Hi all!
I have started a new and awesome blog. In fact it is a social movement called The Levity Project.
It has great energy and will leave you feeling inspired, laughing, and more buoyant!
Be well and keep shining,
Katie
March 13, 2009
February 22, 2009
30 Days: 6
(30
Days is a free writing exercise in which a quote is chosen and written
about. Please participate by sharing your comments on the quote. The
idea is that this is an exercise to get our intuitive minds to open
rather than writing polished pieces)
“Please remember Rule Number 6,” a prime minister quieted two anxious and
upset individuals who interrupted his important meeting.
They nodded and left the room smiling.
“What is Rule Number 6?” the visiting prime minister asked, astonished at the quick and immediate reactions the mysterious Rule Number 6 brought about.
“It is a very simple rule,” the prime minister said. “Don’t take yourself so goddamn seriously.”
“And the other rules?” asked the guest.
“There aren’t any.”
–Adapted from Zander & Zander’s Art of Possibility
This week, I drenched my treasured new shoes in an icy puddle, tried to make crepes for guests without adding the right ingredients, lost my ever valuable calendar, and forgot an important date. Banner week, eh? Well, in all truthfulness it kind of was.
While there was the initial “Oh boy” or “Ugh” in each situation, it was not as lasting as it used to be. I, as many of us do, used to berate myself, feel like a fool, get flushed, or process and process a scene until it was threadbare. Those previous responses all got me to the same place, feeling crappier than I did after the initial error.
Instead, this past week, I thought of Rule # 6, an idea I had recently used in a couples’ workshop mentioning the importance of levity in trying moments. This week I got to put it to the test.
What happens if we choose not to let a situation get us down?
What if we choose to see our own folly for what it is…simply folly?
This week I laughed at myself, a lot. I chose Rule #6 (many times). It wasn’t about not valuing the experience or the honoring my mistake, I simply chose not to dwell on it. And the result was startling. I laughed all week long (apparently because of the many foibles). I laughed my way into a meeting with a soaked shoe, relayed the story which led to a meeting kicked off with uproarious laughter. This led to new inquiries for my business.
The crepes, after a good chuckle, came out wonderfully and we took pictures documenting success at last. Losing my calendar, led to an intriguing and thoughtful discussion with my husband about our goals and taking care of each other even in busy times. And the date? Once I found my calendar I changed my schedule to be able to attend without any consequence.
Rule # 6 opens us up to being human, and being humane with ourselves and
others. Laugh with me this week. The next mistake that comes a long, throw
back your head and laugh!
Your day will be brighter for it. Oh and by the way, did I also mention that I spilled water on my new computer twice in one week? Ha Ha Ha Ha. Now, I keep a towel on my desk. :)
February 10, 2009
30 days:5
(30
Days is a free writing exercise in which a quote is chosen and written
about. Please participate by sharing your comments on the quote. The
idea is that this is an exercise to get our intuitive minds to open
rather than writing polished pieces)
“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.”
--Robert Browning
My first thought is that this blog is changing. It is starting to change as I myself change. I think it is starting to blend more with my current life, what I think about on a daily basis rather than just being more of a place to come for weekly meditations. Why is this?
Maybe because these days I am taking great pleasure in life's simple moments and offerings. I am falling in love with the day to day of life. And that is big stuff for someone who has always been more prone to the adventurous side of life. I am not sure what the impetus is, I just know it feels lovely.
In light of that, I learned to bake bread this week. Here are loaves #4 and #5. And this bread baking is a part of one of those big times of change. I awake wanting to make more. My husband was the inspiration for the process. Three months ago, when we saw grocery bills sky rocket we decided to take a look at what we consume and what we could make on our own. He came up with bread. So for three months he has been making bread 3 times a week with the kids.
Then last week, he didn't. It was one of those busy busy weeks where the tick-tocking moments of the clock get engulfed in some deep crack in the wooden floorboards of our kitchen. Because of this busyness there was no bread. We had to go to the store to get our bread.
And it wasn't the same. I missed knowing that my kids and my husband and been apart of the process. It was not as yummy. It cost more. I shyly turned open the pages of the King Arthur's Cookbook. Without a word, I poured in the yeast. It bubbled and so I mixed in the flour and salt. Throughout the course of the morning, the dough rose. And again. I divided it and it rose again.
I created steam in the oven and brushed water on the tops of the loaves to soften them. I put them in to the heat bath of the oven and slowly, they browned and became beautiful loaves of bread.
Later, when my kids and I sliced the bread to make toast for lunch, a feeling of pride swelled in me. I laughed as I reminded myself that I have far more interesting accomplishments. But then I stopped thinking that maybe it isn't about what is the most impressive item on our resumes or what others find most intriguing about us, or the topics about ourselves that make fodder for great small talk.
Maybe what most moves our souls are the quiet moments at lunch when we break bread with ourselves or with our loved ones. Maybe these are the moments that last longest in our hearts. Maybe we really can taste the stars and heavens or at least our inextricable link to it all.
I know one thing for sure, I am going to need an apron.
January 26, 2009
January 22, 2009
January 14, 2009
30 Days: Two
(30 Days is a free writing exercise in which a quote is chosen and written about. Please participate by sharing your comments on the quote. The idea is that this is an exercise to get our intuitive minds to open rather than writing polished pieces)
If people were meant to pop out of bed, we'd all sleep in toasters.
~Author unknown, attributed to Jim Davis
I just read this quote and it sings my pain today. Don't get me
wrong, I am a true blooded morning person. I love watching the sunrise
and getting a headstart on the day. Past roommates and old friends
love sharing how back in the day I would bake cookies, cut paper
(loudly apparently), or try and have a coherent conversation with them
early in the morning. I guess, very EARLY. That was all before getting up early
ceased to be a choice and became a mandatory requirement.
You see,
I now officially believe in Karma. I have two children who get up in
the sub 5:00am category. This should not be allowed. And even the
truest morning person doesn't "pop"when the clock says
four-somethingarrutherinthemorning. No joke, I now have to peel myself
out of bed like my daughter's favorite fruit roll up treat. The
process is a slow, sticky extraction and as soon as I leave the safe
haven of the bed, I twist all up and get all tripped up on myself just
like the shriveled fruit snack. Let's just say it's rough.
My husband, the once upon a time non-morning person has somehow made the shift more gracefully than I have and enjoys taking pictures of himself next to the clock with the children documenting that day's waking time. When we were working on our New Year's Resolutions, We consulted Body and Soul's 5 week Challenge . Intrigued, we almost ran to their website and signed up. That is, until we read week 4 which involved getting 8 hours of sleep a night. We knew we had failed before we even started. But the upshot is that we designed our own 2009 Self-care plan for sleep deprived parents. It is going well and we only have to aim for a decent night's sleep three times a week.
What is important, though, is self-care. And if that is a good night's
sleep, a walk around the block, time with friends, or curling up with a
good book, then that is what is important to prioritize. This is what
keeps us well and healthy. For us, we have decided that sleep is
somewhat of a lost cause for these early parenting years and have
decided to take our blindingly early mornings to the gym by switching
off going in the mornings each week.
If you are interested in a modified 2009 Self Care Plan for Well
Intentioned, but Busy People and Sleep Deprived Parents, feel free to
email me at katie(at)katiewestlifedesign(dot)com and I will send you
ours. Or think about what is one way you can do something good for you
that is realistic for you in your life and that will make you feel good?
Peace, be well, and have a good night's .....well, you know what I mean.
January 11, 2009
30 Days: One
(30 Days is a free writing exercise in which a quote is chosen and written about. Please participate by sharing your comments on the quote. The idea is that this is an exercise to get our intuitive minds to open rather than writing polished pieces)
And who will join this standing up
and the ones who stood without sweet company
will sing and sing back into the mountains and
if necessary even under the sea:
we are the ones we have been waiting for.
--June Jordan
Today I am moved. Moved by the above lines. Somehow they fit so
beautifully with what I have been thinking of this new year. I see
this year as a personal and universal coming together, a prospect of
unity, a groundswell.
I have been asked several times since the New Year, like most of us probably have been, what my vision for the new year is for me, my family, our world. It is really simple.
I want to arrive. I want us all to arrive.
- Arrive in this very moment of our lives.
- Arrive to what lies within us.
- Arrive to an understanding of what power shines through us and an awareness at how to harness it to make a difference
- Arrive at an acceptance at what our weaknesses are and a celebration of our successes.
- Arrive at the idea that we do not need to keep looking, but instead start finding what is already present within us and around us.
What would happen if we allowed ourselves be the ones we are waiting for?
More than any time before in our world, we have the power of each other on a global scale and when we allow ourselves to stand tall as individuals, we collectively stand stronger.
What I want this New Year is a coming together in our spirits and to see that reflected in the solidarity of us as citizens of the world bringing our best to the table. We each hold within ourselves what our future most needs. For me, there is something about the energy of this year that feels like it will provide the opportunity for a radical shift in our consciousness if we so choose to embrace it.
My first personal vision/goal is to take better care of myself and consequently my family. My second is to allow myself to experience what I know is possible when we dream without fear. My third is to let laughter and its strength out power the sticky tentacles of stress and worry in my life.
In what ways will you allow yourself to be the one you have been waiting for this year? Please take a moment and share your thoughts and vision. Together, we empower each other to stand tall.
January 07, 2009
December 22, 2008
Personal Weather Forecast
In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.
-Albert Camus
Last week in Maine, we experienced what is known as a wintry mix of weather. For those of you that live in more temperate climates and are unfamiliar with this phenomenon, let me explain. A "Wintry Mix" means you start off with kind of like a freezing rain which pummels you until a slippery ice covers the roads and walkways, then it becomes snow, sometimes beautiful light snowflakes and other times, more grapple or hail-like, then for the finale, it pours down rain and the temperatures begin to drop so that everything is covered by a shiny layer of ice. It is a whole lot of good time.
Well, what happens with people's spirits is this great bungee jump into, "uh-oh, it is winter." People zip up their coats, twist on their scarves, and cover up their smiles and laughs. Winter becomes a force to reckon with and endure. We do our best to rejoice in the few days of beautiful white snow, ice-skating, and hot cocoa drinking. But it is the other days, the wintry mix days when one has to get to work, the grocery store, or the kids' school, those are the prime whining days-these are the days that get the publicity which determines our spirits.
Even though we know winter holds both kinds of weather, it can be challenging to keep our perspective during the less favorable times. So it is in our lives. We know life is full of challenges and tribulations, yet sometimes we get really thrown by circumstances or life events that leave us sliding all around and feeling like we are at the whim of life's "wintry mix".
How do we maintain the joy in our spirit despite the stormy weather in our lives?
Here are three ideas that I find very helpful:
1. Look for one thing to be grateful about. While I was walking my daughter to school in the freezing rain and sliding down each hill, I found that I was delighted to be getting exercise, fresh air, and time to chat with her.
2. Throw your head back and laugh. I am not kidding here. Try it. Toss your head back and let out the loudest HA HA HA you can muster. Do it again. You will either start laughing because you feel like you look foolish or you will get a glimpse that everything is going to be okay.
3. Take a Mini-Vacation. Do one really small thing that makes you feel so good. A warm bath, reading a magazine, sitting down to savor your favorite food treat, getting outside and lying in the grass and looking at the sky. Doing this can often break the mesmerism of the stormy energy that has come your way. And by grounding yourself in something you value, you foster the connection to that rather than the despair of the "wintry mix" that is making life tough. This is utterly simple and with great positive ripple effects in our day.
Storms will come and they will pass. As each one passes and clears, we get to decide what our attitude will be in how we weather each one. This is ours to choose.
What does it take for you to keep the "wintry mix" of life's weather on the outside so that the sunny skies keep shining within?
November 22, 2008
Revelations from a Hot Air Balloon
"And what is mine shall know my face."
--John Burroughs
Lately, I have been valuing the idea of stepping back from our situation in order to gain a fuller perspective. Often, we can get so caught up in the "doing" part of our lives, that it can seem nearly impossible to get the much needed breath to feel grounded in the "being" part of our lives. By getting so caught up in the action, we risk missing the opportunity that is seeking us already.
What shed light on this idea for me was an experience I had with my family on vacation this summer. We did something on my Life List-we went up in a hot air balloon. Even though the ride was short, it was as beautiful and serene as I had always imagined.
As we started to ascend, I had this amazing feeling that was made up of equal parts elation,
centeredness, uncertainty, calmness, and joy. Somehow, the weightlessness of the balloon above our heads, the feeling of the wicker basket below my feet, and feeling unattached to which way the wind would blow us allowed me to truly breathe in the experience. I witnessed our tent in the grassy field below, the silken clouds now a reach closer, my family's wide eyed expressions as they marveled at the flame filling the magnificently colored balloon. We were standing in a wicker basket with nowhere to go, no agenda, and no worries about the plan. We were living the plan and it was a good plan and a good moment.
As we began to gently come down from the sky, I felt as if a little part of my intellectual mind had quieted and a bigger part of my intuitive mind was alive. I felt the grace that comes when we open ourselves to living a life of harmony, joy, and success. The balloon ride had offered me the value of taking a step back to "be" before stepping forward to "do".
As important as it is to take action, it is equally valuable to pause, let our intuition observe and feel the situation, and then to let our intention pave the way. Success does not have to come from fighting and frustration. It can come from joy and willingness. As we touched the earth again, I had the sense that something was ahead of me on my path guiding the way.
For me, it was the idea of Grace. My goal has always been to live a graceful life. That summer day opened the door to the idea of rather than having to struggle towards our goal or trying to follow "the BEST 10 steps" to achieve what we desire, we must instead "let" them be and allow them to lead us.
This is how I would sum up the lessons from up high:
We do not have to fight/struggle our way to everything. We can allow our intention of how we want to live to go before us creating an easier path to follow.
Stepping back and taking a mental evaluation is as vital as taking action steps. When I work with clients, I ask the question, "So what is going right for you?". By bringing an awareness of what has worked for them and blessed them so far, they are better able to bring those elements with them on the new part of the journey. Their previous success serves as the fuel for the change they desire.
Remembering to BREATHE is the easiest way we can quiet the intellectual mind's incessant desire for immediate, concrete answers. By taking one or two deep breaths, we are more grounded in the present experience and better able to access our intuitive voice's wisdom and clarity. Just as the balloon needs the breath of the flame so we need our own breath to keep us afloat.
Finally, I realized that all things don't need to change. The worn and shiny wicker from bodies getting in and out and the slight give it has when up in the air, and the gentle sway as one leans against the its side...somehow they are just perfect in their simplicity and authenticity.
*What is going right for you in your life?
* And what perspective on your own life can the balloon offer you?
*What happens if you stop and take a deep breath right now?
During this week of harvest, thanksgiving, and joy, be well and allow that which is meant to be yours to find your face.
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