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Most people dread January, February and March because they seem like dreary winter months where nothing is going on. I happen to love these three months because they provide a breather for us all after the madness of Thanksgiving and Christmas, before Easter and summer. They are the months where we can catch up on projects and stop running so much. Our regular lives are chaotic enough without all the extras of holiday planning, guests and extra meals.
Some people, though, don’t know what to do when they aren’t running around. They like being busy because they don’t have to think about problems and issues that are bothering them.
I will tell you a secret: The more you don’t deal with your issues, the more power they have over you. They become more inscrutable because they are vague and seem to float away from us when we “remember” we have a problem. Sit down with yourself, write down what you think the problem is. Then write down what you would tell a friend if she or he had the same problem. Just the act of writing it down helps because you have finally taken control. Obviously some problems are more easily solvable than others but taking a step is a start–a good start to freeing up your Spring.
Cover via Amazon
Fluzzard
For me, it’s not only been the Blizzard of 2010 but the flu. There is a difference. Had it just been the blizzard I would have been looking busy but really just wasting time. The flu, however, kept me stuck on the sofa so I ended up watching old movies– wonderful, funny, tragical and magical movies.
Coming back to the real world put me in touch with the fact that we are so eager to move on to the next new thing that we give short shrift to anything not so new. A movie comes out and within two weeks, it’s on DVD. Good songs are only good for a couple of weeks. No wonder people feel insecure about themselves. Any success is immediately overshadowed by the implication that if it’s not the latest thing, it’s not as good. We don’t take time to savor, to take our place in the universe—or if we do, it’s only for 15 minutes. Here are some movies that have much to say and that we need to hear…again and again.
Network—the writing is phenomenal and so is the plot. § Read the rest of this entry…
I’m a night owl. I have stayed up late as long as I can remember. My mom was one too and some of my most treasured memories were raiding the fridge at 2:30 with her after we watched an old movie or worked a crossword. She used to laugh and say anything eaten straight from the fridge had no calories. Nighttime is special for those of us who clean closets at midnight or watch the Veg-o-matic demonstrations in the dark. We are alone with ourselves, no phones, no interruptions. Even ‘though the TV might be on, or we might have a book in our lap, we are alone. Do you ever have time alone? Time to hear the thoughts you drown out during the day? Thoughts that can be troubling, creative, scary, exciting. Don’t keep them away… your soul is talking to you. Time alone is for listening to your soul and building self awareness.
My guess is we are all reflecting right now on how lucky we are compared to the people of Haiti. It is intriguing that before the earthquake people were bemoaning the fact that the economy is bad and that they’ve had to cut back, they’re not eating out as much, not going to the movies. These complaints feel embarrassing and ridiculous as we hear of a survivor who has lost 5 children and see endless lines of people waiting in the blistering sun….for one bottle of water. This is about more than counting your blessings—this is about recognizing that life is how you see it. Every day you have a choice of complaining or rejoicing. My hope for you is that you absorb this profoundly important concept…and that you wake every day and say, “Here We Go—another day to experience miracles.”
I think women have a sense they could or should be happier–that their life, ‘though adequate by previous decades’ expectations, is not the wonderful, fabulous life they have been promised. Its like getting to the top of the mountain and after taking the in the view, saying, “Okay–now what?” Climb down and get back to work–whatever work is. The bar keeps moving up for women, down for men. Men are being told to relax, quit chasing the corporate gold ring, get in touch with themselves, enjoy their children and grandchildren. Women are given the message that unless they are deeply happy within themselves, they’ve missed something. § Read the rest of this entry…
Dewey
The past week I have been recovering from knee replacement surgery. It has been a humbling process. I have been dependent on other people…nurses, aides and especially my husband, to do very basic things for me. Most women I know feel uncomfortable when they are waited on because we are used to being the ones who do things for others. These weeks of recovery, I am reminding myself that I have taken care of others for years and that I can receive from others without feeling guilty. But even if I hadn’t cared for a single other person, I still deserve help because I am a person who needs it.
§ Read the rest of this entry…
Your emotional “place” is where you feel grounded and comfortable. It is the place where your soul lives. It is a source of intuition and inspiration. It is the terror you felt when you were five and got lost. It is the pride you felt when you made your first dollar. It is jealousy and anger, selflessness and selfishness. It is mature and at the same time childish. It is the truest part of you, the part you know to be the essence of who you are. When you ignore this part of yourself, you are out of emotional “place.”
How do you start unleashing your creativity when you are overwhelmed with responsibilities and time limitations? You have to break your routine. Eat chili for breakfast. Buy a luxurious bath gel instead of soap. Go home a new way. Take a picture of something you like and learn how to put it on your computer screen. Let the dishes sit and go for a walk. Part your hair on the other side. Sit in a different place in church. Buy shoes if you only wear sandals. Buy sandals if you only wear shoes. Turn the TV off. Buy a sketch pad. Play with clay. Skip a meeting. Go barefoot. Eat a bog of popcorn then skip dinner. This is your life and your only life. If you could see it from beginning to end you would see how much time you wasted on things that didn’t matter. Start now.
The simplest way to enjoy your life is to be present in the moment. Do you know what that means, really? It means to realize what you’re doing. Right now, I want you to stop, take a deep breath and breathe out slowly. Look around–are you in your office, in your home office, waiting for an airplane or your child to get finished with soccer or to start your shift at work? First realize you are alive and that this moment, the one you’re in right now, is your life. Don’t rush to get through it–this moment counts–maybe not as much as other moments, but it counts. You won’t be able to do this all the time but when you do, you are enjoying your life–even if you are about to do something you don’t like–you are acknowledging your life. It won’t seem to slip by as fast because you can stop time just for a few seconds……and enjoy your life.
Spring is here and I hope you are feeling full of energy and ready to find another part of yourself to love today.
We are deeply moved when we share someone’s creativity because it is the sharing of a soul. Whether it is something well known like Michaelangelo’s “The Pieta” or a simple thing like sleeping on a feather bed under the weight of a handmade quilt, we are reminded how important each individual in the universe is–you included. Within yourself, you have the capacity to distinguish your own vision, to think creatively about problems and offer gifts that comfort others. This is the eternal spring of the gift of ourselves.
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