A New Day.

 I have recently been striving to rid my thoughts and actions of negativity, but my weariness got the better of me, and I was quite rude to a classmate on Thursday night.  Later that evening, the ugly scene replayed in my head over & over.  I was embarrassed and disappointed in myself.

Friday morning, I read something that I had heard before, but this time it had greater meaning.  "God's love and mercies renew each morning."  As I pondered that thought, it made complete sense to me...Of course they do - I'm a new person every morning...forever changed from the experiences of the previous day, therefore God's love would be different and for that I'm thankful.

Later on in the day, I came across this beautiful quote:

"You decide every moment of every day who you are and what you believe in.  You get a second chance every second."

How perfect is that?!?  Every day we can make the decision of who we are & what we stand for 86,400 times...

 I feel liberated by this concept of self-forgiveness & compassion.  If I don't get it right one minute, it's ok, I can try the next.  I don't have to dwell on my mistakes, but learn from them and change. And in that change, In the power of recognizing that we get to choose who we are going to be every second, I think that's how the world is going to change.

(sorry for the "ramblyness", it's late!)

Friday :)

I am oh, so very happy it is Friday!  What a weeeeeeek. No big plans for the weekend, and that's just the way I want it :)

In this moment, I Am:

Feeling: a food coma coming on! eyelids need to stay open for just a few more hours...please

Tasting: Ice cold water

Seeing: messy piles on my work desk...indeed, it's Friday.

Smelling: Nothing in particular...

Hearing: "Stop This Train" - John Mayer...appropriate as I take a moment to stop to be present!

Have a rejuvenating weekend!

Caiti

Fan Mail

My dad used to write fan mail ALL the time.  Not only was he a gifted writer, but he felt it was important to let someone know if you appreciated them.  Thus, fan letters to sports broadcasters, novelists, baseball players, you name it.  Occasionally, he would get replies.

Tonight, I wrote my first "fan letter".  As stated before, I am a pretty big fan of Tristan Prettyman.  And as I was reading one of her blog posts this evening, I thought about how much she would enjoy "I Am"...so I wrote her an email telling her she should see it, as well as thanking her for her years of "support" in my life ;)

Who knows, it may end up in an inbox with a bazillion other fan emails...OR...We could become best friends forever and ever....

Nonetheless...energy spent on the positive ;)

Too Cute!

I love this video...I especially love the message at the end...relates to every, single relationship/friendship!

Celebration

Rumi once wrote, "Even in grief there is celebration."

I full heartedly agree.

Earlier today I heard a song that immediately took me back to what have been the hardest days of my life.  In that instant, the emotion started to well up in me.  A tear slowly rolled down my face...and met a smile.  It's almost impossible to look back on those days and not see the love.

As the song played on, I thought about that crazy time...how painful it was, how confusing emotions are, how sometimes it is still hard and I still miss him.  But I also thought about how thankful I am for everyone who was with me at that time to let me scream, let me be silent, make me laugh, hug me, and most importantly, love me.  And for those who are still dancing with me!

Even in grief there is celebration.

a friend used to take my hands into his and sing these lyrics to me, which would inevitably bring a smile to my face :)

Exhausted.

It has been a very long day.

I woke up early to make my mom go to the gym.  After studying so much about stroke, I am determined to get her into shape.

I worked all day between outpatient rehab & TA-ing for a professor.

Then, jumped right into Autism clinic this evening.  My sessions went great, but afterwards I am DEAD.

Now, I'm taking a quick break before diving back into a daunting night of homework.

Although today was painstakingly long and energy depleting, I am thankful for it.  This week will be one of those weeks that I've heard about from students ahead of me in the program - the times when you think, "Can I do it? Can I juggle everything?!?" But I will look back and know - Hell yeah I did! Not only did I do it - but I kicked that week's ass!!

Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. 

Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it.

Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it

-unknown

F R I D A Y!

Even though it was a short week, it was busy nonetheless! I have a busy, yet fun weekend ahead full of celebrations of life!

In this moment I am:

Feeling: Hot! I am sitting outside at my favorite neighborhood market, and the sun is blazing today! :)

Tasting: Refreshing, Tropical Iced Tea!

Hearing: Children laughing & playing at recess.  (There is an elementary school across the street)

Smelling: Lavender

Seeing: Palm trees, blue skies, & snow-capped mountains

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

CM

your life is YOUR life

This poem was posted on superforest last week, and I LOVED it...I hope you enjoy it too!

The Laughing Heart

your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is a light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.

– by Charles Bukowski

Don’t wait, don’t try.  Your life is your poem to write.  Live it well.

Song

This is my all time favorite song.  John Butler performs it different every time, but for me, the message stays constant.  I can't even begin to describe what experiencing this live is like.  I hope you enjoy :)

One.

Yesterday I witnessed one, single act.  This particular act made an impression on me these past two days, and dare I say, will do so the rest of my week.

Yesterday, I met a friend for breakfast.  I arrived a bit early, and he a bit late.  As he came in the door, I rose to meet him, and the host quickly grabbed 2 menus and began walking through the restaurant to seat us.  But my friend, stopped, and appeared to walk out the door.  He had seen an elderly gentleman walking with a walker coming up to the door.  My friend patiently waited for him and held the door open.  It was not a convenient act, but simple nonetheless.  When the elderly couple and made it through the door, we were taken to our table.

As we were walking toward our table, I remember thinking, "Wow, I want to be like that - I want to be able to see a need and meet it - however big or small."  The thought was fleeting as we dove into conversation and began poring over our menus.

Later on in the day, I began pondering that simple act, and I realized it's not about wanting to be like that, but rather, being it.  So often we are inspired, but nothing comes of it.  The Dalai Lama was once asked how can we change the world, and his answer was, "By thinking critically and acting."  Simple enough, right? 

These past two days I've committed some of my own simple acts.  Do I think they are making a difference?  I could never know, but what I do know is everything starts at one.  Every revolution began with one small act.

Light as a Feather.

This past weekend was perfection.

Sunday morning, I went to the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and watched I Am.  I don't even know where to begin to describe this film.  It is so incredibly good and powerful.  As I was watching the film, it reminded me of my dear friend, Wil.  So I called him up and we went again today!

A weekend full of friends, new discoveries, and lots of love.




This trailer doesn't even do it justice!

Oh, Friday :)

A practice in stopping and noticing on my crazy Fridays.

I Am....

Feeling: a bit overwhelmed with all that needs to be done in the coming week, but thankful that I have a 4-day weekend to rest & accomplish.

Tasting: my favorite lemon green tea.

Hearing: birds chirping outside of my window

Smelling: the clean scent of my Capri Blue Volcano candle

Seeing:  beautiful blue, snow-capped mountains and clear skies.  It is going to be a picturesque weekend in southern California!  My, do I love California!

Wherever you are, I hope you are able to enjoy your weekend too!

CM

Mother, Mother Ocean, I have heard your call.

I have been craving the ocean this week.  This is probably the longest I have gone without seeing it, smelling it, touching it in a very long time.  Thankfully, I am going this Saturday!  I am so looking forward to hanging out in the sand, grabbing some fish tacos, and ending the night at a friend's record release show/party!  And to top that - it's supposed to be mid-70's on the coast!  How can someone not love southern California?!?

This is my favorite track from The Mango Tree (soundtrack to Thicker than Water)...surf soundtracks might have been playing on repeat this week...

One of these things first.

Catching up on my blogs this weekend, I read a post about how everyone blogs about the same thing and yet we think we are so original with our new ideas.  Reading this, I realized that I don't have an "edge" that makes my blog stand out - I'm just an average, single, 23-year-old student and her whimsy.

I may not stand out, but I think my blog is important in it's own little way.  Hear me out.

Negativity infuses itself in everything from our everyday pleasantries to what we read in the papers or see on TV.  We all know there is so much bad, but sometimes, it's hard to see the good, the positive. This blog is my happiness project; my documentation of what is good and positive.  Or, how I strive to see the light.  If nothing else, I'm creating and sending positive vibes which is always better than the alternative!

Change

weheartit.com

Funny how change is inevitable.  It's the one thing we can count on, and yet so many people have such a hard time with it.  Maybe it's the fear of something new, the notion that we can't control what we don't know... It's something that I find so intriguing - how others approach change.  

I am one who thrives on change, a break in routine, and new ideas and experiences, however - sometimes when change is completely unexpected, it can throw us for a loop.  Unless we find, that we change.

This morning I received an email from my boss letting me know that her last day will be February 28.  I knew that she had been thinking about other options, but I didn't realize it was going to be so soon.  At first, I was surprised, shocked, and a bit worried for my future.  Not worried in the sense that I won't have a job, but that I will have too much work.  (I just took on a second job as a grad. assistant & am currently in what is said to be the hardest qtr of grad. school!) I am really the only one who knows what all my boss does.  I am the only one who could step in until they find someone new.  

In those few, short minutes, my head tried to wrap around all the different possibilities and options I have and what working more would look like, and then I realized that worrying or stressing about it is ridiculous.  It was too much energy on something that I am only speculating on, and definitely not positive.  I realized I didn't even have a real problem - I know I won't be out of a job.  

I will miss my boss and I know it might be tough if they do decide to put me in an interim position, but I am embracing this new adventure.  I am excited to see what I learn, how I grow, and who I become.  

How do you approach change?  Are you one who kicks and screams until you absolutely must meet? Or do you accept it with a wide smile & open arms, excited about the possibilities?

The best meal on the planet

T A C O S!


I'm pretty sure I could eat tacos every day of the week.  SO GOOD!  Tonight's flavor was shredded chicken (first time I've made shredded chicken!) & steamed corn tortillas with cabbage salsa.  (Quite possibly the best thing ever)

I think I'm at the beginning of a "longing for summer" slump.

So on the note, I will leave you with this:

One of my favorite beaches

Five Senses Friday

One of my favorite bloggers, Laura Marie, used to do a series on Fridays called, "Five Senses Fridays", and I've decided to carry on the tradition.  I think it is so important to be present and this little series will be good practice for me in the craziness of Friday! (I tend to be looking forward to the weekend)


Feeling: a dreamy, sleepy content


Tasting: delicious minestrone soup


Hearing:  inni mer syngur vitleysingur by sigur ros, this song has been playing on repeat all week...


Smelling: my favorite chocolate chip cookies...seriously, these are killer!


Seeing: A thank you card from a friend




Happy Weekend,


CM

Because T-Pretty Said To!

Yesterday I had a conversation about thinking really highly of oneself without coming across haughty or arrogant...And today - that was just what Tristan Prettyman's post was about!

Tristan Prettyman is one way cool lady.  I discovered her music several years ago and have had the chance to see her live a few times.  I have a feeling that if I wrote music, it would sound a lot like hers.  Her lyrics are soooo relatable!  Anyways, the reason why this lady is oh so cool is she is all about positive vibes and walks her talk.  She has been a role model of mine for quite sometime, so when she asks me to do something, of course my answer is yes!  Her challenge is to post why it is so friggin awesome to be me!

It is so friggin awesome to be me because I am so in love with this life that I get to live.  In this moment, I am totally and completely in love with the notion of new experiences and new discoveries whether it be in interactions, nature, music, people, adventures....etc....

weheartit.com

So it's your turn - Tell me Why it is so friggin awesome to be you!

Favorite "Cute!" of the Week

This will be the cutest thing you see all week....in my humble opinion!

Day 5

They say it takes 30 days to form a habit and I'm really hoping that's what happens with my "New Years Resolutions".  But I'm realizing how ambitious I truly was to try to let go of the negative and let the light in...(sorry, yogi speak).

Although I have yet to think & speak positively all day, I am becoming much more conscious of my thoughts and words, and how they affect others.

I "failed miserably"* today at work.  We have monthly meetings where some people talk for a very long time on subjects I'm not interested in and at times, I can lose my "positive vibes".  Today was such a day...I normally don't notice my thoughts and actions, but this morning was different.  I realized that my body language was matching my thoughts - Not Good!!  To pull myself out of it, which was REALLY hard, (sometimes it just is too easy to be negative), I started thinking of all the reasons I was thankful for my job and people in the room.  Pretty soon, I found myself laughing and enjoying the rest of the meeting.

I thought this shirt was appropo for today!
from weheartit.com

*I firmly believe the only way one can fail in their resolutions is by not trying.  Changing behavior is difficult, and we can only take one moment at a time...

A New Day

Create.

Laugh.

Jump.

Dance.

Kiss.

Hug.

Sing.

Smile.

Love.

Awesome Little Tip!

I have been really interested in trying out some other yoga studios and other practices of yoga.  However, my budget is not :(  Yesterday I was surfing the internet and came across this AWESOME website, yogisanonymous!  They stream their classes live as well as have a library of favorites!  Problem solved!  I am really into their philosophy of fun - they take the yoga seriously but not themselves.  If this studio was closer to me, I would definitely start going there. (They are in Santa Monica)

weheartit.com

You should definitely check them out, and if you like them add it to your regiment for your New Years Resolution of more exercise/weight loss! And don't forget to click the donate button on their video pages!