Wind And Waves

This is called the international course of Avatar.  Naturally this very much attracts me and always will.  Other cultures are so fantastic to experience.  I was having a conversation with a fellow (from Holland) who said” culture, divides you up and prevents you from experinecing yoru WHOLE self…because there are a lot of cultural norms and such, that keep in a certain place.  I agreed with him, saying that learning you cultures is like learning parts fo your self, it opens you up more.  For example, when I speak spanish, I express a different side of myself than I do when I speak English.  I feel a little bit different.

After an exercise that we had done (for hours), we got in a circle of about 10 to debrief our experience. I found myself sitting in a circle full of Dutch people.  They were talking about what language to speak and since I was in the group, and don’t understand a lick of Dutch, they chose to speak English.  Imagine!  Being able to choose which language to speak about very personal,deep,feeling,abstract concepts, in. Wow.  I found this particular inspiring, in that they articulated their feeling in such an accepting,creative way…..AND they were given lots of space to talk before anyone jumped in on them.  It was a different feel in lots of ways, than talking with a group of Americans and I loved it!  Just to feel something different and to feel the level of acceptance and understandings and communications.  Extremely inspiring.

So here I am.  By some amazing miracle (which I wasn’t sure was possible, I’ve made it here!)  This is where I would like to insert a picture of Blue skies, palm trees and the pool I’ve been hanging out by at lunch time…but I can’t figure out how to upload pictures because it isn’t working how it used to!  Anyway, just imagine the sun on your face, the wind blowing through the palm trees, sunglasses, happy,open people, water,oranges,barefeet……..beautiful sunset bicycle rides with chirping birds,green grass,cool moist fragrant air…..and you are semi experiencing what I’m experiencing!!  Let me tell you.  It is a thrill!  AND that isn’t even the half of it!

Hello ~

As it is winter…….I’m hibernating and spending a lot of time reading my books and working on little projects, when I’m not working.  I work from 3 till 10pm and have the mornings all to myself.  I’ve really been enjoying the schedule.  I don’t get lonely in the evenings because I’m working and get to enjoy coffee and sunshine and news of the new day,through the mornings.  Though its been pretty mellow, I’ve committed to riding my bike through the winter, so I sometimes get to have adventurous rides to and from work on my bicycle. watch out for black ice….yikes!! (lets just say, I’m trying NOT to notice the little rips on my brand new, Patagonia winter jacket…….)

My new excitement as of late is to explore my mind, consciousness.  I’m committing to a 9 day class in Orlando, Florida.  Yippee! Its been a cold winter and I’ve been taking care of my roommates dog while he goes to all sorts of places.  I must say, I see him coming and going and packing and unpacking…a little longingly.  Its so exciting to think about all the different worlds “out there” and amazing people living their lives.  For the most part, I’ve been happy to stay home but I must say……..around Feb I get antsy for a little change.

This opportunity of exploring my consciousness………..fascinating!!  It explores questions, like why do we do what we do,what are some of our hidden beliefs that we are unaware of, provides skills to reduce resistance and remove obstacles,skills to develop strengths out of perceived weaknesses.  Its truly the stuff that life is made of……for me, in my mind at least!!

In the spirit of the Alchemist, follow your heart ~ I’m going for it!  I requested work off, which was very scary because I’m in training for a new position (higher pay!) But they said OK.  Yippeee!

Now I just need the money :-).  And so, I’m putting it out to the universe……… Can I borrow money from you?  Anyone?  I can keep up an informative/inspiring blog dialogue of my “exploration of consciousness”  perhaps some of you can go through it with me!

Anyone who can lend me any money…..I’ll make up a contract and payment plan to get that money back to you by a specific time.

Thank you thank you thank you! Your support (financial and especially through your comments) helps me feel like a member of this planet and connected (sometimes its dreadfully lonely out there!) And I in turn, hope to offer an intimate glimpse into a fascinating world.

Discoveries you will make are the beliefs and belief systems contained in your own consciousness.  Some of these may be immediately apparent while others are transparent, meaning that you perceive and act through them without realizing it..  These transparent beliefs affect the understanding and workability of everything else.

Would love to hear any thoughts……..if you all haven’t given up on me, its been so long since I’ve written!

Science writer, innovation consultant, conservationist and self-proclaimed nature nerd, Janine Benyus is the author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, a book that has galvanized scientists, architects, designers and engineers into exploring new ways in which nature’s successes can inspire humanity. GLIMMER researcher Tiffany Meyers conducted this interview with Benyus.

“I’d say if you’re going to design your life, design for the hunter and gatherer.”

“One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. 

The impulse to save something good for a better place later is the signal to spend it now. Something more will arise for later, something better. These things fill from behind, from beneath, like well water. Similarly, the impulse to keep to yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it is destructive. Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes.”

I have a tendency to type out pages/lines/sentences that I find really inspirational as I’m reading along.  This one……unfortunetely I didn’t cite!  So I’m no exactly sure who wrote it………. but my guess would be Natalie Goldberg.  Her words are very moving, in a very simple way!

Tomorrow…….Oct. 23rd is the opening of the movie about Amelia Earhart!  I’m so excited to see it, I’ll be catching the matinee 🙂

Her spirtit inspires me.   She loved adventure and seeing different people and places. She was determined and felt FREE up in the sky, flying above,away from it all!  I love how she  JUST WENT FOR IT!

The actress who plays Amelia is Hilary Swank and from what I can tell………..this movie is going to be a hit.  Maybe it wil encourage a burst of want to be pilots……..to be pilots 🙂

Jeremy and Brad, packing up Grandpa’s slides.  In an effort to save the valuable pictures that Grandpa has taken from his jouney’s around the world, Uncle Jonce is going to digitalize them all!  Which means, first, drive his van back to Colorado from Pensylvania.

From the place where we are right
Flowers will never grow
In the spring.

The place where we are right
Is hard and trampled
Like a yard.

But doubts and loves
Dig up the world
Like a mole, a plow.

And a whisper will be heard in the place
Where the ruined
House once stood.

~ By the Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai.

Amichai’s friend and translator Ted Hughes wrote, in the Times Literary Supplement, “I’ve become more than ever convinced that Amichai is one of the biggest, most essential, most durable poetic voices of this past century – one of the most intimate, alive and human, wise, humourous, true, loving, inwardly free and resourceful, at home in every human situation. One of the real treasures.”

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