There's nothing to do but honor the creation

That is you right now

The you right now as you read this

The you without labels

What purpose in condemning?

You're in the starting gate

Use the power gained

Use the wisdom gained

Feel your readiness and push off

Written By Mother Theresa

People are often unreasonable, illogical,
and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, People may accuse you
of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some
false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If  you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone
could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,

it is between you and God;

It was never between you and them anyway



This week I discovered Cali's Natural Foods, a small organic grocery store by Costco.  The owners own Sage's and Vertical Diner.  Vertical Diner is next on my To Discover List!  The day my son and I visited Cali's a farmer had just dropped off freshly popped from the ground carrots---you know, the really gnarly looking ones that taste soooo sweet?  Also had an outrageous brownie.  I've been wanting to try mung beans so bought some of those.  They have organic wheat flour from Lava Hot Springs, ID.  Lots of interesting vinegars, oils, spices.  Read their blog and you'll want to run over and buy coconut oil.

Another weekend food experience: At Whole Foods I tasted (and bought) Noosa yogurt from Boulder, CO.  Very wonderful. I recommend the honey flavored one but they were all excellent.

Contentment is: all is well in this very moment.  Joy is appreciating my aliveness in this moment.  I get to do this instead of I have to do this.  Choosing, being, appreciating.

He also says that all languages have far more words for unpleasant emotional states than pleasant.  As I have suspected, it's human nature to spend more time noticing our worries than when we're peacefully in the moment with birds and trees and stars.  The experiment is to stretch into, love and repeat over and over images of joy.  Images of joy like kids playing, dogs playing, rainbow bouquets of tulips, a hug.  The experiment is to remember and accept the compliments 85 times more than the criticisms. 



I bet you know where I'm going with this.....  New changes that we're making, those tender green shoots, need to be noticed and honored.  See how beautiful and fragrant.  Tune out the noise of old habits, repetitive un-true thoughts.  It's all in our breath.  It's all within our power to notice those shoots growing into tall permanent trees. 

Found a great purse.  Still digging around for that cell phone....

For instance this week's newsletter talks about:

1.  Review your successes and be IMPRESSED with your accomplishments.  For whatever quirk of human nature, we seem to focus on what's yet to be done.  Give yourself stars, high fives, tropies.  Every time you remember to breath and bring yourself to the present moment, imagine a crown or tiara on your head. Write down every little, tiny thing no matter what it is:  "I left 3 bites of food on my plate"  "I parked two spaces further from the door."  Think about how silliness builds momentum.  Take yourself not so seriously but keep leaving more bites on the plate.

Speaking of silliness, I suggested last week to an AP that just thinking about her mom's homemade biscuits was maybe enough.  She'd already eaten thousands.  Her thighs really didn't need to store more.  She already knew what they tasted like, smelled like.  Maybe it was enough just have the memory of her mom in the kitchen cooking with love.  AP had a very doubtful look on her face.  Maybe you have success just remembering a favorite food or occasion without participating in real time.

I highly recommend signing up for the newsletter at RealAge.com.  Breath in that motivation.....

**APs: stands for Amazing Potentials, my new name for clients.  I am constantly in awe at the changes people make, realizing their power to create happiness and health.

A recent client (I'm going to change that word "client" to AP until I think of something I like better.  AP is for Amazing Potential!).  Let's start over.  A recent AP came in for weight management.  She had had a health scare a few months back.  Not wanting to take pharmaceticals with their side effects, she went to a nutritionist and personal trainer and successfully got her blood work #s back to a healthy state.  Good job!

What she came to me for though, was after a few months she gained the weight back.  This is a very common situation.     My philosopy is that when it's not your plan, when you don't own it, you go back to usual cravings and habits. 

So how do you own it?

Breathe, notice, quiet your mind, listen.   Breathe: nice, exluriant, slow inhales and exhales about 10 of them.  Notice: where is your body holding and breathe into those spots  Quiet your mind:  with eyes closed focus on the place between your eyes, breathe some more    Listen: talk to yourself with love and kindness, what do you need? what can I do for you?

When I talk to myself and I hear a huge To Do List ("you need to take more vitamins, eat more cauliflower, hike to the top of Black Mountain every day at dawn, learn to like yams, take cold showers, give yourself a foot massage before sleep, watch Dr. Oz") I know my mind is NOT quiet.  When you're quiet enough, you can hear your spirit who is always telling the truth.  When I was quiet enough this week, my body/mind/spirit said "less raw garlic, more spinach, just one cup of coffee".   Simple.  I can do that.  Well, not sure about the coffee.... 

I would say that I've spent a large part of my day today living in my divinity.  As I moved through my day, I felt great joy and excitement.

There was a brief bout of disappointment.  I just read something that said disappointment is a mismanagement of expectations.  Hahaha---no KIDDING!  The feeling of disappointment came into my body (lower heart, upper stomach area).  Analysis:  I was feeling like something should have happened that didn't.  Is this the silliest emotion ever????   Other days I would have skipped the analysis and moved on to Spin.  Spin:  Well, he should have done this....What a mean thing to say.....He should show me he loves me by......   The Spin is also silly.  It's a blame game, expecting someone else to give me what I need.  That's not only silly, it's hilarious.  I barely know what I need.  How can another?  Right now, I'm feeling so sorry for all the people I ever put that expectation on!!!!!

Your brain is always going to churn out thought.  It's fun to feel the thought, then analyze for any shred of helpfulness to your state of bliss.  Well, maybe fun is a bit of a stretch!  It's interesting to watch the thought, the feeling, the spin.  Let it go......