Thoughtful Thursday [wk.12]

This quote is inspired by the birthdays of two people very dear to me: my father and my only niece. This weekend I'll be driving [almost] the entire width of Idaho celebrating with my loved ones. It's going to be crammed, it's going to be a little hectic, my bum might get a little sore, but I'm so happy I can be with my family! Einstein said it best:

"Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life!"

~Albert Einstein

And rejoice I will! My family definitely lifts my spirits and makes me so grateful, every single day. I have to give them credit for keeping me as happy as I am!


My niece is the sweetest thing in the world. I'll come home from work to find pictures she drew and colored just for me! Drawings of tigers, lions, and jaguars; drawings of honey bees and butterflies; drawings of owls, and even dinosaurs with babies! I started putting them up on my wall and she was so happy and proud when she saw them up there! Her smile instantly makes me happy.

My niece and one of her quick drawings of the Count from Sesame Street.
(I showed her the censored Count video, hence the "beeep")

And where would I be without my dad?! I've been a daddy's girl for as long as I can remember. It's been hard these past few years being so far away from him and having to share our lives through phone calls and email. But this year I get to spend his birthday weekend with him! Maybe we'll go back out to Shoshone Falls and I can get some nice shots with my DSLR. Or maybe we'll just sit around chatting, eating veggie chips and watching movies. I don't really care what we do as long as I can share his birthday with him.

Thoughtful Thursday [wk.9]- SHINE

“When you do something noble and beautiful and nobody noticed, do not be sad.

For the sun every morning is a beautiful spectacle and yet

most of the audience still sleeps.”

-John Lennon

I love this quote. It reminds me that kindness wouldn't be kindness

if it came with conditions or expectations.

The sun shines, day after day, without any expectations.
We can be like the sun. We can shine and bring joy to others, even be overlooked from time to time, but we must still shine to make the world a happier, healthier place.
We can shine solely for ourselves; to warm our own heart and lift our own spirit.


Shine for others.
Shine for your Self.
All that matters is that you shine.

Thoughtful Thursday [wk.8]- BREAKING DOLDRUMS

I've been sad and slightly mad the past few weeks. I feel stuck and anxious to change it.

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

This message has reached my ears several times in the past week. Just yesterday, my boyfriend said to me, "Don't let a time frame trip you out; life takes as long as life takes." And it's so true. Anything in life that's worth anything takes a long time to attain. Instant gratification never lasts that long, it's never very strong.

I had quite the day yesterday. To put it in a nutshell, my job is a joke and the lack of organization is driving me insane. Thus, change is needed. So I turned to my trusty ol' pops. He's my go-to person when I'm feeling like complete crap over my life. He's been around a while, he's dealt with his share of crap. We talked for 2 hours on the phone. Then I chatted with my oldest brother about my lifecrap when he got home from work.

My father and brother have been the biggest support and push to better myself throughout my entire life [and they've both had endless amounts of patience with me. Bless their souls]. It's wonderful because they have different points of view, so I don't feel like my family is a broken record [or like they're conspiring...]. I get the greatest feeling of hope after I talk to my father and brother when I'm in a rut. The advice they gave me: write more. Really, that's the conclusion they both came to! I thought it was pretty interesting that I could get different perspectives but the bottom-line message from both of them was the same. I should listen.

Both of them believe writing is my way out of this string of crappy jobs. [Deep down, I believe that, too.] The thing about writing [and why I don't do it as often as I should] is because of the amount of time it requires. I'm impatient, I want to see results quickly, I'm lazy. I have a gift I don't exercise. What a mess! So this comes full circle to Mr Emerson's advice about being patient. Only with patience can the most beautiful, worthwhile things be achieved. The secret to help you out when you're in the pits? Determine your goal and have patience. In my case I don't only need to have patience with the time it will take to make myself, I need to have patience with myself.

Wish me luck!

Thoughtful Thursday [wk.6] - FATE

I've been thinking a lot about fate lately, and what it means when the Universe slaps you with something completely unexpected. 

I used to be a huge resister. If things didn't go my way I'd get angry and stubborn. Essentially, I'd shut the door on whatever new opportunity the Universe was trying to introduce me to. Eventually I began to wonder about all the things I might have been missing because of my resistance.

The past few months of my life have been nothing but unexpected turns and occurrences. I know I would have lost my mind from it all if I retained my resistant attitude. To survive the turmoil I was experiencing, I had to adjust my outlook. I'm much calmer, more accepting, aware, and pensive now.

 I started to ask myself,

"What is the Universe trying to tell me right now?"

I came across a quote by Joseph Campbell that reassured me. A lot. It's been stuck with me ever since I first read it a few months ago.

"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned,

so as to have the life that is waiting for us."

Wise men know resistance is unproductive. Wise men know greater things are waiting for us in hidden, unexpected places.

I may not know exactly what the Universe is trying to communicate to me when things don't go my way, but I take it as an opportunity to reflect on my life and choices. If my plans fall through, I take it as an indicator that maybe, just maybe, that wasn't the best idea for me.

But when something blissfully beautiful, honest, and passionate introduces itself unexpectedly,

I run with it. I treasure it. I honor and respect it. 

Thoughtful Thursday [wk.5]

This week's "Thoughtful Thursday" is being brought to you on a Friday. Why? Because I temporarily lost my mind yesterday. It was nothing serious; I was just extremely flustered and set back, and stressed out, and enduring some physical discomfort. But! I'm happy to say that this morning my achey pains have subsided, I'm chilled out, and have a weekend to look forward to!

"Tension is who you think you should be.

Relaxation is who you are."
-Chinese Proverb

Relaaaax. I need to tell myself that this week. With college deadlines hanging over my head, opening a new coffee shop, and the holidays quickly approaching I definitely need to snub the tensed little voice in the back of my head. I should listen to the calm, steady, soothing beating of my heart. That seems to be the pattern in my life: stressed/tensed thoughts but a warm, calm, relaxed heart.

It's so easy to get caught up in the constant chatter of the inner monkey-mind. But how often do we take a moment to listen to the rhythm of the heart? Probably not that often. It's silly, because we can't live without the function of the heart, and yet we disregard its role, and potential, in life so often.

I've been trying to cultivate my sense of compassion, joy, and wonder in an effort to alter my perception of and effect on the world. And guess what... It's working! I'm meeting new people who openly tell me I'm having a positive effect in their life. And I think, "Yes! Good! Because life is beautiful and should be happy. Life is so good and all it takes is taking a step back to slow down a little bit and listen to your own truth." I believe that inner truth comes from the heart; not the head or thoughts.

A relaxed disposition is far more beneficial, more fun, more illuminating than a dull, tense one. You and the people in your life will take note if there is even the slightest shift.

So, even though this week is going to be mad, you can catch me with my feet propped up, a book in hand, and enjoying a cup of hot tea.

May you be happy :)

Thoughtful Thursday [wk.4]

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could.

Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can.

Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit

to be encumbered with your old nonsense."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Letting go of the past. It's essential to enjoy the present. I know from [too much experience] that constantly worrying about the past, or how things "could have been", takes away from the beauty of the moment. Certainly it's important to acknowledge our mistakes, habits that don't serve us, so we can move away from them, but for the most part the past should stay in the past.

But this also has to do with giving yourself enough credit. It's sad that an accomplishment can get thrown under the bus because some other small part of the day didn't go exactly as planned. Oh well. You're still alive; you didn't screw up so badly as to ruin that. Tomorrow always has the potential to be greater than the day before. What Emerson is reminding of us here is that crap happens, and it's important not to let it sting you; tomorrow holds the possibility of great moments. And they should be celebrated. That's what fuels the flame for the next day. You wake up after a less than ideal day and say "Yesterday was okay, but today is going to KICK ASS! Why? Because I'm alive and life is worth a celebration every single day! So now I'm going to celebrate it with an awesome Chai tea and a book!" Talk about having a high spirit! Passion, enthusiasm, excitement can be applied to little things and they pump out tons, and tons of Seratonin.

At least that's what I try to do-- be excited over the little things. Perfectly brewed tea, a touching story, the perfect music for the moment, the wind in my hair, they joy I experience when I have fulfilling conversations with my friends... those things make my days, and my spirit, absurdly happy.

Thoughtful Thursday [wk.3]

It's still Thursday in Idaho for a couple more hours; I can make it!

"While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, 

we can control what happens inside us." 

-Benjamin Franklin

Ah, Mr. Franklin, how wise you are. As with other negative habits in my life, I've been working on not letting little things get to me, and especially, not taking things personally. Individuals are completely in control of their reactions. Simple. If someone says something that leads to anger, it only got there because people make the connections they want to make. They see, feel, hear what they want to. I've been guilty of this. I think everyone has. But it's just a habit, like any other, that can be broken. 

Now, whenever I find myself in an undesirable situation, I think about all the other areas in my life that are spectacular. I get to practice yoga and drink tea in the morning, I have an amazing family, fun friends, good food to eat, a comfortable bed (usually with a kitty or two curled up), and it makes everything else bearable. I mean, that horrendous situation won't last forever; I have something better to get back to. I like to call it the "Bright Side" syndrome. But it works for me. It makes the muck of society so much better. And after all, everyone is fighting their own battle. Everyone is doing what they can.

Thoughtful Thursday [wk.2]

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself,

than be crowded on a velvet cushion."

-Henry David Thoreau

Well here's something I can relate to! I'm not sure where my socialization got screwed up, but it did and still is. I have a hard time with groups. I'd much rather keep gatherings small and intimate. For nearly as long as I can remember groups of people make me a little anxious and uncomfortable. Maybe I feel too much pressure to "contribute" and say the right things at all the right times. And if I don't feel that way, I start to feel like the walls are closing in... But the fact is that I would much rather keep my space and spend time outside, with or without people. And sitting on a pumpkin all to myself sounds much like how I'd like all of my social experiences to unfold.  Plus, I love the autumn season and I love pumpkins. But don't worry, I'm not completely anti-social. I'm really working on re-socializing myself, I promise!

Thoughtful Thursday [wk.1]

I love quotes; they're so inspiring to me. I've tried integrating quotes into my yoga blog, but, as usual, I tried to tackle too many all at once. That just lead to confusion and... what was I talking about? Now I've decided to take a slow approach and muse on a single quotation every week.
Thus, the birth of Thoughtful Thursday. I'll share where I found my inspiring tidbit, why it's inspiring to me, and how I'll integrate its message into my life.

And today's quote is:

"Who, being loved, is poor?"
-Oscar Wilde

Simply put: when you have love, you have everything! It's easy to be distracted by the demands of life, but that doesn't mean we can't find comfort in the love our friends and family offer us. Love is a very powerful thing. It's important to never lose sight of that. I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by my family at this time, and I'm absolutely relishing the love and fun times we're able to share! In fact, we're on our way to the library right now. That's a double dose of love!