YOUR LIFE A-Z:EXPERIMENT

PEACOCK'S HAVE NO WORRIES WITH SELF-EXPRESSION

EXPERIMENT

“Live your life as an EXPERIMENT,” says Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.  That one quote goes along way to reduce stress and prevent procrastination.  An EXPERIMENT is a permission giving word allowing for flexibility and exploration.  The only commitment is to try something different or create something new out of just an idea.  Boredom sets in fast when we are creatures of habit doing the same old life day in and day out.  We grow disgruntled, bored, fatigued, and lethargic with dull routines.  In order to spice up your daily life, EXPERIMENT with all parts of it.  EXPERIMENT with new foods. EXPERIMENT with new colors, breaking out of your clothes and outdated style.  EXPERIMENT with a new hairstyle.  EXPERIMENT with a new activity, such as trying golf, tennis, or biking for the first time.  You do not have to invest or buy in to something and you can certainly quit if you don’t like it.  Remember you are EXPERIMENTING to discover what you like.  The commitment is to EXPERIMENT, not to finish or become proficient at it.  If you do not like it and the EXPERIMENT brings you no joy then by all means toss the EXPERIMENT out the door.  What is it that you have wanted to do?  Try it as an EXPERIMENT and see what comes out of your EXPERIMENT. Nothing ventured –Nothing gained.  EXPERIMENTING brings out a sense of adventure and excitement that cannot be experienced from the coach.  If you are still not convinced, start by EXPERIMENTING with a new recipe and go from there. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z: HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY

UNALIENABLE ...THERE IS NO HOBBY LOBBY OUT HERE!

UNALIENABLE 

 HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY 

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”  UNALIENABLE is not a word that easily nor poetically rolls off of one’s tongue.  It also seems to be a word that no one pays much attention to, and certainly not one that is mindfully considered in our society today.  However, today I choose to practice a bit of mindfulness as to what UNALIENABLE might mean as a tool of understanding for such a divided nation.  Today, I choose not to wear a hijab or niqab, but it is my Muslims sister’s right to wear one if she chooses.  Today, I still choose not to own a gun but respect UNALIENABLE rights of those who make that choice.  However, I do not believe it is an UNALIENABLE right for citizens to own an AKA 47 or any other weapon of mass destruction. I believe owning a weapon of mass destruction by private citizens steps on my UNALIENABLE right to LIFE AND LIBERTY.  I should be able to walk into a school, a mall, a movie theater or any other public building and not have my LIFE or LIBERTY threatened by a person who believes it is time for a massacre.  Today I choose to explore diversity in food, spirituality, political opinion, and celebrate the reality that diversity is a positive and enlightening way to come toward life.  It is my UNALIENABLE right to love whom I love and dislike folks that to me are difficult for whatever reason.  I really don’t need to explain why I love or dislike anyone.  It is my UNALIENABLE right.  It is not my UNALIENABLE right to stomp on the LIFE, LIBERTY or pursuit of HAPPINESS of any other human.  I am thankful that by the time I was in third grade I could swim in the same pool with people of color and by the time I was in sixth grade I could go to school with people of color and even have a teacher of color.  That is my UNALIENABLE right to choose for myself and once upon a time it was not the case.  A nation divided cannot stand; a nation diverse is a rich and meaningful place to live and be.  Today I practice my UNALIENABLE right to put as much color, experience and diversity into my life of choice.  You have choices and UNALIENABLE rights too.  Celebrate them with respect and care, while being mindful of the UNALIENABLE rights of others.  Fireworks are colorful for a reason.  Enjoy their diversity and respect my UNALIENABLE right to say, don’t enjoy them at a cost of a forest fire or tragedy to someone else.  Be mindful in all that you do today as you celebrate your UNALIENABLE rights. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z:VINDICATE

SQUARE OFF FACE TO FACE

VINDICATE

VINDICATE yourself from your self-judging and blaming ways.  I am not suggesting that you let yourself off the hook; I am demanding you let yourself out of jail.  VINDICATE and support your inner being.  Build from the ground up.  Get out of your head and down to the root of your being.  Again draw a big circle in your journal and put all of those shaming, blaming, judgmental words into the circle.  Now take a yellow crayon or highlighter and draw a circle around each of those words.  VINDICATE yourself through self –forgiveness.  Let the color of yellow represent light, love, healing and forgiveness.  Each of those words inside your circle keep you trapped in your own jail cell.  It is highly probable that your shame causes you to avoid rather than to VINDICATE.   Avoidance energy is draining and makes you fatigued, fat, and listless.  The energy of VINDICATION is positive, exhilarating, and healing.   If you find a word in your circle that you say, “I can never forgive myself for this,” then seek out a priest, psychotherapist, or coach to help you find away to VINDICATE yourself.  Life is too short to live the blame game.  By choosing to live inside your circle you are really acting like a victim.  Your are unconsciously or consciously saying to yourself, “I am too bad.  I am worse than anyone else.”  Those words are selfish and foolish.  Get over your self and VINDICATE yourself in order to live free. Act today. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z:SEEK

ALWAYS SEEK AND EXPLORE

SEEK

Don’t settle for the ordinary.  SEEK after the answer to your heart’s burning questions.  SEEK meaning, purpose, quality, and compassion in your day-to- day routine.  SEEK to love those around you; don’t just SEEK to be loved. SEEK within to bring light to your own dark shadows that keep you trapped in negative behavior and feelings.  Jesus reportedly says in two separate accounts, SEEK the Kingdom of God within you and SEEK the truth, and it will set you free.  As the hero/shero of your own destiny you will have arduous tasks and obstacles to overcome and bring the best out of yourself.  The question remains, how do you sabotage yourself in ways that keep you repeating old exhausting patterns of remaining the victim of your own passivity?  Get in the game of life and SEEK to experience the joy of your existence, the joy of breathing (yoga and meditation will help with that), the joy of being able to be alive one more day.  Make the most of it.  It is hard to confront our darkness.  It is hard to see the shattered mirror of our pretend self and SEEK the truth of our indiscretions, personal pain, and our own shortcomings.  We all have them.  We all pretend that we don’t.  In AA it is important to do a personal inventory of how we have hurt others.  List your own inventory and SEEK forgiveness and light to heal your darkness.  SEEK until your Quest is finished and then there will be a new quest.  We are born to SEEK. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z: JUGGLE

IT IS IMPORTANT TO JUGGLE ALL OF YOUR EMOTIONS

JUGGLE

JUGGLE is a fun word for multi-tasking.  Our lives are complicated and it is our job to Simplify them.  I believe that learning to JUGGLE can help us simplify our daily lives and allow us to have some fun along the way.  You can learn to JUGGLE at http://www.wikihow.com/Juggle.  First, it requires focus and practice.  Allow yourself to get use to just one ball by keeping it at eye level and letting the body learn what it feels like to have mastery of the one ball.  From there, a second ball is added and the task of mastery begins again.  Here, a sense of competence takes over, and you will find yourself excited and interested in adding ball three.  You can go up to as many balls as you choose only after you JUGGLE the existing balls with ease.  This simple exercise demonstrates that multi-tasking should not be a chaotic and disorganized way of getting through the day.  Multi-tasking needs to be a JUGGLING act from the beginning of the alarm clock in the morning until you list your daily gratitude’s at night prior to falling asleep.  JUGGLE by adding tasks in the appropriate cycle and only after mastering the previous task.  Life has to be JUGGLED so you might as well focus on mastery the art of JUGGLING in ways that empower and enhance the quality of your life today.  Make a list of what you need to learn to JUGGLE and get started today. Enjoy. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z:LIBERTY

LIBERTY

Do you have an inner Statute of Liberty?  Do you allow yourself the freedom to choose what you believe is best for you?  Are there decisions in your life that do not fit for you but you made them to keep someone else happy or because you felt you were not strong enough to stand on your own?  At the feet of the Statute are broken shackles representing her freedom from tyranny and oppression.  

Two days ago, I wrote about Justice.  Sit with that part of you that you let out of prison two days ago and reflect on how you are learning to make choices in your best interest.  What personal freedom or freedoms do you deny yourself just because your feet are still in shackles of shame?  Stand up straight.  Raise your hand to the sky and declare you own freedom to make choices.  List three things you want to be free to do, but either someone else’s opinion, fear of failure, or lack of confidence hold you back.  

Now, that you have three things on your list, circle one and go for it.  You are free to choose.  You have individual rights that say you have a right to your opinion, free speech, and pursuit of happiness. It is all yours for the taking.  Step into your life and move forward toward the goals, aspirations, and personal desires.  It is yours.  Claim it today.

 Photo talked from Statute of Liberty's National Park site.