It’s been nearly a year since Gabby Giffords was shot in front of a Tuscan shopping center, and what an astonishing year it has been for her. That she is here to share her story with us is great testament to her passion for survival, to heal, to become whole again and not to let go of all that she loves on this Earth. As her husband Mark Kelly writes in their new book, Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope, “Gabby was always the biggest dreamer. Nothing was going to hold her back.” Including a bullet to the brain.

I gotta say, I am really tired of the expression “in this economy.” “Oh, I can’t possibly focus on new projects, in this economy.” “I can’t start a new art-form, in this economy.” “I don’t think it’s prudent to learn a new craft, in this economy.” “What, join a group of creative women, in this economy?” Blah blah blah and hooey! If money is holding you back from being your creative and unique (dare I say, eccentric) self, it is a flimsy excuse masquerading behind a real reason – perhaps what you really need is more confidence or maybe you need to give yourself permission or maybe you don’t think you can find the time or….

I thought this passage from 365 Health and Happiness Boosters was worth sharing today...

Today is the Day of the Dead, celebrated in Mexico as the time in which all those who have passed on come back and celebrate with the living. In honor of the occasion, take a moment to remember a happy memory of your loved ones who have passed on.

As breast cancer awareness month comes to a close, I wonder again why we’ve allotted just one month to creating awareness on a massive scale for a disease that affects so many women. From celebrity-created short films to specialty products from eyewear manufacturers, the pressure to be "aware" is squeezed into one month and practically crammed down our throats. What happens on November 1? Do we stop being "aware" of breast cancer?

This blog headline was on a bumper sticker I saw near Rye, New Hampshire not too long ago and, man, did it resonate with me. It reminded me of the other popular bumper sticker featuring various religious symbols in a kind of plea, “can’t we all just get along?!”

None of us is perfect and if anyone thinks they are perfect then their thinking is absolutely imperfect!

In all seriousness, if we want to live creatively fulfilled lives, we know some of the steps we take along the way are going to be naive and maybe even hilarious, but we can't let that stop us! Acting on what inspires us is more than half the fun toward the end result, isn't it?

I would never have matched this quote with this source, which says more about me than him -- I sometimes forget people are not always what they appear or what we're meant to believe about them through imagery, and we need to remain open to the possibilities, because nothing is impossible.

"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in a world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it." David Beckham

By the way, this quote was published on a bottle cap, but that makes it no less important.

The outspoken activist and musician passed away in New York City on May 27, 2011. Check out this fine piece about his life and work on AlterNet.

Time is both simple and complex. In its simplest form, we view time by its tick tock tick away from the past and its tick tock tick toward the future, measuring it with watches and clocks, computers and smartphones. We “make time” for each other and give our kids/parents/friends the “time of day” – we plan, we schedule, we arrange, but are we really cognoscente throughout our daily lives what time means? What do we truly understand of the complexities of time and its relationship to the collective or divine consciousness? What is horizontal time? And vertical? What is this time of transition so many ancients prophesized? What if time collapses – how should we maneuver a time of no time?

The answer to that question is no…and yes. You don't have to put your life on the line like some folks do – many of those profiled in Emily Hunter's The Next Eco-Warriors, for example – but if you want a better world for yourself, your kids, and their kids, you do need to take a stand for what you believe in, whatever form that takes – cleaning up the neighborhood beachfront, biking to work one day a week, donating time at the local community garden, etc. Who doesn't believe in a greener planet, a safer home for sharks and whales and turtles (and all the other magnificent creatures in the sea), cleaner energy, an end to clear-cut forestry, and more…in short, a better world? Most everyone you know and everyone they know wants a better world. Today’s your day to help make that happen.