Reflecting On Our Words: March

One really never knows how one small choice can have such an impact. In January, Caroline at The Zen In You selected a word...one simple word. A word that would carry her through the year. From that choice came a like minded choice for five blog friends: Octamom, Miruspeg, AnneMarie, Roban and me. We wanted our "Word" to make a difference..and what a difference a choice makes. It is now the end of March and time for us to share our post reflecting on our word. This month we share a photo.

It is a simple task, the click of a button and a picture forms. I am loving the creativity of my dear friends. We have carried our "Word" with us through our days, and in no small way has our "Word" positively influenced us.

Through our photos, we hope in a small way you will find for yourself a path of Excellence, Balance, Faith & Joy, Discipline, and Abundance!

Octamom chose Excellence. There are many ways that she has walked this walk. Her "Word" has truly been a blessing as her child (7 of 8) who had a stroke at birth has now, through many hours of therapy begun to walk. A most excellent gift for this family! We certainly celebrate with her!

Miruspeg chose Balance. This woman has so many gifts. She has surely implemented Balance in her life since January. We all hope to have balance in our lives. Read her wonderful posts about how she practices her "Word".

Roban chose Faith & Joy. You can read her wonderful posts and see how she honors these words with her family and friends. A life of faith and joy surely shows through her beautiful photography!

AnneMarie chose Discipline. She is practicing this with style, documenting her most disciplined activities. I would say that she is courageously attacking Discipline in her life. Read more about her and get inspired!

I chose Abundance. What a journey I am experiencing!


We would love to see your photo and read your post about your word. Please let me know if you post about your word! I too would love to be inspired!

Abundance is....sharing a project with friends!

Change Through A "Down Dog": My Journey #2

How does real change begin? I have "started over" with my many commitments and resolutions over and over again. I always intended to keep my commitments to myself...what kept me from being consistent? I am not sure. What I do know is that since I began the year with my WORD "abundance" I have sought to define exactly what that means. I last posted on living in the moment. I am definitely practicing this one.

Part II of my journey started with a doctor visit. A new doctor who gave me some new medication for a chronic pain that I have experienced for years. Within days, the pain was more controlled. The next Sunday at church I met a visitor who had been in a yoga class I had attended several years before. She invited me back to yoga. The next night I was walking into the yoga room with a renewed energy. I was excited about the prospect of the experience.

It has been 8 weeks and I have attended yoga three times per week and I have to say there has been more than a change in strength and flexibility, although the physical activity has continued to lift my spirits and make me feel strong. The last 10 minutes of the class is a time of complete quiet and relaxation. Soft music plays in the background. It is truly the best part of my week. I have not yet been able to create the same experience at home but that is surely a goal. In that 10 minutes the goal is to completely relax, to allow the ground to support the body and for that moment to focus on the breath. It also beckons one to be comfortable with silence. Sounds simple enough...but it is not that easy. It is difficult to avoid letting thoughts of the day creep in or to be distracted by outside sounds.

I find this experience to be an abundant gift and the experience has led to a few more gifts for my spirit. More about that in future posts.

I have friends who take spin classes, bike, walk, and run in the outdoors. I suspect for each of them the experience creates the same type of effect...it can become a form of meditation, a time to be introspective.

I can only be encouraged that so far so good on the commitment. That in itself feels like a small victory. Yoga is an ancient practice. It is an awe inspiring thought that throughout history people through yoga have sought change and inspiration. The achievement of "enlightenment" in yoga practice is said to be an ultimate quest, but for now my personal quest occurs one class at a time with the next balanced pose and 10 minutes of inner peace.

Abundance is...holding a "Down Dog" for longer than 10 seconds!! :) (heels still not down)

This Very Moment: My Journey #1

Ah! What an amazing moment I just had opening my blog site after several weeks. It was like coming home. I have been taking a journey and discovering some wonderful things about life and myself. The journey has been taken within the schedule of my own life. It has required no vacation, no special resort. I look forward to sharing some of my journey in the next few weeks.

The first lesson I am learning is to live in the moment. Not just talking about living in the moment but actually doing that. It requires practice.

I can do nothing about my experience in the past. I cannot change it or control it or make it different. Really, it no longer exists.

And the future is not in my control. Tomorrow is not in my control. I heard someone say that worry or concern for the future is fear that something may happen that I do not want to happen.

So, I could spend time worrying about what is to come that may or may not happen the way I want it, or I could accept the fact that tomorrow will come and I shall live in that moment when it arrives.

Living in the moment is freeing and allows us to enjoy or life without strings that tie down.

I am reading Paulo Coelho's book "The Alchemist". Here is a quote from this book: "Because I don't live in either my past or my future, I'm interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you'll be a happy man. You'll see that there is life in the desert, that there are stars in the heavens, and that tribesmen fight because they are part of the human race. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we're living right now."

I am used to thinking about my calendar and always wanted to know what was to come. I used to live through my precious time on the weekends thinking about what I had to do the next week. In fact, my favorite quote was from the movie "Kate and Leopold", paraphrasing Kate was sitting in Leopold's arms on their deck on Sunday. It was a tender moment and Kate says, "I hate Sundays. And Leopold asked why. Kate replied.. Because tomorrow is Monday."

In order to have a more abundant life I am taking time to discover how I can do that. For this reason I have not been blogging. I love my blog and I love the people who I share this interest with. I think that my blog and my life will be better for the journey.

So for today, at this moment I am only thinking about this post, sharing life with others and enjoying the fact that I love opening my blog and seeing the beautiful blue and the lovely picture I have chosen. I love seeing the faces of those who share posts with me and looking at the titles of others posts as they pop up on my screen. Soon I will live in a moment to read some posts, share some encouraging comments. For now, I wish you abundance in this moment of your life.

Abundance is..."enjoying this moment!"

Laughing Out Loud

I could not resist this song list for the month. Although these are old and a bit dorky, you just cannot listen with out a grin or two. There are so many ways to build laughter into your life. We get started in our day and before we know it we are "singing the blues"! We'll, not me. At least not in March. I want to have more wrinkles from smiles than frowns, I want to lower my blood pressure (experts say laughing does this), and I want to keep on the sunny side....there is just too much out there that can bring us down. We get to decide what we put into our minds.
A friend of mine recently participated in "Laughter Yoga" at an event he attended. Although it was a bit of a strange experience at first...the result was a room full of happy and relaxed people. I looked this up and there is an "American School of Laughter Yoga" and there are Laughter Yoga clubs around the country. Visit their website and watch a short Youtube video about laughter yoga as presented on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
Youtube is no stranger to providing all the laughter you can muster. My personal favorites are the laughing baby videos. Here is the link to one of my favorite belly laughs. "Baby Laughing at the Wii".
I also spent an evening last weekend watching a video of Tim Hawkins, a Christian stand up comedian. He performs at churches across the country and I have to say, I released more than a few chuckles listening to him. His website and Youtube provide short videos to give you a sample of his work.
Okay, so no excuses. Try a bit of laughter this week. I feel better already!

In closing, turn off my song play list and enjoy this favorite from Mary Poppins!


Abundance is...looking for joy and finding it!

Our Words for 2009 in Song

This is very much becoming my favorite part of the month here in 2009, the time when my friends from across the world come together for this year long project...to celebrate each month in some way how we have acted on our Word chosen for 2009.

You might remember Miruspeg, Annemarie, Roban, Octamom and I posted an acrostic in January. See this post if you missed it!

This month we have chosen to create lyrics about our word to a song. If you chose a song in 2009 you might just give it a try.

I have included the songs on my playlist if you want to sing along!

Miruspeg of "Middle Age Ramblings" wrote lyrics to the song "Where is the Love" by the Black Eyed Peas.

"Where is the Balance"

Listen to what your body and feelings are telling you
Like most things in life,
It takes practice and experimentation.
We need to make adjustments,
As we go along.
We need to stop and reflect,
To see which parts of our life,
Are out of Balance.
Then take the steps,
To put them back in Balance.
So remember to stop and ask yourself,
Where is the Balance.....
Where is the Balance.....
Where is the Balance......

Annamarie from "So I was Just Thinking" wrote lyrics to the song "A Few of My Favorite Things"

"A Few of My Discipline Needs"

Disciplined living – for this I am searching
“Fly by the seat of my pants” isn’t working
Making a list of the things I must do
This just might help locate my left shoe

Grading my papers as soon as I get them
Clearing my desk off so I won’t forget them.
Grocery shopping for healthier things
These are of few of my Discipline Needs

When I’m tired
I don’t want to
pack a lunch for sure
But when I remember my Discipline needs
A healthy lunch is ... in store!!!

Roban from "Moments in Time" wrote lyrics to the song "Edelweiss" the Rodgers and Hammerstein hit from The Sound of Music.

"Faith and Joy"

Faith and joy,
faith and joy
These two words will sustain me
Through the year, far and near
Faith and joy will be mine.

Faith that God will see me through
With joyful days His voice rings true.
aith and joy,
faith and joy
Are blessings for me to gather.

Octamom wrote these lyrics and here is a most creative way to present it!



Excellence Song from Octamom on Vimeo.

As for me, you know from reading my last post about my month. February has been a month of abundance in all of its many faces. I wrote lyrics to the song "A Wonderful World", one of my favorites.

“An Abundant World”

I hear songs of love….devotion too
I sing along…a few notes for you
And I think to myself….what an abundant world.

I whisper prayers…for friends in need
Some who are joyful…some really grieve.
And I think to myself….what an abundant world

The words of a loved one….so dear to my ear
Are just what I needed…..to take away my fear
I hear people sharing…and it’s more than a few.
They’re really sayin’…I love you.

I see my children….I’ve watched them grow
They work and play…independence they show
And I think to myself…what an abundant world

A Wonderful World was written b y George David Weiss and Bob Thiele
Louis Armstrong recorded the song in 1968.

My abundance theme for March is "Laughing Out Loud", a treasure for sure after the events in February. It is surely a reminder that we need to use laughter to express joy, to release stress and to "practice" abundance. Stay tuned for a bit of laughter coming from this blog.

Abundance is...the kind words from friend after an absence. Thanks!

I'm Still Here!

I have not left the country,
I have not been kidnapped and forced to cook for the mob
I have not had my computer stolen or my fingers bound in duct tape.

I am still here living my life with abundance.

Of course, when a life is well lived there are those times when transitions are experienced and I have had one of those months. Some sad, some joyful.

I have gained a new doctor.
I have lost my pain from fibromyalgia with a new medication.

I have gained a new Yoga class.
I have lost some inches.

I have gained a new work project.
I have lost some blog time.

I have gained new sleep meditations for my ipod.
I have lost the need to count sheep.

I have gained a new appreciation for a woman of faith, loved by so many.
I have lost a 44 year old cousin's spouse through sudden and unexpected death.

I have gained insight into the process of dying.
I have lost an uncle to cancer.

I have gained a career minded daughter moving back home for a while.
I have lost 2 of my precious tax deductions to adulthood.

Yes, in the ups and downs of life I am still here....expecting abundant joy every day and
finding it!!!

Cheers!!!

We Can Choose to Prevail

I have had many discussions in the last few weeks about the dire condition of the economy. I cannot watch the news or turn on my radio without a critic with some level of expertise sharing their opinion of the economy, the stimulus package, the state of unemployment or housing. It seems that the louder and more negative you are the longer the interview and the more face time you get on the air.

Now I acknowledge the enormity of the situation, and I pray for those who are hurting. I am glad that we have leaders from both sides to work out a plan to correct the vast number of systems that appear broken but I have another view to consider. One of course from a perspective of abundance. It seems we jump to quickly to "it won't work", " we can't", "it's worse". We do it in our own homes when things begin to fall apart and it seems our country is going down that same rabbit trail.

I heard an interview this week on NPR that was not about the economy but was an interview with author Amy Dickinson who has a new memoir published this month titled "The Mighty Queens of Freeville". In this interview she made one small comment about the state of our union and that is we are lacking a spirit of prevailing.

I immediately began to think about how this concept of prevailing contributes to abundance. That when times are tough we might want to consider not just enduring... to me that means we "stand still", do nothing and maybe complain or live in fear, but add in the element of "prevail" and you have so much more. Prevail means to "overcome". Prevail and overcome may at first glance appear to be the end result to one's problem but I see "Prevail" as the process with which we get through. The word "Prevail" is proactive and leans more toward a thought that we have a chance, that we will move toward a solution, and that working together we can like a plant growing through the crack of a sidewalk prevail. We simply need to do more to encourage each other, and speak encouragingly of the efforts of others to help us prevail.

A thought for our family issues, a lesson for our children involved in competition, and maybe... just maybe a thought for our country in need.

Abundance is...an attitude that we can prevail.

The photos came from Flickr.com. Sited under the heading "Prevail". The crack in the sidewalk is from Mikepordenaluk and the bus sign is from Worldofoddy.

A special blessing today for the "Macs" family in the loss of their two year old Cora Paige. She in a matter of only 2 weeks became ill and lost the fight.