thank the gods for being thankful!

seems to me that one of the most beautiful places to live
is
gratitude
i notice it alot more these days
how my gratitude is more of a place
than a thought
it's kinda like
living in this beautiful paradise
everywhere i look
there's something to be grateful for
everything i can do
a bonus
everyone i meet
a pleasure to experience
the food
the smells
the wine
the overall experience of each moment
offers some way for me to say
thank you
and each time i do
i feel even better than i did
the moment before
crazy how that works
gratitude
a wonderful place to live.

Letting Go Of The Pain Is The BEST Medicine~

Dealing with chronic pain can be as difficult mentally as it is physically. Physical pain, no matter what the cause, can be tough enough. Add to that the psychological aspect, and the pain is even more intense. So why do we do this? Why do we let our heads increase the pain in our bodies? It's kinda silly, when you think about it. But we do it...most of us anyway. And lately it's occurred to me that there's another way.

Having recently rescued a very sick and injured dog, and then going through the process of getting him well again, I learned something that I never expected to learn from him. While Buddy's paw was badly mangled and his health, in general, quite poor, he never once attempted to refuse treatments or attending. Every day for the first 3 weeks, once in the morning and once in the evening, I'd ask him to lie down and then soak his paw in a bin of warm saline solution. Flushing it with a turkey baster, I'd wash all the 'ick' away and then dry the paw off with a fresh towel. Buddy would be still as a stick. After the cleaning, it was time to apply ointment and then bandage the paw. He never moved. He'd lay there, looking at me with those beautiful, trusting eyes, and let me do what I had to do. Once finished, I'd give him some hugs and tell him what a good boy he is...and then it would be 'cookie time'. Buddy endured this process for 3 solid weeks until the Doc finally gave the okay to change methods. Now it was time for a dry wrap. No more soaking, no more ointments. I don't know if it was my imagination or the truth, but Buddy seemed as ecstatic as I was.

His progress, in my estimation, was due almost entirely to two things: trust and a willingness to do what it took to heal. He never winced or ran from me. He never once tried to take the bandages off his paw. He just ALLOWED. There was no 'feeling sorry' for himself. No 'why me'? No resistance whatsoever. Just a perfect creature allowing himself to return to wellness. This whole experience, for me, was mind boggling. I began to notice little changes in his demeanor. Every day he grew stronger, he also displayed more spunk. He started wagging his tail and tossing his toys in the air for me to play with him. His appetite grew. His sleeping patterns leveled out. His whole countenance changed right before my eyes. But I couldn't ignore the fact that this dog was completely willing to take the time to heal, without mental anguish or self-pity. THIS is how we heal...ALL OF US!

As a result of this experience with Buddy, I've made some little discoveries of my own. I've noticed that when I acknowledge the pain in my body, but do NOT agonize over it, the pain seems to diminish. I've also noticed that when the pain is at it's greatest, if I just lie down for a little while and breath, allowing my body to relax rather than tensing up from the pain, I feel a million times better. By letting go of the mental stress, I allow my body to do what it's designed to do: return to wellness on it's own. Our bodies are fine machines. They are capable of 'fixing' themselves without the help of medications or ointments (although, these do help!). And if we are willing to let this be, our pain DOES diminish. It's really all in the head! A tough lesson to learn and an even tougher task when the pain reaches excruciating heights. But, if we will just take that one moment to 'breath like the whale' (thank you, Cricket!) we can find our way through the pain without much effort. It works. Just give it a try!

Here's to your return to wellness, regardless of what your malady may be. Blessings and hugs to all~

A Prayer For Mia Cugina

Today I send a prayer to the gods of love
Eros and Venus, Aphrodite and Pan, Cupid and Isis
I call on you today to help my cugina
To bring her man back home
I call on you to send your angels to thwart the powers
That keep him from her
I call on you to reunite these lovers
And allow them the joy of togetherness
Today, from this place, I call on you for your love to win
I ask this in the name of love and all the power that comes from it
Help them, Great Ones
They deserve to be happy
Their love is true
They have what we came here for
Help them
Bring him home
Where he belongs

When The Gods Smile

There's nothing quite like a change of scenery to really give oneself a new perspective, all the way around. It's a lovely thing to look out a window and see green or purple or a peacock running up the driveway! Oranges bursting with fragrance, palm trees swaying in the soft winds, warm summer air kissing the skin. All these things make for a brand new look at Life. And I'm grateful to have them.

Not long ago, I was wondering what to do with myself. What to do about lots of things like where to live and how to get my creative juices flowing again and whether or not to stay in the States of go to Italy. Then, with no effort whatsoever, every little thing just fell into place, perfectly, easily, happily. Today, as I sit and look out my office window, there is, indeed, a peacock sitting in the driveway. He appears to be sunning himself. What a magnificent sight to behold! Life is truly amazing. I hold closely the many blessings that grace my world. And I say a prayer of thanks for all the good that the gods have bestowed upon me. Gratitude, then, is the order of the day. Bravisimo!

The Power of Kindness ~

So often I hear people say they have lost faith in humanity. They've been scammed and deceived and hurt by people too many times to have any semblance of hope that there are still people in the world who are GOOD. It saddens me when I hear such things, as I've come to believe otherwise. Sure, there have been folks who've been unkind to me but then, there was a time when I, too, was too self-absorbed to know when I was doing the same. Those times have passed (thank the heavens!) and as more time passes, I realize the amazing power of kindness. Not only in myself, but in all those who serve it to me. The truth is, there ARE many kind people in this world and they've been showing up in droves in my world. Kind people who offer help or time or generous contributions to the care of those critters who I do my best to help. And the more they 'show up', the more they reinforce my belief: Kindness abounds!

Sure, there are still people in the world who go out of their way to hurt others. They have some penchant for such actions, and perhaps, too much pain of their own to realize what they're doing. For those people, it's sometimes difficult for us to be kind. It's hard to say a prayer for someone who's out to hurt you. But, in the end, if we can take just one second and do just that....say a prayer on their behalf, we can accomplish 2 things: we're sending good energy to them as well as ourselves. Because in a Universe where everything cycles around (as it surely does), whatever we dish out comes back. Whether that's good energy or not, it comes back around. The ol' Boomerang Effect. So, as challenging as it may be sometimes, it's worth the effort to just keep kindness at the fore. Be kind at every turn, even when it's hard to do. Remember that the ones who try to hurt others are in great pain. They need our kindness more than anything. Pain is easily transmuted into other things like anger and hatred and malicious intent. But if we continue to practice kindness, one person at a time, one moment at a time, we can diminish the anguish that those people are experiencing. It's certainly worth a try, doncha think?

Practice kindness. And remember this (in the words of the great Miz Teri~
"We are powerful beyond comprehension.
Wield your power with kindness and your impact will be staggering."

Words to live by, eh?

www.joyzachoice.com

Sage Guidance From An Angel Among Us

The older I get, the more I appreciate the 'little things' in my Life. You know, stuff like people who 'get' who you are. People who love you 'anyway', even when you're being a stubborn pain in the rear. People who, no matter WHAT, will patiently listen and then offer perspectives you might otherwise not see. I am blessed to have several people like this in my world. And every time they 'show up', I'm still amazed at how blessed I truly am.

I have one such person who is, for lack of better word, my 'sage'. She's one of those people who've gone through more than any one person should ever be asked to go through. Still she remains kind, patient, and unconditionally loving. She is the one I call when the going gets tough. She is the one who I know, without question, will provide little pearls of kind wisdom to guide me back to my Self. She does it without telling me 'what' to do. She guides, she doesn't push. She does this because she's known me all my life and knows that I can be, at times, quite obstinate. So, rather than saying, "You know, what you should do is....", instead she simply offers a view from outside the forest. Never ever does she say 'should'. Smart lady.

During a recent conversation, while I was asking about something that was really stumping me, she let me go on and give her the details of this particular conundrum. She listened with great patience until, finally, I paused. Before she said anything else, she asked, "are you done?". I said I was. She then went on to remind me of things that I do know...things I've learned the hard way in recent years, and then she said, "you know, you're really just tired. It's been a great challenge, I know. And I know you're really trying to stick to your principles. All of this is good. But now, now that you've tried so hard, maybe what you might like to do is just take the day off. Turn off the phones. Stay off your computer. Lock the doors and draw the curtains. Watch some funny movies. Read. Meditate. REST. Things will look differently in a day or two. Don't worry. The world will still be there when you've refilled your tank."

As usual, this simple yet profound perspective was exactly what the doctor ordered. I giggled at how simple it really was. Yet, without her saying so, I'd have never thought to do just that. She offered one more thing before we got off the phone. She said, "get something to write with. Put it on your bathroom mirror or the fridge. And leave it there for the next 2 days. Ready?" I said I was. Here's what she told me to write:

Dear Olivia,
Take the day off. I gotcha covered.
Love, God

I laughed out loud. Simple. Yet utterly profound. And you know something? Every time I looked at that note, I laughed out loud again. For 2 days I looked at that tiny little note and it made me grin from ear to ear. Because sometimes we forget. Sometimes we think that we have to do it ALL and do it alone. Truth is, we never do. We're always wrapped in the arms of Great Love. We're always surrounded by this Love, never working alone. Just remembering this makes everything easier. It makes me feel lighter. It makes me dance in the music that is gratitude. It makes my Life rich with Love and Grace and Joy. To her, my beautiful sister, I am forever grateful.

JoyZAChoice.com

Gratitude Begets Gratitude

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person.
Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." ~~ Albert Schweitzer

Each of us has our challenges..or opportunities...depending on how we choose to perceive them. When those opportunities arise, it's up to us to see them as such...OPPORTUNITIES to grow. Even in the most difficult situations, there is something to be learned, something to bring us closer to our true Selves. Something to be grateful for. And if we can hold on to this little pearl, we can move through whatever it is without suffering. Because there IS a difference between pain and suffering. Pain is just pain. It can be momentary or long-lasting. It can be weathered. It can even be embraced. But the suffering...that part is what WE do to ourselves. Suffering is merely our refusal to accept, embrace and delve into our pain. The more we resist, the more we suffer. Not so with pain.

It occurred to me recently that no matter what is going on in my world, there are several people who are ALWAYS there to help me through. They provide the most unflinching love. They offer silence; a place for me to pour my noise and let go. They offer gentle suggestions, which I can use or leave. They even offer, always at the perfect moment, laughter, so that I may unload the heaviness and let my Self 'light' again. They are my rocks. And without them, I'm certain I'd not be who I am. They bring me back to my Spirit, never judging or chiding. Only pouring love into me, without keeping track of how much. They are my angels here in this time/space. They are the ones I am most grateful for.

Gratitude is a marvelous place to Live. In gratitude, we have more to be grateful for. In orther words, the more grateful we are for what we have, the more we have to be grateful FOR. Gratitude does, indeed, beget gratitude. It's a beautiful formula for living a beautiful life, despite the 'challenges'. Today, in this place I call 'my Life', I am deeply grateful for those angels and all the love they give so freely. Today, I live in Gratitude.