Test drive

As we get our new stuff (see previous blog), there comes a time when it's time test drive it. Whether it be a new outfit, car, attitude, response, or belief system, we have life to help us put it to the test.

New stuff

We buy stuff. It's new. We love it. We use it. We grow. We outgrow. We no longer love it. Our eye catches a glimpse of a shiny new object. We buy it. It's new. We love it.

Whether we talk about actual physical stuff, or ideas, or patterns, whatever else, when the old stops working for us, we crave something new, different, exciting. Something that will now serve our present, instead of who we were in the past. Maybe that's why they call gifts "presents."

More itching

You know that discomfort that is so consuming that you just want to be anywhere except where it is, but it's in/on/around you so there is no where to go? Those are moments when we have lots of motivation to change, most likely spurred on by our big S self. So maybe the discomfort would lessen if we learned our lesson?

Threes

The magic of 3s

1. Do Re Mi
2. Father, Son, holy ghost
3. Vata Pitta Kapha
4. Prana Tejas Ojas
5. Tamas Rajas Sattwa
6. Rock Paper Scissors
7. Peter Paul and Mary
8. Etc Etc Etc
9. And So On
10. ...

To do list

To do list
1. Laundry
2. Check email
3. Walk dog
4. Pay bills
5. Etc...

To be list:
1. Be my Self
2. Be grateful
3. Be awed
4. Be generous
5. Be my Self

Theres always something

Ain't that the truth? And because there's always something, sometimes we have to choose not to do some of those somethings, in order to do some of other things.

Or we can stop doing and start being.

For awhile anyway, at least until the next some or other thing.

Accepting

When we truly embrace that we indeed create our own reality, and that means everything- no exceptions - and we actually accept that the reality we are living was created by us, consciously or unconsciously, and we can accept it all without beating ourselves up, or judging, then we start to pave the way for accepting the really groovy things that we create as well. In other words, the "pain" provides a training ground which can help us build our capacity to accept the beyond awesomeness that is available to us.

Special

Special. What's on special? Who is special? Special deals? What if the word was spatial? Everything becomes spatial. Space. I love me some space.

In Iowa, there are folks who pronounce special and spatial the same. So does that make it even more special when talking about the spatialness of it all?

What I see

What I see when I come home. It's amazing that I ever leave! But then again, if I never left, I wouldn't come home to this. Sigh. Another win - win.

Itch

Itching. Is there anything more annoying? More attention grabbing? Maybe. Maybe not. But when you are in the throes of itchiness, other realities fade.

So what is itching trying to alert us to! It cant be the boy who cried wolf. With itching its all in the moment. So great and powerful Itch, what is it that you want me to see?

Innocence

When a picture is worth a thousand...

Agility again

My dog is teaching me to be clear so he can clear obstacles. The student teaches the teacher how to teach the student. No greater than or less than. We are all equal to. A perfect circle of synergy.

Watch what happens

When you start closing the gap between intention and manifestation, be aware. The universe has no judgements and won't decide what is good and bad. What you ask for is between you, your unconscious, and your conscious. Whatever has the most intention/energy wins.

Love love love

A post from an awesome student/teacher/friend. Yes. In a word. It's all about that. When the feeling bubbles forth and there are no other words because the feeling is so beyond words, then it's love.

<3

Windy

who's peeking out from under a stairway
calling a name that's lighter than air
who's reaching out to capture a rainbow
everyone know it's Windy

and Windy has stormy eyes
that flash at the sound of lies
and windy has wings to fly
up above the clouds...

I sang that song with a little "band" we had in grade school called the Sunrise 5. This was WAY before American Idol when people took grade school bands seriously. But seriously, what did that song mean except for the fact that Mary Bishop could play it on the piano and it had words and hence it became our signature song. Tambourine and all.

Up above the clouds...

I can read in all sorts of metaphors now, but does it really explain anything? For me, no. And is my life better for the punchy rhythms and the tune that is burned in my brain? Maybe. Up above the clouds.

Windy. Up above the clouds. Some would say impossible. I say who's to say whether it's Windy or not. Is my hair blowing? In the wind? Yes, another signature song because I could play it on the guitar.

Ides of march

I'd have _____________, but (fill in with an excuse.)

I'd like a/an ______________.

I'd rather have/do ______________.

And my personal ide: I'd have posted this yesterday had I known the exact date of the ides of march.

With rain comes...

Moisture, rejuvenation, hydration, flow, growth, lunar qualities, rebirth. These are the pros.

Cons: stagnation, "mucus" be it physical or psychic, lethargy, sogginess, depression

Knowing that there are always at least 2 sides of the coin, we can choose which qualities we'd like to utilize. No judgement. They all work for something.

And then the sun comes out and all bets are off.

Om shanti

Pi

I missed the blog deadline, but I haven't gone to bed yet. Pi-day. 3.14(1592...) we are but a bunch of mathematical equations solving for the "x" that will set us free from our little "s" selves.

Volume

Life is loud, yet some of us keep asking turn up the volume. What is it that we want to hear that we're not hearing?

What?

What was that?

Loud enough?

Maybe instead of turning everything up, we start turning a few things down. just a thought.

Stories

We are our stories, at least we think we are. When we start to grok that our stories are just that, tales we tell ourselves to teach us a lesson, entertain or challenge ourselves, or stories just to make us feel better, then we can start the process of distilling truth from fiction. And then when we realize that, yes, I am living a story, and yes, I am in fact the author, then I can start re-writing with a different outcome in mind, instead of following a formulaic scenario.

I'm ready for my close up Mr DeMille...

Down lookers

We are becoming a culture of down lookers. Did it start with emo-shoe-gazer music? Could that have been the primordial seed of the smartphone? Regardless, look around and see how many people are looking down at their phones? Never noticed that before? I wonder why...

Nothing against smartphones, I'm using one right now for this blog entry. But what is the "mind" behind looking down all the time? We avoid eye contact by looking down. We look down on others. We can't see the sky when we look down.

I'm not saying we should bring back "up with people" or anything, but maybe "look up, there's people" could be a new hit.

Eff-hurt

Effort. Effortlessness. In yoga we talk about being effortless. But then how do we explain butt kicking asana classes, weird and extreme forms of tapas ( holding you hand up in the air until the divine mother shows up), long and grueling meditation or pranayama practices, not to mention living in the world with a job you hate, barely making enough of anything to survive?

Judgements. With judgement comes the big effort. Same script, different read. While harboring judgements and/or expectations, it's all hard work. Without judgements, it's all hard fun.

Just because something is challenging, doesn't mean it's a drag. Learning something new, even learning a new way to see and be in the world is usually challenging. But are we excited about this challenge? Are we curious to see what happens when we master the task at hand? This keeps us stimulated. It gives us a purpose, a reason, a desire to stay alive that isn't fear-based (ie I'm afraid to die therefore I will....(fill in the blank.)

If we add judgements or expectations to the mix, yes, even the expectation that the door will pull open or push shut (and you know how pissed someone can get when the hot/cold knobs are backwards or turn the wrong way), then all this learning becomes drudgery, laden with the big F in effort. And you know how Effin fun that is...

Followers

Bloggers, tweeters, Stumble upon Facebook, etc...

We want followers. The more followers, the more popular, powerful, desirable, whatever-able we are and we have the numbers to back it up. We can prove our popularity. We have followers. Are we all secretly wanting to be the new Messiah? Take it literally, or use it as a metaphor. It works for both: the social networking guru, the rock god, the king of beers...

I don't follow.

Chairs

Have you ever noticed how heavy chairs are at the hospital? In the room, it's a major, loud production number to reconfigure in order to accommodate visitors. And outside- the patio furniture looks pretty light, but noooooo! Are they afraid of pilfering? Like you're going to hide a chair on your lap as they wheel you out the door? I got a good laugh out of it anyway.

Control

Maybe it's time to stop trying to predict and control all outcomes until we can control ourselves.

Stress test

Stress is the test. Most of us can maintain a sense of civility and "enlightened" behavior when things are going well. To see how we're doing, up the ante. How do we behave/react while under stress?

Brings out those colors that lurk beneath the surface.

Surprises

We are constantly being given gifts. It's always nice when we remember one of them - like a surprise that bubbles up from the bottom of your dresser drawer.

Choose to choose

One phrase that, imho, is so overplayed, is "I had/have/didnt have a choice."

Everything is a choice. Period.

Lights, camera, action

Do we do our best when "the camera is rolling?" if so, what does that say? Does it say we only show up for the outside eye? What does that say about our priorities/pecking order? That we are less than? Less than what? Those who think they know what's best for us? Or maybe it's easier to blame someone or something else for our fate. In that case, carry on. If not, rewrite the script and become your own camera-person.

Believe or Know

What do you/I/we believe in? Things we "believe in" are things we don't really Know. Do I believe in god, or do I know there is god? Do I believe in life after death, or do I know there is life after death?

It seems like beliefs are based in faith and knowing is based, well, in knowingness. Why stop at belief? Why not seek to know? And we start at home. The more we know ourselves, the more we know the universe and beyond, because micro macro. Everything exists in everything else. We are a planet, a solar system, a molecule. It just depends on who's looking. And from where.

Mold

I smell mold. I don't want to rip open my bedroom wall. Yet I can't ignore the problem, symptom, sign. I can tell myself I'm hypersensitive or it's all I'm my mind, but that only changes how I deal or don't deal with the problem. So - research, waiting for some website to tell me that I can do something else instead of rip out the drywall. Eventually, I will do what needs to be done.

And how is this different from what we do as we wake up to ourselves? At some point we recognize the problem(mold), try to deny or justify its existence, find people to back us up on those denials or justifications, and eventually, when the mold becomes too toxic, we end up ripping out the drywall anyway. Or we live with the mold.

So what will it be? What it is.