Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Executive Encouragement

It has been a long time since I worked in the workforce, but I was talking to a friend about difficulties at work. Most of my work was in retail or the school system. I was a full-time regular substitute teacher at several schools, mostly fourth and fifth grade.
     I worked at a health food store for three years in the '90's, where every little thing you did wrong, or maybe it was just me, you got screamed at, literally, even the smallest mistake.  
     I think employees would benefit as far as productiveness if during employee, employer meetings, they got complimented for the things they did right or for working extra hard.  It is not easy to unload the boxes from a truck, check them off on the invoice, price them and put them away, all the while stopping to wait on customers with no one there to help you, or take your own vehicle to the other branch, pick up produce and other products for the other store, completely filling up and loading down your own car.
     Yes I know hard work is good for the soul and all, but why can employers not show more appreciation?  This would make a big difference as far as workplace morale.  
    When I was teaching at one school in particular, our principle who was a woman with a PhD., who would call me to her office from time to time to tell me I handled a certain situation the right way.  Perhaps I was just better with children than health food.  I do not know.  I miss teaching sometimes, mostly the hugs and little cards I got from children.  Plus, I had young children then, so hours-wise it was a good schedule.
     They say to be successful, write project plan report, do not multitask, text less and use the phone more, set goals and a time to meet them, be pleasant in the workplace and get enough sleep at night.  
     I admit I am guilty of multitasking, listening to books while on the computer, working on a music project and a writing project at once or working on a poem while getting ready to go somewhere, well not exactly, I mean, stopping momentarily.
    I hope everyone had a good holiday.  I know I did.  
Much love.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Gratitude

      Last night I went to sleep feeling very grateful.  I got a folding futon mattress so my son could have a place to sleep when he visits our small home.  
     Wanting to try it out, I slept on it myself just for the novelty of sleeping in the living room with the animals, my dog 
Reuben, and my cats Simon and Bhaghera.  
     A close friend sent me a scarf she had either crocheted or knitted by hand with so much love.  I can never wait til Christmas to open gifts sometimes.
     Hopefully after Christmas before the new year I will have new inspiration to write about Baba, metaphysics,  poetry, fiction and chakras.  But, for now I am just enjoying the season, and feeling gratitude.  Love to all.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

yoga healing

     Yesterday I felt tired and anxious, a little stressed from trying to do too many projects at the same time, which is a 'don't' they say if you want to be successful.
     I met my friends at restorative yoga.  It was so relaxing.  I had never taken a yoga class with relaxation at the beginning.  Usually it is at the end, such emotional detoxification.  
     Afterwards I felt much better.  I suppose that is why it is 'restorative' yoga.  The darkness of the room was relaxing to my tired eyes.  It felt good to lie across my bolster, forwards and backwards, opening up the heart chakra.  
     It was great to see friends before we all went separate ways for the holidays, to do things with our families.  I was too impatient to not open my gift from Kathy.  To my surprise I received a green lavender scented candle for the heart chakra, a beautiful necklace, a beautiful green cardigan, green bangles and some white musk oil and lemon scented body oil, so lovely.  
     I have not a lot to say.  I think I will rest my eyes today and try to stay off the internet.  Love to all.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Staying Sane During the Holiday Season

The holidays can be a stessful time, especially if you are working, have a big family and or a lot going on as most  of us do. As a homemaker and as someone who works at home, I have lots of good suggestions.
     It does not matter if you are single or married, have children or not, although small children really get excited about Christmas so parents of youngsters have more expected of them of course.  And, we are all just kids inside.  I know I am.
      Whether you celebrate Hannukah or Christmas, here are my suggestions for a peaceful holiday season.
Lights brighten up any neighborhood.  I really appreciate the beautiful lights that make a neighborhood more homey.  As far as indoor decor a small tree, some ornaments and a few lights are good enough.  And, for Hannukah, blue tealights are lovely.  Hannukah candles are available in the kosher section of most big grocery stores as well as traditional kosher Hannukah foods.
     Over-relation can be a problem for some people.  Although we may have many places to go or people coming to visit, such as relatives or we may be going to visit family, we do not have to go to every single event, which may lead to stress. Ladies, a little red dress is the 'new little black dress' at Christmas if you cannot find something to wear. 
     If you are spending time with relatives, keep the topic of conversation light if you can or try to change the subject if anyone seems uncomfortable.  Keep it simple.  
     With the economic problems most of us experience, we can economize.  You can cook a chicken rather than turkey with or without stuffing, vegetables and potatoes in the oven.  Cranberry sauce is easy to make fresh with clove, orange peal, sugar and or sugar substitute for the sugar intolerant.
     The next thing is giving gifts.  I decided to mainly give gifts to my family this year with a few small exceptions.  Many great deals can be found on line for just about anything.  Also discount stores have amazing things.  Of course I was brought up very frugally and have always had to economize, I think most of us do these days.  Shopping on line is a good way to do price comparison without running around and is good for someone like me who does not drive.
     As far as ornaments, trinkets and decorations, some can be found at thrift shops or made my hand with construction paper, glitter, markers, a hole puncher and yarn.  Paper clips can substitute for ornament hangers that might be missing.  And last of all stocking stuffers can easily be found at discount stores.  I think useful things are really appreciated.
     I remember one Christmas in California when my x-husband and I were very poor with a baby and he stuffed my stocking with brand new shirts that he had bought inexpensively in various colors and very stylish.  I felt bad because all I got him was a toothbrush and his Christmas stocking was so empty.  Those were the days.  Keep in mind, I was only twenty-two at the time.  Now I have a twenty-two year old and know how young that is.  A baby with a baby I was. 
     Well I hope you found this article light and helpful. Have a wonderful Christmas, Hannukah season.  Love to all.



Monday, December 19, 2011

Occult Methods

    For many years I was very caught up in occult methods, sush as psychics, the I Ching, Astrology, Tarot Cards, etc..  I admit no great spriritual gain came to me, because all this was spiritualism naturaly.
    Although I must say I never expected spiritual gain thank you very much, not really.  I just wanted guidance, reassurance, something to ease my heart's wondering.  And the aching in my heart as well I must say.  My life when I was younger seemed so difficult to me, especially when I was bringing up two boys on my own and wanted to be with the right guy. Then there were those times I realized the happiness, love and family life I wanted were all there with just me and the boys and we were most happy with no man in my life.  The idea that I needed that type of love was only society's dictate and some warped sort of survival of the fittest.  Truly the real survival was to survive on our own.  The men I chose just majorly brought us down or my reaction to them perhaps I might say more accurately.  I have said before my self esteem issues were off the charts in a bad way.  I do not know why, perhaps just the era in which I was born, no reflection on my lovely parents, again thankyou very much.  And I am being sincere.  I regard my father with utmost respect wherever his soul may be and my mother who is a wonderful person and a brilliant philosopher and artist in her own right, both of them brilliant writers for which I can only shed gratitude for the gift of language.  My children have inherited this gift as well. My older son, almost twenty-nine now, is an unusual sort.  Although he is brilliant in his own way, I have had to learn to accept him in some ways.  He is unique.  Are not we all?
    My brother said in one of his articles that ghosts according to Meher Baba are all around us, although somewhat ineffectual (my own opinion combined with some of what I have heard Baba said)  I have experienced the presence of some sort of entity in the night for which I later smudged and asked and prayed for the disappearance of to a higher power, Jesus or Baba.
     My younger son was telling me of terrible nightmares he had been having.  My dreams are intense, but lately mostly relate to healing. I dream visually impaired, since I am.  I dreamed that I got on the wrong bus in a big city and needed help to get home or to the right side of town, which in itself is symbolic of wanting to be in the right place, centered, mentally, physically and spiritually.       
     The most beautiful dream I had was about having eye surgery, which is not an option for my particular eye malady, and waking up with perfect vision.  This was so wonderful, heaven in my estimation.  Perhaps a dream interpreter might say, "seeing clearly" is a metaphor for better insight and understanding, but to me it was just the sheer joy of seeing, truly seeing.  Seeing is wonderful.  I can no longer see every color.  I have to ask store clerks if things are navy or black, sometimes cannot distinguish dark nuances and shades like dark brown, green and blue or dark burgundy, red, purple or brown.  Yet, once I was a visual artist as well as musician and so so very visual.  My father was an artist, who went blind and then turned to writing, wrote several books.  I see where he was coming from, because a blind person can write.  Later more will come in this forum for me to describe the symptoms of retinitis pigmentosa, quite fascinating really.  
           





     
             

Sunday, December 18, 2011

The Irony of Dating Advice

The other day I accidentally hit the wrong key on my computer and this gorgeous man popped up talking with a good hair cut, a neatly trimmed beard and a nice oxford shirt, rolled up at the sleeves and unbuttoned at the colar. He was trying to sell his website, saying he could tell women all the mistakes they make to turn guys off.
Why do men think women make all the mistakes and that they are so so wanted? Yes, I admit us single gals, I mean some of us want a companion, and I also admit I have made really stupid mistakes in relationships. It would make you laugh, but I would be too embarrassed to share these things, because they were so silly. But, guys make mistakes too. For example, I once joined one of those online dating services and I met two nice fellows. One talked about his x-wife constantly. The other did not do anything wrong until I really started liking him, and then he said, "I'm haunted by a past relationship that was never fully resolved."
He described her as an heiress and started telling me her personal problems, and I'm thinking 'and why is he telling me this baggage?' When I pictured her, I saw a movie star driving a red convertible sports car driving fast and glamorously away from a huge 'gone with the wind' type mansion, her long blond hair blowing back in the wind.
And here I was a half blind single mother, yada yada... scraping by financially. I know you get the picture and I confess a little self pity came into it.
Have you ever decided in a new relationship, "I'm going to do everything right this time"? Then it all goes wrong anyway. Gets to the point where you have to pray before you see or talk to this person that you will not screw up or 'bite the hook' or 'take the bate'. Ah it is all so exhausting, but being in love is a good feeling, certainly worth while.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

More About Metaphysics

About twenty-eight years ago I was living in Los Angeles and married with a baby. My then husband had been seeing a psychic without my knowledge back in South Carolina, who made predictions that were untrue. Thus, he almost went to California without the baby and me. I begged him to take us and he did.
I went to see Kitty Davey who is no longer living and she told me that there was a difference between spirituality and spiritualism and to read Baba's discourse on the occult, which I did and being a real debater imposed on Ron, my then husband.
While living in L. A. we had the good fortune of getting to know Filis Fredrick who is no longer living as well. She was a psychic who had known Meher Baba personally. She said that she had stopped using her psychic abilities due to Baba's teachings.
Years later after I was divorced and trying desperately to get out of an abusive relationship, I began calling two psychics, one in California, (I was back in the southeast now) and one in Montana. They were very accurate. The problem was me. I have always been a tough learner in life lessons. Believe me, I learn and learn well but it takes a lot to get through to me and I used to be very dependent, very unsure of myself. I was now the mother of two boys, a nine year old and a sixteen year old give or take a year.
The darkness that surrounded me due to low self-esteem and ego problems that I could never really explain, astounded me. My mind has always taken some strange paths. Long story short I learned to say no. I learned when enough was enough, what my breaking point was. Since then, I know a lot more about love and letting go and standing on my own two feet.
If only back when I taught school and drove a car I had had the internal life skills I have now that I am legally blind in one eye and totally blind in the other.
I do not mean to go from metaphysics to self-help, but my mind is split today. More from me to come soon. I would love to here your comments, women and men both and your experiences with the occult, Baba, relationships, self-growth etc.. I want to hear your experience strength and hope. Love to all.