it is goodness

It is very important that we make a conscious effort to fill ourselves up with goodness. So whether it be, new trail hiking, horseback riding, deep sea fishing, good friend sharing, red wine pouring, new adventure seeking, rock wall climbing, under water exploring, car seat dancing, new baby laughing, child playing, loud voice singing, good book reading, relax and sunbathing, whiskey glass toasting, sandy beach sitting, pool time swimming, dog walking or deep breath meditating we have our goodness tank filled. Because that way when things go bad, and they most probably will, we will have our reserves of happy moments and good feelings and that will help us get through the mess we may find ourselves in.

 

                       My Goodness

it is color and light

If anyone takes 5 minutes and runs through some of my posts you'll notice my blogs are about searching for oneself. I envy the people who know who they are. They get comfortable easily, find their career quickly, select a mate who fits nicely into their life. That, in a nutshell, is not me. I am the ever searching. I do hope to find at least a couple answers as I move through life. Hopefully enough to satisfy my spirit so I can set root. Anyhow...

Tonight I was watching TV and a few commercials stuck out to me.

 Ad 1) Attempts to remind us how we are all one and we are all connected and somehow the same.

 Ad 2) Asks the question what does color feel like, begging us to be immersed in the pictures displayed on our screens.

 Ad 3) Challenging us to take a firm hand on our steering wheel and really drive the car, implying our lives.

I want to feel connected to the world around me. I want to be imersed in the colors of the world, drink in the light of the sun and the stars, plunge into humanity and build connections and grow love. 

As we live in this age of technology often we find more connection, color, light and, although it be superficial, love on a screen. If the commercials from this evening tell me anything it is that we have lost tangibility. We see the buzz feed videos begging us to unplug and the medical review articles about brain waves and techno multi-tasking. In this vast world we have managed to shrink travel time and space all with the promise of being more connected but what we have done is actually lost true friendships. True loves, true family. 

A couple of weeks ago I wanted to play some board games and invited some friends over. What surprised me was the number of people who wanted to sit and talk and drink and play my 1980's version of trivial pursuit. I remember as a kid having family game night, reading books aloud and never being plugged in to anything other than each other. 

I challenged myself this year to build connections. To make the effort to stay in people's lives who matter to me. It's my greatest flaw. I have so many amazing people in my life and I often lose track of them. It's always my own fault. I'm too busy, is always my excuse. But I'm too busy doing what? Watching TV surfing the web and getting sucked into Facebook. I know why. It's easy. It's easy to not make the effort. It's far less scary to talk to someone on-line than it is to make a real connection. But at the end of the day I feel lonely. Because in fact I am alone. I have done an excellent job of whittling people out of my life. I have cut much of the world out of my life. When I lived on the beach my days off were spent people watching, soaking in the sun and listening to the waves. All last year I don't think I spent a single day outside unplugged and just absorbing. That's sad and wrong. 

So in addition to my challenge to make efforts into keeping relationships alive I am going to challenge myself to unplug from technology and plug into the universe. If I spend an hour watching TV I have to spend an hour doing yoga, meditating, walking, reading, playing with a dog. Hopefully, eventually I will start building the connections with the world that I want to, and need to have. So that the next time someone asks what does color feel like I will know, green feels like the rustle in the trees, blue feels like freedom and yellow the heart and warmth that keeps us alive. 

5k #13

Beat Beethoven's 5th 5k. Ft Collins, CO. First 5k at altitude - exhausting! 40:33

 

5k #12

Whiskey Run 5K Happy St. Patty's!

39:45 

5k #11

Sweetheart Run Valentines Day 2015

40:04

5k #10

Battle of the Bean 1/17/15

41:42 I hate running in the cold!! Lol

it is the follies of our youth.

The journey of our lives is not scripted, we are apt to fall flat on our faces at any given moment, we sorrowfully hurt ourselves and others, we often find ourselves clueless to our next step and sometimes find our choice of footing unstable. I have often thought about the saying "it is in the journey not the destination". I understand the concept but it often seems so far and foreign to me as I am actually on the journey constantly seeking the destination. So today I am choosing to focus on the little moments that will make the destination so much sweeter once I reach that end. If last years focus was to discover who I am and what makes me me this years focus will be to be present in my new found self. 

I pray for the patience to allow myself to breathe, the wisdom to allow myself to learn, the grace to allow forgiveness of my faults, the imagination to grow a better world, and the presence to enjoy each moment as it happens. 

-1$

Old dog- new tricks! 

I found this on Pinterest and I'm in love! Long haired dog and winter baths are kind of a hassle. Especially since my pup is now 15 and she gets chilly easily. With this she looks great, smells even nicer and the house doesn't smell like couped up dog! 

Equal parts corn starch and baking soda (for this size container I used 1/4c of each) 3-5 drops lavendar essential oil (whole foods for $7) place in new (this part is important the corn starch will absorb old food scents) cheap Ziploc container. Mix it up with a fork. Drill little holes in the lid and viola! You now have doggie dry shampoo in a convenient little shaker! 

I wonder if this would work on the horses... :-)

it is the saddest fact of life

As I look back on past events both personal world-wide I see that too often we live in a world that finds it easy to hate and distrust. We live in a world where it is believed best to be selfish, rude, hurtful, isolated, partisnal, arrogant, stubborn, demanding and pius.  

Familys are being torn because of  tragedy in the world. Fights, riots, and muttered statements are blooming from this seed of pain. 

This world needs love. Peace. Understanding. Compassion. Care. Patience. Hope. Faith in human kind. 

Please, let us work to make this world a little better. Let us look into our hearts and dig out the jaded, ripped up and mangled pieces and find ways to heal them. Let us search for peace. Let us strive to share goodness. 

The only way to save the world is to start sharing love with those around you. And as they spread that love to others it will reach very far. The only way to have love to give is to be given love. Give, share, hope, love.