We're All Just Walking Each Other Home

To all of you who have allowed me to walk awhile with you this year, thank you.  Thank you for giving me the opportunity to come to know your stories and to appreciate your gifts and talents.  I feel so blessed to have you in my life - you who have brought such richness and beauty to my year.  I read your blogs, poems, stories, and thoughts.  I regularly loose myself in the photos and images that you share.  Thank you for putting yourself out there and for allowing me to walk with you.  I am blessed beyond measure.

With Love and Appreciation

My Wish for the World on this Shortest Day of the Year

For all of the peoples and the nations of the earth, may not even the names disease, famine, war, and suffering, be heard, but rather, may their moral conduct, merit, wealth, and prosperity increase and supreme good fortune and well being always arise for them.

Let humanity sing this mantra. Let it wake up to the truth of our connectedness.  Let LOVE touch hearts and minds and let us be kind to each other and to this earth that is our home.

In kindness and in Love.

Winnowing the High Points

Three weeks into retirement and I am busier than ever.  I have taken these three weeks to decompress from a work environment that I had been in for 15 years and I have winnowed out some of the high points from this dynamic experience:
1.  People, People, People.  In the end, it is truly all about the people.  We, each of us, stands on the shoulders of those who have chosen to serve us, to believe in us, to lift us up and encourage us to be better than our current self.
2.  Greed and a false sense of entitlement can stunt an organization's  growth, or bring a business to it's knees faster than anything.
3.  Relationships within an organization and extending out to vendors and suppliers are the true figures of success.  If ANY of these are not in alignment with culture, the culture is at risk of failure.
4.  The true nature of an organization or business can be discerned by carefully examining the nature of the relationships that organization has.  This is the true tell.  Language and PR is simply smoke and mirrors if the relationships aren't true to the culture.
5.  It takes a brave company and visionary leadership to diverge from the status quo.  Just as in the relationships, the quality of leadership within an organization can make or break its culture. 
6. HOW an organization moves towards its vision of culture is equally as important as that vision itself - strong arm tactics have no place in a people centric culture.
7.  Building culture takes time, and more importantly, building culture takes LOVE.
8.  LOVE in a culture is about tolerance, accepting differences, nurturing, encouraging, appreciating, forgiving...LISTENING (Listening is NOT about you.  In order for a person to KNOW that you have listened to them, THEY have to feel heard and understood.)
Finally, there are no organization, no business, no culture, except for the people who choose to believe and make it happen.  In the end, it comes down to building faith, trust, and love.

Wishing many blessings to all.

Reflections in the Eyes of Others

It took me a long time to be able to know my life path vs. those that belonged to people who's paths I crossed.  There were many times when I swerved onto someone else's path thinking that it was better than mine, only to discover that it was better for them, but not better for me.

I am comfortably on my path now.  It is clear and well paved and inviting.  What is even more reassuring is that it FEELS right.  There is a familiarity even as I round bends that I don't know what to expect.  I have learned to accept others perspectives without necessarily being swayed.  I have come to understand that the reflection I see in the eyes of others is based on their perception of who I am and what my path is or isn't.  Sometimes the input of others can be like a hall of mirrors - it can be easy to lose your way if you are guided by others insights.  As interesting as these insights from others are, they can not hold a candle to the light of self reflection.  It is through self reflection that I am able to right my way and navigate effectively.  I give tremendous credit to my observer - that part of my psyche  that looks on during events and advises and guides.  This observer capacity helps me ride out emotions, and trauma, and attachments, and come out the other side with understanding and positive forward momentum.  In the end, the only one who truly needs to be able to make sense of my journey is me.  Self reflection allows me to spend time doing just that.

Wishing you blessings and happiness.



I Shall Stay Until the Wind Changes

Having spent a good portion of my life raising a child, I have discovered that quite a few of my favorite quotes come from children's movies and books.  One of those favorite quotes is from Mary Poppins.  One night as she is tucking Michael and Jane into bed for the evening, the children ask her how long she is going to stay, and she replies, "I shall stay until the wind changes."

Change is a given.  Each moment there is change happening all around us and within us.  From the moment we are born, to the moment that we die, we are dealing with change.  I have seen the effects of change on others and on myself, and I believe that I have made an honest attempt to learn from what I see.

The wind has changed in my life, and like the character in Mary Poppins, I have moved on to the next dimension of my calling.

I like that word "calling" as it appropriately embraces the idea that something is beckoning, inviting - a door has opened that frames something familiar but yet still unrealized.  Recently the wind has changed, a doorway has opened and I have stepped through it.

Some change is forceful, brutal, and uncontrollably chaotic.  This was NOT one of those times.  This change built over a period of a couple of years, taking shape, growing in strength - it was titillating - like the smell of something lovely every now and then drifting into my frame of reference, pulling my attention towards its familiar yet unidentifiable scent.  At the same time that this change was developing, my existing world was becoming more and more draining, and less and less supportive.

What I discovered is that "entitlement" is a slippery slope that leads to hierarchical disenfranchisement.  Working with people who have a sense of entitlement can sap the life out of you, and, even more disheartening, it is contagious.  That is not my calling.

So here I am.  In my new home, working at a new job and feeling HUGE relief as I snuggle up to my calling. In the end it has become so simple - I am the light and the spirit so that people can realize that they too are the light and the spirit, through reflective play in the infinite field of what is.

Wishing you all much Love and many blessings.

Photos From My Cruise to Honduras, Belize, and Cozumel

Sunrise, day 2 of 3 days at sea.

Honduras: Playing chopsticks to the wonderment of the local musicians (they rocked!)

One of several towel creatures that Raoul makes for us to welcome us back to our room in the evening.

Shipwrecks in the harbor at Roatan, Honduras

The first of several "good night creatures" that Raoul, our ship steward, will be leaving us to wish us sweet dreams, along with a chocolate on the pillow.  Wishing everyone sweet dreams tonight!

Views from our balcony as our cruise ship is leaving New Orleans.  What a glorious day!

Facetime VS. Facebook Time

I recently spent an amazing evening with two truly engaged and delightful friends.  We talked about our life mission and our divine purpose over pizza and drinks around a kitchen table while it poured rain outside.  It was provocative and thoughtful.  There was laughter and story telling and connecting in meaningful and purposeful ways as we explored and worked through a chain of ideas.  I felt alive, engaged, energized and more driven in my "becoming that which is my highest good".  The time just flew by - we started at 6PM, after a long 8 hour day at work, and we didn't wrap it up until 9PM.  On the drive home I thought about how full the evening had made me.  I was full of pizza and drink, but also, I was full of ideas and thoughts and new concepts and new ways of looking at old concepts and it felt so very good.  These times of true "face time" invited me to truly feel alive, more connected, dynamically a part of the big scheme of things.  Real time with those I truly connect with and who inspire me, challenge me, who provoke and question, and who accept me for who I am and what I bring to the table even if we don't agree.  It is liberating to be able to share one's mind without thought of being anything other than engaged, sharing, and moving through ideas and thoughts, threads of understanding, and evolving concepts.  It is one of the highest honors that I can have in my life to have people like these two wonderful beings that I can connect with, to spend time with, to celebrate and explore with.  This evening was, for me, one of those moments of ecstasy and loveliness that Sarah Teasdale writes of in her poem Barter:

Life has loveliness to sell,
All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children's faces looking up
Holding wonder like a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell,
Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit's still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.

Spend all you have for loveliness,
Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstasy
Give all you have been, or could be.

Blessings to my dear friends and deep gratitude to a truly lovely evening.

Limit My Time at the Keyboard and Get a Taste of Life

A great evening with my daughter having drinks, dinner, laughs and quality mother daughter time.  Sitting at Jimmy Seas watching the sun set over the Fox River - lovely!

Spending More Time on What Matters

Managing my emails more effectively "gifts me" the opportunity to spend more quality time with my daughter, her crazy cat Boo, and her little Chi Rorry.  Boo is endlessly entertaining and keeps us laughing.  @Alex_Franzen

Day 68: If We are Uniquely Born, We are Even More Uniquely Gifted

1Science does paint an impossible possibility - us.  Somewhere in our makeup is the God seed - the essence of the creator, and from this comes Religion, Science, thought, expression, art, war - no other being on earth has this capacity to the level that we do.  If we are uniquely born, we are even more uniquely gifted.


1Basically, the possibility that you exist is as impossible as 1 over 30,000 factorials and the possibility that we would not have been born is as sure as the sun will rise. Even the most optimistic of calculations cannot help but be pessimistic toward this brutal fact. Richard Dawkins said, "In the teeth of these stupefying odds it is you and I, in our ordinariness, that are here." - from Drops of Ink - The Beauty of Life according to Science, Saturday, July 13, 2013

Day 67: A Lovely Evening Spent with Stars and Flame

Fire pit last night. Fire and flame, wood and smoke... a great meditation on impermanence, the natural progression of energy and matter... on transitions... on truly understanding and working with the patterns and rhythms that are continuously unfolding around me, and within me... a lovely evening spent with stars and flame.

Day 66: My Life, Right Now, Is In Retrograde

Does it sometimes seem to you that life isn't going in the direction that you are pedaling? Like the further ahead you go the more behind you get?  

Someone pointed out to me, this week, that some planet or other was in retrograde, so I looked it up...because you can Google anything! Right? So here's the skinny: June 26th to July 20th Mercury is in retrograde. Now, you might ask, "and?" Here's what my Google search revealed about Mercury in retrograde: "no planet actually moves backwards while orbiting around the sun. But, a few times a year, Mercury appears to be moving backwards in the sky for approximately three weeks." According to Susan Miller: "What happens when Mercury retrogrades? You miss appointments, your computer equipment crashes, checks get lost, you find the car you just purchased during Mercury retrograde is a lemon. (Or, you hate your haircut, the lamp you bought shorts out, your sister hates her birthday gift.) There will be countless delays, cancellations and postponements—but know these will benefit you in the long run. Don't fight them, although your frustration level and feeling of restlessness will be hard to cope with at times." Here's the good news, "This period is best used for re-organizing and reflecting. We look at the world a little differently—through different filters—and can come up with some very important inner revelations. It may be difficult to communicate them under this influence, but not everything needs to be rationalized. Mercury retrograde periods can be times of heightened inner awareness, when meditation, benefiting from keeping a journal, reworking old plans, and reviewing past work are favored. Minor breaks in the mechanical aspects of communication can actually re-connect us to other means of communication, such as when there is an unexpected power outage and we're forced off the computer and television, finding different and often satisfying ways to entertain ourselves."

For myself, I really like the idea of finding "different and often satisfying ways to entertain myself." So instead of focusing on the things that aren't working, which, believe it or not, is what brought me to this exploration of planets in retrograde in the first place, I am going to focus on finding different and satisfying ways to entertain myself...hmmmm... creating some watercolor paintings comes to mind... I haven't picked up a paint brush in years, though I used to be quite good at one time... motherhood seems to have displaced the brushes, paints, and paper with baby bottles, wipes, monitors, and child raising initiatives. But, the kid's all grown up, hands are empty... voila... pick up the paints, brushes, and paper once again and see what happens.  

In the end it's not about astrology or planets in retrograde, or Astrological signs. In the end it's about what you can do when your life APPEARS to be headed in the wrong direction, and redirect your attention to behaviors and thoughts that will, first, ride out the pull of the riptides and currents of life that you may be caught up in, and second, as you get to the other side of them, be left in a state of mind and relaxed readiness to pick up where you left off and continue on your path.

Yes, right now I'm in one of those retrograde riptides: it seems like things are moving backwards and disintegrating, even though I'm pedaling forward. So, today, I'm about accepting the truth of the situation, and choosing to put myself into a mindful space and place, with water colors, brushes, and paper, that will allow me to be well prepared to pick up and move forward once I get to the other side of this rip tide... and if this post doesn't make sense or resonate with you... hey, Mercury is in retrograde... it's to be expected.

Day 65: Find a Journey Worthy of Your Heart and Soul

Why do you get up in the morning? I mean really, why do you get up in the morning?

[1] "The challenge of our time is to find a journey worthy of your heart and your soul." 

There are so many people stuck in their lives, stuck supporting habits that they could easily live without, or even ones they don't really want, stuck dampening creativity for the greater good, stuck, stuck, stuck, and yet we continue to raise our children to leap into that system, both feet and try to make it work for them. Is it working for you? Really? You can say that you are using all of your gifts and talents and that your life is all that it can be? If you say yes, I say GOOD FOR YOU! But if you say no, you need to read on. In order to know where it is your gifts and talents can be best utilized, it's certainly helpful to understand your gifts and talents. Put simply, you need to fully understand YOU. Understanding your WHY is key to getting down to what you are capable of, and understanding the boundaries it makes sense to push at, to expand, to take risks with. At your core lies the key to your happiness and it centers on your WHY. So let's take a look at your WHY.

In order to connect with your WHY, think about what you are passionate about. What do you love to do? What things do you do that you can get lost in because they feel so right? It doesn't have to be anything earth shattering. 

 Here's an example: I LOVE hand thrown pottery: the rich texture of glazes and clay, the hand thrown marks of tactile creativity - I just LOVE it! I'm enthralled when I'm able to go to a potter's shop and watch pottery being made, and I love to throw pottery, to work with the clay, to kneed it and work it, to shape it and mold it. It's a wonderful process and so very hands-on - a creative union of body and mind. I love the rich textures of the glazes - the earthiness of it. It's delightful! 

Something else that rocks my world? People:

I am fascinated with humanity: how we communicate, how we relate to each other, what bonds we form, how we think and feel... the diversity of man's capability to connect in meaningful ways - the breadth, depth, and scope of this connectivity AMAZES me! 

The next step in discovering the core of your WHY is to take apart the things you love to do to see what makes them tick, for you. As I mull over why I am so enthralled with pottery, some concepts come to mind: shaping something - taking a material and turning it into a thing of beauty; the somewhat solitary nature of the actual process - me time is important in my world; creating something that has a purpose and that serves myself and others, whether as an object of beauty or as a useful container. The final act that I "get" about myself is the act of letting go of what I have created and sending it out into the world to serve its purpose and to benefit others. 

So the key elements here are creativity, applying my skills and talents to shape something, and then benefiting the world in some way. Mixed in with this are the concepts of beauty and usefulness of what I create. 

Then I look at my passion for communication and I see many of the same concepts at play: the intricacies of the medium - language and connecting with others in meaningful ways, creativity as we work our medium to be truly heard and understood, and the ultimate sharing of what lies within each of us as we reach out to each other. There is beauty in the human soul and there the creation of new connections and new meanings as we explore each other's worlds. Each of us, even those living side by side, have unique perspectives on life and the world and we each have the opportunity to enrich the experience by sharing who we are, what we believe, and how we see the world. Humanity is a rich tapestry and each of us is a thread in the warp and weave of what we collectively create.

[2] "We need you to provide the things that are unexpected, scarce, and valuable."

[3] "What’s scarce is trust, connection, and surprise."

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[1] [2] [3] Godin, Seth (2012-12-31). The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly? 

 

Day 64: Connecting in Profound Ways

A child's footprints in the sand...I follow along the same path, and the tiny footprints make me smile as I think about how that little person must have been in awe at the beauty and wonder of St. Andrews Park, in Panama Beach, Florida.  The sun is warm on my shoulders as I walk along the boardwalk that crosses the dunes to the beach.  The cry of seabirds is mixed with the sound of beach goers laughing and playing in the deep blue green water of the Gulf.  This jewel of a preserve, where beauty and wonder abound, invites the tired soul to soak in the Florida sun, on pristine white sand beaches; to wander the park, marveling at the wild life; and to connect with nature and the rhythms of life unfettered my man's dictates and imperatives.  There is something truly liberating about lying down in the sand, at the base of a dune, pressed against the warm sand, sun drenched azure sky overhead, and the ocean's inviting rhythm slowly rocking my mind to a place of relaxation.  There is peace to be found in the natural balance of sea, sand, and sky.  As complex as the human condition can be, nature provides a delightful counterpoint.  Spending time immersed in the rhythms of St. Andrews sparks in me a sense of understanding of Thoreau's need for and connection to Walden Pond.  Human complexities can oftentimes be seen as resonating with the principles found in nature. This park is a moving orchestration of natures best and offers the traveler a myriad of opportunities to connect in more profound ways with self and with the world at large.

Day 63: Sea and Sand, Body and Spirit: This Day is a Gift Like No Other

I am walking along the beach, my feet grounded deep in the sand, my head in the azure, sun-drenched sky, and my body and spirit are connecting each to the other - a prism of joy, happiness and gratitude.  I walk balanced between sand and sky - between earth and heaven, and the ocean sings to me.  Its voice rising and falling, its waves flashing as it forms its language, unintelligible to the human ear but so enchanting. My heart dances with the waves, my rhythms become one with those of the wind and sea.  I turn to see my footprints in the sand of where I have been, soon swept clean and erased by the water's ebb and flow. They are forgotten as I  I look ahead, down the beach, at the stretch of bright white sand that teases me to continue my walk.  This is the landing strip for my soul.  I follow the sea birds as they dive and sweep, dart and call.  I sit for awhile on the top of a dune, watching the wind move through the sea grass, stirring it into motion, rustling as it passes through the grass and trails off down the beach in small spirals of sand.  This world of sea, and sand, and sun, is intoxicating, and I drink until I can't possibly take in any more. This day is a gift like no other, and I look forward to saying the same thing...tomorrow...and the next day...and the next...

Day 62: Making Room for Opportunity

When is a good time to let go?  What a great question!  As I look at what I am holding on to, I look back to the day that I had to clean out my Mom's closets and drawers, after she passed away.  She had two VERY OLD raccoon coats in a mothballed garment bag along with her wedding dress.  The dress was so old that it fell apart as we were trying to take it out of the bag - the thread had rotted.  There was jewelry that she had accumulated over time, but I only remember her wearing a handful of pieces that were her favorites.  We threw out, recycled, or gave away so many things, and even then I packed a large shipping box with the things I thought I wanted and paid to ship them home.  So I recently sat down and went through the box, and you know, there really wasn't anything there I truly couldn't live without.  I took some pictures of some things I didn't want to forget.  I took some jewelry that I wouldn't wear, as it was, to a jeweler and had it made into something I would wear, and that would remind me of my Mom, and the rest?  I threw it out, recycled it, or gave it away.  This year is a fairly cathartic one for me, as I am in the process of preparing to "retire" from what I am doing right now (though not stop working), and move to Florida, by the ocean - and thus I realize the TOP item in my bucket list.  YEAH FOR ME!!!  And Yeah for the world as I move closer to living my dream and executing to my WHY.  It feels soooooooooooooo good!!!  Transitions like this are not without there moments of doubt (usually brought on by someone else's sharing their lack of faith) and moments of panic (as I realize how much I am letting go of).  But oh those times of delight!  Excited anticipation!  Wondering openness!  And freedom!  I am having the time of my life!  And I see it getting better...and better...and better...
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Opportunity continues to open up as I move towards my future and it FEELS SO RIGHT!  I am leaving behind a good life that allowed me to raise an amazing daughter and provide for her as a single Mom.  I am going towards a brilliant future, FILLED TO OVERFLOWING with blessings beyond measure, beyond what I hoped, or planned and I am, first and foremost grateful.  I am so deeply grateful for these blessing, for the people in my life, for the bright future that lies ahead, and I AM COMMITTED to working with others to help them realize their dreams and understand how their highest good is right around the corner.  Giving back is truly a part of how I roll!

Day 61: Listening is a Magnetic and Strange Thing, a Creative Force

“Every person in this life has something to teach me--and as soon as I accept that, I open myself to truly listening.” Catherine Doucette

Isn't it interesting how much time we spend on gift giving - birthdays, special occasions, holidays.  What if?  What if instead of searching for that perfect gift we dedicated that time and energy to listening to that person?  What if we invited them give us a tour of their life?  What if we embraced their world, exactly as it is, without criticism, without judgement, without expectations - with the soul purpose of simply accepting them, as they are?

“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand.”Dr. Karl Augustus Menninger

What amazing creations lie dormant in each of us...waiting...for someone to care...to ask...to share...to invite.  How much richness is still waiting to be discovered?  Listening to others, to their dreams, their hopes, their desires, their brilliance, their darkness...look inside yourself to discover the truth that lies in each of us.  Sometimes changing the world is simply about making time to listen, to care,and to connect.

Day 60: Choosing to Give Yourself Space and Grace

AN AMAZING EVENING!  That is what I gave myself last night.  I found refuge...no...sanctuary at the Astor House Bed and Breakfast in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  FIRST I gave to someone else:  I took my friend Laurie (whose Birthday it was), who is such a good person and soooooooooooooooo good to me in being there for me when I need her and listening and...you know...doing all those amazing things that those who care about us and love us CHOOSE to do for us in helping us to be us.  I took Laurie for treats and drinks at the Wellington in Green Bay.  I wined us and dined us.  We shared, and laughed, and drank and sampled mini beef wellingtons, and crab cakes, and brochette with lobster and crab and THEN we had cake...as Marie Antoinette put it, "Let them eat cake!"...and we did!   Red Velvet Cake, and rich Carrot Cake...the best of cakes...heaven in a cake...that's what we had.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAURIE - I LOVE YOU!!  

Then I headed back to my place and met up with my WONDERFUL daughter and we headed over to the Astor House Bed and Breakfast, where I was staying for the evening.  WHY? You might ask?  Because I DESERVE IT!  Sometimes getting away, finding sanctuary, getting into the space that allows you to connect deeply with who you are, isn't about going somewhere far away.  Sometimes sanctuary is just down the street, or right around the corner, or just over the hill.  You will know it when you find it and YOU WILL TREASURE IT!  The Astor House Bed and Breakfast is just such a sanctuary for me.  So Jess and I headed over to the Astor House and took up residence in the HONG KONG suite.  WOW!  Loving this pampering!!  Jess LOVED IT!  She immediately started to explore all of the wonderful objects of art and spirit that have so lovingly been brought together to create this MAGICAL environment.  She scooped up the Panda Bear and cradled it in her arms as she touched and looked, commented and  explored.  The attention to detail charms and enchants...and even cooler...it's an environment that is rich with wonderful peopled pieces that are woven together, in design and form, and that cradle the traveler who comes to stay for awhile in a warm and inviting statement of connectedness and rightness.  Simply, it all fits.

As if it couldn't get better?  IT DOES!  So, Jess heads back to the house and I settle in for my evening of pampering and bliss.  I put on my favorite Sarah Brightman CD and I open up my gift from Danielle LaPorte.  YES!!! I received an AMAZING gift from Danielle LaPorte, who I, unabashedly admit I have a HUGE girl crush on!  So, Friday was her Birthday too!  Go figure, two people who have changed my life for the good and THEY SHARE THE SAME BIRTHDAY!  Coincidence? I think not!  The gift, you ask?  OK...so here's another amazing thing, Danielle made her Desire Map available to anyone, on Friday, who felt inspired to reach out to her, because it was her Birthday and she wanted to share the specialness of this day.  So, I'm certainly not going to pass up this chance to send a warm birthday wish her way and at the same time get the Desire Map - can you spell win/win?  WOW!  HOW COOL IS THAT!  So in the spirit of and recognition for Danielle, for my Tribe, for myself, I did just that...and VOILA!...I had the AMAZING gift of spending the evening with Danielle LaPorte's Desire Map...and WOW!...Simply...WOW!  Danielle has created something amazing.  She continues to help me shape and change my life in positive ways, and I am eternally grateful.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANIELLE, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAURIE...and YEAH ME!

Day 59: Attending to Your Natural Rhythms

We, each of us, are uniquely US.  Built into that uniqueness are our NATURAL RHYTHMS.  What do I mean by natural rhythms?  Let me give you an example:  I am usually up by 5AM.  I like to write and reflect for a couple of hours before I am off to work.  I dedicate the early part of my day to going about those things that require my cognitive capacity to be at its best.  I save the latter part of the day for those activities that are more logistical in nature.  I do this because I have an awareness of when my mind is at its optimum.  I like to walk in the afternoon/evening or to do some sort of activity that requires simple physical coordinating along with some aerobic content.  I do this because I FEEL BETTER when I engage in activity latter in the day. I ALWAYS close out my day with meditation.  For myself, I find that meditating on my breathing, my heart beat, my immediate environment, and then going through all of the things that I am grateful for, closing with a prayer for the highest good of the world at large, sets the stage for a GREAT NIGHTS SLEEP.

My daughter, on the other hand, has very different natural rhythms.  She prefers to sleep in until noon or latter - SHE IS NOT A MORNING PERSON!  When she gets up she likes to take her time in getting ready and making plans for the day.  She will usually get together with friends, to talk and just hang out.  Social interaction is important to her - whether she is learning, doing something, traveling - when she does whatever she is going to do, she prefers to do it in the company of those she enjoys -  this is when she is happiest.  She chooses to work a late shift because that is what meshes best with her personal rhythm.  She enjoys the people she works with because THEY ARE LIKE HER in that they have similar natural rhythms. 

My daughter and I have worked through our challenges in sharing a household when we each have different natural rhythms.  We "get" each other and we accept our differences and try to be respectful of what each other's needs are relative to our differences.  In loving her, I love ALL OF HER, including those unique parts that are different than me.  I have learned to appreciate that her differences are what make her uniquely her, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Day 58 Everyday Life Can be FUN!!

This is Jason.  He's a fun guy!  OK, true confessions here, I finally, after years of NOT HAVING A CELL PHONE OF MY OWN, I got one.  I know, I know - WHAT WAS I WAITING FOR!!!

Perhaps Jason?  He's the guy who brought me into the 21st century and got me wired! (or more accurately wireless)  I'm sure Jason went to work today thinking that it was going to be another hum drum day at US Cellular...NOT!  I had so much fun with Jason and getting this done.  So why don't we have more fun going about our daily stuff?  Maybe because we've let many of the things that we do become mundane - a necessary "whatever".  So let me ask you, what would life be like if every day were full of fun, laughter, connectedness, and delight?  I don't know about you, but for me, IT WOULD BE GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!  How much more enjoyable would life be if we started to look at every opportunity to engage as an opportunity to add real dimension and meaning to our day?  OK, so I just shared my GREAT EXPERIMENT, because that is exactly what I am doing.  As I go about my day I look to reap the fun, the play, the joy and the opportunity to positively make a difference in my life and the lives that I touch.  How about you?  What is your next GREAT EXPERIMENT?

Day 57: What are you TIRED of?

You know those questions that can really help you to get a handle on what you DON'T want in your life?  Well this is one of those questions:

What are you TIRED of?

Life has a way of getting me wrapped around the axle on occasion.  Sometimes I get lost in TRYING to be, instead of JUST BEING.  This morning as I was rushing to be on time, life gave me a message, it was to SLOW DOWN and ENJOY THE RIDE.  So I rolled down the window and took in the early morning air, fresh with spring, and I sang loudly for the world to hear:

Slow down, you move too fast.
You got to make the morning last.
Just kicking down the cobble stones.
Looking for fun and feelin' groovy.
Hello lamppost,
What cha knowing?
I've come to watch your flowers growing.
Ain't cha got no rhymes for me?
Doot-in' doo-doo,
Feelin' groovy.

Got no deeds to do,
No promises to keep.
I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep.
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me.
Life, I love you,
All is groovy.

But that wasn't enough.  As I was singing I waved at people going by and wished them well on their morning journey.  I realized, I'm tired of TRYING TO BE.  JUST BEING is my NOW way of being.  How about you?  What are you tired of?

Day 56 What Dreams May Come

I made some pivotal choices this year: 

• I decided to work with an AMAZING Life Coach, Sharon Barbour, in order to work through what I need to do to realize my dreams. 
•  I stepped outside of my comfort zone and climbed on a plane to Athebasca, Canada to participate in Alexandra Franzen's Write Yourself Into Motion
• I designed and put into play  MY web site: betsymcdowell.com that allowed me to be visible and to get my message out
• I started writing that book I've been putting off since FOREVER
• I started working on a plan to move to be near the ocean, where I started, a move that has been pulling on my heart for a long time

THE WORLD CAME TO DANCE in an unbelievable way.  I am reminded of a quote inspired by Srikumar S. Rao and his seminal work, Are You Ready To Succeed: Unconventional Strategies for Achieving Personal Mastery in Business and Life.

"This moment is the container of all possibility.  One must remain open, and carry the melody, and that which aligns will come to dance."

Connecting with those who believe what you believe can be a life changer.  Alexandra pointed to the fact that aligning with those who "Get You" is as simple as putting your purpose out there and then networking through various social networks to connect with those who believe what you believe.  So, I'm going to put my ULTUMATE DREAM out there to the world, with the intent of networking with others in order to align with people who believe what I believe, and, purposefully, change the world.

"For all of the peoples and the nations of the earth, may not even the names disease, famine, war, or suffering be heard, but rather, may their moral conduct, merit, wealth and prosperity increase and may supreme good fortune and well being always arise for them." 

Wishing you a life FULL TO OVER FLOWING with your highest good.

Day 55: If I was a dog, I'd roll in it!!!

Spring has come to Wisconsin.  I am FINALLY able to get some sunlight - it has been gray since FOREVER!  This day is soooooooooooooo amazing!! If I were a dog I'd roll in it!

Day 54

Yeah!! I am in PA and it is, comparatively, MUCH warmer than in Wisconsin.  Here is a picture of a flowering tree - there are lots of them around the Altoona area right now and they are LOVELY!!  I am into day one of a corporate Culture of Service class.  It is a pleasure to be here and a pleasure to explore this subject with this group.  PA Rocks!!

Day 53

 

So, when it's really AWFUL outside and it can't decide whether it's going to snow, or rain, or sleet, or thunder and lighting; when the wind is blowing like there is noooo tomorrow and the sky is gray, I look to the Robin to remind me of what lies JUST around the corner.  This little bird KNOWS that it's just a matter of time.  He KNOWS that the worms are stirring, just under that last blanket of snow.  He insistently hops around on the dry brown grass that peeks through the melting mantle of white, just WAITING for that first stirring that he will feel with his feet.  What a skill set this little guy possesses.  He hops and then stands, hops and then stands, waiting, feeling, sensing the earthworm moving just below the surface.  He's always in the moment...hop... wait... feel... hop... wait... feel.  He's never impatient, and he's always aware, watching for cats, or kids, or dogs, or... hop... wait... feel.  A great lesson in being in the moment and in mindfulness.

Day 52

Jess and I went to Madison, yesterday, to help prepare for the arrival of the Dalai Lama.  I give Jess TREMENDOUS credit, as she worked the graveyard shift from 7PM to 4AM and then got up ad 7AM to drive three hours to Madison and work all day painting and cleaning.  I wasn't the one insisting that we go either.  I knew she'd be tired, but she insisted.  It was a GREAT DAY, despite the exhaustion she was battling.  She did have to go to the car, at one point, and take a quick 1 hour cat nap.  I woke her with some delicious food prepared by the Tibetan women who staffed the kitchen.  Included in the food were some wonderful chocolates that come with a blessing: http://youtu.be/vJ74EKFFqbE

What is Intention?

"Intention is a thought, a blessing, a prayer, any act of consciousness that comes from the we not the me.™ To be intentional is to lead a purposeful life, to create meaning through decisions and actions that do no harm and benefit others™. At the core of intention is love. Any individual who is giving back to society through any number of mechanisms; undertaking a spiritual mission, working with not for profit and some for profit organizations, comes from a conscious thought that is intention. Consumers are making intentional choices every day by being more environmentally and socially aware of the interconnectedness of the world around us."

Day 51

http://youtu.be/k6aXBbI7k5Q
Beckon Lovely:  This video is indicative of the AMAZING things that Amy Krouse Rosenthal undertakes.  I love her vulnerability, her honesty, her integrity, and her drive to move towards something inclusive, loving, expressive, a beautiful.  I CELEBRATE AMY KROUSE ROSENTHAL!!!!

About Amy: Amy is a person who likes to make things. Some things she likes to make: Children’s books. // Grown-up books. // Short videos. // Salads. // Connections with the universe. // Something out of nothing. // Wishes.According to The New York Times, Amy’s children’s books “radiate fun the way tulips radiate spring: they are elegant and spirit-lifting.” Her 20+ books for children include Little Pea, Spoon, Duck! Rabbit!, Plant a Kiss, Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons, and Wumbers. As for her adult work, Amazon named Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life one of the top 10 memoirs of the decade. Her YouTube videos include The Beckoning of Lovely, The Money Tree, Life is a Marathon and The Kindness Thought Bubble. She has been a longtime contributor to Chicago’s NPR affiliate WBEZ. She has spoken at TEDxWaterloo (7 Notes on Life), TEDxSanDiego (The Crevices of Life), and on the TEDYou stage at TEDActive (Wandering). Amy lives with her family in Chicago and online at whoisamy.com

Day 50

I HONOR AMY DEAGLE

I started with Amy because she and I share a special bond - we billeted at Shirley's house in Athabasca while attending Alexandra Franzen's Write Yourself Into Motion workshop.  Amy trained as a nurse in the states.  She has a nursing degree and was inspired to become a midwife in Canada, only the reality didn't live up to the dream.  Instead of being honored for the gifts and talents that she brought to the home birthing process, she found herself fighting against a system that struggled with how to integrate her comprehensive skill set into a laymen's midwife program.  It was an HONOR to meet and spend time with Amy and to hear her story.  She has the capacity to deliver on whatever she chooses, and I'm a HUGE fan!

XOXO

Day 49

The Athabascan 19...my PEEPS...my TRIBE.  They sooooooooooooo ROCK!!!  I'm singing their praises, I'm creating a tribute to this band of DIVAS who are changing the world.  I am honored to be able to count myself in their ranks.  I feel impelled to live up to the examples they set.  They INSPIRE me.  YES!  YES!  YES!

Day 48

 

I taught a great class last week.  This is the remote sales team.  They came from all over the world to spend some quality time talking about a number of key concepts around building relationships.  I learned sooooooooooooooo much about the challenges of languages, cultures, and how these factors impact sales.  You know you are with people who you couldn't possibly understand what they face every day, when you ask them, "What challenges to you face?" and someone responds, "getting kidnapped or robbed".  I quickly realized I have a LOT to be grateful for.

Day 47

Enjoyed the translation that Jampa Khedup provided at the Deer Park Buddhist Center in Madison today.  The teaching was on equanimity.  There were some great conversations when the questions came at the end of the teaching about meditation, and the application of meditation to contemplate key challenges to achieving equanimity.  Even though Jess wasn't feeling all that well, we had a good day.

Day 46

This is Cesar Kuriyama.  He INSPIRED ME with his One Second a Day project that he presented at a recent Ted Conference (the link is below).  So I was inspired, through his actions to start this Blog.  I calculated how many days I have left, given my standard life expectancy and started counting down, one photo at a time.  I undertook this project, like Cesar, to remind myself of ALL OF THE AMAZING and IMPACTFUL things that happen every day.  LIFE HAPPENS and as it unfolds, paying attention and being mindful can make the difference between being at the beck and call of life to being a creator of life.

http://on.ted.com/Kuriyama

Day 45

Sometimes life challenges us and causes us to grow in interesting and unexpected directions.  Life WILL find expression and beauty can be found in the most unexpected places.

http://www.betsymcdowell.com/

 

Day 44

Alright PEEPS!  It's time to demonstrate the POWER OF POSITIVE THOUGHT!  Everyone, all together now....THINK SPRING!!!    THINK SPRING!!!    THINK SPRING!!!  It has been snowing all day here, ughhhh!  See this picture, that's what's in my heart.  That's what's in my mind.  That's what my body and mind are CRAVING!!!  After I finish these posts I'm going to the grocery store to get a bunch of fresh flowers.  They will sit in the middle of my kitchen counter to REMIND ME that winter can not last forever (at least that's what I keep telling myself)  Soooooooo, everyone, THINK SPRING!!!

Day 43

Thinking about MY PEEPS from "Write Yourself Into Motion" with Alexandra Franzen and the FAMOUSLY FABULOUS "Athabascan 19".  You ROCK ladies!  This retreat served as a pivotal point in my commitment to break free from some ruts that I found myself in and move towards a BEAUTIFUL life that truly makes my dreams come true.  YES! YES!  YES!

Day 42

LAUGH OUT LOUD!!  I was at the airport and saw this door.  Next to the door is a short 1/2 wall that you could easily walk around to get to the other side of the door.  I'm thinking they might want to rethink the signage and the padlock!  :)

Day 41

Sometimes embracing your future means you have to let go of your past.  Letting go isn't always easy, but it can be done.  I find that, for myself, it's a process of looking at what I'm thinking about letting go, imagining what life will be like without it, sometimes putting it away for awhile to see if I'll miss it, and, in the end, sending it out into the world with the hope that it has the opportunity to bless some other person's life as much as it has blessed mine.

Day 40

The web site is coming along famously!  It has leant itself to GOBS of reflection and BUCKETS FULL of writing.  ALL GOOD!
Check it out:  http://www.betsymcdowell.com/

Day 39

Freezing rain this week. Not what I look forward to in April in Wisconsin.  I want to be out walking the trails and enjoying the early spring, not weathering gray skies and a frozen, icy, slushy world.  It's just tooooooo depressing!  WHERE IS THE SUN!!!!  If it doesn't come out soon, I'm headed back to Florida, and I may not come back.  Winters like this are enough to make me think twice.

Day 38

Boo has taken over Rory's dog bed, but doesn't seemed concerned that he's half in and half out.  This is one comfortable cat.  He OWNS!  No worries!

Day 37

The bleak winter of our discontent is still going strong upon my return to Wisconsin.  IS THIS WINTER EVER GOING TO END!!!  It was hard for me not to turn around and go back to Florida.

Day 36

Looking down the beach towards the condos that line Thomas Drive, in Panama Beach.  Blue beach umbrellas providing a visual landing strip for spring breakers and vacationers.  The long stretch of beach inviting shell hunting and just strolling and people watching.

Day 35

Having my morning cup of Joe and watching the beach come to life.  The beach umbrellas have been opened...the beach lounges have been softened with pads, the jet skis have been dragged to the water's edge and fun and sun is waiting for the spring breakers and vacationers to wake up to another lovely day in Florida.

Day 34

This is the best of times...early morning on the Carter Preserve, fishing.  The sun is warm, life is good, and the fish aren't biting.  No worries.