Today I feel a bit overwhelmed with thoughts on various different things.  Mostly my thoughts surrounding my next steps in my career and what it is I truly want to accomplish in my life.  I’m thinking so much that I can’t seem to relax.  I know that I’m making progress towards goals I set last year.  I guess I’m feeling a bit impatient and also having thoughts of altering the course in a few areas.  I don’t want to sleep until I have it all figured out.  But, Rome wasn’t built in a day.  And, it would really be supportive of myself to simply be patient and take my time.

There are so many things that I want to accomplish and I feel like I want to do them all right NOW.  But, I have to remind myself that life is about the journey not about the goals we set.  It’s about how we operate in attaining the goals.  It’s about enjoying the process, having fun, relaxing, actually living my life.  It’s about taking it one day at a time.  I don’t always have to know how I’m getting to where I’m going.  I don’t have to have all the answers either.

It seems whenever we make a declaration, decision, or change of habit…immediately life throws us a test to see if we’re really serious.  Sometimes the test is obvious, other times it’s not.  When it’s not, that’s when we start sentences with the phrase, “well, technically…(insert your slippery excuse here)…”  I, too, started sliding down that slippery road to square one again, when my clever friend said…

“Just make choices that will keep you empowered…

ultimately for your highest good and good of others.”

-C.Y.

I don’t know if that did anything for you…lol.  But, for me it was an easy way to test if my choices are supporting me or pushing me down that slippery slide.  Simply asking myself the question, ‘is this choice empowering me?’, is enough to keep me on sturdy ground.

Are you making empowering choices?  Are you making choices that will propel you, lift you to the next level, and strengthen you?  Something to think about…:)

Change is constant in life.  Yet, everything is always in a perfect balance.  When we feel ourselves going a bit slower, or feeling a little out of sorts, it’s okay.  I find that when this happens, it’s just my body or spirit nudging me to take it slow for a little while…to just be patient with myself.  Maybe I’ve been overexerting myself.  Or, maybe there’s something I haven’t quite dealt with emotionally that needs to come up.  When I go with this flow instead of fighting it, I find that I move out of it much quicker.  And, before I know it, I’m back to my usually bubbly self again…:)

Take the time to take things slow for once.  Relax and enjoy the sunshine, listen your favorite song, take a nap for once, buy yourself some flowers, spoil yourself with a nice bubble batch, cry, laugh…do what makes you happy in the moment.  Trust yourself and be kind to yourself.  Only you can make yourself happy.  Why not start now?  :)

I still drive my very first car…it’s an ‘01 Honda Civic…I love her.  I’ve never had any serious problems from her, she’s always been very dependable.  Except there was a period of time when my battery would become completely drained without any known explanation.  After this happened a few times, I took it into the shop.  I explained that I didn’t have anything plugged in, never left the lights on, and didn’t understand what was causing this.  They said they’d run a test and let me know.

The mechanic called me later to say that the tests showed that there was something in my car that was constantly pulling energy from the battery, even when the car wasn’t on.  They looked through the car to find the culprit and later found that it was my car alarm draining the car.

You see, when I first got the car, my parents took it to the neighborhood mechanic to hook up an alarm system in my car that was cheaper than the manufacturer’s alarm.  Yeah…it was bootleg..don’t judge me…lol.  This alarm was installed incorrectly and was causing a major energy drain without me even knowing it.

And, I thought to myself…how often does this happen in our lives?  How often do we subconsciously hold onto people, old situations, old stories, old beliefs, old relationships that are literally sucking the life out of us, and we don’t even know it?  How often do we keep people in our lives that no longer feed us, and instead leave us feeling depleted?  How often do we stay at jobs that no longer challenge, inspire, or fulfill us?  How often do we avoid stepping outside the box, only to stay cramped and stunted doing the same ole, same ole day in and day out.

I’m learning to recognize the energy drains in my life.  I’m learning when it’s time to let go and move on.  Sometimes it has nothing to do with ‘the people’ or ‘that job’.  Sometimes, it’s simply the mind set, or belief attached to them that is causing the energy drain.

What’s causing the energy drain in your life?  Are you ready to let go and move on?  Are you ready to stand in your power and go for what you really want?

My heart says things that my mouth can’t…

My heart feels pain that no medicine can erase…

My heart knows what my mind cannot acknowledge…

My heart refuses…

to believe

what

is

true

‘What about your heart, Sid?’

My heart is with hip hop

and I wish it wasn’t dead

Cuz hip hop…

‘I used to love you, I still do, and I always will.’

It’s funny how we can learn major life lessons hidden within the little things in life.  I’m playing a game of monopoly last night, and although no one had quite taken the lead, I was starting to feel my fate was destined to come soon.  My only hope was that I had two properties within the light blue group and the third was still available.  Eventually, one of my opponents landed on the third one…bummer.  But, she decided she didn’t want it!  Auction time!  All of a sudden, my last chance of even walking away with a tiny shred of dignity appeared.

The property is worth $100…the bids have already gotten to around $325.  All of a sudden here come the voices:  “You know what, that property isn’t even worth all that!”, “You’re gonna spend all your money on that property and not have enough to survive later!”, “You always lose at Monopoly anyways…just let  her have it and  call it a night already, who cares!”, “Ugh, this isn’t fair…how come I ALWAYS lose at Monopoly!” 

Then, all of a sudden it dawns on me…this is how I operate in my life!  Wow… 

I may know that I want something and I may even know that it’s meant for me…but…

-it doesn’t come easy
-it costs more than I thought it would
-I worry that I won’t be able to handle it
-I’m afraid I’m gonna fall on my face if I try
-I remind myself of how many times I failed before
-I make up stories in my mind about how horrible things are going to turn out

So, instead of taking the risk and trusting myself and trusting that God is gonna have my back, I usually throw in the towel before I even try!  I fail before I even start!  Instead of trusting that I have an ABUNDANCE of resources available to me, I refuse to look past what I have now.  I refuse to look past what I’ve had before.

Now, back to the Monopoly game.  This time I decided to do something different.  So, yes…I stayed in the auction…I paid a ridiculous amount of money for my light blue Monopoly.  But, guess what?  Even though everyone else had at least two Monopoly’s on the rich side of town…I won!  I was ok!  Yes, I landed on their property’s and had to come out of a lot of money, but somehow, someway I always had enough.  And, eventually having enough turned into an abundance of resources!

This is not just about a simple game of Monopoly.  It’s really about what the game represents.  And I came to such a huge awareness last night.  I’m so thankful for this because I’ve been really working on watching what I say and being more conscious of  the thoughts I meditate on daily.  It’s so easy to slip on a pair of worrying, complaining, cranky pants.  But, the thing is…it’s a CHOICE.  I’m learning how sometimes I subconsciously make choices to be negative and consequently create negative situations for myself.  I know that the only way to break this habit is to set an intention to be aware and conscious when I’m about to slip into worry mode.  It is then that I can make the choice to trust myself, trust God, stay positive, and get out there and truly live my life.  I can create the life I want, there’s no need to worry about how it’s going to happen.

If there’s one thing I’ve prided myself on…it’s being able to do things by myself. If my tire’s flat, I’ll change it myself. If I get lost, I’ll pull out my map and find the way myself. If something breaks, I’ll fix it myself. I don’t know where I first learned this habit, I think somewhere in elementary school. I was one of those students that caught on really quickly, especially with math. You only had to teach it to me once, and I had it. I liked the attention I got from being a quick learner. I liked the attention I got from being able to figure something out on my own. I think I got addicted to that feeling. I would never ask for help, I’d keep at it until I figured it out, and I usually always did. And then I’d sit back and enjoy all the praise I got for doing it by myself.

Then I grew up…lol. In college, I had the biggest wake up call of my life. I was no longer the quick learner. I was now the one that was lost in class. But, did I ask for help??? No. I looked at asking for help as a weakness. I continued this nasty habit for a long time, even though it was an evil form of self sabotage. And, this habit wasn’t just limited to school…this was a habit I carried out in all areas of my life. I never wanted to admit I didn’t know something, or couldn’t do something. I’d wait until I was desperate before admitting I needed help.

I’ve gotten a lot better at this, I’ve since learned that no man is an island and two heads are better than one, etc., etc. But there are still times when I recognize this evil habit is back at it again. I call it the Super Woman Syndrome. Once again, I find I pride myself in being able juggle and maintain a thousand things at once with no outside help and with no problem. I feel good sharing my superhero story with anyone that will listen. That is until everything begins to fall apart. Then, I’m forced to admit that I can’t do it all by myself and I’m forced to ask for help, and then I feel like I’m weak for having done so. I feel as if I’m admitting I have flaws and that I’m not perfect.

I realize, however, it doesn’t have to be that way. Asking for help is not a weakness, asking for help is actually a sign of intelligence…lol. NOT asking for help is a sign of weakness! I realize that I when I ask for help or delegate certain tasks, I free up a lot more time to give the important things more attention. I free up a lot more time to enjoy my life. I free up a lot more time to REST. When I ask for help, it just makes life easier and fun!

Asking for help forces me to get over my own insecurities. I’m reminded that I’m human and I make mistakes. I’m not perfect. Making mistakes or falling short is not a bad thing. That is the way that I learn, that is the way that I grow. And, if I try my best to avoid making a mistake or to be perfect, I’ll miss great opportunities to grow. Asking for help also helps in building relationships and strengthening them. When I ask for help, I’m letting someone know that I trust them. I’m also admitting to them that I’m not perfect and it puts them at ease to be themselves as well.

Admittedly, it’s hard…but I’m acknowledging here that I need help. I can’t do it all by myself. I don’t know everything. Sometimes I am wrong and sometimes I make mistakes. I am human…not a super hero…

The video above is about an organization called Urban Farming. Urban Farming is an international 501c3 headquartered in Detroit, Michigan that plants food on unused land and space and gives it to the needy. Their mission is to end hunger in our generation. Gardens are planted on unused land in cities, on rooftops, on walls, in planters in malls and sidewalks cafes and have Green Science Gardens in school campuses K-college.

Garden Sites:
Detroit
New York
Los Angeles
St. Louis
Newark
New Orleans
Atlanta
Raleigh, North Carolina
Chicago
Jamaica
Montego Bay
England
Canada
Haiti

Ways You Can Help:
-Monetary Donations
-Individual and Group volunteers from Youth Departments of Faith Based Organizations, Girls Scouts, Boy Scouts, Senior Groups, Employee Groups, Groups of Friends or Family Groups, etc.
-Farming and gardening equipment donations
-Interns from the Agricultrual Department of Universities
-Farming volunteers that know how to create rainwater preservatives and compost
-Video documentation

To learn more or donate, please visit the Urban Farming website.

As we all celebrate the life the the greatest entertainer, Michael Jackson…I can’t help but still be in shock about everything because it seemed so sudden and was totally unexpected. And, it really brought home what it means to treat every day as if it’s your last…and treat every moment with a loved one as if it’s your last.

As some of you know, I lost my sister to leukemia in August of 2001. It’s hard to believe it’s been 8 years. I still feel like it was just yesterday that she was with us. People often ask what is my fondest memory of her, and I have to say that it was my last night with her, a day before she died. My parents and I used to rotate spending the night with her in the hospital, and that night was mine. I remember she was really sad that particular night, and when I look back on things, I believe that she knew inside that it was her time to go soon. I can’t remember our conversation word for word, but I do remember when she turned to me and said, “I love you Tiko.” I told her I loved her too, and I asked her did she want me to lay in the bed with her. She said yes (and if any of you knew her, I mean, knew her, knew her…you know she was feeling extra sentimental, cause she NEVER shared her bed…lol…).

I felt so honored to crawl in the bed with her. I held her and rubbed her head till she fell asleep. I kissed her and told her everything was gonna be ok, and that I loved her. The next day, she went into a coma and shortly thereafter went to heaven. But, I’ll always cherish that memory. I’m comforted by the fact that I got a chance to say I love you to her while she was still living.

Listen people, cherish your loved ones. Do your best. If you know you’ve hurt someone you love, make amends. If you have a chance to make a lasting memory with someone, do it. We really need to stop all the hating, all the mean-spirited gossiping, and all these self-righteous attacks of one another. Seriously, it’s really sad how the media has had nothing but horrible things to say about Michael over the past few years…and it seems like now all of a sudden they wanna eat their words.

We need to give our loved ones their roses while they’re still living. We need to respect one another, and realize that we’re all down here doing our best. NONE OF US have it all 100% correct. Not one.

I’ve realized a pattern lately in my life.  I’ve been presented with various situations that are testing me to really stand up for what I truly want.  I’m one of those persons with an automatic response system that is permanently set on the phrases: ”yes, I’ll do it, no problem!”, “ok!”, “sure!”, or the best one…”whatever you want is fine with me”.  Later, when I really give myself a chance to think about the request, I cringe…I realize either I really don’t wanna do it, I don’t really have time to do it, or even worse, I can’t do it.  So, I’ve been practicing a few things to get myself outta this crazy pattern.

-Pause before giving an answer – Instead of feeling compelled to automatically reply with gleeful affirmation, I’m practicing taking a deep breath after the request is asked.  If I have time to get back with the person with my answer, I then say, “That sounds great, let me think about it and get back with you”.  While I am by myself, I take the time to tune in to my heart and I ask myself three questions…1) Do I really want to do this?, 2) Do I really have time to do this?, 3) Does this FEEL good to me?  If I can answer all three questions affirmatively, then I agree to the request…otherwise, I politely decline the request.  If I don’t have time to really think about it, I find that taking a deep breath and quickly tuning in to how I FEEL about the request is enough to give me an honest answer.  Plus, the more you practice this, the easier it will get to really gauge how you feel about a request. 

-Find a Win-Win solution - There is always a win-win solution to any problem if you take the time to really look for it.  A win-win solution to a problem is one that leaves all parties involved feeling their needs are fulfilled.  If you can’t do something, a win-win solution can be as simple as suggesting someone else that can follow through with the request.  If you don’t want to do something, but the underlying need is to simply spend time with you, a win-win solution can be as simple as suggesting an alternative activity.  To find win-win solutions, sometimes you have to get really creative.  It helps, however, to really look at what the underlying need is and finding a way to fulfill that need in a way that feels good to you.

-Be confident in your decision- This one is the hardest for me.  I think this one is hard for me, and many others, because deep down inside you just want the other person to be happy.  But, one thing I’ve learned over the years is that I deserve to be happy too.  In fact, I have to ensure my happiness because I’m the only one who can.  When we are confident in our decisions, others respect us more.  We teach others how to treat us.  If we make ourselves doormats and go-to people, then that’s exactly how we will be treated.  Being a people pleaser, to some, seems like the kind thing to do.  But, honestly it’s not, because as a people pleaser you do things for the wrong reasons, and it’s not from the heart.  Honestly committing to things that you feel good about doing is kinder because your efforts are filled with LOVE.  Others know that you did it because you really wanted to and that feels so much better than someone doing something begrudgingly. 

This is seemingly easier said than done, because sometimes others will give us a hard time because of their own selfish reasons.  But, we have to be confident in our own decisions and give ourselves approval instead of waiting for approval from someone else.  It feels weird at first, and honestly sometimes I second, third, and fourth guess myself.  But, your heart doesn’t lie, and you have to learn to trust your heart.  If in your heart you know this isn’t the right way to go, trust it.  The more we practice this, the easier it will get to trust ourselves and feel confident in our decisions.

These are things that have been working for me lately.  How do you keep yourself from being on automatic response?

Every morning I read my daily inspirations delivered to my inbox…and this one in particular really touched me.  I’m inspired to bring more joy into the intricate parts of my day.  I hope you’re inspired to do the same…enjoy…

Morning Messages
by Peggy Black

Joy is the elixir for all things. Bring more joy into your tasks. When you radiate a vibration of joy, however mild, there is a shift in response within your body that is reflected in the response of your reality.

It can be an easy as a smile on your face as you do one of your many tasks. This will create a different message to your body and you will shift the usual stress responses to your work and busyness into a more conscious relaxed state of mind/heart.
Become aware of the stages or subtle frequencies of the emotional vibration you label joy. There is ecstasy, rapture, bliss, jubilation, delight, happiness, cheer, gladness, and pleasure. Practice the different frequencies of joy.

Be delighted. Celebrate the small wonders all around you. Rejoice with your breath. Smile for no reason, just smile into the moment. Allow new face muscles to be discovered as you smile into your concerns and worries.

Find cause to laugh, giggle, or radiate cheerfulness, practice being light-hearted, carefree, and elated about the miracles in your life or the miracles of the moment. Be happy, be bright, rejoice and enjoy. Be in Joy.

The skill of maintaining an attitude and frequency of joy is a most important skill. Imagine that you have a joy muscle and you have not exercised it enough. You need to stretch it, expand it and fully express it. Allow joy in any form to proceed you.

Smile as you answer the phone, make a meal, and pay your bills. Smile into the mirror each time you look at your image, smile at your reflection. Smile as you are falling asleep at night. Practice smiling even while you are thinking.

Place your awareness in your heart when you smile. This is a powerful alchemical practice. The simple act of smiling from your heart will attract more joy, bliss, and happiness into your life.

The physical tasks will flow easier, your body will respond by being relaxed with less stress. The worries will evaporate; the tasks will be completed with ease and grace. Joy will clear the way for incredible miracles and expansion. This is a wonderful skill to practice and use that will enhance everything in your life.

The energy field that radiates from joy will transform any experience, activity, outcome or results. Your joy will be like a healing balm to yourself and others in your life. Practice your joy in all is wondrous forms.

www.morningmessages.com

Environmental Tip #2:  DITCH BOTTLED WATER

Take the pledge to reduce bottled water use and use a reusable bottle and filtered water instead!

What are the facts?

• Americans used 50 billion water bottles in 2006 and sent 38 billion water bottles to landfills, the equivalent of 912 million gallons of oil. If laid end to end, that’s enough bottles to travel from the Earth to the Moon and back 10 times. If placed in a landfill or littered, those bottles could take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade.
• The energy we waste using bottled water would be enough to power 190,000 homes.
• In 2006, the average American used 167 disposable water bottles, but only recycled 38.1
• Americans used about 50 billion plastic water bottles in 2006. However, the U.S.’s recycling rate for plastic is only 23 percent, which means 38 billion water bottles — more than $1 billion worth of plastic — are wasted each year.

How can I get started?

Visit FILTERFORGOOD to learn more and take the pledge.

*All facts listed above taken from filterforgood.com.

image from frankfarm

Like every other day this week, my alarm has gone off at exactly 6am. My goal is to wake with the sun, lol…and do my yoga and meditation and my morning routine before work. And, like every other day this week…I’ve hit snooze and rolled over. Yes, I still do my yoga and morning routine, but it’s rushed…sigh. I get up and I say, everyday, “I’m just not a morning person.” Aha!! I’m reinforcing the negative belief that I just can’t possibly wake up early and feel good about it!

If we could see our words in the physical, our speech would be drastically different. Haphazard speaking, habitual sayings, and the like…would all cease. I look at the problems we have with the environment as a reflection of our problems with our thoughts, our speech, and our actions. The environmental problems are our words manifested. If our negative words were actual trash…we’d find that some of us are have a lot of “trash” all over our homes, in our cars, at work, in our purses, briefcases, etc. And, we wonder why things aren’t improving in our lives! Well, how can any positivity possibly get in when there’s all this negative “clutter” that needs to be cleared out???

We need to start “recycling” our speech. Transmuting it into positive energy…clean, crisp, fresh air we can breathe in deeply to nourish us. This positivity has the power to literally transform our lives! So, I will start with my morning banter that always gets me in the same place every time. I’ll update later with my progress. In the meantime…why don’t you give it a try?

What are you speaking that is holding you back???

**This is the first installment of weekly tips that everyone can use to help save the environment.  I’m aiming to post tips that are easy and realistic…and also things that I, too, am implementing in my personal life.  So here goes…

GO VEGETARIAN FOR ONE DAY A WEEK
Going vegetarian for one day has the following positive benefits both for the environment and your health:

-Save 84,000 gallons of water

-Save 245 pounds of grain

-Save 7,700 square feet of rain forest

-Save 15.5 gallons of gasoline

-Reduce over 400 pounds of manure produced by food animals

-Save 87 square feet of topsoil from erosion

-Reduce your risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer 

Resource:  Wannaveg.com