened bliss for ourselves? Is it even possible?

Yes, it is!

The answer is simply this: find your passion and make a living at it. 

But -- you might ask -- what is it that makes you "passionate"?

Reminisce now to the days of childhood when you ran free, had an imagination like wildfire, could dream up any astronomical dream, and felt free as a bird, just living in the paradise of being a footloose kid. What did you want to be when you "grew up"? Was it a Neil Armstrong, a Bobby Orr, or perhaps a Steve Martin? Whatever it was that made you daydream and have visions of a happy future, revisit that. Trust me. That, right there, is your ORGASMIC JOY. You have the money shot, the golden ticket, the midas answer. When you find your authentic self and all that makes your dear little heart race madly, that is what you must dwell on. I'm telling you from firsthand experience. At seven, I just knew that I was the next Lucy Maud Montgomery or Danielle Steel. The glass slipper just fit.

I want to reinforce this thing called JOY. The "happy" chemicals that make you feel good -- serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin-- are the ones you experience during the joyful highs in your life. When you find work that makes you exultant, almost giddy to be alive, then surely, you know you've arrived at a place that is meant for you. Your supreme CALLING is the one that makes you tick.

So get out there and grab life by the big balloons. Set sail on a marvelous adventure. Find your passion, go hardcore, dream full force, make your mark and by all means, hit that "BIG O."

Life is waiting for you to scream out "YESSS, OHHH YESSS!"

--Rochelle Renee--