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Once in a Blue Moon

8/30/2012

Have you ever used the phrase, "once in a blue moon"? If you've been saying that something only happens once in a blue moon, then, lookout -- tomorrow, August 31, is a blue moon (the second full moon in one month)! Celebrate the possibilities! This is a real boost to procrastinators. It goes right along with doing something "when you get around to it". Did you know they actually make little round plastic disks that have printed on them "Round Tuit". So, either way, blue moon or round tuit -- this is your chance to step outside the ordinary and do something you don't usually do :) Remember, we create our own fun. Go create some!

Here's a very informative article from Mother Nature Network about the moon in general and blue moons in particular...

Once in a Blue Moon

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Sharing Love

8/30/2012

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I am lucky to have a fabulous, creative, artistic friend who has just expanded her modes of expression to a blog. It's called For Highest Good Sharings by C. Michele Rose. It's a wonderful blend of her beautiful soul's love through art, poetry, prose and loving wisdom. I hope you enjoy it!

For Highest Good Sharings

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Riding the Storms of Life

8/29/2012

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South Florida recently received a close brush with Hurricane Isaac (then a tropical storm). It has been quite a few years since the unprecedented season in 2005 during which four strong, significant hurricanes criss-crossed the state, and though Isaac did not affect our weather other than to bring some rainy, windy days, it was a good wake-up call. Floridians tend to slide into a weird complacency when years go by without a storm threat. How quickly we forget! Maybe that's a good thing, but I am of the opinion that it's always best to prepare for those threats which allow you time to do so.

I watched with interest how different people reacted to the possibility of a storm: some were in defiant denial and did the least possible amount of preparation. Others went in the opposite direction, stocking up on supplies & food, topping off the gas tank and firing up the generator to test it, buying batteries & lanterns, putting up storm shutters, etc. Some even evacuated when it appeared that Isaac might come directly at the SW Florida coast. We were somewhere in the middle, having enough experience with hurricanes to know their highly unpredictable ways.

One can hardly miss the metaphor for dealing with the storms of life. We each have our unique set of life experiences and mental/emotional framework that we bring to any situation. With all the recent images of weather disasters swirling vividly in our memories (a definite downside of too much media), some fear and trepidation crept in, expressed in various ways. Comfort was sought through food & drink (Key West's way of coping), as is the normal human impluse. I'll bet chocolate sales were through the roof! Everyone has their own coping mechanisms :) The surfers were out taking advantage of the rare waves in the Gulf of Mexico. I love that someone is always finding good and something to enjoy, despite the storm. Some are complacent, some victims, some energized and aware, ready to reach out a helping hand, or take a risk for another's good. Kinda like life.

I found myself feeling a mix of emotions, but mostly a kind of energized thrill of anticipation of being in direct contact with the wild side of Mother Nature. I have a very healthy respect for the awesome power she wields in all her many aspects. But there is something in a storm that makes one feel incredibly alive to the roots of one's being -- feeling paradoxically prepared and uncertain at the same time -- it keeps you off balance, but juiced, if you know what I mean. I think that might be a good way to approach life in general -- hopeful, ready, engaged, and in awe. What do you think?

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Lessons from my Cat: Misty's Life Philosophy

8/10/2012

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This is my 17-year-old cat, Misty, napping in her cat bed. She has worked hard over her long life to teach me some very valuable lessons. I'm a slow learner, apparently, but she is persistent. Here are the basics:

1. Naps are excellent tools for enhancing life and making it very pleasant. Naps can happen at any time and without warning. You must pick your nap spot with the greatest care so you won't be disturbed, and vary the location according to the time of day, season, and movement of the sun. Napping will make you a better person/cat/being. If you can arrange to have a nap companion, that is preferable. Take lots of naps.

2. Ask for what you want. Ask often. Ask loudly. Ask without ceasing. Ask and you shall receive -- (OK, Jesus taught this one, first, but Misty is an avid believer!). She also believes in the seek and ye shall find philosophy, with the added twist that she gets me to do her seeking -- for her toys. It's sort of like playing fetch with a dog, but in reverse. She hides them, I seek them.

3. Pay attention to your surroundings. Misty will notice if I move the living room sofa two inches to the right. Really. And if I add anything new to her/our environment, it must be fully inspected and approved. She's very thorough and she notices the least little change. If the change does not meet her approval, she lets me know about it in no uncertain terms. She has many ways of doing so, and none of them are nice. Accordingly, she almost always gets exactly what she wants. See # 2 above, since these two work in combination and synergy to great effect.

4. The entire world and all of humanity are at your beck and call. Explore, enjoy, live it up! Someone will always be there to open the food can, comfort and pet you when you need it, and otherwise take care of your every need. (This one works better if you are small, cute, furry and have four feet.)

5. Exercise is good for you. Stretching luxuriously, leaping on and off furniture, running in a mad dash from one end of the house to the other, chasing the little feather toy on the end of the stick -- all these are really good things to do, and you should do them often. Yoga is sort of acceptable, but it bores her quickly. She shows this by dragging her tail across my mouth, usually when I'm in downward dog position. (I have often wondered how she knows that's what the pose is called!)

6. Drink lots of pure, fresh water. On this lesson, she is most adamant. She has several water bowls around our house (at least four, for one cat!) and all of them must be kept fresh. She knows if it hasn't been changed in the last 2 minutes. Unless she sees you do it, it doesn't count. Water is very important and no compromise is ever allowed.

7. Personal grooming must be done often and with great care. Washing your face and paws is crucial, and keeping every hair in place requires your full attention. She allows us to comb her to assist in this task, but really, she does a smashing job on her own. If someone ruffles your fur, immediately smooth it back in place and go on as if nothing happened. This may be the most valuable of all Misty's lessons.

8. Everything in the Universe exists for your pleasure, fun, happiness, and if you expect only good, that's what you get. For instance, she expects love, comfort, care and adoration from her humans, and -- yep, you guessed it. She gets it. OK, as I reconsider, maybe this one is the most important. The Universe is a good place. Enjoy it!

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Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much...and take a break from the news!

8/7/2012

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I've seen variations of this phrase on plaques and in TV commericals (it sounds like a wine commercial -- perhaps it is a wine commercial, but I'm not endorsing alcohol here!) I think it is sage advice, with or without the wine, and it works as a philosophy of life, too. We humans tend to be sucked into seriousness at the drop of a stock market and it takes real determination to remain positive when all around you gloom and doom abounds. All the more reason to concentrate your efforts in the direction of life. After all, the stock market can't give you a hug and dry your tears when you are upset.

A very wise teacher once pointed out that the nightly (or morning) news is always the bad news. It was true then, and it's even more so now that the information age brings so much to our attention, in such immediate and varied ways. Do you sometimes feel totally bombarded by information, as if you are under attack? I do! There's always plenty to be sad/upset/outraged/shocked (insert your own emotion here) about when watching the TV news, or seeing it through a feed on your computer or smartphone. And even the efforts of some news media to play a "feel good" story at the end of the broadcast does not cancel out a half an hour of bad news and shocking images. The thing you must remember to keep things in perspective is: bad news, the more shocking the better, sells, and that is what advertisers are looking to do.

So, do we mere mortals have any control over the bad news brigade? Well, the answer is no -- and yes! The one thing we can (and I've come to believe should) do is to unplug ourselves from the onslaught -- yes, I know this is a very radical idea. I'm proposing a complete news fast. If you want a challenge in flexing your muscles of self-control -- here it is! Can you stop watching, listening, reading, computing or otherwise ingesting the news for a fixed period of time? It's a whole lot more difficult than you might initially think.

If you rise to the challenge, you can start by unplugging the TV. Leave it unplugged. Just try it for a week. Or, if you are a real addict, try it for one day. Just a day! You can do that!! No cheating, now. If you don't live alone, this is obviously a LOT more complicated, because you have to get everyone to agree to do this. See what I mean about the difficulty? You might want to wait until the Olympics is over to start the news fast. Just a thought to keep the proverbial peace. Once you've mastered the TV, move on to the computer. Facebook will still be there when you return. Just don't turn it on. Or if you do, use it for creative writing or something that's purely fun and not tainted with any news. It's not easy, but you can do it!

Then, you can find all kinds of positive ways to fill the time you would normally spend watching the news/TV/computer internet surfing/reading the paper. Do you enjoy reading? If so, pick up that new novel you've been meaning to start. Or start a craft project. Or a home repair project. Or a hobby you've not had time to do in umpteen years. Or go out dancing or sailing or whatever you enjoy. That's a major advantage of going on a news fast -- you will find your leisure time increases exponentially. The other rather wonderful side effect of a news fast is that you start to feel calmer, less frazzled, less distressed/depressed if you don't have a constant barrage of negativity coming at you all during your waking hours. The trick is to do this in baby steps. At first you might feel shaky. You may fall down (and plug the TV back in for a fix or take a peek at Facebook), but if you persist, you will find some truly worthwile benefits. My husband and I did a news fast for a whole month and it literally changed our lives. We even had meaningful conversations when not glued to the TV. Really. Try it.

I won't go on and list all the benefits of less stress and a more positive outlook. You've no doubt seen those numbers and read those articles. What I will tell you, is that finding ways to truly come alive, to share laughter that makes your sides hurt and tears stream down your face, to experience a joyful, deeper intimacy with those you love -- these things are the priceless jewels in our human lives and we can choose, consciously, to nurture them and let them shine. So, take back a bit of control over your life and turn it in a positive, fulfilling, uplifting direction. Live, laugh, and love. Do it for a day. You may like the results so much you'll make it a permanent lifestyle change.

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Once in a Blue Moon

Sharing Love

Riding the Storms of Life

Lessons from my Cat: Misty's Life Philosophy

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much...and take a break from the news!

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