Straight

#1 - Getting into a discussion on socially responsible investing with my teenage cousin. It began with us working on her homework assignment on ethical predicaments. One of them was related to money, and somehow we started talking about savings and CD rates. We went to look up CD rates and then I showed her the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment website. She asked great questions, was really engaged in the discussion, and got me thinking. Thanks!

#2 - Walking down the stairs at my uncle's I glanced up and the approaching sunset with a puffy clouded sky, was perfectly framed by the window.

#3 - Trying out a couple of my favorite things (the ones I could remember) from the shiatsu massage I had recently on my cousins. My brother was watching and he wanted me to try on him too :).

#4 - Finding it relaxing to have my hair straightened by my cousin.

#5 - Discovering how the look that is so popular now is obtained. I've never had my hair straightened or really knew about it, but now I see it is not magic that "everyone" has the same hair style.

Blankets

#1 - I'm grateful at how I amused myself by finding things to take pictures of today - such as these before and after shots of straightening the blankets at my yoga studio.
#2 - Having leftover beans and rice, homemade cole slaw and two carob chip cookies to easily pack for my lunch. Eating that lunch outside in February, weird but enjoyable, until the wind came.

#3 - Having a flexible work schedule so I could clean the yoga studio this afternoon and then finish working after that.



#4 - Practicing getting into a relaxed position quickly as I set up the self-timer. (This is how I end most of my cleaning sessions).

#5 - Jason Mraz's new music video. It sounds silly to say, but I feel so proud of him.

The Not Feeling Like It Override

#1 - I did two things today, that beforehand, I didn't necessarily feel like doing - 6am yoga and my monthly food shelf volunteering. Both of these events were really positive contributions to my day. So maybe I should describe it as "The Not Feeling Like it Override."

#2 - There were a lot of new people volunteering tonight and I was happy to be able to help direct them.

#3 - Having a better idea of what items are in demand (if I donate to a food shelf): cooking oil, sugar, diapers, toilet paper...

#4 - Sometimes I get a bit tired of my repetitive thoughts (even if they aren't negative). When I walked out after volunteering, I realized that for the last 2.5 hours my thoughts had left their self-absorption for a while. Thank you!

#5 - Waiting at a bus stop I looked around me and almost everyone was looking down at an electronic device. I looked up and I smiled.

El Laberinto de la Felicidad

"Water kills more people in the world than all the world’s wars and all bullets combined together." Doc Hendley

Doc Hendley was interviewed on The Story today, he works to bring people access to clean water. Amen.

*****

Francesc Miralles - He is the co-author of a book I fell in love with last month El Mejor Lugar Del Mundo es Aqui Mismo (The Best Place on Earth is Right Here) and now I am reading the other book he co-authored that my library has - El Laberinto de la Felicidad (The Labyrinth of Happiness). Once again, it is delightful! I smile while I read.

In today's reading the train conductor (it's metaphorical) instead of reviewing your ticket, reviews your life. The woman asks, "With what will you review my life?" The conductor pulls out a mirror.

The woman looks in the mirror and sees how she has changed (through the story) how her eyes shine like when she was a child. The conductor says that the face is a reflection of the soul and that she wasn't afraid to look there.

Then there is the beauty of language in itself. I've thought about this while writing poems or songs, there are certain words and themes keep coming up because they rhyme - free and we and me and see for example. In Spanish free is "libre" and that doesn't rhyme like "free" does. So I've wondered if I was fluent enough to create in Spanish what those new rhymes would be? I don't know, but I did come across this cool passage in the book today. It just does not work in English. It is

"El miedo es el medio (102)"


(Roughly - Fear is the way, but it's not the same).

THEN I get to a chapter titled "El Atraepajaros." Pajaros means birds. Atrae is something like attract. I read for context, so I skip words I don't know unless I think they are really important or that I am missing something.

Anyway, in this chapter they are talking about an espantapajaros (so bird scare or something). I read for a while but am not getting it so I go back, then I joyfully figure out they mean scarecrow and the atraepajaros is the opposite, like an attractcrow. The book says at first the scarecrow scares away the birds, because it signals someone who could kill them for eating the seeds. But with fear comes opportunity and the scarecrows begin to signal where one can find nourishment.

"Bajo nuestros miedos se encuentra el tesoro que andamos buscando (101)." -

Beneath our fears we find the treasure we are looking for.

***

10 Questions

My friend sent me the link to these ten questions earlier in the week. I am printing them out today to put in my journal, and in case anyone reading this wants to be reminded what success is/feels like -

Real Success

Time is to Love

*In the winter I usually get my outdoor time by cross-country skiing, but there hasn't been enough snow. So today I was grateful for an excuse to go to the thrift store (walking distance away). I cut through the back and smiled as I partly slid (on my feet) down a hill. I found what I was looking for (a calendar) and also found this journal. The quote says, "Sometimes the only available transportation is a leap of faith." Margaret Shepherd

*In 2010 when impulsive was my word of the year, I did my best to honor rather than ignore my impulses. So that is how I ended up trying EHarmony. It was overall a positive, yet uneventful, experience. My subscription ended months ago and though I was open to renewing it, I didn't feel inspired to.

Around New Year's I was talking with a friend who was back on EHarmony. She had moved to another state because of a guy she met online, and now they were no longer dating, so she signed back up. That sounded exhausting to me, but she was trying again. Anyway, since then I've had the thought in my mind, but I decided I wanted to get my poetry manuscript sent off first. Well, I sent off my manuscript Saturday, afterwards I signed back up.

Today I was looking at my "new matches," there was one guy who looked really interesting (on the other side of the country). He had lots of interesting photos - outdoors (including some from his job), playing guitar, rock climbing, cooking and even a sweater he knitted for his friend's baby. Wow! I skimmed the rest of his profile and it sounded good. I sent him a "smile" and right afterwards I thought, "Wait a minute, I know this guy!"

I looked again and yes, it was someone I used to work with. Ha! It made me smile so much and totally broke the funk I've been in the last few days. I immediately requested "direct" communication and sent him a message.

From an Eharmony perspective I guess this could be disappointing, despite how wonderful his profile is (and it's true) I know that I'm not interested in him. Still somehow this all made me quite happy and I wish him the best.

*I'm listening to Obama's State of the Union as I write this. Though I sometimes disagree with that man, I am grateful to respect him.

*This yummy beet burger with carrot fries dinner.


*Finally the following is the beginning to a story on the Moth podcasts. Its author was not stated.

"Time is to love
as wind is to fire
it puts out the small ones
and builds up the big ones."

Fair Labor and Apple

A little over a week ago I recommended a This American Life program. It is a powerful story, unfortunately not a happy one. "What do we do about this?" I thought afterwards. This is what I did -
#1- First thing, I took a long walk and did a yoga rest class (I just listened to Eckhart Tolle saying recently that when people say, "We need to do something about this!" the first thing we need to do is find stillness.
#2- Then, I recommended it to my friends after I had shifted my attitude/energy.
#3- Then I thought, "We need products labeled. There are organic products and fair trade products, we need fair labor products."

A week later my brother tells me, and I just looked it up, Apple is the first tech company to join the Fair Labor Association!

So I am grateful Apple is taking this step, I am grateful This American Life spotlighted this issue, I am grateful to all the people that put pressure on Apple to do this, I am grateful for all the people who set up and are working in the Fair Labor Association and I am grateful to all the workers who were/are brave enough to take risks and stand up for themselves.

What a positive step!!