Joyously Delusional! One of the Important Secrets of Success!

Imagine your dream in Reality!

If the world would have you define your “reality” by what cannot be done…by what is unlikely to succeed…by what is an “impossibility”, then wear your own personal cloak of “delusional” proudly! Only in believing STEADFASTLY in our own dreams do we move toward their “REAL-ization”.

Yes, many of today’s realities were yesterday’s “impossibilities”, so more power to those who embraced the art of empowering their “delusions”– because thanks to them our world continues to become more and more and more….!

Love,

Tink

 

The Road to Happiness: Surely It Doesn’t Include That Brick Wall?

English: The Great Wall of China, near Beijing in July 2006. This is a section of Mutianyu. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hello dear wonderful friends and hello dear wonderfully precocious Universe! Today I (gasp!) celebrate something that probably sounds a bit odd and bizarre to be celebrating: yes, those obnoxious and frustrating brick walls that we all seem to occasionally hit….Ok, so maybe I’m not truly rolling in joy as I say this, but please read on…..

Sometimes these little challenges can feel like mere pot holes and other times, they can feel like the Great Wall of China. When that’s the case, it is often hard not to feel like the wind has been knocked out of us. Forget about having any wind left to fill our sails. It is an awful, scary, frustrating and disempowering sort of feeling and we usually wind up feeling like we just want to hide under the covers until some Fairy Godmother can come and magically strike down this evil intruder. Whatever happened to our previously calm Universe? And what on Earth could we have possibly done to have deserved and/or to have created THIS particular monster?

This is the part of the story where the temptation is either to beat up upon ourselves or to try to distract ourselves from the discomfort by looking for the villain elsewhere? We often feel like someone else is seriously flawed (because they really should have behaved differently) or that the world/entire “system” is flawed (because what happened was so obviously unfair) or in the worse case scenario that we ourselves are somehow tragically flawed (i.e. others seem to be able to avoid these sorts of disasters, what’s wrong with me that I have allowed this to happen?). Regardless of who we target (and sometimes it is all of the above), the feeling is anything but good and our outlook on Life at these moments is anything but encouraging.

So yes, I am a Tinkerbell, but why am I celebrating this “brick wall” phenomena? Am I just trying to put an airy fairy costume on Captain Hook? Am I willing to smile when my entire world is falling down around me…? Have I somehow managed to control the “calamities” in my life so that my tales of woe delve no deeper than a bad hair day?

Ah, wouldn’t we all wish!! And if I could figure out how to achieve THAT, I promise you, I would definitely blog about it….!

No, Life definitely dealt me a distinctive wall that seemed to come out of nowhere. And it definitely scared me, worried me, depressed me and left me shivering in my boots….

BUT……!!!!

(…Yes, in the midst of my spiral, my despair actually lead me face to face with a very awe-inspiring and powerful “but”…..)

After I had panicked for a while and imagined all forms of ultimate destruction, I finally took a breath and ALLOWED myself to relax into the new thoughts that I have learned to begin thinking….

What if this “obstacle” (this huge horrible beast) is actually a necessary and important part of “the plan” to get me to “the next level”. What if instead of being evidence that something is “wrong”, it’s really a sign that something is on target…? What if this is not the Universe doing something TO me but doing something FOR ME…. what if it’s a hint to let go of something that no longer leads to the path that I desire….what if it’s a chance to re-examine my desires and to virtually “start fresh”….what if….what if…what if….? (And doesn’t it make sense that those “what if’s” just MIGHT be positive….)

And as I took it further in my mind, it struck me that we ALL encounter these hurdles…even the most “successful” folks encounter challenges in their lives…whether it’s Michael Jordan at one point being told that he can’t play basketball or numerous multi-millionaires pulling themselves up from bankruptcy. So if these “challenges” are so prevalent, it isn’t logical to buy into the belief that these “stumbles” are signs of failure. If those who succeed have also stumbled, then it isn’t accurate to tell ourselves that these stumbles just prove our own failure. In fact, many who now have success attribute their success to the lessons and inspirations that came as a result of those very catastrophes.

So if that’s the case, then maybe these brick walls are not signs of anything going “wrong”. And if things aren’t going wrong, if these challenges are an important part of our progress, doesn’t that mean that perhaps we shouldn’t be viewing these moments with such dread and self-loathing? Couldn’t it mean that rather than chide ourselves for our stupidity or for our slowness or for our inability to foresee (or control) events, that perhaps we should be smiling with the thrill of understanding that we have come upon one of the most high-octane moments of “the race”?

So, YES, today I declare peace with the brick wall…and as I look from this new perspective, I have to wonder if this daunting obstacle is really the wall that it initially appeared to be? Maybe it’s just a new palate on which to create…. maybe it’s THE lesson that will catapult me onward….maybe it’s part of the road forward…or maybe it’s the new lens with which I more clearly see my true self. Today, maybe it’s time that I thank this turn of events for inspiring me to look anew at this journey and to hope and to believe and to trust in this process.

Today, maybe it’s time to truly and openly look for the opportunity within the unknown. Maybe the challenge is simply to let go of the sails and to allow the power of the wind to carry this great vessel forward. There are worlds to discover so rather than curse our supposed misfortunes, let us venture on…strong, mighty and with the courage of the ever great explorer! If the moving currents can shape mountains, imagine what they can do to a mere brick wall….?

Financial abundance– the ultimate love/hate relationship?

If money is the “root of all evil” then why do we chase it and/or lament it so? We give it so much power and responsibility…so much credit…so much fear….what if we could gently shift and explore prosperity in a new empowering way…. what if today, we could wake up and proclaim:

Today, dear world, will be the day when we SEE OUR ABUNDANCE! Today will bring that powerful shift where we step further into our total loving embrace of this planet and all that it is and all that it offers to be. Today we see the evidence—”the answer to our prayers”. Today we feel the “whoosh”—the undeniable arrival– of our financial abundance!

Today, dear world, we commit to letting go! Today, we let money “off the hook”~~ “off the hook” for all of the wrongs that have been done in its name~~ “off the hook” for all of the “evil” that we have given it credit for ~~ “off the hook” for its apparent “absence” or “abuse” ~~ “off the hook” for padding the pockets of those whose choices or actions would not be our own ~~ “off the hook” for seeming to be the “yang” to the “yin” of spirituality ~~ “off the hook” for simply not being there when we “needed” it or for being there for others when we thought that it should also be ours~~

Yes, today, we will stop trying to figure it all out ~~today, we will forgive ourselves for not yet being the “Master of Financial Abundance” ~~ today, we will forgive ourselves our credit scores and all our bills ~ we will forgive our lack of savings and lack of retirement fund ~~ today, we forgive all of those “financial mistakes” and we even forgive ourselves for focusing on lack when there is so much abundance to be had ~~ TODAY IS THAT DELICIOUS AND LONG AWAITED SHIFT where we each allow the abundance of money to simply BE!!!

And HOW SWEET THE SHIFT FEELS!! Now, we embrace money simply and majestically as another marvellous resource of our planet and of our life experience ~~ we allow money to be our teacher ~~ in fact, dear money, today we invite you to become our friend ~~ yes, if we can resist judging you based on beliefs that no longer serve us, we see that you are like the oxygen that gives our global economy life. To criticize you is like criticizing the air – because even our life-giving air carries germs and viruses.

Yes, today is about turning over a new leaf and welcoming you into our powerful circle of creation ~~ today is about revisiting the dream.  Today we laugh ~~~today we marvel at the crazy yet delicious irony of life. Today, we giggle at the sense of humour of our vibrant Universe that inspired our species to have created you! If the pursuit of “love” and “joy” weren’t enough to challenge our species, we then chose to add you, dear money, into the mix! You are perhaps our wild child—our unruly offspring, brimming over with potential but defying control— Yes, dear creation, pursuing you can sometimes feel like we have fallen into the deep end—way over our heads, gasping for air— attempting to doggy paddle our way out of a shark tank .

So today, dear prosperity, we celebrate our shift! We breathe in the feeling of ease and allow money to FLOW!  Like oxygen flowing into our lungs and blood flowing in our veins, money now serves us as yet another powerful potential nutrient ~~ a life giving force ready to energize and expand us to new dimensions of health and being.

Today money becomes the paint on our giant canvas—a beckoning palate of colors and creativity. Today we dare to say “what if….?” What if we can become a new generation~~? A generation that aligns with money to create great masterpieces? A generation whose vision includes the ease of health in all aspects of our experience—physical, mental, spiritual, global AND financial? Suppose that our children view money with joyous enthusiasm—revelling in its abundance and its flow like dolphins frolicking in a great sea? Imagine the day when we are all so at one with money that its presence becomes like a heartbeat— ever present and strong, but quiet and steadfastly assured~~!

And so, as we turn to welcome in our abundance, let us be as parents welcoming into our embrace one of the most creative yet sometimes precocious of our children. There will be stories—wild tales of dragons and great adventures – there will be memories from the day and hopes for tomorrow, but there will be the security and the gentle knowing that we are one— loving and thriving unconditionally. Today, we relax into feeling the purity of our  rekindled love for this sometimes “unruly” child of abundance. We may still stare upon this little creation of our great species knowing that it has pushed us often way beyond our comfort level ~~ but today we now bask and celebrate knowing that thanks to its push, we are now more of all that we are ~~ or more importantly all that we dream of becoming. Yes, dear abundance. You stretch us and you bend us, but together we create a richer planet (double entendre intended). So welcome home ~~ it is time! In fact, it is finally OUR time! Today, we walk arm in arm with abundance and know that life just keeps on getting better for us! YES, today, a new era is launched! So thank you, world, for yet another day of empowering creations! Thank you for the ease and the success of this great “allowing”! I am refreshed and ready to dance upon the glorious wings of this magnificent day!!!

Celebrate the Genius of this Uncompleted Journey!

Hello, hello dear wonderful friends! Wow, can you imagine a more phenomenal Sunday? The brilliant blue sky and poofy white clouds are so fresh and alive that it almost feels like the first day on Earth! The air is vibrant… the breeze caresses and teases… it is a day of promise and potential… it is the start to more “becoming”…more blossoming… more understanding…. the opportunity to be yet more of all that we are and all that we are yet to BE….

So, today, as we behold our surroundings with the eyes of a new day, let’s take a deep luxurious breath….soak in the moment….celebrate not only the luscious components of our “now”, but let’s look back with our “ener-joy” eyes and appreciate how truly far, far, far we each have come!

We began as babes….raw potential….little balls of hope, joy, enthusiasm and imagination….as we grew and observed, as we experienced the peaks and the plunges of our experience, we developed beliefs about the world….beliefs about our “progress”…. beliefs about everything from our own worthiness to our own “reality”. Perhaps in an intent to “protect” us or an intent to “point us in the right direction”, we were given guidelines for what constituted “success”… we were often lead to believe that “how far we have yet to go” far outweighs “how far we have come”… we have been trained to seek those peak moments in order to feel true self-worth… moments when we can proudly display the perfect credit rating, the perfectly decorated home, the Olympic gold medal, the ultimate promotion…the perfect this…the perfect that….a focus on the destination that can inadvertently rob us of the joy in the process….the beauty of the journey… the awe of our unfolding…..and the MAGNIFICENCE of this human being (YOU) who has created this wonderful work in progress….!

Yes, it can be true…our “well trained” minds can lead us along a path that can make us feel flawed…like the glass half empty….all too often when we think about how far we have come, we think about the steps along the way that “we should have done differently”….the dreams that still haven’t come to pass…in this fleeting moment of potential, rather than revel in our great leaps forward (and they are AMAZING LEAPS if you look at them), we can sometimes obsess instead with HOW MUCH FURTHER we “have” to go before we can “finally” allow ourselves license to be happy… all too often our minds can become the theater that plays the same saga on infinite repeat… a broken record reliving all those most intense times that we have endured, the betrayals, the disillusionments, the heartache, the “failures”…..

Yes, we can get on a mental roll that doesn’t lend power to our day, BUT……before we beat ourselves up TOO much for that silly ingrained habit, let’s rejoice in the fact that even this “non-serving” behavior is part of the miracle of our own creative process…!

Isn’t it true that when we REALLY fuss, we REALLY look for a way to find that happiness that we think that we are missing? We may yell and kick and scream and feel sorry for ourselves, but eventually, we start looking for solutions. Somehow these yucky feelings point the way and we start moving again…we start thinking…we start questing… we start opening up to new possibilities in our world….

Wasn’t it someone’s impatience with travel that lead to the genius strides forward in our transportation? Wasn’t it someone’s vision of a better way to access information that has given birth to these computers that we now access? Wasn’t it someone’s appreciation for generosity and greatness that lead to the creation of the Nobel Prize?

So, yes, dear friends, today let’s not only celebrate how far we have come, and the unequaled BEAUTY of where we ARE but let’s celebrate the genius of the “uncompleted journey”! As I sit here at my desk with the sound of my sweetheart listening to the news, I am in awe of the beauty of this journey. Here I sit with my world so different than what it was even one tiny year ago. The weeks fly by…new ideas…new wishes…new wonders…new things to reach for….with each challenge comes a possibility….Sometimes I confess I yearn for a bit more ease…sometimes more clarity… sometimes the things that I think that I want seem so far away…almost impossible to reach…. sometimes I feel fear and frustration… and yet, often…as I glide through those tumultuous oceans, I find the light house…the idea that guides me through my inner storm…I grow and I create and I BECOME something even bigger than I had been a moment before….

We are joyously AND PERFECTLY works in progress! That joyous enthusiasm….that breathless sense of invincibility that we experienced as a child…. that sense of thrill and “all-is-well-ness” that pours through us in those moments of success….ALL are waiting in the wings for us to access at any moment…! True, we are not who we were when we were young: WE ARE MORE! We are MORE knowledge, MORE wisdom, MORE aware of our loves and our preferences, MORE stimulated to BE who we have the potential to be, MORE packed with potential—thanks to ALL of the life that we have oh-so-deeply LIVED.

YES, there has been sublime joy! (Remember it!) Yes, there have been moments of anguish, but those are the rocket power to your desire to grow. Today, I urge you to join with me in celebrating the “small stuff”….the wonderful joy that I always feel in the morning when I am the recipient of the happy dance from my pups…. the strength in my body…the growth in my soul…. the PERFECT time of year when the weather is just so right… the sparkle in my lover’s eye…the memory of a compliment or a special joke…the feeling of family…. the exhilaration as I master a descent…the calmness when I used to panic…the faith that comes out of nowhere…the sweet feeling of success when I totally achieve….

Yes, let’s remember to revel in the power of celebration! Let’s give ourselves the license to laugh more, dance more, play more and bask in the feeling of bliss! Let’s remember to focus on the moment without the distraction of the destination…. Let’s smile at ourselves in the midst of our becoming and savor and enjoy…. We are “NOT DONE” yet, but “OH, THE PLACES WE WILL GO!” (Thank you, Dr. Suess!)

So….. tuck away that GPS for now, and dive deliciously and whole-heartedly into your journey knowing that you have your own INNER COMPASS and it is steering you WELL! Go forth and explore! Today is a frontier worth claiming as YOUR OWN! Happy Sunday, dear friends!!!

To Infinity and Beyond….!

Well, dear friends! Greetings from the delicious whirlwind! Isn’t it amazing to be able to feel so exquisitely alive? With every breath and yes, even in the midst of those blasted “challenges” that fine tune the machine, we are moving/flowing/blossoming into an even richer brilliance! Can you feel the pulse of this amazing planet? Can you feel the goodness and the promise that is taking hold? How lucky are our children to be born now when our beliefs truly seem to be shifting? How lucky are we to have the chance to ask and to dream and to choose to move forward?! I do believe that the odds are stacked in our favor and it’s hard not to become positively giddy when the world grants us a quick sneak peek of the greatness that is yet to become. If we look at all of the dazzling brilliant minds and spirits that have created such amazing things on our planet, it becomes truly awe inspiring….so imagine how this level of “awesomeness” will only increase as more and more of us learn to discard the beliefs that no longer serve us and replace them with ideas that destine us to thrive and “blissify”…! Yes, tonight I am grateful to be part of this amazing dance called life.

…. And so, my dear friends, as I listen to the frogs crooning their love songs to the moon…as my three furry friends congratulate themselves on having domesticated me into such a perfect pet…as my children dream of making their mark on the world…as I write the pages of my life into my grand story book, I rejoice at the honor of being able to simply explore my “ME-ness”…. And isn’t it a luscious revelation that as we each discover our own “ME-ness” that we begin to understand that we can freely allow others to manifest their own “ME-ness” —and that this eternal “Easter Egg” hunt for our infinite collection of inner light is precisely the ingredient that gives our species its mightiest treasure…???!

As we twist and turn sometimes in joy, sometimes in challenge, we create and create and create….and that is what in my opinion transforms life from a black and white experience to pure blue ray 3D high def technicolor! Yowie! Zowie! I’m not “there” yet (wherever “there” might be), but I am grateful for this opportunity to live and love and explore (and even occasionally panic) and savour….thank you dear friends for being the positive souls that you are….thank you for spreading the bliss and the hope and the spiritual curiosity…it is a wonderful time to be alive…we are indeed blessed yet I can’t help but feel like the best is yet to come…. So venture on…run, dance, play and even stumble, but venture on and on and on….for THIS is still the world that we saw through the eyes of our childhood… a mighty planet waiting to move forward together as one into eternity…..!

You had me at “Mambo”!

Hello dear wonderful friends!!! Today let’s stand in awe of the powerful momentum behind Life! Today, let’s revel and appreciate Life’s desire to wrap us in the arms of eternity and whisk us onto this magnificent dance floor! It is no wonder that our planet is in this infinite orbit! Our energy is HUGE!

Wherever we look, Nature is moving….! The earth is spinning… the waves are caressing the shores… even the wind is creating new masterpieces among the mountainous sculptures around the globe with its persistent gales. The healthiest waters come from the moving streams…. with motion, we THRIVE! And YES, we are MOVING!!! Onward we go…onward, we FLOW!

Our world is not about the walls. It is about the doorways! It is the windows….the nooks…the crannies…the tunnels toward the light….life is about the secret pathways that we create in and amongst the impossibilities. Life is about learning to believe yes when we think that “reality” says no. Life tickles…Life teases…Life coaxes and teaches….begging us forward…asking us to dance….Life is our Mother…Life is our Father…Life is our inner child…and yes, Life is the ultimate lover, mentor and “with you to the last breath” soul mate….

This is not a world that is intended to stand still. Our world is round like a ball so that it can always move forward.

…So YES…. let us not be content to seek consistency…let us not fear change or worry about the power of the wind at our back…we are born believing that “we can”… we are born with a joie de vivre and a spirit of carpe diem…. let us reclaim our momentum and dive into the glory of the biggest dream that our imaginations can muster!

Let us pack away the beliefs that no longer serve us….let us move beyond the limitations that had us temporarily fooled…. let us greet our day with new words of success…or as they say in Swahili, “Mambo!” Yes, THAT is their hello…so why not herald your own new days with a resounding call to motion?

Kick up your heels! Let loose! Leap as far as you dare–and then leap perhaps a wee bit further! Live, laugh, dance! Burst through those stagnating boundaries and focus your own creative genius into your own blissful Life-resounding quest!

Life can be AMAZING in its ability to teach us subtle truths. Life can also have a spectacular sense of humor when we least expect it. And sometimes, we can gain insight into the pursuit of happiness just by those simple words that we weave innocently into our languages….

So grab your keys, embrace your quirky but wonderful humanity and above all, get out there into that crazy spinning world and show them your never ending desire to–YES—-MAMBO, dear world!!!! Life is short…so fill up that dance card!

Lessons from an eternal planet….

Hello, dear global friends! How is it possible for one tiny planet to humble me so…? Today the wild flowers that grew on the side of the road were so purple and perfect that they should have stopped traffic. The clouds were so buoyant and full as they nestled against the perfect blue sky that the planet seemed to suspend its orbit in order to support the vastness of its beauty. A cluster of four young calves nestled in the cool grass with an air of excitement and newness that almost took my breath away. A European couple asked me to take their photo and it was as if we had known each other for years almost instantly. This is a world that gives me an infinite array of berries (and that has inspired humanity to invent blenders so that I can turn those berries into a succulent array of smoothies)…grocery stores brimming with foods for all tastes and preferences…colors, textures, sights and sounds… this is a world where I can play in spin class at the age of 51 or dance to Shakira when no one is looking~~ this is a world of waterfalls, mountains, oceans and even coffee shops~~ This is a world where I can fall in love when a moment earlier, I was feeling swallowed up in solitude~~~ what a crazy blissful and DELICIOUS mixture! This is a world where we get to experience all variations of joy and, yes, heartache (which often then pushes us closer to “better” love). This is a world of eternal discovery and invention. This is a world where true smiles always seem to give us butterflies. It’s a world where thousands of strangers can unite to cheer on a sports team. It’s a world where someone who moments earlier truly doubted their own worth can be inspired to heroism and to charity when the moment of need calls. It’s a world where the smile of a baby or the wag of a tail from one’s family dog can make all of the stresses of the world seem suddenly trivial and totally surmountable. It’s a world where we are given the privilege of discovering who we are and in the process we perhaps discover who we wish to become. It’s a world of magic where coincidences and serendipity encourage us to spread our wings and to “believe” in the impossible. It’s a world that kindly encourages us to grow and to design and to create. On one tiny planet we evolve into something that surpasses anything that could previously have been imagined.  So, my prayer for this planet, is that we revel in the genius of this playground. Like an itch that must be scratched, with each problem that we perceive is birthed this delicious calling to move further and to create! My prayer is that we rejoice in the perfection of this planet. My prayer is that we delight in the possibility of all that we have yet to create! My prayer is that in spite of the challenges that are so publicized that we will see the magnificence of our Mother Earth. We are so blessed and if we relax our eyes into appreciating the beauty of each day, we suddenly see even the tiny spider webs that are woven between the blades of grass with each mornings’ dew. And in this perfection, there is suddenly nothing that isn’t possible on such a magnificent planet…..! What a gift it is to be a part of this unfolding….! Wishing you the gift of beholding your own exquisiteness, my friends!

“Shine On You Crazy Diamond”

Hello my dear, dear global friends~~ savor this sweet, sweet moment in all of our lives ~~ we are vibrant, we are alive and we are questing ~~ we are all that life is about ~~ we are each and every molecule! In our challenges, in our frustrations, we are the Universal heartbeat. We are magnificence at its most radiant and supreme. Life is not about “getting it right”, but rather about letting its life-giving energy pulse through our hearts, pulse through our veins, pulse through our dreams ~~ WE CREATE ETERNITY simply by the fact that we will never let “it” end. We yearn, we desire, we plead, we even cry…. but were it not for these tears, there would be no need for tomorrow. Were it not for our ideas and creativity, there would be no future….We are on a magnificent voyage together ~~ we are artists ~~ we are dancers ~~ we are great explorers ~~ we shape the future as we savor our way through the present ~~ we are anything but alone ~~ we are human and THAT is the greatest gift that we can have inherited ~~ to see the world not through the eyes of perfection, but through the eyes of possibility, that is not only my dream, but my vision ~~  This is our moment and oh, is it ever worth the birthing!!!” Be kind to yourself. Be kind to your soul. And love this planet because there is genius in even the most frustrating of moments. We are jewels in a magnificent crown ~~ so bask in your beauty and let your sparkle shine! And shine and shine and shine! We truly already live in “Heaven”— even if we fondly call this little planet simply Earth~~ xxxxx

(title courtesy of Pink Floyd…. wink!)

Take the Plunge!!!!

Hello dear wonderful friends! Wow! What a phenomenal weekend…ok…I know…by now that was days ago and yet….! I am still breathless!

The sky was PERFECT….big beautiful poofy clouds…the type of breeze that makes your skin tingle….it was one of those blissful mornings when my heart could barely keep pace with all of the delight that I was feeling….! YES!!!! Life was exquisite, but even more exquisite was that life was about to break through some boundaries, wrap me in adventure and take me on a journey….! And I had NO IDEA what I was in for!

In this case, Life’s mystic “guru” was called Ridgeline…. I know…it’s sounds unassuming enough but don’t let that fool you… this was THE TRAIL….the one that I had vowed that I would never attempt… I was secure in myself…no need to prove any absurd level of courageousness…I had “nothing to prove”… I was content in my own skin…. all true…..

….Until…..

I suppose that the little ripples of change began with the trail called the “Abyss”….yes, that sounds a bit more daunting, doesn’t it..ha ha, you have NO IDEA!!!… I rode into the Abyss like I have many times before…a bit nervous…sweaty palms….music discreetly pumping out of my pack….focused and “ready” for the obstacles that lay ahead….I had made a slight adjustment in the height of my seat and I was feeling the new alignment and harmony… balance…a feeling of a strong center….and my mind was alive with “deliberate intent”…..

The start of the trail is actually interesting and in some ways, it’s the part of the trail that gives me the most jolt of my nerves…it is nerve-wrackingly narrow (with a “lovely ravine”—gulp– to the right), bumpy…strewn with boulders, roots, twists, dips and climbs…. none of the “OMG hold on for dear life” drops…. just those subtle constant jolts of stress… yes, if the drops are the jawbreakers in this candy store, these would be the sour ball “Warheads” that make even your tiniest cells feel like they are puckering!

On this morning, however, there was FLOW…. that magical “weeeee” sort of energy (ha ha…in some cultures, they call it chi or ki….. I call it my “weeeeeeeee” factor…. and when there is “weeeeeee”, there is always oneness…wink…..double entendre DEFINITELY intended….)….down I sailed into the Abyss….noticing the rocks and the boulders, but feeling the charge of exhilaration! It was the perfect genius moment of harmony between human, nature and “machine”…..

In total elation, I thrust forward up the first incline…crested the top, sharp turn (watch out for that TREEEEE) then SAILED DOWN…..over the roots, over the rocks, more roots, more rocks…terrific speed…then up, up UP the incline….eyes alert….looking forward… marking the path between (are you kidding???) MORE OMINOUS looking roots (and boulders, and rocks….hee hee…pant…wheeze…such is the life of a mountain biker)….pedal, pedal, PEDAL…..!!!….YES!!!…..soaring to the top with pure and definite WEEEEEEEE! Sailing through nature…so in sync with the energy….whooping and crowing, “I love this trail! I love this bike! I love this life!”….and yes, it was time for a very loud WEEEEEEEEE! (Although the other bikers must think I’m nuts, it is a very functional way to keep the alligators at bay….I hope….! Wink!)

A clean ride through North Abyss!!! I finished the trail!

…And oddly enough, it had been exhilarating and tough, but I felt suddenly a strong sense of PURE EASE. I felt GOOOOOOODDDDD! And in that moment, the “me” that I had been as I started that trail changed….. I became a bit “more” and that “more” inspired me to desire (yes….REALLY?? ARE YOU SURE—says my logical brain…) to face the always feared and previously ogreish Ridgeline trail…..

It was time…. not because I had to, but because I sensed that now it would bring me joy… it would guide me to new frontiers within myself that I was now ready to allow and to embrace… I was ready to expand……terrified (said my logical brain) but confident (said my soul….)…

Into the dreaded Ridgeline trail, I rode…and yes, my heart was pumping…. the unfamiliar hills seemed definitely higher and the drops were HOLY MOLEY NOT QUITE WEEEEE BUT I’M DOING IT….Wow!…. no place for the old me who claimed that vertigo was an issue…..just ride…. no time to wonder if I could do it….just KNOW that you can…. KNOW that you are ready….. up….down….over….and around….on…and…on…AND ON… the challenges seem to go….and then…..suddenly…..MADE IT….here come’s the “weeeeeeeeeee”! So alive….panting….but so empowered…….!

And as I stood there….worn but blissful, this dear park smiled at me and whispered and said, “so it is with Life, dear one….the bliss is in the journey…it is the boulders, the roots and the drops that create the thrill of the ride, so remember to sit back, focus, relax and savor the adventure. TAKE THE PLUNGE! That’s where the true ‘weeeeeeeee’ lies……”

Wishing you all a marvelous day of sweet “wweeeeeeeeeeee”…… May the boulders and drops in your path create the most sublime of adventures! Are you ready to feel that wind in your face???

ONWARD AND (no offense to down, but….) UPWARD….!

Hello dear beautiful world and hello dear beautiful friends! Today the clouds just couldn’t be any more perfect and the weather absolutely sings to my soul! The Canine Tenors are out in the backyard singing to the squirrels, singing to the neighbors and just generally singing to life and to anyone else who will listen!

Oh yes, there were problems to solve and ok….SOME aggravations….some mysteries that are still elusive and yes, GOSH it was hard to work when it feels so much like true “make-your-heart-dance” SPRING!

And yet….I can SEE the progress all around me….! Yes, believing IS seeing and (in spite of my “old mind”s” attempt to keep me in check…wink!) my new beliefs seem to be creating things that definitely resemble a light at the end of the tunnel!

Ok, ok…. I KNOW that we have sometimes been told that in order to be effective and to properly “deal” with reality, we have to “get to the bottom” of the issue….roll up our sleeves…”dig deep”…dissect those tender spots and really wrestle those demons to the ground…… (and this was said to a child who found the Roadrunner and the Three Stooges too violent….no wonder, the very thought of that had me hyperventilating, but I did try…..!)

Yes, I tried to follow the directions on the package called “life” and I trained my brain to go over and over and over AND OVER those irritating, unfulfilling, “knock me to my knees and leave me crying” moments…. I kept thinking that if I looked at the problem from enough angles, I would somehow (magically?) wake up one day and be purged of the pain that had left me breathless and angry or hurt….

Well, my dear darling friends, as I awoke one day to find myself in a relationship filled with terror, anger and addiction, I decided that (respectfully) this approach of trying to relive these moments in hopes of finding the missing link just wasn’t working…. Yes, living through them once was quite enough… I was at the point where my anxiety was at such a level that I couldn’t even drive on the highway. My stress was already so high that just the addition of basic “highway sensitivity” tossed me into an anxiety attack. I was shocked to find myself in that position, but there I was….

Yes, I did try to undo the effects of my scenario by “putting on a happy face” and pretending that all was well, but those results were equally ineffective. My brain knew how I truly felt and it wasn’t warm and fuzzy…. Any affirmations that I made only made my attempts at feeling that fuzziness seem like sandpaper. My brain just rolled its eyes and told me that we weren’t quite “there” yet….!

So how to undo the stalemate?

I began to play….yes, play…..I discovered a book called “Ask and It is Given” (by Jerry and Esther Hicks) that literally fell on the floor at my feet as I was walking through a different section of the book store. And as the old saying goes, “And the rest is history…”

Learning to play wasn’t easy, because I had bought into the idea that play is the opposite of work. I assure you it is not–wink–and for me, play can be infinitely more PRODUCTIVE than work. At the risk of being cliche, I can’t help but quote James Matthew Barrie from Peter Pan (after all this IS the Tinkerbell Project….wink again…)

“It is not real work unless you would rather be doing something else.”

Allow me to add my own Tinkerbell wisdom to the quote and to say, “….so if you love what you do then you will never work a day in your life….”

Yes, I began to use deliberate play….”mind games” that my mind would accept because I called them “games”. I would imagine and envision great outcomes….great dreams….great loving conversations and great feelings….I began to play to identify the feelings that I wanted to feel…the essence of what I was wishing for…. I spent more mind time at the “top” of my game than at the “bottom of it all”. (Because—as Esther Hicks/Abraham has said— THERE IS NO BOTTOM…..) And if it’s “play”, what can be the harm in it? It certainly felt better than the infinite repeat of angst and drama….

And guess what…..things began to change…..”for no logical reason”, my “luck” seemed to be improving…. I could feel a big huge sigh and I began to rewire my own inner machine and I began the process of learning to empower myself—versus my habit of just “dealing with” whatever came my way….

Part of the “play” was to find joy in my day….in my work…in my chores…even in the most crotchedly, complainy and thorn in my side folks who happened to come my way….

After all, was I really obligated to play by the rules….? Rules that said that conditions had to be a certain way for me to be “entitled” to be happy….? Hmnnnn…..now THAT was an interesting concept….because then I was no longer obligated to be a victim….because a victim has to FEEL like a victim in order to be one….don’t they…..(can you feel me smile….nothing wrong with a cheshire cat in the middle of a Peter Pan story….)

And so the story continues for several years….it started with baby steps until my entire world and my entire perception of my world began to shift….

Yes, I have become a bit of a rebel. I DO identify what I don’t like, but I don’t program it into my viewing favorites.

These days, I play the game of how many times can I get to the TOP OF IT….(forget the bottom of it….)? How many new ideas can I sift from the challenge…. Where’s the hidden brainstorm in that particular problem? And how many wonderful “mundane” things can I actually feel GRATEFUL for?

And in the process, how many times during the day can I remember to stop and simply BASK IN THIS PROCESS??

We are alive and we are living in a super exciting time on this planet! Our fellow humans are brimming with wonderful ideas and innovations. AS ARE WE! There are opportunities that our ancestors never dreamed of. We have more freedom to learn and to choose and to pass joyous knowledge on to our children. We are living in a world where there is more encouragement to truly share our uniqueness. We are the pioneers in a new unfolding….

Sooooo….as I wind down this particular day, I send out my smiles and my very best wishes and I say let’s reinvent the rules….let’s dump the game of “what’s wrong with this picture” and replace it with our revised version of “what’s RIGHT with this picture….?” Let’s tuck those troubles into bed and thank them for the great ideas that they spawn, but let’s rise to the top and then soar and soar and soar……

Time to leave our cocoons and “rise” to the occasion! Have a blissful evening, dear friends!! What a great time it is to be alive….Onwards and (yes) UPWARD!!!!