Going on a Sentimental Journey...

Today we celebrated my grandma's 90th birthday. What a wonderful day! Family from all over California came -- some who I have not seen for over 20 years.

I have been looking forward to this gathering for months now. I know it meant so much to Grandma. What surprised me is how much it meant to me! Having my husband and children connect with family and our heritage, watching the kids play on the balcony with cousins -- some they know well and some who they just met for the first time, watching my dad give a toast to his mom, seeing cousins who have pulled through the toughest of times and emerge strong and happy, meeting new spouses and babies... I thoroughly enjoyed the day.

In preparation for the day, I created a DVD with photos from our family's past. It was surprising to me how little I knew about my own grandma. But I found the secret to getting to know her -- just ask her about a photo! She sure opens up as she recalls the people, places and happenings in her life. I also learned that I actually enjoy Lawrence Welk music -- ha! I must REALLY be getting old!!!

The Spa

Today was spa day. I ventured out and tried a new spa for me, The Spa and Fitness Club at South Coast.

This article summed it up. While the atmosphere didn't lend itself to lingering, overall, the spa experience was wonderful and the massage treatment (80 minute combo) was pure bliss. Kathie was absolutely fabulous, both skilled and intuitive and that truly made the day worth it.

I'm more of a lingerer when I want to do the spa on a day off. This spa isn't built for that. The small space, chattering clientele along with the television(!), newspaper and phone in the lounge made it feel more like home than an escape from the world.

The spa offers memberships and I can clearly see that if you want to use it more like a gym - quick in and out trips - it would be wonderful.

Shift

I'm on vacation this week so had a bit of time to browse for good stuff. I just found this 17 second timer and was reminded once again how quickly 17 seconds flies by!

Why 17 seconds? Because if we focus our thoughts or attention on something for as little as 17 seconds, our vibration will shift to begin to match it. You can actually feel the shift in many cases. It is the first "ignition point" of our thought. In just 68 seconds, according to Abraham, you've launched a full-blown creation.

Now, you can take that to both the positive, deliberate thought and to thinking by default, too. How long do I dwell on something when it makes me mad? How long do commercials try to focus my attention on a feeling to make me what to buy? It reminded me why our family does not watch the news. How long could you stare at the newscast of things you don't want? Or let your kids do that?

It made me appreciate even more the resources such as Hay House Radio and the meditation recordings that Summer McStravick of Flowdreaming puts together and the variety of resources by Orin and Daben. There are so many ways to keep our thoughts focused in the direction we want and so many resources to help us practice. I'm always looking for more positive resources, so if you know of any, please comment!

So the trick is, find things that feel good and savor them! And when you find things that do not feel good, shift your focus as fast as you can!

Welcome Year of the (Fire) Pig!

Happy Chinese New Year! Today begins the red pig year. Year of the fire pig.

From what I know (very little) about the Chinese Zodiac, they are just for fun even to the Chinese. But it is a nice way to guestimate out how old someone is without asking their age!

My husband, son and I area all Monkeys while my daughter is a Snake. What's more, my dh and I are Earth Monkeys and my ds is a Wood Monkey. Sweet girl is Metal Snake. What does it all mean? Maybe that tonight would be a good night for take-out!

The First Published Map of World Happiness

Guy Kawasaki's blog usually makes for interesting reading. Take yesterday's post for example. It's about a global study that attempted to map and project the overall happiness of different countries. Subjective? Of course! But another example of another example of another cool job -- I think I'm leaning toward a research scientist in a future life!

Walking the Talk

As you know if you've been reading this, in 2007, I am committed to uncovering network of inspired individuals who are committed to expanding who they've known themselves to be. As part of that, I've been looking for interesting blogs and sites that jump out to me. I linked to a few for the past two days.

Today I discovered Shift-It-Coach. I especially like how Christina integrates her passion for deliberate creation along with her profession as a graphic coach. She truly combines her talents into something unique! Check out her background and what she brings to the table! Wow!

Log On to Feel Good

What a cool site. "Dave" says he's created it out of his own desire to find things that feel good and what a great group of clips he has collected! Feel Good Vibes -- check it out!!

Where is the Universe Expanding To?

I teach my kids that everything they do, everything they think and every experience they have adds unto everything the universe is. They are an integral part of eternity and forever expansion. As Abraham puts it, they are on the leading edge, moving thought forward.

Today I saw this post on Evolving Times and the link to Scientific American titled "Where is the Universe Expanding To?" I started thinking about how extraordinary it would be to take this on, to try to explain eternal expansion in a mathmetical equasion! I want that job (at least, theoretically)!

I love the convergence of spirituality and science and the conversations it sparks.

More "Secret" Stuff

The Secret continues to gain momentum. Today's Oprah show featured The Secret to millions of viewers.

Again, I am both happy that thought like this is getting mainstream play but at the same time, it feels like it is just part of the story being told. It seems salesy and a little bit like snake-oil. With a topic so close to my heart, this is tough! I have to chalk it up to what mainstream is, I guess. And focus on the positive aspects.

I truly do marvel at what is possible by the time my children are grown. What if people took responsibility for their own thinking and deliberately used their imaginations to experience now the things they want and love. What if people stopped fighting against what they don't want (war on this, war on that) and instead started championing the things they do want.

What if time to think was as sacred as time to eat or sleep?

Just musing...

Friends

I just attended an event where there were quite a few people who I knew, many from work. Some I would consider friends. Most, aquaintences. What I mean by that is that I interact with them from time to time but have no meaningful relationship with them.

It made me think about how differently my kids think of friends. At 5 and 2, both Jenna and Jack are very outgoing, open, social and love their friends. In their world, friends are the kids their age that they meet at the park, anyone who wants to play. It is easy for them to find that natural affinity with people. One of their favorite things to do is to go out on a sunny day and "find some friends."

I spent time in Jenna's classroom today and the project I worked on was "What is a friend?" Answers from the 5 year olds ranged from "Someone who is nice to me" to "Someone who likes the things I like" and "Someone who helps me."

When did I start getting so picky about friends? I decided on the way home tonight to take a lesson from my kids and deliberately expand the people that I have relationships with, to ask more questions and to listen more carefully. I have a sense that I'll discover that I have more friends than I thought I did.

Free

When I travel, even on business, I inevitably get this sense of freedom as soon as I arrive in an unfamiliar city. I am continually amazed at how I can just show up somewhere and easily find my way through the network of roads and people and intentions and easily navigate to my destination. I love the feeling of zipping through the world as if everything I want and need are anticipating my arrival.

Today, I had that feeling as I drove south on the 5 from Seattle to Portland. In traffic. Sounds like a strange place to have the sense of freedom, but I did! And as the speeds picked up and the sun started setting through the forest of trees that line the highway, it really set in. I felt free, free, free! I had no hotel reservation and no timeline and for two short hours, no one really knew where I was except me.

I do believe that the basis of life is freedom. I am so free that I can choose bondage. Or not. It's all in my thinking. In every moment, no matter what my circumstances, I am free to choose any thought I want to think. I am free to change course, choose newly. Just knowing that is liberating.

Now...we create with our thought and we are free to think anything -- what an extraordinary concept. The question really becomes, do I dare think beyond where I have thought before? Seriously, it is not always an easy task to get out of our comfortable boxes to think beyond what already is.

So time to turn in and dream a little. I'd love to hear ideas about what you would think about and create if you could really think anything...

Flutter By, Butterfly

My friend Mary died today after a two year battle with cancer. She was 40 years old. This photo was taken in March 1995, two months after her initial diagnosis and first surgery.

The last time I spoke with her was a little over a week ago. I asked her if she was scared, she said she really wasn't. She said that she had decided that everything had a reason and she was sticking to her story. We talked about connecting after she died and laughed that she would be a really tenacious butterfly, determined to land on my head.

I wanted to go into the backyard today and just sit and relax, to wait for a butterfly, but for some reason, I wasn't ready. I let myself stay busy instead. It's funny, I know that Mary is in such a better place now. She is free! I truly am happy for her! I guess I let myself feel sorry for me today. Not really an extraordinary way to be.

I must say, when I did connect with a few friends about Mary, we all shared the same relief that she was finally free. I think that people really do know that there is no need to fear death. That there really is no death, just a change of scenery.

Flutter by, sweet butterfly. I will miss you, Mary.

Namaste

I love yoga. I am so thrilled with my new class and love practicing 'live' once a week. I do admit, I push myself quite a bit harder in a room full of people than I do with my DVD. But practice in the evenings is also wonderful and I am so appreciative of my great DVDs that support my commitment.

People ask me quite often, "What is yoga?" "Is it stretching?" "Is it meditation?" "Is it spiritual?" For me, yoga is a way of life and the practice of yoga is a deliberate connection of my body with my breath. Yoga is a workout, but that's not all it is. Yoga keeps me flexible and strong, but that's not all it does. Yoga relaxes me and quiets my mind, but there is more.

What I love about yoga the most is that it helps me to hold more light. All exercise does, really, but yoga is special because of the conscious integration and control of the breath. Breath brings light and light is the essence of all that is. It is our light that makes us extraordinary.

It's really that simple and I think most people miss it. When I grow up, I want to be a yoga teacher so that I can lead eager people through the wonder of yoga to grow strong, flexible, confident and quiet...to help them shine more brightly.

I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with yoga; especially if the practice is part of what makes you extraordinary.

It's as Easy to Create a Castle as it is to Create a Button

I've heard it said that it is as easy to create a castle as a button, meaning that whatever you want to create, your belief frames your experience and your result. Sounds like Donald Trump thinks the same way. In yesterday's blog by Guy Kawasaki, his answer to this question shows that really, attitude is everything:

"Question: Not many people make billions, lose billions, and then make billions all over again. How did you pull this off?"
"Answer: To me it was a blip, not a catastrophe. I knew I was destined to succeed, and I kept focused on that belief. I’m very tenacious...and I don’t give up."

Check it out.

Being Extraordinary

I just completed the communication class I wrote about a week or so ago and am so present to and excited about the discipline of being extraordinary.

By that, I mean that to truly make a difference on the magnitude of extraordinary, I have to be present, aware, open and willing to get out of my own way over and over again. It means that I need to be up at bat, swinging -- not hanging out in left field waiting to catch an easy pop fly.

I am committed to being extraordinary in my every, ordinary life. To create and maintain relationships that are alive and full of love. To think big, make commitments and keep them.

As part of that, I will be more intentional about my blogging -- focused back on the extraordinary.

It's just a stage...

One thing that I've learned as a mom is that really, everything comes and goes in stages. Knowing this helps me keep my sanity because I know that it won't last forever...sigh...it is just a stage.

I've been finding myself doing this recently with my two cherubs. Jack is just leaving his "Mommy, I want to have you!" stage and entering a new, "Weve me awone!" stage. (Mommy takes a deep breath here...). Jenna is testing the boundaries of her freedom. When she doesn't get it, there's s fight. Luckily I know (another deep breath), this is just a stage.

I find myself taking a lot of deep breaths lately. That's not so bad.

What About Me?

This is a pretty cool video that reflects the underlying theme in most people's lives. It's worth watching the whole way through, as it speaks to how to break out of the cycle of thinking that keeps us apart from others, making more room for love in our lives.

What You Want is Irrevelant!

It's not what you want... it's what you're committed to.

It was a lot of class hours, but I did love the course this weekend and was returned to the discipline of living an extraordinary life.

Onward!

What's Possible?

The new year has really thrown me for a loop. As I pondered what my goals might be for 2007, I found myself dissatisfied with each thing I came up with. "Is that really what I want," was a common question that kept coming up...and kept me thinking of what would be ideal.

I'm coming to the realization that maybe I've been afraid to think ideal because I love my life. I love my work situation, my family, my friends. If I wanted more, would that be greedy of me? And what the heck would I ask for?

So I've started to venture out and explore a bit... at least in my thoughts. I know that one thing that I'd love is more time. But time for what? More family time and more time to spend thinking and doing the things that I love. This led me to another idea...what if I combined my work and the things I love? Teamwork, manifestation, spirituality... That idea would have been radical 5 years ago but these things are mainstream now. Maybe it's worth exploring, at least in concept.

For now, I've committed to making time for the things I love and my dh is fully supportive. I am so appreciative of the love and support that he gives me and so thankful that we've been able to create a terrific experience together.

This weekend, I'm attending the Communication - Access to Power course at Landmark Education. It's been about 6 years (before my daughter was born) that I attended any courses there but they are powerful programs that I enjoyed so I'm getting re-engaged. I'm taking yoga again once a week (at a studio) and practicing via DVD the other nights. This is a huge shift for me!

More on what comes of it all later... at least being in the inquiry is fun!

Rock Castles

I love the desert.

We recently returned from a camping trip with the kids. It was our first to the desert since we were married -- my first, really, in probably 15 years.

I grew up going to the desert. The draw for the crowd then, as now, was motorcycle riding and playing with other recreational vehicles. But the draw for me is the desert. The expanse of quiet space, stretching from the earth up into the stars of the sky, touches me deeply. Even with the buzz of RV generators and motors whizzing by, I get that feeling of peace and belonging.

I love watching the campfire dance, the sun rise in the east. I love the stars. As a mom, I love watching the kids discover the desert for themselves. That's what Jack and I did. We discovered the wonder of building rock castles.

As an eager 2-year old, Jack wants to be just like his big sister and just like his daddy. He wants it all and he wants it now! After an episode of Jack being the epitome of a little brother, I decided to distract him into something new -- gathering rocks in his dump truck to build a rock castle.

What fun it was! We set out together to find the perfect rocks, piling them high into the yellow Tonka truck. We found our own rhythm, and were so connected to each other with hardly a sound. The world disappeared as Jack and I played, gathered and built the perfect rock castle. Filling and dumping, filling and dumping.

I should have taken a photo. It looked like a pile of rocks. But I know that each rock had a particular place and each rock was especially chosen to be in the castle. Not all rocks were selected.

As we left, I asked Jack to choose his favorite rock to bring home and now it sits in our family room, reminding me of the magic of the desert.

I'm looking forward to building more rock castles.