Love Your Neighbor As Yourself – (Good Reminder)

What makes a good neighbor?

Well, let me tell you about our neighbor Bill. He’s an awesome neighbor.

First let me share how I met this particular neighbor of ours. A couple of years ago I was driving home and pulled over to check the mail. I had my 3 daughters with me (the oldest ones were 3 I believe at the time) and our little dog, Calbie (bless his heart and soul).

As I was checking the mail Calbie jumped on the window and locked the car door from the inside. Which then locked me out with nothing but a mail key and a handful of junk mail.

I just stood there for a moment processing what had just happened. I was proud of myself for not really panicking. I was more like, “damn this sucks, my phones in there too…..”. I tried to encourage my girls to unbuckle their seatbelts to unlock the door but they couldn’t. Can you believe that! Ha!

All of a sudden this guy pulls up in a white truck with a trailer of landscaping supplies (thank goodness I wasn’t standing there long!) . He asked me what had happened, I explained, and come to find out in that small moment that he lives in the house behind ours.

Long story short another neighbor (John, whom I just pretty much met as well) pulls up close to the same time and immediately takes me to my house while Bill (the neighbor I just met too) stays and watches my kids so I can get the spare set of keys.

Essentially I got in the car with a stranger and let a stranger watch my helpless children. Trust good vibes.

Just in that small moment I saw how amazing my neighbors were and still are.

Bill particularly has become one of our good friends. Came to found out he’s a retired executive chef too, so we get to reap those rewards often. It’s awesome, he made these bacon wrapped dates this one time that I still think about. He also makes this amazing soup filled with shredded meat and lots of veggies that can cure any stress in your life!

He spoils our children with goodies weekly and our kids just love him. I joke that our dentist needs to send him a thank you card since he gives them so much sweets. We’ve come to know his wife and kids and on occasions have all got together for a game of cards or lunch. His wife and daughter have horses (they are barrel racers) and we often pay them a visit during evening feedings and our kids enjoy that. Especially one of our daughters whom they have let her ride a few times!

But our neighbor Bill is a real gem. He is always willing to lend a helping hand or make us laugh with joke just to cheer us up. He thinks of us and makes us feel special.

He’s a good neighbor. Thank you Bill.

Slow Quiet Nights – I Love It

What are you doing this evening?

It’s 9:47pm on a Wednesday night. What am I doing…..

Well, in this very moment, I’m in a yoga position. Reclining hero pose if we wanna be exact. I just broke free now, my knees were hurting.

The kids are sleeping and I just wasted some time on the internet reading about some conspiracy theories. Then I decided to do some bedtime stuff, and now I’m doing some moderate yoga.

Once I’m done writing/answering this I’m going to curl up in my bed and continue to read Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets. I’ve never read Harry Potter before but I’m channeling my fall spirit and my best friend has loved Harry Potter for as long as I have known her. So I guess I’m reading it for her too.

Anywho, this is what I do most evenings. And I love it. Sometimes I drink some bedtime tea too but I already brushed my teeth. Our neighbor gave us some pumpkin cookies that I would love to indulge in right now but I’ll wait to eat with my tea in the morning.

Good night beautiful humans.

“… focusing on what’s good in our lives and being thankful for the things we have.”

What positive emotion do you feel most often?

I feel like, my answer is gratitude.

There’s just so much to be grateful for. And even in those hard times/moments there shines that silver lining. It’s that silver lining that gives you hope and encouragement.

Gratitude carrie’s me through the dark valleys. It gifts me with perseverance.

For that, I’m grateful.

Am I Fulfilling My Purpose?

What are you curious about?

There is so much I’m curious about. I mean, I’m curious about everything and nothing really makes sense to me.

Our very existence makes me curious. Like how is any of this even possible. The fact that we live on a planet surrounded by other planets and stars is just strange and insane to me. Even my daughters recognize how much of trip living is. One of my daughters always says, “is any of this even real, it feels like I’m in a dream”.

I’m curious about the details of life and everything’s purpose. It’s amazing… all the connections. I also wonder why certain things are certain things. An example would be why are the planets round and circular and not square or triangle. Why is fire orange and red and not pink and purple? My daughters taught me to wonder about things like that.

Our programming also keeps me curious. Some days I’m like who am I really without this programming and conditioning. Is everything just a coping mechanism? I don’t know, I think a ton. But I enjoy it in a way. I enjoy thinking about stuff I don’t know and getting lost in wonder. I am curious if we really will get all the answers one day.

People who have had near death experiences day say we will. And I do believe in God. That’s something I am curious about.

I’m glad we don’t have all the answers though in this life. This life experience wouldn’t be that great if we knew everything. There’s joy to be found in search and discovery.

Stay curious friends, always. We are all in this together.

Give A Golden Kiwi

Write about a random act of kindness you’ve done for someone.

Here’s a random one.

Not to long ago I was at the grocery store doing you know, the weekly shopping.

The golden kiwis were on sale so I put 4 or 5 little cartons of kiwi in the grocery cart.

At check out an older lady and her husband were standing behind me. Probably in their 60s. She points to the kiwis and says, “oh wow, what kind of kiwis are those? I’ve never seen them before.” I said, “oh my goodness they are golden kiwi, they are soooo good. I had never tried these before either until my stepmom introduced them to me.”

She then says, “I’ll have to get them next time. We love fruit.”

After I finished paying for my groceries I handed her a carton of golden kiwis with a smile and said, “Here. Take these.”

She had the most surprised look on her face. I can still see it in my head. Maybe it had been awhile since a human has surprised her. She kept saying, “are you sure?” And I said, “Yes, yes! Absolutely! Enjoy!”

She was so thankful. It made me feel so good too. I truly hope she and her husband enjoyed the fruit!

Keeping My Retainer

List 10 things you know to be absolutely certain.

I’m just going to say the first things that come to mind because I’m working on answering these writing prompts in 5 mins or less.

* took longer than 5 mins *

1. The best bread for a grilled cheese is on sour dough.

2. You can grow so much through just reading.

3. I am very blessed.

4. Space is crazy.

5. Connections are everywhere.

6. I overthink too much and have been stuck on this number for like 5 minutes.

7. The media is mind controlling.

8. Breathing exercises and cold showers do help with anxiety.

9. There’s so much I don’t.

10. If I stop wearing my retainer my teeth will go crooked.

I Love My Hubby, But……

What bothers you and why?

The first thing that comes to mind is….

being rushed.

My husband always rushes me when we need or want to go somewhere. I can’t stand it. He will start the car sometimes while I am barely even ready!

He is always in a hurry though. I find myself saying often, “do we have an appointment somewhere? Did I miss something? Why are we rushing?”

I don’t know that this behavior will ever really change but I have accepted that’s how he is. Luckily I am able to get ready super fast. And when I get in the car I’m usually angry.

Then I look at him and say, “you should be happy I can get ready so fast and I am not high maintenance.” Then he smiles and says, “one of the reasons why I married you.” And then gives a cute wink. Then I give him a smirk like, “yeah yeah…” It’s so hard to stay mad at him for long.

But you know what ends up happening sometimes? I end up saying, “I don’t know if I unplugged the straightener?” Then he gets all mad at me that he has to turn around because I HAVE to check. And I really do! I HAVE to make sure it’s unplugged! It’s annoying! These days I literally say outload, “the straightener is unplugged.” And if it’s not the straightener it’s the oven or the stove.

That has happened more than once.

However, now when he rushes me, before he pulls out of the drive way he says, “Marie go make everything is unplugged.”

So we are making progress. Haha!

“it may be more helpful to be gently adventurous, pushing the boundaries firmly but in small measures.”

Are you seeking security or adventure?

We find ourselves with two mutually conflicting tendencies in the heart: the desire for adventure and the desire for security.

The desire for adventure is really the desire to know, to explore, to push beyond the real or imaginary limits. All of this requires going out of one’s comfort zone and can be potentially stressful and pain-bearing. What makes people go for it anyway is the tantalizing possibility of successful breakthroughs, which can be enormously fulfilling and pleasurable. All great discoveries and inventions have occurred through the spirit of adventure.

The desire for security is the desire to be safe, to avoid risks, and to accept certain limitations in return for peace of mind. We usually find security in what is familiar, be it a place, an idea, a person, or work. Some people seem to prefer the boring known to the exciting unknown. The desire for security is often connected with responsibility for dependents (one’s family, for instance)…….

……..In life we often go back and forth between these two tendencies—to be adventurous and to be safe. When certain adventures end in disasters, we pull back and become extra-cautious, preferring the security of the familiar to the thrill of the unknown. When we get bored by the endless routine of familiar chores, the mind becomes restless and we gather enough courage to try out something new … until we become disillusioned again and return to our own comfort zones. Some of us never really figure out how to handle these two tendencies. Getting the balance between the two is not always easy.

It is a helpful exercise to look within and find where we lie on the adventure/security spectrum. Rather than indulge in reckless adventures, it may be more helpful to be gently adventurous, pushing the boundaries firmly but in small measures.

June 10, 2019 by Swami Tyagananda

View Original Blog Post Here

Most Random Dinner Party

If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite?

I would invite the musical artist FKJ to play in the background. He would play the piano and the saxophone to really create the whole ambiance. His wife would come too because she has a few great songs too that I would encourage her to sing.

I would invite Akaine Kramarik. She is an incredible painter/artist who’s been having visions since she was 3 or 4. She painted The Prince Of Peace. Check out her story! I would invite her family too because I would love to hear how her visions and paintings shaped them.

I would invite Jim Carrey too. I love his insight and I know he would be making all of us laugh too. I know many think he’s weird, but I don’t.

I would also invite some cirque du soleil folks. There would be a show to entertain the guests.

I would invite Penn and Teller to perform a magical act. Penns an atheist so it would be super interesting to have him sit at the same table with Akaine. I would love to hear them talk to one another.

I would invite of course all family and friends. It would be an incredible party.

I’d probably also ask my closet family members and friends who they would want me to invite and I’d just invite them. Like I know my mom would want me to invite Donny Osmond. And a girlfriend of mine would definitely want Russel Brand.

I’d probably invite the Kardashians too. They are like a guilty pleasure. They just know how to have a good time. And their kids could play with my kids.

I asked my husband who we should invite and he said, “Marie I don’t know….. invite Donald Trump.”

Overall this would be the most random ass dinner party. But could you imagine….

Relationships, Perspective, Confidence

What do you think gets better with age?

I try to imagine my children asking me this question.

If I am speaking for myself I will say, I believe certain relationships get better. You don’t always know which ones will get better but the ones that do are very special.

Your perspective also gets better. Little things won’t get to you as much. And you indulge in more simple pleasures like taking the time to really watch the sunset.

Your confidence/mentality gets better. You care less and less what others think. You do what you want to do, what you gotta do….FOR YOU.