I’m happy and honored for some of my love-themed goodies to be featured at 52 photos project today!!! Yay! Thank you so much, Bella!

I wish to stop and record my profound satisfaction and utter gratitude. I won’t get into the why of it all or the dirty little details (to protect the innocent, of course.) Suffice it to say, this victory of sorts has been a looooooong time coming.

The greatest lesson for me was: if you have a complaint or an injustice, make a request to the appropriate person/people*  instead of random complaining to no one who can improve the situation. In other words, if there is an action within your control, take it rather than fussing and feeling powerless.

Sometimes the decision to take deliberate action has more to do with self-worth or self-forgiveness than we realize. And sometimes we are playing out an old role of victim. Or we are seeing another person as a victim and we allow them to take advantage of us. It’s quite interesting when you look deeper at the problems in your life, especially the ones that really drive you batty.

The next time you are up against a recurring issue, especially one that makes you turn into your version of Incredible Hulk, you might ask yourself: What am I doing to create this? What is this circumstance teaching me? How is allowing _______ to happen keeping me from stepping out of a routine comfort and into a new possibility? Am I somehow punishing myself by making this decision? When you peel away the layers and see your troubles from a deeper perspective, you’ll be amazed what comes up to be healed. I know I’m glad I did.

* with a pre-set positive intention and an open heart. when you expect the best, miracles happen.

Love and blessings,

Tracey

You know that scene in the beginning of Jaws where the woman is swimming at night, laughing and enjoying herself until the great white shark takes a hold of her leg? You see her face of shock and terror as she bobs up and down and helplessly splashes about. Remember that? Well, that’s how I felt a few weeks ago. Mine was a battle to stay the course and to remain afloat, rather than give up and sink under. Except in the film, Jaws yanks her underwater to finish her off and I’m not referring to my own life vs death scenario here. I’m not being that dramatic or literal, of course. However, without provocation, I experienced fierce waves of anger and entitlement, sadness and disappointment, exhaustion and disconnectedness.

During that time, I had to re-decide and re-commit to my highest light and vision. I used my trusty arsenal of tools to wage an archeological dig of sorts to unearth the source of my feelings of unease. Sometimes, we have to grant ourselves permission to feel crappy so that we can deal with the yucks. We have to acknowledge the discomfort, sit with it and ask it what it is trying to teach us. The more we try to deny or ignore or hide from the warning signal, the bigger it becomes and the sharper the teeth.

As a result of listening to my great white and taking conscious action accordingly, I’ve had two major shifts, affording me to become clear, happy and SO grateful again. Now I’m on dry land, soaking up the sun, sipping a fruity cocktail and mapping out my next plan.

May the sharks in your sea reveal the truths you need and may they also be well-fed, toothless and kind.

 Cheers!

]]> http://www.traceyleeduncan.com/2012/01/28/me-versus-jaws/feed/ 0 http://www.traceyleeduncan.com/2012/01/10/word-of-the-year/ http://www.traceyleeduncan.com/2012/01/10/word-of-the-year/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 02:34:58 +0000 Tracey Duncan http://www.traceyleeduncan.com/?p=749 Last year my word of the year was BEGIN and I created this painting. I hung it in my bedroom to remind me what I desired to begin and begin again. It is still there holding the vision for me as the momentum of the 2011 dream has in fact begun.

art for my word of the year 2011

So, I decided to create a piece of art to get me in the spirit of my 2012 word and to help me stay on track through the year.

my 2012 word of the year: FUN!

To make this piece, I used an old Reader’s Digest book (I love those!). Antique shops or your grandma’s house are a great place to find them. They have interesting patterns and delicious colors. Plus, the aged pages serve for terrific vintage-looking art. I glued all of the pages together except the front cover so that I could add more words that speak to me now and words that represent what I want more of in 2012.

I chose FUN (fulfillment+unity+now) is for a number of reasons. I want more fun, I want to see the fun in work and in the pursuit of my dreams, I want to be more fun, and I want to remember that FUN is why we are here on earth. I believe our purposes for living are to have fun, to love to the depth of our being, and to help each other when we can. Plus, by picking FUN, I sneakily added three additional words: (a) F is for Fulfillment – experiencing fulfillment while in pursuit of and when realizing and/or exceeding my current dreams (b) U is for Unity –  feeling connected to my highest spirit and to the ones I love most (c) N is for Now –  being in the now, living my fullest now, laughing now, playing now, knowing I’m complete now and all that I need is here now.

If you haven’t chosen your word of the year yet and would like a little kick-start, I’ve created a worksheet for you. Simply download and fill out at your leisure.  

Word of the Year Tool

Peace!

2012 is a fresh start and I’m super excited about it! I’ve created a video guide and 2011 summary-2012 goal setting tool for YOU, so that you can devise specific goals that are aligned with your dreams.

Your dreams matter. They are important. They are worth it. They are the reason you are here. They are your purpose.

Simply, enter your name and email in the form at the sidebar and click the yay! to submit. You’ll want to print off the worksheet first and fill it out as you watch the video. Be sure to schedule some alone time before you start OR you may need to let others in your home know you don’t want to be disturbed for a little while. I think it’s best to work on your own first and get clear about the results you want, and then discuss your action steps with your friends/loved ones as needed/desired. I’d love to hear how this process goes for you.

I hope 2012 will be your best year yet! Yay!

On the way home from Ma's, I pulled over and took several shots. Love this one, even though I don't love birds so much.

Gee, have I really not recorded anything here about Christmas? Or about the New Year? Or about my latest offering? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that last week I was fighting a cold and had little energy to perform my day job much less the extras (save Thursday night when I was blessed by the video gods. More on that later). My magic tea held the illness off as long as it could I suppose and by Friday night, I had to admit I was officially sick. An uncontrollably drippy nose doesn’t lie. Neither does the yellow-green mucus goo that it turned into on Saturday morning. I can hear the sound of my girls shouting, “Eh, yuck, mama!” I can’t help it. I like to gross people out a little. You should know this now.

insert *happy sigh*

So, let’s back up a bit for a quick summary of Christmas. It was lovely in every single way. I could go on and on about how special it was for me this year. Truly meaningful, the kind where you could cry heavy tears of gratitude at any moment. I loved sharing my girls with Chad. And I loved being a part of his wonderful family’s traditions. The expansive ease and natural flow of this beautiful life we continue to create together is a priceless gift. Doubly so, during the holidays when we feel everything more keenly. Plus, I must have been “nice” because I got just what I wanted.

1,332 pieces! Yikes! I hope I'm lego-skilled enough to master it. I may need reinforcements.

There were other terrific surprises but to move the show along, we’ll cut to—>New Year’s Eve was a blast! Chad, the girls, and I went downtown to Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. His VIP access card came in handy. We walked in, passed a line of folks, and were seated right away.  Sweet. And boy o’ boy the steak and broccoli were yummy even with my diminished taste buds. Did you know they drop a guitar on Beale like they drop a ball on Times Square?

Hard Rock Guitar 2012! Rock on!

 And then we went to a Memphis Tigers game. Here is the only picture I managed to take…

Go Tigers!

I’m so thankful for what 2011 has taught me and the awareness that has unfolded within me. It’s been a huge journey and I’m looking forward to the promise 2012 holds!  May this year be everything your heart yearns for and more! Peace+Love!

Oh and as aforementioned, my latest offering, stay tuned!

Ma's releasings bundle

Natalie's releasings bundle

My releasings bundle

All into the fire…

Jordyn didn’t want to make a bundle, but she participated in the ceremony. The four of us held hands around the fire and declared our intention: to let go of the sadness+loss of the past and welcome in greater joy+abundance. to let go of what no longer serves us and welcome in our highest good. to let go of the shadowy darkness and welcome in the truest light.

Our bundles afire.

It was a powerful and beautiful experience to share with my mom and daughters, three of my very favorite chicks.

My releasings bundle

Inspired by the lovely and soulful visionary Pixie, I’ve created my releasings bundle for the December 22, 2010 Winter Solstice Mother of all Releasings Ceremony. I’ve modified her version of the bundle due in equal parts to my lack in certain materials, my propensity for rebelling against directions, and my delectation in taking creative liberty. So I used black and white fabric, tobacco, organic coffee, organic cinnamon, white sage, 7 slips of paper with limiting beliefs/mind-frames I wish to release, and suede + string to tie it together. Incidentally, it holds a curiously strong, earthy scent.

If you feel so inclined, I encourage you to take some time to write down what you want to eliminate from your life as we prepare for a new year, a new start. Perhaps there are burdensome emotions you’ve carried for too long. Maybe fear has been holding you back from realizing your dreams. Or an unhealthy self-image has kept you fettered to dysfunctional habits for years. Or guilt over something you’ve done has prevented you from feeling worthy of joy, love, or success.

It is time to let it go. That which no longer serves us, it is time to let-it-all-go. I’m ready! Are you?

After you’ve written your releasings down, visit Pixie’s site (if you haven’t already) to find out how to make your own bundle. There will be a world-wide gathering of heart-centered spirits on December 22 in a powerful ceremony for releasing the dark and welcoming the Light.

Watch the video to see what it’s all about. Peace and Love!

Pixie\’s amazing video

Even when I’m grumpy and being short in my responses…

Even when I’m grumpy and saying no to everything…

Even when I’m grumpy and complaining that this has been a long week at 9:00 in the morning on a Tuesday, my sweet, beautiful girls surprise me with the poinsettia! Jordyn paid with her birthday money to boot!

I’m so thankful they chose me to be their mama!

Happy Hump Day!