BREATHING BY MIDNIGHT

I've been out all day with blogging heavily on my mind. Not once did I think I would be racing the clock trying to get out a thought-felt blog by midnight. The count down has begun and the hours have turned into minutes. Can I do it? Yes, I'm positive I can. I said to myself, "just breathe!"

Instantly I drew upon the power of my breath to complete the task at hand. Learning to breathe correctly was one of the most significant lessons of my life. Most people don't breathe correctly and only take shallow intakes of oxygen - our invisible lifeforce.

It wasn't until I began practicing yoga did I grasp the strength of various breathing techniques. To put it simply, you will get more out of life if you know how to breathe. A few deep breaths will give your body the oxygen it needs for sustainability, whether you need an extra push in your workouts or energy just to think clearly.

Take long deep breaths throughout your day and watch how much you get out of life. Don't take the gift of breathing for granted.

Now that's positve!

Namaste

30 DAYS TO A NEW ME

Why 30 days of Positivity?
I’ve really been practicing lately to be in a constant state of awareness. We have thousands of thoughts per day but do you know where they come from? What are some reoccurring themes? Can you turn your thoughts off? These are some of the questions I’ve been asking myself as I observe the unrelenting stream of thoughts that enter my mind. I can’t say that I can answer all of these questions yet but what I do know is I have a tendency to focus on the negative thoughts and ironically, those are the ones that keep replaying in my head. I plan and attend my own pity party and I’m the only attendee. When negative thoughts arise, I’m making a pledge to myself to transmute those mind disturbers into something positive. I knew it was time for a change so when I was introduced to Esther Hicks Youtube video called, “30 Days to a New You, positive thinking for 30 days seemed like an obtainable goal. Esther talking about using those 30 days to get your desires in motion by intensely focusing on the things that you want and the things that genuinely feel good. One of the things that always feels good is writing so my love of writing and this challenge of thinking positively for 30 days will go hand-n-hand. Actually, I think the writing will help me stay focused on thinking of things from a positive perspective because that’s when I feel pure and uncensored. Where Does the Blog Challenge Fit in?

I discovered the 30 day blog challenge after someone posted it on one of the blog groups I’m in. If you’re interested in blogging on a more consistent basis, this may be the challenge you need to make writing a passionate habit. Log onto http://ultimateblogchallenge.com/ for more details. Come One, Come All I’m so excited about the writing challenge and my positive thinking endeavor that I would love for everyone to participate with me. Push yourself to the edge of possiblities because that’s where your dreams are trying to take you. Let’s help one another stay motivated so the challenges ahead will flow smoothly like the sounds of a symphony.

LIVING FRIDAY FOREVER - 3 STEPS TO ENJOY YOUR WEEK

I walked into the office today and in the matter of 5 minutes I heard, “I’m so glad it’s Friday,” and “I made it to the end of the week.” When did we start speeding up our lives just for the anticipation of the end of the week? I vote we all start living everyday like it’s Friday - like it’s Friday for the rest of our lives.

For everyone who works a mundane, dead end job and are just itching to get to Friday, I say find beauty and gratitude in each moment you are given because the dead end job can lead to a new one if you set your intentions into motion. If you are waiting for Friday to feel alive and luminous, follow these 3 steps and you’ll be on your way to having more fulfilled days – even on a so-called dreaded Monday.

Step 1: Honor Yourself – You should be doing at least one thing a day that you absolutely love. Whether it’s reading a book, getting a massage, tasting one of your favorite foods or even just sitting outside in the sunshine; in some way you should be tending to the matters of your soul. I like to exercise a few times a week and some days I just get a cup of coffee and that little treat gives me a rush of excitement. I feel great when I’m doing something to honor my present mood and desires. The little things can really go a long way.

Step 2: Discover Your Labor of Love – We are all here to make a difference and whether you impact a handful or thousands, you’re still fulfilling your purpose. Think of yourself as a planet and realize that what you do will have an affect on the entire universe! When you work on your passion you will feel powerful and your day will be divine. If you currently have a not-so-appealing job, squeeze in time for your passion to make it through the tough days. I write daily because that is the foundation of my passion. Your labor of love is your creative outlet. Put it to good use and continue to expand those efforts and one day your passion could turn into a full time gig.

Step 3: Positivity – No matter where you’re at in your life, there is always a bright side and let that be your guide. Focus on all the positive things that are going on around you all throughout the week. For starters, just the mere fact that you’re alive makes you a hot commodity! Being thankful is the best way to bare witness to the beauty that surrounds you, and is you. Soon all of the negative thoughts that plague you will cease to exist.

Incorporate these simple steps and watch how quickly your humdrum Monday’s turns into a divine, powerful, and energetic day!

RECYCLE REVOLUTION

In my pursuit of all things green, I discovered the sanitation department in my county has a curbside recycling program. I thought to myself, "This is just what I need!" Hauling everything to the farmers market just wasn't cutting it anymore. Picture me lugging several bags of plastics and glasses then running around the market looking at a sea of bins trying to figure out where the tops to the bottles go since they have separate corridors from the green, brown, and clear glass bottles - which are also grouped separately.

My excitement quickly turned to perplexity when I learned I would have to pay $30 to participate. Yep, it will cost you $30 to "borrow" one of the county-owned blue bins. I suddenly had a flashback and remembered that this fee is what kept me from joining the program a few years prior. I mean, I pay my property taxes every year so why doesn't that include the cost to recycle? After all, there is money being made from recycled goods but the majority of the citizens doing the recycling don't get a piece of the pie.

Although I still didn't think that was a cost I should eat, I paid it anyway. I signed the check and stared at it for a minute before allowing it to leave my hands and never to be seen again; in the end I knew that my decision to recycle was in essence, priceless.

In hopes that one day it will be priceless for everyone, I called Sherry Arnold, the Dekalb County Recycle Coordinator, to find out a little more on why citizens have to incur this fee. She informed me that the county board of commissioners has made it a voluntary, instead of a mandatory program. So because of this they can't apply the cost to my property taxes. Right away I envisioned a possible solution could be to make it mandatory, or simply apart of the norm. It's a great move toward green living to have every home equipped with recycling bins to encourage recycling. It's the wave of the future.

"As of right now we have 32,000 customers and they're signing up every day," according to Arnold. I did the math: 32,000 customers x $30 a pop is $960,000 profit the county has made thus far from this "voluntary" program. I'm willing to bet it will remain voluntary for this very reason. There is definitely money being made in recycling efforts around the country. Going green is the new "thing" and people are finding ways to make green very profitable.

So then I had one question left that needed entertaining: "When is my recycle bin coming?" I have stacks of goods just waiting to be renewed and truth be told, this is the reason that prompted me to call them in the first place. I've been waiting for three weeks for it to arrive - one week longer than the said arrival. Arnold informed me they are getting 100-200 requests a week for the bins. They have been bombarded with request and are behind on fulfilling orders.

So it seems that the recycle revolution is in full swing! Knowing that my bin hasn't arrived because of all the like-minded people signing up, actually made me feel comfortable about enduring the unexpected delay. The mere fact that I'm not alone and that others are starting to wake up and do their part to better the earth made me feel a part of a new movement - a new consciousness. It may cost us 30 bucks, but we recoup that by having a more sustainable place to live for generations to come.

What are you doing to join the recycle revolution? It's not just about recycling cans anymore so hit me up and share your green efforts!

THE BREATH IS PERFECT

During a recent meditation sitting peacefully in my lotus pose, a significant thought came to me:

Breath is the purest fiber of life and is the starting point of the expression of our perfection in this earthly body. The breath is perfect and anything that manifests from that breath is also perfect.

Imagine a person is having an anxiety attack and they can't calm down and normalize their breathing. They are taking short gasp of air and the more they panic, the more they feel faint. This example makes breathing seem imperfect but even the erratic breath is perfect because it still has a beginning and an end. So in essence, there is no such thing as an imperfect breath; the influx of oxygen is still constant thus allowing you to use your mind and the mind of God to make decisions.

Every moment you have in your breath is perfect - which means all of your actions, feelings and thoughts have the ability to express your perfection. Everything comes from breathing; you are in you breath - your breath is not you; you are a breathing-spirit living a human experience. You are unconsciously controlling the need to breathe so you can express your purpose in this life. Your breath and spirit are on a mission! The second you were born the first thing you did was breath and it will be the last thing you will do before you transition back to the formless being you eternally are. So by feeling the power of your breath, you know that ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. Feel the magnitude of your breath and you will also feel the magnitude of all that you are destined to accomplish in this life.

Each day take time to sit in silence and just...breath. Observe your thoughts and allow them to take a backseat to the flow of your breathing. Feel alive; feel grateful for the moments you have to honor yourself. What better way to honor yourself than to acknowledge this rhythmic flow?

affirmation: I am a reflection of my perfect breath. All things will be made perfect because I am alive to breathe them into existence.

Time to Test Drive the All-Electric Nissan Leaf

It's official!

I just signed up to test drive the new Nissan Leaf all-electric car. The tour hits Atlanta February 18 - 20.

It's been almost a year since my car took its place in heaven and I've been on a search for something new - yet better ever since. I made a decision that I would get a car that was better for the environment so I started searching for hybrid cars. I even looked at the all-electric Tesla's website but waiting until 2012 just didn't seem feasible. Then I stumbled upon the Nissan Leaf and discovered their fleet was already in production. So the Leaf research began and hysteria followed as I went deep into the intricate details of this electric beauty.

Some highlights that are just to die for are:
- 100 miles per charge - Great for in-town travels
- Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) - meaning no spewing of gases into our precious atmosphere
- The seats are made from recycled plastic - what a creative way to recycle! (I'm a green movement junkie)

There is a transition brewing in so many facets of life and the movement from oil based cars to electric cars is just one example of how things are evolving. I asked myself, "What car solution would be better for the earth?" A resounding inner voice answered, "Go electric!"

So here I am on my quest to obtain an all-electric car; the first step will be test driving the Nissan Leaf. I'll be certain to update you on my experience!

If you would like more information on the Nissan Leaf go to http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car. You can get product information on this site and if you're feeling frisky, sign up to test drive one these babies!

Beautiful Infinitely

Beautiful is his heart I can’t capture because he’s so free and lovely and me.
Beautiful are his eyes, the souls disguise to all there is
But I see the depths of his luster, rooted in sandalwood musk…
It must be more to this beautiful man standing before me
As we talk I watch his beautiful layers unfold…
So naked and beautiful shedding his winter blues
When I saw his beautiful smile I knew I loved him before when time didn’t exist
So this reunion was…well…beautiful