Hmnnnn . . . that's a number . . .

06.12.17.

The Number

I had a synchronous event a month ago when I was picking up my dog Teddy from getting a furcut. A woman beside me was also picking up her dog, and she had her hoodie on inside out. Because I am true to my women-folk, I told her about it because it was something I myself would do, and because I would want someone--even a stranger--to tell me.

She laughed, and shared that she had just moved her family here and was in the middle of unpacking, and that she had picked it up off the floor and just put it on before rushing out the door to pick up her rather large pup.

I admitted that I, myself, had slept in my outfit, and we began to chat more as we walked outside.

No coincidence that we are both bloggers, and each of us in our own way blog about spirituality, and the human condition.

And she lives about 2 miles from me. Her name is Sheila Qualls and she has an amazing story. Read about it at SheilaQualls.com.

Hello new friend! Welcome to my tribe!

Anyway, as I read her blog this morning about weight, it resonated with a conversation I had almost 30 minutes earlier with one of my besties, Alana. Here's the backstory:

I had back surgery last fall and was down for about three months after experiencing severe sciatica to the point where I had been crawling around the house last summer for almost 4 months--I literally could barely walk. It was a huge blessing, but also entailed a huge recovery, and I missed my job as a teacher so so much.

Long story short, I have put on almost 20 pounds since my surgery.

There. I said it.

And my body feels weird and foreign (but thank you, God, pain free). That's the gratitude. Anyway, I finally weighed myself this morning, and even though I have lost about 5 pounds, when I was talking to my friend Alana, I shared the number with her almost like I was going to confession--with shame, and an expectation that I would be in the doghouse (don't know from whom . . .).

Shame is interesting.

But when I shared the honest number with her, she said, "Hmnnn . . . that's a number . . .". And that was it.

WHAT THE HE(LL)CK?

And she then was the most supportive and beautiful friend I have ever experienced. Love you, girl!

About a half an hour later, Sheila's blog showed up in my mailbox. Read here: Sheila Qualls. It's a blog about women, weight, the media, and shame.

Coincidence? I think not.

Can't wait to walk our dogs together tomorrow and deconstruct. What a gift! I am so grateful.

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

I have exactly what I need!

Hey there!
 This blog may be a bit weird because I am writing it from my phone for the very first time. I wanted to share something that happened  to me this morning, and it has to do with synchronicity.
I was at the post office with my daughter sending some letters and a package and I wanted to get rid of my change along with a couple of dollar bills and so I took out $2 and emptied out my little change purse and the woman told me I owed $4.17. I dug around in my change counted out the dollars I had exactly the correct amount of money that I needed . . .  $4.17! I couldn't believe it and it was just a reminder that I have exactly what I need at every moment.
What a wonderful synchronous reminder that the Universe has my back!

fLy bAbY, fLY!

Even before it has learned to fly; a baby bird is pushed from its nest.

It will totter upon the ground, stubby wings outstretched from its body,

following the guiding cries of its parents to flap its wings and take flight.

When we were young, our wings hadn't even developed

before we began tottering through life.

We may have received little direction about how to fly.

As we grew, we may have built a nest and retreated within it,

still not knowing how to fly.

Although our wings have not been used, we can still learn to fly.

There are those who can teach us . . . 

They, too, have had to learn to fly after years of nest sitting.

It isn't easy at first. In fact, it may be quite painful and tiring.

But by trying out our wings every day, they will grow stronger and more familiar to us.

Our nest will always be there, but we won't have to visit it as often.

We'll be too busy flying and testing our wings.

I can begin to learn the freedom of flight and trust my wings.

~Night Light by Amy E. Dean

hELLo dEaR oNes-

When I read the passage above about birds, I was reminded that we all try to fly in our own ways with the best of what we've got--but all birds are different, and they each learn to fly--in their own unique amazing and sometimes awkward birdlike manners! 

I'm beginning to understand that whenever I try to fly, I am also doing my best--even though it might be pretty darn clunky and uncoordinated at times.

Flying can be anything--trying a new behavior, practicing acceptance, communicating effectively, setting boundaries, creating intentions, or letting go and just trusting in the Universe.

I'm learning how to be kind and gentle to myself, and take baby steps as I leave my nest . . . and know there are others to guide and support me as I take flight. I am also reminded to offer the same courtesy to others as they try out their wings.

We each have our own journeys and unique destinations--I think I'll focus mostly on my own . . .

Tweet Tweet! (peacock for "lots of love")--

DaNa

gOt tAb?

Hey Y'all--

Sometimes we need to TrUsT in something biGGer than what we know... (and trust, is hard...cuz alot of times, we only believe in what we can see, touch, smell, taste, etc...)

I used to have a hard time with tRuSt. But here's kind of a cool and raNdoM (surprise, coming from me) story: 

Once I asked to the Universe to show me a pink can of TaB (which is old-school soda); I didn't think it was made anymore, and I hadn't seen a can for like, 25 years. Four days later, my teacher-friend Mr. R walked through the computer lab (where I had my English classes). 

He smiled and announced, "I am going to the get myself a TaB." And I was so psyched! 

I asked, "Do you have a can for me?"

And he told me that he only had one left, and that I could have it.

Arrival or TaB!

Pretty amazing, huh?

Thanks, Mr. R!

Yu r an (m)angel?!@3#W$%&#

;)d