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Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · 3d

The number of things you can care about is directly related to the amount of money and time you have. The more people that can only care about their own circle, the less people there are to fix the bigger problems of the world. Throw the life ring when you can.
#helpfulmess #Overwhelmed

Life ring on a stand at the oceanfront in Acadia National Park

Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · 10d

Daisy loves to go outside, until she’s outside. Sometimes she gets brave and goes to the flower bed but then hides. Is your life like that? You see something that looks wonderful, but you’re afraid to go there, or hide once you’re there? Let yourself shine!
barbaraleighauthor.com/blog/f/scare...

Flower bed of coneflowers and brown-eyed Susans, blue-eyed cat coming out from under the thick green leaves

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Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · 17d

Unlike the leaf, you have the power of choice. You can change the way you spend your life. You can let go of fear and drive out the bugs that are dragging you down. You can decide to live.
#helpfulmess #LoveYourLife #leaf #ChooseToLive

Dead, brown leaf that has been eaten away by bugs and is just an outline connected by leaf veins and little bits of what is left of the leaf blade.

Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · 25d

Just as not everyone sees the beauty in a gourd, you’ll run into people who don’t see your beauty. Some people will try to hollow you out to make you useful to them. You don’t need to prove yourself to anyone. You are a delight.
#helpfulmess #gourds #IAmADelight #HappyFall

gourds of various shapes, colors and sizes on a wooden pallet

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Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Sep 17

If the latest item in the news cycle feels like too much, it’s okay to move past and keep going. If your relationships hinge on how you feel about one news item, it might be time to invest more into your relationships and less into current events.
#helpfulmess

rocky oceanfront with large tan rocks broken up by a strip of dark gray rock, blue sky and ocean in the background

Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Sep 10

Does anyone grieve the coneflowers? Allowing yourself to grieve your life events allows you to move forward with less stress and also gives you practice for the big things like death. Grief acknowledges change and gives it space.

splash of pink coneflowers, past their peak flower, in a pale green meadow

Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Sep 2

When your goal is clear, you tend to choose the fastest route to get there. It’s okay to recalibrate or change your goal based on new information. Just remember to adjust the rest of your map accordingly. Then, carry on!
#helpfulmess #LessIsMore #CarryOn #Goals

close up of calendula flower with bug feeding in the center

Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Aug 28

When told to visualize your happy place, I go with visualizing a calm space where I can picture feeling love, laughter, and contentment. Basically, it looks like this cat living his best life.
#helpfulmess #happyCat #LiveYourBestLife #Relax

Orange cat asleep, sprawled on wood deck boards in the sun, totally relaxed and smiling

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Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Aug 20

Like these flowers, beauty comes when we can let go of the bugs and the weeds and focus on the blooms.

Many calendula flowers in bloom on a sunny day

Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Aug 14

If it makes you mad, you are less likely to see ulterior motives, and more likely to join in the screaming. Anger takes action. Interrupt the cycle and clearly consider if it aligns with what you stand for. You don’t need to act on everything that grabs your attention. #helpfulmess #AskTheQuestions

cat sleeping on bed pillow, under another pillow like a sandwich

Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Aug 6

This is Daisy when I go over the allowed number of brushstrokes, by one. Purr, purr, purr, THE FACE. If you don’t stop at THE FACE, you get THE TEETH. The boundary is drawn, the consequences are communicated clearly, my responsibility is to stop.
#helpfulmess #boundaries #MadCat #communication

Cat face with ears back, clearly not happy

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Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Jul 29

How do you hide? Do you try to blend in? Do you refuse to explore new opportunities and try new things? Do you guard yourself with hate or sarcasm to keep people at a distance? Do you turn those voices in on yourself? Chances are you’re just trying to survive. Choose to thrive!
#helpfulmess #Thrive

Gray treefrog the same color as the sidewalk it sits on, midday with only a slight shadow line to indicate he is there

Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Jul 23

Change of plans! If you’re the pilot, you’re letting the ground team know the change in course. You’re telling your passengers what they can expect. You’re giving information about safety. Do you do these things for yourself when you encounter change?

#helpfulmess #change #contrail #LifeSkills

Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Jul 16

Be aware of the limits you set on yourself so you can consciously choose to chase an occasional wild hare. This little hare generally chooses to hide, but he chose stay this once and watch us walk by. Seize the day!
#helpfulmess #bunny #SeizeTheDay #WildHare

wild rabbit in short grass, ready to run into taller grass behind

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Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Jul 14

Today's moment of wonder.
#helpfulmess #reflections #MomentsOfWonder

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Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Jul 11

Today's moment of wonder
#helpfulmess #MomentOfWonder #cranes

Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Jul 10

Today's moment of wonder.

Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Jul 9

What brings you joy? What makes you feel creative? What brings you a sense of awe and wonder? What makes your muscles relax? Whatever that is, you should probably have more of it in your life. Treat yourself like someone you love.
#helpfulmess #feelSomething #wonder #cranes #LoveYourself

Two sandhill cranes on a lawn, one digging in the lawn for food, one standing straight up

Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Jul 2

There was nothing wrong with being a white Easter lily. But for this lily, being its true self looked different than that. It chose to embrace the changes and see where they led. Stretching who it was allowed it to flourish.
#helpfulmess #flourish #stretch #grow #EmbraceTheChange #lilies

Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Jun 25

I tried moving this snapping turtle off the road but it wouldn’t budge. And then it went. Learning where that boundary between “being responsible for” and “lending a hand” falls is really important for your own sanity. You can only control you.
#helpfulmess #letThem #youControlYou #turtles

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Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Jun 24

My interview with Michael Hingson is now available! We talk about life and building self esteem and how that relates to relationships. youtu.be/U700IuQ02y8
Michael's web site: michaelhingson.com
#UnstoppableMindset #MichaelHingson #helpfulmess

Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Jun 17

When a hornet’s nest appears on your door, get creative! Look for compromise. But be open to evaluating the impact of the situation on your health, life and livelihood. Don’t be afraid to commit to action when you need to. It’s okay to stand up for yourself.
#helpfulmess #StandUpForYourself #action

small, papery, round hornet’s nest with a large queen bald faced hornet crawling on it, all attached to a piece of door corner trim

Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Jun 11

Communication and boundaries can help reel in purpose-driven people, but we need to be careful about the boxes we create, for ourselves and for others. Drawing lines can separate people from purpose. Encouraging purpose opens up innovation and lets us shine.
#helpfulmess #purpose #shineOn #driven

Sun coming out from behind a cloud, glowing up the edge of the cloud.

Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · Jun 4

When you feel trapped, consider what holds you back. Check your own expectations and beliefs and how they limit you. When you feel worthy of love and hope, you can more clearly see what is holding you back and adjust accordingly. Fly, be free!
#helpfulmess #birds #YouAreWorthy #FlyBeFree

small bird perched on larger tree branch, with smaller tree branches crisscrossing around it

Barbara Leigh @barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social · May 27

Like this lighthouse, dealing with toxic substances like lead paint can seem daunting. Our toxic traits or environment make it hard to know what to do. But if we don’t start somewhere, our structure breaks down. Start now. You are worth it.
#helpfulmess #lighthouses #WorkInProgress #YouAreWorthy

Lighthouse surrounded by scaffolding, top to bottom