For You, Friend
Posted: February 12, 2015 Filed under: Kindness, Meditation, Yoga | Tags: beauty, compassion, friends, friendship, gratitude, kindness, love, Mindfulness, Omaha, passion, Poems, Poetry, Seva, Ted Kooser, Valentine's Day, writing 5 Comments…
this Valentine’s Day, I intend to stand
for as long as I can on a kitchen stool
and hold back the hands of the clock,
so that wherever you are, you may walk
even more lightly in your loveliness;
so that the weak, mid-February sun
(whose chill I will feel from the face
of the clock) cannot in any way
lessen the lights in your hair, and the wind
(whose subtle insistence I will feel
in the minute hand) cannot tighten
the corners of your smile. People
drearily walking the winter streets
will long remember this day:
how they glanced up to see you
there in a storefront window, glorious,
strolling along on the outside of time.
Waiting on the Corners
Posted: December 24, 2014 Filed under: Kindness, Meditation, Yoga | Tags: christmas, Donald Hall, family, friends, holidays, Poetry, Waiting on the Corners, winter 1 Comment…
Glass, air, ice, light,
and winter cold.
They stand on all the corners,
waiting alone, or in
groups that talk like the air
moving branches. It
is Christmas, and a red dummy
laughs in the window
of a store. Although
the trolleys come,
no one boards them,
but everyone moves
up and down, stamping his feet,
so unemployed.
They are talking, each of them,
but it is sticks and stones
that hear them,
their plans,
exultations,
and memories of the old time.
The words fly out, over
the roads and onto
the big, idle farms, on the hills,
forests, and rivers
of America, to mix into silence
of glass, air, ice, light,
and winter cold.
Easy to – Miss –
Posted: November 26, 2014 Filed under: Kindness, Meditation, Yoga | Tags: blogging, compassion, cycling, Disappointment, family, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, holidays, kindness, life, love, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, passion, perspective, pilates, pride, running, Thanksgiving, yoga, Zen 9 CommentsWith no expectations anything can become-
Life, struggle, disappointment. Hardship, pain and constant misfortune – What would our lives stories be without sharing the unpolished side of life?
…
Why do I want to discuss these less then “glamorous” topics a day before Thanksgiving? There are a multitude of reasons as to why, just a few off the top of my head: Remember that New Years resolution that went haywire by the 5th of January? Maybe it was a string of poor race performances over the summer? Thanksgiving is but one day of the year when we awkwardly engage family and friends, acting as though all is fine and dandy in the world … When clearly things are not?!?
…
We are all human (I think), and humans are by definition are imperfect beings. Every one of us (myself included), disappoint(s) someone at some time or another during the day, the calendar year and throughout our inspiring lives. This Thanksgiving and Holiday season, lets talk openly about our struggles. Lets deepen our capacity to love and connect with our fellow “creatures“.
Daily Meditation:
Be kind to yourself – Soothe your worries with grace and compassion, authentic conversation is food for the soul.
Little Bitty Pretty One
Posted: November 7, 2014 Filed under: Kindness, Meditation, Yoga | Tags: #100happydays, blogging, compassion, cycling, family, Freedom, freshly pressed, friends, happiness, health, hipster, hope, Interstellar, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, Omaha, passion, perspective, pilates, running, self, social media, trail running, Truth, yoga 16 CommentsDon’t think about making life better for other people who don’t even deserve you, rather, focus on making your life the best, for yourself and those who love you-
Why do we find it so difficult to share our dark and dirty selves online? Do we openly express our happiness via social media to seek the approval of others? Perhaps the most damaging part is that by only recording and sharing the splendid moments in our lives, we lose track of who we really are? 100 happy days isn’t enough to outweigh the other 265-ish days in the year.
…
Right now, in this beautiful/inspiring moment, I can pen a list of “things” that really pissed me off and made me feel rather unhappy yesterday. The first 5 or so things would be dedicated to parenting. Having a nine-year old dude going on 20 is good for a few unhappy annoyances. Sprinkle in a entitled beagle for at least 10 more. Next up would be work and then a major portion would be dedicated to the many poor choices I make during the day: Peanut butter with or without honey – Who to start on my fantasy hockey team – Which yoga poses to practice – Reading an article about the upcoming movie “Interstellar” that gave away major plot points – Which race do I sign up for next – Fussing over the recent elections.
…
My #happy# moment yesterday was something so profound and kind that the thought of sharing it publicly, affectionately adorned with a hash-tag, seemed woefully self-serving (which is why I’m doing it now …). Why you may ask? Because it deeply touched my heart and soul. This amazing gift was something I could have Instagramed, or Twerped . The “thing” that brought me joy, and made my heart swell with gratitude yesterday, amid all the nine-year old drama, entitled beagle crap, work issues and peanut butter guilt … Was opening my email, sorting through all the spam from local yoga studios, and noticing a gift card email sent from a close friend. It is precisely because of all of the unhappy moments—the ones I’ve listed above and the ones I carry close to my heart—that this moment was so precious, and why I’m still smiling this morning after stepping on another Lego piece at 0400!
Daily Meditation:
Opening up our hearts and writing about ourselves online, while blindly attempting to live up to the expectations of others, makes all of this social media stuff kinda less than truthful at times.
: Sunshine : On a Cloudy Day
Posted: November 4, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: childhood, friends, kindness, Laughing, life, NPR, passion, Tom Magliozzi 12 CommentsI think the only way to get through this life is laughing hard and constantly, mostly at myself-
A dear friend of mine passed away yesterday. At the age of 12 I was introduced to Tom Magliozzi and the popular NPR show “Car Talk” In my fathers garage every Saturday morning. Work in my Fathers garage was hard at times, and one thing that always brought an air of levity to the moment was Tom’s laugh. It didn’t matter what we were doing at the time, Tom’s iconic laugh was always the perfect cure, and it still is. Over the years I tuned in and out of Car Talk, never straying very far from I have grown to love and cherish. I’m glowing, and crying right now recalling a few moments in my life listening to Car Talk … Listening to the podcast with my Son growing up in England. Working on our own vehicles mils away from home, not knowing what the hell I was doing but having fun and laughing at the same time! The best part, is that my Son and I still listen to Tom and Ray each Saturday morning at 9 am. This Saturday though, in Tom’s honor and at Tom and Ray’s mothers displeasure … I’ll be lighting up a Cuban cigar in your honor dear friend, may you rest in peace.
To read a wonderful article about Tom please click HERE
photo courtesy of Car Talk
CultFit 