iN-jOy yOurSeLf . . . haVe fUn & pLaY nOw!

WeLL HeLLo funfree fLowErz & BuZZiNg BEs! (word play alert),

Yesterday I wrote about each of us being uniquely and powerfully ourselves--and letting go of the expectation that other people should (and can . . .NOT) possibly be just like US! I used the metaphor of fish not being able to climb trees--which is kind of like the message on the poster from notsalmon.com about being, well, ME! Check it out on the left!

The wall paper on my phone used to read "just be . . ."--and it served to remind me to BE PRESENT . . . which is kind of hard for me, I admit. Going to the quiet space where I'm with myself is getting easier, and I've found that I am actually in-joy my own company. (Get it? In-Joy, as in, INWARD JOY, not found on the outside?)

I do have to remember to breathe, relax, and BE in the present moment--sometimes meditating or doing yoga really helps me with that--and, I continue to work on quieting the inner voice that sometimes bosses me around and constantly tells me what I SHOULD be doing (you know, like, SHOULD-ing on myself?!), or criticizes me. One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that the JOY is HERE, in the present moment.

While last year, the wallpaper on my cell phone read: Just be . . . !
This year, I changed it by one word: Just be . . . me! 

And here's why:

If I want to know myself and JUST BE ME, as in the one and only Dana Lynne Curry Bradach (not that I think I'm like so cool or better or anything . . . !), I had to learn to just be . . . first. Otherwise, how would I have the quiet presence to be with myself and get to know me? And now, just like the flower in the cartoon above, . . . I want to wisely follow my primal Dana gut instincts to attain my highest level of Dana-osity!

As I fully disclosed yesterday, I am kind of a nut (in a good way), and I think & act like a kid most of the time, but I'm also extremely smart, organized, loving, kind, and responsible. There's also some yucky stuff, too--but I'm doing my darndest to BE the BE(st) ME I can BE! 

We humans are taught from a young age to focus on the future to somehow provide us with the THING (whatever that is for each of us--being skinny, richer, finishing high school, graduate school, having a bigger house, better job--WHATEVAH!), as our guarantee for happiness. But the problem with future mentality is that we live our lives always waiting to arrive--and we miss the gifts of presence--as in, living in the now, the PRESENT. Check out this amazing message I found today on someone else's blog!

I don't know about you, but I have missed out on big chunks of my life because of worrying about my future or focusing on the past. When I asked one of my best friends what is really really important to him and what he wants to do with life, he kind of got this funny grin and said, "I want to enjoy myself." At the time, I really didn't get it (I grew up in a home where everything was STRUGGLE and SACRIFICE), but I've slowly come to realize that enjoying myself is one of the most important jobs I have, AND it doesn't have to do with anything outside of myself . . . it's an INSIDE job.

Hope you enjoy yourself today!

hearts@!--
Dana

p.s. but not perfeckt ;0)

B yOur CrAzY SeLf!

lOvE & mOrE lOve!

-     

  "Live life fully while you're here. 

Experience everything.

Take care of yourself and your friends.

Have fun, be crazy, be weird.

Go out and screw up!

You're going to anyway,

so you might as well enjoy the process.

Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes:

find the cause of your problem and eliminate it.

Don't try to be perfect;

just be an excellent example of being human." 

- Anthony Robbins

 Hey pEEps!

Do you embrace and live fully in your craZiNeSS? One thing I loVE about the quote from AR is that he encourages us to be super goofy and fUn! 

That can be amazingly scary for folks when they worry a lot about what other people think about them. What I've learned in the last few years, is that if I am play-acting and trying to iMpReSS others about how awesome I am, and I am trying to be a certain way--I am not being truthful 'cuz when I'm trying, it's not me. When I'm me, I don't usually have to try (. . . well, unless I'm in a situation where I would normally do the whole people pleasing BS and I am consciously trying NOT to do it...)

Anyway, being hu(wo)man and ImPerFecKt is so awesome 'cuz I am not TRyIng so hard to control what everyone thinks of me (or what I make up @ what they think of me) aND (bonus) I can relax!

Totally takes the pressure off!

And I can do loving things for myself despite when I screw up---and I am more okay when other people screw up--I can be more loving to them! 

It's all good! 

Here's my new secret: (shhhhhhh . . . please tell EverYonE!)

peOplE

arE

dOing

aNd

BeIng

tHeir 

Best...

and sometimes their best totally sucks to us . . .

(believe me, I get it . . . I've been there!)

BUT ALSO CONSIDER THIS:

Don't you want other pEEpS

to ASSume

you

are always doing and being your bEsT?

So, I challenge you to

PAY IT FORWARD.

sOmEtImeS, (& . . . don't tell nE1 . . .) my best SUCKS! SUCKS HUGE! aND I don'T always know why! Sometimes, my best is to get my butt out of bed and gO pEE, pEEps---'cuz I'm sad, or mad, or SUpEr sTuCk! (but not very often, anymore thankfully . . . )

AnyWay, hope you get what I mEan. When have you given someone else a miss, and let them off the hook of your JUDGEMENT!? Let me know in the comments!

Love you and love EverYoNE!

;0) dAnA-drOpLeT 
(that's what my bro used to call me . . .)

drEaM bIG, mY LoVe . . .

Dreams come true, Dana Lynne, that's what they do.
The only variable is when.

For the slow approach: Resist. Attach. Insist. Deny. Stop. Second guess.

Whine. Argue. Defend. Protest. Cry. Struggle. And ask others, when you

know the answer yourself.

For the quick approach: Visualize. Pretend. Prepare. Dodge. Roll. Serpentine.

Do not waiver over intentions, but over methods. Show up, even when nothing

happens. And give thanks in advance.

You knew that,
The Universe

Remember when you were a kid and the entire world was your playground and EVERYTHING was a delicious possibility?  . . . when you wanted to save the whales, rule the planet, and invent candy that grew from trees?

Remember the crazy s#!t you used to dream about? . . . when everything was magical and new?

Guess what? . . . it still is. 

Nothing changed, except you grew up and forgot about the magic.

It's time to grow back 

d

    o

        w

            n

and reclaim your place among the stars.

I challenge you to remember your dreams as a child, write them down, and begin to believe in them again: 

Visualize. Pretend. Prepare. 
Dodge. Roll. Serpentine. 
Do not waiver over intentions, but over methods. 
Show up, even when nothing happens. 
And give thanks in advance.

Love from the dreamtime!

Dana

Be Like a Tree!

"Praise and blame, gain and loss,

pleasure and sorrow come and go like the wind.

To be happy,

rest like a giant tree, in the midst of them all."

- Buddha

Dear Readers;

Above you can see an amazingly majestic tree that sits outside our lake place. I have sat many times out on the patio in the mornings with a hot cup of coffee admiring this tree and meditating on its greatness.

I have been adopting trees for much of my life.

Here's what I know about trees:

• they bend with the wind; they do not resist.
• they rejoice in the rain, and feel nourished by the elements.
• there is enough sun for all trees; they do not need to compete for the sun . . . abundance is everywhere.
• they continually reach and grow.
• their tops waver with the crazy wind, and as they are flexible, they are alive; when they are no longer flexible, they break, wither, and die.
• this cycle is all natural; it's the plan for trees.
• there are many different species of trees, and they do not argue about the superiority of one tree to another; they coexist.
• trees are super amazingly strong.

 I grew up with trees. Trees framed my existence. I saw their waving, shiny leaves like hands clapping for me as a young women . . . and later in life, as well.

As a child, I looked to trees in the night, to their shadows to bring me both comfort and terror. 

Many trees, we know, have deep and lasting roots. And those that do not, are at the whim of the wind and the elements. They are uprooted and then they die. And it's okay. It's a letting go. And, that's as it should be.

But we do not need to attach sadness or loss here; it is as it should be. It is all perfect.

I want to have deep, lasting roots--roots that keep me present and strong with myself, and with the people I love.

I want to embrace the being of tree . . . large, majestic, and strong---but also beautiful, fancy, and fluttering.

Trees

I think that I shall never see 

A poem lovely as a tree. 

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest 

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; 

A tree that looks at God all day, 

And lifts her leafy arms to pray; 

A tree that may in summer wear 

A nest of robins in her hair; 

Upon whose bosom snow has lain; 

Who intimately lives with rain. 

Poems are made by fools like me, 

But only God can make a tree.

Joyce Kilmer

All is well . . .

Dana

feEL iT 2 B fRee . . . (part 3)

it'll aLL mAke SeNse sOOn . . . 

wELL heLLo tHeRe!

Earlier in the week, the video from TheChopraWell (click on it if you haven't already watched it!) gave us 7 things to do to get rid of crappy overwhelm-ish gross feelings. The steps are:  

1. Take responsibility for your present emotions
2. Witness what you are feeling
3. Label your feelings
4. Express your feelings
5. Share your feelings with someone you trust
6. Release toxic emotions through a ritual
7. Celebrate the release of the feelings

Yesterday I gave my translation of the first 3 steps. Here's my take on the 4th and 5th steps:

4. Express your feelings: this step can be done with a chum or alone (I used to rip phone books, scream into a pillow, or hit a punching bag when I was mad, for example). A friend of mine also used to do PUSH UPS, and YELL in his car! When I was sad, I used to throw myself on the floor and weep (especially after my dad and later, my brother, died) or crawl into a ball of bawling or a hEaP of tears :( . . . Sometimes pets or stuffed animals can be awesome listeners ('cuz they lick or sop up your tears!) and they won't tell you what to do or give you advice. If you don't have a person to talk to, a diary or journal will do. Prayers to the Universe or maybe to a Higher Power (whatever yours may be!) are also a great idea . . . as a matter of fact, some of my most enlightening conversations over the years have been with God . . .

5. Share your feelings with someone you trust: this is important 'cuz then we don't feel so alone. I have been known in the past to share feelings in hopes of manipulating others into feeling sorry for me or taking care of me--nOt PoWeRfUL & NoT a GoOd ideA (we really have to learn self-care around healing our emotional states)-- or even worse, I have shared my feelings with someone who was toxic and made me feel worse. It's bad enough that I shame myself, Or, they argue with me for how I feel or tell me not to feel that way . . . P.S. one of my besties told me that it really helps to ask your friend to just listen and let you vent without trying to solve it--that way s/he knows what they're geting into and what's expected!

Whew! We're almost through to the last step. Secretly, I realized that the reason I have still felt a bit crapp-ish is that I didn't really finish the last two steps--super important for letting go of the yucky stuff with 

aBsOluTeLy nO tUrNinG bAcK!

Tomorrow, we'll check out the last two, and I'll figure out a release ritual and celebration! Wooooooooo Hoooooooooo! cAn'T wAiT!

tOOdlEs & tOOtS!

;0) dAnA

tAkE a bITe out of LiFe!

COOKIE MONSTER: LIFE COACH

I saw this video last week, and I just had to share it with you. Cookie Monster literally takes a bite out of everyone's drama---and helps them solve their own problems by asking them questions.

Cookie Monster reminds me (after years of journaling, therapy, life coaching, counseling, self-help books, and seminars . . . JEESH!) about this:

WE ALL

HAVE

THE 

ANSWERS

WITHIN US ALREADY . . .

Many of us live our lives looking on the outside for answers to our deepest questions; we outsource our truth, and we lose touch with our hearts deepest knowing. Right now I am reading The Vortex by Esther and Jerry Hicks. They refer to this deep knowing as a personal Guidance System, which has a purpose "to help you know--every step (or thought) along the way--when you are diverging from your prebirth understanding of life, and when you are on track" (p. 5). The challenge, according to the authors, is to find alignment between you (physical) and You (Source).

Children have a closer alignment than grownups, and animals have an even closer connection between themselves and source. As we adults observe, we can learn a lot from kids and animals--they remind us how to get back to Source. We watch them with joy and with awe because we are brought into the present moment and we are reminded of the connection we once had.

Seems like we grownups have the biggest challenge for alignment, because of all the conditioning we have had growing up in this physical plane.

No wonder I've always preferred children to grownups! 

In de Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince we are reminded that as we grow up, we must retain our childlike connection to source, remain 

connected to our hearts as we navigate life, for it is in our connection to our hearts, rather than in our 

minds, that we remain guided by Source.

Blessings,

Dana

Embrace it All . . .

HeY aLL! 

Letting others be free means leaving them alone to be their oWn fReE bad selves...(not really, but themselves . . .). It's not really our business, where they are, or what they do... cuz if we don't like what they do, say, believe or N+E=ThiNG, we have a choice to just walk away . . .  without hating on them, (however, it is possibly our business to tell them how we feel...more about that later...)

NE way, like I was telling you the other day, I have spent a lot of NRG in my days wishing people in my life would change (or want to change --FOR ME...you know, so I could feel better by being in control and get my needs met from them OUT(side): IN(side)! embarrassingly dramatic...). What I know now, is that people don't change (much) unless they want to (and not cuz I want them to . . . CRaP! and unCrAp . . .). whew...that takes the pressure off to control everyone else's destiny...thanks!

SUPER QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Would you ever look at like, a sunflower and expect it to grow into a rose (cuz you like roses better and that's what you want on your table?)...
and there's more (sorry . . .) Would you ever expect a sunflower to grow faster just because you gave it more water and super duper fertilizer...and...expect it to grow into a rose, still?

How about appreciating a sunflower for its sunflowery-self and a rose for its rosy-ness? And, if you don't like the sunflower, just walk away and choose something else (without haTinG on it)? and same with the RoSe?

Hmnnn...kinda freaky? (i personally like clover, myself!)

just sayin'-----

fLuFFy puPpies and raInBoWs and pink ponies, too!

;) dana

Debts & Assets

When you believe that anything outside yourself will change the quality of your life, you are like the kitten seeing its reflection in a mirror and thinking there are two cats in the room. It is the quality of your commitment to the self that determines the quality of your life as well as the quality of your relationships to others. The quality of these relationships creates the quality of your experience.

In this relation to the self, be ever aware of both your strengths and your weaknesses . . . your assets and your debt . . . and be committed to both. Do not be depressed by your debts — your weakness — simply understand that you love them, or else you would not have them. You require them to learn the lessons of their perspective and without them you would not be complete in this moment.

The only way to fully enjoy your great wealth — your many strengths and assets — is to be able to withstand the pressure of this debt. The only way to truly appreciate the experience of your existence is to see strength and weakness, asset and debt, as a carefully balanced balance sheet . . . a full picture of you. Be able to look at your debts and instantly balance this view with your assets . . . the shadow gives perspective to the light in any "real" picture. This follows the old proverb of successful living, "When you are depressed . . . press back."

~Guru Singh

I love this passage about strengths and weaknesses, assets and debts; it's the human condition, after all. One thing I've noticed about myself is that I'm all good when it comes to knowing my strengths, but I often keep my debts in the small, dark corners of my existence; I pretend they aren't there, and I am afraid of shedding light on them. What I haven't completely embraced is what Guru Singh writes:  . . .be ever aware of both your strengths and your weaknesses . . . your assets and your debt . . . and be committed to both. Do not be depressed by your debts — your weakness — simply understand that you love them, or else you would not have them. You require them to learn the lessons of their perspective and without them you would not be complete in this moment.

I guess I haven't understood that I require the lessons of my debts to be fully me--and I suppose that when I look back at my life and all its challenges, those experiences and relationships that were (and are), indeed, difficult, have been perfectly placed there to hold up a mirror to me--and ultimately teach me about myself. I am my own greatest student, and I can continue to be grateful for all of it. 

ALL of IT!
ALL of THEM!

I trust that the Universe works for me, providing perfect opportunities for my greatest growth and challenge! I can choose to be in a state of LARGENESS & gratitude, or in a SMALL place of victimhood. This, I believe is one of the hallmarks of a spiritual life: constant self-reflection, death, and rebirth. This is how we grow.  We learn through the tough stuff, not through what's easy--and I totally agree.

What blessings do you see in your so-called debts? How have your debts served you, shaped you, and pushed you to grow?

Lots of Love, 

Dana

Love Life!

Here is the message I got from the Universe the other day. It reminded me that I need to accept all the people in my life, perfectly & exactly as they are:

For as long as you wish to keep them in your life, 

Dana Lynne, whoever they may be, 

understanding them, as opposed to changing them,

will wildly improve the chances that they'll wish to keep you in their life.

Oh wow, how I love you -
    The Universe

I have spent a lot of time and energy in my life trying to change the people and circumstances around me. What I would like to do is work on accepting the people and challenges around me without fighting it all!

Truth be told, when we can accept everything in our lives as if we had consciously chosen it, we can be grateful for it ALL . . .the go(o)d feelings and what we perceive as yucky stuff, the sh&!-biscuits.

Generally what happens, as in the case of one of my besties today, is that when we are open, we can see that the sh*& is sometimes the most awesome reminder of our growth. What if we totally trusted the Universe to give us EXACTLY what we need? No questions! And we look for the blessings in it ALL?

What tremendous shifts might occur if we ask ourselves the question: "What is the gift in the sh@!@?"

We are responsible for the meaning we assign to our life events; we can look at our challenges as opportunities for growth, or we can crawl into our victim stance and blame others and project outward for what is happening to us. Personally, I'd rather take responsibility for it all

AND

It's all good; and, as my bestie always says to me, "All is well..."

I love life! All of it . . . (even when I hate it). . . the good and the crappy. 

And I love You All!

Dana

All is Well . . .

Today I meditated for the first time in a while, and my topic was gratitude for deep cosmic connections--these are the synchronicities that occur in everyday life in the small, somewhat quiet (and sometimes LOUD) spaces. We can often miss if we are not present and paying attention. I got an amazing and delicious reminder from the Universe (tut.com) one day--as I write those statements (in black), here are the intuitive messages that were whispered to  me (those are in red, of course. . .)

*********************************************************************************

The Top 10 things about time and space, Dana Lynne,
that most people seem to forget...

10. You chose to be here and you knew what you were doing. So everything in my life is purposeful and I chose the events, circumstances, and relationships, too. Everything happens for a reason and there aren't any coincidences--even the seemingly crappy stuff.  And, there must be a divine purpose for my existence on the planet at this time. That means I can relax into the present and gently let go fear and anxiety. All is well . . .

9. There are no "tests" and you're not being judged. This means I can stop worrying that there's always a right answer? Maybe my harshest judge is myself, and I need to learn how to be more loving to me--Dana! 
p.s. If I do feel judged, it might be a projection of mine, and if another person judges me, it's not about me?

8. Everyone's doing their best, with what they know. That "everyone"includes both me and others-- I can quit judging others (oops) and myself--but that doesn't let me off the hook to stop behaviors that no longer serve me. Especially when we spend more time with our loved ones, our issues and buttons become magnified, and I find myself projecting judgement onto others--this is how the Universe holds up a mirror to me for my own growth.

7. You already have whatever you're looking for. I need to practice gratitude on a daily, even a momentary basis. I am so so blessed! I have everything I need. And, when I choose gratitude, I get more of the juicy stuff back from the Uni-verse.

6. You are of the Divine, pure God, and so is everyone else. We all lead a holy existence . . . each of our lives is a prayer (see red part on #1 for more info!)

5. Religion needs spirituality; spirituality does not need religion. Might mean that spirituality is bigger than religion? But I think many sacred practices come from the rich traditions of many religions. What gets us in trouble, I think, is when we expect others to embrace the spiritual and religious constructs we believe, or that there is only one right way to celebrate God/The Uni-verse (insert your semantic here!). 

4. You're naturally inclined to succeed - at everything you do. Reminds me of Chopra's law of least resistance--when I am in the flow of life and accepting what IS, I can choose actions to support my intentions and give attention to my heart's desires.

3. You happen to life, life does not happen to you. I am a co-creator--not a victim. I can choose to be empowered through conscious action; I am not a victim of circumstance . . . I can choose my actions and reactions to lIfE! 

2. Order, healing, and love belie every moment of chaos, pain, and fear. Everything happens for a reason, and learning is the key--otherwise I'll get the same lesson presented over and over . . . thanks, Uni-verse!

1. Following your heart is the best way to help others. I might have more peace & be better informed in life when I follow my gut and my heart rather than listen to the craziness that happens in my little bratty monkey mind. When I follow my heart, I can align my choices with my authentic, higher self, be truer to myself, and share my gifts with the world. This is the best way for my to serve others, which is the most important reason I am here (See #1).

The truth shall set you free,

The Universe

© www.tut.com ®

When each of us takes steps toward our highest purpose and our heart's desires--all while serving others with our unique gifts, we can trust that all is well, and trust that the Uni-verse is creating the circumstances and relationships that will serve our highest good.

Love, 

Dana