RESOLUTIONS

For last year's words belong to last year's language And next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.
~T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding"

A very exciting time is quickly approaching. New Years Resolution time! With this day comes the promise of a new, super you. I recently read an article about a woman who was talking about meeting her future self. ‘Wait until you meet future me! I am skinny and wise and I meditate and volunteer. Future me is awesome and I can’t wait to meet me!’

I feel like New Years Eve is another great opportunity to getting a little closer to the authentic life we are all searching for. But so is every other day! Last month I signed up for a Yoga conference I have been meaning to attend for a long time now. This morning I went online and registered to take a CPR class that I should have under my belt if I want to be furthering my education in the path I am following. Every morning that I make myself ‘get on the mat’ or go for a run or a walk is a mini resolution to keep working towards that ultimate goal of not being skinny or wiser, but listening to my authentic self who is everyday trying to reveal itself to me. When I choose happiness over drama, kindness over gossip or hard work over easy out I am closer to the real authentic me. There are a million ways to do it. Does it feel right? Does it make you happy? (And not in a fleeting pleasure way but true happiness that you feel in your heart.) I am learning to listen! It’s exciting; every morning we wake up is another opportunity for a resolution. Maybe I should start sporting the paper hats and horns all the time?

Practice

“We learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same. One becomes in some area an athlete of God.”- Martha Graham

Practice, Practice, Practice.  Not only is it necessary for you to give everything you’ve got when practicing to be great in the sport of your choosing it is also what we all have to do in everyday life.

Yoga is a practice. It will never be perfect but it’s challenging yourself to give your personal best every time.  As well as understanding that every time is different. Sometimes postures that are difficult will open right up for you. Sometimes, you can’t for the life of you stand on one foot. Who knows why? The important thing is to not beat your self up about what you can or cannot do and move on. Try, try again tomorrow.

This holds true with everything in life. Our faith, our relationships, our own happiness. We have to practice getting it right everyday. No one is perfect. Forgive our selves and each other our shortcomings. Fell off the horse? Shake it off and get back on and don’t look back.

I tell my kids when they are in a bad mood, fake it till you make it. Put a smile on your face. Just try it. It may not feel comfortable at first. That’s ok; you don’t have to be on 100 percent every minute of everyday. You are human, but keep trying.

I conducted a little experiment at the mall the other day.  Its holiday time, stress is high, funds are flying out the door. Not everyone is feeling the Christmas spirit at all times. I certainly didn’t feel like being in the crowded mall. So I walked around with a smile on my face and didn’t avoid eye contact with the people I passed by. My thinking was if my positive attitude could make someone else smile then it would make me feel better about being there. I wasn’t running around staring at people with a big dumb grin on my face, I just casually went about my business with a pleasant smile. I remember my Dad saying to me on picture day in first grade as I was leaving for school he said, “Don’t forget to smile with your eyes. That’s the real smile.” I always remembered that and when I am being my authentic self it shows in the smile in my eyes.

I was waiting on the incredibly long line at Starbucks to get a little caffeine in me with my smile on my face and this nice older gentleman waiting over by the pick up counter said across the store, “What a beautiful smile you have! Don’t ever loose that!” I almost cried! It worked; someone was actually affected by my little experiment. I have to say it put a spring in my step and I went about my business happy to be alive and well and at the mall during another beautiful Christmas season.

Students First

“Too often students are given answers to remember, rather than problems to solve”
 Roger Lewin

Please check out this website and pledge your support. You may have seen Michelle Rhee on Oprah. She is the former Chancellor of D.C. public schools. A controversial figure who took on the cause of changing an antiquated system that clearly is not working, America's public school system. With help from all of us, together we will change the future of our children. Whether they go to Public School or not. If we truly are all connected then wouldn't it benefit all of us to have all the children of the wealthiest country in the world have access to the greatest education? If we raise a whole generation of educated, free thinking, happy, confident children, isn't that going to work in all of our favor? Check it out!   Students First

Acupuncture

You can never worry your way to enlightenment.  ~Terri Guillemets

Interesting... Had my very first experience with acupuncture this week. I went in with an open mind. My husband had just gone to the good Doctor a few days before with help for quitting smoking. And although I don't consider myself a smoker, apparently in reality I am. I have been known to smoke when I'm having cocktails so...if Mark, who is a REAL smoker was quitting, I suppose I could knock out those cocktail hour smokes no problem. He made an appointment for me when he made his own and I went in not really knowing what to expect.

I was met by a very nice man of Cuban decent, (he told me). He was a snappy dresser with a very nice office with a receptionist in a professional medical building. No incense or anything else one might stereotypically associate with a man of Chinese medicine and acupuncture. I filled out the usual paperwork when going to a new doctor for the first time and he led me back to a small room with two comfortable chairs facing each other.

What came next was fascinating. We had about a 1-hour conversation, which felt more like a therapeutic session. He asked me about my childhood, my life, and myself now. How I felt when I had that cigarette. I was open and honest with him. I do truly believe that there is no sense in not being completely honest since my ultimate goal is to help him, help me. I said when I sit down at the end of the day and I pour that glass of wine that, (ok, I am being honest…I don’t necessarily want but I have anyway. I’m evolving slowly but surely.) Anyway, I digress. I told him when I sit down with that glass of wine and I light that cigarette, I feel..relief. Like a lot of women, like a lot of people, I suppose, it’s the first time during the day that I give myself permission to relax. A glass of wine and a cigarette equals relaxation time. We had a great conversation, he was very insightful and after about an hour of getting to know why I smoke and why I want to stop he brought me into what he called, the Frankenstein room. The first thing he had me do was stick out my tongue. He brought out a mirror and had me look and pointed out that when I stuck my tongue out it had a slight tremor to it. He explained that this internal wind was showing him that like a duck, I might appear calm, cool and collected on the outside; inside I had a lot of anxiety and stress. REALLY? Who wouldda thunk it? Like most “good girls”, I have forged through life not really dealing with things that potentially gave me stress or anxiety. (Who me? I am FINE!! Tough as nails, right as rain. Thanks for asking!) I don’t think I recognized my natural state as being the least bit stress filled or anxious. How do you recognize true calm if you don’t know what its like not to live with a twinge of anxiety at all times? (And I thought I was so ZEN!) He told me he would help me quiet that wind and not feel the need to self medicate to quiet it for me. INTERESTING! OK, I’m game for any and all enlightenment. Bring it.

I entered a warm room with a massage type table in the center and vials, bottles and jars lining the counter top. He said ok, this is where we make you bleed profusely. I looked at him for a split second and we both laughed and then he said, “No seriously, take off all your clothes and wrap these two towels around your top and bottom. Jewelry goes in the bowl on the desk.” He quickly left the room while I was still laughing, quickly realizing, he was in fact not kidding and I had to take off all my clothes and wrap up in these two what looked to me now like hand towels and lie on the table. I quickly undressed because whenever a doctor tells me he or she will give me a few minutes I race like they are waiting outside the door to burst in on me and catch me with one leg in my pants and one leg out hopping around frantically. Playing doctor jokes. So I secured the towels and was lying there breathing deeply when suddenly I realized I still had my wedding ring and watch on. AHHH! So now its like two whole minutes later and what do I do? He clearly told me to put my jewelry in the bowl on the desk. Shit! So I hopped off the table, clutching both towels but of course both towels fall by the wayside. Now I am holding both of them up while trying to quickly put my jewelry in said bowl. I am flailing around spastically; I hobble as quickly as I can back to the table and jump back up, arranging the towels demurely and wait for my doctor. Apparently I had plenty of time because 5 freezing minutes later he finally walked in.

He put about 3 needles in each foot, 2 on either calf, one right above my belly button 2 or 3 in each ear, 1 in either wrist and the last one was right in the middle of my chest. I immediately felt like my lungs were clear and opened like they have never been before. He left me alone like that for what seemed like a few minutes and then came back in and had me do some visualizations and what seemed like a little hypnosis techniques. 2 hours later I left with some calming tablets he concocted for me that he wants me to take 3 times a day. This is day 2. I feel great. I don’t know if he will be the cure or if it really comes down to making a good decision for myself. In any case I am ready and I loved the experience. Loving this path, its so interesting. Thanks for sharing it with me.

Gandhi's 7 Social Sins

FREEDOM IS NOT WORTH HAVING IF IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE FREEDOM TO MAKE MISTAKES.- Gandhi

I was recently reading Gandhi’s seven social sins and I thought it was so timely I wanted to share it. They are…

Politics with out Principle

Wealth with out Work

Pleasure with out Conscience

Knowledge with out Character

Commerce with out Morality

Science with out Humanity

Religion with out Sacrifice

Politics with out Principle. You cannot turn on the television these days without seeing one political party bashing another. It has gotten to the point that every time I see it on TV it reminds me of siblings who are going at it and wont stop. It can make you literally want to scream in frustration for them to both shut up. A Principle is by definition, a fundamental truth that serves as a foundation for a system of beliefs or behavior or a chain of reasoning. Our country was based on this. Natural Law, certain rights, values and morals are inherent in all human beings.

http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/

LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. Go back and read the Declaration of Independence. It speaks so loud but we are not hearing it.

Wealth with out Work. True wealth, which is not monetary but during these troubling times in our economy you could take that as an example. You may have riches but do you really feel WEALTHY?Maybe not, unless you put the time, effort and sweat equity into doing something worthwhile that you truly believe in. If you don’t put authentic effort into raising your children they will still grow up but will they be everything they could be? If you don’t put the time and effort into making your marriage work will you still be married in 20 years? Maybe, but will it be the relationship that you want it to be? Everything worthwhile takes work. That is true wealth.

Pleasure with out conscience. What’s in it for me? Doing something that will please ones self with out caring about the consequence of how it will effect those around you. I don’t even think I need to elaborate on this one.

Knowledge with out character. If you know better you must do better.

Commerce with out morality. What happened to the “Gentleman’s Agreement” of the handshake? If you have to ever justify or explain to yourself or anyone else why you did something, or handled something a certain way then you may want to rethink the way you handle your transactions. Just think to yourself, would my grandfather or grandmother be proud of me for doing that? It simplifies everything very quickly.

Science with out humanity. I think no other example that shows the dangers of this social sin more than the techno age we are all living in and trying to navigate our children through. The Internet is still a baby and already it is a tool very few people can live with out. Facebook, bbm, twitter all remarkable tools if used properly.  As Einstein said, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. And he didn’t even KNOW about Facebook!! When we forget that real human beings are on the other end of what is put out there it becomes a dangerous tool.

Religion with out sacrifice. Do you attend religous services but don’t exactly live your life according to what is being spoken there? How many people do we know who sit in the front row week after week and justify the way they live their lives by saying, “But I go to church every week and I sit in the front row. I AM a good person! Everyone can see that.” It happens everyday. Should these people be condemned? Lord no! He who is without sin may cast the first stone. No one is perfect and every minute of everyday is a chance for you to start over and be the amazing person you were meant to be. That being said, it isnt always easy to do. No one is perfect but we can keep trying!

We are all human and we all make mistakes. These are my interpretations of what these seven social sins mean. I am no expert on morality, I make mistakes probably more than the next person. But I will never, never, never give up trying. I invite anyone who reads this to leave his or her own opinion or elaborate on what was already said. The beauty of this life is that we do have the ability to learn from our mistakes and we can start over every minute of everyday. It is one of the miracles of life I believe.

Using Social Media

“This is no longer a gimmick. This is how the American people want to receive their news and want to hear from us.” – Nick Schaper, new-media representative for House Minority Leader John Boehner




I know, I know...I just recently wrote a blog on the dangers of Facebook. I still think some people use it for evil instead of good. That being said however, I recently read an amazing book called Crush It! By a man named Gary Vanerchuk. It is a very interesting take on the future of business and how to use social media to make money doing what you are passionate about. The very thought of doing EXACTLY what you want and what you love is like receiving a gift. Being fulfilled and happy day in and day out and having your PASSION be the very thing that allows you to CRUSH IT! AMAZING!!
I am lucky that I found my passion. Think about what your passion is. No matter if its stamp collecting, sports, knitting, wood working or creating new cocktails to serve at parties you can become the voice of your passion through hard work and dedication. This book is very inspiring. I gifted the audiobook to my college age daughter. She is about to make her mark on the world and she knows how to utilize social media. This book was made for her and people like her. (and I don't mean young because regardless of your age you can learn to crush it!) Why do we buy TIDE and SKIPPY and KLEENEX? Why do we stop at Stop signs and not at Green squares on a pole? Because we have been conditoned to recognize these brands and symbols. You could go to another country and see these same words written in a different language and still understand what it means because it is ingrained in our minds. This book explains how with hard work you can literally brand yourself and make your passion your profession. Check it out, maybe gift it to someone you love who has a passion they could easily make into a profession. What a gift! Crush It!