What's Your Legacy?

It’s the call that no one wants to receive. The one that tells you that someone special to you is gone. Learning of our dear cousin’s unexpected passing this week swiftly brought forth the realization of what is truly most important in the big picture of life.

With a sad heart, I quickly recalled countless occasions spent with her. Summer after summer would bring us together as kids. And, now as adults she lived many miles away, but we’d pick up right where we left off with each visit. I don’t remember the little things like what she wore, what she drove, or how many rings on her fingers. Instead it was her warm smile, her contagious laugh, and her positive attitude that made the lasting impression. Her perspective was incredibly optimistic; she displayed courage and strength whenever faced with an obstacle. She was, and will continue to be an amazing inspiration to all who knew her. Those are the things that will come to mind when we speak her name now and forever.

Take a moment today to conduct a little personal inventory; ask yourself, what is the legacy you want to leave? What are the things that you want to be remembered for? Are you living in alignment with that vision?

And, one more thing…Be sure to tell your family and friends how much they mean to you. Don’t wait; you never know when it could be too late.

Jenny,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” ~Pericles

Calling all Wise Women

Yes, we mean you! From all the fabulous comments you post to our Facebook page, our interactions via Twitter, and our face-to-face interactions at Soulspring Meetings and events far and wide, it’s clear…

You have a lot to say about passion, empowerment, and life in general!

As a matter of fact, as we were reflecting on a particularly inspiring Dove’s Promise sentiment (you know, the ones inside the Dove’s chocolate candy wrappers), we commented on how many of your expressions rival them in terms of wise advice to empower us all.

And that’s when it hit us…A deliciously, wonderful, awesome idea for a one-of-a-kind empowerment project, and we want you to be a part of it!

We’re calling on each of you to submit your bits of wisdom, advice, inspiration, and deep thoughts. They don’t have to be long, 100 words or less would be ideal! Each submission will be immortalized in a professionally designed e-book, which will be made available for download free of charge to any woman who wants one. We envision a bright and colorful resource for encouragement, inspiration, strength, and empowerment, circling the globe via world-wide-web!

Of course you’ll receive credit for your submission, and we’ll include a link to your website’s URL if you’re interested in showcasing your woman-owned business, blog or charity too!

So what are you waiting for? Start spreading the word so your friends can contribute too. Then email your submission to SoulSisters@SoulspringGroups.com today!

We’ll be keeping you posted on the project with regular updates on how the book is coming along, as well as the latest news about the official e-book launch, so stay tuned!

We couldn’t be more excited about this project and the opportunity to share empowering woman’s wisdom with women everywhere, and we look forward to getting your bit of wisdom for the book soon!

Kim,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
“The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Seeing Beauty

I received an invitation to a Photography Exhibit Opening a few weeks back. It came from a photography instructor that I had when I took some photography classes about three years ago. He and three other photographers were combining their creative works for an exhibit on street photography. So I receive this invite and immediately put it out of my mind. After all, I don’t go to exhibit openings, I don’t go to strange parts of Minneapolis at night – you get the point.

The day before the event, I came across the invitation a second time. I read through it again with a more adventurous eye and thought to myself, “why not?!” I set out to find someone to join me (I wasn’t quite adventurous enough to go by myself) and my friend Holly was happy to oblige.

So we headed up to the photography exhibit titled, “Street Scene: Incidents in Real Life”, on Friday evening. To give you a feel for the exhibit, it was described by Tom Arndt as this, “…many anonymous photographers understood that the street was and is the theatre of real life. From simply sitting on the front porch talking about the day's events to political demonstrations against war, poverty, racism and human rights, photographers have witnessed some of the most compel-ling and sometimes touching moments in our collective history.”

Holly and I enjoyed ourselves as we walked through the gallery looking at art that was captured by a photographer seeing the magnificence in everyday life. At one moment I heard the gentleman next to me say something. It was one of those moments where your cluttered thoughts come out through someone else’s mouth perfectly articulated. He said, “It’s amazing the beauty you see in the world when you’re really looking for it.” Wow, how perfect!

I think it’s safe to say that most of us probably don’t see beauty in the simple, everyday moments around us; attendees at a parade, neighbors talking in the front yard, or a woman waiting for the bus. And why don’t we? Perhaps it’s because we’re always in a hurry, or are becoming numb to the same-old-same-old that surrounds us, or are just losing our focus on appreciation and gratitude. Whatever the reason, one thing is for sure: We don’t need to be photographers to see the beauty in the world around us – we just need to always being looking for it. Start today!

Becky,

Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind.” ~Ashley Smith quotes

41 Quarts and Counting...

I love Fall; chilly mornings, falling leaves and of course…canning.

We just canned up another batch of tomatoes – that makes 41 quarts so far, did I mention it was midnight? I can’t help but think there are still more tomatoes in the garden that we’ll have to tend to in a few days. But, that just made me realize that there is no better visual reminder of the old adage - You get back whatever you give, and more!

A little over 3 months ago our garden was planted. Healthy seeds were selected and careful thought went into the location of where to plant certain things. After years and years of going through this same process we’ve learned what works best and stuck to those rules. Our garden was planted just so, with good attention to detail, and high aspirations of what we will see come harvest time.

This is where God steps in and works His magic, giving just the right amount of moisture, heat, and sunlight. And, now from those tiny seeds, lush plants grew. But, God wasn’t done quite yet; He took it one step further and multiplied the reward. From one bean seed you very seldom get only one bean…you may get 10 or 20. From one seed potato you can feed a small family. One pumpkin seed can reap several orange masses the size of a small child. But, I’m puzzled about the zucchini…it seems He likes to multiply those by 100. Why the zucchini?

Watch how this lesson lives out in your own life...Be sure to plant high-quality seeds for your life. Pick many varieties that include your hopes, dreams, gratitude, and goals. Tend to your seeds often with a strong faith to ensure the proper water and sunlight. Your plants will soon be thriving and your life will reap a harvest more plentiful and beautiful than you can imagine.

Jenny,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
“Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.” ~Og Madino