the glass is....HALF FULL

WOW - what a week last week! Busiest time ever for me at the Fox - doing the new Broadway stuff for NEXT year + wrapping up the current season= STRESSED. Plus my ADD is kicked into high gear & so are my emotions. Should my motto be: “It Sucks to be Me” (popular song from AVE Q which is at the Fox right now). Or should it be: “The glass is half FULL” How lucky are we that it’s all about choice, and I think I know which one I should choose. One of my best frds has cancer & is in the hospital after surgery, hasn’t been doing great (not life threatening); someone else I know....her baby died pre-delivery at 9 mos last week...and there’s the super sad looking homeless man I see 3 times a week at Olive & 170. Do I have it that bad, NO. Can I be OK with myself for being super emotional about lots of stuff last week....YES. And to add to the emotion...I got my teeth cleaned and a massage last week. These are great detox/energy unblockers, but they can also release major emotions. Make sure to go to my older posts about teeth/flossing-very interesting info. So, its Monday, its gorgeous out - and here’s looking to a great week.

Give yourself the gift of FORGIVENESS

Forgiving can be hard and sometimes seem impossible, but if we can do it (and we all can) then the results are amazing! One of the most powerful gifts we can give ourselves is to FORGIVE - both ourselves and others. By forgiving we are not condoning the behavior of the person we perceive as having wronged us, but rather allowing ourselves to 'break the hold that person has on our lives.' Feeling anger towards that person may have been well-justified, but unless it is dealt with and processed it becomes corrosive to our bodies, leading to physical disease and emotional illness. Holding onto feelings of anger or revenge are likely to be hurting us rather than the original perpetrator.

Exercise: Forgiveness of Self and Others

Think of a person who has wronged you and for whom there are still bad feelings. Place your hands over your heart with the intention to channel energy to your heart. Read the affirmation of forgiveness below, with feeling, in your mind and channel energy for 10 minutes or until you feel a shift in your heart. Don't be surprised if you experience tears as you forgive yourself.

Forgiveness Affirmation

I forgive everyone who has ever hurt or harmed me, consciously or unconsciously, in this lifetime or any other, in this universe, dimension, plane or level of existence or any other.

I offer them grace. I ask forgiveness for everything I have ever done to hurt or harm another, consciously or unconsciously, in this lifetime or any other, in this universe, dimension, plane

or level of existence or any other. I ask for grace. I forgive myself for everything I have ever done to hurt or harm another, consciously or unconsciously, in this lifetime or any other, in this universe, dimension, plane or level of existence or any other. I accept grace. I am free.

All chains and restrictions fall from me. I stand in my full power as a master.

Mandalas

Hmmmm, awaken the artist within, clear out inner clutter, connect with both sides of the brain and express creativity through a daily artisitic writing practice. OK, this sounds good to me - plus, I love art and writing. Experience deep calm, inner wisdom and insight through the making of mandalas, journaling and meditation. Ahhhhhh! I am really trying to practice what I preach, and am loving this idea and the simpleness of the MANDALA. These are circular images that represent wholeness and centeredness, and creating them brings about the same qualities in a person's life. Sounds wonderful, kinda reminds me of "spirograph" when I was a kid, anyone remember those! I am doing a last minute art project for "Record Store Day" and using a mandala in my design. Will post when I am done. For now, here is a nice mandala I found....and a great website. CreativityForTheSoul.com

wow, has it been 4 MONTHS...

...since my last post- YES. I took a break to get myself back on track with some personal things and just didn't care about the blog. Now it is April (SPRING) and I am truely inspired to start a new path...one that I have been down before, but always stopped and retreated back. But now, starting this 'new' life, I am determined to head down the road again, & this time NOT quit...is this easier said than done? Heck YA, esp for me who gets EASILY distracted, procrastinates and is overwhelmed 'most' of the time. I just met with my friend who does soul coaching and we talked about letting bad stuff from the past go...forgiving and forgetting. Seems like such a simple thing, doesn't it. I am posting a great picture, perfect for spring. By my fave artist - George Rodrigue (the blue dog guy) Plus it perfectly titled: "Forever Starts Here"

blessing my home

So last Wednesday we had parent teacher confs. It didn't go too great, and when we got home there was a big fight. I have been feeling stressed at home too,  and thought 'I am gonna bless my house'.  Luckily I had the incense already. So the next nite after work I had the house to myself (this made it even better 4 me).  I put on a spiritual CD, opened all the windows & lit candles in every room. 

Anyone can bless their home & the benefit can be felt right after - ahhhhhh.  Blessings get rid of any negativity & replace bad energy with good energy.  It adds peace to your home & can be used to clear the air after an argument, etc.  You will need: sage weed (insence), a bowl of water & candles.  Start at 1 end of the home & work down...take a bowl of water into the room & open the window.  Light the insence, hold it high in the air (the bowl is to catch any ashes) & state your intention - ie: "I would like this house to be blessed in the name of (insert your fave God, Buddah, Mary, Rabbi)"  Walk in a circle, guiding the smoke wall to wall.  Do this in each room...and at the end thank your spiritual person.  

Blessing to you and Happy Thanksgiving!

this is NICE.

OK, haven't posted in awhile, but I found

something so great, I am putting it out there to share. 

It is a simple lesson that I want to 'practice' and a choice I want to make to be 'happier'. It's by my friend Elise, who is my feng sui girl, and has a great website www.inspiredbalance.net. The photo is by my son, and reminds me of fall-my fave month.

"I am sitting near my kitchen window looking outside at the beautiful carpet of fallen leaves on the grass.  Sure, I could suck the joy out of this moment by thinking about how I should probably rake them up.  Or, I could just enjoy their beauty.  It's up to me how I want to think about these leaves outside.  Should I categorize this as an incomplete to-do list item causing stress or as a carpet of leaves to walk on and enjoy just like when I got married and walked on rose-petals?  It is up to me, and I bet you know how I am going to think about them!

The same is true of things that have happened in the past.  How we choose to think about them is up to us, and we can change it if we don't like it.  I was fired from my job while pregnant with my son, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me.  I have completely re-written how I think about that event and changed it into on of the defining and empowering moments of my life".  -ER

meditation

So it’s Sat and pouring outside.  I had signed up for a FREE ‘yoga/meditation’ class at the library. As always with me, I get there 5-10 min. late.  I rush into the little meeting room and there is the Indian teacher and 1 older lady (Luanne).  My  first thought is “oh man, this is gonna be weird”  So the lady is dressed in reg clothes and I’m standing there wet with my yoga mat and say “ oh, is there a yoga class?”  Nope, the library had the flyer wrong…it’s just gonna be a breathing and meditation lecture.   Again, I am thinking…oyyyyyyyyyy.  Partly because it is just me and the 1 lady, and it’s very quiet in there…..

But, I loved it (so did Luanne).  This guy was a such a simple speaker, very easy to understand and just mesmerizing to listen to.  Then he taught us an amazing breathing technique & we did 20 minutes of meditation (with a CD) The only thing I didn’t like was there was no backgrd music.  You know, that relaxing yoga music,  but that was minor!  My fave parts of the class were simple & basic:

Yoga + meditation = a lifestyle

The present moment is the only truth

We have so much guilt for past events & so much fear and anxiety for future events. This = STRESS…our minds are constantly going between the past and future. We must calm our minds by meditation and breath to balance these fears and live  more happily in the present.

Discover YOU are peace.