Personal Growth Planet Blog

I didn’t plan on purchasing a brand new car at the start of this new year, but this is what has happened. I’m grateful for my well-being after a car wreck that totaled my old car and also for the ability to purchase a new car.

You may have never owned a brand new car, but perhaps you’ve ridden in one. You know that smell? It’s a sort of rubber-fabric-plastic smell that you encounter in a new car (possibly due to some hideous chemicals that, frankly, I don’t want to think about).

My heart soars when I see video footage of the masses of people who are raising their voices and making their presence known on Wall Street in New York City.

For almost two weeks now, activists and regular folks, union members, airline pilots, celebrities and more have used non-violent resistance to occupy parts of New York City to call for systemic changes in our country’s financial and political systems.

The wave rushes in, covering my feet in cool wet. As the water recedes, it takes with it sand– some of which I was just standing on. The sensation of ocean sand shifting beneath my feet is pretty amazing. When I stare down at the water-sand-flesh action going on, I sometimes feel dizzy and sway a little bit.

On my recent vacation, I thoroughly enjoyed feeling the sand shift beneath my feet as the cold Pacific Ocean moved water and sand in and out with the waves.

What a simple, natural phenomenon such as this offers me is a lesson in groundlessness.

The word “unconditional” is thrown around quite a bit. It is often assumed that parents love their children unconditionally. Lovers are expected to love one another unconditionally. To boost self esteem, a person is encouraged to accept him or herself unconditionally.

I don’t know about you, but truly accepting or even loving unconditionally is not as easy as it sounds.

If any of us are completely honest with ourselves, we’d probably discover that there’s not a whole lot of unconditional loving or accepting going on.

There’s something thrilling about digging into the soil for the first time in the early spring as I introduce new plants into my garden.

I am delighted as I notice buds on trees, bursts of color from daffodils and the emergence and unfolding of fern fronds from the ground.

Spring is one of my favorite seasons because, for me, it holds such promise. From the dreariness and desolation of winter emerges all of this new life. It’s colorful, verdant and nourishing on so many levels.

5 or 6 years ago, in response to the words of my doctor and results of a cholesterol test, I lost around 25 pounds over the course of several months. I began to exercise, I cut out sugary, processed foods and ate more vegetables and whole foods– all great things to do for my overall health. I was also able to lower my cholesterol levels so that they were all in the healthy range.

It felt great…except that it didn’t.

Yes, I was happy that my body was slimmer and more fit. Yes, I was delighted that I lowered my cholesterol without the use of prescription drugs.

“Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on Earth, the peace that was meant to be…”

Growing up, this was always one of my favorite hymns to sing in church. I still feel bolstered and uplifted when I sing it for myself today.

Peace can appear to be an elusive state. Wars seem to abound. Knowing and perceiving this can quickly deflate that sense of uplift and hope.

Some may claim that conflict is inevitable. Others may insist that human beings are self-centered and territorial and that, with a scarcity of resources, there is bound to be aggression and wars.

Guilt can crop up in our lives at just about every turn.

You might feel guilty because you’ve strayed from your diet.
You may feel guilty because you forgot the birthday of a dear friend.
You could feel guilty because you spoke harshly to your spouse.
You may feel guilty because you aren’t as kind, generous, reliable, eco-friendly, productive, religious or spiritual…. as you think you should be.

It seems that we humans are hard-wired with a propensity to feel guilty.

I never thought that I’d aspire to be a frog, but, that’s exactly what I’m aiming for right now in my life.

I listened to a wonderful online presentation recently about the importance of meditation, mindfulness and contemplation. During it, Daron Larson, the Buddhist teacher who presented this information, talked about the benefits of becoming amphibious.

Hearing this rich analogy inspired me to consider the many advantages to being able to adapt to the changeable and widely diverse situations that arise in life.

As you probably already know, put very simply, to be amphibious is to be able to survive in both the water and on land.

Through the peaks, valleys and sheer drop-offs of life, it can be easy to become lost.

I’m not talking about veering from the path that society or your family has set for you. I’m talking about getting disconnected and far far away from your true, authentic self.

This might be the you who you used to be. The person who knew what he or she wanted and went for it. The you who was clear, confident and self-aware.

Maybe you haven’t felt this way since you were a young child. Perhaps you’ve never ever felt in touch with the real you.