Hearing

Grinch: "That's one thing I hate. All the noise, noise, noise, NOISE."
That's for sure--at the end of the year we are bombarded with a cornucopia of auditory stimuli. There are the pleasant sounds of Christmas carols, the Salvation Army bell, sideline whistles at the football game, and squeals from kids as they spot Santa or play in the snow. There's also the sound of the frustrated person in front of you in line, the whining of the kids when they're fingers are frozen, all the electronic games and annoying singing toys, and the crowds on the street/at the mall/on the rink/etc. Put it all together and what have you got? A headache.

Try to sneak away and find some silence. There's something about the air when the temperature drops to the lower numbers...it sounds different. I don't hear it much now that I live in the South but I remember the sound of snow crunching under my boots when I lived up North. Walking in the snow at night has a feeling--and a sound--like no other. The crackle of a fire in the fireplace--turn off all other sources and sit with that sound for a bit.

On the other hand, music can lift me to a whole new energetic level. Think about those times when your favorite song comes on the car stereo and you wail out the lyrics without a care as to who may be watching you from the car beside you. I love the tone I set in my home when I put my Sunday morning acoustic music on. My whole family eases through the morning. Music can be used to get you running faster on the treadmill or open more deeply into a pose in yoga. Songs can inspire us to make positive change and can resonate with the deep emotions within us. Through the sense of hearing we can feed our souls.

As we look to the New Year and new beginnings, consider that hearing isn't only done with our ears. We each have a little voice inside of us that speaks, and that voice needs to be heard. When we hustle through life at a crazy pace trying to keep up with the Jones', or even with just our own to-do list, we lose the ability to hear that inner voice. It requires being in tune with yourself (pun intended!). That higher spirit, that voice of God that lives in all of us, will tell us what to do to reach our goals. We need to trust it, listen to it, and let it guide our journey. And in challenging times, rather that speaking and asking why, try being quiet and opening yourself to answers you hadn't considered. They might not come right away but if we keep listening we will find peace.

"Peace is not the absence of noise, trouble, or real work. It is to be in the midst of those things and be calm in your heart."

peace, love, and good vibrations~

Taste

As I sip on my peppermint mocha coffee, I begin this diary of the five senses with the sense of taste. This time of year we are inundated, beginning with that big 'ol turkey and all it's trimmings, with flavor. Sweet, savory, creamy, crunchy, toasty, bubbly, flaky, spicy...I could go on and on. And so often, and so unfortunately, we indulge in these flavors at a big feast, plates piled high, everything running together, mindlessly being forked into our mouths. If not in that fashion it's grazing as we pass the buffet, indiscriminately popping bites in our mouths as we mingle and socialize with our loved ones. It's really no wonder we pack on the pounds this month of December.

What if we stopped and really took the time to taste the deliciousness that is so readily available to us. We look forward to the first pumpkin spice latte of the season--we savor it, we tweet about it, we buy them for our friends. What if each bite we put in our mouths were treated with such ritual. We'd never get anything done! That's what would happen! But lets do this exercise at least once a day this month. Let's sit down, with a napkin on our lap, the computer closed, the television off, and first say a quiet word of thanks. Consider all the people that played a role in that food arriving on our plate. Give thanks for all of Mother Nature's work. And let's taste our food--one bite at a time--putting our fork down between each bite.

The tip of our tongues sense sweet. The front portion of our tongues sense salty. Sour is tasted in the mid-to-back of our tongues, and bitter is noticed on the very rear of the tongue. Experiment with tasting your food and see what you notice. Pair your food with a glass of wine and pay attention to how they compliment one another. Have fun with it! But don't rush it. I'll bet you notice you feel satisfied long before finishing what you typically would in a sitting.

Find one thing each day to indulge in in this fashion. It could be a homemade cookie, a seasonable vegetable, a perfectly braised piece of beef, or even a warm bowl of oatmeal. Make note of how it makes you feel to taste your food in this way. Do it with a friend and compare experiences...just don't get to chatting and mindlessly eating! Food is meant to nourish us and fuel this body that carries us around this Earthly experience. Some reports say that one in twelve people on our planet is malnourished. How blessed we are to have such assortment of flavors and options available to us every day? Yet we spend so much time, especially this time of year, eating without appreciation--appreciation for the taste and appreciation for the sustenance.

Enjoy the parties and the holiday meals. Be mindful of what you eat, how it got to you, and of how fortunate you. Realize that tasting foods is something you can take pleasure in all year round--there's no reason to deny yourself! Start 2011 allowing yourself to fully use your sense of taste, and keep it simple. There's something to chew on for the next 5 weeks....

peace, love, and raw veggies...

5 weeks till New Years!

It's December 1 and there are about 5 more weeks in 2010. I've noticed as people are pulling out their holiday decorations and getting their shopping started that they are also taking this opportunity to clean out closets and clear out under the bed. Maybe it's a preemptive effort to make room for new stuff coming in. Maybe they're checking in with themselves to see if they still fit in to those dress pants they haven't worn in a while. Or maybe, subliminally, they're getting prepared for the new energy of 2011!

Life gets so crazy this time of year (so much so that that statement alone has become a cliche). All the parties and crowds and traffic and noise and layers and layers of lights. Once January rolls around it feels like we've been at an amusement park (yes--it's crazy but it's FUN!). What if we took this month not only to celebrate the season but also to clear the clutter within ourselves so we can start a fresh new year running toward our goals and aspirations? Sounds a lot better than starting it off on a diet and a spending freeze, huh?

Beginning this week, for 5 weeks I'm going to post about what we can do to prep for a stellar beginning to our new year. In considering what my themes would be I pondered the number 5 and decided to focus my writing on the 5 senses. How fun and appropriate for this overstimulating time of year! So carve out a few minutes each week to read and ready yourself for that day when the calendar flips from December to January. My hope is it might help you navigate through these crazy weeks ahead as well. They are to be savored and enjoyed. I send you and your families my sincere wishes for a happy and safe holiday!~

peace, love, and joy~~

Pause.

Being mindful can get you through the crazy times. Imagine if you didn't pay attention to what was happening around you for the next week in an effort to frantically get ready for Thanksgiving. Then the day would come and go and you'd miss the whole point of the season. By considering your choices, checking in with yourself, and smiling as you go, you remain so open to all the gifts that are presented to you throughout each day.

This is just an example. Thanksgiving is definitely on my radar even though I'm only in charge of bringing a vegetable and a dessert. But the kids are off of school next week, the reality of a holiday kitchen renovation is creeping closer, and my volunteer work is taking part-time status (at least in my mind space). This leaves me feeling overwhelmed and wondering how I can do it all well.

But this is my life! I love the speed at which I swirl around my little spot on the planet. But precious things will be missed if I'm not careful. I'm not talking about the details of the multiple projects I'm managing at any given time, although I do care about those. The precious things I can't afford to miss are the crafts that come home this time of year, the grocery store employee who could use a smile and a thank you, and the bright red leaves lying on the vibrantly green grass (saw this at the bus stop this afternoon--gorgeous).

My life isn't going to get any calmer any time soon, but I am challenged--we are all challenged--to embrace whatever pace our machine drives our spirit. And when our spirit starts to tire, shift it down a gear. Pause and watch. Then stay paused. For two more moments. Then go about your duties with a little lighter step. The world keeps revolving, your list will get all it's check marks (or maybe it won't, but that's okay!). There is absolutely no reason for any of us to go gang-busters at all we have to do if we're not going to appreciate the gift that is each day.

So spend some time with your calendar and your to-do list, and while you're at it, schedule coffee with a friend or a night on the couch with your honey. I'll be over here workin' the plan and lovin' every minute of it, while crunching leaves with my boots and sipping on a pumpkin spice latte. Now THAT'S multi-tasking!

peace, love, and cinnamon ...

Daily Arrival

I am here. I am in it and living my dream. What more could I ask for, really? Life with babies and toddlers is challenging--so challenging. The physical demands, the lack of sleep, the full range of emotions from moment to moment. I found refuge in my daydreams of a day when I could put my own needs higher on the priority list. I dreamt of being in nature, of exuding joy, of laughing with my kids (we all know toddlers offer plenty of opportunity to laugh at them), and of nurturing all my other relationships as I do my children.

Only recently have I realized that I'm here! I can sleep 9 hours at night if I chose to. I can hop on my bike and explore for hours at a time. I can find multiple reasons for joyous celebration and earnest laughter in each day. There are material things that I would like to have, new places I'd like to travel to, and goals I am still striving to achieve, but I really do feel that everything I need is already a part of my self-created life.

I write this for several reasons. One--to remind myself that it's true. We all have that little voice that creeps in to try to tell us that it's not enough. But I know that's not true. I also want to give all those Moms out there who are facing a full week ahead of runny noses, temper tantrums, and midnight blow-outs a little hope. Envision being there, wherever that is for you, and before you know it, there you are. I also want to share with all what I believe to be true -- that attitude makes all the difference. We are in charge of our quality of life and quality-control is led by a positive attitude.

So go on out and create a fantastic week for yourself!
peace, love, and bright sides...

Peace starts within

Have you ever said something to your partner, friend, or family member that you immediately wish you could take back? Or have you ever had an argument and woke up the next morning just wishing you had shut up and gone to bed instead? Sometimes we hurt the people we care about. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words DO hurt sometimes! Sometimes even more than sticks and stones. Words can wound us deeply, in a place that doesn't heal nearly as quickly or easily as a physical injury. Why do we do it? Sometimes when I step back and think about it I can logically tell myself that I didn't want to cause pain. That I don't want that person to be more like me--in fact, I probably didn't want me to be like me. When we let our emotions take over and allow painful words to escape, we are first and foremost disrupting the peace within ourselves. That peace was probably already compromised by fear or self-judgment if we got to the point of expressing negative sentiments, making snide remarks, or behaving in a passive-aggressive manner. We all need to have tools to recognize when these feelings are brewing inside and address what is going on within ourselves before we turn the blame on someone else. I like to envision that little flame deep in my core that never goes out. Even when it's dim, it's there, and focusing on that reminds me that I am having a human experience but I am larger than my problems and with each challenge I can learn more and become a fuller person. That light will shine brighter on the other side of this bump in the road. After going through that exercise I can soften around whatever hostility is surrounding me. In doing this, I change the whole energy of my environment.

This is what it means when we hear "Peace starts from within." And it applies to interpersonal relationships as well as it applies to world peace. Why do we hurt each other? Because we don't have peace within. It all starts with that little flame that is within all of us. It's what you see when you look yourself in the eye in the mirror--it all starts there. There's an old Chinese proverb that goes something like this: "If you have harmony within, you will have harmony at home. If you have harmony at home, you will have harmony in your community. Harmony in your community creates harmony in your country. Harmony in your country creates harmony in the world."

When you look at your neighbor, do you see a reflection of yourself? When you look at your child, do you wish they had the wisdom you've acquired through your life experiences? When you look at a politician, do you wonder how another person could have such a different view than you? Do you want everyone to be more of the same? More like you? I hope not. I hope you can look at any person and see their flaws, their beauty, their struggles, their joy...and see your own. If our hearts are open to the differences in the world, then we are honoring ourselves. With this, all of our flames can shine brightly and peace can spread from one individual to the next. Like a tidal wave it can wash over the entire planet.

peace, love, and kind words...

What's Clear and Simple Isn't Always So Easy

I've had so much thought and revelation storming at me lately and I think I finally know why (thanks to a fantastic new yoga teacher I enjoyed this morning). Tomorrow is the new moon in September. Also the New Year in the Jewish calendar. Who knew I was so aligned to the lunar calendar?! Every year around this time I am drawn to the Earth, full of inward contemplation, and ready to let go of what doesn't serve me, leaving space for simple abundance.

Let me go back to where this all began--this just-completed Labor Day weekend. With the kids back in school for about 4 weeks now, we're in the full-swing of activities, school work, play dates, and volunteering. This is the soup that I thrive in! Three kids between the ages of 9 and 6--we are a full-motion family. But even on a long weekend, with a break from the regular demands of our day-to-day lives, how is it I still felt stressed and overloaded? My hardworking husband in the backyard cleaning up dry summer debris, my kids lounging around the house resting their little brains and bodies from the constant motion of the grammar school years, I sat in my office filing, responding to old (and late!) emails, pulling paperwork for a refinance, starting new school files for each child, scanning pictures for a family wedding, and paying the bills. Piles of "stuff to put away" met me as I walked out my office door, as I walked down the stairs, and as I poured a tea at the kitchen counter. There was a stack of magazines of the coffee table looking at me with puppy dog eyes, begging "Read me! Sit down...relax. Even close your eyes for a moment. Breathe. Make your mind still."

I know that all these mini-projects would still be here after the long weekend. But are there other moms out there who feel like you're always one step behind? Like if you don't tackle it now, it's going to snowball out of control. And what happens then? You disappoint someone? You miss out on an opportunity? You have to hire a babysitter so you can meet a deadline? What happens if we just say..."this will have to wait"?

Meals are another thing. As mom (and I'm sure some dads take this role on, or some combination of mom and dad--but I'm going to venture to guess it's mom in most cases), I am always thinking about food. No wonder I struggle with my weight! I've got three-to-five people to feed three meals a day to every day of the entire year. It is important to me that they are healthy, balanced, and local and/or organic when at all possible. Planning these meals. Shopping for these meals. Prepping these meals. Cooking and serving these meals. And then managing my own temper when one-to-three members of the family decide they don't like it and won't eat it. So what if they don't? They'll go to bed hungry and try again tomorrow. So what if we order out tonight for the second time this week? So what if we have sandwiches for dinner (which we NEVER do--it would make things so much easier if we did this once in a while!)?

I envision myself floating around my home, my kids teenagers, bright sunshine flooding in the windows, and being serene and peaceful, and cute. And happy. Sometimes I feel like I'm racing to get stuff done so I can somehow magically find myself at this place. The delusion I'm under, however, is that when I'm there--some 8 years from now--I'm still going to have bills to pay, meals to prepare, school projects to help with, and personal goals I'm going to be working on. I guess I envision myself being more organized, and caring less about these "what if's."

After my husband was done cleaning up the yard, he threw a baseball in the backyard with the kids then he sat down at the picnic table and they all played cards. I was still wrapped up in putting a dent in my dreaded to-do list so I could have some fun too. I paused for a moment and thought about the last time I had my kids so engaged. I'm embarrassed to say that I couldn't remember. But I'm the one that gets them off the bus and hears about their day. I get them snacks and look over their school work. I help them with their spelling words and quiz them on their facts. I break up the fights and have the conversations about respect and choices and consequences. I drop them off at piano and baseball and drama. I wonder though--how often am I really there for any of that? I'm going through the motions, getting us through one more day. All the while holding on to that vision of myself laughing with my kids as I relax on a stool next to them in my beautifully renovated kitchen.

I'm fooling myself to think I'm going to magically appear in that spot 8 years from now. All the busy work I do now is never going to get me there. It's the hard work I have to do that is going to pull me out of the pile of to-do lists and in to this place of grace. The hard work I'm talking about is stopping. I need to stop--pause--and look around me. I need to take a moment to snatch my child on my lap and give her my full attention when she's telling me a long story that's going nowhere. I need to take a few moments several times in my day to envision myself as that carefree woman. I need to be okay with putting everything else that has to be done aside so I can enjoy my kids today.

The sad part is, I know if (God forbid) one of my kids got sick or my husband was being shipped off to Afghanistan in a month I would make this happen. I would drop everything, deeming it simply unimportant, and give my full focus to my family. I would say no and have no qualms about it. I would become less of a task master and more of a mother. Ouch.

There is no reason we should require harsh wake-up calls to readjust our priorities. I have three beautiful, healthy kids and they are mine to enjoy and nurture and love. I have an incredible husband who deserves the best parts of me, not just what's left over at the end of a frazzled day. I owe it to them and to myself to put US FIRST. I may disappoint some, I may miss out on something--but the price to pay isn't worth it.

Am I alone out there? Am I the only mom who feels like this? I feel like realizing this is step one for me, but changing my ways is going to be hard. What do they say--nothing worth doing is easy? How do I approach this in a positive way that doesn't make it feel like one more thing on the top of my to-do list? Who am I going to chose to disappoint first? ... If I know I'm doing the very best I can do and my family is my number one priority, then I have to be okay with that. The alternative just isn't acceptable to me anymore.

peace, love, and turkey sandwiches...