Creating Abundance

Taking a Tumble

2012-01-28T17:51:00.002-06:00

When a child is learning to walk, you won't ever hear anybody suggesting that this little creature has failed every time it takes a tumble to the floor. And yet, as adults, we are so hard on ourselves and forget that this is the way we learn. I am painfully aware of the scars on my own knees. Thousands of dollars have 'slipped' through my fingers and I have often been surprised that the people I have dealt with didn't have the same integrity that I do. Perhaps it is simply my nature because I haven't ever chastised myself or 'them'. I watch and I learn.

So anytime you endeavour to learn or do something new, it is unlikely that you will do it perfectly. You haven't done it before; how could you not trip over your own feet a few times? Get up off the floor and do it again. You deserve to receive some encouragement. Therefore be the first one to give it to yourself.

Personality Fluctuations

2012-01-16T07:25:00.001-06:00

I had the opportunity to take the Myers-Briggs personality inventory on two occasions: once when I was thriving as a new teacher and science department head and another time when I was in the middle of a physical breakdown due to an unsupportive work environment in another city. My so-called personality results were at opposite ends of the spectrum. In one, I was an extravert; in the other, an introvert. My state of being was affecting my behavior. From inside, I would observe this and realize that the chemistry of my body was affecting what I would otherwise do comfortably and automatically.

Within the symptoms of illness, I was paralyzed in my actions; I had trouble phoning people and answering the door. My paralysis appeared to be emotional but then there were days when I was literally stuck unable to move in the morning or I would fall to the ground as one side of my body disappeared. I am happy to report that things are different now: my mind is clear and my body is full of vitality. And I am an extrovert again, in body and soul!

Your Health Affects Your Productivity

2011-12-30T07:44:00.002-06:00

If you are showing signs of 'aging', it is just a matter of time before you look back and realize you've slowed down too. And it doesn't matter how old you are. I remember my 25 year old cousin looking really old and he was 15 years my junior. Those frown lines at 12 years old are wrinkles... Don't kid yourself. Once I knew I could do something about it, I got at it real quick. I'll never forget the look on my own face as my jaw dropped at the sight of my own reflection. After using an oral antioxidant for six months, every line on my face had disappeared. But what really mattered was that I felt good. How it really showed was in my productivity in my daily business. I wasn't back to my old self yet but this was a pretty good start.

The impression I would like to leave with you is that the sooner you act upon those little signs that your body is giving you, the more likely that you will experience an uninterrupted career and a productive one. If your ability to live a fruitful life has already been interrupted, do something different that works.

A Journey Begins

2011-12-07T07:31:00.002-06:00

Accountability is what is going to guarantee results. Writing a blog such as this one is a commitment to myself to reflect on my journey regularly. My intention is to magnify the abundance in my life with purposeful action. I have restructured my time and am refocusing my energy to different interests and priorities. I have gently encouraged my daughter to look elsewhere now for guidance and mentorship. I have tied up any loose ends with people who have previously depended on my guidance and redirected them to function independently.

To you, my readers, I extend a warm welcome. Perhaps you will take this journey with me and reflect on your own...

Abundance Zapped

2011-11-21T07:51:00.002-06:00

The body is not immune to violence in movies and the media. It affects each and every one of us because our physiological system doesn't know that it isn't real. If you are not noticing this, then you have gone numb from overexposure and essentially your survival instinct is not working. The only way to get that faculty back is to fast from the news, sports, TV shows, video games, the newspaper, music on CD and radio (not the music you or others create for leisure). You can fill in the rest.

You will likely have withdrawal symptoms including the strong urge and probably the action of discontinuing the 'fast'. Your mind will talk you into it and the body will unnerve you. Just breathe through it gently and with faith that it will pass and you will be more free for your effort. Then by all means, engage in your original activities or replace them with new ones.

To be a plant

2011-11-02T07:30:00.002-06:00

I gratefully accepted a seat in the sun. Closing my eyes for a moment as the rays embraced my face through the large picture window, I heard myself say, "To be a plant". It came out like a sigh. "I ought to write a poem", I added. My verbalised thoughts were met with laughter. However, the way I was feeling, I could have even written a symphony.

There are such simple pleasures in life when we take the time to notice them. I recall observing our cat as it stretched out in the sun on the living room floor. Without a moment's hesitation, I went to lay beside it to find out what was going on down there. Such a blissful peace in the warmth of the sun. If anyone were to witness some of the silly things I do sometimes!

Anyway, for the first time, I was the plant. It lasted but a moment and I was completely present to it.

New food (to me)

2011-10-17T07:31:00.002-06:00

My diet as a child was so limited. Even when our family lived on the African continent, we continued to eat the same things we always had. Mangoes, for example, fell to rot on the ground there were so many, and we didn't eat that fruit. I remain confused to this day that my mother did not introduce us to more variety. Maybe we tasted things and she couldn't get us to eat them again.

I have since learned to eat turnips, kolhrabi, beat leaves and different grains. I had parsnips for the first time a couple of years ago and now grow them in the garden. Recently I have started to make teas with leaves from the yard. Wow! So fresh, light and generally more alive than dead leaves in a bag. And this year, I am introduced to avocadoes and follow the lead of my daughter. I am finding all kinds of ways to eat them. This is too much fun. I will continue to be open to new possibilities.

Truth

2011-10-02T07:20:00.003-06:00

I am grateful for the technology of checking for truth. Truth can be ambiguous depending on the point of view. So I write here of the 'higher' truth that accounts for the best interest of all... including the malevolent. The descriptor 'higher' might appear to be subjective or even judgemental. However, now that we can measure a truth, it is 'higher' when it can be recorded to have a higher resonance (i.e. literally a higher number in log form).

With the ability to discern truth comes the opportunity to choose truth. Truth then can be reflected in my thoughts, words and actions. One becomes single-minded in purpose, specifically, to live for the best interest of all and everything. This path is not always the easiest but life is simplified and its gifts come in abundance.

Bob the Plumber

2011-09-21T07:03:00.003-06:00

I marvel at the gifts that literally show up at my door. Bob the Plumber is one of those gifts. What a lovely gentleman! And gentle is an apt description of this individual. Retired, he continues to help people out with the odd job for a small stipend. He enjoys being of service. I had the opportunity to see that he is lovingly appreciated by others too when we ran into someone he had 'rescued' just the day before.

My request to the universe was that I would like to learn how to solder. It came in a bigger package. Bob demonstrated and taught me how to set up copper and drainage pipes for a dishwasher. He answered every question I had with pleasure. That led me to watch videos on the internet and read a couple of plumbing books from the library. I plan to execute a couple of projects and anticipate that I will have some future repairs. I will be able to handle it. And if it is a big job, I will know what and who to ask.

A Beautiful Mind

2011-09-06T07:04:00.002-06:00

Once upon a time, my poor head had turned to mush. It was like my thoughts were trying to swim through melted marshmallow. Decision-making had become a tedious chore. Starting a task, no matter how small, was next to impossible.

Now my brain is flexible enough to learn new things; that keeps life interesting. My memory is impeccable with respect to my profession and my personal relationships. Where it appears to be amiss, I am creating links with my emotional brain so that it behaves as if these details are important and become a priority. Essentially, I do the right things for the proper function of my neurological system to make my life better.

"Your brain needs your help. It needs your care." (Bill Cosby on PBS) If your brain is having trouble, you are having trouble. If you lack this abundance, it is not difficult to improve upon. Simply change to a brain healthy program and reap the rewards.

Opportunity for a Lifetime Friend

2011-08-22T07:57:00.002-06:00

Sometimes my daughter asks things of me and I could do it quite easily. However I am aware that if I do, that I would be taking away an opportunity for her to have an experience. Once she masters something then I happily do it for her on occasion even though she can do it for herself. This is one way I establish myself as her friend, by being friendly. More and more, she returns the favour. That is how one makes the transition from parent to lifelong best friends. People who watch us comment on our interaction and long for it in their own life. It is easy to replicate. Just copy the behaviors of a good example and enjoy the same abundance.

Peaches, Pears and Pie

2011-08-14T07:28:00.002-06:00

Mmmm! Summer...

I don't ever get enough of the fruit during this season. It seems like the closer it grows to home, the better it tastes. Like Saskatoons ... Some of you may not have ever heard of those.They are native to western Canada. They'll make your mouth blue. You don't even have to pick them yourself anymore; they have farms. Saskatoons without hot, dusty labor taste even better. I didn't even mind cleaning them.

The little grey haired lady at the fruit truck supplies us with the earth's bounty from California, Washington State and British Columbia. She always starts to tell us the price and we say "It doesn't matter what it costs". She grows silent, obviously relieved that we don't think she is overpriced. Last week, we savoured peaches, pears and cherries. This week, we'll indulge on apricots, peaches and nectarines. As I write there is a classic peach pie sizzling in the oven. The aroma is intoxicating!

Rain, Rain! Don't Go Away

2011-07-30T07:04:00.003-06:00

The weather patterns have drastically changed since the days my father would call us out onto the porch to watch a thunderstorm. We learned to relish the flashes of light and the thunderous claps.

Most recently, I have witnessed that my own daughter has been fascinated by the near torrential rains. These deluges have been a regular occurrence and she finds this unusual in her experience unless she is in Florida. "This is the way it used to be", I tell her. The gift of water from the heavens has been such a blessing... a welcome old friend.

Rhubarb and More Rhubarb

2011-07-03T07:05:00.001-06:00

Oh my goodness! So much rhubarb and I don't even eat the stuff. For years, I have appreciated the voluptuous foliage of these plants as it fills some parts of the yard where nothing else will grow. Surely it must be for somebody else; I only make one or two cakes a year with it.

Sure enough, after two decades of nurturing these huge beasts I gain a friend who loves the fruit. And then a neighbor asks for some to grow in his yard. Within two weeks a new neighbor who moved in from the country makes a request as well. She was used to having three plants to keep up with her growing family. Well, it would appear that I have been the keeper of someone else's abundance. It has been a pleasure.