Discover Your Bliss

He Shoots, He Scores

While at the local grocery store, I watched as a man in a motorized cart drive up to the gourmet cheese section, steady himself to stand up, reach for a container on a higher shelf and toss it into his basket. 

He didn't "place" the container into his basket.  The man continued to hold the container as high as the shelf and then "shot" it into the basket like a basketball player.

I turned to him and said, "Two points!" 

He smiled and told me he thought about saying the same thing. 

I replied with, "Great minds think alike." 

How fun is it to see someone that could possibly have a negative outlook on life because of their physical circumstance, yet sees each moment as joyous? 

How can you infuse joy into a "little" moment in your day?  What would happen if you saw all "tasks" through the eyes of joy?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries! 

Tuesday Quote to Ponder

"If you always tell the truth, you do not need a good memory."

Jon Stewart's Kindness, 2008 Oscars, Best Song Speech

In a previous post, I sang the praises of the independant film, Once.

The song, Falling Slowly, from the film won the Academy Award for best song last night.  I was so excited for the win that I did a happy dance. 

Yes, the award is exciting, yet I found the kindness of Jon Stewart (or the powers that be at the award ceremony) to be a brighter highlight.

When Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova (the performers and writers of the song) approached the microphone, Glen spoke first.  Marketa looked on in gratitude and appreciation.  As soon as Glen finished, Marketa approached the microphone, yet the music cut her off and she was unable speak.  She exited the stage smiling brightly.

When the program resumed, Jon Stewart paused and said he would like to give Marketa the opportunity to have her moment in the spotlight in response to winning the Oscar for best song. 

Marketa's speech is well worth the space that Jon Stewart gave her.  Wow, talk about things happening for a reason.  If it was meant to be, then it will happen...and it did.

Isn't it amazing how kindness is showing up in the world?  How does giving another time and space to express their thoughts uplift?  What would it look like to give someone the time or space in the moment when you feel that moment of pause that indicates the opportunity?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries!

Grow Some Fun with Orchids

I love orchids.  I think they're amazing plants.

For some reason, every time I purchase a plant I manage to keep it alive while it has blooms, cut it off after the blooms are finished and then the plant dies.  So much for orchids.

A local nursery offered a free orchid workshop on Saturday, so I decided to attended.  I figured anything I could learn would be beneficial.

I had no idea how many would show up, what type of people would attend and the content of the workshop.

When I arrived, I examined the orchids on the table for the presentation.  None of them looked too hot.  Warning:  Expectation ahead...

I thought, Oh no, the orchids don't look so good.  I hope this class will be decent.

The table of orchids for the class turned out to be the perfect examples - of the various "problems" associated with orchids and what to do as a result.

The instructor began by showing us how to separate and "clean up" a cymbidium orchid (which isn't a true orchid since it is in the bulb family).  He cut and ripped the orchid apart and showed us signs of over-watering and how to identify fungus (I know what some of you are thinking - party time). 

Bottom line:  The class was wonderful.  I learned so much about orchids and feel so confident when it comes to the world of orchids.  The people in the class were delightful and asked the most amazing questions as well as offered their own orchid knowledge.

I embraced the opportunity to expand my knowledge of a subject that I find interesting.  I not only expanded my knowledge, but also connected with others and expanded socially. 

How can expanding your knowledge in a particular area raise your energy?  What would it look like to embrace an area in your life that you're not an "expert?" 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries! 

Thank you for all of your comments.  I read each and every one and it raises my energy!

Dream Vs. Fantasy

Do you know the difference between a dream and fantasy?  Did know that it is important to know the difference in order to get what you want? 

A dream is something you can imagine that you want.  A fantasy is something you can imagine, might like to think about it, yet would not want it to happen. 

Knowing the difference is key to attracting what you want.

If you don't know the difference, then you run the risk of attracting what you don't want (fantasy) instead of what you do want (dream). 

Be clear.  Make sure you make a distinction in your mind of "this is what I want" verses "this is what I don't want." 

How does being specific with your thoughts support you to get what you want?  What impact does "dream verses fantasy" have in your life?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries!

Want to Produce More Brain Cells? Read on...

For the most part, medical reports document that the older we get, the more brain cells we lose. 

Good news.  There is a way to grow your brain cells (and it doesn't involve werid science) - try something new.

Your brain is thirsty for new knowledge and experiences (and yes, please drink more water to lubricate your brain as well).  By learning something new, you provide fertile ground to cultivate a new crop of cells. 

Worried that you're not "learning enough new things?"  Never fear, simplicity is key.  True, learning a new language or how to dance can produce new brain cells, yet something as simple as brushing your teeth with the other hand can do the trick.

Get creative - it's all about mixing up your normal routine.  Here's a few ideas to get you started:

• drive to work, the store, etc. taking a different route
• reverse your usual walking, biking or hiking route
• trade your favorite game; if you like crosswords, then you might explore Sudoku
• eat at an ethnic restaurant
• rearrange your furniture
• make a new recipe
• visit someplace new (even if it's in your town or neighborhood)

When I went jogging the other day, I explored every "no outlet" or more commonly known as "dead end."  I had so much fun and saw houses, plants and flowers I had never seen before in my previous outings.

What routine will you play with this week?  How does exploring something new feel? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries.

Offer Gratitude to Others

I've been playing a game with myself this week.  It's like a "Where's Waldo" of gratitude. 

Anytime I'm "out and about," I look for someone to offer my gratitude.

On Monday, I went to Target.  As I drove out of the parking lot, I saw a worker gathering shopping carts.  I paused, made eye contact, smiled, mouthed "thank you" and waved.  He smiled and waved back. 

Last night, I attended a dinner meeting and noticed one of the servers making an extra effort to clear the plates efficiently and with a smile.  When the hot water ran out for tea, she quickly refilled the containers.

As I walked back to my seat from the "tea station," I approached the server and told her that she was doing an amazing job and that I appreciate her.  She smiled and thanked me. 

On Valentine's Day, I had a substitute mail carrier.  I said, "Hi," to her and asked her if she was having a wonderful day.  She paused and mumbled something negative.  I ran into my apartment and grabbed a box of animal crackers and gave them to her.  I told her, "Happy Valentine's Day" and also said that I hoped her day got better.  She smiled and thanked me. 

I love this game because I feel fantastic after I reach out to another to offer them gratitude.  It also gives me the opportunity to connect with new people.

How does giving gratitude to another support your joy?  What would it look like to give a stranger a compliment or gratitude?  How does that shift the rest of your day?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Feeling "Bad" Vs. Feeling "Good"

I heard something simple the other day that I found profound. 

When you feel "good," you are in alignment with your purpose and who you are.  When you feel "bad," it is your body's emotional system's way of saying, "You're not on the correct path."

As a result, I've started to check in with myself if/when I feel "bad" in order to determine where I got off track. 

What a gift - it's like purpose GPS!

How do your "good" and "bad" emotions align with this idea?  What would it look like to play with this concept this week?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries!

Tuesday Quote to Ponder

"It is impossible to hold a grudge and have peace of mind at the same time.  It would be like trying to have day and night exist in the same moment." Lee L. Jampolsky, Ph.D, author

The Present Moment & Segment Intentions

Would you like to learn how to practice being in the present moment more?  How about having more conscience control in your life?  You might want to practice segment intentions.

Yes, I know segment intentions or segment intending sounds like something an alien might use.  Please pass the segment intentions, I need to probe the abductee.  Strange as it may sound, segment intentions have nothing to do with aliens (at least I don't think so).

What's a segment intention?  Here's the Kelsey's notes version (don't worry, it's not as complicated as it might sound). 

If you think of your day, you might be able to see it broken up into various segments:  sleeping, eating, getting ready, driving, working, etc.  Segment intentions provide the intention for each of these segments of your day, which will hopefully result in more conscious living and deliberate creation in a person's life.

For example, if I go jogging, I might say a few segment intentions to preface the jog:  I intend to nourish my body with exercise.  I intend to soak up the clean air and connect with nature.  I intend to be receptive to learning (if I'm listening to an audio book) and connect on a deeper level.  I intend to joyfully jog and share smiles and greetings to anyone I see.

Now, do I always remember to do this - no, yet I'm practicing my segment intentions (even if I've been jogging for 15 minutes) and incorporating them more into my everyday segments.

Do you need to do this for every segment of your day - no, yet I've found that segment intentions support me to anchor into the present moment and deliberately focus on what I want instead of having my life play out by default. 

You might want to start by practicing one segment intention a week, then add on as you see fit. 

It is my understanding that after one becomes aware of each segment and connects intention with each segment, the segment intentions will eventually become second nature and you no long will need to make a conscious effort to create them.

Segment intentions also support me to think about what I want each day (instead of slipping into what I don't want by default).  Through these intentions, I am actively creating the world that I want. 

How could segment intentions support you to anchor into the present moment?  What would it look like for you to practice one segment intention a week?  How could that support you?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries.