#LetItGo

The topic of forgiveness came up several times this week. There was a difference of opinion with someone and the conversation about it that followed. There was a completely unrelated talk with a different friend about their argument with someone. Then there was a butterfly...

While having a difference of opinion via text message with someone, I described my thoughts to a friend I was with. "I don't have to argue. I don't have to get them to understand my point of view. I don't have to be right. All I need to do is walk away," I said.

It struck me as funny how simple that was, yet how challenging that can be sometimes - to just walk away. Oftentimes when we "let it go" or walk away, we do it with an attitude or judgement toward the other party. I meant just really letting go though, without any harsh feelings.

It's easy to stew about some perceived injustice and complain to anyone who will listen. It's easy to walk away and decide that the other person is a _____ (insert undesirable name here). What about actually respecting their perception or circumstance as different than ours, not better or worse?

"To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it."

- Confucious

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."

- Mahatma Gandhi

Drawing upon what I learned from audio books and seminars I recently listened to (Co-Creating At Its Best, Wayne Dyer, Esther Hicks; The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle; Sacred Contracts and Archtypes, Carolyn Myss), I practiced shifting my thoughts and letting go. I actually felt lighter when I did.

"Resentments are burdens we don't need to carry."

 - Anon.

"Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools."

- Albert Einstein

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."

- Buddha

The next day, someone else I know described an argument that they just had with someone. We talked about refocusing thoughts in a way that would allow any negativity to float away like a butterfly.

Today, a butterfly fluttered across my path as I was pulling out of the driveway. It was big and yellow and beautiful, and danced away into a neighbor's yard as I stopped the car to watch it.

Here's to a beautiful new week... light, fresh, new...  and free...

Namaste,
T

Much Ado About Mothers

This month is all about video preparation. I try not to talk about it much here, mainly because the process is so long and arduous. It will be quite a while before this video is completely done - and we've been working on it for almost a year already!

The thing is... this past week was so jam-packed with video production work, that I really have not much else to talk about - except Mother's Day. :)

Tree planted by my mother :)

We're approaching shoot day now and things are getting both crazy hectic AND fun! As I raced around New York City this week searching for costumes, fabric, crystals, hair pieces, buttons, trimmings, industrial strength glue, props, jewelry, hats, etc., I was also rehearsing and juggling calls to the wardrobe designer, choreographer, videographer, hair stylist, makeup artist, and more. There are so many details to tend to! At one point, a dear friend of mine lovingly laughed at me and at my "motherly" type of role. I took it as a most wonderful compliment.

"If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?"

- Milton Berle

The fact is that there are so many incredible women on this project, when I stop to think about it I am in awe. A group of talented, creative women working together is truly a beautiful thing. Then there was Mother's Day. As I scrolled though post after post about people's love and gratitude for their mothers these last few days, my appreciation of amazing women everywhere strengthened even more.

"Motherhood: All love begins and ends there."

- Robert Browning

Thank you - to all the incredible women in this world! Some are mothers now and some are fondly remembered with the deepest warmth and adoration. Some are mothers to be and some are mothers in a spiritual sense - mothering/mentoring groups, neighborhoods or communities... ALL with an endless capacity for love and compassion so pure that we can feel its divine nature.

"God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers."

 - Rudyard Kipling

"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother."

- Abraham Lincoln

"Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children."

- William Makepeace Thackeray

"It may be possible to gild pure gold, but who can make his mother more beautiful?"

- Mahatma Gandhi

"We are born of love; Love is our mother."

- Rumi

Here's hoping that we allow that kind of love to grow in our hearts and shine out into the world even brighter this week.

"Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love."

- Mother Teresa

Namaste,
T

We Are Family... #Inspiration

Friday was the We Are Family Foundation's 2016 Celebration Gala at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City... I just want to take you all there with me...

Russell and Tanya

Moses, Coyote, Tanya

Coyote, Nile Rodgers, Moses

Tanya and Paul

Moses, Coyote, Tanya, Larry

Danielle, Russell, Tanya, Barry

"The We Are Family Foundation (WAFF) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the vision of a global family by creating and supporting programs that inspire and educate the next generation about respect, understanding and cultural diversity - while striving to solve some of our biggest global problems at the same time."
- WAFF

Click here to learn more about WAFF

The work they do throughout the year is absolutely amazing, especially their support of brilliant and talented teens! Please take a moment and click around their website. You will be inspired. 

"We're building global coalitions, producing international summits, 

creating worldwide curricula and building schools 

in countries with the highest illiteracy rates." 

- WAFF

At this year's gala, WAFF honored President Jimmy Carter (Mattie J.T. Stepanek Peacemaker Honoree), Adobe Project 1324 (Visionary Honoree), and Bono (Humanitarian Honoree).

Click here for Variety's article: "Bono, Jimmy Carter Feted at Nile Rodgers' We Are Family Foundation Gala"

Bono's acceptance speech - posted on Youtube...

The Edge couldn't make it, but Russ was there! #GORUSS

It was an amazing and incredibly inspirational evening! The event brought together a most beautiful family of people working to make the world a better place. I am in awe of all the love in that room that night. People like Nile Rodgers, President Jimmy Carter, Bono, all the teen leaders (from around the world) and their mentors brought together by the foundation, and hundreds in attendance who appreciate and work toward the highest good of our collective human family... It was an absolutely JOYOUS occasion. 

Thank you Nile Rodgers for your tireless efforts to inspire and encourage the global family to which we all belong. Thank you.

Namaste,

T

Purple Skies... #Prince

I have long maintained that most famous people would not have the ability to leave me starstruck. Prince was the only one I could ever think of who would have that effect on me. I never did have the opportunity to work with him, although Russ did a couple of times.

This past week, friends of mine were saying things like they were "reeling" from the loss, "crying real tears" and in need of a grief counselor - many were hit very hard.

"I never meant to cause you any sorrow

I never meant to cause you any pain"

- Prince (Purple Rain)

I was on a long drive out of town, then a long drive back which put me out of touch with much of the media and postings over the weekend. Somewhat isolated, I decided that I did not want to be sad. I began seeing the color purple everywhere. It was in the flowers, the stained glass windows at church, billboard advertisements, new siding being installed on old buildings - everywhere. I thought about my own relationship with Prince through his music.

"I'm not your lover

I'm not your friend

I am something that you'll never comprehend"

- Prince (I Would Die 4 U)

I didn't know him personally. I wouldn't be missing having lunch with him next week. I wouldn't miss talks on the phone with him. I wouldn't miss his music - I could hear that anytime. There wouldn't be any new music being written (I'm sure there's an abundance in the vaults unreleased), but it seemed selfish of me to want him to give any more of himself. Hasn't he given us plenty already? I saw reminders of him everywhere and THAT didn't seem sad at all.

"I'm not a human 

I am a dove

I'm your conscious

I am love"

- Prince (I Would Die 4 U)

My relationship with him felt strengthened. He was in my life. I was not ready to join in the collective sadness. I was looking for ways to be happy, grateful and in the moment. If sadness was the thief, I wasn't allowing it into my temple.

"Love come quick

Love come in a hurry

There are thieves in the temple tonight"

- Prince (Thieves in the Temple)

As I began the eight-hour drive home, I pulled up "Prince" on my iPod. Seventy-six tracks came up. I listened to them all (a few were repeated). I hadn't heard many in a long while. As I listened, I remembered good times, reflected, and thought about his lyrics and their meaning. I sang and danced as so many have done this past weekend.

"And I saw an angel come down unto me

In her hand she holds the very key

Words of compassion, words of peace"

- Prince (7)

I swear (you can't make this stuff up) seven birds flew across the sky in front of my car. I know because they flew in formation with two v-shaped sets of three and one leader in front. I laughed out loud.

"No one in the whole Universe

Will ever compare

I am yours now and u are mine

And together we'll love through

All space and time, so don't cry"

- Prince (7)

I am going to believe that Prince is still very much here with us - and that he has simply punched a higher floor.

"Dearly beloved

We are gathered here today 

To get through this thing called life

Electric word life

It means forever and that's a mighty long time

But I'm here to tell you

There's something else

The afterworld

A world of never ending happiness

You can always see the sun, day or night"

- Prince (Let's Go Crazy)

Thank you Prince...

Namaste,

T

"Dream if you can a courtyard

An ocean of violets in bloom"

- Prince (When Doves Cry)

"Now you say

God made you

God made me

He made us all equally"

- Prince (God)

Death of a Snowman

It did seem a little sad when the snowman melted...

Then I happened to catch this segment of The Andy Griffith Show - when Opie had to set some birds free...

"The cage sure looks awfully empty, don't it Pa?"

"Yes son, it sure does. But don't the trees seem nice and full?"

- The Andy Griffith Show

Then the sun came...

But my favorite part of this week was sitting quietly by the creek for a little while...

As the water flowed toward me, and then away, I was reminded to live in the moment and appreciate what is here now. Things come. Things go. All is just as it is supposed to be. :)

Namaste,

T

What If...

"What if you knew you had to go through 32 closed doors 

before you got to your open door? 

Well, then you'd come to closed door number eight and you'd think,

'Great, I got another one out of the way'... 

Keep moving forward."

- Joel Osteen

"I like science fiction, I like fantasy,

I like time travel, so I had this idea:

What if you had a phone that could call into the past?"

- Rainbow Rowell

What if you could build a snowman in April?

What if the dog cooperated while you took a picture?

What if a homeless man you saw on a park bench would go on to become "the most spiritually influential person in the world"?

Click here for Eckhart Tolle on Wikipedia

Click here for EckhartTolle.com

What if attending a high school musical inspired an idea in you that would change everything?

What if all you had to do was one sit up to get in shape? Would you go to the gym? Would being at the gym make you want to do more sit ups? 

What if all you had to do was START a project? Would you begin?

What if you could have any job you wanted? What would you want to do?

What if one belief that you held since childhood was about to change?

What if every single person we meet is really just a reflection of some aspect of ourselves? How would we treat them/us?

What if we actually already have everything we need?

What if the whole course of someone's life - someone that we meet today - will change for better or worse depending on how we interact with them?

What if we allowed our imaginations to run free?

This week - I'm going to remember that there is a whole world of "what ifs."

What if THAT makes something AMAZING happen?

Namaste,

T

Breakfast Attraction

Classic!

I stopped at the diner for breakfast on my way back from the gym this morning. It was crowded and I was alone, so I accepted a seat at the counter for one. The man next to me had an open book on the seat in between us. I ordered my usual scrambled eggs, English muffin and tomato juice and was just settling in when another man came and noted the textbook on the seat. I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation between these two strangers.

“How long you been studying Chinese?’

“About a year,” said the man with the book.

“I learned it on my own in Taiwan, then went on to teach Chinese history.”

“REALLY!”

With that, they were off and running in conversation. The one with the book compared the language to algebraic equations while the Chinese historian noted how some textbooks leave various words for interpretation. They launched into Chinese history, both amazed at how the culture was having economic discussions in the year 200 BC that mirror the political discussions of today. The guy studying said he plans on going to China someday, while the history teacher had to postpone his next trip there until November (he would have gone next week if not for the perils of trying to sell his house).

Diner Reflections

My food came and they rattled on like a couple of old friends. I smiled at how amazing the whole encounter was as I ate breakfast and eventually asked for the check. I’ve been reading about the Law of Attraction and remembered a similar encounter I had myself this week in Brooklyn. My friend and I were talking about the video shoot we are planning, when the guy next to us introduced himself as being in video production also.

  

Is it a coincidence that I've been reading about energy attracting like energy (Law of Attraction), and saw various demonstrations of just that in my everyday life? What about when I came home and called my mom... She was on the phone with one of my sisters at the time. When she called me back, she noted how when she is speaking to one of us, another one seems to always call at the same time. How about the fact that an Instagram account with the name "Law of Attraction" in its title began following me this week? LOL! (I had forgotten that until just now when I looked through pictures to post and came across the screenshot I took of that profile!)

This week, with the Law of Attraction in mind, I'll keep my thoughts and feelings positive. More good things will come. They'll just walk right in the door and sit down next to me. :)

Namaste, 

T