Discovery, insight, joy, awakening, laughing till it hurts....
Please scroll down to view past entries.
July 29, 2010
Self-affirming questions to ponder.... Have you been told?
July 26, 2010
Living in New Mexico has renewed and deepened my love for Nature. Lush meadows, majestic pine trees, sparkling running water, and the expansive, dramatic sky... all immensely beautiful and awe-inspiring.
July 22, 2010
Bullying occurs among both kids and grown-ups and often the victims of this terrible behavior suffer in silence. Well, not this young girl. Ziainey Stokes, 11 years old, got fed up with being bullied at her school and decided to take action. She wrote a letter to none other than our President Obama. And... he wrote back! Mr. Obama's thoughtful, caring response, in turn, inspired her to start a new organization called 'No Kid Should Be Bullied', to fight bullying. She is awesome!
July 19, 2010
*5 Lessons I Learned From My Roomba Vacuum Cleaner*
- By Dr. Paula Bloom (psychologist, speaker, CNN and pbs.org contributor)
1. Not falling off the edge. The Roomba seems to be able to detect upcoming edges and manages to slow down its approach. It doesn't fall down the stairs. It seems to have a way of coming very close to the edge and recognizing when there is no more firm ground beneath it. It doesn't freak out or need to call other vacuum cleaners and whine. It just simply turns around and heads in a different direction. Slowing down when you notice yourself getting close to your emotional edge is a wonderful way to help prevent falling off of it. "Oops, I am getting really pissed off at this person and rather than lose it I am going to notice it and focus my thoughts, actions, feelings elsewhere." 2. The job gets done, eventually. The Roomba doesn't seem to follow a predictable pattern but yet, eventually, the whole room seems to get done. Watching it work for a few minutes would make you doubtful that it could accomplish such a task. It doesn't seem to rush if the room is bigger or slow down when it is smaller. It just goes around in its merry little way and gets the job done. It is persistent. I guess Aesop was right, slow and steady wins the race. Being goal-directed can be a very good thing. But sometimes, we are too rigid about how we think things should be done. We judge others for not doing it like we do and judge ourselves for not doing it like they do. 3. Overcoming obstacles. When running into an obstacle the Roomba readily course-corrects. It doesn't seem to stop and ponder why this happened. It doesn't necessarily struggle to push past the challenge. No. It just tries to find a way to get out of the situation. The cool thing is that when it finds itself trapped it does call out for help and then shut down to preserve its energy. What's the point of flailing about and wasting energy? Of course in our life it can be useful to understand how we got into a mess in order to avoid getting into it again. Sometimes, however, wasting time trying to recreate the situation in your mind will leave you too exhausted to actually solve the problem. 4. Knowing your needs and asking for help. The Roomba knows when it needs to be cleaned out and tells you exactly what it needs. It wasn't working the other day and it told me that it needed to have its brushes cleaned out. Once we cleaned the brushes it began working again. It is so much easier to get what you need from others when you actually know what you want and then ask for it. How ingenious! 5. Recharge. The most brilliant thing about this piece of technology is this: It monitors it's battery charge and identifies when it needs to recharge, then finds its docking station, and then starts the process of renewal. Wow, knowing when your emotional battery is getting low, knowing where you can get reenergized and then actually doing it ... amazing stuff! Sometimes the biggest challenge to mental health is acknowledging that your battery is running out. People often see this need as weakness. Stop judging yourself for being human and note that even a robot needs a vacation!
July 15, 2010
When someone is an exceptionally good stand-up comic, that person has my respect and praise. Often it' just the comic, the microphone, and the audience. Imagine how nerve-wracking that is! Brian Regan is one such comedian and I really enjoy his observational comedy. I think he is smart, wise, sweet, and, of course, very funny. Here is a taste of his act. Enjoy!
July 11, 2010
As a teenager, I listened to the British rock band, Supertramp, and liked their music. However, they didn't leave a lasting impression on me at that time. Then, few days ago, a friend shared this video featuring Roger Hodgson, a member of the band. Now the song is one of my favorites. It is deeply moving... feels like a balm to my soul... soothing and comforting. Now I am inspired to revisit and rediscover their gift of music. Thanks my friend!
I know that there's a reason why I need to be alone I need to find a silent place that I can call my own Is it mine, Lord is it mine? When everything's dark and nothing seems right, there's nothing to win and there's no need to fight I never cease to wonder at the cruelty of this land but it seems a time of sadness is a time to understand Is it mine, Lord is it mine? When everything's dark and nothing seems right, You don't have to win and there's no need to fight If only I could find a way to feel your sweetness through the day The love that shines around me could be mine. So give us an answer, won't you, We know what we have to do, There must be a thousand voices trying to get through.
July 08, 2010
~ A Chant for Healing ~
Rhythm of the moon, shine in my heart Rhythm of the earth, heal my body Rhythm of the wind, clear my mind Rhythm of the sun, heal my soul Rhythm of the universe, come into my heart Rhythm of the universe, make my body whole Rhythm of the universe, focus my mind Rhythm of the universe, move my soul
July 05, 2010
This video contains three elements I just love... a baby, a dog, and lots of laughter. So beware of sweetness overload!
July 01, 2010 One of my favorite people in the world shared this wonderful gem of wisdom with me. And since it was so good I had to share it with you as well. No doubt it will make you a great fan of Bugs Bunny afterwards, if not already. Here are few samplings of life according to BB. Enjoy!
~ Everything I Needed to Know About Spirituality... I Learned From Bugs Bunny ~
-If you don't know what reality is, don't take it seriously. There is no reality more permeable than Bugs Bunny's, and he never takes his belief about reality seriously. This is his undeniable strength and power. Bugs is always senior to the drama that rages on around him, because reality exists to serve Bugs, Bugs does not exist to serve reality. Brings a whole new meaning to wascally wabbit, don't it! -Question authority first; then ask good questions like, "What's up Doc?" In the "know thyself" quest, exploration is absolutely imperative. It is always Spiritually in style to question any and all dogma. Exploring the nature of reality is what we are all here for, and what better way to endeavor in that quest than by asking, "What's up, Doc?"? -Deal with your enemies by giving them, a full-on kiss on the lips. Bugs lives a life free of worries and fear. He transcended every conflict from Elmer Fudd to Daffy Duck by giving his antagonist a full kiss on the lips! Bugs brings a whole new meaning to "Love conquers thy enemies!" (It also keeps them confused.) -Be adventurous! Be outrageous! Be Bugs! Spiritual growth always happens outside the box. All great spiritual teachers like Bugs Bunny have lived outside the restrictions of cultural limitations and prudish sensibilities. Dare to be your original self! Dare to be real and alive. Dare to be fearless! Dare to be outrageously Bugs!
Read the rest and perhaps you may be inspired to follow the trail blazed by the wascally wabbit. Don't forget your delicious carrot stick!
Inspiration
2. The job gets done, eventually. The Roomba doesn't seem to follow a predictable pattern but yet, eventually, the whole room seems to get done. Watching it work for a few minutes would make you doubtful that it could accomplish such a task. It doesn't seem to rush if the room is bigger or slow down when it is smaller. It just goes around in its merry little way and gets the job done. It is persistent. I guess Aesop was right, slow and steady wins the race. Being goal-directed can be a very good thing. But sometimes, we are too rigid about how we think things should be done. We judge others for not doing it like we do and judge ourselves for not doing it like they do.
