(This post has the potential to appear on the tardy side. I ended up with a late night. Apparently, this happens when you [me!] become all Zen Balanced and shit. Time changes.)
We’re going to begin with a success story. One of my pool pals came to me recently and asked about the cigarette smoking situation. Specifically if I had relapsed. Her question surprised me, it’s been so long (almost a year and a half?) that I truly had forgotten I used to reside on that side of the ashtray.
She told me she’d been trying to quit since somewhere around 1984. I explained Allen’s book and program to her again, but she said she had the book, it didn’t work for her. Next we talked about audio and on-line seminar options (and I quizzed her on how far she’d read, not more than a couple of pages, turns out). She promised she’d look in to the other choices, or try the book again. I told her that I totally believed in this, and him. And her.
Tonight she stopped me after class and said, “I did it.” She had become a non-smoker four days ago! I was so proud of her (she’s in her 70s, and from Brooklyn, so ya know, hearty) and told her so. The entire experience just validated my day, and my Present Moment Consciousness way of thinking Yay us!
Since we’re running short of time, I know you won’t mind if I abbreviate our daily draw just a bit, leaving off the guidebook info and tuning in our radio for the message (it worked so well yesterday).
“Possibilities (r) ~ 2 ~ Fire: Action
Letting Go ~ 8 ~ Water: Emotions”
We continue to struggle, and then find success. We make some progress, then we hit a snag. We move forward, then there’s a roadblock. It’s the nature of being Human. It’s exactly how this journey is meant to be. Otherwise, we’d never learn a damn thing.
As we release the old patterns, we see new options. But are we looking so far ahead that we become fearful of failure? Are we wondering if maybe we’re reaching for possibilities that aren’t ours to have? Do we possibly (unknowingly) sabotage our own forward momentum and success?
Sure, any of these are complications or misdirections which could slow us down. But we have to remember that we can manifest ANY sort of future we want. (Pretty much, anyway.) We need to let go of the restrictions we’ve been taught, or that we THINK we’ve been taught. No more excuses. We simply need to dream it, and believe it.
We are free to let go, with the faith that our net will appear. Even if it doesn’t (use me as an example), the trauma is painful, but it’s never a mortal wound. There are more choices out there than we can even imagine. So let’s start imagining.
Today’s Deck:
(with words by me) Osho Zen Tarot
Today’s Mileage:
whatever it is to the pool and back. My ride was quite lovely. Being aware of my own Peace, and my own Now, makes pedaling easier. Huh, who knew?
FLP Report:
It says Rhode Island,
I promise.
Way to go lady in the pool class! I am becoming slightly concerned about my brain function on significantly decreased amounts of nicotine… I feel in a mental fog much of the time now, like I just don’t think as quickly or as well as I used to. I used to feel like my brain didn’t wake up until I’d had two cups of tea and a cigarette… I’m still having my two cups of tea, but now I feel like my brain just doesn’t ever completely wake up. I’m really hoping that this is temporary. Did you have anything like this happen when you became a non-smoker?
Very, very interesting card combination today. I’ve tried to release it, but I know there is still doubt lurking somewhere deep within, sometimes. But now that Jupiter is moving forward again, I feel like this is a major un-blocking/un-sticking. We have NO retrograde planets until Feb. 18, when Saturn goes retrograde in Scorpio… yikes, that is bound to be a heavy-duty one! Enjoy these next couple weeks!
~
” We have NO retrograde planets until Feb. 18…”
Whew!!!
Happy/Freedom Dance time!
J
2:28 a.m.
2-1-13
Nicotine is a drug. When you live with it everyday your body chemistry adapts to its presence. Quit it, and your body has to readjust itself back to what for you is ‘normal’. Fogginess isn’t unusual. Exercise, good food, plenty of water, and sleep will help flush this stuff out.
And be glad. Nicotine isn’t one of the drugs that permanently alters your brain chemistry. My Grandmother was a drug addict. She had been abusing prescription drugs for so many years that she never ‘came back’ no matter how long she was clean. It screwed up her brain chemistry and she lived every waking moment miserable and trying to figure out how to get more drugs.
Thank you for the reminder. I am VERY grateful that nicotine doesn’t do permanent damage! Yikes, your poor grandmother, that must’ve been awful.
How cool to share your experience and expertise. Yay for the radio!
I really would have liked to introduced you to my Mom (a Betty, you might remember). Time meant nothing to her, and numbers didn’t make sense. She was also a night owl. I think you’d have had some good talks.
~
Wow, we really would have gotten on swimmingly!
J
2:31 a.m.
2-1-13
I like what you said about “are we looking so far ahead that we become fearful of failure?” That’s my theme song. I need to live step by step, with where I want to go or be in mind, but not always on my mind, if you know what I mean.
~
I do know what you mean.
J
2:32 a.m.
2-1-13
Love the cards and the messages.
Yep, I’m with you, Skye. Step by step. And we have to take a few moments at each step to appreciate our journey, and plan for the next part. We have to take time to enjoy. : )
~
The journey is EVERYTHING, because really,
the destination is death.
J
2:33 a.m.
2-1-13
Yay! for another non-smoker! And at 70 yrs old! See, age is no excuse not to change. (Scrambles out of the way….)
“We move forward, then there’s a roadblock.” For me it’s landslides. And I am not a mountain goat. *sigh* “There are more choices out there than we can even imagine. ” I certainly hope so.
~
No, but bulls do have horns!
Use them, and shove past some of these roadblocks/landslides.
J
2:35 a.m.
2-1-13
The guidebook stuff is nice but I like it better when you radio things.
Yay for another non-smoker. I wish I could get all the way through his weight loss book. I made some progress reading it. Then I hit a snag of him getting all ‘spiritual on me.” I let go of that and started reading again and then a roadblock; a friend who started the Paleo aka Caveman diet. I dived all in and then realized, yikes, not for me. Why did Iet myself get sidetracked from AC? And have I started back, hell no.
On the plus side, though, I, too was in the pool yesterday. For a CLASS. An actual class. Which turned out to be good but I need naproxen sodium afterwards. Oh well.
Glad to see you so zen, my friend.
~
One, thank you for the vote in favor of radio channeling vs guidebook transcribing. I may do more of them this way coming up.
B) We both know that we get to things in EXACTLY the right time.
Almost last: woo hoo for a class!!!
(Ouch, though.)
Finally, thanks. It’s a feeling I’m having trouble describing, but it’s truly calm and peaceful.
(Joyous too, I SANG my affirmations today!)
J
2:38 a.m.
2-1-13
PS I made the cookies. I like them. My mom likes them more because they are kind of shortbread-y.
~
YIPEE !!!
(Shortbread! That’s what they reminded me of.)
J
2:42 a.m.
2-1-13
Woohoo for more non-smokers! Good for her, and good for you for giving her the nudge when the opportunity arose. I’m happy you’re feeling more comfortable in your skin.
~
Thank you,
twice.
J
2:44 a.m.
2-1-13
Two steps forward, one and a half back, rinse, repeat. I’m trying to keep the mindset that each day is a new one, and I can begin again every day, that yesterday’s failures don’t mean today will have failures or tomorrow.
~
Beginning all over again from scratch every day is like accepting a gift from someone you love. We (moms usually) want so much to be GIVING all the time, but often, we need to simply receive. If we look at each new day in this light, it sometimes makes those difficult yesterdays slip away more smoothly.
J
2:46 a.m.
2-1-13
^ what she said ^ (and what you said, too). *hugs* Julie!
~
Thank you, right backatcha.
J
2:49 a.m.
2-1-13
I was thinking about the concept of “failure” last night… it’s something I’ve always feared, and I was doing fear-release affirmations, and pondering what “failure” really is. And I’ve decided not to believe in it anymore, like I don’t believe there is such a thing as a mistake. Just like “mistakes,” our concept of failure is dependent upon a mindframe of goal-orientation, instead of process-orientation. I don’t believe in feeling like I’ve made mistakes because I: 1. know that in every situation I encounter I do the best I can at that particular time, and 2. try to learn from every experience I have. So, last night I decided to apply the same sort of thinking to “failure.” My take on mistakes is that “there are no mistakes, only lessons to be learned,” and my new take on failure is that it is: 1. teaching me a lesson I need to learn, 2. The Universe diverting me unto a better path, 3. The Universe stalling things because the timing isn’t right yet, or 4. any combination of the above.
~
Exactly.
Beautifully well said, too.
J
2:52 a.m.
2-1-13
Oops, that was supposed to be in response to Karen/Betty Bear… I Fail! Just kidding
… I guess it works here, too, LOL!
~
Lol, yep. Works here as well.
J
2:53 a.m.
2-1-13
Thanks, Corina! You’re right about failures and mistakes. I guess I’m really thinking more of boulders and roadblocks – those things that happen and throw me off track for one reason or another. Different lesson, I guess.