Happy 3rd Birthday Butterfly! We've come a long way baby!

Ascending Butterfly turns three today! It's been three wild years! We started with breathing affirmational meditations daily and have come quite a long way since. It took me a long time to feel comfortable enough to share more pieces of myself and my life on these pages. But now when I read back on my older posts I realize just how far this community has come.
2012 has been a challenging year for me on a personal level, but with the support and wonderful messages from butterflies in this community I've made it through feeling stronger and stronger everyday, so today is just as much about YOU as it ever could be about me. Thanks for sharing in the journey with me. Here's to the next 3 years!
To each and every reader, follower, facebook friend and twitter follower, Thank You.
To each and every brand who has partnered with us, Thank You.
To each and every advertiser, both old and new, Thank You.
To each and every sponsor, be it a giveaway or a blogging conference, Thank You.
To each and every brand who has shown tremendous faith in me and selected me as a Brand Ambassador, Thank You. 
I couldn't have foreseen all the opportunities that have come my way throughout the years, especially the ones that came my way this year. I am certainly filled with gratitude!
To my family and friends who are sometimes part of the story even when they are not always sure they wanted to be, Thank You.

I had no idea a love of butterflies could turn into a community of inspiration seekers, a community of social good and optimism that gives me the strength to move forward on days when I feel I can't. A simple idea, a simple interest coupled with my passion for writing and sharing stories turned into something bigger and better than I ever imagined. ~Ascending Butterfly

Blogging has been exciting and incredibly un-predictable, I have no idea what the next 3 years will bring as Social Media Expands and Changes, but I do look forward to the journey! I do hope the future holds many more Twitter Parties! :)
Cheers Butterflies!

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Today's Words of Inspiration - September 11th!

I want to remind you all to take a moment to pray this weekend for the victims, their families, and for our nation at large. If prayer isn't your thing, send positive energy, send it as an embrace that circles our planet.

I know that on the night of New York City's big 'Fashion Night Out' it would probably be much simpler to write about trends, beauty and wonderful shopping opportunities. Parties, cocktails, hors dourves, super models and Fashion are the topic of the day. But today, my mind is elsewhere, on a topic that is not as popular or upbeat.

The repercussions of that day still and will always loom large. I am a New Yorker, I was born here, raised here and have spent my entire professional career earning my living here. In what has to be by far one of the busiest and most hectic cities on the planet.

As some of you may remember from a previous inspiration, I was offered a job in the towers. Had I accepted that position, this community would never have happened! I can't imagine no Ascending Butterfly. Thankfully, I don't have to. Other families were not so lucky.

No matter what your stance is on War in general, please pray for our troops, this is an especially tense weekend for New York City, for our troops overseas, and for all those who serve the community like Policemen and Women, Fire Fighters, and EMT's who are on call and at the ready this weekend in NYC, just in case.

On that day I was working in a Hospital in Manhattan, while it was not nearest to Ground Zero, we did receive 'casualties'. Casualties. What a weird word that is. Bodies of mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, who went to work and did not make it home. For reasons I still don't quite frankly understand. From Soul to Soul I can only pray for peace, for understanding, for people to STOP hurting each other oddly enough in the name of Peace. Peace is an action, not just a state of mind. It should practiced, not just preached!

I will be taking a moment of prayer and silence this weekend, I hope you will too!

Where were you on that day?

Today's Inspiration? Peace. Think it, Speak It, and put it into practice DAILY!

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Today's Words of Inspiration - From the thorny & Ugly Cactus a Beautiful Flower Had Grown

Yesterday afternoon I took a rare moment to myself to sit in the park, and soon after sitting down a teacher and her class of young students arrived. They walked to the end of the park and amidst the traffic and noise and in the middle of hottest part of the afternoon, I witnessed the class of excited youngsters release butterflies from a big butterfly net into the park. The butterflies rapidly flew straight into the air, and the children all shrieked with delight. Many of them waved in unison and said 'goodbye butterflies!'.   I couldn't help but smile, especially as a few flew by me.

It all reminded me of my life-long fascination with butterflies and what they symbolize for me, (signs of good luck and changes ahead), and how we are arriving very quickly upon the one year 'blog-a-versary' of this site.

My special butterfly encounter yesterday was made all the more special when I read this quote. How true it is that out of the ugly, something beautiful can emerge. This blog began from taking an ugly experience, being downsized, and turning it into something beautiful, an outlet for my frustration and energy that transformed into a community.  A loyal, loving community that has shown a tremendous interest in my 'corner of this universe' that it still simply amazes me each time I receive an email, especially ones about The Today's Words of Inspiration or This Week's Moment of Gratitude. I find it even more amazing when you all write in and share what inspires you daily or something you are grateful for.

I can't believe that soon we will make the one year anniversary on this journey of inspiration and transformation! What inspired you today?

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙