“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” -Mahatma Gandhi
I have no income. But I am working. The dream is ginormous. World-changing. Revolutionary. I can't take credit for the vision, but I am as fully invested in it as any would dare. I learn from my partners. I offer all the support I can. Every day there are tasks; some minuscule, some monumental, many exciting, many frightening. Progress is slow. There have been setbacks both logistical and emotional. I waver, but I stay the course. My passion comes from within, but my energy comes from the creativity and talent of the people around me. It is for them that I push myself outside my comfort zone, overcome my fears, and continue to strive for the prize. That is how I am learning, growing, and succeeding. Failure is not an option. That isn't to say that we will achieve our goal. Come what may, I have faith that what lies ahead is greater than even I can imagine. The unbreakable connection we all share is what sustains my belief in me. "Where there is a will, there is a way."
Monday, November 25, 2013
Monday, November 18, 2013
Sheer Dumb Luck
“Leave behind the passive dreaming of a rose-tinted future. The energy of happiness exists in living today with roots sunk firmly in reality's soil.” - Daisaku Ikeda
I have a theory about karma. I have yet to determine whether it is truth or resignation to mediocrity, but I have seen nothing to disprove it and so, it remains. Do you ever daydream about winning the lottery? I think everyone has a plan for winning millions whether they play regularly or not. But when I truly imagine the windfall, I have to ask myself, "is that really what I want?" Time and again, lottery winners fall into tragedy and hard luck. Karma may deal a winning hand, but there is always a price to pay. The same could be said for fame. Oh how I would love to rub elbows with professional athletes or Hollywood A-listers, but I'm not willing to trade in my private lifestyle. We can't know their state of mind, but we know details of their lives including heart break and loss that would cripple most of us. I can only imagine how easy it would be to lose touch with reality and resort to hard living in an attempt to feel something. No thank you. If I fall into a state of wishing, I remind myself how truly good I have it. I am surrounded by rock stars and gurus that remain undiscovered by the media. I am living large with no one to answer to except myself. I don't need to walk a red carpet to feel loved or important. My power lies in making a difference in my community. I work everyday to uplift and empower my family, friends, and neighbors. That is more prosperity than I could ever hope for. Karma can be satisfied with my petty frustrations and neuroses. Failing that, I will always have my faith.
I have a theory about karma. I have yet to determine whether it is truth or resignation to mediocrity, but I have seen nothing to disprove it and so, it remains. Do you ever daydream about winning the lottery? I think everyone has a plan for winning millions whether they play regularly or not. But when I truly imagine the windfall, I have to ask myself, "is that really what I want?" Time and again, lottery winners fall into tragedy and hard luck. Karma may deal a winning hand, but there is always a price to pay. The same could be said for fame. Oh how I would love to rub elbows with professional athletes or Hollywood A-listers, but I'm not willing to trade in my private lifestyle. We can't know their state of mind, but we know details of their lives including heart break and loss that would cripple most of us. I can only imagine how easy it would be to lose touch with reality and resort to hard living in an attempt to feel something. No thank you. If I fall into a state of wishing, I remind myself how truly good I have it. I am surrounded by rock stars and gurus that remain undiscovered by the media. I am living large with no one to answer to except myself. I don't need to walk a red carpet to feel loved or important. My power lies in making a difference in my community. I work everyday to uplift and empower my family, friends, and neighbors. That is more prosperity than I could ever hope for. Karma can be satisfied with my petty frustrations and neuroses. Failing that, I will always have my faith.
Monday, November 11, 2013
I Could Use a Good Laugh
"We have taken Life too Seriously, and the time has come now to take Laughter Seriously." -Dr. Madan Kataria
So, remember back in June, how I was lamenting my lame laugh? Well, I worked the Google on the internet machine and found some YouTube videos on laughter yoga. Laughter yoga? Yes, it really is a thing. And this past weekend, my husband and I attended the Canada Laughter Yoga Conference in Toronto. Besides thoroughly enjoying the city and sharing a getaway weekend with the best man in the world, I learned A LOT. This is what I can tell you now about Laughter Yoga:
It was invented in 1995 by Dr. Madan Kataria under the premise "laughter is the best medicine". On the heels of the scientific discovery that our bodies cannot differentiate between spontaneous laughter and self-induced or contrived laughter, Dr. Kataria developed several unique laughing exercises. Some basics include repeating the mantra "ho ho, ha ha ha" , and a radiant laughter that begins with a chuckle that you then let flow naturally as it will. The yoga connection comes in with breath. Through breathing and laughter exercises, people are finding innumerable benefits. There are laughter clubs forming all over the world. People hold meetings in their homes or in parks and simply laugh together. It has significant effects for reducing stress, strengthening the immune system, and improving the ability to focus. The obvious added benefit is developing social connections. Laughter yoga has grown more quickly in Eastern cultures and is being practiced in Indian, Japanese, and South Korean prisons and military bases, as well as in senior centers and schools.
On a personal level, I was a bit discouraged by the amount of effort it took to maintain the laughing exercises. I had hoped that I would find myself enjoying genuine laughter that felt easy and fun. I would like to try again and see if it gets easier. I guess my next step is to find (or found, if need be), a laughter club or workshop near me. I would love it if you would join me.
So, remember back in June, how I was lamenting my lame laugh? Well, I worked the Google on the internet machine and found some YouTube videos on laughter yoga. Laughter yoga? Yes, it really is a thing. And this past weekend, my husband and I attended the Canada Laughter Yoga Conference in Toronto. Besides thoroughly enjoying the city and sharing a getaway weekend with the best man in the world, I learned A LOT. This is what I can tell you now about Laughter Yoga:
It was invented in 1995 by Dr. Madan Kataria under the premise "laughter is the best medicine". On the heels of the scientific discovery that our bodies cannot differentiate between spontaneous laughter and self-induced or contrived laughter, Dr. Kataria developed several unique laughing exercises. Some basics include repeating the mantra "ho ho, ha ha ha" , and a radiant laughter that begins with a chuckle that you then let flow naturally as it will. The yoga connection comes in with breath. Through breathing and laughter exercises, people are finding innumerable benefits. There are laughter clubs forming all over the world. People hold meetings in their homes or in parks and simply laugh together. It has significant effects for reducing stress, strengthening the immune system, and improving the ability to focus. The obvious added benefit is developing social connections. Laughter yoga has grown more quickly in Eastern cultures and is being practiced in Indian, Japanese, and South Korean prisons and military bases, as well as in senior centers and schools.
On a personal level, I was a bit discouraged by the amount of effort it took to maintain the laughing exercises. I had hoped that I would find myself enjoying genuine laughter that felt easy and fun. I would like to try again and see if it gets easier. I guess my next step is to find (or found, if need be), a laughter club or workshop near me. I would love it if you would join me.
Monday, November 4, 2013
If You're Unhappy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands
"Happiness is a byproduct of function, purpose, and conflict; those who seek happiness for itself seek victory without war." - William S. Burroughs
Life is so complicated. There are so many people out there and they all have different ideas, opinions, and expectations. And we are supposed to care about ALL of them. Of course, we care about some more than others, and we will offend a stranger for the benefit of a loved one. Think Black Friday sales. But what I'm still trying to figure out is where my own feelings fit in the ranks. I don't want to be selfish or petty. I just want to matter. No one else is going to put me at the top of the list, so it's up to me to fight for what I need. So, to me falls the heavy job: I must continually determine what matters enough to subject not only myself to confrontation, but to also subject my friends and family to my demands. Occasionally, ...OK, -all too often, my mood overrides my intellect, and I can't reason myself out of being upset. Thanks, hormones. Whose problem is that? Mine, I know, but still I hope for support and comfort. I hope someone cares. I say, in a healthy relationship, there can only be one person at a time having a fit. The other should summon all their powers of listening, patience, and understanding. (After all, we can hardly expect an angry person to be calm or rational.) When I get over myself, you can take a turn. Deal? Sounds perfectly rational to me.
Life is so complicated. There are so many people out there and they all have different ideas, opinions, and expectations. And we are supposed to care about ALL of them. Of course, we care about some more than others, and we will offend a stranger for the benefit of a loved one. Think Black Friday sales. But what I'm still trying to figure out is where my own feelings fit in the ranks. I don't want to be selfish or petty. I just want to matter. No one else is going to put me at the top of the list, so it's up to me to fight for what I need. So, to me falls the heavy job: I must continually determine what matters enough to subject not only myself to confrontation, but to also subject my friends and family to my demands. Occasionally, ...OK, -all too often, my mood overrides my intellect, and I can't reason myself out of being upset. Thanks, hormones. Whose problem is that? Mine, I know, but still I hope for support and comfort. I hope someone cares. I say, in a healthy relationship, there can only be one person at a time having a fit. The other should summon all their powers of listening, patience, and understanding. (After all, we can hardly expect an angry person to be calm or rational.) When I get over myself, you can take a turn. Deal? Sounds perfectly rational to me.
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