Friday 30 September 2011

Yoga and the power of forgiveness

I went back to Yoga yesterday for the first time in a couple of weeks and am I glad I did.
If you’ve never tried Yoga, you should try it as it is one of the best meditative states you can get in as your body flows through the motions allowing your mind to be carried in the flow as well. Yoga is not about being the most flexible person in the world. It’s a state of mind, a pull to your centre, an equalizer. I had been avoiding Yoga because I felt so off balance. Now I know that’s the time I need to go because Yoga allows me to empty my mind of all the clutter and focus on what’s important.
Before we started the class, our instructor asked us to set our intention for the class or whatever it is that we wanted to work on. What came to mind for me was forgiveness. I have been carrying guilt about some life choices I am not proud of and had a wish that I could somehow ask those that I have wronged for forgiveness as well as to forgive those who have not treated me well. So I decided to set forgiveness as my intention to allow that emotion to be cleared from my being.
As we flowed through the class with each Sun Salutation and downward facing dog, I could feel my intention being released into the Universe. Once the class finished, I had an overwhelming desire to read the message for the day from the Yogi Master. And the message was all about how much courage is required to seek and give forgiveness. I nearly melted on the spot. Again I was being sent a message from the Universe that I am so in tune with what my body, mind and soul needs for growth and healing if only I would listen.
It takes a lot of courage to forgive someone for something that they have done to us and more importantly it takes a lot of courage to ask for forgiveness for something we have done to others. The effect of doing so is exponential to our beings because forgiveness releases us from negative, oppressive energy replacing it with love, light and radiance.
Thank you Yoga for helping me to see the light and the power of forgiveness.

Thursday 29 September 2011

Orange Honeysuckle

There’s a bright orange honeysuckle tree outside of my bedroom window that has been taunting me for the past couple of weeks. For some reason I have been avoiding it – almost repelled by it. But it is relentless in trying to get my attention because each morning ,without fail ,it greets me whenever I open my bathroom windows and it stares me in the face when I get in and out my car.
What’s even more bizarre is that this honeysuckle tree suddenly sprung up out of nowhere. Towering over the car and every other plant on the drive. It’s a beautiful sight I must admit but why have I been avoiding exploring its meaning when I had such an awakening once I researched the colour yellow as a result of the wildflowers in my yard?
Finally this morning I had had enough, the guilt was overpowering me that I was ignoring this tree so I went to the Internet to find out what the spiritual connection of orange is. And then it hit me like a brick why I was avoiding it- the colour orange represents our second chakra according to Reiki and it is the colour of creativity and sexuality. It is meant to represent joy, enthusiasm, and promote a general sense of wellness. Over the past couple of weeks I have not been in the best of spirits so I have been blocking my second chakra. Interestingly enough this was what I was told in my Reiki session on Tuesday. And this is why I have been resistant to the pull of the orange honeysuckle.
So instead of opening to the orange honeysuckle what I have been doing is blocking its healing elements resulting in my feelings of guilt, restlessness and a general lack of spontaneity.
I get the message my beautiful orange honeysuckle and I am willing now to open to you so that I can once again feel in balance, feel passion, enjoy my freedom and learn to trust my intuition. There right in front of my face all this time and I chose to ignore this wonderful message. I have a lump in my throat because now more than ever I know the messages are all there for me if only I would learn to trust my intuition and remain open to the life’s messages.

Wednesday 28 September 2011

Gray clouds on a cloudless day

A slightly better day today. Still seeing gray clouds even though the sky is blue.
I am in a serious contemplation mood. Contemplating everything. Questioning decisions I have made in my life. Trying to make sure that I have learned the lessons that I was meant to learn so that I don’t have to travel down those same roads again. Sometimes that’s easier said than done because at the end of the day with each move that I have made has led me to where I am today and who I am today.
So at the end of the day would I change anything in my life if I had the chance to do it all over again? That was the question that was lingering in my mind all morning. After going to my quiet place and still feeling melancholy, I just decided what the heck I’m going to stop feeling sorry for myself and just start doing even though all I want to do is lie down and go to sleep!
So I started typing this blog today not knowing what I was going to write about. Not feeling it but now I am coming alive again. With each word that forms I feel a power coming over me.  And as I typed the answer came to me about whether I would change anything in my life and I was amazed when I discovered the answer was resoundingly no.
The sudden death of my mother when I was thirteen allowed me to become self sufficient, independent and resilient. It allowed me to see that no matter how horrible and dark life can be there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
Every experience that I have had in my life has been necessary for me to learn something more about me. Right now what I am being taught and it came to me as clear as day when I was having Reiki done yesterday - I must learn to be patient, to wait, to not force anything because my life is unfolding exactly how it is meant to unfold. I can’t let anyone bully me into making decisions that do not resonate with my soul. I must wait until I feel that feeling deep inside that we all get when we know the time is right, the situation is right, and the person is right. That feeling that says, Aah. And only then will I act. So for now I just need to enjoy every moment of freedom that I am experiencing rather than fretting about losing it and not getting all the things done that I want during this time. The only person that is stopping me from experiencing and growing at the moment is me. So I am going to try to get out of my own way to make way for whatever is being gifted to me.
So though I’m still seeing gray clouds on a cloudless day, I am meant to see them so I know that those gray clouds are in my eyes only but all around me the sky is blue letting me know that soon those gray clouds will pass and all will be blue.

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Daily Om horoscope giving me pointers on my restlessness

September 27, 2011
Calm Your Restless Thoughts
Taurus Daily Horoscope

A feeling of restlessness might make you seek more excitement and entertaining activities today. Perhaps you are bored with the monotony of your daily routine and feel the need to do something completely out of the ordinary. Calming your mind before hunting out the new could help you realize that a large part of your impatience in your life may be the result of a mentally agitated state of mind. Before doing anything impulsive, you might want to spend a few minutes in meditation. Taking a few deep breaths, try to watch your mind and the thoughts that stream through it. As you observe these thoughts, you can make a note of the ideas that say your life isn't good enough or that you need to change things. Simply breathing and being with these thoughts today could let you see that by stilling your mind, your impatience with your life dissipates.

Our restless feelings about our lives are often due to our inner state of being. When our minds continually search for something we don’t have, we tend to look for something beyond ourselves to satisfy that need and usually things that are fun, preoccupy our minds, and take us away from the thoughts in our heads. Watching these thoughts, however, allows us to notice that our bored feelings are a way to escape our inner dialogue into something more mindless. By being with your thoughts today, you will realize that by having control over your mind your interest in life as it is will increase. 

Feeling restless today

I am feeling restless today. Ill at ease and I don’t know why.
I feel as if there is something in the air but I can’t put my finger on what it is.
It could be because I am trying so hard to figure out what comes next for me and every once in a while I feel out of control, not knowing where to turn or who to turn to. Today is one of those days.
I am a resilient person who has confronted many obstacles and made it through them all so I know this massive elephant in the room will soon pass. But today it just seems so much larger than other days. I guess I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed because I feel like the world is on my shoulders. Why? I don’t know. I wish I did so I could shake this feeling of unrest.
My whole being is exhausted mentally and physically so much so that even my eyes feel like they are too heavy for me. Perhaps what I am meant to do today is replenish myself. Give myself a break and see what comes to me in my stillness. Even the air outside is still. The birds are not calling out as much as they usually do.  Is there something amiss?
Everything I told myself I was going to do today I don’t seem to have the energy or wherewithal to do any of them. I’ m not feeling particularly creative. Just pensive. 
So I’m going to give myself permission to take the time to contemplate, to go to my quiet place and listen to my inner voice to hear what it is trying to tell me. And this time I will really listen.
Writing this blog has helped me to release some of the frustration and tension that I am experiencing but I still feel like I am stuck in the Waiting Room as Dr. Seuss calls it – waiting for this to happen and for that to happen. Just waiting.
Is that it- am I meant to learn patience? Am I meant to learn that sometimes I have to just be still and open myself to the Universe? Am I meant to see that this holding pattern or waiting room is allowing me to embrace my exhaustion?  Giving me permission to give in to it. Yes I think it is because the heaviness is starting to lift as I have just made an appointment to have Reiki done so that is my answer. Take time for me today.  I’ll let you know the outcome tomorrow.

Monday 26 September 2011

Negativity fuels negativity

I learnt an invaluable lesson last night. In retrospect it is something I have always known but had suppressed.
While reading with my son, I rediscovered that when we react to people in the same aggressive and anger manner they acted toward us, all we do is reinforce their power over us. When we send them love and light and not the same anger and aggression, often the bogeyman goes away – afraid, of the fact that we are not afraid of them.
Many of the most evil people in the world get their power because we continue to feed it to them. It is difficult to rise above those that taunt, humiliate and bully because, by nature we want to retaliate and cut them down. But that is not the best reaction. Instead what we need to do is to send those people love and light to deflate the negativity they are spewing. To stop it from flowing into us. To end the vicious cycle of negativity and instead spread love.
I am going to try my hardest to live my life with love and light. I know as I am an infallible human being that sometimes I will not be able to be that strong all the time but if I try to do so more than not, I know my life will move in directions I thought not possible. And on those days when I do stumble and fall by being drawn into negative energy, I know there is something about me that I have not addressed and that negative energy was sent to me as gift for me to adjust the energy that I am projecting.
Hopefully in preparing myself to go forth in life by not fighting negative energy with negative energy but by seeing it for what it is, a blessing to share love, I will do my part in helping to shift the earth’s energy. But more importantly by doing so, I will set the example for my children to follow so they will go into the world filled with love and light. Imagine if each of us lived this way how much more love we would be able to bring back into our world.
Let’s all try it today and see how much lighter we feel... I know I do already.

Sunday 25 September 2011

I love Sunday mornings

I love Sunday mornings. They are special because I try not to place any demands on myself. I always feel like I can exhale on a Sunday morning because the day is solely at the discretion of me and my family.
We usually have a late start to the day- leisurely in fact. Breakfast is usually a lazy morning time when we sit out on our porch and chat about whatever comes to mind. The children can watch television if they want (never during school days but Sundays are a treat). They can entertain themselves doing whatever tickles their fancy.
Nick and I usually busy ourselves doing all the things we couldn’t do during the week. Sunday is my favourite day of the week because I don’t feel guilty if I decide to do nothing at all.
This morning is particularly lovely because of the silence after a loud afternoon yesterday with my family all here.  The light is streaming through my office window. A refreshing gentle breeze is wafting in from time to time.  And our resident dragon fly is fluttering across the pool vainly catching glimpses of itself as it goes. My laughing Buddha is looking right at me filling my insides with joy, peace and abundance.
I love Sundays so much that I wish that I could put a little bit of Sundays into every day of my life. But because I know some days I can’t, I’m going to relish this feeling today and sign off short and sweet so I can go back to enjoying just being today. And so should you.
Enjoy your Sunday too.  Give yourself permission to exhale and just be.

Saturday 24 September 2011

We are all the same

When I was young, I was in awe of people like the Queen and other famous people. I thought they were untouchables, fairy tale like creatures that were so far removed from where I came from that I could never be what they were. I thought these people were made of magic and there was no way that they lived everyday ordinary lives like me. I thought it was impossible for me to ever aspire to be of their ilk.
Until one day I was talking to my mother about them and she told me that they go to the bathroom and they have to do the same things like bath, brush their teeth and all the mundane stuff that I have to do on a daily basis. I was shocked, appalled really that these people had to pee just like I do. And it took a bit of the magic out of my life for a while. Then one day it hit me like a bolt iof lightning if these people have to attend to the same daily routines as I do, then what made them so much more special than me?  I also had an epiphany their lifestyles, accomplishments and abundance was not out of reach for me or any ordinary person like me.
Perhaps I can never become the Queen of England because I was not born into that blood but I could become famous, I could become anything that I wanted to be because there is nothing that makes those people any different from me except for what they have achieved. And it was from this day forth that I realised there is no real separation from me and  the homeless person on the street, the successful writer, the President of the United States, or any famous person because we are all alike at the end of the day.
I was reminded of this epiphany last night when my book club was discussing the book, The Help. The author, Kathryn Stockett, knew the book would be controversial and viewed by many differently but she wrote it, “For women to realise, we are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I’d thought.”
Although in this case, Ms. Stockett  is talking about the separation between black women and white women, this statement applies to all of us. From a very young age I realised  there is not much that separates us from any other person because we are all living, breathing human beings on this journey called life so why waste time with hatred, snobbery, and bigotry when at the end of the day we are all the same.  

Friday 23 September 2011

Roadblocks

Have you ever wondered why we have roadblocks in our lives? I do all the time and this morning I was mulling this over after an unexpected roadblock appeared in my life yesterday.
Are roadblocks truly blocking us from what we want or are they meant to direct us to what we truly need?  Are they necessary to steer us away from what we thought we wanted to exactly what we need for that next level of growth in our lives?
Sometimes we have to be saved from our own selves because we often refuse to see what is best for us. Instead we bow to the pressures of society. I believe that’s why we have roadblocks. To make us pause. To force us to ask ourselves if what we are pursuing is really good for us or if we need to take some time to refocus and redirect our journeys. I have come to believe the only way we can do this is if there is something that abruptly blocks our paths redirecting us to where we need to go.
Sometimes we get sidetracked from fulfilling our hopes and dreams because we are living our lives according to how society believes our lives should be led rather than doing what feels good to us. And it is these times that we encounter the largest roadblocks and I truly believe they are sent to force us to take stock of whether we are living the lives we always dreamed we would. And these roadblocks are the hardest to get around because they challenge us to be honest with ourselves – something that can be very difficult to do.
As I look back over my life to the times when I felt I was sinking in quicksand because I felt disappointed, disillusioned and disenfranchised, in order to pull myself out before sinking never to return, I had to face my roadblock head on and change course. And once I did that roadblock would disappear and take me to a place I had not even envisioned for myself before.
So thanks to that roadblock yesterday I realise there are some things in life that I have no control over because they are outside of me but what I do have control over are my decisions and my reactions. I have complete control over me and my attitude and where I want to be and only then will the roadblocks become fewer and fewer because I would be listening to my inner voice.

Thursday 22 September 2011

Expressing Gratitude

Right now we are constantly being bombarded by what is going wrong in our society and how things are not the way they used to be. People are feeling stressed and concerned about where they are going and how they will survive.
This morning I woke up with an overwhelming desire to express gratitude for the abundance in my life and when I did so an overwhelming sense of peace and tranquillity washed over me. And once I felt this serenity, I decided I would share this simple ritual through my blog.
Expressing gratitude has a way of opening our hearts to the gifts and treasures freely available to all of us from the Universe. It opens us to possibility because when we express gratitude we automatically liberate ourselves from the scarcity mentality. And the reason why this happens is because when we express gratitude we recognise no matter how horrible we may think our lives are at that moment in time, it is only a moment in time and there are always other moments to be grateful for. As time moves on, the daily ritual of expressing gratitude, allows us to learn that even those bad days were there to teach us something and opened our eyes to opportunities we would not have seen otherwise.
Every night for the past fifteen years I have written a grateful journal and it is interesting to look back through those journals to see the varied paths my life has taken me on and how even on those days when I felt like I could not breathe, there was something on that day that lifted my spirits and helped me see just how abundant my life really is. Expressing gratitude shifts us from thinking the world is on our shoulders to knowing the world is with us pushing us along if we work with it.
Try practising giving thanks for such simple things as waking up in the morning and working your way up to recognising there is so much abundance in your life. Soon you will feel your heart and soul open and so will others and then you’ll be amazed by what you will start to attract.

Wednesday 21 September 2011

Mindset is everything

Yesterday morning my son was testing my daughter in the car on the spelling words she has to learn for this week.
She groaned and said, “I’ve got really hard words this week.”
She tripped over each word he called out to her - leaving out a critical letter each time.
I told my son to give her back the list so she could review it again. Once she had reviewed it again, they began the process over.  Still she left critical letters out in each word.  By this time I was getting frustrated with her, she was getting frustrated with herself, and my son was getting bored with the whole process.
We hit a line of traffic so I turned to my daughter and said, “You realise why you’re having a hard time spelling those words don’t you?”
“No,” she answered sheepishly.
“How did you start the process of spelling your words this morning?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” she answered.
“Okay well let me remind you then. You told yourself that you had really hard words so now your brain believes those words are too hard for it to spell,” I said. “So why don’t you approach your spelling from a different perspective? Why don’t you tell yourself that you can spell all the words on your list and see what happens. Take the list back and review it with your new mindset.”
“Okay,” she said. She took the list back and spelt every word on that list with no problem whatsoever after that. This morning in the car, she was super confident with her words and was even joking and laughing as she spelt each word perfectly. A completely different child and result from the day before.
I got goose bumps when she successfully completed her list with such confidence not only because I knew she was capable of spelling those words but also because once again I taught my children a life lesson while relearning one at the same time. Success comes from the mindset that we are in. What we project and believe is what we attract in return. By adjusting our viewpoint from negative to positive, it’s amazing what we can accomplish. My daughter proved it so it does work.

Tuesday 20 September 2011

Sharing can not only help us but others as well

When my husband read my blog yesterday, he said he is so much more private than I am and he is careful what he lets out in the public eye. I thought about what I had posted after that and wondered whether I had done the right thing by discussing my transition in such a public forum. And the answer that came to me was yes I had done the right thing.
The reason why we have so much depression, aggression and defensiveness in the world right now is because we don’t share enough. By bottling up our feelings and experiences, we build walls round ourselves shutting out people and events that could actually help us. Many people believe they are alone in their trials and because they don’t share, they believe there may be something wrong with them.
For those people who know me, I have always been an open, honest and approachable person and the reason I am this way is because I recognise I am not separate from anyone else or thing. We are all one connected to the spirit.
I am not ashamed of my job closing down. The decision was not mine to make and was out of my control. I know I did the best job that I could and would make the same decision to go there again because that was where I needed to be to learn more about me. And as one of my favourite singers, Barbara Streisand says, “There are no mistakes. Only lessons to be learned. No matter how many times I stumble and fall, the greatest lesson is learning to love yourself through it all.”
Every experience, person or event that comes into our lives comes to mirror something that is going on deep within us. A difficult pill to swallow I know because many of us think that can’t be so because that event or person is so annoying, humiliating or just so far from us that it’s impossible for us to be  anything like them. But if we dig deep, we realise that there is a lesson for us in everything we do.
I am writing this blog because it is providing me with an outlet to voice what is happening in my day to day life bringing me closer to my truth and hopefully helping someone else along the way to realise they are not alone in their struggle for growth. We are all here to learn something because there would no other reason for us to be here. Think about it.
We are not separate entities. We are all one. Sharing this story called life on a journey totally of our own volition. 

Monday 19 September 2011

Gratitude for my transistion

This morning I hung my clothes out on the line. I have grown to love hanging clothes on the line especially if it’s early in the morning because I find it so therapeutic.
This morning was breathtaking. There was no sound but nature all around. The sky was very blue with just a few puffy clouds and there was a gentle breeze that wafted by every once in a while as if thanking me for being outside.
If we are looking for solitude and quiet time when we can’t fit it into our busy schedules, sometimes it can be found in our every day chores like hanging clothes on the line. The rhythm of taking the clothes pegs out of the bag, bending down to take the clothes out of the basket then putting them on the line can give you a lot of peace as it did me this morning.
I gazed at the birds flying by, the greenery of the trees, my cherry tree full of cherries against the backdrop of the morning light and I felt so grateful to have this time to just be me. To listen to my inner voice.  To rediscover who I am.
I was given this gift of time when my job abruptly came to an end on March 31, 2011. At the time I couldn’t understand why. At the time I was in shock. At the time I was afraid of what would happen to me. At the time, I was terrified of what people would say about me. So instead of rushing into anything, I decided to give myself some time to find my way back to me, to my centre. To come to terms with this transition that I obviously needed to go through.
Sometimes we have to get knocked down really hard and publicly before we take the time to listen to what we truly need. My experience brought me to my knees and made me realise I needed time to breathe. It didn’t kill me. It didn’t do near the damage I thought it would.  It just needed to happen and I am so grateful that it did when it did for this experience has reinforced so much about karma, life lessons, and growth for me.
And it was today while hanging the clothes out on the line that the gratitude flowed through me and back out into the Universe that I have the means to take the time to replenish myself so that I can go back out into the World a much stronger and wiser person. I am nearly there now and I know whatever I do next will be right for my soul, my family, and for my next stage of growth. And for this opportunity I am truly grateful.

Sunday 18 September 2011

Another lesson from my daughter

My daughter and I were working on her school project where she has to write all about herself. One of the questions was to write a quote about herself and she wrote, “Never give up.”
I was taken aback by this particularly since this was what I wrote about her last night. She used this quote for herself without prompting so this is obviously how she views herself.  She has accepted that she did not get selected for a part in the pantomime and she is totally unfazed by it. She has already learnt from her Dance experience that sometimes life does not work out the way you thought it would but it often leads to a whole new experience that you would never have tried in the first place. Because she did not get into the Dance Camp, she ended up doing the Acting Camp and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I asked her if she was upset about not getting into the pantomime and she said, “No”.
 I asked her how she feels and she said, “Fine, now I’ll be able to do my dance recital. And anyway, when are we going to bake the brownies?”
Out of the mouths of babes. If only we could learn not to dwell on being rejected and just move on to the next thing like baking brownies, wouldn’t we just be great. I told her we could bake them soon so she went to the paper drawer and made herself a chef’s hat by stapling the paper sides together humming like the whole pantomime experience didn’t exist.
To say I am in awe of my child is an understatement. The courage, the spunk, the happy go lucky spirit is all I could ever hope for in my daughter’s development.
So short and sweet today because I’m off to bake brownies with my daughter and who knows what else I may learn from her in the process.
Happy Sunday.

Saturday 17 September 2011

Bravery comes in all sizes

It’s now 4.36 on Saturday afternoon and this is the first opportunity I have had to sit down. I am physically and mentally exhausted. Why do we put so much on our plates that we leave very little time for ourselves, to relax, to centre, to rejuvenate? Why do we have so much stress in our lives?
Saturdays are always write off days as far as creativity is concerned for me because I am too busy taxiing my children to their various Saturday activities. Whatever happened to good old fashioned sitting around watching Saturday morning cartoons then chasing around the neighbourhood?
This morning was extra tiring because it is Pantomime try outs this weekend. My daughter got the acting bug when she did an acting summer camp for two weeks this year and so she wanted to try out. I was hesitant because I know how competitive it can be and her heart was already broken this year when she did not get selected for a Dance Camp she had tried out for. I so desperately wanted to spare her the grief. But, bless her; she was insistent that she try out. I reluctantly agreed to let her because she was so determined to do it and the last thing I want to do is take her confidence away or her courage. When I thought more about it, I thought she is actually gutsy for wanting to try out for something so soon after being rejected by the Dance Camp.
And to prove just how much she wanted to go, this morning we had a very loud and long thunderstorm.  Even with the thunder booming outside and the lightning flashing, she got herself dressed and wanted to go for her audition.  Through the pouring rain and thunder we went to the audition. When we got there I again questioned whether I was doing the right thing by allowing her to audition because there were eighty six people there to try out for eight spots!!! Some of the children were pros having auditioned several times before. Others were intermediates. Then there were the novices like my daughter. She was very nervous at first until she spotted some of her friends. At which point, she turned to me and said, “Okay mommy, you can leave now. Love you. Bye.”
And just like that I was tossed aside as she walked away with her group ready for her chance on the stage, ready to try again. No regrets. No apprehensions.  I walked away with a heavy heart mixed with pride because of my daring little girl. I also knew I could not put my anxieties on her. I had to let her go.
When I picked her up, she was happy. So whether she gets in or not, there’s another notch in her life lessons that you never know if you’re capable unless you try. And sometimes even if you’re capable if you don’t get in, it just means it was not meant for you yet.  But most of all what I have learnt from my brave little eight year old daughter, never give up, just keep trying and eventually you will find your niche.
Bravo to my little girl, no matter the outcome, I’m just proud she was not afraid to put herself out there again. 

Friday 16 September 2011

Clouds always give way to the sun

This morning I woke up to an unexpected sky – it was still dark but the sky was clear. Totally unexpected from the weather that had been predicted. The day that was dawning was magical as the sun streamed through the dark sky casting a glow through the universe.  Signalling a new day. A day full of possibility. A day full of the unexpected.
Between the time I woke up and taking my children to school, the heaviness of the air surrounding Bermuda overcame the bright and brilliant morning obscuring its light and replacing it with heavy dark clouds. Menacing.  A stillness enveloped the air except for the odd call of the kiskadees, roosters and other small creatures.
The suddenness and completeness of the change was startling to me even though I had woken up with the thought that this was what the day was supposed to be like. But I had been lulled by the beauty of the dawning day into thinking otherwise. I needed to shake the disappointment that was threatening to overcome me. So I went to my meditation spot created by my family for me and I went inward to try to understand why my mood had shifted because of the changing weather.
Once I came out of my meditation and I looked around at the dark sky and the looming rain, I realised that the weather was trying to show me that just like life sometimes the expected becomes the unexpected before becoming the expected again. And that possibility does not always show up shiny and bright all the time. Sometimes it is hidden by the darkness and gloom. But what we must always remember is the glimpse of possibility before it is obscured by the dark and gloom because only then will we know that possibility exists and if we are patient even greater possibilities than we ever thought possible would ultimately shine through.
And you know what, now I am grateful and humbled to know that I am a part of a Universe that is constantly changing, constantly renewing, and constantly full of wonder. And that’s exactly how my life should be – constantly changing, constantly renewing and constantly full of wonder.  But more importantly, I should not let expectations cloud my judgement because clouds are always replaced by sunshine, hope and possibility.
Ironically as I was completing this blog, the rain cleared and out came the sun once again affirming to me that possibilities abound...

Thursday 15 September 2011

Raising our Conscious Level

Once again Bermuda is on Tropical Storm watch with Tropical Storm Maria threatening to become a Category 1 Hurricane by the time it brushes past us later today. Last week we were on watch for Tropical Storm Katia. Thankfully it missed us.
There seems to be a lot of activity in the Atlantic this year. Many people are blaming it on Global Warming. While others believe it is Earth’s natural cycle for the weather patterns to shift from time to time.
There is also a lot of earthquake activity and other unexplained natural disasters happening globally. What is going on?  Are we facing a shift in the Earth’s core? Is there a fundamental change taking place that has placed many of us on a path of uncertainty?
Is our collective conscious level causing the changes, catastrophes and global unrest that is happening or are these events causing our conscious levels to change? I’m actually not sure what to believe but I know it is exhausting everyday to see and hear about the suffering that is happening globally. The pain that people are facing. The fear of what tomorrow will bring.
Are we at a point in our existence where we must raise our individual conscious levels to a place of peace, harmony and goodwill to each other and our environment to somehow mitigate what is happening to our world?
As I was pondering this very thought, the Oprah Thought for Today popped up and it stated, “To experience peaces does not mean that your life is blissful. It means that you are capable of tapping into a blissful state of mind amidst the normal chaos of a hectic life.”
And this shifted my state of consciousness away from the dark, gloomy and threatening day outside to actually feel the lovely cool breeze that has come on the back of the last downpour and the somewhat calm between the showers as the storm continues to draw closer. There is anticipation in the air but it does not have to be based upon fear or pessimism.
I have decided as a result of reading this quote that I am going to do my bit to raise my level of conscious by allowing myself to tap into a blissful state of mind in hopes of shifting some of the negative energy that is circulating.
Imagine what a wonderful world it would be if we all took time out to tap into a blissful state of mind even in the midst of chaos. Imagine the higher level of consciousness we could spread. Imagine the positive energy that we could project throughout our Universe.  Close your eyes and feel it. Isn’t it just blissful?

Wednesday 14 September 2011

Karma

I always knew Karma meant what goes around comes around but something I read yesterday stated that we are in control of karma and that karma does not control us.
Karma is very interesting because it does not ever forget what we have done in our lifetimes even though we get lulled into thinking it has. Just when we think we are in the clear and there will be no repercussions for whatever action we did, said or sometimes wished, that’s when karma comes knocking to teach us a lesson.
However if this reading is correct that we can change our karma this means that we have to be totally aware of all the lessons we are meant to learn through our daily lives and not carry any resentment, bitterness or even regret because then we are opening the door to experience the feelings of whomever or whatever  we hurt.
This was a very liberating thought for me and one that reinforces that I am in control of my destiny. I AM NEITHER MY PAST NOR AM I MY FUTURE. I AM ME AS I AM in the present moment. At all times we are at liberty to change our destinies by accepting that our destiny is a result of our output, energy and light into the world. We may not be able to change the people, places, or things around us but we can change the way we respond to or view them.
I found this insightful discussion about karma by Thanissaro Bhikku, an American Buddhist monk,  on the internet and it supports the book I read today,
“..., instead of promoting resigned powerlessness, the early Buddhist notion of karma focused on the liberating potential of what the mind is doing with every moment. Who you are — what you come from — is not anywhere near as important as the mind's motives for what it is doing right now. Even though the past may account for many of the inequalities we see in life, our measure as human beings is not the hand we've been dealt, for that hand can change at any moment. We take our own measure by how well we play the hand we've got. If you're suffering, you try not to continue the unskillful mental habits that would keep that particular karmic feedback going. If you see that other people are suffering, and you're in a position to help, you focus not on their karmic past but your karmic opportunity in the present: Someday you may find yourself in the same predicament that they're in now, so here's your opportunity to act in the way you'd like them to act toward you when that day comes.”
Our lives are not predesigned because we have been given the power of choice and can change our journey as many times as we see fit as long as we understand that we will attract like energy and light according to that which we project into the world.

Tuesday 13 September 2011

Nothing is impossible and the Impossible is Possible

My son and I are reading Duncton Wood written by William Horwood together.  It is set in the English countryside about a community of moles that is losing its soul but is saved by courage and love.  It is a wonderful story about the power of faith, spirit, love, patience, and perseverance.  I first read it in 2001 when my love, my husband, gave it to me as a Christmas present but for some reason I felt compelled to reread it to my son some ten years later. Sharing this experience with him has been delightful and enlightening for us both and I am getting so much more out of the book than I did then.
As we were reading tonight, Bracken, a mole seeking enlightenment without knowing that he already possesses it and Boswell, an enlightened mole who discovers that no matter how enlightened he might have thought he was, the more he discovers he must learn, face one of the greatest enemies of mole legends, a large hound called Gelert of Siabod. Gelert tracks their scent and traps them under a slate after seriously injuring Boswell. Bracken feels helpless but can’t face another one of his mentors dying.
As a result, Bracken draws upon his life experiences  where he failed to see that the answer was right there in front of him and realises for the first time that he alone controls his destiny and he cannot let fear obscures his vision. So he calls upon The Stone, the spiritual power of moles, to give him the strength to face his fear and confront it. Suddenly his fear is replaced with a determination and his scent of fear transfers from him to Gelert. Gelert then begins to retreat and howls a defeated and frightened cry that Boswell hears and gives him the strength to tell Bracken that he needs to enlist Gelert to bring him their healer, Rebecca, who also happens to be Bracken’s love, to heal him. Bracken speaks his message to the Stone over and over again until he has the confidence to tell Gelert what he needs. Gelert gets the message and goes in search of the thing that the moles are looking for. The hunter becomes the hunted. The fear transfers to the fear giver.
Bracken was able to accomplish this by believing totally in his own power through his faith and his faith became so massive that he knew without any doubt “that the impossible was possible.” I nearly cried when I read this passage because I had read a phrase today just before my Yoga class began and it said, “Nothing is impossible.”
When the class began, our teacher asked us to think of our intention for the class and my intention was to discover what that phrase meant. After the class I had to do some things that took me away from my process so I lost touch with my intention until tonight when I was doing something out of love, reading to my son.
Chills ran through my being when I read this passage to my son because I heard the message from the Universe loud and clear and understand that it is telling me that even though I may not see the way at the moment, even though my path may be clouded, despite my great fear of the unknown, if I have faith, patience, perseverance and love, “Nothing is impossible and the impossible is possible.” I hear you Universe and for this I am truly grateful.

Monday 12 September 2011

Why Mondays are hard for me

Some days it’s easier to write than others.  Some days the creativity just flows. Other days it’s a chore. Nothing comes. Blockages abound.  Anxiety takes over.
On those days, I know I’m trying too hard. Trying to write something so philosophical or has meaning rather than just letting the words come through me. Rather than just sitting and letting the creative juices kick in.
Today is one of those days.  And what I have discovered is that I’m usually in this predicament on a Monday. So today I decided to ask myself what it is about Mondays that frightens me.  And the answer came to me as clear as day. I realised that on Mondays, I project about the week ahead thinking of all the commitments I have made, all the people I have to meet, the school week combined with trying to be a good wife and mother and I start to feel overwhelmed. I start to wonder how I will fit all these things in and still have time for me. Time to write. Time to reflect. Time to just be.
What I have decided is that whenever I get this feeling, I will take myself away from everything and just reflect on me and what I truly want to accomplish in that moment. That I will not project for the rest of the day let alone for the rest of the week. I will just be grateful for being in that moment and then hopefully the blockages will clear, the anxiety will diminish and once again I will be in my zone. And for allowing myself this reflection today and sharing it with you, I am truly grateful for hopefully I can help to ease your inner conflict as well as mine. To accept that it is okay to take them out for ourselves because if we don’t who else will.
Each day let’s give ourselves permission to take ourselves out of the turmoil and seek our inner peace because it is that peace that will allow us to accomplish. 

Sunday 11 September 2011

In Reverence to September 11

Can you believe it has been ten years since the World Trade Center fell? Since the day we were all forced to take pause and reflect on our lives. I am baffled that so much time has gone by and I can’t think of where it has gone.
The fear I felt that day was unlike any fear I have ever felt in my life because I was a mother of a two year old son – a new mother and I feared for his future. I questioned whether I had done the right thing by bringing a child into the world when the world was teetering on destroying itself. I mourned for my son because he had only had two years on the Earth before his freedoms had been altered before he even understood what they were.
I remember that day vividly – how it had started out as a picture perfect Bermudaful day – clear blue skies, puffy white clouds and I had set out with my son on our daily walk through St. George totally unaware of the absolute horror that the people in the World Trade Center and in New York, the people on that flight over Pennsylvania, the people in the Pentagon and all the passengers on those doomed flights were going through. I remember feeling so grateful for the beauty I was experiencing as I walked with my son. I remember feeling so fortunate.
Until we walked into the Supermarket in St. George and instantly I knew something was wrong- the air was so thick in there that you could have sliced it with a knife. Instead of the normal lively banter, the supermarket was so silent that you could hear a pin drop. No one looked at the door when I came in. All eyes were glued to the television.  It was only then that I realised the magnitude of what was transpiring in the United States. And I knew instantly the repercussions of these senseless terrorist attacks would alter all of our lives forevermore.
I looked down at my innocent son and wanted to cuddle him in my arms and protect him from all the darkness that was befalling our world. I wanted to cry. My son had never watched television before. And I certainly didn’t mean for this to be his introduction but it was and I have regretted that ever since. After coming out of my trance, I turned his stroller around so quickly and headed home as fast as I could. By the time I got there, my husband was there. We had had a horrible fight that morning and had left each other not on the best terms. We looked at each other in disbelief, the argument lost in the horror of the events, exchanged words without speaking then we hugged each other trying to at least preserve the love we had because all else had been shattered.
Now it is ten years later, Osama bin Laden is dead, many soldiers have died, many families have been shattered by the loss of loved ones, I have an eight year old daughter and my twelve year old son has travelled to many places around the world. My daughter knows little about the attacks. My son still carries that image of airplanes crashing into buildings because he hates being on airplanes but doesn’t remember why. And I refuse to remind him that when he was two whenever we boarded an airplane he would say, “Is this airplane going to crash into tall buildings.” We continue to fly so that the terrorists do not win. So that all those lives that were sacrificed for us to resume somewhat normal lives are not lost in vain.
All of us have moved on from September 11 2001 but none of us will ever forget it. I believe that September 11 is a day that allowed us to be grateful for every day that we have had since that day. To be grateful for the fact that we should never take anything for granted. To be grateful for the fact that so much love came out of that dreadful day that somehow the doom and gloom did not destroy us but inspired us all to not let fear stop us from living our lives. And for this I am truly grateful.

Saturday 10 September 2011

I always dreamed I would be a teacher

I always dreamed I would be a teacher one day because I have always known that I have a lot to say, share and give. Until the day I became a mother and realised just as much as I am here to teach so am I here to learn.
Having children has taught me that I am as much a student as I am the teacher. My children show me my flaws, what I need to work on, and how I can become a better mother which in turn will make me a better person. Sometimes I am surprised by how much I still have to learn about myself, life, and how to treat people.
Children teach you the power of forgiveness. If you were to watch children fighting on the playground one moment then hugging each other the next, it is amazing. No judgements, no attitudes, no grudges. Just having it out with each other then letting the moment pass and moving on. How much we can learn from our children from this simple exchange. If only we learned to let go of arguments because at the end of the day they are usually as a result of one person either hurting or misunderstanding  the expectations of the other, our world would be a much better place. Rather than holding on to a grudge what we should be doing is learning from the argument and moving on from it hopefully to never make the same mistake again. I have learnt this lesson more so from watching my children at play and seeing how easy it is for them to forgive.  My children in this case being my teachers and I their student. But once I take that lesson and make it a part of my everyday life, I once again become the teacher.
It was also watching the Oprah Facebook interview that reminded me of how we are all teachers every day of our lives. Every day what we should be asking ourselves ,as she does, is,  “how can I use my life as a service to myself, my family, and anyone that crosses my path. “ I believe what she means by this is whatever lessons we have learned along the way, it is our responsibility to pass the lesson on to others. Student becoming the teacher becoming the student.
So my dream of being a teaching is happening every day in my life. I may not be the classroom teacher that I imagined I would be but I am a teacher just the same because I do use every day of my life as a learning experience and I try to pass whatever it is that I learn onto my children, my husband and anyone who crosses my path. I also realise that being a teacher means that I am also the student because I do not know all the answers to life’s mysteries but I must always keep myself open, receptive to the messages and lessons that are delivered to me on a daily basis so I can continue to teach and learn. 

Friday 9 September 2011

Oprah - what we all desire is our fullest expression of ourselves

I have often wondered why I and so many other people are so attracted to Oprah Winfrey – a black overweight woman who does not fit the stereotype of what success is meant to look like. Or what we have been conditioned to think success is meant to look like. Yet she has shattered that image to the nth degree and has touched many hearts and changed many lives along the way.
So how does a poor black girl with little to no direction from the backwoods of Mississippi and a strange name become one of the most admired and one of the wealthiest women in the world?
Watching the Facebook interview with Oprah last night, the answer hit me and I decided to dedicate this blog to that very answer. The reason why Oprah is and will continue to be successful despite her background, despite her physical shortcomings, despite her weird name is because she uses every day of her life to learn more about herself and better herself and in this way she can radiate the best of herself to the rest of us.
She is the image of possibility.  She believes that everything that has happened in her life has made her the person that she is today. She has never thought of herself as a victim. She has embraced where she has come from and as a result she has learned to be empathetic, caring and able to relate to people of all walks of life. Why? Because somewhere along her life she has been one of those people who cross her path. She knows their pain and has overcome it.
Oprah said that each one of us should be asking ourselves every day, “What would I do if I was not afraid?”That is a profound question and one that many of us neglect to ask ourselves because sometimes it’s easier to live in fear and to continue on the same path that we have always been on even though we get no satisfaction from it. Imagine if all of us woke up every day and asked ourselves this question how fundamentally different we would all be and how we could change the world overnight with this mindset.
Oprah believes that when the answer comes to you about what you would do if you were not afraid that we should go for it. This is the only way that we can ever be who we are meant to be. It is the only tool that allows people to see the better of their lives. She believes we all know there is something greater calling our names and what we need is faith and hope to achieve ultimately what we are meant to achieve.
Now I know and understand why I admire Oprah and it is because she epitomises “the true and authentic self” and as a result her light radiates into her hearts and souls. She is one of our modern day prophets and she continues to school herself and us with the life lessons that come her way. She says and I believe we should carry this statement in our hearts, “It does not matter how you came into this world. It matters that you are here.”
And how does she remind herself, she says, “I Have a belief in something that is bigger than myself. No what matter what, I will be all right. I know a bigger picture is guiding me and leading me forward.”
It is up to all of us to matter and not just exist because we have been given the gift of life. Not all of us will be Oprah or Bill Gates or Steve Jobs or Beyonce or whomever you idolise but what we can be is our authentic best selves. And who knows where that will take us. 

Thursday 8 September 2011

Today is all we've got

In the last few months, I have encountered many people who have had near brushes with death – totally unexpected and out of the blue. People who believe they are healthy and exercise on a regular basis are having heart attacks; internal organs suddenly rupturing or are being diagnosed with cancer.
Then today I open the newspaper and see a man who was always full of himself, Willy Bassett,  dead. And I am left speechless.
What are we doing to ourselves that our bodies are giving out from under us? Are we not listening to our inner voice telling us to stop, slow down, and listen? Have we become so conditioned to going all the time that we can’t relax? Can’t stop without feeling guilty?
Life is too short for us to be killing ourselves early. With all the medical help, leisure activities and more wealth than our parents and their parents before them ever had, there is no excuse for us to neglect ourselves. Instead of trying to please everyone else, do what is expected rather than desired, and not be true to ourselves, we need to take a step back from our lives and really assess why we are experiencing such heartache and pain. We need to explore why it is so necessary to constantly be on the treadmill going nowhere fast.
I learnt from the age of thirteen just how fragile and short life can be – how it can abruptly change without a moment’s notice when my mother went to bed one night and never woke up again. Shattering my life and the lives of my immediate family. I vowed from that day on that I would live my life to the fullest. I would try as much as I possibly could to pursue whatever dreams I wanted. To live the best life that I could because I know that life should not be taken for granted.  And tomorrow, let alone today, is not promised to anyone.
So for all of us that think that tomorrow will do. It won’t. Let’s face it there is no tomorrow. All we’ve got is today. Go to the doctor annually. Don’t be ashamed to see your doctor if you have an inner feeling about something not feeling right. If his or her answer isn’t satisfactory, keep seeking until that inner radar stops beeping.
Find what you are passionate about and pursue it even if it is just a hobby – that hobby could turn into your next big break. And most of all never ever give up on living your life to the best of your ability. Negativity attracts negativity.  Positive people always attract positive things in their lives.
Life is not a dress rehearsal. It’s all we’ve got and we have to be grateful each day for waking up another day and having the fortitude to go out and move closer to being content with who we truly are.
Rest in peace Willy, this one is for you – a reminder of how all we have is today.

Wednesday 7 September 2011

Thunderstorms clear the air

I have to admit that I am terrified of lightning. It stems from when I was a very young girl and my mother had just had my younger brother Chris without me even knowing she was pregnant. I was vulnerable, insecure and so wanted to be noticed by everyone. I had been the baby of the family for five whole years and therefore had all the attention that a child could ever wish for until my ideal world was shattered when my mother arrived home from the hospital with a baby! I was devastated. That was in 1968.
At the same time I had some older neighbours that I worshipped and they were filling my head with all sorts of phobias. One that has stuck with me was that lightning was deadly and could kill. That’s all I needed to hear as an insecure five year old who desperately wanted attention. Every time lightning flashed I got the desired attention I needed from my mother so that fear grew with each year that passed.
This morning I woke up at 6.15 and looked out the window to see what the weather was looking like as we are under Tropical Storm Watch as Hurricane Katia is some 260 nautical miles away from us. As I looked out the window, I was mesmerized by the colours in the sky and the very different feelings from the sky. To my left, the sky was dawn blue, in the centre it was slightly cloudy with beautiful yet threatening red light, to my right were menacing cumulus black clouds all against a backdrop of a mysterious red light interspersed with a glowing white and yellow light. As I was studying the spectacular colours of the sky, a bolt of fierce fork lightning streaked across it from the left to the right followed immediately by a smaller less threatening sliver of fork lightning from right to left almost as if they were doing a dance together.
The sight took my breath away. But what was even more liberating was the fact that I was not afraid for the first time in forty three years. I actually felt lighter and more in tune with nature because I saw its dance followed by its loud rumble of thunder and knew that it is just as necessary as the beautiful days. Thunderstorms are as my mother used to say, “Necessary to clear the air”. And she is so right because after that fierce mini storm, the closeness of the air retreated and instead was replaced by a lovely and fresh breeze and the sun is trying its hardest to push through.
Though there is a ferocious hurricane barrelling across the Atlantic Ocean right now, my little Island home, Bermuda, is getting the benefits of her clearing our air and hopefully we will enjoy the sunshine that ensues thereafter. Just like life, we experience our own inner  thunderstorms when we go through transitions but once they pass,  our lives, just like the air after a thunderstorm, clears and we once again can see the light  of a new day dawning.

Tuesday 6 September 2011

First Day of School

I just came back from dropping my children off to school this morning. They both looked so much more mature than they did last year when I dropped them off. They were bright and excited yet nervous at the same time.
They were sad that summer had flown by so fast and were wondering how school had come around so quickly. As they were eating breakfast, my son said to his sister, “I remember my first day of school ever when mommy dropped me off and as soon as I realised she was driving off, I screamed and tried my hardest to run to her.”
Hearing that story hurt my heart even though it was nine years ago now. Nine years ago and still it is on my son’s mind. When does the desire to protect our children from harm diminish? When does the yearning to put them in a cocoon and protect them from all the hurt they will experience in a lifetime go away? Does it ever?
I know they have to experience pain in order to appreciate the days when they have no pain and also to allow them to grow but I still would like to protect them somehow. Because I know I can’t, I know all I can do is raise them to be the best equipped they can for the times when they will experience pain. To help them to know that they are not alone in their struggle for growth. To allow them to know that everyone experiences periods of darkness.
We were very early this morning because we were all overexcited about the new beginning of the school year. And we did not want to get caught in the traffic that is inevitable for the first day of school. My daughter wanted the key to sit in the car at seven am. They’re not supposed to be at school until eight but the anticipation was too much to bear for her or my son.
They accepted that their summer was over and now it was time for them to start anew – each in a grade higher. Both nervous about the amount of homework they think they will get. Both nervous about their new teachers and whether they will get along. Both nervous about rekindling friendships with friends they had not seen over the summer. Both nervous about whether they will have to deal with bullies.
As soon as we drove through the school gates, the nervous chatter ceased and a silence enveloped the car. I glimpsed at them in the mirror and saw a mask of braveness come over their faces as they knew there was no turning back now. My son got out of the car first and was trying so hard to be tough that he didn’t even tell us goodbye. I had to remind him and then he whispered goodbye looking around at the small gathering of students there making sure none of them saw his mother blowing him a kiss goodbye.
Next was my daughter and for the first time she did not give me a kiss. She blew me one instead saying, “Bye mommy, love you.”
I drove away with a tear in my eye – hoping and praying that they are able to deal with whatever comes their way and that this first day of school sets the stage for a great year. Hoping and praying that they had a great summer that they could take those memories with them and be able produce at school. Understanding that with every ending there is a beginning – the end of summer, the beginning of a new school year. My children taking yet another step away from me and my husband as they walk towards their own independence and adulthood. Hopefully stronger, adequately equipped, and full of love.

Monday 5 September 2011

Yellow Wildflowers teach me an invaluable lesson


This morning I woke up and looked out of my bathroom window only to be greeted by a bed of beautiful yellow wildflowers that had bloomed seemingly overnight under my Poinciana tree. Their sight instantly put a smile on my face and filled my being with joy. I was infused with energy and felt I could tackle anything that came my way today. I felt so happy seeing those bright yellow flowers. So much so that I went outside and took the photo below to share the beautiful and unexpected sight with you.

The sight of those wildflowers dancing in the breeze has been vivid in my mind and as you are probably guessing about me by now I take everything as a sign. So my mind was telling me surely those flowers were there yesterday so why was I not ready to see them until today? With this thought, I went to the computer to find out what the colour yellow means spiritually and found this,
“YELLOW relates to the SOLAR PLEXUS chakra, situated below the ribs. The organs to which this chakra relates are the liver, spleen, stomach and small intestine. The endocrine gland is the pancreas.
“On the psycho-spiritual level, yellow relates to self worth. How we feel about ourselves and how we feel others perceive us. This is the area of the personality, the ego and the intellect and of self confidence.
“Yellow is one of the three colours in the lower half of the visible spectrum It is known as a "warm" colour and has a stimulating effect. It is the colour of the intellect and can be very helpful with study and where concentration is required.
I was amazed by this because it told me instantly that I am coming out of the doldrums and really starting to embrace me for who I am and that’s what that glorious bed of tiny bright yellow wildflowers is telling me. I am so grateful that I followed my instinct to understand what their message to me was because with each message that I decode, I am learning on a daily basis that my answers are there in front of me as long as I take the time to really see, hear, and decipher them.

Sunday 4 September 2011

The Charles Schulz Philosophy


The Charles Schulz Philosophy 


 
  

The  following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the  creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.
  

You don't have to actually answer the questions.
 Just ponder on them.

Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point. 
 
1. Name  the five wealthiest people in the  world.

2. Name  the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name  the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.

4  Name  ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name  the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6. Name  the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
    


 
  
How did you do? 
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.

These are no second-rate achievers.

They are the best in their fields.

But the applause dies..

Awards tarnish..

Achievements are forgotten.

Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. 



  

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
  

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special
..

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with. 



 
  
Easier?
  

The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the
most credentials
the most money...or the most awards.

They simply are the ones who care the most 



'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia !'
 
''Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!"
 
 

Welcome to Facebook


“WELCOME TO FACEBOOK... The place where people add you as a friend & walk past you in the street. Where relationships are perfect, affairs are started, & liars believe they are telling the truth. Your enemies visit your profile the most, yet your friends & family block you, & even though you write what you are really thinking, someone always takes it the wrong way, & people think your status is about them...lol Repost if you agree!!”
I lifted this comment from a Facebook page because when I read it; at first, I thought it was funny. But after I thought about it, I realised it was poignant and I felt compelled to explore it more. Has our society become so impersonal that this comment is actually true?
Are we more likely to open up when we are able to hide behind a faceless “social network” such as Facebook? Isn’t just the term “social network” something of a misnomer? Didn’t socialising used to mean that we actually went out and met people face to face, looked them in the eyes to determine whether they were trustworthy or not. But now we are forming relationships with people based on what they write on their Facebook pages. Pages that can be forwarded from one person to the next without the knowledge of the original author. Pages that contain more poetic license than truth. Pages that are meant to look glamorous and perfect.
Let’s take the first line, “The place where people add you as a friend and walk past you in the street.” What does this statement really mean – that people can only be brave and full of themselves when they are hiding behind the avatar or the image they create on Facebook. Sometimes when I read the comments posted, I am surprised by the content. Sometimes I am amazed by the lives some people are leading – so beautiful and flawless and carefree that it makes me think I’ m missing out on the finer things in life as I’m sure it does to many others. Are we becoming so antisocial because of this so called social networking community because it encourages many to create fictitious identities so their lives can be as exciting as their “friends”?
“Where relationships are perfect” – if anyone has been in a long-term relationship we all know they are far from perfect and neither are they meant to be. Relationships are meant to challenge us to be the best people possible – to force us to dig beneath the surface and come face to face with our inner most selves. They are not meant to show that we are perfect because we are not. Could this social network be one of the primary causes for relationships being destroyed so quickly because people expect relationships to be like the perfect fantasy they create through their Facebook lives?
“Affairs are started”- I have to admit this one stumps me because how can an affair be started in such a public forum? Everyone reads what everyone is posting so everyone knows what everyone else is doing so if anyone is fool enough to start an affair on Facebook in my opinion they must be looking to get caught!
“Liars believe they are telling the truth” – again this goes back to the whole false world and images that people are projecting on Facebook.  Sometimes when I look at some of the photos that are posted I am amazed by how perfect they look but we all know that photographs just capture the moment. They are not ongoing and don’t show what happens before or after the photo is taken and this is what Facebook captures – a moment. It is not ongoing. It’s not for real.
“Your enemies visit your profile the most, yet your friends and family block you”– why do they want to do this and if we know this to be true why would anyone post their most intimate details? And didn’t our mothers always tell us to keep our enemies close? So why lock anyone out from your Facebook page when it will make them that much more determined to find a way in because then they will believe you are trying to hide something. 
“Even though you write what you are really thinking, someone always takes it the wrong way”, welcome to the world of writing. Writing is a very personal thing and is always open to interpretation by whoever is reading it. Writers, as I well know, are often writing from their perspective and can only write their innermost thoughts without realising by doing so they often expose something about those who are the closest to them. Writing is meant to draw readers in to make them believe that the author is writing about them. Consequently when someone reads something, it may trigger something inside them – something they were not even aware they were experiencing until they read what was written. And at the end of the day, writing is like walking down the street naked – you are out there bare and exposed so you have to have thick skin if you want to write. Facebook has only just brought this fact to the forefront because now everyone who has a Facebook page is a writer and has opened themselves up to be admired, attacked or vilified so be careful of what you post because it can come back to haunt you.
Believe me I know and it’s not always the response you crave. The written word is forever. Is your Facebook page something you will be proud of when you’re older?  I have nothing against Facebook. I truly believe it is great for reconnecting friends and for discovering what’s new.  It’s a great forum when it is used correctly. Remember that always. 

Saturday 3 September 2011

The Wonders of Nature


Whenever I wake up in the morning and see the clear blue skies, dew on the grass and a bright sunny morning, I am filled with hope and wonder.
Hope because it is always amazing to me to see how crisp and fresh everything looks after a period of drudgery and rain.
Wonder because it is amazing to see the vividness of the natural colours in our environment. Colours that we are blind to on a clear day because we do not see or appreciate them because we take them for granted.  Only when they are gone and reappear do we really see their grandeur.
It is these perfect days after periods of imperfection that I am grateful for those grey and dull days because without them I would not understand their power and how they relate to my everyday life. Those dull and grey days directly correlate to my dark and sad days. They teach me that even though they may feel oppressive and weigh me down; once they clear there are beautiful, clear and sunny days before me.
Just the kind of day I woke up to today – a day full of hope, wonder and awe. A day that lets me know that even after my darkest and most trying days, there will always be days when the birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, the sky is perfectly clear and the air is fresh and crisp. Leaving me with the belief that my possibilities are limitless if I have faith to believe that dark days are necessary to allow my soul the time to replenish, regroup and learn so that I can go out into the world with empathy, clarity and a little more wisdom but more importantly armed with hope and wonder. What could be better than that?
Nature, our natural healer, needs to revered and appreciated for what it is every day because it provides our souls with everything they need...

Friday 2 September 2011

Reiki - The Art of Balancing Energy


Have you ever started walking down one path only to find yourself on a completely different road, in a completely different place and most certainly not where you had planned?
Have you ever wondered how you got so off track? Where you took the wrong turn?
Have you ever been baffled so much by life that your head is spinning and you can’t stop it from spinning?
That’s how I felt the other day and I knew I needed to get myself focussed and balanced again so I called my dear friend Deryn at my favourite place in Bermuda to have Reiki done.  I walked into her room feeling out of sorts, stomach churning, mind scattered and my whole equilibrium was off balance.
I lay on the table and Deryn asked for permission to do a treatment on me then the rest is history. As she placed her hands above my crown chakra I could feel my energy calming. As she moved over my third eye and crown chakras I could feel my body saying thank you as it began to rebalance itself, relaxing under the shifting energies.
My mind emptied of all of its conflicting messages. It then encouraged me to meditate more. Take time for myself. It reminded me over and over again that in the midst of chaos sometimes I  just have to stand still, stop, and allow myself time for me without feeling guilty.
So I let go and allowed myself to slip into a state of bliss so much so when my Reiki treatment was done, I felt rejuvenated, whole, light hearted, and ready for whatever was to come next.
Reiki the practice of balancing energy. I highly recommend when you are feeling out of sorts and if you’re in Bermuda all the better go to see Deryn at My Serenitea (www.mysereniteabermuda.com). Tell her Cathy sent you.
Author’s note, if you don’t know what Reiki is, I found this definition in the online medical dictionary, “Reiki is a form of therapy that uses simple hands-on, no-touch, and visualization techniques, with the goal of improving the flow of life energy in a person. Reiki (pronounced ray-key) means "universal life energy" in Japanese, and Reiki practitioners are trained to detect and alleviate problems of energy flow on the physical, emotional, and spiritual level. Reiki touch therapy is used in much the same way to achieve similar effects that traditional massage therapy is used—to relieve stress and pain, and to improve the symptoms of various health conditions. The basic concept underlying reiki is that the body has an energy field that is central to its health and proper functioning, and this energy travels in certain pathways that can become blocked or weakened. This idea of energy flow in the body is also a central concept in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture.
Reiki practitioners believe that everyone has the potential to access the universal life energy, but that over time most people's systems become blocked and the energy becomes weakened in them. A reiki practitioner is trained to be able to detect these blockages, and practitioners will use their hands, thoughts, and own energy fields to improve the energy flow in a patient. Reiki is one of the more esoteric alternative medical practices, because no one is sure exactly how it works on the physiological level. Practitioners claim that it works on very subtle energy levels, or possibly works on the chakra system. The chakras are the system of seven energy centers along the middle of the body believed to be connected with the nervous and endocrine systems, as defined by yoga and Ayurvedic medicine..” www.medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/reiki