Every great change is preceded by chaos. --Deepak Chopra
Just the title of this blog may have caused a "yuck, I don't like it" reaction. But please, read on.
Chopra's quote above gives me great hope and perspective in our very chaotic world, speaking of governments, countries, the planet, and world affairs. Because of my nature, generally positive, I believe the great change that is coming is going to be extraordinarily good on every level. While I can say that it sucks to have to live through this horrific chaos, I believe that those of us who are doing so are here now for a reason.
Applying Chopra's quote to my individual life, I can see several examples. Certainly there was extreme chaos on every level in my life before I joined a 12-step program to treat my addiction, an act which induced great change. I can say that the magnitudes of the chaos and the change were about equal. Gardening is a regular chaos and change process, where we disrupt the soil in order to be able to insert the seed or the plant to grow and blossom. Even with house-cleaning, there's plenty of chaos with equipment, cleaning products, and movement of stuff before the change of a clean house manifests.
Look at the human birth process. The development of a new human is an extremely orderly, divine and mystical process, but it surely feels like chaos to the mother's body. And if the actual birthing event isn't chaos, I don't know what is! The parents' lives are greatly changed forever, and the magnitude of change for the new human can't even be described in words.
I invite you to consider those times of chaos in your life, and the great change resulting. Note the potential for great change in any present chaos you may be experiencing. The quote above, and "everything has a lifespan" (see previous post, "Time"), are giving me great comfort in this chaotic world.
Breathe.
Leta
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Time
A dear friend gifted me with the book titled "Daily Peace." It is a National Geographic publication with the subtitle, "Photos and Wisdom to Nourish Your Spirit." Each day has a quote and an outstanding photo of our planet's fabulous beauty. Each month has a theme, January's being transition.
Today's quote is by Francis Bacon, "Time is the greatest innovator." There is an element of "duh" to that, as we've moved from early inventions of fire and the wheel to the Internet and airplanes. Human life over the centuries has been an ongoing process of innovation, and thus transition.
Already in this young year and decade, only a few days into it, transition is happening in my life. We continue to adjust joyfully to our new dog, Barney. It's back-to-work time. I've restarted my MELT and yoga classes, and in short order, I'll be back at my three-month tax preparer job. An annual event that I have hosted for many years, a retreat at Timber Creek Retreat House, will be no more, due to procedural requirements they have imposed that I am not prepared to meet. That saddens me, as I love the place. But in the spirit of transition, I remember "everything has a lifespan." Those are mostly comforting words from my mentor, Dr. Chris Michaels. I am confident that something even more fun will enter my life to replace that event.
Getting back to innovation, I want to share the experience my husband and I had in early December of last year. We test-drove a Tesla sedan. It's an all-electric car, on the leading edge of vehicle design, technology and comfort, truly a marvel of innovation. My husband and younger son have been interested in Teslas for years, researching them as they have developed over time. I just thought they look cool and listened patiently as my husband would report new innovations. My son and I visited the Tesla showroom in Denver in November, where I learned a lot more about the cool features, but we did not drive one. Then in December, on a visit to the Kansas City showroom, we drove one.
OMG, it is like driving a rocket ship. BMW is going to have to stop referring to its cars as "the ultimate driving machine," because that is now the Tesla, in my opinion. Acceleration is instant. The car is powered by 7,000 (yes, 7,000!) AA-type batteries. They are warranted for eight years, and every two years, each battery is tested and replaced if need be. Everything is controlled by the computer screen in the dashboard center, even the "button" to open the glove box. We couldn't figure out how to turn the car off, so we just got out. That's how it turns off, when you get out. It's crazy the number of features the Teslas have. I could rave on and on. I sum it up by saying it is the most fun thing I have ever driven (and yes, I owned a BMW sedan for ten years).
Time is speeding up, and so is the pace of innovation. So much has been invented just in my lifetime of 64 years. I am thrilled and excited by humanity's creativity and what surely lies ahead for us.
Let's hear it for the dreamers!
Leta
Today's quote is by Francis Bacon, "Time is the greatest innovator." There is an element of "duh" to that, as we've moved from early inventions of fire and the wheel to the Internet and airplanes. Human life over the centuries has been an ongoing process of innovation, and thus transition.
Already in this young year and decade, only a few days into it, transition is happening in my life. We continue to adjust joyfully to our new dog, Barney. It's back-to-work time. I've restarted my MELT and yoga classes, and in short order, I'll be back at my three-month tax preparer job. An annual event that I have hosted for many years, a retreat at Timber Creek Retreat House, will be no more, due to procedural requirements they have imposed that I am not prepared to meet. That saddens me, as I love the place. But in the spirit of transition, I remember "everything has a lifespan." Those are mostly comforting words from my mentor, Dr. Chris Michaels. I am confident that something even more fun will enter my life to replace that event.
Getting back to innovation, I want to share the experience my husband and I had in early December of last year. We test-drove a Tesla sedan. It's an all-electric car, on the leading edge of vehicle design, technology and comfort, truly a marvel of innovation. My husband and younger son have been interested in Teslas for years, researching them as they have developed over time. I just thought they look cool and listened patiently as my husband would report new innovations. My son and I visited the Tesla showroom in Denver in November, where I learned a lot more about the cool features, but we did not drive one. Then in December, on a visit to the Kansas City showroom, we drove one.
OMG, it is like driving a rocket ship. BMW is going to have to stop referring to its cars as "the ultimate driving machine," because that is now the Tesla, in my opinion. Acceleration is instant. The car is powered by 7,000 (yes, 7,000!) AA-type batteries. They are warranted for eight years, and every two years, each battery is tested and replaced if need be. Everything is controlled by the computer screen in the dashboard center, even the "button" to open the glove box. We couldn't figure out how to turn the car off, so we just got out. That's how it turns off, when you get out. It's crazy the number of features the Teslas have. I could rave on and on. I sum it up by saying it is the most fun thing I have ever driven (and yes, I owned a BMW sedan for ten years).
Time is speeding up, and so is the pace of innovation. So much has been invented just in my lifetime of 64 years. I am thrilled and excited by humanity's creativity and what surely lies ahead for us.
Let's hear it for the dreamers!
Leta
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
2019 in Review
I keep a daily Win List of good things, blessings, synchronicities, accomplishments, etc. At the end of the year, I like to review and summarize it. I do this to super-charge my attitude of gratitude. I am also doing this as a reminder that I fulfilled, and significantly surpassed, my intentions for 2019, and that is an awesome feeling. I want to practice that great feeling knowing that I will have it at that end of 2020, too. Here are my highlights from 2019:
WORK
Completed:
==My 4th season doing tax prep
==Another year of MELT and yoga teaching at the Clearwater Wellness Center
==Another year of spiritual life coaching with clients whom I dearly love and appreciate
==MELT Level 1 (Roller) training
FAMILY
There were numerous trips to Fort Collins, including:
==Surprising Derek for his April birthday
==Dog-sitting adventure in May, along with celebrating Eliot's 30th birthday and seeing Dennis' band at the Swing Station just down the road from Derek's house
==Took sons and friends to see the Cubs playing the Rockies in Denver
TRAVEL
==MELT Roller training in Orlando gave me the opportunity to visit/stay with 3 set of friends in Florida whom I hadn't seen in quite some time.
==A 2,000+ mile drive back east included a visit with Doug (nephew) and Robin, who took me to Detroit for a Tigers game. I then went on to Ohio to visit with my brother Arlie and family.
==A trip to Cheyenne and Fort Collins with travel bud and friend, Lanie. We happened upon Frontier Days, I went to my first rodeo, and our hotel had no hot water and gave us a super discount. We had fun golfing in Loveland.
==Baseball tour in California, going to all five stadiums. Highlights were a string ensemble playing in Balboa Park--an amazing group of siblings ages 17 and under; and I got on the huge video board at Petco Park in San Diego, a nanosecond of fame. Just seven stadiums left to complete my quest.
==Trips to St. Louis for Pockets (band) reunion and celebrating my in-laws 90th birthdays.
==Another great retreat at Timber Creek Retreat House
==Registered for a Spain & Portugal tour in Sept 2020
==Saw Rob Bell's "Introduction to Joy" show in OKC with friend Bertie
HEALTH
==Best wishes to my chiropractor of over 30 years upon her retirement. I'm happy for her, but bummed for me.
==I met with a new doctor for future hip replacement.
==Commitment to eating at home, mostly, with these guidelines:
MISCELLANEOUS
==Began working through "The Prosperous Life Journal" in October, to keep myself focused on abundance and gratitude.
==Many enjoyable hours of crocheting early in the year produced Christmas-gift afghans for Derek and Eliot.
==The neighbor's fence was finally fixed, so I got my garden and swing back.
==The year-long vehicle search culminated in test-driving a Tesla--it's the WINNER (a 2020 intention).
DOG
After nearly a year of dog-sitting our grand-dog in 2018, we missed having a critter around, so we casually looked at various pups over the year. On Dec. 8, we brought home Barney Clark. He brings more joy, laughter and love to us every day.
I'd say 2019 was mighty fine, and I can hardly wait for all the good of 2020.
Blessings to all my readers!
Leta
WORK
Completed:
==My 4th season doing tax prep
==Another year of MELT and yoga teaching at the Clearwater Wellness Center
==Another year of spiritual life coaching with clients whom I dearly love and appreciate
==MELT Level 1 (Roller) training
FAMILY
There were numerous trips to Fort Collins, including:
==Surprising Derek for his April birthday
==Dog-sitting adventure in May, along with celebrating Eliot's 30th birthday and seeing Dennis' band at the Swing Station just down the road from Derek's house
==Took sons and friends to see the Cubs playing the Rockies in Denver
TRAVEL
==MELT Roller training in Orlando gave me the opportunity to visit/stay with 3 set of friends in Florida whom I hadn't seen in quite some time.
==A 2,000+ mile drive back east included a visit with Doug (nephew) and Robin, who took me to Detroit for a Tigers game. I then went on to Ohio to visit with my brother Arlie and family.
==A trip to Cheyenne and Fort Collins with travel bud and friend, Lanie. We happened upon Frontier Days, I went to my first rodeo, and our hotel had no hot water and gave us a super discount. We had fun golfing in Loveland.
==Baseball tour in California, going to all five stadiums. Highlights were a string ensemble playing in Balboa Park--an amazing group of siblings ages 17 and under; and I got on the huge video board at Petco Park in San Diego, a nanosecond of fame. Just seven stadiums left to complete my quest.
==Trips to St. Louis for Pockets (band) reunion and celebrating my in-laws 90th birthdays.
==Another great retreat at Timber Creek Retreat House
==Registered for a Spain & Portugal tour in Sept 2020
==Saw Rob Bell's "Introduction to Joy" show in OKC with friend Bertie
HEALTH
==Best wishes to my chiropractor of over 30 years upon her retirement. I'm happy for her, but bummed for me.
==I met with a new doctor for future hip replacement.
==Commitment to eating at home, mostly, with these guidelines:
- Eat food that spoils (not the processed stuff with multi-year shelf life)
- Know the ingredients (if it takes a chemistry degree to know what it is, don't eat it)
- Don't bring ice cream or potato chips into the house
- Dennis did an awesome job both feeding me suppers and making leftovers for my tax-job lunches. I stopped eating out at work, and as a result, lost a few pounds during tax season, rather than gaining 10# as I had in the three previous seasons.
MISCELLANEOUS
==Began working through "The Prosperous Life Journal" in October, to keep myself focused on abundance and gratitude.
==Many enjoyable hours of crocheting early in the year produced Christmas-gift afghans for Derek and Eliot.
==The neighbor's fence was finally fixed, so I got my garden and swing back.
==The year-long vehicle search culminated in test-driving a Tesla--it's the WINNER (a 2020 intention).
DOG
After nearly a year of dog-sitting our grand-dog in 2018, we missed having a critter around, so we casually looked at various pups over the year. On Dec. 8, we brought home Barney Clark. He brings more joy, laughter and love to us every day.
I'd say 2019 was mighty fine, and I can hardly wait for all the good of 2020.
Blessings to all my readers!
Leta
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