Wiscast Wednesday and 52 Photo Project

Today is Wednesday and over at Jamie Ridler’s and Bella’s 52 Photo Project we are sharing our dreams, wishes and photos. Jamie is asking us “What do you wish for your health?” and Bella is asking us to share photos of water.

I have had some health problems over the years including asthma/copd, gerd and now a knee problem. It can be overwhelming and some days I feel like I can't remember a time I just felt good.  So today comes along and while I am worrying about the MRI I have scheduled next week and allergies are messing with my breathing I come across the above picture to share at Bella's and I am reminded of a time when I DID feel good.

The scene above is of Squam Lake which I took while attending  Squam Artworkshops  last September.  I can remember breathing in the beauty of that lake and all the emotions I felt being around like minded souls.  I was undone in a good way and still trying to assimilate the changes that occurred for me there. I felt accepted in a way I have not always felt, accepted and supported. I came up against a lot of my anxieties about being away from home on my own with no familiar faces and having to really pay attention to myself and my needs in a new way but  also knowing that If I fell there would be arms to catch me. It was a new experience for me, one I still find hard describing.

Long story short if you have read my blog before you know I can get caught up in the fear/anxiety cycle pretty darn quick and this only makes ALL my health problems worse. I am in a strange formless place somewhere in transition. It is DAMN uncomfortable and I am clinging to the old ways tooth and nail, which includes emotional eating and the fear based place of not feeling loved or being enough for this one or that one. Generally not taking GOOD care of myself.

Something else I worry about is what will I be giving up in order to move forward. I know in order to truly embrace this change I will be giving up some things or even some people and  beliefs I held about myself and my story.  Then a day like this comes along and I am in creative space for a few moments writing this wish and looking at my pictures remembering that time and space where I caught  a glimpses of who I could be, healthy, whole and open hearted.  I want to be that person and I need days like this to remind me that it IS possible, that I can connect to community and sacred space through creating.

I am learning there may always be tough days but I can balance them with time spent in connection and creating which can only help my healing.  I thank both Jamie and Bella for creating these spaces for community and connection, I am truly grateful for these spaces.

I am feeling all over the place this week and I can see it today in my writing but I am just going to put it out here and let it be what it is.  So what are you wishing for your health today? As you wish for yourself, I am wishing for you also.

May this day find you and yours well.

Namaste,

Karen

Wishcast Wednesday and 52 Photo Project



light and dark

 Hello my fellow wishers and dreamers!  Today is Wednesday and over at Jamie Ridler's Studio's we are sharing our wishes and at Bella's we are sharing our pictures at 52 Photos Project.

The prompts are:  wish:  What dreams are you wishing for and picture:  A ray of light.

I am finding it very interesting combining these two prompts, I find they support each other bringing writing and pictures together, which I love.

This week I have been thinking about balance, acceptance and compassion.   Finding the balance between darkness and light is something I have been working on recently.  I know there are riches to be found in the darkness but I don't want to spend so much time there that I start to feel like I'll never see the light again, you know what I mean?

I am bringing compassion and acceptance to where I am right now in this moment and at the same time I am setting intentions to mine that darkness which will make my life richer and more fullfilling.  Just like spending too much time in the darkness can make you forget about the light the opposite is also true. I spent a lot of time ignoring those dark space and what happened was a cut my self off from a big part of myself and what makes me ME!

The picture I chose for 52 Photos Project represents this balance.  You see the rich dark purple glow infused with the soft golden light within. 

I would like to also share this song with you, I thought of it immediately when I read Jamie's wish prompt this morning.  There are many versions but I kind of like this one, it's quirky, like me!



So my friends what dreams are you wishing for this week?
May you and yours be well.

Namaste,
Karen

Wishcast Wednesday and 52 Photo Project



Bella trying to find the perfect spot in the sun

 Hi my fellow wishers and dreamers.  Today is Wednesday and over at Jamie Ridlers Studios we are sharing our wishes and at Bella's place we are sharing our pictures over at 52 Photo Project.

Today's prompts are:  What do you wish to take a stand for and "found it on the ground".

Well what I wish to take a stand for is pretty easy, myself!  I worry so much about what I say and do and how it will affect others in my life that I lose sense of what I want and what's important to me.

I am going to give you a pretty painful example.  There is this woman who is very close friends with my husband.  She also happens to be my husband's best friends wife.  This woman and my husband were room mates (strictly platonic) when I first met my husband so I know there was a bond formed then.  When I became engaged she actually had the balls to say to me that it was a good thing she liked me or my husband would not be marrying me.  I should have known then she was setting the tone for what she felt was her place in my husband's life. 

Over the years (17 now) we moved to the same town as them, became god parents to one of their children and so on.  I think one of my main concerns is she relies on my husband for too many things, especially when her husband isn't around or not emotionally capable.  This has been a big problem for me and don't get me wrong my husband made himself available, he was not blameless.  It got to the point over the last few years that my husband and she would talk on the phone almost every day and the texting was out of control.  I ALWAYS felt like I was in competion with her for my husband's attention.  When my husband starting going through his doubts about our relationship he confided in her and commiserated with her regarding her problems also, which I feel can be a dangerous boundary line to cross between married people.   I always felt I could not make waves because I was actually fearful my husband would choose them (his best friend and wife) over me and really how sad is that.  Basically I kept myself in this situation because of fear.

Over last summer there was a big blowup when I overheard my husband telling this woman that he felt like they should back off because his feelings for her were starting to feel more than friendly, well of course when you confide and commiserate with someone this is something that could happen.  She then said she wished that she felt the same way because then her life would be easier.  I was like WTF; my husband did not mean he would run off with her, he just felt like his feelings were getting mixed up.  Needless to say I freaked out and really told my husband I could not deal with this anymore.  I was giving this woman way too much power over me, yes I was, she was just being who she is.  Anyway she would take on no ownership of this issue, just acted like it was all on my husband.  I tried to tell her how I felt about the lack of  boundaries she had with my husband but she wouldn't hear any of it.  And then to top it off I found out she was saying nasty things about me to other people, when all  I had ever been was nice to her.  I shouldn't be surprised really she is one of those people that always talks about others.

So now I am in a place of distancing myself from her, really who needs friends like that.  My husband is still very close to his friend and still talks to her somewhat but I told him I feel like It is time for me to stand up for myself and not be around someone who really doesn't respect my feelings.  I am not worried anymore that my husband will leave, we have decided to work on our marriage and he has already talked about what happened and what led him to that and he was honest with me about his mixed up feelings.  So the bottom line is if he does leave me over my distancing myself from this woman then I figure I am better off without him! 

I would ultimatlely love to help others stand up for themselves, to not let fear keep them in bad situations and  in order to do that I have to walk that walk myself, which led me to this answer for today's wish. 

The photo prompt was found on the ground which was really interesting to me since lately I have been looking up at trees and the sky for my pictures. The first thing I noticed when I looked down was my puppy and her shadow as she basked in the late afternoon sun spot, now it is not techically ground as in outside, but it was the ground under my feet while I looked down in that moment ;-)

I want to truly thank you for listening to this part of my story today, it felt good to share it here with you in this wishing and creative space.  In a way the picture I chose for the photo project goes with the wish as this puppy has really been a balm to my soul these last few years, always there with her unconditional love.

As you wish for yourself, I am also wishing for you.

May this day find you and yours well.

Namaste,
Karen

Tuesdays Tunes and Pictures

Hi!
Today's tune is "Songbird" by Fleetwood Mac. The Pictures are of the wild cloud formations we have had around here the past week.



Here are the lyrics:

For you, there'll be no more crying,
For you, the sun will be shining,
And I feel that when I'm with you,
It's alright, I know it's right

To you, I'll give the world
to you, I'll never be cold
'Cause I feel that when I'm with you,
It's alright, I know it's right.

And the songbirds are singing,
Like they know the score,
And I love you, I love you, I love you,
Like never before.

And I wish you all the love in the world,
But most of all, I wish it from myself.

And the songbirds keep singing,
Like they know the score,
And I love you, I love you, I love you,
Like never before, like never before.



May this day find you and yours well.

Namaste,

Karen

Winner of Jen Lee's "Finding Your Voice" Giveaway

http://www.jenlee.net/multimedia-resources/

Thank you all so much for stopping by and reading my interview with Jen, you all had such wonderful things to say.  I decided to pick two winners instead of one because I just felt that strongly about sharing this opportunity and I belive in paying it forward, I received an unexpected bonus at work and I wanted to pass that on.  So without further ado the winners are:

Amelia
MezzoDiva

The winners were pulled using Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:
25
17
Timestamp: 2011-05-06 16:04:59 UTC

Congratulations you guys are going to love it.  I will contact you to get your address information

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.  I leave you with this optical illusion shot of our puppy Bella, it truly looks like she is floating!  So Fun.

Namaste
Karen

Wishcast Wednesday and 52 Photo Project

OPEN

Good morning my fellow wishers.  Today it's Wednesday and over at Jamie Ridler's Studios it's a day to share our dreams.  The wish prompt today is:  what do you wish to know?  I am also participating in Bella's 52 Photo Project where this week the prompt was:  Color.

So here is the thing about today's wish, it's tricky for me since I have been spending the last year or so cultivating a sense of "not knowing".  This may sound odd but the NEED to know has been a big stumbling block in my moving forward.  So this will be an odd wish for me to answer but try I will.

I spent many years wrapped up in the vortex of having to know, finding safety in the finding and knowing of things. I am now working towards being ok with the NOT knowing, you can really get lost in that NEED to know.  I am learning to distinguish between what I truly need to know with what is ok not knowing. ( It is hard for me to explain this in writing.)

Obviously I need to know things, like what time I have to be somewhere, how to get there, what I have to bring with me to be prepared, how many tsps of this or that go into this or that. On the other hand having to know the cause of everything can be a way to get trapped in that cycle of why, why, why, some things just ARE.  I know I am an extemely sensitive person with some trauma held in my body, I don't need to know the actual cause to move through it,  that need to know can actually turn into another distraction which in turn keeps me stuck.  So basically what I wish to KNOW is that I will be ok with the NOT knowing.

I met Bellla online during some e-courses.  I love her blog and the way she sees the world through her photos.  You can find out more about her at  She Told Stories or here at 52 Photo Project.  My response to this week's prompt is the pic above of the open flag waving in the blue sun filled skies.   It  makes me happy seeing it and it takes me back to the moment I took the picture.  I can almost feel the sun on my face and to me that is what a picture can do, take you back to that moment.

Lastly I did an interview with the lovely Jen Lee which includes a giveaway of her new multimedia package, "Finding Your Voice"  Just click here to read and enter.  Interview with Jen Lee.

I have to say this week was hard for me and I am still not sure I explained it in the right way. I try not to edit these wish posts too much, just going with what comes out when I spend time with the wish.

As always what you wish for yourself, I am also wishing for you.  May this day find you and yours well.

Namaste,

Karen

Tues Tunes: Jason Mraz "Geek in the Pink - Live"

May around here, buds turning to new leaves

Music always soothes my soul and Jason Mraz has something special.  I love watching his live performances and the way he interacts with the audience.

Also a reminder to check out my post here to win a free copy of Jen Lee's "Finding Your Voice"
http://deldino.blogspot.com/2011/05/giveaway-and-interview-with-jen-lee-for.html

May this day find you and yours well,
Namaste
Karen

Enjoy "Geek in the Pink - Live"

Giveaway and Interview with Jen Lee for Monday Inspiration




Jen on stage courtesy of Jen Lee

It is my pleasure to share with you the interview I did with Jen Lee regarding her new multimedia package  "Finding Your Voice" which is available now at Jen Lee Multimedia Resources.  You can see Jen telling you in her own words about the making of "Finding Your Voice" in the video at the beginning of the interview.

I first met Jen online and quickly became a reader of her blog where she shares so openly and honestly, truly living her own motto:  Just Be True!   I have also seen her perform live at Moth Storytelling events and have taken her classes at Squam Art Worshops where she will be teaching again this September.

Below is what I  wrote after returning from Squam last September and it is the best way I have of describing Jen to you.

Jen Lee Squam September 2010

The thing I have to say about Jen is she has this way of seeing right through all your layers and getting to the core of you, I really felt like she was talking to my heart, I have no other way of describing it. In these classes we learned to tell our stories and bear witness to others stories.  I could not write my story, it was too hard and Jen really spent some time with me and helped guide me back. In the afternoon class we learned how to care for our creative souls, how you can feed your soul and keep yourself strong and nourished so we don't get depleted. At the end of the class Jen gave out blessings that we randomly picked and she then proceeded to connect with you by looking straight into your eyes and reading your blessing to you. I can honestly say Jen broke me open in the best way possible.

The questions I had in mind were questions that came up for me and others when we spoke of finding and sharing our own stories, so without further ado here is the interview:

I love that you added an audio component to your multi media package, what led you to this decision?

My favorite way to take in new content right now is to listen to audio programs. I love hearing people speak their own words in their own voices. I wanted to add an audio component to this course because it adds another layer of presence to have a voice to go with the words, and I wanted to infuse this project with as much of my presence as possible. I would prefer to be face-to-face with everyone, but that isn't always possible. I was trying to create something that would be the next best thing, which is also why I decided to hand-write blessings inside each one.

Can you tell us a little about the first time you shared a story on stage or just one on one, what it felt like then and how it feels now?

I was telling stories rather unconsciously to my friends for a long time. I would just tell them what was happening or what I was thinking like it was nothing, really, and sometimes the words would be like little bombs that would just quietly go off in the listener. It took me a long time to figure out, "What's that about?"

Now I'm trying to bring more awareness to the stories I'm holding, so I can deliver them a bit more intentionally and gently. But there's still this part of me that doesn't really understand what I'm holding, especially with a new story. I have to give it away, to tell it, and then have someone tell me what it is before I even know myself.

What is your favorite self care practice during the process of story mining and telling, the one that help keeps your balanced?

My favorite self-care practice is to balance the being seen with letting myself be hidden, too. I've gotten myself in trouble when I've operated out at the edge of my capacity for vulnerability too hard and too long. That kind of overdoing it takes a lot to bounce back from. I go to these shows, and I can tell the stories on stage, but sometimes I can be really socially awkward with the hosts and the audience members before and after. I used to be hard on myself about that, but now I know it's just the next developmental piece for me. Part of the reason I've been able to do it is that I can slip back into the crowd when I'm done. I live this very anonymous existence here in Brooklyn, and the invisibility helps balance the visibility of some aspects of my work.

When I take a big leap, I give myself a lot of loving care on the other side to recover. Mining and telling our stories is more than an intellectual exercise--it can really be a form of soul work--so appreciating the ways we're stretching and being careful not to push ourselves out past the edge of our capacities makes a big difference. It's too easy to make ourselves wrong for needing the things we do, but I get a lot farther when I embrace and honor those needs instead.

What wisdom can you share with those who are interested in learning how to find and share their stories but are concerned with judgment especially in the sharing of their stories?

I'm a big proponent of telling our stories to safe people, in welcoming and secure environments. It starts with one safe person, who will let us belong to her no matter what we say. Our intuition is our best guide regarding what to share and with whom. We don't have to take on our critics or precarious relationships right away--we can work our way up to that, if we must do it at all. The other thing we can do is become safe people for those around us. The greater the safety nets we build, the more courageous we can be.

I would like to thank Jen for taking the time to answer my questions. I really believe this is important work, the sharing and telling of our stories, so  I would like to GIVE AWAY a copy of Jen's "Finding Your Voice".  Just leave a comment to this post to be entered, easy peasy, no rules or requirements.  I will announce the winner this Friday May 6th.

Jen Lee Bio:

Photo by Mati Rose McDonough, www.matirose.com

Jen Lee is a Brooklyn-based writer, photographer and a regular performer in NYC's storytelling scene, including The Moth Radio Hour and The Moth Mainstage. Jen is also the author of Solstice: Stories of Light in the Dark, Fortunes, and Take Me With You: A Journal for the Journey.

Jen leads workshops and retreats focusing on creative expression. She believes everyone has a story worth telling, and she would be delighted to hear yours. Send your stories, requests, comments and questions to Jen using the Contact link found here Jen Lee contact form. She invites you to follow her on Twitter, and to download The Story Catcher, which you will find over at Jen's Blog:  Jen Lee.net

May this day find you and your loved ones well. 

Namaste,

Karen

Wishcast Wednesday: What do you with to focus on?

Beauty against a dark sky

Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this, too, was a gift. – from Thirst: Poems by Mary Oliver

Hi my fellow wish casters, today is Wednesday and over at Jamie Ridler’s Studios it’s a day to share our dreams and wishes.
Today’s wish prompt is: What do you wish to focus on? And wouldn’t you know it I was just thinking this same thing yesterday, it always seems like Jamie is reading my mind, lol!

It might sound weird but I want to focus on the gift of darkness that has been a part of my life for awhile now. I spend so much time distracting myself from it and pretending that I did not get that gift, like a bad pick of a grab bag I just wanted to return it. But you know what I am seeing now, this gift, I can learn from it and I have a feeling if I accept it for what it is I will indeed be happy to have received it for it will only make me stronger. Does this make any sense to you guys? Not sure it makes sense to me either, just the way I have been feeling lately.

I would also like to focus on my creativity, during the busy tax season at work I had little time to create and I am finding it slow getting back into it, but I am also strangely accepting this pace. I feel myself leaning into the flow of my life lately, my impatience is waning a bit, and I like it. I have been really finding my creative time being spent photographing trees and skylines and for now that is just perfect for me.

Lastly I would like to just focus on moving forward out of the quicksand that has been my emotions these last few months, I am seeing the rope there just out of reach but I am getting closer every day. I just need to remind myself to go with the flow and not against it that is the key to moving forward for me lately.

What are you wishing to focus on today? As always what you are wishing for yourself, so I am wishing for you also.

Namaste,
Karen

Poetry and Music speak for me today



Spring in my  backyard



Love lit a fire in my chest,

and anything that wasn't love left: intellectual subtlety,

philosophy books, school.

All I want now to do or hear is poetry.

-Rumi

Some days when I can't find my own words I turn to the words of others.  Today both this Rumi poem and this Bruno Mars song speak for me.

Namaste dear ones,
Karen

Want to see: "I AM" by Tom Shadyac

I can't wait for this documentary to come to my area, it sounds amazing.  The main concepts explored are:
1. it is scientifically proven that the human race IS connected. 2. It is human nature to be Cooperative NOT competitive. 3. You should always follow your heart to find where your passions lie...LoVE IT.

And I really like what he says at the end of the trailer below: "We started out asking questions about what was wrong with the world and ended up finding out what was right with it"





Namaste,
Karen

Wishcast Wednesday: What do you wish to tend?

Spring in all it's glory

Hello my fellow wishers and dreamers! Today is Wednesday and over at Jamie Ridler’s Studios we are sharing our dreams and wishes.

Today’s wish prompt is: What do you wish to tend?

The very first thought that popped into my head while reading this was that I wish to tend to the happiness of my soul, the part of me beneath all the bullshit, the heart of me, my spirit.

I truly believe that all the time I have spent tending to my anxiety, fears and doubts has caused some damage to my spirit. I also believe this damage can be mended by tending to the happiness of my soul.

So instead of worrying that this extra weight makes me unattractive to my husband I am going to cultivate my sensuality and sense of confidence just as I am.
and
Instead of giving certain people power over me and my emotional well being, I am going to spend more time with those who appreciate me for who I am and don’t want me to change that.
and
Instead of spending time in fear of what the future holds I am going to spend time in creative space tending to the part of me that is in awe of the poetry a tree branch can make against a skyline, that feels the emotions in the music, that loves the written word.

Yes.......this is what I wish to tend to.............the happiness of my soul.

So what are you wishing to tend to this spring day? As you wish for yourself, I am always wishing for you as well.

Namaste,

Karen

Tuesday's Tunes: Say Hey!

Dreaming of Blue Skies of last week

I am NOT going to let another gray rainy day get me down!  This song makes me smile and tap my toes.  It reminds me of summer days.  Enjoy.

On another note TAX SEASON IS OVER!!!!  I survived another season and now back to normal hours and getting to spend time in creative space.  Enjoy your day!



Namaste,
Karen

Wishcast Wednesday: What do you wish to read?

My book gnome guarding my bookshelves!

Hello my fellow wishers and dreamers. Today is Wednesday and over at Jamie Ridler’s Studio it’s a day to share our wishes with each other.

Today the wish prompt is: What do you wish to read? Ha Ha Jamie, the better question for me would be “What don’t you wish to read!” Reading to me is THE great escape. I have been in love with reading since I was a child, I would read everywhere including the dinner table. Even now I go through times when I am reading a few books a week and I almost always have a book on me.

Below is the list of books currently on my reading list. My plan is to read each one before the end of the summer and review them on my blog.

Inner Excavation by Liz Lamoreux
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
Creative is a Verb by Patti Digh
Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
Art and Fear by David Bayles & Ted Orland
Expressive Photography by Shutter Sisters
The Power if Focusing: A Practical Guide to Emotional Self-Healing by Ann Cornell
When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron
Art is A Spiritual Path by Pat Allen
The Artist’s Way by Julie Cameron (someone just told me I should put this on top of list)
Women Who Run with Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
The Beauty of Different by Karen Wolrond
Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr

On the very tippy top of my list is “Finding Your Voice” by Jen Lee. This is a multi media package that you can purchase directly from Jen Lee at this link: Jen Lee – Finding Your Voice and you can hear about the process of making “Finding Your Voice” directly from Jen herself in the below video. I have had the pleasure of learning the art of finding and telling your story directly from Jen, through her classes and seeing her live performances. She is so gifted and present in her storytelling and compassionate and wise in helping others find their stories!


Content and Containers: The Making of Finding Your Voice from Jen Lee on Vimeo.

On another note I am happy to report the end of tax season is upon me and I am looking forward to getting back to my normal working hours and spending more time in creative space.

So my friends what’s on your reading list this year? As you wish for yourself, so I am wishing for you.

Namaste,

Karen

Wishcast Wednesday: What do you wish to transform?



These 2 pics were both taken yesterday, this is what Spring looks like around here.

Good Morning my fellow wishers and dreamers, today is Wednesday and over at Jamie Ridler's we are sharing our dreams and wishes.  Today's prompt is:  What do you wish to transform?

I wish to transform my attitude, my perspective.  Growing up I was such a positive girl filled with hopes and dreams.  I remember yelling at my Mom and Aunts for their pessimistic attitudes.  My Aunt used to tell me, "Stop dreaming, Karen, there is no white knight on a horse coming for your".  As an adult I can see now that she was talking to and about herself.  I never said I wanted a white knight on a horse to rescue me.

The thing is I am noticing as an adult I see myself being pessimistic at times (learned behavior kicking in!)  and I want to transform those thoughts, stop them dead in their tracks.   If you sink into the pessimistic thought it just starts a downward spiral.  I am becoming better at noticing them and right now I am cultivating awareness and this is the first step.   I am not saying that every negative emotion needs to be turned into a positive one; it is more about the self defeating ones, the ones that I turn on myself.

This past Monday is a perfect example.  I was just starting to recover from a back/knee injury and was feeling much better and noticing that.  So what's so bad about that you say?  Well I came into work Monday feeling much better than I had in weeks and I FALL right on my bad knee.  I was like WTF!  My thoughts starting spiraling into that pattern of why did this happen and I don't deserve to feel better and so on.

I am happy to report that after a few moments I became aware of those thoughts and changed them, this is so big for me.  I got out the ice pack, took an advil and thought of that Buddhist saying:  "Fall down 7 times and get up 8" and that actually helped.  This fall was not about what is wrong with me or that I don't deserve to feel better, it is about being sleep deprived and busy at work and not paying attention to where I was walking.  ( I tripped over a box)

On a lighter note I want to transform my wardrobe.  When I was a bit younger and lighter I used to wear more skirts and tights and boots and funky scarves.  As I gained weight I started dressing to hide my weight in bigger clothes and mostly jeans and pants.  I want to embrace the inner Boho girl again and I don't want to wait until I lose weight to do it!

Ok back to embracing the chaos that is Tax Season over in the office and counting down to April 19th when I can take a breath again.

So my friends what are you wishing to transform today?  As always as you wish for yourself, I wish for you also.

Namaste,
Karen

Wishcast Wednesday: How do you wish to be brave

"Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth"
— Pema Chödrön

Hello my fellow wishers and dreamers, today is Wednesday so over at Jamie Ridler's Studios it's a day to share our wishes and dreams.  The wish prompt for today is:  How do you wish to be BRAVE?

It's no surprise to me that yesterday I was thinking  about fear and how it controls my life and then today I see this is the Wed Wish Prompt, nope not surprised at all!

Fear has been a big factor in my life for far too long now, about as long  as I can remember, and I am so sick and tired of it.  I actually wrote a break up letter to fear awhile back , you can see it here:  Dear Fear Letter, and as with any break up it is taking me some time to let go of my old friend fear.

Lately I have been drawn to the words of Pema Chodron who speaks about fear and the effect it has on our lives.  For today and this wish prompt I am turning to Pema's quote at the top of the page and I am wishing to step bravely into my life and  to move closer to my truth.  I wish to be an active participant in creating the life I want to live, to no longer sit by and let my life passively happen to me. 

How are you wishing to be brave this day?  As you wish for yourself, I am also wishing for you.

Much love to you and yours,

Namaste,
Karen

Tuesday's Tune:Om Mani Padme Hum

Today's song and picture are here to remind myself to give the same compassion and love to self that I give to others.  To have faith and courage in myself and my path. 

I  keep repeating this theme in my posts and wishes lately but the reminder is needed as I forget in times like these, times of insecurity and doubt, times when my core has been shaken.

The Om Mani Padme Hum chant has really touched me and it is a way to invoke compassion in word, in tone, in song.

Here is a link to a beautiful version by Ani Choying:  OM MANI PADME HUM

Here is a link to a site that explains about the meaning of the chant in more detail:  Dharma-Haven.

Much love to you and yours,

Namaste,

Karen

Trying to find the balance..and a song!!

Happy Sunday!


I have been trying to find the balance over here. I am so affected by my environment, soaking up the good and the bad that In times of stress, it is hard for me to find the balance. I came right out of an emotionally stressful time in my marriage this winter to the busy season at the accounting office. I feel off kilter and overwhelmed, like I haven''t had a moment to just stop and BREATHE.

There are so many creative things I could and want to be doing...but...I get home from work and plop on the couch with my fiction novels and just veg. I was starting to feel bad about doing this and then a friend said to me that it seems like I am in survival mode, and in a sense I was. The struggles in my marriage rocked my sense of security straight to the core. I have not had much time to process what happened and we have decided to try to work things out so that is hopeful but I still feel the effects of this in my body and spirit.

I used to hate to admit that I was a sensivitve person, like there was something wrong with me because of that. The reality is that I am a highly sensitive person and the sooner I embrace that fact the sooner I can learn how to honor my self and find balance during tough times . I now see there are many positive aspects to being sensitive also.

I have been able to spend some creative time with my iphone taking some pictures and I have found that music truly soothes my soul. I am sharing an old favorite here today. It is by Loreena McKennit and It is titiled "The Lady of Shallot" Her voice has a magical quality, it transports me.



Namaste,
Karen

Reminder from Jen Lemen: Its Ok to fall apart..

Can you believe I took this picture today!!  The first week of Spring 2011

Today I was paying a visit to Jen Lemen over at her blog and the first two sentences of today's post  reached out and spoke directly to me:  "It’s okay to fall apart.  You don’t have to know the answers" - Jen Lemen. 

Thank you so much Jen, I truly needed that reminder today.  (see full post here at Jen's blog)
While strolling around the blogosphere visiting friends I noticed over at my friend Liz's blog  that she was also touched by Jen's words.  It always amazes me how connected we truly are.

Jen's post brought me back to a poem I had written a few weeks ago (see below)
I am beginning to see and embrace that sometimes you just have to let go of the pieces and see what becomes of them. 

I feel like I’m in pieces
scattered around the floor
trying to pick one up
and then another falls
holding on to hope
I let go and let them be
curious to see what’s to become
of these pieces of me

Much love to you and yours.

Namaste,
Karen

Wishcast Wed: How do you wish to Sparkle?

Happy Wednesday my fellow wishers and dreamers.  Today is Wishing day over at Jamie Ridler's Studios and the wish prompt is "How do you wish to Sparkle"

I first want to say a big Thank you to Jamie and all you wishers out there, this Wed Wish Prompt has really given my the space to share and ground once a week.  Through a winter of illness and emotional upheaval and the busy season at work (accounting office) I have this calm space in the midst of it all and for that I am truly grateful.

I wish to sparkle:
In truth
In fearlessness
In wisdom
In strenghth
In flowy skirts and kick ass boots
In handemade jewelry and paint on my hands
In openess
In good health
In love
In light even in dark times
In song
In images
In words
In connection
In community

I wish to spread a sparkly wand over all your wishes and watch them come true! 
As you wish for yourselves today, so I also wish for you.

Namaste,
Karen