A couple nights ago I received a note from someone on MySpace.   There was no picture and not much information on his site that would give his identity away.  The note wasn't too revealing but mentioned a couple notable moments I remember having when I was a teenager.    He simply signed his name after pulling some sweet yet dusty memories from the back shelves of my brain.

"Could it be..." I thought.  So, being the curious one that I am, I wrote back and asked him if he was in fact, the friend that I remembered from when I was 18.  If he was, that would mean I have finally found the one person in all of my life, that I wished I had kept in touch with.  We had a lot of fun together then, and I even had a serious crush on him.  Heck, my parents even liked him.  (That was unheard of at the time...for my parents to like anyone I liked.)

However, life has a habit of moving us along, not giving us any time to "go back" or "redo", so in the past twenty-some years I went about my business, living my life...sometimes enjoying it and other times not liking it so much, but generally having some fun and doing a whole lot of learning. In that time I thought of my friend John a lot.

Once, when 911 happened, I saw his name on the list of deceased and I wondered...and hoped it wasn't him.  I'd google occasionally to see if I could find any information about him but I could never find what I was looking for.  Hmm, guess the timing wasn't right...  So, I went about my business of growing up, still wondering what happened to John.

Let it be known that on December 10th, 2008, I found...or rather I should say, John found me!  What a huge surprise!  I'm grateful.  I'm curious.  I'm excited.  I'm impatient, but mostly I'm pleasantly surprised.

As it is with all of life, surprises take us back a step or two and often change the direction of our lives, even if only a small amount.  The best part of surprises...they wake me up!  They get me out of my ruts and create new ways of thinking and being.  They help me to grow.  They make life juicy...and I love "fresh squeezed" juice!

I wonder how this surprise will unfold?  In any case, it proves to me that we are all connected and we can manifest anything.  Sometimes it takes a little longer than other times, but the power of a focused thought can manifest surprises!

...I like surprises, don't you?

As I woke up this morning with last night's events still floating through my brain, I realized that I've been on the proverbial (mental) auto pilot for the past couple of months. I found that I have been too busy to fit myself into my own life, let alone make room for anyone else! If I haven't had enough time for myself, how in the heck can I make enough time to consider all the blessings and goodness of others in my life?!

This brings me to the main focus of my meandering morning thoughts...gratitude.

It's almost Thanksgiving and what does that mean...really?
I know it marks an historical event of when the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock...blah, blah, blah, but "thanksgiving"...
What does it really mean in the NOW, in our modern day, minute by minute lives?

The tradition of "Thanksgiving" is a good one and yet, I think it may have lost some of it's original appeal and truth because it got caught in the commercialism somewhere between Halloween and Christmas. It's kind of the "lost holiday"...the four-day weekend before finals....the time when we stuff ourselves and watch so much football that we can't think straight...the precursor to Christmas...you get the idea.

As I prepare for the commercial craziness of the holidays, I'd like to think of "Thanksgiving" as gratitude. Simply, giving thanks for...whatever.
A friend of mine took me to a Robert Earl Keene concert last night...I'm so grateful for the music and the time we spent together.
I ran into 5 friends today I hadn't seen in months! ...what a terrific surprise.
I received five offers to join friends for Thanksgiving dinner...I feel so loved.
My family supports me, I have friends around me, my body is healthy, my mind is clear, I feel love for so many people/things, I slowed down long enough to realize there actually is room in my life for me.

It feels good to realize all these amazing gifts that fill my days. Isn't it strange to think that so much bounty surrounds us and sometimes we can't even see it? Maybe that is what the holiday of Thanksgiving is truly for...to help us remember all of the fabulous gifts we have.

With all of these gifts, how could I possibly believe "Thanksgiving" is just another 4 day weekend between Halloween and Christmas? I think it's the best holiday of the year. Better yet, I think it's the best way to stay present in the NOW and to enjoy every day, every moment, every breath of my life. The best part? ...I don't have to wait for once a year to give thanks. Thanksgiving can be an every day experience.

What's your "Thanksgiving"? I bet it will surprise you.

Big love,
Bliss

 

It's late.  I should be asleep already, dreaming of sweet things (not necessarily confections of the sugary candy source) and taking advantage of that "beauty rest" all the women talk about. 

I'm not though.  Instead, my mind is going over the million and one details I have to take care of before I point my little "honey" honda in the direction of the setting sun in a couple of weeks to begin my summer journey.  This will be a time full of work and play...  It's all good, I'm telling myself, but who knows what's next!

In the middle of the unfinished details, I've been thinking about the phrase "losing it all".  For me, I've come to realize that "losing it all" in a sense, is finding myself...more like re-finding myself.

For so many years I've defined my life by what I did for a living and where I lived...yadda, yadda, yadda.  These past couple of years have given me the opportunity to shift my focus of what defines me.  After all, when you lose everything from your house, your business, your health, and your partner all about the same time, it kind of makes you take a look at yourself in a whole new light!

Without going into the gorey details of my "trials and tribulations", for the past year I have secluded myself in a rustic retreat center, helping out in any way they needed.  They gave me a place to live in exchange for helping them run their center.  I cleaned toilets, did dishes, stacked wood, folded laundry, and generally didn't teach any yoga, write any books nor do much massage the entire year (what I thought defined me).  I didn't even have my trusted friends around me for comfort (but I made some new ones).

I really thought I lost myself.  Nothing felt familiar and I even wondered if I still existed in the way I should.  After all, nothing was the same.  During this past year however, the most amazing thing occurred to me... 

I'M STILL HERE!  I'm still here even though my activities have changed drastically and nothing from my past is resting in my present.  I'm still here, even wiser and stronger than before I experienced one of the most difficult years of my life.  Best of all, I'm still here, open to new ideas and dreams!  All of the outside projections and definitions of the past are gone, but I am still breathing and creating and wondering and dreaming ...of NEW things!

Perhaps the most exciting goal/dream coming true is my latest musical project.  It was born out of the chaos and stress of "losing it all" or so it seemed.  But now, I see that I could have never realized this creatively musical, moveable side of myself without first getting some of the other "stuff" out of my way.

It's a bit un-nerving, that's for sure, but I'm really getting excited about the next adventures and realizations in my life.  One thing is sure...I could have never found who I am now if I hadn't lost all of who I was!

Ahh...Zen!

A sunny Saturday morning and I can't seem to motivate myself to "get moving" and "get something done".  Anybody feel like that?! 

As I began to criticize myself for not being productive, the thought crossed my mind that I didn't have to be doing something all the time!  Wow, what a concept for my brain lately!

This past year has been one of "do, do, do" and scrambling around to start a project here and finish a class there and organize a group somewhere in between that.  Of course, working and thinking of changing directions in some career choices has crossed my mind as well.  That's a lot of activity when you think of it!  Whew!

My point is, "doing" is a great thing which gives us a purpose and moves us towards goals, but without down time, time to just "be", there's no energy left to actually finish the jobs, projects, classes, or even relationships that we start.  There must be balance between "doing" and "being".  One can not thrive without the other to support it.  This to me, is a clear example of Yin/Yang.  In this case, Yin is the "being" aspect and Yang is the "doing" aspect of our lives. 

(to give a quick overview of Yin/Yang, Yin is all things lunar, feminine, resting, nurturing and destructing while Yang is the aspect of solar, masculine, doing, forging, creating.)

So, you see, there must be this ebb and flow to our lives in order to bring balance, which in turn creates peace, joy, centeredness, clear focus, etc.  Without resting we can't build up enough energy to create all the amazing things we came to this planet to do.  In turn, without exerting energy in a focused direction we tend to stagnate, feel lethargic and even depression could sweep over us.  Once again, we come back to the fine balance of "doing" and being".

Hmm, I think I'll actually "be" today and feel good about all the "doing" I have done this week.  After all, you know what they say about "all work and no play..."

Remember, it's all about balance! 

Wishing you a super day whether you are "doing" or "being"!