Celebrate Yo'self!

I'm off today to celebrate a wonderful momma friend of mine who lives where I used to, which means a short road trip with the one-year-old. (Wish me luck.) I love that I am doing this, that I am able to, and what it means to celebrate a friend. Life is not easy (although the purveyors of antidepressants want you to believe it should be, so you'll feel shittier about your life when it's hard and buy their drugs) and we deserve to joyfully celebrate our very existence. Sometimes it feels fake, and when that happens, it just means we're doubting our worth, or celebrating falsely. If that's the case, fake it 'til ya make it, and trust that you really do deserve to be celebrated!

We each exist for a unique purpose in this world. Who is your unique, authentic self? Have you come out to play today? What would celebrate you the best today? My wish is for you to make that happen. Enjoy!

Negativity: A Different Perspective

Earlier today I was swinging with Iris (13 months old now!) outside, having some impatience about "all that" which was clamoring for my attention that I couldn't work on. Among those who think about thoughts and life and what we create and what we attract, the word "negative" comes up often. We talk about eliminating negative thinking and such, and there is usefulness in this practice, but like many other practices we can get carried away, even to the point of judging ourselves for "still" having these negative thoughts. However, as with emotions such as fear, what we may label as a negative feeling serves a purpose. I have seen this concept presented by many authors, most recently Byron Katie, languaged in various ways. Paraphrasing Katie, our so-called unpleasant experiences are wonderful gifts when viewed as signposts showing us needed changes. It was given to me, in that moment on the swing, a different interpretation of the words "negative" and "positive" in regards to experience. What is an experience that makes us happy but an experience we want to maintain? And what is a negative experience but something that we pull away from? These forces are merely opposing flows, ebbing, swirling, opposing each other to create interesting little eddies in our lives. When I observe that I have a "problem" in my life, something that I am displeased with, it merely shows me an intention my soul has yet to finish acting on. After all, if I am hungry, do I get mad at myself or do I simply go and eat? Dynamic homeostasis!