Smooth Melody

Her name is Yuna, a beautiful Malaysian songstress... 
The music this young lady puts down is smooth enough to allow you to have it playing even as you concentrate on other tasks, including studying. The instrumentation is Ready...this is music, ladies and gents.  Enjoy.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3baQwUrTxzE

Condolence

Native American Poem of Condolences

I give you this one thought to keep -- I am 

with you still -- I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond

glints on the snow, I am the sunlight on ripened

grain, I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush, I am

the swift, uplifting rush of quiet birds in

circled flight, I am the soft stars that

shine at night.

Do not think of me as gone -- I am with you still --

in each new dawn.

Relationships

"Friends"

When we fell lost and alone

When we feel weak and worthless

When we feel abandoned, betrayed,

and without hope

It's such a blessing to have a

Friend.

Unity

"Us"

Humans marvel and exclaim wonder at no two snowflakes

being exactly alike.

Where, then, is that splendid awe

when no two people

are exactly the same?

The Art of Reinvention, Part 2

As previously discussed, in order to become more of who you are meant to be, the essential questions must be asked and answered.  Then you have to get moving because nothing happens by itself.

It is frightening to contemplate change, even a change for the better, because after all, it's still an unknown and we fear what we don't know.  But we can get it done with a little bit of determination and chutzpah.  This is your change, but it's okay to ask for help.  Just make sure you ask in the right quarter.  Remember the third question I asked in Part I: "What will you lose (and whom)...?"  There will be someone, or maybe two or three someones who will gladly obstruct your path as you work to uncover more of who you really are.  You see, some people aren't going to want you to become more because they will interpret your moreness as somehow making them less than.  Keep your eyes open and cut those folks loose, or at the very least feed them from a long-handled spoon.  Whether you change or remain the same, you always need people in your life who have your best interest at heart.  As the late Dr. Maya Angelou said, "When people tell you who they are, believe them...the first time."

If you think that you need help in finding direction and settling your ideas down, you might consider a life coach.  If you live in a major city, the local yellow pages are a resource; otherwise, search online at www.yellowpages.com and enter a larger city to which you would be willing to travel.  Bear in mind that some life coaches list themselves as counselors because they usually offer other services as well.  Whomever you choose will be working for you as well as with you, so make sure it's a good fit; and if it isn't, continue your search.  If you have trouble quitting people, remind yourself that this person is a professional whom you are paying, and not a friend or relative.  This can be a good exercise to help you build up that surgical muscle so that any future necessary dis-entanglements of the personal kind can be accomplished a little more easily.

Is your desired reinvention based on your physical appearance?  Do you hate your thighs or think that your gluteus has too much maximus?  Sometimes, we can be can be too self-critical when it comes to our own bodies; and sometimes we allow the opinions of others to dictate how we think that we should look.  If you decide that there truly is a need to change your physical appearance, maintaining it will still require an inside change.  You'll want to acquaint yourself with people who are where you want to be, and learn their habits and the tricks they use to discipline themselves because discipline is what helps you to win every time.  Just make sure the people you choose to emulate are in possession of the attributes that would make you feel great pride and self-confidence in yourself.  Make sure there is some substance there.

And remember:

To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.  --Unknown

One Of The Faces of The Wolf (Lupus)

Every Autumn since I was diagnosed with Lupus, I have suffered from at least one bout of bronchitis, so when Autumn came and went with no undue respiratory distress, I thought:  Hey Girl, you got away clean!  But then. Winter comes in and on Christmas Day ugly things began to happen.  

Fast forward to today, two months later, and I am finally coming out of the Bronchitis From Hell, with the assistance of three rounds of antibiotics and a round of corticosteroids. But. I am now contending with Pleurisy, which is a bronchial condition common among those with Lupus.

I have been confined to my home except to go to doctor visits, and each time I left my house, I felt like I'd been let out of prison! Orange Is The New Black Reloaded, that was me! If I'd had my six-gun, I would've been shooting and disturbing the peace until Marshal Dillon rode up to haul my sweet *ss to jail.

I am once again feeling like a human bean, thank the good Lord because one can only lie around the house watching movies and reading for just so long, when it's not by choice.  I had to lie/sit around because I had absolutely no energy due to the bronchitis causing the Lupus to rear her head and bare her fangs, then run rampant telling my immune system to attack every single cell in sight, not just the malevolent, foreign ones. Most of you know your immune systems to be your friends. In a person with Lupus, the immune system is the enemy.

I fully intend to be out and among the rest of the human race in a few days, so if you have any kind of anything, or if you even think that you might be getting something, please don't even look in my direction.  Let me enjoy freedom again, PLEASE!

The Art of Reinvention, Part 1

(I authored this series [Pts 1-5] for Osiris Magazine in 2010)

 
Why reinvent yourself?  Isn't that a bit of a daunting task? And how will you know when the task is complete? What will you lose (and whom); and what is to be gained?

With all of those questions to be answered, are you tired already and ready to quit before you begin? Take heart and breathe...it's not as hard as all that. We're going to eat this particular elephant one bite at a time.

Reinvention is happening all across America, and perhaps the world, because the state of the economy has so altered the status quo. The terrain has changed so drastically, and what was once a fairly straight path in whatever chosen career or chosen lifestyle has become a path that zigs and zags.

For some of us, it's a very scary reality. For others, it's the chance of a lifetime -- a chance to venture down the road not taken, that perhaps you were discouraged from exploring before because it wasn't "practical".

So, let's look at this reinvention rationally and begin to dissect it in as painless a way as possible.  Now I know that there are those who might be a little (or a lot) skeptical that this can actually work for you and possibly turn out to be an absolutely marvelous change in your life.  I'm asking yo to just keep somewhat of an open mind.

As human beings, we tap into a very, very small portion (approximately ten percent) of our abilities and capabilities during our lifetimes. Now many of us are being forced to see what else we can accomplish. Yes, you are much greater than you have given yourself credit for. You can accomplish what the Universe has set aside for only you. No one else can do what the Universe and God has decreed that you do, because only you are perfectly equipped for it.

Have you ever taken the time to list the things that you have a great affinity for? It doesn't matter if someone else thinks it's stupid. This is about you, not them. Let them concentrate on their own list (or not), but don't allow someone else to derail you. This is your life for you to live.

Alright. Can you find or create a niche that would enable you to make a living and a life doing that for which you have a true affinity and in which you find marvelous delight? If the answer is no, that's okay -- don't throw in the towel...because this thing speaks to your heart, and you might just have to pursue it on the side and accept heart payment for a little while; and that's good, because paying your heart is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

If you were to see yourself pursuing this work of the heart full time, what would you look like pursuing it? What would you wear? How would your hair be styled (or not)? Would it be a solitary venture or would you spend a lot of time with other people; and if the latter, what kind of people would you choose to share your space? Where do you see yourself pursuing this dream? These are the kinds of questions to answer as you move toward your reinvention.

No, they aren't lightweight questions, are they? You want heavy questions so that you can make the very best of tapping into this other facet of who you are, for even though the conventional term is reinvention, it's really just revealing more of who you already are and releasing that more into the world.

Okay -- we have a place to begin, so let's get busy. We'll explore this further next session, and in the meantime I would like to leave you with this:

One of the greatest feelings in life is the conviction that you lived the life you wanted to live -- with the rough and the smooth, the good and the bad -- but yours, shaped by your own choices, and not someone else's. _____Michael Ignatieff

If I Had My Life to Live Over by Erma Bombeck

(written after she found out that she was dying from cancer)

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the "good" living room and worried less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later.  Now go get washed up for dinner."  There would have been more "I love yous" and more "I'm sorrys."

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute, look at it and really see it, live it, and never give it back.  STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!

Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's dong what.  Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.

Points to Ponder About Yourself

* There are at least two people in the world that you would die for.
 
* At least 15 people in the world love you in some way.
 
* The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.
 
* A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone even if they don't like you.
 
* Every night SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
 
* You mean the world to someone.
 
* You are special and unique.
 
* Someone whom you don't even know exists loves you
 
 * When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
 
* When you think the world has turned its back on you, take nother look.
 
* Always remember the compliments you received, forget about the rude remarks.

A Short

The Cat With The Cane

    In the street they called him, You know, Man -- the cat with the cane; but his name was actually James.  Always knew who it was because the tap, tap, tap of his cane announced him.  He didn't need the cane, he just liked it so it became  part of his persona.

    On a windy and clear day in April, the folk saw the cane, but no Cat...  "Hey, where's the cat who always carries that cane?" questioned someone on the stoop when he spied the cane leaning against the brownstone.  "I have never seen that cat without it, so something must be up."

    Pretty soon, a dozen or so people had congregated around the cane and were wondering what they should do.  Some wanted to just wait and see, figuring that James had probably lain the cane against the building and had just forgotten it.  Others wanted to start a search for him, and the remainder wanted to call the police.

    All of a sudden, the cane began a little dance and started tapping away.  Before the crowd could properly react to this phenomenon, James stepped sideways from within the cane.  You see, rather than a cool cat with a cane, the fact of the matter is that it was a cool cane with a cat; you dig?