leahbrier.com

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I’ve made a decision. A big one. And it’s one of the first big decisions I’ve made that doesn’t involve my computer, my phone, my iPod or the internet — in a very long time!

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I am going to start writing letters.

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I’m talking real snail mail.
On beautiful stationary.
Packed in pretty envelopes.
Adorned with the prettiest stamps I can find.
Sent to people I love and admire and those whom I feel like sending a little special surprise to.

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I recently reconnected with someone who I actually introduced myself to in a letter. We were in middle school, he was the cute new boy, and I was the ballsiest of my girl friends (Go figure?!) and we wanted to know if he had a girlfriend from his old school. It was very dramatic (and obviously took place during lunch/recess) and it was a very big deal when the letter came back and ‘NO’ was circled. Long story short, we ended up dating for a long time and he reminded me of how special notes can really be.

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I am a huge proponent of email. I don’t buy into the hysteria that lacks the ability to capture emotion, etc. etc. etc. But what email can’t do, or what I can’t do with email because I don’t have a tablet, is share with someone my penmanship, little doodles and a proper signature. Those things are fun, and I love switching up my handwriting based on the type of letter I am writing.

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Mark my words. If you are a close friend or family member you may very well have a letter coming your way.

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*The only hurdle in this whole new plan is finding addresses…hrm!?!?

These are the 5 Reiki principles ingrained in the amazing healing technique, but they have become goals that I set for myself every morning.

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Just for today, I will not be angry.
It’s not a matter of never getting angry, but rather, when anger creeps in try to deal with it accordingly and then let it go.

Just for today, I will not worry.
Again, there is no way to absolutely avoid worrying, but rather than worry about what happened before or what will happen next, be present and let the worry pass.

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Just for today, I will be grateful.
Be grateful for simple things and as well as the things in the larger scheme of life. Even difficult things can give way to things such as thanks, forgiveness, smiles, good words or gratitude — all things that worth being grateful for.

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Just for today, I will do my work honestly.
Believe in the work being done and do that work respectfully. Life should be lived honorably and with a head held high.

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Just for today, I will be kind to every living thing.
Bring loving-kindness into every personal encounter. Treat things as you would treat people, and as you would like to be treated in return.

images via Little Garden

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You don’t just have to celebrate love on Valentine’s day. One of my mid-March resolutions (Note: It is obvious that the practice of declaring mid-March resolution hasn’t caught on entirely, but I like being ahead of the curve and I will have proof that I brought it to your attention first!) is to give more love, hugs, kisses, bushels, pecks, etc. to the people I love and who love me! I am so grateful to have the amazing friends and family that I have and they deserve to know that all year long! Other resolutions include bi-monthly Ayurvedic cleanses, finding the perfect wedding gifts for my brother and future sister-in-law and to start my own Reiki healing practice.

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Have you ever thought about what protects our hearts?
Just a cage of rib bones and other various parts.
So it’s fairly simple to cut right through the mess,
And to stop the muscle that makes us confess.

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(Lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson)

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I used to call Sesame Street YaYaz, I’m still not sure why but I think it had to do with how young I was when I started watching it. (I probably couldn’t pronounce Sesame as an 18 month old!) It was my favorite show as a kid a it still holds a significant place in my heart and in the heart of my entire family. My recent online obsession is the Sesame Street gangs’ tweets — they are absolutely hilarious and I really feel like they highlight what is so special about Sesame Street and all of Jim Henson’s creations. The humor used is smart and clever so that adults can truly appreciate it and at the same time the characters are so cute and adorable that kids just fall in love!

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• Big Bird: It’s hard for me to type these tweets. Keyboards aren’t made for those of us with wings.

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• Grover: Today I thought of something very clever to tweet about. This is it.

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• Bert has more than 368 bottle caps in his highly-treasured collection. #sesamefacts

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• Elmo: Someone just told Elmo yesterday was Talk in the Third Person Day. Elmo doesn’t know what that is but it sounds fun. Can Elmo play?

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• Cookie Monster: Me had philosophical moment: what if there no such thing as cookies? What would dat make me? Dis stuff keep me up at night.

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• Big Bird: Maria made me a new cross-stitch pillow for my home. It says “Nest Sweet Nest” on it.

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• Grover: Today I am feeling a bit fuzzy. And a little blue. But then, I am always Fuzzy and Blue!

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• Cookie Monster: Sometimes Moon look like giant cookie. Must look into joining space program.

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• Grover: Did you hear? There is a monster at the end of this Tweet! I am so afraid! But we are almost done and the only monster here is…me!

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  • Grover: Oh, I am so embarrassed!

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It’s March 1st and it’s time to take a look back at the road I set out for back in January. That means it’s time to check in on my progress with my New Year’s resolutions.

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1. Wear high heels
I made it through January, I believe I wore high heels at least 6 out of the 7 days a week. It was great, until the snow started at the end of the month into February. Because of that I have adjusted this resolution, which I was telling myself was to wear high heels EVERYDAY, to attempt to wear high heels whenever possible and appropriate. It really is a great confidence boost and a great workout, especially downtown on those cobblestone streets!

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2. Find a man who buys me flowers
Still working on it. Maybe I should hire some help! Accepting hydrangeas at all times!

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3. Add to my collection of Buddhas
I haven’t added to my collection but I have a few Buddha’s that I am interested in purchasing including this Buddha candle and this adorable fuchsia Buddha pillow.

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4. Concentrate, meditate, negotiate
A huge change has occurred in my life with the discovery of Reiki, the ancient Japanese spiritual healing method. It has renewed my faith that health and happiness is an active, hands-on, extreme sport, not a passive waiting game. I have been sharing Reiki with everyone who is interested and writing a lot about my experience both here on my blog and privately. I think the best lesson I have learned while meditating is the beauty of personal mantras. I share a few more common mantras every so often here and here, but I have come up with a few that really help me center myself when times are tough. I AM A STAR THAT SHINES GRACEFULLY.

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5. Buy a proper vacuum
Done! I didn’t buy it per se, I got another hand-me-down, but much lighter, vacuum from my parents and it works great! In addition to regular vacuuming I also lint brush my new couch, which is white and collects a lot of hair and fuzz, on a weekly basis!

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6. Floss
Still hate it, but doing it everyday and….yeah, it’s just flossing — nothing too fabulous to report here!

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I have a full fledged obsession with Shaun White. I am absolutely, positively in love with him and so excited to see him ride tonight for the gold! In support of my darling Shaun (yes we are on a first name basis) I wanted to share this awesome site from Red Bull about how he prepared for the Olympics. Make sure to watch the halfpipe video!

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I may be all alone here, but I think Valentine’s day is a lot of fun. I don’t use it as a day to be sad if I don’t have that ‘one’ special someone, in fact I do the opposite. I use February 14th as a day to be grateful for all the special someones I have in my life that I love and love me!

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I’ve been tossing around some fun ideas of I want to give people as a token of my affection and appreciation. Even if they aren’t my ‘lovers’ they are the loves of my life and they deserve to know that every single day, but most especially on a day designed for sharing that exact sentiment.

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I was also thinking about how nice it was that teachers made each student give a valentine to each classmate back in grade school, even if they weren’t a friend. I miss that idea. Maybe I will pick up a box of Disney Princess Valentine’s Day cards to share with everyone?!

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I received the miraculous gift of being trained and attuned to practice Reiki Healing yesterday and I am so incredibly humbled and grateful for the experience. The magnificent Lisa Levine trained a group of 5 of us and it was just an amazing day. Here are some highlights:

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1. I can now properly describe what Reiki really is (which is a HUGE relief!)

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2. I can now practice Reiki on myself and others

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3. The universal life energy is forever sealed in me, I will be able to carry this life force, and share it for the rest of my life (and maybe lives to come!?)

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4. Atole, the sweetest, Reiki attuned, dog in the whole world spent much of the day learning with us

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If you are interested in being a guinea pig in my first few weeks of practicing and playing with Reiki energy, please let me know. I would love to set up some appointments and see this baby fly! If you have any questions about Reiki pleasefeel free to ask — I am open to help and share as much as possible about this powerful healing tool and universal life energy!

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I am starting to take a more active approach to my health and happiness. Doctors, some forms of therapy and even my yoga practice has become a more passive experience to becoming healthier and more fulfilled. In an effort to take control I have started going to Lisa Levine, an incredible Reiki master, for both Reiki and breath work. Lisa is helping me unlock my highest self, the person inside all of us that can help us get through the rough times and who shines though during the easy, breezy moments of life. Lisa is also an incredibly talented artist, above is some of her work from her site. You can also buy t-shirts with her art!

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I’m going for Reiki 1 training this weekend so I will be able work on my own healing and begin to share my knowledge with other people. I am so excited!

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Reiki (pronounced Ray-Key) is an ancient laying-on of hands healing technique that uses the life force energy to heal, balancing the subtle energies within our bodies. Reiki addresses physical, emotional, mental and spiritual imbalances. The Reiki practitioner serves as a vessel that supplies healing energies where they are most needed by flowing out of the practitioner’s body through the palms of the hands and sent through to the recipient.

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As part of my new year’s resolutions I decided to try to find a man who will buy me flowers. (Reminder again my favorites are Hydrangea) While flowers aren’t necessarily a grand gesture, there is something about buying flowers that shows a man’s real character. I thought it might sound a little desperate to add to my resolution list “Find a man who knows how to pull off a grand gesture”!

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In the same vein as grand gestures, the “Missed Connections” section of Craigslist has amazed me for years. People who have impromptu run-ins with beautiful women and handsome men share their encounters in hopes of finding their love from the L train, post office, coffee shop or Wollman Rink. And if these passerby stories weren’t cute enough, there is an entire site of illustrations of these tales. Sophie Blackall says, “Every day hundreds of strangers reach out to other strangers on the strength of a glance, a smile or a blue hat. Their messages have the lifespan of a butterfly. I’m trying to pin a few of them down.”

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Maybe I should start shouting out the cuties I see everyday in this crazy city!