Discover Your Bliss

What I've learned about not blogging

I've thought long and hard about whether or not blogging supports me. 

My only urges to blog over the past few months have not come from a place of forward movement for myself or support of my journey yet from an outward place of "should" or "have to." 

Thankfully, I have refrained from blogging (you may or may not understand the thankfully part yet) in order to support my discovery of myself. 

My focus for the year is on fun - both from a serious and lighthearted place.

Have I been irresponsible?  No.  Have I been too rigid to have fun?  No.  Am I Iearning new things about myself in regards to fun?  Yes.    

Why blog now?  I felt compelled to share my insights with the intention that it might help someone else to discover his/her own "fun" side and fun's importance in discovering who you are, what you like/love and how you show up in this world.  

What do I want to shout from the rooftop?  It's okay to veer off the path and break the rules in order to connect with your authentic self. 

Some people might need more rules than others.  I have a tendency to be uber-responsible, so breaking rules (or at least doing things my way) becomes an important part of my journey, aligning who I am with how I show up to myself and others. 

What's one of the more important lessons I've learned about myself in the past four months?  Everything doesn't have to black and white - shades of gray (or any shade earth's treasures) can be equally important and healing. 

What's something you do because you feel like you "should?"  How can you shift your perspective and/or align with your authentic self? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

My blog experiment: year of the tiger

As I said earlier in the year, my theme for 2010 is fun. 

It's been a bit challenging for me to not blog - especially since I've been blogging daily for a few years. 

So why am I not blogging?  It all boils down to figuring out what's best for me and giving myself the space to explore what I love to do and what I gravitate toward naturally. 

As far as my blog goes - I've treated it like a part of me - I blog, therefore I am (which isn't the case).  Many times in my past posts I've blogged simply because I knew there were people that wanted to read what I had to write and I enjoy that kind of connection.

I also had this "you must blog everyday" kind of rigidness and I'm learning that being rigid isn't fun.

For many people, being disciplined is the challenge.  For me, being disciplined is easy - it's the fun part that falls to the wayside in lieu of being responsible.  

My decision to continue this blog isn't final yet.  I'm on the fence about re-vamping this particular blog or starting over with something new.  Decisions, decisions. 

Today is the Chinese new year (as we head into the year of the tiger - I'm a tiger, wink, wink) and I feel moved to share my insights in hope that someone might find a spark of perspective into his/her own life that supports them to dance in pure joy. 

Who knows...I might choose to do something that isn't as black and white...after all, the best life lived is in the full spectrum of the rainbow. 

How often do you stand back and reassess your current situation?  What's working?  What's not working?  On a scale of 1-10, how happy are you about each item in your life?  

How much space do you allow yourself to have in order to properly understand what you really want? 

Questions?  Comments?  Insights?  I'd love to hear 'em. 

How to make your new year's resolutions stick

If you're in new year's resolution mode, then you might consider creating a support network to make this year's resolutions stick.

Intent.com is an online community that provides the best content to fulfill your aspirations.  

Enter your intention and you are immediately linked to resources, articles and a group of readers, authors health gurus who have a similar intention.  Through this group you can seek support, advice and inspiration (members will be your cheerleaders and leave you supportive messages).  

Just another cool tool to support your intentions and goals! 

On a side note - Mallika Chopra (Deepak Chopra's wife) created the intent website. 

What's your intention for the coming year?  How will you gather support and resources to meet your goals?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Sarah Palin on Oprah

Please know that this post is not about choosing sides.  It's about the importance of humanity.

As many of you know, Sarah Palin was on Oprah yesterday.  Some say she did a great job, others thought she didn't answer the questions, while another group simply didn't care either way. 

Where do you stand? 

I stand on the side of humanity.  Just like anyone surrounded by controversy or in the public eye - everyone is going to have an opinion. 

This morning I listened to a radio show where the callers could point out evidence that the interview was a success or failure. 

It all depends on what you bring to the situation.  Do you come disliking Palin and find every morsel of evidence to support that stance or are you a Palin admirer and can see the redeeming quality in her words?  And want to defend her as a result?   

What if you put aside those preconceived notions and just watched a human being interviewed by another human?  Is that possible?  How does that change/shape your opinion? 

It's not a matter of being right and wrong.  I see it as a matter of compassion and humanity.    

How can you access compassion in life's most trying times?  Who do you know that could use a bit more compassion and humanity?  You?  Someone else?  The world?  What do you give up when you refuse to practice humanity and compassion?   

I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments. 

The 246 vintage necktie saga continues...

Last night I divided and conquered. 

I created a bag of ties to share with others (via Jon's work), a 'to keep for sewing projects' group and a 'to the thrift store' group.  

I am grateful to have the opportunity to share the ties with others that I know that will love them and wear them.  I am grateful to have the gift of the 'a-ha' moment that my decision didn't have to be a black and white one and I am grateful to have the ability to make supportive decisions for myself when it comes to the vintage neckties. 

Who knows how many neckties will return to me after Jon takes them to work.  Maybe they'll be a 'buzz' around his office and everyone will flock to the neckties and take one or two to enjoy. 

Either way, I feel the stuck energy moving and a freedom emerging with the fate of the ties. 

Where do you feel stuck energy in your life? What's the first thing you need in order to get unstuck?  Is it realizing you're stuck in the first place? 

I'd love to hear you comments and discoveries. 

My 246 vintage necktie a-ha

After making the decision to get rid of my 246 vintage neckties without a suitable recipient, I've had an a-ha. 

Originally, I saw this as a black and white decision - keep the ties or don't keep them.  That was it.

After looking at my selling and giving away options (98% of the ties are at least 20 years old so they wouldn't be appropriate to donate to a dress for success type of charity), I was just about to throw in the towel. 

I'd posted them for sale on Craig's List - with one nibble.  Then I posted them for free on Craig's List - no nibbles (which was clue number one).  I blogged about them and finally posted them on Facebook. 

After reading the Facebook comments - donate, art project, make stuff to sell, one person wanted a few - I had my a-ha.  This doesn't have to be a black and white decision and to pay attention to how much effort I've made in order to GIVE them away with no takers. 

Yes, I hear the universe when it's shouting at me and all that yelling has supported me in my decision. 

I'm going to do the following:

• sort out a selection for a friend so she can pick and choose what she might want
• after her decision, then I'll sort out the ties I love and want to use (in my sewing projects)
• call a local theater to see if they'd like the donation of the ties I don't want
• donate the rest to a charity/thrift store

I'm so grateful that I've had all sorts of ups and downs about the ties in the past couple of weeks.  It has supported me to come to this a-ha that I had more than one option and that I'm calling the shots and can do whatever I want with them (meaning I don't have to do the whole all or nothing decision). 

Yippee!  I also realized that because I was willing to get rid of all of them - it helped me to make a clearer decision about keeping some of them.  Now I don't feel like I'm going back on my decision, I'm simply making a better, more informed decision. 

What's something that you see only as black and white that you might have more options?  How can you remind yourself to step back and see multiple possibilities in everything you do, decide and understand?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

246 vintage neckties that kept me stuck

This week I had a major a-ha moment about 246 vintage neckties.  

Why - you might ask - do I have 246 vintage neckties?  The potential, the possibilities, and the creativity.

I purchased this mega-huge bag of neckties (more than 246) at a garage sale several years ago.  My head spun with the possibilities of what I could do with these neckties (translation: cool sewing projects).  

Did I use the ties?  Yes, yes I did.  I made cool applique Christmas stockings for my parents (a cowboy and a cowgirl) as well as a rocking reversible Christmas tree skirt (one side had cowboy boots made from the vintage ties that looks amazing).  I also made a black sling purse.  

My guess is that I originally purchased closer to 300 vintage neckties.  

After the Christmas projects, I didn't do much with the ties, except for get a huge plastic box to store them in my closet.  

Fast forward to today.  I realized that the neckties now lower my energy instead of uplifting it.  They're more of a burden than a joy.

I've listed them on Craig's list and know that I will soon report that they have sold (cross your fingers and send me lots of selling the neckties energy).  Also, if you know of anyone that would want them, please let me know.

Comparing the energy of having the neckties and what it will feel like to have them gone is interesting.  I'm giddy with joy about them leaving, which underscores my a-ha about their role in my life.  

Instead of working on fitting them into the projects I want to create - it will be more important to find materials that will work with my ideas (and obtain those materials when I want to create a project and not the reverse).  

I look forward to reporting good news soon about the neckties and their new home.  

How do evaluate the 'stuff' in your life?  What question would support you in deciding what stuff stays and what goes?  

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Clearing clutter via eBay

When the usual question of What do you want to do this weekend? made its way to me, I simply stated, "I want to put stuff of eBay.  Seriously, I want it done this weekend." 

Some people love putting stuff on eBay, while others - like myself - don't care for it too much. 

After a lot of sorting and preparing on Saturday, I finally got 13 items listed.  Ugh. 

I'm getting more and more serious each time I do a 'sort through' of my things and this time I'm in the red zone of seriousness. 

I refuse to keep things that do not support my energy and that I don't absolutely love. 

Eleven of the thirteen items I listed were fabric.  I realized that I was keeping fabric because all of the potential it held in my mind and not the practical reason of 'Will I ever use this?'

There was fabric in patterns that I love, yet colors of the patterns that I will never use (I had two really cool retro patterned fabrics of clothes and clotheslines in colors I don't like - light pinks and blues). 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will sell and I can get the stuff out of here to make room for me to put away the things I do use and love.  Ahh...just thinking about all that open space is peaceful.

I just took a peak and saw that I already have watchers on some of the items - which is fabulous! 

My backup game plan (for items that don't sell) is to either group more of the items and re-list them or to put them on Craigslist and go the local route.  

My plan is to put more things on eBay this week - as well as - have another marathon eBay session on Sunday. 

Here's how I see it - the more work I put into getting my stuff out of here, the quicker I will have that space to breathe and the sooner I will have the clutter disappear. 

Just like the famous words from the song - You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd:

All you gotta do is set your mind to it

knuckle down, buckle down - do it, do it, do it

So far anyone out there that needs a bit of inspiration this week - just remember the inspirational words from Rodger Miller and 'do it, do it, do it.'

What's the one thing that would support you the most when it comes to getting your most 'disliked' task accomplished?  How will you ask for that thing and when are you willing to set yourself in motion?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries.

 

Reduce stress in less than a minute

Is your list of "to dos" overtaking your desk, home and mind?  Feel like you'll never climb out from under the endless sea of "to dos?" 

Never fear - a quick and easy solution awaits you...and it's really simple. 

Figure out what the most important thing is that you need to do today is and do that.  Just that one thing before moving into your next in line "to do."  

I've found that I can sometimes do all sorts of things on my "to do" list that are less important - simply because I don't want to do the most important thing (or think it will be too challenging to complete). 

By choosing what's the most important, I've discovered that the residual stress as a result of procrastination begins to disappear.

I invite you to practice selecting just one "to do" today and pay attention to how your energy begins to shift after you've completed that number one important task.  Who knows...you might just get more done as a result. 

What's your most important task today?  How do you determine what's important in your life?

I'd love to hear your insights and discoveries. 

How to keep your online information safe

Here's a few quick tips on keeping a safe and low profile online in order to decrease your chances of identity theft. It's all about keeping a low profile. 

1.  find out what's already out there by searching for your own name with services such as Google, 123people.com, PeekYou.com and Snitch.name. 

I'm amazed at the information that Snitch.name covers - public photos, phone numbers, age, address, social networking information, etc.  The call themselves the social white pages.   

2.  If you find something you don't like, then write to the site owner and ask that it be removed; contact information is available on many sites.  Ask a lawyer in cases of serious breaches.

3.  When creating a social media profile - Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Yelp, consider using a nick name or variation on your name, so you post isn't linked to your real name. 

4.  Always, always, always find out the privacy settings and policy for each site before you post photos, video or text.  Items such as your Facebook profile photo are free for all to see. 

5.  Just like you wouldn't give a stranger a ride or eat their candy - only accept "friends" on social networking sites if you know them. 

6.  When dealing with a lawsuit or other public proceedings with sensitive information - you might consider having it sealed by a judge. 

As always, take everything with a grain of salt and choose how you share your information and with whom carefully. 

What is your public information safety threshold?  How do you know when you're share too much information (online or in person)? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries.