As I learned from Panache Desai, there's nothing wrong with us. We are perfect as we are. Can we all just accept that? Hmmm..prrrrobably not.. BUT maybe, just maybe, we can all try to love ourselves a little more everyday? Most of the world (because most of us are trained that way…no?) is focused on “what is wrong with….?". Well, what if we focused on “what is RIGHT with…?….what is working?…what is good?“ A little shift in perspective is just better than none at all imo. What is right with me? Oh even just focused on that ONE thing…..and then the love & whatnot floods in & my heart expands (ps~ that's also creating an optimal healing environment for the body…just saying) . I'm not religious but I totally get “the peace that passeth all understanding…” Peace and love to you all. xo
"Sit down, lemme tell you a story....."
My Sunday funday includes crowding your feed with my inspirational BS to launch 2017. OK? Here we go…. Beginning in 1994, I spent 10 years in a relationship with someone that was not supportive of any of my dreams, nor did I even know his. Got out of that relationship and right into another mostly toxic one for a few more years. Flash forward, I am ecstatic to report the fact that I have done almost everything that I've wanted to do since getting the courage to leave those relationships, getting around more inspiring, supportive people and just doing it. I am thankful for the people supporting me over the years. It's not always looked pretty but looks should NEVER matter. I still did it, all while raising 3 amazing kids solo. I started really taking care of myself better, working out, and eating healthier about 7 years ago. It has been challenging for me to be able to do consistently but I persist. I got my CWP a few years ago. I salsa dance and, while I'm not the greatest, I still love getting out there and letting them throw me around until I get it....bc that's how I learn! haha. I bought a house 8 years ago and am currently renovating it, mostly on my own. Much like EVERYTHING in my life, I don't really give a shit how long it takes me or what it looks like to anyone, I'm having fun with it and love the process. Someday I would like to get my pilots license. So far, I’ve had two separate opportunities to fly a helicopter in 2011 (pic below) and a Cessna.... fucking amazing btw!! I've had opportunities to travel a little here and there. I taught myself how to fix things that most people don't know how to do....like soldering a capacitor on a power board and fixing household appliance. I've gotten to do so much that it's too long to list. The person you know today is not like the person I was and I am forever evolving (as we all should). For many, many years... like more than ten.... I never went anywhere or did anything; I barely had friends or even the courage to talk to people bc of the toxic, controlling relationships I was in. I'm still thankful for those relationships though because they taught me so much. I've overcome having MAJOR anxiety to the point one glorious day my daughter told me I went from a 2 to an 8 on a scale of 1-10. I feel like I've lived 100 lifetimes. My kids have accomplished a lot too. I don't believe in resolutions, I just get out there and do it, not really caring what it looks like. I don't need a plan and I rarely make excuses, even when I don't have the money or resources, I still do what I can. When it seems to not work out, I try not to be so hard on myself because none of us will ever get it perfect....so stop trying...bc even when it's not working out.....it's really working out, we just have to shift perspective. If I didn't have REALLY bad days then I wouldn't know what a REALLY good day was. If I had cared about any of those ridiculous things or people's opinions, I never would've gotten to do any of this. I would've still just been sitting there in a cocoon of fear or doubt saying, "Someday..." and then maybe I would've died that way. Tragic. Or, as Dr. Wayne Dyer would put it, “Don’t die with your music still in you.” And…so…here I am.
Me flying a helicopter over Charleston in 2011.
Constantly looking in the rearview makes it difficult to operate the vehicle and you might miss something spectacular ahead. Or worse, you could cause destruction in your path if you’re too focused on what is behind you. We only have this moment. Right here, right now. Pay attention. Make it epic.
I recently witnessed a convo ...more like heavy debate... between two people about art having no meaning because of the content or "skill" of the artist, and/or etc. etc. etc. I didn't feel the urge to insert myself at the time (unless you count me chuckling out, "Are you guys STILL on that topic?!"*rolling eyes* about 20 minutes into it) but decided to blog about it instead.
So here it is: EVERYTHING IS MEANINGLESS. YES, MEANING IS ONLY WHAT WE DECIDE IT SHOULD BE.
My good friend, Michael J, has this tattooed on his arm: "EVERYTHING IS MEANINGLESS", and when I asked him what it meant he would say just THAT (“everything is meaningless”) with no explanation that I can recall. I could never quite wrap my head around it until one day it just clicked ……and mostly when I get the "click" it is like I somehow always knew that...but just forgot. So, perhaps my explanation will clarify it.
I could put meaning into anything; like my sparkly shoelaces or this keyboard I'm typing on. Do I? Not at the moment, but that could change if I so choose. And so could the DEGREE of meaning if I allow it. For example, the shoelaces could've been a gift from my children in which case I might place deep meaning into them. But just because someone puts meaning into something does not mean you have to agree; hence, most people probably wouldn't give a rat's ass about my shoelaces. Of course, relationships are another topic I won't get into and most of us do put heftier degrees of meaning into those. And even deeper still is the practice of non-attachment ....but that might require me writing a book and I sincerely LOATHE writing. lol ...so, naturally, I have a fucking blog
(insert the idk why emoji here)
IT IS EACH OUR INDIVIDUAL CHOICE TO PLACE MEANING INTO ANYTHING.
Are you letting other people's or organization’s opinions about the meaning of things dictate the meaning you place on things for yourself? If the local government tells me I should care deeply about putting a lamp post at the end of my street, does it serve me to cry over it every day? It may be an exaggerated example but, my WORD!!, the things we waste our precious time and energy over just because SOMEONE ELSE tells us we need to!!!
Let that sink in and ask yourself, "Am I choosing to put meaning into things that serve me and this world as a whole well?" If not, re-evaluate what is exhausting your efforts. You might need to change the way you view it or simply move on from that person, place, thing or circumstance. It's a constant process and you'll find so much freedom in knowing that you can control this for yourself. And if, as a collective, we put deep meaning into incredibly beneficial endeavors for ourselves and humanity as a whole.....well..…..hell……LET’S DO THIS!!!
Who’s with me?
We all have a choice in the moment. You can choose to feel a certain way about something or not. You can choose a thought that serves you or not. You can shift that in a mere second. I'll admit, brain training is like training a puppy to pee outside. But once you get it, OMG my friends, you are golden and it's orgasmic.
So much talk about the war against this, that, or the other thing, (fat, cancer, drugs, etc) the lists go on and on. But…… why are we warring at all? Why are we fighting things and, more importantly, each other?!! Let's focus on solutions rather than wars, shall we? I challenge everyone to see the good in every person and circumstance. One of my idols, Mister Fred Rogers, taught us this. Can we imagine a world where there is no judgment or tearing down of another but rather a building UP of each other? I can. Honestly, when you break it down we are ALL capable of the same thoughts, feelings and actions. Think hard about that. So what good does tearing down another do? You know the answer.
Handle it. Peace.
When you understand that you exist for one unique purpose that can only be expressed through you, you understand that nothing in life is a competition; nothing is a threat; no choice is wrong but meant for the sole purpose of expansion. YOU CAN RELAX!!! Because if there is only ONE you, YOU'VE OBVIOUSLY GOT THIS!!! #trust #faith #shift
"The ego, however, is not who you really are. The ego is your self-image; it is your social mask; it is the role you are playing. Your social mask thrives on approval. It wants control, and it is sustained by power because it lives in fear." (Deepak Chopra)
Meditation takes us beyond what we see as human into the essence of what we truly are. When we let go and “let God”…..It is there that we can have profound knowing....profound shifting.
Each day, each moment, can be a blank canvas. Shifting your perception is as simple as taking a different route home or trying something new for dinner. When you cultivate your natural sense of adventure, your sense of wonder, you become your fullest self. A small shift, then another and another is a catalyst for profound shift. What have you done differently today?