" Wake up ... "

Movements come and movements go

Leaders speak, movements cease

When their heads are flown

'Cause all these punks

Got bullets in their heads

Departments of police, the judges, the feds

Networks at work, keepin' people calm

You know they went after King

When he spoke out on Vietnam

He turned the power to the have-nots

And then came the shot

Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!

Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!

~ Rage Against The Machine ~ Wake Up ~

***

Those moments when you were awake enough but hit the snooze button anyways.  Those moments when you pushed away precious opportunities.  Those moments when you were actually postponing your life.  Those moments.

We all have those moments.  Some are on purpose, others unintentionally, yet we identify with them.  Time when we didn’t take action because we were afraid ... we told ourselves weren’t enough.  And we build on those moments.  We sabotage ourselves, we get in the way and we ignore all the signs.  Until ... (roll the music) ... THE wake up call.  

There is a great deal of casual talk about wake up calls.  What it is and whether or not you’ve had yours.  I saw casual talk because in some circles, it seems to as frequent as ordering a daily latte.  I use to wonder how come all these people say they are having wake up calls but they’re behavior stays the same.  Well, I can honestly say that I’ve had mine.  And albeit loud and clear, I’ll admit, I still have a habit of hitting that snooze button ... when it isn’t convenient or simply because I am paralyzed with fear.

Prior to my diagnosis, I would say no to opportunities that pushed me out of my comfort zone.  Afterwards, I struggled with the idea that I could start living this life fully, regardless of the cancer in my body.  Yet I knew that this moment was designed for a purpose.  I’ve reflected on how one moment, one event,  has changed my entire world.  There has been great pain and enormous sadness, that I couldn’t just push away.  I had to accept that life was happening through me.  It wasn’t something to escape.  I started to lean into that moment of extreme grief which brought extreme clarity.  I knew that I needed to make a drastic change, that my life wasn’t over ... yet, and I had to stop acting like it was.  I had to start to care, about me, I had to start living for me because reflecting back, I think I was just giving up.

we don’t have to wait until your wake up call 

becomes a full blown alarm.

We are aware of the many things that are happening in the world that appear to be unfair, yet when we wake up, we become aware of all the beautiful things.  Without the ugly, we would never know the beautiful ... and beauty is in the eye of the beholder anyhow.  

are you running on your autopilot or inner pilot

I am learning that going through the pain is a necessary part of moving into a space of joy.  Wake up calls help us to experience the full spectrum of emotions, not just the ones we feel we can control.  The last few years have been some of the hardest moments that I have ever experience, but they have also been the most beautiful moments.  I am no longer okay with postponing life.  Maybe because I don’t know how the real plans for this dis-ease.  I realize I have no control, so I am learning that living consciously is about taking control of my life.  It is about thinking about my decisions rather than making them without thought, about having a life that I want rather than settling for the one that befalls me.  

Awareness is the enemy of sanity, 

for once you hear the screaming, it never stops

-- Emilie Autumn

www.walkstrong.ca

" Redefine ... "

Imagine your brain as a 

canister filled with ink ...

It's in your nature, 

you can paint whatever picture ...

Picture the scene, where whatever you thought, 

would, in the blink of an eye, 

manifest and become illustrated 

Lets figure out what the f$ck it's about 

before the picture we painted 

chews us up and spits us out 

I'm sick of painting in black and white 

So sick of limiting myself 

to fit your definition 

Redefine

~ Incubus ~ Redefine ~

***

I think we are conditioned not to step out of our comfort zones.  To sustain life and comfort as we know it ... stay put!  This is what supports the patterns and habits we develop.  This supports the results we obtain.  

... there are always possibilities to redefine your comfort zone ...

 

  

 

One of the reasons I most love travel is that it changes your perspective on pretty much everything.  As we explored the Costa Rica rainforest's, we encountered different ways that people live and came face to face with new and challenging experiences.  Challenging experiences such as 8 varieties of snakes, 2 being poisonous to be aware of where were staying, that is ...

And I kept telling Russ that I am out of my comfort zone.  But here is the funny thing ... I was EXACTLY where I needed to be.  I LOVED the rain forests with over thousands of species.  It was alive, breathing, creative, healing, nurturing ... a part of me, a part of all of us.

I ended up seeing a new world – and my own place in it – in a new, more enlightened, way.  Traveling, at its core, forced me to constantly redefine my reality, my outlook and my actions ...

The simplicity of nature and its occasional challenges.  Nature invites meditation.  Nature breeds reflection.  Nature can bring you to a place of acceptance.  

The benefits of pushing through your perceived comfort zones are great.  Because they are exactly that ... perceived.  Personally, whether it be Costa Rica’s deep forests or the sandy beaches, I filled my lungs with fresh air and pumped endorphins into my brain just by the experience.  

My intentions were for my mind and soul to be at ease as I reconnected with Mother Earth, where we all come from and where we will all return.  And the satisfaction of accomplishing something and of pushing myself past my comfort zone was the greatest reward of all.  I felt empowered, like I could take on any challenge brought my way.  Even cancer ...

... we travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us ...

www. walkstrong.ca

#travelyogi #ilovecostarica #puravida

" Count On You … "

Don't hurt me

Desert me

Don't give up on me

What would I wanna do that for?

Don't use me

Take advantage of me

Make me sorry I ever counted on you

Understand I've been here before ...

But I'm willing to put my trust in you ...

I really hope you understand ...

I promise to be careful from the start ...

Never been so vulnerable ...

~ Count On You ~ Big Time Rush ~

***

In the past, when asked “who do you count on?”, I would go into an egotistical monologue about so and so, and so and so ... really a false sense of security.  

Because the only person you can count on is YOU.

We come into this life alone and we depart, alone.  You yourself are the only person that you can and out to rely on.  This is not a depressing thought, yet a realistic one.  You may say to yourself that you have that support you and that you have family that is there to help you when you need help.  This may be true ... but it does not change the fact that when push comes to shove and the end is nigh, you are alone — completely. 

Friends are very important in our lives and if we are lucky enough, they love us.  When required, they are there, but would they sacrifice ANYTHING for you?  Of course not ... only YOU can do that for you … 

Follow my heart and intuition ... Don’t be pushed by your problems ... 

Be led by your dreams ... Live the life you want to live ... 

Be the person you want to remember years from now .. 

Make decisions and act on them ... Make mistakes, fall and try again ... 

Be your own best friend ... and your own biggest critic ... 

act as if what you do makes a difference ... Express gratitude ...

Make your time count ... Be honest with, yourself ...

Be good to those you care about ... Know what unconditional love feels like ...  

Forgive yourself ... Forgive others ...

Take full accountability for your life ...Be with who makes you smile ... 

Laugh as much as you breathe ... Love as long as you live ... 

Let go of the things you can’t control

I for one, will not give anyone the power over my happiness anymore.  That is the one thing I can control, and so it is empowering ... but I still desire to have support.  Sometimes you just need that cheering section don't you?  So perhaps it is about having a healthy interdependence on people you care about, but not depending on them for everything.  

Back to Balance ... the difference between interdependence and unhealthy dependence is you aren’t worried about losing these people’s help.   Basically, you haven’t placed all your happiness and well-being on them ... and you’ll survive if they don’t come through. 

www.walkstrong.ca

" Our Thoughts Align ... "

With our thoughts align

We could be anything we want

Don’t lose hope don’t lose your patience 

Keep me close and I’ll be content ... 

Just to keep moving on 

But you gave me the strength 

Just enough to get to you

~ Radio Racer ~ Our Thoughts Align ~

***

Practicing the alignment of your higher Self through the wisdom of your body and recognizing this connection when achieved is forever empowering.  Your purpose becomes clear, you are on track and your life begins to embrace a flow of grace and ease. 

Yet, most of us are running blindly, seeking instead our elusive higher Self and purpose, resulting in frustration levels that border on insanity.  We become so disconnected from life, people, and our callings that we change directions over and over without thought or pondering possible repercussions.  We become fearful and anxious about life without knowing why. 

I now understand that my higher Self wants me to be happy, even during inconsequential events that monopolize my daily life.  And my higher Self enjoys every experience that I have.  It understands my preferences and behavioral patterns that require more attention at the lower-frequency levels.  Additionally, it is intimately aware of the lessons I am incarnated to learn and gently pushes me toward those goals ... holding all my secrets and strengths, waiting for me to claim, but it is in no hurry.  It is always aware of my eternal and multidimensional nature, though I may not be aware of it ... the power within.

So how do I align to my higher Self ... I start by recognizing how my body feels when I am in alignment, as I work toward maintaining it by controlling the direction of my thoughts.  All positive or negative bodily feelings are rooted in my thoughts, so when your my feels as good as it can be, my thoughts are in alignment with my higher Self; when my body feels “off” in any way, my thoughts are misaligned.  

Extreme emotions such as joy, harmony, happiness, passion, peace, and exuberance result in full alignment.  Yet, the difficulty is that we rarely think in terms of alignment when things are going our way because we are too busy enjoying life, which is, after all, the purpose of living.  Usually we think in terms of alignment when we need it most ... when it is most elusive.

Regardless of conditioning, however, your higher Self knows what needs accomplishing in your earthly realm, and it will not guide to that which is not possible within the confines of your current existence.  Your higher Self teaches wonderful lessons and provides clarity constantly through the wisdom of your body ~ your heart feels open and your body feels as good as it gets ... you are in alignment with your higher Self because your body mirrors this.  Everything feels on course and you feel on purpose.