I am a collector of phrases. I discover them in books, pick them out of blog articles and stow away the wise words my friends blurt out when I least expect it. I unearth them from their context and carry them into my world. But unlike that collection of figurines gathering dust on your grandma’s shelf, I like to think that this collection offers me something practical: the gift of insight. I see the value in my collection. I can attribute this to two things I believe. I believe in the power of words, and I believe that looking back helps us to better move forward. And for me, there is no better way than through these treasured phrases of mine.

Yeah, sometimes I feel like a pretentious hipster when I scribble down a quote into my Moleskine notebook. I feel like the ultimate cliche. But this would never stop me. The satisfaction I get when I look back on these notes is worth more than a few moments of embarrassment I might feel. When I read over them again, I can weave together a story. I can fill in the blanks between each quote.  For some reason or another, the words I read or heard struck me. They made an impact that speaks to that point in my life.

And if these words hold power, then I like to think that coupled with images their impact is amplified. The pairing creates new connections, and through that, a new perspective.

Who knows, maybe the words I collect will hit you in some way too. I can hope. And if not, hey, at least you can enjoy some images of my beautiful friend Rae. She is a constant inspiration to me as she is wise beyond her years. She is at a positive and exciting point in her life as well. She is pursuing a yoga teacher training and teaches an energizing and meditative yoga infusion class. If you are in the Columbus area, I urge you to check it out! You won’t be disappointed.

Cheers to inspiration and moving forward on your own terms.

Love,

Elizabeth

“If we pay attention to the little nudges, they could be telling us important things and laying the preparatory ground work…It’s simple but it doesn’t come in like the weather channel.”-Evelyn Hartman“To be fully alive is to live unconsciously and instinctively in all directions, as Henry and June do. Idealism is the death of the body and of the imagination. All but freedom, utter freedom, is death.”-Anais Nin “We all have layers of thoughts at once. Action is what matters.”-Ruimeng Zhu