Trying Something New

     In the author bio in my soon-to-be-released book, one of the roles I listed for myself is "budding artist." This is because the book includes artwork for coloring created by yours truly. Referring to myself as any sort of artist, budding or otherwise, is a stretch for me about as wide as the Grand Canyon.
     Last night was my first in a series of six classes on acrylic painting at City Arts in Wichita. Other than the mandatory art classes in high school, I have never done anything like this, ever. I went into it with joyful expectations of fun and learning, and my expectations were met over-the-top. Of the five students in the class, I am the only one who is a complete and total rookie. It is so fun on a soul level to be so wide open to learning something so new. I confessed that I am powerfully moved and intrigued by color and light the way some folks respond to music. I also confessed that the idea of having to paint anything that is supposed to actually look like something real is terrifying. I learned that the painting I love, and hope to create, is called "non-objective." I'm on it!
     The instructor spent half the class talking about the materials we would be using. He's a man after my own heart, suggesting always to take the thrifty/bargain route. Big relief there. Then we actually had time to do some play with paints, and even doing the simple color chart as a starter--well, I got lost in it, and would have spent the rest of the evening there had we not had a class ending time. What fun!
     Maybe there's some new thing you'd like to explore????
     Learning and loving it,
            Leta

This Brave Broad says, "Getting older requires great bravery!"

     I hurt my right knee, making life difficult and uncomfortable. A couple weeks' time should heal it up nicely, but in the meantime...
     That obnoxious Inner Roommate voice in my head is saying, "You're getting older. Get used to those aches and pains 'cause they are gonna keep on coming." If that doesn't annoy me enough, it goes on, "If you hurt yourself bad enough, you'll be dependent. Then after a long time of being a burden, you'll die." Sometimes I want to rip my own head off!
     Clearly, this is another growth opportunity. An opportunity to focus on what I want in life (total well-being) instead of what I don't want (see preceding paragraph). An opportunity to be compassionate toward my amazing body, rather than irritated with it. And as good timing would have it, I have a weekend workshop later this month wherein I can work deeply on all these growth opportunities.
     Focusing on well-being, yes, yes, I am,
           Leta

With Love

     Other than the occasional blog post, I had stopped writing for several years. The details of that hiatus aren't necessary. Q, my nickname for my higher power, kept nudging me to write (i.e., intuition), and I was resistant, to say the least. 

     Last October, at a retreat at Timber Creek Retreat House, during a meditation, Q was finally forceful enough in It's message to get me writing again. Delivered to my psyche then and there were the title, the outline and even an idea of what the book cover would look like.

     Voila!

     This is a proof copy of the book, which will be available on Amazon in October. The title is still growing on me, and the subtitle explains the title: Slow Down and Ponder a Life of Wholeness, Health, Openness and Action. It's a book of short introspective meditations with questions for pondering, space for journaling or doodling and artwork to color. There are a few personal short stories included. I am thrilled with how it turned out. I did it all via Amazon's self-publishing process at createspace.com.  

     For me, writing the book was the easy part. Promotion of the finished product has the potential to be filled with great pressure and drudgery for me. I was reminded by my loving spiritual mentor that all I need to do insure success along those lines is to do the things I love and let the rest go. That in itself is success. In any case, given Q's insistence to get this book into form through me, I know that my invisible support team is hard at work lining up the people. places and circumstances to spread the book around. 

     I'll keep you posted on the official release date. 

     With love,

            Leta

Opportunity and Respect

     Each week in my yoga classes, I read a segment from the book "Meditations from the Mat" by Rolf Gates and Katrina Kennison. It is a very insightful look at the whole system of yoga, an eight-limb system teaching humans how to live in a state of well-being on every level. Yoga postures (asana) are just one limb of the eight-limb system.
     Yesterday I came upon this sentence in the book: "Give the opportunity you have been given the respect that it is due." In context, it was referring to the opportunity of attending yoga classes. However, I see this as a powerful guiding statement for all of life.
     I let my mind start roaming about in "opportunities" so worthy of respect:

• being alive in these amazing bodies
• using our talents
• loving ourselves and others
• living on an extraordinary planet
• having machines (washer, dryer, dishwasher, car, A/C, etc.) that make life so easy
• supporting oneself (and maybe others) via working
• voting
• learning
• eating good food
• travelling

     Those are just the ones that "floated to the top" as I was writing this. The sentiment of the above quote adds a reverence to daily life and all the things we get to do, be and have. Please ponder this and feel free to add to the list from your own life experience. It feels good.
     Enjoying opportunities,
              Leta

Relief for Procrastination

This is a quote from spiritual teacher Abraham via Esther Hicks...

Don't beat up on yourself about procrastination, for this reason. When you are focused upon what you want and you are in a place of really expecting … in other words pure creation … you will be inspired to action and the action comes easily. But if you are not really clear about what you want or if your expectation is not quite yet in alignment, then it takes more action. But even in offering the action it is counter-productive because you are working against yourself. In other words you are splitting the energy. You are following? So procrastination is nothing more than your physical realization that you are acting too soon, that some mental alignment is in order. Or that the fire isn't there yet so don't spray the hose in the house! Procrastination is not a bad thing!! It is the realization that the Universe has not sufficiently aligned. 

It is the same thing as saying, "Abraham, I went out to the garden. I looked at the bush. I saw that great big green hard tomato and I just didn't feel like plucking it and eating it." We would say, "Of course you didn't feel like plucking it and eating it! You'd rather wait a few days until it becomes soft and delicious and ripe and ready for you." And in the same way we say don't try so hard to bang your way forward. Allow, or trust that the laws of the Universe will brings things into the perfect alignment. And you be one who is at the right place at the right time, and you will be when you are looking for reasons to feel good.

Feeling good about feeling good,
        Leta

Reading Fewer Books?

     Here's a fine article about the fact that fewer people are reading fewer books, and why. It describes me all too well, I'm bummed to say. Hopefully it will lead me to more discipline and more book-reading time. http://philipyancey.com/reading-wars
     It won't take long to read it! 😉
         Leta

Freedom

"When we become love and cease having anything to prove, we are finally and exquisitely free."
                                  - Rev. Karen Wylie

     The combination of freedom and flexibility is one of my top five core values in life. I love having a flexible schedule so that I can travel when I want. Having that flexibility gives me a great sense of freedom.
     The quote above, however, inspires me to dig deeper into the idea of freedom. I am in the process of releasing some obligations from my schedule. As I look on those things I have let go or plan to let go, I see it's because in those areas, I have ceased having anything to prove. I am letting them go easily and gracefully, not with any angst of incompletion or failure. I am opening the way to be more love, by being able to do more of the things that I love. Yes, it does feel very free and heart-opening.
     Happy Monday!
            Leta