Midnight : Flight :
Posted: May 14, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: biking, blogging, Commuting, compassion, cycling, exercise, family, fear, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, nebraska, NHL, Omaha, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, Playoffs, running, simplicity, trail running, Yeti, yoga, Zen 6 CommentsWe can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light–
These early morning cycling commutes have me thinking about fear, a lot …
Maybe I’m out of touch this morning, although I don’t think anyone in their right mind wishes to walk this beautiful path in life completely fearless. At least after the rush of a close encounter, we can appreciate that our internal warning “thing” is aligned with the red traffic light up ahead, preventing us from crossing the intersection and becoming tasty roadkill for the turkey vultures circling above (I miss roundabouts). Thinking about this for a moment, I don’t think I know anyone who appreciates being afraid for no good reason, or even just being anxious about future events; which just so happens to be my definition of being a “worry wort.“
Once I start worrying above and beyond what is needed for the most basic survival (food – water – family – bikes – fantasy hockey …), worry builds upon worry, and my thoughts spin out of control. The question is what to do about worrying when it makes no sense?!?
: Take a deep breath and return to the present moment :
Daily Meditation:
Our “worried” minds are accustomed to seeing only the negative in life, ignoring the awe-inspiring spectacle of beauty, love, and boundless opportunity that awaits us. Instead of “worrying” about these threats – Red Lights – Road Kill – Turkey Vultures … Maybe we can hone in on what is right in our life, the “little” things, such as the beautiful sky above, dew on a blade of grass and the Pittsburgh Penguins being eliminated from the NHL playoffs.
Don’t Feel it Anymore
Posted: May 13, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: blogging, Boredom, Commuting, compassion, cycling, family, fitness, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, kindness, life, love, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, passion, perspective, pilates, running, trail running, writing, yoga 5 CommentsFor after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain–
With our attention spans growing smaller, we often find ourselves bored and impatient – A potent mix indeed. The more we feel “trapped” in any given situation—listening to a co-worker’s weekend triumph(s), waiting in line for a chai tea latte, the more impatient we become. If we can’t access the MindBody app thing on our gadget, our increasing anxiety, sprinkled with the slow passage of time, stinks – big time!
Question is: What can we do about it?
…
My go to cure for boredom and impatience? Is to make sure I have regular, new challenges and interesting things to do each and every day. Why? To make sure I maintain an emotional balance; I need a generous dose of “down time” time to rest my mind and my nerves.
Daily Meditation:
Take a moment to recognize your boredom this week, the tedium of daily life that pisses you off. Then when you sense ennui settling in, make a mental shift … As soon as you take your next deep breath.
Yesterday is Here
Posted: May 9, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: blogging, compassion, cycling, exercise, family, fitness, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, gratitude, happiness, health, hope, kindness, life, love, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, running, writing, yoga, Zen 9 CommentsCultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude–
Claudia – Thank you, immensely, for generously awarding me the Liebster Award. Your touching blog Living on Borrowed Days is simply amazing and as a show of my humble gratitude, and because I don’t follow directions very well … This post is dedicated to you and your inspiring readers.
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The sun is gently rising now and I’m standing at my desk, savoring the first sip of hot coffee in my fave Kahlua cup, and I’m moved by the gratitude I feel, this deep appreciation for all that I have and for all that is.
Finding the time for gratitude has not been easy for me this week. I’m commuting on bike more, a little tired and worn out, plus dealing with traffic really tests my nerves. I don’t feel much gratitude towards myself either, leaving my change of clothes for work today – at home, neatly folded on the back of the couch. Thinking about the events of the past week – I want to drown in self-pity, moaning and complaining.
Moments like these though, are the best times to seek out and surrender to – Gratitude.
Daily Meditation:
The cool thing is Dear Reader(s), gratitude is not limited to my Friday morning sob story. Gratitude can be accessed by anyone, anywhere, anytime and all it takes is a single moment … Be well and have a beautiful weekend!
Secret : Energy :
Posted: May 7, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: Bellevue, blogging, Breakfast, Commuting, compassion, cycling, exercise, family, fear, fitness, For the Love of Food Truck, free range, freshly pressed, friends, health, kindness, life, love, meditation, motivation, musings, nature, nebraska, passion, perspective, social media, writing, yoga, Zen 8 CommentsDo not be afraid; our fate
Cannot be taken from us; it is a gift–
“What would you do if fear was removed the equation?”
A close friend once asked me the very same question I am asking you this beautiful morning, and I’m here to tell you, this simple little question changed my life. Well, that and the best breakfast burritos in Nebraska did …
This seemingly simply question helped me to pause, to listen, in order to break decisions down to their very essence. What I realized was that I was not living each day to the fullest because I was desperately afraid of getting hit by a car, letting my family down, even of success – Tasty success that is!
Pondering this question allowed me to separate my fear, from my dream of breakfast burritos, and in doing so, I realized that I really wanted to hit the road a bit earlier, stay alert early in the morning, in spite of the fear of getting crunched by a Prius.
My friends question helped me to identify my fears and determine whether they deserved as much power as I was giving them.
Daily Meditation:
Often at times I have those dark nights of the soul at 4am, when I’m overcome with fear. Do I let these thoughts rule my choices anymore? Damn right I don’t!
I would like to thank Moisés and Jacklyn Salgado, purveyors of the – For the Love of Food Truck – For helping me to overcome my fear of commuting in the insane, reckless morning traffic in Bellevue, Nebraska. Yes! Their breakfast burritos are totally worth it!!!
When you have a moment today, head on over to their Facebook page and give ’em a big “Like” (or whatever the kids call it) from CultFit!
Returning to (Now)
Posted: May 5, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: blogging, Commuting, compassion, cycling, exercise, family, fitness, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, kindness, life, love, lululemon, Lululemon Athletica, marathon, meditation, motivation, natural, Omaha, paleo, passion, peace, perspective, pilates, Searching, Soul, trail running, whole foods, yoga 8 CommentsOut beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about–
What is keeping you from being truly happy?!?
Maybe it’s not even the weight itself that you really seek to lose. Maybe what you really want to rid yourself of, is not the extra pounds, but rather the unhappiness you have learned to associate with it?!?
What if you could be happy without having to change or “fix” your body?
…
The kind of happiness I want to discuss, differs dramatically, from the temporary warmth and comfort that comes from getting what you want; stepping on the scale one morning and noticing a few pounds have vanished or a friend noticing you look amazing in your new yoga pants. The happiness I want to passionately share with you, is deeper and more abiding – dude. My definition of happiness is rooted in a sense of peace and well-being that cannot be “gained” nor can it be “lost” …
My kind of happiness? Is already part of your true self. It’s not hidden in the numbers displayed on an antiseptic scale. It’s not in the latest fashion trends from Lululemon, and it is certainly not from a friend.
My kind of happiness is the fruit of repeated acts of daily kindness, compassion, patience, forgiveness, courage, and love towards myself and others.
Daily Meditation:
Cultivating my kind of happiness? True happiness as defined by me? Is a beautiful smile that graces your adoring face walking past a mirror, and practicing peace, with your body.
CultFit 