Beauty of Gray

I didn't think I was going to have much to blog about the I love how you always keep your cool as I didn't believe it.  Well I don't think anyone ALWAYS does everything but that's semantics...I guess I do relative to others or I hide the inner turmoil.  I also no that having a tantrum doesn't help and to be honest I can be overly flexible...the thing I hold is that nothing is black and white and there is room for many perceptions and personal truths.  And as the lyrics to one of my favorite song says.

This is not a black and white world

You can't afford to believe in your side.

This is not a black and white world

To be Alive

I say the colors must swirl

And I believe 

That maybe today

We will all get to appreciate

The beauty of gray

And here is the video

Live Like Its Heaven On Earth

I know I've been off the blog schedule...it was a tough lunar eclipse...have to admit I'm still reintegrating from a blissful and out of body shamanic retreat.  Then I kicked off a Reboot 6 week program that involves some diet cleansing...and it's funny because I didn't anticipate it to rock me as much as it has because I already incorporate a lot of it...but that has been working on clearing me out so I can be clear in life...I did this all while the lunar eclipse was playing emotional havoc in my life...

Yes I admit it couldn't play havoc unless I had some less the pristine emotions and self doubts...yet it felt a bit overwhelming.  The good thing when the overwhelm stops...is that you can fill up on your trust storage...trust in that challenging times are not forever.  I always liked the quote by Winston Churchill that said, "If you find yourself in hell, keep going."  And there is another quote shared to me from my friend Julia that we do not know the source of.  It says, "It's always alright in the end.  So if it's not alright, it's not the end."

The one constant during the challenging times has been the love fortunes.  They usually make me giggle or go awwwwww.  So one fortune said, I love you tell me how your feelings.  Maybe too much, but our feelings are our experiences so there the most honest thing I can share right.  Most of our thoughts are made up and really not true.  Another is I love how you make my heart feel.  That was definitely an awww moment....  We have, I love how much you believe in me.  It's been my experience believing in our friends is the biggest gifts our friends provide.  They believe in us when we are having a hard time believing in ourselves.  And if they don't, maybe you need to reconsider their value to your life.  Just saying...

And yes I giggled when I read I love how you make strange noises.  I giggled, then went oh shit, do I make turret like noises or is he just referring to the Woo Hoo's, Woots and, on special occasion, wheeeeeeee's that I shout throughout spin class.  I won't ask and just go with the latter.

Oh and there was an awwww, when I read I love watching you smile in class when you know no one is looking.    I remember that there is Hallmark card os something that says,

You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, 

Love like you'll never be hurt,

Sing like there's nobody listening,

And live like it's heaven on earth.

So I'm ending with a paradoxical song here...as I do believe that heaven is here on earth, we just need to shift our gaze.  Bruno Mars may not agree with me, per his song he feels he's been locked out, but the song has such a damn good beat...I have more to catch up with but tomorrow is another day.

PS I had to go back and google that quote and like to give credit where it's due.  That quote is by William Purkey.  Who is William Purkey. Never mind, I don't need to know that.

 

If Not You, Then Who?

I'm still not back into the swing of things and the love fortunes over the weekend were perfect for my intention...so I'm going to not be so linear so more and go with the flow...and this mornings struck me because it was I Love How You Believe In Me.  It struck me because of a youtube video I saw on FB about women that described themselves to a sketch artist without him seeing them.  Then he would have a stranger that was in the room with them describe them and sketch them.  Guess what the stranger described them with more beauty than the individual.  I get this on a deeper level every day and wonder what I need to do to believe in myself more...I'm fair at it and I don't want to be egoic but if I don't who will...if you don't who will so here's the video and then to show that there is still some of the same old Lulu in there, a song.

I can't help it, I'm sure there are more modern Believe songs...I'm a Cher fan and yes I Believe in Life Before, During and After Love...after all I'm a love activist, right...well that's what I believe and I'm going to stick to it.

Time To Reboot

I'm getting ready to go into a weekend for shamanic retreat as well as kicking off t a reboot program as I'm doing a little belated Spring cleaning...although the weather was late in warming up so I'm not going to worry about it and it's shamanic time.  I will be tracking my love fortunes because it is one of my favorite daily practices.  I'll be back to blogging, most likely, on Sunday or Monday

So the last two fortunes are "I Love How You Are Always There For Me When I'm Grouchy" and "I Love How Your Laughter Fills The Studio".  So to me these are related but as we know I can do that with most things but laughter is the best way to get out of grouchy...and since I'm more in retreat mind than effusive spouting Lulu-isms.  I'm just going to share a nice little reminder I found on facebook that embraces both as I have it posted in my office (where I get to grouchy more often than other places)

And I guess it's all about how we reboot whether it be through a quote, a cleanse, laughter...

PS...

This blogging is like letting the cork out of the damn sometimes...so I had another thought about the I love how you say what you mean.  Not about me but it's funny how the universe does line up and sends other affirmations around the theme (making me realize I may have to look at this aspect of myself more closely.)  But on Facebook today, I just saw something from Paulo Coelho that said, Don't say NO if you want to say YES.  Don't say MAYBE if you want to say NO.  It was right over a picture with the quote "Diga "NO" sin culpa.  Diga "SI" sin miedo.  And if my spanish is right the translation wasn't exact, and in spanish what was said Say NO without blame/guild.  Say YES without fear.  And although not precisely the same it is all embodied in one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Seuss which is "Say what you mean and mean what you say.  Because those that mind don't matter and those that matter don't mind."  Similar to Mark Twains quote which is "It's mind over matter.  If you Don't Mind It Don't Matter."

I think I'm done for the day, but you never know....

Ixnay on the Unsolicited Advice

Not feeling bloggy (that may be a good thing) but usually that leads to longer blogs than usual so be forewarned.  I actually am behind and have two.  One is I love how you say Hello and Good Morning. It could be that I say it and if you read in the past I shared a story how I was in Wichita and someone said hello to me in the elevator.  I looked over my shoulder even though I was alone in there.  It can also go back to the one on how expressive I am and literally how I say it.  I guess I don't hear myself speak because I'm too busy speaking.  I had an opportunity to listen to an astrology session I had and let's just say, I've discovered that I am quite expressive and I can't say I'm a fan but it's hard to listen to ourselves, I think???? .  And it is a them since the other fortune what that I love how you speak your mind.  Oh if that were true they would probably put me in an asylum.  Tee hee...then again I know someone who used to be a psychotherapist at Bellevue.  He said the only thing different between him and the patients was that he had the keys.  I get that.  And also I sensor...your lucky you don't hear all the processing I do...it goes faster as time goes on...but let's just say I filter.

And although I can probably listen more and say less, I like to use a filter on speaking (especially when it comes to giving advice - and have I ever told you that unsolicited advice is a pet peeve...just because I share a challenge with someone, doesn't mean I want them to help me fix it...if I say what do you think tell me, otherwise, I think probing or even silence is a good response)  Anyway back to the filter.  There are four questions (with a few comments as well, of course) that I learned and I had to google to remember exactly.   This came from Sai Baba

1.  Is it kind?  It's interesting how people don't realize how harsh there opinions can sound.
2.  Is it necessary?  Oh barely anything anything can fit in this category.  It's the old need vs want.
3.  Is it true?  Except for a few bare facts...most things are our interpretation or perception so it may be true to us but to nobody else.
4.  Does it improve upon silence?  And many people are uncomfortable with silence...yet it can be a profound reply.  We all probably do way more talking than listening.  I know I'm guilty of that.  And what do we hear in the silence?  As many of us know our minds may not make noise to the outside world but sheesh, what it says to us and it's probably best it stays that way.

On that mind, I'll keep this relatively short. But I'll leave you with two songs on the mind...

Born This Way

So the love fortune I'm supposed to be blogging about is "I Love Your Sophisticated Sense of Smell".  I giggle because Danny and I have become scent swappers...although I'm more of an appreciator he is the scent master.  We come together on earthy, churchy smells...what do you expect from someone that practices shamanic ceremonies...think i'ts a pre-requisite.  And I can't think of a song about smells and I was just having one of those whoa is me, sorry for myself mornings...  So I was just going to skip blogging and do a two for one deal tomorrow.  But I never go without reading my love fortunes and todays is "I Love That You Were Born This Way".  The universe always speaks to us and provides...I talk about trust all the time...and it's nice when it happens fairly immediately.  I even wondered about admitting my dark mood but then again this is a part of life and I was born this way too not just the happy playful carefree, the pendulum doesn't stay in one place does it...it's just the speed of the swing (did I lose you...hope not)  

So I can find a song on trust but you all know which one I'm going to post.  This version is more like a mini-movie (7 min. plus) but check it out...I like the dialogue in the beginning)