Love Lights
I was afraid that would happen... and it did. Silly me, I should know better than to manifest what I don't want. Nobody showed up to hoop with me last night.
The 2nd and 4th Monday of every month at 7:30pm I grab armfuls of hoops and head down to the Center for Mindful Use. I usually just wing it since it's a free offering and usually people show up to hoop. It's actually quite fun and I really enjoy the whole experience. However this is the 2nd time now that no-one showed up.
The truth is I kinda have this nagging fear that I'm not good enough but I love it so I do it anyway. I'm working on building up my experience to shift that belief towards a more empowering outlook. With the awareness I have been steadily increasing I can see how I'm still pretty good at creating my reality haphazardly so I do my best not to take it personal. I understand full well that it takes time to enact real change. To be able to maintain a deeper level of self understanding that comes with looking at how personal programming through individual life experiences affects beliefs and thus personal tendencies. Then being vigilant while choosing consciously to change those habits.
Last night was still a success even though no one came to hoop. I had a lovely, inspiring chat with Mike Hiestand who created the beautiful space that is the Center for mindful use. Fortunately he appeared happy to have the opportunity to go home early so it worked out for both of us. He closed up and I made the most of my trip downtown by walking over to the Depot Market Square and having a nice little hoop session with my brand new red SuperHooper LED hoop. I've been wanting an LED hoop for a long time and the fact that it arrived in the mail just before my scheduled hoop class was perfect. All I wanted to do was play with it. So I did. And it was fun. It turned out to be a perfect evening anyway.
Starting in the 2018 I will be making a more concerted effort to promote this super fun Monday night hooping option. I know how to do it, I just haven't done it yet. And on top of that, with everything else, I will continue to stay aware and focus on what I want to see happen in my life, (not what I don't want.) I want to see more people enjoying the art of hoop dance and the freedom of movement that occurs with these sacred circles.
Halloween & Snapchat
Halloween is one of those holidays that has morphed into a strange tradition, especially in America, where most people associate it with dressing up and going trick or treating. How on earth did the evening before a day of honoring the saints, "All Hallows Eve" turn into such a ritual as it is today? A celebration where most people are candy crazed and ingest enough sugar to send themselves on an emotional roller coaster ride as their insulin levels spike thru the roof. It's insane to think most of us condone this behavior when we know the detrimental health effects even if it is "just once a year". Sugar is extremely addictive, it has been considered close to crack cocaine on the addictive scale yet we take our kids out all dressed up at night and the goal is to get as much candy as possible!
Then we have to try and regulate the consumption of the sugar-crack in the days following halloween when the sugar is sitting there, when it's everywhere, all dressed up in different ways and begging us to put it in our mouths. Our brains pleasure center making us crave more with each bite, so much so that most of us can't help but make an excuse to have just one more piece. I know that personally I often lack the self control to moderate when it comes to sweets. Like a lot of addictive substances abstinence is often the best remedy for those who lack the willpower to have just one... or two... or three and then stop. There are plenty of good reasons why we all need to know how to moderate or abstain from sugar and why it may be a good time to think twice about what this holiday is all about. Diabetes is a huge problem in the united states because sugar is so readily available and completely acceptable to consume. There's not much regulation on how much sugar we can consume and not nearly enough education about the detrimental effects of it either ;(unfortunately). Just look at the picture for this post and imagine it's me on sugar.
The crazed crack bear selfie created using a snapchat filter is how I feel on too much sugar, like a deranged animal that needs a muzzle to stop it from putting more candy in it's mouth. I fully admit that I am already a sugar addict, I do my best to moderate but it's a challenge when the temptation is everywhere. Especially when it's celebrated and acceptable to gorge on (even if only for some people just this one time per year). And the dressing up thing? It's fun but it's also one of those things where you wonder how it came to be and where to draw the line. There are some super scary snapchat filters I wish I could get out of my head after swiping left to see what was available for today. I don't use snap chat that much and my discovery of those filters during this time of year may have been a mistake. I still have creepy images superimposed on my own face that I am trying to shake off. It really makes me wonder what happened to the original meaning behind All Hallows Eve.
What were the original rituals performed on the eve of a day to honor Saints and martyrs? Who really knows what the true story is of our rich and varied history with all the different religious ideas of how to act accordingly? I was reading that some people abstained from certain foods to prepare for an celebratory feast on November 1st, which make makes more sense to me and sounds healthier... Therefore I hereby announce that on this Hallow 'een I'm going to do a fast of sorts. I will abstain from consuming sugar to prepare for the following day where I will honor the souls who have passed away by consuming healthy harvest foods (I smell roasted pumpkin coming;). I will also be abstaining from snapchat until the holiday is over to avoid more creepy halloween filter damage to my brain. The images I see in general don't easily leave my photographic memory and I need to be more careful this time of the year.
Regardless of your opinion on how to best celebrate this Halloween, I hope you have fun, stay safe and that you also have the ability to moderate as well as make good choices for your body and for your families too. My goal with this post is simply to offer my thoughts in order to raise awareness of a different perspective on a ritual that we usually don't think twice about because it's socially acceptable and commercially viable. It's actually often that the Treats are kind of forced on us and it's always good to look at the other side recognizing that we have a choice. Maybe that's the Trick part of the whole darn thing?
I wish you a healthy & happy Hallow's Eve!
Happy 2017!
It's already the 2nd week of January, 2017 and it's been almost a month since my last blog post. Time flies when you're having fun. I had high expectations for myself last fall in regard to certain projects I wanted to have finished by now. Instead of buckling down and doing the nitty gritty work I have been saying yes to adventures and playing instead. Life is too short to work all the time right? We never know how long we have and the most important things in life aren't things. They are experiences and in that sense I feel I have not wasted a moment of my time. Maybe I set my expectations too high but I'm not disappointed in myself, I've just had to re-adjust my perspective and perceptions. The Eagle has been one of my key spirit animals assisting me on my path. Eagles are symbolic of great strength along with the ability to see the big picture and I have been blessed with many reminders by my physical encounters with them. I'm also very grateful to be aware of my connection with them and with the spirit in all that is. As I learn to give in and let go, I want to be like the water following the path of least resistance, going with the flow as I trust in the universe to continue to guide and support me along the way.
So far this year has been amazing. I've had the chance to see many of my wonderful friends I haven't seen in a long time. And I've had the freedom to choose how my days go. I feel so incredibly thankful to find myself here and now. The earth and this life is so beautiful and I keep trying to capture the beauty that I see so that I can share it with all of you. I'm constantly amazed at what I'm continuing to see and to learn every day. I'm still working on writing my books, painting and music too. I have canvas & sewing jobs in process and soon I will be using my Captains license again as I get the opportunity to take people out on sailing adventures in the amazing San Juan Islands. More information and links coming on that soon too. In the meantime, Thank you for your patience and understanding with me and with yourselves. This life is an ever unfolding adventure with many unexpected twists and turns. In the words of Bob Ross, "There are no mistakes, only happy accidents"... lets enjoy the ride as we paint the canvas's of our lives.
Life on Earth...
...is quite the adventure. And Mike Dooley has written a book about it. I first found out about Hay House publishing from my favorite Author Pam Grout and ever since I gave my e-mail address to Hay House my inbox has had a steady stream of new books and authors reaching out for my attention. I love to read and just this morning I took the bait and purchased Mister Dooley's newest book partially for the bonus's promised in the newsletter. Then I joined the private Facebook group immediately and asked a question which he promptly answered during the live web feed on ZOOM this afternoon. Now I'm thankful I have Amazon prime because the book will be here in two days and I can hardly wait to start reading it. Needless to say, I'm impressed so far with the transparency and authenticity oozing from this human being who is sharing himself with all of us. We are all in this together and it's helpful to know there are like-minded individuals who exist in this vast and wild world we live in. I'll keep you posted on the book with a full review after I finish reading it. I love to share. :) And Thank you for reading this.
Gaining Momentum
Doggone it! Some days are better than others but I finally feel like I'm gaining some momentum here. I'm learning how to use SquareSpace to create my website and in the process I'm beginning to redefine myself and figure out what direction my business is heading. At the same time I'm getting more familiar and finally falling in love with my Mac after being a PC person for so many years. The possibilities in this earth-realm really are infinite therefore requiring me to do a bit of soul-searching to determine my true passions and find ways to share my abilities coherently. I feel so incredibly grateful to have so many options and I appreciate having the patience while I sort it all out. I know it will all be worth it in the end, even when my threshold is pushed to the point where all I can do is sleep it off and start fresh the next day.