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.