Gray hair at 25?! Weak Knees but you don't play!

Have we lost our minds, nowadays we're racing so hard to 'get 'em' - [insert tangible/ intangible object you desire here] - we forget to get ourselves aligned. In line? No aligned - to our truths, our  "personal legends", our core, our spirit, our soul, our-selves - however you name it. What ever is natural, true and feels genuinely, authenically good to you. When was the last time you took a breather for you? Not for your kids, or spouse or significant other or your mama. I mean you.


"Life is chill, I'm good, sis" - so you say. Living on the fast lane, but your lane has no exits to  stop and check yourself ... or your tires matter of fact.

I see an epidemic of young 20 and 30 year olds commuters with sprouts of gray hair. First off there is nothing wrong with grey hairs. Absolutely nothing, it normal and natural so why fret. We'll all get any way its part of life. In fact, Gennifer Miller can give you the science behind grey hairs over at Healthy Textures.  I even discovered a strand myself last year. ;) Yup. But I wonder, maybe these commuters have entered to an episode of enlightenment and have embraced all life has to offer so quickly. I mean goodness, I didn't know you were so in touch with your spiritual-feminine-masculine side. Let me know! But why do I feel this is not even close to the reason.  It could be your relentless passion, maybe exhaustion as you fight for social justice, or duty to get those kids in working order or extra,extra long hours, and I can even forget the high stress environment or those who can't say "no" to anything? 

Who am I to tell you to stop. You're going to go anyway. Keep on going ... to where ever you're going to. Go. But if you're planning to reach somewhere real quick, or achieve something at the rate you're going (remember those 8 hours of sleep - you don't?) don't be crying up to the sky when 
a)body breaks down with exhaustion and feel dis-ease "How did I get this flu?"
b) you're cutting corners in every part of your life, to get by "Jack, I thought we promised.."
c) increase frustration, anger, complaints towards everyone - ok the world 
d)love life is sinking or maybe at least rocking unhappily....

Since you have to go, could you at least consider:

You don't have to start from the beginning or fast forward to the end. All you is required is to pause, stop for a while and then resume.

As Alan Davidson mentions in his wonderful post "there is a fine line between efficiency and burnout.. It is our focused intention that sets this kind of pause apart. The power of our intention is source of tremendous energy in, and of itself. It is simply remembering, on a regular and consistent basis throughout the day to completely unplug from the all-consuming tasks at hand:

a chaotic workday fraught with calls, meetings, and deadlines; demanding children, navigating the stresses of family and relationships; driving in traffic; balancing the demands of personal life and community service, or fighting for social justice."

Goodness, can you imgaine unplugging... 


So you want to go, don't you? If you want to go farther, better, stronger, higher - pause.

Here's  how:

Top 9 Ways You Can Pause

•    a few minutes of breathing or meditation - you breathe anyway why not be aware of it

•    a brief set of stretches, sit-ups, or push-ups - age doesn't matter

•    going to the gym - remember those?

•    a dance, yoga, or aerobics class - lets add zumba, ballroom dancing, dancing with your pets, grand kids

•    reading a juicy novel - there are some talented people that can scramble some words together let me tell you

•    a phone call to an inspiring friend or a loving family member - you are never alone

•    a walk outdoors in nice weather is mighty helpful- or around your apartment floor, or pretend to go the corner store

•    a nap -  if you dare, you might actually feel good

•    savoring a healthy meal - if you can't gift your body some real food maybe we need to sit down and re-prioritze...

  

Give me a break. Give you a break? Don't underestimate 90 seconds of pausing. 90 seconds, 10 mintues, 1 day, or a week of pausing. I think in this country a week of pausing is called a vacation. And they only allow 2 weeks. [shaking my head].

Pause every day, a tiny bit, and you'll have more vibrant, alive, self- restored body of energy.

peace & love.  Misa

Do you pause in your life? If not or are you willing to?

Shut up! You haven't failed yet?

If you never fail you never will succeed. Its so true as crazy as it may seem. Failure doesn't have to be something scary, cut throat, and suck the money out of your wallet. But failing often times, prepares you with one more thing, one more bit of knowledge, one more tool in your pocket in achieve your current mission or goal. After you've fail, one thing is certain: you know now, what not to do- so all you need to do is to try it again until you succeed.

Success is possible, period. You can achieve your ultimate goals if you are willing to go after them. And going after them, means being open to things going wrong. Lol. And they will. We are human beings after all. Subject to all imperfections and malfunctions at times.

I've personally failed numerous times - I'll never forget the time I quit my first job without a backup plan, failing in my first business, freezing during a music audition, crashing my car on Thanksgiving Day less than month from receiving my driving license.. ...and the list grows.  But all those experiences were so necessary  because they created the cornerstone of my life.
You
have
to
start
somewhere... So start where you are.

 Brownie points: If you can finds someone currently and continually successful, who's already doing something you are looking to achieve- bam, you have a map. Don't reinvent the wheel.  Save your self the extra trip, gas, time and follow those you've come before you. Your uniqueness will always, (if you allow it) add its own flair.
Mwah.

And heres a special video to remind you, that you are just as capable as ANYBODY to make a small change in your Self, Family, Neighborhood, Community, Town, State, Country or World. Own it!

To Kale or Not to Kale - green smoothie

In response to Franchesca's 28 Day Challenge  video on taking a stand to get some six packs and seeing your reaction to kale I couldn't help laughing and share my response.  I wanted to share if you never eaten kale, which is a green veggie, you don't have to just boil it. You can make green smoothie - yes it may sound crazzy but its so easier to consume! Trust me. All you need is green veggies like kale or spinach (for all newbie try spinach!)
+ fav fruit
+ a little water
and blend together.

Fruits I use include apple & banana together,
or mango
 pineapple
 peaches
apple juice (clever huh?!)
frozen fruit

If you want to boost things up:
dash of cinnamon
1 Tof coconut oil
1T of spirulina (careful you'll need to add enough fruit is this too strong)

Benefits:
detxoify liver
removes of metals in your system
increase immune system and all imporant digestive organs!
improves skin, hair

Try it. I dare you.

Coco for Coconut

Hey fam, its been a long while. Goodness its been too long. So much has been happening. I recently moved, been meeting some interesting people, had a few breakthroughs through my own development. I recently found out I'll be seeing Oprah live, during taped show very soon (will keep you updated). I'm going on a mini vacation next week, just so much has been going on, that I'm truly grateful.

Especially grateful for the woman of the Feminine Mastery Program from around the world, we're are in a juicy state, if you will.

Ok, ok what I really want to talk about is coconuts. ?? But before I can talk about coconuts, specifically coconut oil,  I mentioned in my last post I would post about me, at one point in my life wanting to 'numb' myself and not wanting to feel anything. A personal side of me I've never really shared in this fashion before. Link to Numbing the Potential.

On a lighter note, coconuts rule. Lol. Okay handsome men do, but right now we're sticking to the tropical fruit my parents grew up on. The coconut oil and all its lusicious uses if you don't know by now is spread out in this week's post on "80 Uses for Coconut Oil" by Jennifer Hybrid Rasta Mama. Its a basic list, but I'll put on a post on what I'll be doing with my coconut oil.

Mwah!

Not Numbing the potential

The things that we do to get away from it all. Life is never as we expect sometimes. Sometimes  what is familiar and foreign, can corner us in uncomfortable situations where gasping for breathe is as painful as feeling suffocated. We'll do anything to go from to pain to pleasure. That's how we operate. No one wants to be uncomfortable. And if you're in that state long enough you either give in, accepting this as the way of life, or find a means to escape no matter how ethical, unethically, conventional, unconventional, simple or complex. One way of escape for me was numbing myself through eating, which I never realized until I had a a more expanded consciousness.

Source: National G

Growing up wasn't easy. My parents did the best they could and stressed to me always "work hard" all the time. Discipline and labor was the name of the game. And struggles came right along the same alley. I took up many roles growing up, which later caused a strain but overall I am grateful for all that I experienced.  Putting others first became second nature, and my identity was tied to common labels that our present society embraced. I never really expressed my voice and exploring this didn't come fully until I left home for school. Even after being away for school for four years, and coming back home, some of the limiting beliefs I learned in my early days were so ingrained I felt stuck in so many ways.

Going from an engineering degree graduate to quitting my first engineer job a year later, at the crux of the economic meltdown has been quite an experience, so far, that I would never trade. (More of that in another post if you want) I have found out early on that eating was nemesis for me, because of the stigma around it growing up. And it became one of a few ways I "numbed" myself from not wanting to deal or embrace the pains or pleasures of life.

I became more aware,  after committing to being open to all that life was trying to express to me through people, places and things I encountered. It wasn't until some time, until I realized one of the clever mechanisms my body used was eating as a comfort mode when I wasn't hungry. I call this "mindlessly eating" because I was never aware of this except for the problem, stiutation, or event in my mind. Was not conscious of it, until after the fact and was like - "Oh shit, when did this hurricane attack my kitchen?!" Many other people may have experienced this. Usually stress, anxiety were main triggers. But sometimes I would be happy, or excited and if was near the kitchen - forget about it. I happen to be discipline by nature, but this was no man's land.  I couldn't even access any part of me to stop me from eating. It was sooo automatic. Looked harmless from the outside - my family couldn't tell - I never gained extra weight, but it was a frustrating point to be especially since I had certain expectations for myself.

The worse part was that it crippled my creativity and my ability to be productive when I needed to be. Imagine seeing your life as you would have it, having small successes, having people supporting you, but not able to interact because you're looking at life from ....the outside. You're never fully there. Always missing crucial deadlines. Procrastinating to the "T". I definitely had some low points. Taking my life became frequent mental options.

A few of these low episodes finally got home and in my heart and it wasn't until I went back to what I knew worked for me, like meditating, allowing life to express through synchronicities that I began to understand I don't have to struggle alone or at all. Coming out of this 'trance' which I think may people are in,  could not have been possible without being & living in the present. Comprende? Basically not thinking on the past or being hung on the future, but living, thinking, being aware of this moment. Of course I also thank tools I've picked along the way from successful leaders, and conversations with my coach. There's nothing more amazing than to take the courage, for  yourself sake, in getting advice from someone who has more wisdom than you do. And my goodness, I got more than advice, I got some breakthroughs.

Ultimately what came up for me was the necessity of relating back to my inner child, as a friend would be a friend to a friend. If you're completely new to the word "inner child" its basically a younger version of you.  So having a great relationship with yourself, your inner child, or highest being or soul, is reflected in the quality your life whether in - health, relationships, career, finances, personal development.

Treat yourself horribly, ignore it, react to impulses of daily life instead of responding, or be driven by the constant fluctuations of fear & emotions and life isn't so pretty I bet. This is no joke, whether you think its far-fetched or not. The quality relationship you have with yourself, specifically the inner child can effect the quality of your current life. Not coming to terms with yourself if you experienced something as a child, whether you're conscious of it or not, will show up in various ways in your life. But life is ours to create as we please, right?...

Anyway, I'm at a point where music is taking center stage again, thank God! Its always glorious to do something you love each day, cause you and I owe it to ourselves. Otherwise, why are we here? I haven't totally cured my tendency to seek some comfort food when I'm anxious, but I have tools that I use that are bringing me closer and closer! Whew. If I may just a tad....tool #1 asking & staying in the questions ie: "What would it take for me to be calm before I played the piano?" (pause be still) "What is this situation trying to teach me right now?" "What is my body trying to tell me, right now?" "What I am doing to create this reaction from this person right now?" "If everyone I meet is a mirror, what is this person teaching me right now that I need to love/tolerate/embrace about myself?" OR
tool #2 Pause. Stop. Breathe consciously for a good moment. OR
# 3 Relating back to my inner child to find out whats going on.
These are just few I wanted to share. You'll find that over time - yes good things sometimes take time - you become stronger and in more control. What would it be like to have life on your terms? Or to respond to life no matter what it brings & take you to the next level?

Do onto others as you would to yourself completely.