Super Duper Foods for Life
July 28, 2010
super duper foods
Why am I writing about food? Well food is life and I care about life, so it makes sense that I would to write about the Super Duper Foods for Life that I highly recommend.
First I’ll tell you a little story about how I came to know about these foods I had the great good fortune of being sick for many years and didn’t know what was wrong with me.
Doctors are inadequate in this regard for me, especially involving nutrition, so I had to dig around a lot on my own. What I found out is that modern food cultivation and preparation practically ruins everything we eat.
While many foods are touted as ‘fat reducing’ etc, if you really look at it, they are artificially synthesized foods. This never works well for the body. If you get back to basics and draw from the best of nature, you will be in good shape.
It’s not fats or carbs that are a problem on their own, it is the way food is produced, what we eat and how much we eat.
But beyond this, there are also some super duper foods that are extra good for you and that almost no one knows about. So being sick was life changing for me because I got a chance to research and listen to my body and discover things that I never would have known otherwise.
I never restrict what I eat, I just enjoy a nourishing palate of amazing foods and I am happy, healthy and wise. Well the last one can be contended! But these yummy goody goody good for you foods make all the difference in my life. I enjoy what I eat and look forward to every single day. So I thought that I’d share my Super Duper Foods for Life with you.
green smoothie
So here are my top five super-life changing foods:
- I drink a Green Smoothie every single day. I know that is not a single food, it’s a drink but I had to include it. My smoothie includes fruit and some kind of raw dark green vegetable blended up in a blender. Wow, my skin is gorgeous and my energy level soared after I began this. I am barely hungry until lunch time. Then about an hour later I drink a second smoothie with several of my top foods right in it. They are:
- Spirulina – what the heck is that? It is a blue-green algae (I know that sounds gross but read on). Spirulina lives off sunlight and is one of the most nutrient packed foods I know of, plus is 70% protein. Can’t beat that! Then I also include another yummy treat in my smoothie which is:
- Raw chocolate – YUMMMY! I read a book called, Naked Chocolate years ago (I know don’t you love that title!) and I was amazed to discover just how many nutrients raw chocolate (aka cacao) has. It has to be raw though, once it’s cooked they disappear.
- Ready for this one? All you former pot heads will be happy about this, Hempseed is also one of the most nutritious foods around. Great in smoothies or on salads.
- Last but not least a favorite for health of the intestines, which is crucial for immune health, is the delicious homemade Kefir. Kefir is a naturally fermented milk drink, like a yogurt only more beneficial and it keeps you happy, healthy and long living. It’s super easy to make at home. You just need a starter.
So there you go. Here are your Super Duper enjoyable healthful foods for life.
Bridging the Gulf
June 8, 2010
Prayer
What have we done? Intoxicated our planet yet again?
I know I don’t have to tell you or insert more of those heart-breaking pictures of the animals en-gulfed by the oil of our mis-takes but really it is nearly impossible to bear.
And yet if you think about it, this has been happening all along. This is really nothing new, it’s just that now it’s totally out in the open.
What I want to share today is a different way to think about it. Not the usual, “Oh my god, what did THEY do to our ocean?”
But more an inquiry of – what inside of me contributed to this oil spill? And no I’m not suggesting that you blame yourself.
But I am offering the possibility that blaming anyone really doesn’t help. It’s hard not to do. But if you do believe what the mystics and quantum scientists agree upon, that we are all interconnected, then there is really no THEM.
The shocking fact is that the them is all of us.
Now I know that you personally did not dump that oil, nor would you have wanted it to happen, but if you’re honest with yourself, aren’t there some oil spills in your own life that you might want to clean up?
Love
If you do believe that we are all connected then couldn’t cleaning up your own oil spills and stopping the blame, be steps in the right direction?
It’s possible right?
I warn you that you won’t necessarily see immediate results. And that it is MUCH easier to be angry and blame someone else – a BP executive, greedy people in general, big corporations or….anything.
But the problem is that none of this changes our thinking. It only keeps us where we were, in the problem.
So if you’re with me here, go ahead and jot down a list of the top three oil spills in your life – things you need to clean up. It might be things like – I yelled at my kids, I was rude on the highway, I didn’t go the extra mile for my friend.
Or even invisible oil spills like judging other people. Everything matters here. Every littler bit you change inside makes a difference on some level we can’t see.
Masaru Emoto, the author of Hidden Messages in Water gave this message about the oil spill and I thought it was so touching and appropriate:
Love and Gratitude
“I send the energy of love and gratitude to the water and all the living creatures in the Gulf of Mexico and its surroundings. To the whales, dolphins, pelicans, fish, shellfish, planktons, corals, algae and all living creatures. I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you.”
That’s the consciousness I’m talking about – personal responsibility, love and no blame. This man knows how to think in the right direction.
We need to focus our attention on the positive healing power. Send our energy in the right direction to bridge this gulf between how it’s been and how we want it to be.
What is the world of the future beyond this mess? As hard as it is to see it right now, we must focus our attention there.
Even though when we’re in grief, it is easy to be angry and lash out, we also have the power to focus on the healing. Mr Emoto studied water crystals and found that when he used words like love or gratitude the entire structure of the water changed. What a powerful thing to access.
Maybe you want to use one of his meditations today to focus your energy on Love and Gratitude for the ocean and her creatures.
What You Fear, Is Gonna Appear
April 26, 2010
You know that saying that if there’s something you fear, it’s going to show up? Well let me tell you how true that really is.
When I was eight years young, my sister and I went to visit my aunt and uncle in Oregon.
Oregon is a beautiful state with an amazing coastline and one day they took us to the beach. I was totally enchanted. Being the zealous tree climber that I am, I jumped right up on this low-hanging beach tree and sat up there like a happy little bird.
All was good until I decided to jump back down. Of course being a natural gal, I was in my bare feet and so as I leaped out of the tree giving a great shout of “woo-hoo,” I landed right on a big fat slug!
EEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKK!
I forgot to mention that I HATE slugs. I fear slugs, I’m phobic of slugs and I detest slugs. Suffice it to say that slugs and I are NOT best friends.
I was aghast. Not only was this the biggest, fattest slug that I had ever met but it was totally stuck to the bottom of my foot and I couldn’t get it off.
Double EEEEEK!
What to do? Being overly intimate with a fat slug is not my idea of a good time. Unfortunately my family had wandered off down the beach to have a good time, so I was on my own to wrestle with this beast.
I eventually pried him off, but it took me hours of walking on the sand to get the goo of the bottom of my foot! My lesson learned was – don’t jump out of an Oregon tree without your shoes unless you don’t care what you land on.
But my slug foibles didn’t end there. Later when I was in High school, I had a very cute boyfriend and we were (ah hem) – making out under a tree on a nice summer afternoon.
Ahhh, what could be better than kissing a cute boy?
But as we were kissing I reached up to run my hands through my hair. You gotta stay looking good while you’re kissing right? But as my hands got to the back of my head, I felt a “AHHHHHHHHHHH” big fat slug nestled in my hair!
I screamed bloody murder and my cute boyfriend had to wrestle that beast out of my hair for me. The absolute horror of something nesting into my hair made me want to barf.
My boyfriend rescued me from the slug, one that was not nearly as big as the last one, and I went on with life.
UNTIL…..
Many years later, I was living with a boyfriend in college and one night we had a big fight. I got really mad at him and decided (silly me) to sleep outside and sleep in my tent.
You know how women are – we can make really dumb decisions when we’re mad. I wanted to take a stand and show him my independent spirit and boy did I!
I was lying happily in that tent, thinking what a smart, brave and independent woman I was, but little did I know while I was sleeping, hundreds of slinky slugs were creeping up the sides of my tent!
By the time I woke up in the morning my tent was “EEEEEK” – covered with slugs! There were hundreds, no thousands, no I’m pretty sure there were millions of slugs crawling everywhere all over my tent top.
Giant EEEEKKKKKK!
What to do now but try to unzip the tent very without touching anything, then run inside to the safe arms of my now gloating boyfriend!
One final slug story. Years later, I went to Hawaii for ten days. Hawaii is the land of giant and colorful slugs. Not only are they big but they are gaudy!
So there I was in beautiful gorgeous tropical Hawaii and as you could guess, slugs were everywhere, around every corner.
One day while I was out in the garden, I got down on the ground on my belly and decided to watch one of these little beasts that I’ve feared so much.
I watched him inch along, slowly and surely. He was going so slowly in fact that his entire existence seemed totally pointless. I wanted to scream at him, “What are you doing you ugly slug, you have absolutely no purpose other than to be gross.”
And just then a door opened in my heart and I suddenly saw him from another point of view. I saw in exquisite detail just how beautiful he was – this slow, harmless creature who minded his own business and never hurt a flea.
Slugs had never done anything to me. It was me that was panicking over absolutely nothing.
I suddenly developed this appreciation for just how beautiful and peaceful a creature he was. And no I won’t kid you, I did not bring any slugs home to live with me but we do now exist in mutual respect.
So that’s what I’ve learned about life from slugs – what you fear will appear. And it’s gonna keep appearing until you make peace with it.
Retreat 42 – We’ve Launched the Ship!!
April 11, 2010
Wow, who knew that out of the confusion of my life, I would create something as amazing as Retreat 42, my brand new program for retreat in daily life.
Back in December, I was feeling stuck about getting bigger projects off the ground. I had several bodies of work that I never finished and it was really bugging me.
This coincided with meeting my now business partner, the fabulous Ian Waddelow who lives in France, although he’s a Brit by birth. Ian contacted me last fall and we hit it off immediately and began to collaborate.
Ian has amazing creative energy and wisdom in spades. He is a senior consultant to CEO’s and boards dealing with strategy and brand marketing. He’s also an educator at several major business schools in England and a well-known speaker at conferences and events.
Let me tell you, Ian is a wizard at what he does. He transforms businesses in a way that I’m pretty sure, they don’t even know what hit them!
After meeting Ian I was asking myself - What does it take to get bigger projects off the ground?? And I decided to put myself on a retreat in daily life to figure this out.
My premise was this – every great idea came from somewhere. We have this idea that when we need inspiration, that we need to ‘wait on the muses’, but I decided that waiting on the muses wasn’t good enough. Mine are too fickle, they’re always off shopping in Paris!
Waiting on the muses is a phrase we use to infer that inspiration is fickle or out of our control. But is it? If inspiration comes from somewhere else, where is that somewhere else and how can we tap it whenever and wherever we need it?
If you think about it, every great idea, every artistic masterpiece, Eureka moment, life changing work or project comes from a realm that the mystics call the 99%. This is the place of ‘divine inspiration.’ All creative ideas come from a place beyond the ordinary five senses.
That’s why it feels like we can’t tap inspiration when we need to. But I decided that there must be some way to tap it reliably and regularly. This was my quest to find out exactly how.
I took time every day to listen to music that would take my brain to another state. No, not New Jersey, but another brain state that’s called the theta wave. I tried not to work or think too hard, but just let ideas and inspiration come easily.
Each day when I woke up, I spent time writing, journalling and jotting. During the day, I would just allow inspiration to come and I would jot that down as well.
At first I didn’t even know exactly what I was going or how I was going to figure any of this out and it was pretty scary to commit to something that you don’t know exactly what it is! I decided that it needed to be 42 days.
Why 42?
- the mystics went into the desert for 40 days. I figured in our modern life, we need a day to get in and a day to get out = 42!
- it takes ’6 weeks to get a change into the bones’ – 6 weeks equals 42 days.
- the first lines of creation in the ancient Aramaic equal exactly 42 letters.
This all seemed to line up perfectly and so 42 days was set in my mind. I gave myself a few guidelines upfront. I agreed that I had to finish the retreat no matter what. I told myself that even if up with absolutely nothing, it would be ok and I committed to giving it my all and trusting the power of inspiration to guide me.
I did the same thing for 42 days and by the end of it, believe it or not, I had created an entire body of work – I had written a whole book and created an entire process that I didn’t even know I was creating.
How’s that for pure magic!
Once I was finished, I decided to take a risk and invite my new partner Ian onboard as a collaborator.
I’m sure Ian won’t mind me saying that he was pretty skeptical at first. I’m sure he thought my idea was pretty wacky, but he trusts me so he agreed to go on the Retreat 42 himself.
At first I was a little worried. Ian’s results seemed mixed. I wasn’t sure it was working and being British, he didn’t tell me much :>)
But then somewhere near the middle of the retreat, things started to happen – the ground started to quake and something new started pouring forth. After he finished, he suggested we try it out with a group and so we launched a Pilot program of 24 brave adventurer’s who agreed to try out our program for free.
I’m happy and proud to say that they did it! Their last day is today and they made it through the desert and have come out with gifts. I’ll let some of them share their stories in upcoming blog posts.
It was amazing to watch an entire group go through this process. They are extraordinary people from all over the world – England, Germany, Spain, Belgium and the US. They helped us to see that Retreat 42 really works, anytime, anywhere. 
Thanks to them, Ian and I are proud and delighted to announce:
Retreat 42 is officially launched!
We will be starting our first programs in the Fall, with an amazing line-up of goodies – from self-guided retreats, to themed programs and even (get this) wonderful in-person retreats in amazing locations around the world.
We have made the package and the pricing incredibly attractive. You just won’t be able to resist trying this out for yourself!
And I guarantee 100% that it is the most life changing thing you can do.
It was for me. I wrote a whole book and created an entire body of work in only 42 days – something that I never thought possible. If you’d like to know more about Retreat 42 or join one of our upcoming programs, please email me or Ian. We’d be happy to chat to you.
You can connect with us at annie@anniehart.com and ian@ianwaddelow.com. I encourage you to get to know Ian. He’s someone really worth knowing.
POP! Here comes the champagne – Retreat 42 is officially launched.
Everything Chocolate – For My Birthday
April 5, 2010
Yesterday I arrived home from a trip and found a package waiting for me. It was a gift of chocolate brownies from someone thanking me for the 42 Day Retreat. What a nice surprise!
This package was surprising for several reasons – one I didn’t expect a gift and two because lately I have been wondering what it would be like to receive lots of chocolate for my birthday on April 18th.
Yes I will be a glorious 51 years young and happy!
I had been thinking about chocolate for my birthday for several reasons:
- chocolate makes you happy
- it’s good for your skin
- chocolate is a bean and therefore very healthful (tee hee)
- women need chocolate in order to be loving and kind (which I strive to be)
- 51 is a good time to feed the soul
So you might be wondering – what kind of chocolate does Annie like??
I love dark chocolate – no milk chocolate, no white chocolate and preferably with a cacao content above 65 or 70%.
Oh and I definitely love those kinds with flavors like: mint, raspberry, chai and hot pepper. Yes I love chocolate with hot pepper!
In fact while I was away this weekend, my hostess made some brownies. They were so creamy and delicious that I opened them up and poured some hot pepper flakes inside. She was a bit surprised but then her her husband who loves hot pepper, put some in his brownies too. We all agreed that hot pepper wakes up the chocolate!
So Viva’ la chocolate with extra spice.
So if you’re reading this blog post and starting to wonder just what kind of chocolate I might want for my birthday – I would say don’t limit yourself to just these suggestions. Feel free to think creatively about your chocolate gift!
Oh my gosh – did I just ask for chocolate from people that I don’t even know? How audacious is that!
But here’s the deal – if at 51 you don’t start getting audacious about life and start adding some spice, some hot pepper and some chocolate to things – how are you ever going to live a happy and feisty life?
So folks that’s what I’m doing – I’m blatantly asking, no begging, for chocolate to be sent from all over the world right to my doorstep before or after April 18th 2010.
If you’d like to be part of the “Chocolate Birthday Experiment” send me an email at annie@anniehart.com and I will give you the mailing address so you can put some in the mail right away.
You will also be entered into a free drawing to win an all expense trip to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Just kidding :>)
But you will receive a hand-written note from me and Miss Sweetie, thanking you for your gift. And you’ll be sure to be mentioned in a future blog post about this experiment.
Whatever chocolate I receive, I plan to totally relish it. I may not eat it all, I may use some for face masks or even take an entire bath it it.
Ahhh, chocolate is good for the mind, body and soul.
I’ll be awaiting your gift. Don’t hesitate. The time to act is now, while you’ve got chocolate on your mind!
Oh and feel free to buy yourself some chocolate while you’re there. I suggest the hot pepper kind. So here’s to the Birthday Chocolate Experiment and having some fun.
As a wise woman once said to me, “It never hurts to be audacious for your birthday!” Viva la chocolate!
Meet My Family of Delicious Food
March 27, 2010
Lucky me! Several years ago I met a wonderful and adorable young woman named Samar whose family originates in Jerusalem. I’ve always been fascinated and enchanted by ancient cultures, particularly those of the Mediterranean. I love the food, the smells, the colors, the textures, the language. I love it all!
Samar and I become very close. As I was helping her find direction in life, she would regale me with stories about her family and their culture. I was amazed. I come from a very small family and she has over 300 family members. I wanted that!
Seeing the perfect opportunity to bring something great into my life, I asked her straight out if her family would adopt me.
She said that they would and I took her at her word. And you know what? It’s turned out to be totally true. Three years later, I am totally part of the family and I love it.
Her mother who is a total gem too. She makes the most delicious food in the whole world. Honestly, I’m NOT exaggerating. She is someone whom I would love to learn every little secret about life and cooking from.
Picture this – a table spread with exotic riced, home-made hummus creamy as butter, olives and homemade pickles of different kinds, delicious pita bread which is often homemade, vegetables, sometimes chicken or fish…..you get the idea!
A bounty of delicious, savory and exotic food. It’s exotic in taste, smell, color, texture – truly a delight of the senses.
Oh and that’s not all. That’s not even the half of it. After we eat there is always tea. But this is not just any tea. This is the most delicious tea in the world. I don’t know how she makes it. She makes it look so simple but my tea never tastes like this. It’s Mamma’s special blend.
She makes mint tea, ginger tea, sage tea and cardamon tea, always served in the most beautiful glass cups with just a hint of sugar. They are so amazing and delicious and the smell is absolutely to die for!
I just sit, smell and sip to my heart’s desire. Ahhh…..this is life at it’s best.
But we’re not just finished with tea. As if that wasn’t totally enough, then we have her very special hand ground coffee. Yes as you guessed this is not just any old coffee. It’s a very fine ground that she combines with just a hint of cardamom. It is dark, thick and rich like dark chocolate and comes served in the most beautiful gold edged cup. 
What could be better than this??? Nothing.
I leave their house feeling full, happy, loved, nourished and as if I just took a trip to an exotic foreign country. Ahh, life is good.
I always wanted to be part of a big family, but I never expected this unexpected bit of grace. So I am happy to say that I am part of a 300 member family who really knows how to make some amazing food!
One day I’ll learn myself and then share some of the secrets with you. Everyone should have a Mamma and a family like this. I send a big hug out to my loving, good-cooking family of good food.
The Transformative Power of Stories for Children
February 17, 2010
Annie: This is a beautiful story sent to me by Mike Blackstone a friend, colleague and blog reader of mine. He told some stories to his children with truly magical results. This really invites us to realize the transformative power of story. Thanks for sharing Mike. It really opened my heart.
Mike: A month ago I was invited to a lecture that was to take place last Sunday afternoon. I had completely forgotten about this lecture until it popped back into my mind 25 minutes before it was to begin. Interestingly, I had spent some quality time with my two little boys that morning, had all my “chores” done, so I told my wife Maureen I was going.
When I got to the lecture, I found out the speaker was an “ageless wisdom” guy which I don’t know much about. His theme was “Unfolding the Soul’s Purpose,” and among many things, he talked a little about reincarnation and astrology. I enjoyed it.
When I got home, I did a little research on the internet about him and about some of his subjects. I came across one little tidbit in an online astrology chart about focusing on “raising one’s children well,” and that struck a little heart chord. Hmm, could be a bit of a life purpose in there?
A couple of hours later I had this impulse and decided to tell my 6 year-old a story, and base it on the concept that we had lived other lives together. I completely improvised it. Here is the gist:
We were young brothers (Native Americans) in the 1800s. Out on an exploratory adventure, we were attacked by a mountain lion. It took all of our wits (mostly his) to both come out of it alive. Later we were attacked by a she-bear when we accidentally stumbled upon her cubs. Again our wits, mostly his, saved the day.
Several times during the story he said, with his head cocked to one side and his eyes narrowed, “Dad, you’re making this up, aren’t you?” Of course I denied it saying that that’s what I “remember.” But each time he asked me to keep telling the story.
About an hour later, my 9 year-old, Elliot, comes into my office and asks, very intently, “What did you tell Euan?” I said, “Why are you asking?” He replied, “Well, Euan said you TOLD him something!” “Do you want me to tell you something, too?” “Yes.” So I told Elliot a story, completely improvised, that went like this.
We were neighbor kids in the tenements of New York City in the late 1920s—best buddies who lived about a block apart. One day we were hanging out in the neighborhood, but I was about a block away around the corner with a couple of the guys. I heard loud voices and we came around the corner to see what was going on.
“I saw you (Elliot) surrounded by four rough guys from another neighborhood, and one started threatening you that they were going to beat you up. That kid turned, looked at his buddies to smile, and as he turned his head back, your fist lashed out, caught him square in the nose and knocked him clean onto his back.
There was blood everywhere. The other three were about to set on you but saw me and the other guys, grabbed their fallen comrade and beat a hasty retreat. They never came back.”
When I was done, Elliot floored me by saying, “Thanks, Dad, for telling me that story. And you know the part I liked the best? I didn’t need you to save me.”
I was dumbfounded in some wonderful way. The next morning, as I was taking them to school, Elliot said, “Thanks again for telling me that story, Dad, I really liked it.” And I wondered again what that was all about. He had never thanked me before for telling a story.
A few nights later I was tucking the boys in bed, I told Euan another story where we were both bridge builders, but he was a bridge designer. Right at that moment he nodded his head deeply in some sort of agreement, and he saved my life on a bridge-building site during an earthquake. Remember, he was the skeptic.
This time HE thanked me for telling him that story.
When he nodded his head it was pretty funny because he’s lately been into wearing a blindfold to bed—the kind you get on an airplane. So, I’m right by his face, softly telling him the story, he’s wearing his blindfold, and he starts to nod in agreement when I get to the “bridge designer” part. It melted my heart.
There have been a few more stories since, and, with how much they seem to love them, there WILL be many more.
I am still digesting all this, but I find it amazing. A couple of clues I’m looking at—Euan (6yrs) loves to build things and is a Lego maniac. Elliot (9 yrs) loves everything about the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and is determined to make his living as a pro wrestler.
Annie: Don’t you love this story? Sweet, simple ways to make a difference in the minds of children. Thanks Mike for sharing the transformative power of story.
Yours in always sharing the stories that matter,
Annie
Koyaanisqatsi – Life Out of Balance
February 12, 2010
Koyaanisqatsi, Hopi word
“Crazy life, life in turmoil, life out of balance, life disintegrating, a state of life that calls for another way of living.”
Over twenty years ago I was privy to hearing the prophecies of Indigenous peoples first hand. I heard them through the mouths of the elders and their stories of the future. But honestly I was naive back then and I wrote them off as ‘doom and gloom.’ I told myself that it wasn’t really true what they were predicting. I was in my twenties and carefree. What the hell did I know about the world to come?
It wasn’t until the year 2000 that I suddenly woke up one day and said, “Oh my God, they were right.” The things that they had predicted were coming true – earth changes, political upheavals, very specific disasters that had been foreseen thousands of years ago.
How did they do that? How did the Hopi and every other indigenous culture around the globe know what was in store for our future? They just did. That’s the best I can say. They predicted it precisely and exactly.
But here’s where a confusion comes in. They never said that it was going to be the end of the world. They said it was going to be the end of A world.
Now what’s the difference? The end of the world vs. the end of a world? There is a huge difference. You see to the native people their frame of time was always told like a story. They hold time as a series of successive worlds, similar to how we have ages, epochs and eras, but their worldview is even more comprehensive than that.
Each ‘world’ had a theme an inevitable evolution. When you can see it that way, it’s easier to understand how they could predict the future. They could see in the span of evolution of the ‘worlds’ what was going to come next.
What they actually said was that it’s up to us to create the next world. This is the part that is always left out when people talk about the end of the world. The world is not ending folks. That would be the easy way out! We’re not getting off the planet that quickly.
It’s much harder to realize that a world is ending and that we need to do something about creating the next one. We can’t just stay asleep. What they said was that it would be the end of an age of darkness and the possible beginning of an era of light and that it is up to us to make the necessary changes in lifestyle and consciousness to usher in another world.
We can no longer go on as we have been – driven by greed and avarice, with complete disregard for human life and our planet. That world needs to end. It is up to each of us to make those small and steady changes every single day day after day, day in and day out.
There is no rest for the bringers of the next world. But that doesn’t mean that we have to be hopeless and cheerless about it. In fact just the opposite. We need to be as filled with light as we can be.
Our hope for the next world lives in us. Each day, day in and day out – not reacting to the craziness of the world around us but quietly and confidently making the necessary changes in ourselves and helping those around us.
Every change you make in yourself contributes to the balance and healing of the world. Today let’s reverse the tide and make our mantra, “Life in balance begins with me.”
You are welcome to listen to my Radio 42 Show on this topic. They can be downloaded any time.
Yours in always making the effort to contribute to a happy and sane world,
Annie
Sittin’ and well, just sittin’
February 10, 2010
I am taking a meditation class. Me who always thought that meditation sounded about as fun as getting my fingernails pulled out one at a time. The idea of trying to sit and be still made me want to flee!
But ironically I am loving it. I went and experienced an entire weekend of sitting and focusing on my breath and boy if you want to really experience your mind running around like a frantic rabbit, go to a meditation retreat.
Things I hadn’t thought about in years just insisted on coming to mind and coming and coming and coming. The interesting and cool thing though is that the object is not to get the mind to stop thinking. You can’t. So once I was relieved of the pressure of that, I actually started to enjoy it. Sort of.
Enjoy may not be quite the right word because honestly as soon as you start ‘enjoying’ it, you’re probably off in a fantasy land of thinking again. ‘Back to the breath Annie.‘ The idea is not to stop thinking or stop feeling but instead to continue to return to the breath by saying, “THINKING” any time you notice that you are thinking, which in the beginning is pretty damned often!
The thinking is incessant. The answer is yes and so in the first few ‘sits’ it was pretty much just ‘thinking, thinking, thinking….oh big thinking….and more thinking.’ But even with all that, I tried to relax and have fun with it all. But not too much fun or that would have been more thinking!
You get the idea.
Well anyway it’s a good challenge. That is what I like about it. The idea of training my mind to become more like a skilled horse than a frantic rabbit really appeals to me. What I like more than that though is the philosophy behind it – that all of this leads to a kinder, more compassionate and enlightened society. I’m all for that.
So for me it’s worth the effort to feel my muscles ache and my mind run around crazy like a rabbit. If I can contribute just one small bit but my little sit then it will be a perfect fit. (I couldn’t resist the rhyme!)
The true test of my perfectly stable mind was that the guy next to me, someone whom I’ve known for years, is actually very hunky and cute. Hmm, let’s add that to the mix of things to not focus on!
I want you to know that I emerged intact. I fixed my aching back and have continued to practice once or twice a week since. I’m making a small goal for myself since I know how easily that not-yet-enlightened horse can bolt.
Today where ever you are, take a moment to experience the power of sittin’ and well just sittin’. Doing nothing is a very good thing.
Yours in always sharing the challenges to creating an enlightened life,
Annie
Miracle Pants Story Part 2: “Fashion Fore-Warned”
February 8, 2010
I have very disappointing news folks. For those of you that read my story about the Miracle Pants my mother wanted to send – heartbreaking news is that they don’t come in my size!
I can hear you all shrieking, “OH NO,” right now as I did when I called the company and found out that even though they have petites, they don’t have a size 4 which is what I’d need. They begin at a size 8. I guess they don’t consider that fashion forward women like me can be tiny and on the cutting fashion edge at the same time. Bummer!
This means that a lot of my Miracle Pants plans have to change. Here’s where I won’t be able to do wearing my Miracle Pants:
- I won’t be wearing them to my niece’s college graduation, complete with high heeled lavender pumps. *She is thrilled about this.
- I won’t be co-staring in the next Charlies Angels movie with my flame proof Miracle Pants. I guess they are going to have to find someone else.
- I won’t be trekking the Great Wall of China in my hiking boots and Miracle Pants. I’m sure this would have been a first.
- And saddest of all is that on my next date, whenever that is, I will not be flirting with the love of my life in my Miracle Pants. (sob, sob, sob)
I know you’re all saddened to the core about this but don’t let it get you down. The good news is that if you’re a size 8 or larger, petite or otherwise – YOU can get the Miracle Pants. Just email me and I will personally send you an autographed copy of the ad and you can be well on your way to Miracle Pant heaven.
Before I end this sad story however, I know there are a few things that you were wondering about. You are certainly dying to know which colors I was going to order?? I had picked out sensible black, vibrant violent, charming turquoise and little bunny pink. All wonderful colors don’t you think?
You are probably also wondering, as my niece was when she said, “Annie what the heck are you going to do in these pants?” “Sweetie,” I answered, “I am going to go on dates, fly to Paris, walk down the street and wear them to your graduation.”
She was horrified by all of the above options. But as I said, unfortunately none of these Miracle Pant adventures will come to fruition, now or ever. (Sob, sob). Excuse me I’ve got to go get a tissue…..
Here’s the last thing you were wondering – what else could I have used these pants for? Well here are some comments from my loyal blog readers about the pants:
“Chuck Norris couldn’t rip those pants.”
“I bet they ward off wild animals and vampires too.”
“You are so funny! I’m still laughing. I could use some miracle pants! Pink and purple would be nice. People will see me coming when I ask them to volunteer.”
Well folks in lieu of wearing the miracle pants, I guess I’ll have to be adventurous in another way.
You’ve been fashion fore-warned. Today go out and get yourself a pair of flame proof pants and live a little dangerously!
Yours in always sharing a side of life that is better kept hidden,
Annie
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