QUOTE FROM THE HEART
In each issue of Heartsong, I will open with a quote, poem or lyric, which I have found inspiring and uplifting. I hope they will inspire you, as well! To begin this fresh New Year, I invite you to ponder these three magnificent quotes.

"All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them."
~Walt Disney

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."
~Henry David Thoreau

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
~Goethe

A NOTE FROM KIM
Welcome to today's issue of Heartsong! I hope your 2008 is starting out with plenty of joy, peace and prosperity. I'm starting off this exciting year with lots of momentum, and one of my promises to myself, and to you, is that we will journey together to make sure 2008 is a fabulous year for all of us! I'm putting together a number of exciting and inspiring offerings for you, and will be debuting them very soon. It's going to be a really exciting year, so let's enjoy it!

For those of you who were able to listen to my interview with Kimberly Marooney on Soul Connections radio January 16th, I thank you very much, and hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! If you were unable to join us live, you can visit Kimberly's archive:
http://www.internetvoicesradio.com/Arch-Kimberly.htm
and you'll see a link to play our interview directly from the website. If you enjoy it and find the information we shared helpful, please pass the link on to others who you think may enjoy the program! Thanks in advance!

Some of you have inquired if there will be an MP3 of the show available for you to download. Yes, there will! I don't yet have it myself, but as soon as I do, I'll drop a note to let everyone know how to obtain and download that.

Until next time, enjoy the rest of today's issue, and I send you all my love!

Abundant Blessings,
Kim

FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE, WITH LOVE
A lighthouse serves as a beacon of hope in a violent storm. A lighthouse sheds light on our worries and troubles, and brings us joy and peace. Therefore, in each Heartsong issue, I will include an article, which will help to guide you through the dark and troubled times, or lighten and brighten your heart and life in a special way. In today's Lighthouse article, we're exploring the amazing power of a three-letter word.

The Transformational Power of a Three-Letter Word

In early December of 2006, I was reading the newsletter of one of my colleagues. In it, she was discussing a new program she had put together which included interviews with many well-known spiritual and personal growth mentors. As I read about those who would be interviewed, I found myself marveling, as I'd heard of almost all of them, and knew and deeply loved the work of several of these wonderful people. "Wow", I thought, "what an amazing opportunity these people are getting to share their gifts and their knowledge."

I had no sooner had that thought than an almost physically tangible voice said in my ear, "Write her!" I was startled. "What?", I thought. I was sure I had misunderstood this intuitive guidance. "Write her!", I heard again. "You're meant to be a part of this program... allow your own gifts and light to shine!"

I found myself overcome with doubt. My colleague was a renowned author, speaker and teacher. I owned her work! I knew it's quality and how amazing it was. She was well established in her field. And myself? I'd written three ebooks... they were well thought out and were greatly appreciated. But I had only been established for less than two years. I was promoting my services, but was certainly not as well known as my colleague or any of the other people she planned to interview. I felt torn... should I follow my guidance? What was I to do?

It's so easy to let feelings of unworthiness keep us stuck in our limitations and frustrations. Often, it's far simpler to give up rather than to move in a direction in which we're clearly being guided. How often have you found yourself fearing possible success if you take particular action steps? It can be scary to put ourselves out there and really embrace our God-given talents and purposes.

There's great empowerment and transformation to be found in a seemingly simple, three-letter word. And that word is "yes!" Saying yes to stepping bravely and boldly into the unknown, yes to answering Spirit's calling, yes to following our hearts and sharing ourselves with those who could richly benefit from hearing our stories and our wisdom.

Each of us, no matter our path in life, has much we can share with others that would make a profound, positive difference in their lives. Though we often know this on some level, it's another thing entirely to shine our light and open ourselves to others. What if what we have to say isn't well received? And what if it is? How will that transform others? How will it transform us?

Think about this for a moment. How often have you, for instance, heard someone share a powerful experience from his or her own life that has inspired you? And how often after hearing such a powerful message have you thought, "Would anything in my life inspire others as that inspired me?"

We can all be inspirations to one another. You may have a gift for tutoring school kids, or for sewing beautiful garments to light up the faces of those who are blessed to receive them. Maybe you can cook delicious recipes, or perhaps you have the gift of comforting the sick or those near to transition. Or maybe, as has happened in my life so often, you simply say something one day that, without you knowing it, changes someone's life for the better.

Saying yes takes courage. It took a great deal of courage before I plucked up enough nerve to write to my colleague, but oh, am I ever glad I did! I can't even express in words the joy that I've been blessed with from saying yes to that calling. I not only shared a delightful and thought-provoking interview, but I also made a new and wonderful friend in my colleague!

Will you take this important step and choose the power of "yes" in your own life? You very well may transform your life, and the lives of others, in amazing ways you can't even imagine as yet.

In the next Heartsong Lighthouse article, we'll continue this discussion with some helpful steps that make the choice of saying "yes" easier to implement in our lives. Stay tuned!

HOME AND HEARTH
In this section of the newsletter, I will provide tips to help you to bring your own creativity, spirituality and unique talents into your everyday life, and, more specifically, into your home.

Staying Cozy

Here in the US, the winter months are well upon us. On January 17, we got four inches of snow here in western North Carolina, and are expecting more as I write this. Spending time outdoors here brings a flush to the cheeks and chills to the exposed skin. The desire to be cozy and warm is strong within many hearts.

For me, there are two distinct, yet equally important types of coziness. These are what I term "inner cozy" and "outer cozy." "Inner cozy", for me, is all about having people, activities and circumstances in my life, which warm my heart and cause me to feel safe, secure and loved. For me, some of these include a loving family, great friends, the music and beauty of nature, good books, high speed internet (makes life so much easier!), and my diverse music collection. What are some of the things that bring you "inner coziness?" Be thankful for these! There's unimaginable power in gratitude!

As for "outer cozy", I found a terrific resource to help out with that! Affirmagy is a company based in Seattle, Washington, which creates cozy blankets with affirmations on them!
http://www.affirmagy.com/Search.bok?category=wraps&affiliate_no=98

Not only will these wonderful blankets keep you warm, but also with their affirmations, they'll help you to keep what's really important to you at the forefront of your mind. Whether you wish to focus on love, peace or some other wonderful positive emotion, these products can help you to do that. There are also blankets which include Biblical scripture, and others for babies! These are a great resource, and I'm very excited to share them with you. Check them out at this link:
http://www.affirmagy.com/Search.bok?category=wraps&affiliate_no=98

May your life be warm and cozy!

PRAYER FROM THE HEART
Each issue of Heartsong will feature a prayer, either from my own heart, one which I hold dear in my own life, or one suggested to me by others. I hope they will speak to your spirit, as well.

"Oh, Lord, I thank you for the privilege and gift
of living in a world filled with beauty and excitement and variety."

"I thank you for the gift of loving and being loved,
for the friendliness and understanding and beauty of the animals on the farm and in the forest and marshes, for the green of the trees, the sound of the waterfall, the darting beauty of the trout in the
brook."

"I thank you for the delights of music and children,
of other people's thoughts and conversation
and their books to read by the fireside or
in bed with the rain falling on the roof
or the snow blowing past outside the window."

Louis Bromfield

HEARTSONG REFLECTION
Until our next issue, think about what you can say a joyful "yes" to in your life? What amazing opportunities may await you if you only say "yes" to them?

Love, Light and Blessings,
Kim

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Heartsong is a biweekly publication, and is published on the first and third Sunday of each month. All content is copyright Kim Loftis, unless otherwise indicated.

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Thank you for being a Heartsong subscriber! Please tell your friends, family, and anyone whom you feel would be interested, about Heartsong. They can subscribe right on the "newsletter" page of my site.  http://www.kimloftis.com/news/news.htm  It's quick and easy, and it's free to join.

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Feel free to pass this newsletter on to others, as long as nothing is altered and all notices are kept in tact. If you would like to reprint any individual articles from Heartsong, please email me. Thanks!

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Have any questions or comments about this issue, or about Heartsong in general? If so, please don't hesitate to email me. Kim@KimLoftis.com   And who knows? Your questions may inspire an article for an upcoming issue! Your questions and comments help me to make Heartsong as engaging, fun and inspiring as possible, and I thank you in advance!

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For compassionate, personalized spiritual healing and coaching services straight from my heart, please visit my website: http://www.kimloftis.com

I would be honored to serve you today!

Until the next issue of Heartsong, let your heart sing, and I send you all my love!

Kim Loftis
828-675-9859
Kim@KimLoftis.com
http://www.kimloftis.com

 

I, Kimberly Louise Loftis, am not a doctor, psychotherapist or psychiatrist. I do not give financial, legal, psychological or medical advice. I do not diagnose medical or psychological conditions, and will not prescribe medication to my clients. My services may serve as a complement to, but are in no way a substitute for, psychotherapy or medical advice. My clients are solely responsible for how they choose to use any information they gain from our sessions together.