Community or Competition?

The imagined sense of being a separate ‘I’ is the source of all problems. -John Wheeler

The belief that we are all separate beings trying to survive the game of life, is a very deep-rooted belief for many. When beliefs have grown deep roots inside of us, it may be difficult for us to even detect their presence.  We simply end up living lives that are far less fulfilling than we know they should be.

There are a lot of ways that seeing ourselves as separate from one another manifests in our lives.  This well marketed idea that I am me and you are you, often keeps us from giving and receiving the love and support that we all deserve to get from one another. When we feel separate, it is a fearful thing to support another’s dreams because we feel as though that energy could be placed on our own goals and dreams. We don’t understand that as we give, time, energy, money, etc., it causes these same resources to expand in our own lives. When I was studying and practicing Nichiren Buddhism, I was told that “when you give, you’re only giving to yourself anyway”.

In those rare moments that I can embrace the idea, or should I say embrace the truth, that we are all expressions of the same Artist, it is a sensation that is hard to put into words. It is a feeling of total safety and love, because in that rare, and often fleeting moment, I understand that the truth is, that nothing can ever truly be taken away from me or you, but that all is given and received by the Artist and then translated into all these amazing paintings, called You and I.

We can transfer this truth into our business lives as well. We are beginning to see that it is now necessary to reach out to our fellow entrepreneurs and offer our talents and skills as we utilize theirs. It helps to expand both businesses.

The word “competition” is a process that is used to eliminate, often until the race gets down to just one winner, while the word “community” helps us to visualize groups of people living together to assist in the growth and nourishment of all. There is no reason why we cannot incorporate the John Wheeler saying, “The imagined sense of being a separate ‘I’ is the source of all problems” into every aspect of our lives.

As we live and do business on the new earth, let us be open to viewing it all from new perspectives and seeing life not only through our individual lenses but through the glasses of our neighbors as well.

Twist Radio Goes Healthy and Free!

One of the main purposes of my life is to be a channel or a doorway for healthy, positive, and truthful information. Twist Radio and my show Life With A Twist, is one of the major ways that I am able to fulfill this dream. Through hosting this Blog Talk Radio show, I have had the opportunity to meet, showcase, and interview so many talented and inspiring people from every walk of life. I have learned something from all my guests and have been encouraged by their success and their personal victories. I cannot thank each and every one of them enough for how my life has expanded through knowing them.

Wellness Intuitive Tcha LaPlaca

I now have the opportunity to expand this purpose by creating a new version of Life With A Twist, called Life With A Twist – Healthy ‘n Free. Wellness Intuitive and Quantum Healer Tcha LaPlaca will be joining me once a month as a co-host to discuss mind, body, and spirit health, women’s health solutions, how to heal to be able to live the life we deserve, and much more.

Tcha and I are combining our two shows once a month to have a larger audience so that we can reach more people with what we feel is such valuable and empowering information. Tcha’s show Healthy ‘n Free is also on Blog Talk Radio.

The premier of LWAT – Healthy ‘n Free is October 24th at 4pm eastern. We will keep you updated here about our upcoming topics and discussions.

If you have a health question, feel that you may be suffering from gluten intolerance or other dietary issues, or simply feeling stuck in your life, Tcha will be educating all of us on how to cleanse, heal, and reconnect with our true nature so that we can begin to live the lives we dream of and deserve.

Our original Life With A Twist will remain on the other Sundays of the month at 4pm eastern with various awesome guests, and our Law of Attraction Tools series with my friend, producer, co-host, and Law of Attraction Coach, Gary Bondurant. Both Gary and Tcha are also contributors to this blog with their motivating and enlightening articles.

You can listen to Tcha LaPlaca’s Healthy ‘n Free at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/healthnheart and Gary Bondurant’s Inclusive Universe at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/inclusiveuniverse .

The Twist Radio Family appreciates our readers and listeners and will be offering more special offers and gifts to our audience to show our gratitude for your support and loyalty. Please stay tuned to the blog and our shows for fun and inspiring information.

For L.Kimberly Smith visit:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/twistradio

For Tcha LaPlaca visit:

http://www.womensfreedom.com

Free Gluten Intolerance consultation at http://www.goglutenfree.me

For Law of Attraction Success Coach Gary Bondurant visit:

http://talktogary.wordpress.com

http://inclusiveuniverse.blogspot.com

For private coaching sessions for a better life or career, email Gary at LOAGary@gmail.com

Relaxing Manifestation Meditation

Courtesy of Lilou Mace YouTube

Shaking off the Blahs with Gary Bondurant

How to Shake off the Blahs by Gary Bondurant, Law of Attraction Coach

Gary Bondurant, Law of Attraction Coach

Try this simple action that will easily nudge you closer to the Vortex…

When you’re feeling a little blah, maybe some ennui, when the coffee aint doin it for you find something to Appreciate!

Start with something easy like when I was walking to get my coffee. I thought, well I have 2 strong (and attractive I must say) legs that are getting me to that coffee, go me a nice head of hair (lots of guys my age can’t say that tee hee), well look at that big house and it’s nice trim color, how about that fine looking spring time flower, look at that bird over there, awwww what a cute dog…. get the idea?

By the time I got to the cafe I really wanted to keep walking and appreciating and appreciating myself for appreciating stuff that makes me appreciative. But I stopped in to appreciate some good coffee.

Remember: What you appreciate doesn’t need to be something super fantastic, incredible or even Spectacular Spectacular! You can easily move up the emotional scale with noticing the simple things.

Gary Bondurant

LOAGary@gmail.com for coaching

http://InclusiveUniverse.blogspot.com for more inspiring posts

www.mpbtoday.com/GaryBondurant for business opportunity

Live from L.Kimberly Smith

Most people who know me well, know that I like to write. I have been writing poetry, short stories, and articles, most of my life. I do have a certain passion for writing but I think my deepest passion is simply expressing myself in any creative way possible. For the first time, I am admitting to the world and my friends, that I love to talk, even more than I love to write, although that may be less of a surprise than I think. There is something about verbal expression that ignites the fire within me. Listening to others speak and express themselves is quite intriguing to me as well. Because it’s never just about what someone says, but mainly about how they say it. I am one of those people who pays very close attention to tone and inflections when someone is speaking. The way we say something is far more truthful than the words we specifically use.

Since I’ve just exposed myself to be far more of a professional talker than a writer, I thought it was the perfect time for me to find the new WordPress blog by phone feature. What perfect timing for WordPress to offer such an innovative way of blogging, to their members. You will probably see many more updates from me about my life, my inspirations, and of course, my Twist Radio shows.

I decided to utilize the blog by phone feature to do segments called Live from L. Kimberly Smith! Hopefully they will be as fun and inspiring for you as they will be for me.

Please stay tuned to our new Events/Workshops page where you will find motivational workshops and tele-classes on all sorts of subjects from law of attraction, to group coaching, help for new entrepreneurs and job seekers and much more!

Stay tuned for my new Live from L. Kimberly Smith updates bringing whimsical wisdom to enhance your everyday life!

Cheers!

Embracing Change; Releasing Fear

It’s been awhile since I’ve written a new post, and this time I have  a great excuse. Most of the wonderful people in cyberspace who follow me on Twitter, or are apart of my Blog Talk Radio family, know that I had been making plans to relocate from Philadelphia to South Florida. I was so open and relaxed with sharing this news because I believe that I am surrounded by loving and supportive people. I found out that I was correct in that assumption. Everyone who knew about my relocation adventure, sent me well wishes, comforting words, and called me courageous. I certainly haven’t done anything huge, like go to war, participate in the peace marches of the 60′s, or anything I consider truly courageous, but I have done something, and it’s called embracing change and releasing fear. I am learning to see the beauty of the different seasons of life.

I have wanted to live in a different state for a few years, but like most people, I had commitments to others that left me unable to make that decision. Over the last five years of my life, a lot has changed, not necessarily with my consent, as I like to say. Of course, looking back at it all, it served me well and brought forth my strength and creativity. I learned to look at most things, not all, with a neutral view, not calling it good or bad, it just was. That understanding brought me to a place in my life where I could find the joy and goodness in many circumstances.

Although, I have always been a person who has accepted change as a given, now I can truly say that I embrace change. Acceptance is a great beginning because to accept means that you don’t push against or deny what is happening.  Acceptance means that you are not pushing against the natural tide of your life. That is an amazing and courageous place to be, especially sometimes when you feel like you’re drowning. But what is so powerful to know, is that you can move even further into the experience of embracing change. When you embrace someone, you are not only showing them that in that moment you are accepting them, but you are showing them love, and what a beautiful love to be able to give to yourself and the flow of your own life. Through acceptance and love, you will begin to see all actions and circumstances from a different perspective. This is what allows you to release your fear. You begin to see that no matter what it physically looks like, all is well and you are accepted, supported, loved, and embraced by the Universe.

I am now a South Florida resident and enjoying where my fearlessness and high expectations have led me. I have met the people I expected to meet. They accept me, support me and embrace who I am. The love and acceptance I gave to myself and my life, comes back to me through my experiences. It is a miraculous journey, this life.

I have some new friends that I’ve recently met here in Florida and I’d like to share them with you, because their spirit, energy and talent has made me feel at home.

Allow the changes in your life, even those that seem to be happening without your consent, to bring you to new and exciting places.

The beautiful woman who helped me find my cute little tiny house here in this mystical seaside town of Lake Worth,  Florida, is Joy Freeman. She has so many gifts, I cannot list them all.  Joy truly believes that we can be healed and grow through art forms, such as singing, dancing, and much more. She has opened my world in many ways in a very  short period of time and become a great friend that I adore! Joy can be found at http://www.expressyoursoul.com/ and please make her a friend on Facebook.

Please visit the new blog from Kalimba Love, inspiring and empowering. She is already someone I want to know when I’m old and gray, http://kalimbalove.wordpress.com.  Alicia Pierre’s blog highlights her concept of “collective inspiration” at http://www.aliciapierre.com.  Alicia is brilliant and truly creative and makes me proud to be her friend.

Please follow Kalimba Love on Twitter @kalimba127 and Alicia Pierre on Twitter @AliciaPierre

I met another beautiful spirit who is named Murshida Va. She has introduced me to the mystical, passionate world of  kirtan singing and more than I can write about in this blog post. Her blog is http://murshidava.wordpress.com , please follow her on Twitter @murshidava and she is also on Facebook as Murshida Va. I feel privileged to be in such company.

Listen to internet radio with L. Kimberly Smith on Blog Talk Radio

Wishing much love, courage, acceptance, and fearlessnes to all my readers and friends.

Kim

Great Deals and Tips for Economical Spring and Summer Fun!

My friends know that I adore living my Champagne life, on a beer budget, that is. So I decided that it’s time to share some of the great deals to be found on the internet these days. Don’t allow a not-so-fun economy to keep you down. There are always ways to enjoy yourself in this life, and I am here to help you find them. Many times with some imagination, inspiration, and a bit of abundant thinking, we can find many economical creative ways to add some spice to life.

One of my latest finds is www.LivingSocial.com. A friend sent me the link to this site and they offer amazing deals in quite a few cities across the U.S. Today, if you’re in Washington, DC, you can enjoy a fabulous Indian meal at Indique, worth $50, for a mere $25. Bostonians can go to the matinee of the New England String Ensemble orchestra on April 17th for $12, normally a $25 ticket value. So there’s no excuse why you can’t take that cute girl from the coffee shop on a really classy date! So rush on over to Living Social’s website and grab a deal before it’s too late. The website is a lot of fun because these deals have a deadline. So hey guy, you have 15 minutes left to go grab that orchestra coupon before you have to sit at home alone on another Saturday night.

If you are in a city that celebrates First Fridays, which is literally, held on the first Friday of each month, you can find fun great deals on that day and usually throughout the weekend. First Fridays are normally celebrated with art galleries opening their doors and offering wine, cheese and crackers and free events. Many times an artist is featured for that weekend and you actually get to mingle with them while eating free snacks and wine. What could be better on a Friday night?, that’s legal anyway. So Google your city for First Friday celebrations, and see what type of fun your city may be offering.

Nothing makes me think of the social summer season like serving up some food and cocktails. But at Breaking Dishes we like to add a little twist to everything. So my pal Julian, owner of JG Events specializes in creating customized cocktail recipes for your business, your event, or celebration, or, what the heck, he can create one with just your name on it! You’re fabulous, why not? Listen, anyone can buy a cool pair of designer sunglasses, but who amongst your crew has a cocktail named after them? The regular price range of a customized signature cocktail is from $50-$75, but if you mention Breaking Dishes, Julian will create something awesomely delicious just for you for as little as $30. So, hey you with the $400 smartphone, stand out in the crowd for a change and get your own cocktail named after you! Email JG@JGEventsOnline.com

Eat. Drink. Save Money. Thats the slogan for www.restaurant.com offering amazingly delicious deals through discounted gift certificates to many of your favorite dining spots. If you’re lucky enough to be in Miami Beach this weekend, you can eat at Grazie Italian Cuisine with a $10 gift certificate worth $25. At that price, you can purchase two and have an even better time! And just a little tip; if money is a bit scarce, you don’t always need to indulge in a full meal. Sit at the bar, order an appetizer, or two at happy hour prices, get a nice cocktail and enjoy the scenery.

I have also decided to include some other Champagne-girl-on-a-beer-budget tips for having fun, not just in the summer but throughout the seasons. I hope you try some of them and find out that you don’t have to break the bank or break into a bank, to have fun.

* When you throw a cocktail party, you don’t need to buy a whole bar’s worth of liquors and wines. It is much more fun plus economical to create a theme. Choose one cocktail that suits your decor and your theme, buy some moderately priced wine, a couple reds, a couple white wines, or make a huge bowl of sparkling wine punch. Your friends will find you to be way creative and you will have a classy sassy themed party for less money!

* Remember to explore the area you live in. Imagine yourself as a tourist one weekend and open your mind to the many things there are to see, right in your home town. Pack a small picnic from home and visit the park or the beach. Take a magazine or a really cool friend. Be a picnic team, so you both will bring your own lunchmeats, cheeses, and crackers from home. There are some good things in life that are still free.

* Get together with a group of friends and acquaintances and have everyone bring one bottle of wine, for a group wine tasting. Ask everyone to bring an appetizer and you’ll be surprised how far 8 bottles of wine and 8 homemade dishes will go. I’ve done this type of gathering many times and it is tons of fun with no stress on the purse.

So ultimately, if you open your mind and become creative, you can find many ways to add a little twist to your life without stretching your budget.

Cheers!

****photo courtesy of http://www.1avatars.com/icon-avatar/Food/

**** I have no affiliation with any of the businesses mentioned above except for the fact that I enjoy what they have to offer.

The New Way Of Doing Business

I truly believe in the ascension of the planet, not that the planet needs my belief in its ascension. But because I do resonate with the reality that the planet is changing and so are we, I believe that the way we do business needs to change. When I was growing up, the word business was synonymous with competition. I never thought I was made to be a business person because of that thinking, because I am not naturally competitive. Winning or losing means nothing to me. They have always been just words. I have always aspired to enjoy myself. I never needed the gold medal, as long as the race was fun.

I am not saying that having an edge can’t be a healthy thing. We need to feel motivated and energized before we can feel successful. I am motivated and energized by working with others and appreciating others’ talents and gifts. In this new age we are now moving into, that C word competition is quickly being replaced by other C words, like collaboration and community. I am seeking to build a collaborative community of entrepreneurs who want to bring their gifts to the table for the sharing. We are all unique in what we do. Even businesses of the same nature, do things differently and can therefore, offer something new and fresh to each other.

This is what my Twist Radio family represents. It is a family of people who support and enjoy each other’s work. We support each other’s creative endeavors and through this support, we help each other grow more productive and more prosperous. We are gathering together to help promote each other and expand our purpose as a whole. We can reach more people when we help each other. The theme song to my podcast, Life With A Twist, starts off with the saying, ‘we are all angels with only one wing. The only way we can fly is to embrace one another’. This is the new way of doing business. Everyone always says that they want out of the rat race. You can get out of the rat race, just excuse yourself and move on. The human race is far more rewarding and filled with joy.

Let us move into a space where we can look at each other with admiration and kinship, knowing that your success is my success. This is the only way this global community we call planet Earth is going to thrive. The earth, I believe, will always find a way to survive, but we are now wanting more than just survival, or we should. We should want to join in this coming together, this forming of unions of human beings who are not all trying to beat each other to the finish line. Instead, we choose to do business with an attitude of appreciation and support.

The way we do business now should reflect how we want to live our lives, for I am not trying to beat my brother to the dinner table, instead, I am calling him to come join me.

*photo courtesy of http://www.1avatars.com

Twist Radio: Totally Shameless Promotions

It raises my positive vibrations to celebrate others. It’s really pretty selfish because I am aware that the Law of Attraction responds to my emotions and the better I can make myself feel, the better and more joyful my manifestations are.

So I decided to take a moment to write a post that embodies the meaning of why I created Breaking Dishes blog and my Blog Talk Radio show, Life with a Twist, and that is to promote and celebrate the work, lives, and creations of others. I do hope that you utilize this post to appreciate others and therefore raise your positive vibrations so that you can become the awesome creator of your own reality.

Cheers,

Kimberly

For an amazingly healing dose of energy through Reiki, mini podcast meditations, and other alternative creative forms of healing, visit my friend, former acupuncturist, reiki healer, and Law of Attraction expert, Gary Bondurant at http://inclusiveuniverse.blogspot.com, http://www.cinchcast.com/LOAGary or email him for sessions at loagary@gmail.com.

You can follow Gary’s insights on Twitter @GaryBondurant

To book a professional bartender, live band, or request a signature cocktail for your next event, visit my Blog Talk Radio co-host and mixologist/event planner extraordinaire Julian Green at http://JGEventsOnline.com, or email JG@JGEventsOnline.com

You can follow Julian on Twitter @Juliansplanet

For a customized poem as a gift for that special someone or that special occasion, and to read beautiful poetry that will revitalize and enlighten you at the same time, visit the inspirational poet, Mary McManus at http://www.newworldgreetings.com. Mary gives 20% of all book sales to the Spaulding Rehab Polio Fund.

You can follow Mary on Twitter @gracefullady

If you’d enjoy a beautiful personalized angel card reading from a loving expert who keeps a strong connection with the Divine and her angels, you can email my friend Donyelle through our Twist Radio family at TwistRadioOnline@gmail.com to schedule a session via phone or Yahoo IM.

To pamper the skin in the most extraordinary ways, visit the beautiful Roberta Perry and the Scrubz Body Scrub family at http://www.scrubzbodyscrub.com. Roberta has a special offer until March 31st, 2010, you can get 20% off all Scrubz products on the website but to get the code, you must join the Twist Radio family by listening to our debut Blog Talk Radio show, Life with a Twist, in which Roberta was our first and fabulous guest.

Listen at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/l-kimberly-smith/2010/02/03/life-with-a-twist

You can follow Scrubz Body Scrub on Twitter @ScrubzBody

For spiritual enlightenment in the most joyous of ways, get to know Darien Marshall and Darius Jones, the hosts of Blog Talk Radio’s It’s All About You, and the founders of Darimar Entertainment. Darien and Darius will introduce you to the most amazing wisdom teachers who share their life stories of success and triumph over a variety of life’s challenges. These wisdom teachers offer their knowledge, wisdom and advice to you. This show has featured such highly esteemed guests as Gary Zukav and Byron Katie.

Darien also co-hosts Blog Talk Radio’s City Enlightenment with poet Mary McManus, which shows you that you can achieve spiritual enlightenment among the busy noise of a city environment.

It’s All About You airs each Monday at 3pm eastern time and City Enlightenment airs each Thursday at 6pm eastern time. You can find out more about Darien and Darius and their company Darimar Entertainment at http://www.darimarentertainment.com.

You can follow Darimar Entertainment on Twitter @darimar_ent and you can follow Darien Marshall on Twitter @slimmy38.

For a new favorite thing to do on Sunday nights, check out Ms. Olivia Wilder, a Blog Talk Radio pro, on The Art of Living. This extremely entertaining show is all about the good things in life, food, wine, design and an all-around great time! It is chock full of celeb chefs, fabulous designers, a resident wine expert and the funniest and hungriest chatroom on BTR!

Olivia does other variety shows during the week in which she interviews television, music and movie stars, so check out her archives. You can find The Art of Living each Sunday on Blog Talk Radio at 9pm eastern time, 6pm pacific.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/olivia

You can find Olivia on Twitter @OliviaWilder

If you are seeking good news, Sumaiya Malik, creator of the Good News Gazette, has got some for you. Sumaiya believes that people are ready to hear good news and not just the often disheartening and many times negative news we are inundated with each day. Sumaiya will be our latest guest on my Blog Talk Radio show, Life with a Twist with my co-host Julian Green and she will share with us what gave her the inspiration to embark on such a daring project.

Sumaiya calls her Good News Gazette, “news at the speed of nice!”. I love that so much I wish I had thought of it, anyway, thanks to Sumaiya for bringing us the good news!

Listen to Sumaiya’s journey at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/l-kimberly-smith, Sunday, February 28th at 4pm eastern time.

You can get your “news at the speed of nice” at http://www.goodnewsgazette.net and follow her on Twitter @GoodNewsGazette

If you want to join the Twist Radio family as a guest on the show, as a listener, or you’d like to tell us about an inspiring person, product or service, email us at TwistRadioOnline@gmail.com. Listen live each Sunday at 4pm at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/l-kimberly-smith

Mary McManus: Poets Make the World Go Around

What I adore about the internet, is my exposure to so many different types of people and talents. The internet and the social networks offer all of us an opportunity to travel the world without leaving our computers. Though the internet offers us the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, sometimes we are surprised by the treasures that lie in our own parts of the globe.

Mary McManus is one of those treasures in my life. I met Mary after my friend Gary in Oregon sent a link to me for a Blog Talk Radio show called, It’s All About You, in which Mary is the resident poet. I really resonated with this inspirational show and it was such a big plus, that on every episode they had this woman, this poet, who had such an amazing story combined with such a tender voice.

Since that time, Mary McManus, has become a friend and a muse, inspiring me to continue in my creative pursuits and more importantly, inspiring me to live my entire life to its fullest.

I will be writing more about Mary McManus and her enlightening and inspiring life story on this blog, but for now, I wanted to highlight a poem she wrote for me, her friends Darien Marshall and Darius Jones, and for all of those who realize that you can have fun and still be Divine.

You can reach Mary and enjoy more of her creativity at http://www.newworldgreetings.com and she is the co-host of City Enlightenment on Blog Talk Radio at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/city-enlightenment with Darien Marshall.

Thank you Mary!

You can purchase Mary’s first book New World Greetings on her website. The picture below will take you there! And Mary gives 20% of the proceeds to Spaulding Rehab’s Polio Fund

Click Here for New World Greetings

Happy Hour Gratitude
by Poet Mary McManus

A gathering, a city bar, the sun sets in the sky
Preparing for the evening as dusk is drawing nigh.
Celebrate the day’s events with friends, a glass of wine
Savoring the moments now blessed by love Divine.
In fellowship, the challenges, their purpose now made clear
The joys are shared and multiplied a toast, triumphant cheer.
Happy hour gratitude Spirits overflow
Attentive conversations dreams of future seeds to sow.

Life With A Twist Radio

Hello All, just taking some fun time to share with you all the wonderful new opportunities I'm experiencing with others, and also taking more time to promote great people, products, ideas, and businesses!

I will be doing a regular cinchcast, at least once a week to send updates about my new podcast on Blog Talk Radio called Life with a Twist starting February 3rd at 6pm eastern time, and keeping you up to date on the latest and greatest products and services on the planet!

If you have a business, product, life story, that is positive and that adds a sense of inspiration and joy to others, please contact me at TwistRadioOnline@gmail.com.

You can listen to my latest cinchcast here!! Twist Radio Online
I really appreciate all of you and thanks for visiting me!

Kimberly