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How do we get to the places that we are in? How many of us are exactly where we want to be in life?
Is it a matter of learning to want what you have, or getting what you want to have?
These are the questions I'm pondering on a warm, sunny, winter day in Los Angeles. I've been seeking out spiritual "doctors" of sorts to treat the spiritual malady that ails me. I'm depressed, but it was coming on long before I broke my foot, learned of my mother's cancer, got laid off, lost my dog or got this cold that doesn't seem to want to leave. It's because of my spiritual illness that these things are affecting me the way that they are. It's as if my soul caught a cold and I just can't shake it.
I'm not trying to be all new age on you, but there's something going on, and it's bigger than this blog or cancer or being laid-off.
Click here to keep reading ...
Getting Ready for Good to Happen
It's life, and life is lived on a daily basis. I just want to be open to more good things in my life.
I seem to be so willing to accept all the bad things, and find it hard to embrace and truly take in the good things. The bad things are just things that are going on in our world. They aren't who we are as people, but that's hard to remember. You start to become the "layoff," or the "cancer" or whatever bad thing is happening to you. It's oddly comforting to cling to the negative things, when what we really need to be happy is to let them pass.
Where the body is, the mind will follow. So to change the way you think, you have to change your actions. I know this, so I've embarked on a mission to change the way I'm doing things every day.
Little Steps, Big Results
I've started small, by taking the dogs to the dog park in the morning. I've found some places to go that feed me spiritually and don't cost anything. Through my cancer support group I've found that I can go (free of charge) to a variety of programs offered at the We Spark cancer support center -- from Qi Gong to Tai Chi to Neuro Emotional Technique sessions.
I've been signing up for everything I can. I don't even know what most of this stuff is, but it's really helping me to let more positive things into my life. I find it so easy to put myself last when my mother has cancer. I've been so focused on my mother's illness and my layoff, but no more. From now on, they get the back seat while my soul rides shotgun for a little while.
To do: Find the things that "are working" and do more of those things. Blog it out.
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Thursday 22 January
By Garvito
This was not the first time that your blog has inspired me to write anything, CJ.
It probably will not be the last time your writing inspires me, either.
THIS TIME, however, you have inspired me to SHARE my response.
As a former reporter, and then editor, I have recently - had a blockage with sharing myself, my thoughts, and now, looking back, my spirit of creativity through writing. I have been extremely blessed with my musical compositions recently, but my writing has suffered as a result. The release from my own “cell”, of self-doubt from which I was bound, was as a direct connection to the outpouring of humanity that I witnessed on Tuesday in our nation's capital... and then I did it… I shared my innermost feelings with others through a piece of writing. It had been quite some time. But, it felt great!
Here is what I shared, on Facebook and you are welcome to share it with your audience as well. I created a piece and named it:
Creative Americans Ode
It's a great day to be your friend and fellow countryman. Together, may our words, art, & music heal the world. Leave weak men alone. Let their ideals and their ideologues be weak. Let strength prevail, not through the defensive cynicism that we may have adopted through the reactions to tough times of the past. Let our strength be in numbers and let those numbers prove that our limitless creativity, equality and justice for all, IS the American Way!
-Garvito
“I pledge this to you, today, my friend.
Pass it on... see what happens.”
Until I started getting tons of responses from other artists, I thought that I was being hypersensitive and did not want to share. Until I read your piece, I thought that my own creative reconnection might be happening in a bubble. So I thank you CJ, for cementing with your blog, if nothing else, the fact that it's okay to explore with little baby steps because in my case, I had to know there were others doing the same.
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Friday 23 January
By Con
What you wrote reminds me of "Yes Man." For as silly a movie as it was, I left feeling like I needed to do the things that you mention. Unfortunately, it seems like more bad just keeps being added so this becomes more difficult. Here's to a day of new things!
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Friday 23 January
By The Other CJ
CJ - We should talk, gyrl. For realz. I am excited about this spiritual journey and slightly terrified, too! It's *awesome*!!!!
XOXO
Keep up the posts!!!
CJB
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Thursday 05 February
By Marie
This is a great reminder to remember to do something nice for yourself every once in a while. We take on so much and forget that sometimes laying down with a good book, a heating pad and a nice glass of wine (or in my case, bowl of ice cream) is the best use of our time.
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