you are important. and I am too.

It's important to remember that just because someone has more money or less money, more experience or less experience, more friends or fewer friends, more notches on their bed post or less that everyone is of the same importance and value in the eyes of God.

Now I can see people getting squeamish at my mention of God, but really fill in the blank of whatever you believe in - Source, the Universe, Allah, False Idols, whatever.

If you don't believe in anything....sorry, I can't help you.

The point is that this air of "I'm better than you" that our human race seems to thrive on is a sickness that holds us back as a collective. We boost ourselves up by putting or pushing others down and in doing so we impede ourselves from evolving as a whole.

Celebrity culture and the workplace pyramids and class differences can breed a shortfall of neighbourly respect. How about I honour your existence?

Sure, this guy might be more intelligent than that guy; but that doesn't make this guy better than that guy. It just makes him smarter. An important distinction.

If we were a collective of awakened, conscious people we'd treat all those we come in contact with reverence.

Acknowledging a beggar can a more meaningful experience for both parties than giving him money. Eye contact and a smile or a couple of quarters? I see you is worth more.

And the billionaire next door? I see him too. Hello friend, way to be.

Imagine if we all took the time to look at people in our lives. Really see them. We would see that we are the same.

As Rumi says: We are the mirror, and the face in it.

I know I have my elitist moments. I am aware of them. "I am better than you" is an exhausting attitude, and ultimately fruitless. Creating separateness doesn't feel good.

We're all in this together.

When I'm opening and accepting of all people - keeping my judgements on the back-burner - the magic of life turns on and good things flow to me. Everyone's a winner, including me.

the cairns are calling

When I was younger out hiking in the mountains, I always appreciated the cairns along the path. They were confusing at first (are people that bored that they need to build a pile of rocks in the middle of nowhere?). But then I got it.

They were objects of natural beauty, and a sign of human interaction with the landscape.

I loved the simplicity of them. A creative, strategic use of stone to show people the way. Ah, a cairn. We're on the right path.

Currently I spend a lot of time with someone who I'll dub The Cairn Master. He's built what seems hundreds of these miniliths in the forest of his property, each with its own character.

It's interesting being witness to the process. As the Cairn Master works, I hear stone grind on stone, watching the union of the rock together as they lock into place. The stones come to a marriage where they fit perfectly together and will balance there through thick & thin.

It take patience and strength to find that set point of balance. And it always comes, even with seemingly impossibly shaped stones.

When building a cairn a thought to consider: if a small animal brushes by this or a gust of wind blows while it is near the formation, will it be hurt or crushed by a tumbling cairn, or will the cairn hold it's ground? It's good to walk away with the confidence it won't easily budge.

The turn of seasons is the ultimate test for a well built cairn.

Here's a fun fact: When rocks like quartz are put under pressure, like being set between other stones in a cairn, and frequency is emitted - much like the crystals in the dial of a radio or a watch work. In this case, there is a constant pressure.

Thus, besides being a rustic art installation along the paths of many journeys, cairns naturally put out a frequency that would otherwise not be there. What or who is in resonance with this frequency? What is this frequency saying?

Regardless of the lore of cairns, they are a universal symbol of consciousness.

We were here. In a blink of time, the cairn marks a presence.

It's an honouring of passersby of past, present & future who notice... & know.

master of my own domain

At times, I find myself overviewing a just-lived scenario that could have gone better. I generally figure out the perfect thing I could have said. By perfect i mean a response that I would have been satisfied with - knowing in that moment all of my values & beliefs and heart were expressed in that oral or action transaction.

Sometimes a conversation or scenario doesn't go my way, but somehow it's absolutely perfect.

This is common, actually. I wanted the falafel, I got the avocado salad, and turns out, I LOVE the avocado salad. Falafel what?

When it's more in the "this feels really shitty, and I'm still getting a grip on why this fucking blows so much", though, it sucks.

Oh what to do? How to be? Do I get angry? Do I accept it all? Where's the perfection of it all? Is it time to bust out the "Silent Treatment"?

A silent protest. FYI: This doesn't jive with me.

How would an enlightened person handle this situation? Oh wait - let me guess. Enlightened people wouldn't have this situation come up in the first place.

Typical.

Looks how easy it is to be sarcastic in a situation like this.

I wonder if negotiation mastery, killer wit, well timed comebacks and epic retorts have a large connection to a persons ability to fully speak or express their truth in every moment. espresso.

Because gosh darn geez I would LOVE to be there.

Don't stop the party.

Look at how much fun the black eyed peas have. YAY! I'll have a serving of that.

the new monogamy

monogamy is one of those words that has a charge. perhaps it might invoke feelings of boredom, or "long term" or limited choice.

looking up the definition of monogamy on dictionary.com does turn on the gag meter slightly. It just seems so old hat, just like that expression.

The actual marriage part of monogamy aside, there are parts I am attracted to. Less about "until death do us part", the idea of being fully present with someone in a given moment has a monogamous vibe to it.

This monogamousness can apply to both romantic & non-romantic relationships.

We invite monogamous moments into our life, particularly when we're with someone special. And by special I mean holy. Less a long term commitment, and more showing respect & reverence for the person we're with at that time. Hey, I like you. I'm going to honour you while we're sharing a space together.

It's so simple. And it makes everyone involved feel so good!

Instead of slutting around texting other people while I'm in conversation with someone, for example, I'm giving them my full attention.

This is a challenge - being present for someone in the midst of cyber interruptions, and other temptations. This is what makes the concept of monogamy of the moment (as I like to call it) that much more special.

Sure at some point I'll have to turn my attention to others. After all the only sure thing in life is change.

But in the moment we're respectfully sharing it together whole heartedly.

The new monogamy is about loving the one you're with and giving them your full attention, even if it's just for a weekend.

spell it out & pay attention

I get many internal messages to write more. And of course the ambitious part of me thinks - yes! A book! It is my dharma to write a book!

It very well is. However, it's more about processing my life. writing it out to see what I'm really thinking about, and more - feeling. I can evaluate what's floating in my head one "unit" at a time, like looking at balloons floating around the room.

The space of the air in between the balloons is all I need to distinguish what is up in the world of me.

My fast paced life has enabled me to value my personal time to a greater degree. I have to make much more of my private moments than I might have previously.

Carpe diem, relish in my solitude when it presents itself - and get the stuff I need to do that is so vital for me done. The things I do when I have some space include meditating, yoga, hiking in the forest, reading, thinking and writing. This is what needs to happen behind the scenes for all the "showtime" moments to really shine.

For me to be my best, my calmest, my strongest, my sharpest, my slyest, my sweetest, my neatest, my most graceful - socially and physically - these are the tools I use to be there.

When these are neglected....I've noticed that the bumps are a little bumpier, and vivid colors aren't as bright.

All these valuable tools, with one in particular that I could use more.

Writing has always yielded me profound tangible results - answers that i can refer to later. A reference point.

This is perfect because I've realized that when I just let my mind flow through my fingers and let them dump into an empty word doc the realizations flow too.

The most important reference point of all flows through: gratitude. Free flow writing allows me to tune into what I'm grateful for.

It also points to perceived deficiencies. Questions like: "do I feel supported by __ at this moment?" might fall into this category.

Word processing. Literally.

It's time spent efficiently, which seems quite important right now. Yes, stop & smell the roses. Of course, always. But keep on keeping on. We can't just hang out and smell roses all day. There is a lot of work to do in this world right now. We must pay attention.

Write it out. Know what I'm feeling. Use it to propel me forward.

It's a recipe.

shown above - Andy Warhol's Silver Clouds installation at the AGA.

cycles

When I was a kid, I remember my grandma would take us to the local spring to fetch some delicious ice cold water on a hot summer day. I remember loving to do that for a number of reasons. First, I'm adventurous, so my spirit was enthused. Second, we were likely driving from somewhere "far" and kids loves breaks when it comes to long car rides. But mainly it's probably because the water in Myrnam, Alberta tasted so shitty to me, that drinking that water was like drinking from the goblet of God himself. Refreshingly tasty!

Who knew then, that my grandma was oh so naturally showing me what would become a way of life for me two decades later. She knew! Interestingly too, she was staunchly against the casual use of pharmaceuticals. I know whenever we got headaches and asked for Tylenol she told us to go for a nap. The wisest of advise! As I recall - she did take me to see the doctor when I bumped into a wasps nest and things got a little puffy & dizzy & panicky. Acute: doctor. Non-acute: nap.

Here's a pic of a pic of the spring water crew, back in the 80's (that's me in the middle):

The other day my dad and I went to collect spring water at a nearby spring he tracked down. It was a fun dad/daughter event, and an homage to my grandma. Somehow I feel she'd be stoked to see what has come of her eldest granddaughter. Represent. I'm not into baking, and I knitting never was my forte. I would attend stitch n bitches back in my mid twenties and mostly bitch. In two years I worked on the same toque (still unfinished) and a scarf that could have it's own comedy show, that's how funny it looked in the end. I still wore it. My whimsical ways allow for such fashion decisions. Dang, though. I can collect spring water like nobodies business.

And finally, it's been great getting back in my parents' & grand-parents' yards and seeing them with fresher eyes. Now when I look at plants I see the medicinal potential. Picking raspberries at my Baba's place in the sunshine is way fun....and fresh raspberries off the bush - yummy & good for you. Pick the leaves & make iced tea. I'm also drying them to add to an ethereally delicious smoke blend I'm working on. I'll let you decide what that means.

Check out my favorite cotton top (aka: Baba)!

I love the family traditions that are re-emerging. They make sense to me, and geez, considering the shitstorms that are circulating on this planet currently, that is refreshingly tasty.

family dinner

Earlier in the year, I was walking through our yard in Kauai with my friend Nathalien Mangostein. He was giving me the guided tour, which mainly consisted of him sharing the names of the fruit trees, shrubs, flowers, herbs, nuts, vines, etc that are growing around the property and what they can be used for - be it practically, medicinally or otherwise. Naturally, we nibbled each plant we came in contact with (if it was edible, of course) - a tasty tropical gastronomic tour.

At one point we were near one of the many noni trees dotted around the yard when Nathalien stopped to pick up a freshly fallen, perfectly ripened fruit.

"Let's enjoy this in the aura of the tree", he said as he bit into the fruit, and then passed it to me to try.

Standing there next to the noni tree, enjoying it's stinky fruit, feeling the gratitude, admiring the surrounding beauty - we were in union with that tree & the fruit we were eating. Even the neighbouring trees & other plants surrounding us are a part of this exchange. These sentient beings were enjoying our presence as much as we were enjoying theirs.

Research, such as the polygraph testing done by Dr. Cleve Backster found in the book The Secret Life of Plants has shown that plants are conscious beings that not only feel, but can read your mind as well.

Now that is a whole new level of magic to tune into.

It's a dinner party unlike any other. And it makes the action of praying over the food we eat that much more important. The plants know we're going to eat them before we even take a bite.

According the Backster's study's....the plants respond completely differently if thanking they're are thanked before the cooking or chowing down begins. It's really fascinating research - aka RECOMMENDED READING. The Secret Life of Plants will blow your mind.

It blows my mind how many amazing things have eluded me until now. Just think about how your life might change if you considered that your houseplants actually KNOW you.