My Grandmother’s Potholder Hands

Posted by rebeccainspiresnow

My grandmother had hands like potholders. She could touch anything hot, pull it right out of the oven. When I see something floating in the almost boiling rice water, I stick my fingers in and pull it out. I think about Mama Chelo’s hands. And I think I’m like her.

The fried egg I cooked this morning, over easy, was perfect. My mom taught me that. She never used words to teach me. She just stood in front of the pan. Hers were always sunny side up.

My Aunt Peggy always said if you can read you can cook. I make her sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving. Orange juice, brown sugar, butter. Butter. Butter.

One day I thought I’d own a restaurant turned night club. Now I’m picking something floating in my rice water with my potholder hands.

I know the women in my life all gave me something even if I didn’t see it then. They picked me at one point or another.

My Aunt Connie hugged me with her bottled sexy lady scent and her nicotine and hair spray. She gave me as many maraschino cherries as I wanted in my Shirley Temple.

My cousin Jennifer gave me a pair of black mary jane-like shoes with beige stitching. They had heels like Frankenstein. They were too big and I loved them. I loved running down Connaroe street without shoes and with those shoes, no socks. Just the clomping and my heels coming out and falling back in again.

What I know for sure is that getting picked and watching and running made me feel love. And that made me give love.

And what I know is that the bad stuff made me too. The bad stuff made me learn to plan and anticipate. Find some light even when there’s barely a crack in the dark to show me.

I know you got picked once too. I know you have that cup in your heart filled up by someone that smiled every time they saw you. Or pushed a bowl across the table and told you to eat.

I hope when you feel the darkness, you can remember to dip your finger in that cup and taste the love of being chosen at least once. Then I hope you go out and choose someone so they can fill up their cup too.

With thanks to Benjamin Alire Saenz for writing Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, the most beautifully written, tender book I’ve read in the last twenty years. The book opened up a space in my heart again. I have nineteen pages to go and I don’t want to finish because I don’t want to leave Ari and Dante.

Photo credit: Ellie Seif

Pick Your Powerful Nickname

Posted by rebeccainspiresnow

You can also view the above video directly on YouTube by clicking here.

Did you grow up with a nickname? Did you always wish for one? Or maybe you wish you had a different one? In the 58-second video above, I’m inviting you to think of your very own nickname and live by it. You’d be surprised at what special skills you might acquire if you fully step into a new, or additional identity. You don’t have to tell anyone. My closest friends know me as Sydney for a certain spy character on television. And today, I unveil a new name which results in the sighting of a magical creature.

Pick your own nickname and your power. Keep it a secret or don’t, just step into it!

[Big thanks to my buds at Atlas Stationers for the props and space. Visit atlasstationers.com or the actual store, one of my Chicago faves, at 227 West Lake Street. And gratitude to my talented crew on and off camera!]

Ode to Taylor Street

Posted by rebeccainspiresnow

Listen to me perform this poem by clicking here.

monarch tattoo dances up her calf

lick Mario’s Italian Lemonade

cantaloupe her choice

twist your rubber neck down Taylor

for a marble doughnut glazed with 50 years

of Scafuri fingertips

pop down Loomis

the 157 keens your stop

lean forty-five degrees into Davanti’s Pizza della Terra

Taleggio tangling your tongue

leeks taunting taste buds

shrooms singing ballads

if I could marry you in Vegas

there’d be nothing left but crumbs

It’s time for Chicago’s Festa Italiana August 14-17!

Check out some of my favorite stops:

Davanti Enoteca– 1359 W. Taylor Street

Mario’s Italian Lemonade– 1068 W. Taylor Street

Scafuri Bakery– 1337 W. Taylor Street

Get Your Brave [Bot] On.

Posted by rebeccainspiresnow

Pick one thing!

It’s so hard, but I will try to focus on one tool that stuck with me from last week. I had a life-changing experience at The World Domination Summit (WDS). It’s taking every fiber of my being to share the energy in bits, because there was so much to take home for my mind, heart and soul.

WDS is the brainchild of author Chris Guillebeau. I can’t wait for his latest book, The Happiness of Pursuit, to to be released on September 9. Over the course of ten years, Chris has traveled to every single country in the world. After 9/11, he wanted to “do something.” So in time, he launched the World Domination Summit. He invited people to Portland to answer the question: “How do you live a remarkable life in a conventional world?” With the core values of adventure, service and community, I joined 3,000 people at WDS, now in its fourth year. Chris doesn’t take a salary for the event and though there are a few staff members, the summit wouldn’t exist without the corps of amazing volunteers who truly wanted to be there. I’ve never felt so much love and commitment to service in one room.

I will tell you that as a human vessel, I was moved more than I’ve ever been moved in my life. Don’t I look like I’m about to explode with joy? Dominate the world? I intentionally took plenty of time alone when not in sessions to come down off of the excitement and soul-moving stories and insights. If you like TED Talks, this was like TED on steroids while being surrounded by some of the most kind and interesting people from around the world. I met scientists, software designers, day traders, writers, artists, musicians and world leaders. And when I say world leaders, I mean ordinary people taking small and big steps every day to change the world.

(Photo credit: Armosa Studios)

So here’s my one thing I’ll share today: Gary Hirsh launched Bot Joy to help people feel brave. One eleven-year-old girl with diabetes used her Brave Bot to inject her arm with insulin before every meal. She’s gone through several bots because she rubs them again and again, wearing the paint off. The impetus for this project is based upon Gary’s childhood memories of waking up with nightmares of monsters. His dad encouraged him to draw and name the monsters during their 3:00am kitchen table sessions. Years later, Brave Bots were born. At WDS, Gary asked, “What’s one brave thing you’ve done?” Stop and think about it. Brave things can come in small packages. Your answers might surprise you. He also asked,

What’s one brave thing you want to do, but haven’t?”

One of my favorite answers (from Gary’s friend) was:

“Write a book. What if it sucks? What if I get lost in the middle and can’t find my way out? What if nobody cares? What if it’s not funny? What if it’s not smart? What if it’s not truthful? What if it is? (And which is worse?) What if my mom reads it and makes that pursed-lip face and then has no comment beyond pointing out a grammatical error on page 47?”

Okay folks, so here’s my brave thing I want to do but haven’t:

I am taking some time off from working on my novel, The Amazing Adventures of Selma Calderón, A Globetrotting Magical Mystery of Courage, Food and Friendship. I decided to move publication to 2015. And for the very driven Rebecca, this takes courage. I am choosing to slow down so I can stay healthy while working and enjoying life with family and friends. This is a brave step in staying whole.

Here’s the other brave part: at the top of this post, I’m hanging with my bot. And for the first time, I’ve unveiled the cover of my novel just for you, dear readers! Isn’t it beautiful? I love, love, love it! Alvaro Villanueva of Bookish Design created it.

This makes it real, folks. As if it wasn’t already.

So what’s one brave thing you want to do, but haven’t?

To experience more of Gary Hirsch’s presentation at WDS, click here.

To see my fellow WDSers activating their bots, click here.

To steal Gary’s idea and make your own bot (really, he wants to you to), click here.

Sending you love and bravery, every single day from me and my bot, Olympia. (I just named her that.)

What’s Your Trigger?

Posted by rebeccainspiresnow

I’m writing you while brewing garlic, purple onion, cardamom, ginger, honey and lemon tea. I’ve had a cold for about five days. I’ve tried to figure out how I got sick. Was it that I eased up on green juice? Was it that I started consuming more dairy? Or was it that I missed some vitamins? Didn’t rest enough? Did too much? What did I do?

Um, how about nothing? How about I just caught a cold? And I have to wait it out for days. Rest. Tea. Liquids. Binge reading.

I love reading. I love television too. Lately, I’ve been loading up on so many books at the library. Ripper by Isabel Allende. Five, Six, Seven Nate by Tim Federle. And I finally started a book I own: Daring Greatly, by Brené Brown. I recommend all three books. Crime novel, elementary fiction and a breakthrough book on vulnerability, shame, perfectionism and the courage to connect.

I’m only on page 90, but what I’ve found is that men and women both suffer from shame about not doing enough, being enough, enough, enough.

I once worked for someone with whom I did a subtle dance where I let her push me into working with such intensity that I would have trouble sleeping and perpetually get sick. I let her pull the trigger on my “if I just work hard enough, I can do enough to stay under the radar and not suffer her wrath” button. Hers was a wrath cloaked in disappointment and shame. Let me tell you, if this was a dance on a reality show, I’d win. I know every step. I know how to please and how to anticipate better than the highest ranking general in a war room. I know how to make moves to keep the peace, to my own detriment. (Man, I love mixing metaphors!)

I also know how to blame myself for not doing enough.

Guess what, I am learning to recognize those dance moves and stop. Stop the thoughts that trigger an old script. I am not actually in that movie anymore. I’ve created a life I love. I’ve created a life I deserve. Also known as, “I am worthy of happiness.”

What happens when people, even those you love, trigger an old script? My husband is reading the Brené Brown book as well. He started it when I was binging on elementary fiction. Lately, I’ve been going through a strange emotional regression at home and have fallen back into a weird needy pleasey annoying (my word because it’s even annoying me) behavior. He’s been saying, “I want my Rebecca Villarreal back.” And I’ve been looking at him cross-eyed, confused, saying, “I’m trying! I’m trying!”

I was meditating, doing yoga, exercising, working, being a good mom, trying to be intentional in my marriage. Striving, trying and exhausting myself. (You can see how I’d like to blame myself for being sick?)

Well, here’s the good news. Yesterday, I was reading Brene’s book and watched how shame, disappointment and a scarcity mentality were triggering that pleasing button. Scarcity is about thinking you can never do or be enough–the house isn’t clean enough, your work isn’t good enough, you’re not thin enough, smart enough. When you flip that thinking on its head, you end up with, “I am imperfect and I am enough.” Cool beans because that means you are worth a life full of love. Trust me, you are worthy.

Basically, by slowing down and being sick, I could actually watch things happen in my mind. I watched old thoughts pop up about doing more for my son or my husband, or doing more around the house. I started squinting my eyes and looking sideways at those thoughts and saying, that’s not what’s happening right now. You’re just a thought. Go away. And sometimes, I even laughed at those thoughts.

I told this to my husband yesterday through some snot-filled tears. And even some laughter. I pointed to the intensity of editing my book and making some major decisions about content, timing and release. And what I could humanly do given that I have a full-time job and family and life. I pointed to some childhood scenarios that didn’t exist, yet trained me for certain life sports: pleasing, keeping the peace, anticipating villainous and crazy moves. I have no reason to use those muscles now. So I’m in training, a sort of emotional Olympic training, to use my muscles of courage, connection, vulnerability and enoughness—also know as, IMPERFECTION.

So, dear friends, my tea is ready, I bid you adieu. If you have triggers or are trained in any sports or dances that no longer suit your life, or the life you want to create, I’m sending you a special wish for a new hobby. Connect with someone you trust. Tell that person: I’m choosing to use my courage muscle now. (Be aware that a lot of the fibers that make up that muscle are comprised of fear and that’s okay.)

A toast to you and your new week! Much love in perpetual pajamas,

xo
me

Fatherhood and BMXcellence

Posted by rebeccainspiresnow

How many fathers do you know? How many have found a way to be present for their wives and kids and still pursue their passions?

I bet some fathers can’t even remember their passions. Or sparks remain in the back corners of their hearts filed away with childhood dreams. Meet Kamau Malone. He found his passion. He’s a BMX racer, a dad and a husband who works full time as a software engineer. One of his favorite wins last year was at the legendary South Park track.

I’ve been inspired as I see Kamau’s race pictures appear on social media. We’ve been friends for about 15 years. I remember the day his wife told me he started racing. My mouth hung open because at the time, he had a toddler and she was pregnant with their second child. I experienced two simultaneous thoughts: a respect for his wife for being so supportive and shock that she was so supportive. How was he going to pursue BMX racing, work full time and still be there for her and the kids?

Well, Kamau has done just that for the last six years. I asked him a few questions about how he reignited his passion for BMX racing. I also wanted to know how he balances it with his family responsibilities. Here’s his response:

Back in the eighties, BMX was big. Pro racer Stu Thompson, was a household name. I thought BMX was cool when I saw snippets of it on TV show like Chips and on commercials. And when I found out about BMX Action magazine, I was hooked. Unfortunately, I didn’t have access to a track. By the time I got to about 9th grade, BMX fell out of mind as it was basically inaccessible for me. Fast forward to 2007. Married, with a three year-old daughter, with a new baby on the way, I wondered if BMX racing was still a “thing” and if there were any tracks near our new home. Turns out that BMX racing was still happening, there were tracks nearby, and that a national level race competition was coming to town. I went as a spectator, watched the race, and knew immediately that it was something I had to do. You ever been in a situation or place, and realized that it was where you belonged? That’s what happened to me watching that race. I bought a bike soon after.

As a married father of two it can be difficult to juggle responsibilities with racing. I usually do all of my training – which alternates between going to the gym and sprinting on the bike – after homework is done, and the children go to bed. Some days I get up at 5:30 a.m., get ready for work and take the kids to school, do a full work day, come home, help with homework and chores, put the kids to bed, and then hit the gym at about 9:30. And then do it again the next night. It can be challenging.”

Kamau seems to have found his passion button and he wasn’t afraid to push it. That’s a concept that comes from Start Where You Are, by Chris Gardner. Chris is perhaps best known for the movie based on his book, The Pursuit of Happyness. The “Y” in Happyness is purposeful because it stands for you and your responsibility for your own happiness. I had the pleasure of meeting Chris in March when he spoke about Life Reimagined. He asked the question, “What is that thing that turns you on so much that the sun can’t come up soon enough in the morning because you want to go do your thing?”

He also spoke about how sometimes you have to do the practical first. And that’s exactly what Kamau does when he shapes his schedule around kids, meals and homework. Chris is working on another book focused on a term he created called, “spiritual genetics.” While our physical genetics are determined by parentage and other scientific factors, what defines our spirit? At age five, living with his amazing mother and his abusive, alcoholic stepfather, Chris made the decision to be a great father who was present for his son. When he was 28 years old, even as he was homeless and a single dad, he would not leave his son. And the proof is in the smiling face Chris Gardner Jr. I met him a few weeks ago. I was struck by how he literally emanates happiness. As I walked away, I thought, that man has been loved fiercely his whole life. When I asked Chris Gardner, Jr. about that energy he wrote, “The ability to make everyone around me, insanely happy” [is a factor in his life decisions]. Chris Gardner, the dad, has many achievements and raising his son and daughter have to rank way, way up there.

I asked Kamau’s family what they think and feel about his racing. Here’s what they say:

Son: “He’s really good at it. He wins a lot of trophies.”

Daughter: “I think it’s really cool because he’s able to make new friends, and he’s able to exercise. And, it’s fun and exciting for me and Dad when we ride down the hills and jump.”

Wife: “BMX has been good for Kamau in terms of motivating him to exercise more, eat better, and have a more active lifestyle overall. He started at age 32 and he’s EARNED a respectable place in the sport, which shows that you should never give up on your dreams. The kids will always be able to look at him as a role model for following your heart and working at something until you achieve your goals no matter what.”

Dads, thank you for your service and for your love of family. Remember your passions. They can fit inside the practical parts of your life. It will only make you better as a human, a husband and a father. Happy Father’s Day!

Kamau would like to thank TSS Racing for helping out with the racing effort the past couple years.

Follow these inspiring men on Twitter:

Kamau Malone @bmxsuperfan

Chris Gardner @CEOofHappYness

Chris Gardner, Jr. @ChrisGardnerJr

BMX Photo credits: Sugarcayne.com, Reed Malone Family.

Meet my noisy neighbor, Fear

Posted by rebeccainspiresnow

I’m not exactly sure when she moved in. But I do know fear’s been with me since 5^th grade. That year, the boy who liked me followed me home and punched me in the jaw because I wouldn’t be his girlfriend. Fear’s been that neighbor with the music pounding through the walls in my head when I submitted my first poem for publication. She came to visit me when my son was in the hospital, but she spent the whole time talking about herself. She’s been planting her lawn chair on my property poking at my heart each of the seven times I took a risk on love, until this last try worked out. She stands at my fence with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth yammering away as I expand my novel answering the questions asked by characters eight years ago when I didn’t know them well enough to answer. Or I was just too afraid?

What’s your fear?

Is it your boss? Heights? The dark? Your dream of becoming a writer, singer, chef, CEO, marathon runner, spouse, parent? Or is it just a fear of speaking up?

Fear’s that noisy neighbor inside your head. You might be so used to her voice that you think she’s your imaginary friend.

Fear tells you, “You’re not good enough, smart enough, brave enough…” And then there’s the way she controls others: “They’re going to laugh at you, find out your secret: that you don’t know what you’re doing.” Eckhart Tolle might call that voice your ego–those thoughts that are not real. Those voices are not real. What’s happening in the moment is real.

How much power do you want to give fear?

I’m not going to tell you to laugh in the face of fear. Though sometimes, you have to admit that the conversations with your neighbor, from an objective standpoint, or if they were in a movie, might be funny in a neurotic sort of way. Please know that I’m not referring to the fear when in life-threatening situations. That’s a different kind of fear. But even in those circumstances, I think that humans have the capacity to dig deep.

What about “tragedy”?

I asked Pam Teaney Thomas, the winner of my Birthday Blog Giveaway, about fear. I met her when speaking in South Dakota last year. She’s a remarkable woman, an artist and an activist who works with youth. She has seen her share of fear in the form of two life-threatening situations. Her house, including most of her paintings, burnt down. And she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Here’s what she said:

When I think of the hard times…you find the courage to go through them by those who have walked the path before you and are standing on the other side. They understand your fears, pains and needs. They made it, therefore so can I. The support of my Faith, Family and Friends were huge in pushing through. Each hard time made the next hard time not so hard. You become tempered like steel…Sharper, stronger, and shinier. You recognize that by walking through it there can be a sliver lining if you keep your eyes open to it. Count Your Blessings and Name them One by One and you will see what The Lord hath Done. Truly at the first anniversary of our Fire that is what we did, (it was hard especially for my 17 year old son, but was the best thing we could force ourselves to do). We are now 7 years out and we don’t miss that dinner together each year to celebrate the blessings, not the loss.”

Easy Tools to Deal with Fear

My friends, we can learn from Pam and we can learn from Fear. Here’s what I do now:

Ask for help: I did this when I recently experienced a wave of almost paralyzing fear about publishing my novel. (The closer it becomes to a reality, the more my neighbor wants to keep me company.) I asked some lovely people to hold me up in a bubble of bravery, and that’s what they did, in words, through Facebook posts, with photos, and in thoughts and prayers. I also asked the divine for help. I pulled out all the stops, God, angels, guides, universe, fairies, moon—it made me exercise my vulnerability muscle in a whole new way.
Push the button to walk. I actually walk through my fear like a swamp, because I know there is dry steady land on the other side. Steven Pressfield author of The War of Art, wrote about fear as a good thing. It can be a helpful messenger in showing you how much you want something. So the more frightened you are of taking action, the more you know it’s what you’re called to do. It can sometimes provide you with the adrenaline rush you need to get a task done.
Write. It can be a poem. Or just a scrap of paper that you later rip up or burn over the stove. It can be a journal entry. An email to a friend. Try it. In writing down your fear, you face it differently. It can help you separate from those noisy voices and more objectively decide how much longer you want to pass the time with those thoughts and feelings.

Here’s an excerpt from a poem I wrote last week while swimming in the swamp of fear. One fear had triggered another and another until I was all memories and pain. It’s called: “A New Path.”

Higher self hanging by the tips of angels

feel my fingers slipping

go back to the page

repair one line at a time

fill in the space

between your eyes

there’s a knowledge

in everyone’s heart

and it rests right here

it rests right here

You can buoy your dreams

on a raft of chants, songs

steps on that new path

you wouldn’t have it

brick by brick

heel mark

pebble

rock

the charity of a new day

embrace it before

it’s gone again

So tune out your noisy neighbor when you need to, or shake your booty at her and use her yammering voice to propel you forward. Embrace this new day, my friend, it’s the only one you have right now.

Big hug from my heart to yours,

P.S.: For some other resources on dealing with fear* check out:

Brené Brown: If you just want a 10-minute fix and a chance to laugh, here’s one of my favorite clips from her speech at the World Domination Summit. The ultimate victory over fear is to be able to choose vulnerability, to risk your heart in the face of it. If you’re not familiar with her research, consider watching Brené’s 19-minute TED talks focused on vulnerability and shame. They get at the heart of fear as well. I’ve also just started reading her latest book Daring Greatly and it’s amazing. If you’re already a fan, check out this recent interview with Jonathan Fields of The Good Life Project.
Danielle LaPorte’s Making New Mind Grooves: A Discussion about the Neuropathways that are steering your life. This is a great way to train your brain out of its habits of worry or negativity. She also recently wrote about love and having a gentle heart, yet building a fence around it. You don’t have to let everyone in. That one resonated with me as I balance compassion with self-care.
Hay House World Summit: This is a free online summit that started yesterday. You’ll be able to hear 30+ speakers online on a range of topics. I believe that for $7.00, you’ll have anytime access to 100+ speakers. (Registration fees go to their nonprofit.)

Finally, you can follow Pam Teaney Thomas on Twitter @PamTeaneyThomas

*Items one and two contain an occasional well-placed swear word in case you are sensitive about that. Stick with the content, it’s going to make you feel worlds better.

Say YES today.

Posted by rebeccainspiresnow

I always hold up this day in gratitude for mothers, sisters, cousins, daughters, aunts, friends, everyone who has helped to raise me. I like to say, “It takes a village to raise Rebecca.” People chuckle when I say that, but it’s a fact that learning to ask for help was a monumental achievement for me. This is also a day when I offer a special prayer for those who feel loss or a hole from someone missing: their mother or a child who had an ever so brief life. I have several friends who thought that they would be mothers and in the end, were not. I know that today is also hard for those with rocky relationships with their moms. When they look at Mother’s Day cards, there’s not one in the aisle that can say “thank you” without feeling fake or just simply not a good fit.

Whatever your situation, I wish you a pure moment of joy today. Boys without mothers, I wish for you to look around and remember the women and the men who mothered you through a moment. Women, I hope that you can embrace a memory when someone embraced you.

My life circumstances and choices have meant that I’ve lived away from home since age 18. My mom has done some great long-distance mothering and others have stepped in from time to time. I recall two years ago at the height of winter, I went to church full of sorrow. I sat alone and cried silently. I was so, so sad. And then someone came and sat next to me. She embraced me and told me that it was going to get better. She just kept telling me that I was going to be okay. And I believed her. She was wearing a beige wool turtleneck and I remember turning into her and inhaling her mother smell, a faint mix of wet wool (from my tears) and perfume. I could hear her signature gold bangles clinking together as she rubbed my back and I just let it out, worried that my nose was running all over her nice sweater. That, my friends, was one of my early encounters with Mrs. Virginia Clayton (pictured below today at Mother’s Day mass). She is a matriarch at my church, helps to run the religious education program, runs the kids Easter egg hunt, Christmas party and so much more. She mothered me in that moment and lifted me out of my sorrow. But first, she let me sit in it. May these words envelop any sadness in your heart. Let me lift you and encourage you to say “yes” to today. You are here. You are loved. Happy Mother’s Day. I am grateful that you were born.

Be Your Own Beloved

Posted by rebeccainspiresnow

Let me tell you what’s in store:

You are amazing.

You are beautiful.

You are brilliant.

You are hot.

You are perfect right now.

Did you cringe, back away or deny any of those statements? Try saying it this way:

I am incredible.

I am fantastic.

I am wicked smart.

I am handsome, gorgeous, powerful.

I am loved.

If you are waiting to feel this way until you:

lose weight

find a [better] job

run a race

meet your soul mate

find financial stability

start your business

earn your degree…

I have a solution for you.

Be your own beloved.

What?

Ask Vivienne McMaster. She‘s a wildly talented Canadian photographer full of light. Vivienne is your guide to self-compassion. But wait, this is different. It’s a fun journey through self-portraiture. Selfies, that’s right! It’s not about narcissism, it’s about learning to love all of you. It’s about starting right now to accept you for you.

Imagine what you’ll radiate just walking down the street. Imagine who and what you’ll attract into your life.

You can learn more about Vivienne’s embrace and the creation of Be Your Own Beloved by following her on Instagram and visiting her gorgeous website. I’ve learned so much from her already. She has helped me to just take that step, literally, and embark upon that photo walk to connect with all that is good around me and inside me.

Take a moment to view her video about her own journey down the road to self-compassion. She went through some dark times to find her own bright light. Some of it might sound familiar. And think about signing up for her amazing e-course starting June 1. You can read about the experiences of people who have taken the course.

My friends, please remember this, every minute:

You are

love,

loved.

Why not try on these statements today?

I am love.

I am loved.

I am my own beloved.

YOU DESERVE IT.

Love from my pulsating yes of a heart to yours,

Rebecca

A little extra love note post script: PLEASE FOLLOW ME, BABY AND ASK YOUR BUDS TO FOLLOW TOO!

Please consider sharing this post with friends and following my blog by entering your email in the box at the top. Remember to confirm your subscription in your email box. You’ll hear from me every 7-10 days. Here’s what readers say:

“I really needed to hear that right now.” and “I’m always inspired by your writing. It’s the next best thing to being with you. Thanks for sharing so generously!”

I’m picking the winner of Rebecca’s Birthday Blog Giveaway in the next 24 hours! Click here for more info on my groovy annual gift to an amazing follower. Thank you for following and sharing the inspiration!

My First Time: Two Audio Poems for You

Posted by rebeccainspiresnow

One of the most exciting aspects of blogging is trying new things. There was once a first time that I wrote a poem. Do you remember the first time you rode a bike? How about your first kiss?

I remember my first reading in the mid-90s at Dark Horse Books in Washington, DC. I met one of my best friends that day. And I released a part of my soul. It felt so good to share my art.

In honor of National Poetry Month, I’m broadcasting two poems using SoundCloud. Rochelle Soetan just shared them for the first time on her blog Tuesday Morning Love.

Please take a listen to Jacob’s Bridge, for my son, Providence, Rhode Island

https://soundcloud.com/rebecca-villarreal-author/jacobs-bridge

This poem taught me how I can be present for my son, even when I’m on travel for work. It lightens the guilt (a useless emotion) about leaving and celebrates our ever-present connection through poetry and story.

Please take a listen to Generation Asante, for Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

https://soundcloud.com/rebecca-villarreal-author/generation-asante-a-poem-for

Wangari Maathai is founder of the Green Belt Movement. You can watch an inspiring short film about her here. I first learned about her during my years working at the African Wildlife Foundation. She proves that one person can make a difference every single day. I wrote Generation Asante in gratitude to Dr. Maathai for the air we breathe.

To read Jacob’s Bridge and Generation Asante, please visit Tuesday Morning Love by clicking here.

Asante sana for listening to my first SoundCloud recording!