If you missed my newsletter email, ‘Love and Courage’, is an edited version of a so-called letter I sent on December 13th. Ultimately this is an expression piece meant to merely be shared and hopefully inspires or reverberates with others.

Good Afternoon and Good Evening or Good Morning World,

If you type ’Tis the Season’ into Google, the auto-populated long tail phrases end with ‘for love’, ‘to be jolly’ and even ‘to be preggers’! Yes, that’s a good one. I know! Sure gave me a laugh. Anyway, love should not be designated to one time of year (my heart of kisses design never really had anything to do with Valentines either) even if this current season can make us all yearn for those warm feelings and picturesque moments of families in movies with this mostly fairy-tale notion of Christmas and the holidays. (I will not deny getting drawn into these stories myself)

Dreaming of these fairy tales won’t quite get any of us anywhere though. On that note, with only two and a half weeks left in 2017, I am focusing on both Love and Courage!

Courage is a term that came up over a conversation recently that hit a chord. I am an emotional and passionate person for sure. I still truly believe in the power of both romantic love, love for life, family, and each other. That aside, I do feel that love is not always enough. Courage to do whatever you know you need to do, to be a better person for those we love including ourselves is vital.

This could hold various meanings for all of us. It could mean deciding that before this year is over you will get the courage to seek guidance that you need in any area of life or to stop holding back things that you have been holding inside. Perhaps you keep attending events that you really don’t enjoy. Well then don’t go. Maybe you have always wanted to go somewhere on New Year’s but you always stay home. Go if you can! Maybe you have heard someone speak about you or someone else in a disrespectful manner but never called them out and voiced your feelings. Speak up!

On another note, perhaps you were lacking the courage to be more persistent and you know you could have tried harder with your pursuits. (I’ll admit that myself.) It can be tough putting oneself out there for any reason. It is a bit intimidating sending these emails. What I realized though, is that while details do matter (yes. especially with shoes! I have not changed there), perfection in life does not get us anywhere. Being scared or fearful does not either.

Either way, we each need to be ourselves. Do not go with the flow if that is not serving you! No. Not everyone will like you. Some will think your crazy and you will not always be welcome everywhere but then that is not the place for you anyway. Create your own space and environment if you feel that calling.

There will be times in life when we feel bad for not having been able to see friends or family and we cannot be friends with everyone. There will be times when people we love and care about may be upset with us for valid reasons, but you have to have the courage to #keepgoing and move along. You can only give what you have inside.

So, while many may not read this whole letter or even open, I hope that the words LOVE and COURAGE set a tone. Light a candle this evening and take a deep breath to tackle these last two and a half weeks of 2017 with more courage. I will try my best as well.

From the heart,

Eileen Marie