In our search for faster, better and more, we lose sight of what is truly important.
It is not that our small planet is overpopulated, but that we are poorly managing and maintaining our habitat.
Instead of arming ourselves, why aren’t we educating and inspiring each other?
I adore Your sunshiny face. I praise and approve of your irrefutable enthusiasm. I celebrate your remembrance of special days and always thoughtful gifts for others.
Indeed, I congratulate you, honoring your standards, your high ideals and values, your parlance, panache and your style in everything you do.
We love you and Happy 23!
Thank you for that special day.
I need to bring a lined journal with me everywhere I go – for observations, snippets of conversations, ideas, a diverse amount of situations that strike and amuse me, notes to self, downloaded wisdom and to get down on paper and out of my head – a steady, consistent array of anxiety ridden thoughts that invade my brain like a dark tornado going through Kansas, leaving the house to fall on my own ten toes.
I belong everywhere; the beach, the shore, New York, Canada, Berkeley, the forests, the mountains, in gardens, in dirt, in wildflower fields, in museums, in restaurants, amongst birds, surrounded by pines, at home, at the treehouse, at a meeting, at a concert or fair, on a balcony, on a deck, on a train, by a lake, by a tree, by my loves, and… never without my little traveling notebook and fine tip gel pen.
I belong to my own world I make for myself. After all, the way you look at the universe IS the way you decide how to respond to it. Reacting with a visceral reaction is a survival technique but hopefully we have become wise and evolved enough to pause and take a breath before replying to an email, for example. The fight or flight response can backfire if we are too hot to pull the trigger, especially if the outburst doesn’t fit the size of the situation.
Affirm: I am pure love, mixed in with human flaws stemming from pure fear. Focus on the LOVE, tell the fear to go away, pack its bags and leave for good…oooooh that nasty fear.
Print out this page. Finish the following sentences/affirmations/questions with whatever sparks you and comes to you first.
I focus on _______ with joy and dedication.
I am inspired to _______ today.
I ask _______ to help me and be with me.
I allow __________ to raise my thoughts to higher ground.
Why do I choose to __________ ?
How shall I _______ ?
Why don’t I _________ ?
If I could imagine the perfect scenario for the ___________ part of my life, what would it look like?
If I had all the time and energy in the world, I would _______.
My favorite pastime is _________ .
If I could go anywhere right now, in an instant, where would I opt to go?
Who would I bring? Not bring with me?
What would I do there?
Good start to getting in touch with self for the day.
When you let go of useless and restrictive beliefs you can learn much more about yourself. For example, How wonderful are you at multitasking? Let me ask a different way. How fun are you when you are spinning in three different ways?
I say F MultiTasking.
Focus is my new F word.
You and I have gifts that heal and are a win-win. Sharing and working with others, especially when they want and need it, is a mutually satisfying experience.
But how can you possible give anyone 100% if you are distracted by one or two other things? Is that fair? Do you catch yourself talking to your friend on the phone who is having a bad day, venting or asking for support and also cleaning the floors, ironing, driving, counting up your calories, putting on makeup, checking your FB/emails and/or self checking out in the supermarket?
I bet you are fabulous at whatever you do when you do it with focus.
To accomplish anything worthwhile, the key is focus and discipline.
Here are the 3 D’s: Delete, Discern, Discipline. To get to whatever destination, you need to accomplish with the determination to focus. Delete distractions. Discern priorities. Discipline yourself to methodically chop it down into manageable chunks.
What a revelation it is to see nature growing where least expected. It takes focus to bloom on a salty, sandy, windy beach with only rain to bring you to life, sun to feed your leaves and seagulls to watch your birth.
Picture of an orange blossomed low lying, creeping survivor on a desolate beach, focusing on regenerating itself and filling me up with pleasure. It’s a win-win for both of us as I revel in its bona fide manifestation and it concentrates unquestionably on staying alive.
When I need to get clear and focused or maintain a vision or a goal, there are three things I know work.
Those whose consciousness is unified, abandon all attachment to the results of action and attain all peace. But those whose desires are fragmented, who are selfishly attached to the results of their work, are bound in everything. – Bhagavad Gita
Instead of fearing what you have or afraid of not getting what you want, maybe feel blessed instead.
Instead of acting entitled, give gratitude and give of yourself.
Instead of whining, O Woe is Me, find meaning in your misery, missteps and mistakes.
I write what I need to remember.
Photo of my tulip at the mountains, April 22, 2016
I find that the source of my misery is not wanting things to be the way they are. Not wanting myself to be the way I am. Not wanting the world to be the way it is. Not wanting others to be the way they are. Whenever I am suffering, I find this war with reality to be at the heart of the problem. – Stephen Cope
One of the best-kept secrets for long-term, sustainable creativity is consistent discipline and sustainable, predictable actions.-Sunni brown
Whatever your vision, appreciate the process.
I remember imagining over and over again what my dream cabin would look and feel like. I had a fire going, I had windows looking out over mountains and snow, I had a shaggy rug in front of the fire, I had low shelves of hundreds of books under the windows and the feeling was warm and toasty, sweet and cozy, soft and dreamy. It was both my romantic getaway and safely tucked away, writing haven.
I wrote about it for years, made a vision board or two using exactly the colors I have now in my treehouse in the woods and magically it all came together in an instant on the day it came up for sale and all the dominoes fell into place without any of my own doing. I knew instantly it was our treehouse. It looked a little different of course but not that far removed from my ideal sanctuary.
“Let this truth go in you as deep as possible: that life is already here, arrived. You are standing on the goal. Don’t ask about the path. – Osho
There are ups and downs during the process of manifestation and there are two things I know, if it is meant to be, it will be and secondly, it never looks like you thought it would or happens when you were hoping it would but it fits perfectly into your scheme of things and timing nonetheless, especially when you look back and connect the dots.
The whole course of engineering your heart’s desire into reality teaches you about staying on track and at the same time letting go. It’s about reflecting on obstacles yet pushing past it to re-evaluate your intention. It’s about perceiving your failures as benefits and still getting to where you want to go with detours and vistas you had no idea would appear yet are grateful for.
It’s about tapping into the wellsprings of your positive self image, becoming who you are and re-inventing yourself to be the best version of yourself time after time.
The journey takes courage, grit and heart.
Picture taken in San Diego, May 20, 2016
For most people, the next three days will be about remembering fallen loved ones and anonymous souls dead before their time. Don’t get me started on how I feel about war, killing or the military institution. Obviously, as a vegan yogini I am not particularly a fan and never liked confrontation for that matter, since the day I was born. Call me a peacenik. I don’t care. Life is too short and scary enough without adding fatal conflict or crime to the mix.
On another note, it is also a three day weekend off and plenty of people take it as a sign summer is here. In the old days, not so long ago, this meant you could start wearing sandals and white or beige clothing. You were allowed to start bar-b-quing today too and all the men would sharpen their knives. In the commercial society we live in nowadays, it’s about Memorial Day sales and deals.
Some of us will relax, catch up on social media, garden, watch a movie, sports or binge on a Netflix series. Others will fix up their homes, repair broken items or clean their pools for the summer season. Many will shop, clean, cook, play computer games or engage in neighborhood block parties.
I am hoping and believe we will be keeping to ourselves, staying home and seeking serenity.
Relax, lay back and listen to the sound of silence.
” Reflective pauses enhance appreciation and sustain the flow of expression.”
– Shaun McNiff