Booty, Beauty, Butterflies and Ugly Betty!

Yes, my alliteration is out of control this week. And I'm blissin' out on joy, which is not as easy as it sounds since I'm having a difficult week. Stomach and health issues, plus my dad just went into the hospital and may have cancer, and I can't seem to switch off the "monkey mind," as the Buddhists call it.

So last night I finally got around to watching the series finale of "Ugly Betty," and it was great. I will definitely miss this gem of a show. As the last scene faded, a song played that I had never heard before--and I instantly recognized the voice as that of Macy Gray. But the lyrics--at once funny and inspiring--stuck in my head. The song is "Beauty in the World," and it was the perfect ending for "Ugly Betty," and it's the perfect song for me to hear right now.

In the song, Macy sings about seeing the beauty of the world in spite of all the bad news, about noticing things like butterflies, for example. How fitting that the promos for the last season of "Ugly Betty" included butterflies, a symbol of transformation!

Just some excerpts of the lyrics:

All they talk about is
What is going down?
What’s been messed up, for us?
When I look around,
I see blue skies,
I see butterflies,
for us.

Listen to the sound and lose it,
Its sweet music,
and dance with me.
There is beauty in the world,
So much beauty in the world,
Always beauty in the world.

And you gotta love a song that contains this line:

Shake your booty, boys and girls,
for the beauty in the world!

Booty, Beauty, Butterflies and Ugly Betty!

Yes, my alliteration is out of control this week. And I'm blissin' out on joy, which is not as easy as it sounds since I'm having a difficult week. Stomach and health issues, plus my dad just went into the hospital and may have cancer, and I can't seem to switch off the "monkey mind," as the Buddhists call it.

So last night I finally got around to watching the series finale of "Ugly Betty," and it was great. I will definitely miss this gem of a show. As the last scene faded, a song played that I had never heard before--and I instantly recognized the voice as that of Macy Gray. But the lyrics--at once funny and inspiring--stuck in my head. The song is "Beauty in the World," and it was the perfect ending for "Ugly Betty," and it's the perfect song for me to hear right now.

In the song, Macy sings about seeing the beauty of the world in spite of all the bad news, about noticing things like butterflies, for example. How fitting that the promos for the last season of "Ugly Betty" included butterflies, a symbol of transformation!

Just some excerpts of the lyrics:

All they talk about is
What is going down?
What’s been messed up, for us?
When I look around,
I see blue skies,
I see butterflies,
for us.

Listen to the sound and lose it,
Its sweet music,
and dance with me.
There is beauty in the world,
So much beauty in the world,
Always beauty in the world.

And you gotta love a song that contains this line:

Shake your booty, boys and girls,
for the beauty in the world!

Birds and Buddha Bring Message of Joy

Ok, I get it! There needs to be more joy in more life--or, at least, I need to recognize the joy I already have and celebrate it. So how did this message arrive?

Buddha of joy
I was cleaning out my office and came across a Buddhist meditation/prayer that I don't think I have seen in about 2 years. It's called the brahmavihara or the "Four Immeasurables" (so yes, it has 4 parts). The first time I heard this prayer, its message was so clear, simple and encompassing that it stuck with me. But lately, I haven't been so good about following these 4 mantras: love, joy, sympathetic joy and equanimity. So during last week's meditation, I focused on the first one that stood out: sympathetic joy.

Sympathetic joy arises when we join in the happiness of others and wish them well-being and success. Practicing sympathetic joy takes your mind off of yourself and keeps hatred and jealousy at bay. Basically, if someone you know is excited, be excited for them. And even if it seems trivial or something that you don't feel joy over, be excited for them anyway. Joy is important and comes around way too seldom, so we should "rejoice" any time it appears, big, small or somewhere in between. Sometimes we also put off joy in order not to offend or make others feel bad. I'm learning that does no one any good.

Feathers of joy
The other message about joy arrived last night while at a friend's house. There were several people there, and we participated in a special ceremony in which my friend gave us all heron feathers. In some traditions (the specifics escape me), herons represent the ability to quickly change direction--which can be good if we realize we need to make a change.

My friend hands each of us a heron feather, each wrapped in a different color of deerskin. She had meditated earlier with each feather and with each of us in mind in order to receive a message. As she presented the feather, she delivered the message--and mine was one of healing and joy, she said, because she felt that these things are what I needed most right now in my life.

And I think my friend and Buddha are right. I could go on about the many reasons why, but suffice to say that I am going to practice more sympathetic joy; I am going to do more things that bring me joy; and I am going to focus on healing at various levels.

Do you have enough joy in your own life?

Birds and Buddha Bring Message of Joy

Ok, I get it! There needs to be more joy in more life--or, at least, I need to recognize the joy I already have and celebrate it. So how did this message arrive?

Buddha of joy
I was cleaning out my office and came across a Buddhist meditation/prayer that I don't think I have seen in about 2 years. It's called the brahmavihara or the "Four Immeasurables" (so yes, it has 4 parts). The first time I heard this prayer, its message was so clear, simple and encompassing that it stuck with me. But lately, I haven't been so good about following these 4 mantras: love, joy, sympathetic joy and equanimity. So during last week's meditation, I focused on the first one that stood out: sympathetic joy.

Sympathetic joy arises when we join in the happiness of others and wish them well-being and success. Practicing sympathetic joy takes your mind off of yourself and keeps hatred and jealousy at bay. Basically, if someone you know is excited, be excited for them. And even if it seems trivial or something that you don't feel joy over, be excited for them anyway. Joy is important and comes around way too seldom, so we should "rejoice" any time it appears, big, small or somewhere in between. Sometimes we also put off joy in order not to offend or make others feel bad. I'm learning that does no one any good.

Feathers of joy
The other message about joy arrived last night while at a friend's house. There were several people there, and we participated in a special ceremony in which my friend gave us all heron feathers. In some traditions (the specifics escape me), herons represent the ability to quickly change direction--which can be good if we realize we need to make a change.

My friend hands each of us a heron feather, each wrapped in a different color of deerskin. She had meditated earlier with each feather and with each of us in mind in order to receive a message. As she presented the feather, she delivered the message--and mine was one of healing and joy, she said, because she felt that these things are what I needed most right now in my life.

And I think my friend and Buddha are right. I could go on about the many reasons why, but suffice to say that I am going to practice more sympathetic joy; I am going to do more things that bring me joy; and I am going to focus on healing at various levels.

Do you have enough joy in your own life?

Twinkle, Twinkle, LOTS of Stars: out searching for inspiration

Despite the December chill and my general malaise about life, I pushed myself out the door and drove to the observatory at the local community college where they have free public stargazing on Friday evenings. And I'm so glad I did! Bundled in coats, gloves, hats and scarves, a number of brave souls stared up into the night sky.

I found the constellation Cassiopeia (see above) all by myself, and then the lead stargazer pointed out that the bright object to the south of the observatory was the planet Jupiter. Then we each got to see it a bit closer through the telescope (enlarged to about the size of a pencil eraser, and you could just make out the planet's cloudy bands!).

Next we saw a double star; one shone a hot blue and the other a cooler yellow. The colors were very distinct. 

We viewed a variety of star clusters. Some were easy to make out while others were farther away and a bit fuzzy. But just knowing that one of those fuzzy clusters contained more than 1 million stars and was thousands of light years away blew my mind. I mean, I know all this stuff is out there, but to actually see it and try to wrap you head around it is a trip.

Then I realized my ears were going numb! But I did catch 2 planetary nebulae, with one called the Ring Nebula.

Then I headed back to my truck and fired up the heat! But it was worth the chill to fill my day with a little wonder, which has been sorely lacking. And to think I'd never visited the observatory before. Well, that needs to change.

And so I headed home--after a quick pit stop for some yummy hot chocolate.

Twinkle, Twinkle, LOTS of Stars: out searching for inspiration

Despite the December chill and my general malaise about life, I pushed myself out the door and drove to the observatory at the local community college where they have free public stargazing on Friday evenings. And I'm so glad I did! Bundled in coats, gloves, hats and scarves, a number of brave souls stared up into the night sky.

I found the constellation Cassiopeia (see above) all by myself, and then the lead stargazer pointed out that the bright object to the south of the observatory was the planet Jupiter. Then we each got to see it a bit closer through the telescope (enlarged to about the size of a pencil eraser, and you could just make out the planet's cloudy bands!).

Next we saw a double star; one shone a hot blue and the other a cooler yellow. The colors were very distinct. 

We viewed a variety of star clusters. Some were easy to make out while others were farther away and a bit fuzzy. But just knowing that one of those fuzzy clusters contained more than 1 million stars and was thousands of light years away blew my mind. I mean, I know all this stuff is out there, but to actually see it and try to wrap you head around it is a trip.

Then I realized my ears were going numb! But I did catch 2 planetary nebulae, with one called the Ring Nebula.

Then I headed back to my truck and fired up the heat! But it was worth the chill to fill my day with a little wonder, which has been sorely lacking. And to think I'd never visited the observatory before. Well, that needs to change.

And so I headed home--after a quick pit stop for some yummy hot chocolate.

Choosing Joy

I was all excited to get back to posting today. Vacation is over, and I also completed my final shamanic workshop in the mystery school I've been in since August 08. So many great things to share.

And then the news of more deaths in Iran, especially of how one woman's death--caught on camera--is galvanizing protests against the re-election of Ahmadinejad. How can I gush about how wonderful life is when--well, in the face of so much evidence that life can be downright awful?

Plus, I really want a hiatus from politics in general.

But I look at what's happening in Iran and even in my own hometown, and I know life CAN be wonderful. We can love each other and give and receive joy. The world--the universe--is an amazing, awesome thing--even in spite of such suffering.

This calla lily is one of many that have bloomed this year in our garden. I'm awestruck by its simplicity and beauty. I've been meditating on it for days now, and I feel it symbolizes the universe itself. As I've been processing everything that occurred during my shamanic training, I keep coming back to this calla lily. I see "god" in it; call it the Creator or divinity or whatever you prefer. Within this lily are the same materials within us, the same particles that make up the dust of stars.

We have to choose to see these connections. Many in the world choose otherwise. Look to Iran, to our own government's failings and, maybe, to your own family. Maybe even into your own heart.

This last shamanic workshop was the perfect ending; unlike most of the others, there wasn't anything I didn't like! It all closed on the perfect note. There are many people I met whom I may never see again, and yet I feel so grateful to have crossed paths with them in this school, to have brushed up against them. Some I really like, some not so much. But all proved to be capable of great love and sharing, exhibited in a variety of ways. When we approach each other out of mutual respect and love, what we can create is limitless.

Why can't our entire existence be filled in this way? I don't know the answer. I guess I'm offering this lily as a token of hope to the world, to Iran, to my partner and my family--and to each one of you. I wish each of you could feel the joy that I have recently experienced. I wish that joy could take root inside and nurture you, giving you whatever you need most.

There is another way to live. Come what may, be bold enough to make that choice.

Choosing Joy

I was all excited to get back to posting today. Vacation is over, and I also completed my final shamanic workshop in the mystery school I've been in since August 08. So many great things to share.

And then the news of more deaths in Iran, especially of how one woman's death--caught on camera--is galvanizing protests against the re-election of Ahmadinejad. How can I gush about how wonderful life is when--well, in the face of so much evidence that life can be downright awful?

Plus, I really want a hiatus from politics in general.

But I look at what's happening in Iran and even in my own hometown, and I know life CAN be wonderful. We can love each other and give and receive joy. The world--the universe--is an amazing, awesome thing--even in spite of such suffering.

This calla lily is one of many that have bloomed this year in our garden. I'm awestruck by its simplicity and beauty. I've been meditating on it for days now, and I feel it symbolizes the universe itself. As I've been processing everything that occurred during my shamanic training, I keep coming back to this calla lily. I see "god" in it; call it the Creator or divinity or whatever you prefer. Within this lily are the same materials within us, the same particles that make up the dust of stars.

We have to choose to see these connections. Many in the world choose otherwise. Look to Iran, to our own government's failings and, maybe, to your own family. Maybe even into your own heart.

This last shamanic workshop was the perfect ending; unlike most of the others, there wasn't anything I didn't like! It all closed on the perfect note. There are many people I met whom I may never see again, and yet I feel so grateful to have crossed paths with them in this school, to have brushed up against them. Some I really like, some not so much. But all proved to be capable of great love and sharing, exhibited in a variety of ways. When we approach each other out of mutual respect and love, what we can create is limitless.

Why can't our entire existence be filled in this way? I don't know the answer. I guess I'm offering this lily as a token of hope to the world, to Iran, to my partner and my family--and to each one of you. I wish each of you could feel the joy that I have recently experienced. I wish that joy could take root inside and nurture you, giving you whatever you need most.

There is another way to live. Come what may, be bold enough to make that choice.

Julie Andrews Takes Over Belgian Train Station with "Sound of Music"

A friend sent this and it totally melted my grinchy little heart and--give me a moment--I even shed a few tears! OMG--what is wrong with me? But who can resist Julie Andrews' crystal-clear voice and the joyful, kooky dancing?

This was actually a stunt held in Antwerp to help find cast members for a production of "Sound of Music," but I love it anyway. It touches on something beautiful, innocent and joyful that I think we need much more of in the world right now. At least I do.

Julie Andrews Takes Over Belgian Train Station with "Sound of Music"

A friend sent this and it totally melted my grinchy little heart and--give me a moment--I even shed a few tears! OMG--what is wrong with me? But who can resist Julie Andrews' crystal-clear voice and the joyful, kooky dancing?

This was actually a stunt held in Antwerp to help find cast members for a production of "Sound of Music," but I love it anyway. It touches on something beautiful, innocent and joyful that I think we need much more of in the world right now. At least I do.

A Little Bollywood to Put a Bounce in Your Step

I haven't seen nearly enough Bollywood films, but I simply love the music. I hear it and can't sit still. Makes me want to wrap myself in a sari and hit the floor! Here's a song titled (I think) "Dola Re Dola."

I was looking for some inspiration, so here you go. This music always puts a smile on my face--maybe it's cause, in every video I can remember, the performers are always smiling. The colors, costumers, the whole spectacle. Everything is joy, an infectious joy. I don't know what the hell they're saying but who cares.

Thank you, India!

A Little Bollywood to Put a Bounce in Your Step

I haven't seen nearly enough Bollywood films, but I simply love the music. I hear it and can't sit still. Makes me want to wrap myself in a sari and hit the floor! Here's a song titled (I think) "Dola Re Dola."

I was looking for some inspiration, so here you go. This music always puts a smile on my face--maybe it's cause, in every video I can remember, the performers are always smiling. The colors, costumers, the whole spectacle. Everything is joy, an infectious joy. I don't know what the hell they're saying but who cares.

Thank you, India!