Ease Up

"Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there someday". -Winnie the Pooh

Those who know me know that I often am in a state of constant motion. I much prefer to be active and doing something, rather than sitting around.  I often have a very hard time just doing nothing. Sitting is not one of my strong suits. However, I think the universe is telling me to ease up and slow my roll as of late. I injured my foot and have been literally forced to slow down--my daily walking has become more of a mindful meditation instead of a timed route to work. My desire to give up my seat has become a selfish need to sit down. 

I think it's been a good lesson for me. Sometimes it's a good lesson to just take it easy. It's also made me think of easing up on myself. While striving to be better people we are often very harsh on ourselves and don't give ourselves a break. I think everyone is just doing the best they can. As I have my boys in class do, give yourself a pat on the back today. Ease up on yourself, on others that you may be judging or impatient with, on that cashier that's taking too long, on the person walking too slow in front of you. 

As I make my slow pilgrimage through the world, a certain sense of beautiful mystery seems to gather and grow. -A.C. Benson

I'm a slow walker, but I never walk back. -Abraham Lincoln

If death meant just leaving the stage long enough to change costume and come back as a new character, would you slow down? Or speed up? -Chuck Palahniuk

I have wandered all my life, and I have also traveled; the difference between the two being this, that we wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment". 

-Hilaire Belloc

on the road in Ubud, Bali

After returning from three weeks of travel, I'm struck by how full I am. Maybe full of thai food, experiences, stories...but I feel as though I'm bursting. I'm exploding with delight. With enthusiasm. With happiness. I feel this sense of awe and wonder about how fortunate I am in my life. I am so overwhelmed with greatness.

ful·fill·ment

 

noun

1.

the act or state of fulfilling: to witness the fulfillment of adream; to achieve fulfillment of one's hopes.

2.

the state or quality of being fulfilled;  completion;realization: a vague plan that had no hope of fulfillment.

Success, happiness, peace of mind and fulfillment-the most priceless of human treasures are available among us, without exception, who makes things happen - who make "good" things happen - in the world around them". -Joe Klock

Life finds its purpose and fulfillment in the expansion of happiness".

 -Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Letting go of all expectations, with travel and this summer, has been so gratifying and fulfilling. I am looking forward to what the Fall has in store for me. Keep enjoying this 'human treasure' and expanding into the world around you. Some Happy moments along my travels...

Siem Reap, Camdodia

Bangkok Airport

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more,

 do more and become more, you are a leader. 

-John Qunicy Adams

Inspire:
verb (used with object)

1.

to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence:His courage inspired his followers.

2.

to produce or arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.): to inspireconfidence in others.

3.

to fill or affect with a specified feeling, thought, etc.: toinspire a person with distrust.

4.

to influence or impel: Competition inspired her to greaterefforts.

5.

to animate, as an influence, feeling, thought, or the like,does: They were inspired by a belief in a better future.

When I was in high school I was a huge dork (oh yes, believe it or not dear ones). I wore oversized t-shirts, Winnie-the-Pooh overalls, pigtails...oh dear. The pictures are scary. In my high school English class, we read Lord of the Flies. In the novel, there is one leader of the group: Ralph. We had a writing project in which we were broken up into 7 smaller groups. Each group had to choose one person out of our own class that would act as the Ralph character--the leader of the whole class.  Imagine my dork-a-rific self in total surprise when every group had chosen me. I couldn't understand why. I wasn't what I thought of as a leader of people.

"I always manage to inspire a strong reaction one way or another" -Nathan Lane

Recently, I was able to relate to this idea more. I had a very new friend as well as a very long time friend both tell me that I inspire them. Now brown cow, I don't think I'm all that and a bag of chips, but I suddenly understood my high school English class. My new-ish friend said to me, "You don't see it do you? People see the way you're living your life. The way you are being you. The way you manage to write personalized notes to everyone, gather a group, bake a ton of goodies and still be happy. They see you and they don't understand it, yet they are inspired themselves to do more and be better people" {and I'm paraphrasing here...I think I got most of it right :)}.

 Maybe when people see that it's possible to do what you love, be who you are and still have a sense of fulfillment it also seems possible for them?

                               "Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to

 be what we know we could be" -Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's affirming for me to have good friends tell me such things. Better that than they can't stand me, right? Since I've been traveling solo without many people to talk to or bake for or simply tell they are great people I've felt myself get a bit sad. I realize what a crucial part of my day to day life those sort of things are. I am so inspired by people in my life--from my own parents who married very young not knowing what the world had in store for them, to friends who take on totally new careers, unsure what will happen. People who bravely open themselves up to a new love, new life, new experiences. There are so many sources of inspiration out there. What inspires you? I'd love to know. We can all start sourcing our inspiration water from the same well.

"My purpose is to inspire people of all walks of life to discover the virtue inherent within them and to bring forth that virtue in their daily lives". -William Shirley

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.--Dr. Seuss

Today you are You,

                                        that is truer than true.

There is no one alive

who is Youer than You.--Dr. Seuss

I have been having the best summer of my life. This summer, I've just tried to be me. I've lived most of my life worried what people thought of me. I was worried that they didn't like me, possibly annoyed with how I acted, what I said, if they thought I was nice or smart or pretty. After getting my nice, smart, pretty butt dumped, I was worried that it was because they didn't like who I was. I started this year spending time with someone who thought I was too much. I have spent the summer just enjoying who I am and being that person every day. I surround myself with wonderful people who seem to like this person that is me. Maybe they still get annoyed, but I'm at a point where I think that is their issue and they don't have to spend time with me if they don't like me :). It's a great sense of freedom and I have so much more time to think about ways to make my little universe a better place, rather than consuming myself with what other people think of me. So, go out in to the amazing world just being you. Enjoy it. Embrace it. Love it.

By your own soul, learn to live

                               And if men thwart you take no heed.

If men hate you have no care.

Sing your song, dream your dream,

Hope your hope and pray your prayer.--Parkenham Beatty

I was once afraid of people saying, "Who does she think she is?" Now I have the courage to stand and say, "This is who I am."--Oprah Winfrey

If you are what you should be, then you will set the world on fire.--St. Catherine of Siena 

oh, that's right, I'll personalize your HT if you live near me and request it :)

Laughter

If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane -Jimmy Buffett

Many years ago, a woman that I knew commented on my laugh. I mentioned how my mom and I sound very similar when we laugh. Her response was, "It's called a cackle, dear".  I don't know that I'll ever forget that comment and when I get a really excited and giggly and my laugh is about to explode, I always think of how I'm grateful I'm similar to my mom in that witchy way.

  I have been laughing so much lately that I feel like I have perma-grin.

Spending time with people who make you giggle.
 A humorous take on dating and love making me chortle during a show.
 Little boys who steal my heart with their honest and charming statements of life
...oh, how joyous it all is!

"Laughter is the shock absorber that eases the blows of life"

"A smile starts on the lips, a grin spreads to the eyes, a chuckle comes from the belly; but a good laugh bursts forth from the soul, overflows and bubbles all around". -Carolyn Birmingham

This whole row of empty chairs set up perfectly made me laugh out loud. Hi-larious.

YES! 

adverb

1.

(used to express affirmation or assent or to mark the addition of something emphasizing and amplifying aprevious statement): Do you want that? Yes, I do.

My good friend Jaime Noche and I have this little routine we do over the phone where one of us might be excited about something and we just scream, "YES!". We may have the tendency to become overly annoying, say it fifty times, with extreme volume and extend the word so that it lasts about 20 seconds. I love these moments.

Every day, I've been trying to just say "yes" to every opportunity that comes my way. Somehow, this little bubble of a universe I've created for myself keeps offering me so many favorable situations. It's incredible what happens when you just say YEEESSSS!

"The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure". -Joseph Campbell

"I imagine that yes is the only living thing". 

e.e. cummings

"As I say yes to life, life says yes to me!".

Louise Hay

What are you going to say "yes" to today?