Auntie Sal's Emporium

Lots of good times ahead. Fall is such a glorious time of year. 💕

Folks let's get together and make some good beats.🪘🤠

"Sometimes the waiting season is just as important as what we are waiting for." Jenna Kutcher

If You Want To CHANGE Your Life In 1 Year, WATCH THIS! | Jenna Kutcher & Jay Shetty - YouTube Music Jay Shetty talks to Jenna Kutcher about her newest book called, How Are You, Really? Sometimes, when people ask us how we are, we tend to lie and just reply,...

"Take this squirrel, for instance. Ulysses. Do I believe he can type poetry? Sure, I do believe it. There is much more beauty in the world if I believe such a thing is possible." ~ Kate DiCamillo

Choosing what we think about really makes a difference to our mental health. It seems so silly that something so simple can have such an impact on our lives.

I have been working to gently redirect myself when the old noggin wants to start going down the "woe is me" trail. There are so many trails with much better views to explore. Those trails are where you will find me. In case you are ever looking. 😉

When I was younger, I wanted instant gratification. The consequences of my actions never mattered. If I had an itch, no matter what kind, it would be scratched at the earliest possible time.

I ended up in relationships, apartments, and many other things that were not my best choices due to needing things right now. I thought I would lose out if I didn't act as soon as the impulse struck. I also didn't want to feel anything that made me uncomfortable.

My desire to cover up my feelings in an immediate way took me down a road of addiction that lasted the majority of my thirties. The thing about he**in is if you don't have it, you get sick. Think about the worst flu you've ever had and know that relief is just a call away. If you keep making that call, you will feel better within a few hours unless it is Easter; they are closed that day.

To break the cycle of addiction, you must be willing to see past the pain you are experiencing. You have to believe there is life on the other side. A life in which you can walk without feeling pain in your bones. A life where you are no longer the best employee some days and the worst on others. A world with sunshine, music, laughter, and happiness coexist.

Looking at the stars when you are in the gutter was the key for me. I was making vision boards without realizing it. I started focusing on how I wanted to feel and what steps were required to get there. I also had to learn to stay calm and focus on the steps ahead.

The life I inhabit today is literally and figuratively miles away from the room I rented in the Bronx. I have learned when things are really rough, and I wanna run. It's the moment I need to stop everything and sit in stillness. I don't want to act while my body is in fight or flight. I have watched myself and so many others destroy their lives by a series of in-the-moment decisions.

When things feel heavy, find some stillness. Listen to the wind. Watch the trees dance, and know everything will unfold in perfect timing.

It's interesting what happens when we begin to see things in a different light. I like to think of myself as open-minded with an above-average skill for reading comprehension. AT least that is what standardized testing always told me.

The thing with humans though is we are not standard. Every one of us is unique and we each see the world through a lens of our own experiences. What is red to me is perhaps orange to you. There are very few absolutes.

Recently, I had a miscommunication with someone in my life. I just could not understand how they could be saying the things they were saying. I mean I was living those experiences as well and what they were talking about from my perspective wasn't happening.

"From my perspective," are the keywords here. It didn't occur to me at the time that anyone could hold a perspective any different than mine. Gotta love that ego. When listening to a person tell you something that is coming from the heart; we must remove ourselves from the narrative. Their feelings are not about us.

Another blow to the ego, the world does not revolve around me. Wow, so many lessons coming into play. Well, fortunately, this evening while speaking with someone they offered me a perspective on what had happened. This time, for whatever reason, I heard things differently. I began to see where the disconnect could have been.

I'm not sure I have it now, or will ever have it all figured out. As a human, probably not, I do know that I am feeling better. I have learned a truly valuable lesson. This one was a bit ouchie.

Why are we so afraid of the unknown? Marketers continually pray upon us offering “guaranteed results” in everything from getting our teeth whitened to finding a life partner. However, the truth is the only things we really know are we have to pay taxes and one day we will die.

A bit grim, perhaps, or gentle reminder to embrace the unknown and live this life to its fullest. I read something this morning that said we could spend 10 hours or 100 hours working on something and have the same result because there are some times things that are just out of our control.

Confusion is not chaos. Chaos exists without purpose; confusion asks us to get curious and explore different options. Chaos is happy to just continue in an unending nihilistic circle of nothing. While confusion could lead us to a path of learning a new skill or perhaps trying a new direction. Confusion is where we find innovation.

Within confusion we learn the power of surrender and embracing all the possibilities. We are no longer tethered to how we have always done things. How we have always done things is what has perhaps led us down this path again.

It is okay to not have all the answers. It’s okay to sometimes take a break from trying to solve all the world’s problems and remember to breathe. Approach life with curiosity and see what happens.

When difficulties arise, don’t run away, lean in. Ask questions, take time out to pause and enjoy the journey. Explore new ideas and most of all, take time to embrace the beautiful gift of life. We spend so much time racing to finish lines that we may miss some beautiful moments along the way. Breathe the moments in my friends and have a most wonderful day.

Several years ago I participated in a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy program. During the program we were taught several ways to remain mindful and tolerate distress. We were also taught the “Mona Lisa smile.” This is a technique that requires you to make a goofy smile even when you don’t feel like it. The idea is by utilizing the muscles that are required to smile it will cause an automatic response in the body and you will be well on the way to actual happiness.

I thought it was a pretty silly idea at the time. Now, I think they just may have known what they were talking about. In life it’s not so much that we sometimes are anxious or sad; it’s about how quickly we recover from those emotions.

So when you are feeling not so great; first address your basic needs and if you are still feeling down do something that brings you joy. For me it’s music and a drive in the sunshine.

I hope you find joy in whatever way you choose today. Love y’all.

During the past several months I have started to pay closer attention to the way I speak to others and myself. I reframed the narratives of my life and what I saw before as losses; I now see as lessons and truly valuable experiences.

When we use words such as “never,” and “always,” we have predetermined the outcome. In doing so we start aligning with the vibration that ensures “always” and “never” remain. In order to live the lives we seek we must first be able to picture ourselves living our dreams, believe we are worthy, and take steps to move ourselves to the frequency of those dreams.

Fire is a powerful transformer. Allow those stories of old to be burned away and spark a new life within you. There is beauty, good, and love in the world. It may be difficult to see some times; the more of us who see it though the faster it will appear.

Love y’all and I hope you make some red hot sparks igniting the life of your dreams.

I’ve been thinking a lot about intention lately. I stopped writing for a couple of weeks to see if I could get to the bottom of why I write and why I publish my writings for others to see.

I love words, my intentions when I write are to utilize language to tell a story and to make sense of my world. I also believe that some stories may resonate with others and perhaps offer a voice to what others may not have found words for yet.

My journey to the heart of my intentions also lead me down a rabbit hole of what intention actually means and why the road to hell is said to be paved with good ones. An intention is just an idea or a plan that one wants to achieve. There is no action behind it until the plan is set in to motion. I can have every intention in the world to eat healthy and exercise more; until I actually fill my fridge with healthy food and take a step off the couch it just stays an idea.

I want this to be a year of action for me. My action plan for Auntie Sal’s is to continue to share writing and ideas. I have dreams of conversations about techniques used to heal trauma and live a happier, healthier life. I will share art and the things that make my heart happy. I’m sure there will also be tales of what I’m learning working in construction, and bits of my journey to self love and acceptance.

I am always happy to share with individuals or groups the steps I’ve taken to make it through compound grief, addiction, and learning to work with mental health issues instead of against them.

There are still several brand new items I have that are really cool I would like to find forever homes for, so if your looking for a gift hit me up and I’ll be happy to show you the awesome bags, trinkets, sunglasses and more I will part with for deep discounts. The past year taught me that I don’t want to go out and continually try to sell goods to people. It’s not what brings me happiness. I want to share ideas, play music, and sing with you.

I would love for y’all to come along on this next journey in life. Let’s put our good intentions into action and see some results. Have a magical weekend.

As you move throughout your day pay attention to your body. Think for a moment about a person you love and how your body feels when you think of them. Embody that feeling as you make decisions and move through your day. When we begin moving from love magically things happen.

One day, perhaps the world will realize, there is enough, we are enough, we are one. 💕

I’ve read it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill. I’m pretty sure during those hours some missteps took place. There are times I have stopped myself from doing things because they weren’t whatever my current version of perfection was.

There are things in this life though that are worth trying and failing a few times. I now understand that in order to do so I may mess up a few times. I am thankful to have learned some valuable lessons and I am more comfortable when I make mistakes.

Wherever you’re at keep going. Things may not be pretty for a bit; it’s alright find the beauty or humor, it’s all part of the journey. Find something you love and do it for fun and the time it takes to be proficient will go by in a flash.

Have fun folks, love y’all, have a wonderful night.

I love words. I love the way we can put them together to create poetry. How a song can transform a situation. I've learned that in my life it's the words I use that determine the day I'm having.

Oftentimes, when things seem icky if I can see the absurdity or humor in the situation it becomes much easier to handle. Studies have shown that regular laughter can add 8 years to our lives.

What we speak our brains believe. Speak the beautiful things you want to manifest. Of course, there are hardships, if we are keep ourselves elevated for the majority of the hours in the day, the few that are difficult won't be as hard to handle.

Speak with intention, love yourself, and laugh with friends often. Have a gorgeous Monday my friends. Love y'all. 💖

For so long I continually questioned the universe and wanted to know what was going to happen. I would often torpedo good things just to be in control of the narrative. These days I am happy to be living day to day. I enjoy waking up early on days I work and lazing around drawing as my partner creates on others.

I have full faith that spirit and the universe have got my back. There is abundance and bounty in this world; enough for me and you.

Keep following your heart; everything is going to unfold in the most beautiful way. Enjoy this gorgeous Sunday and give yourself a hug because you are fabulous.

Love y’all. 💖

A year ago I wrote the words below. It’s amazing what time and effort can do. I am so glad to say I made it through all those consequences and am living a life that is happy. I am no longer afraid.

I had to dive in real deep and look at parts of me that weren’t pretty. I had some conversations that weren’t fun and made some decisions that were difficult at the time. I’m glad I felt the fear and did it anyway.

You can too, I know it’s scary. It’s worth it though. 💖

It’s easy to get bogged down with our “mistakes.” Today I am dealing with consequences of my actions and will be for quite awhile now.

There’s a choice I can make and have made in the past where I disassociate by doom scrolling, using drugs, or day dreaming the problems away. These actions may postpone the inevitable, me having to deal with the financial situation I created by thinking a timeshare in Vegas would be brilliant, a 20 year lease is amazing, and I deserve all the treasures that are on sale at Torrid.

Coming to grips with these actions is difficult. Facing consequences is not going to be easy. There are lots of hard conversations I’m having to have with myself and others. There are hurt feelings, regret, and some anger.

The thing is I can crawl in a hole and decide this is where it ends or I can suck it up and figure out a way to move through this, learn, and grow.

As humans with tricky brains, sometimes these things happen. Learning to have grace for myself has really helped.

My hope for you is that you are also able to look at your “mistakes” without judgement and take steps towards ensuring they are not repeated in the future. As I learn to love myself and no longer crave the validation from others I have faith these lessons will come less frequently.

So, have some coffee, take a deep breath, and let’s go seize this day.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned this year is that if I am going to be truly happy; it is my responsibility to do what aligns with my heart. Spending time in solitude where I am able to hear my inner voice allows me to determine what I want without the distraction of the outside world.

Realizing that what I wanted was simple and didn't require lots of fanfare came as a bit of a shock to my system. For so long I had these visions of a grand estates and flashy cars. However, these things left out the sense of acceptance and warmth I was truly after.

The past few months I have experienced the life I want to live. A life filled with learning new skills, creating art, laughing and making memories with my friends.

My version of the spotlight and yours will probably look completely different. The cool thing about life is we get to decide what dream we want to fulfill and it can be ours alone.

Whatever your goal don't be afraid to go for it. It may be scary and others may not understand; that's okay, go anyway. People who align with you will show up along the way. Take steps in faith and the way will appear.

You've got this my friends. Have a gorgeous Wednesday.