Sometimes Life is Bizarre

Our family owns a week at a Hilton Hotel (or one of their partner hotels) anywhere in the world. Last year around this time, Hilton eMailed to say that we had to use the week or lose the week. No one could go at the last minute, so I spent a week in a two bedroom suite in a Hilton Waikiki with a view of the ocean and the Dawn Patrol.

That was about the 20th time I’ve travelled with next-to-no money.

• While working as an airline employee in my 20′s, a trip was offered to London for airline taxes only (something like $48). Lodging was less than $100 for the week (in what turned out to be a broom closet at one time — but it had a huge window). I had enough cash to buy myself a coat at Harrod’s.
• An employer taught me how to chart all of my spending to determine ways to cut back in order to travel. I stopped buying magazines and eating out; within six months, I saved enough to spend two weeks in Holland. (And since then, I’ve been overseas more than 30 times.)
• A 7-day media junket to Costa Rica was offered. As a single mom, I was very very broke and had less than $100 to my name. My brother got us to/from the airport ’cause I couldn’t afford the airporter. That was one of the most extraordinary trips on the planet.
• Another media-related tour included Chinese New Years in Hong Kong. This was really something and totally job-related. I had about $200 to my name.
• Then Hawaii in December 2010: Quite amazing. Free because saved-up mileage covered the flight. The only expense was meals which I’d be buying at home anyway.

So here we are again. Next to no cash, working 10-12 hours seven days a week to make enough to pay bills. Really quite worried much of the time. I haven’t been more than six blocks away from my computer since last December.

We again got one of those “use it or lose it calls” from the Hilton. We figured we’d go to Hawaii ’cause we could cover the airfare but not much else.

Hawaii’s booked. So what now? Where can we go for free . . .

What about Jamaica . . .

Finding Out Who You Are.

Abundance and Prosperity

• Do you feel very fortunate in your life?
• Do you have financial abundance?
• Do you spend money wisely?
• Do things show up when you need them?
• Do you consider yourself lucky?

Fame and Reputation

• Do you have high self-esteem?
• Are you recognized and respected for the work you do?
• Do others value and appreciate you?
• Are you confident and not overly concerned with what other people think of you?
• Do you have the courage to follow your dreams?

Relationships and Love

• Are you content and fulfilled with your relationships with your friends, spouse, family and colleagues?
• Do you have an active social life?
• Are you in a happy, intimate relationship?
• Do you have wonderful, trustworthy relationships?
• Do you have the romance you desire in your life?

Creativity and Children

• Are you creative?
• Are you excited about life?
• As a parent, is your relationship with your children rich and joyful?
• Are you full of curiosity and wonder?
• If you want kids, are you able to conceive children easily?

Helpful People and Travel

• Do you have close friends and other people who support you?
• Do you consider yourself helpful to others or do you mentor anyone?
• Are there lots of people in your life who show up as helpful friends or “angels” of the visible and invisible type?
• Do you travel as much as you would like to?
• Do you allow yourself to receive help from others?

Career and Journey

• Are you passionate about what you do for a living?
• Is your job in the field you want it to be in?
• Are you fulfilled by your work and acknowledged by the people around you in relation to your work?
• Do you like to try new things and feel anything is possible?
• Do you feel like you have found your life’s purpose?

Skills and Knowledge

• Do you have a sense of the sacred and spiritual in life?
• Are you able to enjoy spending time alone?
• Do you love to learn new subjects?
• Do you feel intelligent and find that you almost always make wise decisions?
• Do you have all of the skills you need to pursue your dreams?

Family and Elders

• Do you get along well with your parents?
• Do you have a meaningful relationship with a teacher, mentor, or elder whom you consider an important part of your life?
• Do you easily release things from the past?
• Do you have a good relationship with your family?
• Do you get along well with authority figures?

Health

• Are you in good health?
• Do you wake up feeling energetic and ready to start the day?
• Do you heal quickly?
• Are your eating and exercise habits in alignment with your goals?
• Do you feel as though your life is in balance?

Lumos Labs researchers, in collaboration with researchers from Stanford and San Francisco State University, have published a groundbreaking study in Mensa Research Journal. This is the first peer-reviewed, controlled trial to demonstrate that web-based cognitive training can significantly enhance cognitive performance in healthy adults.

Participants who did Lumosity training for 20 minutes a day tested significantly higher in visual attention and working memory at the end of the 5-week study. Control participants who did not have Lumosity training did not improve.

This study shows that Lumosity training is something you can take with you far beyond the constraints of the computer screen. Whether at home, at work, or at play, the benefits of Lumosity training can actively enhance your cognitive function in myriad aspects of life. Unlock our full suite of games and training courses and let Lumosity take your brain to new heights.

For those of us forced to seek new careers, exercising our brain and/or understanding where we are and where we have to go, this training is valuable. It gave me self-confidence I’d lost during the past couple of years. In playing each game, I stumbled through the example question, only to “get it” immediately, and went on to doing extremely well in the rest of the questions.

This study goes above and beyond others of its kind in building a persuasive case for cognitive training for the general population. The experiment used a control group to demonstrate that these improvements were not based on practice effects. Furthermore, the standard assessments of attention and memory used to test the transfer of training effects were distinct from the tasks used for training—thus indicating that cognitive benefits went beyond game-specific abilities. Cognitive improvements were transferable to core cognitive abilities.

This is from that man in China that operates under the name of “Tara.”

The time has come for you to get rid of your uncontrollable anxiety once and for all. Anxiety that’s made you doubt everything about yourself and your life.

That’s right, an end to your solitude is at hand, because I’m here to help you turn things around. (Tara performed the “great ritual of protection” for me, which means for us all, since I don’t know Tara and Tara doesn’t know me.) I promise you that luck, love and money are going to be your reward!

Like many of us now, I spend too much time worrying. Fortunately, I am aware of it, so rather than stay stressed, I pull out books or videos that will pull me out of it immediately. A friend sent me The Science of Getting Rich, which is an old book by Wlalace Delois Wattles (1860-1911), a “New Thought” American author. The writing is less than elegant, but the basic message is solid so if you have time, take time to read it at least once. It is, of course, about mind control. From Mr. Wattles’ book:

It is expected that the reader will take the fundamental statements upon faith, just as he would take statements concerning a law of electrical action if they were promulgated by a Marconi or an Edison; and, taking the statements upon faith, that he will prove their truth by acting upon them without fear or hesitation. Every man or woman who does this will certainly get rich; for the science herein applied is an exact science, and failure is impossible. For the benefit, however, of those who wish to investigate philosophical theories and so secure a logical basis for faith, I will here cite certain authorities.

The monistic theory of the universe the theory that One is All, and that All is One; That one Substance manifests itself as the seeming many elements of the material world is of Hindu origin, and has been gradually winning its way into the thought of the western world for two hundred years. It is the foundation of all the Oriental philosophies, and of those of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibnitz, Schopenhauer, Hegel , and Ralph Waldo Emerson. The reader who would dig to the Philosophical Foundations of this is advised to read Hegel and Emerson for himself.

In searching for the above, I came across 21 Games for The Mind That Won’t Shut the @#&* Up!From the Bible to The Secret. From Emerson to Eckhart Tolle. From churches to 12-Step to psychiatric couches, Seagram’s to CNN, Playboy to plastic surgery, the 4AM infomercial to anywhere-but-here. When you’ve done it all . . . except get happy . . . When it’s time to stop running and start living. When you’re ready to give up or start over, take a moment to play these games.

If one of my favorite speakers is in town, I get a few tickets and go.

One of my favorites is Dr. Wayne Dyer. He is a fine man. His seminars are much like being in your living room having a conversation. Dr. Dyer is one of those speakers that makes a whole auditorium feel like your living room. Dr. Dyer has given his life to studying philosophies and shares them with us in all of his works.

There are many reasons individuals pursue spiritual paths: Something to fill a void in their lives that other activities, such as drugs, sex, shopping, and psychoanalytical therapy are unable to satisfy. Others seek power, fame and wealth, or maybe something such as finding a “significant other.”

In our human incarnations it seems people most often seek happiness relating to material images and goods.

Mine is to get back to what I know, which is The Void. We are here forever. Whatever we are dealing with now is transitory. Do you know how uncomfortable it is to say that in casual conversation? So, like many of you who DO know whence we come and whence we go, I work within the dictim of the day.

However, whatever happiness and/or peace of mind we seek, regardless of the form we think it will take when we first begin our journey, there are “rest stops” along the way.

The Path of Alchemy: Energetic Healing & the World of Natural Magic (Pathways to Enlightenment) by Mark Stavish offers insight into alternative therapies, new medicines and the depths of the human mind. Illuminating an esoteric practice, Mark Stavish reveals how to create and apply “medicines for the soul” in this guide to plant and mineral alchemy. The “Path of Alchemy” introduces the history and basic laws of this ancient practice, and explains how it ties into Qabala, tarot, astrology and the four elements.

“Anyone who says they have found ‘the’ path up the mountain hasn’t even found the mountain.” — Jack Schwartz (during a conversation around 1965).

Feng Shui is the ancient oriental art of enhancing and harmonizing the flow of energy in your surroundings. Over the last 30 years or so, dozens of practitioners both from the East and West have utilized feng shui to clear space, which has the wonderful effect of also clearing one’s mind.

Dozens of easy-to-follow guides will help you create a new you — literally. Living by intent, which is part of feng shui’s “magic,” brings you quickly along your path to whatever peace or change you are consciously or unconsciously seeking.

Several years ago, one of my client-friends sought the assistance of a feng shui practitioner in the San Francisco Bay Area to clear spaces in high-end homes (i.e. $2+ million) that were not selling. It worked every single time.

I have used feng shui to change my life through the years . . . and am again so doing. Like so many of us, I’ve been caught up in America’s current poverty thinking; that is insane given that we are in an abundant universe!

I love this Web site and its concept, especially at this time in America when so many of us need/seek positive change. I am going back through the site to update pages and make them relevant to today!

One thing that is easy is learning the art of space clearing, it will bring new energy into your life.

It is vital to have a good flow of clear, vibrant energy in your home and workplace. Feng Shui is a beautifully organized system of knowledge that teaches how to enhance energy flow by improving building design, furniture placement, color schemes, and so on. Space Clearing is a specialized branch of Feng Shui that works at even deeper levels by cleansing and purifying the chi of a building to enhance the quality of energy in the space. Many people now choose to make space clearing part of their regular building maintenance program so that their space is energetically as well as physically clean and clear, such as the real estate agent mentioned above.

Hay House offers Denise Linn’s Feng Shui For The Soul. Her personal journey began as a result of a near-death experience at age 17. Her life-changing experiences and remarkable recovery set her on a spiritual quest that led her to explore the healing traditions of many cultures, including those of her own Cherokee ancestors, the Aborigines in the Australian bush, and the Zulus in Bophuthatswana. She trained with a Hawaiian kahuna (shaman), and Reiki Master Hawayo Takata. She was also adopted into a New Zealand Maori tribe. In addition, Denise lived in a Zen Buddhist monastery for more than two years. Denise is an internationally renowned teacher in the field of self-development. She’s the author of the bestseller Sacred Space and the award-winning Feng Shui for the Soul, and has written 16 books, which are available in 24 languages.

To stop whining about my loss of income due to Amazon.com’s cancelling business connections in California, I went to a favorite house of worship today — Unity in Marin — to shore up my spirits. The message focused on “Doing the Impossible,” and used the movie “The King’s Speech” to illustrate overcoming the seemingly impossible.

The reason I value Unity is because the Reverends tie in spirituality with current issues, movies, lessons, and history beyond (or in addition to) the scope of the Bible. This tends to make what they say relevant to all. They also have fine musicians and uplifting music every Sunday.

Because last week was nearing the Fourth of July and celebrating our country, Thomas Jefferson, writer of the Declaration of Independence, was the subject. In 1804 Thomas Jefferson decided to study the gospels to see if he could distill the essence of Jesus’ teachings into a concise book that could be quickly read and easily understood without any of the surrounding dogma. As part of his lifelong religious quest, he cut, rearranged, and pasted together the passages from the Christian gospels that he believed to be true. The result, The Jefferson Bible, is a fascinating religious document as well as an insight into the mind of one of America’s greatest presidents.

This week Reverend Medora Gordon wrapped her sermon around the story of “The King’s Speech.”

Briefly, in case you don’t know the story: After the death of his father King George V, Edward was to become King of England. He abdicated the throne to marry American commoner Wallis Simpson (once she divorced for a second time). His brother Bertie, who suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life, was suddenly crowned King George VI of England. King George was unable to deliver a speech without serious stuttering. His wife, Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother, arranged for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue. After a rough start, the two delve into an unorthodox course of treatment and eventually form an unbreakable bond. With the support of Logue, his family, his government and Winston Churchill, the King overcame his stammer . . . this was against serious odds. It is a heart-warming story and a great movie.

The point of today’s message was, of course, battling through your own blocks. Reverend Gordon also tied in her own fear, which is of heights such as climbing ladders. She told the story of being challenged to climb a ladder in school to change a light in a drama class. After a few steps up the ladder she could neither go up nor down. That was the last time she climbed a ladder . . . until today. Looking quite uncomfortable, she climbed three steps, took a deep breath, and raised her hands into the air smiling. The congregation rose in applause. I wondered if she would climb back down on her own. She did.

I was not going to include this on this site. My desire was to leave the cancer behind and never think of it again. But perhaps my experience will ease someone’s fear of this dis-ease.

The Healing Wing is dedicated to women going through breast cancer; the hope is that it will ease the journey for some.

The Beginning: March 7, 2008 Friday

Breast cancer.
Malignant.
Invasive.

The image on the x-ray is that of an erupting volcano: a spire with streaks of fire and lava flow. Fascinating. We are part and parcel of this universe. We are irrevocably connected. So why wouldn’t we have volcanos in our body, dormant, waiting to blow at a moment’s notice?

Life is a journey. I’ve been to more than 20 countries around the world. I love travel. I always want to know what’s around the bend . . . sometimes the grass is greener. This is definitely a different journey. But I’m curious about what there will be along the path.

The first question: “Can I get through this without anyone knowing?” I hate dealing with illness and really hate being treated like an invalid, which is the normal reaction from people who don’t know how to deal with any illness. After the initial shock of dealing with others’ emotions, I almost laughed when they twisted up their faces with dreadful looks of pity.

The doctor’s response to my desire to keep this secret was “No. That’s impossible. You must tell your family and close friends.” So I’ve decided to openly discuss this whole process with the hope that it will help someone else and maybe develop a funding source for people who have no financial wiggle room. Thus this web site.

The second question: “Is the fear greater than the pain or the process?”

The third question is related to finances. What does Cancer cost? Can I afford it, even with insurance? Are there resources for small subsidies for unexpected medication?

And then: What about these volcanos in our bodies and the relationship to medicine: Do doctors study earth sciences, geology, mineralogy. If not, why not?

The Diagnosis: Stage One.

Reading inspirational works has helped me through many years. The connection between your mind and body is close, powerful, and often a valuable tool in taking control of your life and ambitions. You will find it helpful to find solace in the words and wisdom of others, but it starts with your own thought patterns which can affect you in profound ways. Your thoughts can have truly incredible effects on your health and you will need to keep your balance while others around you have trouble coping. The first thing I did was surround myself with the wisdom of the ages and research by current enlightened practitioners in books and in movies.

This was posted on July 10. It is now July 15 and I find myself reluctant to go back in time to share this journey.

The most important message for you is that I can assure you that there are people in addition to myself that sailed through cancer, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It caused minimal downtime. I worked every day as a full-time marketing assistant in a real estate office. I drove myself to and from therapy. Mentally I isolated the dis-ease and did not become the cancer. It was a spot that was cut out and killed. My life was absolutely normal with the exception of loss of hair . . . thanks to Red Cross, I had excellent quality very cute wigs. And my hair grew back stronger and healthier than it was. You can do this. Just do what you should do for yourself everyday anyway: Treat yourself well. Eat well. Rest well. Surround yourself with loving family and friends. Hug a puppy or a kitten or both. Go for walks in peaceful places. Let go of fear and stress. Read inspirational works; there are lots of them on this site.
The minute you are cleared, if you have the funds, take yourself and your favorite person(s) on a vacation — we were lucky to be able to use a time-share program we had along with mileage and lounge around the Grand Mayan south of Cancun for two weeks.

Seemingly stupid things set us back, don’t they?

I generally function with the same spark I had as a child that powered curiosity, engagement with life, and creativity. But the announcement by Amazon.com . . . yes Amazon.com . . . that they were cutting affliate relations with business associates in California has floored me. Why? Because, along with thousands of people, I’ve spent years including links to their books and music on my sites and clients’ sites to serve our readers/viewers and to make a few shekels in the process. The small stream of income from my affiliate programs covered a few necessary expenses and made evenings out possible. In one day, with one eMail from Amazon.com, that pleasure was gone. I’ve spent days and will have to spend months removing links from my largest site . . . The Maritime Heritage Project. For larger entrepreneurs who depended on these income streams to cover major expenses, well, I can’t imagine what this is doing and my heart goes out to them.

This threw me! For more than a week, I’ve felt tired and somewhat cynical, wondering if I have what it takes to make it in this rapidly changing world.

However, I do not know how to give up. It just isn’t in my nature. So I’ve started other affiliate programs, one of which is with the noted and esteemed Hay House, “home” to well-regarded authors such as Dr. Wayne Dyer. And I came across Joan Borysenko’s “Fried.”

She writes: “Burnout looks a lot like depression, but it’s not a biological bogeyman that medication or simple stress management can cure. It’s a disorder of hope and will that sucks the life out of competent, idealistic, hardworking people like you and me; and it can be an ongoing challenge to take your power back!”

And, most important, I have to stay on track with my diet plan. Sitting in front of the computer changing links is going to set me behind.

The upside to any challenge and change is discovering new ideas along the path and since my path is to better health, Hay House is a good place to switch to for this site: The Body Ecology Diet reveals how to restore and maintain the “inner ecology” your body needs to function properly, and eliminate or control the symptoms that rob you of the joy of living. Tens of thousands of people have already benefited from the Body Ecology way of life-Donna Gates shows you, step-by-step, how to eat your way to better health and well-being . . . deliciously, easily, and inexpensively!

A favorite new online inspirational shop is Hay House, started by Louise L. Hay who is is also known as one of the founders of the self-help movement. Her first book, Heal Your Body, was published in 1976, long before it was fashionable to discuss the connection between the mind and body. Revised and expanded in 1988, this best-selling book introduced Louise’s concepts to people in 33 different countries and has been translated into 25 languages throughout the world.

I’m supposed to be working out at the gym. Procrastination has already set in. Fast, huh.

This started ’cause of one of these scales (right). My daughter brought it home; I knew I was in less-than-exemplary shape, but the readout was nothing short of scary.

That’s how this back-to-before project started.

Gyms won’t let me work out in flip-flops; insurance issues. Last time I wore shoes, I hiked from the rim of Grand Canyon down to the Colorado River and back in a pair of tennies; my feet hurt for days. I went back to rubber flip-flops and wore them for the rest of that trip and all subsequent trips: From the bottom of Yosemite Valley to the top and back down, through Hawaii’s Waimea Canyon, all over Ireland, through Costa Rica, on volcano tops, around London, through Greece, everywhere in Japan — and brought lots more while I was at it. No problems.

This is my first hurdle to getting to the gym. I know to shop late in the day when your feet are fully expanded size from walking and I’m quite sure I want cross-trainers so I can buy one pair only. It’s time to be practical and think about things like support and comfort, but I have no idea what might work for me.

Good article on eHow has the following tips:

1. Determine the arch of your foot: normal, flat, high. Check the bottom of your shoes to see what part is worn most: normal wears out the middle; flat arches wear the inside of the shoes; high arches, the outside of the shoes.
2. Normal arch: Cushioned cross-trainers; flat arch: stablity; high arch: motion control cross-trainers
3. Heels should fit snugly in the back of the shoe and the ball of the foot fits in the wide part with some brething froom . . . also be sure there’s some space between the front of the show and the tips of your toes.

What’re recommended by trainers? A list:

• Asics Gel-310 TR: Wider-footed treadmill runners, walkers, strength trainers. Not great for lateral movement.
• Womens Wx1010sp WX1010SP New Balance: The recommendation for for the WX790, but I can’t find them. They’re supposed to be stable, lightweight, breathable large-gauge mesh, light. For people with hard-to-fit feet (or those who don’t really like shoes, i.e. me).
• Avia 679: For those who need a wide toe frame and stable base for strength-training and sculpting classes
• NIKE Air Max 90 – Womens: Best for spinning, low-mileage treadmill running, will fit into bike cages.
• Reebok Vector Trainer: For hard-core cardio workouts, or for those who jump from weight rooms to cardio machines

What about these . . . I’m sure I could workout in them and they look better than the Nikes and such.