Photo taken by http://meliabellephotography.com/#real-1

It has been over a year since I’ve had my own place. Living in Los Angeles as a gypsy has been one of the most enlightening times in my life about the value of true friendship and trusting life. The need we have for each other versus things. Finding the inner faith and strength to remain grateful with what I do have instead of focusing on the things I don’t have. Forgiving myself for the choices that led to the situation. Also being at peace with the things I had no control over that led me here. Coming to the knowing that it’s a part of my path and finding gratitude in each step of the way.

So what all have I learned sans home base in Los Angeles?

I NEED OTHERS. PEOPLE NEED PEOPLE. The love and support I’ve gotten from my friends has allowed me to say I’m a gypsy versus just homeless. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found myself in tears knowing that without others I would have been sleeping in my car. Or perhaps heading back to Nebraska leaving all the work and foundation I’ve built here in the last 11 years. Not only that, I have also gotten to really spend quality time with my friends. Which is something hard to come by in Los Angeles, city of Dreams. So many of us are working our asses off to make our dreams come true. We become so busy, it is a challenge to make time for friends. For the past year, I’ve been blessed to share my friendship in such a way that I know without a doubt I am deeply loved and I have a strong LA family.

ALWAYS TRUST that the basic needs we have are always supplied and come to you just as you need them. Which is the true definition of abundance. We live in an abundant universe. When you reach the understanding of what abundance really is, fear of not having something, or not getting something ceases to exist. Because truly at every point when something is NEEDED not wanted, the universe will supply it. This is such an amazing truth, it’s one of those things that literally every time, just at the breaking point where I’m pulling my hair out and gasping for air. The thing I need pops up! Every time I’m in this situation where I’m waiting for a thing I need to arrive I hear that silent voice inside telling me to hold on just a moment longer. Even when my ego brain is ready to jump off the highest cliff. That silent voice is always correct.

GRATITUDE IS MAGIC. It is a powerful force in life. Gratitude intertwines with all of the lessons I’ve learned because it is at the heart of everything that has sustained me. Being grateful for what you have and taking care of it only proves to the universe that you can handle more. Consider your gratitude payment for all that is yours and all that will soon be yours. It’s absolutely amazing that the only job we have really is to remain in our gratitude while the universe supplies our natural order.

LET IT GO. It feels good to let go of things. There is this deep sense of contentment when you reach a point where your possessions mean nothing to you. To see and understand that my value and impact on others has NOTHING to do with my possessions. Be that a home, car, clothes, accessories, etc. Going a bit further to let go of an ideal you had in mind; such as by 34 I should own my own place, I should be making money only at acting instead of hustling around doing what I have to do to make ends meet, I should have a life partner, the list goes on and on… Letting go of those supremely false ideals and holding on to the moment of which you are in. Allows you to see that what you have and where you are is EXACTLY where you are meant to be. Even if it makes no sense to you at all right now.

FAILURE IS FUN. Failure, or societies definition of it is sometimes a huge win in terms of life and the destined character you are to become. Life gets harder and when it does we have the choice to be a victim of it or a hero in it. There are days when our strongest is simply to remain afloat and that is ok. However, when we hold on to faith in all that we believe in even when nothing on the outside tells us we should believe in our dreams…well that is where our real strength is found. I’ve learned to not fear failure, but to see it as a stepping stone to success. The kind of success that no one can take from you. EVER. It is not of financial or physical form. It is of the mind,body and spirit and wherever you go, it remains there with you. Failure makes us warriors, and I mean seriously who doesn’t want to be a warrior?!

IT CAN ALWAYS GET WORSE AND IT WILL ALWAYS GET BETTER. Hold on to the reigns of life tightly. A smooth ride is never promised and yet how sweet it is to walk into those picture perfect days. Where everything goes your way, or even better everything goes far beyond what you expected. The sweetness of these moments are so delicious when you have endured life’s bitter taste. I don’t think I would appreciate my life as much as I do had I not traveled this path. I am also quite sure I would not have seen how much power I truly do have in my life. To make it everything I ever dreamed it could be. We have to go through the fire, to find our hearts desire.

I started writing this a week ago, when I had no idea that I would finally be getting a settlement for a car accident which had a major impact on my living situation. It took the wind out of me. I have worked freelance in LA since I arrived here and it requires me to keep a momentum, that the accident simply took me from. It brought up old trauma, as well as created new. My heart was sad and needed my care, more than anything else. It needed my attention. I chose ME over all things, and it was scary as hell. I am so truly grateful to my friends whom are truly my soul family for getting me through this time. I’ll always be eternally grateful for their love and support. I promise to pay it forward.

This leaves me to one final thought.

We are all ANGELS on earth to someone. We all have a VALUE that is our birthright. It is so very important that we never forget this because there is someone out there who needs you. Don’t ever wonder how precious you are. Don’t underestimate your VALUE just because you don’t think you are at the place where you should be. Just simply TRUST that everything is in it’s exact order. Live, Laugh, Love and remember to have some fun. We all know this quote, “I can’t promise it will be easy, but it will be worth it.”