Fall from fall

OK so the title says it all.  So much meaning for such a small word. Fall by loosing balance, fall meaning accidentally being drawn into, fall like the season and fall like fall off the face of the blogosphere world (does anyone really read this anyway :))!

Summer was amazing. Here in the land of 'its so hot all you want to do is sit in air conditioning or a pool and not move in fear of heat exhaustion' Texas - it was not so bad.  This summer we had a lot to be thankful for.  As part of my practice, I am finding gratitude in all things, even in a few degrees cooler weather and rain!!! It was an amazing summer that flew by very fast.  Now on to the hustle and bustle of Fall.

I was reading with my little chicken the other night (let it be known it can be a challenge -most polite way to say it- of listening to my little one read). She gets terribly frustrated and then I get frustrated and then it usually ends in tears or well me passing the buck to my husband.  I know, totally crappy mother thing to do.  There for a while, I was excusing myself as I told myself that I was hindering not helping. Then my yoga practice reminded me that running or passing the buck is not the way to work through something and it is not the message I want to send.  So I sat and centered myself first before even bringing up reading.  Side note: I center by sitting and breathing very deeply and mindfully for 20 rounds or so...if you have questions send me a note in the comments and I can help.

"My dearest most loveliest chicken (a term of endearment) would you care to read to mommy?" She takes a deep breath - I'm guessing in response to my deep breath while asking.  Here is where mimicking is a good thing! "Ok mommy!" she says cheerfully.  I can already tell this is going to be a good time (psyching myself up)! She runs and picks a book that we have read a million (not exaggerating here!) times.  Between you and me I really do not like this boring book! This is the practice I remind myself.  It is really good for kids to feel confident and redundancy gives them that (so I am told)...ie) suck it up and listen to this book as if it where the best book ever!!! I place my hands in the compassion mudra to remind myself how hard it is to read and how hard it is to have confidence in something that feels foreign. Keeping my fingers in the compassion mudra the entire time it was a reminder to soften.  I wanted to enjoy, to be fully present for this amazing child and her abilities. Not where I think those abilities should be but where they perfectly are!

I am happy to report there was no shortness of deep breathes. There was a whole lot more enjoyment.  At one point when she got really frustrated with the book we paused and I told her the truth.  "There are times when things are going to be hard and frustrating but I know you can do hard things.  I know you can overcome what is given to you.  I know you are caring and compassionate towards others it is one of your biggest strengths! It is just as important to share that caring and compassion with yourself and your heart."  Wait...what? Pause to ingest those very words. I must lead by example and thus we have the practice :). Life is so much more fun when you lead with compassion!  Compassion to all and to all a goodnight!

Let's discuss, chat, debate or simply commiserate - drop me a line...

Treat me to Optimal Wellness

The optimal wellness conundrum.  I have been thinking lately about the choices I make (I know you are all shocked). We often times know something is not going to support our optimal wellness and yet we go ahead with whatever indulgence / lie we tell ourselves and then further that by saying it's a treat.  I have spent time listening to the lies or unconscious choices I tell myself or even practice.  It is interesting the ways that I can convince myself to move as far away from optimal wellness as possible.  I am not beating myself up here - I am really trying to observe and have an honest conversation.  Why do we eat the way we do?  Why have we let ourselves become an obese nation that is sick...really really ill? Why do we continue to feed our children toxic crap and call it a treat? Why do we puff trash into our lungs or gorge ourselves with food that doesn't even taste like food and then go sit on the sofa and watch television that puts horrifying images into our heads?

I am not proposing that we all live on some island where all there is to eat is fruit and the main activity is fishing for survival (however appealing that sounds some days). Why does it have to be one extreme or the other?  Maybe for you this is not a problem or even a blip on your radar.  I however, have been practicing shifting my thinking.  Letting myself have fake potatoes fried in who knows what is NOT a treat.  Telling my kids if they are good we will go get ice cream that may or may not be actual ice cream is NOT a treat.  What if a treat was something that I made from wholesome "real" ingredients that I put love into or could trust that if I went somewhere it would be the same?  What if I chose a treat that was actually moving towards optimal wellness? What if I didn't deny myself treats because the treats I am consuming are harmonizing with my overall health? There is no doubt it is way easier to pull into a fast food joint and say "insert a convincing story we tell ourselves".

I am interested in the conversation of caring for the wellbeing of humans. For making it more affordable to buy and apple than it is to buy a bag of chips. I am interested in taking responsibility for the things I put in my body and in my families body.  I am interested in the food industry taking responsibility for there actions. Every time, I spend my money on something that is not good for me or my family I am saying it is ok for the food industry to continue to act the way they are. Sometimes the fight is easy and I have time and money to go the farmers market. Other times, time is nonexistent  and money is not plentiful. Does that mean I let myself off the hook?

I just found out that a very young friend of the family passed away a few days ago.  He died of a heart attack at the age of 31.  31! Please know if you are close to me and find my venture towards optimal wellness exhausting it's because I love and care for you deeply.  I want to share the knowledge that I have to help in anyway I can on the wellness crusade.  I thank you for listening when you don't want to hear it anymore.  I thank you for listening to the countless rants however passionate and well intended they are.  Please know that I am not judging how anyone else chooses to live. Also know, I am going to keep spouting my knowledge about this because I truly care that much for your health!  Ok, so I hope you have the very best day filled with all things yummy (like kale and a freshly peeled orange that is juicy and sweet and or organic strawberries that are sweet and refreshing)! Happy nourishing!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words ? aRe they Positive Words?

Have you ever starred at a picture and criticized it so much if you looked at it one more stink-in second your retinas would for sure be ruined forever.  Ok, so that is a bit dramatic but I began this awful awful practice and then I shut the computer so fast that if your hand had been in there it would have been chopped off.  I then proceeded to be disappointed that I was about to engage in yet another poor ugly me session when I thought, wait a minute, what if this too became a practice.  What if I opened this computer and only looked for the beauty.  Would that help me look at things in the seat of the compassionate observer vs the seat of the critical almighty judger? Ok, so I sorta cheated because the picture that happen to pop up was of my whole family.  Let me be honest here I think my husband is HOT. He has beautiful blue eyes and in this picture his eyes are open...ha! Then there is my stunningly gorgeous girls!  One with her edgy hair and cutting edge trendiness and the other with her old hollywood glam amplified.  I thought this is easy.  Then I got to my picture.  Surely there is something positive I can squeeze out of this judge mcjudgenstein (it is too a word).  Wait for it, wait for it. I was smiling...YES.  This may not seem like much but its a start.  I think this is a practice I am going to engage in more often.  Encourage myself to be in more pictures and then compassionately observe them and well find the good stuff, be honest about the other stuff.  Wait am I being honest or critical? I will have to sort that out later.  Maybe just maybe I'll quit hiding behind the camera and get in the phOtO?

I challenge you to look at yourself with admiration and love.  To see yourself in a different light. Share would ya - I'm lonely!

Cheese!
Michelle

Love ThY body enjoY ThY health

The gift of health.  I feel like every morning I awake to a different guest or mood.  Somedays getting out of bed presents a sense of happiness. Other days I may feel anxious, calm, tired, full of energy, sad, or drained.  Each day I am greeted by one or more of those guests.  What I have taken for granted though is the simple gift of being able to swing both legs over the bed and stand.  The gift of just coming out of a warm bed, that for the most part gave me a restful sleep.  Sometimes,  I am so tuned in to the guests arrival I forget the gift of health. Recently, I hurt my back and was elated that it wasn't too bad but just bad enough to bring awareness to how fortunate I am to have a body that allows me to do all of activities I enjoy and even some that I do not.  I was able to rehab my back pretty quickly with a whole lot of love and attention.  Then today I woke up coughing feeling as if I didn't even have the energy to swing my legs out of bed.  My chest felt tight, my head was a dead painful weight, and my eyes did not want to open.  I had an obligation so I got up and realized my body was putting up a fight for rest.  There it is...my body is telling me to rest in a way that I am unable to argue.  Tears fill my eyes (probably because I feel like crap) and I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this body whom calibrates for me daily.  Whom allows me to experience life with a steady cadence and who reminds me that I must recharge even if the list is long and the ambition is much.  Today, I yield to you body and I thank you for all that you do.  You deserve to be treated well :).

How often do you take for granted the simplicity of being able to get out of bed?

Five Minute Friday....Eeeekkkkkkk

I'm trying something new and scary via my close friend's nudging.  Here's how it works...We set a timer, throw caution to the winds and try to remember what it was like to just write without worrying if it’s just right or not (ummmm I'm pretty sure I have never not worried.HA!).

Want to play Five Minute Friday? It’s easy peasy!

1. Write for 5 minutes flat on the prompt- no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Meet & encourage someone who linked up before you.

OK, are you ready? Give us your best five minutes on:

Love

I have been pretty disappointed with my behavior lately.  It seems when allergies hit an all time high my head gets foggy, I become tired and really just don't feel good.  What does that have to do with behavior you ask? I have begun to notice that I have no filter when I feel this way.  100% Michelle's thoughts are realized into the wild no matter who may be stung by the unleashing. It seems when allergies flare so does my bad attitude.  Its like the 'whoa is me' overrunneths the gratitude full of love true nature of my heart.  Now that I have observed this behavior I am working on ways to infuse more love maybe if I overcompensate with love then the bad attitude will have to take a back seat.  Either way it stinks for those who are closest to me and have been whipped.  To them I am truly sorry. 

The dialogue:

Self, I love you, I am truly sorry you do not feel well please know that I intend to do everything in my power to infuse optimal wellness and love into you so we can align more closely to our true natu

So I am a bit confused if you just end literally when the timer goes off so that is what I did :) minus this sentence :).

Happy Yet?

What makes you happy?

It sounds simple yet I struggle with the answer.  I once read, happy is not a destination it's a state of mind. I sometimes find myself using happy as a destination.  If I only had this or accomplish that or my kids act this way or all the stars align then and only then can I find happiness. Well folks happy is not a destination. So I observe.

I sat quietly with this question...what makes you happy? I was amazed at what came up.  It seems a whole lot makes me happy.  I think all to often we can cloud what makes us happy with should.  I should do this I should do that.  If you take should out of the equation what do you get? What about the situations that used to make you happy but that situation no longer does. It feels more like an obligation or a should?  How do you then weigh whether you should keep the situation as is?  I realize this post is more question than reflection - randomness is part of the title as my dear friend so kindly reminded me.

There you have it - I need your feedback, input answers...

A Day Early a Dollar Tossed

HAPPY SPRING

If you had to choose one habit to toss that does not align with your true nature what would it be? Spring is here a day early - something that hasn't happened since 1896!  When I read this it got me thinking about how things shift even if it is a century later.  Nothing is permanent. Yikes spring cleaning a day early :). I feel it is important to do some honest to goodness spring cleaning.  In all aspects of my life.  Cleaning out stuff in my house, mind, body and a whole slue of other areas. Don't even get me started on weeds.

Back to one habit to toss...ummm one try several.  Here's the deal though if you try to toss more than one habit especially if it is a doozy of a habit you may feel overwhelmed.  Of course you could compile a garbage bag of habits that are easy to toss and do not require a lot of attention.  However, I am talking about a habit that has lived its course and is stopping you from 1. aligning to your true nature and 2. not making room for what does serve you.  Hmmmmm. I still have several but that is beside the point.

Now that you have that habit in mind *observe* your mental chatter and doings with regard to the habit. You may have to write down your observations or have a ticker near. I have been known to use a rubber band.  Every time this habit makes an appearance you switch the rubber band to the right side of the wrist - it helps bring awareness to the amount of energy you are feeding the habit.  You thought I was going to tell you to pop yourself with it...ouch! One person throws a dollar outside every time the habit rears it's head (who knows maybe someone who really needs a dollar is blessed that day?).  Do what you have to do. I have noticed that I give a lot of time and energy to something that no longer serves me and literally gets in the way of what does. Dictionary words that describe habit: dependence, routine, trait! The reason you have probably had this habit for a long time is because its not easy to toss.  You have to make an effort, you have to practice, you have to care enough to want to rid yourself of it and even then it may stick around. It may make guest appearances.  This is where compassion and diligence enters the picture maybe even a dollar bill. Your worth it :)

I'd love to hear how spring cleaning is going for you... all love

When Autopilot Drives you to Bad Behavior

My children were sitting at the kitchen table painting, laughing, humming and really enjoying themselves.  My first instinct was I should get them more paint. Then deep awareness set in.  They don't need more paint they are doing just fine with the materials they have.  I was kind of stunned to be thinking that. How many times have I impulsively done something on autopilot? Am I really a more more more kind of person? Insert randomness (that is how my mind works people) I instantly began to think about learning to drive a stick shift.  There is so much involved. When driving I was forced to pay close attention especially on hills or I could roll back and hit someone (which by the way is how I got in my first accident). Another thought did my fear manifest that accident? I digress...  Now, all I do is get in the car and bam autopilot.  It scared me forging more thinking.  What else is on autopilot?  I did not like the answers.  When my children enjoy something I think we need more so they can prolong the enjoyment.  If I can't find a bed linen I must go an purchase a new set. If my dishes don't match perfectly I should buy a set that does. I realize that the autopilot response is to go and get (horrified).

There is a small problem - autopilot mentality does not work with my true nature.  I SO don't like a lot of stuff nor do I like to waste.  As I began to clean out the kids cabinet I noticed we have a plethora of stuff (paint included) that we don't use.  You see it takes a lot of effort to come up with creative ways to reuse and not buy.  At that very moment, I was grateful for the awareness of autopilot mentality syndrome.  It brought me great joy to step back, notice the behavior and think of ways I could re-route the behavior - to shift my consciousness.

Interestingly enough after noticing my thought patterns we were taken to see The Lorax which drove this point home a little more.  Sometimes in order to really shift your consciouness you need many (in my case a lot of many) different ways to soak up what you are trying to shift. If you haven't seen the movie it really makes a case for the way our society has become driven by profit and greed (in my opinion). I have a led a very fortunate life and am interested in teaching  my children that less is more.  How can I do that if my first impulse is to buy more?

In what ways are you shifting your consciousness? How do you remove yourself from autopilot?

Here's to less is more and I have all that I need :)...

Awwwww mom do I really have to practice to get gooder?

How can I be in relationship with my internal enemies defined as (but not limited to) delusion, anger inadequacy, fear...

When I became serious about yoga and all it entails I remember getting frustrated with the notion of "the answers are within you". I wanted answers to be handed to me - to be told what was right.  Now many many many years later coupled with many many many trainings I am finding that I have to do the work aka practice and observation.  I have to be accountable for my spiritual practice, my asana practice, my meditation practice, etc.  I am responsible for who I choose to teach, inspire and lead me.  I  cannot be passive when it comes to my own personal growth. I must practice and observe.  I must ask the hard questions. I must live, listen, explore, read, ask, fail, take chances and most importantly love.  I mustn't let myself off the hook for continuing to grow and align myself with teacher's (internal or external) who keep me practicing and observing. If the teacher's I choose to follow do not hold themselves accountable what example is that setting?  As a teacher I too have to tow the line and be accountable for my teachings.

Are you accountable for your personal growth?

Gratitude in UNexpected Places

My good friend Jen asked me to write a guest post about gratitude in unlikely places (here is the post).  I was thrilled and nervous.  Thank you analytical self for directing me towards the meaning and root of the word. Gratitude has so many synonyms: gratefulness, thankfulness, appreciation, acknowledgement, and credit. The words grace and gratitude share a common root, the Latin word gratus meaning, “pleasing” or “thankful”. It has been said when you are in a deep state of gratitude you will feel the presence of grace…powerful!

If you were to write a list of things you were grateful for what would that list look like? A year ago, my list consisted of happy moments such as my husband, children, family, and friends etc. maybe an occasional something that happened in my day.  I was deep in yoga training reading an assigned book when it broached the subject of gratitude. It spoke about the practice of gratitude whether the situation is positive or let’s just say negative for lack of a better word.  It sparked something deep within.  If I could cultivate gratitude for the happy moments could I cultivate gratitude for the challenging moments as well?  Find the light within the shadow. Let me be clear, I am not talking about pretending something is positive when it is indeed anything but. I am talking about the lesson (light) to be learned from the challenge.  Challenge is just another road to opportunity.

My youngest child and I were at a Doctor’s appointment to check her hearing for the 3rd time.  The kind lady at the front desk handed me a bill from the last visit. Never mind I was trying not to think (who am I kidding *worry*) about the test itself but now another costly bill.  Before I started my downward spiral, I made a conscious choice to practice gratitude.  Who wouldn’t be grateful for having an amazing Doctor who has been with us since day one, or for a child who sat on that exam table with a huge smile (a gift I am grateful for everyday).  That was the “easy” list now for the harder cultivation (practice)…I am so grateful for the money we put into savings to fix her teeth because even though its not her teeth, its available to us when we need it.  I am grateful for the stark realization that she may not be ignoring my words or not listening - she may truly not be able to hear me (insert tears for all the times I was irritated). What else have I been upset or mad about without thinking of the why (that’s a whole other post J)? At that very moment I softened to the process, to the moment, to life and what is in store for us.  She happened to be looking at a book about a clam and saw a pearl in the clam’s mouth.  She said, “Is that real?” It couldn’t have been more surreal: a piece of dirt trapped in a clam’s mouth and the clam turns an irritation into a beautiful pearl. Wow, does HE have good timing – a lesson I might not have caught had I been downward spiraling. I will admit I have an attraction to pearls and now every time I wear one let it be a reminder.

In my opinion, it is easy to cultivate gratitude for the happy moments.  It is less easy to cultivate gratitude in the challenging moments.  To pull our selves out of the drudgery of life and see the pearl emerge from irritation.  I have been working on celebrating my kid’s mistakes (knowing all the while this is the true teacher), the times they take risks (knowing this is what helps them build confidence and humility), and the challenges they face as just another opportunity to learn and grow. It is so hard.  I have found that by practicing gratitude in challenging times and sharing my discoveries with my family it has made the experience so much more profound than if I had preached it.  ( I heard someone say once stop preaching start communicating – ummmm brilliant!)

It has been a gift to share my words and thoughts with all of you lovely and amazingly strong people.  This community is like non other in uplifting and encouraging with kind and thoughtful comments.  Here’s to abundance and opportunity and the thank you’s along the way! From the deepest place in my heart smiles and gratitude!    

Operation Squelch Unworthiness

Unworthy much?

I am stunned at the amount of people who feel unworthy, less than.  When unworthiness rises in me like the flu I hadn't really considered how many other people it affects.  As I truly turn my listening ears on (if my mom"ness" hasn't made an appearance it has now...WOW) I am taken a back by endless tails of unworthiness.  It shocks me - actually it breaks my heart - more for others because I know the pain and how debilitating it can be.  I think if you had a support group for souls that feel unworthy you would fill multiple super bowl stadiums around the world.  When does this become part of who we are?  How do we break the cycle infusing compassion? I feel a fire deep within to make this my cause - to rid people of false senses of unworthiness.  Is cultivating compassion the way?

As I write this my heart aches with questions. It yearns for answers.  Tears sting my eyes - its hard to type.  I see it so clearly in the people that I love and I want to help, shout, shake the unworthiness out.  As I bring awareness to this pattern in me I notice that at times its so strong that it takes hold sucking the action right out of me.  Other times I am able to observe it and not give weight to it.  Christina Sell wrote..."‎"We may be faced with our own samskaras and patterns again and again and yet each time we circle back around with deeper awareness, clarity, compassion and self 
scrutiny, we get an opportunity to be different in relationship to what is arising."


Here's to deeper awareness, clarity, compassion and love for ourselves and for all beings. YOU ARE WORTHY! Seriously YOU ARE! 


This ad was paid for by the Michelle Norris campaign "Operation Squelch Unworthiness!"

The Squeegee Effect

I am sitting here blog hopping, eating oatmeal and drinking the very best cup of coffee!  How fabulously wonderful is my life.  I just finished teaching yoga at my girls elementary school for a program I started called Wellness Wednesday.  So I have to admit I am hopped up on the sweetness of elementary aged kids' wonderment and willingness to play, explore and laugh.  Such a reminder to be in the moment, laugh instead of get frustrated and explore new things with a smile. A very different place than the one I have been in...

Its been a rough couple of days of my heart being cloaked with some very solid film. I was in the shower getting ready for wellness wednesday when I noticed the shower had a combination of fog, soap scum, and some wear and tear.  Let's just say it has seen better days.  I had a thought that this is the kind of "stuff" that happens to my heart (stay with me I have a point).  Sometimes doubt, fear, lack and unworthiness creep into my thoughts covering my heart or true nature.  My body feels sore, worn and tired.  When I finished showering I reached for the squeegee and wiped all of the "stuff" off.  Clear light filtered in essentially making everything look a little brighter.

Our hearts get fogged, negative film develops and our outer shell feels wear and tear from living.  For me, self care in the form of meditation, asana (yoga poses) and rest are what help squeegee away the "stuff" and help bring clarity, light and renewal.  Sometimes it takes more than a squeegee - sometimes it needs a good scrubbing.  A cleaning of habitual patterns that no longer serve. A thorough inspection (introspection) of all the stuff that cloaks the heart or my true nature. Its time to start being comfortable with what arises sometimes pushing past the comfort zone and into the magical zone.

Think about the ways your heart or true nature become coated.  What helps squeegee away that stuff?  I would love to hear from you.

When OooPs is Amplified...

Photo courtesy of Bennett Imagery

I am very thankful for this life.  The one that allows me to pursue my passion and choose how I view and dance with life - yet its not always easy.  This morning the unthinkable happened, I didn't show up to teach.  My worst professional nightmare realized.  Not only did I miss an engagement, it was one I had been so totally looking forward to.  An honor given to me a couple of months ago glittering my calendar like a rare jewel. A higher vision I threw out into the universe that actually beard fruit and I missed it.  There are so many feelings that came over me and believe me the tears were flowing (and I am not one who easily cries).  It seems I am human and needed to be reminded of this! I transcribed the wrong date (literally typed 24th instead of 23rd). I read the calendar wrong. It was scheduled so early in the morning I didn't catch the mistake.  It is my nature to double check (ok triple check) and yet when I typed it in the calendar It looked right.  Before I went to bed I checked the days events and thought I had a firm grasp on Monday's itinerary.  I juggle so many schedules with different time slots and different work locations that I live by my calendar.  It is my compass.  I have switched systems a couple of times because I rely so heavily on it and yet it's flawed as it relies on correct action taken by the inputer.  I am sharing this as I have been speaking lately about the quality of choice (and because I need to get it out). The ability to rise above our circumstances choosing how we are going to respond, interpret, and live our lives. However, I can't help but feel so horrible as I have inconvenienced and worried others.  I have taken an opportunity and tainted it.  I have...(I have to stop myself because I have the capacity to downward spiral forever and it aint pretty). I am more than grateful for the kindness and grace shown to me by the person who gave me the opportunity yet I feel a heaviness I can't seem to shake.

How do I shine light on stress and worry I have caused someone else? I have been cultivating compassion for myself and those around me.  This is what I have tried to focus on.  I have tried to view it as if the tied was turned and find *some* solace in that I would have understood the mistake had it been me who hired a teacher.  I can only move forward from here grateful that I have built a reputation on honesty, reliability, respect and showing up when scheduled!  Now the handwork of letting go and choosing to accept I am flawed, I will not always be perfect and I will indeed make mistakes.  Choosing to keep cultivating love and gratitude.  Sigh...

How do you choose to handle mistakes?  I would love to hear from you!

These are the Chapters of our lives...

Some things are embedded deep within the pschy.  These are the stories that come back over and over again.  I read somewhere (I am sorry to whom ever I am not giving credit to - I truly honor your words I have merely forgotten where I read them...ironic) you can't begin a new chapter if you're stuck re-reading past chapters (or something like that).  TRUE dat!  I, however, find myself re-reading chapters of a book I'm not particularly fond of.  I have the power to choose, as one of the most powerful human qualities according to Caroline Myss' book Sacred Contracts.  I have come a long way (deep breath and pause) and truly see that as a gift.  YeT, I get stuck in old roles and find myself frustrated when I can't break free from the confines of the old chapter.  I understand the chapter, I have lived and relived the chapter, I have analyzed the chapter, and now I desperately want to move forward to the next.  So this weekend, I did just that with the power of choice as my wings - I chose to move to the next chapter with abundance and love as my bifocals. I am impressed with how easy (using this word loosely) it was to choose abundance and love.  When I felt myself wanting to re-read I forged ahead and low and behold the new chapter is juicy, funny, more loving and a whole lot more interesting.

What character are you stuck playing?  How can you move to the next chapter?

My daughter's good friend gave this to me the last week in December on our trip to NM and I thought...how fitting!

Ask and you shall receive...

As 2011 passes, I enter 2012 feeling auspicious and delicious!  I have grown, loved and truly had a big bite of gratitude mixed with compassion for myself and those around me.  I have laughed, cried, healed and explored.  What sticks out most is the new found love and gratitude I have for myself.  If mama is happy everyone is happy...or something like that.  I looked back at my 2011 intentions and was pleased.  Almost too pleased.  I got a lot crossed off with a few stragglers.  Hmmmmmm.  The list started to seem safe to me.  It felt almost limiting in higher aim.  Not as a judgement but as an observation.  I am not being bold.  So you scratch down a bigger bolder intention on paper and don't achieve it.  Aren't goals suppose to be lofty.  Ask and you shall receive - right.  Well I have not been asking out of fear.  We all know what fear conjures - lack.  So here goes...I am aiming high with the confidence to go big.  I am no longer interested in playing small.  I am worth big.

In what ways have you limited your full potential?  In what ways have you not explored your boundaries that might lead to a much higher vision than you could have imagined.  Thank you 2011 for setting the stage and for the foresight to go there.

I have always found it interesting that public figures usually have a tour name.  Rock bands, motivational speakers and even yogi's.  It got me thinking about what my tour name would be (if I was into that sort of thing...HA) It would be Radiant Light - Balanced Bold Action. Ah yes, it's time to do!