No Time for BS

Man I felt like I was soaring on my hike yesterday. I’d given up being mad a long time ago, time is too precious to spend it in anger and life is too precious to have moments of angst rather than love. Yesterday, though, it struck me that I don’t have time to worry. Our physical experience really is temporary. A small blip on the human map. This time in my body is so small. Why waste it?

Time is too precious to spend it worrying or thinking about problems. There are only experiences, I want to make the most of this one experience. I want to live it up and love this life because I don’t know when it will end and I don’t know where it is going. I don’t know what is beyond this physical experience, but I do know that one day it will end. I don’t have time for bullshit.

Lately in meditation I have been experiencing this complete peace when I’ll sit back in my spirit. I get to the center of my core, this bright light shining in the mist. This is my true self. So I spend my meditation space hanging out with myself. I observe my thoughts and ego in action. It’s crazy from this position I can really see the craftiness of the ego trying to keep me safe. Injecting fear,

You are Your Problems

Man I have been an inspirational reading fiend from The Untethered Soul to Spirit Junkie to May Cause Miracles to A Course in Miracles. It is so easy for me to get swept up in inspiration and want to share what I read right now. But Sunday I took a step back to let some genuine clarity and calmness sweep over me and take over. Alright in each chapter you’re loving what you’re reading but what is the big picture, the big life lesson. How do you apply and live these life lessons now?

My ~ing activity has been biking. What I have so craftily doing though was creating routes on the flattest surfaces possible. When I was seven I fell off my bike while flying down Tecumseh hill. Ever since I avoid hills. So even though I was doing my ~ing activity, I was still avoiding my fears. I letting them determine where I go in life. So Sunday, I chose. I chose love. I stood at the top of the hill (not nearly as daunting I have to confess at 25 than it was at 7), ready to go. I think the biggest things reason I held myself to flat ground was a fear of falling (or failing), but also a fear of losing control. Even as I started down the hill, I found myself with a death grip on the break. Loosen up Brittany. Stop controlling the situation. What is the worst that can happen? You fall, big whoop, get back up. Starting

Letting Memes Die

My father has returned, and thus has some old memes. My problem is that my heart wants to initially close to protect itself. Because of my own thoughts, feelings, and perceptions (which I create and therefore can change). I love the man unconditionally, even though he’s a nut, but my beef is I let myself feel like he is judging me, judging others. I don’t want to participate. I voice, “I am not going to talk to you about mom.” Changing the world or making it better is not about changing other people. Not telling them they’re failing. Or lecturing them on life. Instead of focusing on what we see, change the way you look at people. Don’t look at someone and think: they’re fat. They’re inside is terminal. Think what a beautiful flower. Really feel compassion and love for that person. Dig deep, inside to their Self. Love that self. Not the one you initially see. Push through. Stop focusing on what you don’t like. What the other person should change. They have to want to change. What if they love themselves?

We have a powerful energy within ourselves, do we want to wield it judging others. There is no life handbook. You can’t tell someone this is the right way to live their life. You’re not their god. They have to find their own god. You can’t play martyr, self-righteous, selfless. It is something you see in action, not something you talk about. Compassion is seeing beauty in the ordinary. In letting people be. In loving their inner light. Not what you see needs to be changed. Telling someone what is wrong with them is not going to make someone better. It will just make them be more like how you want them to be and not themselves. Don’t have a thought. Don’t have a judgement. Leave your opinions of others at the door and see them. Truly see them. Embrace this version. Embrace the light. Life is a great unknown. We don’t know what’s coming next. We don’t know how long we’ll be here. We don’t know when we’ll die. All we can do is our best. To be present here and now. Full of love, compassion and happiness. This is going to be different for everyone. Happiness varies for each individuals. What makes you happy is not going to make your neighbor happy. Let them be happy. Stop running interference. Be your best and others will respond to that energy. Don’t put someone down so you can build them back up once they’ve changed. Stop controlling. Let their light shine. Don’t dim it, build it. Radiate. Let others be whole, instead of judging them as half full. Fill them up.

Embracing Your Inner Weirdo

This is one of my favorite picture of me. Why? Because I’m being silly. Because I’m with my friends. Because I’m having fun. Because in this moment I am full of life.

I can be a weird, I know it. My own best friend told me I’m weird. People can tell right away I’m different. Does this bother me? No, not if I think of what weird means to me. I think I am set apart as weird because: I am curious , I love everyone, I talk about living passionately, I create my own job rather than living a ‘should’ life, I tell people how I feel, I love to compliment.

What is exciting about being like everybody else. Being weird never gets boring. I am a unique person, why live it conventionally. Weird are the differences. Weird is beautiful.

A To-Do List for Positive Flow

I used to fill my to-do lists with endless tasks that I believed would make me better, or which would lead me to my crazy version of perfection. Really it was making me any better. I was really just placing more stress and expectations on myself. But I am a recovering perfectionist. This practice didn’t allow for self-love or self-growth. It built up shame. It didn’t help the inner me at all. I was just checking things off I a list. It didn’t allow me to be present. To love the now. I was living in fast-forward in the future. Where I thought happiness was, out there somewhere. Somewhere out there after one of these boxes was a radical life. Happiness was inside me all along. A radical life is me. I was suppressing it in my quest for perfection.

Now I set my daily intention. Intentions for a life well-lived. An extraordinary life, filled with love and appreciation. I fill the slots

Put Some Passion in It

It still baffles me sometimes how things pop into my life so in sync with my thought flow. Articles or quotes appear on my networking site with a subject I’ve just posted or am pondering about. My cousin wrote about chakras last week, when I’ve recently read a book last month with the same topic and did some of my own research for a future Body Change post. Like attracts like, is something popping up all over the place recently (in Gabrielle Bernstein, in The Secret), so I guess it makes sense.

This morning it hit me. I have a great cookbook (I always have though, it’s never been far from my mind, but lately it is blatantly clear) and a book inside. I don’t know all the details, but I know it’s there. When I sit down to start, it will just flow (like Dr Dyer when he talks about writing through his source). Recently I have paid special attention to directing my thoughts towards my purpose. So when I sit down to meditate what is the centering thought? PASSION. Oprah says passion is the power of focusing on what excites us. It’s our calling. When we step in rhythm with the cosmos. It’s dharma.

Let’s Get Excited!

Today I am pumped.

I am excited to awake to another day in my shed. In Indiana. With my mom. With my grandmother. With Lulu.

I am excited to be breathing, alive, and vivacious.

I am excited to have a full 24 hours before me to live and be present.

I am excited to meditate.

I am excited to practice yoga.

I am excited to read, to learn, to be curious.

I am excited to be strong, to get the opportunity to practice kettlebells.

I am excited to be my best self right NOW, today.

I am excited to hug my mom, to tell her I love her.

I am excited to see my bright shining nephews.

I am excited to talk to my sister.

I am excited to cook and nourish my body.

I am excited to let my legs adventure and have a mind of their own. To take me to new places.

Quantum Moment

Ever had a quantum moment. I have had subtle quantum moments and one really radical moment. But I sometimes let them slip. Faint moments leading me towards one big awakening. What in the hell am I babbling about? An instance in life when things seem to sort themselves out and your path seems a little clearer (although it may take several turns and a long time to get there or there may be detours blocking a direct path). A crossroads if you will.

I vividly remember a hike I had in October to Green Mountain Falls. It was one of the first snows on Pikes Peak and as I was climbing up the road to Pikes Peak Highway, I had one of my clearest mindsets ever. My life and purpose shone so brightly. I love working with my family and what I do, but my true calling lies in a slightly different directions. Every time I’ve read a book on purpose or intention, though it has been there. I remember writing it two summers ago, before my first trip to Colorado, in the back of Dr. Dyers The Power of Intention. It was there when I wrote a post for my cousin Jacki and included in my bio my ultimate dream to have a bakery bus. While hiking I felt connected to my direction. I have fallen in love with blogging and sharing. But really I am blissful when baking or cooking healthy foods for others. Being creative in the kitchen, thinking of cute, imaginative ways to present the food and package it. How I always enjoyed planning cooking class and serving. How I love to inject little bits of sunshine and to be bubbly How I enjoy bringing family and friends together for a soulful gathering. How much love, passion and confidence I have when I am creating. I want to be (I am) a food blogger. A cookbook author. A food bus owner. Driving around to markets in an eclectic VW bus. With good healthy food, a smile, and positive vibrations.

Now I admit when I was first struck with this I was so ready to come down and tell my dad. But when I got to the bottom of mountain, so faded my clarity. I began to doubt. How could I tell my dad that I see myself going on a new path on my own? It’s like when I decided to move into my shed, making the choice was easy, telling Tabitha was hard (because it’s uncomfortable to share your dreams and desires sometimes. Because we’re afraid of criticism or that someone will not support our decision). But three weeks ago on Monday I woke up again, with an unbelievable clarity that I could not deny. Immediately I had to share with my mom before I could change my mind. Next I had to tell my dad that I want something of my own. My own unique purpose. Something that I have 100% creative freedom over.

Be Powerful

Driving yesterday I felt this amazing rush of energy coursing through me. An unbelievable natural high, coming from me. What i realized is the power each of us hold. Empowerment was the word of my journey. I felt like a lightening rod of positivity. My dad is on a Secret kick and I think the biggest thing Ive pulled away is to have a positive mindset. Do not doubt whenever joy comes into your life or think you don’t deserve. Be electric.

Think how the potential you and I have! Think of the people who light up a room. Or someone who instantly puts you at ease or lifts your spirit. We can control of energy. We can smile more. We can laugh more. We can be present more. We can be magnetic. We can portray the elicit IT.  We can be a serene force. I personally feel I have a calming energy because I tend to be laid back. We can be a motivation. We can feel good about ourselves. We can fill others with positive thoughts so they too feel good.

Armorless

Its amazing how ingrained our fears become. We erect huge walls or tote around heavy armor, to hold out potential pain.

I am afraid of being alone. I just realized it this! My sister-in-law, Katie, is pregnant. This means my mother performed a pencil test, a family honored predictor of future children. For fun my mom decided to do one on me. I kneel heart pounding incessantly, holding my breath positive that the pencil is just going to spin. Two boys and a girl later and I can let out a big exhalation. I am relieved not because this is a sure on glimpse into my future, but because of the fear I uncovered.