The annual tradition of tying up loose ends, starting fresh, and making wild promises is upon us, and yet this time around it seems like more. It’s a fresh decade, and while “the tens” may not roll off the tongue, their introduction ought give us time for pause.
Ten years ago, we partied like it was 1999, because it was. We hoped the Y2K bug wouldn’t cancel our bank balances, or send off missiles, while
we secretly hoped that the year 2000 meant we’d all get our own jetpacks.
Take a moment to reflect on that: on where you were, who you were, all that has transpired along your journey since. There have doubtless been days you’ve tried to wish away, and those you wished you could hold on to forever. People have left our lives, others have entered, and we ourselves have grown. Is there any way you could’ve envisioned your current self back in 1999? Probably not. Odds are, you’d be pretty amazed if you knew then what you know now.
These milestones of years, of decades, of evolving traditions, are perfect times for reflection, gratitude, and the making of new plans. Here are a few tips for resolving and manifesting in this new decade:
* Don’t simply resolve to quit things. Plan on replacing negative habits and patterns with positive choices, and focus on those.
* Every day is a fresh start. Failing yesterday is no reason to give up on today. Be better.
* Concentrate on what you want and not what you’re missing. As with driving, you steer toward what you’re looking at. If you focus on your bills, you will always have bills; if you remember your abundance, you will have abundance. If you want love, practice compassion, faith, and self-love.
* Visualize until it feels true. Want that promotion? Picture yourself behind that desk, gazing out your new corner office window. Allow yourself the pride, relief, joy, that you’ve made it.
*Positive energy snowballs just as well as negative, and the most common quality in happy people is the desire to be happy. You can only hold one thought at any given moment. Choose a happy thought.
* Remember to be your best self. Trying to be someone else’s best sets you up for failure. Find your voice and revel in it; love yourself for it.
* Life is too short for hate. That goes for others, and yourself. You will be amazed at how loving and respecting yourself will change your perception, and how others perceive you. Look in the mirror and tell yourself you love yourself. Do it. Preferably naked. You are beautiful. Now celebrate with a cookie.
* Remember to give thanks for the little things, the moments of kindness shared with strangers, the fleeting moments of beauty and perfection. Give thanks not only so that there may be more of them, but so they may stay with you longer, in heart and mind. Compassion is contagious.
* If we all vow to do unto others this year, as we would have them do unto us, this year will be blissful.
May your life be filled with abundance and joy,
and may you always be aware that it is.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The Poet
A dead poet once called her a serial kisser with heartbreaker eyes.
He died quietly while she was falling elsewhere
into the candy floss of love and daydreams that he felt only heroes could withstand.
She woke up the day they found him
smiling with another man and thinking of nothing like death
when he turned everything he'd ever said into words frozen between quotation marks
and every straight line broken.
She turned her occasionally dark thoughts onto matters of mortality for a moment
and let herself wallow in this new kind of loss until it fell away of its own accord
leaving only fragmented memories and oddly lit scenes
like the books he meant to write
and tear jerking movies.
She saved the letter where he told her how hard he wished and how much he cared;
hoped he had thrown out the letter of her reply where she tried so kindly to say
no
again.
She moved on;
wiser with life,
and older by days,
and rarely grasping
what she had once meant.
He died quietly while she was falling elsewhere
into the candy floss of love and daydreams that he felt only heroes could withstand.
She woke up the day they found him
smiling with another man and thinking of nothing like death
when he turned everything he'd ever said into words frozen between quotation marks
and every straight line broken.
She turned her occasionally dark thoughts onto matters of mortality for a moment
and let herself wallow in this new kind of loss until it fell away of its own accord
leaving only fragmented memories and oddly lit scenes
like the books he meant to write
and tear jerking movies.
She saved the letter where he told her how hard he wished and how much he cared;
hoped he had thrown out the letter of her reply where she tried so kindly to say
no
again.
She moved on;
wiser with life,
and older by days,
and rarely grasping
what she had once meant.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Mala Beads: Meaning & Materials
What's a Mala?
A mala is a length of prayer beads usually worn as a necklace or bracelet. It has 108 beads (109, if you count the unifying or head bead), or a fraction of 108, such as 27. 108 is an auspicious number, derived by multiplying the number of planets by the number of astrological houses (this system is thousands of years old, and yes, we're counting Pluto).
How to Pick Your Mala
With malas, as with crystals, stones and other power symbols, it's important to follow your intuition to the one most suited to you. Whether you follow your heart, or receive them as a gift, the mala you have, is the one you are meant to have, and it came into your life at just the right time.
How to Use Your Mala
A mala is akin to rosary beads, or focus stones. They are used to count off prayers or mantras, so that you don't have to count while chanting. The head bead is a reference point, and not to be counted. Traditional mantras would be in Sanskrit, and relating to one or more Hindu god, but anything can be a prayer or mantra. Whether you choose to use a prayer you're familiar with, such as the Serenity Prayer, or to select your own words, like repeating "joy and abundance" with each bead, helping to manifest these qualities. It is said that if you use your mala beads for 40 days in a row, they will become imbued with power that can be spread to anyone who wears them.
A few materials...
Amethyst: associated with the crown chakra, it's the "stone of spirituality and contentment". It balances the energies, and clears the aura.
Garnet: associated with the base chakra, and the elements of fire and sometimes earth, it is a stone of romantic love, passion, and devotion, as well as inspiration and motivation.
Jade: associated with the heart chakra an the element of water, jade is known for bringing luck, prosperity, longevity, wealth & wisdom.
Moonstone: associated with the Mother Goddess, and lunar power, it's a stone strong in feminine powers. Good for all female health issues, it brings about an understanding of one's destiny, and is the stone of new beginnings for men and women. Cleanses negativity from the chakras.
Onyx: associated with the root chakra, and the elements of earth and sometimes fire, onyx is a protection stone, also promoting inner strength, focus, will power, discipline, and reason.
Quartz: the Jack of All Trades of stones. It amplifies wishes, tunes to all chakras and signs, and amplifies the powers of other stones. Comparable only to diamond in its versatility and power.
White Sandalwood: associated with Ram and Vishnu, it's used for peace and empowerment, and is associated with Gods more so than Goddesses.
Red Sandalwood: a symbol of Brahma and blessed by the goddess Lakshmi, it helps with attaining prosperity. Also associated with Ganesh, and with all Goddesses, it enlightens the super consciousness, improves concentration and facilitates detachment.
Rudrasksha: The seed of the rudraksha tree, rudrasksha literally means "the third-eye" or "tears of Shiva". Said to possess mystical and divine properties, it is considered to be auspicious and powerful, to maintain health, fulfill desires, and achieve all ambitions.
A mala is a length of prayer beads usually worn as a necklace or bracelet. It has 108 beads (109, if you count the unifying or head bead), or a fraction of 108, such as 27. 108 is an auspicious number, derived by multiplying the number of planets by the number of astrological houses (this system is thousands of years old, and yes, we're counting Pluto).
How to Pick Your Mala
With malas, as with crystals, stones and other power symbols, it's important to follow your intuition to the one most suited to you. Whether you follow your heart, or receive them as a gift, the mala you have, is the one you are meant to have, and it came into your life at just the right time.
How to Use Your Mala
A mala is akin to rosary beads, or focus stones. They are used to count off prayers or mantras, so that you don't have to count while chanting. The head bead is a reference point, and not to be counted. Traditional mantras would be in Sanskrit, and relating to one or more Hindu god, but anything can be a prayer or mantra. Whether you choose to use a prayer you're familiar with, such as the Serenity Prayer, or to select your own words, like repeating "joy and abundance" with each bead, helping to manifest these qualities. It is said that if you use your mala beads for 40 days in a row, they will become imbued with power that can be spread to anyone who wears them.
A few materials...
Amethyst: associated with the crown chakra, it's the "stone of spirituality and contentment". It balances the energies, and clears the aura.
Garnet: associated with the base chakra, and the elements of fire and sometimes earth, it is a stone of romantic love, passion, and devotion, as well as inspiration and motivation.
Jade: associated with the heart chakra an the element of water, jade is known for bringing luck, prosperity, longevity, wealth & wisdom.
Moonstone: associated with the Mother Goddess, and lunar power, it's a stone strong in feminine powers. Good for all female health issues, it brings about an understanding of one's destiny, and is the stone of new beginnings for men and women. Cleanses negativity from the chakras.
Onyx: associated with the root chakra, and the elements of earth and sometimes fire, onyx is a protection stone, also promoting inner strength, focus, will power, discipline, and reason.
Quartz: the Jack of All Trades of stones. It amplifies wishes, tunes to all chakras and signs, and amplifies the powers of other stones. Comparable only to diamond in its versatility and power.
White Sandalwood: associated with Ram and Vishnu, it's used for peace and empowerment, and is associated with Gods more so than Goddesses.
Red Sandalwood: a symbol of Brahma and blessed by the goddess Lakshmi, it helps with attaining prosperity. Also associated with Ganesh, and with all Goddesses, it enlightens the super consciousness, improves concentration and facilitates detachment.
Rudrasksha: The seed of the rudraksha tree, rudrasksha literally means "the third-eye" or "tears of Shiva". Said to possess mystical and divine properties, it is considered to be auspicious and powerful, to maintain health, fulfill desires, and achieve all ambitions.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Read Me Here!
Check out Breadcrumb Scabs Issue 7 for three poems by yours truly!
There are of course bunches of other fab poems & poets to be discovered inside.
You can download it free, but the hard copy's a hot addition to any shelf, so don't hesitate to shell out the duckets and support poetic dreams.
http://www.breadcrumbscabs.com/
There are of course bunches of other fab poems & poets to be discovered inside.
You can download it free, but the hard copy's a hot addition to any shelf, so don't hesitate to shell out the duckets and support poetic dreams.
http://www.breadcrumbscabs.com/
Monday, June 15, 2009
How Do YOU Feel?
The program used by this website scans blog posts constantly, searching specifically for the words "feel" or "feels". It then pulls that sentence along with any associated pics, and grabs all the info it can: age, sex, place, and even weather. As much as it seems a bit 1984, what it allows you to do is search through feelings worldwide, from as recently as a few hours ago. It uses a variety of displays to make it fun and interactive, and oddly compelling. You can even click on any given quote to visit that person's blog if you're interested.
What are people in Montreal feeling right now? What is the prevalent feeling worldwide today? You can search by feelings themselves, opening doors to real people and how they're feeling blessed, beautiful, or inspired. It's a unique way to connect at a heart level with strangers, to remind us how connected we always really are. It made me think of how many people ask how we feel , what we're thinking, and how often we shrug this off with small and defensive answers.
Twenty-five minutes ago, a 23 year old from Warwick, NY, posted "I love the feeling of inhaling cold air conditioned air", even though it seems it was cloudy when they posted. I would gladly take that information in the place of so many of the worn things we tell one another.
In our society of diminished emotional bonds and increased superficiality, it seems a blessing to have access to these moments of intimacy, as much as it is wonderful to know that these feelings have been shared, and are not sitting stagnant and ignored. As a result, the boundaries between "you" and "I" seem lesser today, and I am relieved to know that four hours ago, someone, somewhere, was "feeling better about myself".
Sunday, March 29, 2009
The Deaths of Rats
Dying
displayed his understanding of circumstance
and knowing that his next stop was a trash can in the winter cold of an apartment building basement garage
he dug himself in under wood chips and bedding holding onto his head which must have been aching right then like the white lightening pain that takes your breath away
and waited to go back to earth
watched as they came for him
these spectres of well loved rodents who ate out of hands and snuggled into shirt sleeves
a guinea pig gone less than 2 weeks before.
The rat was curled up with him
like a lover perched on the losing end
trying to stave off time.
Now his turn
and alone
he buried himself so that when we woke up
it seemed as though
he was already gone
because
he was.
he buried himself and waited.
Unlike the others who died
one quietly nursing surgery scars
one who tried to outrun it and was found on the living room floor come morning
left to rest in peace by 2 suddenly solemn cats holding vigil in their eyes
or the myriad who did not return from the small animal hospital.
This rat
named for a notoriously local poet gone global and quickly aging who can still make young women breathless from a distancedisplayed his understanding of circumstance
and knowing that his next stop was a trash can in the winter cold of an apartment building basement garage
he dug himself in under wood chips and bedding holding onto his head which must have been aching right then like the white lightening pain that takes your breath away
and waited to go back to earth
watched as they came for him
these spectres of well loved rodents who ate out of hands and snuggled into shirt sleeves
a guinea pig gone less than 2 weeks before.
The rat was curled up with him
like a lover perched on the losing end
trying to stave off time.
Now his turn
and alone
he buried himself so that when we woke up
it seemed as though
he was already gone
because
he was.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Essence
She was the presence of a woman and he was the concept of a man
even as their paint washed away
their colours and textures swirling and singing and melting into rainwater
dirty but proud
a mighty river flowing through the gutter
in fantasies and dreamscapes they fulfilled the faceless roles of love
in explosions of tears and delight they held each other
even as their paint washed away
their colours and textures swirling and singing and melting into rainwater
dirty but proud
a mighty river flowing through the gutter
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