Author: debutont

Quickly step outside of the box, before someone shuts the lid.

Debbie Smalley ( Deb’e)

Sometimes you just have to embrace your inner squirrel & let yourself be free to do whatever you want. I am off this week, looking for nuts.

Go enjoy a moment. Embrace life, be the squirrel!! Burn your schedule and accomplish your goals while having some fun in your life. If you have an hourly job, eat lunch outside, go for a walk before work, take the long way home, have something new for dinner. Take a moment to live.

Happy travels!!

Debbie Smalley (Deb’e)

The nights lead to day, as tomorrow’s lead the way, to our hopes and our dreams in a future yet foreseen.

May we walk brightly on our way, with our heart and minds seeking the beauty in every moment. Grateful for the chance to breath in every minute and bask in the glory of this conscience life, we have been given.

Each day giving way, to an opportunity of choice, a chance for new beginnings and a life lead & built with good intention. May we always reach for the moment and live for those who can’t.

Debbie Smalley (Deb’e)

Good bye to my dear friend Wayne. I will dance in the rain, surf the waves, bask in the sunlight and chase the moon with a smile, knowing your spirits free and feeling blessed to have known you in this life. You will be greatly missed.

https://youtu.be/7Xf-Lesrkuc

If you don’t have a path in life, just make one!!!

I have had my best victories in life, during my hardest times. I have found the greatest things, when I was lost. I refuse to believe that you have to be rich to have things or feel successful. Happiness & success, is the art of taking what you have & turning it into something worth having. Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you. Make them for yourself. Never say never!!!

Just close your eyes and Reach!!! You might grab ahold of something great & smile, life is about the journey, not the destination.

Debbie Smalley (Deb’e)

Sometimes there are road blocks, that try to get in our way. However some roadblocks, are just the excuses we use to explain why we quit or failed.

Sometimes we are weak in life, while other times we are just lazy. Our inner adult is the only one who truly knows, which one we are being.

It’s important that we evaluate ourself in life & recognize, the difference between depressed & lazy.

When your depressed, you feel you can’t.

When your lazy, you just don’t & just won’t.

Sometimes you have to push yourself to, get up, get out & get moving.

There will be plenty of time to sleep, when your dead & You ain’t dead yet. Get up, get moving & REACH!!!

Sometimes you have to kick anxiety in the ass. Get mad, breath through it & TAKE YOUR LIFE BACK. When your body says no to life. Kick it up a notch, drink some water, go for a run, tough it out & do it anyway!!!

mentally consign yourself to refuse failure, today is a new day, process the lessons, learn and move on.

Debbie Smalley (Deb’e)

CH 2 My Life , Building a Dream

It had been 15 years since I had painted, drawn or created anything. No one asked me to quite doing it. I just slowly gave it up, on my own. It was, after all just a little hobby. I felt like it was causing some inner conflicts, in my life. It was really no ones fault. I never really knew what I was going to paint. I would just pick a color, pick a brush & start sweeping the page. After a few minutes I would stand back to see what places, people or things were showing up showing up. Then I would just go with it. I was having fun playing & teaching myself as I went. My Ex wouldn’t understand this. He questioned, why I always ended up painting woman into my work. I had no real explanation, except that I was indeed, female so my energy was probably femine as well. I also knew, if I painted a man. The opposite question would cause a far greater argument, like who it he?? I did not want my painting to cause conflict. I was just having fun, learning how to use the different kind of mediums. Painting & drawing had become new passion. I loved it.

If you are an artist or even a doodler everything is a work in progress. I imagine the observer see’s things far differently, then the artist. They just see the physical work, not what’s in the artists mind or the intention within it.

I am guilty of changing a painting, in the middle or taking it tooo far. I was always trying new things. I would also try to create or recreate a certain look. So I would keep working it & working it until one thing became another, then another and so on.

We lived in a very small, 716 sq ft home. It was a tiny little thing. Until it was dry, my art was for everyone to see. I decided to just quit painting people into my pictures, even if I saw them trying to creep in, I would ignore them. I just painted oceans scenes & places to get away. It was my cheap fun escape, a little mental from the day. When I painted, my heart felt free, to be or do, what ever I wanted.

One day my Ex commented. “Why don’t you just stop? You always keep going & you just end up changing it. It was better before?” Now, it was a fair question, he wasn’t wrong. We didn’t argue about it. Infact, I don’t know if I even responded. I just stared to feel like my painting was something that I no longer wanted to share. It was feeling different. I felt guilty; I was spending too much time on nothing of value. I don’t know, maybe it was, that I began to feel uncertain & self conscious about everything I was doing. It was no longer something that gave me peace. It was no longer fun. So one day, I just put it away.

Some may say, it was my choice to give it up, because it completely was. I did not talk about it. I did not announce I was quiting. I just quietly gave it up. No one ever asked me why I quit. No one brought it up. No one mentioned or noticed that I put everything away in a box and shoved it the closet. Everyone just went about there day.

I never realized how much pain and resentment I boxed up with those dreams. As time passed and no one asked, the seal on the box became stronger & harder to open. Years later, after my Ex & I had split. I took out my brushes & I intentionally surrounded myself with the chance to paint. I wanted so desperately to pick up my brushes again. But I had an emotional block stopping me. I couldn’t do it.

One day, I got gutsy & wanted a change so I took an old canvas painting of an ocean off my wall & with great attitude, I painted the darkest blackest abstract art I had or have ever done. I named it:

“Dancing & Crying”

I realized then that life had broken my heart & crushed my wings. I feared that I may never again paint from the place in my heart, that I once had. My spirit had gotten lost or changed somehow. It was a great moment of realization. I loved my painting, I was strong & I would be ok ….. It was just another lesson in life to learn.. Hearts change & we make sacrifices, that’s life.

Soon the boys were gone… My son and all his couch surfing friends had found lives. They no longer needed a momma.

This was a good thing. It was now time for me!!! It was time to run naked, eat what I want and row the boat just for me. I was free!!!

So here I was, in the middle of this crazy snow storm, painting and praying for answers. Looking for directions to point me the way. Positive energy & faith, had always steered my life safely through, the roughest waters. I always believed that good things can come from “all” situations good or bad. This philosophy, has never let me down.

I believed that I would find the perfect answer, in this perfect storm. The day after I picked up my paintbrushes. I saw a comment from a friend posted on Facebook. It was about his disappointing experience @ an Airbnb. His post peaked my interest. The next day, I saw an ad for Airbnb, so I clicked it to see what it was.

Little did I know, it would be the answer I was praying for. It would be the business I could put in my home. It would be my saving grace. Something I could start for very little money and expand a little at a time. It had everything I was praying for and more.

Air bnb, is world wide company. They had great advertising & an amazing website with search engines, that lead customers right to my home. It just what I needed to launch my dream. Everything I needed was right at my fingertips. All I had to do was build my room, take pictures, write a description & agree to give them 3-5%, for handling everything. The customer paid them and they paid me. It was simple easy and straight forward. They even insured every host with a million dollars in coverage, incase a guest caused damage to my airbnb.

I was on cloud nine. It was a miracle. I actually found away to get paid for doing what I had done my entire life. I would essentially be taking care of people in my home.

My retirement was cashed in. I was ready to build a dream on a penny.

I had no doubts, this was going to be the most amazing adventure, I had ever been on. Without fear I began to build my airbnb website. I just took the idea & jumped without a chute to my dreams!! It was an exhilarating day.

To be cont.

CH3 – My airbnb journey and the sacrifices I made to get there.

Debbie Smalley (Deb’e)

We went on a music chasing adventure & drove up to Stanley Idaho, to see Reckless Kelly play. (Which is why I posted late) We had too much to drink, too little sleep & a whole lot of fun!!

In the morning it was soo beautiful outside. It was snowing like crazy. Across from our cabin there was a river & mountains. As we looked clear up at the top, there was a herd of Elk , just standing on the edge of the cliff looking out over the valley below. It was a magnificent sight.

I thought, there really is no such thing as a lazy deer & if there is, he is just a happy detour for the hungry cougar chasing everyone. It’s get up or get eaten. We are so lucky in life to be blessed with the luxury of choices. Today I chose a cup of coffee & some ibuprofen, then I chose to live!!! Don’t be lazy in life… get up & Reach!!!

Debbie Smalley (Deb’e)

A Life will never be struggle free. Accept that it is hard work, then take control of it & choose what you want to work hard for.

Debbie Smalley (Deb’e)

We must condition ourselves to move forward everyday, come Rain or shine. Don’t allow yourself to Use excuses, hold yourself accountable & push through your day. Move forward, accomplish something to improve yourself or your life.

Ambition is both mental & physical. If we allow ourselves to put things off or make little excuses for not trying. We start bad habits that lead to stagnant behaviors.

Complete or work daily on a tasks. Condition yourself with good habits, to help you to reach your goals.

Debbie Smalley (Deb’e)