I had nine goals for 2018

...and didn’t reach any of them! It isn’t that I didn’t try. It isn’t that I made no progress at all. And it isn’t that I had no accomplishments this year. But the truth is that of the nine goals I had, I didn’t accomplish one. Should I have fewer goals this year? Should I call them intentions instead of goals? Should I freewheel this year and not have any overarching goals? I’ve always told my clients that there is no such thing as failure - only a change in plans. I guess I had a lot of changes in plans this past year.

I’m reading a new book called Conscious Creativity by Philippa Stanton and will be publishing my review later this week. This morning I read something she wrote about failure.

“It’s also very hard not to allow recent disappointments to affect our insecurities, and to use past disappointments to numb ambition and stifle success. Inspirational ‘failures’ like Bill Gates, J.K. Rowling, Steve Jobs or Walt Disney are classic examples of the universal feeling that failure is not final, it is just process. You don’t watch a football match to see every pass end in a fantastic goal. You watch it to see the struggle, the working out, the skill and the emotional failures that then lead to great successes. Whatever point you are at in your life, you have arrived there through a combination of successes and failures, so you should nurture your bravery and enthusiasm and try to accommodate your fears.”

This is something for me to ponder over the next few days as I continue my 2019 planning. Right now, though, I am setting all of this aside.

Our household is still recovering from our colds, so Christmas is a bit subdued around here. We’re both glad we hadn’t made plans that included other people. When I look at the various messes in the world at large, I’m incredibly grateful for my life, my safety, and my opportunities that others are literally giving their lives to have....a sobering Christmas Eve thought.

Drats - a cold found me and walked on in!

Two weeks ago, Rhonda and I did some traveling to California and Arizona to visit family. When we came home, I was so happy that neither of us were any the worse for wear, as they say. Sometimes after traveling, one or both of us get colds despite using our best physical and metaphysical techniques. Generally we’re pretty hardy and bypass colds.

Earlier this week, Rhonda came down with a cold. Our sister-in-law had made a special Doterra oil mixture that is meant to keep a cold at bay. I started using it right away. I took care of Rhonda until a few days later when I also came down with the cold. Before I became involved in metaphysics, I was very compassionate with myself when I got a cold. After metaphysics, I get into the blame game with myself.

Who am I angry with? What am I depressed about? What’s wrong with me that I got a cold when many around me don’t. Blah, blah, blah. What I’ve learned over the years is that a cold is a wonderful opportunity to release attitudes that no longer serve me. It’s also a great time to show myself compassion, rest, and take some time off from my usual work schedule. With today being Winter Solstice, it’s a great day to welcome the light and the sun into my life.

Yesterday, the Ananda meditation group I steward (along with others) had our first Christmas gathering. We were going to chant, meditate, discuss spiritual principles, and then have some social time. I was really looking forward to it. I didn’t go. It wasn’t fair to expose others to my cold nor was it fair to myself to try to go out when I felt so lousy. I stayed home.

Rhonda still has her cold but is starting to feel better. The main word around here today is nurturing. How can we nurture ourselves, show compassion, and allow ourselves to heal?

I just finished reading.....

...a novel by a first-time author. The book is Girls Burn Brighter by Shobhna Rao. Rhonda had read the book and recommended it to me as a book she thought I would enjoy reading. Because it is so popular, I had to put a hold on the digital copy of the book at the library. Once I had the book and started reading it, I had to keep reading.

These are some of the things I said to Rhonda as I read the book. “This is a painful book to read. I think I would rather read about a serial killer who cuts his victims into pieces than this book where women are treated so badly.”

“This book better have a good ending or you are in so much trouble.”

“I hate reading this book but have to keep going because I have to find out what happens.”

When a fiction book brings up so many feelings for me, I know it’s a good book. Would I recommend Girls Burn Brighter to you? I honestly don’t know. The writing is amazing. The story line is compelling and it’s difficult to put the book down once you start reading. It’s also a book that is painful and makes you angry because some of what’s in the book is taken from real life.

The characters in the book are staying with me. I care about them. I want their lives to bring them joy.  From that perspective, I would recommend the book.

I think I’m also a tad jealous. I still haven’t written my novel. When I read one this well-written, I feel intimidated, wondering if I even have a novel in me? Maybe I haven’t written a novel because it isn’t meant to be written! Maybe I’m better off staying with non-fiction. At least that way my books won’t make people angry!

Feeling invisible

Have you ever been in a situation where you feel invisible? I have, too. It feels really strange to be with people and have them ignore you or at least pay very little attention to you. I had this happen recently and had two reactions.

On the one hand, being invisible is great because there is no pressure to talk or engage in topics that really don’t hold much interest for you. On the other hand, it feels bad because you feel like you don’t matter. I wrestled with it a bit and then decided it’s also an opportunity to set my ego aside and just pay attention to other people and listen to them. For me, it was a chance to learn more about the people who were present and that was a nice benefit.

I’ve had this happened to me in church settings, too. People who know one another tend to gather and chat and visit. People new to the church are sought out by those who are assigned to be sure new folks are comfortable. People who just attend once in awhile are in some sort of middle category and are left to their own devices.

All of this shows me how important it is to be aware of who’s around you no matter what setting you’re in and reach out to those who seem to be ignored. We don’t have to intrude on one another’s privacy and sometimes people want to be left alone. But I think it’s important to acknowledge people and let them know they are important to you. Maybe you’ll make a new friend!

I was traveling recently.....

People can be so nice! Recently, I was traveling and had to negotiate some airports. Because walking long distances can be challenging for me, I use the wheelchair assistance airlines offer. Sometimes the people helping you are distracted and you can feel like you’re just a suitcase being moved as rapidly as possible from one point to another.

And then you can get a gentleman like I had at the Seattle airport. From the second he approached me with the chair, I could see this was a man who enjoyed his job. He was friendly, went out of his way to help me, chatted and joked with me and Rhonda as we wound our way through the airport. He knew the TSA officers and other staff and everyone greeted him with a smile as he did them.

The last few times I flew, I had automatic precheck which means I didn’t have to go through the regular TSA line, remove my shoes, take my iPad out of its case, etc... This time I didn’t get it and had to go through the whole process. While sitting in the wheelchair, I took my shoes off and he leaned down and whispered, “Are you 75 or older?” “No, I said.” The TSA agent looked at me from across the aisle, pointed her finger at me and said, “Today, you are 75!” That meant I didn’t need to remove my shoes - but, I already had!

My wheelchair assistant actually started putting my shoes back on for me! Wow - what service. I called out to Rhonda and asked her to help me. I said there is no way he should be helping me put my shoes back on!

My helper told me he’s 58 years old, immigrated from the Philippines 28 years ago, and has been married for 22 years.

The custom for tipping wheelchair assistants is $5.00 for good service and $10 for outstanding service. Guess what tip this man got? It just goes to show that enjoying your work, being kind, going out of your way to provide service to your customers can reap great rewards.

The same day at a different airport when we deplaned, a young man grabbed the chair, whisked me up the hallway where a young lady took over and took me to another area, walked away and said someone would be back in a few minutes and then disappeared.

Rhonda looked at me and I looked at her. She grabbed the wheelchair and took me to the luggage area where we left the chair. She was nice but not as nice as the man in Seattle. She got a $5.00 tip! The young man and young woman got nothing.

The older I get, the more I like my routines

Whenever I travel, it means letting go of my daily routines. Sure, I can still do many of the things I do at home, but not in the same way. This is good because it means I get to reassess my choices. Sometimes this means I have let some things go. Other times, I have been inspired to intensify some practices.

Letting go of daily routines is one of the benefits of travel. It helps to loosen up some of the grooves we’ve built in our brain and this allows some new ones to form. The other joy of travel is coming home and truly appreciating your everyday existence. There’s nothing like that moment of the first morning after I get home when I sit down for my morning practices and my entire body and soul says, “Ahhhhhh......”

Sometimes I think I’m getting more like our corgis. Dogs love routines. Teach them a routine and they will do it forever - unless you teach them a new one. They don’t like it the first few times you tell them you want them to do this instead of that! I fear I’m getting more that way myself. Don’t change my routines too much or I might whimper. I’m working on that, though, by changing things around for myself so when someone else does it, I’m not intractable.

Still, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I love my routines. And I think as long as they are positive ones, why not?

50/365

Another sad morning.....

Sometimes I remember my dreams and other times, I don’t. Yesterday, I awoke feeling sad and I did remember the dream. I had been asked to speak at a retreat for a spiritual organization. When it was my turn to give my presentation, no one was interested in listening to me. They were checking their phones, talking to one another, and ignoring me. I did my best anyway and followed through. No wonder I was sad when I woke up!

There are, of course, various levels of meanings to the dream, not the least of which is asking “Am I listening to my inner voice and guidance? Do I pay attention to myself?”  The other is that I was going to be spending the day with a family member who consistently asks me the same questions over and over again (“You mean you don’t any meat, not even fish or chicken?”) which goes a long way to making me feel pretty invisible!

The other reason I think I woke up sad is because I still feel our country has been hijacked by a small coalition of people who would destroy our beautiful diversity of people, ideas, and accomplishments if they could and who continue to make inroads in that direction.

Just like in the dream, though, I will continue to do what I came to do and hope my contribution makes a difference no matter how small it might be.

45/365

Doing what I know I should do....

The other day, a few people I know were having a discussion about doing the things we know we should do. Whether the issue is one of physical movement or diet or other lifestyle changes, each of us admitted there are those things we know we should do and we don’t do them. And, of course, there are things we know it would be better for us not to do and we continue to do them! Quite frustrating.

Are these subconscious forces at work? Childhood programming? The “don’t tell me what to do” mindset? How can adults who are accomplished in some areas of life, be such failures in other areas? I wish I could say we found the answer.

In thinking about it further, here’s what I came up with for myself. First, be in the state of willingness to do or not to do whatever it is. Second, come up with a plan for incorporating whatever it is into my life, a plan that is workable and doesn’t stretch me so far that I won’t do it. Third, be committed to the plan and find some way to hold myself accountable - an accountability partner can work wonders. Fourth, be as patient with myself as I am with others. Fifth, be forgiving of myself and remember all the times I have succeeded. If I have succeeded at anything in the past, I can succeed at this too.

If you have other ideas you’d care to share, please add them in the comments for all of us to consider.

43/365

And so it begins....

After record numbers of women and minorities have been elected to public office, the criticism begins. Some of these women have posted photos of themselves as groups and friends, supporting one another in what they have accomplished, and showing how they will work together to move agendas forward.

Instead of praising this -  because truthfully this is how a progressive agenda can move forward - the pundits are already criticizing them. Of course, it’s a lot more fun to report on women attacking one another, keeping the myth of the “cat fight” alive. This simply isn’t true. Women get far more done than we’re given credit for and we get it done by working collaboratively.

The New York Times reported how newly-elected congresswoman Deb Harland ran into a male Republican congressman in the elevator. He told her, “I’m sure we’ll be at each others’ throats eventually.” Surprised by the comment she said, “I don’t think so.”

I’m hopeful that the tone in Congress is changing, the stalemates will end, and the country can begin to move forward once again instead of being stuck in the 1950’s.

41/365

Enter the state of not knowing

Not knowing is similar to giving up the need to be right. Quite a few years ago, I consciously worked on letting go of the need to be right. This isn’t an easy thing to do, especially in today’s world where people seem so polarized and intent on being right and in control - these two go together!

In a world that prizes intellectual accomplishments, it can be even more difficult to allow ourselves to bask in the feeling of not knowing. What if I don’t know everything? What if what I think I know isn’t what’s true? Allowing myself to be in this state of not knowing is one of great vulnerability. It’s also one of tremendous freedom.

What a relief to not be a know-it-all. What a relief to be able to truthfully say, “I don’t know.” How wonderful to be able to let a consciousness higher than mine be in charge and handle things. This is how it is anyway. All I need to do is see it for the truth it is. There’s such sweetness in resigning as General Manager of the Universe.

39/365

“Ride in the direction the horse is going.”

Miranda Macpherson in her new book The Way of Grace quotes Lao Tzu as saying this: “Ride in the direction the horse is going.” I chuckled to myself when I read this because I realized how often I try to go in a different direction than the one the horse is going. How much stress and anxiety does this cause?

I have this visual of myself astride a horse, sitting backwards instead of looking in the direction the horse is going. How discombobulating is this? Yet, so many of us live our lives this way. We try so hard to control what’s happening in our lives and in the world, telling ourselves things should be different than they are.

When we turn around and ride in the same direction the horse is going - what relief. We might not like what’s going on, we might not like the direction in which we’re heading, but at least we’re in sync with the horse and stand a much better chance of getting where we’re going with grace and ease.

Today, I’m going to observe myself and see how often I’m going in the same direction as my horse. This could be a lot of fun and enlightening!

38/365

Saturday Night Live sketch made a lot of sense

Saturday Night Live (SNL) had an interesting and humorous idea that actually works. I've always said the way to make peace with people is to look for things you can agree on and move from there. The sketch began by pointing to the obvious: our country is divided on many of the big issues facing us. How can we begin to heal this divide?

By focusing on the little things we can agree on! Maybe we can't agree on how to handle things like immigration, the budget, and social issues. We can agree on some of the little things that we all find annoying. Remember, this is a comedy show.

The song they sang mentioned things like wet jeans, bees that follow us around, soft apples, and others. The chorus is, "Let's stop looking at what makes us different and start seeing how we're the same, like how we all hate the sound the chip readers make," referring to the sound credit card machines make when you need to remove your credit card.

This might not solve the issues we're facing as a nation; it might not suddenly make us agree on how to handle our border issues. But maybe if we could start talking about where we agree, we'll be able to move a little closer together and wouldn't that be nice!

36/365

I sat in the dark

As you know from prior blogs, I get up very early and spend the first few hours of every day doing spiritual reading, studies, writing, drawing, meditating, etc. It is my treasured alone time. The rest of the household, including the corgis, are still asleep. I stay quiet. This morning when I turned on the light in my study, the place I spend my alone time, the light wouldn’t work. The light bulb in the lamp was burned out. It is the only source of light in that room. I lit a candle and just sat in the dark.

Yes, I could have found another light bulb, but not without making noise and waking others. I decided to just enjoy the darkness. As much as we talk about the light, there’s something very nourishing about the darkness. There’s fewer distractions and it forces you to pay attention to what’s right in front of you rather than being pulled in other directions.

There are dark forces at work in our world and always have been. We shouldn’t let that make us fear darkness in whatever way we encounter it. Whether through the darkness of night or the darkness of someone’s skin tone, it’s important to remember darkness can offer as much clarity and solace as light can. It’s all a matter of where we put our attention and how receptive to each we are.

35/365

Are we fatigued?

Yesterday, a friend and I were talking about how we felt tired, sad, and uninspired. Being the sort of people who take responsibility for our lives, both of us were asking what’s going on that we felt this way. We realized the best word to describe how we’re feeling is the word fatigued.

Even though there were some great results from the mid-term elections and we’re both happy about those, we also saw that right away the next batch of challenging issues popped up! Can’t we get a break from this negative energy that seems to be sweeping the country? Apparently not.

I realize some of my spiritual friends are already mentally criticizing me, asking what’s wrong with me. If I were truly spiritual, they might be saying, I would be above that sort of energy, I would be focused on positive outcomes, I would know blah, blah, blah. And on it goes.

So, I’m not as enlightened as they are. I might have part of me in what’s called the fourth and fifth dimensions, but I’m still part of the third dimension where I live my life, relate to other people, and try my best to serve, learn, and grow. What I’m learning right now is how important it is to take good care of myself and others around me. We need to feel safe and supported. We need to take time away from the energetic stream and find ways to feel happy. Meditation is important, of course, but so is enjoying music, art, colors, sound, nature, and all the other good things in this world.

It’s important to be the Hanged One in the tarot deck. Let go and let God while looking beneath the surface of life and knowing all is well even when things look like a royal mess. I’ll do my work today, but I’m also going to play some and enjoy myself. I hope my friend and others like us do the same!

34/365

The Seed to Success is in Your Imagination

There's so much wisdom in what I'm posting here that I felt strongly it needs to  be shared with you! This was written by Max Steingart in 2002. I don't know him, but he is a business coach who works with people doing multilevel marketing. Although this is worded for a business setting, what it says applies to anything we're trying to accomplish in our lives.

"Visualize all the things that you want in life.
Then make your mental blue print, and begin to build.
Your imagination can show you how to turn your possibilities into reality.
You must make every thought, every fact, that comes into your mind pay you a profit.
Make those mental images work and produce for you.
Think of things not as they are, but as you want them to be.
Don't just dream, be creative.
The will to succeed springs from the knowledge that you can succeed.
You make your own opportunities
Your destiny isn't a matter of chance,
It's a matter of the choices you'll make in the coming year.
Success isn't something you wait for,
   it's something you must pursue in the months ahead.
Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities to be successful.
Seize common occasions and turn them into great ones.
Opportunities sometimes come disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat.
Start where you are.
You're at this moment standing right in the middle of opportunity.
If you act on your dreams
You can live them in the New Year.
You have a lot to look forward to.

Success requires a willingness to act.
If you want to be successful, you can start at anytime.
But you must start.
Don't make the mistake of not doing anything because you can only do a little.
Do what you can do.
It will always be your attitude at the beginning of any difficult task which, more than anything else,
   will affect its successful outcome.
To be aware of what you want and not go after it,
   to spend years wondering if something could have materialized
   and never knowing if it could have been is a tragic waste of your life.
The worst thing you can do is not to try.
To reach a port you must set sail.
You must sail, not lie at anchor.
You must sail off in the direction of your dreams, not drift.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."

32/365

Fingers, toes, and eyes crossed!

I'm hoping and praying for the greater good today while realizing my vision of the greater good might not match that of others! Such interesting times. I won't be following the news today because it will only be a lot of speculation about results that won't be in until tomorrow and, in some places, not for weeks!

Instead, after a routine visit to the dentist, I will write my book reviews for the week and my Wednesday Inspiration that goes out to my New Spirit Journal subscriber list tomorrow. Creativity soothes.



PS: And I wrote this without using the "P word once!


31/365

How’s the time change going for you?

I know it’s been only one day, but I am acutely aware of our turning back the clocks yesterday morning. The corgis won’t let me forget. Their little timers are still on Daylight Savings Time. Their systems tell them it’s time to go outside, to eat, to play...they aren’t aware of our clocks. Usually, it takes a few days for them to reset and then they’re fine.

The same is true for my internal timer. Much as I tried to sleep in yesterday, my internal timer said, “No, it’s time to get up.” So, I did. It made yesterday one of the longest days in my life. Time is such a funny thing and is so arbitrary. Mother Nature just does her thing with the sun, moon, day, night, rain, snow. We’re the ones who are always trying to catch up.

Wouldn’t it be nice to let go of our clocks once in awhile? Truthfully, I do this sometimes. As long as I don’t have a schedule that involves other people, it’s fun to ignore the clock and see how my day flows. Sometimes, my choices are the same. Other times, they’re very different.

Uh-oh. Someone with fur just gave me a nudge, saying it’s time for their breakfast. Off I go - the corgis are in charge - at least for the moment. I will regain sovereignty at some point, I am sure.

30/365

These elections shouldn't be nail-biters - but they are

For those of us who see the mid-term elections this year as a vote for the soul of this country, it's especially discouraging to hear people say they aren't going to vote because they don't like either party. They feel we need a new third party. Maybe they are correct, but now isn't the time to pull the covers over your head and say you're going to wait to act until there is a new party to choose from or to vote for someone from the Green Party or whatever group is trying to be a third party right now.

It's frustrating because those folks don't stand a chance of winning. A vote for one of these, or not voting at all, is a vote to keep the status quo. If you're happy with the status quo, this makes sense. If you're not, it makes no sense at all.

It's like standing in front of a buffet when you and your friends are really hungry but refusing to eat because you don't like anything you see. Because your choice affects others, not only won't you eat, but neither will your friends.

Maybe these non-voters or waste-voters don't know gays, blacks, Latinos, Asians, anyone with skin that isn't white, Jewish people, transgender people, people who have pre-existing health conditions, people who need affordable health care, women who can get pregnant, or people who will be alive thirty and forty years from now when climate change will be in full force (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren).

These, and many more, are the people who are being affected by the policies being put into place or being erased. If you aren't one of them, good for you. If you have friends or relatives who do fit any of these categories, your decision not to vote or to cast your vote  for a third party candidate that can't win, your decision not to eat from the buffet, means none of them get to eat, either.

29/365

We need more uplifting stories: here’s one

Let me share this with you. There was a woman who had some difficulties in her life, difficulties that could be helped by her being able to take a trip. She couldn’t afford the trip and was resigned to this reality. Her boss heard about the issue and offered to advance the woman’s salary so she could go handle the emergency.

Everyone who has heard this story has felt their heart open with gratitude to this boss. When there are so many negative stories being told these days, isn’t it wonderful to know that there are good ones like this happening?

We have to remember that all is not lost. There are many wonderful souls on the planet right now, souls who are doing positive and uplifting things like this boss did. Let’s encourage and share more stories like this one and fewer of the ones that focus on meanness and cruelty. People are basically good and sometimes it’s the challenging times that highlights this.

No, you can't see it.

As I was strolling down Amazon Lane one day, I saw a book about keeping a daily drawing journal as a means of tracking one's life. I don't draw. I kept being attracted to the book and finally got the Kindle version.

You'd think I have enough on my plate what with writing a daily blog, a weekly Wednesday Inspiration, putting out a new publication weekly, leading a twice monthly Ananda meditation/study group, working with my mentoring clients, writing some new books, starting a new senior support group in Monroe, crocheting and keeping up with some television shows our household enjoys. Why on earth add one more thing. I honestly don't know.

A few days ago, I pulled out a blank journal and some pencils and began to record my day. Not all of it, mind you, just some significant things that happened. My drawing journal is nothing like the woman's who wrote the book. I guess she's really popular on Instagram: Samantha Dion Baker. She's also very talented.

We'll see where this goes. Right now, I'm enjoying expressing myself in a non-verbal manner. Maybe someday I'll get brave enough to share some of the pages. Right now, however, you can't see it. It's for my eyes only. You might want to give it a try, especially if you're a person who works with words a lot like I do. There's something about switching the brain into drawing mode that I'm enjoying. We'll see how it goes.

26/365

Don't save your glitter and metallic pens for another day...

...use them today. I love pens of all kinds. Some people might call me a pen-hoarder, but I don't think I am. I think I'm fickle when it comes to pens. I'll use one for awhile and then another comes along that's a bit flashier and I change to it without letting go of the first one. There are some pens that are my mainstays - I have two fountain pens I use regularly. All the others get changed out on a regular basis. I have every color of the rainbow and some colors never seen in a rainbow. Some are ball points and others are gel pens.

This morning I realized I don't use my glitter and metallic pens that often. I tend to save them for special writing or decorating of a page. Then I realized this is just plain wrong. Why not enjoy glitter writing on a regular day? Why wait for a special event? So, I pulled out a green pen that writes in glitter and have been using it today. It's been fun and the page is very pretty!

Maybe tomorrow it's be the metallic blue pen. That would be nice for a Thursday!

25/365

Such joy!

Today I had thought I would write about the level of concern I have that our country seems to be on a path of no return, a path that I see as negative and dangerous. Then something happened! As many of you know, I love crystals and stones and have worked/played with them for well over 30 years. Many have come and gone over the years and my acquisition of them has slowed a lot in the last ten or so years. Recently, however, a few new ones came to me.

I wrote about my first two Brandberg (some call them Brandenburg) amethysts I got. They're both pocket stones and I can't wear them as pendants unless I have them set. This was fine with me until.....I saw a post on a Facebook page that focuses on crystals and a woman posted a photo of a Brandberg pendant she got from one of the artists at Etsy.com. Hmmm......

Sure enough, there was an amethyst pendant at one of the shops. I ordered it and when it arrived I saw that it was also an elestial with multiple facets as well as being part smokey. The energy is very much of a workhorse. A few days later for a reason I didn't understand at the time, I went back to the same site to see if there might be another one. Indeed there was - a gorgeous twin soul, light amethyst,  that is also an enhydro.

Enhydros have ancient waters trapped in them - this one has a small bubble of water that moves. It arrived yesterday and I discovered it, or they, are actually tabular crystals that grew together. Today, I put the new pendant on and was immediately flooded with incredible joy. I found a second chain and put the second one on and the two of them are working together.

The issues of the world haven't been solved but these delightful stone people are helping me raise my personal energy space to a higher level where I don't have to take on the negative energies floating around in the ethers. They can help me to project more joy wherever I go and that will help in some small way.

Here they are. The one on the right is the first one and the one on the left is the newest one that emanates incredible joy!

24/365

The government is not a business.

We’ve been watching a Netflix series called Welcome to Waverly. Seven people who mostly identify as democrats/progressives (spoiler: there is one gay Republican), from mostly coastal states, agree to spend six weeks in Waverly, Kansas: population 600. The idea is to get people together from a small, rural town and people from big cities, people with diverse backgrounds and political ideaologies, and see what happens.

There’s one scene when one of the progressives, who has gotten quite drunk, is talking with some of the locals around an outdoor fire. She asks them if they voted for Trump and why. One woman said she voted for Trump because, “The government is a business and he is a successful businessman.” The progressive says, “No he isn’t, he isn’t a successful businessman,” and then walks away.

In my opinion, she lost such a great opportunity to have a discussion that needs to be had. Government isn’t a business and shouldn’t be run as a business. Governments are meant to govern, to represent the interests of the citizens, to be sure laws are enforced, to insure that people can live safe lives, to oversee the common good. Businesses exist to provide a service or goods of some kind and to make a profit. There is a huge difference.

And if our current government were a business, it would be on the brink of shutting down due to the enormous deficit that has been created in the last two years.

I don’t care if the president is a good or bad business person. I want to know that he or she can govern with intelligence, compassion, and with the common good of all people at the forefront of his or her mind. The same is true of all elected officials at every level of government. If a person can’t govern in this way, if they are putting their own interests and pocketbook ahead of the country, they need to find another job.

Some great relationships were formed during the filming of the show and tears were shed when they had to part. They learned the great truth that we’re all more alike than we are different and that it is okay to hold different beliefs - we can all get along if we’re willing to listen to one another and be willing to compromise. Those who continue to stoke the fires of hatred and separation are doing this only for their own profit. The more we common folks can meet and get together, the sooner we can leave this mess behind us. There really can be some Kumbaya moments in our future.

22/365

Flabby arms and sleeveless tops

I caught a glimpse of my flabby arms this morning. Of course, they've been that way for years. I think the only time I didn't have flabby arms was when I worked in machine shops eight to 16 hours a day, lifting up to a hundred pounds at a time - chest high. I was in my early 20's then when everything related to my body was easier than it is these days.

My thoughts turned to the trend among women, the trend to wear sleeveless tops. I think Michelle Obama started it when she began wearing sleepless tops in the White House. Maybe it became a way to align with being in good shape and having power as a woman. I don't own a sleeveless top. Never will.

It bothers me when I see professional women in a professional setting, say working as a lawyer, wearing a sleeveless top while the man they are opposing is suited up, tie and all. Personally, I think it detracts from the woman's ability to project a powerful position. I feel the same way about showing cleavage. There's a time and place for that and a business or legal setting aren't the places or the times. I know some women disagree with me strongly, saying they are reclaiming their right to their bodies by deciding when and where and how much cleavage to show the rest of us.

In the midst of these mental meanderings, I heard about today's domestic terrorism: the attack on a synagogue in Pittsburg. At least eight people lost their lives. Others have been injured physically or psychologically. Some will never recover from this one morning in their lives. All they did was go to their place of worship, a place they saw as safe and comforting, a place of transformation - but, not the transformation they experienced this day.

I decided that if my biggest troubles today are my flabby arms and my criticism of professional women who wear sleeveless tops or who choose to share a bit more cleavage than I deem correct - hey, this is a good day. And for that I am thankful.

21/365

Pearl and her squirrel

This post is best read when you're not dining. You've been warned.

Earlier this week, I was working from home by myself. Well, the two corgis were here, but Rhonda was out. I had taken the dogs outside for a break and was waiting on the porch for their return from doing their business in our fenced yard. The older of the two, Rhodie, came right back and joined me on the porch. Where, oh where, was the younger one, Pearl?

I called her. Nothing. I squeaked her favorite toy, usually a surefire way to get her to come running. Nothing. I cracked our horse whip (no, we don't use it on the dogs; we just use it for the sound that usually makes them come running). Nothing.

Then I saw her. Pearl was behind a tree right next to the fence to our neighbor's house. She came out from behind the tree and began to walk towards me with pride in every step. In her mouth was a squirrel. It wasn't moving. There was a lot of red to be seen. Quickly, I put the other dog in the house. Now it was me, the squirrel, and Pearl.

Although Pearl was very proud of having the squirrel and I could tell some part of her wanted to give it to me, there was a much bigger part of her who wanted to keep the catch. I had no idea if she found the squirrel already deceased or if she had caused the death. Either way, I had to get the squirrel from her. This wasn't the first time she had a dead squirrel - the last time she managed to get one into the house and that resulted in my having to do some clean-up I'd rather not discuss.

I tried walking closer to her, but she would turn and walk the other way. For quite awhile we played the game of keep-away. "It's my squirrel and you can't have it." I was frustrated not only because now I had to deal with the dead squirrel, something that would normally come under Rhonda's job description along with taking spiders outside, but I had a full work to-do list that wasn't getting done.

What to do? Finally, it dawned on me. What we resist persists. What if she thought I didn't care about the squirrel? What if I ignored her? I went back to the porch and stood with my back to the walkway and to Pearl. I acted like I was looking at my phone. I heard her come up the steps behind me and then leave again. I stayed still and kept my back to her. Slowly, she came up the steps again. I held my breath.

Pearl moved slightly in front of me by the door, her prize still held tightly in her mouth. I reached down and grabbed her by her collar and, still holding the prize, she looked at me sideways as if to say, "But Mommy, I can have so much fun with this in the house. Let me show it to Rhodie, please?" I had to give her the command to drop it a few times. Finally, she did. I scooted her into the house, shut the door behind her and then had to deal with the consequences of her predatory nature.

Maybe if there's something you've been chasing in your life, all you have to do is turn your back on it and it will come to you. Here's the mighty huntress - looks so innocent, right?

20/365

What do the numbers mean?

Maybe you've noticed there are some numbers at the end of my blogs lately. What are they? As you might know, Rhonda posts a photo a day on Facebook. This is the second year she's done this - beginning on her birthday. I tried posting a photo a day and it didn't work for me.

I write, but not always as much as I would like to. I decided that, beginning on my birthday, this year I would blog once a day for the next year. Thus, the number today being 19/365: the 19th day I've blogged out of 365!

Although I'm working on several books and although I write my Wednesday Inspiration weekly, the idea is that writing a daily blog will help me make writing more of a habit. Several of you have said you're enjoying my daily thoughts, so let's see where this goes!

19/365

A reminder for all of us...

A great colleague and friend who read my Wednesday Inspiration today, sent me an email thanking her for the reminder that if anything is going to get done about the mess our country is in, it will be up to us - the people - to handle it. She said when the Dalai Lama was in town a few years ago, the group of thousands sang this song:

Who’s going to change things?

We the people

Who’s going to change things?

We the people

Cause if we the people don’t do it,

It won’t get done!

I love it! Lets do it!!!!

18/365

Another white feather? Yes!

Ok, the angels really have my attention this time. I was sitting on the side of the bed putting on my shoes this morning when I saw something white and wispy out of the corner of my eye. Probably dog hair, I thought to myself. I always tell people if you can't live with dog hair, don't have a dog. Most breeds shed. Anyway, I reached to pick it up and guess what it was? A white feather!

Most likely it came in on someone's paw. I don't remember seeing any white feathers outside and we don't have pillows with feathers. Definitely a gift from the angels and one they want to be sure I keep. No way to walk away from this one and leave it for someone else!

Shortly thereafter, I got a call from my 86-year old sister who went into the hospital last night without telling me. She lives about an hour and a half away so had someone from her church who lives closer take her to urgent care and they put her in the hospital. She should be home today, she says. I get the feeling I am going to need all the angelic help I can get and, of course,  asked them to go support her as well. Please put her in your prayers - her name is Kitti. Thank you - and I'll let you know how the saga of the white feathers continues.

17/365

It's the meanness that bothers me the most

I don't know about you, but what bothers me the most about today's political climate is how mean it's become. We used to be able to disagree without being disagreeable and without being mean-spirited. I don't get why it has to be this way now. I know lots of people I disagree with about various things and they disagree with me. But we don't call each other names; we don't yell at one another; and we don't threaten physical or legal harm to one another. We respect one another while holding different viewpoints.

Some people won't like me saying this, but it's true: there's one group that tends to be meaner than the other. Even though they currently hold all the power, some of these folks feel so insecure that they have to yell, lie, threaten, cheat, steal and - maybe - even help cover up a murder.

It feels like we're going down a funnel - spinning, spinning, spinning - not being sure how far down we'll go or what's at the bottom. Where will we land? I hope it's a soft landing, but I have my doubts.

16/365

Call me unspiritual, but I don’t like waiting

Yesterday, we had to sit in some traffic and then we had to wait in line at a fast food place. I was annoyed and here’s why. First, though, let me say that I know many people will judge me and say I’m not very advanced if I don’t know how to use times of waiting for spiritual purposes. My response: I know how to. I don’t want to.

Although we live in eternity, what’s also true is that we live on this planet a certain number of years and then move on. People can sugar-coat that all they want to with platitudes about how we live forever and time is just an illusion. We live in these bodies on this planet a certain number of years and then we move on. For me, it has always been important how I use my time. Maybe I got this attitude from my mother.

One of the best admonitions I’ve heard is this one. Choose the books you read carefully because for every book you read, there is another you can’t read. I have expanded this to include all choices about how I use my time. Whatever I choose to do means there is something else I can’t do. If I choose to spend 30 minutes pulling weeds, that is 30 minutes I can’t spend crocheting.

Is this coming from a sense of lack? Or does it come from a sense of treasuring my time on this planet? The older I get, the longer I live, the more I realize how precious this lifetime is and the more consciousness I want to bring to my choices. When others impose themselves onto my timeline and try to steal some of my minutes, hours, or days, I will be gracious. I will do my best not to get annoyed. I will also do my best to keep them away from my timeline in the future.

15/365

The angels gave me my white feather

It’s said that when you find a white feather it’s the angels saying hello. It’s their way of saying they are with you, that you’re cared for and loved. At varying times, I’ve found feathers - black ones, blue ones, brown ones, spotted ones. But not white. I’ve always taken the feathers as a message from the angels anyway, but I will be honest and say that I always felt a bit left out because my feathers weren’t white ones.

That changed yesterday. I had picked up a to-go order of Thai food and was headed to my car.  As I walked down the sidewalk, there it was: my little white wispy feather. Wouldn’t you think that after all this time I would have picked it up to bring home with me? I have many other feathers on my desk. In a split second I made the decision to leave it where it was, to just bask in the meaning and message of the feather. I would leave it for someone else to find so they could also feel loved by the angels.

It was and is enough that I finally got my white feather message.

14/365

I’m curious

Years ago, I moved from the state of knowing to that of curiosity. As a teacher and mentor, of course I do know a lot on one level. But I’ve learned that when I can open my knowingness to being curious, I know a lot more. We’ve all been around people who know everything. No matter the topic, they put forward ideas of which they are certain. I wonder what would happen if they could put aside how much they know and open their mind to being curious.

Instead of knowing what’s motivating someone else, why not ask, “I wonder where that attitude comes from?” Instead of saying, “I know exactly how this is going to turn out,” why not ask, “I wonder how this will unfold?”

Being curious instead of knowing everything surely does make life more interesting and a lot more fun!

13/365

How do we motivate the younger people?

How do we help them understand how critical it is for them to get involved in the political process - voting or running for office? How do we help them understand that the people who are currently deciding the state of the world they, their children, and grandchildren will live in are not going to be alive to reap the consequences of what they are doing today?

Is it right that the people deciding the fate of our planet won't live long enough to experience the results of their decisions? Or that these people don't seem to care or understand the legacy they're leaving for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren?

Most of the people who hold the greatest political power right now are in their 70's and 80's. They are mostly privileged older white men who won't be around in another 20 or 30 years when the true consequences of today's decisions will come home to roost.

When we're younger, it's easy to to see the world from our narrow viewpoint of the next year or so. It's easy to shrug one's shoulders and say, "This really doesn't affect me. I've got to pass these tests or make my student loans, or find a new girlfriend."

Fortunately, there are some young people who understand that their future is being decided today. They are getting involved and making their voices heard. We just need more of them.

12/365

Who’s going to win: you or it?

There are people of all ages who fight technology. Not only do they fight it; they are proud of the fight. The problem for them is that technology will win. Just as when the automobile began to replace horses there were people who swore they would never drive a car, today we have people who refuse to learn how to email, surf the web, or text.

Although it’s true that most of the people I know who fit this are in their 60’s and beyond, I also know younger folks who fight technology and are proud of the fact that they don’t know how to download simple documents or listen to MP3 files. “I’m not giving up my cassette player!”

I also know people in their 80’s and 90’s who have embraced technology, quickly learning how it has helped them live happier lives. They easily keep in touch with their children and grandchildren, have learned new hobbies, and some have even met the new love of their lives.

Evolution continues and will continue whether we like everything that happens because of it or not. It’s far better to go with the flow rather than try to hang onto that tree branch sticking up out of the water. Chances are it isn’t connected to anything below the surface and you’ll be going with the flow whether or not you want to!

Technology can be friend or foe - it really is up to us to decide.

10/365

Oops: I took co-dependency to a new level

There are some folks who can't be around scents because of allergies and general sensitivities. I'm blessed because I'm not one of them and can enjoy incense, essentials oils, etc. However, I do know how terrible it is to have your breathing interfered with because someone wears oils or perfume, burns incense, or has loads of flowers in an inside space.

Out of respect for people with such sensitivities, I quit wearing any sort of scents when I go out. If someone with such issues comes to my home, I also make sure there are no scents that could cause them discomfort.  Guess what I realized the other day. So as not to offend others, I also quit using oils and incense in my own home when no one will be here who has any sort of sensitivity issues. Oh, my! How unfair to myself!

Whereas I will continue to be respectful of others, I am now allowing myself to wear my delicious essential oils and use my diffuser again when in my own home. I think I'll look at some other areas where I might be engaging in doing or not doing based on other people's needs and not my own!

9/365

Here's a way to heal issues you have with others

A friend and I were talking on the phone the other day and she was telling me about an impactful counseling session she and her spouse had. What she said has stuck with me as being so powerful that I want to share it with all of you.

When you have an issue between you and someone else, something you don't agree on but something that has to be dealt with, instead of allowing the issue to exist between you, move it out in front of you so you face it together, side by side. Brilliant!

Here's a way I thought of to make this practical. Write the issue down on a piece of paper. Put the piece of paper between you, facing one another. Now take the piece of paper together, turn so you are sitting side by side, and put the issue out in front of you. Now you are working on it together rather than having it be something that comes between you and causes friction.

Just think if we could do this between political parties - work on issues together instead of having them be what separates us. What if parents could do this with their children? What if bosses and employees could do this? My imagination just explodes with the possibilities for healing, manifesting, and loving.

8/365

Which ending will we have?

In our household, movies have one of two endings. A movie can have a Krysta-ending or it can have a Rhonda-ending. With a Krysta ending, everyone meets their challenges successfully, lives up to their full potential, and rides off into the sunset happy, fulfilled, loving and loved. With a Rhonda-ending, the hero dies, the couple divorces, or the dog runs away never to be seen again. It’s not uncommon during a movie for me to say, “I hope this has a Krysta-ending!”

Rhonda says her endings are more like what would happen in real-life. Things don’t always work out the way we want them to. She’s right, of course. But, as I tell her, I don’t watch movies just to see real life. Those are called documentaries. I always hope things can work out better in a movie than they might in real life.

Right now, I feel like we’re all living in a movie and we don’t know which ending we’ll have. The holy teachings of the East through the Bhagavad Gita say all of this is God’s lila or play and we are each called to be participants. The challenge, as I see it, is we’re not shown the entire script ahead of time. We read our lines and move around the set the way the director tells us to. But we are not privy to the entire script. That’s scary.

I’m hopeful for a Krysta-ending. I guess we’ll just have to keep turning the pages and see what happens.

7/365

Stop talking and listen!

A woman called me the other day and inquired about advertising on our website. She asked a question and then when I responded, she started talking again. This happened four or five times. Finally I said to her, “I’m trying to answer your questions, but every time I begin to speak, you start talking again.”

“Oh,” she said, “I’ll be quiet and listen so you can answer my questions.”

How often do we do this? We ask God for answers and then won’t be quiet and listen. “What should I do about thus and so,” we ask. “Should I do this or that? Should I go here or there? Maybe I need to do this?” Meanwhile, God tries to guide us, give us clues, show us the way. But we’re so busy talking, we can’t hear.

Maybe we need to put on our listening ears, as Judge Judy tells the people who come before her in court. There’s a reason we’ve been given two ears and one mouth. The guidance we need is always there. We just have to stop talking and listen.

6/365

My little bowl

About 30 years ago, Rhonda and I taught ourselves how to make pottery . We didn't have a kiln so built one out of red bricks filled with sawdust. This is called "sawdust firing." We learned about it from books. Today, there are You Tube videos that show how it's done. After making a bowl or other item, we buried it in the sawdust and started it in a slow burn that could take as long as eight hours to finish and another four or five to cool down. One of the signatures of sawdust firing is the darkness of the completed item as well as how it retains some of the markings of the fire.

I still have two bowls I made as well as a set of runes. This small bowl sits on my altar and I use it to burn sage or incense.

There's something very special about making something you use for your spiritual practices and I highly recommend it. You aren't creating a piece of art to be shared with the world. I never thought I would take this photo and share it. I made the bowl for my own use and treasure it. What could you make that fits within your tradition and how could you incorporate it into your life? Even something as simple as a drawing of a cross, a tree, or a candle could hold and focus your energy, making your spiritual work more personal, enduring, and endearing.

4/365

What the movie Kumaré can teach us

Although this documentary came out a few years ago, I just saw it. The movie is about a New Jersey-born man whose cultural background is Indian who decides to create himself as a spiritual guru to discover how far he can go to create followers. He designs his own forms of yoga, spiritual teachings, chants, and practices. The movie shows us what happens in the lives of his followers and how the experiment impacts his life.

Most interesting is how people can view someone the way they want him or her to be in order to satisfy their yearning for meaning and focus. Enter what’s going on in our country right now and you have an explanation for why people are jumping on bandwagons that others can’t understand. It can be attractive and easy to believe what someone tells us because they have led us to believe they have our best interests at heart when, in fact, they are playing a shell game. Sometimes, people tell us to look in one direction so we can’t see what they’re doing in another.

The answer? Discrimination - we were given the power to discriminate, to look beneath the surface of what someone says or does and make our decisions in a fully informed manner rather than letting emotional needs sway our thoughts and actions. Ask yourself: what’s the long view here and what’s in it for the people trying to sway my opinion?

I won’t spoil the ending of the movie in case you want to watch it (on iTunes). I think I’ll try to track down the man who made Kumaré and see if I can interview him. It would be interesting to find out what changes have happened for him and how he sees what’s going on in the world today in terms of his movie.

3/365

I was surprised by something someone said to me....

Yesterady evening, after having had a wonderful lunch with some friends, Rhonda and I were sitting down to watch a documentary I’d wanted to see for awhile - Kumaré. Rhonda said to me, “I hope you’re not offended by this, but I think you’re really preoccupied with politics.” This perked up my ears and I asked what she meant.

“Well,” she explained, “I’m interested in what’s going on but after awhile I get so depressed about it all that I have to turn it off in my mind and think about something else. This doesn’t seem to happen to you. You keep being interested, no matter what.”

No offense taken. Yes, I am concerned. I think everyone on this planet should be concerned. When I was in my 20’s, I had no interested in politics at all and I didn’t even vote. I always said there was no point in voting because my one vote didn’t make a difference. One day someone I greatly admired said to me, “You’re very smart and have a lot going for you. But you have one glaring fault: you don’t follow politics enough. You don’t know what’s going on in the world and that could be a problem for you.”

What I’ve learned since then is every vote matters and I do need to know what’s going on politically. Why? Because what happens in politics touches every aspect of our lives from the price we pay for butter and gasoline to our ability to live our lives in freedom, the way we choose to live. Right now, these things are being threatened and, yes, I fully intended to stay on top of what’s happening and do whatever I can to protect our democracy from those who would trample it in exchange for money and power.

Some of my spiritual friends tune out politics, saying that Divine Mother is in charge, we’re just going through what’s called Dwapara Yuga, and all is well. Yes, all is well as long as we play our parts. Each of us is here for a reason and I don’t think that reason is to ignore what’s going on. I believe we’re here to be engaged from the level of spiritual understanding and action. It’s too easy to forget the action part. We need to speak up. We need to vote. We need to visualize and affirm right action on the part of those who hold the offices that make the rules the rest of us live by.

We polished off the evening with the documentary which I highly recommend. But that’s a post for another day.

2/365

Happy birthday to me!

For years, for reasons I can’t explain, I looked forward to turning 60 years of age. For some reason, I thought my 60’s were going to be wonderful years. They weren’t. I faced many challenges that surprised me. Yes, I know some like to call challenges opportunities and, in some ways, I guess the situations were opportunities. They still feel more like challenges/hurdles to me.

Two different astrologers said age 70 would be the beginning of great things for me, that my true service and work would begin at 70. That made me tired to hear: did they mean everything I’ve done in my life to date was peanuts? It felt that way to me. Nothing that I can call “great” happened during this past year. No new service has risen to the surface and no great aha moments came. Sure, I started my new Sages After 70 video show and I have continued my work with New Spirit Journal, mentoring, writing, and my personal spiritual practices. I even added some new ones. But nothing earth-shattering happened: crickets, as they say.

Today feels different to me. The odometer turned to 71 this morning. I feel energized. My annual tarot reading shows magnificent cards. Many of us are reeling at the political events happening and there’s even some hand-wringing going on and I totally understand that. I am deeply disappointed in the way our system seems so broken and no closer to being repaired than it was a year ago. I am disappointed that the treatment of Mother Earth seems to be deteriorating instead of getting better. I could go on about many things that disappoint me right now. I won’t.

I won’t because, despite it all, I feel hopeful - in my own life as well as on behalf of the world. Something deep is brewing and the celestial hands are stirring the pot and turning up the heat. I hope there is a return to civility between people who disagree with one another. I hope we can sit down together and find common ground. There are forces that don’t want this to happen.

My hope is that the young people will continue to find their voices and get energized. My generation was involved in many positive things that are now under attack. We have to join together and become a force for goodness, civility, compassion, and positive evolutionary growth that won’t be denied.

I care: do you?

(1/365)

The new form of communication: YELLING.

Have you noticed that for some people the newest form of communication is YELLING? It seems they believe that if they say something loud enough, often enough, with enough anger, what they are saying will miraculously become true. Unfortunately, for listeners without much discrimination, this can work. For the rest of us, yelling only signifies how lacking in confidence the speaker is. Yelling can also indicate fear.

I was trying to remember the last time I actually raised my voice and yelled. It was 2002. My 5-month old, blue merle corgi Jazz had recently joined the family. We were taking her, on leash, for a walk in the neighborhood. A boy about eight or nine years old had let his large black dog out of his yard off leash. The dog charged us. Jazz suddenly pulled in the opposite direction and her collar slipped off her neck. She ran away.

I stood in the middle of the road holding the leash and collar, scared for my dog’s safety. She didn’t know the neighborhood or where our house was. She was young. We lived in the country with lots of predators all around us. There was a train track close by. I feared for my dog’s life.

I yelled at the boy telling him how he had endangered my dog’s life by letting his dog out of his yard. I was scared and angry. This wasn’t the first time this particular dog had been allowed to roam our neighborhood.

  I searched for Jazz, fearing she was gone forever and would most likely be lunch for a coyote, bear, or cougar. When we got home, there was Jazz sitting on the porch waiting for us.  Relief flooded over me and she lived with us for another 13 years. As an aside, I learned that the particular collar she wore was defective. Although I would make sure it was on her securely, unbeknownst to me it would loosen as we walked. Once I discovered this, it went in the trash.

When I watch public figures yell, I realize this. They are scared. They are angry. They are insecure. I ask myself, “Why?” Maybe if they yell loud enough and long enough even they will begin to believe themselves. For me, when I hear them yelling it is a sign they are scared. Maybe they should be.

I want to see a Men’s March!

Watching this whole Kavanaugh mess and the series of sexual abuse allegations that preceded this one, I find myself asking a question. Why aren’t scores of good men standing loud and proud and tall protesting against their brothers? Why is it the women take to the streets and the halls of Congress protesting, being dragged away by police, and punished in the media?

There have to be a lot of good men in the world. There have to be men who have not sexually (or otherwise) abused women? If I were a man right now, I would be incensed at the men who have not only abused women but who now expect to be exonerated and who are being supported by other men to remain silent, deny all blame, and continue their lives as if they have done nothing wrong.

Where are the men’s marches? Why are you not rising up? Why aren’t you loudly showing your sons and daughters the difference between right and wrong by taking public stands about this and ensuring guilty men are appropriately punished?

I want to see Men’s Marches across the country. Will I?

How do we stay positive these days?

It’s an understatement to say we live in interesting times, isn’t it? No matter your political bent, I think you’ll agree that the world stage is providing us with an almost constantly changing landscape. It’s difficult to feel grounded or positive when the environment in which we’re living feels so unstable. What to do?

This is a time that calls for us to have our own inner world solidly based on principles and practices we believe in. For me, I know I would feel wildly unmoored if I didn’t have my morning routine of quiet time and meditation. I would feel ungrounded if I didn’t give myself the space to be creative in some way daily - writing, crocheting, baking bread, or even sometimes coloring in a coloring book.

Yes, I follow the news. I just finished reading the book Fear by Bob Woodward and what a terrifying, upsetting, and sad journey that was. I’m glad I took it but I’m also glad it’s over. One of the ways I cope with all of this is reminding myself this is all a grand play and we don’t know the outcome. It might not end the way we think it will.

Like reading a good thriller, though, part of the fascination is not knowing the outcome. I find when I stay somewhat detached from feeling I have to know or control the outcome, it’s easier for me to watch what’s going on without letting these events dominate my thoughts, feeling, or decisions.

Let yourself turn the page every morning. Watch what’s going on with mild amusement. Get involved in whatever way is right for you and don’t let the world dictate how you feel or the decisions you make. None of us are alone in this.Tune in to the highest and best thoughts you can and let the lesser ones wash away and return to the sea from which they came.

What is my life purpose?

Several years ago at one of our Good Company lunches, as woman in her 80’s shared that she was trying to discover her life purpose. At the time I thought to myself, “That’s sad to be in your 80’s and still seeking your life purpose.” Now at almost 71, I find myself in the same situation: what is my life purpose?

Recently, pretty much anything I do doesn’t seem to work. Over the years, I’ve learned to take baby steps in a direction and see what happens. If I seem to get a positive response, I take another step. If I get a negative response, I reassess what I’m doing or the way I’m doing it. What’s especially interesting to me is that I know others who are experiencing the same thing so I don’t think I’m the exception in this experience. It seems that many of us are reassessing ourselves and the work we came here to do.

I remember being asked this question at a seminar I gave in Barcelona, Spain. “How do I know what my life purpose is?” My response was, “Your life purpose is to be you. How you ‘be you’ can change forms many times. But your basic life purpose is to be who you came here to be. Your life purpose has little to do with your profession or career and everything to do with who you are as your core self.”

Great advice! My former astrologer Libby Kresky who is now happily on the other side, at the beginning of every year’s chart update would ask me, “Who are you apart from your work? That’s what you have to find out.”  I guess that’s what I’m still doing! Who am I apart from my work?

When I can answer that, I will have discovered my life purpose.

The floor came up to greet me....

It had been over two years since I fell. Because one of my legs doesn’t work so well, I use a cane and I walk slowly. I pay attention to where I place my feet and I work hard at lifting my feet so I don’t stumble and fall. Recently, I have been in a lot of places where the ground was uneven or where I did a lot of walking and standing and knew my leg could get weary. I was careful and did great!

Imagine my surprise when I stumbled and fell in my own home the other day! There’s something about that second when you realize the ground is coming up to meet you and there’s nothing you can do about it. You know you are in the hands of grace or angels and that you’ll be okay. Still, it’s disconcerting, to say the least. The first thought I had was to assure others that I was okay and hadn’t broken anything.

The biggest challenge when I fall is getting up. You know the saying, “I’ve fallen and can’t get up!” Because one of my legs is so weak, it’s difficult to support myself to stand up. Rhonda and I worked at it for quite awhile and were beginning to think we’d have to call 911 for help. We tried one more time in a different way and succeeded. I got up with her help and fortunately have no lasting effects. Whew!

My 86 year-old sister fell recently while shopping. She coudn’t get up. Two gentlemen came and helped her. She also had no lasting effects other than to continue being aware when out and about.

I know some people are annoyed with me and others who walk slowly. Like you, I used to be able to run in and out of the store quickly. I worked with older adults for eight years and know how challenging it can be to have to slow down for them. But here’s the thing. If you see someone walking slowly, realize there is a reason they are doing that and they don’t mean to slow you down or frustrate you. Take a moment to center yourself, be present in the moment, and be grateful for your ability to walk and run and jog with ease. I hope not, but someday you might be one of us.

This is all about bananas

For the last year, I’ve eaten a banana every day - okay, I did miss a few days, but only a few. One of the medications I take causes a diminishment of potassium in my body. This wouldn’t be good. Instead of my taking a potassium supplement which I have been told is a very large pill and uncomfortable to take, I promised my cardiologist I would eat a banana every day. Although there are other good sources like dried apricots or V8 juice, I chose the banana route. It’s worked and my potassium levels are great.

However, eating a banana every day can get so boring. I’ve eaten them alone. I’ve eaten them with toast and peanut butter. I’ve eaten them mixed into yogurt. I’ve eaten them in a bowl of cereal, this way being the most frequent to date. Now I have found a new way to eat my banana, a way I won’t do every day but which I would like to share with you in case you need a new way to eat a banana or you just like  trying new ways to enjoy food.

The recipe for Banana Pancakes with two ingredients:

2 eggs
1 banana

In a bowl, mash the banana with a fork or other mashing implement. Add the two eggs and beat with a fork or whisk. Fry in a skillet with oil or butter so the pancakes don’t stick. Turn when the edges start to turn brown. Put on a plate and enjoy alone or with honey, maple syrup, yogurt, fruit topping, a side of toast or whatever suits your fancy.

The first time I made this, I made it as one big pancake. That was difficult to turn so now I make it into three or more and pile them on the plate! These aren’t vegan but they are vegetarian and gluten-free for those who avoid wheat products.

Yes, I am painfully aware there are more important issues facing us than the one of how to eat a banana every day without getting bored. Yes, I know there are people who would love to have this challenge - they would love to be able to have a banana once a week, much less once a day. I know some people will think this is a very shallow issue for me to write a blog about. That’s okay. Here it is anyway - do with it what you will!

It’s the meanness that hurts the most

This whole immigration mess - and it is a mess - hurts at a very deep level. Everyone I know is aware that most of the world suffers from the issue of people caught up in wars, people who are trying to escape to other countries where they hope to be safe. And we’re aware that this influx of people is causing stress to the countries not involved in the wars. I don’t pretend to have all the solutions because these issues are very complex. However, I do see something that I find hurtful and below the United States as a country. It’s this.

It’s possible to respond to this issue without being mean. Right now our country is being mean to people and this is not necessary. I have deliberately chosen the word mean because it so expresses what I am seeing - meanness. As a country and as a people, we can uphold our laws without becoming mean and acting in an uncivil manner.

We don’t have to be mean to people. Yes, I know some will immediately counter me with, “But some of these people are criminals who intend to hurt our country and we have to show them our strength.”

My response? “Yes, but most of them are not criminals. Most of them are people just like you and just like me, people who are fleeing their homeland due to wars and violence. Don’t these people deserve to be treated with respect? Do we have to be mean to them?” And all the money we’re spending to build tent cities, couldn’t it be better spent on homeless vets, hungry people, and other worthwhile social issues we face in today’s world.

As one woman who lives on the border between Mexico and the United States said, “Instead of spending the money to build a wall, instead of rounding people up like animals, we need to work with these other countries to create an environment where the people don’t want to come to the United States, not because they fear us but because they can stay in their own country and lead peaceful, prosperous lives.”

This is the long-term solution. We need to approach the issue on a global level. Instead of putting out brush fires, we need to address the fact that the entire forest is on fire and do something about that. And with the right people in power, the United States could be a leader in a compassionate response rather than a leader in being a mean bully.

It keeps getting better

A few days ago, I had a visit with my doctor and he gave me some blood tests he does every few months. I don’t understand all of the test results even though I have looked them up on Mr. Google. This time was different because when he emailed the results he told me something I had not known. One of the results tells how well my heart is working.

A year ago, he said, this result was in the 400’s. Then it dropped into the 300’s. Now, he said, it is 166. The upper range for this result is 100 - I am 66 points away from being at the high end of normal results.

This is exciting because I now have physically verifiable proof that I am, indeed, improving the functioning of my heart. This means all the things I have been doing are working. It’s one thing to intuit something and it is something else to have it confirmed on the physical plane!

Now if we can just get the heart and soul of our nation back into normal range. But that is a different blog post, isn’t it?

What a difference a year makes

This past Saturday, I was the speaker at Ananda’s annual open house and Summer Solstice celebration. It was wonderful to spend time with friends I don’t see very often and it was poignant to think about my life a year ago.

I was scheduled to speak last year at the Ananda Open House. I was only a few months into the beginning of my health issues, couldn't breathe very well, was so weak I could barely walk ten yards, and had to cancel. I had never canceled a speaking engagement before and felt bad about it. Here I am a year later and totally able and willing to give the 15-minute talk to the hundred or so people who came out to enjoy the beautiful sunny June weather.

My symptoms are under control although the initial issue of the AFib still exists. My mobility issues, however, remain. I use a cane and it is difficult to walk very far, fast, or on uneven surfaces. I must walk slowly and I have to watch where I’m putting my feet so I don’t stumble and fall, especially on uneven surfaces. I’ve dealt with this since 2011.

It’s humbling and frustrating to use a cane (try sweeping or vacuuming using a cane). However, I am grateful that I can navigate fine, if slowly. Sometimes I think of the judgment I know some people have of those of us who have physical challenges - we must not be very good metaphysicians because our lives would be perfect if we were. And I listen to Carolyn Myss who tells people this attitude is hogwash. Life is chaos, she says, get used to it and live!

And I think of the spiritual teacher Ram Dass who is back to teaching and traveling after suffering a massive stroke and Swami Kriyananda, founder of Ananda, who had a myriad of health issues during his lifetime and didn’t let that slow him down at all. I think of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords who was shot, recovered and is back at work. I admire each of these people and draw on their sublime examples of people who don’t give up in the face of difficulties and challenges.

So, yes, what a difference a year makes. I am blessed to continue my work with New Spirit Journal, writing, teaching, mentoring, and learning how to offer video classes online through Udemy.com (commercial break: yesterday I released my second class called Tips for Teachers! Go to www.udemy.com/tips-for-teachers and put LETSTEACH in the coupon code to get the class for only $9.99. Commercial break over.).

We face a lot of challenges and opportunities in this lifetime without always knowing the why. I have reached the place of not needing to know why things happen because, truthfully, the why doesn’t matter. What does matter is how we handle what we’re given in life and being grateful for everything. We never know what beauty and love is tucked away inside the challenge. We just have to be open to receiving it while living to our highest potential as best we can.

One way I begin a new month

I love new months. They feel like a new beginning, an opportunity to reset myself, my goals, plans, studies, etc. For the past year or so I have been using a bullet journal rather than a regular dated organizer. I love this because every day can start with a blank page that I design and use in a way that works for me.

I draw out the month and then fill in any appointments I might have. All I've added so far for June is the new moon and the full moon.

Before I start filling in appointments, which I also keep electronically, I love just looking at the new month and wondering what new and exciting surprises will greet me each day. I bless each day. I welcome the new month and everything that will happen.

June 2018 feels like a very special month. I don't know why. It will be exciting to find out!

New horrors daily or business as usual?

For some of us, we’re seeing new horrors happening daily, things like children being taken from their parents’ arms and then being lost in a system that really doesn’t care about their wellbeing. Other people see these events as what needs to be done to protect us from vile people trying to enter the United States and cause us harm. Who’s right?

Does objective truth exist anymore? Is there such a thing as right and wrong? If there is, can we agree on what is a fact or truthful and what isn’t? Can we agree on what is right and what is wrong?

Recently, there was an audio recording where a male voice said a word. Some people heard the word Laurel and other people heard the word Yanny. Whichever word people heard, they swore by their word. In my own household, I heard Yanny while Rhonda heard Laurel. Who was right?

The man who made the recording was interviewed recently. I put the video on my Facebook page. He said Laurel. Unbelievable. I know what I heard. I heard Yanny. He said the reason people heard different words is because we hear upper and lower regions of sound differently. Each group did hear what they said they heard. Both were right in the sense that they did hear different words.

But he did say Laurel. There is one truth, one fact. He said Laurel, not Yanny.

Although people believe that some of what they are doing is right and just, there comes a time of reckoning, a time where it is clear what is really being said and done and that it isn’t right or just. This Laurel/Yanny experiment made me appreciate how differently we can each experience our reality and how important it is to realize these differences as we relate to others.

It also showed me that in some cases, no matter how differently we might see or experience reality, there is one right answer. We can shout Yanny all day long. The man said Laurel. People can say what they are doing is right and just all day long. It isn’t. It simply isn’t.

Let the past pass?

In various places, we read and hear about forgiveness and letting go of the past. Who wants to navigate life with a ball and chain around one’s ankles? Yet, many times we do this without even being aware. I have been reading a different translation of the Psalms, one recommended to me by a friend of the Jewish faith who also describes herself as part Buddhist. The book is called The Complete Psalms by Pamela Greenberg and it offers a new translation of these beautiful prayers and songs.

In the second Psalm, her translation says: “God said to me: You are my child. I give birth to you every day.”

I have been pondering this for several days now. One of my favorite ways to relate to God/Universal Life Force is as Divine Mother. This sentence fits perfectly as all of us being God’s children. But it is the part about being born daily that is truly astounding and rich. This is how to let go of the past totally, once and for all.

We are born daily. Not just in this lifetime. Not just this week, month, or year - daily. What better way to let go of the past both for ourselves and for the other people in our lives. We go to sleep at night. When we awake in the morning, it is a new birth. We can be the child with open eyes, mind, and heart. We don’t have to hold ourselves or others in bondage to what has been. We are free to navigate our world anew with a fresh viewpoint.

And if the day isn’t going so well, perhaps not according to plan, we can go ahead and embrace a new birth right then and there. Let go of what transpired before lunch and start a new day after lunch! This is so freeing - give it a try and feel the ball and chain fall off your ankles! Now on to psalm three.

What spaces are you allowing in your life?

If there were no spaces between the words I’m writing, this sentence would be only a run on mess of letters. When we speak to one another, we add little pauses where commas or periods would be. Without these spaces, it would be difficult to communicate effectively with one another.

So, too, we need spaces in our lives in order to make sense of what’s going on. We live in such a pressure cooker of performance and goals and results that if we’re not careful our lives can become a mish mash of meaningless actions.

Would our world be in the mess we’re in if enough people took the time to reset on a regular basis? If more people gave themselves the space to feel, think, dream, and vision, to cuddle up with Mother Nature, would they be so quick to attack and demean others? I don’t think so. People who attack others do so from a place of insuffiency, from their own feelings of lack of self-worth.

I realize there are many areas needing healing right now. I would like to suggest one place to begin is by putting more spaces in our lives and encouraging others to do the same. Let’s encourage the practice of taking the time to be with our own thoughts and feelings, breathing consciously, surrounding ourselves with nature, and giving the space needed for healing thoughts and feelings to arise. From this space, taking inspired actions becomes much easier.

The sleeper cells have awakened

We’ve heard a lot of criticism of the generation called Millenials. As I watch some of these young people today, I’ve said to myself, “There’s nothing wrong with this generation. They are sleeper cells who didn’t wake up until it was time to engage, time to do what they came here to do.” It certainly feels like some of them have been planted in certain locations and situations that would cause them to  activate suddenly and ferociously when their time had come.

Almost daily, we’re assaulted by destructive actions from some of our elected officials. There’s a lot of handwringing going on, especially when polls supposedly indicate the general public is approving more of some of these people. “How can it be?” we ask ourselves. “How can good people approve of such vile, immoral, selfish public officials who don’t seem to care about the common good?”

While I can’t answer that to my own satisfaction much less yours, I can say this. The sleeper cells have awakened. They are on the playing field now and they won’t go back to sleep. In fact, more of them are awakening daily. It’s our job to support them however we can, encourage more of them to wake up, and do whatever part is ours to turn this ship around. Ships don’t turn on a dime. It takes care, consistency, expertise, and patience to turn a ship like this one around. It can be done. It is being done.

Yes, it’s a bumpy ride, but one we have to take. Hang on, don’t lose faith, keep your eyes on the horizon while knowing the ship will ultimately go in the correct direction.

Three young women from Parkland have the right ideas

Rachel Maddow had three of the young women from the Parkland school on her show yesterday. Along with other teens who survived the mass shooting at their school a month ago, the three are now deeply involved in working towards more sensible gun laws in our country.

Once the teens began speaking out, of course, the far right wing attackers began calling them names and degrading their efforts and points of view. Rachel asked the young women how they were handling this. All three of them chuckled and said, “We laugh at it. We know what’s true.” They said they don’t let it bother them! They laugh about it!

Rachel also asked them if they disagree or ever fight amongst themselves. Again they sort of chuckled and said, “Of course we disagree sometimes. We talk it out and then snuggle up on the couch together and watch The Office!”

Such wisdom from young people who aren’t even old enough to vote yet. The takeaways for the rest of us? Even though we might be facing some serious situations, find the humor and laugh - know what is true and let the rest go. If you disagree with someone, talk it out and then do something fun together!

If these young people are so wise now, imagine what they will be like as they grow and mature. We can learn a lot from them and I do have hope that they can make some needed changes in our country and world.

Okay, so this might be silly.....

Don't you find that sometimes it is the silly things that bring you joy? As you know from previous posts, I enjoy having a cup of coffee (okay, two cups of coffee) in the morning and I usually have a cup of herbal tea later in the day. Many times, I have been annoyed because my coffee or tea gets cold before I can finish it.

My other half, Rhonda, drinks more slowly than I do and uses a tumbler to keep her coffee warm longer. I don't like tumblers. Recently, I thought to myself, "I bet someone makes insulated mugs that would keep my hot beverages hot longer." A quick visit to my friend Amazon showed that, indeed, there are many nice insulated mugs.

I chose a beautiful one that is made of stainless steel on the inside with bamboo on the outside and a plastic lid that snaps into place. I ordered one for myself, found a similar bamboo tumbler for Rhonda and hit order! A few days later, they arrived. Here's the silly part.

This mug makes me so happy. Every time I look at it or use it, it makes me smile. When I go to bed at night I am thinking about how wonderful it will be to get up and enjoy my nice hot coffee from my bamboo mug. I know: silly. Get a life, Krysta.

Here's the point, though. It can be small, silly things like this that bring us great joy. We don't necessarily have to have a new car or house or win the lottery to feel joy. We can feel it during meditation, while looking at a tree or flower, when petting the dog, or when holding a nice warm bamboo mug. Whatever your bamboo mug is, let yourself feel the joy without being embarrassed by the smallness of it all. Life consists of many more small things than large things, after all!

Do you bless your medications this way?

Those of you who take medications or supplements probably already bless them before taking them. I shared with a friend what I do and she liked the idea so much I thought I would share it with you - my last doctor's appointment went great again so I guess I am doing something right!

I hold my medications, bless them, and talk to each of them about what they are supposed to do for me and I thank them. Then I quietly Aum to them three times before taking them. (For those who don't know, Aum or Om stands for the Universe/God/ All that Is and, when we use the word, we are calling on the Divine within all to bless us or whomever we are directing the energy to.)

Another feature I've added that comes from Ann Marie Chaisson's energy healing program is to Aum three times in each palm before giving myself Reiki or other energy treatment. This really seems to augment the energy I feel coming out of my palms. She suggests healers do this prior to working with clients. I've also started doing this prior to giving tarot or mentoring sessions.

If you don't resonate with the energy in Aum, you could use the word love, peace, or the name of an angel, saint, or master who is meaningful to you. The idea is to direct healing energy and intention more directly into whatever you're doing for self-care and healing. If nothing else, it feels great!

What do you do when people won’t do what you want them to do?

Without sharing details, I am trying to help a family member who’s having a difficult time. Sometimes she states she wants to do something that seems very wise. Because of her health conditions, I offer to help with whatever it is and spend time researching the issue. When I bring the information to her, she acts as if she never asked for my help, sets the information aside, and says she has to think about it as if it was my idea and not hers.

This happened again yesterday. As I sat there watching her read the information I had gotten for her at her request, I realized this was about to happen again. At first I felt frustrated and angry, minimized and invisible. I paid attention to my breath and waited. I realized I was upset because she wasn’t behaving the way I thought she should.

She should be grateful I am trying to help her. I went to great effort to be there for her and try to help. She should move in the direction she herself said she wanted to go. She shouldn’t need to sit and contemplate the information I had already digested on her behalf. She should just follow my lead and get on with doing what needed to be done.

And while I was watching myself and listening to my own thoughts, I realized my issue was that she wasn’t behaving the way I thought she should. How often is this the basis of difficulties between people? I told myself she has every right to be herself and to make her own decisions. Even if I think she is being foolish or stubborn, she has the right to live her life the way she wants to live it. Yes, this is more difficult to do when her decisions have the potential to have a negative impact on my life. She still has that right. I just have to find a way to honor and support her the best I can while taking care of myself, too.

The conversation ended with her saying, “I don’t know if I want to do this or not. I have to think about it.” To which I responded, “Yes, it is a big decision.” That was the common ground I could find with her. Sometimes it is very difficult to step back and let other people do what they think is best, especially when it can impact your life. The truth is we can’t force people to our point of view and need to keep our opinions to ourselves and just support them the best way we can. This is what I will do and be grateful for the insights the situation offers me.