Next Chapter

I asked for full force, and the world gave me an opportunity. I don't want to get too into it, because it's not all public knowledge yet, but I made a change that I probably should have made a while ago. And things are getting better.

It's time to focus completely on my career and my business. Change hasn't always been the easiest thing for me and sometimes I need a good kick in the butt to get going. So I got one. And it's difficult, but I'm thankful for the chance to change directions.

Full Force

I'm coming back, and strong. Full force. I have learned so, so, so much this year.

Its been nuts.

But I'm back. The good and the bad, all of the energy that I was opened up to in 2012 will charge me for a year of productivity in 2013.

Last night I watched Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World. It was really good, and really moving. It makes you think. I'm not going to tell you it's a romcom like I'm so super addicted to, or if its even a chill laid back movie to watch for fun. But it's worth the two hours it takes to watch it. Anyway, it made me wonder what I would change about my life. Which turned into what I will change about my life.

I'm going to craft more. This Christmas is a homemade, heartfelt kind of christmas, and it's going to introduce a year of handmade love to give and share.

I'm going to nourish the relationships I have. I have so many amazing friends and my family is my whole heart, but I often find myself too busy to be as connected as I'd like. I need to re organize my priorities. Find time every day for the people I love, even if it means not everything gets done.

Keep reading. There's so much to learn, and so many worlds to visit. I don't even want to loose my love for the written word, in both the creating and the intake.

I will become and certified yoga teacher. And I will learn from every class I teach.

More importantly, I will begin to benefit from yoga more often. There's SO MUCH out there to give myself through my practice, I just need to take the time.

I will make my Kai Chi Do class take off. It's time to go into business pushy mode, but in the chi sort of way. I'm determined, and my determination stems from a need share the beauty I get every morning when I wake up.

So, I'm making my new years resolutions early. I've got a lot to do, and I'm excited for every second of it.

Happy Holiday Season, everyone. Let's do this one right.

Retreat

Retreat - The act or process of withdrawing, especially from something hazardous, formidable, or unpleasant. The process of going backward or receding from a position or condition gained. To treat again. Going on a trip means taking time away from the ordinary every day concerns to relax and care for your soul.

A big message for me in the past few months has been to take care of your self, your soul, you wellbeing. There was a time when I was pretty in tune with the concept of looking out for yourself. I made some serious decisions and went out of my way to make sure I was doing the right thing for my emotional and spiritual health, which in turn helped me be physically healthy.

But things have been stirred up and flipped over in the past six months, and I'm realizing I've lost touch with myself. I need to spend more time in stillness, in contemplation, to find my footing again.

I need to retreat.

I think we forget how much work goes into that practice. Mindful living, person care, the ability to ground yourself - activities like these are just as time consuming and mentally active as any work you do. Relaxing is different for everyone, but I think there's a difference between sitting mindlessly doing nothing and sitting mindfully in your own presence. Our inner calm deserves as much work as our physical health, because the two go so very hand in hand.

The point of posting the definitions of retreat was to explore the idea that the word itself is vast, and the definition is vague. A lot of times when we think of a retreat it's a sunny beach, an expensive workshop, a physical change of scenery. And that's a beautiful and valid experience. But the truth is that option isn't always available. I'm not saying settle. If you need something, be it a vacation or a class or a weekend of quiet, do it. Find a way. But don't let the largeness of that type of retreat push you away from retreats all together.

Find a quiet place. Comfortable clothes. A candle, maybe, and a prayer or a chant or some quiet music. Find your peace. Get in touch without a time limit hanging over you head or a to do list. Allow those thoughts to float away, however long it takes. Listen to yourself and feel what you really need. Don't wait for a detailed trip to find your mental balance.

I hope you can all find some quiet in your day. And if you're feeling the need to take a more geographic retreat, I know of a few places along the east coast that can truly help you find yourself again. Email me lovies.

Winnie The Pooh

Upon my internet browsing, I came across some quotes from Winnie-The-Pooh. So I looked deeper, and I realized that silly yellow bear gave us some amazing lessons.

So here's some quotes to brighten your day.

“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you.”

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”

“Some people care too much. I think it's called love.”

“You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”

“If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”

“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.”

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”

“What day is it?"
It's today," squeaked Piglet.
My favorite day," said Pooh.”

“Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.”

"Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering.”

“When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.”

“Wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.”

“And by and by Christopher Robin came to the end of things, and he was silent, and he sat there, looking out over the world, just wishing it wouldn't stop.”

Simple thoughts, and a warm nostalgia that leads to a comfortable thoughtfulness that we can't quite put to words. Thank you, you silly old bear.

Oh, and just to remind us that little things can leave a big legacy?
Here's the original stuffed animals, owned by Christopher Robin Milne, that the books were written about.

And we're back

This hurricane has been hard on us all in the Northeast.

I want to take a minute, first, to say I love each and everyone one of you that is suffering. I send you all of my best, and I am confident that this too shall pass.

Throughout this weekend, there have been a number of instances where I've seen beauty in the destruction.

People sharing water and electricity, businesses going out of their way to support hurricane relief, people coming out of the woodwork to help those who needed it most. Support from friends and family giving the strength to offer support in return.

And for my family specifically, with the loss of my grandfather... so many have reached out. Thank you.

This world is beautifully messy. There's no easy way out, but there is a gentle way through, and that's what I wish for all of you.



That aside - we're back online, hopefully for a good long while!

So posts will begin again as before.


In the meantime, I was reading my bible, and found a verse that spoke to me.
So I exchanged a couple words.

I exchanged "Lord" for "Purpose" and "God" for "Love"... because aren't those the same things?

And here's what I got:

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same purpose. Love works in different ways, but it is the same Love who does the work in all of us.

I don't know how I feel about the church, and I don't know where I fall on the religious spectrum. But I know I am spiritual and i want to open myself up to all avenues of that. I love this world and the magic that runs through it, no matter what name you give it.