Whoosh and Hip Hop

I love hearing from subscribers.  It’s great learning about how people are using mindfulness to bring more joy to even the most difficult situations. 

I’m always saying that humor is key in any quest for personal mastery.  When we can laugh, we are more open to learning.  Wisdom and wisecracks go together beautifully!

One of my favorite subscribers, Simply Meg, wrote about how she read my article on those Whoosh moments (you know, when those ducks are suddenly no longer in that row? http://www.MayaFrost.com/mindfulness-possibilities.htm )  and used a bit of that openness in order to cope–gracefully, mindfully, laughingly–with her mother’s funeral.  Read this:

” LOVED your Whoosh message. Yes, appearing ‘flaky’ is a fear for us all, and maybe we can teach others the flexibility required to live a truly inspired life…if they can get the ‘flaky’ label out of their consciousness box.

My mom died last week. Mindfulness helped me tremendously. Ever wonder why we all sit in front of a coffin during a funeral? Flowers draped over it, eerie old hymns played, people in dark colors…did you know shoes are completely unnecessary for the dearly departed’s body? The coffin is only open to the feet in movies…

One of my mom’s friend’s grandchildren said, ‘Oh great, now we get to see Grandma dead,’ as she was loaded into the car. What a great opportunity for us all to laugh!

In the limosine on the way to the graveside service, I requested hip hop music…changed everything.”

We can panic when in Whoosh mode, or we can learn to lighten up.  It’s what I happily refer to as En*Lightenment–not the Buddha-under-the-bodhi-tree variety but an everyday, eyes-wide-open-to-see-the-humor-in-it-all approach.

I like to imagine Simply Meg and her family in that limo, wearing sunglasses and nodding their heads to the hip hop beat.  Hey, if you’ve got to ride to the cemetery anyway, you might as well have a little fun with it.

Kudos to Simply Meg for grabbing this opportunity for En*Lightenment!

New Year’s Mantra: “I’m rich! I’m rich! I’m rich!”

If you’re already fretting about 2007 and thinking you’ve got to work a whole lot harder in order to make more money, here’s something you ought to know:  You’re already rich.

And I know this without digging through your trash.

“Rich” has become so outrageous in our heads–Bill Gates rich.  Oprah rich.  Warren Buffett rich.

But the reality is that if you’ve got a computer, you’re already wayyyyy high on the list of the world’s richest people.  Isn’t that enough for you?

Instead of running this thought through your head:  “I need to make more money”

focus on this one:  “I’m rich!  I’m rich!  I’m rich!”

You see, your brain needs to hear it in order for your subconscious to start rearranging your mental furniture and make room for this new concept.  So chant it.  Write it.  Smile it. Breathe it.  Get it in your head.

I guarantee that it will make you feel better–more positive, more generous, and certainly more secure.  What will you be able to experience in 2007 if you feel more positive, generous and secure?

Give your brain some powerful and delicious ”YES!” brain food instead of the typical “NO/CAN’T/TOO HARD” rations you normally provide.

Start 2007 thinking that you’re already rich–and see what kinds of possibilities that opens up for you in this new year.

(Unless, of course, your OLD plan is working just fine for you.  Is it?  REALLY? )

If you MUST know your rich rank–and yes, it’s fun to see–go to http://www.globalrichlist.com right now.

Make sure you read through the list of items you could buy–and what that might translate to in terms of aid.

Gosh, you’re rich.   Isn’t it awesome?

Sarah Francesca Fischer is moving to Portland, Oregon

My subscriber and cyber-pal Sarah is moving from LA to Portland in January. 

I’m telling you this because Sarah is awesome–an artist/photographer/writer and all-around creative person who was born in Puerto Rico, is the oldest twin in a family of four daughters (love that!), has traveled ALL over the world and has chosen to create a life that is rich, fulfilling, artsy and packed with interesting stories and connections. 

I’m also telling you this because there are loads of Friday Mind Massage subscribers in Portland and Sarah doesn’t know a soul in her new city. 

You can learn more about Sarah at her website:  http://www.SarahFischer.com/about.php?b=2   or check out her blog and see her cool resume at http://sffartistblog.blogspot.com/

For all you Portland folks: I hope you’ll consider connecting with Sarah and showing her how friendly, welcoming and vibrant her new city is!  Drop her a cheerful hello at sfrancesca@sarahfischer.com

We’re all about the love here.

Art and Wabi Sabi

Buenos Aires is a city jam-packed with art. Argentines have design in their blood–and a great appreciation for creativity in all its forms. 

I love the graffiti here.  I really do.  It tends to be whimsical or political or both. 

Here’s a simple statement found on a wall in a schmancy area of the city.  I think it captures the spirit of wabi sabi (see below for more on that)…

Mindfulness and Wabi Sabi

In a recent Friday Mind Massage article (www.MayaFrost.com/mindfulness-reflections.htm) , I talked about the Japanese concept of wabi sabi–the appreciation of imperfection and impermanence.  I wrote about ordering a mirror which turned out to be scratched and the process of moving it (denting the wall) and hanging it (scratching the wall).  It was a lesson in appreciating imperfection and recognizing that sometimes things can be perfectly imperfect.

I invited readers to share their wabi sabi stories.  Here are a few favorites:

“There is a particular kind of red glaze that I just adore.  It figures prominently on pottery goods made most often in Germany, Portugal, or Spain.  It is deep red, shiny, with a faint grey web visible throughout, perhaps a result of firing.  I am also a very serious tea drinker.  Though I have a few small, sophisticated vessels (Chinese cup with lid, tea forte cup with and a lid with a hole, etc), my everyday tea mug must be hefty, and fit a good 15-16 ounces of tea, instead of just 8. I was ecstatic to find one day a Spanish red-glazed mug, fitting the required amount. And less then thrilled to chip the rim within the few days of the purchase.  I had a choice: I could discard the less-then-perfect cup, hoping I will one day find something comparable, or just live with the chip.  I chose to live with the chip. I haven’t seen a mug of this sort ever since (it’s been three or four years since I found this one), and I haven’t chipped it again. So there it is, my wabi sabi red mug, reminding me, that it is the tea inside that counts! “   

Kasia in Ann Arbor, Michigan

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“My husband brought home the most beautiful Christmas tree this year. I was
awed by its  form and shape.  Every year, I bring out the ornament
collection, but this year, over 50 and with a bad back, once the lights were
put on, I said forget it and realized that was enough…no ornaments and it
is beautiful.  With much rain, it was a hassle to put lights outside, so we
didn’t!  No baking, either.  No new giftwrapping…we used newspaper with
ribbons.  We made do, and hey, Christmas still comes and doesn’t need to be
perfect.” 

Melody in Beaverton, Oregon

(I have a lot of subscribers who are artists–Melody is one of them!  Check out her work at http://www.MelodyCleary.com )

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“My personal favorite wabi sabi moment came shortly after we were married in 1983.  My co-workers admired my ring, which I had chosen hastily and impetuously (bad idea!), and someone noticed a large flaw in the solitaire diamond.  Under a magnifying glass it loomed enormous, a huge chunk of carbon in the clear stone.  At first, I was furious with the jeweler for not adequately explaining that the grade marking of the stone indicated this flaw, nor offering to show it to me under a jeweler’s loupe.  But it was MY wedding ring… when I saw it in the case I exclaimed, “That’s it!  That’s the one!”, and I really didn’t want to go back and cause a scene – caveat emptor – and replace it with a smaller, flawless stone… so I decided that it mirrored MY imperfections… (vanity, impetuousness, avoidance of conflict!)… and that the carbon represented the humble organic materials from which it derived, a reminder of its origins. 

In 1992, we took a fall trip to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon.  After photographing the spectacular frosty sunrise, I pulled my gloves off… and they snagged on the prongs of my ring… because the stone was gone!  We re-traced our steps to the overlook… scoured the parking lot and the trail we had hiked… and finally gave up in despair.  (Later, I found out the loss would not have been covered under our insurance because I didn’t know to have the prongs checked.)  I made my husband buy me a $2 shell ring in the gift shop so my finger wouldn’t be naked.  We drove back to our cabin in silence.  And there, in the fibers of the pile carpet, he found the stone!

My wonderful, imperfect diamond, and my wonderful, imperfect marriage are still both intact, 23 years later…”

Julie in Portland, Oregon 

Paying Attention to Paying Attention

Well, even though I am trying to adapt to the Argentine way of doing things, my oh-so-American tendency to want to do some deep cleaning and organizing prior to New Year’s Day is getting the best of me.  Yes, I know that January here is like August in the US–everyone is on vacation and nobody is starting ANYTHING new. But hey, it just feels like the right time to make some changes.

So, I’ve got a new look and style on this blog to reflect a focus on the essence of mindfulness–PAYING ATTENTION–and the tips and tricks I use to help people get calm, clear and creative in playful, eyes-wide-open ways.

I love the photo at the top.  It was taken by my husband recently as we wandered through a park and the city-wide display of fiberglass hearts being auctioned to raise money here in Buenos Aires.  See the guy on the bench?  He is staring off into the distance even though there are dozens of huge hearts lurking right behind him. 

It reminds me that we often look in the opposite direction, intensely focusing on finding what we’re looking for when really, it is RIGHT THERE and we just haven’t noticed it.

Now that I’m settling into life here in Buenos Aires, I’ll be sharing less about that and instead focus on what I’m paying attention to–the way that awareness enhances our lives no matter where we are.  I want you to know how others are making mindfulness a lighthearted and life-changing part of their daily routine, so I’ll be  sharing some wonderful stories sent to me by my fantastic Friday Mind Massage subscribers from around the world.

I hope you will come along for the ride as we play with possibilities and discover new ways to get en*Lightened.

Eckhart Tolle and transcending thought

I’m a big fan of Eckhart Tolle’s work.  Of course, he wrote “The Power of Now” and that was wildly popular, but it’s not my favorite.

No, the one with the big Wow is “A New Earth”  in which he talks about transcending thought in order to transform humanity and heal the planet.  Yeah, big stuff.  But seriously, there is a lot you can take from this book and plug it right into your own life right this minute, er, moment.  Right Now.

I especially like his reference to “mind-made” obstacles–such a perfect phrase.  We have so many thoughts that get in the way of our own evolution.  Once we recognize thoughts as the passing blips that they are, we become free in so many ways.

But the best part is his continual reference to what he refers to as “awakened doing” and its three modalities: 

ACCEPTANCE, ENJOYMENT and ENTHUSIASM

Hmmm…where have I heard those before?  Seriously, I love that this spiritual teacher brings it on home with a very clear announcement that enjoyment and enthusiasm—um, otherwise known as FUN–are KEY elements in a mindful life.

Read this interview with Eckhart, then tell me if you don’t think it has some Wow moments.

http://eckharttolle.com/home.php?section=news&type=News&show=NEWS%20-%20Interviews&id=24

Mindful Ringtones

I guess I should be happy that Buddhism has become cool and meditation has become commercialized.  I mean, if it’s mainstream, it means lots of people are tuning into right mindfulness, right?

But of course, that’s not really what is happening. 

For many, meditation has become another ego-attachment, providing a sense of identity and a way to become part of a tribe.  I understand this.  It’s what humans do.

The irony, of course,  is that we have become so attached to the idea of nonattachment. We want everyone to KNOW we are not attached to who we are and what we do.  HA!  This makes me laugh.

For those who want the world to know how mindful they are every time their cell phone rings, there are now ringtones you can download that will chant “Om Mani Padme Om” or offer the sound of chimes or other Buddhist-esque signals.

Sure, we can use that ringtone as a reminder to be mindful–but we don’t need a special one for that.  Any ol’ ringtone will do–what matters is our choice to make it a trigger for mindfulness. 

Deliberately choosing a ringtone to tell the WORLD that we are mindful is not the same thing as doing it for ourselves, you know?  It’s like wearing the t-shirt without actually knowing what it’s all about. 

There’s plenty of that going on.  Should I be upset?  Naw.  Not worth it.  I’ll celebrate the fact that more people are mindful of the word “mindful” and let it go at that.  First steps are to be celebrated, no matter what.

Okay, and if you really want that mindful ringtone, check out http://www.buddhistringtones.com/