Discover Your Bliss

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 organize your vacation pictures pt. one

So you just got back from vacation and with that - you now have hundreds, possibly thousands of photos to organize.

Sound fun and exciting?  Well, for some people this is a HUGE chore that never gets done simply because it feels too overwhelming after a week or more of vacation time. 

Never fear, help is here.  I will be sharing my easy-to-follow tips and tricks on getting your photos organized so you can share online, in print or create a photo book.

Step one:  Delete, delete, delete. 

I'm assuming that by now everyone has a digital camera - yet this can also work for traditional film cameras as well (it was much harder for me to do this with traditional prints in the beginning). 

Go through your photos and delete anything that's isn't usable.  Horrific lighting.  Heads cut off.  A stranger blocking your subject. 

The one exception to this rule:  don't delete that blurry picture you took of the Loch Ness Monster or big foot - for some reason no one can get a clear shot of either one.  

If this task feels too overwhelming, then give yourself a set number of photos to go through each day until you get this all-important task complete. 

By deleting first, you will save yourself time and frustration later. 

I would have uploaded examples of my bad photography, yet I've already deleted it - so go me!

Step two:  rotate all photos into their proper upright position. 

This step is important for two reasons:  1.  it will save the necks of your viewers - so they're not constantly turning their heads from side to side to see you standing in front of that ferris wheel.  2.  yet another time and frustration saver when you re-visit your photos or use them to create an online album.

Step three:  Create individual day folders for your photos.

Step three is optional and can be accomplished in a variety of ways.  Basically, find a way to group your photos so it will be easier to find a photo or create projects. 

I do this step as I upload my photos to Shutterfly.com so I can create an online photo book that I can order for myself as the ultimate souvenir. 

An example of this might be:  09 7 14 Beijing day 1 (I put the date first so it's easy to search)

Remember - step three is optional, yet might be a life-saver at a later date. 

Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to accomplish each step and break up your work into short spurts of time so you don't get vacation photo burnout on the first day. 

You have one week to delete, rotate and categorize your photos.  Part two to follow next week.

If you need support with this task - please - by all means - ask for it. 

For me, nothing feels as good after a vacation like a finished photo album...except for another vacation!

How does breaking down a big task into small steps support you?  How do you know when you've reached your daily, weekly and monthly limit with a task before it is no longer productive?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Bicycle Bliss: A 50-Year-Old Velamos

I decided that this trip home to see my parents would be one of discovery and activity.

My bike is in Los Angeles, yet I don't have a bike when I come home to visit.  I thought that there were a few of my family's bikes in a building and made it my goal to explore my options.

When my dad opened the door to the building, we found three bikes.  A small BMX, a three-speed Huffy (both from the 1980s) and one of my mom's childhood bikes. 

My dad thought it would be too much work and money to clean up and repair any of the bikes and said it would be so much easier to go buy a new bike for $75. 

Buying a new bike isn't as eco- and earth-friendly as I intended, so we pulled the Huffy and my mom's bike out of the building to have a look. 

After a brief "once over" of the two bikes, my decision was clear - I wanted to work on my mom's childhood bike.  I figured it was sturdier, made better and would be more "classically" fun to repair and ride, so we put the Huffy back in the building and walked my mom's bike to my dad's shop.

Once we got the bike in the sun, it looked like it was covered in rust.  I was willing to strip the bike down to its frame to sand, prime and paint.  My dad suggested I get a rag and rub the dirt off the bike to see how much work would be involved in its reconstruction.

As I rubbed the dirt off the bike, I saw a sparkling blue.  I kept rubbing until I finally got the hose and washed the whole bike to discover that it wasn't the rust bucket we'd thought.  What bliss.

Next came the tires - I figured after 50 years that the tires would be in bad shape.  My dad aired up the tires to see what kind of repair or replacement that was needed. 

The tires aired up beautifully.  I got on the bike to give it a test ride to see how much work the chain and brakes needed. 

The only challenge - the back fender rubbed a bit on the tire.  My dad straightened it up and it worked smoothly - it didn't even need a drop of oil for the chain. 

I rode the bike up and down the driveway and on the road without a problem.  My only challenge was learning how to redistribute my balance since my mom's bike has different handlebars and center of gravity. 

   

What bliss - riding my mom's bike after a quick wash and fender adjustment - and - I didn't have to buy a new bike - totally eco- and earth- friendly!

What's something that you could dust off and reuse?  How does giving something that might otherwise be "left for dead" a second chance affect your energy?

I'd love to hear your thoughts and discoveries.

 



 

Resistance May Be Key to Connection

For about two months now, I've been paying attention to my resistance to connecting with another person.

I sometimes become territorial with my space.  Mainly space that I occupy by myself. 

I live in an apartment and our laundry room is in the basement - so more often than not, I see fellow residents when I'm doing laundry.

One particular day in December, I was alone in the laundry room (yippee!) moving my clothes from the washer to the dryer, then I heard the dreaded sound:  a key inserted into to lock - someone was going to violate my space (ouch!). 

In walked one of my neighbors - a Mr. Mom - with a basketful of clothes to wash. 

My first thought turned to anger - how dare someone violate my space.  My anger turned the air in the laundry room to a thick, icky substance that immediately prompted my awareness of resistance.

Oh no, resistance - that's the secret word of the day.  Resistance is my red flag to take action.  What kind of action?  Do what I don't want to do - make conversation. 

Many of you that know me might think me resisting a conversation is unheard of, since I do have the gift of gab, yet there are times where my resistance to speak becomes a missed opportunity to connect.

Back in the laundry room, I turned to Mr. Mom and asked, "Are your girls ready for Christmas?" 

That's all I had to say.  The conversation became an effortless dance that cleared the air of any stickiness and raised my energy to boot. 

I realized I spent way too much energy on the "space invaders" and found value in moving past my resistance into connection. 

Now my resistance flag is an instant opportunity to connect. 

How can the "resistance flag" support your awareness for opportunity?  How would your day change if you saw resistance as opportunities?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

   

Rhonda Britten - Live in Southern California

Live the Life Your Soul Intended(TM) with Rhonda Britten

If you are in the Southern California area, then you have the opportunity to meet and take part in a spectacular and life-changing evening with Rhonda Britten.

Rhonda will be speaking at the Learning Annex in San Diego on Wednesday, September 19th and in Los Angeles on Thursday, September 20th.  I will be attending both events.

If you've never hear Rhonda speak, then please do yourself a favor and come to one of these events.  I know the first I saw her speak live, I was blown away and started taking active steps to "live the life my soul intended."

Click here to register for the San Diego class.

Click here to register for the Los Angeles class.

I look forward to seeing everyone there. 

Please feel free to post if you've seen Rhonda before and share your experience or if you're going to either class.  Who knows, we might have a Discover Your Bliss meet and greet!

Morning Cup of Bliss

What does your morning cup of bliss look like?  Excuse me, let me re-phrase that - What does your blissful container look like? 

I am not a morning coffee drinker, yet I do enjoy an afternoon cup of tea.  I've found that when I make my tea in certain cups/mugs -my bliss increases.

Some people are particular about their coffee mugs or cups, while others pay no attention to that detail. 

I've found that when I pay attention to even the smallest detail and choose from a place of playfulness - my bliss increases.

My favorite cup came from a trip I took to New Mexico.  My mom and I were staying in Santa Fe and decided to take a side trip to Taos.  We each bought a cup handmade by the same artist.  My mom's cup is a different shape, color and style.

First off, I love owls.  In fact, I love birds of prey - owls in particular - so this cup was perfect. 

I love the swirling design and the irregular patterns that make it so unique. 

Any time I use the cup - my bliss increases.  It's like I'm making bliss tea!

What detail do you/could you play with to increase your bliss?  Do you have a favorite cup?  Plate?  Glass? 

I invite you to have fun with the playfulness of details.  The possibilities are endless.

I'd love hear your discoveries and comments. 

If you'd like to share a picture of your favorite mug/cup/glass/plate/etc., please email me and I'll include in a future blog entry!

Blissful Confirmation

Last week I started to wonder if anyone read my blog. 

Don't get me wrong - I love writing my blog, yet I wondered if anyone read it.

All of sudden - people started telling me that they read my blog.  I didn't ask anyone if they did - they just told me. 

I call this - Blissful Confirmation.  I wondered something and then the answer came to me. 

Having others tell me that they read my blog increased my bliss factor tenfold!  It was amazing!

Thank you to everyone that reads my blog and passes it along to others.  I can feel the bliss expanding!

What's something you're curious about?  What would happen if you asked that question out loud (with no one else around, of course)?

"Invest in everything - attach to nothing."  Rhonda Britten 

I invite you to explore what it would look like to "Invest in everything and attach to nothing."  Would that change your attitude?  Mood?  How you organize your day? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries!

Re-Discover a Past Love

What is something you loved to do as a child? 

Color?  Play games?  Build a tent?  Ride your bike?  Roast marshmallows?  Play dress-up? 

I recently re-connected to one of my childhood loves - board games. 

I loved to play just about any board game - Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, Monopoly, Checkers, Chinese Checkers, Clue, Bingo, Connect Four, Yahtzee - just to name a few. 

Now, many board games have stepped into the high-tech world leaving the simplicity of an electricity-free zone in the dust.

I played - Trivial Pursuit - DVD Pop Culture.  I own four versions of Trivial Pursuit - DVD Pop Culture, Star Wars, SNL DVD Edition & a Millennium Edition.  I love trivia games.

Just like I did when I was little - I put the board on the floor and sat on pillows - talk about pure bliss.

My energy uplifted, I was in a better mood and I had a ton of fun.

Today, I'm going to play Frisbee.  I haven't played it in years and can't wait. 

By tapping into my loves as a child, I discovered new ways to increase my bliss factor.

How can you tap into a love you had as a child?  What would it look like to spend 30 minutes from the perspective of a seven-year-old?  What new and exciting things can you discover? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries!

Eyes of a Child

Have you ever had a challenge that you felt was too big and practically impossible to overcome? 

Have you ever been in a bad mood and couldn't figure out why? 

I invite you to practice seeing through the eyes of a child during times of challenge, overwhelm or simply a bad mood. 

By seeing through the eyes of a child, you are able to approach everything from a new perspective filled with enthusiasm. 

How would a child see a colt (baby horse) for the first time?  What questions would a child ask when seeing snow for the first time? 

Coming from a place of pure curiosity and playfulness might support you in seeing a different solution, have a different attitude or access calm.

How can seeing from the eyes of a child support you?  What will it look like to practice seeing from the eyes of a child?

Have fun with it.  I'd love to hear you discoveries and comments!

LA Film Festival - Join Us

How well do you know yourself?  Could you say with certainty that you would never do something?  What if you life depended on it?

How important is it for you to be loved and belong?   

The LA Film Festival describes Join Us as:

"A devastating examination of the extreme lengths to which we'll go for a sense of belonging and belief follows Sullivan, his extended family, and another couple to a retreat facility where they try to understand how they came to slowly cede their lives and autonomy to their minister, Raimund Melz.

As they learn how their quaint Christian congregation actually fits the definition of a cult, the families deal with wracking fear, anger, and confusion as well as their guilt about the brutal punishments “Pastor” prescribed for their children.

Things only get harder when the supervised gathering is over and they must attempt to re-imagine lives that had been totally dominated by an all-encompassing system."

Join Us shows how the lack of a connection in self can be dangerous.  This film illustrates the importance of awareness and ability to think independently.  The subjects in the film gave away their freedom in order to be loved and belong. 

If you'd like to see a the trailer for Join Us, click here.

I Invite you to explore your connection to your inner knowing and soul.  What's something you can do to support yourself to know when you're giving away too much of yourself or allowing others to influence your thoughts and actions?

Get creative - make a list and plan to review it when you're confused, stuck, etc. as a gentle reminder to support yourself to have the awareness and walk back into freedom (proactive tool). 

If you do not make the connection until after the event is over, then jot down what happened, how long it took you to have the awareness and the intention. This way, you will have a measuring point for your progress and can begin to embrace your awareness and close the gap (and soon you'll have the awareness prior to your action). 

I'd love to hear your discoveries and comments!