Friday, April 29, 2011
Let your Light Shine!
Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. ~Anthony J. D'Angelo
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Shining Like the Sun. A Magnificent message from Director Tom Shadyac! Namaste Tom!
Shining Like the Sun!
Everyday, we are assaulted with messages, images, slogans, and sound bites, that tell us of our inadequacies, the sad state of affairs that is you and me: “With this product, you can lose weight, with this one, you can gain muscle; if your breasts sag, our bra lifts them up; if you have wrinkles, this cream irons them out; if you’re sad, we have a pill that will make you happy; if you’re too happy, we have a pill that will bring you down; if you’re not as much of a man as you used to be, this pill will straighten you out (literally!). And everyone who’s anyone has itunes, the iphone, and the ipad, am iclear?
And we participate in this maddening chatter unaware, telling our kids that in order to succeed they have to get the best grades, get into the right school, and get the right job. We tell them that one day they must stop all this horsing around and get serious with their lives; we ask them who they are going to be when they grow up, warning them that life is all down hill after 22, declaring college the best four years of their lives; and finally, if they are lucky, they just might make something of themselves in this dog eat dog world. It’s enough to stress you out completely – but of course there’s a pill that can fix that, too.
Is this how life really is? Is our identity simply conditional and fragile? Is who we are really defined by the things we own, our job status, and the social circles we run in?
The mystics, those saints and sages who saw through to the inner workings of reality, proclaimed something very different. A little background here: The word “mystic” comes from the Latin word, “mysterium”, from which we also get the word, mystery. Thus, a mystic is one who sees into the mystery. So what exactly did the mystics see? And what does their vision of reality reveal about who and what we are?
Here’s what Thomas Merton said, after decades of meditation and contemplation: “As if the sorrows and stupidities of the world could overwhelm me now that I realize what we all are. I wish everyone could realize this, but there is no way of telling people they are all walking around shining like the sun.”
Shining like the sun. That’s you. He didn’t say, shining like the sun after you can afford the new electric Chevy Volt. He didn’t say, shining like the sun after your bust gets lifted. What he said was, right now, in this moment, with all of your imperfections, with all of your challenges in the temporal, with all of your worldly failures and successes, you are walking around shining like the sun!
Merton goes one step further with this concluding insight: “I am finally coming to the realization that my greatest ambition is to be what I already am.” Wait a minute. What about worldly status and success and power? Merton saw through all of that, and invites us to do the same. Can you imagine? What a lesson to embrace, to embody and even, to teach; to declare to our kids they don’t have to be someone, they already are someone. Now the cynic will undoubtedly rise up and warn that this will poison our youth; they will be so inflated with their own identity, they will surely sit back and do nothing. Quite the opposite is true. This knowledge compels those it touches, Jesus, Gandhi, St. Francis, Mother Theresa, Rumi, and Hafiz, to walk with power, to use their talents for the good of all, without the drag of invented pressure to measure up to some arbitrary social standard.
You see, (and it is a matter of sight!), what we are telling ourselves, the command to succeed and be someone, is just a story; it’s a story based on expectations. It’s temporal and finite. It is not who you really are. The Sufi mystic, Meera, wisely said: “You cannot play your role in time, until you know who you are in eternity.” And who you are is a drop in the ocean of divinity. Inside you is starlight. Inside you is the same infinite energy that created the universe. As the modern mystic, Irwin Kula, knew, “Everything is god in drag.”
So the next time you’re told you need to be somebody, rest in the knowledge that you already are. Hafiz implores us to wake up to this truth when he says: “I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.” Now what iphone or ipad, what present day pill or product can deliver that?
And we participate in this maddening chatter unaware, telling our kids that in order to succeed they have to get the best grades, get into the right school, and get the right job. We tell them that one day they must stop all this horsing around and get serious with their lives; we ask them who they are going to be when they grow up, warning them that life is all down hill after 22, declaring college the best four years of their lives; and finally, if they are lucky, they just might make something of themselves in this dog eat dog world. It’s enough to stress you out completely – but of course there’s a pill that can fix that, too.
Is this how life really is? Is our identity simply conditional and fragile? Is who we are really defined by the things we own, our job status, and the social circles we run in?
The mystics, those saints and sages who saw through to the inner workings of reality, proclaimed something very different. A little background here: The word “mystic” comes from the Latin word, “mysterium”, from which we also get the word, mystery. Thus, a mystic is one who sees into the mystery. So what exactly did the mystics see? And what does their vision of reality reveal about who and what we are?
Here’s what Thomas Merton said, after decades of meditation and contemplation: “As if the sorrows and stupidities of the world could overwhelm me now that I realize what we all are. I wish everyone could realize this, but there is no way of telling people they are all walking around shining like the sun.”
Shining like the sun. That’s you. He didn’t say, shining like the sun after you can afford the new electric Chevy Volt. He didn’t say, shining like the sun after your bust gets lifted. What he said was, right now, in this moment, with all of your imperfections, with all of your challenges in the temporal, with all of your worldly failures and successes, you are walking around shining like the sun!
Merton goes one step further with this concluding insight: “I am finally coming to the realization that my greatest ambition is to be what I already am.” Wait a minute. What about worldly status and success and power? Merton saw through all of that, and invites us to do the same. Can you imagine? What a lesson to embrace, to embody and even, to teach; to declare to our kids they don’t have to be someone, they already are someone. Now the cynic will undoubtedly rise up and warn that this will poison our youth; they will be so inflated with their own identity, they will surely sit back and do nothing. Quite the opposite is true. This knowledge compels those it touches, Jesus, Gandhi, St. Francis, Mother Theresa, Rumi, and Hafiz, to walk with power, to use their talents for the good of all, without the drag of invented pressure to measure up to some arbitrary social standard.
You see, (and it is a matter of sight!), what we are telling ourselves, the command to succeed and be someone, is just a story; it’s a story based on expectations. It’s temporal and finite. It is not who you really are. The Sufi mystic, Meera, wisely said: “You cannot play your role in time, until you know who you are in eternity.” And who you are is a drop in the ocean of divinity. Inside you is starlight. Inside you is the same infinite energy that created the universe. As the modern mystic, Irwin Kula, knew, “Everything is god in drag.”
So the next time you’re told you need to be somebody, rest in the knowledge that you already are. Hafiz implores us to wake up to this truth when he says: “I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.” Now what iphone or ipad, what present day pill or product can deliver that?
Monday, April 25, 2011
Radiate Beauty!! Organic Cosmetics and other environmentally responsible companies from alex+von!
Mother's Day Special
Spend $75 and receive a $25 alex+von e-Gift Card (plus get free shipping).To thank Mom for her unconditional support over the years what could be better than an alex+von gift for her...and for you? When you spend $75 we'll give you a $25 alex+von e-Gift Card. Plus, we're throwing in FREE shipping.
Enter promotion code MOM at checkout. Once we receive your order, an alex+von e-Gift Card will be emailed to you within 7 days.
Need some advice on which products to get Mom? Contact an alex+von Consultant. Our Consultants specialize in one or more of our brands and can help you find the perfect products that will delight Mom.
Offer only valid one per customer.
SHOP NOW
Details:
- Offer valid through Wednesday, April 27, 2011, 11:59pm PT on Internet orders and orders placed through an alex+von Consultant
- Must purchase $75 or merchandise. Shipping and tax do not apply to $75 total.
- e-Gift Cards will be emailed to the billing email address entered during checkout
- e-Gift Cards are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged or resold and cannot be redeemed for cash (except where required by law)
- e-Gift Cards can be used for any merchandise available on the alex+von website (excluding Consultant Starter Kits) or through your alex+von Consultant but cannot be applied towards shipping or tax
- Free shipping only valid for standard shipping (3 to 7 business days) within the United States.
- Only one $25 e-Gift Card will be given per customer
Enter promotion code MOM at checkout. Once we receive your order, an alex+von e-Gift Card will be emailed to you within 7 days.
Need some advice on which products to get Mom? Contact an alex+von Consultant. Our Consultants specialize in one or more of our brands and can help you find the perfect products that will delight Mom.
Offer only valid one per customer.
SHOP NOW
Details:
- Offer valid through Wednesday, April 27, 2011, 11:59pm PT on Internet orders and orders placed through an alex+von Consultant
- Must purchase $75 or merchandise. Shipping and tax do not apply to $75 total.
- e-Gift Cards will be emailed to the billing email address entered during checkout
- e-Gift Cards are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged or resold and cannot be redeemed for cash (except where required by law)
- e-Gift Cards can be used for any merchandise available on the alex+von website (excluding Consultant Starter Kits) or through your alex+von Consultant but cannot be applied towards shipping or tax
- Free shipping only valid for standard shipping (3 to 7 business days) within the United States.
- Only one $25 e-Gift Card will be given per customer
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Anouncing my new buisness!!
I am an official Independent Consultant and Founding member of alex+von! I currently specialize in Vapour Organic Beauty.
Check out the out www.alexandvon.com/?SellerID=390 for more info. If you make a purchase rmember to add my name at checkout!
e-mail me at jodyprice@glowinsideandout.com for questions
Check out the out www.alexandvon.com/?SellerID=390 for more info. If you make a purchase rmember to add my name at checkout!
e-mail me at jodyprice@glowinsideandout.com for questions
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
From Bologna to Brown Rice and Vegetables.
If you grew up on bologna and Twinkies like I did, eating healthy can seem like a daunting task.
Because of how I grew up and what we ate, there was kind of a stigma around eating healthy. To me health food was stuff like eggplant, zucchini, and artichokes and for a kid who grew up on welfare I was of the opinion that only rich, athletic, gourmet chefs ate food like that.
Well health food is stuff like eggplant, zucchinis, and artichokes, but you don't have to be a rich gourmet cook to eat those things. I started out taking very small baby steps (and I mean very). When I went shopping I would pick something from the produce section that I thought was weird and never ate as a kid. Thanks to the power of the Internet I could take it home type it into a search engine and look for a simple recipe for it (and I mean simple). So now I eat all those things and more. It hasn’t changed my grocery bill. I changed what I was eating because I like eating healthy and I simply traded in all the junk food, so it actually evened out! I still revert back to my roots sometimes (although I can go the rest of my life without bologna) and my kids eat PB&J all the time. The peanut butter is all-natural but the jelly might be whatever is on sale. You just can't be too hard on yourself, and realize that it won't happen over night. Any small change is progress. On of my most simple favorites is something I thought I'd never eat as a kid; sauteed kale with olive oil and cashew pieces. Painless to make and very tasty! So I encourage you to go to the produce section of the grocery store and buy the strangest vegetable you see. It may be the healthiest tastiest thing you've ever had! Oh and by the way did you know you can buy artichokes in a can? They go very well with stewed tomatoes and linguine. Fabulous!
Here's a yummy recipe for sauteed kale http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/sauteed_kale_with_toasted_cashews/
Because of how I grew up and what we ate, there was kind of a stigma around eating healthy. To me health food was stuff like eggplant, zucchini, and artichokes and for a kid who grew up on welfare I was of the opinion that only rich, athletic, gourmet chefs ate food like that.
Well health food is stuff like eggplant, zucchinis, and artichokes, but you don't have to be a rich gourmet cook to eat those things. I started out taking very small baby steps (and I mean very). When I went shopping I would pick something from the produce section that I thought was weird and never ate as a kid. Thanks to the power of the Internet I could take it home type it into a search engine and look for a simple recipe for it (and I mean simple). So now I eat all those things and more. It hasn’t changed my grocery bill. I changed what I was eating because I like eating healthy and I simply traded in all the junk food, so it actually evened out! I still revert back to my roots sometimes (although I can go the rest of my life without bologna) and my kids eat PB&J all the time. The peanut butter is all-natural but the jelly might be whatever is on sale. You just can't be too hard on yourself, and realize that it won't happen over night. Any small change is progress. On of my most simple favorites is something I thought I'd never eat as a kid; sauteed kale with olive oil and cashew pieces. Painless to make and very tasty! So I encourage you to go to the produce section of the grocery store and buy the strangest vegetable you see. It may be the healthiest tastiest thing you've ever had! Oh and by the way did you know you can buy artichokes in a can? They go very well with stewed tomatoes and linguine. Fabulous!
Here's a yummy recipe for sauteed kale http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/sauteed_kale_with_toasted_cashews/
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
WAKE UP!
The first thing you need to do to live a happy life is to simply wake up!
You see a lot of articles talking about how we don't get enough sleep, but what about too much? Although it may be true that most people don't sleep enough at night, I have found that most of my "off " day's all have one thing in common. I slept in too long. Over time I have come to realize I do best with 7 hrs sleep. If I sleep anymore than that I feel groggy, dull, and disconnected from the world. There's an actual term for that foggy feeling called sleep drunkenness! According to medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com It's defined as a prolonged transition from sleep to waking, with partial alertness, disorientation, drowsiness, poor coordination, and sometimes even excited or violent behavior. Wow! A hangover without even drinking! So, if you know you get "plenty" of rest but, are always feeling tired and lacking in concentration you may be sleeping too much. My advice is to set your alarm, get up, and get moving.
If you have a problem with chronic oversleeping, here's a great article on how to stop.http://a-sleep.com/1563/how-to-stop-oversleeping/
You see a lot of articles talking about how we don't get enough sleep, but what about too much? Although it may be true that most people don't sleep enough at night, I have found that most of my "off " day's all have one thing in common. I slept in too long. Over time I have come to realize I do best with 7 hrs sleep. If I sleep anymore than that I feel groggy, dull, and disconnected from the world. There's an actual term for that foggy feeling called sleep drunkenness! According to medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com It's defined as a prolonged transition from sleep to waking, with partial alertness, disorientation, drowsiness, poor coordination, and sometimes even excited or violent behavior. Wow! A hangover without even drinking! So, if you know you get "plenty" of rest but, are always feeling tired and lacking in concentration you may be sleeping too much. My advice is to set your alarm, get up, and get moving.
If you have a problem with chronic oversleeping, here's a great article on how to stop.http://a-sleep.com/1563/how-to-stop-oversleeping/
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Shedding some light on the subject.
I'm one of those people that talk about being consciously aware and being in alignment with the universe.
Glowing inside and out
Here is my chance to let my light shine. I'll be sharing advice and tips on how to emanate light inside and out. From eating healthy, looking beautiful, or straight kicking the blues. I am by no means an expert here. It's quite the contrary. Life is a journey and I'm learning as I go. But, when I find something that works for me, I want to share it with everyone. Helping you helps me, and helps us all.
Stay tuned.
Stay tuned.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)