" Who Are You ... "

I took the tube back out of town

Back to the Rollin' Pin

I felt a little like a dying clown

With a streak of Rin Tin Tin ...

I stretched back and I hiccuped

And looked back on my busy day

Eleven hours in the Tin Pan

God, there's got to be another way ...

Who are you?

Who, who, who, who?

Who are you?

Who, who, who, who? ...

~ The Who ~ Who Are You? ~

***

Who are you today?  Who were you yesterday?  Who will you be tomorrow?  What popped into your mind?  Did you immediately think of your job title?  Did you identify yourself with a relationship?  Did you describe your body, your personality or favorite hobby?  

The notion of identity, of who we think we are ...

We are so quick to identify ourselves using our circumstances, how others perceive us, our behaviours, or our positions in life ... which limits our growth, leaves us lost and confused.  Ironically, these same labels can give us a sense of belonging, security, shape the way we act and feel but they are misleading because none can fully describe the multifaceted reality of being human. 

I think the most damaging is when we cling to negative identities ... “I am diabetic, I have cancer, I am no good with money, I can’t sing” ... we cling because it is part of our comfort zone.  You see we know our boundaries, what we can and cannot do, so we never venture out.  

Think about it ... if the labels we give others stem from our shallowest impulses and prevent us from really knowing another person, the labels we assign to ourselves are even worse. They destroy us from within. No matter what the label, the more we cling to it, the more pain we are going to suffer. 

So how do you expose the real YOU?  Start with recognizing the identities you are holding on to.  Next speak about them in a different way allows you to detach from them.  The reality is that you are not your circumstances, you are not what you do, you are not roles and you are not your thoughts and beliefs.  

Here are some examples of how looking with a different perspective changes things ....

phrase                                             re-worded

I have cancer                                   my body has cancer

I am broke                                       I would like to have more money

I am disabled                                   I am a person with a disability

I am fat                                            I would like to be more healthy

I hate my job                                    I would like to find another job

I am just a stay at home mom           I raise my children

The idea is that after you can no longer do what you do, whether by choice or not, you will still be you.  Knowing how to let go of any given identity without losing our essential selves yields a security we'll never get from fame, power, money, beauty, or any other personality prop.  Through stillness we remain ourselves no matter what happens ... loss or gain, pain or pleasure, fame or disrepute.  

Hence when the bad labels come at you glue-side up, or the positive ones are stripped away, ask yourself “who are you really?” ... 

" Ahead Of The Curve ... "

I had shoes to fill

Walking barefoot now

Can't tell north from south

But no split hair's gonna get me down, no

I'm stayin' above the flat line

And I'm ahead of the curve

Take a piece of the sunshine with me

On a red-eye flight to another world

~ Ahead Of The Curve ~ Monsters of Folk ~

***

Life throws you so many curveballs when you least expect it.  One day can be almost perfect and another day leaving you wondering where you went wrong.  Wouldn’t it be nice if life had a pause button?

I will say it is easier to block out everything that makes the world not seem like the great, fantastic place I want it to be.  Hide from the bad stuff because I just want the good parts.  I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough to take it on ... turns out, I am stronger than I gave myself credit for. 

The never-ending struggle of knowing things that I actually have control over and those of which I cannot change.  The wisdom part is what I struggle with the most ... knowing when to keep going and when to stop.  Knowing the difference is a life-long process.  And through these distressful moments, I strive to be braver than the times before, armed with courage.  I realize that there are times for me to just close my eyes and let everything go.   I need to let the Him have control ... believing that the greatests lessons are given to his best students.

Without a doubt, having a balanced relationship with Russell has allowed us to tackle most issues together.  We trust that each other is looking out for the other.  Individually we are strong, yet combined has made us a force ready for anything.  Every step in unison ... I realized that if we can deal with cancer, we can really deal with anything that comes our way. 

No matter what we may be going through, there is always beauty that surrounds us each and every day ... remembering to find it and take some time out to savor it, even briefly.  I believe this beauty has a positive energy and vibe that we can tap into when we need to... to recharge ourselves in the midst of a difficult situation and replace negativity with the healthier alternative.

Nothing is always perfect and I believe there is a greater plan in play.  I can be the one who decides how full or empty my glass is while life continues to throw these curveballs ... choosing to hit it right out of the park.

" Wrap It Up ... "

" No more will I shop around now 
You know I've got the best thing in town now
I've seen all I want to see
What your loving means to me now
Wrap it up, I'll take it"

~ Eurythmics ~ Wrap It Up ~

***

I was so excited to write this post today because I decided to wrap my christmas gifts in a different way this year.  With old magazines.  Yes, you read that right, old magazines.  I guess a classic old standby for many, but for me ... guilt free gift wrap ... Go Green!!

Considering half of the 100 million tonnes of paper products used each year in North America going to packaging, wrapping and decorating consumer goods, this year I decided to choose from the stylish options of my old mags.  Feeling quite "crafty", I customize the paper design, while cutting down on using new materials.  

It's really quite easy, fun and in-expensive.  Just look for articles spreads that reflect your recipient's tastes.  For large presents, I lay out the amount of selected pages needed to cover my gift on the floor and tape them together to achieve a cool patchwork design.  For smaller gifts that only require one page, I try to choose beauty spreads that feature multiple products scattered on one page.  And with ribbons from previous gifts given to me, that are still in really good shape, I make bows, topping it off ... voila, see my "masterpiece" (videos) ... remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder ;)

Supplies ...

Final Product ...

And just in case this is not your cup of tea but you are interested in some natural, eco and recycled wrapping ideas, here are some suggestions:

• Tie pine cones in to your gifts with thin ribbon on the base ... spray them with a natural pine oil scent to add to the experience

• For the men in your life, use old keys, nuts and bolts as an accessory

• Paper tablecloths are an ideal medium for wrapping large and awkward shapes.

• For a lovely aroma, use old oranges, slice them up and dry them in the oven or airing cupboard ... after a couple of days these can be tied in to gifts

• Tie any dazzling embellishments, like jewelry or buckles, with ribbons to bedazzle your gifts
  
• Paint cream, gold or brown dots on brown paper for a shabby chic finish

• Recycle last year's Christmas trimmings and tie them on to gifts instead of the tree

BLISS ....

BEAUTY

                 LOVE

                            INTENTION

                                                   STRENGTH

                                                                         SERENITY