You are now entering...

...the State of Chaos.

You're driving down a graying, faded road, the broken white lines almost imperceptible. Cracked moguls; minor asphalt eruptions, blister the dull highway. On either side of the road weathered, barbed wire fences lean every which way, surrounded by bleached and unattended grass that struggles to survive in spite of the flaked, dried mud. Rows of trees, some charred, others splintered and devoid of leaves, stand back a hundred feet or so from the poorly edged route.

Every so often the highway forks on the right hand side, leading towards places unknown. Strangely enough, though, as the exits loom and disappear the inflammatory crackling of the radio stations calms becoming crystal clear, the sky overhead shows signs of fair weather, and the air becomes oxygenated. As the exit fades into the background, once again, the gloomy surrounding replaces the more idyllic of the two settings.

The road trip has no specific destination. You can exit anywhere you like, yet, the straight expanse of highway has a grip on you. Not knowing what to expect when the exit leads you to the next intersection feels slightly uncomfortable. Even though the blue skies and crisp radio air waves are much easier on the eyes and ears, you opt for the miserable, albeit familiar choice. So, for a while longer you continue to drive on autopilot.

Who amongst us hasn't, at one time or another, lived in the State of Chaos? A relationship going downhill? A job that was neither inspiring nor fulfilling? Physical or emotional demands that took away one's daily pleasures?

To mire one's self in the muck, simply because it's familiar muck, is no way to live. In fact, it's not living. Agoraphobics remain in the house indefinitely due to the fear of being amongst others in a public environment. It's a common phenomenon, in the State of Chaos, to stay with the familiar. In this State one does not explore their potential for fear of failure. In Chaos, everyone pats themselves on the back for staying thirty years on the job, even though the job held them back from better and brighter futures. Chaos is not interested in happy lives, but more so in maintaining the status quo (existing state of affairs).

Chaos, also known as the State of Confusion, leads nowhere. If you stay on that gloomy strip of pavement, it loops back. Any one of the alternate routes, or exits, would lead you out of that state. You just have to steer yourself towards one of them. There are many such exits, but, just like wanting to win the lottery requires you to at least purchase a ticket, you must choose an exit and then...exit!

That exit can be the toll pass to the State of Excitement. Excitement in a new relationship, satisfaction in a new job, and possibly the best physical and emotional health of your entire life.

Hopefully your eyes are now wide open as you search for the sign that reads "You are now leaving the State of Chaos".

State of Excitement, State of Happiness, State of Wonder - here we come!

I've Grown Accustomed To The Change

The latch turned downward permitting the door to swing open. Light pooled in onto the empty site. It'd been a long time. She quickly stepped inside, blew away the cobwebs, shifted comfortably in her familiar office chair, and sighed. Home again.

It's been a few months, and I've missed writing to you. Many changes have taken place; all steps into the future, all good, all welcome. Maybe some of you have been going through your own changes. Regularly we experience the ongoing components of life: birth, death, graduation, first job, marriage, divorce, milestone birthdays, retirement, relocation, career changes, and many other basic elements that create our own personal collage. Some bring joy, others tears, yet, just like the Florida weather, give it ten to twenty minutes and it's bound to change. Life's like that.

Four days ago I was unemployed. Three days ago I discovered I was going through a career change! Exciting! At a "Professional Placement Networking" course, provided through the county, we were blessed with a teacher who led us through what could have been a confusing and (dare I say boring) maze. But he made it so easy and interesting. He talked to us about job search techniques, building resumes, and acquiring interview skills. More importantly, he taught us to believe in our abilities and ourselves. No matter how chaotic the economy could be, he mentored, we were all employable and would be employed. Now, how would I have met this incredible teacher and learned all that I did had I resisted attending?

We've all heard that the only constant is change. Change is needed, required, and very effective in keeping us on our toes. If water remains still, it becomes stagnant. Stagnation of the body, mind, spirit and soul puts a dead bolt on growth.

I hadn't planned on being in between careers, taking this course, or meeting this particular teacher and students. But it happened. I had mentally dug in my heels, resisting opening the door to this recommended class. How fortunate that what greeted me on the other side, with wide open arms, was change.

Givers Gain

Several years ago when I was a member of the networking group, BNI, I learned many valuable lessons. The predominant one was, "Givers Gain". There were numerous tasks that we had to perform at these early Thursday morning meetings: regular attendance, setting up "one on one" time with fellow members, performing one minute commercials, and giving referrals to people within our group of any individual requiring their particular goods or services. The motto "Givers Gain" was a good one - giving without expecting to receive anything in return. But receive we did! It generally led to a mutual trust and loyalty and many wonderful, long lasting business relationships were formed because of the generosity of these well screened referrals.

A few weeks back as I meandered through the aisles of Barnes and Noble I came across a book that spoke to me. As the parent of an active, scholastically hard working teenager, this book jacket begged me to scoop it up and take it home - after paying for it, of course!

My son, who is kept busy with many hours of school work daily, resisted reading it. There wasn't enough time in the week, let alone day, to sit down and read a book outside of his school work's curriculum. So I decided that I would start to read it. Eventually, as I raved about the first two chapters, he found a little extra time and picked it up.

At this point we're both reading it and enjoying the incredibly simple profundity of each chapter. The author, Sean Covey (son of Stephen R. Covey) has written a jewel of a book that inspires as it excites you to read more. 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens' needs to be read by all. Sean has miraculously written a "can't put down" book that encourages, educates, inspires and motivates - all without being pushy or preachy. It is the kind of book that is ageless in its message and calls for rereading on a regular basis.

The day that I walked through Barnes and Noble had been an especially trying day. I had wanted to do something special for my son, and thought that this book would be a wonderful gift for him. Little did I realize that it would end up being an inspirational gift for me as well.

They Say That There's A Resolution - We All Wanna Change The World

Change. So easy in theory. Real bugger in practice! Considering it's the new year, let's do that thing that we all do every year. Without fail. You know. The resolution that never seems to make it into the next week, let alone the next year. However, this time why don't we try to do it differently; with great thought and mindful shift in our consciousness. We generally make an announcement that we're going to: lose weight, quit smoking, finish a project, find a better job, etc. These resolutions are typically of the tangible group. Maybe it's time we started to delve into the intangibles. The stuff of which we're really made. Not so easy. Just ask ------- anybody and everybody!

Okay - get ready and hang on. It's going to be a bumpy ride. [Yet so worth it].
Let's take a deep breath - come on - do it with me. Breathe in [hold for a count of six] now breathe out. Good. Repeat a couple more times.

Now here comes the part where you need to put on your thinking caps. Each time you breathe in, think about something that needs changing [some minor tweaking or ground breaking major transformation - your choice] in your life. This is sort of like making a wish before you blow out your birthday candles. The wonderful exception to this is you can do it three hundred and sixty five days of the year! When you exhale, in your mind's eye, picture the change taking place. Breathe out the negativity, the flip side of what you want to accomplish. Every exhale of breath should cleanse your thoughts and desires, making room for the newer, improved consciousness.

What do you want to change into a real positive habit? Something from your intangible list. Nothing material. Whatever it is, if you keep doing it for three weeks in a row, you are bound to succeed. The resolve to change something needs some maturing time. Generally speaking, three weeks is a very sturdy foundation for the growth that follows. There's no set time frame as everyone walks their path at a different pace. How ever long it takes, just maintaining over a three to six week span will certainly mold your desires into a new found principle.

The interesting thing about realizing inner change is that so many other areas will benefit from that one non-materialistic choice. For example, let's say you've decided to not be reactive every time your [friend, mother, sister, brother, boss, co-worker] gives you some advice. Instead you smile, thank them and go on about your day. Looking into the future, I would venture that someone who was afraid to approach you in the past would start to come over to you a little more freely. Maybe even start asking for your advice as you were so open to listen to their ideas. This is not to say that going around giving advice to people is always acceptable, but the way that you handle it, calmly and not defensively is how people will start to perceive you . And being approachable opens up the door to many other opportunities. Ultimately we will all do what we want to do. But gaining a reputation for being a calm, approachable and all around congenial individual is a great gift.

This is just one example of how changing something within ourselves can have an effect on others. So, go ahead, take on a different type of resolution this year. It may not be visible for a while, but your inner change is going to start making an appearance on a daily basis. And once you have that change down pat, move onto the next.

Changing ourselves, changing the world - there's no stopping us now!

A Penny For Your Thoughts

You're walking down the street and out of the corner of your eye you see something lying in the tire-tread patterned dirt. You bend down for a closer look and discover a solitary penny. Furtively glancing from right side to left you gingerly pick it up and quickly pop it into your vest pocket.

Some might snicker that it's only a penny, yet that penny represents much more than just one one-hundredth of a dollar. That penny, in many situations, could mean the difference between making a phone call, purchasing a stamp to mail an important letter or buying a warm beverage on a cold winter's night, or not. That small piece of copper colored change could determine if a young child is able to get a special card for his mother, father or teacher. That insignificant coin, lowest denomination on the monetary scale, could impact the decision of a toll taker on the turnpike to let you pass go.

Sure, it's only a penny, but when a dollar's what you need and you've counted out ninety-nine cents, that penny's worth everything.
If a penny can impact a purchase, how does a word impact a sentence, and that sentence the person to whom it is spoken?

Thoughts, when vocalized, become words, phrases, sentences, and are traceable. A person has spoken them, and they can never be taken back, or eaten. They are not homogeneous; they are not absorbed by the surrounding air. They stand out and are counted. As a yodeler at the precipice of a canyon hears his words bounce off every rock and return multiple times in undulating echoes, words come back to us. Sometimes to the sound of applause, more often as a haunting. To speak is to forfeit anonymity.

It makes you think; if one spent every penny as one would a dollar, why wouldn't we treat words with reverence? Recently it was brought to my attention that using the word "always" when meaning "sometimes", changed the intent of the sentence. It was like saying one hundred percent when, in reality, what was meant was only seventy percent.

If a penny can make whole a dollar, just imagine the possibilities of well chosen, articulated words.

A penny for your thoughts..............

A Fine Time To Read

It's that time of the year again.  Children are bored with just hanging around and are starting to look forward to the beginning of school.  Teenagers are probably just as bored but won't let on.  Not cool.  Parents are irritable, swallowing nervously as they longingly look at the calendar, trying not to appear like lost, thirsty souls in the desert staring at a pool of water that lies only a hundred or so feet away.  Once the kids are back into their school year routines, the parents can go back to their own.  Okay, they will still have to work and take care of the home, but the time spent on organizing play dates, excursions, playing private chauffeur to the non-drivers and having double and triple the amount of children than they gave birth to in their home, will be the exception,  not the rule. There might actually be some moments, exclusively for them, to breathe, think, per chance to read?

Believe it or not, parents, you just might find the time to do something for yourself.  If the kids used up all of your recreational budget, and your trip to [insert dream destination here] is put off for another year, there is something that you can do for yourself, for little cost and great reward.

As promised, in an earlier post, I am sharing some personal finds; books that provide many of the ingredients for an inspirational read.  They are in random order and are generally available at the library and local bookstore or on line through Amazon.com where they may be purchased new or previously owned.

(1) A Woman's Worth    by Marianne Williams

This is one of those amazing finds that not only inspires women to cherish themselves, but for men to recognize,  acknowledge and put into practice cherishing the women in their lives.  A must read for every woman, every man and every budding young woman and man. 

(2) God Wears Lipstick   by Karen Berg

This book discloses some Kabbalistic principals shared through a woman's perspective. Kabbalah, a spiritual and mystical science, though forbidden for millennia to be taught to women, non Jews, men under 40 and those not learned in the talmud/torah, has been dusted off and opened up for all those who seek more in the realm of spirituality.  Ms, Berg's book is an easy read with a great message.

(3) Eat, Pray, Love  by Elizabeth Gilbert

A woman's search for "it all" while traveling through Italy, India and Indonesia.  It is written as self-effacingly as possible, and inspires the reader to appreciate, that through deep, personal and honest research and self education, a fuller life may transpire. 

(4) A New Earth  by Eckhart Tolle

This is the call to all of humanity to relieve the ego of its predominant position in one's life and aspire to create a more loving world through the shift of consciousness. 

(5) The Seat of the Soul  by Gary Zukav

Bold and interesting, this book forages into the evolution from external power (the five senses) to the authentic power, that of the soul.  His dreams of a world where people respect one another is awe inspiring in its simplicity.

(6) Ask and it is Given  by Esther and Jerry Hicks

Written in a fashion that is nearer a manual than inspirational book, the Hicks lead the readers to learn to manifest their own desires through goal oriented chosen consciousness.  Foreword by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer.

(7) Riding the Bus with My Sister  by Rachel Simon

This true story is a heart warming journal about a spirited woman with mental retardation, Beth, recounted by her sister, the author Rachel Simon.  Rachel's life is transformed while riding the bus with her sister.  While reading this finely told story, one is prompted to think about who is helping whom.

There are many other great finds in motivational, inspirational and spiritual books available to us all.  Recommendations are always welcome, as well as your comments.

Wishing you a spiritually fulfilling day, with Love and Light.

Synchroneity

Synchroneity {the relation that exists when things occur at the same time} can as easily occur at one end of the spectrum as at the other.  When wonderful things happen at the same time we gleefully cheer, "It was meant to be" and "What amazing luck", while when the opposite occurs we moan "Murphy's Law" and "Bad things come in threes".  

However, one might stand in the center of a see-saw and observe that when one side is down, the other is up.  Like a ship listing from side to side, balance is restored at one point, just not necessarily for as long as we would hope. Murphy and I have been like this [overlap middle and index fingers] lately.  It wasn't enough that the air conditioner cut out twice, the minivan dumped a cup of water on my head from the overhead console, then stalled going up over a speed bump or the refrigerator sat in the middle of lake 'Where Did That Leak Come From'. No.  If that wasn't enough, our on line server decided to halve our speed and discourage e-mails from being sent, encouraging me to go back to snail mail for most of my correspondence.  When the situation was rectified [a new router was required] it only took 2 weeks to receive the necessary piece of equipment [sorry, I have succumbed to sarcasm here].

Where am I going with all this, aside from the funny farm?  Remember the ship, listing from side to side?  Just as we are about to slide off into the foamy brine and we are hanging on by our fingernails, balance will be restored.  It has to.  What goes up........

To all of you who are bemoaning the synchroneity of multiple Murphy's Law incidents, take heart.  All will adjust.  And to those of you who are having your gleeful 'it was meant to be' moments - enjoy.  When we have beautiful things happen it strengthens us for the challenging times and when the challenging times are upon us we are reminded that happier days are ahead.

We could all sit cross legged in the center of the see-saw to avoid the ups and downs, but it is at one end or the other where the fun begins.

Wishing you light, love and understanding.

* Coming soon - a list of motivational and inspirational books.