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Friday, April 30, 2010 – Yellow Flowers
I remember years ago when my son was four, I was hurrying him to get into the car to get to junior kindergarten on time. When he got into the car, I asked him if he’d seen the yellow flowers that had bloomed. He said, “Do you mean the flowers with the yellow and pink petals and the brown part in the middle and the leaves with two greens?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “Yes, they’re very nice.”
Sure enough, when I got home I saw what he meant. In his world, those were not simply pink flowers – there were so much more. And that was the best lesson I have ever learned in life. Each day I try to take some time to observe the details of the world around me, seeing it through the eyes of a four year old.
Thursday, April 29, 2010 – Hold hands
If you have a chance, hold hands today – even with yourself! I had the good fortune to hear on CBC radio today about a woman (an economist) who shot a video at the Vancouver Aquarium of two otters holding hands. I checked it out and it had over 13 million hits! And it is adorable to see these two trusting and beautiful creatures holding hands. Just as heartwarming are the comments you overhear on the video: men and women, all ages – they are all enamored. It inspires me to hold hands and find that trust and beauty that comes from connection with yourself or another. And, check out the video on youtube if you get a chance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epUk3T2Kfno
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 – Let sparks fly!
Today, as I go through my day, I will find the time to let my mind wander and to let the sparks of creativity fly. Rather than turning on the car radio, ipod or tv, I’ll let my mind wander to its favorite places and make connections. Creativity loves a vaccuum and if you create the time and space for the sparks to fly, they will!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 – Staying connected to the best
Sometimes our lives get so busy that we lose touch with what is most important to us. Today, think about how to stay in touch with your best, most fabulous self. Remember to breathe deeply, stay focused on your priorities and to trust in the universe. Then, at the end of the day, regardless of how things go, you can truly say, “I did my best” and “I planted and nourished seeds for tomorrow’s growth”.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Well begun is half done! Remember that from Mary Poppins? It’s a thought I started my day with as calls started early and planning meetings are being set up. Jon Kabat-Zinn’s practices remind us not to get too caught up in what he calls “planning mind”. This is the overwhelming desire to continue planning, thinking ahead, filling our mind with thoughts. In an extreme form, thinking about doing actually replaces doing and we get stuck in the mud. Today, I am committed to creating a future I love by consciously and conscientiously laying the groundwork for a beautiful, systematic step-by-step approach to all I do. With flexibility for changes, I am happy that my life and work are unfolding in such a beautiful, meaningful and thoughtful way. I feel empowered, creative and productive. How does “well begun is half done” resonate for you today?
Friday, April 16, 2010
To end this week, I’ll leave you with these words to think on today and throughout the weekend. No one is sure who wrote them and there are variations on the theme so I included a couple that are similar because they’re all inspiring:
Dance as if no one were watching
Sing as if no one were listening
Live every day as if it were your last
Love as though you have never been hurt
Live as though heaven is on earth
Thursday, April 15, 2010 – Love
When we see the world through eyes of love, the world loves us back. This is neither naivete nor manipulative. See the world, truly and purely, for all the best it has to offer and offer the same thing back. Seek evidence of the love you would wish to find – and you will find it. Then allow others to find the love that they seek in your eyes and in your actions. And, in that way, love really does make the world go round. 
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 – Sing
Continuing with this week’s theme… Sing! In the shower, in your car, with a choir, on a walk in the woods. Let it rip. Enjoy that fantastic feeling of just belting it out at the top of your lungs – and how great, how free, how refreshed you feel afterwards.
Be careful though – you may find yourself wanting to move to NYC or Nashville!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010 – Dance
Life feels so good when we take the time to dance. Like laughing, it releases “feel good” hormones. Like jogging, it releases some of those same hormones but unlike jogging, dancing is a wonderful and creative way to express yourself and let your body and mind flow to music.
Take the time this week to dance: at a club, alone in your room, at a lesson. Afterward, observe the feelings of well-being flow through your body.
Monday, April 12, 2010 – Laugh
Everything is different after a great round of laughter. By now we’ve all heard of the studies that link laughter – even forced laughter – to all sorts of good things in life. It releases all sorts of hormones into your bloodstream that create feelings of well-being. It increases circulation and improves blood flow so it’s good for your heart. You may fall asleep more easily as laughter can take your mind off the crazy things in life that keep you awake at night. And a good night of sleep is a very very good thing for mental and physical health.
Today, laugh. Don’t wait for something funny to come to you. Find it. Outside of yourself. In yourself. Try laughter yoga. Rent your fave comedy. Watch your favorite sitcom. Replay one of the funniest incidents from your life over in your head. Try seeing something that’s been stressing you out from a whole new angle and see if you can find the humour in it. )))))
Friday, April 9, 2010 – TGIF
What does TGIF mean? It’s knowing the weekend is almost here and that means that the time to renew, connect with family and friends, find a bit of alone-time are all just around the corner.
Take this weekend to rekindle your light inside, revive the spark you have with another and reawaken a lost or forgotten passion.
The best way to do this? Look quietly within and you will find the answers.
Thank goodness it’s Friday!
Thursday, April 8, 2010 – Each of us is the way, the truth and the life
Imagine the spark of love and light that inspired Jesus to state “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Live your day with that same spirit of beautiful intention to light your own and others’ paths, scatter compassion and authenticity all around and spread joy and inclusivity in all you do.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010 – Healing Light of the Divine
I feel the healing light of the Divine within me and know that I am whole, beautiful and serene. I embrace life with all its complexities and mysteries and know that I am safe in the healing light of the Divine.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 – The Friend Mirror
Today, think of all of the best qualities of your closest friends. Make a list of what you like most about them. Their warmth, kindness, sense of humor, cooking skills, sense of adventure, hominess… Whatever it is.
This week, watch for the ways you exhibit many of those same qualities yourself and really see how wonderful you are. Make sure you are as good a friend to yourself as you are to others.
Thursday, April 1, 2010 – Oprah and the Angels
Oprah is partnering with Float Films and offering free angel readings today – but only before noon. Please visit www.floatfilms.com/oprah for your free reading today – and Float Films will send you a free DVD!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 – The Same / The Changes
This weekend, I attended a writers’ conference about how the media world is changing. Will we still watch television 10 years from now? Or, will it be replaced by some funky new device? Whatever it ends up being, I think that the essence of storytelling has stayed the same over the millennia. Whether it was along dusty nomadic trails, around the campfire, in books, on the radio, on television and now on youtube, the basic elements of good storytelling remain the same: compelling characters in interesting circumstances that make us laugh or help us to grow a deeper understanding of the world around us and the people in it – preferably all of the above.
How does your world feel different to you? Do you feel your resilience and embracing of change? Are you allowing your light to shine? Today, think about how constant change is in your life and what that means to you. (http://www.floatfilms.com/daily)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 – Create your day!
Embrace the day. As you breathe in, fill your lungs with a promise to yourself to create your day in the image of that ideal you hold within your heart. Fulfill your duties, responsibilities and obligations and also do a thing that your heart desires that you would normally not do. Be bold. Be the opposite of lazy. Create your day! (http://www.floatfilms.com/daily)
Monday, March 29, 2010 – Create it
It’s the beginning of another week. Embrace it. Create it. As you breathe in, fill your lungs with a promise to yourself to paint your week with love and light, hope and belief, potential and reality, laughter and joy. As you exhale, let go of thoughts that hold you back and remember your promise to yourself: love, light, hope, belief, potential, reality, laughter, joy. (http://www.floatfilms.com/daily)
Friday, March 26, 2010 – Let it go
Yes, that’s right. Feel the sweet release as you let go of your creation and send the energy out into the universe. Observe your feelings and thoughts as you let it go. Does it float away or abruptly leave? Sense the shift in your attachment to it. Feel how freeing it is to be relieved of it. Now, be ready for anything. Have a fantastic weekend! (http://www.floatfilms.com/daily)
Thursday, March 25, 2010 – A little bit more
Keep at it. It may sometimes seem like you’re not quite getting it, that it’s not coming together. That’s a normal part of the process. Keep at it. Do whatever it takes to keep at it. Push yourself just a little bit harder, but be gentle with yourself. It’s a wholesome discipline that you need to accomplish the intentions you’ve set for your yourself. (http://www.floatfilms.com/daily)
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 – You have set your intention and made a small action toward fulfilling it. Now, use your will, and take another action. And another. One more.
I like to think about great novelists and their first books. They must each have had an inkling that they had something inside that they wanted - no, needed - to get out of themselves and present to the rest of the world. I like to think of how they wrote down the words, one letter at a time, one sentence at a time, one paragraph, one chapter at a time. What thoughts did they have as they saw the growing mound of paper? What sense of accomplishment from a well-turned sentence? What fear that their work would only sit in their desk drawer?
There are scores of stories of writers whose works were rejected by the first 13 publishers. Until, finally, someone saw the spark of truth in their work and took a chance on them.
Use your will today to fulfill your heart’s desire, knowing that soon you will let go of your will, you’ll release it. For today, give it all you’ve got: write it, draw it, paint it, express it. Whatever it is, continue to take the small steps needed to create it.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Change and growth do not come in grand sweeping gestures but with small, day-to-day actions that add up to profound differences. Today, set your intention to support positive change and growth in your life and take action toward fulfilling your intention.
Monday, March 22, 2010 – Whether you believe you can or can’t
Henry Ford, automobile manufacturer and founder of one of the the world’s most generous philanthropic foundations, said, “Whether you believe you can or can’t, you’re right.”
Take time today to set intentions, grand or small, for your future and think about what small action you can take today, tomorrow and the day after to make them happen. And believe.
Friday, March 19, 2010 – Smile
It’s wild but true – if you are feeling stressed but stop and make yourself smile, you will feel better and you can get back to your work with a happier, lighter heart. Give it a try! Let me know if it works for you.
Thursday, March 18, 2010 – Take time for you
There was a recent study that indicated the positive outcomes of a massage are equal to the positive outcomes of sitting alone quietly in a massage room. Though I don’t think I will ever want to completely forego the pleasure of a good massage, it does make me think about how to use meditation and down-time as a way to de-stress. Sometime in the next week, treat yourself to a mini-vacation and sit alone in a darkened room, taking in the aromas of your favourite essential oils, quiet music playing in the background. Let your mind play with happy thoughts. Take time for you.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010 – The Power to Act or A State of Relaxed Readiness
I once had a wise and wonderful martial arts teacher. He consistently reminded us that we should walk the world in a state of both heightened awareness and relaxation. He would demonstrate walking down the street in a relaxed state then show how he could, in one moment, shift into a position ready to defend or, if necessary, attack.
We have within us an ability to maintain this balance, this state of relaxed readiness. It is a healthy way to be in the world as we are resilient, confident, and open to change.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 – Prayer to nature
I praise the mountains’ peaks for their motivation and the valleys’ depths for their grounding.
I praise the oceans for their lessons on going with the flow.
I praise the skies for their ability to dare us to dream big.
I am grateful for the inspiring power and grace of each of these elements of nature.
They guide my thoughts and actions throughout the day.
Amen.
Friday, March 12, 2010 – The brightness of another’s light does not dim your own. In fact, join your light with others’ and, together, we can illuminate the world.
Happy Weekend!
Thursday, March 11, 2010 – My heart sings in gratitude and joy for all the beauty and laughter that is within and around me.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 – Remember your source. It is what truly inspires you and keeps you happy. It is the wellspring of who you are and nurtures you with the thoughts that sustain you and keep you motivated to fulfill your highest purpose.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 – Letting go and letting be
Letting go and letting be. Releasing a question or issue can be very powerful in finding a creative resolution.
A few weeks ago I was working on a creative project, creating characters and plotlines. Characters are my strength and I know it. I can create a million compelling characters to inhabit my stories. Plotlines, on the other hand, are difficult for me. It is the intricate weaving of expectations that are set with the reversed outcomes that really test me. It gives me great pleasure whenever I manage to do either, even though one comes easily to me and the other is difficult.
In this particular case, neither was coming to me easily and so my mind circled the issue over and over again. I woke up very early on a Saturday morning and it was one of my first thoughts. I decided I needed to get a bit more sleep so I very consciously decided to put the issue aside and deal with it later in the day. I felt instant relief, rolled over in bed and within seconds the idea formed in my head and presented itself in bright colors, with the characters developed and the plots formed. I was amazed.
It took another few days to get the various elements together and I made some changes from the original thoughts that so clearly popped into my head that morning. But I can truly say that by ruminating on the issue for some time and then finally and truly releasing it, the answer alighted on me.
Since that day, I have on a few occasions very clearly “let go and let be” with something I needed to resolve and each time the issue resolved itself in record time.
Is there something you could “let go and let be” today?
Monday, March 8, 2010 – Happy Women’s Day!
When I was a girl verging on adolescence, I remember one of my friends asking her mom, “Do you think Sadie is beautiful?” Her mom answered, “Every girl is beautiful if she takes care of herself.”
Those were profound words for me, at the age of 12, with my braces, geeky glasses and gawky body.
My friend’s mom meant that in every sense of the term: “if she takes care of herself”. To me, it meant that even if you weren’t model-perfect, if you valued yourself and took care of yourself, each one of us could be beautiful. And, what could be more important to me, at the age of 12, with my braces, geeky glasses and gawky body.
I know that she also meant to be a good student and to accentuate your positive qualities. That was clear in the way she was raising her children. And, that was equally important to the 12 year old with braces, geeky glasses and a gawky body.
Today, I think of each of you and the beauty of your feminine side – inside and out – strong, valued, smart, gorgeous, each of us unique and talented in own own way, fighting our battles, drying our own and others’ tears, working to create a more beautiful world. Let your beautiful light shine. Happy Women’s Day!
Friday, March 5, 2010 – Shine
Spring is on its way. Yesterday, I saw the buds on the bushes as I walked along the street. They looked so frail and strong at the same time. I love the promise that each of those buds holds and the hope and anticipation that I feel each year at this time. Each of us holds a promise inside that can be constantly renewed. This is the perfect time of year for you to let your own personal shining brightness come budding forth.
Today, reflect on the buds inside you that will be renewed with the spring rain and the summer sun, ready the soil to plant the seeds that will bear fruit in the days, months and years to come. Shine.
Thursday, March 4, 2010 – When your heart hurts
What do you do when your heart hurts? Someone close to you has hurt you – intentionally or unintentionally – and your heart feels like it might close down with sadness, fear, stress and anger. It happens to all of us.
When your heart hurts, be there for it. Let it feel sad and be a witness to the sadness and pain. Observe the emotions. Comfort yourself. At moments like this, “spoil” yourself – is it possible to give too much love? If possible, reach inside your heart and find the kernel of forgiveness for everyone involved. Move on.
When your heart hurts, have faith in the universe. When your heart hurts, love it, coddle it, be kind to it and let it stay open to love, health, joy and laughter.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010 – Oh yeah!
Oprah calls them “aha moments”. Austin Powers says, “Oh baby”. What do you say when you have a peak moment? Regardless of the words you use, do your best today to connect with the feelings you have at those moments of clarity and lucidity. See if you have any of those moments today.
I know I say “Nice” in a certain way when I’m having a moment. It brings a smile to my face just to say it that way inside my head. I’ve read about studies that prove we reproduce the “feel good” hormones at times like that, ie, simply when we recall those moments. And, surely that can’t be a bad thing?
What do you say – will you give it a try? Niiiice.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010 – The deep well of joy
Each of us has a deep well of joy within. It is a source of comfort and smiles. We fill it up with happy memories, joyful feelings, a contented state of mind and simple abundance.
Do you fill yours when you’re kicking back or when you’re highly engaged? A trip to a museum, a different route home from work? Dancing in your living room rather than watching TV? Singing in the shower while sudsing your hair? Surrendering to the laughter that comes bubbling up and letting yourself laugh with abandon?
No matter how you do it, fill up your well today, baby, because it is so much fun and a full well is great to have on a dry day when you’re feeling parched!
Monday, March 1, 2010 – Finding your bliss and wonderful moments of grace
Last year I shared my feelings of bliss as I was out shooting Flow.Spring and I invited others to share their feelings of bliss with me. I was overwhelmed by the number of responses and filled with joy to read them. I heard from a woman who was becoming grandmother for the first time and her sense of excitement on this new stage in life. Others were about to embark on travels they had postponed until their children grew up and left home, completely thrilled at the prospect of discovering new parts of the world while rediscovering their relationships with themselves and their spouses. Some were excited about physical challenges: a race to run, a river to swim. Still others loved to sing – some for the pure joy of it in the shower and others as performers and the adrenaline rush they got from the audience.
I am lucky to have some blissful moments myself: a child’s shy smile as she warms up to me, a shared laugh with my son, a friend’s knowing glance, a lover’s caress, a song sung with abandon alone in my car, the moments when a shot comes together beautifully for me when I am out shooting. Wonderful moments of grace.
Today I will reflect on my own bliss and be thankful for the opportunities and tonight I will drift off to sweet dreams thinking about them.
Friday, February 26, 2010 – Compassion
Practicing compassion in our everyday lives is important. It allows us to have deep and meaningful relationships. It allows us to be kind to others. And, it allows us to be kind to ourselves and to enter a state of grace. Feeling compassion is one thing. Expressing it is quite another. I have sometimes seen parents and children or two friends unable to get their feelings out into the open and that has lead to sadness and misunderstandings. As a mother I know it is important for me to get out of my own way and my own judgments and just allow myself to feel and express the feelings of compassion I feel for my son without it becoming a “lesson”. I go from feeling for my son to wanting to make it all better, from gut to head too quickly. Do you ever find yourself doing this? We fear for others we are close to and want things to go well for them so we quickly move from understanding, empathy and compassion to solving. As I become aware of this tendency in myself as a mother, I see that I often do it in other situations as well, with family, friends, even myself.
Being patient and developing a language of compassion is important. That language can be words or actions. Creating space and time to express your feelings of simpatico is an essential element. In a world where there is constantly too much to do and too little time, it is an ongoing struggle. But if we can find the time and the language, we will be rewarded many times over.
This weekend, I will watch for how I am compassionate toward others and myself while retaining a happy outlook on life. I will practice intentional acts of compassion, opening my heart and using my “language” of compassion with others and myself.
Thursday, February 25, 2010 – Following your heart
One of the most important lessons we can learn in life comes when we learn to follow our hearts. It is easy, when we live in a scientific and technological age, to disconnect and let our minds and “second-guesses” take over. And, of course, science and logic are good things. But when it comes to making decisions, there is nothing like intuition, our “first guess” as it were. It is that intuition that takes in all of the logic, the science, the experience that you have and melds it with your feelings, your priorities, your sense of right and wrong. It is so wonderful, when making decisions both large and small, to have the luxury of taking a few deep breaths and really connecting with what is important to us – then acting according to that.
Today I will ask my heart what is important to it. Tonight I will fall asleep reflecting on all the messages of love, beauty and honesty I have received from my heart.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010 – The wonderful lightness of being
Intention, Will, Release
Sometimes life can seem heavy and filled with many decisions to make, deadlines to make, commitments to fulfill. I can sometimes feel like I’m verging on being a control freak. If only I could make traffic go faster, get my family to all agree to what I want to do, have less discussion and get decisions made more quickly. If only. If only.
The moments of true grace come when I let go of all attachment to outcomes, when I do the best I can, and then release attachment to the final results. The grace can come as a welcome and unexpected result. Or, perhaps the fulfillment of my deepest desires. Or, as is most often the case, it falls somewhere along that continuum in a way that feels quite wonderful and right for all concerned.
Today I will set my intentions, work hard toward them and release attachment to the outcome. This evening I will review my day and drift off to sleep, easily, happily, knowing that the world is unfolding as it should and content with my wonderful lightness of being.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 – Praying with intention
There are many studies that prove prayer is helpful – both to the “prayeree” and “prayerer”. That we can have a positive impact on one other by taking up prayer rather than arms seems to be a concept so simple that it could be construed as simple-minded. The intention behind prayer, however, is of utmost importance.
I do not have the habit of praying in the way I was brought up to pray. That way struck me as very self-serving. Perhaps it was because I was a child at the time. “God, please give me a new Doodle art kit.” “God, please get me a new yellow ten speed bike.” “God, please make my grandfather well again.”
As an adult, my prayers have a whole different tone. Even the being I’m praying to seems different. I pray to a higher being, for sure, but who and what is that higher being? To me, it’s a life force, an energy for all that is good and reasonable and beautiful and fair in the world. The name given to that force is not the important thing.
The important thing is the intention and today I will pray with intention: The intention for good in the world, for love, peace, and greater understanding; for our fellow human beings to seek our commonalities, rather than our differences; and, to work toward creating heaven right here on earth. Amen.
www.youtube.com/floatfilms – to see flow.spring
Monday, February 22, 2010 – Magical light is in the air
http://www.youtube.com/floatfilms - to see a preview of flow.spring
Wherever you go and whatever you do, acknowledge your light
I once knew a woman who is a Quaker. She was lovely and talented and fearless. She lived her life with heart and soul, unabashedly sharing all that was hers: thoughts, feelings, ideas, her beautiful music and singing. They were lovely gifts to receive.
One day I told her about something that was troubling me. She listened intently and then told me that she would “hold me in the light”. I am sure I looked both pleased and confused so she went on to explain that she was a Quaker and that was part of their belief system. Rather than using the word “praying”, she used the term “hold in the light”. My load immediately felt lighter. I was intrigued, both by her words and my immediate reaction to them, and began to think on it. I loved the concept and have used it often since then. My father was recently quite worried about an issue and I held him in the light each night. I was so surprised – and relieved, as I’m sure he was – when the issue resolved itself very quickly. There are many times when something seemed heavy in my life and bringing it out into the light made it seem not-so-bad and not-so-heavy. I love this light.
Today I will reflect on the light I emanate into the world and how I can hold others’ – and my own – worries in the light. We heal ourselves and others with our beautiful, calm and lovely light.
Friday, February 19, 2010 – Still water, ripples in the water, crashing waves
http://www.youtube.com/floatfilms - to see a preview of flow.spring
Let life flow over you, through you, in you, and feel at one and at peace with all around you.
Everyday life consists of ups and downs, ins and outs, and criss-crosses. We may wish that it were always smooth and trouble-free but that is not the way of the universe. Some of our greatest treasures in life come with the highest cost: childbirth is the example that comes immediately to my mind. If the universe meant for things always to go easily for us, surely childbirth would be a whole other experience!
It is wonderful to see a perfectly placid stream of water. It is also exciting to see waves crashing against the shore. And, somewhere in between, are the gentle ripples that lap against the shore, that overlap with one another, that create pretty and shimmering reflections and that seem to dance before us.
Today I will think about the breakthrough moments I’ve had and reflect upon how and why they have come my way. I think of my natural talents as being like still water, easy and flowing. I think of growth and change that has come relatively easily to me, but with a few bumps and bruises along the way, as being like the ripples in water. I think of the Big Lessons as being like the crashing waves.
Tonight I will go to sleep grateful for all of the types of water flowing through my life, for each one carries Grace and Light within it and for that I am truly grateful.
www.floatfilms.com/order to order flow.summer and flow.fall and to pre-order flow.spring.
Sneak preview of Flow.Spring now online. Visit www.youtube.com/floatfilms to check it out and do let me know what you think!
Thursday, February 18, 2010 – Life is long
Live each moment as if it were a building block
When I think of the world’s most successful people, I see how their lives are a sum total of their experiences and intentions. To live life fully, we must imagine where we’d like to be and spend time – seconds, minutes, hours and days – working toward fulfilling that vision. As my grandfather used to say to me (repeatedly!): “After all, Rome was not built in a day!”
How right he was! We must always juggle the various priorities in our lives, working slowly toward our goals, building a strong and solid base. Remember: there is no such thing as an overnight success.
During the day, think of how you savor each moment and how you are, at the same time, building something strong and durable. Drift off to sleep this evening knowing that life is long and, wherever you are headed, you’ll get there soon enough. Enjoy the ride.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010 – What’s love got to do with it?
Everything.
Remember the lovely, feisty and talented Tina Turner belting that song out? We all knew how much heartache she had been through in her life already. So who could blame her for posing the question? Of course, she knew that love had everything to do with it! During the day, watch how love plays a role in so many things you do: your devotion to your family, your feelings toward the friends you choose to spend time with, how you express yourself through your work, the way you spend your free time and your dedication to your hobbies.
Tonight as you drift off to sleep, think about how lucky you are, about how much love there is in your life and about the many opportunities that you have to express it each day of your life.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 – The brightest light of all
Inside you, you carry a light. It is your life source, the source of your energy.
Have you ever seen someone after a long period of time has gone by and you can’t quite put your finger on it but they’re different somehow? There’s something strong and happy about them. You can see it in the sparkle of their eyes, the glow of their skin, their easy smile. That is the life source, the flame within, that is burning brightly in them and it’s the result of happiness and feeling stress-free and following their internal guidance.
Feel that energy today as you go about your business. Feel yourself relaxing – everywhere – even in the muscles around your mouth, eyes, back of your throat, sinuses. That relaxation helps to feed the flames within and lets the real you come shining through.
Monday, February 15, 2010 – Prioritize
What is the most important thing in your life?
A couple of weeks ago, my son asked me what would be the first thing I’d grab in the case of a raging, out-of-control fire. Besides making sure that he was okay, I really had to think about it. In my mind’s eye, I scanned my room, my living room, the rest of the house. What would I grab? I have family photos from four generations tucked in my closet in a hatbox. I have a pretty little jewelry box that I inherited from my grandmother that I cherish though it’s not worth much to anyone else. I’ve got a nice flat screen tv. I asked him what he’d grab. He answered, without hesitation: Our computers, our pet and our photos. I was impressed by his nice balance of practical, loving and sentimental (but not maudlin). But I was amazed that I hadn’t immediately thought of the computers. They contain so much that is important to my day-to-day life.
A lesson I learned long ago is that “Home is where the heart is”. That means that wherever I am, I am at home. Whatever I do, it is from my heart. Then belongings don’t mean as much. They support who you are and what you do – but they don’t define you as much as your thoughts and your actions do.
Ask yourself: What – or who – is the most important thing in my life? Am I living my life in a way that honors that importance? What can I do to be true to my soul’s priorities?
Friday, February 12, 2010 – An unexpected kindness
Practice random acts of kindness this weekend
Watch for what you are attracted to today. Use your intuition today to see what it is you are craving. And, use that knowledge to treat yourself to random acts of kindness – for yourself.
When someone mentions they just had a massage, do your ears perk up? Maybe it’s “order envy” that you experience when you go out for dinner – you know that feeling when your friend’s food arrives and you wish you’d ordered what they have? When you see the sun rising in the sky on your way to work, do you think it’s been a long time since you saw a sunrise? Does the sign outside the museum or gallery catch your eye?
Watch for those moments today and, over the weekend, be kind, gentle and loving to yourself and practice a few random wonderful, sweet, scrumptious acts of kindness to yourself.
Thursday, February 11, 2010 – God is in the details
It’s the little everyday things that count
Every moment of your life is precious. Every detail of your life deserves your attention. From the mundane to the sublime, all the details are important because they are the beautiful and precious details of your life and the life you share with your loved ones. Remember that as you deal with the details of each day.
Each dish you wash, every tear you dry, all the words you speak, each step you walk, every morning you awake, all the smiles you share: these are the most important details of your life.
Today, as you go through your day, remind yourself that God is in each one these details. And consider that there may be a little bit of heaven on earth in each of your kind, thoughtful and loving everyday gestures.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 – Counting blessings and small miracles
Tonight, rather than counting sheep, count blessings and small miracles as you fall asleep
Each day holds its share of blessings and small miracles. Watch for them today. A smile. A touch. A wonderful exchange. A new friend. A solution to a long-mulled-over problem. A delicious slice of pizza. A gorgeous sunset. An insight. A whiff of coffee. A door opened for you when you’re juggling a few packages.
Watch for blessings and small miracles in your life today. What we focus on manifests in our lives. You may be surprised to see how many blessings and small miracles you come across.
Tonight, reflect upon them as you fall, peacefully and easily, to sleep.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 – Feeding the flow
Sweet oranges and bittersweet chocolate
The universe visited me this morning with another gift: It is the scent of citrus filling my senses. My mouth is watering, my eyes tingling, my chest and diaphragm filling with gorgeous oxygen, and my shoulders and jaw are so relaxed.
This is the energy of the second chakra. Once we feed the fire, we need the energy of the second chakra to come into play to let the flames grow and, to let the embers smolder and burn, to keep the fire going. We can’t always be in high gear. The fire of the first chakra gets your project going. If you kept that level of energy and activity up, you would burn out. That’s happened to me before. I find that it is the citrus of the second chakra that keeps my projects going.
The first chakra, which is associated with the color red, helps us in the outside world and in running a household. The second chakra, associated with orange, helps us in letting a project chug along and in maintaining the household. You could associate the first chakra with a shot of adrenaline into the heart and the second chakra with an IV drip to the soul.
These days, when I find myself near burnout stage, I do love to take a holiday. But if that’s not possible, I love to have citrus with every meal: A grapefruit for breakfast, an orange with lunch, lemon chicken for dinner. Of course, there is snack-time and that is when I have my favorite citrus of all: sweet orange slices with bittersweet chocolate. Mmmmmm. There is nothing better.
Give it a try. Next time you’ve launched a huge project or finished a major step in a huge program, sit back, relax, and fix yourself a little snack of orange and chocolate. Don’t type or read or catch up on emails while doing this. Just let the flavor sensations wash over you. If possible, look at something orange, like a bowlful of clementines or an orange shawl. Just a few minutes, that’s all. I’d love to hear what happens for you.
I find that I become renewed and recharged – not in a “burst of energy” sort of way, but in a long, smoldering, one-step-at-a-time, slowly-does-it sort of way. I feel balanced and strong. I feel ready to receive the fruits of my labors.
Today, ask yourself: “Am I burning myself out? Are there places in my life where I can sit back, relax and enjoy the fruits of my labor? Could I use a dose of orange (and chocolate) in my life? How do I let that happen? I allow it to happen.”
Monday, February 8, 2010 – My Buddha Board
“The future’s uncertain and the end is always near”
This Christmas I received a Buddha Board as a gift. For those of you who have never seen one, the package comes with a calligraphy brush and a small board. The board is covered with a material that allows the brush, dipped in water, to mark it, but then it fades away within minutes. It allows the Buddhist practice anicca, which is impermanence.
Accepting impermanence is an ongoing struggle for humanity, regardless of where we come from and where we are headed. It is a wonderful feeling to control outcomes and to make the things we love last as long as possible. But it is an even more fabulous feeling to surrender, to do what we can and let the Universe take care of the rest.
In the study of Buddhism – and quite frankly in the study of being cool – it is important to be relaxed about impermanence. The quote above – The future’s uncertain and the end is always near – was written by the embodiment of cool itself, Jim Morrison of The Doors. His time with us was certainly too short but the music, the lyrics and, I think most importantly, the ethos he left us with lives on. He was a child of his times and a child of the universe and a child of forever.
His words were haunting and his approach to life was unrelenting in his search to feed his inner fire. Perhaps somewhere inside he hoped his brightest and happiest moments could last. Or, perhaps he really and truly embraced impermanence and that’s what fed his fire.
Patti Smith, another rocker and personification of cool, writes: ”I’m constantly in a state of adjustment.” I love that admission, that sense that she must always triangulate to what is going on around her. She is someone who has used her art with grace and style when life has dealt her hands that seemed sad beyond belief.
We sometimes think that that our generation is the first to feel something. We think the pace of life has never been more frantic or the pace of change has never been so fast.
But this is what Plato had to say about life a couple of millennia ago: “All is flux, nothing stays still.”
I like to think, as I doodle on my Buddha Board, about the links through history of great men and women reflecting on the nature of change and our desire to hold onto the beautiful moments. Buddha himself said: “Times of luxury do not last long, but pass away very quickly; nothing in this world can be long enjoyed.”
I look at and enjoy the doodle I’ve just made. I think about what I’ll do differently next time. I watch my little doodle fade from view.
I think about the first doodle my son made on the Buddha Board. It was a drawing of our family pet who had passed away shortly before the Christmas holidays. I was touched that he was still thinking of wee Clover and his first instinct was to draw him.
Healing from a loss like death of a loved one is an interesting thing. We grieve together when it first happens and think that we will never be the same again. Over time, we mourn alone. We re-visit the pain and sadness, on our own, or share it with others. And, with the passage of time, we find ourselves remembering the beautiful moments and let ourselves bask in those. The memory is strong when it is nurtured and cared for.
When Clover passed away I told my son that I felt we had been blessed to have Clover in our lives and that he had taught me things. He agreed and so I asked him what he’d learned from Clover. “Unconditional love,” was his swift and unwavering response. I thought of the moments he had held his pet close to his chest, fed him, spoke gently to him, rough-housed with him. I saw exactly what he meant. And, I realized that I had not understood the bond that was happening between them. It filled my heart with joy to know that he gave and received love from the little creature. That moment of joy I experienced with my son is one of many such moments, a place I can visit now and again as I watch my young son grow into a fine young man.
I will let Jim Morrison have the final words here, the young man who left us much too early and whose words I often marvel at, amazed that one so young could be so wise: “Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.”
Friday, February 5, 2010 – The burning fire
What are you doing each day to feed your fire?
I have just received a gift from the Universe: a beautiful, long-burning flame coursing through my whole body. The flame is strong and bright, constant and true. It keeps me going in a way that is consistent, yet ever-changing, and passionate.
I recharge my fit by eating healthy food and drink, sleeping well, laughing often, working out regularly, enjoying the company of family and friends, believing in myself and taking a bit of time for myself to dream.
Years ago, my fire went out. I’d been working too hard and questioning myself too much. My fire was running out of fuel. My doctor and a homeopath helped me marginally. I saw a spark or two but nothing really worked.
I went on a trip to the American Southwest and, one week later, came back recharged and ready to take on exciting new challenges. And, I did. I started a wonderful new chapter in my career with lots of energy and passion.
Over the years, I’ve noticed a tendency for the winter months to take their frigid, icy toll on my fire. They douse my fire by trapping it indoors.
At times like that, a trip is just the thing. But that’s not always possible with obligations, budgets, deadlines, kids in school, jobs.
A few years back, I recalled what the homeopath told me: “You are lacking fire in your life. You need more red. Red food, red clothes, red thoughts.”
Hmmm, I thought. I guess that’s a cool way of saying I’m burnt out.
Now, when I feel myself getting depleted, I take her advice. I take out my fantastic red pashmina and drape it over my shoulders. I feel so good with it on and I get so many lovely compliments. I eat strawberry jam. I receive red gifts from the Universe, like I did today: this fire burning through my body, keeping me warm and passionate and engaged in all I do.
Today – and all weekend - ask yourself: Is my fire burning? Does it need to burn brighter? Could I use a dose of red in my life? What can I do to make that happen? Do it.
Thursday, February 4, 2010 – Savor each moment
Time is subjective and, when you master it, you are powerful.
When I was young, I couldn’t wait to be older. But at some point in my life, I realized I didn’t want to grow older. I was absolutely and completely content with where I was.
I remember how I enjoyed my daily life. My mind was active and my body was fit. I had friends I enjoyed being with, ate at restaurants I loved and took holidays I enjoyed.
Soon enough, however, I realized I couldn’t stop time. Friends moved, jobs and holidays ended, restaurants closed down.
Sometimes I’d go through a healthy mourning process and easily move on with life. Other times I’d get this diffuse anger or sadness. There was no real focus to it. All I knew was that this important person in my life was gone. Or that my favorite resto had closed down. This beautiful time in my life was changing and I felt a bit lost, a bit powerless. However, fortunately, wonderful new friends entered my life and yummy new menus came along. But what was this clinging to the past all about?
I soon came to an understanding of what Heraclitus meant when he observed that the only constant in life is change. The best antidote to my sense of anger or sadness, I found over time, was to savor each moment. By savoring each moment, by becoming conscious and aware of each action, each look, each caress, each smile while it was taking place, I could make each of them last longer.
I realized that time is not, as I’d always thought, an objective thing. I mean the gears in my wind-up watch kept going at what seemed to be the same rate so time should seem objective to me. But, in truth, I proved to myself over and over again that time is subjective. It moved so fast when I was in the arms of a loved one and so slow in a traffic jam. It flew by while I was looking on scenes of great natural beauty and slithered along when I was in the security line at the airport. It soared when I was reading an amazing book and screeched to a halt during a boring movie.
But even traffic jams and security lines seem to move along faster when I savor the moment. In the car, stuck in traffic, I can feel the warmth of the sun on my face and listen to the music of my favorite band. I can smile at others in their cars and let them wonder about who that crazy lady is. In the security line, I think of my grandparents entering Canada at Pier 21 all those years ago and how happy and proud I am of them and all they accomplished in their lives. I can smile at my fellow travelers as we snake our way through the line-up - and sometimes they smile back. I can let my mind wander during a movie with a boring plot to then wonderful plans I’ve made for the future or concentrate on the colors on the screen.
There is nothing I can do about a line-up, a traffic jam, a boring movie – except make the most of it. So, even though time is, in my experience, subjective, I have the power to use it frivolously and to waste it. Or I can make the choice, the conscious decision, to savor it, value it and really own it. And that is a beautiful and powerful feeling.
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010 – A million petals
I thank the flowers for their beautiful and simple complexity.
Sometimes, as I pass a dandelion, I will stop and look at it more closely. A dandelion is so pretty and such a gorgeous shade of yellow. It is cheery and simple in it glory. But sometimes I’ll stop to look at it more closely and then I wonder, “How many petals does a dandelion have?” I have even started to count them in the past (though I have never finished, always being distracted before finishing or in too much of a rush). I can assure you, there are many and each petal, as you’ll see if you look closely, is tiny and slim. Around the edges, the petals are showier and more flamboyant. Closer to the centre, they are more subdued and staid. Each petal is in its place and that gives the dandelion its gorgeous and fearless symmetry (with a nod to William Blake for inspiring the expression of this sentiment in this way).
As I pass a garden, I am struck by the millions of details that make the simple rose so complex, the pretty iris so mysteriously complicated, the lilac such a riot of intricacies. And I am awed by it all. Humbled.
In the presence of such simple complexity, such fearless symmetry, such elegant simplicity, how can one not feel the overwhelming sense that the Universe we live in is overwhelmingly complicated in its details.
We have our own details to look after in our own little corner of the world. I resolve, at those momemts, to be better: a better mom, daughter, sister, partner, friend. Our lives seem so complex but I imagine what has gone into making the dandelion. It inspires me to take care of the details in my own life and to do the best I can.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 – Rejoice
“This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be happy in it.”
That is what was on the cross-stitch sampler hanging in my parents’ home when I was growing up. I didn’t really understand it then. As a young girl, I thought it was strange. Rejoice in a day? Which day? EVERY day? Huh? I don’t think so.
It’s not that I was not happy. It just seemed to me to be a bit of overkill to REJOICE every day. I mean, that’s seems like a pretty heavy duty commitment to rejoicing for a 12 year old.
In the past week, that saying has rung in my ears every morning when I woke up. I haven’t thought of it in years so it seems quite interesting to me that it is showing up in my life now. I change it in my head to: “This is the day the Universe has made. Let us rejoice and be happy in it.”
Learning to accept what the Universe presents me with is an ongoing process and rejoicing in it takes me even one step further along in the process. It is wonderful and divine when I feel my life is in flow and it feels like the Universe is “agreeing with me”. That is, it is providing me with what I want and I believe I need. Who doesn’t love those juicy times when everything just seems to be going our way? I guess that is how I’ve felt this past week: meeting interesting new people, working on creative projects, enjoying time with my family. That makes it easy to rejoice and I make sure I do, at least in little ways, each day.
Other times this flow gets disrupted and I wonder why the Universe is no longer “agreeing” with me. But I realize that during each of these times I am growing. I am growing a better, stronger and more gracious vessel for the Universe to flow into. Thse are times that are trying. It’s hard to rejoice in them. These are times that call for patience, for seeing the long view, for thinking “strategically” rather than “tactically” and believing that “slow and steady wins the race”.
So, each morning, as I practice acceptance and acceptance, and let the light shine inside me, and flow into me, I am joyful and grateful and, whether it is “agreeing with me” or not, I rejoice in the day the Universe has made.
Saturday, November 7, 2009 – Happy, healthy and wholesome discipline and structure
It is amazing to me how well children respond to healthy and wholesome discipline in their lives. As we work to fulfill all of our obligations in our daily lives – as well as the fun things we have planned, too – we are constantly keeping our eye on the clock, our budgets, and hopefully our most important priorities. I was reflecting on this with a friend recently and we were discussing how there seems to be a continuum that we fall along. On one end of the continuum is a life of flakiness: not meeting deadlines, overspending, not paying attention to the things in life that truly matter to us. At the other end of the spectrum, there is a life of rigidity: meeting deadlines but at the expense of our relationships, depriving ourselves of things we can afford, doing all we must and should without paying attention to our values and the people around us who are important to us.
After discussing it, we decided it wasn’t a continuum at all but a triangle with those two extremes – flakiness and rigidity – as the base. At the pinnacle of the triangle, there is wholesome discipline – leading a truly balanced life that allows one to meet deadlines while still spending time with loved ones, spending within our budgets, leading our lives based on values and priorities we have consciously set for ourselves. That pinnacle allows one to live a truly happy and healthy life.
As I stated above, children are great examples of this: I love the look of accomplishment I see on my sons’ faces when they get a good mark as a result of hard work (meaning they were challenged rather than the material being too easy), jam on their instruments with their friends or score a goal in sports. It is truly gratifying for them and, as is so often the case, they are my teachers, reminding me that happiness comes through challenge and work. Like sharing a good meal with friends after preparing all afternoon, like spending time to get the report just right and in on-time, like climbing a hill to see a spectacular view, like saving up for a trip and finally setting foot in the ocean.
I hope you will have the time to spend this weekend setting a goal for yourself, working toward it and feeling the sense of satisfaction and happiness that it brings.
I’ll leave you with an enigmatic quote from the great thinker Bertrand Russell:
To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.
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