I’ve been thinking lately of how blessed I am that I am able to give as much as I do. I also have been thinking about how wonderfully blessed I am, in general. Then I realized that I am so blessed because I am able to both able to give and receive blessings. Now I’m pondering on which came first. I give because I have received; I received because I gave.
Life is good! God is great! All is right in my world!
Blessings,
Genie
Robin Jean Marie issued a challenge on June 2, 2012 in one of her blog posts called Quotes From the Masters: Picasso and I have accepted the challenge. Here’s the quote for this particular challenge: “Everything you can imagine is real” by Pablo Picasso.
This quote speaks to my philosophical nature. I just love to think about “what if?” What if, everything out there and right here was a shared illusion? What if, we could change our lives by not limiting ourselves to what is the norm? What if, we could imagine ourselves into a much better world?
There is a theory out there that this universe, world we live in, is a hologram. Our true selves have dreamed up this world so we could learn and grow stronger spiritually. I recently was introduced to this theory when a friend cleaned out his bookcase and let me take what I wanted of his rejects. I have only read the first few pages so I really don’t know what the author’s theory truly is, but I just had to put down the book and start thinking “what if?” I’ll get back to the book shortly, but in the meantime I am having loads of fun stretching and wrapping my brain around the concept.
Here is my take on this theory – remember this is rough draft material here, because I haven’t actually read the book. This theory is a twist on the movie Matrix. We aren’t fighting or struggling against an outer enemy like the characters in the movie; instead we are fighting and struggling with inner enemy – our self.
We are spiritual beings temporarily housed inside a human body. I accept this truth. I know each one of us is a powerful being, who can bring what is needed to this shared illusion to create the experience needed for our highest good. Using our imaginations is a good place to start.
I imagined in the past, thus creating the future I’m living today. I imagined that would own a house for years then came the day when I did. I imagined that I would have a college degree; I applied myself and eventually became a college graduate. I am in the midst of imagining my future and I know that this too will be real.
How I know that I can be happy no matter what happens to me or around me makes more sense. The shared illusion can be that life is rough and you have to struggle to just get ahead doesn’t have to be my truth. I can be happy, no matter what situation I find myself in. I imagine me being happy and so it is. That’s so cool. I imagine me being joyous and so it is. This is totally awesome.
Life is good! God is great! All is right in my world.
Blessings,
Genie
I’ve been asked how I find the good in negative events. Well, sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it’s a huge challenge, but eventually I get there. I thought I would write my thought process on a minor negative event in my life – hey, I’m not going out there to look for a major one to write about.
The temperature is in the mid-90s where I live and summer is nearly a month away. I do not want to think about the coming summer’s temperature. Wait I’m already off topic.
I found out the other day that my car’s air conditioner isn’t up to the job of even pretending it’s going to keep me cool. It was mid-afternoon, the temperature is 94 degrees and it probably will get higher before the day is over. I needed to go somewhere that is a 15 minute drive away. Okay, I’m the queen of finding the good in everything. What’s the good in this?
Hmmm. I have a nice pink glow happening here and I really look good in pink. Okay, I’m laughing at myself now; I’m on the right track. What else? I’m sweating off at least a pound or two as I drive from here to there and back again. Sweat releases toxins from the body so I’m going to be really healthy by the end of the day.
That’s not quite enough what else can I think of? I have a working car that’s beautiful – red. My car works, so I don’t have to walk or bum a ride. It’s okay I don’t have the money to fix the air conditioner, because all the Saturn dealerships are closed so there is nowhere to take my car to get it fixed. I’m counting that as a plus.
Let’s see what else? The humidity is high enough to cause me to have breathing issues, but I have a car to take me to the medical clinic when I need to go. The folks at the medical clinic are wonderful and seem to be happy to see me. Then there is the bonus they know what they are doing and they care.
What bonuses can I find about the weather? There is a possibility that I will be able to grow my own tropical fruit trees if the climate stays this warm each year. I’m thinking mango trees to grow with peach trees to make my favorite blended juice. I had to stop and find out if mangoes grow on trees. I’m thankful for the internet – I got an instant answer “Yes, mangoes grow on trees.”
By the time I got to the medical clinic I was hyperventilating, so before my butt got comfortable in the waiting room chair, I was called back. See, they care about me here. I scared the receptionist and she got the medical staff busy.
I should tell you that this is the place where I was given a prescription for a wheelchair nearly two years ago. Everyone there is excited to see me walking. Let me stop and tell you that I was having trouble breathing, because of allergies – so nothing really serious going on. A couple of prescriptions and I was good to go. I got to talking to update them on my life, basically bragging about myself. I showed the nurse my new Reiki business card. She said she would keep it so she could recommend me to her patients. So I dug out of my purse all the business cards I had and gave them to her. Do I really need to explain the great positive there?
So that’s how I think. This is how I get from being in a negative moment to being a living breathing positive force for good. I think it would work for anyone. Do you?
Life is good! God is great! All is right in my world!
Blessings,
Genie
I already know will have to grow enough fruit trees to share
I’m limiting myself to the first ten things that come to mind that just tickle me; otherwise this will turn into a book.
1. My mother tickles me often. For example, she doesn’t like to ask for help – ever. When she fills up the wheelbarrow while gardening, it is too heavy for her to carry it to the road for pickup. Instead, of asking me to empty the wheelbarrow, she will leave the full wheelbarrow in front of the flowers I like to take photos of while having my breakfast on the back porch. Then she has gets a smirk on her face when she sees that I have emptied the wheelbarrow. That tickles me, because I would empty it anytime for her, but she gets so much pleasure from leaving the wheelbarrow in my way.
2. My sister also tickles me with some of the things she says. For instance, if I ask her if she knows about “x”; she will tell me “I do now” instead of “No.” Or she will say something like “I didn’t know I lost it, until I found it.”
3. My godsons tickle me. I’ve trained them since birth to hug me when we meet and when it’s time to say goodbye. The oldest is 12, the age when boys do not hug anymore. He hugs me! That tickles me. The youngest is 7 and last week he came up out of the blue and gave me a long hug. That really tickles me.
4. My yard tickles me. With a lot of sweat, energy and time, my mother and I have made it an extremely peaceful place to be. I enjoy going out each day, walking around to discover what is blooming today. To see a slideshow of my garden, see my post Sneak Peek at Genie’s Yard. If you are interested, I wrote in 2008 an article called Life Lessons from the Garden.
5. It tickles me that every being that crosses my path is a potential spiritual teacher. Right now, the robins in my yard are teaching me so much about patience, learn to just be and knowing that others should not stop their progress on their path to suit me (see my post Bird Speak).
6. It tickles me to see white fluffy clouds, because it reminds me of when I was a little girl. Way back then, I would spread out on the grass in my backyard and watch the clouds. I would enjoy figuring out what shape the clouds formed. I believe this the first form of meditation I practiced.
7. Writing tickles me; when I write I feel so much joy. I hope that am able to spread that joy to my readers.
8. Y’all are probably tired me of writing about this, but I have to write it at least one more time: walking tickles me. I love being able to walk. If you are reading this for the first time, then my post Walking in Sunshine will explain all.
9. Seeing the four flights of stairs at work tickles me, because I can walk up two flights of those stairs and I know I will be able to walk up all four flights before long.
10. As a Reiki Master III, I conduct classes about Reiki (I am in the process of developing other class topics). When I am teaching it tickles me to see when one of my students gets IT. The wonder and joy radiating from them just makes me happy.
What tickles you?
Life is good! God is great! All is right in my world!
Blessings,
Genie
Meet the robin, who is my spiritual teacher
Some of the things that tickle me
As I sit here writing this post my feet are in a bucket of ice water, because they are so swollen from walking – I am grateful. I am so grateful I can walk. I am grateful that I am finished with using a wheelchair. I am grateful that I had a wheelchair when I needed it. It was such a blessing; recently, I passed that blessing on to someone else. I am grateful for being in the position to bless another.
No matter the situation I find myself in, I look for the blessing in it. Sometimes I do not understand why something has happened, but I do know there is a reason and that reason is a blessing. I am grateful for the ability to find the blessings and/or have the knowledge that there is a blessing in this even when I cannot see it.
When I’m having a hard day, I stop and quickly write down what I’m grateful for that day. I always number the list, because it makes me happy to have a count of my blessings. I usually use a small piece of scratch paper, then fold it up and place it in my pocket. Throughout the day, I pull out my gratitude list and read it. It always makes me feel better.
Have you counted your blessings lately? What are you grateful for this day?
Life is good! God is great! All is well in my world.
Blessing,
Genie
I am grateful for the birds in my yard; they are beautiful to look at and wonderful singers.
Everyone should have a place of peace, where they can go to find balance and reset their systems back to where everything feels right in their world. It can be as simple as a corner of your home that is yours and when you are in that spot your friends and family know that’s your place of peace and it is sacred. If you do not have an extra room or the space to have a corner in your home, then look in your yard for a spot or perhaps take a few minutes to sit anywhere and meditate and enjoy the moment. Before I had my back porch I used to sit in my car in the parking lot at work for a few minutes each day before starting my day. Just take that moment of peace wherever and whenever you can.
Please, do not use your place of peace as a place where-nobody-can-bother-me so I can pretend they do not exist. Your place of peace is to remind you that all is right in your world thus you can handle anything and everything life has to throw at you.
My place of peace is my back porch and my time of peace is the early morning; this is where I sit and eat my breakfast while the dawn breaks. It is also where I set up my laptop and write. I love this morning ritual; it is a foundation where I can build myself up to have an awesome day no matter what happens. Sometimes my mother comes out and talks to me while I’m having my early morning ritual in my place of peace; I truly enjoy her company when she joins me. I’m in my place of peace so all is right in my world and I want to share this wonderful feeling with her.
Please, tell me about your place of peace.
Life is good! God is great! All is right in my world.
Many Blessings,
Genie
View of my backyard from my porch, dawn hasn't arrived yet.
The outside light shines on the backyard, highlighting my breakfast.
I had the insight late last night that my years of darkness when I struggled to get out of bed to participate in life were not a punishment. No, those years were a gift. Does that surprise you? Perhaps I need to tell you that over a decade ago I asked God to let me have joy in my heart so I could live a joyous life. Not just a feeling of joy, but knowing of joy to the very depths of my soul and not just part time – I wanted it full time. Now that I’m walking again and I have the energy to tackle projects I’ve wanted to do for years, I feel joy in everything I do. Whether it is a task I previously hated to do or loved to – It’s all a joy.
Speaking of gifts, I’m in the midst of donating my wheelchair to a veteran. It was a blessing to me when I needed it and now I want to pass the blessing on. I’m want to leave a positive message to the veteran who gets the wheelchair. If that person doesn’t know already what a blessing the wheelchair is, I want to bring it to their awareness. If they already know, I want to rejoice with them.
In yesterday’s post I told you that anything I do now is fun, because I’m not in a wheelchair. It doesn’t matter how much I despised the task in the past, today it is fun, because I have so much joy in my heart and soul. What a wonderful gift God as granted me.
I realize in yesterday’s post it sounded like going to the chiropractor was the ultimate answer to my problems. It was the latest piece of the puzzle. In my next post I will discuss what else has led to my healing. I’m excited just thinking about.
Life is good! God is great! All is right in my world.
Many Blessings,
Genie
Mrs. Sparkly’s Ten Commandments Award
The Commenter Award
Genie Speaks 