Monday, February 28, 2011

CHOICE


I used to be angry all of the time.  I could say i was an angry kid and an angry young adult.  I was angry at the world!  I mean, we all know someone like that or someone that has a kid who is just so angry.

Angry people are generally just unhappy, haven't found their path or their bliss.  Do they hate themselves?  Do they hate the circumstances that surround their lives?

When does anger become a choice?  Do we not know that it's all a choice?

Our lives are the ultimate choice and WE get to make all of the choices!  Left, right...up, down...stop, go...we get to choose!  What a powerful decision and one that so many of us don't truly understand.

I didn't understand, i never knew that all of the negative, all of the unhappiness, all of the sadness, all of the mistakes were all my choices to make.

Anger lives in all of us..it hibernates deep in the pits of our stomachs and is sometimes woken up abruptly by people, circumstances..(bad drivers...this is a tough one for me!) and life.  How is this anger serving us?

I heard this amazing quote the other day that sent shivers down my spine. 

ANGER IS LIKE DRINKING POISON AND EXPECTING THE OTHER PERSON TO DIE.

That makes so much sense to me...the anger that lives in us will eventually kill US!

What choice will you make?

REMEMBER...



“The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice.” ~ George Eliot

Friday, February 18, 2011

FEAR


My best friend texted me this morning and told me she thought i should write about fear today.  I thought about it after she sent me the text and couldn't really get it off my mind all day, i kept thinking.."i have to write about fear tonight, i have to confront it!". 


So here i am, reflecting on what that word means to me and why i'm scared of it.  Honestly, i lived in a place of fear for a very large portion of my life.  I don't actually ever remember NOT being scared as a young adult and much into my adult life.


So, What is fear?? 

By definition FEAR is a distressing emotion aroused by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. In short, fear is the ability to recognize danger and flee from it.

I can't even believe how much that speaks to me...especially... "fear is the ability to recognize danger and flee from it" and the part about SURVIVAL!"

FLEE FROM IT!!!!  Isn't that what we all do?  We run from spiders, heights, airplanes, confrontation, driving, ect....we get as far away as possible from it!!  It doesn't matter what it is, we naturally FLEE!

Fear = Survival

Why do we need it to survive?  Don't we all remember someone at some point telling us "stepping into your fear is how you will grow".  It makes soo much sense, we have to get uncomfortable to move forward!

I found this poem a couple of months ago and it really spoke to me, infact it gives me the shivers.




I don't want to live in fear anymore...DO YOU?

Monday, February 14, 2011

GRACE


"Gracefullness has been defined to be the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul"
                                                                                                              William Hazlitt

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

WE ALL WALK THE LONG ROAD.....



And I wished for so long, cannot stay...
All the precious moments, cannot stay...
It's not like wings have fallen, cannot stay...
But I feel something's missing, cannot say...

Holding hands are daughters and sons
And their faiths just falling down, down, down, down...
I have wished for so long
How I wish for you today

We all walk the long road. Cannot stay...
There's no need to say goodbye...
All the friends and family
All the memories going round, round, round, round
I have wished for so long
How I wish for you today

And the wind keeps roaring
And the sky keeps turning gray
And the sun is set
The sun will rise another day...

We all walk the long road. Cannot stay...
There's no need to say goodbye...
All the friends and family
All the memories going round, round, round, round
I have wished for so long
How I wish for you today
How I've wished for so long
How I wish for you today


WATCH THE GORGEOUS VIDEO FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL SONG....
CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjHGFsRLon8

Monday, February 7, 2011

VISION BOARDS


What an amazing tool to focus on what we really want!  I started teaching a course on making your own vision boards last year and it has brought me such clarity and focus on the things i really want in life.

This is MY VISION BOARD!  I finished it this morning...it was an enlightening process and it really took a direction i wasn't expecting.  I'm so excited about what's to come!

Here's what you need to do to make your own....

I ALWAYS START EACH OF THESE STEPS WITH A MEDITATION TO STILL MY MIND AND FOCUS ON WHAT I TRULY WANT TO ACHIEVE IN MY VISION BOARD.  THIS STEP IS OPTIONAL DEPENDING ON YOUR PERSONAL BELIEFS.

1.  Magazines, magazines, magazines!!  Get all of your friends and family to give you theirs so you can get some variety.  Depending on the kinds of things you want in your life you'll want all different kinds.  Travel, cooking, home, spiritual, business ask around and get a huge pile.

2.  Start to flip through all of the magazines.  Cut out any pictures that you like or any words that catch your eye.  Don't think about it too much, you'll be sorting and eliminating later in the process.  Just look for anything that makes you happy or reflects a goal or something you want to have or achieve.
**take your time with this, you'll know once you have enough stuff to start the next step**

3.  Go through all of your stuff and start to trim and eliminate the stuff you don't want.  Again, you will know if you want it to stay or go!

4.  This is the fun part!  Assemblage!  Choose a foam core board or bristol board, something that is fairly heavy for your board.  You may want to frame your vision board so keep that in mind when choosing your board.  I use a regular glue stick to adhere my pics, it's the best thing so stick with that...haha, no pun intended! 

Pick a large area where you can put all of the things you've cut out in front of you.  Once you've laid everything in front of you, start to place some things on your board.  I don't usually think too much about this part, i just lay it down and go.  You may choose to have specific areas such as love, travel, health etc.. or you may choose to just randomly place your pics/words.  Jut go with the flow, everything that belongs on your board will get there.  You may be surprised when things you thought HAD to be on your board don't make the cut...not to worry, it's all the way it should be.

5.  Once you have everything glued to your board then you are almost done.  The most important part of this process is activating your board.  You want to put all of this info into motion.  You may want to have a ceremony or you may just want to say a small prayer or do a meditation to really focus on the things you've put on your board.  As long as your intentions are to move forward with the beautiful things you've put on your board then it's good to go!

A couple tips...
- put your board somewhere you can see it regularly
- spend time with your board, picture yourself there and in the photos

Hope you love the process as much as i always have.  It's not easy but it's a journey that will really help you identify and get closer to the things you really want in life.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

THE EASE OF GOOD FRIENDS


Isn't it amazing how comfortable and easy it is to be with great friends?  It's a knowing.  A knowing that they are there, a knowing that they understand, a knowing that there is no judgement, a knowing that they love you no matter what.

I was watching Joel Osteen this morning and he was talking about how spirit/source/god...whatever YOU call it has a plan.  It's all mapped out, the good, the bad and the ugly.  Situations, predicaments, people, are all being put in our lives for a purpose.  To challenge us, to make us think, to help us learn, to help us grow. 

I know that all the amazing people that spirit is putting on my path right now are true friends and people that i will love for the rest of my life.  Funny, i'm finally starting to feel like i found that thing i lost so long ago.....

Saturday, February 5, 2011

I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT TREES...


Have you ever wondered about trees??  I was out snowshoeing this afternoon in the glorious weather...trees, i thought to myself, they are so amazing!  They mirror OUR lives so perfectly.

We are born, tiny, helpless, dependent, weak.  But then we grow...we are nurtured and loved and we start to get legs of our own.  Eventually the branches start to go in all directions, confused and sometimes crossed.  Sometimes the trunk of the tree doesn't have enough energy to feed the branches that are damaged and unhealthy, and the weak branch becomes sick.  The trunk then pushes all of it's energy to the weakened branch...trying to drive it to live but it fails and must let it go.  The dead branch snaps off, but then underneath the dead and broken branch grows a new branch.  It regenerates, gets strong again and new life is born!

The cycle keeps going and going.

Aren't we like a tree?  Aren't we so fragile and dependent when we are born.  Don't we often grow to only become confused and crossed in our "branches"?  That part of us dies, if we learn the lesson, and a new part of us is born again.  Constantly changing and evolving.....

I've always wondered about trees.

Friday, February 4, 2011

NAMASTE


I've found myself strangely attached to the word NAMASTE lately...i've been wondering about it and thinking about what it truely means...so i did a little research and here's what i found...


Definition:

Namaste is a Hindi salutation or greeting. The word Namaste is a combination of the two Sanskrit words: nama, and te. Basically, nama means "to bow" and te means "you."  

 

Mudra of Namaste:

Hands are held together at the palms in front of the heart or brow chakra. Head is bowed slightly downward. Eyes are sometimes closed.


What's the interpretation? 
The God/Goddess within me recognizes and honors the God/Goddess Spirit within you.

 

A Yogic Thank You:

Yoga students often repeat "Namaste" at the end of each class as a thank you, honoring their instructor.

 

Equalizer:

Namaste is significant because it is a humbling gesture. Namaste is done as a recognition that we are all on equal standings, all of us are children of divinity. We are one.

 

Who Can Namaste?

Namaste can be used as a greeting for all ages, all genders, all races. Namaste greetings can be given to friends, family members, and also strangers.

 

Written Notation:

The word "Namaste" is often used as a closing notation (without the accompanying prayerful hand and bowing head gestures) in written communications similar to "sincerely," "best regards" or "love."


Pronunciation: Nah-mah-stay


Also Known As: Gassho (Japanese)


Examples:

The Namaste salutation was transmitted from ancient India to the countries of South-east Asia, and has now traveled virtually all over the globe.

NAMASTE.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

THIS IS MORE THAN JUST A BLOG...

This is for everyone of us who finally...maybe...possibly...believes that they have the right to perpetual happiness, beginning now!

I'M FINALLY HERE.....

i'm soooo excited to finally start this blog.  i've got tones of ideas, inspirations, recipes, thoughts, stories & love to share.
this is my journey to peace and balance.  this is part of my road to forgiveness and devotion to myself.
i can't wait to share with you.