After I wrote my post on Play for The Next Chapter’s trip through The Joy Diet by Martha Beck, I hit a wall.  In fact, it was the day I should have posted on Laughter.

The writing on that wall clearly said, “outputted out.” 

That immediately preceded Connection week and my week’s vacation–well, staycation–from work.

Time has been short this month, and energy for writing blog posts, shorter.  Basically, during weeks 8 through 10, I tried to just keep in mind the main subject of each chapter, the “ingredient.”

Ingredient 8: Laughter

Laughter week was a lot of fun!  My sister and I do this silly thing where we do funny impressions of cartoon characters, public figures, movie characters, people we know, etc.  We laugh uproariously over these.  I instigated a lot more of that.  I also watched a lot of YouTube videos, this one in particular, which never fails to make me laugh:

Seriously, laughing babies never fail me.  Their laughter is always contagious!

I tried laughing for no reason as Martha suggests, but it didn’t work out very well.  I stuck to the sure-fire laugh-inducers.

Ingredient 9:  Connection

Truthfully, I didn’t read the connection chapter until Wednesday this week.  Shame on me.  But, like I said, during the appropriate week I did hold the concept of connection in mind.

This ingredient’s week landed after I hit the aforementioned wall.  I spent Connection’s week mostly connecting with myself and “filling the well”, so to speak.  I tried getting at the root of what had me so worn out.

As usual, it was imbalance.  I was in constant “output” mode at work.  I was trying to do NaNoWriMo and keep up with the Joy Diet and keep up with my friends and so forth.  I had, as I often do, gotten overly ambitious for what I could reasonably get done this month.  Also, I was flagging in taking my time to do Nothing.  I’m still not entirely back on that horse, but I’m getting there.

I have to say that do love what Beck suggests about connecting with strangers.  My job requires me to connect with strangers, usually strangers in all manner of negative emotional states, many of whom are  also the sort that will totally drain your energy if you let them.  I’m going to try in the coming weeks to find that Nothing stillness while I’m dealing with them.

She makes other solid suggestions in the connection chapter as well, though I don’t think I’m quite ready to implement it in its entirety, for instance risking openness with the family members who drive me crazy.   As an introvert and people pleaser, that one has me shaking in fear a bit.

I can see Connection Step 2 being extremely useful for me going forth, namely learning to tell myself the truth while interacting with others, and answering the questions Beck suggests we ask ourselves. 

Ditto for identifying what I want from a particular relationship, though, in most cases, I already know.

Ingredient 10:  Feasting

How much do I love the chapter on Feasting?  I just finished reading it this morning, but I realized that I already do a lot of what is suggested, just less often.

Also, I like the expanded definition of feasting.  I think a lot of people, myself included, get caught up in narrowly defining and conceptualizing things.  For instance, we think a feast has to be a big meal. 

Yesterday, after the Thanksgiving food coma wore off–we had our meal at midday–I feasted on beauty in the form of music and danced.   It was glorious!   I sat down and wrote in my journal about how it made me feel, as though I were writing to the band, and thanked them for putting their songs out there.  I’m going to have to do that much more often!

I regularly feast on books and movies, and, to a lesser extent, TV shows.  I already keep a gratitude journal, though I haven’t been writing in it daily as of late.  (Must get back on that horse, too.) 

This chapter also contained perhaps my favorite quote of the whole book, something I definitely needed to hear:

You were born to be open and honest and brave and playful, to laugh often, to love much, to be loved much in return.  You were born for joy.  Sit.  Feast on your life.” — Martha Beck, The Joy Diet, p. 226

In Closing…

This has been a good experience, on the whole.  I know I’m behind in posting, behind in commenting, and behind in implementing everything, but I’ve learned a lot and gotten clear on a lot of things in the past 10 weeks, partly due to this book and reading the posts and comments of fellow Joy Dieters.  I have a lot of ideas of how to work joy into my daily life that I didn’t have before, a few more “tools in the toolbox” if you will.

Thank you, Jamie, for leading us in this experience, and thank you to my fellow Joy Dieters for reading and commenting!  You made me think and smile and feel supported.

My guess is that those trained in Iraq (and are planting IED’s in Afghanistan) are applying their knowledge in Afghanistan, but without co-opting the US military in their effort. They are planting the IED’s and swarming the US forces as a tactic to win, instead of continuing the status quo, as was the strategy of the insurgency in Iraq.

via The Image. (Post has not been made public yet.)

Obama told reporters that his strategy will be revealed after Thanksgiving holiday. If this strategy has not been explained yet, I think it will be a strategy similar to the Taliban’s; it will be a strategy to win. It will be a strategy to defeat the Taliban, instead of co-opting it with a fight against AQ and drones. If it is not a strategy to win, then Obama does not understand the strategy of the enemy of his war, or war has only been explained in political terms.

If his strategy is one of winning, the strategy will have a heavy component of cooperation with Afghanistan’s neighbors, specifically India, but possibly Iran as well. My analysis may be just an image I picked-up after reading comments and postings on the internet, or the image of his talks with the Prime Minister of India, that I watched on TV.

There could also be a China component, from China’s interest in Afghanistan as a conduit for oil to the India Ocean, because to win you don’t try to balance the force, but overwhelm the forces.

divorced male with kids coming to dinner!
he’s kinda cute sometimes
he looks at life a lot like I do…no roses!
hubby’s friend and enemy
…cause we like each other.

first thought in my head this morning, at least “friend” is coming for dinner,
I wont be so lonely,
someone to talk to!

first words out of hubby’s mouth this morning: I wish he wasn’t coming

wow, zapped my enthusiasm. everyone (especially hubby’s mom) will look at everything I do or say to “friend” under a microscope.
And all because he is male.
If he were my GF no one would care if I talked to him.
Sucks!
I’m stressed and unhappy now.

Do I say “the hell with them” and just have a good time?

Then I have to live with the wrath of  Hubby for a few days.

Is it worth it?

When do I get to play?

I spend my days wondering what it is all about and is it worth it.

Honestly: I want to be in love! I want that excitement! I want a thrill in my life! I want my pulse to race and my juices to flow!

Reality: This is the life I chose when I chose my mate and made a family, and now it is what I have and I have to work with it.

…no juices, no racing pulse for me anymore…ever!
Not even allowed to fraternize with the male. Can’t manage to feel female much anymore.

Was this God’s ultimate plan with monogamy?

“till death do us part”

they never told me that it would be my spirit that would die first.

This post at the Progressive Buddhism blog really gave me a lot to think about: Saving the world by sitting on our butts.

Sometimes when a person most needs the support of friends and family, some of those folks desert the person. There are all kinds of reasons why you or I might cut off contact with a friend or family member. Some of the reasons might be correct (from a Buddhist or compassionate point of view). Sometimes we know our action is not correct — but we do it anyway.

Sometimes when we try to support or engage with a person, even with good intentions, we do more harm than good (see The lesson of the cicada for a resonant example).

Some practitioners of Buddhism think it’s best to sit on the cushion, that going out into the world and engaging with other beings is not the ideal practice. (Others such as the Peacemakers think almost the opposite.)

If you were in the middle of a Buddhist retreat and you got word that someone you care about was in the hospital, would you promptly leave the retreat and go to that person?

Sit with that for a bit.

Then look and see whether you had these thoughts:

• It would depend on who it was.
• It would depend on why he or she was in the hospital.
• It would depend on the travel arrangements.

That’s a lot of dependencies, isn’t it?

Breathe.

The association between watches and cars is, for many people, easy to place. There are women that will roll their eyes and assume it is the ‘gadget appeal’, there are men that will assume it’s about image – while men do not wear fashionable earrings and handbags in the way that women do, the status of a watch, car or jacket proves that fashion is not a one-gender issue.

But the connection goes deeper. And it’s not just a ‘man thing’. Many women, too, will vouch that a love of good cars or bikes and a love of watches make perfect sense to anyone with more than a passing interest in either. Both require considerable expertise to run at their best. Both consist of a myriad of specialist components and need regular maintenance, be it an oil change or a winding. There is something in the craftsmanship of a well-made watch or car that stands out; it’s impossible to just rush the process along and expect anywhere like the same results.

Perhaps that is why so many watch brands have close ties to motor sports. Rolex, among its many sporting connections, is associated with an American championship, the Rolex Sports Car Series, which it has sponsored since 2002. On the other side of the Atlantic, Tissot is the official timer for the Moto GP, Oris sponsors Team Williams in Formula 1, TW Steel sponsors and times the A1GP, Tag Heuer has ambassadors in Formula 1 racers Heikki Kovalainen, Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastien Bourdais, and Audemars Piguet also has a presence in the world’s mot famous racing championships, with Jarno Trulli, Rubens Barrichello and Sebastien Buemi all being brand ambassadors. This seemingly comprehensive list just touches the surface – there are many more associations between the two industries than can easily be listed.

One such association missed earlier was Jaeger LeCoultre’s connection to the Le Mans Aston Martin Racing team, which it sponsors. At this year’s race one of the team’s drivers, Harold Primat, was wearing Jaeger LeCoultre’s latest development, the AMVOX2 Chronograph. The only chronograph in the world that doesn’t require push buttons to activate, the AMVOX” Chronograph is activated by pushing the sapphire crystal dial at the 12 o’clock position to stop and star the timer, and pressing the 6 o’clock position to reset. Two limited editions of 100 watches each are being released to celebrate the association between car and watch.

There are a myriad of connections that have nothing to do with racing, too. for example, Breitling has close ties with luxury car manufacturer Bentley, and produce a line of watches designed to reflect the qualities found in their vehicles. Panerai have an affiliation with Ferrari, and have a range of exclusive, high-quality watches which bear the legendary prancing horse and Ferrari name, although they do not sponsor any of the Italian sports car manufacturers’ racing endeavours.

There are connections throughout motoring to the horological world, particularly between luxury watches and sports car companies. And when you boil it down, the link really does become obvious. The degree of luxury in an exquisite sports car and a truly magnificent wristwatch is the same – they are both items that thousands aspire to own.

Here are Ways #s 4 and 5 from the last post which promised you 5 Ways to Be More Great-full (Boost Your Gratitude Attitude)…

#4: FAMILY (or couple’s) GRATITUDE BOOK
We just spent a very pleasant hour doing this great art & writing interactive project. So simple and yet so meaningful and fun! Quality family time!

We do not watch television, nor do our children. We are dedicated to parenting consciously and strive to support a vibration of love in our household. Yet, given that my husband and I are both entrepreneurs, with seven businesses between the two of us, and given that our children are still quite young, we know how important and sometimes challenging it can be to come up ideas (not to mention time, energy and materials) for positive family experiences.

I myself am about the least craftsy person you will ever meet and can draw a stick figure on a good day! So believe me when I tell you: Yes, you CAN do this project, and probably with what’s already available in your home. It really ranks high on simple, high on fun, high on memorable, and low on expense. (I can NEVER do those Origami things, puuleeeeeazzze, can we talk?)

Thanksgiving weekend is the perfect time to do this Family Gratitude Book…but of course so is any day that ends in “y.” Monday, Tuesday…. Enjoy!

Materials:

All you need is:

Some blank paper (we used printer or copy paper, white)

Construction paper

Ribbon or brass brads to secure the book

Markers, pencils, hole punch and/or scissors

Optional: Stickers, stamps, other art supplies, scrapbook, photos

Definitely: A little bit of time and lots of love!

We started by making a brainstormed list of everything we are grateful for. You can do this any way you like; follow your own creative impulses & inspiration. We have four family members, so I decided to color code what we wrote on this collective page or you could just all write and draw without attributing who said/drew what, or make a chart, have sections of the page, etc. The things my 6-year-old called out first were written in yellow, my 10-year-old chose blue, I picked purple and my husband green. We made a color key on the page and wrote and drew various things we are thankful for: Our dog came first, followed by a lovely torrent such as family and friends, food, a good home, music, the Earth, music, health, God, life and so on.

Then I gave each family member a separate page on which to do whatever they like, the only requirement being that whatever is on the page relates to or represents what they are thankful for. We stuck in some more blank pages, so we can add more later as we are inspired.

The kids each got to pick a color for the front and back covers. The older did the words, the younger did the drawings. We punched holes, added brads, all signed the masterpiece and voila! A Family Gratitude Book.

Not only a wonderful way to spend part of our Thanksgiving Day, but a precious keepsake, and, I trust, a new family tradition as well. We will be sharing this book with family all weekend long and inviting them to add to it as well. And of course, it can be done any day! Every day bears its own gifts if we just open the package.

Today we focused mainly on what we are thankful for in our current lives (now), but we could also include wonderful memories (past) and gratitude for all the blessings on the way! (future)

Alternative for Couples: You can also do this as a Couple’s Gratitude Book or Journal, a beautiful way to show appreciation and deepen connection. So few marriages last or are happy, as we all know, and I am blessed to have a deliriously, deLIGHTfully ecstatic marriage, 12 years strong and better every day. One of the reasons is of course, the selection of the right mate; but in order to do so, we had to do the necessary self-healing and inner preparation to bring whole, healthy individuals to the relationship. Much of this work is presented in my book: The Radical Self-Love Workbook. But it is also essential to nurture even the best of relationships, and my husband and I do so daily in many creative ways such as this.

More tips on love and relationships are at

www.LoveandSpirit.org

and at my love blog: loveandspiritblog.wordpress.com.

Whether you do the Gratitude Book as a homemade book like we did today, like a scrapbook or journal, and whether you do it as a family activity or a couple’s relationship-enhancer, it will help you see your life through the eyes of love and gratitude, and bring you even closer with those you love. Enjoy! And I welcome you to send me a comment or email to share your experience.

#5: Honor the 4 Directions and 4 Sacred Elements:

Earth, Air, Fire, Water

You do not have to be Native American to appreciate one of their traditions, which is to honor the Medicine Wheel, facing each of the four directions, thanking each one for their gifts. This is also a tradition in all indigenous cultures including pre-Christian Europe (a.k.a. Wicca, Druidry, paganism, et al.), Africa, Australia, Hawaii and South America.

In fact, if you scratch the surface beneath contemporary religions on any part of the Earth, you will find an ancient shamanic tradition that honors all the directions and all of nature as sacred.

All things follow this cycle of birth, growth, fruition and quietude, whether we are looking at seasons, a lifespan, a day, or a garden. The beauty of Medicine Wheel ceremony and the paradigm itself is that it can be applied to our lives in so many ways.

So how do you honor the directions and elements, to give thanks for what they give to us so generously? Here are a few ideas:

* Altar: Create an altar to each direction or a Medicine Wheel altar encompassing all the directions/elements. This can be in your home or outside. My husband specializes in creating Medicine Wheels as a sacred practice on the land, and has helped others to do this as well.

* Cherokee Dance of Life – You would need to learn this in person from someone who has learned it, oral tradition. This is an incredible moving meditation to all 4 directions, peoples, and elements which also honors Mother Earth and Father Sky, balances their energies as sacred partners in our hearts, and helps us give away the gifts of Spirit that are our special medicine to share with the world through our right work and service. Occasionally my husband and I share this Dance with our community. If you live near Sacramento, and would like to experience this dance, let us know so we can invite you. Or perhaps Spirit will guide you to another teacher of this beautiful tradition.

* Drum, chant, play flute to each direction

* Give offerings such as cornmeal, tobacco or sage smoke to each direction

* Speak aloud from your heart to each direction and give thanks

* Sweat lodge

* Vision quest

If you do either sweat lodge or vision quest, please do so with the guidance of a Native elder to be sure you do it properly and safely.

* Journal or journey (shamanic meditation) to discover what power animals comprise your personal Medicine Wheel of your own energy field. I love to lead these meditations when I am called to do so. Honoring your own inner Medicine Wheel supports a strong aura and keeps you connected to your spirit guides, if this resonates for you.

Associations with Each Direction

Depending on which culture or even which tribe you consult, there are somewhat different associations with the directions, colors, elements and meanings, the medicine or power that direction helps us receive and embody. The one I am most familiar with follows but this is not dogma, merely a summary of what I have found to be the more universal associations. Follow your own heart and work with any spiritual practice in the way that resonates for your own heart and inner truth.

While I have a small amount of native blood, I was adopted and was not raised in that tradition. I discovered shamanism after my initiation and spiritual awakening 15 years ago. I do not claim to be a tribal elder or teacher of any one tradition. I am an interfaith minister, meditation teacher, hypnotherapist, energy healer and intuitive life coach. I have been on the path of Spirit, studying, practicing and sharing healing and wisdom teachings from many cultures for several decades, so I offer here a simplified summary as a starting point for your discovery journey. You would do well to study more in depth with a local teacher steeped in the particular tradition that calls to your spirit, and of course feel free to research further on the Web, in books, classes, and listen to your own inner guidance. I always say the best way to pray, do ceremony or ritual is the way that feels best to you, with harm to none, of course. But we do need to honor the specific traditions so they are not all diluted through multiculturalism.

From the East we have the yellow people (Asia) and the gift of Air, Brother Wind, clarity of vision, inspiration, the new day, new beginnings, establishment of purpose and intention, and springtime.

From South, we receive the wisdom of the black people (Africa), Fire. The tools, strength, perseverance and energy to follow through and manifest, midday/ noon, summer, also humor and passion, innocence and trust.

The West gives us the culture of the Red people (such as Native Americans), the setting sun, Water, emotions, the fall season, self-evaluation toward completion, looks-within time, peace, rest and healing.

And the North represents the White (European) people and all their cultural gift. The sacred mountain, winter, midnight, time to slow down, go within and be still to receive guidance for what comes next. Completion, what you keep from the past cycle and all that you have accomplished and learned. It is also associated with the Spirit and wisdom.

Note: You can also honor the other 3 directions: Earth (below), Sky (above) and Center (within).

I hope you enjoyed these five creative ways to give thanks and I wish you abundant blessings on your journey!

Finally, in the spirit of Sufi mystic poet Rumi, I invite you to kiss the ground. Blow kisses to the sky. Bow to everything. Everything is sacred.

With Love,

Sage

More resources for your path, including free special reports on abundance, love, transformational classes, soul and energy healing sessions, intuitive readings, matchmaking and more are at:

www.LoveandSpirit.org

Taylor@LoveandSpirit.org

“Let the beauty we love be what we do.

There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.”

- Rumi

Áine, Finnegan, and Andreas

From Mother to Daughter poetry-prayer

Gratitudinal Contact video

Time for Contact practice

Raise A Hand in Blessing movement

________________________________

Take a deep breath… let it out with a sigh

From Mother to Daughter poetry-prayer
by Aine deDannan

I am grateful to be learning
how precious sleep is…
that taking my time allows me to see the world more fully…
to explore the world with my hands and mouth…
how to do hand-to-hand contact from my not-yet-one-year-old…
that life is both fragile and strong at the same time…
to savor every moment with the loves in my life…

Gratitudinal Contact video

Time for Contact practice

Try these simple activities with your family members, whether blood family, chosen family, or spiritual family.

Hand-to-Hand Embrace

Hold a loved one’s hand in your hand
Now find a new point of contact with each other’s hands…hold it for a moment…Then make a new shape and hold it…
And another and hold it…
Continue, and then find a natural point of closure.

For the Love of Children

With a baby or small child, let that child explore your face, your clothes, or your hand with his or her hands. Enjoy the beauty of this child’s exploration!

Connection

Find someone you care about (or several),
Hold each other in an embrace,
Step out enough to lift your hands up into the air,
Lifting up your care for each other in a hand-to-hand dance,
Then lower your hands for an embrace of gratitude.

Raise A Hand in Blessing movement

When we dance hand-to-hand we often practice opening the space between us. We can feel that connection even when we aren’t right together. Raise a hand in blessing. Turn in a full circle (or not) and know that others are sending blessings to you too.

As you move, listen to “Mother” from the Anatomic album by Afro Celt Sound System.

Take a deep breath… let it out with a sigh

________________________________

This week’s post is created byÁine E. deDanaan. Aine was first introduced to InterPlay when she started seminary at Pacific School of Religion in September 2000 and subsequently completed the InterPlay Life Practice Program in 2003. She moved back “home” to southwestern New Hampshire in July 2008. After taking time off as a new mom of Finnegan, Áine is now bringing InterPlay to the Keene, NH area! As a licensed massage therapist with a focus in Chinese Medicine, Áine helps people find more ease and wholeness in their bodies. Áine’s husband, Andreas, offers support with his willingness to play, as well as lending his graphic design expertise and video editing abilities…not to mention his beautiful parenting! For more information about Áine’s work (or to sign up for her newsletter) visit www.innerphoenix.org; to see more of Andreas’s work, visit www.dedanaandesign.com.

For anyone in Oakland and the surrounding area–you are invited to the InterPlay Free Sample. There have been so many amazing new developments recently! Come find out what is going on in the world with InterPlay these days. If you are new to InterPlay or if you bring a friend new to InterPlay, you will be entered in a drawing for dinner at Ozumo in Oakland (just two blocks from InterPlayce)! All that is required is to show up and sign in. This event is at InterPlayce, Sunday Dec 6, 2-3:15 pm and is free!

Rois et reine (2004)
★★★ / ★★★★

“Rois et reine” or “Kings and Queen” tells the story of a man and a woman who were going through their own problems in life. Initially, the two camps seemed to be unconnected because of their predominantly disparate tones–one comedic and one tragic. Nora (Emmanuelle Devos), who lives with her third husband-to-be, visited her son Elias (Valentin Lelong) and father (Maurice Garrel). After Nora’s father confessed to her that he has been having some stomach problems, she took him to the hospital and found out that he was terminally ill. This caused a great interruption on the life she desperately wanted to believe was going great because she now had to deal with where to put her son because he and the third husband do not get along. She also had to deal with her sister who only used their father for money and what the father really thought of Nora. On the other hand, Ismael (Mathieu Amalric) was sent back to the mental hospital against his will. In there, he found amusing ways to cope such as finding romance and discussing his psychology with a psychiatrist. Although this film was about a many things at once, it impressed me because in a span of about two hours and thirty minutes, it was able to balance comedy and drama throughout. What’s more impressive was Arnaud Desplechin’s, the director, ability to cut to one genre to another when things began to feel suffocating. So, in a way, it worked as two different but good films but the connections that the two had made it that much more enjoyable. Just when I thought everything was going to wrap up in a neat little package when Devos and Amalric finally had a scene together, more problems began to appear because two had a history. Many questions were then brought up such as when one’s responsibility should end when a relationship has been mutually agreed upon as over, whether the mother is doing the right thing by indirectly choosing her third husband over her only child, and the pros and cons of keeping a certain knowledge a secret when the burden is too much to bear. There was a certain organic feel in the film which made me believe that the events portrayed could have happened in real life. I thought one of the strongest scenes in the movie was its ending–the conversation between Amalric and Lelong–because it remained true to itself: with every negative comes a positive (and vice-versa). “Rois et reine” is the perfect film for those who love character studies of individuals who have many imperfections but still have certain reedeming qualities.

I am grateful for all my business connections and friends. Most people fit in both categories, so I am lucky to have so many things to be thankful for.

Make the most of the holiday season and tell those you love that you care and appreciate them.  I just did.

Thank-you for being my cherished connection,

 Karin Conway

I love the focus on gratitude during Thanksgiving week. For me, it is a wonderful reminder to be mindful. Being grateful means pausing and really noticing: what do I appreciate right now? To do that, I have to actually slow down and get present.

The past few days, I have been stuck in the “grump rut”. Perhaps you are nodding your head right now because that is a familiar territory for you. I regularly feel frustration and irritation with my toddler as he learns (key point to remember) to communicate his needs and feelings, often in ways that are very challenging for me.

Sometimes I catch myself expecting him to act like a little grown-up. Shouldn’t he know how to ask respectfully for what he wants? Can’t he learn to wait when I am busy? And why the heck does he wake up so early anyway?

Then I remind myself, he isn’t even 3 years old yet! His little brain and body are still developing (not done till mid 20s actually). He can’t control his emotions (nor would I want him to do so). It is my job to care for him, be his guide and model respectful behavior, starting with the way I respond to him.

This week, I am starting an “appreciation practice”. For a few minutes every day, I am going to slow down, pay attention to him consciously and think about all the things I notice and appreciate about him. I think I will do it with my husband and dog as well.

When I do this, it shifts me right out of grumpy, busy mama mode and into mindfulness and inner calm. There is so much to appreciate! When I get frustrated, I just forget…

Want to try it?

As I am writing this I have 20 min til I have to be at work. Thank God I live across the street.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. A wonderful holiday where we sit around a huge table and pile on WAY too much food and watch football (America’s real past time).

The question I have for you today is…

What are you thankful for?

Family? Friends? Yes. Yes.

What about a roof over your head?

Or the bed that you sleep in and the pillow you lay your head on?

How about your vehicle? “Well my car is ok, but it’s fast becoming a ‘pos’!”

Well that may be so, but you still have a car.

My point in all this? To you get you think for more than a passing moment about all that you do have.

We always want more. There will always be more. More is not going away

When we set our eyes on the ‘more’ we lose sight of what we do have.

And what we do have is a blessing!

So,

What are you thankful for?

CONCERT  /  Auditive Connection

Dans le cadre de la Saison de la Turquie

Proposé par l’ASTTU et Festival Strasbourg Méditerranée

3 décembre | 20h30 | Salle de la Bourse

 Jeanne Barbieri, chant     /    Anil Eraslan, violoncelle     /    Max Roncart, guitare     /     Olivier Maurel, percussions et électroniques

Le groupe Auditive Connection, formé par Anil Eraslan, violoncelliste d’origine turque, propose une découverte de musiques originales. Entre musique traditionnelle et l’improvisation moderne, il présente ses compositions ainsi que des airs traditionnels turcs en les associant avec des poèmes des grands penseurs humanistes tels que Asik Veysel et Nazim Hikmet. 

 Sélectionné par le Festival Jeunes Talents 2009 à l’Illiade, le groupe Auditive Connection recherche à créer son propre langage musical grâce à l’atmosphère particulière qui se dégage de ses mélodies simples et contemplatives, accompagné par des sons électroniques et une rythmique jouant sur la finesse des musiques traditionnelles.
L’intention est aussi d’assumer l’héritage de la culture d’Anatolie à travers de la musique et la poésie. Ayant une forte connexion innovatrice, les musiciens interprètent cette philosophie d’Anatolie qui est surtout basé sur la simplicité et l’humanité.

 12 € I 10 € I 8 € I  entrée libre pour les étudiants du conservatoire

A couple of weeks ago when my husband Terry and I were driving through the mountains in Colorado, we stopped in a small town for breakfast. We’d barely been served our first cup of coffee when two young families came in and sat next to us—two sets of parents, each with a daughter and son about the same age. Since they were all laughing and chatting, it was difficult not to notice and become captivated by their delight and the fun they were having together.

It warmed our hearts. The parents talked together while the kids did the same. Then suddenly they were all talking together. They took turns and no one dominated or took control. The parents asked questions to one or more of the kids and then listened attentively while the kids responded animatedly. These two sets of parents had clearly figured it out. They had learned how to develop great relationships with their kids, and now they were reaping the benefits of their close connections, their respect for each other and the enjoyment it brought to their lives.

Kids are pretty cool people. They’re constantly learning and growing; they take risks and are not afraid to experiment; they question and are curious about everything; they have a positive attitude and are up for trying new things. All of this makes them very interesting and quite stimulating to be around.

Do they make mistakes and do stupid things? Of course they do. They’re kids. But parents need to learn to honor those mistakes because that’s when kids need their parents’ support more than ever in order to learn from those mistakes and make better decisions in the future.

Instead of ridiculing, criticizing and jumping to punishment, take the time to talk with your kids when they screw up. Be open to listen and to try to see the situation from their perspective. Ask questions that will help you understand your children better and the struggles they’re facing.

It’s only after you’ve been patient enough to really get the whole scoop that you will earn the privilege of being on the inside of your kids’ lives. That’s when you have the opportunity to guide and influence them. And that’s when you experience the rewards of those two families in the restaurant.

It’s interesting how this post came to be.

I was checking out Los’ latest blog post, and as I was commenting, I realized that my comment could be a good post. So here goes…

It’s strange to most people, but I like to ask random and sometimes seemingly insignificant questions to get to know people better. I enjoy people of all genders, types, shapes, sizes and colors. I love their stories. Their passions.

It’s not about making myself more like anyone else. It’s about connection

Ask a person a crazy question like “chat with me about your favorite thing to chat about” and you will find yourself in connection with creation. It’s an amazing thing what can happen when we take a few minutes out of our day, our life, our moment and just listen to someone’s story.

We all are created by God and have His breath in all of us (saved and unsaved), and to connect to that is to connect with God

I encourage you. Take a chance. When you have that moment to ask someone a crazy question that could lead to a connection, seize it!

So tell me, what’s your story?

Blessings and peace!

Why is Thanksgiving my favorite holiday?

Off the top, because it is America’s primo food holiday!    I think most people celebrate by eating heartily.  And it’s okay to talk about family recipes and traditions and new culinary holiday directions. And It’s all about breaking bread together over a homemade meal created with love.

But I’m also looking forward to:

• gathering with friends who include us like an aunt and uncle year after year at their family’s table
• having a relaxed, intergenerational time together learning about one another’s lives since we last met
• admiring the beauty of the dinner table filled with nature’s bounty (edible and inedible)
• luxuriating in the expressed and unexpressed gratitude of it all!

I hope that your Thanksgiving holiday is filled with whatever makes you happy (and if you’d like to describe what that is, please do!).

Think of traffic. The faster we go, the harder to avoid collision. We are many. We are diverse. Our empathy mechanisms are on overdrive.

Result? We pull back, shut down, isolate.

Kids do it. Teens do it. Family members do it. Workers do it.

Teamwork? Community? Family? Too tired, too hard, too much!

Think of the economy. “Do more with less.” Work harder for the same or less pay.

Result? Fatigue. Overwhelm. We strive for resiliency, tools, but self-help won’t fix this.

Think of school, health care, work, religion. Sit side by side. Nose in a computer. Face your teacher/Dr./Boss. Concentrate. Get the message. Individual effort and achievement = success.

Result? When we fail, we think something’s wrong with us. Leave education and religion.

Throw in trouble, mental illness, trauma. Governments, lawmakers, school administrators, insurance, and police step in, our least creative, compassionate solutions.

Result? Humans need connection, fun, inspiration, challenge, compassion and noble causes MORE THAN EVER!

The body says….IT’S TIME!  GIVE ME SOMETHING, ANYTHING!

In Teaching Compassion, educator Kimberly Post Rowe for the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development identifies the need to build connection in a classroom to move people from empathy to compassion.

InterPlay is twenty years old. Like a visionary, energetic young adult, its creative methods and simple ideas move people in all kinds of circumstances from overwhelm to ease, isolation to connection, and more importantly than ever, from withdrawal to compassionate engagement! A deep breath and a sigh, a quick round of naming things that we have in common, shaking out whatever we’re sitting on, bringing our fingertips together and lifting up common concerns. It’s the little things that will change the world.

Dear Don Bowen,  

First, let me say we have lots to be grateful and appreciative for and I acknowledge that! It is so good to know that you have risen to the Directorship of the National Urban League. Surely, the hard work you did for our office here in Fort Lauderdale had a lot to do with this commendable promotion on your behalf.  

I contacted you by phone at the suggestion of Karriem Edwards. I thank you for taking my call and for your response to the email I sent with information on my books and workshops on Women in Jazz and Blues.  

I see an opportunity to bring to the national arena something of great value and would appreciate the opportunity to dialogue with Dr. Hal Smith, VP of Education and Youth Development, if you would be so kind as to arrange that connection.  

Actually, I visited the Urban League office in Las Vegas a couple of months ago and three women there were very interested in my books and workshops. However I haven’t heard any more from them. Here, in Fort Lauderdale, I have not been in touch with anyone from the Urban League, but would be happy to sit down with anyone you could introduce me to.
I realize that we’re in a very tight economic environment and people are more concerned with everyday needs than with the Arts. But it is the Arts that enable people to, first, forget about the hard times and, second, develop their own creativity to overcome obstacles they face, personally and in business.  

Once we understand that taking Music and Art out of school and paying parents to feed their children Ritalin to counteract Attention Deficiency Disorder, which is a direct result of NOT learning how to access their creativity, we will honor artists by engaging them to develop and implement programs and workshops like the ones I’ve presented to you. Available at this link – www.fyicomminc.com/workshops.htm  

The Urban League’s Statement is as follows:  

Our Strategy – The National Urban League employs a five-point approach to provide economic empowerment, educational opportunities and the guarantee of civil rights for African Americans.

As the founder of Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc. and a 38-year veteran of the Performing Arts, I am fully aware of the benefits musicians reap from musical studies, most importantly, discipline, dedication and ability to make a living from something they love to do, not to mention the opportunity to travel to foreign shores as Ambassors of Peace, where they are appreciated by people of varying cultures and backgrounds.

Education and Youth Empowerment ensures the education of all children by providing access to early childhood literacy, after-care programs and college scholarships.

My personal experience within the education system includes sharing the stories of Women in Jazz and Blues with thousands of children in Florida, New York, Georgia, China, Japan and Europe. In 1997, 1998 and 2000, I was the recipient of nearly $15,000 in Student Enrichment in the Arts grants (SEAS), through Broward County Schools.

Right now, I’m working on our organization’s directory listing and a grant proposal for the Broward Cultural Arts Council to take our programs into the schools and after-care programs in 2010.

In the past 12 years, I’ve presented at several colleges, including FAU, FIU, MDCC, BCC, NOVA SE and York College, where I’ve been scheduled to return on March 4, 2010. This one-hour presentation is fully-documented in photographs and videos on my websites: www.wijsf.org, www.joancartwright.com and www.fyicomminc.com.

Each time we bring the story of Women in Jazz and Blues to students, we receive positive feedback from them, their teachers, principals and parents. This is why we work to continue bringing this program to schools and events to the community. See our concert series at www.floridajazznetwork.com

Economic Empowerment invests in the financial literacy and employability of adults through job training, homeownership and entrepreneurship.

Every professional musician and artist is an entrepreneur that can enhance the learning process of adults and children they come in contact with. Musicians must learn how to be financially stable, especially in economic times like these. What music and art teach the artist is that they have a gift that they are responsible for sharing with others and that compensation is certainly forthcoming.

Personally, I’ve retired from the music business three times (1996, 1999, 2001) and I’ve returned, purely on the basis that music is my God-given talent that I MUST share with the world. It is the “talent” that I must use for the good of all. I must not bury it, take it for granted or squander it. See The Parable of the Ten Talents

I believe I understand that, now, and I am determined to help others recognize the value of African American music, art and culture. My book, A History of African-Amerian Jazz and Blues expands on why so many African-Americans have not reaped financial benefits of their artistic production. It’s tied up with cultural politics and I believe this book qualifies as required reading for every African-American man, woman and child. The book contains interviews with jazz greats Quincy Jones, Dewey Redman (father of Joshua), Lester Bowie (Chicago Art Ensemble) and Sandy Patton (Vocal Instructor, Swiss Jazz School). If we neglect to understand the value and importance of our cultural production, the dominant society will continue to be the only benefactor of it’s fruits, i.e., record companies, publishers, promoters and distributors.

Blues and Jazz are “the only original American art forms” and have been designated by Congress as a National Treasure! See the attached letter from First Lady Michelle Obama, indicating that we have been in touch with her regarding our organization.

Health and Quality of Life Empowerment promotes community wellness through a focus on prevention, including fitness, healthy eating and access to affordable healthcare.

This President’s highest priority has been health care reform. My contention is that happiness is the greatest cure for ill health. Music and Art are at the top of the list of conditions that cause happiness. I could write a treatise on this. This video sent to me earlier in the week speaks volumes about the healing properties of music. 

Patrick plays! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xwCG0Ey2Mg

Civic Engagement and Leadership Empowerment encourages all people to take an active role to improve quality of life through participation in community service projects and public policy initiatives.

There can be no doubt that musical events unite a community, if only for one hour. You live in New York City. Have you been to the Jazzmobiles, during the summer, attended by thousands of New Yorkers? I was 19, when I attended some of the first concerts in 1968-70. At Grant’s Tomb, circa 1984, I performed with some of the greatest living jazz artists, including Frank Foster, Frank Wes and George Coleman. This experience led me to where I am as a jazz artist, today. Since then, hundreds of young musicians have been influenced by these concerts and by the education program developed by this organization. www.jazzmobile.org – It is our mission to continue this legacy with WOMEN IN JAZZ SOUTH FLORIDA, INC. – www.wijsf.org
 

Civil Rights and Racial Justice Empowerment guarantees equal participation in all facets of American society through proactive public policies and community-based programs.

The impact that Blues and Jazz artists have had on the global society is undeniable. This truth fills many books about musicians like Ella Fitzgerald, Mary Lou Williams, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and so many more who traveled to foreign lands as representatives of the American people and, African-American people in particular, bringing unmeasureable joy, despite obstacles they faced as people of color in the United States, under Jim Crow Laws declaring them less than whole persons. They were applauded on other continents and abused at home. But that didn’t stop them from being the messengers of peace, hope, love and community that they were born to be. Their stories must continue to be told to urban children, children in the suburbs and on farms, where many of them came from. Our organization serves that purpose and we trust that the National Urban League recognizes the value and importance of that work.

I ask that you calendar our Women in Jazz Presentations on Thursday, March 4, 2010 at York College and Friday, March 5, at the Langston Hughes Library in Queens. I’ll continue to send you notices with additional performances in the NY area and exact times, if that is not an imposition. Perhaps, you would be willing to share these dates with others you know who value the music and musicians we present.

In the meantime, please connect me with Dr. Hal Smith so that we can explore the possibilities of a partnership.

All the best,

Love and music,

Joan Cartwright

Founder & Executive Director

Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc.

2801 S. Oakland Forest Drive

Suite 103

Oakland Park, FL 33309

954-740-3398

wijsf@yahoo.com

divajc47@yahoo.com

Diva JC

• www.wijsf.com
• www.blogtalkradio.com/musicwoman
• www.fyicomminc.com

Joan – I looked at the links below and want to commend you for your continued growth and for your efforts to expose young people to music and the arts.  You may or may not know that the National Urban League is an intermediary organization with 100 affiliates throughout the country.   Our affiliates are our direct-service delivery mechanism and each affiiates operates as its own separate and independent not for profit organization.  Approximately 5-10% of affiliates programming is directed and funded at the national level while most of it is conceived and funded locally.  As such, we do not have any national programs which involve music or the arts directly.   Nevertheless, I have asked  Dr. Hal Smith, our VP of Education and Youth Development to review your materials to determine if there are any opportunities to collaborate with you and for us to utilize the services which you provide.   We do conduct a national youth conference each year, and perhaps this venue might provide an opportunity to work with you.   Another strategy which you might want to pursue is to work directly with one of more of our local affiliates.  While we could recommend you to them, I would not suggest this approach as frankly they get too much from us already and it probably would “get lost” in the traffic.  Have you had any conversations with any of the local – South Florida affiliates?  If not, that might be a good place to start and I could facilitate the introduction, if needed.  Honestly, the chances of connecting the dots with a local affiliate are greater and this is probably an easier path to take than looking for a national type program or engagement.  I will let you know what Hal Smith suggests.  Let me know if you have tried to work with some of our local affiliates or if this is something you wish to pursue.  Happy Thanksgiving – it was good hearing from you.  Don

From: Joan Cartwright [mailto:divajc47@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, November 23, 2009 6:21 PM
To: Donald Bowen
Subject: Joan Cartwright’s Books and Workshops

Don,

Thanks for taking my call this evening.

It was great to hear your voice and I trust your work there is very fulfilling.

Here’s the link to my books and workshops.

www.fyicomminc.com/books.html

www.fyicomminc.com/workshops.htm

My goal is to teach and bring awareness about the lives, contributions and joy brought to the global society by musicians who have made a difference no matter what circumstances they had to overcome. – Diva JC  

I would appreciated being on your list of artists who bring education to programs for urban children.

Let me know if you need anything else to make this happen.

I’ll be in NYC on March 4 at York College.

Will send more info as needed.

All the best in your endeavors at the National Urban League!

Joan Cartwright

954-740-3398

• www.wijsf.com
• www.blogtalkradio.com/musicwoman
• www.fyicomminc.com

Photo credit by Pink Sherbet

The other day I found myself in unfamiliar territory. Sort of an awkward situation of not knowing anyone from the environment nor was I sure if I was even where I was suppose to be. The reality of it all could have worked against me had I chose to be taken over by fear of the unknown.

Or the reality of my perception could afford me confidence to look at the situation through eyes that saw things for what they were worth. Opportunity. Now you maybe thinking, “Was this guy in some sort of potentially violent situation?” Not at all, I was simply picking up a set of keys for a facility that was being rented in a city I wasn’t familiar with from people that would recognize me from another neighborhood than theirs.

The scenario is common in all sorts of circumstances, but its paying attention to what’s going on around you that can produce the results you need from potentially stressful situations. I was on a schedule to find the place in a certain time frame, my Blackberry battery had died, and the location wasn’t exactly where I was told it would be.

Would you introduce me to him?

Driving to the back of the building I noticed a young girl playing with a rather large dog. Approaching her put a welcoming smile on her face as she began to waive and apparently signal me to a parking spot.

As I got out of the car she became aware of her surroundings and was less warm than before. My reaction was to recognize this and see the little kid as a connection to the person I was meeting. Careful not to spook her (or the rather big dog) making any inappropriate movements, I introduced myself and took a gamble of asking if her dad was there? With a smile I asked little Becky to introduce me to him since we had already met each other. I asked Becky’s dad if he was affiliated with the adjoining rental hall. He said he was a friend with Karl, but that Karl was a business partner with Tulane who rented out the reception hall upstairs.

While waiting for Karl to finish with a customer, Becky’s dad explained that while in Germany he had developed a taste for the variety of brews and upon returning to the US hooked up with Karl to start a hops and barley supply business where they offered products for brewing and distillery. My Grandfather fermented homemade wines and I had also toured Germany while serving in the Marines so the conversation took off from there.

The Red Salamander and 7 Islands Meeting and Reception Hall

Karl took me up stairs to meet his business partner Tulane and there I had been connected with a wonderful group of people that began with an introduction from a kid that smiled and waived. Becky suspected I was in an unfamiliar place yet she drew on her confidence from simply being aware of what was going on around her. I was aware of my surroundings and drew on the power of a wave and a smile as a trustworthy act that could lead to big connections and it did. Paying attention to your surroundings and knowing your limits could give you the confidence needed to solve problems without stressing over them.

P.S. If you have been inspired from this article please consider leaving a comment and subscribing to the RSS feed (top right column) to have future post delivered to your feed reader. Please send your friends to http://laroncarter.com to connect with me or @laroncarter on Twitter.

This post is a work in progress.  to be reread and edited many times is my guess.  I do know I still need to add quite a few answers to the question.  I look forward to your criticism and input to improve this post.

I ask the question “Why Do You Tweet?” on Twitter.  I realize that this question has most definitely been asked before, but I was still curious.  What I found wasn’t to surprising and you may also not be surprised, most people are trying to find a connection.

When I say connection it comes in many ways, you have marketer’s, celebrities, news seekers, humorists and much more.  What I did notice was the fact that most of us just want to be heard we want someone to listen to us, the connection comes down need the need of being wanted.  The ultimate need for humanity to socialize.

We all have an instinct to want to connect we go to parties, we go out to dinner or coffee with friends or to meet new people.  This for the majority of the world is all that we need.  But people who Tweet have a greater need there curiosity for what’s happening in the world a crave and in fact may be even an addiction to get more information and to share that information on a huge scale.

Tweeters want to socialize with the world they want to be heard and in some ways want to be celebrities in there own right.  As for why celebrities tweet well it’s to talk about what they are working on, to let fans know, in there own words what they are really up to.  Yes we heard that before, however I have a belief that many celebrities may have a need to connect because they want to socialize outside their own celebrity status. To see a little of the average person and possibly find what’s real.

Here are some of the answers I got and more are to be added.

Find out more About The Heart Sleeves

1. TheHeartSleeves

   @epwait Twitter is like a wall. You throw your tweets against it & see if they stick or fall into obscurity. 2:39 PM Nov 17th from web in reply to epwait

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2. TheHeartSleeves

   @epwait I started tweeting 2 promote my band, then I found a quilt-ish community of other promoters, we’re all circumventing death in limbo. 2:35 PM Nov 17th from web in reply to epwait

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3. modernsextrash

   hahahaha @epwait because the world is counting on me to. 2:35 PM Nov 17th from TweetDeck

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4. TheHeartSleeves

   @epwait I tweet 2 have audience, however random, for my thoughts & music. It is the easiest way to raise the water level 1 pebble @ a time. 2:33 PM Nov 17th from web in reply to epwait

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5. houstonmacbro

   @epwait I tweet because it connects me to others. I DO have something to say. Not ALWAYS profound, but good enough. #amahighered 2:32 PM Nov 17th from TweetDeck in reply to epwait

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6. theamygrace

   @epwait I tweet to prevent you from taking over the world. 4:07 AM Nov 13th from Brizzly in reply to epwait

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7. uglywebsites

   @epwait i tweet to make up for the ppl too lazy to tweet. 3:27 AM Nov 13th from web in reply to epwait

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8. JustinSxE

   @epwait Because updating my Facebook status annoys my friends. 3:25 AM Nov 13th from web in reply to epwait

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9. Mnmissy

   @epwait I tweet to not only network for a job…but also to meet people from around the globe! Lots of fabulous friendship created here! 1:36 AM Nov 13th from TweetDeck

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10. uglywebsites

    @epwait i have 589 channels-> and nothing good on ANY OF THEM 10:42 PM Nov 12th from web in reply to epwait

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11. uglywebsites

    @epwait (longer)-> keeps me “connected”-> if u’re able to edit out the crap, there’s good “news” on here. ppl tweet about things before the 10:37 PM Nov 12th from web in reply to epwait

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12. uglywebsites

    @epwait I Tweet Because… nothing good on TV (short answer) 10:35 PM Nov 12th from web in reply to epwait

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13. BuzzEdition

    @epwait I tweet because I enjoy sharing unique stories & interesting people with others. Basically, I do it for the social connection ~hugs~ 7:16 PM Nov 12th from TweetDeck

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14. Donrengon

    @epwait I tweet cause I like having an outlet and don’t care who can read my inner thoughts. 9:35 AM Nov 12th from Echofon in reply to epwait

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15. rmilana

    cc @epwait > RT @lammiia: @rmilana I tweet to air my views about topics and engage in interesting discussions. 7:31 AM Nov 12th from dabr

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16. ScottATaylor

    @epwait I tweet to meet people and share information 8:53 PM Nov 11th from UberTwitter in reply to epwait

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17. STYLEMOM

    @epwait to engage, laugh, connect, get news, promote site, consumer reasearch, i’m a chatterbox & a tad nosey, & get the pulse of people 8:33 PM Nov 11th from Snaptu in reply to epwait

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18. rmilana

    @epwait tweet sounds better than bark hehe just for having fun and connect with people 8:23 PM Nov 11th from dabr in reply to epwai

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    2. scarletmandy

       @epwait or else I might just b an attention whore lmao 6:48 PM Nov 11th from mobile web

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    3. scarletmandy

       @epwait because I love socializing and there’s not much of that in a small town lol 6:48 PM Nov 11th from mobile web

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    4. treaclelilly

       @epwait Actually, no. I liked that answer, so I RT’d it. I tweet to talk, kvetch, share, enjoy, sing, wax poetic, muse (no, not the band). 5:48 PM Nov 11th from Echofon in reply to epwait

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    5. CGArticleDir

       @epwait I Tweet to spread Love, Value, and good information to those who might crave it….. 5:46 PM Nov 11th from TweetDeck in reply to epwait

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    6. keeperofdreams

       I tweet to create, intrigue,share, flirt, laugh, tease, and to open my mind… @epwait Why Do You Tweet.? 5:24 PM Nov 11th from TweetDeck

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    7. cheth

       @epwait to connect with liked minded people ( designers) and also to connect with the rest of the world with the power of 140 characters! 5:04 PM Nov 11th from web in reply to epwait

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    8. santasdevil

       Cuz I stopped doing drugs n this is just as gratifying .RT @epwait: @santasdevil Why Do You Tweet? this is for an upcoming blog post 5:00 PM Nov 11th from TweetDeck

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    9. Weaverous

       @epwait i tweet because its a great way to connect, communicate a interact with people across the globe many whom id never have met irl 4:45 PM Nov 11th from Echofon in reply to epwait

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    10. IvySunny

        @epwait Why? Because I want to make new friends. I want to make people smile and laugh. Once in a while, I succeed 4:44 PM Nov 11th from TweetDeck in reply to epwait

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    11. Dan303

        RT @epwait: Why do you tweet? your answe…..[I tweet Because its good promotion for my blog and music. It's also good to chat to followers] 4:21 PM Nov 11th from TweetDeck

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    12. allisonjanney

        @epwait To share, collaborate, and learn from other PR studs, profs and pros. Can’t NOT do it going into PR. Also super fun/addictive. 4:15 PM Nov 11th from TweetDeck in reply to epwait

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    13. OhioSteelerGirl

        @epwait It gives you an opportunity to “meet” people you would most likely never know. 3:58 PM Nov 11th from web in reply to epwait

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    14. verwon

        @epwait Cool! You can take ‘especially men’ onto the end! Have to drive them crazy, it’s my calling. 3:48 PM Nov 11th from dabr in reply to epwait

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    15. purplehayz

        @epwait I also tweet for the conversations and to give and get information 3:47 PM Nov 11th from TweetDeck

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    16. verwon

        @epwait I tweet, because good insanity MUST be shared! 3:40 PM Nov 11th from dabr

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    17. wei_wu_wei

        @epwait to inform, to be informed, and most importantly for fun… 3:36 PM Nov 11th from TweetDeck in reply to epwait

The Mudra healing has been combined with ‘Living with Awareness’ techniques here, to achieve any goal or objective. To understand how our mind works against our own goals and objectives, please read the following posts:

http://healbyrule.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/i-am-the-hero-and-the-villain-in-the-movie-life-directed-by-me/

http://healbyrule.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/dress-up-as-married/

Three Steps to Fulfilment

If you have a desire that’s not fulfilled (let us say you want to be an actor), then do the following:

1. Do the Acceptance Mudra and affirm, “I accept myself totally. I release my desire to be an actor”.

If you want to reduce your weight then affirm, “I accept myself totally. I release my desire to reduce my weight”.

Or you affirmation could be, “I I accept myself totally. I release my desire to look attractive”. Thus release all your desires to loose your weight.

Why should I release my desires? Even desires are a form of resistance to achieve our goals and objectives.

To see how to do acceptance Mudra:

http://healbymudra.wordpress.com/2009/08/02/acceptance-mudra/

2. Do Jupiter Mudra and affirm, “I release my resistance to become an actor”. If you have a desire that is unfulfilled, it means there is a resistance inside you. To reduce your weight, affirm, “I release my resistance to reduce my weight”.

Sometimes we want something consciously, but unconsciously we will be resisting that. This is called psychological reversal.

To see how to do Jupiter Mudra:

http://healbymudra.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/jupiter-mudra/

3. Do Movement Mudra and affirm, “I have become an actor”, “I have started to act in so and so film” as though the desire has happened already.

To see how to do Movement Mudra:

http://healbymudra.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/movement-mudra/

At least spend 5-15 minutes in each Mudra, in the order mentioned. Do them twice a day.