My friend Mohammed

Yesterday Mohammed was in San Francisco. Mohammed Pervaiz, my friend from Xoriant, lives in Utah with his wife and son and was here on business.  During our brief visit we chatted about career, family, marriage, friends from Xoriant whom we had stayed connected and a myriad of other topics. The highlight was, that even though we had not seen each other since 2002,
 it was as if we had never been apart. In the end of our visit we got to the topic of God, a circuitous route to this last deep discussion, inspired by my recent travels to Dubai. Mohammed is Muslin, I am Christian and we discovered that we both share a common love of the poet Rumi. At the end of our short visit together, we connected at a Divine level and I am still experiencing the deep joy from our most profound connection.  In the years I worked with Mohammed, we had never discussed our faith. Our friendship has endured all these years with little contact and yet a living example of the Oneness we share.

From Love Poems from God, translated by Daniel Ladinsky:

Rumi, Pay Homage

If God said,

"Rumi, pay homage to everything that has helped you enter my arms,"  there would not be one experience of my life, not one thought, not one feeling, not any act, I would not bow to.

Mohammed, my soul bows to you and to our beloved universal all.

Every day a clean slate

As I begin this day I am reminded by a theme that keeps coming to my mind, every day is a clean slate. Each day is a fresh start to each day to be all that you can be. Lent started several weeks ago and I always think of Lent as a fresh start to being a better person. I spoke to my niece Sarah and nephew Matthew and both indicated that for Lent they were giving up swearing and trying to be better Christians. I am so inspired by their Lenten commitment also known as “sacrifice,” that I too am trying to give up swearing, and be a better Christian. For me that means working every day at kindness, service and not swearing. Of course, hence the title of my blog today, “every day a clean slate,” is needed for I don’t always succeed alas each day is a new opportunity.  So I begin again today with a clean slate.  Whatever happened yesterday is over and today is all we have so make it a great day, use your clean slate to create something great and be the miracle you are.

Homemaking and Crafting

I was dreaming last night of sewing, patchwork quilt making and loving my dream. I woke up so inspired that I was able to add a vibrant strip of fabric to a quilt I am designing for my niece Bethany. I then proceeded to wrap a gift for a friend’s birthday party I am attending this evening and it looks pretty too.

Present for friend

Quilt in progress

As I admired my work, I became ever more grateful for the joy of crafting, homemaking and life. I looked up homemaking in Wikipedia and found this definition:

 “Homemaking is a mainly American term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping, or household management. It is the act of overseeing the organizational, day-to-day operations of a house or estate, and the managing of other domestic concerns”. I realized that I enjoy all these defined aspects of homemaking grateful I have a home to “make.”  I hope you find things you love to do too so that you wake up inspired to jump out of bed live fully in every moment doing something you love.

Keeping up with the Joneses

Everyone’s heard of the phrase, “Keeping up with the Joneses,” which refers to the phenomenon of using one’s neighbors as a standard of comparison for the consumption and desire of material goods.

I have been less guilty of this then most, maybe because I am more inspired to simplify than to complicate my life with more stuff, material goods included. Today’s blog is about transforming the mantra of “Keeping up with the Joneses,” to  “Simplifying with the Joneses.”  I do not know the Joneses, alas I know about their life, it is burdened, unfulfilled and costly. It creates debt and struggle.  Simplifying with the Joneses is about letting go, reducing and beginning to create a new way of life for all.  Just as we created a culture of keeping up with this family we call the Joneses and created at least 4 decades of excess stuff, debt, and lackluster living, we can recreate our next 100 decades into simplifying, and becoming less encumbered and hence more alive and present. I have begun my journey towards simplification over the past few years and am finding greater and greater joy and presence in every encounter. I am more alive then ever and I wish to create this experience for all of you. I am the change I want to make for our world and my change mantra is Simplifying with the Joneses.  Call me Mrs. Jones.

NFC Championship Renewing "Sportsmanlike behaviors"

My immediate reaction was rage as I watched the unsportsman like reaction of the Seahawk player during a television interview following Seattle’s win of the NFC Championship Game 2014. I wanted to write my blog saying how terrible it was and ashamed he should be and then I stopped and realized my unsportsmanlike reaction. No, I did not want to react in a similar angered fashion, I wanted to see through and have compassion for the player and teams. I wanted to bring forth an attitude that sees beyond into the heart. This morning, I practiced compassion for Richard Sherman. My message for today is to see within ourselves our own anger, not to judge but to love and for now to inspire sportsmanship, compassion and gratitude. Joe, my beloved husband commented this morning that in golf, the professionals present themselves in ways that are classy, model behavior we want for ourselves and children and cheer as the winners go by, if only we can do this in every sport and bring back the definition of what it is to be a sportsman, oh yes like Peyton Manning :)

Happy New Year

I’ve got spirit yes I do, I have spirit how ‘bout you?

This cheer we did in high school generating energy for our respective sports team resonates with me today. Today, as I ponder my personal brand and a way to remarket myself for 2014; coaching, living and giving more of my gifts to the world, having a joyful spirit leaps to mind as to who I am. Jiminy Cricket, a fictional character created by Carlo Collodi, for his children’s book The Adventures of Pinocchio comes to my mind as another way to think about motivation and realization of your full potential.  Certain aspects of life and work can be mundane, boring, challenging and to stay in the game, focusing on what is important and moving forward requires inspiration. Where this inspiration comes from for me is leveraging my personal belief system and that pure energy is derived from using my natural gifts. Naming our gifts is one of the first steps in using them and finding the energy that results from using them fully. For example, I have an interest in humanity, your struggles, your joys, your fears and your dreams, I listen closely so to hear your heart speak and hear what may be keeping you from your best SELF.  Can you name your gift?  I know you have spirit, yes you do!

Sources of healing

I was restless in the night and so I began to pray for each of the members of my family and community that I know is suffering in some way.  As I prayed for each person to heal and find peace, I realized my own sources of healing and peace. As my prayers turned into naming my blessings, I fell into a deep and restful sleep. I awoke this morning to become inspired to write about my own sources of healing so that you too can begin to think and practice your own sources of healing. My prayer life is healing in that it gives me a place to express my worries and intentions. My yoga practice is healing in that it enables me to move, stretch, strengthen, meditate and be with a community of peaceful warriors.  My St Vincent de Paul home visits to the poor allow me to appreciate the goodness and generosity of our parish and the hope it brings to those we serve.  When I participate in mass and sit with faithful followers of Jesus Christ and receive Christ in the body and blood, I find healing. My home is a source of healing as I keep it orderly and minimized primarily because the clutter of my mind is overwhelming enough.  Today, I shall do a yoga pose, visit the poor, and sit in the calm of my living room and express gratitude for this day of healing.