Invictus

In light of the Circus yesterday (in D.C.), I waited until today to give meself a minute to process. Truth be told, I did NOT participate. Not in any way. No TV. No social media. No involvement of any kind.

Why?

Because, my friends, as I've said over and over and over again: Joy is a CHOICE.

Yesterday I chose Joy.

Here's the thing: I knew that watching the inauguration would cause my stomach to heave and my heart to ache. I knew that no matter what, there wasn't a single thing I could DO to change the fact that a new president would be taking office, regardless of my opinions, preferences, emotional distress. SO, rather than participate in all that, I chose, instead, to lavish myself with all things JOYFUL.

It was an intensely stormy day here. HUGE wind and rain and cold and wildness. I love that kinda day. I began with an hour of study. Next, I spoke to a dear friend about the many blessings in our lives. Did some yoga. Had a long, hot shower. Took my darlin' Sophie to the nearest strip mall where we could walk without getting soaked. {She is not a fan of walking in the rain.} Once home, I poured a lovely glass of wine, fired up the fireplace AND the oven, and set about the happy task of making some oh-so-yummy Double Chocolate Banana Bread.

{YUMMMMM!}

Oh yea.

Whilst the bread was baking, filling our humble abode with its fabulous aroma, we sat on the bed and watched the storm. The wind was howling so loudly it drowned out the music I had playing. Sophie was still shivering, both from being a bit damp and from her fear of storms, so I wrapped her in a blanket and cuddled her until she settled down. I had candles at the ready in case the power blew, and felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for this place we call Home. In all, I spent the entire day in my happy, loving space, with nary a care in the world.

The Circus would go on, with or without me. And THAT, for me, is A-OK. I write these words now for a couple of reasons. First...I do believe in active participation, whatever that means to you. I believe that we ALL make a difference. I believe that in order for there to be GOOD in this world, we must do our part. There is a saying: "All that is needed for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing." This strikes a chord for me. {I hope it does for you too.}

Secondly, there are many ways for us to participate. What matters is that we DO. Whether it is marching for the rights of HUMANS, or getting in the faces of those in office, writing to share good messages, or lighting a candle and saying a prayer. All these things matter BECAUSE of the energy required to do them. Energy is energy. Regardless of how small and insignificant it may seem, what goes OUT will come back 'round. So...

You can participate without leaving your Joy behind.
You can focus your intentions to good end.
You can make a difference, even if you are but one person (aren't we ALL?).

OR...

You can choose to ignore it all and let someone else do the work.
Just remember: There is power in numbers.
We DO have the power to change what needs changing.

It is, as always, a matter of CHOICE.

EnJOYOGA ~

At the turn of the calendar year, I made a couple of promises to meself for 2017. Not one to make "New Year's Resolutions", I prefer to envision doing some things I've not yet done. Like go to The Grand Canyon. And..YOGA.

I have a sister who happens to teach Yoga at the local YMCA, and she's been kind enough to have me over (to her home) for a lesson. It was an hour long, and it was a large challenge for me. Mostly because of the way my body is currently demanding my attention. I don't need to lose weight (don't judge me!) and I have no desire to sculpt my physique as I once did. My Gym Rat days are over. I bid them farewell a decade ago, but not without a fuss. It wasn't really a choice so much as it was about me heeding my body's message:

TIME. FOR. CHANGE.

And so, after her private class I decided I needed to find something a bit more gentle. Not that she was forcing me to do poses I couldn't. Quite the opposite. She repeatedly reminded me to "ask" and then listen to what my body would agree to. It was both beautiful and frustrating. I never forgot the feelings, though, after it was over. I felt so energized. I felt energy actually moving through me. I felt a profound sense of gratitude. I knew that I needed to do more of this. I also knew it was about finding the proper regimen for my particular set of circumstances.

So, I went to a class at our local library. It was NOT to my liking. For so many reasons. For the sake of brevity (here), suffice to say that the instructor and the energy in that room were not what I was looking for. I left the class with even more determination.

I will find the right-for-me teacher.

I had already done some major perusing on YouTube. You can find videos on anything there. And so I did. I found this woman, who goes only by "Candace", who struck a chord. She has a vast collection of videos on many types of Yoga, from the beginner to the highly-practiced. I was looking for something that would allow me to actually do the entire regimen without feeling like I'd failed. I wanted gentle movements, not ones that would pain me to try. I also knew the voice of the instructor mattered. It's a thing for me. I'm a singer by nature, so voices do matter. A LOT. When I heard Candace's voice in that first video, I knew I'd found the one.

BINGO! is what I heard.

Now, a little more than a week later, I cannot even begin to tell you how happy I am to have found her. I'm listening to her wise guidance (about pain) and her gentle way of working through the routines. I'm excited to do them. I feel fantastic! And...it's definitely changing the way I move throughout my day. In all, it's MAGICK! So, I thought I'd share her YouTube channel with you. Just in case you have the urge to do something you've never done. OR to do something a little differently. OR...just because.

Regardless of your current situation or physical circumstance, I do believe she's worth a few moments of your time. If it's not your thang, you might like to share with your own friends/loved ones if they're looking for some inspiration. Either way, I thought it worth the time to tell you.

As always, Joy is a CHOICE.
So is Yoga.

Cheers!

Yoga by Candace

What's Your Mantra?

Do you have a mantra? Is there a word or phrase that you call up when you get in a tight spot? Do you take time to listen to your heart when it's hurting? Or scared? Or confused?

I'm not talking about sitting in the Lotus position and chanting "Om" for hours every day. Not everybody can go there, even when they think they want to. I admire folks who can do that sorta thing. I'm not one of them. I find sitting very still for long periods of time quite excruciating. Also, I don't think it's necessary for every Being to do such things to find their groove. I think it's more about...

Finding what works for you.

For those of you who've been here a while, you already know that my mantra is

Joy is a choice.

I have used this mantra for many years in order to remind myself that I need not stay anywhere that feels like shit. It's a choice. 

Joy

Happiness

Agony

Despair

All of them, choices.

I'm not saying we won't feel those things sometimes. The sad parts are an important piece of the fabric that makes up what we call "Life". You gotta have some Ick so you'll appreciate the Joy even more than you would without it.

That does NOT mean you have to stay mired in it. 

It just means, you take the so-called good with the so-called bad and once you've seen the contrast, you can move on.

Choices.

So I got to thinking about the choices we make and whether or not we have the tools to make the choices that will most benefit us. Like whether or not to buy that bunch of tulips that make you so happy even though you've only got $23 to your name. Or whether or not to take that puppy home when you're already stretched so tight you don't know how you're going to put gas in your car. Or accepting an invitation from someone you barely know. Or getting rid of all those clothes you haven't worn in years. 

These are minuscule, you might think. But maybe not so much. Maybe it is precisely these kinds of choices that make our lives joyful .... or NOT. Maybe it is the little things that matter most. Maybe, just maybe, if we have some kind of mantra to carry around with us, we will stop for those three seconds and think about how whatever choice we're faced with makes us feel.

When I wrote Whispers, I didn't realize just how much I relied on my Intuition. I wrote the book as an exercise for my Self. A way to review the magick of my Life so I could remember just how blessed I really am. By the time I was finished, I saw that even the horror that I was facing at that time could not diminish the truly marvelous path I had taken. 

In short, it was the beginning of a brandy new way for me to live.

Hence, the mantra.

Joy is a choice.

Yes. And I do believe that if you don't have one (a mantra, that is), it might behoove you to find one that suits. It doesn't have to be "holy". It doesn't have to be "deep". It could be as simple as TRUST or STOP or YES. But whatever it is, it would be there to remind you that your life is your own; the choices you make are yours. Nobody lives in your skin. And nobody gets to tell you what you "should" or "shouldn't" do, or be, or say. 

Mantras are cool like that.

So....

What's your mantra?

It's NOT a Secret!

I remember when the movie "The Secret" was first released. My dear sister-friend called to tell me about this "amazing movie that just shook my whole world". She was beside herself with excitement. (ever wondered how you can be "beside yourself"? that one always cracks me up.) She went on for nearly an hour about this movie and then said, "Don't buy it. I'm sending it to you TODAY."

So I waited. With great anticipation. And on the day it arrived I cleared my calendar, turned off the phones, and sat down with a bowl of popcorn to watch the movie that she'd said would "likely change your life".

Now, some years later, I can still recall the thrill I had while watching. Not all the folks who participated had an impact on me. In fact, there was only one who really made the hair on my neck stand upright. It was Esther (Hicks) whose voice reached me. There was something about what she was relaying that really struck a chord in me. And, at the very end, when she said, "Welcome to Planet Earth....", I had tears rolling down my face and a smile wide enough to span the Grand Canyon.

Shortly thereafter, a different friend sent me a recording of one of the Hicks' workshops. She did not know I'd seen "The Secret", nor did she know that I was more than curious about what the Hicks' were doing. She'd been given the recording by her sister and thought it might be something I'd enjoy.

She was right.

I remember thinking, "WOW! How cool is this?! Right outta the blue..."

But, of course, I knew it wasn't outta the blue. I knew it was because I'd been thinking about it so much that I "brought it into my experience" without even a hint of effort. That's how it works. No trying. No working. No struggling. Just focused thought...with a whole lotta emotion...and PRESTO! Whatever it is, it just shows up!

As I continued listening and reading and researching (and having a ball the whole while), I heard something that really got my attention. That was: "Do not be surprised if you find this a bit of a lonely road. There are not yet many others who understand these Laws. But do not despair. The path you are now walking is going to lead you to the Life you came here to live."

They were right. There are not many who follow these teachings; that is to say, not many compared to the numbers who follow other teachings. More often than not, when I speak of these wonders, I am met with great resistance and a whole bunch of "what in the world are you talking about???". Folks just don't realize that we're really talking about the same things. Mostly, it's a matter of semantics. They use different words and practice different rites. But in all, it's pretty much the same thing.

With one major difference.

Those who believe in a particular "religious" tenet have this very strong belief that "God" is a separate entity. They usually give this god a gender (mostly "He") and believe that "He" has total control of their lives. Their only job is to "obey"...and then, one day, they'll get to join "Him" in some heaven way up in the sky.

I suppose that has always been my biggest aversion to religious tenets. I guess I was just born with a very strong sense of Self. Or maybe I just never much cared for the idea that my Life was in someone else's hands. Or maybe I just didn't (and still don't!) like the idea of having to wait til this Life is over to enjoy the fruits of my "obedience". I used to argue that if this God was so All-Knowing and All-Powerful, why would "he" be so vengeful and jealous and indifferent? It just never made any sense to me. Even when I was a kid.

I don't argue about it any more. I don't even talk about it unless asked. I simply immerse myself in the Knowing that none of it really matters. The ONLY thing that matters is that I live in Joy every single day. That's it. Joy. Not fear. Not worry. Not doubt. Just JOY. Because, in the end, the only thing we're taking with us when we check out is the Energy we came with. We started out as Joy. We'll leave the same way. And "wherever" it is we go from here remains to be seen. In the interim, there is no point in arguing about it. Because, as I have learned, the more you argue, the more the other person just digs in. The quintessential Tug-of-War. Nobody wins. And, really, it just does not matter.

The most beautiful thing about having Knowledge is using it...to better our lives, to make each day worth living, to spread the Joy wherever we go. And regardless of what those beliefs are, you can be sure of one thing:

It is YOUR Life to live. Nobody gets to tell you HOW. It's all your doing.

Doncha just love knowing that?