The Man In the Moon

So I was looking at the moon tonight... and it was breathtaking.  Big, full and golden, amongst a sea of clouds, close, yet so far.  I went into my yoga class and when I returned, it was smaller and white... just an unimpressive dot in the black sky.  It made me realize just how much things change, and yet never change.

The moon is not a planet, but a satellite of the Earth... The surface area of the moon is 14,658,000 square miles or 9.4 billion acres of which only 59% of the surface is visible from earth...also, we always see the same side of the moon; the other side is always hidden.  Yet someone in Australia sees the moon at a different time, from a different angle, in a different hemisphere than someone in the US... and someone in the US sees it differently at a different phase, different location, or a different time even.  Some people see a man in the moon.  Some watch it's phases for astrological signs.  Some see it as the nighttime sun.  But no matter what you see or how you interpret the moon... you're right.

We are all like the moon, we have a physical body that some see as big or small depending on where they're looking from... yet our surface area is the same no matter what they percieve.  We all represent different things to different people... to some we're a teacher, to some a friend, to some a threat and to some the world.  Whatever they see is true to them, but no matter what people see you as, or like, it doesn't change who you are.  It doesn't change what you do or why, it is only what they can see from where they are based on their own experience.

Just like the moon, you are an important part of a system that is in fact working together.  You can only shine at whatever phase you're at whether full or new and keep going through the cycles as they come.  You can only stay amidst the stars and do whatever it is you're here to do, and know that it is perfect for you... because like the moon you're more than just what is seen, there's a man (or woman) inside, even if it's not always visible.

Today's Silver Lining:

"Monopoly, twenty one, checkers, and chess. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Mister Fred Blassie in a breakfast mess. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Let's play Twister, let's play Risk. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, See you in heaven if you make the list. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Hey Andy, did you hear about this one? Tell me, are you locked in the punch? Hey Andy, are you goofing on Elvis? Hey baby, are we losing touch?  If you believed they put a man on the moon, man on the moon, If you believe there's nothing up my sleeve, then nothing is cool."  Man on the Moon - by REM








Remember these!!!  So much fun, I think I'm gonna get a new pair : )

Days like this

Nothing special happened today...  I ran around town and did a couple things... some yoga, ate some yummy sweet potato, with a side of girl scout cookies, (caramel delights, my fav!)... but for some reason I'm really grateful.  It's cold and rainy... the sun never showed his face today... but I'm still feeling gratitude for being here.  I talked to a few people, some up, most down... but I was grateful to talk to them.  My roommate got on my nerves a bit, which we trade off doing to each other... but I'm still grateful for her.  Weird... or maybe not so weird.

These are the days that are often forgotten because there's no dramatic event, no tragedy, no new life changing occurrences... but it's the days like these that show you more than most...  The ones where things just kinda flow, you can relax, you have no where to be, no one to answer to... and you get to see who you are, how you feel and where you are.  Today, I am grateful. 

I'm grateful to be in a place where I am truly happy to simply be me... it's taken me years to get here, but boy was it a worthwhile adventure.  I don't need the bells and whistles... although I still enjoy them.  I don't need to be constantly entertained... although I usually am.  I don't want anything... and yet I seem to always have everything I need... and so I am grateful.

I am grateful that I can have days like this, where the world suddenly becomes brighter for no reason other than that's how I see it... where I can be grateful for the simple fact that I am fortunate enough to feel gratitude... where I can be completely here with no thought of then or there... where I can breathe in and smile because I am here... and in moments like this there's no where else I'd rather be but me.

Now as for tomorrow... we'll have to wait and see... but for now... thank you!

Today's Silver Lining:

"There's nothing you can say or do that can change the way  I feel about you, thinking of you as time flies, watching the beautiful people go by,  I sing in the breeze, knowing every thing's alright with me, with me, and I, I'm smiling from the inside cause we, we've got nothing to hide...I love days like this, yeah, I love days like this, it's here, here comes the sun, whoa, I love the sun, whoa whoa." Days Like This - by Shaun Escoffery

(I like the original video, but the remix of the song... you can decide for yourself which you prefer! )

Original


 
Remix
 

Going Insane

According to Webster's Dictionary, insanity is formally defined as:
 Insanity:

n - a deranged state of the mind usually occurring as a specific disorder (as schizophrenia), such unsoundness of mind or lack of understanding as prevents one from having the mental capacity required by law to enter into a particular relationship, status, or transaction or as removes one from criminal or civil responsibility, extreme folly or unreasonableness

Or as Albert Einstein puts it: 

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

 
I prefer his definition, such a genius in so many ways that man!!  I've been thinking about this a lot, not only in my own life, but in others... and I wonder, are we all insane in some ways??  We wait for people to change, we keep trying the same things and wonder why things never change...  but in some ways maybe insanity is the only way to get anywhere.
 
I mean, I've tried some things over and over and gotten different results, so maybe sometimes insanity pays off.  I've taken chances that even I knew were insane... but I've always been glad I did, even if the results weren't what I was looking for, I was grateful.  So is it the action or the expectation that makes you insane... the result or what you do make of it?

There is someone in my life who keeps doing the same thing over and over and getting the same results... now they're starting to have more severe consequences.  And though I can see the insanity, I can also see the way these things just seem to find this person... Is our insanity more like a groundhog day... something we need to keep doing to get a different result?  Or is it something we are manifesting into our lives, and until we can shift the focus of our energy, the cycle will keep repeating... driving us insane?!

Insanity comes in all shapes and situations, and affects everyone in different ways... there are many reasons that we keep ourselves in these insane patterns... laziness, stubbornness, stupidity... or maybe if we're just insane enough, we might eventually get a different result!


Today's Silver Lining:

"And I’m giving all my love to this world, Only to be told, I can’t see, I can’t breathe, No more will we be,
And nothing’s going to change the way we live, ’Cause we can always take but never give, And now that things are changing for the worse, See, whoa, it’s a crazy world we’re living in, And I just can’t see that half of us immersed in sin, Is all we have to give these, Futures made of virtual insanity now, Always seem to be governed by this love we have for, Useless, twisting, of our new technology, Oh now there is no sound, for we all live underground." Virtual Insanity - by Jamiroquai


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j-CjgSMtcs

Making a Mess

Sometimes when I think too much I start to feel like my life is a mess.  I start to try to rationalize the decisions I've made in my life and feel like they don't make sense.  I wonder where I'm going, what I'm doing and why I can't seem to just be 'normal'...  I listen to what others say about just settling down, getting a job, starting a family and think maybe that they're right and that does make more sense... 

Then I remember who I am, all I've been able to do and learn in my life, the freedom, true freedom I have, and the genuine peace I've found... and I know in my heart that I wouldn't want it any other way.  It's not always easy following your intution, taking risks, and going againt the norm... but it's always worth it!!  And although my life may seem like a mess according to the standard, it feels wonderful to live it... and I'm grateful for being able to!!  I am grateful to be able to go out in search of more than I've been told is there... I'm grateful that I can live as I choose and not as I'm told.  I read a great article by Andrew Cohen that says:

Evolution is a messy process. So anybody who really wants to make the effort to strive for something new is going to have to be willing to make mistakes, take wrong turns, even to fail, but never give up. The simple truth is this: if not failing is more important to you than genuinely succeeding, you’re never going to make it. If you really want to succeed, you have to have the big heart, heroic will, tenacity, courage, and commitment to fearlessly engage with the evolutionary process until something profound, mysterious, and extraordinary happens that cannot be undone.

Amen to that!!!  So here's to making a mess and loving it!!
 
Today's Silver Lining:
 
"I am no Superman, I have no reasons for you, I am no hero, Oh, that's for sure, But I do know one thing,
Is where you are is where I belong, I do know where you go, Is where I want to be, Where are you going?
Where do you go? Are you looking for answers, To questions under the stars? Well, if along the way, You are grown weary, You can rest with me until, A brighter day and you're okay."  Where are you Going - by The Dave Matthews Band






This is the magazine the article is from, full of great stuff!!

You've Got the Whole World In Your Hands

When you change your mind, you change the world... really. When you change, it's because the world is changing... and then you change it. Everything, everything, matters.... which is why you don't need to take anything too seriously. You create everything in your world... good, bad, rainy, funny... so you can't possibly make a mistake because there are no limits... but your fate is already set. And it changes with every move you make, but no matter what you do the result is always the same, as it should be. We are all one, and everything you do affects the whole, and vice versa...So have faith in the universe, your life is in your hands. Doesn't seem to make much sense when you think about it does it?



Trust me, I've thought about it a lot. Lately though, I've just let go of it, believed it, and wouldn't ya know... I've found it's all true!! We are all one, and I am a part of that one. Everything I do changes the world... *... that star just changed the world. Yep... it's the truth. And there are many books that explain it, and they all make soooo much sense... and they all contradict each other... and they are so full of this juicy profound enchanting information... and they all are the same... and they are all there in the exact moment I need them... and they are all color coordinated on my bookshelf because that makes me smile... and at the end of the day, that's all that really matters.


Being able to just be happy. Getting you. Going with your flow. Not having to figure it all out logically, but just getting the feeling of it all.  Being present, aware, and respectful, but true to you. Surrounding yourself with things that are practical for your world... even if those things include a rubber ducky, a kite, a slinky, a room full of salt and pepper shakers, glitter, or a barrel of monkeys. Marching to the beat of your own drummer, even if others look at you like you're out of step.   Doing whatever makes you feel like you're growing and learning and loving.  We're all so different which is what makes us all the same.

So it's good to read and learn and explore, but don't take it all too seriously... after all you're only changing the world! : )

Today's Silver Lining:

"OH! Rubber Ducky, Your the one, You make bath time, Lots of fun! Rubber Ducky, I'm awfully fond of you! (bobobodeo) Rubber Ducky, Joy of joy, When i squeeze you you make noise, Rubber Ducky, You're my very best friend its true!" Rubber Ducky- Sesame Street

All Aboard

Bliss is it... Right now, right here.  You have eveything you need to get here, to be here... so where are you?  Are you where you want to be?  Sometimes we seek answers, and ask for help, but then we don't like what we are told.  We complain that life is unfair, yet don't do anything to change it.  Happiness seems to be the place we all want to be, and though our ride is here waiting... we feel stuck.

We try something that we thought would take us there and got nowhere.  The thing is we keep looking around, instead of within.  There's a great line I read that says, "Go within, or go without."  So simple, so true... so how do we get within??  Amma tells this story about how we can all get to the same location in many different ways, by boat, train, plane, foot, car, rickshaw... and no matter which way we choose, or how long it takes from where we are, we will all arrive at the same destination.  It is the same in life, depending on where we are, we have to figure out what will work for us, and not compare ourselves to others.  Sometimes it's hard to know because we think it should be a certain way.  We keep trying to get there our way, and keep failing, and lose hope. We keep calling for the taxi, but if it's not yellow, we don't get in.  We blame it on everything and everyone but ourselves... here's a great example:

It had been raining for days and days, and a terrible flood had come over the land. The waters rose so high that one man was forced to climb onto the roof of his house.


As the waters rose higher and higher, a man in a rowboat appeared, and told him to get in. "No," replied the man on the roof. "I have faith in the Lord; the Lord will save me." So the man in the rowboat went away. The man on the roof prayed for God to save him.

The waters rose higher and higher, and suddenly a speedboat appeared. "Climb in!" shouted a man in the boat. "No," replied the man on the roof. "I have faith in the Lord; the Lord will save me." So the man in the speedboat went away. The man on the roof prayed for God to save him.

The waters continued to rise. A helicopter appeared and over the loudspeaker, the pilot announced he would lower a rope to the man on the roof. "No," replied the man on the roof. "I have faith in the Lord; the Lord will save me." So the helicopter went away. The man on the roof prayed for God to save him.
The waters rose higher and higher, and eventually they rose so high that the man on the roof was washed away, and alas, the poor man drowned.

Upon arriving in heaven, the man marched straight over to God. "Heavenly Father," he said, "I had faith in you, I prayed to you to save me, and yet you did nothing. Why?" God gave him a puzzled look, and replied "I sent you two boats and a helicopter, what more did you expect?"

How many rides have we missed because we're too busy looking for what we think we should see?  Where do we look to see inside?  Smile.... Right now..... Smiling always helps to ease tension, and if it doesn't for you... Smile bigger, because you can...... because bliss is it, and there are many ways to get there, but you've gotta get on board somewhere, so pay attention, be open to recieve... you never know what you'll find to take you on your way!! : )


Today's Silver Lining:


"I like to dream yes, yes, right between my sound machine, On a cloud of sound I drift in the night, Any place it goes is right, Goes far, flies near, to the stars away from here, Well, you don't know what we can find, Why don't you come with me little girl, On a magic carpet ride, You don't know what we can see,
Why don't you tell your dreams to me, Fantasy will set you free, Close your eyes girl, Look inside girl,
Let the sound take you away."  Magic Carpet Ride- Steppenwolf

Bedsheet Sails

In life you've gotta do what you can, where you are, with what you've got.  You've also gotta believe in what you can, where you are, despite what you've got.  As we get older this seems to get harder and harder... we believe less and want more... Do less and think more.  When did we stop using our imagination and taking the time to enjoy things rather than judge them?

 I was in line at Trader Joes Today and there was a mother in front of me with her little boy.  He was surrounded by his toys and playing with a bag of chips.  "No matter how many expensive toys he gets, he always finds something else to play with," his mother laughed. 

I remember those days, using my moms old sheets to build hammocks in trees and boat sails in my room... Turning toilet paper rolls into bedazzled pencil holders... Turning into a mermaid every time I jumped into the pool... Always putting the extra in front of ordinary... making life extraordinary!!!

Sometimes we limit ourselves based on knowledge, past experience or judgements... We don't allow ourselves to see the extra in the ordinary because we take ourselves too seriously as 'grownups.'  We think how silly would we look singing in the rain, playing with a floating flower, dancing on a park bench, with a box of crayons on our desk... instead of how good all of these things could make us feel.

When we open up to our dreams, let our imaginary friends have a say in our realities, suddenly our dreams start to become truth, because we believe again.  We see things not as they should be, but as they could be, and suddenly they are. We look beyond what we're told and find what we love.  Rather than complaining about all the things we don't have and waiting for all the things we want, if we take the time to appreciate and utilize all we have we might be surprised.  It's like when you have no food left and haven't done groceries, and then end up making this delicious meal using the things you'd overlooked until then.  How many things in life do we overlook that could be more than we see them as... how many situations are full of opportunities we never create because we are too busy looking for something else.  Try looking at things, people, places, situations, the sky and whatever else you can in a new light today. What else is there?  Maybe you'll find the thing you've been looking for has been here all along... Or maybe you'll find what has been looking for you.

When you spy with your middle eye, there is always enough, there is always something new, there is always a silver lining, there is always a way to make a boat out of a bed sheet.

                                                                                                           Today's Silver Lining:

"Before you met me i was a fairy princess, I caught frogs and called them prince, And made myself a queen,

Before you knew me i traveled 'round the world, I slept in castles and fell in love, Because i was taught to dream, I found mayonnaise bottles and poked holes on top, To capture Tinkerbell, They were just fireflies to the untrained eye, But i could always tell, I believe in fairy-tales and dreamers dreams like bed sheet sails, And i believe in peter pan and miracles, And anything i can to get by, And fireflies."  Fireflies- by Faith Hill

  Here's the song and CD, such a good one!!