a time for peace

Back in the US....S....Respect

Cutting out the pain and suffering from grief, beautiful and transformative lessons emerge from the healing process:

- Nature is the best medicine alongside sincere friendships and laughter

- The pursuit of monetary prosperity is not worth sacrificing health - emotional and physical well-being, nor is it worth diminishing relationships with close friends and family

- LOVE isn't a currency in the sense that it should be traded and negotiated. It should be felt, created, and continuously nurtured.

- Communication takes time and effort within relationships.

- When in "fight or flight" mode (with a few other "f" options coming to mind), it is best to take a deep breathe and assess the long-term effects of the chosen reaction.

#maturity
#love
#forgiveness
#acceptance

update

Celebrating love and life -- 
Forging new and old friendships
Making people smile
Slowing down to appreciate the nature that surrounds

Inspired by the Collective Best in Humanity 

Protecting my gentle spirit
Letting go of pains from the past
Building my inner peace warrior 

while having plenty of fun
and being blessed
in Amsterdam

ALL YOU NEED IS SELF-LOVE

Lovetarianism: to live off of love.

Love fills us up, makes us whole!
It doesn't just come from one other soul!

Love can be shallow; love can be deep.
Love can make us laugh; love can make us weep.

Love is no longer currency;
LOVE IS ELECTRICITY

(so powerful!)

Love is you, love is me.

LOVE IS US. LOVE IS FREE.

(go get a job, hippie)


- E.R.M/E.S.

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My name is Emily Roberson McCoy. Some people call me Sparkles. There were two of us once; I've mourned and (am mostly) recovered from our loss.


I am incredibly inspired in Amsterdam doing all the things that make me happy:

- Learning and practicing sustainability
- Building authentic relationships with beautiful people
- FITNESS, FITNESS, FITNESS - Aerial arts and yoga! Spirit running! Bicycling adventures!
- Making granola
- MORE ART
- Staring at flowers
- being my fabulous professional hippie self.

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Up next: news about my professional path . . .

Losing Words at the Beauty of LIfe

Learning so much through empiricism.

I am an extremely lucky human who is appreciative of every breath and heartbeat my body gives me. 

Photos from Germany/Austria. Crediting the artists, some whose names I do not know. 

(eARTh)

(unknown)

Photo by Augustin

(unknown)

(unknown)

Klimt

MAK Austria

Spirit Running and More...

Returning to Amsterdam, my heart swells with love and appreciation for this quirky Dutch city where I came to start a new life last summer.

I am staying with my friend Sabrina who shares my focus on reducing wastefulness. We prepare healthy meals together and bond over our common passions.

Spirit running, an activity where I run and take photos of what inspires me (sometimes tagging #spiritrun on Instagram), continues to help me thrive.

Last week I stumbled upon a spot called De KasKantine, a temporary establishment built on a construction site:

"We are a community of nomad farmers, chefs, engineers and artists striving for more autonomy in daily life. We turned 6 shipping containers and two greenhouses in one growing, tasting and meeting space with one question on our minds. We are an international community of nomad farmers, artists, food preservers, chefs, designers and builders sharing their knowledge, we state that this new way of living and working is here, now and happening! Currently we are engineering our greenhouse, restaurant and community at an amazing location which is easy to reach for anyone who’s interested in our experiments and results..."

I also found a community of garden homes in Tuinpark Ons Buten in Park de Oeverlanden, where I met Jan Bert Wever. He showed me around his tiny home and garden. 

 On Saturday and Sunday, I went to a segment of the We Make the City Festival where vendors promoting "slow food" movements were being showcased.  I purchased delicious yogurt from MOMA and learned about how The Baking Lab reduces waste during cooking processes.

Life is good!

​

Staying on the True Path

"Don't force doors to open," this is what a woman from the island of Reunion told me when I was visiting Chiang Mai, Thailand last year.

My US tour is coming to a close.

To recap: I spent March nose-diving into SXSW in Austin, enjoyed time on the West Coast between San Francisco, Berkley, and Vancouver B.C., and had a solid week with my bestie in Chattanooga, TN.

Coming back to Texas, I discovered the Ecstatic Dance and Authentic Relating community in Austin, spent ample time at Barton Springs, and renewed my interest in the Austin EcoNetwork.

On the downside, I experienced a friend's death, a family member's irresponsibility, severe misunderstandings from former friends, and dizziness over all the directions I could take my career.


On the bright side, I soaked up as much sunshine as possible, picked all the wildflowers, reinforced my passions, found non-conventional forms of therapy, found closure and as much acceptance as I allow, and made a few new friends along the way.


MOST IMPORTANTLY, I made time for my family and learned to communicate with them in positive ways.

JUST SAY NO

“The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say 'no' to almost everything.”

— Warren Buffett

 A quote to remind myself that it's okay not to be a constant people pleaser. Say "No" to get more accomplished!

See also: 7 Things to Start Being More Productive, Today

Continue banishing self-limiting beliefs...

"There are three primary securities you must give up if you want to become the best version of yourself:

1. 1) Certainty of the future
2. 2) Fear of judgement
3. 3) Other people’s definition of success"

Source: How to Unlearn Limiting Mindsets and Become the Best Version of Yourself

Lighten Up

Back in Austin, where I'm continuing the path to my best self possible -- a lifelong journey!

Last year I chose flight over fighting for the strength to stay in this city. It's been tough coming back to memories and damaged relationships.

Still in the repair process, I open my heart to be mended. Wonderful souls have surfaced to help stitch up the pieces despite additional tears from fair weather acquaintances. Even with the assist, I must do the work to stay in love with me.


Peace is being sought, not yet reciprocated. Patience is a virtue.


Ecstatic Dance, Authentic Relating -- these things keep the happy vibrations up.


Go hug a human you love, go make amends with a human you hurt. Life is too short not to lighten up the burdens of the past on the way to the future, present divine.

Worthwhile read: Why Most People Will Never Have Great Relationships

Success defined at Earth Day 2018 (Austin, Texas)

Gratitude...

Practicing gratitude. I am thankful for the opportunity to:

- Enjoy springtime with my bestie, Kristen (Kissy, Kissay, Kristawn)

- Have experienced a passionate, youthful love that still delivers fond memories in proximity of the spaces we shared

- Work on a passion project, Project Any True Meaning (ATM)



Worth a read:
Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life Might Just Help You Live a More Fulfilling Life

Nearly a year ago...

I was being squashed out of an organization where I was a highly paid "business development director".  This title is in quotations because it could mean many different things depending on your industry of experience.

Flash forward to the current moment in which The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck resonates.

Meanwhile, coming to terms with the past:

- Accordingly to a number of Netflix series and history books, many queens were beheaded for not producing an heir to the throne

And appreciating the past:

- I grew up watching Disney movies that were popular from 19?? to 1998.

Plus being absolutely thankful for the recent past and present:

- In the past 365 days, I have been Ariel from The Little Mermaid,  Belle from Beauty and The Beast,  and Jasmine from Aladdin. Right now I may be Simba from the Lion King, but this idea, like most, is open to interpretation.

God save the queen.

My current mission is to make people smile. It's one of the best things you can do in life.

SXSW 2018 / Return to Austin

Last week was spent visiting the city of Austin, where I lived from 2011 to 2017. 

Known for its live music scene and where I trace the biggest heartbreak of my life, Austin is also the host city for the SXSW conference. 

My fascination with The Netherlands was deepened at SXSW during 2017 and continued at this year's event with the New Dutch Wave's event series, which included a fascinating talk by Arash Aazami, who shared a vision about digital energy powering the globe.

I enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with friends and build more interest around Project Any True Meaning, which has been a major focus for me recently. More to come regarding the development of this passion project!

Bohemian Dreams in Morocco

When life grants lemons, take a cheap flight to Casablanca, go on morning runs with a local souk keeper, soak up the sunshine, meet an old friend, let yourself be adopted by a Moroccan family in Fez, eat all of the couscous, and make granola with all the delicious food items you find the maze of the medina.

Spirit Running

A few days ago I explained to a group of people that I no longer consider myself a marathon runner. I reached my goal of running 26.2 miles in under three hours, so I'm on to other sports now. 

Spirit running is one of my newer and most favorite hobbies. It involves running wherever my legs take me for however long in distance and time my heart desires. I stop along the way to take pictures of things that inspire me. 

Below are images from my Instagram feed (loveinams), some of which were found during a #spiritrun. Perhaps these pictures will inspire you, dear reader, to start running as a way of alivening your soul.  

Remember that time you said "Phuket"....

Dear Self:

Remember that you always have a choice.

Sometimes the choice involves taking a leap into unplanned Asian travels.

Never forget Sparkles in Thailand. She was the most beautiful being in her freedom.

<3 You

2018 Resolutions

- more friendships
- more warmth from the heart
- continuing with passions for women's equality, environmentalism, and health/wellness
- staying strong and taking care of myself
- having fun
- being balanced