Right Now

I received this in an email today from my good friend and classmate, named Yukari. She always has the most positive and upbeat outlook (may we all strive to be more positive and upbeat, no?)

Anyway, it was just so fantastic that I figured anyone stumbling across my blog would enjoy it. (sorry, I don't know the author.)

As you read it, let yourself sink down into the truth of these words - you'll like it :)

Right this very moment, on a distant farm, there basks a fig, a nut, or a berry, whose very life force will soon be your own. But that's not all...

Right this very moment, there's a gorgeous home on a splendid property with a spectacular view, whose roof will someday give you shelter. But that's not all...

Right this very moment, there are beautiful souls on your beautiful planet, whom you do not even know, yet through your meanderings and theirs, paths will cross, love will be shared, and eternal friendships will be created. I'm still not done...

And nothing you do, or don't do, can prevent these serendipities I've just shared, and so, so many more.

Amen, hallelujah, rock me Amadeus -

The Universe

(you can also sign it God, the Tao, Goddess, Allah, Jesus, whatevvv. Same difference, when it come to things like this!)

Sunscreen

My Dad emailed me a link to this video this morning and it made me happy.

Maybe you'll like it too.

(you'll probably recognize the song, but watch the video anyway. It's good)

Today's Tea

I think Thursdays may be the best days of the week.
Unless, of course, you have a presentation, or paper, or date you don't want to go on that falls on the Friday afterward.
But, barring those things, I like Thursdays. What can I say? I'm an anticipation person.

Next week we go on another giant road trip. Fun times ahead! I'll keep you posted ;)

On Understanding and Compassion

I'm having issues today.

To spare you the poor-me details, let's suffice it to say that there are health things going on that aren't the most pleasant to deal with -
- okay I know that if I don't give you the details all types of wrong assumptions could be made, so I just will.

I know I've talked about this before, but my teeth break. No one can explain it, apparently I just genetically have very brittle enamel, and I've had chunks of molar fall off when I was eating cookies and cream ice cream (no, no chocolate chips in that, just softened cookies and delicious ice cream, yet one of the strongest teeth in my mouth decided to crumble).

So, I got braces (invisalign, to be exact), because I was told that, with them, the pressure would be relieved and my teeth wouldn't break anymore.

Can you feel a yeah, right coming on?

Hmmm yeah well last week I wasn't even chewing anything and another tooth cracked. Apparently Invisalign isn't all it's cracked up to be on the non-tooth-breakage.

So, now, there isn't an actual break, just a visible (but smooth) crack, which may never turn into a break, but which also may.

Great.
Unpredictable.
Unpreventable.

So there's nothing I can do except for live in fear of becoming a snaggletooth in a moment. Awesome. Yes, it's mostly my ego, but still! I floss 3 times a day, I at least deserve to have whole teeth, no?

But, believing as I do that our mental state greatly influences our physical one, I can trace this emotion back to being a little girl, terrified of Armageddon and fire raining down from the sky and dying a horrible and excruciatingly painful death (yeah, at 5 years old I though this. Every kid commits little sins, but I took mine WAY too seriously - be careful what you tell the toddlers out there, y'all). So, growing up, this continued under the guise of other dangers after I shed the belief in fiery destruction from above, and picked up the strain of poverty. Then health issues. So now, there you go. Afraid of a tooth Armageddon.

I make light of it, but to be honest, I'm terrified!

But, I'm also kicking myself for holding beliefs that I can see caused my condition.

Now, back to the tea bag fortune (the pic above).

I had that cup of tea last night, when I was down and worried and really hard on myself for getting me here. When I'm consulting with others about this stuff, I remind them to be gentle and compassionate with themselves. Because we're all always doing the best we can with what we've got, right? So blaming and criticising don't have a place in self-talk. If you made a bad decision, okay, recognize it, then use your energy to work to change and improve yourself so you don't make it again, rather than using that energy to kick yourself and be harsh. That doesn't help anything.

So, today, I'll be starting the lovely all is right with the world and my future is happy affirmations.

(may sound goofy but I swear that stuff works. The stories I could tell you! But that's for another blog post)

Happy Monday y'all! Be nice to yourselves! If we're nicer to ourselves, we're nicer to each other, and before we know it, we've got a better world.

Today's quote:
"This is a giant block of whatever is most difficult for you to carry & trust me on this, you'll carry it more times than you can count until you decide that's exactly what you want to do most & then it won't weigh a thing anymore"
~Brian Andreas

Christian the Lion

Merry Christmas eve eve!

I still have lots of Christmas cards to write (late, much?) and lots of reading to do (the break in my semester means I have time to catch up on everything I'd LIKE to be reading, which also means I'm jam packed with to-do reads right now), so in lieu of a real post, here's a video that reminds me of the awesomeness of our world every now and then.

Enjoy!

Angels

As I was falling asleep late yesterday evening, my sister sent me a text message with this quote. She said that she didn't know where it was from, but she'd seen it on a banner and thought I may like it. As I read the words, I felt my heart open and follow and it had me dreaming all night.

I thought you may like it too, so here it is.

In my dream the angel shrugged and said, 'If we fail this time it will be a failure of imagination.' And then she placed the world gently in the palm of my hand...

(Happy Friday!)

Inspiration

It had been years since I'd wait for the commercial break to dart into the kitchen and grab a glass of water, or a bag of munchies, and be disappointed if I'd missed a moment or two of the show's continuance after the commercials were over.

I haven't shushed anyone when they spoke over the program playing in a very, very long time.

I haven't shouted "It's Back!" without taking my eyes off the screen, alerting whoever left the room to return now, and not wanting to miss a moment myself, since I can remember.

I have never woken up the next morning after exciting dreams, filled with hope, and creativity, and a fire that burned inside of me to really, really, go out and DO something, the way that I did on Monday morning, catalyzed by what I'd seen on Sunday night.

I'm so glad that I happened to be made aware that afternoon before the show aired - because knowing how things are, and how chance works, I may never have seen the amazing things I did, catching my breath, lifting (and sinking) my spirits, and touching my heart the ways in which it was touched by what I saw.

Here's a taste.


And guess what else? You can watch it on youtube, in four parts. I'm pretty excited about that. And you can bet that I'll watch it over and over again.

Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ZombieTheChannel#p/u/4/Kcvzo4t5RRM

Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ZombieTheChannel#p/u/3/xgzulofVo2c

Part 3:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ZombieTheChannel#p/u/2/fzPl6W0ywBI

Part 4:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ZombieTheChannel#p/u/1/cGjvM2tYFdE

Watch those and tell me you don't get chills. I dare you. It won't happen.


Today's quote:
-wait, there is no quote today. Click on one of the links. You'll get all the quotes you need.

Pick Your Poison

On any given day, any one of us may feel a little doldrumy. No, that's not necessarily a word, but it is now as far as I'm concerned.

Anyway.

I'll go off of the assumption here that most of us would not rather be in a bad mood. And of course, those of us who would aren't consciously aware of it - why would anyone ever choose to be glum?

Er, it comes from habit, but that's for another post.

I'm also not talking about sweet melancholy - that emotion when, in a healthy balance combined with all of the other colors that make up our fluid states of being, creates a gorgeous, complex and ever-changing mandala of life experience.

There isn't a thing in the world wrong with some healthy melancholy. In my experience (I am very well versed from years of practice), when in a temporary context, it can be enjoyed as a way of slowing down. If it's really acknowledged and accepted as a valid emotion (rather than immediately suppressed, also from habit and a cultural belief that anything other that a smiling face is "bad"), it coats the world before your eyes in a sort of delicate veil, making the light burn differently and giving credence to the sensuousness of curling up in a warm blanket for a quiet contemplative time, just for yourself. Janet Luhrs even touches on this type of melancholy in relationships, mainly as a way of accepting your lover's moods using the lens of unconditional love rather that being stuck within the constraints of expectations, in her book Simple Loving - a must read for all of us who are pursuing the ever-elusive "perfect relationship".

But I've digressed again. The original point of this post was to talk about choosing to be joyful - or if that's too big a stretch, choosing to adopt a relaxed and accepting "go-with-the-flow" attitude.

Today's trick for doing that is to think back on some of your most proud achievements, or even just your ultimately lucky moments.

If you ever won a contest that you gave your all for, or created a truly beautiful piece of art, or aced the interview and got that perfect job you were wanting, or finally got up the courage to start a relationship with the person you'd been admiring from afar...

It doesn't matter if by now the contest winnings have come and gone, or if the art is sold or just doesn't hold that sparkle for you anymore, or if you've moved on from the job or the lover.

Do you remember how you felt when you got the news and you felt those mind-fireworks that, with their little explosions, brought waves of joy, satisfaction, and pride?

Do you remember how great you felt, knowing that you'd achieved something that you had been working for, whether the reward was expected or not? Remember that sense of self-confidence that surged within you because you'd proven that you could achieve that thing that you'd been reaching and grasping for?

Revel in that memory for a moment. Swim in the feeling, let it permeate your body and mind.

Now, return to the present. No matter how under-the-emotional-weather you're feeling, or how much that old goal has lost its luster once it was achieved, remember that you did it.

You still did that thing that made you so proud and happy - you still have all of those qualities that were affirmed to you by reaching your goal.

That's who you are.

All that has changed are your thoughts.

Just think - if you could monitor and choose the internal winds that drive you, what you'd be capable of....

Now, what are your goals for the day?

Today's whiteboard quote:

"In life, you can never do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Car Dancing

"Climb up, over the top,
Survey the state of the soul.
You've got to find out for yourself
Whether or not you're truly trying.
Why not?
Give it a shot- Shake it, take control...
Inevitably wind up finding for yourself
All the strength you have inside, still rising...."

Lyrics from an old Jason Mraz CD (genius!) that had me singing along while stuck in traffic, gazing at downtown LA, whose buildings looked as if they were made of mother-of-pearl as a result of the smog this morning.

Why not, indeed?

True, it is a Monday. However, I had a fantastical weekend, actually got a full night's sleep last night (for a change), and am now ready to light up my jet packs this week.

What are the goals on the current list?

1) To get my doggonit website up and running (been in the works for months, yes, I'm aware...)
2) Finish revising my DQP (all of the procrastination I didn't do for the original submission has returned in force and set up camp in my noggin this time around)
3) Send in the rest of the forms to the State for my L.L.C. (I'm now a company owner....there's just something so awesomely wrong about that)
4) Practice Reiki (it's more about setting up and taking down the table than it is about the rest of the process....but someone may as well benefit. Yes, it'll probably be T.)

As for this weekend, T (the below pic is pre-haircut) and I spent our Saturday in Santa Monica with buddies of ours,

(yay for new sunglasses. What is it about seeing the world through

newly purchased and unscratched shaded vision that makes one so happy?)

...followed by the best part, midnight vegan nachos, courtesy of B.

Today's whiteboard quote:
"The cyclone derives its powers from a calm center. So does a person." ~Peale

Shore

It's been a rough week. TGIF has never been more heartfelt as it echoed through my mind this morning, just as an unladylike four-letter word echoed through my quiet room right after the alarm began to sound...

At times like these, when there's an internal conflict involving trepidation and stress, and when thinking about the problem doesn't make it better, but only attacking it proactively would, but you're too exhausted and confused to even formulate a plan, much less do anything about it, I have a practice that always helps.

It's simple, but more difficult than you may automatically think.

The effect is also simple - it's as if you've placed your mind and your point of perceiving (your Self with a capital S) into a stream. It's almost as if your mind is washed with cool, clear, moving water and you begin to feel refreshed and renewed. It's subtle though, and usually takes a couple of hours to take effect.

For me, it takes less than an hour to start to make me feel better. It takes longer to finish. Roughly a day.

The trick I use is to stretch out to the edges of my skin.

It sounds funny, I know.

And it also doesn't work well at all if I'm in physical pain of any kind.

But, when the pain and fatigue is mental (it also works nicely if you're a bit physically tired), this does the job nicely.

I put all of my attention on two of my five senses. The main one is touch. I really feel everything that I touch. My fingertips tingle with aliveness. My spine straightens and becomes stronger and more graceful with the attention I'm giving it. My jaw relaxes and my eyes become more alert. That's when the second sense kicks in - sight. And not just everything, but how colors and shapes and light are in the world around me.

This is more subtle, again, I envision it as stretching out within myself and inhabiting only the edges of my body. I think most of us usually feel buried in here somewhere. Spending time noticing things you don't ordinarily take account of is freeing. For instance, I'm typing right now. How often do I notice what these keys feel like under my fingers? Not as often as I should.

How often do I notice, really notice, the cool breeze against my cheeks as I walk outside? Or feel my keys as they jangle in my hand? We're used to the meaning of it all (I pay attention to WHAT I'm typing, not just the ACT of typing), rather than the feel of doing it. Once you learn how to wield a fork and knife as a child it's as if your hand disappears. You're not aware of its action, only of what you want to happen because of it - you darned well know where those fork prongs are, but where is your pinkie finger? As I sit and type this, I honestly can't tell you where the heck it lies when I use silverware.

And on and on.

After awhile what I've found is that my body takes over and feels the pure joy in just living that tends to get buried under the 'in-your-head'ness of it all....and that visceral joy commandeers your attention and emotion, so you can't help dancing just a little too.

On the inside, of course.

And like I said, it's subtle.

But just for kicks, try it. Give it a go. Tell me what happens.

Today's whiteboard quote:
"One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time."
~Andre Gide

Rekindle

"Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light."
~Albert Sweitzer

Last night I was thrown into a completely unforeseen, unexpected, and exciting situation because of which I now have the opportunity to really help another person. I won't post much more about it until I get their permission to blog about something that's pretty personal (kinda rude not to), but if you have a spare prayer, send one to Pasadena!

(don't worry, it's not a physical life or death matter - could be a spiritual/psychological one though!)

Could Only Do A Little

"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little."
~Edmund Burke

How will you make someone's world better today?

Thought

Thought is a powerful thing. I'm sure most people now are aware of the "Law of Attraction" and how it works - that what you think about, good or bad, brings some of what happens to you (not all of it. It's fully my belief that some things are just part of the bigger picture/plan and they happen no matter what). The tricky part is that, however this actually works, value judgments don't come into it. For instance, if you have a picture of something in your mind (and/or on your wall, etc.) that you really want and you think about it all the time, it's likely to come to you, because those vibrations of you thinking about it will bring the real thing (all that new scientific stuff about atoms just being waves and that the particles are only here half the time, but that everything's made up of stuff that seems like thought and on and on and on - I'm not a quantum physicist so I can't explain it correctly). Unfortunately, if you have a great big fear and you dread it all the time, always picturing this horrible thing, although it may be accompanied by hopes that it WON'T come true, it's just as likely to happen as the thing that you were wanting to come into being.

SO, with these things in mind, and with pure psychological/spiritual health in mind (my energetic and spiritual training has taught me that -this is probably also a familiar concept- emotions like love and gratitude kind of grease the wheels of life so that good things are more likely to come to you), my goal of the day is to monitor my thoughts.

It's not as easy as you'd think!

To notice the things I'm thinking about, and to alter them to what I'd want to be pulling into my life, and not only that, but to be taking measure of the flavor that I give to these thoughts. Am I dreading a long day at the office? Instead of that, I'll be thankful that I have a pleasant and safe job to go to, and I'll also give thanks that the weekend is looming. On the tail end of that I'll give an extra, focused moment to picturing what my dream Thursday (job, life, commute included) would be like, and send a little push of good feelings to that picture too. And on and on.

So, try it! See what happens. You may be surprised at what you think a lot of the time.

What are the things you're trying to bring into being?

Pivotal Day Potential and Del Taco Deliciousness

My whiteboard quote of the day is
One of the illusions of life is that the present hour is not the critical, decisive hour. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Reading that today gave me a new jolt of energy. It's been one of those mornings - running late getting ready to leave the house, then stuck in gridlock traffic, and on and on. Knowing that today can be as pivotal and transformative a day as any other (more obvious one) is freeing.

Last night, instead of going out to the Cajun restaurant, T and I decided (during a phone conversation as I was checking the freeways online for him in my pajamas and bathrobe....it could have been at 7:00pm....) that we were too tired to get gussied up and go out. But, it was Fat Tuesday. So...

Del Taco. So much of it that I couldn't move for a half hour afterwards.

Fast food twice in one week, that's some kind of record for me. Usually there are months between my drive through visits.

Today I have an ortho appointment - new trays coming, sandpaper going between my teeth, oh joy.

But, it's hump day! That means the weekend is close enough to look forward to.

Hobbies and a Looking Forward Theory

Those are the silhouettes I was talking about in yesterday's post. These are my first try - of course they can be better, but I like them :) I'll make them bigger next time, and do the pretty framing and all. Also, since they're of T and me, I think it'd be cute if they were facing each other, just saying.

I've also taken up crocheting, as of...yesterday. So far, I like it! (my Mom crocheted and my Dad knitted when I was little, so I've tried both, but probably not within the past decade and a half. A little rusty, ya think?)

So, as I got ready for my Monday yesterday morning, rather than crying woe at the long week ahead (I'm an anticipation person, what can I say? I'm happy for the weekend starting Tuesday afternoon...), I was looking forward to starting my fun new project. I couldn't wait to go to the fabric store and get all my hobby fixins to get me started.

I realized then that, it seems to me, if you have one thing each day to be excited about and look forward to, it can drastically change your outlook. If, instead of bemoaning something or the other, you can be happy about what's coming, then enjoy it when it's here (no not tasting the chocolate once it's in your mouth and you're reaching for another allowed!), then that's a step towards a more mindful life.

Today's quote is:

"Your own words are the bricks and mortar of the dreams you want to realize. Your words are the greatest power you have. The words you choose and use establish the life you experience."
~Sonia Choquette

That one not only went on the whiteboard and on a post-it on my desk, it's going in the journal. Wow.

That's what I've got for the day! Today what am I looking forward to? Being able to go home, right after work! And, a new book-on-cd for that long drive :)

What's your exciting thing?

Be Sweet Too

For the past two days I have been obsessed with Nie Nie. Between her blog and her sister's blog, I've been walking around in a daze with my "free-time-mind" completely hijacked by this story. Well, not only by the story, but by the life. The life that led up to the accident that was so simply exquisite, and the life that is, and that will be, now-after the accident. Definitely as gorgeous, maybe even moreso, but in different ways.

That's what is amazing about blogging - how it brings people together. You can really see and identify with people you may never have even met, much less bonded with, in your non-cyber life. There is always a community.

Technology is a blessing, certainly, in times like these.

Last night, after thinking about it all afternoon (it's a blessing and a vice of mine, I look too close. I think of these things too much. Sometimes praying about them helps me by making my life so much more precious in many ways that I have yet to mention, but it always affects me. In college I couldn't eat or sleep normally for days after I read a blurb about the murder of a child by other children. It was in Child Psychopathology class, and I was sucked in. I guess that's a drawback of having good "spatial ability", aka the ability to picture things. Believe me, I'm not bragging - what does being tested and saying that I have an above-average ability to, say, see the back of a chair in my mind do for me?...)

Back on the subject I go...

Nie Nie is a goddess of one of my soon-to-be new year's resolutions this year (drumroll...) to be more homemaker-ey next year. Yup, I want to have a house that's decorated for the season and often smells like cookies. Can't help it. When I was little my sister and I made homemade noodles with my mom, stringing them from broom handles across countertops. I remember the flour under my fingernails, and my baby brother crawling on the floor, trying to get at the deliciousness hanging just out of his chubby paws' reach (I may have pinched off copious amounts for him. That's what good sisters do, right? At least I have that going for me...)

The joy she took in the beautiful simplicity of everyday living has given me new vision. Last night I went to visit T and was so grateful just to have him, whole and healthy and loving me - these are the things we should be paying attention to, that makes life sweet.

The crisp air chilling my cheeks and blowing my hair as I walk outside,

The warmth of the boys' hallway heater as I walk by (yay for it being in the center of their apt!),

Chatting in the living room about recipes and work,

Painting my toenails in a hard-won empty hour just after the sun's set and while the oven's preheating,

Warm hugs from my love....

Sometimes (ok, usually) life is more complicated. Traffic, deadlines, Christmas shopping, travel plans, returning phone calls,

But can't it always be sweet too?

Know Thyself

I’m sitting at The Panini Garden in Santa Monica, outside on their back patio in the perfectly sunny and breezy 79 degree weather. Perfect for…May. Early May. I might say August or September, but the light isn’t golden as it should be during the fall months.

Today, I’m okay with the ridiculously out-of-character November weather. I’ve never been to this place before, although every time I’m in Santa Monica and say I want to go somewhere to write T says that here would be perfect. Okay, okay, he was right. I love it. There just aren’t places like this at home. The back patio, where I’m sitting, has thin strips of linen draping from rafter to rafter, allowing enough light for it to be bright but completely taking the glare away. Tiny birds are fluttering between the gaps in the linen and in from the trees next to the fence down to the floor of the patio and back again. I didn’t even notice them until the couple next to me got up to leave and a tiny flock of them flew up. It’s an odd sensation because even with the slight breeze, you feel like you’re inside and you don't expect little birds to be everywhere. Sounds weird, I know, but it’s actually really cool. T and a friend are also here, working on a project:

It's one of my silly little mottos that you need to make it a point to know what you need in order to be your happiest, or most productive, inspired, or least bitchy; however you wanna spin it. For instance, it didn't take me too long to realize that I need more sleep than a normal person in order to be my most pleasant and productive. I also am a morning person, and am at my best when I awaken before 7am, which, combined with my need for sleep, makes for early nights. I find that this isn't normal for my peer quarterlifers so every year or two I'll somehow forget how important it is and try to maintain my normal routines with less sleep (like, going to bed late every night and still getting up at the same time in the morning, like I've been doing for the past couple weeks) and I'm okay for nearly a month, after which it's downhill, quickly. So, I can either go to bed early, or suck. Generally and all-around, suck. I'll be less energetic, less positive, my workouts suffer of course, and I am serious when I say I lose intelligence. No kidding, I become stupid. Or stupider, maybe...? See - I need sleep right now.

So that's 1. Another one for me is that I need to be in lovely places. I don't mean necessarily my living space, which depends on a lot of factors and can't always be done, but as soon as I move to a new city one of my top priorities is finding the closest and most beautiful parks, gardens and trails, which I then need to go visit semi-regularly in order to feel whole and balanced.

I've known people before who said that needing those things made me less human - an old boyfriend and I had gigantic fall-outs when I said I couldn't always live in Florida because I needed real trees in my life. Sorry, I do...

So, back on topic, places like the one I'm sitting in, that has blooming lavender bushes lining the patio, intricate patterns inlaid in brick along the walkways and a simple fountain next to the door, not to mention the birds, are important to me. I lived in Richmond again between undergrad and grad school for about 8 months and Maymont was my savior. I miss it like I miss a person, and every time I go I feel as if I'm visiting an old friend as I walk the paths.

I'm sure that's one of the things that makes me odd, but at least I'm aware of it :) And I don't think there's a thing wrong with needing beauty in my life.

So, in closing, what are things you need? What calms your soul and makes the quiet voice of inspiration easy to hear, once your mind has settled? Maybe it's music or particular foods, or routines like exercise or visiting certain people.

Think about it, find out, then start putting some of that stuff into your schedule. Go on msn.com or any news site and you'll see how pampered our lives are compared to some in the world. We have a responsibility, at the very least, to appreciate that fact and make ourselves the most healthy beings we can, in order to contribute what we need to to the world.
Happy Friday :)

On Seasonal Smelliness and Brain ATMs

While I'm happy that the work week has been going by at a good clip, it also makes me a little apprehensive about the upcoming holiday season probably passing in a flash. After Halloween, it seems more and more like the other holidays are a day apart, and then there you are, dumped in the new year, looking around and wondering what happened (not to mention possibly hungover, depending on your NYE celebration...)

I have a tradition that's pretty silly, I do admit, but it's awesome (subjectively) - and it involves this:

Bath and Body Works' Winter Candy Apple. I love. And have been wearing it, for a month and a half each year, for nigh on a decade. You know how smells can instantly and effortless take you back - not only do you remember what was happening when you smelled the smell before, but how it looked, sounded, smelled (of course), and even felt?

Your nose, (olfactory nerve) is the one that is most hardwired into the brain (hence the pheromone theory that you're attracted to people and don't even know why, etc.) so smells engender emotion and memories in a way that no other sense can quite duplicate. And, when I start to use my delicious WCA scent, I know that the holidays are here! Sometimes I'll dig it out just for fun and wear it for a day in summer, but my sense of time gets very confused :) Maybe it's just me, but it's things like that that make the passage of the years so nice.

So that's my excitement for this week, I'm instantly in the grasp of the season. Even though it is going to get up into the eighties this afternoon, which just isn't right...

I haven't had as many of my deep thoughts this week, or perhaps they haven't lingered long enough for me to still grasp them by the time I'm at my keyboard (the best ones come at decidedly inconvenient times, like in the shower or on a walk outside). I've been sitting down to write without much coming out, and here's where my Brain ATM theory comes in:

I think, that if nothing will come out of your mind (creativity, inspiration, etc.), then you should put something in. Read, watch a movie, listen to music. To kick it up a notch, do these things with media that not only entertains you, but that has a deeper connection to your creative drive. Watch a movie that you LOVE and that would inspire the kinds of thoughts that you're looking for. Or, reread that book or re-listen to that cd (or ipod playlist, trying to be modern here) that will do the same thing. If none of that sounds good, go read some kind of textbook, letter, or educational website about the topics that you often ponder, and after it's marinaded there for a while, you'll break it down, reform the paper pulp and send out a new noggin output, that is very much "you". There ya go: (not-so) instant inspiration.

So, I've been doing a lot of reading lately. Oh, one more thing - if you write, you'll write like who you're reading. Therefore, if you love a certain author, read a lot of their stuff and you'll eventually start to sound like them. I find this to be VERY true for myself - I start to "talk" (aka write) like whoever I'm "listening" to (reading), pretty soon. Especially if I'm spending a lot of time immersed in that person's work.

Hmm, if only it worked like that for musical talent or financial genius...

Ok, that's it for today. Get out and enjoy the weather! If it's hot or cold or rainy, By definition, it's very much November where you are (even if your November involves record breaking highs, like mine does. sigh.) Don't let it go by in a flash.

May You Live

There is a whiteboard next to my office door, on the hallway side. Why there would be a whiteboard outside the office of an administrative assistant's office (which is the only thing mine could be used as, judging by its placement), I don't know (really, does anyone leave notes often enough to have a board permanently affixed there?), but, early in my time here, I decided to make use of it.

I love inspirational quotes. And I don't use the term "love" lightly. While at UF I would write a quote that touched me on a post-it and put it on my wall, or desk, or somewhere I would see it. By the end of each semester, I had a nearly wallpapered office. And desk. And filing cabinet that stood next to my desk. Oh, and bookshelf (the side that faces the desk, not the part that actually holds the books. That would just be weird).

So, I thought that, since I love them and they help me so much (nowadays, I only put the REALLY good ones up in my office. At present, there's one that is a semi-permanent fixture on my desk. On an orange post-it of course), I would use the whiteboard to put up a quote that inspired me each day, in the hopes that it would inspire people who were walking down my hall too.

Note: I have an inspirational calendar and get a newsletter-y email or two a day that have that kind of stuff, so I have a few to pick from on any given day. I only use the really good ones. Sometimes none of them are good so I have to go into my quotey archives...

In any event, today's quote is

May you live all the days of your life.
~Jonathan Swift

I thought that one would be good to start the blog with. That's my soapbox - to LIVE your life. Even if all you do is wake up, head to work, head home, have some dinner, then watch a TV show or two and go to bed, it's my opinion (and what I hope to someday soon, REALLY write about and give seminars about) that to notice, to really see and feel and experience all that happens, is the whole point. And it can get more complex and emotional and spiritual and whatever, and that'll come in later blogs. But for now, the thought is just to notice. Tiny things, like the way your clothes feel against your skin, the way that the air feels cool as it moves down through your nostrils and into your lungs with each breath, and the way the sun is shining. Or the way the rain is falling. Who knows - one day this may be exactly where you want to be in your memory. See what's going on around and within you, just in case.

In other news, welcome to my blog! I decided to finally start my own when I realized that #1: It's hypocritical of me to be so addicted to others' blogs, some of which I've never even met, and #2: According to the 10,000 hour theory (will explain another time), all the writing I can do will likely help my end goals:) Thanks for stopping by, and please leave comments! I also have another page or two floating around in the cyberspace ether, which I'll put in my info section.

Have a great day!