An Angel on the Other Line

There are days when you know, you just know that God's love is coming through to you despite the static noise that seems to surround you.

As I work through some difficult times in my life these last few weeks, a woman named Donna appeared to help me.  I have never met her in person, she is thousands of miles away, yet over the last week, I feel like we have grown to know each other. 

For all the negativity one woman had given me, Donna trumped all of it.  She took the time to understand what was going on, she took the time to chat even for just a little while.  She took the time to say "how can I help - not - it's just business." 

She took the time to say "I care."  I am not certain of the outcome with the issue that I am discussing with Donna, but what I do know is - she made me feel a little bit better. 

The next time someone needs your help - won't you think twice about your response and perhaps find a way to help them, no matter how small? 

Afterall, we all share this planet, we are all on our own life's journeys - realizing our dreams whatever they maybe.

You never know.  The next time, someone may think that YOU were their Angel on the Other Line!

The Stillness of a Winters Night

The snow blankets the earth.  The street lights illuminate the snow casting shadows on the ground. Barely a car on the road, nor a plane in the sky. Time for quietude.  Time to calm the spirit. Time for peace.  The house is still, just the sound of the dryer can be heard.  Even the cats are nestled amongst the blankets on the couch.

Wintertime. A season for slowing down.  A season for reflecting on all that is important to us.  A season for hibernating into ourselves, discovering who we truly are and what we might want to become.

The quiet invites us to relax, to savor, to feel the warmth of the fire and the embrace of our beloveds arms.

Peace, my friends. With Love,

Kimberley

Prayer

Prayer is sometimes the last thing we do when we feel we are at a crossroads in life. Why is that? Why isn't it the first thing we do? Because we think we can handle it on our own? Because we think we don't need the assistance of a Higher power?

Well.  There has been more times than I can count when I got down on my hands and needs and prayed for guidance, for answers, for help, for the healing of someone I loved, for the right decision to come to me.

Prayer is a very powerful tool.  It says "thank you!" It says "help me." It says "I surrender." It says "please God, please let them live." It says " bring me clarity." And sometimes it says " I don't know how to pray."

I believe God responds to all these prayers in his own way.  The answers can come from a small whisper, a stranger in the street, a phone call from someone you haven't heard from in ten years, but the answers do come.

Trust. Believe. Say Thank You even though you don't "see" what it is you want.  It will come! Perhaps even better than you ever dreamed!

Much love to all of you!

Kimberley

Lasting Change ...

 Five years ago, I began my journey as student of many teachers such as Bob Proctor, Abraham Hicks, James Allen, Wallace Wattles, Napolean Hill, Julia Cameron and Tony Robbins. Each morning I  write my morning pages as Julia Cameron encourged me to do and I read and I read and I read as so many others motivate me to do.  And I listen to you tube videos, DVD's and CD's.  I feed my mind, every day! for at least an hour or two a day. 

And.. it was five years ago my life began to change.

Then  almost two years ago, I embarked on a mission to strengthen my body and feed it differently.

And ... almost two years ago, my life began to change even more. I felt stronger, more confident after having lost more inches than pounds and going down three pant sizes!

Then I chose to study people's lives that inspired me to accomplish my goals. Some of them were the lives of my teachers, others were people I admired from watching them on television  - they truly helped change peoples lives through so many venues that I love.
      * Bob Proctor
      * Oprah
      * Tony Robbins
      * Joanna Penn
      * Danielle Steel
      * Rachael Ray
      * J.K. Rowling

And ... my life began to change even further.

It was during these last five years, that  I decided to take action!

To build the creative life I have always dreamed of having. I started writing my first novel in 2005. I wrote it by hand, yes, with pen and paper! And I wrote - every morning, every weekend, on my vacation days, many nights. 

I took coaching classes to understand how I could help make a difference in others lives even more than I already had. And I wrote and I wrote and attended Stacey London's Style for Hire class in New York City. And I wrote and kept focus on my dream and...

I finished the novel in July 2010! 

The year 2011 had brought so many wonderful opportunities to my life...

I worked with my first paid design client in early 2011.  In the fall of 2011, I helped my first male styling client totally change his look and I saw the smile on his face and his confidence begin to rise! And my soul was happy - I helped changed someones life just by helping them feel good about the way they look!

The spring of 2011 brought me together with an amazing photographer who also loves to create web design. Her name is Erica Eichelkraut, http://www.facebook.com/CityLightsStudio , together  we created www.kimberleybarkernightingale.com, a facebook and twitter page.  My life hasn't been the same since! I am forever grateful to her!

And I began the journey of finding out how best to publish my work. And I continued to write my morning pages and I started the journey of editing. 

In 2012 my vision of being a published author will be realized and my life will have been changed forever.

If I can do it - so can you!   Make the decision today to create lasting change in YOUR life.

The sound of the rain...

The sound of the rain.  

The streetlights illuminate the clear droplets of water dripping down the window pane giving them a bit of sparkle.

The harsh pounding on the rooftop awakens you as the storm comes through in the middle of the night. 

Lighting is seen far off in the distance over the lake waters. 

The daytime thunder claps like a magnificent orchestra instrument while the waters rush through the streets of the town.

A good book, our favorite chair, a warm cup of tea with honey, a blanket over our lap and the softness of the rain takes us to a place of peace and comfort.

The light pit patter of rain hitting the ground quiets the soul into restful meditation.

The sirens far in the distance causes one to pray that all will be well for those in need of assistance.

It's cadence lulls us into sleep.

Inspiration...

Where does it come from?  Its comes as a whisper, a flower seen in the most unusual of places, a smile from a stranger, a picture in a magazine ,an incredible meal you just ate at a newly discovered, out of the way restaurant or the sound of a rainstorm beating against the rooftop.

These daily occurrences invoke the artist within us.  The painter, the chef, the writer, the composer/musician.

When the inspiration comes its much like the German and Swiss painter, Paul Klee states here:

                     Everything vanishes around me, and works are born as if out of the void.
                        Ripe, graphic fruits fall off.  My hand has becme the obedient instrument
                         of remote will.
                                                      

I am blessed to have several friends in my life who inspire me with their creative talents - my friend David in Boston (www.studiotwentysix.com) , who is an amazing musician, architect and he even draws;  a recent acquaintence, Nathan Lyons, who is a chef and has just released his first cookbook Great Food Starts Fresh (check it out at www.chefnathanlyon.com) ;  my friends Jimmy and Dan who own The Cheesecake Place on Sheridan Drive in Amherst, NY - check it out! they make THE BEST cheesecake in town! and if you need a wedding cake - you must look at what they offer!  and my friend Erica Eichelkraut who owns City Lights Studio (http://city-lights-studio.com/).  Her photographic talents are exceptional and she is the woman who helped me get my internet life off the ground by designing my website,facebook and twitter pages.

I encourage all of you to check out their work!  Perhaps they will inspire you to get out the sketch pad, the cutting board, the digital camera and find those things in life that excite you!

Kimberley

Everything is a Present, Alice Herz Sommer

Yesterday morning I was listening to one of my favorite motivational speakers and coach - Tony Robbins.   I find his energy infectious and he always inspires me to dream big and believe that anything is possible! I would love to meet him one day.

One of Tony's blogs has him interviewing a woman who is 108 years old!  She tells her story of how she survived the German concentration camps because of her God given talent as a pianist. I would recommend everyone listen to this conversation between them because Alice is truly someone we should all strive to be like!

Something she said  really struck me, "Everything is a Present."  Think about that..Everything.. Everything... Everything is a Present.  This coming from a woman who lived for two years with her five year old son on a cold, concrete floor with barely any food, clothing, shoes.

I cannot get her out of my mind and in fact, I have listened to this interview over and over again. I have a burning desire to committ her words of wisdom to memory and never,ever forget what she has taught us all.

Please take a few minutes out of your day and listen to Alice and Tony chat about her life.  Here is the link to his Change Your Life Now blog.

http://training.tonyrobbins.com/

Kimberley

Just Coffee

So, I was sitting with a friend for lunch this past weekend and he loves to harrass me about blogging.  He asks me constantly, "what is the point of that anyway?"  "Is it just for people to ramble off their random thoughts?"  I laughed at him as he challenged me to write about coffee.  I thought to myself ok!  Coffee is one of my favorite things in life, why not!

So, this blog is dedicated to you my friend Joe. 

Coffee.  What does it represent to all of us?  To me, it represents a warm, comforting feeling that is my companion as I write my Morning Pages (three free hand pages each morning).  It is the glue that ties friends together as they share their ups and downs of life, even for a brief hour of their busy lives. 

Coffee is the juice that gets you going when your sick children have had you up all night and you have to get to work in the morning.  Coffee, along with Exedrin is a great cure for pounding headaches.

Coffee is that nice, hot drink that sits beside that plate of cinnamon french toast and scrambled eggs.  Its so hot, you can see the heat wafting in the air. 

Coffee is Starbucks, McDonalds, Tim Hortons and Maxwell House - all depending on your taste.  Coffee is a Lattee,  Skinny Mocha, Espresso or just a plain cup of black Maxwell House.

Coffee is a something that warms your insides as you come off of the slopes or a long, hike through the woods as the snow crunches underneath your feet.

What does Coffee represent to you?  Share your thoughts with me -it's fun!

Kimberley

New Years Day 2012

The year 2011 washes away and 2012 Begins A New



I cannot help but continue to look at Paulo Coelho's blog which is where this picture derived from. I have recently discovered this writer and he truly inspires me.  He wakes up my heart and stirs my inner most being to put words to the page.

As I look at this picture my mind and heart want to wash away all of the difficulties of the past year and start anew - as I am sure many of you do.  Yet, I want the happy times to be remembered and cherished. 

So, perhaps there is another perspective here.  Just maybe, the tide is taking them back into the oceans of our memories - to be stored as the times we had the courage to overcome hurdles we didn't think we could jump; the joyous celebrations of milestones that brought us one more step toward realizing our dreams and the peace we felt when that little still voice told us - "All is Well, everything will be ok."

Store the old year away my friends, take the empty canvas and start to paint the year you want to have.  Use the colors of happiness, joy, peace and prosperity - and add some new colors in as well.

Here is to sharing a New Year with all of you,

Kimberley