prACTice (gr)ATTITUDE! . . . it's an attitude . . .

Gratitude is the
single most important ingredient
to living a successful and fulfilled life.

--Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series

I know from experience that when when I focus on and am thankful for the good stuff I already have, I send out amazing positive energy that can bring  MORE of the good stuff BTW . . . it works the same for being negative . . . Have you ever been around a bunch of complainers and jumped in and started whining along with them? And then you can feel your frequency drop like a lead balloon?

ENERGY (positive or negative) GOES VIRAL! 

We all know that getting better at something (like being grateFULL) takes prACTice (NOTE: prACTice has the word ACT in it!!).

So how do we do it? I have a couple of ideas for you, but BEWARE: they take ACTion.

oNe iDeA: I personally like to write (duh . . .), so I keep a journal where I list things I am grateful for at the end of the day. That way, I end my day on a positive note, and I actually think I sleep better!  

aNothEr IdEa: (pinecone story alert) there was a time in my life when I felt like noTHING was working . . . my job, my family life, my relationships (mostly with myself, aka funfreeMe NOT, but also with other people). 

So, I started running (and running ... and running ... and running ... you know what I mean! ... cuz that's what we do, right? ....... we RuN ........... and fast!)

I happened to be running on a golf course one day and looked down and saw a pinecone. For some reason, I picked it up; this is how the Universe gets our attention sometimes. I sat on a bench that overlooked the entire golf course, ready to collapse into a pile of misery.

Then, for some reason, I decided to start counting my blessings. I had the pinecone in my hand, and I pulled off every tine (the hard prickly thingies that stick out on pinecones), and for each one, I thought of something I was grateful for. I sat there for over and hour, and by the time I was done, I felt sOsooooSo much better.

My energy changed from me feeling like crap to feeling, well, BLESSED. On this day I began to count my blessings . . . and this began my love affair with pinecones. More later . . .

Have a beautiful day! 
Dana

SaViNg SpiDerS . . .

(re) Arrival of Spider

05.28.17.

I've always had a sort of kinship with spiders. I grew up with a dad who used to help me understand the connections in Nature, and he used to capture spiders with coffee cups in the house and release them outside to their freedom (but not really in the winter . . . too cold). 

Killing a spider in our house was a no-no, partly because we grew up on a lake with tons of mosquitoes, and rumor had it that the spiders caught the naughty creatures and ate them. Interestingly enough, while it was completely acceptable in our household to swat mosquitoes to their death, spiders held a special position in the big scheme of life.

Although I didn't recognize totems in my younger years, I absolutely do now--and today, spider arrived for me. Here's the story:

*  *  *  *  *

My amazing husband and I are at the lake (without kids) this weekend, and I lo-o-o-o-ve to cook! So, I was making an amazing lunch today of chicken tacos with mango salsa, shredded coleslaw and broccoli salad, and fruit-infused detox water.

I dropped Keith off for an appointment and began to make our yummiliscous lunch. I checked the chicken, and I encountered a daddy long legs repelling down his string from our new oven/countertop hood. He was heading right for the hot pan of chicken (I don't think spiders like chicken, but one never knows . . .). I scooped him up and took him outside, and tried to rest him in the grass, but he kept crawling back on me. I remembered my dad taking spiders out in coffee cups and I thought, "Tree, apple; apple, tree."

And then I became open to the message in a curious way--and began to write this blog. 

Sometimes animals serve as totems--- Webster's defines a totem as: "A natural object, usually an animal that serves as a distinctive, often venerated  [respected]  emblem or symbol, usually a means of personal or spiritual identity." So, when a special animal appears to me, I  pay attention and try to figure out the animal's message for me.

Here's what I know bout Spider from SpiritAnimal.com:

A spider is a remarkable figure of feminine energy and creativity in the spirit animal kingdom. Spiders are characterized by the skilled weaving of intricate webs and patience in awaiting their prey. By affinity with the spider spirit animal, you may have qualities of high receptivity and creativity. Having the spider as a power animal or totem helps you tune into life’s ebbs and flows and ingeniously weave every step of your destiny.

---

Spider spirit animal: Symbol of creativity & patience:

In many cultures, the spider is given credit for its ability to weave intricate webs that are a miracle of organic engineering. If you have the spider as an animal spirit guide, you may have an affinity with acts of creation and the ability to create delicate, intricate things or ideas that are also strong.

Like the spider waiting for her prey patiently, the presence of this spirit animal in your life could point to the need to show patience regarding a project or some ideas that you are trying to realize. Giving some time while paying attention to how events are unfolding and acting when the opportunity truly arise might be a lesson of wisdom from the spider spirit animal.

Thanks for your arrival, Spider! Good reminder!

Got Water?

"The Bucket"
05.17.17.

Water. It's a Universal need for all creatures, including us humans.

Did you know our bodies are made of about 60% water? It's no wonder that when we are dehydrated, our brains start to feel fuzzy and we get lethargic and "off."

Did you also know that water molecules carry energy, and our thoughts can change the composition of the molecules?

Since our bodies are composed of so much water, it's important that we manage our thoughts so they do not effect us negatively with the energy we create.

When Dr. Masaro Emoto exposed water to a number of different words and sounds, and he found that the molecules rearranged themselves in patterns in response to the stimuli. Check out this video:

What strikes me with this research is that the health of our bodies--in connection with water--could be directly related to our thoughts, our words, and to the people and situations we choose to surround ourselves with.

And how we treat others can physically effect them, as well.

Have you ever noticed a shift in yourself, physically and psychologically, when you are around negative people? It's almost like you can feel their energy--it's real.

Our thoughts and words matter. Let's consciously choose them.

Let it Rain . . . Let it Be . . .

“For after all,

the best thing one can do

when it is raining

is let it rain.” 

―Henry W. Longfellow

This morning as I was driving to work it began to rain. I noticed that I felt calm and comforted--almost relieved--by the soft falling drops on my windshield. I didn't even turn my wipers on, and I opened my window to feel the wet spring raindrops in my hand. Amazing!

I've always loved rainy days. 

There's something, well, snuggled in about rainy days . . . (and snow days, too). They sort of give us permission to turn within, take care of ourselves, and listen to our inner whisperings.

I was reminded of a sunny day one summer when I was walking around Lake Harriet with my daughter, Chloe:

We had gotten about half-way around the lake, when a light rain shower began. It actually cooled us down very nicely, and Chloe and I just kept walking, hand-in-hand.

I remember smiling at the other people who were walking around the lake-- a knowing smile, like we were the lucky ones to experience this soft hum of rain on a hot summer afternoon.

Then, it started to rain harder . . . and harder. I noticed those who were walking started very quickly toward their cars, and people who were biking, rollerblading, or running--alone, in pairs, or with their pets--began to go faster and faster to get safely out of the wet rain.

I wasn't sure what to do . . . Chloe and I were still almost a mile and a half away from the car. We both started to complain to one another, and then we went under a tree for some shelter from the rain--and then something in me shifted. As I watched people scatter to get out of the rain, I realized Chloe and I really had no choice but to finish our walk around the lake . . . IN THE WET, COOL, AMAZING RAIN.

And, we could either complain about it and continue in complete misery, or we could step out and  fully experience and celebrate the gift of rain.

"This is awesome!" I laughed. "Now we don't have to take baths tonight!" I winked at Chloe, pulled her out from the under the shelter of the tree, and we skipped out into the rain.

We jumped in puddles, sang songs about rain, raced and ran in the downpour--and noticed people smiling at our ridiculous antics.  

Forty minutes later, we arrived at our car TOTALLY drenched and thrilled. There is grace in simply accepting WHAT IS, and I learned something about shifting my thoughts that day (even though I didn't realize it until this morning) . . . these moments happened organically, and come from a place larger than our egos; they emerge from deep within our spirit, the place that knows the this truth: We are born to experience joy, and that depends on how WE choose to experience life--ALL OF IT. 

Thank GO(o)D(ness).

How have you shifted your perspective and experienced joy? How have you accepted the moment for WHAT IS?

Lucky us,
;) Dana 

Awaken to Spring!

05.08.17.

Spring has sprung!

Yesterday was the first day of the HAY HOUSE WORLD SUMMIT, an online event to inspire, heal, and begin some important conversations about life and love. IT'S FREE--check it out! I'll be blogging about it in the coming days . . .

I LooOoOOooooOOve the sPrIngTiMe!  Know Why? Because it's spring!

Everything is reborn, and reawakening from the stillness and incubation of winter.

Just to be clear: I do love every season for different reasons--because of the rhythm of the cycles of nature. It all happens in perfect time--when we can trust it and let go of control in order to allow all that is.

This past weekend at our cabin in Wisconsin, it actually felt like spring for the first time, and there are some things I really appreciate about this time of year:

• driving to work in the SUNLIGHT!
• Teddy, my dog, smelling like fresh air and grass when he comes inside
• barbeque anything
• the anticipation of summer
• street music
• Minnesota lakes and the buzz of people in the city . . .
• the quiet centeredness of walking at Baker Park

Every spring is a great time to take an inventory about how we want our life to look and feel: for example, what behaviors and relationships do we want to call in or continue? and what behaviors and relationships do we want to let go? This is especially awesome to think about before Wednesday's FULL MOON!

Happy Monday! 

The Shadow Proves the Sunshine

05.01.17.

It's hard sometimes when we are stuck in the shadows to realize that wherever we put our focus becomes out reality. If we realized that we simply need to turn our face to the sunshine we maybe wouldn't be so attached to the shadow--

Sure, we would still know it's there, but our attention would be elsewhere, basking in the light.

Sometimes, the light can be blinding if we aren't used to looking at it--and if we look at it straight on, it can bee too intense, and burn. But we have to take baby steps . . . and protect ourselves along the way.

It takes intention and presence to look toward the light. And the irony is, that we also must appreciate, acknowledge, and honor the shadow in order to move to the light . . . without shadow the sunshine cannot exist.

In our human existence, we simply cannot experience joy with out its shadow, which can come to us in broken relationships, sadness, major life changes--the things in life that can bring us to our knees.

But that's the point; it's how we grow. And we can be grateful for all of it, because the sun cannot exist without the moon, and we cannot see the moon without the darkness.

If we can get large enough and get out of the particulars, the weeds of our existence, we can begin to imagine the grand scheme of the Universe with gratitude and humility. But the weeds are part of it, and they can be part of the beauty of our existence.

I never knew a dandelion was a weed until the grownups told me to pull them from the garden. 

When I was a kid, I thought dandelions were beautiful pockets of sunshine on Earth; I used to watch their yellow faces follow the sun moving through the sky, and I collected them into the most delicate, ribboned bouquets.

The balance between light and dark, sun and shadow, can by a tricky navigation. Pure momentary presence honors both, and our challenge is to accept wherever we find ourselves with full attention. It's not an easy task, but it's often the resistance to shadow that keeps us from moving and breaking through into the sunlight. But don't underestimate the function of the shadow; after all, the shadow proves the sunshine.

Don't Stand In the Shadows!

I've noticed that my sweet pup Teddy is constantly looking for that small slice of sunshine beaming through the windows of our house. When he finds one, he lays himself down with his face smack in the light and closes his eyes to rest.

As the sunlight moves, I see him nudging closer to the light, following the beams as he takes his many naps during the day.

He keeps his face toward the sunshine. It's only natural for dogs.

We grownups have a lot to learn from nature. Thing is, it's often hard to intentionally keep our faces toward the sunshine; kids do it naturally--live in the moment with their intense presence--but as we grow up, things change.

Some of us learn to focus on the shadows of our past, or project our fears into the future--and we rob ourselves of moment after moment as a result. The experiences and people the Universe has placed uniquely in front of us become invisible as we live in our heads and overthink.

We lose the sunshine. 

But it's okay. 

After all, shadows cannot exist without sunshine. 

One of life's challenges is continually bringing ourselves back to facing the sunshine and living in the moment--it's a continuous conversation.

I'm grateful I have Teddy to remind me.

trAnsFoRmAtiOn . . . and rE-bIrTh (Happy Easter!)

Metamorphosis is naturally destructive.

~Danielle LaPorte

One summer, a bUtTeRfLy landed on me, and then I kept seeing them over and over. I took this as a sign from the Universe of a newly arrived tOtEm: 

bUtTTerFly! 

Happy Easter!

(also a time of transFORmation, transMUtation, and change . . .)

The butterfly reminds us about biRtH and reBiRtH . . . and also gently whispers to us:

The only constant in

life is

cHaNGe! 

I don't know about you, but when I was a teenager, I sometime felt downright awkward, sluggish, and well, kind of wormISH, in a way (sometimes still feel like this, btw!). If you think about caterpillars, they are kind of the same 

. . . gross and not-so-good looking, perhaps?

Can you believe that yucky wormy caterpillars transform themselves into beautiful and amazing butterflies?

Do you think caterpillars realize their existence

in the dirt with the other worms and bugs is actually

preparing them for their 

most miraculous life 

above the ground in free flight?

Can you imagine the view--

the difference in perspective?!

(gOoSeBuMp alert!)

What if yoUr existence now--with all the good stuff and the yucky crap, too, is doing the same:

preparing you for yoUr

most miraculous life

above the ground in free flight?

Here's a reveal of a 

butterfly's

first emergence

(nice outfit!)

If you've ever watched a caterpillar spin a cocoon and emerge as a butterfly,

 you may have noticed a couple of things:

the process of

transformation

takes 

t . . . i . . . m . . . e

and

trUst

that

nAtUrE

knows what she's doing!

When you were born, just like any other creature, you had to trust that when you arrived, you would be caught and cared for, right?

Guess what?

You are still caught and cared for, . . . even if it may not be showing up the way you want.

Love it all,

Dana

bE pEaCe . . .

hAPpY DaY ffpps!

The last few days have been thinking a lot about peAce, and how to calm ourselves  and become present enough to get quiet and clear . . . so we can JuSt Be . . .

We can get quiet and get present in a lot of ways . . . I think I've described meditating (below is a turtle meditation about getting quiet within yourself . . . like a turtle goes into it's shell!:)  

Sometimes, going inside (like a turtle) is so necessary . . . either to protect yourself  from people or situations with gross, icky energy; just to check in with yourself to refuel and get your "stuff" back together; to calm down; or to just rest. Isn't it nice to know that you can do this FOR YOURSELF whenever you want? Whew! and YAY!

I totally believe in breathing deeply, laughing, doing your passion, and spending time with children and pets! There are many ways to experience peace (and it ain't outSIDe of yOu!); PEACE is an INside job! 

Sometimes going out into nature is the best remedy for finding peace; when I want peace, I can go for a walk, look at the trees, smell the flowers, and feel the wind. 

Take a few minutes today to find a little piece of peace . . . 

Have an amazing, fun-filled day (and liFe!)...

pEaCe iN!

;) dana

U R gEniUs . . . aT bEiNg U!

Everybody is a genius; 

but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree,

it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.

~Albert Einstein

Dear Fun & Free Peeps!

Have you ever seen a school of fish swimming together? One thing that amazes me about fish is that when they swim in  a school, they work as a group--and they don't even touch each other or run into other fish! Check out this vid!

It's almost like they operate as one unified body, isn't it? How do they do that? I'm not a biology person, but there's something very natural about how these beautiful creatures operate as a school. I think it might be in their genes that they are naturally aware of other fish around them and gauge their speed and movement accordingly. I've also read that fish travel in a group because they are more protected, and they swim so close together so that from afar some predators view a school of fish as one big creature. I wonder if humans would benefit from a similar, more interconnected way of life. Hmnnnnn . . .

But I digress . . . Einstein's quote above brings me back to the subject of this blog: Each of us is, well, a GENIUS . . . at being uniquely ourselves! Because we humans are one species, we often kind of ASSume that other people should be like us, be good at the same things as we are, or like the similar stuff. I mean, we tend to judge other for not being or feeling or operating like we do, but we would never look at a fish and think, "Man, that fish is totally crappy at walking. That is well, unbelievable!"

Einstein's words are a nice reminder to me that everybody is exactly where they should be, and that my job is to keep my focus on Dana and allow others to be freely themselves; I am on this Earth to be uniquely and supremely myself, as are others. It also reminds me that my judgements are about ME, and are not really about the person I'm judging (and other people's judgements about me are also . . . not about me).

Anyway, when I was a kid, I used to want to be like others, but now I know that it's not even possible and insanely boring! I celebrate the fact that I'm sort of random, I laugh often and hard (and cry, too!), and feel deeply. I find joy in teensy-weensy stuff (like my favorite stickers or a yummy-smelling candle!) and I pay it forward by trying to smile and be kind to everyone I encounter. I have awkward dance moves, and love making faces. It's all good; it's just . . . ME!

What makes you unique? Leave a comment and share your awesomeness with us!

Lots of Love,

;0) Dana

WatcH tHe cLoUdS and jUsT bE . . .

I only do this until I get dizzy

and then I lay down on my back 

& watch the clouds she said. 

It sounds simple 

but you won't believe how many people

forget the second part.

Dear FunFreePeeps!

Yesterday I did something (r)EVOLUTIONARY! If you've read my blog for awhile, you may realize that sometimes my brain sends my into kind of a tailspin of TO DO LISTING! Sometimes, I get rather stuck up in my brain thinking about the stuff I HAVE TO DO (made up stuff, a lot of the time . . . ) OR I whirl around my house or classroom DOING STUFF. 

Ho do we get this STUFF OUT OF OUR BRAINS and out of the TAILSPIN/WHIRLWIND OF ACTION?

First, I write down major categories of my STUFF: kids, house, to fix, car, funfreeMe, business school, LOVE, and LIFE! And then, I downloaded everything out of my brain and barf it onto the paper.

You know what? . . . I often realize that my list isn't even that long . . . and I am getting overwhelmed over not SO MUCH STUFF. Even just getting it on paper calms me down a TON!

In the past, what I've tried to do is get everything done superFAST so I can actually relax, instead of moving through my activities, and giving each my full attention and presence, trusting that I'll know what the next right thing to do will be--

Somewhere along the way, I learned that if I'm superBUSY and get things done superFAST in a superPERFECT way, I'll get extra credit or something. TOTAL VICTIM of busYness and PERFECTION!

Same with suffering. I used to believe that if I held onto the past and kept reliving pain, I would get extra credit for my extra suffering. TOTAL VICTIM of pAIn (in the butt) and DRAMA!

Secret information: We are human BEings not human DOings. We need to enjoy life along the way and not freak out over all the stuff we have to do, after all, there's always more stuff to add to our lists.

"In Micronesian, there's a word, kukaro, which has no corresponding word in English. When people say they are going to kukaro, they mean they are going to relax, sit around, and hang out. They are being, not doing."

--Eli and Beth Halpern

I sure don't know any Micronesian, and I don't even know where it's spoken, do you? Leave me a comment and let me know! but I love the idea of kukaro, and I'm going to put more kukaro-ing into my life!

PeAcE--

xXoXox0x dana

Arrival of Theodore Duncan Bradach III . . .

Shhhhh . . . 

Teddy the Cavapoo is here and he is a very good boy! He is taking his morning nap right now, so please be very quiet!

I may need a bit of extra sleep in the next week or so, but I'll still be writing.

Have a beautiful day!

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