Slowing Down .... Listen

Listen. Stop. Pause. Wait. Hear. Notice. Feel. Breathe. Notice again. Listen.  These are all things that we know we should do with our bodies, but we don't ever take time to do.  How hard it is it notice how you feel when you eat something? How hard is it to even notice when you are taking a breath, or notice when you feel an emotion?  Seems easy right? Then why don't more people take the time to do it.  Time again, funny thing time is.  It's because we are taught not to take the time.  We need to be the fastest, best, whatever else we need to be.  In our society, it's better to be over stimulated then to be quiet. It's better to be around a lot of things, people, checking email, phone, youtube, news on, music playing, and running around doing a million things.  When do we slow down? What does slowing down look like?  I'm working on that myself. I get sucked into the madness more often than I would like.  I eat what I think I want, not paying attention to what it's doing to me.  I drink what I think I want, and I notice, but then I ignore what my body tells me.  No more. I am not going to ignore the signs and I'm not going to ignore what food does to my body.  Your body is very smart.  If you don't take care of it consciously, it will find a way to tell you it' s not OK. It may shut down, get sick, make your stomach hurt so much you are keeled over in pain, or it will just stop working one day.  You are in control, and you can choose what to eat and when to eat it. You can choose to stretch and take care of yourself. No one makes you eat food that doesn't feel good, no one makes you drink things that add toxicity to your body, no one makes you do anything.  You have a choice, and you can choose to live feeling great, or not.  I am done with the not, and I choose to feel great.  Am I perfect? Not even close, but I just realized that coffee hurt my stomach, caffeine really, and that is a bummer, but  what I do with that information can make all the difference in my health. 

Thoughts on a quiet Sunday morning

I'm feeling lost and I want to become found. I'm feeling like I need to do something, and I know I'm on the verge. I know that I need to continue to do what I'm doing. Examine my life and see if things in it are moving me forward or are distracting me. I want to help people above and beyond teaching and I want more time to create things that are important to me. I would love to not be a teacher in a public school, but I'm not sure where this will lead me.  I also know that I have this uncanny talent to write really funny songs on the spot, and I have a wonderful infectious energy. I know I can harness the power of good, and I have a lot of amazing, creative friends to help me. I just need focus.  I am like a Jackson Pollack painting. My energy and ideas and essence get splattered every which way, and I need to harness them. I have so many ideas and so many passions, which one do I pick? 
I choose to be in the present. I choose to take things one day at a time, and I choose to find the better thought. I am taking tomorrow as a gift (thank you Dr. King) to myself. I will spend the day creating, and hopefully something amazing will come out of it. I know I can apply the skills I have learned in teaching to reach a wider auidence. I have a lot to say. I have a lot to offer, and I just need to find the right message and the right audience.  I also need to write for myself more often. 
It's hard to get out of your head sometimes. It's hard to have so many thoughts and not know which one to act on. Writing has helped me clarify and take some action.  Friends help me process and listen, but only I can take the action I need to take.  I have created vision boards, stopped eating sugar and I have writing 750 words a day for 15 days. That is action.  I have been working out consistently, paying attention to what I'm eating and choosing to not let drama affect me.  That is taking action.  I feel like I haven't done a lot, but in fact, I am doing things every day.  
I keep waiting for something to hit me, or strike me light a lightening bolt, when in fact, I'm slowly cooking like a crock pot. I am doing a little bit each day, and when I'm finished, my finished product will be amazing.  Small steps towards a bigger picture.  Even as I'm writing I'm realizing how I am not taking time to notice the smaller things. I'm not taking time to be grateful and understand how many blessings I have in my life.  I am not ... I am taking time right now to notice. I am taking time right now to be grateful and I'm taking the time.  I have time. I have the gift of time (refer to my post on time).
Now what? I took action today by writing, and I am going to create content for an idea I have.  I am also going to spend some time with friends today, which is always a blessing. I am enjoying this quiet Sunday morning looking out at the snow in my front yard, and I'm snuggled next to a purring kitty, while sipping on hot tea. Life is good. It really is. My "problem" is that I want to do more.  I have a lot to be grateful for. I have a wonderful wife, a snuggy house with two fuzzy feline friends, a wonderful, loving supportive family, great, amazing friends. I love living in Ithaca. I have a job that is pretty great most of the time. I get to affect people everyday.  I make an impact every day on some child's life. Even if it's making a crazy joke, or singing during math class.  I have my health and I have a strong body that I nourish with good food. I am about to head out and eat my most favorite breakfast of all time, and it's sunny in Ithaca for more days than I can count this winter.  Life is good. Now I get to discover what's next, and that is a great problem to have. 

Occupy Wallstreet Song- To the tune of Born This Way- Lady Gaga

It doesn't matter if your with us or if you join us.
Just put your tents up 
We occupy today

We are tired of all the greed corruption in politics 
We want a world where we can live free 
Where taxes don't fund conflicts

There's nothing wrong with freedom of speech 
The founders wrote the bill of rights 
We want to live in a better world 
Free from hate and enless plights

We're creative in our ways 
We're rising up each day 
We're on the right track 
Join us occupy today

We don't live life with regrets 
We have simple requests 
We're on the right track 
Join us occupy today

We're finding other ways 
To build a better world today 
Join us occupy today

We're finding different ways 
To build a better world today 
Join us occupy today

Don't be depressed, you have a dream 
Don't be depressed, you have a dream 
Don't be depressed, you have a dream A dream...

Join in the movement, pick a place 
There popping up in all cities 
We are making some politicians insecure 
them to tell the truth

We are nonviolent, we seek freedom 
From corruption called G-R-E-E-D 
We love our lives, we love our freedom 
We just want to live the way we choose.

We're creative in our ways 
We're rising up each day 
We're on the right track, 
Join us and occupy today

We don't live life with regrets 
We have simple requests 
We're on the right track 
Join us and occupy today

We're finding other ways 
To build a better world today 
Join us occupy today

We're finding different ways 
To build a better world today 
Join us occupy today

Don't be depressed you have a dream 
Whether your broke, or been demeaned 
You've lost your job to government, 
We're all in the 99 percent! 
Whether life's disabilities 
Let you outcast, bullied, or teased 
Rejoice and join the movement anyway 
Rise and just occupy today

We welcome gay straight or bi 
Lesbian transgender life, 
We welcome you to our camp 
Cause you were born to survive, 
We welcome black, white or tan 
Different beliefs at hand 
We welcome you to our camp 
Join us and take a stand.

Hurricane Irene Song

My First Stand Up

Time

Time. Interesting concept.  Time gets a bad wrap.  Time gets blamed for a lot of things, when really, time is the only thing we all have.  Time is the one thing we have in common.  No matter what country you are from, race, ethnicity, socio economic status, religious beliefs. The only thing we have in common is time. Everyone has 24 hours in a day. It's what we choose to do with our time that matters. Some people waste time, some people give time away, some people spend time, some people never have enough time. and some people feel like time is the enemy. The one thing we can always count on is that time will pass, if we like it or not. Minutes continue to click by, days continue to go by.  We are in charge of ourselves, not time. Stop blaming time for everything that you may or may not have, or saying you don't have enough of it. Time can't be multiplied, you can't have more than anyone else. You can choose to use your time more effectively than everyone else, but you don't get more time.  Time is given equally to everyone, and time will also move. Those are the two constants we live with.  Stop blaming time, time didn't cause you to sit on the couch all day, time didn't ask you to not go to the gym, or to work too late yesterday, time only gave you an equal share and time is dependable, because time will forever continue on, no matter what.  That is assurance.  You will always have time, until you die that is.  You can't blame time for that either, your time would be up then.  I think we need to thank time for existing and then find ways to live within our 24 hours, 7 days a week, 52 weeks in a year and use each minute in each hour in each day to the best of our ability.  We need to manage ourselves in relation to time. What are you doing with your gift? Where are you using your 24 hours? are you sleeping enough? too much? doing something great, or are you watching time click by, because it will, with nothing left.  I am using my time today to create. I worked out with friends, I went for a walk and got a healing session. I threw ice in the lake and I watched the clouds roll by. I cooked dinner with my wife, and I listened to music and created songs.  What did you do with your time? How can you use your precious time?