a rose is a rose is a rose

Valentine's Day is one of those "holidays" that's always been a bit of a mystery to me. Don't get me wrong. I'm as romantic as they come. But I just never got the whole "day". Like how some people wait til that one day to "show" their love. Isn't love something that you DO? Why would you only "do" it once a year? And furthermore, why in the world would anyone spend such ridiculous amounts of time/money/stress over this one "occasion" to show the love?

You've seen the commercials. The jewelry stores are the very best at this: "Show her just how much you love her...." ACKKKKKKK! REALLY????? So does that mean if you buy her diamonds (the bigger the better) you're saying "I love you this much"? What about those people who don't have the financial means to "show her how much you love her"? Does this mean they don't love her? Does this mean that all those men who are doing their best to feed his kids and keep a roof over their heads is NOT in love with his wife/mate/etc.?
{Let's face it...this is a "Lady's Day". How many women do YOU know who go all bonkers over V-Day presents for their men? Poor guys.}

I'm tellin' ya, I just never did get it.

The other aspect of all this that has become increasingly more obvious is all the women out theer who are "single". Valentine's Day is a 'single' woman's nightmare. I have a few girlfriends who get downright depressed on V-Dau. A puzzle to be sure.

When I hear my girlfriends talk about "the day" coming up and how depressed/frustrated/jealous they are, I always ask them one question:

"Are you loved?"

Because, in my book, if there's gonna be a HOLIDAY to say "I Love You", it oughta include ALL the love. Not just the romantic kind. And on that note:

In case you didn't know this, Valentine's Day is actually a Christian holiday. Yep. That's right. You can look it up. So how come it affects those who are not Christian? How come it's all about the money and the "show". How come my 'single' girlfriends who don't believe in God anymore than they believe in the Tooth Fairy get so bent out of shape? Wonder if they know...(Okay. Quick aside here: the term "single" is almost as annoying as a gnat up my nose. I have and always be SINGLE. As in a SINGULAR PERSON. Married or not. I am a single person. As far as I know, there isn't another one of me, unless you count the whole Quantum theory. but let's not go there, okay? What I'm saying is:  What IS it with that word????)

I'm all about the Joyz. And if you've been here more than once (or even just once) you already know this. So please don't think I'm trying to get off the Joy. I am NOT. What I am attempting here is to let you know, if you just so happen to be in solo mode...that this is, for all intents and purposes, a HALLMARK HOLIDAY. If you happen to be Christian, then perhaps you already know the hows and whys. If not, take a moment and go investigate. Because even though the original intent was to "show one's affection in an intimate relationship", today's Valentine's Day is more about loot and roses and dinner at a nice restaurant. And maybe, if Dude has the bucks, a romantic weekend in some lavish hotel. If you want to buy into all that, it's your business. But if you happen to be without a mate and this day gets you down, please take heart.

Love is all around you. Love is not a one day show. Love is something we DO. And if it makes you feel any less stressed, send YOURSELF a dozen roses. But I guarantee you this: no matter who sent 'em, they're still gonna die after a few days. Is that what love is to you?

P.S. I do realize this is nothing like my "usual" meandering. I felt it needed to be said, though. I felt it all the way down to my pretty little toes that it needed to be said for all my girls who are struggling without a dinner date or a box of chocolates and who have yet to realize that it is within their power to treat themselves. Me...I'm making T-bones and potatoes au gratin for me and my curly little guy. No roses required. Just all the love he gives me, ALL DAY EVERY DAY.

P.S.S. If you think nobody loves you, you are mistaken. I LOVE YOU. And I don't care if we've never met. I love you anyway. So there.

Diamond-Studded Puppies...and all that jazz.

For all the zillions of books there are to 'learn how' to succeed, there's nary a one that tops the sound of coyotes or the crow of a rooster.

HUH?

Napoleon Hill ("Think and Grow Rich") may have been ahead of his time and Wallace D. Wattles ("The Science of Getting Rich") may have come up with his own little snippets, but for all the Rich Dad, Poor Dads out there, the one thing you can count on is that it's not about what you know, it's about how you feel.
If you happen to be remotely attuned to the whole Law of Attraction thang, you already know that "like attracts like" (contrary to the old "opposites attract" thang). If this 'law' happens to be true, then the next logical conclusion is that if you have any aversion to 'rich folk', you are not likely to attract your own wealth. You may run into some windfalls here and there, but the likelihood of your ongoing financial success (as in MORE MORE MORE) is about as likely as snow in the tropics. Ain't gonna happen.


Case in point:


I have a friend who is as talented as they come. She is an exquisite artist with a passion for her work like none other. Her work is magnificent, as is she. And every now and then she hits it big. She goes from absolute poverty to rollin' in the dough in a heartbeat. And then...back to absolute poverty again. To the point where her friends bring her groceries so she won't starve. Really. There is never any lack of financial drama. Phone gets turned off. Car gets impounded. Eviction notices. The whole shebang. Then...at the very last moment, the money comes rollin' in and she fixes all the delinquencies...until next go round. 


Luckily for her, she has a tribe that supports her, no matter what. I'll be the first to admit she's well worth it. But for the longest time we both contributed to this pattern, me by enabling, her by sitting as 'victim'. Every time something would pop up, she'd call and we'd talk it over, come up with a solution and carry on to the next challenge. This went on for years. And then...


One day, as I was listening to her rantings, I heard her say something about the "asshole rich people" who can go out and buy diamond-studded collars for their stupid Chihuahuas. She was really on a roll about how ridiculous 'they' were and how much it infuriated her. She just couldn't wrap her brain around the idea that "they're so stupid and talentless and utterly mindless jerks. How was it that these really dumb people could acquire such wealth?"


As I listened, I suddenly heard what was really going on. It hit me like a ton of bricks and it was all I could do to let her finish her rant without interrupting. When, at last, she took a breath, I offered this up:


"How do you feel at this moment? Right NOW. Do you feel that ache in your gut? Do you feel at ease? HOW DO YOU FEEL?"


She told me about her angst, and anger, and outright righteousness. She told me about her rising blood pressure and her elevated heart rate. She was as honest as she was enraged.


Then I said, "Think about this. You don't need to respond. Just let it sit for a while. Think about how you FEEL about "rich" people. Think about how it makes you feel when you think of all that money. Think about how pissed you get when you see them buying what you consider to be ridiculous stuff. How do you suppose you're EVER going to have that kind of money when the thought of it makes you feel so shitty? It's like you're telling yourself, 'yea. I want all that money but I don't want to be like them.' Total contradiction."


Maybe it's time to take a good look at how we really feel about money. Does it make us feel inferior when we don't have any? Do the people who have lots of it make us want to commit acts of violence? Does the idea of lots of money make us feel anxious and incompetent? Because if that's the stuff we feel when we think about money, ain't no way we're going to have it in any kind of abundance. No way, no how. The only way to grow the flow of dollars is to see it as what it really is: just another form of energy. You could even go so far as to say just another form of love. Really! Because money is nothing more than energy exchanged. If your energy is averse to that exchange, you're going to dangle by a thread for the rest of your human experience. If you see it for what it truly is, you're going to allow the flow of that energy to wash you in more than you could ever spend. If you don't believe this, just take a look at where you are. Take a day or five to really pay attention to how you feel when the subject of money comes up. Any semblance of aversion to wealth and the wealthy is going to stop that flow before it even begins. Once you clean that crap out, you're on your way to whatever it is you most desire. It sounds easy, but it may be more of a challenge than you can guess. Mostly because of old patterns. And how we feel about what we deserve. And...the old proverbial fear of success (not fear of failure!). 


So what's all this have to do with coyotes and roosters? The way they make me feel. Whenever I hear their voices, I feel like I hit the jackpot. I feel like there is a wealth of life-giving energy surrounding me. In short, those sounds make me feel rich. They make me feel like the wealthiest person alive. They make me giggle my ass off. AND they completely eliminate any thoughts of lack. These are the feelings that promote more of my own wealth. These are the things that confirm what I know: it's not about what I don't have...it's about what I do (have)...and the utter appreciation for all of it. 


I once heard J.K. Rowling say that money merely afforded her nicer clothes and more freedom. Freedom to do the things she enjoys and help loads of other people who are not yet so blessed. Money is freedom.


You don't have to believe a single word. All you have to do is look in the mirror and be honest with yourself. You'll hear your truth. And then...you can go out and buy a diamond studded collar and giggle your way home.