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I Almost missed an opportunity to be Present...

3/22/2015

The other day I was returning some things to the library. And then I was off to a class that was an hour and a half away. My mind was focused on how much traffic I would encounter on the road since I was leaving at 5:30 pm on a Friday afternoon. I was sure to encounter rush hour traffic. So I was focused on completing my last errand and getting on the road.

And then, just as I entered the library, and was so inwardly focused, this beautiful little blond girl was coming up the stairs from the children's library and very Enthusiastically said, "Hi." I said "Hi" back and then I asked her how she was. She responded, "Good." And I said "Good."

The reason this brief encounter made such an impact on me is that when I'm out and about, I'm really tuned into what kids are doing. I try to stay present, make eye contact, say hello, etc. There is such unbound joy, innocence and presence with children. They remind me to stay present, in the moment and joyful. And inevitably, when I'm out shopping I see kids do or say the funniest things. They are a real treasure and gift.

And so, I say thank you to this little girl who brought such Joy to my life on a Friday afternoon at the library and who caused me to pause and get out of my head and back into my heart space.

Let's remember that we too are that Innocence, pure Joy and Presence, now and Always. It is always within us and we don't have to go anywhere but inside to access it. Sometimes it takes a little angel to remind us that we too have this Joy and wonderment within.

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What is your Idea of Success?

3/18/2015

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Many of us where taught that success is Linear. For example, go to school, graduate, get a great job, get married, buy a house, have children, work, retire, etc. and in that order.

This idea is very prevalent in our North American culture.

I don't believe there is a one size fits all blue print for success.
Success is what makes you happy, what feels good to you and what makes you feel good.

We've all heard stories of people graduating from college in their 80s, even 90s. There are people who start medical school in their fifties. Then there are the twenty year old millionaires who didn't go to college, some never finishing high school. Success should not be defined by our cultural standards or what our parents or teachers told us success is. We make our own success. And for me, being successful has more to do with being content, joyful and peaceful than a figure in a bank account.

A colleague of mine, John Calabria, a yoga instructor, recently interviewed Robin DeSantis, a young woman who spent three and a half years in the Dominican Republic with the Peace Corps. When she returned to the States, she was asked a very common question, "What do you do?" It is a valid question, but perhaps one that doesn't really give the full picture of who we are, what our passions, talents, interests and loves are: how we contribute our gifts and calling in the world.

Robin reflected on the question she was asked by saying,

"Next, I had to come up with a creative answer to the ever-popular question, “What do you do?” Sure, it’s a safe conversation starter, but I hadn’t had to answer that question in a while and wasn’t prepared to answer it in one short sentence.

Generally speaking, Dominicans are more concerned with the health and happiness of one’s family or the condition of one’s garden, while Americans tend to be more curious as to a person’s profession, perhaps because work consumes much (arguably too much) of our time."

I really love her response that "Dominicans are more concerned with the health and happiness of their family and/or the condition of their gardens."  This resonates strongly with me. Getting back to the basics of family, good food and nutrition and the health and happiness of the family has served many ancient cultures well. They may not have achieved our present day material wealth, but that's not what their idea of success is/was. Being happy, peaceful, having food to eat, having good relations with their family members, relative low stress, being close to nature - these things ranked higher on their success meter than possessions and material wealth.

And John also commented on this in his interview by saying:

"I love what you shared about Dominicans being concerned about health and the wellness of their garden. We have that here at the Stow Community Gardens (in Stow, MA), where the customary greeting is: ‘How’s it growing?’"

Now I'm not saying material wealth is bad or should not be a goal. I'm simply asking:

What is your idea of success or perhaps Happiness?

One more quote to leave you with:

"Success is Not Final,
Failure is Not Fatal:
It is the courage to continue
that Counts."           -Winston Churchill

You can read the full interview between John and Robin at www.yogawithjohn.com
December 23, 2014

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It's Time for the Bear to Awake from its Slumber...

3/15/2015

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According to many of the traditions that honor the land and the seasons, winter is a time to slow down, go within, rest and reflect on the last three more active seasons.

This has been an exceptionally active and snow filled February here in Massachusetts and much of New England. And I must admit, I have turned into somewhat of a bear in the sense that I have been quiet and in somewhat of a hibernation mode.

Sometime in December I started to become very quiet. I found myself not talking much. I started questioning what was going on and why I had become so quiet. Even though I have experienced many periods like this before, I didn't like it. It felt different, weird and un-natural. It was a struggle. What I found was that when I spoke, what I had to say was necessary and important. A lot of complaining and drama that I was so use to - ceased. I stopped telling my "sad tales" to everyone, you know the 'woes is me' stuff. I was quiet and It was peaceful.

hmmmm...peaceful. In our Indy 500 paced society filled with noise, images, sounds, data, speed, tweets, updates, etc. sometimes it feels difficult to relax and disconnect from the busyness of our modern world. So we have to consciously carve out time to recharge, refresh, meditate, do something nice for ourselves, maybe even go on a retreat or actually take and enjoy our vacation time.

Too often, my mind fights what my body knows is the right path for me. And after much wrestling this winter, I finally am surrendering to the Silence and the peace winter brings.

Now, I'm not saying that we should all stop talking or communicating. Communication is important. This year I found that talking less has helped me to simplify my life even more. And being quiet, still and peaceful in this busy world, especially during the winter months, is not a bad thing. In fact, it is a gift. It gives us a chance to slow down, recharge, integrate the last three seasons and to prepare for the brightness and busyness of this much anticipated spring.

Some wisdom from the Tao: an ancient spiritual teaching.

"He who knows does not speak,
He who speaks does not know." - The Tao

What has this winter taught you about going within and being quiet?

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I Almost missed an opportunity to be Present...

What is your Idea of Success?

It's Time for the Bear to Awake from its Slumber...

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