. . .

When I am away from this space
For an extended period of time
I feel lost
Out of sorts
Something in my life is missing
There have been  many ideas I have wanted to share
Words swirling through my head
That I begged myself to remember
But of course they have escaped me
So I show up here tonight
Wishing each of you
Love and light
Strength and courage
Laughter and happiness

And a little bit of bubble blowing

Wish Studios delight

Life has a way of weaving magic into the most expecting places.  When it happens your heart fills with joy. A smile shines from your face.  And gratitude overflows from your heart.  This is exactly what happened to me last week. 

An adventure brought me into NYC to see Jonatha Brooke play at Lincoln Center with some inspiring women I met through squam.  (More about this coming soon).  But for some reason that night the universe was holding a delightful surprise up it's sleeve.  Mindy Tsonas from Wish Studios was also there and we got to meet in person.  It was lovely. 

If you haven't stopped by Wish Studios yet I highly recommend you jump on over.  Mindy has created a spaced filled with so much inspiration and life.  Your heart will surely fill up.  It truly reflects how she is in person.  Kindness and smiles swirl around her.  I admire all that she is creating at Wish Studios. 

And today is my lucky day.  Mindy has shared a piece of my writing about navigating how to begin on the Wish Studios site.  Please stop by to check it out.  I am soaring with delight.  My heart is filled with gratitude for the individuals who nudge me to put myself out there and also the individuals who so graciously open up their hands to my words.  Thank you.  

What magic is swirling around in your world today?

 

gently waking

Bright colors filling the sky
As the sun gently begins to rise
I sit there
Alone on the beach
Soaking in the beautiful show

The sky painting its own story
Splashes of oranges and yellows
Sweeping over the grayness of the night

The colors fill up my heart
Evoking emotion
Waking up ideas

The sound of the ocean lulls me into my dream world
Visions appear so vividly
It all feels so real

I am awakened
Ready to reach
Spreading my wings
I take off

laughter at camp

I have been on a whirlwind of adventures these past few weeks
I am finding it hard to put them all into words
My heart is overflowing with joy and love
After being surrounded by so many inspiring and kind individuals

One adventure was traveling down to Tampa Florida
For the NY Yankees Women's Fantasy Camp
I traveled down there again, as a spectator
To cheer on my three aunts and the rest of the Bombers team

If you ever meet these women they will blow you away
They are kind, caring, loving, and have so much fun
They are lead by their incredible coach Homer Bush
Whose smile could brighten up anybodies day

My heart gets blown open seeing them out there on the field
Dressed from head to toe in the NY Yankees uniform
Cheering each other on
Giving it a try
And above all else, having so much fun

This is the second year in a row I have gone to camp
And almost the entire team returned, which is amazing
Laughter filled the air
Smiles were seen every where
Bonds of friendship strengthened
What a beautiful thing to witness

I feel so incredibly blessed

seek

Seek out the beauty that surrounds you
It is their, I promise

a year filled with love

A Year Filled with Love from Jennifer Belthoff on Vimeo.


It is amazing what unfolds
When you choose one word to focus on for the entire year
The adventures that word takes you on
The doors it opens for you
And the beautiful memories that word creates with you

LOVE was my word for 2011
And it is was a year filled with love beyond anything I could have imagined
Dreams came true
Laughter filled the air
Trips were taken
My heart is overflowing with love

LOVE dug deep into me
Pulling things out I never expected
It tested me
Took me to the edge
And forced me to fly

I have so many beautiful memories from the year
It was hard to get them down to ten little minutes
I hope you enjoy taking a journey with me
As I look back on my year filled with LOVE

Thank you

My heart is filled with so much gratitude and love for this community
And all the support, encouragement, and light that it shines
I was hesitant to say my word for 2012 out loud
Even more hesitant to put it in ink
When fear arises I know there is only one thing left to do
Stand boldly in it

So I showed up here
With my heart on my sleeve
Sharing my word, SOAR
And each of you held me gently
Encouraged me and held up the mirror

Tear filled my eyes this morning
As I reflected on the love that is swirling around here
I am grateful, so grateful
For this space
For this opportunity to show and be seen
And for each of you loving souls who show up as well

Thank you for your support
Thank you for your love
Thank you for your kindness
Thank you for Y.O.U.

Words cannot do justice what I am feeling in my heart

My word for 2012

Sometimes my word for the year picks me
Wings arriving in my mailbox
Telling me it is my year to be brave
Other times my word speaks strongly with love
And I am almost to afraid to say it out loud
I don't want to jinx it

This year I had to dig my word out of the ground
It was cultivating there for the past five years
As I gently tended to it with love and encouragement
My word needed time to grow and it did just that
Now it is strong and ready to soak in the sunshine

Five years ago at Squam Arts Workshops I grew my wings
Bravely I stood with them as I learned how to fly
I was engulfed with love and embraced deeply who I am
Now, I am ready to spread those wings and Soar
Reaching for my dreams and making them happen

I no longer want to stand on the ground
My wings have grown strong
They are ready to fly
In fact, they are ready to soar

It sounds kinda strange to see it in print
Almost to bold to put down on paper
But I know to make it happen, I have to say it
So bravely I am putting it out here

This year I am going to SOAR

each of us, adding something

I was never one to be the class clown.  I never yearned for the attention of all eyes on me.  I am quiet and reserved, soaking in everything that is going on around me.  I am an introvert.  An extreme amount of socalizing can tire me out.  I sometimes find small talk difficult to engage in.

In a room full of people this can be difficult to navigate through.  A roller coaster ride of emotions washing over me.  The deamons quietly creep in shouting there dark words, making me feel like I do not fit in, have nothing to offer, am all alone.  These deamons make me fight to see the truth.      

Each of us plays an intregal part in this world.  Our presence in a room alone enhances the feeling of a place.  We all are a part of what is happening.  Each of us feeding off of the other.  The class clowns make the group laugh.  The quite reserved individuals provide strength and stability.  Each of it is necessary for the balance of the situatuion. 

Together we need to ward off those deamons when they try to sneak it.  Because exactly who we are is exaclty who we need to be.  We are never standing alone.  When you are standing with a group of people, even when nothing is said, you are stading together.  There is strength in coming together.  In showing up and bringing yourself to the table.  Each of us adds our own little flavor to the group.  Combined together we create a  beautiful recepie. 

My quiet calmness brings peace to a room.  No words need to be said, the calmness pours out of my spirit.  I am learning how to embrace this.  To understand that this is exaclty what I am meant for.  Being the center of attention makes me uncomfortable.  I do not need to force myself into the spotlight.  I can simple breath deeply, feel the energy, and quietly connect with those around me.  What ingredients do you add to this world recepie?

ready

Standing at the edge of the oceans tide I knew in my heart what I had to do.  I had looked at this same ocean many times over the course of my life, but the sun never shone down on it like this before.  The tides were shifting, gently removing pieces from my heart.  Pulling out the moments I was unable to forgive myself for.  Releasing them into the vast ocean.

As I stood on the edge time slipped away.  The sun rising brilliantly overhead as if to great me and let me know it was all going to be ok.  It was my time to step boldly into life.  Stop apologizing and understating the passions that moved my feet to dance.

The dark pieces of my story were woven with the light.  Creating a beautiful glow of calmness.  Each of these moments were necessary for me to fully exist as I am today.  Gratitude for both fills me up.

The ocean sings me a lullaby.  Graciously taking my fears and heaviness.  I stand with my feet deeply rooted in the sand.  The sun shining brilliantly on my face.   This is my chance to create my one and only life and I am going to do it.  Each day, little by little I will write my story, dance my dance, and show up in this beautiful world ready for the next journey.

new

There is a new path to walk on
A new home to settle into
A new place to begin each morning