Discover Your Bliss

Happy 89th Birthday!

Today is my grandma's 89th birthday!  How cool is that? 

 

We had a huge bash for her 85th birthday and I'm sure we'll have another one next year when she turns 90. 

What's so funny about my grandma is that she keeps talking about her 100th birthday party.  I told her that we have to have her 90th birthday first, then we can talk about the 100th (yet I think it's so cool that she's got such forward thinking).

There's very little my grandma can't do.  She doesn't move too quickly so most things take her a bit longer, yet that's about it. 

Even at 89, my grandma still lives in her own house, drives her own car, cooks, does all her paperwork, bills and taxes and manages to keep an active social calendar. 

The last time I was home, I helped her plant her garden in her flower bed - which she'll eventually can and use in the winter. 

 

Just when I think my grandma is starting to slow down, she'll do something that will quickly prove me wrong (which I love). 

My grandma has the best memory of anyone I know and she's a walking encyclopedia of who lived where, when and all of their relatives and history of major events. 

Here's a great example of my grandma's memory in action - she could remember her first and last foot doctor, yet she was concerned that she couldn't remember the one in between.  A few minutes later she remembered and went on to tell me his secretary's name, who she was related to, where she grew up and several stories that linked in nicely with that doctor and all her connections with him outside of the doctor's office.  Yeah, she's that good. 

Well, today is a celebration for everyone that today is my grandma's 89th birthday.  Happy Birthday Grandma!

What's something inspiring you can take from my grandma turning 89 and use it to support you in freedom?  How does hearing about an uplifting individual effect you? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Stand By Me - Playing for Change

This is an amazing video of the song, "Stand By Me," heard round the world.  How blissful and inspiring!

How does this song and video inspire you?  What do you gain from this video? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Think you're too old? Think again

Do you often judge your dreams by your age?  Too old?  Too young? 

Watch this "Brittan's Got Talent" video of a woman that didn't let her age stop her from her dream.

The video won't let me put it directly into my blog, so click here to view an amazing performance. 

How can you stop "playing by the world's rule" of age?  What's something you want to do that you've been putting off due to your age? 

Just remember...age is a state of mind.

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Want to smile? Watch this...

I am grateful to Moira Shepard for including this video in her latest newsletter.  Play a game with yourself.  See if you can watch this without smiling. 

How does doing something "random" just for fun feel?  What does watching this video give you?  How does it inspire you? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Michael J. Fox - What a sense of humor

I love Michael J. Fox's sense of humor.  He's funnier than ever and full of inspiration that there are no obstacles in life - only gifts.

"If a man says something in the forest and his wife isn't there to hear him, he's still wrong."  Michael J. Fox

How can you use your sense of humor to see the gift in an "obstacle?"  What can you learn from Michael J. Fox? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Leave It To A Kid To Find The Joy: Airplane Landing

While flying from Oklahoma City to Phoenix, I sat across from a mom and her two daughters.  The younger one looked to be about two and the older one four.  The youngest girl had on ruby red sparkle shoes and the older girl's shoes were the same in style with black sparkles.  Both girls' shoes looked like they had been loved to death. 

The girls were excited and wanted everyone to know that they were going to see their daddy - a person they loved dearly (I know this because they kept saying - I love my daddy!).  The girls made up a song about him and could sing it at any given moment...and they did. 

I am in no way complaining about these girls.  What I found amazing about their beings was the oozing of joy that came from within each one.  Their excitement level was genuine and they couldn't help but share that joy. 

Near the end of the flight, the oldest girl kept looking around to find who might see or hear her, then she would start whispering, "I get to see my daddy.  I get to see my daddy.  I love my daddy."  Each sentence grew louder as she spoke. 

As the plane made its approach to land, the older girl smiled so big that it filled the airplane.  The moment the wheels hit the ground, she started giggling and saying, "This is fun!  This is fun!  This is fun!" 

It was next to impossible to keep a straight face as she did this and she had most of the plane smiling laughing and connecting.  Leave it to a kid to find the joy.

How can you add some childlike joy or exploration to your day?  What would it look like to filter a challenge through the eyes of a child?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

The Imagine Peace Tower

Here's something uplifting - The Imagine Peace Tower - built on Videy Island, Reykjavik, Iceland - holds 500,000 wishes for peace beneath its stone platform. 

The monument to John Lennon will be lit from October 9th (his birthday) to December 8 (the anniversary of his death, in 1980). 

To see the tower, click here and scroll down on the right side to see the video. 

How do you feel when you hear about 500,000 wishes for peace?  What is your wish for peace?

I'd love to hear you comments and discoveries. 

Human Compassion & Proposition 8

If you do not live in California and have not heard about Proposition 8 then here's a quick rundown.   Proposition 8 was put on the November ballot to ban gay marriage and any and all rights of same sex couples (sadly, prop 8 passed which will ban gay marriage and any same sex couple rights). 

No matter where you stand on the issue, I found this commentary by Keith Obermann to be sincere, heartfelt and loving.  He takes a human approach to this issue and gets to the heart of the matter.

I am not using my blog as a political forum.  I wanted to share something that looks at people as...people. 

 How can looking at something through the filter of humanity support you?  What would it look like to see everyone as human (the man that yells at you in traffic, the grumpy cashier, etc.)? 

I'd love to her 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. 

They're Dying for your Business

After walking past the Los Angeles Coroner's office on my "Walk to Los Angeles" on Labor Day, I decided to check out the web site that flashed on the sign.  What I discovered was something amazing.

Under the "Xtra Links" section, I saw "Skeletons in the Closet" and decided to do a bit of exploring.  Turns out, the coroner's office is pretty darn creative. 

In order to offset the cost of their youth drunk driving program and other coroner expenses, they created a gift shop. 

Please enter the Skeletons in the Closet gift shop.  I love it that you actually have to click and enter the "closet." 

Once inside you can choose from several destinations:  Boo-verly Hills Drive, Pacific Ghost Highway, Earthly Remains, Cranial Canyon, Cutting Edge Office Supplies or simply list all the products (which will give you more stuff).

I love how they've used skeletons to model the clothing and office supplies. 

   

Some of my favorite items:

• cutting board with body outline that reads:  we have our work cut out for us
• cutting board that reads:  LA County Coroner has heart, spare ribs and extra hands
• sticky notes in the shape of a body outline
• mouse pad with body outline that reads:  LA County Coroner Skeletons in the Closet:  We're dying for your business

I love how something that might be seen as completely serious can have a lighter side. 

How can you make something a bit "lighter" in your life?  What does it look like to infuse a bit of appropriate humor into stereotypically serious?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries.