What A Wonderful World

You can't really go wrong when you start off the week at Leon's...

Me and Russ at Leon Studio One

Josh and Me at Leon's

and then meet with Vincent and Megan...

Me and Russ with Vincent and Megan - from New York Global Marketing Solutions

There was more driving...

and THEN there was Wednesday...

I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED ON WEDNESDAY!  It was as if all the planets went out of alignment or something.  Nothing went right.  I was completely misunderstood a number of times and I just couldn't get over how rude people in the world seemed to be.  I decided that I just had to go home and stay there.  Once I got home, I was stung by a bee in my driveway.  THAT WAS IT!  I just had to go to bed and start over on Thursday.  (Oh well, at least I managed to take the dogs to the groomer - BTW, Bentley also got stung by a bee in the driveway.)

With Wednesday out of the way things got better.  :)  Plans were made and flights were booked.

When I first got to my seat on the plane on Friday, I had scarcely gotten over my mad dash hysteria of trying to make the flight on time.  It was a small plane.  My row had only two seats in it and they were both occupied.  There was one female adult and one small child.  (Uh oh...)  When the lady saw me approaching while closely examining my ticket, then the sign above her head, she said "Oh, is this your seat?" and slid over to the window seat, placing the child on her lap.  The one-year-old little girl's feet were dangling over my seat and beginning to kick up and down.  (Oh great.)

Here's the thing - by the time the flight was over, my faith in humanity was restored.  Those two beautiful angels masquerading as people sitting next to me had me smiling throughout my entire soul.  There was the sweetest little girl and her most amazing adoptive mother.  Their story was incredible, moving, inspirational and miraculously wonderful.  I have GOT to try to remember (especially on days like Wednesday) that angels are everywhere.  I hugged them both goodbye when we landed.

So then, I was having a grand time in the Sunshine State visiting friends, meeting people and negotiating with children.  (Don't ask - I'm pretty sure that I promised a one-year-old that I would put him through college if he would just settle down quietly in a shopping cart - AND HE DID!!!)

Me and my friend Ramza

The week was perfectly topped off with a beautiful church service that seemed to speak directly to me.  The minister spoke about the song "What a Wonderful World" (written by Bob Thiele as "George Douglas" and George David Weiss).  She told the congregation about how the song was written as a positive antidote for the challenging times during which it was created, and about how through our perspective and our own choosing we can view the world and the future with optimism.  We can, during challenging times, choose to step back and see the wonder of the world and its perfection.  (Which was EXACTLY what I needed on Wednesday and what those two wonderful people sitting next to me on the plane helped me do!)

The minister also mentioned how the song wasn't a hit here in the US right away.  It did well in the UK, but took years to grow in popularity here in the US.

Hmmm...

Sounds like perfect sentiments for me to hold on to this week!  It IS a wonderful world and we need only to remember and shift our perspective if ever it seems otherwise.  THAT and the fact that a hit song sometimes takes a while to be recognized as such. 

:)  Perfect!

Namaste

T

Positively Flexible

IS IT MONDAY AGAIN!!!???

I was so busy running around that I can barely remember the first part of last week.  What did I do?  I honestly have no idea.

At some point I took this pic, LOL

I DID do a LOT of driving this weekend.  I am pretty sure that I drove in a thousand-mile-long circle twice in the last two weeks.

Two things stand out as I look back.  The first is the importance of being flexible with plans.  The second is the benefit of positive energy.

Flexibility was key for success last week.  You wouldn't believe how plans kept changing.  Then there was no plan, because why bother?  Then there had to be decisions made (despite the lack of information), then after the decisions were made more change came and the decision had to be revised anyway.  It was ridiculous.  Where was I driving to?  Were the dogs coming with me?  Where would I be going after I went to the first place?  It's kind of hard to pack when you don't know where you're going or how long you'll be there.  In the end, I ended up right back where I started after driving a thousand miles.  If I tried to latch on to one particular idea of what was going to be happening, some new development would loosen my grip and I ultimately had to let go of any notions of my own and just go with the flow.  Fine.

Then there was the presence and awareness of the positive energy flow.  It's funny - when you just "go with the flow" of things there seems to be a wonderful sense of freedom that takes over as you open your mind to the endless possibility of "whatever."  Whenever I let go of my ideas of how things "should" go, adventure begins and the door is opened to new and wonderful things that I never could have deliberately planned.  Even just that sense of freedom itself carries with it such a light and happy feeling.

The gig was great this weekend!  I can't express enough how fabulous it is to work with people whose company you enjoy, and to be able to do something that you really enjoy doing.  We played at a country club on Saturday and had a GREAT time.  We all love making each other laugh, and try to do so at every opportunity (even on stage - Joe seemed to get a big kick out of deliberately trying to make me laugh so hard that I would be unable to sing my verse).  The energy of that laughter and positive spirit shines through in the performance and somehow seems to transmit to the audience, and everyone has a wonderful time!  That positive energy really is contagious.

The contagious effect was evident on my drive back home too.  When a friend had just made me laugh on the phone right before I entered a rest stop, and I walked in there still beaming, I was met with smiles by every stranger I encountered.

Listening to Caroline Myss lectures on the drive (She is AMAZING - GO OUT AND BUY SOME OF HER BOOKS/LECTURES RIGHT NOW!), I heard about spiritual "weightlessness."  To me, being in that state of happiness feels like weightlessness.  What amazing things we can accomplish from that state of energetic joy.  It's kind of like magic - as if joy attracts more joy.  Ideas flow and anything seems possible.

click here for Caroline Myss on Wikipedia

I'll hold on to that this week.  I will go with the flow, stay open to the unexpected and seek laughter.  When I find the laughter I will treasure it and be grateful for it.  I'll hold on to the idea of not holding on to anything.  I am positive that if I do that - this will be a FANTASTIC week!

Gorgeous sunset on the drive!

Namaste
xoxo
T

click here for Pharrell Williams' "Happy" on Youtube

Banish the Funk: 1-2-3 (The attitude, not the music)

What do a trip up a mountain on a horse, a Karate / self defense class, and a beach club gig all have in common?  

They're all part of a three-step process for the banishment of a midweek funk maybe???

It was Wednesday and I found myself getting annoyed by people.  I decided that it wasn’t anyone ELSE'S fault that they were annoying me, but that there must be something going on with ME that I was allowing myself to BE annoyed by others.

My solution?  Get away from everyone and climb up a mountain on horseback.  I don’t know why.  I guess I figured that the solitude and fresh air and horses would help me get my spiritual balance back.  They did!  It was great!

It was a two hour trip up and down a “challenging” trail on the Allegany Reservation in Cattaraugus County, New York.  The Crosspatch Ranch is “nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains” ("Allegheny" is spelled two different ways) and is a family owned horse ranch with an “emphasis on helping people fulfill dreams.”  (OK - I’m down with that.)  Apparently, all their horses are rescues and they also give lessons on how to “throw a rope,” drive cattle and barrel race.  Maybe next time I’ll do that.

click here for The Crosspatch Ranch

So I had a grand time on Kate, who graciously carried me up a steep climb through nature’s beautiful scene and back down through the forest and stream with care.  There’s something so warm about the bond you can make with an animal nine times your weight as you trust them to carry you with gentle grace and they obediently trust your guiding instruction.  Kate even posed for selfies with me after we got back to the barn.  :)  Such a good horse...

I returned with a much better attitude, that wonderful sense of confidence that comes with inner peace and serenity, and a very sore butt.  :)

Next up – Karate lesson.  Ever since I found out that my cousin was an 8th degree black belt, I’d been wanting to go learn a thing or two about Karate from him.  Friday was finally the day!  Off I went with my friend and neighbor Katie to learn some things about self-discipline and the martial arts at Johnson’s Black Belt Academy.  Their mission statement is to “provide men, women and children with the opportunity to realize their maximum potential through martial arts study.” (AWESOME!!!)  They believe “a martial arts education is a vehicle for self-discovery and positive change” and also that “it can improve the world – one person at a time.”  (AWESOME AGAIN!!!)

click here for Johnson's Black Belt Academy

Greg and Melissa met us there and guided us through demonstrations and a variety of self-defense moves.  

We practiced removing ourselves from choke holds and grabs from the front and from behind.  We learned how to punch and kick and reviewed pressure points.  We learned the importance of keeping centered and balanced and the importance of how to fall.  We were taught moves in which we could throw someone twice our weight off balance while keeping our own, and how size and strength often do not matter in terms of ability to do so.  We sent a rubber knife flying across the room and away from our throats in a mock attack, and threw an instructor to the floor with a series of strategic movements.  We came to understand the value of our mental state in the midst of a physical conflict and were introduced to the idea that we should not allow the shock of injury to deter us from an objective of survival.  

What I learned above all else was that I have much more to learn.  Of course I didn’t expect to become an expert with just one lesson, but I realized that many of us (myself included) don’t even think in terms of real physical conflict or actual self-defense motions under real circumstances.  Sure, most of us are aware of our surroundings and use common sense when walking through parking lots at night, but have we actually thought through what we would do in a real physical conflict?  Do we have ANY IDEA what to do?  Are we prepared to successfully overcome a real challenge in that department?  Or on some level, do we just think that nothing like that would ever happen to us?  Is it cynical to think in terms of being attacked or is it smart to prepare?  How often do we travel down that road mentally?  And how can we expect to respond intelligently if we don’t prepare ourselves mentally, physically or spiritually to be able to defend ourselves?  How much would we benefit from the confidence of knowing that we have even just a little skill at personal defense?

Many of us (thankfully) won’t ever be in a life threatening conflict with another, but learning the skills taught in martial arts can certainly be life altering and life saving.  Even the process of learning these skill sets itself is invaluable.  The benefits to developing ourselves in mind, body and spirit through the process of learning martial arts skills are awe inspiring.  I’ve barely scratched the surface of what there is to learn here and have such a tremendous respect for those who practice these arts. 

Thank you to Greg, Melissa, Johnson’s Black Belt Academy and all those who possess a dedication to learning and teaching, and growing and striving for personal best through the medium of martial arts.  You all are amazing!  I look forward to expanding my own knowledge and potential with your inspiration!

And with that… I was off to my beach gig on the Jersey shore…

Good times, great people, and an amazing view!

Me and Joe Gray

What a GREAT WEEK!  I sure did come a long way from Wednesday's funk!

So I guess I'll have to remember...

Step one: 

Find your balance (sense of peace and serenity – as I did on horseback).

Step two: 

Find some inspiration and a vehicle for self empowerment (as was found in Karate class) for confidence.

Step three: 

Go out into the world with said balance and sense of confidence and let your spirit fly!

Have a great week!

Namaste

T


P.S.
Special thanks to Greg Flagella and Melissa Bailey for the great Karate instruction - and to Caitlin Evanock (Katie) for great pics and great company too! xoxo

Oh Happy Day

So I'm standing in line for the restroom at a Starbucks in NYC...

and I looked down at my phone as I remembered a hilarious video I have in there.  I knew that there was some explicit language at the end of that short clip, so I made sure my phone was on mute before I played it.  I wanted to play it to make sure it was in fact the video I was thinking of before I forwarded it to a friend.

I hit the "play" button and was immediately horrified to realize that the sound WAS playing out loud and frantically began hitting the volume controls in an effort to quiet the playback before the expletive rang out for everyone around me to hear.  (It wasn't actually that bad and might not have mattered at all, but I didn't want to offend anyone.)  I only had a matter of seconds.

The exhilaration and panic of those seven seconds was somewhat like a roller coaster ride.  I couldn't turn down the volume fast enough and was racing for the sake of my utter embarrassment.  It was one of those ridiculous moments where I was fighting a losing battle, and what I was about to lose was my dignity.  (Did I mention that it was a video clip of ME and that I was the one who used explicit language at the end?)

As the volume slowly declined and the footage rolled on like a steamroller right over my pride, the inevitable language played loud enough for the people close to me to hear (although I couldn't be certain that they had in fact heard).  I laughed out loud at the ludicrous situation AND the hilarity of the video.  I laughed hysterically.

At first I wasn't sure WHY the girl next to me started laughing too.   Did it matter?  I was in the throes of a laughing fit!  As my eyes glanced up to meet hers, I laughed even harder and so did she.  Then she said, "Funny video?"  (Alright then, she HADN'T actually heard anything specific from my phone, I thought.)  I said, "I couldn't turn down the volume fast enough," but I'm sure she didn't understand what I meant.  Then, still laughing and just as she left to enter the restroom (she had been in line in front of me) she added, "adults don't laugh enough."

I was left outside the door in my giggle fit to realize and think, "Wait a second, did she just call me an ADULT???"  This cracked me up even harder, and just then the guy coming OUT of the restroom saw how hard I was laughing and HE started laughing too.  As he walked off smiling, I continued down the humor road.  I realized the oddity of the fact that three total strangers were standing around in a NYC Starbucks laughing, and that I was the only one of us who knew WHY - and then I thought THAT was funny.  I remembered with a smile how contagious happiness can be.  I couldn't have wiped that smile off my face if I tried - AND WHY WOULD I WANT TO TRY THAT?

Earlier that day, I had been talking to a friend about how we are all responsible for our own happiness or unhappiness by the choices we make and he had sent me this quote:

"Happiness mainly comes from our own attitude, rather than from external factors."

- The Dalai Lama

Later that day, another friend of mine said,  "Happiness looks good on you."

As the week progressed I tried to hold on to that happiness.  It was a great week filled with family and friends and truly joyous moments.  There were times when I just took a deep breath in, and felt filled with gratitude.  Simple things like a campfire, the smell of coffee in the kitchen, cars in the driveway, flowers in the yard, and the smile of a child, all signified grand abundance.  Life was good.

You couldn't have taken that feeling of gratitude away from me if you tried - AND WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO TRY THAT?

Here's bidding you a wonderfully happy week...

Namaste,
T