This is a "textversation" that i had with a dear friend this morning. I think many others can benefit from this as well, so here goes....(DF = Dear Friend; M = Me) please excuse any formatting issues, as this is posted from my (very) Smartphone.
DF: "Looking to my gem ( that's you) for a gem . What is the best thing Eileen said to you 'the other day?'"
M: "...one of my favorite reminders is, "when you set a CLEAR intention, the mechanisms for it to manifest will fall into line.". (slightly paraphrased, but that's the gist)."
DF: "Nice, and how do you set a clear intention?"
M: "Well, you state what you want. An affirmation, for instance. Ie, "my body is beautiful and I take care of it thru healthy eating and fitness activities.". Or, "I am now experiencing a perfect loving, romantic relationship with a loving partner with whom i share a mutual love and respect.". Just a couple of options."
DF: "Thank you, perfect, got it."
M: "When we set an intention or state an affirmation, it is important that we are specific about the "what" but not the "how". God/Universe will provide the path for us to get to the "what" and as long as we are a vibrational match to that which we are wanting, the path will be clear to us. It is also important that we remain open to the possibilities. One thing that Rev Michael says in his books/recordings is "all this or something better". Just remember, we are ALL perfect creations. Spiritual beings here in this body, on this Earth having a Human experience. Sometimes it is easy forget out divine essence and truth of who we are. We get caught up in the daily happenings and forget that our true purpose here is to experience joy and happiness. We also forget that joy and happiness are already ours! Our True nature, our Essence IS Love! So, when we find ourselves seeking outwardly for that "thing" or "someone" to "make" us happy, we need only remember that we already have everything we need within us. We ARE LOVE - JOY - HAPPINESS and ALL OF OUR NEEDS ARE MET! Xoxoxo"
Friday, February 03, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Ode to "Joe's"......
Grocery stores frighten me. Well, perhaps "frighten" is too strong of a word, but I certainly experience some degree of anxiety when I enter an unknown store. It's like visiting a new planet for the first time. There are all sorts of things all over the place - shelves, food, perishables, non-perishables, produce, canned goods, bottled goods, bagged goods, crunchy things, soft things, you get the idea.
Wondrous places, these "grocery" stores. It takes me a while to warm up to one, and when I do, I like it to stay the same. No re-organizing please. Aisle 1 is for produce and produce only. Cereal and healthy snacks in aisle 2, etc.
Today I went to Trader Joe's. I go there for one particular item and that item is located on the right side of the store, second set of shelves in from the wall. It was there, anyway, the last time I was in the store. Today was different. Even the entrance was in a different location. The entrance was moved about 20 feet to the right. I nearly walked into the window trying to get in. Don't worry, I figured it out before I looked completely stupid. Besides, I was chatting on the phone as I was walking, so folks probably just figured that I was talking to my reflection in the window. The confusion had only just begun. I entered the store (which I do not frequent, so it's always a bit intimidating) only to find a complete and total reorganization. Instead of wine and beer in front of me, it was oranges and bananas. I love oranges and bananas, but at this point I was FEELING bananas! And people. People everywhere! It seemed like an impending snowstorm shopping excursion! (and no snow in the forecast, by the way) I stood still in an attempt to get my bearings, then realized that if I didn't move I would soon be run down by any one of a number of shopping carts. I shuffled in, then realized that I might need a basket so I exited the entrance, grabbed a basket, darted back in and stood still for a few more seconds.
Every person in that store was there to be in my way, I'm certain. They all knew I was coming and they got there first. They were waiting for me. They were laughing.....all of them....laughing while planning mayhem and confusion at my expense.
Okay, that part isn't true, but it was really busy. I wondered while I wandered around and around, dodging carts, people, small children and produce. I looked for peanut butter, cheese and juicy oranges. I found carrots. Carrots are good and they were on my list so I grabbed them and put them in my basket. Much to my delight, on the opposite side of the store was a shelf full of the very item that I was seeking - Organic, sulfite free Red Wine. I grabbed a couple of bottles and continued my quest for peanut butter. I found salsa for someone who couldn't find it herself. I dodged carts, twisted out of the way of small children and marveled at the long checkout lines. I wished that I could open the wine. Giving up on the peanut butter, I made my way to the last checkout line and snuggled in behind a man and three small girls. We were next to the many different types of beer. I gazed at the shelves wondering if I should taste test a couple of brews. I opted to remain in line as a wonderful and seamless transition of cashiers was taking place. As the customer in front of me was leaving with his goods and I approached the register, one cashier left and another slid in with her till. It was a lovely dance that they did.
Also at this time another store associate needed to pass behind me. (I should note that I was wearing a short bill cap, a scarf, fleece jacket, ripped jeans and blue converse sneakers - not a fashion plate, but comfy). So as I squished up against the check-out counter for this associate to pass behind me, he said, "Excuse me, Sir".
I turned and glanced at him and said matter-of-factly, "No problem, Ma'am".
What? His hair was longer than mine......
I didn't look at him long enough to see his reaction, but I think he got the point.
The cashier was quite kind and quite empathic. She started to ask how I was, but quickly shifted to, "are you ok?" (I guess the annoyed look was still plastered on my face.)
I regained my cheerful demeanor (note sarcasm here, as I did NOT open the wine in the store), and smiled at her. "Oh, yes, I'm fine, thank you. He just called me Sir, so I called him Ma'am.... figured it must be opposite day. This is how I entertain myself," I told her, sheepishly.
The cashier got quite a kick out of my antics. I graciously paid for my wine and carrots and dodged my way out the door into the parking lot. There was a very nice lady in the parking lot who helped me safely cross the street by gently herding me with her cart. So kind. She was very nice.
I left and went to Whole Foods for the peanut butter and other obscure items (like bread and cheese). Whole Foods feels safe. They may not carry $6.49 bottles of organic wine, but they have great bananas and I know where the peanut butter is.
Wondrous places, these "grocery" stores. It takes me a while to warm up to one, and when I do, I like it to stay the same. No re-organizing please. Aisle 1 is for produce and produce only. Cereal and healthy snacks in aisle 2, etc.
Today I went to Trader Joe's. I go there for one particular item and that item is located on the right side of the store, second set of shelves in from the wall. It was there, anyway, the last time I was in the store. Today was different. Even the entrance was in a different location. The entrance was moved about 20 feet to the right. I nearly walked into the window trying to get in. Don't worry, I figured it out before I looked completely stupid. Besides, I was chatting on the phone as I was walking, so folks probably just figured that I was talking to my reflection in the window. The confusion had only just begun. I entered the store (which I do not frequent, so it's always a bit intimidating) only to find a complete and total reorganization. Instead of wine and beer in front of me, it was oranges and bananas. I love oranges and bananas, but at this point I was FEELING bananas! And people. People everywhere! It seemed like an impending snowstorm shopping excursion! (and no snow in the forecast, by the way) I stood still in an attempt to get my bearings, then realized that if I didn't move I would soon be run down by any one of a number of shopping carts. I shuffled in, then realized that I might need a basket so I exited the entrance, grabbed a basket, darted back in and stood still for a few more seconds.
Every person in that store was there to be in my way, I'm certain. They all knew I was coming and they got there first. They were waiting for me. They were laughing.....all of them....laughing while planning mayhem and confusion at my expense.
Okay, that part isn't true, but it was really busy. I wondered while I wandered around and around, dodging carts, people, small children and produce. I looked for peanut butter, cheese and juicy oranges. I found carrots. Carrots are good and they were on my list so I grabbed them and put them in my basket. Much to my delight, on the opposite side of the store was a shelf full of the very item that I was seeking - Organic, sulfite free Red Wine. I grabbed a couple of bottles and continued my quest for peanut butter. I found salsa for someone who couldn't find it herself. I dodged carts, twisted out of the way of small children and marveled at the long checkout lines. I wished that I could open the wine. Giving up on the peanut butter, I made my way to the last checkout line and snuggled in behind a man and three small girls. We were next to the many different types of beer. I gazed at the shelves wondering if I should taste test a couple of brews. I opted to remain in line as a wonderful and seamless transition of cashiers was taking place. As the customer in front of me was leaving with his goods and I approached the register, one cashier left and another slid in with her till. It was a lovely dance that they did.
Also at this time another store associate needed to pass behind me. (I should note that I was wearing a short bill cap, a scarf, fleece jacket, ripped jeans and blue converse sneakers - not a fashion plate, but comfy). So as I squished up against the check-out counter for this associate to pass behind me, he said, "Excuse me, Sir".
I turned and glanced at him and said matter-of-factly, "No problem, Ma'am".
What? His hair was longer than mine......
I didn't look at him long enough to see his reaction, but I think he got the point.
The cashier was quite kind and quite empathic. She started to ask how I was, but quickly shifted to, "are you ok?" (I guess the annoyed look was still plastered on my face.)
I regained my cheerful demeanor (note sarcasm here, as I did NOT open the wine in the store), and smiled at her. "Oh, yes, I'm fine, thank you. He just called me Sir, so I called him Ma'am.... figured it must be opposite day. This is how I entertain myself," I told her, sheepishly.
The cashier got quite a kick out of my antics. I graciously paid for my wine and carrots and dodged my way out the door into the parking lot. There was a very nice lady in the parking lot who helped me safely cross the street by gently herding me with her cart. So kind. She was very nice.
I left and went to Whole Foods for the peanut butter and other obscure items (like bread and cheese). Whole Foods feels safe. They may not carry $6.49 bottles of organic wine, but they have great bananas and I know where the peanut butter is.
Sunday, December 04, 2011
With Grace and Gratitude
Last night I was reading a thread on a social media network that contained this Link about the National Defense Authorization Act and more than a few opposing comments. As I skimmed through the written portion of the article as well as the comments on the thread, I became more and more disheartened. Images of soldiers on every street corner, of citizens being "captured" and taken away at will, of my children living in fear of a single misstep all floated around in my head. This was something else that must be FOUGHT AGAINST! (The images went well beyond that, but no need to be a complete Debbie Downer here, after all, this Blog is AllSUNNYDaze, not rainy daze....)
Soon after reading this, I went on a little jaunt to buy dog food. Something about the motion of the car seems to get my creative juices flowing (either the motion or the fact that the car is the only place I can find quiet these days) and so it began.
I was thinking about how awful it would feel to be under complete military control. Then I thought about the threat of military control or even the perceived threat. Other people have experienced it and they have survived, but this nation was founded on a completely different set of values. The more I continued this line on thinking, the more I realized how bad I was starting to feel. I could actually feel my vibrational frequency lowering, as if I was slowing down inside my car. In my mind I saw soldiers prevalent everywhere. They were patrolling streets, roadways, towns, buildings, you name it, they were there in my mind. The police departments were no longer needed because the local and state laws no longer mattered, only the Federal laws were implemented. So, in my mind I was completely oppressed and jobless, and still heading to Target to buy dog food. "At least I still have this freedom," I thought. And then I began to realize that I still have ALL of my freedoms. The images of soldiers began to be joined by images of Lightworkers milling around, unassumingly going about their business with serene smiles on their faces. (The image of Lightworkers was inspired by a poem that I stumbled upon on Facebook. I can't find it now. Has anyone else seen it?)
As the new images arose in my mind's eye and the realization that nothing "bad" had happened, I feeling of gratitude began to settle within me. I brought my focus back to the NOW. I was in the car. Driving. I pulled into the parking lot of the shopping center and marveled at the lights. Wow. What beauty! I got out of my car and freely walked into the store where I saw a young friend restocking shelves. I innocently asked her how much the items in the dollar bins cost, she whacked me in the shoulder and we both laughed. I recognized the joy that I was experiencing. I moved onward through the store, chose to purchase a DVD and then, still experiencing the feeling of awe for simply being able to have this experience, I grabbed the dog food and headed to the checkout. (For mental imagery purposes, I'm not a large person and while I'm also not the size of an elf, a 40 lb. bag of dog food is not a whole lot larger than I am.....sort of like an ant carrying a sunflower seed.....)
Still experiencing the higher vibrations of of joy and gratitude I completed the checkout and made my way back to the car.
The point of all of this is not the activity that I was performing, it is the realization that it is our VIBRATION that matters! It is our focus on what we desire and our attention to how we are feeling at the moment that affords us the opportunity to SHIFT to a positive feeling. Yes, the link that I posted above tells a sad tale. The possibilities are disheartening. But there is a gift in all of that! The GIFT is the opportunity for each of us to look past the sadness; to allow ourselves to look within and find what it is that slows and lowers our vibration, then to find that point of focus that raises us up and reminds us to let our light shine. Where there is Light, there is NO darkness. What may seem a battle that is to be met with resistance is actually an opportunity for a change of perspective.
(Please do not misunderstand what I am saying here. There are times when action is needed. "Bad" things happen and if we can be of service to assist and help another, then so be it. We "serve" with grace and gratitude, not from anger or sorrow.)
The point of all of this? Focus on the little things. The wonderful things. After reading and getting the gist of the link above as well as the associated comments, I recognized a dark path just ahead. Then, I suddenly realized how immensely fortunate I am NOW. All of the good that exists NOW....the fact that we are currently living in the "Land of the Free"..... that I can go and buy dog food where ever I want.... and from there, I found joy and gratitude in each breath..... In the NOW.
Breath. Return to NOW. What are you feeling right NOW. What is beyond that feeling? Just feel it and be with it and just be here NOW and enjoy.
With Grace and Gratitude, thank you for being YOU and for sticking with me through the random thoughts!
I was thinking about how awful it would feel to be under complete military control. Then I thought about the threat of military control or even the perceived threat. Other people have experienced it and they have survived, but this nation was founded on a completely different set of values. The more I continued this line on thinking, the more I realized how bad I was starting to feel. I could actually feel my vibrational frequency lowering, as if I was slowing down inside my car. In my mind I saw soldiers prevalent everywhere. They were patrolling streets, roadways, towns, buildings, you name it, they were there in my mind. The police departments were no longer needed because the local and state laws no longer mattered, only the Federal laws were implemented. So, in my mind I was completely oppressed and jobless, and still heading to Target to buy dog food. "At least I still have this freedom," I thought. And then I began to realize that I still have ALL of my freedoms. The images of soldiers began to be joined by images of Lightworkers milling around, unassumingly going about their business with serene smiles on their faces. (The image of Lightworkers was inspired by a poem that I stumbled upon on Facebook. I can't find it now. Has anyone else seen it?)
As the new images arose in my mind's eye and the realization that nothing "bad" had happened, I feeling of gratitude began to settle within me. I brought my focus back to the NOW. I was in the car. Driving. I pulled into the parking lot of the shopping center and marveled at the lights. Wow. What beauty! I got out of my car and freely walked into the store where I saw a young friend restocking shelves. I innocently asked her how much the items in the dollar bins cost, she whacked me in the shoulder and we both laughed. I recognized the joy that I was experiencing. I moved onward through the store, chose to purchase a DVD and then, still experiencing the feeling of awe for simply being able to have this experience, I grabbed the dog food and headed to the checkout. (For mental imagery purposes, I'm not a large person and while I'm also not the size of an elf, a 40 lb. bag of dog food is not a whole lot larger than I am.....sort of like an ant carrying a sunflower seed.....)
Still experiencing the higher vibrations of of joy and gratitude I completed the checkout and made my way back to the car.
The point of all of this is not the activity that I was performing, it is the realization that it is our VIBRATION that matters! It is our focus on what we desire and our attention to how we are feeling at the moment that affords us the opportunity to SHIFT to a positive feeling. Yes, the link that I posted above tells a sad tale. The possibilities are disheartening. But there is a gift in all of that! The GIFT is the opportunity for each of us to look past the sadness; to allow ourselves to look within and find what it is that slows and lowers our vibration, then to find that point of focus that raises us up and reminds us to let our light shine. Where there is Light, there is NO darkness. What may seem a battle that is to be met with resistance is actually an opportunity for a change of perspective.
(Please do not misunderstand what I am saying here. There are times when action is needed. "Bad" things happen and if we can be of service to assist and help another, then so be it. We "serve" with grace and gratitude, not from anger or sorrow.)
The point of all of this? Focus on the little things. The wonderful things. After reading and getting the gist of the link above as well as the associated comments, I recognized a dark path just ahead. Then, I suddenly realized how immensely fortunate I am NOW. All of the good that exists NOW....the fact that we are currently living in the "Land of the Free"..... that I can go and buy dog food where ever I want.... and from there, I found joy and gratitude in each breath..... In the NOW.
Breath. Return to NOW. What are you feeling right NOW. What is beyond that feeling? Just feel it and be with it and just be here NOW and enjoy.
With Grace and Gratitude, thank you for being YOU and for sticking with me through the random thoughts!
Friday, November 04, 2011
Blessed and Tongue Tied
Have you ever felt inspired? I know I have. Just a few moments ago I felt inspired to write and update this page after many months of finger tapping silence. Just as I sat down at a little table at the bookstore cafe, however, I realized that there was a very intense conversation going on behind me and I couldn't seem to tear my ears away from it. How rude of me. And how interesting. I could have done without the food in the mouth talking, though, but that was certainly none of my business, being the eavesdropper. They have now taken their drinks and moved on and I am grateful for that.
Last weekend I had an amazing experience at the Mind Body Spirit expo! Sharing in the joy with my lovely wife and a wonderful friend on Friday, we perused tables and vendors and treats before the biggest treat of all, an up close and personal experience with Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith and Rickie Byars Beckwith of Agape International Spiritual Center. Wow and more wow.
I returned on Saturday to see Doreen Virtue. It was snowing. October, East Coast, south of New York, North of the Carolinas.....not supposed to be snowing yet! There was no stopping me for this one, though! I'm not one to be star struck. Celebrity status is not something that I am overly excited about normally. I appreciate and respect the work and the individual as just that, a working individual with talents different than my own. I am grateful for the gifts that they share with the rest of us. Well, something about this expo blew all of that right out of the water for me. I will take you back in time to experience this portion of my journey......
Friday. This day was much easier, as I had my wife and our friend to speak for me. I said little, as far as I can recall. I just enjoyed the experience, immensely, I might add.
Saturday. This trip I made alone. As I said, it was snowing. I hadn't thought about checking the car for an ice scraper or snow brush, but thankfully Target was nearby and I was able to purchase one. I made it back into the expo just in time to visit a lovely booth to purchase a couple of shirts that I had my eye on the day before. (These lovely ladies were just fantastic. I look forward to posting links to their business as soon as I write them for permission to do so.) It was then time for the Doreen Virtue book signing!!!!! I had some books and I was getting them signed!!!! What to say? I had no idea what to say! I waited in line, anxious, excited and just plain thrilled to be there....the energy was amazing! It was my turn. I handed her the books. I smiled. She asked my name. I smiled. She smiled. I thought, "I wonder if she is seeing Angels around me?"
"guh, SHELLEY," I blurted out.
Still trying to think of something to say, I finally settled on explaining that she was one of my first Twitter followers. Yes, Doreen Virtue had followed slmusings on Twitter. (She's not following anymore.....alas, it was one of 25000+, so I'm not offended.) My explanation, by the way, was met with a rather blank, but kind stare. I then realized that someone with her busy schedule probably does not check her own Twitter follows. She likely has a staff for that. Oh well. No matter! My books were signed and I interacted with Doreen Virtue, Angel Therapist, Spiritual Doctor of Psychology, and Author of more than 20 books! I happily skipped away, anxious for the reception prior to her lecture.
Fast forward about 30 minutes to reception time.
I scurried to the room where (I thought) the reception was to be held and got in line. It seemed odd to stand in line for a cheese and cracker style reception, but I figured that maybe everyone was really hungry and maybe Doreen was hanging by the cheese to greet everyone. Then a very nice lady got in line behind me and kindly explained that this line was for a reading by Deborah King. (I am not really familiar with her teachings, but the brief explanation that I received was fascinating and I am anxious to learn more.) Now I was in a quandary. In attendance at a very spiritually uplifting event, I had found myself in the wrong place, but was it the right time? I mean, clearly I was here for a reason, but was the reason to get a reading from Deborah King, or to simply learn who Deborah King was? I had paid quite a lot for the Doreen Virtue full package tickets. My new friend helped me. She suggested that I go check out the reception, then return to line if I couldn't find it. Just then an expo helper came to guide some other wandering souls over to the reception. I hopped on their train and followed. (please keep in mind that I was still quite giddy....just thrilled to be there....think "kid in candy shop"....lego addict in lego store.....small child on Christmas morning...you get the point. (the term "excited utterance" might also come to mind.))
Ok, so enter reception room.
The first thing I did was tell my favorite sign language story to an interpreter. The story involves pizza, lesbians and a miscommunication. Yeah. Good one. (remember the "excited utterance" thing? yeah....) After recovering from that moment, I signed in, got my name tag and shuffled off to find a table. Everyone there seemed to have a large group, so I tossed it out to the Universe and followed the lead of my "guides/Angels/intuition". Making my way toward the back with my snacks, I saw a table with one lovely lady seated next to a chair with a coat on it. I deduced that this must be a table with only two people and therefore plenty of room to spare. I gently asked if I could join her and she graciously welcomed me to her table and into her presence. What a WONDERFUL wonderful person, and I say that with sincerity, not just because she told me that I was one of the funniest people she had ever met. (Okay, the compliment was worth more than it's weight in gold, but still, she was (is) super!) My new friend "El" introduced me to her friend "En" and we chatted like we had known each other all our lives. Isn't it just wonderful how the Universe works? As we were sharing, Doreen Virtue was making her way around to each of the tables, visiting and taking pictures with everyone. She arrived at our table and I got my phone out for a photo.
I stood up.
She stood there.
I smiled.
>pause<
She smiled.
(I have no idea if anyone else was speaking at this point)
I finally realized that there had been a question, so I said, "Thank you, these are my new friends".
I then realized that the question had not had anything to do with my new friends, really.
Doreen then asked if we wanted a picture and I managed to compose myself long enough to muster my two new friends into a photo. I got a rather blurry shot of them, as I was so excited I could barely hold the camera still. I then, ever so calmly, made my way over to Ms. Virtue. Feeling very small, yet full of Love and Light, we posed for our picture. I think I then said something to the effect of, "blah blah blah blurt blurt blagh....I like pancakes and fruit cups and Angels are really fun....blah blah blah".
Yeah.
I'm smooth.
Maybe I didn't really say anything. I might have asked her out on a date. I really don't know. It was weird. I felt weird. And giddy.
Truly, it was amazing to meet her in person, especially just a day after being in the presence of Rev. Michael and Rickie as well. They are such wonderful teachers and sharers of their gifts. I feel blessed to have experienced this entire event.
Doreen's talk itself was just incredible. I am still feeling the effects of the expo even a week later, and am finding such joy all around.
With that, I close this little update, as it is time to leave the cafe and enjoy a weekend with a dear friend with whom I get to spend too little time.
Many Blessings to all!
Namaste
Monday, March 28, 2011
Mind Set
Just saw that Dr. Oz is about "Can you think yourself skinny" C'MON!!!! Why would any of us be overweight then if all it took was a mental change??? Don't I wish!!!!
I saw this quote today and it struck me instantly as an amazing opportunity. I should specify that I did not watch the Dr. Oz show, so I cannot speak to the thoughts or ideas that he presented. I can, however, present some (mostly) educated comments and a (unique?) perspective in regard to the statement above.
"Can you think yourself skinny?" At face value, this may seem absurd. The thought that we could say to ourselves, "I'm skinny", and then have all of our "extra" mass disappear into oblivion, seems outrageous to say the least! I mean, we all know that if we just sit around on the couch just "thinking" about weight loss, all we will do is expand exponentially. Right?
Let's first take a look at why we might expand in such conditions. (and by "expand", I do mean at the waist line, NOT in the field of awareness; although, we would certainly be more aware of the tightness of our britches!) Follow me into the "field of expansion" for a venture into the world of Wanda Weighinscale, if you dare.....
I saw this quote today and it struck me instantly as an amazing opportunity. I should specify that I did not watch the Dr. Oz show, so I cannot speak to the thoughts or ideas that he presented. I can, however, present some (mostly) educated comments and a (unique?) perspective in regard to the statement above.
"Can you think yourself skinny?" At face value, this may seem absurd. The thought that we could say to ourselves, "I'm skinny", and then have all of our "extra" mass disappear into oblivion, seems outrageous to say the least! I mean, we all know that if we just sit around on the couch just "thinking" about weight loss, all we will do is expand exponentially. Right?
Let's first take a look at why we might expand in such conditions. (and by "expand", I do mean at the waist line, NOT in the field of awareness; although, we would certainly be more aware of the tightness of our britches!) Follow me into the "field of expansion" for a venture into the world of Wanda Weighinscale, if you dare.....
Wanda returns home after a stressful day at work. She has been busy all day and is tired, hungry and feeling unhappy about her body condition. In short, she is uncomfortable with her current place in life. She saw a preview for a show about "thinking herself thin", so she decides to try it. After all, there are no hours left in the day to go to the gym, besides, she's just too tired to go. She's tried all of the weight loss plans and diet foods, and nothing has worked for her. She steps on the scale and consistently sees an unsightly number, bringing her attention over and over again to the fact that she weighs much more than she would like.
Wanda plops herself down on the couch and begins to think. She thinks and she thinks and she thinks about how she would like to be thin. All the while she is thinking, she is feeling more and more resentful of her current condition. She is envisioning in her mind's eye the many thin models and athletes that she has seen on television and in the magazines. Now she is reminded of the "fat jokes" that she hears around the office and that she used to hear in high school. Her self loathing is increasing, her frustration is off the charts. But, she is still thinking about being thin, so surely it must be working. She continues this process for a week, gradually placing more and more thought on picturing herself thin, even though each time she looks in the mirror she sees someone who is not her image of "thin". Wanda finishes her "work out" on the seventh day and heads to the scale. She is disheartened when she sees that she has actually gained a pound.
"How can this be possible," Wanda wonders. "I've been picturing myself thin, I've been thinking about being thin....."
What Wanda has not realized is this. While she has been picturing herself as thin, she has been harboring resentment that she is not thin. She has actually been placing her focus on her LACK of thin, which has been pushing her thin away.
So does this mean that it is not possible to "think ourselves thin"? In my humble opinion, absolutely not! (Not exactly, anyway) Let's go back to Wanda....she's still staring in the mirror, feeling sad. Maybe we can cheer her up a bit.
Looking at her over sized reflection, Wanda steps off the scale and slides it angrily across the floor.
"I love you"....
Wanda jumps and looks around. She is the only one home.
"I LOVE you"....she hears it again, this time from the direction of the mirror.
Wanda turns and looks at herself in the mirror. It's as though her reflection is speaking to her. She hears distinctly, "I love you just as you are. Don't you love me?"
Wanda is perplexed.
"I LOVE YOU! YOU! As you are! You are beautiful and you are all I have. Without you, I cannot exist in this world. I need you and I Love You!"
Wanda stares intently into the mirror and says, "Who are you?"
"You!"
Now Wanda thinks there is an echo. She repeats more slowly and distinctly, "Who.....are......you?"
"YOU"! She hears, this time sounding much more forceful. "I am YOU. I am part of you and you of me. We are one. Together, we are you. Without the you of us, we cannot exist. I love the you that is you and the you that is in me. I need only for you to love me back so that we may be One again."
Wanda is not a fan of riddles, and thinks carefully about this. Suddenly she understands. Her reflection is telling her that she must love herself as she is and for all that she is. It is her self-loathing and frustration that is keeping her from feeling complete. It is not that she is too heavy or too tall or too short or too "whatever". It is her mind-set that is keeping her from feeling good about herself. If she is to bring her body back to a state of wholeness and well being, she must begin within.
Wanda stares intently into the mirror and says, "Thank you".
Her reflection smiles back at her.
Wanda gazes into the most beautiful eyes she has ever seen and a smile that is as vibrant as the sun. She blinks and the cobalt blue eyes blink too. It is then that Wanda realizes that she is gazing at herself, not a disembodied reflection. She recognizes her own beauty. She sees past the appearance that she has long perceived as over-weight and unattractive and recognizes the glorious light that shines within her being. Wanda finally feels what it is like to be beautiful, in her own mind.
From that moment on, Wanda no longer felt the sense of frustration or anger about her physical appearance. She no longer paid attention to the newest "fad" diet. She had no need. Her intention was to love herself and care for her body, knowing that this "vessel" is all that she has to remain part of the physical world today. Wanda began to honor her body, her spirit and her mind. Through this sense of honor, Wanda found herself drawn to nutritional teachings that she understood and enjoyed. She found herself meeting others with similar experiences and she began to exercise more than she had ever thought possible.
Wanda experienced a change in her mindset. She learned to love herself and learned that she IS enough, just as she is. She released the stressful thoughts of "needing" to lose weight and shifted her focus to well-being and gratitude for her life experience. Wanda's new love of self brought her to a place of joy and thanksgiving that she had never thought possible and with this joy came a new sense of vibrancy and energy. This change of mind set lead Wanda to a new physique.....one that she had always dreamed of experiencing, but never thought possible.
Thank you, Wanda.
Wanda's story may be one of extremes, but I think it illustrates my point. While we may not lose weight or gain our ideal circumstance by simply sitting and thinking, a change of our thought patterns is an excellent first step. It is the CHANGE OF MIND SET and the FEELINGS associated with this change that lead us on our desired path. A very wise woman has said to me MANY times, "When the intention is clear, the mechanisms for it to occur will fall into place." And so it is with anything that we desire. As we set our intention, allow our mind set to shift and feel that what we intend already is, it SHALL BE SO!
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Random Tales from a Rainy Day
The less than balmy head of Old Man Winter continued rearing today in the form of very cold rain (the sleet and ice missed us, for the most part, thankfully), making our not-so-plowed streets quite challenging to navigate. Despite the odds, we all ventured out. Mare to Yoga, Baby Ruth and the KitKats to dance class and I to a morning of fitness and Martial Arts fun. Today's story really begins, however, with my fantastic idea of a "quick" shopping trip after the organized group activities ended.
Taking the weather into consideration, I thought that the stores would certainly be slow and would absolutely welcome any customer who ventured through the doors. Expecting a barren wasteland of parking spaces and snow mounds, I made my way to the local Best Buy/Target/Wegman's plaza. My crowded spaces radar perked up a bit when I observed the traffic in the turning lane. Still, I scoffed at the idea that anyone else could possibly have the same sense of adventure that I have! Onward I trekked. And then around. And around. And around. Around the Best Buy parking lot I drove until finally a spot availed itself to me. I happily trotted into the store to retrieve my bargain, only to find that the bargain did not exist AND I was by no means the only customer with a sense of adventure for the day. Somewhat disheartened, I vowed to place an order from Amazon.com later in the day (for 1/3 the cost) and headed back to my car. The thing that helped me to keep my chin up was the knowlege that I was going to provide a wonderful spot for someone to park. All of those folks who had been circling the lot like I had just done would be making a mad dash for this one little spot. I got out of there as quick as I could, then realized that there were at least five or six open spots around me now. Apparently everyone else saw me leaving so they left too. Oh well.
(Don't worry, the adventure continues)
I braved the odds and made my way over to Target. I think the last time I saw such mayhem in the parking lot was "black Friday". Between the cars, pedestrians, shopping carts and snowbanks, I wasn't sure which way to go. I contemplated driving home to park in my driveway and to then walk back, but like I said before, it was cold and rainy. (and it would have been a 10 mile walk) Finally I located a parking spot in the Wegmans area. This was suitable, as I would be ending my excursion with a jaunt into this store. The downside was the walk to Target, two stores down. Wishing I had put on some waterproof boots, I sloshed my way through the parking lot, down the sidewalk and into the store.
I was on a mission. I had my mental list. It contained two and one half items. (the one half was for the thing that I thought I might get if I saw one for a good price)
I made my way to thing number one - storage container for Barbies. On the way I stopped to gaze longingly at the display of rubber rain boots. I pretended that they were on my wet feet and continued to the containers. There I met a very nice lady looking for a lid. Together, we found her lid and solved some of her moving problems.
Yes, a piece of tape with a label on an opaque lid would render the same information as a "see through" lid. AND, the lid would even fit the container.
She was a very nice lady. We both chose our special storage devices, wished one another well and continued on our way. I took a "quick" look for thing "one half" and found many wonderful, shiny, new objects on the way. The ideas began to flow. (I think Target has something in the lights that taps into those with addictive/obsessive type personalities. Somewhat like the coffee at Starbucks. It's probably not crack, but it must be similar.) Anyway, I regained my focus and turned the corner.....ah, the bargain bin. Did you know that kid's clothing is much cheaper than that for adults? AND, a boys size XL fits wonderfully on someone my size......$4.50 for a champion workout shirt! BARGAIN!
Regaining focus once again, I trudged onward for item # 3. Then I saw the pretty colors. I began to drift toward the fitness aisle and caught myself just in time to weave in front of an unsuspecting customer and her cart. She bobbed, I weaved and we shared the path. As we pressed on, I commented to her that I am clearly too easily distracted. She shared a knowing smile, nod and chuckle and we parted ways.
Having successfully completed my Target quest, I snapped the lid onto my spiffy new container which now contained the rest of my wares and ventured out the door to begin the trek to Wegman's. Of course, at this point, it had started to rain even harder. I was really wishing for those rubber boots; maybe even a raincoat or an umbrella! I looked up and noticed a man in front of me with an umbrella.
I then contemplated acting out the scene that was playing in my mind:
Catching up to the Man with the Umbrella (aka "my new best friend"), I would duck under his cover and walk along with him. Of course, he would look at me quizzically, and I would say, "Hi".
Not knowing what to do or say because he would be much too polite to send me back into the rain, he would just furrow his brow and say, "Hello".
"So, where ya going?" I would ask.
"Uh....", he would stammer.
"Well, I'm going to Wegman's. May I travel with you?" (Of course, by this time we would be almost there and my mission would have been accomplished whether or not he granted permission.)
In reality, by the time I finished playing out the scenario in my mind, I was almost at Wegman's. "The Man with the Umbrella (aka "my new best friend") had already ditched me for another direction.
Wegman's.
It was a MADHOUSE! I wondered if there was a storm brewing, then remembered that the Superbowl is tomorrow. Gotta get everything fresh for the big game! Not I. Nope. I was there for three things...maybe four or five, but no more than that! Twisting and weaving, dodging and ducking, I maneuvered my cart in any direction I could go. Then I realized that I should probably get out of the entryway before someone saw me dancing. (I love the security camera and screen where you can see yourself when you first walk in!)
Seriously, I did twist, weave, dodge and duck to get through the store. It was like driving on the Garden State Parkway in heavy traffic. You've got to keep your head up, eyes open and scan for openings and brake lights, then just GO!
Making my way through the store and having more than a few near collisions, I realized that I was nearly laughing out loud. Normally I would have found this to be a very stressful situation, but today I found it quite entertaining. I even found a smile for the folks who glared at me for asking them to pardon me rather than ramming into them with my cart.
Finally, in the mustard aisle, after another series of near misses, I made another friend. A lovely lady and I shared a dodging situation due to a "thinker" in the middle of the aisle. Having successfully navigated around this person, I blurted out my fantastic idea to my new friend.
"Ya know, there should be pull off spots in the aisles. We could call them 'thinking booths'. These would be small areas where you can tuck in and study your list or just contemplate your next move. They will be like phone booths, but not. And they could contain a map of the store, this way, you can plan your attack! Then, when you arrive at your desired purchase, it could be a 'push-by'.....a 'grab-and-go. No more than 5 seconds will be allotted for anyone in front of any product. If you can't figure it out in 5 seconds, you don't need it and you must move on."
I moved on after that. I may have startled her, but she did laugh. A little. (Besides, I really do think there should be "thinking zones" in the supermarket, esp. on busy days.)
I maneuvered up to the registers and then it dawned on my that I had no reusable shopping bags. Being a woman of green that I am, this pained me a bit. Then I realized that I did, in fact, have my brand new container from Target in the cart! How lucky! I could fit nearly everything in my new box with my Target goodies.
It was my turn to pay and I confessed to the cashier that I did not have a bag. She assured me that it was ok.
I then stated proudly, puffing out my chest a wee bit, "But I DO have this crate"!
She laughed.
(She was pleased, as I was, that I had such an ingenious idea. At least I think that's why she laughed.)
She looked at the items in the crate and asked if I would like her to scan them from there. I replied that I would rather she didn't, as I had already paid for them at Target.
We shared another laugh and a few more smiles and nods and then the paying was complete.
Feeling quite lovely about my experience overall, I headed back toward the car. Of course, by this time I no longer had any concept of where I had parked, but at least I did know that I had driven there to begin with!
Taking the weather into consideration, I thought that the stores would certainly be slow and would absolutely welcome any customer who ventured through the doors. Expecting a barren wasteland of parking spaces and snow mounds, I made my way to the local Best Buy/Target/Wegman's plaza. My crowded spaces radar perked up a bit when I observed the traffic in the turning lane. Still, I scoffed at the idea that anyone else could possibly have the same sense of adventure that I have! Onward I trekked. And then around. And around. And around. Around the Best Buy parking lot I drove until finally a spot availed itself to me. I happily trotted into the store to retrieve my bargain, only to find that the bargain did not exist AND I was by no means the only customer with a sense of adventure for the day. Somewhat disheartened, I vowed to place an order from Amazon.com later in the day (for 1/3 the cost) and headed back to my car. The thing that helped me to keep my chin up was the knowlege that I was going to provide a wonderful spot for someone to park. All of those folks who had been circling the lot like I had just done would be making a mad dash for this one little spot. I got out of there as quick as I could, then realized that there were at least five or six open spots around me now. Apparently everyone else saw me leaving so they left too. Oh well.
(Don't worry, the adventure continues)
I braved the odds and made my way over to Target. I think the last time I saw such mayhem in the parking lot was "black Friday". Between the cars, pedestrians, shopping carts and snowbanks, I wasn't sure which way to go. I contemplated driving home to park in my driveway and to then walk back, but like I said before, it was cold and rainy. (and it would have been a 10 mile walk) Finally I located a parking spot in the Wegmans area. This was suitable, as I would be ending my excursion with a jaunt into this store. The downside was the walk to Target, two stores down. Wishing I had put on some waterproof boots, I sloshed my way through the parking lot, down the sidewalk and into the store.
I was on a mission. I had my mental list. It contained two and one half items. (the one half was for the thing that I thought I might get if I saw one for a good price)
I made my way to thing number one - storage container for Barbies. On the way I stopped to gaze longingly at the display of rubber rain boots. I pretended that they were on my wet feet and continued to the containers. There I met a very nice lady looking for a lid. Together, we found her lid and solved some of her moving problems.
Yes, a piece of tape with a label on an opaque lid would render the same information as a "see through" lid. AND, the lid would even fit the container.
She was a very nice lady. We both chose our special storage devices, wished one another well and continued on our way. I took a "quick" look for thing "one half" and found many wonderful, shiny, new objects on the way. The ideas began to flow. (I think Target has something in the lights that taps into those with addictive/obsessive type personalities. Somewhat like the coffee at Starbucks. It's probably not crack, but it must be similar.) Anyway, I regained my focus and turned the corner.....ah, the bargain bin. Did you know that kid's clothing is much cheaper than that for adults? AND, a boys size XL fits wonderfully on someone my size......$4.50 for a champion workout shirt! BARGAIN!
Regaining focus once again, I trudged onward for item # 3. Then I saw the pretty colors. I began to drift toward the fitness aisle and caught myself just in time to weave in front of an unsuspecting customer and her cart. She bobbed, I weaved and we shared the path. As we pressed on, I commented to her that I am clearly too easily distracted. She shared a knowing smile, nod and chuckle and we parted ways.
Having successfully completed my Target quest, I snapped the lid onto my spiffy new container which now contained the rest of my wares and ventured out the door to begin the trek to Wegman's. Of course, at this point, it had started to rain even harder. I was really wishing for those rubber boots; maybe even a raincoat or an umbrella! I looked up and noticed a man in front of me with an umbrella.
I then contemplated acting out the scene that was playing in my mind:
Catching up to the Man with the Umbrella (aka "my new best friend"), I would duck under his cover and walk along with him. Of course, he would look at me quizzically, and I would say, "Hi".
Not knowing what to do or say because he would be much too polite to send me back into the rain, he would just furrow his brow and say, "Hello".
"So, where ya going?" I would ask.
"Uh....", he would stammer.
"Well, I'm going to Wegman's. May I travel with you?" (Of course, by this time we would be almost there and my mission would have been accomplished whether or not he granted permission.)
In reality, by the time I finished playing out the scenario in my mind, I was almost at Wegman's. "The Man with the Umbrella (aka "my new best friend") had already ditched me for another direction.
Wegman's.
It was a MADHOUSE! I wondered if there was a storm brewing, then remembered that the Superbowl is tomorrow. Gotta get everything fresh for the big game! Not I. Nope. I was there for three things...maybe four or five, but no more than that! Twisting and weaving, dodging and ducking, I maneuvered my cart in any direction I could go. Then I realized that I should probably get out of the entryway before someone saw me dancing. (I love the security camera and screen where you can see yourself when you first walk in!)
Seriously, I did twist, weave, dodge and duck to get through the store. It was like driving on the Garden State Parkway in heavy traffic. You've got to keep your head up, eyes open and scan for openings and brake lights, then just GO!
Making my way through the store and having more than a few near collisions, I realized that I was nearly laughing out loud. Normally I would have found this to be a very stressful situation, but today I found it quite entertaining. I even found a smile for the folks who glared at me for asking them to pardon me rather than ramming into them with my cart.
Finally, in the mustard aisle, after another series of near misses, I made another friend. A lovely lady and I shared a dodging situation due to a "thinker" in the middle of the aisle. Having successfully navigated around this person, I blurted out my fantastic idea to my new friend.
"Ya know, there should be pull off spots in the aisles. We could call them 'thinking booths'. These would be small areas where you can tuck in and study your list or just contemplate your next move. They will be like phone booths, but not. And they could contain a map of the store, this way, you can plan your attack! Then, when you arrive at your desired purchase, it could be a 'push-by'.....a 'grab-and-go. No more than 5 seconds will be allotted for anyone in front of any product. If you can't figure it out in 5 seconds, you don't need it and you must move on."
I moved on after that. I may have startled her, but she did laugh. A little. (Besides, I really do think there should be "thinking zones" in the supermarket, esp. on busy days.)
I maneuvered up to the registers and then it dawned on my that I had no reusable shopping bags. Being a woman of green that I am, this pained me a bit. Then I realized that I did, in fact, have my brand new container from Target in the cart! How lucky! I could fit nearly everything in my new box with my Target goodies.
It was my turn to pay and I confessed to the cashier that I did not have a bag. She assured me that it was ok.
I then stated proudly, puffing out my chest a wee bit, "But I DO have this crate"!
She laughed.
(She was pleased, as I was, that I had such an ingenious idea. At least I think that's why she laughed.)
She looked at the items in the crate and asked if I would like her to scan them from there. I replied that I would rather she didn't, as I had already paid for them at Target.
We shared another laugh and a few more smiles and nods and then the paying was complete.
Feeling quite lovely about my experience overall, I headed back toward the car. Of course, by this time I no longer had any concept of where I had parked, but at least I did know that I had driven there to begin with!
Friday, February 04, 2011
Fortunate misadventures
We are expecting treasured guests any minute, so I am taking a few moments to begin the tale of today's adventures.
It all began this morning, which really should come as no surprise. When else would the day's adventures begin? Unless of course it's a nightshift day. That would, of course, indicate that the day would begin at night. No need to confuse things, though.
I got out of bed and slid my chilled toes into my warm, snuggly slippers, then donned my soft and fuzzy bathrobe. It has snowflakes on it and I love it. I headed downstairs and straight for the coffee pot. Morning routine out of the way and two lovely young ladies ready for adventure, Baby Ruth, KitKat #1 and I began some fun with Photo Booth. We had a grand time "riding the roller coaster" and playing with the special effects. Not long after this, it was time to head off to Kindergarten registration, handled by my lovely wife.
Fast forward a few hours to the afternoon "appointment". I scheduled my first "One to One" session today at the semi-local Apple store. By "semi-local" I mean that the store is located about 30 miles away, but I am partial to this one because of the kind sales person that I encountered during a visit with a friend. I should note also that I have had this computer for about 9 months. I purchased a full year of One to One lessons since I am switching from PC to Mac. I am just now beginning those lessons, so I want to pack as much in as possible!
I met my Tutor for the day, a lovely gentleman by the name of Jon. He was nice, funny, personable and quite knowledgable. I am certain that I dazzled him with my Mac-literacy. He gave me tips and taught me new tricks. I now know how to use keyboard shortcuts, swipe my fingers in various configurations across the track pad and balance a ball on my nose.
The most significant part of the visit (significant in regard to this post, that is) came when Jon and I began the quest of determining the source of an iWeb blog comment issue. (For some reason, when attempting to post a comment to the blog, the user gets a very distorted comment screen. This is a known issue on message boards, but has yet to be fixed from what I have seen.) At the time, we were viewing my web page (here come's a plug....), http://www.soul-musings.com and reviewing some special features of iWeb. Jon was unsure of the solution to the comment posting issue, so he did what any humble tutor would do. He asked a co-worker.
Mr. Brilliant-pants Co-worker puffed his chest out and strutted over to us. He said, "Oh, well, you need to." (as he was saying this, he reached between us and began to tap on my keyboard.
Slightly concerned, I said, "Uh, wait, what are you doing?"
Continuing to tap, he said, "Well, the configuration just needs to be reset in order to....." (I tuned him out at the words "Configuration and reset". (I should also note that I know enough about computers to be quite dangerous, and my reasoning for the Mac Class is to continue my seamless transition from PC to Mac, as well as learn the subtleties of a new system. I know full well what a "configuration" is and I did NOT want mine "reset"!)
Quite in-dignified by my questioning of his performance, Mr. Brilliant-pants proceeded to puff up and tell me something about resetting the browser settings after publishing the website in order to get everything to appear as it should.
Now, had he been patient and finished listening to the explanation of the issue, he would have heard that the problem exists not ONLY on my system, but also on that of anyone who has attempted to access my comment section. He would also have heard that there are, in fact, discussion threads about this same issue on various web sites.
It was at this moment that I observed all of my carefully CONFIGURED Top Sites (akin to "bookmarks", but quicker to view/access and clearly easier to erase) disappear and RESET back to the default setting. I then saw myself grabbing Mr. Brilliant-pants Co-worker by the wrist and twisting his arm into the shape of a "Z", followed by a swift knee to the inguinal crease and then a kick right in the head. Thankfully, part two of this visualization was just a fantasy. (Thankfully for Mr. Brilliant-pants, that is.)
Jon sat with his head on his hand, mumbling apologies as I declared, "YOU JUST ERASED ALL OF MY TOP SITES! WHY? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?"
I dared not turn around, as I feared that part two of above fantasy would come to fruition. Mr. Brilliant-pants mumbled something about being sorry and just trying to help, but that's what had to be done, so he was sorry, sort of. (Yeah, and your fish swam sideways through his castle, so I just "had" to flush him down the toilet.) Thanks, Man.
As I inhaled a deep, cleansing breath, I realized that iWeb and my entire business was still visible on the screen. I quickly closed the program before any more RESETTING could be done. As I did this, the irony and overall significance of the situation came to me.
My business, SouL Musings, is about Raising the Positive Vibration of the Soul. At this moment I was vibrating, alright, but not so positively. I looked at Jon, who was mortified, and said, "You know, my day job is very different from this business here (pointing at screen). This business is all about a calming, Zen-like attitude and focus. I am going to return to that focus now, as all things in life happen for a reason and for us to learn from them." (Yes, I said all of this. I think I was scaring him.)
The truth of that matter is, however, all things do happen for a reason. Even the most seemingly frustrating situation can have a positive outcome if we allow it. The reconfiguration and resetting of my top sites lead to my learning of a way to set my preferences to avoid this issue in the future. (I knew that the resetting was possible because I had accidentally done this previously and had FINALLY gotten them back to my desired settings.)
I also learned something about EGO. Mr. Brilliant-pants was quite pleased with his knowledge of Macs, Safari, and iWeb. He was eager to demonstrate this knowledge. So eager, in fact, that he didn't listen to the full explanation, nor did he take the time to consider that the "student" may have had a tiny bit of a clue about the situation at hand. While he was coming from a place of helpful desire, his ego took over when I questioned his actions. None of this was intentional on his part, but it was highly frustrating from my point of view.
The moral of the story? Listen. Listen to the totality of the question being asked or statement given.
Allow. Allow the question or statement to merge with your own knowledge of the given subject. Respond. Respond to the inquiry from a place of humility and common ground.
I am certain that this lesson was mine, not that of Mr. Brilliant-pants Co-worker. I hope that he gleaned a bit of newfound knowledge as well, but I am absolutely CERTAIN that I did!
In the final moments prior to our guests arrival, I was reminded that the cars needed to be pulled forward in the driveway. This is a task that I am made for! Out the door I went in my slippers with their handy dandy rubber soles and warm fuzzy insides, tiptoeing gently over the ice that had reformed from the melting snow earlier in the day. I made my way gingerly around the mini-van and attempted to press the "unlock" button on the keyless entry device. Unfortunately, I hit the "lock" button instead. More unfortunately, before I could grab the door handle, I slipped on the ice causing an acute loss of balance. Fortunately, there is a large pile of snow next to the van to soften the fall and shorten the distance of same. More fortunately, as my hand slid into the snowy glove, I applied adequate pressure to the "unlock" button, thereby unlocking the doors of the van. You see, all seeming misfortunes have their way of becoming fortunate!
Love and Blessings everyone!
It all began this morning, which really should come as no surprise. When else would the day's adventures begin? Unless of course it's a nightshift day. That would, of course, indicate that the day would begin at night. No need to confuse things, though.
I got out of bed and slid my chilled toes into my warm, snuggly slippers, then donned my soft and fuzzy bathrobe. It has snowflakes on it and I love it. I headed downstairs and straight for the coffee pot. Morning routine out of the way and two lovely young ladies ready for adventure, Baby Ruth, KitKat #1 and I began some fun with Photo Booth. We had a grand time "riding the roller coaster" and playing with the special effects. Not long after this, it was time to head off to Kindergarten registration, handled by my lovely wife.
Fast forward a few hours to the afternoon "appointment". I scheduled my first "One to One" session today at the semi-local Apple store. By "semi-local" I mean that the store is located about 30 miles away, but I am partial to this one because of the kind sales person that I encountered during a visit with a friend. I should note also that I have had this computer for about 9 months. I purchased a full year of One to One lessons since I am switching from PC to Mac. I am just now beginning those lessons, so I want to pack as much in as possible!
I met my Tutor for the day, a lovely gentleman by the name of Jon. He was nice, funny, personable and quite knowledgable. I am certain that I dazzled him with my Mac-literacy. He gave me tips and taught me new tricks. I now know how to use keyboard shortcuts, swipe my fingers in various configurations across the track pad and balance a ball on my nose.
The most significant part of the visit (significant in regard to this post, that is) came when Jon and I began the quest of determining the source of an iWeb blog comment issue. (For some reason, when attempting to post a comment to the blog, the user gets a very distorted comment screen. This is a known issue on message boards, but has yet to be fixed from what I have seen.) At the time, we were viewing my web page (here come's a plug....), http://www.soul-musings.com and reviewing some special features of iWeb. Jon was unsure of the solution to the comment posting issue, so he did what any humble tutor would do. He asked a co-worker.
Mr. Brilliant-pants Co-worker puffed his chest out and strutted over to us. He said, "Oh, well, you need to
Slightly concerned, I said, "Uh, wait, what are you doing?"
Continuing to tap, he said, "Well, the configuration just needs to be reset in order to....." (I tuned him out at the words "Configuration and reset". (I should also note that I know enough about computers to be quite dangerous, and my reasoning for the Mac Class is to continue my seamless transition from PC to Mac, as well as learn the subtleties of a new system. I know full well what a "configuration" is and I did NOT want mine "reset"!)
Quite in-dignified by my questioning of his performance, Mr. Brilliant-pants proceeded to puff up and tell me something about resetting the browser settings after publishing the website in order to get everything to appear as it should.
Now, had he been patient and finished listening to the explanation of the issue, he would have heard that the problem exists not ONLY on my system, but also on that of anyone who has attempted to access my comment section. He would also have heard that there are, in fact, discussion threads about this same issue on various web sites.
It was at this moment that I observed all of my carefully CONFIGURED Top Sites (akin to "bookmarks", but quicker to view/access and clearly easier to erase) disappear and RESET back to the default setting. I then saw myself grabbing Mr. Brilliant-pants Co-worker by the wrist and twisting his arm into the shape of a "Z", followed by a swift knee to the inguinal crease and then a kick right in the head. Thankfully, part two of this visualization was just a fantasy. (Thankfully for Mr. Brilliant-pants, that is.)
Jon sat with his head on his hand, mumbling apologies as I declared, "YOU JUST ERASED ALL OF MY TOP SITES! WHY? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?"
I dared not turn around, as I feared that part two of above fantasy would come to fruition. Mr. Brilliant-pants mumbled something about being sorry and just trying to help, but that's what had to be done, so he was sorry, sort of. (Yeah, and your fish swam sideways through his castle, so I just "had" to flush him down the toilet.) Thanks, Man.
As I inhaled a deep, cleansing breath, I realized that iWeb and my entire business was still visible on the screen. I quickly closed the program before any more RESETTING could be done. As I did this, the irony and overall significance of the situation came to me.
My business, SouL Musings, is about Raising the Positive Vibration of the Soul. At this moment I was vibrating, alright, but not so positively. I looked at Jon, who was mortified, and said, "You know, my day job is very different from this business here (pointing at screen). This business is all about a calming, Zen-like attitude and focus. I am going to return to that focus now, as all things in life happen for a reason and for us to learn from them." (Yes, I said all of this. I think I was scaring him.)
The truth of that matter is, however, all things do happen for a reason. Even the most seemingly frustrating situation can have a positive outcome if we allow it. The reconfiguration and resetting of my top sites lead to my learning of a way to set my preferences to avoid this issue in the future. (I knew that the resetting was possible because I had accidentally done this previously and had FINALLY gotten them back to my desired settings.)
I also learned something about EGO. Mr. Brilliant-pants was quite pleased with his knowledge of Macs, Safari, and iWeb. He was eager to demonstrate this knowledge. So eager, in fact, that he didn't listen to the full explanation, nor did he take the time to consider that the "student" may have had a tiny bit of a clue about the situation at hand. While he was coming from a place of helpful desire, his ego took over when I questioned his actions. None of this was intentional on his part, but it was highly frustrating from my point of view.
The moral of the story? Listen. Listen to the totality of the question being asked or statement given.
Allow. Allow the question or statement to merge with your own knowledge of the given subject. Respond. Respond to the inquiry from a place of humility and common ground.
I am certain that this lesson was mine, not that of Mr. Brilliant-pants Co-worker. I hope that he gleaned a bit of newfound knowledge as well, but I am absolutely CERTAIN that I did!
In the final moments prior to our guests arrival, I was reminded that the cars needed to be pulled forward in the driveway. This is a task that I am made for! Out the door I went in my slippers with their handy dandy rubber soles and warm fuzzy insides, tiptoeing gently over the ice that had reformed from the melting snow earlier in the day. I made my way gingerly around the mini-van and attempted to press the "unlock" button on the keyless entry device. Unfortunately, I hit the "lock" button instead. More unfortunately, before I could grab the door handle, I slipped on the ice causing an acute loss of balance. Fortunately, there is a large pile of snow next to the van to soften the fall and shorten the distance of same. More fortunately, as my hand slid into the snowy glove, I applied adequate pressure to the "unlock" button, thereby unlocking the doors of the van. You see, all seeming misfortunes have their way of becoming fortunate!
Love and Blessings everyone!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Raising the Vibration
Yesterday was January 11, 2011. 1.11.11. If you are a fan of my SouL Musings Facebook page, you may have seen the following post (which I copied and pasted from a friend - can’t take credit for it):
Mother Earth needs our help....On 1/11/11 at 11:11 am your local time, we are organizing a global wave of love. All you have to do is get into the feeling of love and tone the AH sound 11 times. Let's stand together and sound a wave of healing that WILL be heard around the world. Sound is energy that can transform the world. Can you spare 11 breaths or about 111 seconds for Humanity? If visualization comes easy to you, visualize feeling love. If you are not good at visualization, grab your lover, hold your baby or child, snuggle with your pet, or smell some beautiful flowers. It doesn’t matter how you get there so long as you find a place of unconditional love that you can hold and build for approximately 11 breaths or 111 seconds. We will then tone the heart sound Ahhhhhhhh 11 times while holding the thought of love in your mind/body/spirit. Imagine you are exhaling pure unconditional love out into the world and with each exhale a pink cloud of love embraces mother earth restoring Earth and humanity to a divine state of perfection. Don’t try to imagine what a divine state of perfection looks like. Just trust and believe that it does exist and hold that feeling of love. If you have never toned before it is so easy and we do it all the time after a good meal. Inhale slowly until your lungs are full, on the exhale try to hold the AH sound until all the air is expelled from your lungs slowly. Repeat 10 times for a total of 11. Don't trying to hold it to long or you will lose your breath. That’s it. Imagine the exuberant feeling of love and sound your trumpet ahhhhhhhh. Please invite ALL your friends and let’s start a wave that will be heard around the world. Sound is healing. *1 Corinthians 15:52* In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
As I borrowed a quiet moment at 11:11 AM and trumpeted the “ahhhhhhh” or “ommmmm” sound while generating a feeling of unconditional love to surround our planet, I wondered why I don’t do this more often. This particular moment (and again at 11:11pm) was certainly one of great power and also a perfect time to coordinate with others across the globe, but there is certainly no need to wait another 100 years to practice raising the vibration of love across our planet.
In the essence of time, (I had hoped to spend more time with introspection and chatter in this post, but circumstances dictate that I must be brief today) I propose this:
Each day at 11:11 (or 10:10, or 1:11), take a moment, come back to your heart center, breath deeply, inhaling unconditional love and joy deep into your own Divine Being and the exhale this feeling, holding an image of our planet with waves of this love surrounding her. (Or any other visualization of your choosing.) The more we do this as individuals, the more we share in proliferating the positivity for all. The more we intentionally focus our energy, the more we train ourselves to stay in the vibration of Love and Joy without the need for a reminder.
We are living in a time of great possibilities. The energy of our planet is shifting and we are more than capable of shifting with it, creating more positive vibrations and more GOOD than we have ever imagined. It is up to us to determine the course of the shift as well as our flow along with it by remaining open to the possibilities, focusing our attention on unconditional love and gratitude and sharing our Divine gifts with one another.
Love and Blessings.
Namaste’
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Companionship, Camaraderie and Christmas Trees
Today we ventured into the Big Apple to see the one and only Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. Last year the tree hailed from the very town in which we reside. I'm not sure where this year's was born.
It is not just the fact that we saw the tree that makes this day blog-worthy, but rather the totality of the adventures that does so. Allow me, if you will, to guide you through our day.
First off, I would be remiss if I did not point out that today is December 21, 2010. On this date, the Winter Solstice rode in on the energetic waves of a full moon and total lunar eclipse. Happy Winter Solstice, everyone! I set my alarm for 2:40 this morning in order to see the eclipse take place. It was an amazing sight. Beautiful beyond words. Such an amazing gift to behold.
The moon viewing did throw me for a wee bit of a loop. I went back to sleep after watching, and upon waking at a reasonable hour of the morning, I had to think back as to whether or not the images were dream images or if I really had been laying on my deck swing at 3:00 AM this morning. Once I got that all sorted out, I got up and went about getting prepared for the day.
We managed to get the majority of our "chores" completed before our travel-mates arrived. As Mrs. M and Mini-M walked in, we were just putting on the final touches. Coats, gloves, scarves, hats all on and we were ready for business.....until Mare and I realized that neither of us had done a diaper check on the KitKats. So, a couple of diapers later and once again we were ready....after we searched through the stuffed animal "bag" for "Lily Mae", found suitable replacements and showed our guests the pink Christmas tree in the girls' room. Off we went.....after a couple of bouts of screaming about who would be buckled by whom. Everyone safely stowed in the van and away we rolled - to the train station.
Now, if you know me, you know that I thoroughly enjoy rallying the troops, bringing everyone together in the spirit of teamwork and camaraderie, no matter the difficulty of the task at hand. (Keep this in mind as you read on.)
Tickets acquired, we made our way to the inside of the train station for a "potty break". Yes, the five minute drive to the train station was arduous and YES, 'twas I who needed the break. The girls (Baby Ruth, KitKats, AND Mini-M) promptly strategically placed themselves in random seats so as to include the other riders in our "team". Mini-M did a fabulous job of quietly "meditating" while the other three (my three young ladies) did their best to counter her quiet. Finally aboard the train, everyone did very well. Arrival at the Penn Station and ensuing visit to the facilities there also went rather smoothly, except for the part where I had to squeeze into an undersized stall with a KitKat and Baby Ruth (remember, we are all about teamwork) who was complaining about the automatic flusher AND the less than pleasant scent of the train station restroom. (Curse my teeny bladder) ;-)
Finally at the tree, we admired her splendor from just a few feet away. We took photos - we even included strangers in our pictures - wouldn't want anyone to feel left out. We took photos for strangers, we bumped into folks that we didn't know, we shared wall space with random folks as we watched the skaters on the ice below. It was lovely. A reunion of sorts of many folks who have never met and will likely never meet again, all in the spirit of viewing a magnificent tree, covered in colorful, sparkling lights.
We admired the beautiful decorations as we made our way to a most delightful bakery where we purchased some decadent treats. Giant red Christmas balls made for a wonderful backdrop for treat eating. Our teamwork activity here consisted of a "who can get the most icing on your face" challenge followed by "who can feed the pigeons the largest bite of cupcake" challenge. We assisted with stranger photos here also, then headed for the subway. On the way to the subway we made sure to make all of the folks dressed in character costumes (from Elmo to Mickey/Minnie Mouse to Sponge Bob and Santa) feel welcome in the city. We gave hugs, high fives, low fives and wide-eyed stares, even a pocketful of change to someone's stocking. Kelsie even gave an NYPD officer a very nice wave and a hearty "helwo".
A couple of subway stops later and we were at our dining destination, carefully chosen by Mrs. M and her area expertise. (A FABULOUS "tour guide", I must say.)
The girls (and by "the girls" I really only refer to three of the four little people with us), once again, wanted to help everyone to feel at home in the restaurant. They did what kids do. Stevie announced that the restroom here smelled much better than in the train station. (Thank goodness!)
Our day concluded with a rather uneventful subway ride back to Penn Station, though I should note that Kelsie decided that she would much prefer to stand on the subway than sit. She also demonstrated her superior listening skills by following none of my instructions but listening intently to the kind gentleman next to her.
We arrived back at Penn Station just in time to catch an express train home, despite our slow moving pedestrian train as we hopped our way down the steps. Okay, so it was just Kelsie who was hopping, then leapt from the last three steps, leaving me with nothing but a mitten in my hand. Thankfully Mare had her other hand. We hopped aboard the train and walked to and fro until two kind gentlemen finally consolidated seats and gave the seven of us a section together. We entertained the passengers on this otherwise "quiet car" by playing games such as "I spy", "how far can I fit under the seat", "musical seats" and by just plain squealing. (Not sure if we were on a designated "quiet car", but at least we didn't get kicked off the train.) Stevie included the nice man behind us in "I Spy". He was a good sport.
We finally arrived back at the beginning leg of our journey and began the stroll to the car. For some reason, the majority of the folks who got off the train at this stop were in a bustling hurry as though they were about to miss the last connecting space shuttle out of cape canaveral. This bustling not only seemed odd to me due to the fact that the parked cars are not likely to drive away themselves BEFORE the driver gets in them, but also raised my concerns with holding tightly to slow moving kiddies who insist on hopping every couple of steps. This concern was heightened as we made our way down the steps to street level. Kiera poking along on one side of me and Kelsie hopping happily on the other. Kelsie also likes to bring folks together in camaraderie and teamwork. She managed to hop herself sideways on the steps and appeared to be falling. However, I still had her hand. Rather than just stand up, though, she decided to turn the opposite direction which REALLY freaked out the folks behind us. Quite a few kind strangers came swooping in to help us (teamwork) as Kelsie finally stood up and unpretzled herself and resumed her hopping. It was at about this point that Kiera's pokiness lead to me scooping her up and carrying her, which lead to a slipping of her mitten. Once again, we worked the crowd by loudly exclaiming, "My Mitten, my mitten!"
I turned and looked - no mitten on the steps. The folks around us looked. No mitten. Kelsie hopped. No mitten. I ensured Kiera that I would find the mitten AFTER we allowed all of the other people to pass by. Kelsie hopped, Kiera screamed and the nice man behind me noticed that the mitten was still on Kiera's hand. (Mind you, at this point we are only about 1/4 of the way down the steps) Kelsie hopped in joy and someone carefully removed the mitten and placed it on Kiera's arm (which was pretty close to my chin at this point). By now we had generated quite a bit of assistance from the bustling folks behind us, and if they weren't helping us, they certainly were watching the traveling spectacle! I'm also pretty certain that a few of the commuters had joined Kelsie on her stair hopping crusade, though I didn't turn around to see for sure. In my mind, as I carried Kiera's mitten in my teeth, I envisioned an entire stairway full of tired commuters happily hopping down each step and squealing with delight at each landing. (Camaraderie)
We are finally home and after only one whack in the head with a plastic baby doll head between the KitKats and two Mommy tantrums (one of which resulted in multiple ornaments being removed from the tree to encourage better listening skills from the 5 yr. old), the cherubs are tucked into bed sound asleep.
All in all, it was a beautiful day with terrific kids and wonderful friends - the type of friends who seem like they have been a part of your life since the beginning of time. A very special day indeed.
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Another Site? Same Name?
I am in a quandary and taking a break from the vacation posts. You see, this site is meant to showcase our photos, especially those with the affirmations. Beyond that, the plan is to add my own thoughts on whatever comes to mind, most of which pertain to the spiritual and interconnectedness of us all. I registered the name, Soul Musings, with the county clerk, just like I’m supposed to. I have a FEIN #. I’m thinking that I’m all set to get out and peddle my wares. Then Mare “googled” Soul Musings. Yep. There’s another one. The nature of the site is different - still spiritual and seems to be a like minded individual. No artwork displayed, and many wonderful things posted. While it is different from mine, I still feel odd. Actually, on some level, I can hear my inner doubting Thomas saying, “See, I told you. Why would YOU think that you have an original idea? Someone has already done it, just like your other ideas. Just stick with your day job and forget it.”
The interesting part of this, however, is that although I hear this voice, on a deeper level I simply FEEL that I still need to keep going. The name is the same, the message is similar, but the content and delivery are very different. Perhaps this is another, more striking example of the interconnectedness of us all. Who knows, perhaps I will make contact with the owner of the other site and we will join forces!
Monday, October 04, 2010
Vacation Dreams
Vacation, Night 2 - wee hours of the morning.
Dream:
Office like place. Two office spaces connected through adjoining doors. The door could be unlatched from the opposite side by reaching one's hand through. The “other” office was like an “alternate universe”. (yes, I did watch a Fringe episode before going to bed.) I was with a group of people and we had been on the "other" side. We returned and brought back all of the “toys” that we had taken. Actual toys - stuffed animals, legos, toy helicopters, etc. Some were broken. The “guy” in charge said that none should have been broken. He said that the broken toys meant that we had maintained an attachment to them and had we not been attached, they would not have been broken. I struggled with this and my thought process was as follows:
If we are told to bring the toys back with us and that they are to remain intact, then wouldn’t we, by default, be maintaining an attachment to them? We would want to protect them and keep them safe. Therefore, we would be attached. (This was going on inside my head within the dream. I didn’t actually ask the question, and on some level, what the “guy” was saying made sense and I knew it to be the truth.)
Upon waking, which I was very glad to do because of the continued strange nature of this dream, I filled Mare in on all the details. (There was a lot more to it, but the "attachment aspect" seems the most significant right now. The backwards bathing suit, missing the bus, driving with an old friend and seeing the home of my deceased grandparents take a backseat to the above.) As I was describing it to her, it hit me. The “guy” was indeed correct.
We do not need to “hold on” to things/people to keep them safe. We need to let them go. By releasing the attachment and letting them go, we are trusting in the will of the Universe. We are trusting that they will be safe. It is the doubt that we bring into the situation that allows for things to be broken. In the dream, we all needed to simply trust that the toys would be safe and safe they would be. The attachment was created by the DOUBT related to their safety. It was because of this doubt that some of the toys were harmed.
To release the attachment does not mean to release caring or to release intentions for the Highest Good of oneself or others. Releasing attachment means simply to release the doubts and fear associated with a LACK of caring and good.
I have been told, I have read, I have even told others and myself to Let go and Let God (or Let go and Let Flow). Saying and doing are two different things, but with each “eureka experience” such as this dream, I feel closer to my goal, closer to the present moment, closer....to my Highest Good.
Namaste'
(I mentioned above that I had watched a "Fringe" episode prior to going to bed. I am guessing that there are a few folks out there who may say that this dream was not so much a lesson as it was a continuation of the events of my day. That is entirely possible and is certainly a valid position to take in dream study and interpretation. Here is my thought on the matter:
Our dreams, our lessons and our Spiritual Journeys occur in the form necessary for us to understand the deeper meaning. By presenting to me in the manner in which this dream did, it was not difficult for my brain to process the data. It was already in a familiar form. I just needed to delve a tiny bit deeper to glean the underlying meaning. What's more, someone else could have had the same dream and it could have taken a totally different meaning! Incredible, isn't it? Dream study and interpretation, like poetry and other art forms, is in the eye of the beholder. Perspective......it's all about perspective.)
Check out SouL Musings for affirmation photos related to releasing attachment.
Saturday, September 04, 2010
Sometimes a Fantasy, is Allllll ya need......
It's Labor Day weekend, summer is winding down, fall is winding up and the fun continues! With three girls under the age of five all anxious to get back to dance class, the oldest anxious to start pre-school, and the twins looking forward to dance class (yep, it's all about balway - aka ballet), I figured that I should have something to fill my time. I mean, really, while Mare is busy running around with the girls, keeping up with the housework, walking the dogs, cleaning the bird cages, taking time for her own sanity and making my lunch, there's GOT to be something for me to busy myself with.
(FREEZE.....don't smack me or make that tsk-tsk sound....keep reading......)
So, of course I do have my day job to go to. That's fun and time consuming. Then there's Karate and fitness fun time - fun, healthy, simply a way of life. There's house-cleaning, bird cage cleaning, dog walking, playtime with the kiddies, conversation and camaraderie with my wife, and simply taking time to enjoy this Beautiful Journey of Life. BUT, since that's all child's play, I decided that I should get off my butt and take part in a FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE!!!!!
OH YEAH!!! Look out Chambursburg Alum's, MY TEAM IS GONNA ROCK!!!!
The Draft is Sunday and the trash talk is already humming!
As I washed the dishes this evening, I went through my draft choices in my head. First player that came to mind......William "The Refrigerator" Perry. oops. ok, not gonna work. Next: Joe Theismann....ok....Joe Nameth? ummm.....ooohh, I got it....Emmitt Smith....er......I then realized that I have absolutely NO idea who plays where, does what with whom, why or when.
I consider myself an athlete, both past and present. I love athletic things, I even enjoy watching football and root for the Brooklyn Dodgers any chance I get! (*wink*) But what am I thinking?
No worries, I'll keep talking trash and convince everyone of my stellar statistical mind, but the reality is that any "good" draft choice or game winning line-up that I post will be born purely out of intuition and luck.
Hopefully I will get home from work in time to meditate and clear my Third Eye Chakra before the draft!
(geeeez, I hope none of my fellow league mates read this - don't want to let the cat out of the bag on this one!)
(FREEZE.....don't smack me or make that tsk-tsk sound....keep reading......)
So, of course I do have my day job to go to. That's fun and time consuming. Then there's Karate and fitness fun time - fun, healthy, simply a way of life. There's house-cleaning, bird cage cleaning, dog walking, playtime with the kiddies, conversation and camaraderie with my wife, and simply taking time to enjoy this Beautiful Journey of Life. BUT, since that's all child's play, I decided that I should get off my butt and take part in a FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE!!!!!
OH YEAH!!! Look out Chambursburg Alum's, MY TEAM IS GONNA ROCK!!!!
The Draft is Sunday and the trash talk is already humming!
As I washed the dishes this evening, I went through my draft choices in my head. First player that came to mind......William "The Refrigerator" Perry. oops. ok, not gonna work. Next: Joe Theismann....ok....Joe Nameth? ummm.....ooohh, I got it....Emmitt Smith....er......I then realized that I have absolutely NO idea who plays where, does what with whom, why or when.
I consider myself an athlete, both past and present. I love athletic things, I even enjoy watching football and root for the Brooklyn Dodgers any chance I get! (*wink*) But what am I thinking?
No worries, I'll keep talking trash and convince everyone of my stellar statistical mind, but the reality is that any "good" draft choice or game winning line-up that I post will be born purely out of intuition and luck.
Hopefully I will get home from work in time to meditate and clear my Third Eye Chakra before the draft!
(geeeez, I hope none of my fellow league mates read this - don't want to let the cat out of the bag on this one!)
Monday, July 26, 2010
Kryptonite.
A super hero (heroine) should never divulge their weakness. Unless, of course, that super hero wants others to feel more secure in their own “areas needing improvement”. I suppose it could even be categorized less as an expression of weakness and more as gallant leaps outside the comfort zone. I mean, let’s think about it. In order for a super hero to be “super”, she or he must be constantly one step ahead of the villain, right? For that to happen, the faithful heroine must keep the training and learning curve alive by exposing herself to new and sometimes difficult situations. It is possible that within those situations, their may be persons/places/things/scenarios that bring about a less that heroic appearance to the super hero.
For example, Superman had everything going for him - good looks, charm, a good cover in Clark Kent, and he could fly. He was more powerful than a locomotive, he could stop a speeding bullet with his chest! He could overpower a room full of 50 villains while leaping over a tall building in a single bond, but put one little colorful stone from the planet Krypton near him and it was all over. Superman wilted like week old roses.
The other day, I decided that it was time to expand my super hero skills. I took a flying leap outside of my comfort zone and landed smack-dab in the middle of a pile of Zumbanite. I should give some very important background information here, in order for the big picture to be crystal clear.
My ventures into the world of rhythm and movement were back in high school when I was in the band and glee club. There was the jazz band - a wee bit of be-bopping happened there. I played the trumpet, so not much more than a bob of the head or tap of the foot going on for me. There was the marching band. We marched. One foot in front of the other, head level, rolling from heel to toe on the outside of the foot and squeezing the cheeks (not the ones on our faces) tightly together as though we were holding marbles between them. There was no room for shoulder swaying, hip thrusting or belly swinging there! We did, however, “Play that funky music, white boy” and made sure to “get down and boogie” without tipping our boxy feather toting hats off of our heads. Now, the Glee Club was a slightly different story. There I had the opportunity to bust some moves in the girls ensemble. We rocked out with a jazz square or two.
All of that was over 15 years ago, so any “skills” that I may have had simply evaporated over the years. I have played field hockey, basketball, softball and I even spent some time on the track team. None of these activities involve any sort of fancy hip or shoulder movements. These days I am accustomed to linear activities. I study a style of Martial Arts that involves kicking and punching in straight lines and defending ourselves by using the shortest distance between two points. It is methodical, powerful and doesn’t require any fancy hip or shoulder action.
With all of the above in mind, it should come as not surprise that I found (part of) my own personal “kryptonite” - Zumba. (Really, it goes beyond Zumba to any sort of dance.) If you don’t believe me, just ask those who were present for the class. Everyone with whom I have spoken who has participated in Zumba has told me what a wonderful workout it is. I have no doubt that they are telling the truth, however, I think the key is that you have to keep moving. I spent so much time trying to figure out which way to go so as not to crash into a wall or another person, that I never quite got “jiggy with it”. I did, however, get rather winded, but that was partially from the laughter when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror (better to laugh than cry, I always say), and partially from the stress of seeing my heroic self-image crumble to the ground in a puddle of Zumba-muck. I think that maybe my body just doesn’t work in the way that some folk’s do. It’s the smooth flow that throws me off kilter. The feet go this way, the arms go that way and the shoulders and core go somewhere else in between. My feet wanted to go towards the door, my head wanted to hide under a rock and my core had stage fright and froze right where we stood.
Every now and again, I would catch on to the movement, but by the time I got the hands and feet coordinated together, it was time to move on to a different song. The general rule of thumb, it seems, is to just keep moving. I did my best, but I felt like a hamster trapped in a ball avoiding all of the skilled artists dancing happily around me. I tried correlating the movements with karate techniques. When we did the head and chest circle things, I thought of avoiding knife attacks. This was a slight overkill on my part, but it got my head moving. Some of the arm movements became strikes, and the fancy feet were just that - fancy (though not at all to be classified as graceful). The unfortunate part of this mental imagery that I was using was that it caused my mind to wander. I would then get so caught up in my visualization that I wouldn’t recognize immediately when the rest of the folks changed direction. I never actually crashed into anyone, but that was out of sheer luck, I think.
Despite the fact that I gave the appearance (at least I think so) that I have absolutely no rhythm or skill, I think the class was a success overall. As I made mental correlations with techniques from the martial arts realm, I realized (again) the interconnectedness of all things. There are styles of martial arts that are meant to appear as dance so that an “outsider” won’t know what is occurring. Dancers dance to music. Dance is a form of total athleticism. Athletes (in many other sports, i.e. field hockey, softball, basketball, football, you get the point) often listen to music before competing. Musicians, like athletes and dancers spend hours and hours practicing and honing their skills. People (in general) are entertained and amazed by all of the above, just as we are all amazed by “superheroes”.
All of these thoughts ran through my mind as I jumped, jived and wailed, bopped, hopped, twisted and turned. It was not long before I realized that my mind hand wandered a wee bit too far and I was clearly not doing the same things that the rest of the participants were doing. I can only hope that I wasn’t picking my nose or anything more embarrassing than proving that I have not two, but at least three or four left feet.
The truth of that matter is, however, that in order to grow, we truly must leave our comfort zone at times. I ventured out into the world of Zumba, got scared, and returned to my comfort zone immediately afterwards by taking a Yoga class. As much as I “fear” losing my super powers to Zumbanite, I also recognize the experience as a wonderful opportunity. Throughout my life, I, like many other people, have done only those things that I have been good at. I have stayed away from those things with which I did not feel total confidence. I may never become a dancer or a Zumba instructor, but I am beginning to learn that it is okay to simply have fun and enjoy what is happening at the moment. It’s okay to have many left feet, as long as those feet are given the freedom to flow in the way that they are able to flow at a given time. We need not “force” our feet or anyone else’s feet to travel in a particular direction. We need only trust in the “force” and allow our feet to travel in the direction of our Highest Good.
Look out, Zumbanite, here I come!!!!!!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
It's All Fun and Games Until.........
If you have read my Facebook update for today, you already know the main subject of this post. However, you have not received the full impact of the day's adventures. Read on, if you so choose.
The Start
It was a bright and sunny morning that began with a short drive to leave a car at a garage followed by a lovely bike ride through the park to get back home. I decided during the ride that I really should do this every day that I am off work (the bike ride, not the car to garage part). It was really a lovely ride. Now, as is our usual "M.O." (That's "cop talk" for Modus Operandi, btw - or so they tell me), Mare and I were in a bit of an individually collective rush. She wanted to go for a walk with Lucy (Lab) before Stevie and I needed to leave for Stevie's day at Dance camp. I pedaled as fast as my little legs could go and made it back just in time.
We can fast forward a wee bit here. No one needs to know that the girls watched an episode of Avatar: The last Air Bender while I showered and that we had scrambled eggs after that, then started to get Stevie dressed for camp as Mare arrived back home with Lucy. Since there is no need to put that part in, I'll skip right to the part where Stevie and I were just about to walk out the door when Mare yelled something to the effect of, "Oh No! Holy Sh%t! What is.....we......we.....we have a leak!"
"huh?" I said, with the usual level of brilliance that I display around the house. Then what she had said registered with my cognitive senses and I darted to the front room where she was standing and staring at the ceiling.
Sure enough, there it was. A crack in the ceiling with little bubbles lining the edge of it and drips of water going "plop", "plop", "plop" onto the table underneath. Crap. Definitely a leak. Obviously. Not that I doubted Mare's assessment by any means, I was just hoping that maybe something had spilled onto the ceiling and was dripping innocuously into the air and evaporating before causing any puddles. Now, the positive part about the water dripping in this particular area is that it was over top of a table of houseplants, so, I simply pulled the table forward and allowed the water to "plop", "plop", "plop" into the plants.
Putting our heads together to determine the source of the leak, we concluded that it was, in fact, NOT the toilet based solely on the layout of the house and fact that the bathroom is not over that particular area. (We are clearly destined to be the next Cagney and Lacey.) After some brief pondering and a sprint up the stairs, I was able to determine that the leak was coming from the area of the upstairs window containing the air conditioner. Apparently when I installed it, I did not provide enough of a tilt for the condensation to drain out the back and it had pooled into the window sill and begun draining into the wall, thus seeping its way out to the ceiling and down through the pre-fab crack. (Pre-fab crack sounds much better than just letting you think that we have cracks in our plaster ceilings.)
Now might be a good time to remind those who may have forgotten that I have a "special" gift. It is called "distractabilititis" or, as Mare calls it, "adult A.D.D." Personally, I think it is just an underrated ability to juggle multiple activities/tasks.
Anyway, being so concerned about the ceiling and a.c., I darted off with Stevie to camp, then headed to the gym for a rigorous workout. (Exercise always helps me get focused on what needs to be done.) Then I stopped by Target to pick up a new Britta pitcher since ours had mysteriously thrown itself onto the floor when Mare took it out this morning. (forshadowing, perhaps?)
The Fix Begins
Upon returning home, I began my attack on the situation at hand. I went up to check the floor and dripping situation. The a.c. was off and heat rises, so it was quite toasty upstairs. The good news was that the dripping had stopped. Simple enough to remedy, I thought. I shall simply take the unit out, place a bit of wood underneath, and tilt it back so that the water drains outside rather than in. And so I went to work.
I went to the garage, found some wood and cut it to size. I went back upstairs, then realized that I needed the screwdriver that I had left downstairs. I went back down and found the needles (for inflating balls) that I had just purchased at Target, looked for my flat basketball and had a snack. Finding the basketball and pleasantly full from my snack, I went to the garage for the wood that I had forgotten out there. I pumped up the basketball, made a couple of shots, then remembered the wood.
Upstairs with the wood I went, then back down for the screwdriver that was still downstairs. While getting the screwdriver, I also grabbed the tub and tile caulk. Back upstairs I trotted and proceeded to begin the recaulking of the edge of the bathtub. I then realized that I had planned to replace the gasket behind the tub drain, so using the screwdriver that I now had in my hand for removal of the air conditioner, I removed the overflow cover from the tub. Of course, in order to get the old gasket off, I needed to be BEHIND the tub, so I pulled all of the laundry out of the closet in order to get to the pipes. It was then that I realized just how hot it really was upstairs, which reminded me that my REAL mission was the air conditioner reconfiguration. So, back to the bedroom I went, screwdriver in hand, and proceeded to pull the unit out of the window.
Everything in place, I was now ready to return the air conditioner to its rightful place on the sill. I popped that puppy in there and realized that I needed the window to open just a wee bit more. In order for that to happen, I needed to release the top part of the window and open it as though I were removing the bottom pane, this way, the top part of the pane tilts in and the bottom remains in the track. The window was now free to move, so I pushed up. Nothing. Pushed harder and still nothing. Frustration started to set in, so I rooted to the ground and pushed from the very core of my being.
Up went the window in the blink of an eye. In that same blink, OUT went the air conditioner which had, apparently, been leaning against the window for support. Suddenly, the air conditioner that had been in my window was replaced by a power strip, dangling as if to say, "you plug one more thing into me and I'm going to jump too!"
"Oh F*&k," I exclaimed, and then began to laugh so hard that I was crying. As I was laughing, I was wondering what the heck was so funny, yet I couldn't stop laughing. Mare wasn't sure if I was crying in pain or laughing. She heard a thud, the birds flew from their perches and scattered, the dogs ....well, the dogs didn't really do anything.
The Aftermath
On the ground, down below, lay our air conditioner. No longer in any condition to provide air for us. It lay broken and mangled. The damp ground did not provide a welcome cushion for the fall. Humpty Dumpty would not be put together again. And I laughed. Mare came up to investigate and she laughed at the fact that I was laughing. We laughed.
She walked back downstairs, I sighed, wiped my eyes and turned to close the window which promptly fell forward and whacked me on the forehead. I stopped laughing.
I checked for blood, saw none, then saw myself throwing the window out with the air conditioner. I quickly realized that this would not be a positive course of action and just yelled at the window instead. That was much more effective. The window did not apologize. I think the bonk on the head was the window's way of letting me know that it was grieving the loss of the air conditioner as much as we were. Clearly windows have feelings too.
So, having more time on my hands since I had no air conditioner to reconfigure, I returned to the task of removing the gasket from the partially dismantled bath tub overflow drain. While removing the old gasket, I thought it would be a good idea to fish around under the floorboards behind the tub and see if I might locate the electrical box for the kitchen ceiling light. I closed my eyes (which was totally unnecessary since I couldn't see under there anyway, but at least this way I could ward off any monsters that might come out after me) and reached as far as I could under the floor boards. I touched something hairy. It was prickly and hairy. I would have jumped, but my hand was under the floorboards and I was in the closet. (the actual closet, not the "other" closet....I came out of that one years ago.) Anyway, I closed my eyes tighter and felt again......I gently grabbed the hairy, prickly thing and pulled it out.
It was a vacuum cleaner brush attachment!
Very interesting. What else could be in there?
The Search, The Grab, The Conclusion
We obviously needed to repair and replace a couple of things around the house, so after picking Stevie up from camp, we decided to take full advantage of the hour prior to getting her back for her evening class. I darted into Home Depot to grab a new gasket and an air conditioner. No on the a.c., yes on the gasket. Lowes was also sold out of air conditioners. That left only one place available.....Walmart. *sigh*
Walmart came through for us. I grabbed one of the two remaining reasonable sized units available, balanced it on my cart (with the help of a very kind gentleman - customer, that is) and scampered off to pay for my treasure.
After dance class, I put on a bit of a show for the neighbors as I tried numerous positions in my failed attempts to get the air conditioner out of the box. I finally conceded my loss and drug the open box across the grass to the front door. Eventually I got it out with Mare's assistance and lugged the thing upstairs where I promptly got jammed in the doorway to the bedroom, air conditioner stuck on one side, my finger on the other. After a lengthy howl, I realized that I needed to back up, turn around, and back myself into the room.
A wave of the magic wand and "poof" the new unit was placed in the window and purring like a mountain lion that just swallowed a snake. This thing is rather large and much louder than the one that got away. The important thing is that it works and it did not fall out of the window.
We now have a new air conditioner, a new overflow drain gasket, and a freshly caulked tub. I have a dent in my finger and a bump on my head, and I am now certain that there is a pot of gold, a gnome, and perhaps some other fun treasures strategically placed within the walls and ceilings of our house.
Tune in tomorrow for a quick recap of my evening venture outside of my comfort zone.....aka. Zumba
Thanks for stopping by!
The Start
It was a bright and sunny morning that began with a short drive to leave a car at a garage followed by a lovely bike ride through the park to get back home. I decided during the ride that I really should do this every day that I am off work (the bike ride, not the car to garage part). It was really a lovely ride. Now, as is our usual "M.O." (That's "cop talk" for Modus Operandi, btw - or so they tell me), Mare and I were in a bit of an individually collective rush. She wanted to go for a walk with Lucy (Lab) before Stevie and I needed to leave for Stevie's day at Dance camp. I pedaled as fast as my little legs could go and made it back just in time.
We can fast forward a wee bit here. No one needs to know that the girls watched an episode of Avatar: The last Air Bender while I showered and that we had scrambled eggs after that, then started to get Stevie dressed for camp as Mare arrived back home with Lucy. Since there is no need to put that part in, I'll skip right to the part where Stevie and I were just about to walk out the door when Mare yelled something to the effect of, "Oh No! Holy Sh%t! What is.....we......we.....we have a leak!"
"huh?" I said, with the usual level of brilliance that I display around the house. Then what she had said registered with my cognitive senses and I darted to the front room where she was standing and staring at the ceiling.
Sure enough, there it was. A crack in the ceiling with little bubbles lining the edge of it and drips of water going "plop", "plop", "plop" onto the table underneath. Crap. Definitely a leak. Obviously. Not that I doubted Mare's assessment by any means, I was just hoping that maybe something had spilled onto the ceiling and was dripping innocuously into the air and evaporating before causing any puddles. Now, the positive part about the water dripping in this particular area is that it was over top of a table of houseplants, so, I simply pulled the table forward and allowed the water to "plop", "plop", "plop" into the plants.
Putting our heads together to determine the source of the leak, we concluded that it was, in fact, NOT the toilet based solely on the layout of the house and fact that the bathroom is not over that particular area. (We are clearly destined to be the next Cagney and Lacey.) After some brief pondering and a sprint up the stairs, I was able to determine that the leak was coming from the area of the upstairs window containing the air conditioner. Apparently when I installed it, I did not provide enough of a tilt for the condensation to drain out the back and it had pooled into the window sill and begun draining into the wall, thus seeping its way out to the ceiling and down through the pre-fab crack. (Pre-fab crack sounds much better than just letting you think that we have cracks in our plaster ceilings.)
Now might be a good time to remind those who may have forgotten that I have a "special" gift. It is called "distractabilititis" or, as Mare calls it, "adult A.D.D." Personally, I think it is just an underrated ability to juggle multiple activities/tasks.
Anyway, being so concerned about the ceiling and a.c., I darted off with Stevie to camp, then headed to the gym for a rigorous workout. (Exercise always helps me get focused on what needs to be done.) Then I stopped by Target to pick up a new Britta pitcher since ours had mysteriously thrown itself onto the floor when Mare took it out this morning. (forshadowing, perhaps?)
The Fix Begins
Upon returning home, I began my attack on the situation at hand. I went up to check the floor and dripping situation. The a.c. was off and heat rises, so it was quite toasty upstairs. The good news was that the dripping had stopped. Simple enough to remedy, I thought. I shall simply take the unit out, place a bit of wood underneath, and tilt it back so that the water drains outside rather than in. And so I went to work.
I went to the garage, found some wood and cut it to size. I went back upstairs, then realized that I needed the screwdriver that I had left downstairs. I went back down and found the needles (for inflating balls) that I had just purchased at Target, looked for my flat basketball and had a snack. Finding the basketball and pleasantly full from my snack, I went to the garage for the wood that I had forgotten out there. I pumped up the basketball, made a couple of shots, then remembered the wood.
Upstairs with the wood I went, then back down for the screwdriver that was still downstairs. While getting the screwdriver, I also grabbed the tub and tile caulk. Back upstairs I trotted and proceeded to begin the recaulking of the edge of the bathtub. I then realized that I had planned to replace the gasket behind the tub drain, so using the screwdriver that I now had in my hand for removal of the air conditioner, I removed the overflow cover from the tub. Of course, in order to get the old gasket off, I needed to be BEHIND the tub, so I pulled all of the laundry out of the closet in order to get to the pipes. It was then that I realized just how hot it really was upstairs, which reminded me that my REAL mission was the air conditioner reconfiguration. So, back to the bedroom I went, screwdriver in hand, and proceeded to pull the unit out of the window.
Everything in place, I was now ready to return the air conditioner to its rightful place on the sill. I popped that puppy in there and realized that I needed the window to open just a wee bit more. In order for that to happen, I needed to release the top part of the window and open it as though I were removing the bottom pane, this way, the top part of the pane tilts in and the bottom remains in the track. The window was now free to move, so I pushed up. Nothing. Pushed harder and still nothing. Frustration started to set in, so I rooted to the ground and pushed from the very core of my being.
Up went the window in the blink of an eye. In that same blink, OUT went the air conditioner which had, apparently, been leaning against the window for support. Suddenly, the air conditioner that had been in my window was replaced by a power strip, dangling as if to say, "you plug one more thing into me and I'm going to jump too!"
"Oh F*&k," I exclaimed, and then began to laugh so hard that I was crying. As I was laughing, I was wondering what the heck was so funny, yet I couldn't stop laughing. Mare wasn't sure if I was crying in pain or laughing. She heard a thud, the birds flew from their perches and scattered, the dogs ....well, the dogs didn't really do anything.
The Aftermath
On the ground, down below, lay our air conditioner. No longer in any condition to provide air for us. It lay broken and mangled. The damp ground did not provide a welcome cushion for the fall. Humpty Dumpty would not be put together again. And I laughed. Mare came up to investigate and she laughed at the fact that I was laughing. We laughed.
She walked back downstairs, I sighed, wiped my eyes and turned to close the window which promptly fell forward and whacked me on the forehead. I stopped laughing.
I checked for blood, saw none, then saw myself throwing the window out with the air conditioner. I quickly realized that this would not be a positive course of action and just yelled at the window instead. That was much more effective. The window did not apologize. I think the bonk on the head was the window's way of letting me know that it was grieving the loss of the air conditioner as much as we were. Clearly windows have feelings too.
So, having more time on my hands since I had no air conditioner to reconfigure, I returned to the task of removing the gasket from the partially dismantled bath tub overflow drain. While removing the old gasket, I thought it would be a good idea to fish around under the floorboards behind the tub and see if I might locate the electrical box for the kitchen ceiling light. I closed my eyes (which was totally unnecessary since I couldn't see under there anyway, but at least this way I could ward off any monsters that might come out after me) and reached as far as I could under the floor boards. I touched something hairy. It was prickly and hairy. I would have jumped, but my hand was under the floorboards and I was in the closet. (the actual closet, not the "other" closet....I came out of that one years ago.) Anyway, I closed my eyes tighter and felt again......I gently grabbed the hairy, prickly thing and pulled it out.
It was a vacuum cleaner brush attachment!
Very interesting. What else could be in there?
The Search, The Grab, The Conclusion
We obviously needed to repair and replace a couple of things around the house, so after picking Stevie up from camp, we decided to take full advantage of the hour prior to getting her back for her evening class. I darted into Home Depot to grab a new gasket and an air conditioner. No on the a.c., yes on the gasket. Lowes was also sold out of air conditioners. That left only one place available.....Walmart. *sigh*
Walmart came through for us. I grabbed one of the two remaining reasonable sized units available, balanced it on my cart (with the help of a very kind gentleman - customer, that is) and scampered off to pay for my treasure.
After dance class, I put on a bit of a show for the neighbors as I tried numerous positions in my failed attempts to get the air conditioner out of the box. I finally conceded my loss and drug the open box across the grass to the front door. Eventually I got it out with Mare's assistance and lugged the thing upstairs where I promptly got jammed in the doorway to the bedroom, air conditioner stuck on one side, my finger on the other. After a lengthy howl, I realized that I needed to back up, turn around, and back myself into the room.
A wave of the magic wand and "poof" the new unit was placed in the window and purring like a mountain lion that just swallowed a snake. This thing is rather large and much louder than the one that got away. The important thing is that it works and it did not fall out of the window.
We now have a new air conditioner, a new overflow drain gasket, and a freshly caulked tub. I have a dent in my finger and a bump on my head, and I am now certain that there is a pot of gold, a gnome, and perhaps some other fun treasures strategically placed within the walls and ceilings of our house.
Tune in tomorrow for a quick recap of my evening venture outside of my comfort zone.....aka. Zumba
Thanks for stopping by!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)