I was out walking the dogs and was deep inside my head with lots of chatter. Sometimes the chatter is really blissful and empowering and other times the chatter is somewhat dark and disempowering.
I’m aware of the chatter while it’s happening and most of the time it’s easy to turn it down or off, but for some reason today I was a bit stuck in there.
As we walked by a young man and his little dog, we greeted each other (the dogs greet one another and I greet the doggy too). This little dog was so cute and sweet and easy with being approached rather abruptly by Sebastian and Josephine.
“Blossom” was her name and her essence just pulled me out of my head and into the present moment. I felt my energetic vibration lift and the feeling was palpable! Not only did her energy lift mine, but mine was very uplifting to the young man walking her as well.
The cool thing–about dogs–they have the ability to transform your experience and your energy! I would not have wanted my lower, chattery vibration to affect the young man I came in contact with. Instead, all the energy was lifted up. Thank you dogs!
If you don’t have your own dog, I suggest going out and borrowing someone else’s dog. Or, go to a doggy park and watch the joy abounding! Dogs deliver the bliss in boat loads!!!
Advertisement
Life can be really blissful if you recognize it as such!
This morning when I awoke, I took a deep breath and silently said, Thank You (it’s a miracle). I had attended a Japanese Master’s workshop on Saturday.
He explained that in ancient Japan, the phrase “Thank You” was filled with revery and awe and it meant, “it’s a miracle”.
He said, they once lived each moment as if they would die in 5 minutes–especially the Samurai. Today, the phrase is just used as a polite business catch phrase. He encouraged us to use it as it was originally intended thousands of years ago–we could die in 5 minutes.
As I thought about my breath and felt the miraculousness of it, I remembered the pregnant woman I had massaged yesterday with the new life ready to emerge. Really, we’re all a miracle every day! I slept through the night again, after all these years, and I have new life in a…
I remember my second visit to California, I was 18 years old and loving this place! Near the end of my trip, I read some graffiti on a freeway overpass, “Tourists GO HOME”!
I remember feeling really bad when I read it, almost like I had been personally attacked.
I couldn’t understand how someone would want me to go home. I thought to myself, “gosh if I lived here, I would want to meet all the people that came from all over the world to visit”. That’s just how I am, I love finding out about people.
I’m still the same way all these years later, if I meet somebody new I want to know all about them. It’s no wonder I do what I do. I lead hikes for people from all over the world. Some come through Cliffside Malibu, a premier drug & alcohol treatment center. People from…
I remember being out one night (by myself) shortly after my separation from my husband. I was at a wine tasting bar and met a guy there. He was alone as well. He said that since his separation he was commited to not dating until 2 years passed.
To me, that sounded like an eternity to not be with someone!
I spent the first couple of years playing around with guys that just wanted to have fun without having a monogomous relationship. That was all I wanted too, but that got old.
Now, after over a year of not dating anyone but myself, two years seems like a reasonable amount of time.
I totally “get” where he was coming from.
As much as I’d like to be back in loveland, I really am enjoying being with me. And yet, to most people who hear me say that, they wonder how can I be serious?
I met a man at a social gathering who was in the midst of his third divorce and he was jumping back into the on-line dating scene.
When I told him of all the time I’ve spent alone, he said, “don’t you miss the companionship!” “Absolutely I do, but I have discovered my own companionship and that feels good too!”
Most everyone I know is in an intense “search” to find a partner. I certainly never thought I would be without a guy for this long–it has been my choice, though. I can truly say this has been one of the best times in my life and, quite frankly, the only time since I was 21 that I’ve been without a man in my life.
After all of my relationships, I always had another to jump right into so I really never grieved the loss.
I am clearly “on my own” and there is something so worthwhile about being responsible for my own happiness regardless of how much male attention I’m getting or not getting.
Some of my friends, even if they are in a commited relationship, need to get lots of attention from lots of men regardless of whether they are going to be with them or not. They need all kinds of texts messages and other forms of male attention–they crave attention from many sources. Nowadays, my phone is pretty quiet, not a lot of action!
It’s so nice to NOT NEED something from someone other than myself!
When we rely on the attention from others to determine how we’re feeling, we’re not really feeling at all.
Whenever you allow the actions of someone else define whether your day is a success or a failure, you are imprisoned until the end of time.
I have been grieving lately and even though it is sad, it is a process that is rich and life giving. There is something to be said for grieving without wanting to be with that person–it really is a clearing of energy that, once cleared, will make way for the relationship that matches who you have become.
I’m sad to say that most people I notice are spending so much time devoted into jumping into the next whirlwind of love that they don’t take any time for themselves–just to get clear again. “What do I want, what am I willing to hold out for, what am I willing to let go of?”
Many people live in the fear based feelings of, “what if this is my last chance at love, I should take this before I run out of chances.”
Oh, the man at the wine tasting event who took 2 years off from dating is now happily married to an amazing woman! He got what he held out for!
Who we are is who we will get.
I want to get an extraordinary partner and the only way to do that is to BE THAT! So…here’s to at least another year of dating Me!
“Oh, my sister isn’t wealthy–she just lives vicariously through the wealthy people around her.” Those were the words my sister used to describe me and my life. When she recited them to me, I must admit I was a bit halted both in thought and words! I wasn’t sure if I should be offended or not–I decided to let it go.
Yes, I have been spending time in multi million dollar lifestyles for over 20 years now.
Upon moving away from my humble beginnings in Detroit, I magically wound up in Malibu. I started training, massaging, and house-sitting for all kinds of people in Malibu–celebrities, moms, dads, producers, attorneys, musicians, actors, etc. Not all of their lifestyles were multi million dollar, but they seemed to have way more than I ever imagined myself having.
Today, as I led a group of hikers along the stretch of Westward beach that is lined with magnificent homes, I described one of the settings of a weekly massage client I had for about a year.
She lived with that beach as her back yard. The balcony where I massaged her was so glorious. You couldn’t see the sand or the parking lot below, you could only see the blue sky and ocean. All you could smell was the ocean breeze–it was so breathtaking and breathgiving–all at once.
People always ask me, “aren’t you envious and resentful when you’re in their space?”
Honestly, no–I almost felt as if I were part owner of the space. Heck, I got to be there every week and enjoy the space. Yes, there were times I wished I could spend more time–just chillin and relaxing, but for the most part, I was in bliss.
The first place I lived in Malibu was on a private horse ranch.
The owners weren’t millionaires, but they had a property worth millions with 7 horses that made my childhood dreams come true. The experiences I was able to live out there on that ranch were nothing short of miraculous.
My landlord saw the thrill and desire I had to learn how to ride so she graciously took me to horse clinics and trainings–one of them with the incomparable Ray Hunt! I created a bond between one of the horses that was so warm and wonderful, words cannot describe the love I felt for that horse. The most thrilling feeling was the love the horse felt for me–that was a warm and palpable force!
Yes, I have trained and massaged some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
Two of my neighbors are A-list actors who can play any role they want because they are who they are. I am surrounded by abundance and wealth everywhere I go. I take care of homes that are so magnificent and others that are humble in comparison.
Am I living vicariously through them? I’m not sure.
What I am noticing, though, is that the more time I spend lingering around this lifestyle, the more it becomes reachable, believable, possible.
I am vibrating vicariously! Why not right? I am in it and around it. By being in it, it becomes more a part of my vibration which helps me to maintain that vibration, which then must manifest in my life.
I have a friend who grew up in a very wealthy family. She will always vibrate with the abundant energy she has, that’s just what she knows. She knows nothing of lack or not enough and, fortunately, she will never know that because she has been trained to EXPECT wealth to be hers endlessly.
No, I boldly say to you, I have no doubt that this is all training for me. I have been training my vibration for all these years and it simply must mean I am getting closer to the vibration of full and effortless abundance. As I know, everything is energy.
We are all vibrating a frequency out into our environment.
The more time I spend with this wealth and abundance surrounding me, the more I will vibrate that signal and I won’t be able to help but match it! When we raise our vibrations, we raise our ability to connect with the universe…
In case you haven’t noticed by now, I am a believer in vibration and the law of attraction.
I take my time and enjoy my life, I’m not a huge go-getter but when I’m inspired to go for something, I go for it because I’m listening to my inner guidance–that powerful place of presence.
I’m not in a hurry and being in a hurry is why most people will never experience their greatest desires because they’ve got far too much resistance built up.
This is an amazing clip from an Abraham Workshop–describes vibration well.
The other evening, I noticed I was starting to have withdrawal pains for my facebook friends in the cyber world. I had been going all day with no time for the computer and I felt the tug.
It was a strange feeling, but it was really clear, I really appreciate the relationships I connect to even when I don’t see them in person and don’t leave my home.
Seems like an odd concept to most of us and a fairly new feeling for me.
I know there are still people who don’t connect this way and, usually, they think people like us are whack jobs! My ex-husband was one of those. He couldn’t believe how many people would be plugged in front of their computers all night.
Now, after 6 years of being apart, when I hear him say that, I try to help him have some compassion.
I’m living in that world now, where I have no significant other to talk to and socialize with. He has a girlfriend he lives with and I have some dogs I can hang out with, but no one in person to talk to! It’s just great to have connections “out there”.
I’m not unhappy or lonely, but it does help to have my facebook friends.
Just because we are connecting over the computer does not make us pathetic and lonely, it enhances the life we’re living.
That’s what I think anyway. I am so thankful for my facebook friends. Having you there has helped me through some tough times and having you there has made for some really great memories.
I know that many think all the technology has made us zombies, the texting and the twitter and the list goes on with the ways we can connect. It is different than when I grew up, but gosh, I’m really grateful.
I have connected to friends that I thought I’d never see or talk to again. No, we’re not all close but there is a connection. Connection is one of my highest values in life. If I’m not on line connecting, I’m out in the world connecting. One doesn’t replace the other, but one absolutely enhances the other. Thank you for being on my “connection radar!”
Ahhh awareness…the more aware I become, the more I see Law of Attraction is always working. There really is no escaping it.
One of my favorite affirmations… “I do everything with the power of FOCUS, the Universe will not give me a partial payment”.
Sometimes, without even asking, the things we focus on show up, effortlessly, into our lives. Here are two examples… I had a personal training client at The Malibu Gym on Tuesday.
On my way out the door, I stopped to look at all the latest local publications…magazines/newspapers. It’s something I always do.
On this particular day, I zoned in on the cover of the LA Sports & Fitness magazine. There was a man who looked familiar…I wondered if he was someone I knew or maybe a celebrity.
For some reason I really focused in on his face, then his body, then back to his face. How did I know him, or did I? I stood there for a good 2 or 3 minutes, with a soft smile on my face, studying the cover. Finally, I grabbed the magazine, went to my car and headed home.
Always on my way home, I stop at The Vitamin Barn where I get my organic green juice for the day. As I walked through the parking lot I noticed a couple of guys getting out of a classic Jeep. It looked really cool and FUN so I asked what year it was and we kept talking while we walked into The Vitamin barn together.
They asked if I was a runner. They are big time marathon runners and they shared a social networking website with me that they had recently started. They said, “check it out, we’ll go out on a training run together and if you don’t want to run, you can just sit on the beach and watch us run by.”
We introduced ourselves, exchanged names and went on our way.
Later when I went home, I went to www.foreverrunner.com and realized I just didn’t want to go through another social networking web-site set up, I looked for Blue’s last name and looked him up on Facebook.
He was there– I noticed a familiar photo–it was the photo I had seen on the cover of that magazine a few hours earlier.
There he was! I thought that was pretty cool…. I had just looked at his picture and met him 10 minutes later.Okay, that was cool, now brace yourself…
On Friday, as I left the gym, I stopped by the door again to see what was new. This time I zoned in on The Malibu Times Magazine.
On the cover was Reggie Miller (the famous retired basketball player of The Indiana Pacers). I really zoned in on it and stared for more than a minute. His eyes were engaging and it was as if he was there in the room. I had had some interaction with him in the past, casual conversations about health and fitness so he wasn’t really a stranger to me. I looked a little longer–really zoning in–he has the most amazing green eyes and they are hard to ignore.
Again, I grabbed a copy, threw it in my car and went on my way. Of course, I stopped at The Vitamin Barn for my organic green juice.
As I walked in, I noticed ReggieMiller walking in before me…everyone greeted him as if he were a regular. At this point, though, I had forgotten I just studied his picture on the cover of the magazine.
He obviously went there regularly…Carlos (behind the counter) lined up all his wellness shots for him without him saying a word. Some of us around the bar exchanged some small talk and I was on my way.
As I walked out the door, it dawned on me, that for two days in a row now, I had zoned in on the cover photo and manifested that person at The Vitamin Barn. How’s that for the Law of Attraction?
In the movie, The Secret, Joe Vitale says… “Thoughts are sending out that magnetic signal that is drawing the parallel back to you.”
It’s not like I said I wanted to meet them, but my vibration really tuned into their photos with an intense focus and feeling, then poof, there they were!
I love how it works time and time again. It usually sneaks up from the side or behind and reminds you it is at work and most of the time, we don’t even see it or recognize it.
It just works so effortlessly that most of the time we take it for granted and don’t even see it. I challenge you to BE AWARE and when you least expect it, it will reveal its magnificence! Until then…enjoy the process!
Some people have an energetic force that draws life to them. It doesn’t matter what they look like, their energy trumps everything. If it’s a high vibrating energy, it feels good and you want to be around it!
Reach for the best feeling thought you can find and you will raise your energetic vibration higher
I recently attended a Landmark Education class in Los Angeles. On the second day of class, I entered the room, scanned the space, then walked to the far right of the room to take my seat. The leader encouraged us to sit in a different spot from the previous day. I sat next to a man in the 4th row on the right. I could only see his back so I wasn’t attracted to him in any physical way–there were lots of open seats all around, but I sat right next to him.
He turned to me and said, “Hi Tara”. Not only did I not know who I was sitting next to at the time, I didn’t even recognize him after I looked at him. The only reason I knew it was him was by reading his name tag and reciting his name which is a really fun name to say!
He had changed a lot after all these years…he had gained some weight and had a bit of gray in his hair. I had dated him briefly many many years ago. As we caught up with each others lives over dinner, it was clear to me, he had the same fiery energy he had all those years ago.
And even though I didn’t really SEE a physical attraction, I was feeling an attraction to his energy. I love energy!
He later admitted that when he was sitting there in the morning, he looked over to the door and saw me walk in. He had seen me the day before because I stood up and spoke in the front of the room.
He quietly said to himself, “please come sit next to me, please come sit next to me”–and I did!
Everything is ENERGY! For me, it is so much more important than how a person looks. That’s why I am baffled when I hear most of my friends list their dealbreakers for finding the man of their dreams–“he has to be taller than 5’9″, he can’t have any children, he needs to be able to support me.” Really? Those restrictions could be blocking you from finding the partner of your wildest dreams. For me, anyway, I stay open to whatever it looks like and reach for those higher energetic qualities..
Energy is amazing. You can deny it or embrace it. I embrace it and look forward to sharing it. Reach for the best feeling thought you can find and you will raise your energetic vibration higher. Feel ya later!
I finally watched the movie, “Milk”. A few years late, but really glad I saw it. I’ve been talking about it to several friends, discussing how crazy it is that that phase in history could go down. Sometimes my sense of empathy is so intense that it’s hard for me to stop feeling about something that really moves me. Anyway, this movie and Sean Penn’s performance was so great and so inspiring! I have talked about it for days.
Without going into the whole review of the movie (which I did on my initial posting of this topic), it had such an affect on me.
I wanted to discuss it, ponder it, question it. Sean Penn did such a great job and I just couldn’t shake the movie out of my mind.
To think there was such a conditional hatred toward homosexuals during those years just baffles my mind. Anyway, watch the movie if you haven’t seen it. I swear I’ve been talking about it for weeks and going on and on about the movie and Sean Penn (I’m not a typical fan).
So–yesterday, as I was standing at the front desk of the Malibu Gym…who walks in the door? Sean Penn!
He had that familiar intense facial expression and there was no question, Sean Penn was in the house–standing in front of me!
Yes, it’s true, we do get a lot of celebrities at the gym but in my 20 years there, I had never seen Sean Penn. Manifestations!!!
This is a powerful assurance of our worthiness–just more proof from the Universe that the people and things we are thinking and feeling about come into our reality.
Yes, some would say the fact that he showed up is pure coincidence, I like to think it was my strong vibration that pulled him into my sphere.
On the same day, I experienced yet another magical manifestation. On Sunday, a few days before this day, I had gone to an art gallery opening and met an amazingly creative young man. He takes items that have been thrown out–mostly furniture and books. He creates and re-purposes them into various pieces–dressers, stools, chests, chairs, etc.
They are so charming and gorgeous (www.onebooktree.com). He is such a talented artist!
As I was admiring the items, I thought of my former client and friend, Rachel Ashwell.
Rachel is the creator of Shabby Chic.
She does similar things with all of her items, she goes to flea markets and gets shabby items and perks them up –not totally rebuilding them, but it is similar.
She has created a multi-million dollar business doing this.
The more time I spent with Devin, admiring his work, the more I pondered the possibility of introducing this young artist’s work to her, perhaps she could carry some of their items in her local Santa Monica Storefront. It would be a great boost to their beginnings.
It has been about 3 years since Rachel and I have spoken or seen each other, but on this magical day before heading up the long windy canyon for my mountain bike ride, I stopped to get gas at the 76 station.
Who was next to me at the pump?Rachel Ashwell. Manifestions!!!
Manifestations are proof from the Universe that you are worthy–that what you’ve been thinking and feeling about really can come into your physical reality. Simply, manifestations are indications. I had been thinking and feeling about Rachel Ashwell and Sean Penn a whole lot that week and they showed up. These are messages for us to pay attention to what we think and feel about, we just might get it!!!
I remember my second visit to California, I was 18 years old and loving this place! Near the end of my trip, I read some graffiti on a freeway overpass, “Tourists GO HOME”!
I remember feeling really bad when I read it, almost like I had been personally attacked.
I couldn’t understand how someone would want me to go home. I thought to myself, “gosh if I lived here, I would want to meet all the people that came from all over the world to visit”. That’s just how I am, I love finding out about people.
I’m still the same way all these years later, if I meet somebody new I want to know all about them. It’s no wonder I do what I do. I lead hikes for people from all over the world. Some come through Cliffside Malibu, a premier drug & alcohol treatment center. People from all over the world visit and I get to find out about them!
I’ve lived in this state for 27 years now and I feel as if I was born here. I wasn’t born here, but I did live here when I was a baby and I feel as if California is in my bones. I love this place, it is so magnificent!
Where else can you go to the beach then take a 2 to 5 hour drive and be in the mountains with snow? Everywhere I go here, I feel at home.
California! I’ve been up and down the coast and everywhere I go is total bliss. Clearly people want to visit here, and move here! If you knew what we had to endure in Michigan, you would have a heart and be okay with us being here. While it is true, there are lots of people and cars, how can you blame them all? This a a gorgeous place!
I remember one of the women at the gym complaining about all the cars flooding from the valley to go to the beach. She said, “vals, go home, we don’t want you here”.
It’s funny, I thought to myself, she moved here from Ontario Canada–who is she to talk? Vals are the people who live in the San Fernando Valley. It is a good 15-25 degrees hotter than on the beach. Gosh, they deserve to enjoy the beach. I can see it from both sides, though. When I spend most of my time up and down the coast because I work in Malibu and live in Brentwood, there can be a huge amount of traffic in the summer months because of everyone flooding to the beach. It’s all good though, we’re just enjoying where we get to live and play!
I enjoy where I live and play every day. Today, as I drove the stretch of PCH that takes me to my long time place of work, The Malibu Gym, I marveled at the beauty of Point Dume’ in the distance.
Honestly, I don’t think there has been one day in the 21 years I’ve been driving that coast that I haven’t been in awe of the sight of it when I see it.
I do wonder, how is it possible to love a place so much?
The month of June, 2013 marks 22 years of living in California. From the age of 10, I spent 20 years dreaming of living in California.
Some might say it became everything I focused upon.
The DJ in the college cafeteria only had to see me and know that it was time to play my song, “California Dreamin”. Class after class of teaching, I always ended in the relaxed visualizing mode and saw myself here, happy and vibrant! Then, after years of postponing my move either because of school or a job or a boyfriend, I made it happen. I had dreamed and visualized and listened and dreamed some more and then I moved to California.
I had no car, no job, no place to live–I just had to be here once and for all.
So many dreams came true for me. I lived on a private horse ranch and attended horse clinics to learn how to be confident in riding and dealing with horses–my childhood dream come true!
Today, I am surrounded by health food stores, healthy restaurants, nature abounding everywhere I turn, near perfect weather, people I adore and so much more!
I love the life I’ve created. I ride my bike, I hike the trails, practice yoga at my choice of a plethora of studios. I live in a neighborhood that simply must be one of the prettiest in the country. Abundance surrounds me in every direction I turn. I am worthy of it all because I brought it to life with my visions and my strong desire.
It’s fun to see where we’ve come from where we once were. I’m so grateful I had that California dream all those years ago!
Today, I am feeling very appreciative of my mom and the freedom she graced upon her kids. She gave us so much space and exposed us to more than the average person, I’m sure of it now.
When I was a young girl, we would go and visit my Grandma and Grandpa in the Cass Corridor, Downtown Detroit area. The Cass Corridor is where the riots broke out in the heart of Detroit in 1963.
It was a real raw city, indeed.
My Grandpa would walk us to the park downtown where we would feed the pigeons. He was in a very sick phase of his life, and there were many times that he would have to lay down on the side of the street and take a nap.
My sister, Valorie, and I were about 8 and 10 years old. We would just sort of linger there while grandpa napped. We were harassed by all sorts of people.
We learned the subtle art of knowing when to speak and when not to pay any attention. There is a huge difference.
If you look someone in the eye that should not be looked in the eye, you learn quickly what you did wrong. When you ignore someone that you should have spoken to, you learn quickly what you should have done. Trust me, it’s a big deal.
Most of the people I know are afraid of going to areas that seem unsafe. Quite frankly, most people just don’t go. When I was a teenager and driving, I would drive my friends to downtown Detroit. There were some amazing ethnic festivals at The Hart Plaza down on the riverfront. Talk about a place to party and meet people from all over the metropolitan area, this was it.
If my friend’s parents knew they were down there, they would have thrown a fit!
To me, being downtown was not a big deal and it was not dangerous. My Mom worked downtown all of my young years, my Grandparents lived downtown, and it was part of my vibe.
If you aren’t exposed to the diversity at a young age, when will you be?
That, I believe, is the problem with most people who are filled with fear about going to certain neighborhoods. If they’ve never had any experience carrying themselves down a city street, you’d better believe they’re going to show it.
Body language and posture is everything.
If you have no confidence, it will show and you will be an easy victim if anyone were interested.
Just the other day, I was in an area in Los Angeles that I would not necessarily choose to go to. I had bought a Living Social deal and I wasn’t sure of the area it was in. Sure enough, as I drove toward the address, things weren’t looking all that fabulous.
It was a run down neighborhood and the people were definitely diverse and, in the words of Jerry Seinfeld, “not that there’s anything wrong with that”.
I had a voucher and it expired TODAY. Since I was juice fasting, I was going to get my full supply for the day and take them to go–all juice. As I handed the cashier my voucher to pay, he announced that it was dine in only.
Shoot, I had no choice so I decided to sit there and drink a couple hours away. I needed my computer which was in my car.
I walked to my car, which incidently had my bicycle on top of it, and grabbed my laptop and walked back.
There were people of all sorts out there. Some in their yard, some on the street, some lingering in the old garage business on the corner.
They were diverse and it did feel like I was on the streets of Detroit from my childhood.
The beautiful thing, though, was that they were not at all offended by my presence. The tough chick walking by was one of those you just don’t engage. The older woman, who seemed a bit out of sorts and maybe a little intoxicated, was pleasant and a simple smile worked with her.
All I can say is, I am so appreciative of my upbringing and the example my mom set for me.
I appreciate her for exposing me to all the neighborhoods, not just the suburbs.
Fear just wasn’t present in my body when I was out there. All was well.
I guess if you are already an adult and you weren’t prepared to navigate in such neighborhoods, you probably should stay out of bounds until you learn the art of posture. Or, come with me and you’ll be fine.
All is well and it’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood–wherever it is!
I went to see the movie, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”. It was a really good movie and I noticed something that we are all subject to–limited access to nature.
Whenever we enclose ourselves with limitations, it creates a bit of frustration and sometimes rage!
No question about it, even though humans are not apes, we still need to run and jump and move our bodies out in nature. There were a couple of scenes where Caesar was let off his leash in the Redwood forest.
Caesar was a baby ape raised indoors.
The shot of his face as he looked up, without a leash on and was ready to live fully and swing in those trees–how his eyes brightened, it was magical.
I feel similar when I’m out on my favorite trails. We have nature all around us but most people don’t utilize it and surrender to it. We know it’s there but we have deprived ourselves for so long that we don’t know or remember what we’re missing. When we go too long without our fix, we become pent up and filled with anger and rage and resentment and it’s no wonder we take it out on others around us. Whether we are in our cars venting about the other drivers, or out in public areas dealing with strangers, people have gotten downright nasty and uncivilized at times. My prescription is to allow ourselves back out into the wild. Nature heals all our ailments if we just trust it to work its magic. I’m watching a lizard on my porch right now. To each stroke of the keyboard, he is reacting with his balance and body poised and ready to run away or toward. His little head is bobbing up and down and around. As the typing continues, he relaxes into the noise knowing there is no threat. He is in tune with his perceptions and feelings without thinking, just a natural knowing.Imagine if we could tap into that power? We have it here in front of us and most of us pass it by. I encourage anyone reading this to get out the door, into the day, and enjoy your body moving through space. Let go, breath, and celebrate life outside our domesticated domain. If you have dogs, you know how excited they get when you take them out for a walk. Excited, I mean REALLY excited–and to think–they are just going on a little walk in the developed neighborhood! It’s good to get outside, even if it is your neighborhood street. Do something amazing for your physiology today, go take a walk outside. You won’t really feel what’s going on inside your body physiologically, there are a myriad of reactions taking place that would blow your mind if you knew them all.You are an amazing machine and your body thrives on activity and if it’s out in nature, you are interacting with the same phenomenal piece of creation as yourself! Go discover a new trail or a new park, some untouched terrain that will feed your spirt with peace, joy, and freedom.
I don’t get to Hollywood very often but I am here tonight. I can definitely tell I’m in a big city.
I just walked by a man, we made eye contact and said hello to each other. He was a homeless man and all he could say was, “thank you, I really appreciate that smile you just gave me”. I agreed, it really is amazing how much a small smile can do for someone in need.
He said, “Oh, you’d be surprised at how few smiles I get in this big city.”
So sad. I guess people have hardened themselves to street people–people who live on the street.
While some of them are a bit whacked out, some are just in need of some real interaction with a fellow human!
While the smile I gave him made him very appreciative, it made me feel pretty special too. Win Win!
So, if you get a chance, look somebody, anybody, in the eye today, give ’em a smile and you just might make their day!
Have you ever driven by a business that was once thriving and now it is dilapidated because of neglect? In your memory, it was busy and successful– the place was always maintained with the utmost care and cleanliness; there were customers bustling in and out and it was alive and thriving. Then, years later, you drive by to see an establishment that has been abandoned.
That’s what happened today when I drove by the old Chevron station in Malibu. It is now infused with weeds, cracked cement, and an old wire fence surrounding it. The sight of it just hit me really hard.
I guess what moved me was that it can be a metaphor for our lives, our health, and our dreams.
Unfortunately, some people do this very thing with their health–they just stop the upkeep. They decide to just let it go and discontinue maintenance of the premises.
The sight of this was so dramatic. Honestly, health is one thing that I do maintain, but what about my dreams? I have caught myself saying “I used to want to be…” a lot. I’ve said that phrase several times within the last year.
I admit, I have let some of my goals and dreams grow wild with weeds. The weeds represent my doubts, my fears, my inaction.
I’ve noticed a trend in how I handle life and success. It seems that once I reach what I’d wanted, I become a little complacent, stagnant. It’s almost like I want to rest awhile before I start striving again. It’s usually during that rest and relaxation that depression sets in because I’m not keeping up with my new desires.
Perhaps it was all the years I spent in college that conditioned me to strive and take a break once I achieved a thing. As one of my favorite teachers, Abraham-Hicks, says “reach and find balance”. I think I’ve been spending too much time at the balance point and then level off there for a bit too long.
Because I’ve been pondering these thoughts, people and circumstances have been showing up for me in a synchronistic way. The other day, as I was riding one of my favorite mountain biking trails in Malibu, I met a rider who exhibited such skill and confidence. It turns out, he is a former pro down hill rider.
He was just so masterful and playful.
It seems like he was in my space to show me that there’s always another level to get to. There are no words to describe his skill and ability–I was utterly amazed at what I saw. No, I don’t want to ride with that kind of gusto because it is amazingly fast and dangerous, but it was just an indication that there is always room to grow and improve. There is always more to learn–a higher level to reach.
On the opposite end of that, I have a girlfriend who truly inspires me. She grew up and never learned how to ride a bike. Now, after all these years of owning that fact, she is now stepping into the truth of what is possible–she has taken on learning how to ride a bike.
I met up with her yesterday to ride our bikes together. It was her 3rd or 4th time on the bike. She knows she looks like a beginner but, honestly, she is so full of grace as she loses balance or has to stop suddenly.
She is reaching beyond what she’s always been and silencing her ego. She will not stay in that place. Her courage is so inspiring to me.
What showed up for me next was a Joel Osteen sermon.
Joel Osteen is one speaker I love listening to. His words spoke directly to how I’ve been feeling.
Joel says, “One of the battles we all have to fight is the battle of containment. The enemy doesn’t want you to go any further. He can’t do anything about the ground that you have already gained, he’ll give you that. But what he doesn’t want is for you to advance. His goal is to keep you contained. That’s why it can be very difficult to press through to a new level. There are forces working overtime to try to keep us where we are. Many people are too easily satisfied…instead of stretching and believing in bigger things they get stuck.”
The reference to “he”, for me, is the ego. The ego doesn’t want us to grow and stretch, it wants things to be just as they are–no growth, just comfortable contentment.
The ego has a hard time with not being good enough. Trudging through all the pain and humiliation of achieving a new level of skill or taking on something totally new is far too much for the ego. There is a lot to learn and it will take time to gather the skills. That’s why the two extremes of my new friend Gary (the pro) and my girlfriend (the beginner) speak volumes to me. In each case, it really takes something to get to a new level.
Joel’s words were just what I needed.
Fear has been presenting itself to me often these days.
There are new career endeavors I’d like to venture into, but I seem to be stopped by fear. When you’ve been in one field for most of your life, the thought of even claiming you can be something else is daunting. But since the new career I want to embark upon is in the creative realm, I just need to step into it.
There isn’t any formal education I need to apply for, I just need to be it in my mind first, then I will be it in the world.
Sounds easy! In reality FEAR is false–False Expectations Appearing Real.
Yes indeed, it’s time to take on bigger and better dreams and turn them into reality. Where I am is not where I’m going to stay. Yes, I’m proud of what I’ve achieved so far, but there is always more thrill. The thrill really does come from reaching for something greater, becoming more than I once was, and finding balance in that new place. Inspiration has shown itself to me and I do believe I have some weeding to do!
This morning when I awoke, I took a deep breath and silently said, Thank You (it’s a miracle). I had attended a Japanese Master’s workshop on Saturday.
He explained that in ancient Japan, the phrase “Thank You” was filled with revery and awe and it meant, “it’s a miracle”.
He said, they once lived each moment as if they would die in 5 minutes–especially the Samurai. Today, the phrase is just used as a polite business catch phrase. He encouraged us to use it as it was originally intended thousands of years ago–we could die in 5 minutes.
As I thought about my breath and felt the miraculousness of it, I remembered the pregnant woman I had massaged yesterday with the new life ready to emerge. Really, we’re all a miracle every day! I slept through the night again, after all these years, and I have new life in a whole new day. The baby is new life and we recognize that with more clarity because it’s new but when we really look at it, we are all a miracle.
We are, in every moment, new!
I have noticed it with almost everything: puppies, kittens, babies, relationships. When we look at the young animals and kids, they are refreshing and as cute as can be. Somehow, as they get a little older, we begin to take them for granted.
Relationships are the same–whether they are relationships with others or ourselves, we take them for granted and just expect that they will be here the next day.
The Japanese Master told us about his grandmother. At the age of 70 she started rock climbing and at the age of 80 she started downhill skiing. Everyone tried to stop her and convince her she was too old, but she did it anyway.
She lived as the ancient Japanese did–fully alive and present with every moment.
Then, tragically–she was hit by a truck. She is gone from this realm but she was an inspiration to her grandson on how to live life.
She lived fully!
I am cultivating a new practice and that will be the practice of taking that first deep breath and saying “Thank You (It’s A Miracle)”.
As much as I can be present to the miracle that I am, I will be.
I will not take you or me for granted because every minute in life is a miracle! Thank You.
My mom will be 83 years old this year. Anyone who knows my mom, knows she is one strong woman–she had to be! As a single parent with 4 kids, she had to be strong and responsible. It seems she never missed a beat.
It’s no surprise that us Jeter women are all very strong, assertive, and independent, we learned from the best! Lately though, I’ve found myself wanting to be a bit less assertive–somewhat more yielding and accepting.
Women’s liberation was big when I was growing up. I remember the Helen Reddy song, “I am strong, I am invincible, I am woman!” It seems like most of the women in my life have that strength. Women tend to be very strong by nature–able to endure so much life experience.
What is my point? Well, wouldn’t it be nice if we could just lighten up a bit. Wouldn’t it feel good to let go and just let things happen without always being in control, being right and being responsible? This goes for all you new moms out there too, sometimes it’s okay to let your man do the chores–even if he doesn’t do it quite the way you’re accustomed to (the right way), just let go! Sometimes it’s okay to let someone else do it the way they do it–not the way YOU do it!
I find myself withdrawing from the relationships in my life where women are trying to control everything. If it’s not done the way they want it done, then it doesn’t seem like a pleasant experience. Sometimes I just want to just BE, it’s not fun to be controlled–by myself or anyone else.
This is what brings my attention to this topic. Perhaps I’ve been too controlling. Perhaps I’ve been wanting to always be right. Perhaps I am always looking for it to be a certain way. All the lessons we learn out here are about ourselves but they’re through the others in our midst. We are reflections of one another.
After all these years of living life, my mom is starting to let go. As the years have gone on, I’ve noticed bit by bit a sense of letting go and just letting it be okay. She stopped clinging to ideals or things or certain ways that it had to look a long time ago. Most people who know my mom know her as a calm and beautiful presence.
My mom is who I want to be now. Easy, calm, accepting, considerate, empathetic, and as a brilliant poet once wrote about her, “full of grace, when others would act a fool”.
Let it be known, I am letting it go and letting it flow. Yes, there will be times that I forget and feel the intensity of my old ways trying to grip me and snap back in to control a situation. I will simply notice, be aware, then let it go. Go with the flow is feeling like a nice way to be.
Recently, I’ve had the “forgiveness” conversation with people.
I’ve heard a common theme that troubles me.
People seem to have varying degrees of forgiveness. It seems that some things are acceptable to forgive yet others are not so acceptable. Gosh, that doesn’t sound like forgiveness to me.
I was telling someone that I was going to a friend’s house to watch the movie “Powder”. I had watched it the first time in 1995, the year that it was released, and remembered what an impact it had on me.
She exclaimed, “I won’t watch THAT movie because a child molester was the Director of it”.
Gosh, I know that being a child molester is not acceptable AT ALL, but must we always carry that with us and NEVER forgive a person?
Are there degrees of forgiveness? Are there some things we just shouldn’t forgive? I’m troubled by the rigidity of that!
Somehow, if you can forgive some things but not other things, I think maybe you just don’t know what forgiveness is.
The way that I understand forgiveness is to be able to see someone through the eyes of Source. Call it God, Source, All That IS, Unconditional Love.
When you see someone through those eyes, you only see them as the fullness of who they are in all their potential and beauty. There is no judgement, no rigidity.
Why are some things considered okay to forgive and other things, well they’re just not acceptable to forgive?
Troubling indeed.
Should we just throw him out with the trash? The director of this movie spent 10 years in a state prison. He is an artist and a person.
Should we never allow him to contribute to society again because of his past behavior?
“Powder” was a moving and powerful movie and I highly recommend it.
The woman who would never watch “Powder” told me to go look up some “Ask Abby” response and then I would understand why I should never forgive a child molester.
I opted not to.
I would rather stand in a place of love and compassion than in a place of hate and an unwillingness to forgive.
For all those who would never forgive, I do hope you’ll never have to be the one in a position to be forgiven.
As I am becoming more and more appreciative and grateful for everything in my day to day living, I am noticing more and more people in my midst who are extremely appreciative and considerate. It is so fun to watch the unfolding as it occurs.
It’s good news to me, since I am a firm believer in the law of attraction. When we vibrate a certain signal out into universe, it is then magnified into our experience. I do feel as if I’ve been getting better, nicer, more considerate and more compassionate.
I am meeting some outstanding people, that’s for sure. I went in to start working on a massage client and the first thing he said was, “I just want to thank you in advance for doing what you do”. That was a first, I had never heard that before!
This was the second time I’d worked on him but I’ve been seeing him here and there when he comes in for massages from different therapists. He is always with his wife and the love he has for her oozes out of him. He is a happy human being. He is doing what he loves and treating himself and others well as he goes along.
I can’t think of a better scenario for which we should all be living our lives. I was just so curious about him, though, I had to ask him, “Were you born this nice, how did you get this way”? He replied, “Fire, coming up against struggle, and more fire”. That is good news for us all.
That means, the more aware we are of where we are, the more we go to work on ourselves. As we are aware of where we are and know where we want to be, we become more vibrant and alive. We grow, expand and evolve into something new and expressive. We become inspiring to others just by being joyful. This man, and many others I keep bumping up against in my daily activities, are so inspiring to me. They see the best in everyone and everything and treat everyone around them with love and respect.
We just need to keep moving forward and do whatever it takes to train ourselves into that supreme state of appreciation. I’m sure you’ve heard it over and over again–when you are grateful and appreciative of everything in your life, you will get more and more to be grateful and appreciative of!
I was at the end of taking a group on a hike in Malibu.
It was a magical day as always.
One of the hikers and I landed on a curb to do some stretching. The tree that lined the curb was a gorgeous bottle brush tree. I mentioned that they happen to be my favorite tree, she concurred–they were her favorite as well.
We simply began basking and appreciating this tree and everything about it and all the others we have seen. She spoke of the bottle brush tree she has in her back yard. We went on and on about this tree, just loving it up!
We said our goodbyes and I was onto the next phase of my day. A few hours later as I was driving to my next appointment, there was a bunch of traffic on the main street so I chose to take a side street.
As I drove block after block after block, all I saw on each side of the street was bottle brush trees. I was literally immersed in bottle brush trees. Every size and shape was represented on this street–some were groomed and some were wildly growing in every direction.
All I could do was gasp and tears began rolling down my face. This was clearly the power of the universe/God/Source, whatever you want to call it, bringing me more of what I was so fervently appreciating earlier. Oh, to be sure, Law of Attraction abounds and is at work in every part of our days. This is just a simple example of how easy it can be to manifest. Are you noticing?
My dog decided to run out of the gate when it opened.
This is something Sebastian has done before but always returns within 20 minutes.
Usually, we just know he’ll be coming home soon and he does. He just needs to run wild and get a thrill.
This time though, after two hours had passed, I became a bit anxious.
I decided to cancel my Christmas party plans and stay home in case anyone found him and called the number on his tag. No calls.
My Facebook status up-date from the previous day was “Worry is a waste of your imagination”. I was to be tested on this day!
I kept seeing him, in my mind’s eye, coming up to the gate and looking up into my eyes like he always does with that intent, sensitive, sweetness. Unfortunately, I also had visions, although brief, of him being stuck in the canyon with Coyotes surrounding him or somewhere on the street involved with a car.
As quickly as those visions entered my mind, I pushed them out with visions of him looking into my eyes.
I told my housemate that he was probably laying on a nice lawn somewhere just enjoying the moments. She was doubtful but I had seen him do this on our walks so often that I held my vision there.
I was hopeful but becoming more anxious as the hours passed.
Several hours had gone by now.
After walking the neighborhood, driving the neighborhood and checking out the canyon behind the house, I had to go to sleep.
At 5am, after 15 hours had passed, Sebastian arrived home. My housemate let him in the house and I could hear the familiar running down the hallway. I jumped up and ran into the hall. “Is that him, is he here”?
As he had ran out the back door and heard my voice, he ran back in and looked at me with those eyes. My vision came true!
I have no idea where he had been for 15 hours. This was the first time he’d been gone for more than 20 minutes.
I truly believe that my vibration and love for him, pulled him to me.
I kept seeing and feeling his loving presence out there enjoying life and seeing his loving eyes staring up at me.
I am so grateful that I used my imagination to see what I wanted to see instead of worry about what I didn’t want to see and waste my imagination on that!
Hold to your visions, feel the thrill of how it will feel when those visions emerge. Feel the vibration–it’s Everything!
Are you an artist? I think you are but you may not know it. We think it has to look a certain way. I am an artist. For many years though, I never saw myself as an artist. As I sit here observing my surroundings and the people in my midst, I know without a doubt, we are all artists.
I remember when I met my singer/songwriter friend Chantal Kreviazuk for the first time, I didn’t know what she did in the world, I asked her, “what do you do”? She replied, “I AM AN ARTIST”.
I liked the way that sounded and it really stood out to me. Still, I didn’t know what kind of artist. Being an artist is a broad category and it can look any way we see it.
For her, she doesn’t have to think about being an artist, she just IS. She was a child prodigy and was playing piano at the age of 3 and writing songs not long after.
For her, being an artist is just what she’s always been.
There was no sense of doubt or question in her answer, that was clear.
I remember thinking, “wow, I wish I had that knowing and could proclaim it with the same kind of certainty.”
Years have gone by since that initial meeting and I’ve often thought about the words and the sentiment surrounding that exchange. I’ve seen that, in fact, Chantal is an artist.
I’ve been to her concerts, seen her interviews, witnessed the causes and charities she is passionate about, seen her with her husband and her children, met many of her fans, etc. She is an artist in her work but also in life.
Thoughts are creative and the beliefs that come from those thoughts continue to create.
Chantal was fortunate enough to formulate powerful beliefs at an early age.
Unfortunately, for most of us, we’ve decided that only a select few are artists.
If we weren’t told we were creative or artistic, we learn to believe we aren’t.
If we weren’t fortunate enough to be a child prodigy, we seem to chalk it up to our fate or lack thereof.
I include this information about Chantal, not to make you feel inferior or “not enough”, but If we could get out of our own way, the answers to our connection and creativity could flow.
There are so many people in my life who are extremely creative. At times, I am intimidated and feel I don’t measure up. One of my friends is on fire with the creative projects she is taking on. I’ve decided though, instead of comparing myself to her and feeling “less than”, I’m going to take it as a sign. The sign I choose to see is this: I am vibrating a frequency that is attracting creative people into my life. They are here to show me that I, too, am creativity in action!
As I watch the world go by, I see that we’re all artists. We create with our thinking and that is the ultimate artistry. We should start claiming with clarity and ownership, “I am an artist!”
We should all begin to step into the sentiment of being artists with confidence. Whether or not we have been in the past, we should know the simplicity of our creative minds. Thinking is creative. If that is true, imagine how artistic we are.
Let’s get to it. There is no comparing ourselves to others allowed. What will you create? I am an artist. You are an artist. It’s time to create!
Speaking of creating, the following interview with Chantal is the amazing story of how her career began. You won’t want to miss this! You will want to watch all 4 parts I’m sure, in part 2 she performs the song that launched her career!)
Chantal is a Canadian born, award winning singer/songwriter. Not only does she record her own albums but she collaborates with other artists to write their songs…Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson, and Gwen Stefani, just to name a few. Her songs have been featured in numerous movie and television soundtracks. Chantal is a true inspiration and fun to watch and listen to!
I’ve been meeting many people who really want to develop a yoga practice. Their first couple of experiences, though, have been challenging.
When I hear this, I always ask them, “how bad do you want to practice yoga, what are you willing to go through, are you up for being annoyed, how about feeling frustrated?”
In yoga, like many things in life, you have to be willing to be “not so good” for awhile before you can be good.
I was assuring a potential new student today that the journey to having her very own yoga practice would not be easy. She was describing one of her first classes–feeling tight, awkward, annoyed and not doing the poses correctly. “Get used to feeling that way for at least a little while”, I said.
Yoga, if you really want it, will be a journey. The journey will be worth the gold but you will pay with many different emotions and many of them are not pleasant.
Reach and find balance!
For me, I can still vividly recall the first class I went to–it was an Ashtanga Mysore class. The class was advertised as “all levels welcome” (beginners/intermediate/advanced).
It was one of those rare 90 degree days in Santa Monica and I was sweating profusely.
I didn’t know any of the postures, it was literally my first class. There wasn’t a teacher in front of the room leading the class because in that style of Ashtanga, the teacher walks around assisting each person in “their own” individual practices. I had no practice so my eyes were wandering around looking to see what to do next.
What I saw was so intimidating…standing splits, legs around their heads, arms and legs wrapping around like pretzels, etc. It was amazing. I was definitely not in the right place!
It was one of the most frustrating experiences to look around the room at advanced practitioners and be so elementary as to not know any of the poses. I made it through the 2 hour class and I had a big decision to make.
Was I going to let the humiliation make me quit or was I going to start at a level 1 class and learn everything I could?
I am so glad I chose to start from the beginning and progress through the levels. Gosh, everything is a process. I took my time, I learned the poses and I am still learning new poses 23 years later.
I can remember those beginning days of yoga, just getting to the class was a big deal.
I would get into the room before the class even started and feel thrilled that I was there. At least I was there, now I just needed to endure all the growing pains it took to learn and develop as a practitioner.
Some of my male friends joke about wanting to take yoga simply to be in a class full of women– I always laugh silently to myself because I know it will take so much more than that to keep on getting themselves in that classroom.
Yoga is a path that will look different to each and every person, but one thing is identical for all–yoga is an inside job. There will be a bit of a struggle inside while your body struggles with the outside poses.
You will feel so many different emotions–anxiety, frustration, and humiliation are a few of them.
Then, your ego will find ways to celebrate how great you are. Those don’t feel as bad, but still, that’s not part of the yogi’s path. Your ego will be struggling every step of the way, whether it is chatter that makes you feel good or chatter that makes you feel bad.
Yoga, the best of it, is about letting your ego go and just being present with your breath.
Practicing yoga is all yours. There will be times that you feel proud and accomplished and there will be times you feel deflated and disillusioned. You will seriously consider quitting, but if you are committed, you will endure.
When you get to the other side of the uneasiness, you will have something so worthy and tangible. You can depend on it like when you first learned how to ride a bike. You can always hop on the bike and ride–the same is true with yoga.
You can take your yoga practice with you anywhere you go and it will always serve you.
Crows Abound
I urge and encourage you–if you are wanting to develop a physical practice that will serve your mind and body year after year, practice yoga and keep practicing. Don’t let your ego convince you to quit.
Yoga has been a miracle for many people and helped them heal physical ailments that seemed otherwise incurable.
I don’t have any miraculous stories, but it did make my knees stronger and I became a runner. Yoga took me further and further away from the sometimes obsessive/compulsive chatter in my head and into the present moment. I learned to let go and go with the flow.
I learned to just breathe and know that I could get through anything. Come to think of it, those are miraculous!
Oh what I have overcome. As Michael Beckwith said this morning, “hear what my words cannot convey”.
The words I choose cannot convey the prize that awaits you.
Only you can find it within yourself to step into the unknown and cultivate a practice that will continue to unfold. Take the first step and you just may find your prize!
Eagle In The Sky
If you would like to start a home practice, send me an email: taraberro@gmail.com
I am in the process of creating some great content for those who are beginners or have been out of the game for a long time. If there is enough interest, I will make it happen. It’s a flooded field I know, but I have a real soft spot for people who have been out of the game for too long or who are total beginners. I want to put you at ease, make you feel safe and empowered. Yoga is Gold–the most valuable commodity your body will ever know!
The day started like any other day at The Malibu Gym.
Greg, one of the trainers, was wearing a “Drill” shirt. Arnold made a comment that his shirt should say “sargeant” after the Drill logo. Greg said, “well, I’ll see what Craig can do about that”.
Craig is the owner of Drill. I haven’t seen Craig since the beginning days of working at the gym…probably 18 years ago. I have had many Drill shirts but I thought Drill went out of business and I haven’t seen Craig in a very long time.
I went on with my day and was at the local Starbucks when a good looking man caught my eye. He had his dog sit at the edge of the parking space while he walked away, then he called the dog to come.
As he got close, I commented, “that is one well-trained dog”. He agreed and I couldn’t help but notice his amazing blue eyes AND the fact that he was wearing a Drill shirt.
I had owned a shirt just like the one he was wearing. Then, I went to my car and sat with my door open while I talked to a girlfriend on the phone. I watched the blue-eyed guy go inside the store next to the Starbucks.
I knew that it was a skate board/surf type shop but then noticed it was “Drill”. Then, as I sat there longer, the owner, Craig (who Greg had mentioned earlier) came out of the store.
There was something about that beautiful blue eyed guy. Not only was he wearing a Drill shirt, but on the very same day, I saw the owner who was mentioned earlier when Arnold and I commented on Greg’s Drill shirt. Synchronicity swirling around me is all I can say…
I found it interesting that all those events took place in one day. The next couple of Wednesday’s I went into that Starbucks hoping to see the blue-eyed guy, but not to be seen.
Two Weeks Later…30 miles South.
I was in Santa Monica at the local farmers market. As I sat waiting for my friend I noticed a man that looked like the man I noticed 2 weeks earlier.
Sure enough, I could see his blue eyes from 15 feet away, I looked to see where he went and there was his dog that verified it was him.
I couldn’t resist so I approached him and asked if he lived in Malibu…that I remembered him and his well-trained dog. It turns out, he works in Malibu and lives out my way as well. He trains horses.
I shared with him the first place I lived in Malibu was on a private horse ranch.
My landlord had taken me to a few great clinics to learn riding techniques. He wondered which ones?
I could only remember one of the techniques that really stood out for me and shared that. He said, “when and where was this clinic”. I knew it was sometime in 1992 since that’s when I lived there.
He said, “wow, you took a clinic with Buck Brannaman”. “Yes, that was the name”, I said, “I remember it felt like I was in the presence of a real master”.
He went onto tell me that Buck Brannaman was the consultant to the movie The Horse Whisperer. He said that he’s never known anyone who had such a freakish way with horses…amazing man.
Turns out, he was going to a clinic the very next day to see Buck Brannaman in Montana. I shared with him the synchronistic events that ocurred 2 weeks prior and now it felt like even more synchronistic events were happening.
I find it so very interesting that he could be someone who caught my eye in Malibu and I was hoping to see him on the days I go into Malibu when in fact, he lives close by me and I got to see him and talk to him again.
Then, if that’s not enough, as I was hiking with a friend and telling her about all these events, she said, “wait a minute, I know who you’re talking about”. She assists a teacher in a yoga class and he has been to her class and she has had enough conversations with him to know that he is a horse trainer. Of course, the blue eyes and the dog confirmed that we are talking about the same guy!!!
This is a small world and we vibrate strongly enough to pull in the people we want to pull into our vortex! If you pay attention and find some awareness in your own lives, I promise, you will see the same crazy synchronistic events. Enjoy them, that’s what they’re for!!!
Just a post note: I wrote this a few months ago. Recently, I sat down at a different Starbucks in Malibu to edit it.
I had my head buried in my computer when a man walked up and asked if I was reading the newspaper on my table…I looked up and it was this same man that I am writing about!!!
Another note: there have been a few other times I’ve seen him, he is clearly not the least bit interested in me. However, there is something that keeps pulling his presence into my space. I’m just going to wait and see what happens next.
Santa Monica was once the Mecca of Bodybuilding–or wait, maybe it was Venice. These days, Santa Monica is the Mecca of Yoga Studios.
There are literally 6 studios within 5 blocks of each other.
As I wrote in a previous post, I was once a yoga whore.
Yoga whore, meaning I never seemed to stay with one teacher, I jumped from class to class every week with no desire to be true to one teacher.
After many years, I found a teacher I practiced with every week and shared the time with a friend. We loved our time together until our schedules changed and we were off on another quest to find a place to fit in.
There are a some great teachers in Santa Monica–actually some of the best teachers in the Country make Santa Monica their home. While they may be great teachers, most of them don’t have the quality of connecting with all their students.
It’s hard with a room FULL of students I’m sure, but as a student, it feels good to be seen and touched and known.
Just the other day, I was at a special event workshop. I was in the restroom and I saw a face I recognized but wasn’t sure who or how I knew her. I told her she looked familiar and asked her name, she then told me her name.
She was a “famous” teacher.
Most people when asked their name would reciprocate with, “what’s your name?” No, not this teacher–she is more of a “celebrity” yoga instructor.
She had no desire to know my name.
She has grown comfortable in her status of the Santa Monica yoga scene! To me, that’s so sad.
Finding a teacher that is warm and inviting is not always an easy task here in Santa Monica. My friend and I couldn’t make it to our regular teacher’s class because of time constraints so we went to a new studio (at the time it was new, it’s a year old now), Yogaco.
That’s when, serendipitously, we met the second teacher that made her way into our hearts, Jennifer Pastiloff.
We wanted to give the new yoga studio our business and we arrived and waited and waited and waited. I wanted my friend to meet Aras and experience his class but we found out later he had been in the hospital with food poisoning. The person at the desk told us, “Jennifer’s class is starting at 9 and her class is really cool.”
We had been wanting to find our female favorite but hadn’t had much luck. What a pleasant surprise she was.
Jennifer is the kind of teacher I would be if I were teaching in a public setting.
She is approachable, warm, inspiring, real, playful, authentic, and she cares about who YOU are and what your name is!
I could go on but I will just say, she is easy to be with. Her spirit is so loving and giving and supportive. Everyone who knows Jennifer absolutely adores her. Her mother says, “that’s the way it has been her whole life, everybody loves her.”
When the time that she teaches works in my schedule, I’m in her class.
When I’m there, I know I can just BE.
There is no serious vibe going on…she encourages everyone to sing out if they feel the music and need to express it. When I am there, in some bizarre way, the music she plays is perfect–just what I need that day. Synchronicity!
There is so much about being in her class that appeals to me…I can let my inhibitions go and just BE. Sometimes the music moves me so much, I am teary eyed with joy and wonder. Sometimes, I am encouraged to go for a pose I had been too intimidated to try. There is something so magical about getting past a block–the feeling is amazing and she is there to walk you through it.
The words she speaks are inspiring. One of her greatest influences in life has been the teachings of Dr. Wayne Dyer. We are like-minded in that regard, if you haven’t heard any of Dr. Wayne Dyer’s teachings on the Public Television channel, get some of his CD’s–he is amazing! Jennifer and I were fortunate enough to hear Dr. Dyer speak in Santa Monica last month.
Of course, we were able to manifest a photo with him!
Jennifer has hosted many workshops and retreats. Recently I attended her Yoga and Manifestation Workshop.
It was a deeply profound experience full of epiphanies and breakthroughs.
She lives what she teaches and is more than happy to spend as much time as needed to help you “get it”.
Jennifer is someone you want to know. She will go out of her way to support you in whatever you’re up to.
Her heart is as gold as it gets. Go visit her class. Be in her space, and introduce yourself, she cares who you are!
***Check out more of her artistry at http://themanifeststation.net/2014/05/08/soul-tattoo/
It’s amazing the thoughts and beliefs we hold onto.
Even long after we are adults and can clear the clutter of the limiting beliefs we’ve been taught, there are still some beliefs that hang on.
Lately I have been walking by lots of feathers lying on the ground. One of the things my mom told me when I was very young was, “don’t pick up feathers because they may have lice”. That is something that, until recently, I listened to and obeyed.
Feathers, though, are one of the most powerful animal totems. If you’ve read the book, “Animal Speak” by Ted Andrews, you know that feathers are considered gifts from the divine.
Feathers have long been associated with the wind, the mind, new flights, and a direct connection to divine forces.
Ted Andrews says, “as you begin to study and honor the birds you encounter, you will find yourself being gifted with feathers. You will find them everywhere you go…every feather is a special gift & promise.”
Because of my early childhood warning, though, I had been passing up the feathers on my path.
My biggest regret was passing up a white feather with spots on it (from a HAWK). I was leading a hike and I saw it, the inner part of me really wanted to grab it, but that nagging belief stopped me.
After the hike was over, I thought about what I had passed up!
Hawks are one of the most powerful animal totems and to have one of its feathers would be quite the divine gift!
Well, that made me really mad at ME! Why did I have to walk on by? I told myself I would never walk by feathers again. If I saw a feather I would reach down and bring it home. As I continued reading in Animal Speak, “feathers are a call to unfold the wings of enchantment within your life”.
I was now going to be open to picking up feathers, whatever the size or color they were. Of course, I could wash them if I still had a little fear in my head, but I was going to be open to feathers. Well imagine what happened in the following weeks.
Everyday, literally, I found a feather. Some days I found more than one feather. Today, I found 4 feathers. I picked up feather after feather, day after day. Whether I was hiking, riding my bike, or walking the dogs, there were feathers strewn across my path–well maybe not strewn but you get the idea.
I feel like the law of attraction was working on my behalf and paying me back for my regret for not having picked up that amazing Hawk feather.
Once I vowed to pick up feathers, they appeared everywhere.
I have no doubt about the powerful Law of Attraction! It exists, without fail. It is always working whether you believe it or not. I have my proof, what is showing up in your life?
Here is a POSTSCRIPT: https://naturegirltara.wordpress.com/2013/07/12/hawk-feather/
Today is my last day of being 40 something. I started it out by going to Jerome Mercier’s Yoga class at 7am.
My health is my greatest wealth and I am so grateful to have listened to my inner voice and continued on my path for all these years.
Anyone who has had the pleasure of practicing with Jerome knows how challenging that can be. Yes, physical strength is needed, to be sure, but there is more of a mental strength that is underneath it all.
As Jerome ended class today he said, “behind all the poses is Savasana”. Savasana is the final resting pose and it is blissful after an hour and a half of Jerome’s class…
“If we can learn to surrender instead of react to life and yoga, we can get through anything with ease.”
My reactions are right on target for me and my values in life. Not too long ago, I was working really hard to make a business work.
One of the Senior Vice Presidents in the company who spent years working hard to get there is now making between $100k & $200k every month in residual income.
He gave me some of the worst advice EVER.
He said, “Tara, do whatever it takes to make this work. Stop going to the gym, stop riding your bike, stop practicing yoga, spend every spare moment you have to work this business and MAKE IT WORK”.
Yes, that was his advice. Now, coming from someone who was making that kind of money, you’d think I would listen and do what he suggested.
I did not even give it a first thought let alone a second thought.
In class this morning while sweating profusely and using every physical and mental muscle in my body, I was grateful I did not listen. I am not making any residual income, YET, and the income I make is not anywhere near the $100K mark, YET. Do you think it matters?
Money is his payoff, I suppose, for working so hard and sacrificing his health to get to the place he is in now. He got back to the gym after taking years off and gaining over 40 pounds and losing lots of hard-earned muscle and strength. He can now relax a bit and work hard in a different way to get his health back.
I, however, chose to keep my health and sacrifice the money, at least in the short-term.
I am in a state of great health, however, my state of financial affairs is not as impressive. I can ride my bike up a mountain, practice yoga and manage most of the poses with grace, ease, and as Jerome would say, “elegance.”
I have no regrets. I feel such an immense amount of fortune surrounding me in everything I do. I am still open to create financial abundance but I am doing it while maintaining my healthy lifestyle.
I am strong. I am invincible. I am grateful. Oh, and tomorrow, I am 50!!!
As I began my hike at the start of Will Rogers State Park, a young woman came running out of the woods, “Oh My God, there’s a mountain lion in there!” She had turned around after seeing the mountain lion in her first 5 minutes on the trail.
I eased her fear a bit and said that if she wanted to join me on the hike, she could hike with me and I would protect her.
I have come face to face with a Mountain Lion before. I was riding my mountain bike up a trail and as I turned onto the adjoining trail, I saw her run across into the bushes.
I marked the spot with my eyes and as I got closer, I looked into the bushes and her big green eyes looked back at mine.
As we made eye contact, she shrunk back a bit. I began talking to her… “I see you. I’m not afraid of you. You’re fine.”
The fact is, I wasn’t afraid. I was absolutely thrilled to be in the presence of such a wild animal. However, as I continued pedaling, the trail started accelerating downhill. That’s a big no no, going fast since they like to chase. All was well, I kept looking over my shoulder and she stayed back. They are more afraid of us than we know.
So, on this day as Samantha and I made our way toward our destination 2.5 miles ahead, I explained what you should do if you come upon a mountain lion–it isn’t what I did in my face to face encounter but this is what YOU should do.
The first rule is, DON’T RUN!
Puma’s are a bit like men, they love the chase.
If you run, they chase–that’s just their instinct. The second rule is, talk loud and sound mean and stand as tall as you can possibly stand. They are afraid of you if you carry yourself with a confidence and a knowing that All is Well. They can smell fear and vulnerability from a mile away.
In Sam’s case, the Puma ran first, at which point Sam ran the other way. Luckily, the Puma was scared first. They are usually more afraid of us than we are of them.
As we entered the woods, it felt like we were on the Avatar set itself. Everything was lush and green with vines and ivy all around.
Even though I felt like being calm and quiet because of the serene environment, I was TALKING VERY LOUDLY for the sake of the potential Puma lurking in the bushes! It was necessary to put Sam and I at ease and make sure that I followed my own advice.
The hike turned into one of the most magical days for both of us.
We talked about everything–moving to L A, love, law of attraction, life’s purpose, goals, dreams, relationships…
I was happy to have her company because I am a Trail Guide by nature and I love to interact with the people I hike with. I had a hike scheduled that day but the client cancelled.
I had intended on driving all the way to Malibu, but something in me said, “turn” as I approached Will Rogers Historic State Park off Sunset Blvd.
And so, I turned! I’m sure I was supposed to meet Sam today.
We were able to enhance each other in various ways and it made for a measurable, magical morning. I am grateful. I’ve heard it said at The Agape International Spiritual Center, “I am an answered prayer.”
Perhaps I was the answered prayer for Sam today, otherwise, she would have abandoned the hike within the first 5 minutes. Sam was there for me so that I could share my beloved trails with somebody who had a strong desire to be there.
The Mountain Lion was there to bring Sam a message.
As Ted Andrews, the author of “Animal Speak” says in his book, when we are out in the wild, the animals we encounter are there to bring us a message… “when Cougar (Puma/Mountain Lion) shows up as a totem for you, it is a message to come into your own power. People may not like your asserting and may want to keep you in the category they have always kept you in. The Cougar teaches you how to take charge of your life and your circumstances most effectively.”
So many lessons are out on the trails of our lives, we just have to be willing.
As Dr. Wayne Dyer says:
“Miracles come in moments. Be ready and willing.”
So many magical moments on that 3 hour hike… Synchronicity is the one word I will use to describe it. I will leave it at that and urge you out into the wild. You never know what, or who, you’ll encounter out there, but you have to be willing to get yourself out in it and be open to learn the lessons as they appear! There are so many lessons in NATURE!
I feel fortunate to have learned the skill of giving massage. I am a nurturing, compassionate person so being a massage therapist is in sync with those natural qualities.
I am so very impressed with people who trust enough.
When you think about it, a perfect stranger is entrusting their body to me, another perfect stranger–that’s a big deal!
I don’t take it lightly when someone trusts me to put my hands on them in a loving, non-judgmental way.
There is something so blissful about getting a massage. When it feels good and you relax, time is non-existent and you drift into a place of peace and deep euphoria. In the same way, there is so much beauty for me to observe someone getting a massage.
At times, lately, I feel as if I get to see God while giving massages.
God is the place in each and every one of us where we are happy, content, compassionate, and love ourselves. To me, God is a place where there is no stress, no rush, no worry, no inhibition. It is a place where we just trust and allow. We know that all is well in this moment.
Today, I had a client return for a second massage. The first massage was somewhat forced, his wife bought him a gift certificate and he didn’t really want to come.
At the end of the massage he said, “I knew I was stressed out, but I had no idea there was so much stress in my body”.
So today after arriving, he said that people in his life commented on his appearance the day after his massage–that he looked 10 years younger.
He felt it too.
He woke up in the middle of that night and was sweating profusely, obviously his body was letting go of all the stress that had built up. “I honestly think you saved my life”, he said.
Comments like that make my day worth living–give me a little more impetus to keep on healing. “You have healing hands”, “You have great energy”, “I am so relaxed”, “How do you know the right places to focus in on”?
The comments are great and keep me motivated and they all come from the place of perfection-God.
One sentiment I always incorporate into every massage is my Namaste’ greeting. I say it quietly to myself but I see their face and their essence receiving the truth, love, and peace I wish for them.
Namaste’: I honor the place in you where the entire Universe dwells–the place where there is truth, love, peace, health, and abundance. When you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, we are ONE.
I feel fortune in my awareness. I am a massage therapist and I see God with every massage I give!
I am at Peace. My father is at Peace. My father died a couple weeks ago. I grew up without a father. I only met him in person 4 times.
I was 10 when my mother drove us across Country from Michigan to California to visit him and meet him for the first time.
As a young girl who always wondered about her father, I was thrilled. The next time I saw him I was 16, it was his parents’ 50th Wedding Anniversary.
He invited me out to California to visit him anytime. I thought he was so cool.
In all my years growing up though, he never wrote me, sent cards, answered the letters I wrote to him. The older I got, the more I made that mean something about him and something about me.
I began to form all kinds of negative feelings toward him.
The third time I saw him was a few years ago. I attended an intensive weekend–a world renowned event called the Landmark Forum.
The Landmark Forum helped me see that things happen to us and we have our own interpretation about what happened. Those interpretations aren’t necessarily what really happened!
After years of no communication, I simply thought he didn’t care about any of his children.
I thought he had no conscience, I thought he was a bad person.
However, after finishing The Landmark Forum, I contacted my father and we created a new relationship. We let go of the constraints of the past and started from nothing–it was so freeing.
I realized, with his help, that there are two sides to every story and the truth usually lies somewhere in between. I learned a lot about my father in those few years. I found lots of compassion for him.
Growing up he had gone to a total of 26 elementary schools. TWENTY SIX!
His father had a job that kept relocating them. Imagine how hard it would be to create lasting bonds with people.
He was young when he and my mother were together, he was still learning life and she and we were part of his learning.
He went on to have 3 more wives, and 2 more children in addition to the 5 he had with my mother.
In his last 22 years, he was married to Vicki. She is an amazing woman and he raised her two kids from a very young age. He confided in her everything about his life and she loved him deeply. He was a great father for Linda and Michael and they loved and respected him all their lives.
Even so, he had so much regret and remorse over his past and he always shared with Vicki, the pain he carried with him.
Vicki understood him completely. Just before he died, he was in a lot of pain the night before and kept waking Vicki and Linda.
Finally, come morning, he was calmer and he just kept telling them, “take my boots off”, “take my boots off.”
They couldn’t figure out what he meant???
After my father died in Vicki’s arms, she realized what he had been referring to.
His very first child with my mom was Jay Ann. She died of Leukemia at the age of 3.
When he and my mom would bring her home from the hospital after getting a treatment, she would have extra energy and be full of fun and laughter. She would go and slip her little feet into his big boots and run around.
He chased her and would say, “take my boots off”. It was a joyful time for him…just to see her happy and full of life and energy.
My father was getting closer to that state of Pure, Positive, Energy that comes with passing. He was happy and thrilled that he would be in that place with his first child Jay Ann. The place is what we can all find glimpses of here, in this realm, if we just try.
A place where there is no pain or guilt or judgment. A place where there is only joy and vibrant energy. A place, where if you learn to “let go” and forgive, you can be free.
I feel so fortunate to be able to say that I am at Peace with his passing. I cleared my body of all the negativity that comes along with not being able to forgive.
Forgiveness is not something we give to the other person, it’s something we give to ourselves.
Most importantly, I asked him to forgive me for all the judgments I made about him.
I came to know what compassion really is–the ability to see someone the way their Source sees them. Source=God=Infinite Intelligence.
My father was a good man. He had so much going for him and I was able to see through all the veils I had in front of me regarding him and who he was. We are all here doing the best we can and I feel fortunate to have been able to call him “Dad” later in life.
I’ve been practicing yoga in Santa Monica for 15 years.
I’ve considered myself a yoga whore for most of those years.
Yoga whore, meaning I just jump from one teacher to the next and never really stay with one teacher on a weekly basis. Except for a few months practicing with Scott and learning the Ashtanga 1st series, I haven’t really connected with too many teachers. Scott moved away and I was back to my old ways.
The teachers that I return to all have something to offer me while I’m in class, but I never feel the desire to practice with 1 teacher on a week to week basis…until I met Travis Eliot.
Travis has a way with words and an amazing voice that seems to touch me on a soul level.
He has figured out the perfect balance between the physical and spiritual elements of yoga. It really works for me.
There is poetry in motion when practicing with Travis.
His words blend and glide along effortlessly and it tends to rub off on his students. At the end of class, people seem rung out like a dish towel–in a good way. We just let it go and let it flow.
Yes, it’s challenging, but when you’ve made it through, the day seems to start anew.
Over a year ago, I shared my Travis experience with my friend Brigitte. She was similar to me in the exact opposite way–she never went and tried new teachers. When I invited her to come and check out Travis’ class, I guess I swayed her to step out of that box.
She loved it and we made it a weekly event. Sometimes we were able to go twice a week.
Going to yoga with someone else opened my world up in so many ways. I started to feel like I belonged in that space and Travis started looking forward to seeing us. We brightened his morning and he was the centerpiece of our days together. After class, we’d usually walk a block or two in the heart of Santa Monica and get a healthy smoothy or a gorgeous green drink.
Truly, these were blissful days!
Month after month this was our routine…until it wasn’t. You know, life gets in the way and schedules change and that’s what happened to being able to go to yoga with a friend. We couldn’t coordinate going to that class so we were on our own.
I went back to my old ways and bounced around from studio to studio.
This last Thursday we were able to go to Travis’ class after not being there for months. As we entered the studio, we lit up when we saw his face. And yes, his face lit up when he saw us enter!
I have noticed that change is inevitable and things can’t always stay the same.
It’s a bit of a challenge when something good comes to an end because we long for it and remember how good it once was.
The thrill is to be able to get it back–if only for a day here and there. A memory is fine but being there again was Divine! Thank you Travis, thank you Brigitte, having you both there made my dreams complete!
Stay tuned for the next yoga story… while jumping in and out of classes that matched our schedules, we found the female version of Travis–someone we wanted to go back to over and over again. It was a different time slot, of course, and it will be a story that stands alone–next time!
This is another one of my simple stories about the law of attraction. I use it to describe how easy it is to make things happen. The short and simple explanation is…desire, let go, and watch what happens.
I was going through my cupboard looking for my disposable latex gloves. I couldn’t find any and remembered that I wanted to get some but hadn’t yet. I thought to myself, “Gosh, I need more latex gloves”. I saw in my mind’s eye, a mound of latex gloves in my cupboard.
I went on with my evening. The next morning, I was walking the dogs. I decided to take a different road than I usually do. I went up a small street and I wasn’t sure where it ended.
As I walked up the street, I noticed a large plastic bag sitting on the edge of driveway and the street. It was 7am and it was Tuesday–garbage day.
As I got closer I looked into the bag and noticed it was full of disposable latex gloves. I kept walking past the bag and thought to myself, “if I take the gloves from that spot, would it be stealing?”
I got to the end of the street and turned around, heading back toward the bag of gloves. It was garbage day, they were on the edge of the driveway and the street so I made the decision to grab the gloves. They were definitely there for me!!! I figured some workmen must have left them and they would be thrown in the garbage anyway.
There! I had the gloves I wanted and needed. I had been wanting them the night before, but I let it go and went on with my night. I didn’t NEED to run to the store and buy them right now.
This is a story I told one of my clients who is extremely suspicious of the principles of law of attraction. Even he said, “wow, that’s pretty bizarre”. His old response would have been, “well that’s just a coincidence”!
The key is to want something without NEEDING it and when you aren’t attached to getting it, it just shows up! This is just a simple example but if we could apply it to the larger parts of life and what it is we want, life would flow with ease.
Once you start to notice how often we get what we think about, you will see how very powerful your thoughts are.
Most of them are younger than me and some of my best friends are as much as 20 years younger than me.
Lately, I’ve caught myself thinking, “gosh, she is so aware and enlightened for her age”. Sometimes I feel like they are so far ahead of me than I was at their age.
As I’ve thought more about this, I realize that I was on that track when I was their age. The only difference there is between us is life experience.
That’s what I love about getting older, I am getting more and more with every passing day. The more life I get to live, the more life I get to live.
Sometimes we forget how far we’ve come and how great we were, even all those years ago. I was fabulous then and I am fabulous NOW.
I remember when I was a bit younger than these women, I read the book, “You Can Have It All” by Arnold Patent. It had such an affect on me and I will always remember some of the quotes that I couldn’t help but memorize…
“Our bodies are extraordinary instruments with literally unlimited potential, whatever we believe they are capable of doing, they can do. We limit them with our limited thoughts about their capabilities”.
And the other thought changing quote that stands out for me,
“We create our lives with our thoughts and since there’s no limit to what we can think, there’s no limit to what our life experiences can be”.
Another great book that I read nearer the beginning of my path was, “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind” by Joseph Murphy. The stories of power moved me more than I can express.
Then there was “Psycho Cybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz.
Let’s not forget “Love, Medicine, and Miracles” by Bernie Siegel. It was a powerful introduction into the world of Psychoneuroimmunology.
Psychoneuroimmunology is the study of how our thoughts can affect our healing. These books inspired me to study Sports Psychology and earn my Masters Degree.
Sports Psychology is using mental techniques to enhance performance. The good news has always been, this is not limited to sports, it can be used daily in our lives to alter our life experiences.
One of the best speakers I’ve ever heard is Donald Trump. I know, some people have a hard time with Donald Trump, he is controversial. I have had the pleasure, though, of hearing him speak on a couple different occasions.
He is amazing because of his life experience. He tells some great stories because he has lived life.
There is something so comforting about this…he has lived life. He has failed and succeeded and failed some more. I’m sure he was alert and aware at 28 and now he is still alert and aware– he just has more experience that adds to the richness of life and to the wonder of his storytelling.
Dr. Wayne Dyer is another great storyteller. I’ve seen him evolve throughout my own years of growth. He is living and experiencing life and he just keeps expanding in his life and in his teachings.
Honestly, I could sit for hours unending listening to the stories he weaves in with his teaching!
Age is not something that freaks me out or brings me down, it just IS. It doesn’t define me or limit me in any way. If anything, it has served me with valuable lessons that lift me to the next level as my time here in this realm evolves.
I surround myself with people who see me for me and they don’t judge me by my chronological age. They embrace me and accept me as an individual who just keeps growing right along with the whole of life. Experience is living and the more years I’m able to live and learn, the better.
I am just so impressed with the women in my life– I love watching them grow, learn and evolve. They teach me and inspire me on the path they’re on.
Age means nothing because our lives are shaped by our willingness to learn, expand, and ultimately transcend time.
I’m not a number that is limited, I am an infinite expression of life…and so are YOU.
If you don’t have a dog or a dog that you can walk for someone else, get one or find one. There’s something magical about being with dogs. More than something…many things.
Just stepping outside and starting to walk with dogs is invigorating. Dogs are so thrilled to be getting out in the world. They greet you with such love and longing.
If you’re ever feeling sad and lonely, go visit a dog and you are guaranteed LOVE.
Dogs show us how we should be greeting every day. It is amazing out there in the world. There is so much for us to see and feel and smell and touch and taste and they can’t wait to do it all! This is a life to be lived fully and who cares how many puddles or piles of poop you have to walk through to find the amazement.
I have had to catch myself on several occasions not to direct the dogs around the puddles–so what if they get their feet wet!!! Dogs certainly don’t care how dirty they get.
They don’t care that their feet get dirty–they live life fully without reserving anything for any other time.
They are living life in the NOW. In one regard I am so grateful to be a thinking, meaning making machine, but I also find myself wishing I could be a little more carefree like the dogs I am blessed to learn from.
Just when I was about to write that nothing gets in a dogs way of joy, I was reminded that there are things that dogs get upset about. Sebastian gets so annoyed when he sees a certain dog in our neighborhood. He just can’t stand to see him. This dog usually taunts Sebastian when Sebastian is behind the gate in the yard. The dog is allowed to be off leash and he walks near the gate and pees on Sebastian’s territory. Oh boy!
It has been great to watch the evolution of dogs and their social abilities. The first time I walked Josephine and Sebastian, I took them to a nearby doggie park. The dogs’ owner had never taken them to play with other dogs so their abilities were quite lacking. Josephine was so afraid–as soon as she saw another dog, she turned and ran toward the gate to run home.
That was about a year ago and it didn’t take her long to step into the fear (with a little love and encouragement from me) and begin to trust other dogs. To see a dog go from fearful, shown by either aggressive barking or running away, to initiating play with other dogs is such a lesson in how we live our lives.
If we can just turn in the direction of joy and pleasure and trust that we will be fine on the other side of it, we will know how to live life! So, I feel so fortunate to have dogs that remind me that life is brand new in each moment and we can choose to make a big deal out of the puddles and piles of poop or not! Life is Good–Live it Absolutely!!!
It seems like all I ever hear are people bad mouthing the traffic, the people, the air…pick a topic and Los Angeles seems to be an awful place to be.
My experience just doesn’t match what everyone is complaining about.
Just yesterday I was up North in the Oakland area and the local driver was talking about when he lived in L A and all the traffic that just crept along. I listened and tried not to voice my opinion when all of a sudden we were in traffic that was creeping along.
That was the opinion I was about to voice, “there’s traffic in any city you’re in”.
What is it that you’re focusing on?
Just then he was sharing about a deer that was in his current neighbors yard under an apple tree. “The deer ate so many apples, it was so full and just didn’t want to move”. One of the women in the car replied, “we don’t even have deer in Los Angeles”. Uhh, now I had to interject, “well in my neighborhood, I see deer once or twice a week AND the deer are either in my backyard or in my neighborhood streets”. My zip code is 90049 which is a Los Angeles zip code!
Why does everyone think L A is just a cement jungle?
I guess I’m just so fortunate to have lived in gorgeous areas…Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood. Then, I heard the same woman say L A had no trees. Gosh, I was becoming very active in their conversation, “well, I guess that depends on where you spend your time…I’m around trees and trails on a daily basis and I live in L A County anyway!”
Later the same day, a nice guy I had been dating sent me a text saying how happy he was that I wasn’t from L A. Hmmm? People seem to think that anyone who grew up in L A is somehow snobby or fake.
Yes, I grew up in Michigan, but my heart is from L A and I would never judge all people who grew up in L A as tainted or bad.
In fact, one of my best friends is phenomenal and she is from L A. I’m sure there are plenty of women who grew up here that aren’t the typical L A women that people have seemingly stereotyped.
I guess if you’re looking and expecting things to look a certain way, they’re going to look that way.
Expect people in L A to disappoint you and they will. Expect traffic to suck and it will. The Law of Attraction is always at work in every area of our lives.
I look for the most positive aspects of people and things and I love the people in my surroundings. I’ve created it and it’s right here in front of me. What are you expecting? What do you want to see? As the old saying says, “you get what you think about whether you want it or not”.
I love L A. I live in one of the most gorgeous neighborhoods. The people in my communities are all pleasant and friendly and most of them are real and authentic. The air I breath is fresh with the ions that make you want to take a deep breath…ocean air and the smell of pine and eucalyptus on my hikes.
Like attracts like so if you’re focusing on the best, you’ll get more proof of the best. Oh, and when you’ve had your day out in nature, have you been downtown L A lately? It is full of fabulous energy, culture, art, and entertainment…I LOVE L A!!!!
I drove up alongside my former husband this morning.
It was Mother’s Day 2010 and we were both on our way to see our morning clients in Malibu. We were married for 20 years but have been separated for almost 2 years. It was kind of cool, in a strange sort of way, to see him in the car next to me.
We like each other–gosh how couldn’t we?
Time passes, people grow and change and expand in different directions. We are definitely the same yet very different from when we first met 24 years ago! It really is hard to believe that this amount of time has passed.
There are times when I feel that I transcend time. It’s very cool…I feel as if I’m the me I was before my first love showed up in my life. Oh sure, I am reminded that I’m not 15 anymore but for the most part I really like who I am and who I’ve always been.
This leads me back to the husband I once had.
He too is the likable guy he’s always been–he is genuinely a good person.
I can’t imagine him being a bad guy in any way to anyone. I’ve met a few of them lately and they have issues but when I think of the man who is now a free agent, there will be a lucky woman to match him.
It seems that first, she will be surprised that what she sees–she will get. He is as authentic and real as they come.
He’s not messed up in the heart or the head, he just IS.
My greatest hope is that she will treat him with all the respect he deserves.
We met in college and continued onto graduate school together. Then, we made a big change–we moved across the Country from Michigan to Malibu! We carved out a life for ourselves, we grew together, came up against many challenges and kept moving forward.
Our relationship began to show signs of expiration. Our lives began to separate from one another. We shared so much together, so many experiences and places. In time though, it seemed like I wanted to keep on growing and expanding and he didn’t want to budge.
This isn’t about what went wrong though, this is about what is right about us NOW!
My former husband is a great guy and there is just no way around that. He is truly a man of integrity. We find a way to support each other in whatever way we can. We like each other and always will.
There are times that I really miss hanging out with him.
I miss the pure sweet spirit that he is.
Never once, in all the years has he thrown any words back in my face to hurt or harm me.
Being vulnerable in love is so sacred and sweet and when it’s real, it never comes back to hurt! I feel so fortunate to have experienced real love from a real man. Even though what I feel for him is no longer a passionate “in love” feeling, I know what it is to BE LOVED unconditionally.
If it never happens again that will be okay because I felt it once and it was enough to last a lifetime!
My life has been so magical lately that I just want to keep on getting out in it and see what happens next.
Today was a really long day–a 3 hour mountain bike ride in the heat of the day, 2 hours in the car to and from the trail head and I still found myself wanting to get out there and do something. Yes, I wanted a nap but honestly, I have been experiencing so much synchronicity that I just pushed through nap time and looked for more life to live.
When life starts to get in the groove and it seems like all cooperative components come together for your good, who wouldn’t want to squeeze more of that out of life? Here is a recent story:
One of my long time (16 year) training clients is taking a cholesterol lowering medication. I am not a fan of prescription medicine and this type of drug has many side effects.
I had given him a 3 part article on these effects so that he’d be aware and able to choose for himself.
I consider it my job to make sure he knows what I know and I try not to shove it down his throat but get him information which he can choose to do (or not do) something about.
On a Wednesday I had given him the articles to read then I saw him again on Saturday.
I had spontaneously sent him an email in the morning suggesting we take a hike instead of meeting at the gym as usual. To my surprise, he accepted (he hasn’t wanted to hike for about a year).
As we were driving to our hiking location, he explained that he read all three articles and they scared him. He looked into who wrote the articles and concluded that he wouldn’t trust their word.
He went to The Mayo Clinic site and got the information he wanted to hear…that they were safe and he didn’t need to supplement with CoQ10. The articles I had given him explained why it was extremely important to take CoQ10 if you were on cholesterol lowering medications.
As he told me, I listened but accepted what he said. I was just glad that I could do my part and I wasn’t attached to his decision to do (or not do) anything about it.
In the past, however, I would try to convince him every way I could. This day, though, I just let go and released any attachment to his decision.
On our way back he needed to stop at the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for his wife. I had never really talked to Raj, the homeopathic pharmacist (and traditional pharmacist) that he always raved about, so he was excited that I was along for the ride.
As he approached the counter, I browsed the isles and the different supplements they carried. I saw the CoQ10 supplement we had just been talking about and held it up for him and said, “look Arnold, here it is.”
The pharmacy technician at the counter commented on what a great supplement that is…especially for people who are on cholesterol lowering medications. Arnold said, “oh really, why is that?”
She explained all the technical details and I remained quiet…this was working out perfectly.
Then Arnold asked the pharmacist what he thought of the CoQ10 supplement…Raj agreed, “anyone who is taking a statin should take this, it is so important”. “Why didn’t Dr. Bateman tell me about this?”
The pharmacist explained that some doctors stick to their medical training only and don’t look into any alternative options. In the end, Arnold bought the supplement and I was thrilled.
What was so synchronistic about this was how perfectly all the information I had given him was validated by a brilliant pharmacist that he whole heartedly trusted. Had I not suggested us taking a hike instead of going to the gym we wouldn’t have been together in the pharmacy and I wouldn’t have picked up the CoQ10 to be our topic of discussion. It was so fun to witness.
I didn’t have to be pushy at all…I simply supplied the information, was unattached to the outcome then all cooperative components came together for the good of all.
Another cool part of this story is how Arnold reacted. Ordinarily, Arnold is such a skeptic regarding the premise of Law of Attraction and Synchronicity, he’s always rolling his eyes at me when I tell my stories.
On this day though, as we left the pharmacy he said, “you know Tara, that was all very synchronistic…had you not suggested the hike, we wouldn’t have been together to visit the pharmacy.” I was thrilled that he saw it right away!
I am just loving how this attraction based world of ours works. Sometimes all you have to do is want it then LET GO!!!
What happens when you lock your keys in the car? Do you get stressed and mad or do you stay calm and know that there is an answer that may come without having to deal with calling AAA?
My friend and I had driven 45 minutes to ride a new trail in Malibu on our mountain bikes.
We were enjoying the morning, getting our bikes ready and our gear together when the wind blew my door shut.
Unfortunately, I had pressed the lock button and my car key was in my camelback which was on the front seat. Hmmm, my trunk was still open though. We looked and sure enough there was a latch that when depressed may open through to the back seat.
While my friend pushed and pressed and prodded, she could not get that trap door to open. This was all after fishing through all the ingredients in my trunk. I store lots in my trunk! She asked me to help push so we both dove head first into my trunk while our butts were the only visible part of our bodies–we were pushing together and still to no avail.
I had to laugh, really hard. Here we were, butts to the world, and I imagined what it would be like if someone were to pull up on that scene!
We then called over two guys who were also in the process of getting on their bikes. They tried as they might but also with no luck. Even though the sun was beating down and we couldn’t just get on our bikes and ride because all my hydration was locked in my car, we laughed and just relaxed about our conundrum! Somehow we just knew there was a way into the car without having to go through the drama of calling AAA.
As I sorted through the trunk gear hoping to find a wire hanger, I found a 6 pronged pants hanger made out of thick plastic. I held it up and we both laughed because that certainly wouldn’t be maneuverable enough to open the lock from outside.
Well now wait a minute…I noticed each level clasped together and if it clasped together it must clasp apart.
I unclasped one of the rows and marched over to the passenger door which had the window cracked. It was so darn easy, I stuck the plastic down the cracked window, pushed on the lock and it was open!
The moral of the story for me was…it is what it is and if you stress about it, that won’t help. We were relaxed and having fun.
We both seemed to trust that there would be an answer and together with that mindset, we made what looked like a “no way” situation into a “not a problem” situation.
We WERE IN THE VORTEX!
Lately, it seems like all cooperative components come to my rescue.
I like the way it feels to trust that everything will always work out.
Life is good and I just feel like getting out there and living it more fully!!!
“I have really bad balance”, “I have a really bad shoulder”, “My knees are bad”, “I have a degenerative disc”, “I can’t sleep at night”, “LA isn’t the place to meet a great guy”, “I keep meeting men who are players”, “I saw the x-rays, I have no padding left between my bones”. .. these are just a few of the stories I hear every day.
Almost everyone I know tells a story that limits them in one way or another. Telling those stories just keeps those limitations in business. If we keep on telling the same old stories, we’re going to keep on getting the same old ailments. I just read this one last night from one of my 40 year old Facebook friends, “it sucks getting old”. That is one of the biggest stories of all time!
It’s time to tell a new story, don’t you think?I was leading a hike and one of the women said her hip was bothering her, “you know, I’m getting old”. That is a story I won’t be telling myself anytime soon or ever! That story is so old and I’m not usually a good follower.
Did you know that your subconscious mind believes everything you say?
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Beware of what you want for you will get it”.
Our subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between fact or fiction, it just believes.
That’s what he meant, be careful of what you tell yourself and what you tell others. Do you want that to continue to be the case for you? If so, keep on telling it like you see it or like you feel it. We do have a choice but we need to catch ourselves telling the old stories.
Those stories are all over our lives.
How about…we tell a new story. Tell the story how you want it to be. Instead of, “I have really bad balance”, how about telling the story, “My balance is becoming more stable every day”. Or instead of saying, “this town is almost impossible to meet a great guy in, they’re all players”, how about,
“I know there are some really great guys out there, this is a really big town”.
Sure, you say, but what about those x-rays or that prognosis?
What about it?
There was a study done with people who needed to have knee surgery. If you click on the link below, you’ll see the amazing results. Even though some of the subjects were admitted, got the incision and told they had surgery, they didn’t have the surgery. Yet, all of them reported their knees felt normal and were able to do all the activities they hadn’t been able to do before the surgery.
The key is, they believed they had the surgery and that was enough!
Catch yourself and catch your limiting thoughts and beliefs and statements. Catching yourself will be the hardest part but you will be able to do it if you have any desire to create a reality that is desirable for you.
Awareness is where it begins.
You will hear yourself and want to turn it around.
Then, you’ll start to hear everybody else telling their own stories and it will get clearer and clearer why we are all so full of problems, we speak them into our world and then we keep them there by continuing to speak them.
Words are power. Words and feelings affect your vibration. According to the law of attraction, like attracts like. Say it and feel it the way you want to see it and feel it.
Even though this sounds so simplistic, it is really simple!
We seem to think everything has to be so hard when in fact, our lives could flow with ease but WE have to start flowing with ease.
We have to start BEING ease. Once you begin to see that you are creating your reality by how you feel and what you say, you will pay attention to the words you choose to speak into existence.
Choose wisely and enjoy the outcome of those choices. We have what we need here inside ourselves, we’ve been given the tools we need, we just need to use them in the way we were divinely designed!
I am a massage therapist. Today, a new client came for a massage and instead of getting the kind of massage she usually gets, “lots of digging and torture”, she requested a relaxing massage. Good for her! She listened to that inner guidance that told her to nurture instead of torture!
As a massage therapist, what I noticed about her was that she couldn’t totally “let go”. If I lifted her shoulder blade up, she tried to assist me. If I lifted her arm, she held it up for me. As a therapist, this makes it really difficult to work on someone; the best client is the one who can come in and be a total gumby on the table. The only thing you have to do as a client is turn over onto your other side. Other than that, you be the clay and we sculpt away.
It occurred to me that this is how most of us live our lives–we think we have to MAKE everything happen. Instead of trusting the Universe to weave its web and handle things for us, we try to control it all. It’s hard to do, to JUST LET GO, but if we could grasp this idea we would see the ease in life and watch it unfold.
Sure, every now and then we need to take action–to roll over. For the most part though, if we could repeat the mantra “just let go” and incorporate it into our busy lives as often as possible and on the massage table, we just may see and feel the relaxing effects of the Universal Law of Life assisting us into a beautiful sculpture–a true work of art!
I went out on a spectacular Saturday morning mountain bike ride. I was riding through the canyon, when someone going the other way said, “the trail is closed ahead”. “Oh”, I said surprised. I continued on about 10 more minutes when a man who works for the gas company stopped me and said the trail is closed ahead. I said, “yeah, I heard but I want to see for myself.”
More riders rode past me telling me about the closure…”yeah, yeah” I said. They were just being nice and trying to clue me in so I wouldn’t get there and be upset, but I just wanted to see it for myself. I like to see things for myself and not just take everybody’s word for it.
That sounds like a smart philosophy, don’t you think? If we all listened to everybody else telling us when to turn around and when to stop, we’d be living a life with no power at all and probably never even “go for” anything.
I rode the trail to the closure where the security guard said that would be the end of the ride. I assured him that I knew all about it but I wanted to see it for myself. He laughed and agreed that it made sense to him.
The funny thing is, I got a good 30 minutes more of a ride in after the first person told me about the closure. Yes, I could have chosen to turn around and ride another trail nearby so that I could do a loop, but somehow I just wanted to get the full story for myself. The security guard explained that the trail would be closed for about 2 more months. Well, at least I know now, FOR MYSELF! Instead of listening to the hearsay of everyone else, I got the firsthand story with my own ears.
That has been and will continue to be my way of life. If someone tells me a movie sucks or a restaurant is awful, let me be the judge. If a doctor tells someone with a serious injury, “don’t even bother trying to walk again”, do you think they should listen?
We are all different and we all get to choose. Isn’t that the best news…we get to choose and we don’t have to take anyone’s word or opinion other than our own.
Today turned into a really gorgeous ride–even though it was cut short–there was something about it that was perfect. I’ve never seen so many colorful moths and butterflys, it was a beautiful spring day and I got to decide for myself to see the end of the trail with my own eyes.
One more thing…you know the street signs that say “Not a Through Street”? They aren’t always telling the truth. You know how I know, I ride to the end and see for myself that there is a way through–they just don’t want you to know about it. Sure, most of the time they tell the truth, but not always. Ya just gotta go through it to get to it…and see for yourself!
It’s amazing the thoughts and beliefs we hold onto.
Hiking Los Angeles, Malibu, Santa Monica Mountains 