Gaia Community: synonym for light's Blog

something else to share.... something shimmering and a lullaby

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 11:40:14 -0000

Jordan and I went to see Shawn Mullins play his music last Wednesday night in Aspen. It was a brilliant show. Shawn is a wonderful story teller and a warm and genuine presence. I can't remember when I've enjoyed a show as much, though Rufus Wainwright came close. Shawn is one of those singers who is even better live than he is on his recordings. I am so glad Jordan got to go with me to this show. I think he enjoyed it as much as I did. He grew up on this music and he loved Shawn's stories of where the songs came from as much as I did.

I remember the first time I heard this song..... lullaby

I was driving home from work after a graveyard shift. Jordan was young. I felt lonely and raw and inadequate in so many ways, not least of which was in parenting ability. I heard the words "everything is gonna be alright, rockabye" on the radio and such a gorgeous voice singing them. It was like a musical hug, a melodic reassurance. A dam of long held in check emotion broke inside of me. I started crying uncontrollably. I had to pull the car over. I went out and bought Shawn's CD Soul's Core soon afterward and I have been enjoying this music that touches a cord in me for all the years since. Lots of his songs make me cry, when I need to.

At my job at 9-1-1 we are never, ever allowed to say to a caller that "everything is going to be alright." Never. Ever. We are allowed to say that help is on the way. But not that it's going to be alright. We are not allowed to make promises that we can't keep.

I'm so glad that there are musicians in the world and not just emergency operators and medics and doctors. I'm so glad that someone can say to us, really, everything is going to be alright and that we are born to shimmer and shine and radiate, to live, to love, to never hate.
Sometimes we really need to hear it.

Thanks Shawn.

Peridot-- he's coming to Portland soon according to the tour schedule on his myspace page. I can't recommend going to see him perform enough.

something to share....

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 10:30:59 -0000

T Boone Pickens speaks at the Aspen Insitute. Mr. Pickens is a Texas oilman, a billionaire who contributed quite a large sum to help swiftboat John Kerry in a past election and who now is touting a plan to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil using wind energy and natural gas. He's recently met with John McCain and Barack Obama, according to the article.

I'm not entirely sure what to make of Mr. PIckens, but his plan (www.pickensplan.com) does seem to make some sense and it makes me feel hopeful in a cautious kind of way.

Foreign oil is a weird term to me. Also - living in Western Colorado which is "rich" in natural gas -- I'd hate to see more and more gas drilling at the expense of wildlife and wild, undisturbed places.

What do you prefer to do with others?

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:40:13 -0000

eat, drink, be merry. walk, talk, play. do yoga. lots of things I enjoy doing with others and lots of those things I also like doing alone. hmmmm.

yoga seems to be something that is done both ways in equal measure. I am completely separate and completely part of something bigger than myself when I am in yoga class.

it's not too much of a stretch to direct you all to see gerry's last four blog entries about his first through 4th bikram yoga classes. I love his way of sharing his experiences so here's a link to his blog about his first class. and here's one about his 2nd class. and 3rd. and 4th. I'm linking you to those because of something else I like to do with others-- belly laugh. funny and fun and serious stuff!

:-)

What have you been paying attention to?

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:05:55 -0000

yoga

heart

soul

deepening

opening

silence

play

strength

softness

consciousness

intention

celebration

web of causation

contribution

price of innocence=impotence

source of potency=responsibility

insight

pivotal

acceptance

breath

value

rarity

truth

harmony

precise

art

destroy to create

sophistication

balance

ease

interconnection

encouragement

courage

play

truth

power

wisdom

humility

choice

flow

cultivation

practice

observation

surrender

gentle release

sensation

revelation

eternal

momentary

introspection

nourishment

shape

love

challenge

collective peace

sense

joy

appreciation

motion

stillness

shiva - dance destruction paradoxical joy

marriage

experience

philosophy

impermanence

quiet

exuberance

delicate

profound

dawn

dusk

work

summer

rain

intricacy

simplicity

freedom

tranquility

ideal

journey

promise

consideration

inspiration

comfort

barefeet

metaphor

vibrancy

reconciliation

warmth

gathering

lovingkindness

mindfulness

friendship

puppies

hugs

Why do you answer these questions?

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:24:15 -0000

Why are you called to these sorts of questions (and reflections)? What do they bring to your life? Do you answer them before or after reading the responses of others?

Sometimes I've already mentally written something I'd like to share, but before posting, I check to see what the QaR is that day and sometimes it meshes.

Sometimes I read the QaR and an answer jumps into my head and I post it right away.

Sometimes I am reading a friend's blog and see that they've answered a QaR and I comment on their answer and that leads me to more thoughts on the matter.

Sometimes I just read others' answers and don't post one myself.

Sometimes I read all the answers and then post my own.

Sometimes I post my own answer and then read all the other answers.

Sometimes I don't answer the question at all.

Sometimes I read the question and go out with my camera for a walk and see if the answer will be found in a photograph.

Sometimes the question reminds me of a photograph from long ago that I think is perfect for this question. (as in this one -- farland and sarah conversing and walking, me photographing them.)

I think I go to see the questions because I like my brain to have rich and stimulating experiences and the QaR is often part of that.

I like to wonder / wander and the questions sometimes give me a direction to begin my wander/wondering.

I like to converse and the answers are often the beginning of wonderful conversations.

How do you allow for expansion in your life?

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:47:26 -0000

I think poetry helps. and art. and yoga. and sleep. and dreams. and hugs. and kisses. and yawns.

http://synonymforlight.gaia.com/blog/2007/4/whats_your_favorite_poem_why

I think the sky helps. and rain. and sunshine.

curiosity may have killed the cat, but it keeps this girl alive. and smiling.

I think expansion is best when balanced by contraction -- like breathing -- inhale (expand lungs) exhale (contract lungs). like sleeping is nicely balanced by waking.

an empty space can be an invitation. a goodbye can be a hello too.

I don't know if I allow for expansion or if if simply happens with or without my permission and I just have a choice of acceptance or resistance. :-)

How do you respond to negative people?

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:07:57 -0000

I heard several talks about various subjects this week -- 1st, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, then Melissa Block & Stefan Fatsis, then Madeleine Albright, then the prosecutor at court -- my 16 year old son was arrested for fighting and disorderly conduct last month and yesterday was his day in court. Each and every one of those persons, including the prosecutor advocated Dialogue. HH the Dalai Lama said he would like this to be the Century of Dialogue. Stefan Fatsis, the sports writer, said "you just have to quit pretending that there is an us and a them and sit down and talk". Madeleine Albright, the former Secretary of State of the U.S. during the Clinton years said, you have to talk to your enemies. And the prosecutor told my son that he had a responsibility to avoid the fight, to walk away or to find a way to make peace. (He also gave him a deferred sentence -- a vote of confidence that he can turn things around and learn from this experience.)

I think that's what needs to happen for all of us. We have to remember that the other, the negative person, is just like us. We have to step away from fear of the other and talk and then we will find the humanity in the other person.

For me this week -- interacting with my son is my lesson in foreign policy. Ms. Albright also said, foreign relations really boils down to getting another country to do what you want them to and then she listed the tools that diplomats use to do that. I think it is imperative for me to deal with my "negative" teen in a diplomatic way. I need to remember that he needs positive reinforcement for his positive behaviors as well as to learn new skills for his own "foreign relations" with people who he perceives as negative.

How would you define success?

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 22:42:39 -0000

This question would be very hard for me if I hadn't just spent a month trying to write an "affirmation script" to be recorded as a subliminal message to myself. :-)

A month ago I decided to go ahead and buy the next deeper level of Holosync since I have mostly really enjoyed the first level and whether it's the placebo affect or not, I seem to have derived some benefits from using it almost daily. With the next deeper level you have the opportunity to record 5 minutes of self-talk which will be looped and played under the sounds of rain and bells. So I asked myself daily for a month, what do you really want to say to yourself? What do you really want to believe? What seems right and important? What are your biggest dreams and ideals? It has been a big challenge to come up with these answers and fit them into a script that I could read out loud in 5 minutes. This is what I will hear almost everyday for the next year or so for at least 30 minutes, in my own voice and subliminally, no less:

The reason that I live and breathe is love.

I am happy and grateful for this moment. This moment is my life.

I breathe deeply and live life fully. With each inhale I accept all gifts and with each exhale I give all that I have.

I embrace every moment of this magical life with love, imagination and gratitude.

I am intelligent and interested in everything. I am fascinated by people, by life, by the earth and all it's creatures, by the universe -- the multi-verses.

I love to listen. I love to see. I love to taste, smell, feel and touch. I love to sing and to dance. I love to make people laugh and smile. I radiate warmth and friendship to all. I love myself and others unconditionally and I nurture myself and others in every way. My relationships are passionate, exciting, and fun, based on integrity and respect. I communicate with openness and integrity at all times. I relate easily to people in all kinds of situations. I am comfortable and confident in all my relationships. I constantly notice positive traits about my lover, my friends, my family members, my co-workers; everyone.

My dreams are big and I follow them enthusiastically, exuberantly and joyfully. I have within me the imagination, intelligence, strength, patience, and passion to do anything and everything that I wish.

I can see and feel a whole, healthy planet, in balance. I can see and feel the whole of humanity in love with one another, working playfully, joyfully and passionately for the good of each other and the whole planet. I can see, feel, hear, taste and smell a heaven on earth. It feels perfect. I am so thankful to be alive at this time. I am so grateful for the unlimited resources available to me and through me.

I give and I receive. I love and I receive love. I listen and I am heard. I share and the world shares with me.

What I sow I reap and I sow love and peace and joy everyday.

I have a captivating style that is all my own. I contribute a unique magic to the world and it comes back to me a thousand fold.

I live in my strength and lustre. I am beautiful inside and out. I am unlimited. I am valuable.

I love the simple pleasures in life - the smile of a child, a laugh of delight, walking my dogs around a quiet morning or lazy evening neighborhood, cutting the grass, tending a garden, enjoying a sunset, a sunrise or a moonlit night in the presence of my love.

I learn and teach effortlessly; languages, yoga, dance, song, science, math, history, photography, peacemaking, everything. I am a joyful lifelong learner and generous teacher. I teach by example. I speak my truth and walk my talk. I love sharing my successes with others and seeing them succeed. I see every challenge as an opportunity.

My body, mind and soul grow healthier and stronger each day. My eyes see more clearly each day. My ears hear more clearly each day. Every cell in my body radiates perfect health. I find time to enjoy exercise everyday; yoga or walking, biking, hiking or dancing and, yes - of course!, sensual lovemaking. My body loves to move and stretch and play and I love my body. My body is strong, supple, slender, and beautiful; radiating health. My skin glows. I am at my perfect weight, healthy in every way. I respect my body and the resources of Mother Earth by eating only those foods that I need to maintain perfect health and vitality. Everything that I eat is part of the whole web of life. I am deeply grateful for the nourishment and life that I receive from each bite of food, each sip of water and each breath of air that fills my lungs. Every cell in my body works together in perfect harmony to create perfect health just as every organism on Earth can work together in perfect harmony to create a paradise.

I sleep just enough every night and awaken feeling wonderful and alive. I live every day with power and passion. I feel strong and excited. I feel tremendous confidence that I can do anything. I contribute to the world in a meaningful way and am paid back a thousand- fold. I manage my money, time and other resources wisely. I willingly jump at the opportunity to serve others. It is fun and easy to take action toward my goals. I can be, do and have everything I want. The more I act, the more I succeed. I am deeply grateful for the freedom to act and move toward my goals. My capabilities and potential are unlimited. I am expressing my potential more and more each day. I give myself permission to have what I want. I honor myself and others at all times. I am open to opportunities. I am willing to accept the best life has to offer with an attitude of gratitude. I believe in unlimited possibilities. All my needs, desires, and goals are met instantaneously for I am one with everything.

When I feel deprived of something I remember that to give is to receive. I am always giving and always receiving. I am always loving and always receiving love in return. I am always teaching and always learning. I love the adventure of learning. I grow everyday. I embrace change. I overcome challenges. I care and I dare. I know life is beautiful. I find joy in loving and beauty in giving.

Everyday I explore, dream & discover.

I am a living sign of love that can bridge all divisions and heal all wounds.

I am so grateful that my senses are wide awake to the wild beauty and abundance of this life.

by the way each of you who read and comment on this blog and whose blogs I read and comment on have influenced the writing of this in one way or another, so thank you all for being a part of the web that is this life. :-)

What would you do if time didn't matter?

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:50:55 -0000

I'd read a ton of books. and then another ton.

I'd go hiking in lots of places.

I'd bicycle around the world on an extracycle. (might have to catch some boat rides a few times?)

I'd take dance lessons and dance everyday.

I'd do yoga and meditate everyday.

I'd learn all the languages there are to learn.

I'd do some things one just doesn't mention in polite conversation-- with my husband.

I'd take long hot baths, listen to music, sing.

I'd tell all my loved ones that I love them and send them sweet gifts.

I'd take lots of pictures.

I'd take a drawing class.

I'd get a degree in environmental science and a law degree too.

I'd unicycle backwards and juggle lots of stuff at once.

I'd do environmental restoration.

I'd build the most beautiful earthships by hand. Each one might take a whole year.

I'd read stories to anyone who wanted to hear them.

I'd grow a garden with avocados and peaches and ivy and grapes and blueberries.

I'd watch Night in the Museum again.

I'd design some pretty dresses and learn how to sew.

I'd grow my hair down to my booty and dye it pink and purple and blue on the tips.

I'd invent an airplane that could take you anywhere you wanted to go without making any noise or pollution.

I'd learn how to paint and draw.

I'd have a glass of clean, clear, cool water often and hot chocolate at breakfast now and then.

I'd marry Adam again every year.

I'd wait and see what magic each new day, week, month, year, decade or century brings.

What techniques do you use to help people get along?

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 03:30:23 -0000

listening seems to be helpful sometimes.

How do you express gratitude?

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:20:10 -0000

I usually hug them, cry and say thank you, thank you, thank you. :-)

sometimes I give a little gift, usually later on, spontaneously, without knowing why exactly.

sometimes I just smile. and smile. and love the giver.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Universal Responsiblity

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:14:34 -0000

This talk is happening in Aspen now (11 am ish on Saturday, July 26th, 2008). I didn't get tickets so I'm watching it online, live, from home. You can too if you like.

click here...
http://www.aspeninstitute.org/

When was the last time you really listened to someone?

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:56:58 -0000

It's my job to listen. I listen to tones of voice and inflection and words. I listen to subtleties and gross exagerations. I have to listen fast. That seems like a contradiction, but it doesn't have to be. After listening and responding for 10 hours at work today I went to the library and listened with my eyes. I spent 3 and a half luxurious hours in the library feeding my huge appetite for so many subjects. It was oh so quiet in the library. What a wonderful counterpoint to my day at the 9-1-1 dispatch center. So much knowledge and experience and wit and wisdom residing in those shelves and such lovely words all strung together to make something more than themselves. As I read from a stack of 15 or 20 books I'd not quiet randomly pulled from the shelves I jotted down words in my notebook with a pencil. Here are a few of the words I heard with my eyes and savored:

prolonged

ecstatic

carnival

seductive

wildness

wilderness

collective

freely

affirmatively

pleasure

careful study

emotions

joy

liminal

abandon

charm

effervescense

social bonds

creativity

a tale

of love

identity

ideology

wed

emulate

unique

style

poise

beauty

vibrant

gift

feast

ceremony

quintessential

essential

getaway

sacred

seductive

sensual

whimsy

timeless

individualist

ultimate

adornment

painting

devotion

men

unexpected

original

insights

irreverent

gleeful

notorious

woman

mysterious

beautiful

girl

kinky

colorful

close to the heart

hope

something unknown

pleasantly rural

being alive

heaven

ephemera

intonation

affection

attraction

virtuoso

brilliant

intimacies

enchantment

wit

imagination

rare

muse

generous

patient

hope savage

poetry

butterfly flight plans (I strung those together myself out of another person's idea from different words..............

which is what I plan to do some more of tomorrow.

I've been listening to something deeper than the surface of the pages of all those books. when I put the words back together in a different order than I found them I may find a magical or mysterious message?????

the photo is from my iPhone at lunch when my ears were full of recorded rain and bells and my eyes were full of sky and sunshine and shadow and my hands were manipulating pencil and paper and my little world was wondrous peaceful for about 55 minutes before reentering the fray of a busy communications center.

What's on your mind?

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:19:45 -0000

why did I go see the dark knight tonight? was it any good? well- gary oldman was in it. maybe I'll fall asleep to rosencrantz and gildernstern are dead. why did I eat that icky stuff from the concession stand? is this the best photograph I took all week? how could I shoot a whole entire card worth of landscapes on iso 1600? why didn't I remember to change the iso? how can I make this old trailer more like an earthship? when will those bug bites stop itching? what were those birds kind of like terns, ground nesting and black and white that were flying around and around the owl while the stars came out the other night? and what was that sound kind of like a cross between a grunt and a bark, but really loud and coming from several directions, but only at dusk. was it really elk? I think it was. but I'm not 100 % sure. what will I dream tonight? do affirmations really work and if so, what do I really, really, really want to say to myself? how did I fall so head over heels in love with the world? how can anyone not be? will adam give me a hug if I go to bed right this minute or is he already sleeping? I'm going to find out.

my thoughts are kind of like wispy clouds. they float off quickly, but not to worry, there are plenty more right around the corner and sometimes they even seem to form a pattern. :-)

Do you believe in the evolution of human consciousness?

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:10:13 -0000

I don't know. but I do believe in humans and I do believe in consciousness and I do believe in evolution, but I don't know if they add up to evolution of human consciousness.

but I do believe in love. and loving. and smiling. and dancing. and singing. those things might be evolutions in human consciousness, except I think we humans have been doing those things for a very long time already. hmmm. I still don't know the answer to the question.

art thief and thief of my heart

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:07:39 -0000

I "captured" this image with my phone while on a gallery walk with Sarah. It "captured" my heart.

What would engage more people in creating a positive future?

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:01:42 -0000

I like Jeannie's answer; JOY. yes. yes. it's true.

reason #2 for riding my bike home from work: I feel joyful, energetic, happy, peaceful, while riding my bike.

excuse: but it might rain today. the clouds are looming. the rain looks imminent.

elegant solution?: I'm not made of sugar (really, I'm not), I won't melt. I did ride my bike home. It did rain. It felt wonderful. elegant solution(!): get wet! don't just get wet. ENJOY getting wet.

:-)

this photo is from my camera phone-- 3 and a half miles from work, 14 miles from home. it's right next to the bike path. I stopped and put some water on my head when I was feeling hot.

How can we stay connected?

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:49:16 -0000

How can we sustain connection in difficult times? What do we need to remember? How do you stay connected when you're feeling pressured or frustrated?

When I feel frustrated or pressured; when times are difficult and I can't remember my highest ideals that I'd like to fuel my behavior; that's when I need to take a time out to regroup.

Sometimes it's better to take some quiet time for oneself, to disconnect, before reconnecting.

You know how they say you should unplug electrical devices during an electrical storm? You're supposed to unplug them, disconnect them, from the electrical outlet to protect their inner parts.

When I'm stormy and turbulent I find it's best to disconnect myself. Different amounts of time do the trick in different situations. Finding a quiet space inside or outside, inside AND outside, is the best thing for me to do. Yoga helps me do this. Meditation helps me do this. Going for a walk helps me do this. Sometimes reading a book or taking a nap helps me do this. Sometimes connecting with a friend can help too, but sometimes it might be better for me to ride out my own storms and not send all that energy to interact with the inner parts of others.

I don't think we need to strive to stay connected. Connections maybe should be allowed to wax and wane naturally, at some times stronger than at others.

I like to be open to discovering unexpected connections.

When I think of connections from an internet or phone perspective I think.... I like that I can choose who to be connected to and when. I go to sites that add to my experience of life and avoid sites that leave me feeling........ saddened. I dial the numbers of folks who I choose to connect with and often don't answer the phone if it's not the best time for me to talk. But then again, I sometimes answer the phone at strange hours because I wonder if it isn't someone who really needs to connect and I always tell my friends and family to call at ANY time of day or night if they really need something. They know I won't answer if I'm in a yoga class or busy with an emergency at work or if I am so much in need of a good sleep that I turn off the phone.

So, I like to be open to people trying to connect with me and I do like to connect with others, but I don't worship at the alter of connection for it's own sake.

Sometimes solitude is sweeter and leads to another kind of connection.

What would have to change for there to be no war?

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:37:31 -0000

perspective

hearts

What do you want from our leaders?

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 04:18:24 -0000

I'm thirsty for some fresh clean water and an uncliched perspective.