Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Be Honest
Is the white font on the black background too difficult to read? Or just plain obnoxious? The white background seemed so, um, anemic. I like the contrast of the light on dark, but this is not only about me. Feel free to chime in with your viewing preference.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Sacred Life Sunday: Five Things
The other day, I happened to be listening to one of my old Abraham CDs. I know this material well. At least I thought I did. Until I heard something that struck me in a whole new (and much clearer) way. As they say, when the student is ready ...
Put simply, the advice was to identify five things that always feel good when you do them. Do these five things every single day. Then do anything else that you have time for. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Easy enough, right?
Well, the first order of business was to identify the five things. Now, of course, at the top of my list would be smooch on my husband, hug on the kid, and pet our cats and the dogs. But putting these activities on the list would be like adding "brush my teeth" to my daily calendar. They’re automatic. Non-negotiable.
I had to dig deeper. Here’s what I came up with:
#1 - Meditation
I have been trying to have a daily meditation practice for a long, long time. Most days, I sit once a day for 10-15 minutes, and it does me a world of good. Twice a day would be even better. I'll be honest, it doesn't always feels good while I'm doing it, but doing it always does me a world of good. I feel better for having done it. It completely changes, dare I say improves, the course of my day.
#2 - Reiki
Reiki feels good. No doubt about it. And, like #1 above, daily self-treatments do me a world of good. If I can't/don't treat myself, I can certainly treat another person or a pet. Gladly. Just need to make the time.
#3 - Crochet
This ties in to both #1 and #2 above. Anyone who does any kind of needlework knows that it is a form of meditation. And any Reiki practitioner will tell you that Reiki flows into everything they touch, either by intention or not. One of my greatest joys is crocheting Reiki shawls for others because the intention IS there and it really does make a difference. Crocheting also connects me to my mother, her mother, and countless other needleworking foremothers before me. It is in my DNA and if I haven't made time for it in awhile, I miss it.
#4 - Art/Creativity
This is a huge catch-all for everything creative that I love to do, including #3 above. Let me count them off ... mandalas, check, wire-wrapping, check, decoupage, check, and, last but not least, photography, check. My best days include time for my creativity, in whatever way it chooses to express itself. I am a much happier person when I indulge my Inner Artist.
#5 - Writing
I have kept a handwritten journal daily over many, many years. I used to have an active blog and really enjoyed it. But life was life and there was the full-time job and the family that needed my attention. There just wasn't the time for it anymore. Now I feel a gentle pull back to sharing my journey in a public forum. Right here. And it feels good.
When I look at this list of five things, I can see that they are the foundation of Jakk's Magic Beans Workshop. Over the past year, my "real" job has been especially demanding and, sadly, JMBW has been left to wither on the vine out of what seemed like necessity. There was only so much of me and my time to go around. Now I realize that it is not only my business that has withered over time. Now I realize that I have no choice but to put first-things-first ... or should I say feel-good- things-first ... if I really and truly want to be well, in every sense of the word.
So for today’s Sacred Life Sunday, I ask you to take some time to think about your Five Feel Goods. Share them, if you’d like, either by comment below or e-mail. Let’s remind each other that life is supposed to be fun and that we deserve to feel good ... not just once in awhile, but every single day!
Put simply, the advice was to identify five things that always feel good when you do them. Do these five things every single day. Then do anything else that you have time for. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Easy enough, right?
Well, the first order of business was to identify the five things. Now, of course, at the top of my list would be smooch on my husband, hug on the kid, and pet our cats and the dogs. But putting these activities on the list would be like adding "brush my teeth" to my daily calendar. They’re automatic. Non-negotiable.
I had to dig deeper. Here’s what I came up with:
#1 - Meditation
I have been trying to have a daily meditation practice for a long, long time. Most days, I sit once a day for 10-15 minutes, and it does me a world of good. Twice a day would be even better. I'll be honest, it doesn't always feels good while I'm doing it, but doing it always does me a world of good. I feel better for having done it. It completely changes, dare I say improves, the course of my day.
#2 - Reiki
Reiki feels good. No doubt about it. And, like #1 above, daily self-treatments do me a world of good. If I can't/don't treat myself, I can certainly treat another person or a pet. Gladly. Just need to make the time.
#3 - Crochet
This ties in to both #1 and #2 above. Anyone who does any kind of needlework knows that it is a form of meditation. And any Reiki practitioner will tell you that Reiki flows into everything they touch, either by intention or not. One of my greatest joys is crocheting Reiki shawls for others because the intention IS there and it really does make a difference. Crocheting also connects me to my mother, her mother, and countless other needleworking foremothers before me. It is in my DNA and if I haven't made time for it in awhile, I miss it.
#4 - Art/Creativity
This is a huge catch-all for everything creative that I love to do, including #3 above. Let me count them off ... mandalas, check, wire-wrapping, check, decoupage, check, and, last but not least, photography, check. My best days include time for my creativity, in whatever way it chooses to express itself. I am a much happier person when I indulge my Inner Artist.
#5 - Writing
I have kept a handwritten journal daily over many, many years. I used to have an active blog and really enjoyed it. But life was life and there was the full-time job and the family that needed my attention. There just wasn't the time for it anymore. Now I feel a gentle pull back to sharing my journey in a public forum. Right here. And it feels good.
When I look at this list of five things, I can see that they are the foundation of Jakk's Magic Beans Workshop. Over the past year, my "real" job has been especially demanding and, sadly, JMBW has been left to wither on the vine out of what seemed like necessity. There was only so much of me and my time to go around. Now I realize that it is not only my business that has withered over time. Now I realize that I have no choice but to put first-things-first ... or should I say feel-good- things-first ... if I really and truly want to be well, in every sense of the word.
So for today’s Sacred Life Sunday, I ask you to take some time to think about your Five Feel Goods. Share them, if you’d like, either by comment below or e-mail. Let’s remind each other that life is supposed to be fun and that we deserve to feel good ... not just once in awhile, but every single day!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
At Random
Several years ago, my husband gave me a Canon S410 camera as a gift. He was so excited to drag me, kicking and screaming, into the digital age. I must say, I have loved this camera. It has traveled with me, near and far, and provided me with more than a few photos that still make me swoon. (Is it even possible to take a bad photo in Sedona? Yeah, I didn't think so.)
Sadly, 4 mp doesn't cut it these days. I think I'm ready to move up. But when I've tried to research the DSLRs, I get hives. I have a sneaking suspicion that it is more camera than I care to lug around with me. I'm afraid that all of the juggling would take the joy out of trying to capture whatever beauty or wonder that I've happened upon. I like to shoot in the magical moment ... whip the camera from my pocket and have it ready to go.
With that said, I have concluded that the Canon G9 looks like the camera for me at this stage in my photohood. The price is right. The size is perfect. I've read every review that I could possibly get my eyes upon. Drawbacks aside, I'm THIS CLOSE to clicking the Buy Now button, but still a wee bit apprehensive. Thoughts?
.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.
Yesterday, I finished reading, Twilight. Over the course of five days, I devoured it. My daughter is absolutely tickled. She has been trying to get me to read this book for the last six months. It is an understatement to say that she is eager for the release of the fourth book in this series on August 2. As for me, I am lagging behind on the second book, but that's okay ... I'm happy to take my time with them ... if that's possible.
I have to admit that this isn't the kind of book that I would pick up on my own. Not really my story style. But my daughter has excellent taste in books and I always try to (eventually) take her advice. Don't let the "teen" theme scare you off. This story is sweet and suspenseful. A great summer read! You will probably find me to be the oldest woman in the theatre when the Twilight movie comes out in December.
.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.
Last but not least on this Saturday night, I thought I could resist, but I think I'm going to have to Raw Fu. Stay tuned!
Sadly, 4 mp doesn't cut it these days. I think I'm ready to move up. But when I've tried to research the DSLRs, I get hives. I have a sneaking suspicion that it is more camera than I care to lug around with me. I'm afraid that all of the juggling would take the joy out of trying to capture whatever beauty or wonder that I've happened upon. I like to shoot in the magical moment ... whip the camera from my pocket and have it ready to go.
With that said, I have concluded that the Canon G9 looks like the camera for me at this stage in my photohood. The price is right. The size is perfect. I've read every review that I could possibly get my eyes upon. Drawbacks aside, I'm THIS CLOSE to clicking the Buy Now button, but still a wee bit apprehensive. Thoughts?
.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.
Yesterday, I finished reading, Twilight. Over the course of five days, I devoured it. My daughter is absolutely tickled. She has been trying to get me to read this book for the last six months. It is an understatement to say that she is eager for the release of the fourth book in this series on August 2. As for me, I am lagging behind on the second book, but that's okay ... I'm happy to take my time with them ... if that's possible.
I have to admit that this isn't the kind of book that I would pick up on my own. Not really my story style. But my daughter has excellent taste in books and I always try to (eventually) take her advice. Don't let the "teen" theme scare you off. This story is sweet and suspenseful. A great summer read! You will probably find me to be the oldest woman in the theatre when the Twilight movie comes out in December.
.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.
Last but not least on this Saturday night, I thought I could resist, but I think I'm going to have to Raw Fu. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Mandala Monday
Er, Wednesday. Um, sorry about that. I had it ready to go, but forgot to upload it. You can download it here.Happy coloring!
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