Why is everything in Life a "give and take"?

Whether we like it or not...nothing comes free.  Everything in life, everything in the universe is give and receive.  It is the Law and it is unchangeable.  When you receive anything, you must give.  If you do not, whatever you received...or somthing else you have..will be lost or taken or stolen or removed.  You must give if you wish to receive.

It is funny to me right now at this very moment, I just made the observation that I have been trying to recognize the deeper wisdom of this very concept for a while now.  You see, I am from a family (my childhood family, not my present family) who lived life as the "entitled"...the "give me because I need" -types.  It is so sad and pathetic to live that way and it never ever results in anything good.  There is something inside of us...in fact, MANY things exist inside of us that are qualities that can be shared and they count toward giving.  We can give of ourselves emotionally.  We can share ideas, experiences and thoughts.  We can share compassion, passion or love.  We can share laughter.  Sharing our lives with others takes effort...and it can be exhausting.  For some people, who reach out but feel shut down, it can sometimes feel sad or too difficult.  But we must always respect other people's needs.  Some people need  to be left to themselves from time to time and some people are steering clear of certain types of energy that comes from being around specific people or types of people.  If you are someone who feels that you do all the reaching out but are not feeling it in return, just look around you and ask yourself..."who is trying harder to be close to ME..?" Chances are there is someone , or some people who are interested in being there for you and you have been closed-off to them.  So it works both ways.  We close ourselves off to certain people at certain times, and People close themselves off to us at certain times.  It is completely possible to love a person more at certain times then at other times and it still be love that you are feeling.

So, in case that was hard to understand, let me give you an example of what I mean.  I think this happens to all people all the time and for many years I used to let it affect me emotionally but now I understand this give and take phenomenon much better.  Let's start with the LoA- the Law of Attraction- according to LoA, everything in our lives is drawn to us.  It comes to us like a magnet by the thoughts and ideas and feelings we generate which have their own vibration.  These vibrations place us on a frequency with "like-minded" individuals and experiences.  Just like we will be attracting them, they will be attracting us.  So if I use a high-power magnet and you wear a metal jacket, you have no choice but to be drawn to me, do you?  This is exactly how the CBA Group (I am co-founding with my associates) came to be what it is today.  But more on that later...

I have some friends that I am always seeking out to spend time with.  Some of them reciprocate the interest, some accept the invite, and others distance themselves.  From my end of things, I am the same.  Some friends seek me out and I am glad to reciprocate.  Some friends, I will accept an invitation if it is extended, and others I distance myself from.  Clearly I do not distance myself from someone I am drawn to like a magnet, do I?  How could I?  It would be physically impossible!  Imagine me attempting to resist...or them attempting to resist?  I laugh picturing it.  When distance grows between people it is because they are not on the same frequency of thought/life/interest/Love.  There is a divide and it can be blamed on science.  To try and force these two together would never gel.  The only way to bring the two together is to change the thoughts or mindset to the same frequency.  But we are not robots.  We have the freedom to think and feel as we like and that can change from day to day and from minute to minute.

Our true feelings give us away.  They do.  There is no doubt in my mind on that one.  If someone loves you, you know it and you feel it.  If someone's behavior is contrary to their feelings, this also you can sense and see and feel.  Some people are better at reading those signs then others and some people are better at hiding their feelings then others.  But giving of ourselves is demanded if anything great is to be achieved in life and so we must always try with people.  I like to think of myself as a positive and giving person.  I have an outgoing nature.  I ask myself everyday, "what can I do to help (insert name: client, friend, child, etc)" and then once I have decided what I will do for them, I do that PLUS I add a little something more.  Obviously I cannot do this for every person every day, but I sure do try!  And when I feel the prompting or have been given something by someone I certainly go the extra mile to return the favor or to pay it forward if I cannot give back to the one who helped me.

Some time ago, I had a heartbreaking break-up with my two female cousins.  I felt blindsided by them.  They are not speaking to me anymore.  You see, they believed I owed them some sort of emotional attention that I failed to recognize they were in need of.  They came to take...to be takers...of my energy and my emotions.  Meanwhile, I was unaware they needed anything from me at all.  I saw myself as a giver and a helper...but to other people, not to them.  You might say, I thought our relationship was sound and that they saw me as paying it forward.  I was wrong.  they accused me of being selfish and a fraud, because I would blog about Law of Attraction and Love and all that.  I definitely came under attack by these two and I am still not forgiven for having overlooked their needs.  Situations like this have a way of knocking us backwards and for a few months I really just didn't want any friends in my life because I was afraid that would happen again.

Meanwhile, if I had stopped looking so closely at why they didn't want me in their lives, and instead kept my gaze at paying it forward with love and friendship, I might have noticed (sooner, because I eventually did notice it) that there were people in my life who were really showing me love and offerring me opportunities that reflected they understood my real value.   Now there is another important subject...knowing your value.  a true friend does not use you. They know your real actual value.  They care what you say and think simply because they like you...really and truly...not because you can do something for them.  Remember...what you take, you must give.

This puts me at an unfair advantage in life because I am a ChildCare Provider.  I take care of children (my own and other people's).  Whatever a person gets paid to do that kind of work is NOT ENOUGH...LOL.  Believe me, I am not trying to say that people should pay me more...I really don't mean that.  But if you are a parent, ask yourself, is there really a price you can place on the safety, protection, wellbeing and care of your precious child?  You know in all good conscience you cannot say yes to that.  There is no price that covers the value of what I do or give to the little charges in my life.  I love them. I do that freely...I get paid enough to cover my costs and there are no frills from it and that is as it should be.  BUT...it gives me a great opportunity to give...to give a lot...and also the unique position to receive...alot.  although my life seems modest from the outside, and it is far from perfect, inside my growth has been indescribable and in the next few years, my life is likely to look very different.  I know it will because I have seen it in my mind's eye.

understanding that to Give IS to Receive...this is a precious gift of knowledge.  It means absolutely nothing until you put it into practice.  You can know that doing sit-ups will help get you rock-hard abs, but unless you practice the sit-ups, you still have flabby abs.  If you are still wondering what you can resolve to change in 2012...maybe think about giving...more that receiving.

~namaste

Sincerely Organic, for life.

I have written before on the subject of our Way of doing things or our choices and how they matter.  I have said it and I really mean it.  When our conscience is stirred and our inner peace is either put in turmoil or simply vibrating, then it is time for action.  I feel often stirred to action.  Last August, I was pointed in the direction of searching for Organically produced clothing, cleansers, haircare and foods.  Most people know about organic foods.  We have stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes to help educate the public.  But I went searching deeper.  I knew it was a part of my life that I needed to take a radical look at.  I discovered a number of great communities online and also some wonderful products that I switchedbrands and started using.  All in all, it has been a positive venture.  I now even write for one of the Blogs for one of the Organic companies. 

When I looked for these better products, as I said above, I performed a search for "eco-friendly" rather than "organic".  My reason for this was again a certain probing of the conscience.  There is a difference that is subtle...it is a micro-difference.  Any change, no matter the size, has the ability to multiply.  I was dabbling with a vegan lifestyle then and was feeling challenged by certain aspects of veganism.  I would be so proud to be able to call myself vegan fully, but I do stray from the vegan food chain and so to be fair, I simply say that I always choose orgainc whenever possible and live as closely to vegan dietary guidelines as I can.  I have increased my raw food intake to 50 % per day.  Last summer we had  small garden.  This Spring, I intend to do better.

This is all we can ever do is to improve from where we were last.  Wherever we left off, that is an excellent point to grow from.  The way our brains work is that we see backsliding as failure.  What we ought to be focused on is the success.  Once we get back on the track, we continue to experience more success.  It is the trick of sata'n (not Christian Satan but saTAN as in kabbalah)...it is the way to pull us off course and distract us from achieving and from overcoming our weakness.  We can become Masters over anything that once kept us enslaved.  The key is seeing ourselves already having mastered it and then we are seeing our present circumstance as the weakness and our future in victory.

There is nothing that cannot be accomplished...only what will not be accomplished due to our personal fears or doubts.  Wih patience and perseverence, there will be beautiful things created for your life.  Sometimes a brief period of loneliness or frustration or anger is needed to illuminate the right path.  Once on that path, we will struggle too but at least there is movement in the right direction.  Sooner or later, the path may resist us like an uphill battle.  But eventually, there is bound to be a hill where we can coast easily along.

~namaste

a profile of abuse

Abuse is defined as:

·buse (-byz)

tr.v. a·bused, a·bus·ing, a·bus·es

1. To use wrongly or improperly; misuse: abuse alcohol; abuse a privilege.

2. To hurt or injure by maltreatment; ill-use.

3. To force sexual activity on; rape or molest.

4. To assail with contemptuous, coarse, or insulting words; revile.

5. Obsolete To deceive or trick.

n. (-bys)

1. Improper use or handling; misuse: abuse of authority; drug abuse.

2. Physical maltreatment: spousal abuse.

3. Sexual abuse.

4. An unjust or wrongful practice: a government that commits abuses against its citizens.

5. Insulting or coarse language: verbal abuse.

 

 

When something is abused, it is mistreated or used improperly.  When something or someone is abused, they are hurt or injured by maltreatment.  By this definition, there is abuse everywhere.  It is running rampant in our society.  I know that I have abused people and things in the past but have changed my ways and I now strive to improve my life and the lives of others by making careful choices.  How we do things..in the spirit we do them...with clear thoughts and true purpose causes us to go about our lives peacefully and not wastefully or abusively.  If our lifestyle choice negatively affects even one other person on the planet...and we know we are doing this...we must consciously stop and change and care that we improve.  If we do not, we are abusers who victimize.

Some of us...perhaps some of my readers...are being abused.  These people are in a situation (that they attracted to themselves) and they are the victim of maltreatment.  In some cases, they are yelled at alot or ignored...maybe they are not being listened to by people in their lives.  This can sometimes be the case with children and teens but also in marriages or even just in friendships.  No one is perfect, but if a person feels they always give and are treated poorly in return, then they may be the abused party in the relationship.  Abused people are still operating under the Law of Attraction and they must recognize their responsibility in helping themselves out of the negative situation they find themselves in.  If a teen or child...in time, when reaching adulthood, there is an opportunity to get away from the situation.  But in a marriage, this can feel like a life-sentence. 

Verbal and Mental abuse is a very real problem.  Some people are very good at exerting control and manipulating a spouse, friend or even work associate, to the point that the abused person may not even see that they are in this cycle of abuse until they have become so deeply affected that their negative mental state puts them at risk for many self-destructive behaviors.  Some of these can be identified as:  overeating, binge-eating with bulemia or even anorexia; anxiety or depression; suicidal thoughts; alcohol abuse or drug abuse...or any antisocial behavior.  Behavior that is engaged-in for the sake of taking the victim's mind or thoughts off of the pain that they feel and perhaps allowing a brief amount of pleasure or otherwise inflicting pain.  Some people will want to hurt more...while others will want to alleviate the pain.  Either way, these are a side effect of unhealthy relationships stemming from abuse.  This causes an entirely new entity:  Self-Abuse.

Negative Thinking hurts everyone around us..but it especially hurts us most of all.  The idea of holistic wellness is a process for healing and curing this type of illness.  Healing is a part of the process that everyone needs.  We all need to heal and it is an ongoing process.  We all need to eliminate stress and it is an ongoing process.  In everyday of our lives, we need to build-in time to rest and relax and soothe our tensions from these dangerous influences and make sure that we ourselves are not contributing further to the negativity in the world.  Our collective thoughts matter to the progress of the world and its Global Wellness.  Other people can bring their negetivity into our lives and this can lower our vibration and energy and then our productivity.  We need to be mindful of it and take action to change not only our own negative thought patterns, but to avoid being dragged down by those around us.

Wearing a mask will not work.  We cannot cover up who we really are and what we really think because sooner or later, we will let the real face show...it will poke it's head out here and there and people will figure out that we are faking.  when we fake (lie) we help no one...least of all ourselves.  We cannot improve by lying to ourselves or our loved ones.  A lie can deeply scar others and will definitely tear apart the person living the lie.  It will never be able to last.  When the lie disintegrates, what will be left will be painful scars. We cannot hide from others who we really are and so who we are ought to be a face we can show the world.  It's ok to be a little private, but be honest with yourself and others and let them know who they are really dealing with...and hopefully they will show their truth as well.

Finding and keeping true friends is a journey for sure...it is a journey of a lifetime.  How can we be sure when we are identifying them?  How will we avoid the pitfalls of dangerous people or fakers or liars or abusers?  By the way, a liar is an abuser who uses their lie to control you and this can cause pain or loss in your life.  This is misuse of trust and a manipulation of the power they have in your life...a power based on trust.  Trusting someone is a sacred gift.  Abuse of trust is hard to forgive.  Just like it is harder to sway a person's good opinion back after you have lost it.  It is better to not lose it.  A person's reputation...their word...is their honor and their honor is them.  It is everything.  Recovering it can take a lifetime.

People are abused every day.  A customer is abused when they shop in a store and ask for help but get ignorance or disinterest from the clerk.  A child is abused when the parent neglects to supply their basic needs (except in the case of poverty). A spouse is abused when they are made to live in unhappy surroundings by a person who lies and manipulates or hits them.  A teacher may abuse power in the classroom, leaving students to blame themselves and feel inadequate as learners.  There are many, many abuses happening at this level all around us everyday.  So why are the victims staying?  It is their tikun to overcome...their karma or destiny or purpose.  They must recognize their position in the abusive relationship and then analyze and discover the way to regain their self-esteem.  When they truly believe that they neither deserve nor asked to be mistreated, then they can finally find a way out.  It will not be easy, but their karma has placed this situation in their lives and if they can overcome it, then they will have found strength indeed.

How can we avoid becoming victimized?

Anyone who believes they may be vulnerable to abuse or otherwise that they already are in a situation of abuse (there are degrees) can take steps to get help.  First of all...if you are being violently abused and this could result in fatality, you must contact an authority or go to a hospital right away.  Do not be afraid...just go and get help.  If you are one of the many people out there who are experiencing chronic abuse from an unhealthy relationship and feel you can make changes, then here are a few steps I believe can help you:

 

1. Create a space for daily prayer or meditation
2. Spend 5 to 15 minutes per day in your prayer and meditation
3. Exercise daily for at least 15 minutes...a brisk walk or some yoga is fine. 
4. Use breathing to relax you during tense moments
5. Allow your mind to wander when in a stressful situation.  Perhaps reflect upon some peaceful imagery like what you use during mediation?
6. Step back from what you are being told and ask yourself if it is true before believing it.  When we accept words and thoughts, they become a part of us.
7. Drink plenty of water.  If you feel ill, or tired or stressed, reach for a bottle of water and drink the entire thing.

These are just a few ideas to get you started.  In addition to counseling or therapy services, there are alternative types of counseling out there. There are support groups, Internet Chat groups and Forums to help with special problems.  You are not alone...NOT ALONE.  Our fears can make us feel isolated so we must really expand outwardly and surround ourselves with loving people who act kindly toward us.  A kind word...even from a stranger...can really turn someone's day around so remember to pay it forward too!

One last thing.  Above where I stated, "Step back and ask yourself what you are being told"...I want to stress this point a second time.  Ask yourself if what you are being told really resonates with you.  If you are unsure, you may need more time to think about it and that is ok.  Take ALL the time you need.  But make sure that when you have come to the conclusion, it is your own.  Every person creates their own reality and sets their own limitations in life.  Aside from Natural Laws, the only limitations we live with are those we accept to be true.  I hope this helped!

~namaste~

 

 

 

ADDICTION: The biggest secret of all

I am a woman who was raised in a Family where addictions run rampant.  I am deeply ashamed to openly admit this, and even as I write these words, I am deeply saddened by the truth of them.  Addiction shaped my life, altered my personality and destroyed my innocence and my childhood.  The addictions that did this were not my own...they were the addictions of others that did this.  And my greatest fear has always been that I am NO BETTER...that I will have addictions too...that I will hurt or destroy people with my bad choices brought on by addictions.

Now, I have made some hefty bad choices...I have.  But in retrospect I do see that most of them stemmed from my turning the negativity I felt from being rejected by people with their own addictions, turning theat inward on myself and behaving in ways that demonstrate self-loathing and a desire to hurt myself.  I somehow carry THEIR guilt...which maybe THEY THEMSELVES...do not even feel!  I carry their guilt...I wear it like a crown of thorns upon my head...upon my heart.  But today, this will change.  For this is the first time I have ever really acknowledged the root of the problem and I have such an urgent and passionate desire to see improvement ...that I know I will overcome this at last.  One day, I will be the person who people reach out to for advice at ovecoming the entanglements of being the codependent or the enabler.  In honor of the late great Dr. King, I will echo a refrain I often sing to myself when I am alone in my thoughts:

WE SHALL OVERCOME ONE DAY

The road to recovery if you are the Addicted one, is long and challenging.  But what about those affected by addiction?  This is not the only time in my life I have been exposed to opportunities to reach out and gain help.  In college, a concerned teacher of mine once brought me to an ALANON meeting. But until today...this very day...until today I have never recognized it before.  I am going to share a story now about my childhood.  I want to share it but it's not a happy story.

My mother was married to a man and they lived in Florida.  She wanted to have a baby and so she arranged the situation so that he would get her pregnant.  When he found out, he attempted to cause her bodily harm in order that she might miscarry.  But in that moment, my Mother found the strength to leave that marriage and escape that abuse and instead, returned to live with her parents.  I was the child she would have...her first.  She was 21 years old.  My Mother's parents were my Nana and Papa.  My Nana was a mean and ornery (God please forgive her and let her Rest in Peace), but she was visciously cruel to my Mother.  My Mom tolerated it as best she could but often left me with them to escape the abuse and just get away.  My Papa was a jolly alcoholic who had a huge circle of friends and was loved by everyone at the bar.  I would know since he brought me there weekly!  Yup...3 years old being driven around by a drunk with no car seat or seatbelt.  I learned quickly to be charming.  My Papa developed alzheimers as a result of his excessive alcoholism at the tender age of 56!  He was 56 years old and stricken with alzheimers.  He failed fast.  I loved that man.  I loved my Nana, even though she was so cruel to my Mom.  But it was hard for me to sympathize with my Mom when she was following in their footsteps with me.  I would find out as an adult that Nana was addicted to prescription pain pills and Nicotine (I knew about the smoking obviously).

In time, my incredibly beautiful mother found a new husband and before long had 3 more children with him.  My "Dad" adopted me.  My biological father did not dispute it.  By the time I was 7,  I was seeing my parents smoking pot, using Meth, growing and selling pot and then using cocaine.  It was a common occurrance for Mom and Dad to be snorting lines of coke on the living room coffee table when I would walk in the door from school.  They didn't try to hide it from us.  It was just there and we were told not to tell outsiders about what Mommy and Daddy do.  I learned from then forward that lies were a part of life.  I had to lie to cover their tracks and feel loved by them. I had to lie to be accepted in my own home.  I had to accept feeling bad and being separated from others on a deep level in order to have the love of Mom and Dad.  I thought that was supposed to be unconditional?  I was dependent on them and I became their enabler.

In high school, as my Parents marriage deteriorated, my father began to drink heavily in addition to his drugs.  we were evicted 3 or 4 times from various homes.  When we lived at a house on Sprague Avenue, my Dad disappeared on "a long trip" and was gone a year.  During that time my Mother became heavily addicted to Crack.  She let us go hungry.  She left us alone.  And too many nights I had difficulty sleeping because I was afraid I would wake up and find Mom OD'd on her bed and dead.  And then I would be there with 3 terrified little kids and no idea what to do.  No Dad...no Mom...no idea what to do.  I thought often about telling a trusted adult.  I hinted a lot.  Before Dad left for that year, I told him that I knew about Mom's problem and I begged him to help her.  He laughed at me and said I was a drama queen.

When I got a scholarship to URI, I disappeared.  They didn't seem to miss me.  Within 3 months of being at URI, I took an entire bottle of a friends Prescription meds and waited to die.  My roomate, for some reason, returned early from her class and called the paramedics and I was brought to the hospital...stomach pumped...made me drink tar.  It was awful.  I had bottomed out. 

I thought I was in the clear.  But you cannot escape addictions.  Even those of other people.  They have a lasting effect on you.  I carry their addiction around as my scar tissue.  And everyday I ask myself, are you addicted Angel?  Are you addicted to coffee?  Sugar? Is your neediness your addiction?  Are you obssessive compulsive?  Do you have Bipolar or depression?  I have no idea how to answer these questions or if I should even bother.  But in 2010, when I read "The Secret", I felt empowered that if I could get control back...control over my thoughts and feelings, I could begin to make a better life for myself.  And that was the best decision I could have made.  You see, I have made some seriously bad decisions, but then again, I have made some really brilliant ones along the way too...and more each day. 

I am sharing this story for a reason.  It is my way of reaching out and being open and trying to be really really honest and for once, NOT ashamed...as if I had done something wrong that caused the addicted person to hurt me, or caused me to retaliate against them.  The Law of Attraction teaches me that I will attract the same situations over and over again until I mindfully take control.  My subconscious mind has been working very hard these last several weeks and I often find myself having the same dreams over and over...about college..about moving from my home...about transition...about being afraid.  And I want to conquer that fear.  I want to really heal.  I want to have compassion on others.  I want to really deeply care and not because I am dependent on them for my self-esteem, but because I love them.

Thanks for letting me share my thoughts.

~namaste~

How to become a Paid Blogger

Hi everyone!  Some of you out there (like me), very much enjoy reading People's Personal Blogs and Business Blogs.  Gone the way of the dinosaur are the Article Writers who get Newspaper Column syndication and then bore us to tears with their monotone babbling.  Blog-Writers are the new columnists...they are the cutting-edge writers with fresh perspective, angle and in some cases, talent that outshines their educational background.  If I can borrow the words from Pixar's Ratatouille..."Anyone can Write!"  There are so many types of Bloggers out there...they write from the heart and they create experiences that they can share and they really touch the hearts of the people who read their writings.  If they never earn a penny from their blogs, and only did it because they are passionate about their subject, then they are great successes.  Some of us however, love to write and want also to earn money doing it.  I am one such individual.  I desire to be a published writer.  Right now I am experiencing a taste of writing for a paycheck because I am a contributing Blog-Writer and Social Media Networker for a wonderful company.

Because of my interest in Nature, Holistic Healing and Organic Products, I was able to find a home among one of the top Organic Haircare Company's in the country.  The most exciting part of my experience was that I was already writing my Personal Blogs and being active in social Networks like Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook...and then I was simultaneously writing my blogspot blogs and my Thoughts.com blogs.  I created activities and used Facebook to publicize them and learned the ins and outs of how to use Facebook to reach people and how to use the right phrasing to capture my target audience.  I suppose, these attributes would make for an exciting career in advertising.  It's a little different though.  Advertising as an Industry is a much broader and bigger and far more competitive world then Social Network Marketing or Blogging.  The Blog-Writer gets to maintain their passion and be creative in a more independent way.  But as with all things, if you want to get scooped up, you need to deliver something that the corporations need or want.  For me...I demonstrate my abilities through enthusiasm for participating and for their products, Skill at writing and researching topics, and eagerness to stick with it!

Here is what I did to get started:

1.  First, I Created Personal Blogs based on certain Subject matter.  For example, I have four personal Blogs.  One is about living life through the Law of Attraction or "The Secret".  One blog follows the career path of my daughter who is a youth actress.  One Blog follow child development using my son.  The fourth Blog is about kabbalah.
2.  Next, I monetized these blogs with Adsense by Google.  I can potentially earn money if people visit my site and click through to advertisements they see there.
3.  I registered for Blog jobs on any and all sites I can find
4.  I read other people's blogs...and I read about Bloggers who are successful.  What did they do? How do they capture the audience and get the following ot people who will finance their journey?
5.  I am working on Branding.  It is important to have a brand or no one will know what you are trying to share with the world.  Anyone can write, so what are you writing about?  What matters to you and to others?
6.  Comment.  Comment on Twitter...Facebook...on Blogs and Forum sites.  Look at your favorite company websites.  Are they hiring?  Could you find a way to get in?  If you love what you are talking about then you will succeed in time.

Ultimately, my way "in" as a Blog writer happened this way:  I became curious one day in August of 2011 in finding a line of beauty products that were chemical-free, all-natural and organic.  I discovered Morrocco Method. 
Here is their link:
https://www.morroccomethod.com/

I browsed and read from their website and then I placed an order.  I then "followed" them on Twitter and that same day "Liked" their Facebook page.  I joined the Facebook and Twitter discussions immediately with comments and feedback while I was waiting to receive my order and then after I used the products.  I was impressed with them when I received my first shipment and found there was much enclosed literature to further inspire my passion to continue with them from a customer standpoint.  It was very exciting to meet a company with their zeal for using Natural products and doing their best for the environment. 

I discovered their Blog pages.  They have two of them.  One can be found at the above link.  Here is the other:

www.thehairshaman.com

I researched about Anthony Morrocco and who he was, and why he founded the company.  I then began to follow the blogs as a reader, leaving comments as I found points of interest.  On their Facebook Page I saw an advertisement that they were looking for people to go to local healthfood stores and set-up a table to show and demo and discuss Morrocco Method Products.  They called it "The Ambassador Program".  I wrote to them explaining how my years in Avon Leadership qualified me for such a job as this and that I would be delighted to share my newfound passion for their products with my community.  Unfortunately it was not meant to be.  As it turned out, their Ambassador Program had targeted several areas for expansion but Rhode Island was not one of them.  I was disappointed but continued with being a happy customer and sharing links to their facebook page or tweeting about them.  I even wrote in my Daughter's Actors Blog about how Morrocco Method was improving her personal appearance (her hair).

The lines of communication were wide open between me and Morrocco Method and they (if they were watching...and they were) observed my enthusiasm and propriety and perhaps my writing ability since I was commenting and had written them a letter of interest once.  And a few weeks after I was turned down for the Ambassador Program, I received an email inviting me to participate in an online screening to qualify as a potential contributor to their Blog and other types of Social Media and Networking.  Until that moment I had not even realized that I had acquired these skills..of being more than a marketing maven but being a real connector...a Social Networker extraordinaire!  And I wasn't a bad writer either...LOL

In  a few weeks, I was given assignments.  They started me with a few hours a week and gave me topics and then assignments varied until we are where we are now.  It has only been a few months with Morrocco Method but I love what I am doing with them.  We are developing a rhythm and rapport with one another and they are allowing me to find my niche and empowering me to develop a voice that really delivers their message.  I can be a vehicle for their message and in doing so I am not in violation of my own value system because what they believe and do...inspires me.  If I can inspire others to come to their website and consider their line of natural and organic products...then I feel that my work and my passions are balanced!

I hope this has given you some ideas on how you may grow your own Paid Blogging Career.

~Namaste~

Speaking of Attraction (as in, Law of...)

I have been thinking about attraction alot lately.  Clearly my Blog has everything to do with the Law of Attraction and the value of this force in nature.  It started when I read "The Secret" and progressed through my other readings.  We are what we read right?  And we attract what we are!  Think hard on that for a moment...We Attract that which we are.  All of the circumstances, problems, people...they are not coincidentally a part of our lives.  We have drawn them to us and attracted them to us by what is inside us.  Have you ever thought to yourself, "I just want to be loved for what's on the inside"?  Here's the solution to that.  You CAN be loved for what is on the inside.  But you must learn to recognize when it is that you ARE being truly loved...for what's on the inside.  You can and will attract people who are like you and who want you.

This brings me to an unusual point about SoulMates.  If I believe in the Law of Attraction, I know there are some powerful forces working around us all.  There was a time when I would have said that there was no such thing as a soulmate.  But now that I have seen how lonely life can be, and how the Right kinds of people can make a difference in a person's life, Now I believe there may be merit in the idea.

Attraction draws people in and brings them together.  This is important globally for the creation of communities and the formation of alliances and friendships.  This is the main ingredient that keeps organizations bound, marriages together and teamates civil.  The idea of a common goal or central focus.  That central focus is not always enough to replace what is often times missing:  ATTRACTION.  Companies fail...partners cheat...teams divide.  What sets apart those that last from those that fail?  Simple...ATTRACTION.  Sound shallow to me.  It sounds like attraction comes and goes.  In a way, attraction does wax and wane.  Lets use marriage as a great example.  You cannot give up on a marriage after the first bump-in-the-road.  But if you have been mostly miserable for 5 years, I guess you can see that the attraction is gone.  If your company used to excite you and you looked forward to giving your time to them, then you are attracted to that company.  But if you are always overlooked for a promotion and people have lost their integrity, perhaps these will or have caused you to feel less attracted to this company?

Let's use this idea with celebrities.  Everyone admires (idolizes) someone on tv, movies or radio, right?  This attraction lasts and lasts.  You follow their personal life and their career and you even feel happy for them when they get married.  Then one day you discover some disappointing fact that shatters your elusion of your celebrity crush.  You have been there I bet...maybe only once, or maybe more times then that.  Suddenly, this celeb doesn't hold your interest like they once did.  The attraction is lost.  So what is it that causes attraction to last?  What causes it to come and go?  What can you do to preserve attraction?  These are very important questions that impact our deepest happiness in every way.

Preserving attraction is an essential element in using The Law of Attraction for positive changes.  People who apply LoA to their lives know that they must think about their goals often and frequently and with feelings.  There must be a stirring in them when they think about this "object" of affection.  If it is a place, a person, an opportunity or just money...whatever it is they desire, their desire must be raw with emotion in order to draw it to them as with a magnet.
I have my own business. There are moments when I have no attraction to my work.  These are challenging times for me when I must remember with deep feeling why I do this and feel that joy.  In my work, it is a little easier then in some lines of work because I work with children and children create a feeling of joy in me that other things and people cannot.  So even on my hardest day, I can recall the joyful moments and laughter and it brings me back!

With relationships, this is also a lot easier than you would think it might be.  If you have any happiness to dwell on it is possible to do it but both people must do it at the same time, together in order for attraction to happen.  Can you fall in love with a person by yourself?  Can you be in love all by yourself?  No, you cannot.  What a miracle it is to truly be in love...and to have that same person be in love with you back.  People underestimate how special that is.  I bet 50% of all people, on their wedding day, are not in love with their spouse.  They are just going through motions to get to the next level of life because of society's expectation.  It's sad but true.

Another simple truth here is that attraction feels it's most powerful upon it's initiation.  That first spark of enthusiasm...that new love...first kiss...that moment you are given a promotion or hear that you have won the lottery...or that moment your child is born.   Nothing generates that attraction in quite the same way as the initial spark.  So how do you maintain that?  There is only one way I can think of and that is by using another important force...Gratitude.  Once you become ungrateful for what you have, you have no longer got an attraction to it.  And so you do have all the power to keep the things you love.  The way to do so?  ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOU LOVE THEM.

~namaste~

Lunar Health

When does the Lunar cycle or your Lunar sign play a role in your astrology?  Apparently, the Lunar cycle (another way of referring to the movement of the moon), plays a role in almost every facet of life.  The moon has a remarkabel effect and a power over us.  When I get the Moon in Tarot it normally reflects a period of anxiety with a lack of clarity.  I dislike the Moon card in Tarot.

Here is my Moon Sign and it's interpretation:

from:  http://www.lunarium.co.uk/moonsign/calculator.jsp?birthDate=20%2F08%2F74&birthHour=1&birthMinute=20&ap=a&regionSelect=America&zoneSelect=America%2FAdak

Moon Sign for 20 August 1974 01:20:00 HADT:

LibraDegree: 4° 37'
People with the Moon in the same degree

Diplomatic, aesthetical, avoiding confrontation, understanding and attentive. Likes to spend time with the partner, hates situations that require to make a choice.

The Moon in Libra people have a desire to conciliate conflicting interests, to help even complete opposites to meet somewhere, to find a peaceful solution for a conflict situation. In short - they are inborn diplomates. Intuitively, they feel that everything in this world has two sides - a positive and a negative - and try to restore harmony where, as they think, there is no balance. If someone is praised onesidedly, the Moon in Libra will add something negative about that person. But if someone is criticized, the same Moon in Libra will add something positive to the mixture.
It is quite typical for the Moon in Libra individuals to hezitate endlessly in situations where some choice is required. The result of their decision doesn't become better from the amount of time spent in hezitations - they just pick something at random when there is no possibility to delay anymore.
Relationships can often be the most important part of life for the Moon in Libra people. Not only their emotional well-being, but even the state of their health might depend on how successfully they find mutual understanding with their partner. In order to restore their balance after a significant stress, they need to spend some time together with someone who is dear to them, to speak about their problem, to feel compassion and understanding. And if they don't have such an opportunity for a long time, if stress continues to build up, the Moon in Libra can become inconstant and erratic. They can develop a problem with kidneys and get lower back pain as a result. Another typical health problem for them is a migraine-like headache, which also often has its roots in kidneys.
The Moon in Libra gives aesthetical perception. These people know quite well what they like and what they don't, which colours and styles look right and which do not match. Parents with such a Moon are often worried about how to dress their children elegantly and fashionably so that nobody could say that there is something wrong in their family. The image of their family means a lot for the Moon in Libra individuals, and being good diplomates they try to always make a good impression and to hide any existing problems.

That's me folks.  Moon in Libra, Sun in Leo on the Virgo cusp.  The aspect of Moon in Libra where I an indecisive says a lot!  I am SO indecisive!  I want to achieve greatness but often settle or wander instead.


My Leo astrology has been vague lately but when analyzing it alongside my Moon Sign I am receiving some new insights that are helping gain me clarity.

More on this later!  Follow the link to learn your Moon sign.

~namaste

Mystic Aquarium, Mystic CT

Annika, Lex and Mama...December 31st 2011

Mystic Aquarium

55*

Beautiful, Mild day to visit the Aquarium.

We reserved Passes from the Warwcik Public Library.  The pass saved us $6 on the Adult ticket and $4 each on the children's tickets.

The kids and I have a tradition of taking photos in front of Christmas Trees whenever we travel.  We seem to do more traveling in December then in any other month.

Above, the Tree in the center of the Entry Pavillion.



Above is the peaceful Seal Tank.  There were two or three seals swimming underwater.  I just loved the look of their serene habitat.



Above was one of the Star-Attractions at our Mystic!  There were three Beluga Whales performing and playing.



In a sweet little nook near the Penguin exhibit we found a tree and a bench...perfect place to pause for a family photo.



Above...I took this photo of a particularly ugly creature. 



NEMO!



There are Rocky crags that are little tunnel-ways for the small children to explore.  They line the path that encircles the Beluga whale tanks. 



Not many amusement places actually have a great giftshop, but one of my favorite gift shops anywhere is here at Mystic!  We purchased a stuffed Beluga Whale and named her Rose in honor of Titanic.

Mystic will be opening a Titanic! Exhibit in April 2012.  In the gift shop we also picked up Titanic PostCards.  I bought a Salt Lamp and we got a toy for Lex.



The day cost us $56.00 for the entry tickets.  We walked the exhibits for 3 hours, touching sharks and stingrays.  We saw LionFish and sharks and jellyfish.  We watched a SeaLion show.  We ate lunch there at their Penguin Cafe.  Lunch was Chicken salad roll, burger, fries, soda, yogurt and apples...cost $23

Celebrating the last day of 2011 with some of my favorite people in the world?

PRICELESS...

Life should be about Passions, so BE ALL-IN

Have you heard the terminology, "ALL-IN" before? 

I believe it is from poker?  Being All-In is what you are when there is not part of you that is "out". 
Would you go to a restaurant for dinner but then just hover in the doorway because you were undecided?  Of course not.  That would be ridiculous.  And when it comes to the physical things, you have no choice but to BE wherever you ARE.  So clearly, being "ALL-IN" is a challenge of being emotionally or spiritually connected, not physically.  The problem with holding part of yourself back in a spiritual or emotional way, is that perhaps people cannot see it...they can not know for sure 100% what is going on with you on the inside, but in time it will show outwardly that you are or are not IN something 100%.  In life, nothing good, NOTHING at all that is good can come from holding back.  You must be in...100% in.

This subject permeates my mind today.  It is not troubling me but it is there.  My friend and I last night were discussing how I "hold back" alot.  I mean, I share and I connect, but I really resist setting down deep roots. And Carl Jung said, "What we RESIST, persists".  Also, Clearly this associated with past hurts.  You set roots and then you get hurt and so you start living JUST in the moment and pretty soon, you realize that you have had a prepaid cell phone for 2 YEARS!  And that the limited services you get from that prepaid COST you more in the long-term than an upgrade to a better way of doing stuff would cost!  Thankfully we all have friends and people and situations and jobs and communities around us that can be a thermometer for us.  So we must periodically "take our temperature"...take the pulse of the situation and really be honest with ourselves.  Are we living our BEST LIFE?  The best life we can possibly live?  Because we ALL...ALL of us..deserve that!

Finding what we are passionate about is sometimes a long journey.  Along the way we stumble into things that tempt us or distract us from what we are really passionate about.  These things are just distractions, but they can consume us and wear us out and frustrate us until we cannot remember what we were looking for or where we were going.  The best way I can think to describe this is that these distractions dull the senses.  They are like the Lotus Flower cupcake in the "Percy Jackson" movie...they kept eating the Lotus cupcake and it dulled their senses and created confusion about their purpose and before they knew it, 6 days had past in fruitless endeavors of frivolity.  This is our lives...this is what we reap when we allow ourselves to vere off the path by distractions and tempatations that offer us no long-term benefit. 

Some of these distractions are people, material things or just ego-driven career developments.  We are so busy trying to do a really good job at something, that suddenly we find ourselves WAY off from where we were aiming.  It's not enough to aim.  We must passionately pursue, build and create what we desire!  Our Divinity is that we too are Creators, like the Creator who made us.  We are like Him/Her/It.  We are the divine creator we seek.  We Are.  We are the mirror reflection.  We reflect back to others what they show to us.  Don't be afraid to be that mirror because in the long-run, you are doing people a favor.  Do not attempt to cover-over their poor choices, but allow them to just see it.  Do not apply a judgement to it, just recognize it and show it back to them and let them see it on their own.  Draw closer to those who ARE self-aware already, for they are your source of comfort and energy.

How lonely you will feel when you first start out!  I empathize.  How grateful you will feel when you (at last) see you are not alone!  I am happy for you.  How empowered you will feel when you find a true friend!  I will be there for you.  How blessed your life will be.  You will have achieved it through Inner-Strength.

~NAMASTE~

How to MANAGE your Love-Hate relationship

Everyone under the sun has had one.  One of those relationships with a person that is in your life that you love but at moments or during long spans of moments you really truly hate them.  For some people, perhaps there is more than just one in your life who fits this category.  If you feel you may have someone in your life like this, perhaps this article will help you on your path to understanding and cooperation.  Let's face facts, this person is most likely a child, parent or spouse.  If so, that means you are dealing with a person who "for better or worse" is more of a fixture in your life and those can be difficult to remove.  Thus the topic header:  How to Manage them. You will need to manage them...by taking control...by taking personal responsibility and by working on YOU.

You are always the center of anything in your life.  First things first, you must come to see how things are not about them or about him or about her....they are always just about YOU.  Yay!  You get to be a little selfish here.  But it's for the best, I absolutely promise you that!  You get to think of good ole number one!  In fact, as you stand there in the heat of yet another pointless moment of frustration with said "pain in the ass" right there in front of you, let your mind just drift way off into the sunset...arrive at your poolside chair by the ocean and feel the Coastal breeze all warm and exotic caressing your perfect body.  Because life is what you think about.  Your life is brought to you by the thoughts and feelings that govern it.  Let those people piss you off and you have signed the contract to your miserable life.  Take a jump!  A Quantum jump, if you will.  Transport yourself to your alternate universe...the one you can choose.  The one that is far far away from this annoying moment when the Love-Hater is abusing you.

For the record, this may be the quickest solution to verbal abuse.  The old "sticks and stones" has lived its day.  Lets just ignore bad behavior.  As Napoleon Hill said in his famous literature, "Think and Grow Rich"...you MUST keep out all negativity.  That includes everyone's negative feedback and reprisals upon you. Retain and listen to only what is good for you...only what will cause you to become better.  And another point here...YOU and only YOU really truly know what is best for you.  If you listen to that inner voice inside you, it knows.  Read, meditate, exercise and eat healthy.  These four things will carve out the path for you and they alone in combination will ATTRACT all the teachers, words, books, communities, jobs, friends and ideas that you need for the RIGHT kind of life.

So to recap, the "How to" comes down to one very simple rule.  If this person is bothering you, ignore them.  If they persist, show them the truth:  Hold the mirror up.  Use words, actions, descriptions and imagery to recreate the behavior they are using so that they can experience it.  If this does not get the point through, then revert to your first tool.  If this cannot solve it then this person is simply toxic.  It has been my personal experience with a certain Love-Hater in my life that there are moments when he honestly sees himself.  I know he does get it about who he is and how he is acting.  the trouble with my Love-Hater is that he does not love himself enough to change and commit to that change so that he can really grow and evolve into that better part of himself.  And worse...he is living a lie in his own mind. 
I catch glimpses of it (his goodness) from time to time...I can see his great moments.  Right now I am working on finding ways to sincerely praise him when he has these breakthroughs.  It's hard, because I keep holding him to MY ideal for him instead of accepting him for where he is at presently.  That is what I really need to do..accept him for where he is and what he wants to be right now.  And this is all anyone can do...because we cannot change THEM.  We can only change ourselves.

Now on a special note, if you are partnered with this person, you may feel this is holding your life back.  You must find a way to overcome that feeling.  If you do not overcome that feeling then that negative thought that YOU are responsible for, WILL sabotage all the other growth you are striving towards.  Think of YOU and what YOU need to change and what YOU dream to accomplish and who YOU will seek to encourage.  Put YOU first and all else will filter into its proper position in the cosmos.

~Namaste dear friends, namaste

Why your college years are so important

ROOSEVELT HALL

I am beginning a series about college-life.  I am thinking of calling it, "been there...done that".  There's an "LOL" for ya!  This morning, over breakfast, my ten-year old daughter and mye started discussing my years on the college campus.  The reason it came up was that today is downpouring rain.  I was commenting about how I felt bad for our neighbors who lived further than one house away from the Bus Stop because we were standing watching for the school bus from a dry porch.  This moment made me think about my five years at URI in Kingston RI...living on campus in the dorm...walking everywhere on this huge campus...having to drag yourself out in the pouring rain to eat or go to class or rehearse your french horn or work.  This was the first time that Annika really connected any interest at all to "college life".  Her remark was, "I always pictured college as some super-huge building, not a bunch of buildings".  I explained to her that some colleges are the way she described, but that URI was very different from that.  For example, our local community college, CCRI, is the way she described.  We live only a few miles from CCRI and we pass by it all the time on our way to the bank or to the mall or WalMart.  So in her mind, college looks this way.  CCRI is a great school, and I personally would be proud of Annika if she wanted to go there, but I guess there is that little piece of me that wants her to choose a college more like the one  went to.  In Annika's case, she wants to study Theatre.  It just so happens that I also studied in the Fine Arts Department as a Music Major and had many college friends from the Theatre and Art department.  I worked closely with them on productions all the time.  Knowing that my daughter and I have even this amount in common give me a thrill!

So I have begun to compose a "Walking tour" for my daughter, which will include maps, summaries and a guided tour of the campus in the Spring of 2012.  Annika is driven to achieve scholastically so I think this will be a fun way to embed the desire for higher education into her subconscious feed.  With any luck, it will remain a strong part of her subconscious and allow her to always have a perspective about what it means to aim higher.  That is the thing about universities...they inspire us to always aim higher...they are transforming themselves...they have an open-end, not a closed-mind.  College is where most genius is developed.

QUAD

THE LIBRARY...ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES ON CAMPUS

One of my idols of history, MR. WALT DISNEY, was a
poorly-educated man of little means who rose up to be a magnificent icon of Amercian Culture.  But had Walt ever gone to college, who knows where we would be!  Had I never gone to college, I would have been a very lost soul.  So much of the woman  am today began there.  I look forward to sharing more on this subject over the next 3 months of winter.  Later, I will be eager to report about our campus tour and hopefully include video footage and definitely personal pictures.