Discover Your Bliss

Happy Halloween! Hidden Spirits Game

I found this really interesting game on the internet.  The game is called Hidden Spirits.  It's quite complicated, yet can be addictive.  If you have a good eye for detail and make a few notes and pay attention, you could solve the cases.

Hidden Spirits - click on the link to be "transported" to another dimension. 

Happy Halloween! 

Cooking Again - Green Spinach Soup

Yes, I'm on a cooking (in this case a non-cooking) roll and I want to share another recipe with you that I enjoyed.  It's for a raw (cold) soup). 

Green Spinach Soup

3 small avocados (or one extra large)
2 red bell peppers
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 small lemons (without seeds)
2 cups pure water
1 small jalapeno pepper
1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (optional)

Put all ingredients in a Vita-Mix blender and blend well using the tamper.  Once the ingredients are well blended, pour the soup into a large bowl.  Add thinly sliced napa cabbage or red cabbage and dulse leaves or flakes. 

serves 6

Here's what I did differently:

• didn't have the jalapeno, so I didn't put it in (yet I love them and will next time)
• I don't have a Vita-Mix blender, so I don't know if they do something special, so I didn't put in the whole lemons, I just squeezed them into the blender
• only ended up using 2 1/2 cups of water
• didn't have the cabbage and forgot to use the dulse leaves, yet I will when I eat my leftovers

What a blissful, yummy soup.  Enjoy!

What can eating something new do for you?  How does trying something new color your day? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries.

Roasted Butternut and Spinach Salad - Yummy Bliss

I found this recipe in Prevention Magazine (my mom reads them and sends them onto me and then I give them to my magazine lady).  It looked yummy and I was inspired to make it last night. 

Here's the original recipe:

Roasted Butternut and Spinach Salad

45 minutes plus cooling time
4 servings

3/4 lb precut butternut squash cubes (3/4") or 1/2 a medium butternut squash peeled, seeded & cubed (2 cups)
1 large red bell pepper cut into 3/4" pieces
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2 tsp honey
1/4 sm red onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
4 c loosely packed baby spinach (4 oz)
1 sm Gala or Golden Delicious apple, cored and thinly sliced
1 c thinly sliced radicchio
1/2 c unsalted sunflower seed kernels

1. Preheat oven to 425F.  Coat rimmed baking sheet with olive oil spray.
2. Toss squash and bell pepper with 2 teaspoons of the oil, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the black pepper in medium bowl.  Arrange in single layer on prepared baking sheet.  Roast 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until tender and lightly browned.  Let cool 10 minutes. 
3. Whisk lemon juice, honey and remaining oil, salt and pepper in a large salad bowl while squash roasts.  Stir in onion.  Add spinach, apple, radicchio, sunflower seeds and squash mixture and toss to combine.

Nutritional info per serving:  238 cal, 5 g protein, 25 g carb, 7 g fiber, 15 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 338 mg sodium.

Here's what I did differently:

• used a honey crisp apple instead - they don't brown as easily, taste great and are super crispy
• didn't bother measuring the pepper or olive oil - I love pepper so I added more
• didn't have the radicchio
• only used a little honey (I'll leave it out next time)

What a tasty dish - and bliss-inducing no doubt. 

How do you find bliss in your meals?  What would be one thing you could do to sprinkle a bit more bliss into your meals? 

I'd love to hear you comments and discoveries. 

Tuesday Quote to Ponder

"If no one ever took risks, Michelangelo would have painted the Sistine floor." Neil Simon

Appreciating Challenges: My Christmas Cactus

I've had a few challenges with my Christmas cactus: 

• it took forever to get the cuttings to grow
• as some of the cuttings grew, others died
• thought I was going to lose it because of its poor state of health
• my healthy plant became covered in fluorescent yellow spoors and fungus
• didn't know if plant would survive my soaking and replacing all of its soil
• the plant became the vacation resort for hundreds of gnats

As I researched ways to get rid of the gnats, I wondered what would be the gift in the plant's latest list of challenges. 

After placing sticky boards in the surface and on the side of my Christmas cactus, I watched as the yellow boards became dotted with gnats. 

One "gnat getting rid of tip" suggested the plant go without water for as long as possible in order to zap any attraction the gnats might have to the plant, so that's what I did.

After week one and two, my plant looked fine and didn't show signs of water deprivation.  During week three of no water, the plant started to perk up more and show signs of new growth.  At week four my Christmas cactus looks better than ever.

The cactus isn't really a cactus.  These plants are members of the Zygo-cactus family. Most of which are native to Central and South America. Although these plants are called cacti, they are truly different in all aspects from the common desert cactus with which we are all familiar. These plants, called epiphytes are found in the same environments as orchids. They are most often found in the forks of tree limbs where they grow in decayed leaves and other natural debris that accumulates there. Since they are tropical cacti, their cultural requirements are totally different from true cacti. 

I also read that it's a good idea to cut back on watering beginning in September and October in order to support their holiday blooms.

What's the gift?  I finally figured out how to care for my Christmas cactus in terms of watering - which will - in turn support its growth, gnat-free soil and possible blooming.  Multiple gifts - what bliss!

What constant challenges do you have that might offer you hidden gifts?  What can you do to support your sleuthing abilities so you can more easily spot gifts among challenges? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries.    

Halloween Mask or Everyday Mask?

With Halloween right around the corner, I've been thinking about masks, being someone else and the costs and benefits of having a year-long mask.

For some people, being someone else or taking on a role is much easier than showing up as his/herself.  On the flip side, many people find it challenging to be anyone other than their authentic self. 

I sometimes find it challenging to be someone else because it feels like a lie - and I hate feeling like I'm telling a lie - that's why it's so much easier for me to be me. 

Then I thought about those people that put on a mask every day of the year and never let anyone know their true self of identity.  Now I'm not talking about the witness protection program - just people that are challenged to step into their authentic self. 

Which is more challenging for you - to be your authentic self or someone else?  Translation:  Do you wear a mask just on Halloween or throughout the year? 

What does wearing a mask everyday do for you?  How does this mask protect you?  What might happen if you gave yourself a mask-wearing-holiday break? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Halloween - Who Are You Going To Be?

I love Halloween - the decorations, the costumes, the time of year. 

For many, the challenge becomes - Who am I going to be this year?  A witch?  A ghost?  A monster? 

Before you decide on who you're going to be for Halloween, ask yourself:  Am I 100% myself the other 364 days of year?  Who am I really?  How do I know when I'm 100% myself? 

If the previous questions are challenging, then I invite you to explore who you really are and come up with a costume (not a mask - we're not hiding) that compliments who you are when you're in freedom.  Who knows, it might be fun.  And the costume could support you to have an easier transition into your authentic self.

What accessory can support you to be your true, authentic self?  How does this item ease the transition into fully swimming in freedom? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Find Your Purpose - Everywhere

Much like an Easter egg hunt - there's always someone looking for their purpose. 

Here's a little secret - you don't have to discover the "one thing purpose" in order to live your purpose.  You can live your purpose no matter what you do. 

I often substitute teach in an after school program called Star.  I went from not liking it that much to loving every second of every moment.  What changed?  My perspective.

I found my purpose in that particular job - to connect, communicate and honor the students by showing them that they have a choice in every moment and also by rewarding and recognizing when the students are choosing to get attention from a positive place (following the rules, being kind, etc.). 

My specialty purpose with the students is finding those "problem" students and working with them to flip their "acting out" into choice and showing them another way to get their need for attention met. 

When I find my purpose in all things that I do -everything becomes easy, fun and joyous. 

How can you find your purpose in one thing today?  What would it be like to see your purpose in every activity that you do? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries.  

Fires in the Sepulveda Pass - Los Angeles

Last night the phone rang at 2am.  It was Jon telling me that he couldn't get home and would have to back track because of the fires on the Sepulveda Pass portion of the 405 freeway. 

Thankfully, he could go back to the 101 which would take him to downtown Los Angeles - connect him to the 110 and then come home via the 10 freeway. 

To top it all off, when I got up this morning, I didn't have water.

Why I am posting about fires and driving challenges?  Where's the bliss in all this?  Well, I'm celebrating the bliss in the situation. 

Here's the bliss shining through the fire challenges:

• since Jon was driving at 2am, he didn't encounter any traffic, so his back tracking took him no time at all
• I just happened to get up at 2am and could answer the phone when he called
• re: not having water - I just happened to finish all of my dishes and kitchen stuff at 2am when I did
• I had a pitcher full of water in my fridge so I could make my lemon drink this morning
• something told me to do a load of laundry last night - and I did
• my shower plan - I swim in the mornings so I planned to shower at the pool and arranged with my friend for Jon to shower at her house

I'm just amazed at all of the bliss shining through what might be considered a "doom and gloom" situation. 

Instead of staying in "why me" when I realized I didn't have water, I immediately went into action. 

An hour later, I checked my water and it was fine.  Even more bliss!

How can you see the bliss in your most challenging situation?  What would support you to detect the bliss in life's challenges?

I'd love hear your comments and discoveries. 

Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live

If you've been following Saturday Night Live, then you know that the show is currently focused on political spoofs. 

After every debate, interview and the like - Saturday Night Live is there ready to poke fun at what happened. 

As soon as Sarah Palin was chosen as the Republican party Vice President candidate, Saturday Night Live went into overdrive. 

It doesn't hurt that former writer and cast member - Tina Fey - looks so much like her. 

Almost every week has opened with some kind of political spoof - and many have focused on Sarah Palin. 

This past weekend she demonstrated what a good sport she is about all the poking fun at her by appearing on the show. 

Governor Palin not only appeared in the opening skit for the show, but also during Weekend Update. 

Here's what was really cool - she knew her lines.  Most of the time you can tell that the actors are reading from a teleprompter, yet she never did and delivered each line with a kind of playfulness. 

So why am I talking about this?  To get you to vote for her?  No.  To get you to not vote for her?  No. 

I just thought it was brave of her to put herself out there in the "land of spoofing." 

What does it give you when you see another person "putting him/herself out there and taking a chance?"  How does being willing to swim with the sharks support you? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries.