Whistle while you wait...

I was scheduled for an interview this morning at 10:45 at a local Starbucks.  As I sat drinking my water infused with blackberry essence (does anyone know exactly what that IS?), my interviewer called apologetically to say that she was still in a meeting and asked how flexible my schedule was.

Ummmm... pretty flexible.

So I sat there, enjoying an hour of solitude, taking in the stream of caffeinated humanity, and decided to pull out my notepad to write.  It was a wonderful hour.

In my last post, I mentioned the idea of being present and aware, and enjoying what we have while waiting for other parts of life to unfold.  A few friends laughingly reminded me that, while nice in theory, it is a little hard to pull off when, say... the bills come due, or the scorpion crawls across your kitchen floor, or you think your biological clock is just a hair away from all-out blitzkrieg.

So I share a few thoughts and bits of insight below that might help - whether you are waiting for an interview, a new home, a baby, a miracle, a raise, a life partner or a vacation... Ideas for happiness while you wait.

1. Believe. Believe that whatever dreams you may have come from somewhere far bigger and more powerful than just YOU.  And something far bigger and more powerful than your brain is plotting and orchestrating so that you can achieve your goals.
2. Fertilize your positivity.  Make sure that the ground beneath you is ripe for positive thoughts by surrounding yourself with encouraging books, movies, music and people.  You'll soon gravitate towards those that make you feel better and gently guard yourself against those that do not.  * A short list of my faves are listed at the bottom of this post.
3. Get specific. Whether you have had one dream seared across your soul since birth, or you are just starting to sense a new desire bubble to the surface - take time to clear away anything that smells of fear and focus only on all that you want. 
4. Write it down. You might want to take a sheet of paper and do what I call "blue sky" writing.  Start painting the best-cast scenario of your goal with words... make it your own variety of perfection.  For example: "I want to live in an adorable home near the water with lots of quirky details and sunny windows, a reading nook, plants everywhere, a big porch, a modern kitchen with an island for entertaining, a hunky husband, a fat cat, a lovely summer garden and gobs of ugly tomatoes. Oh, and a job would be nice too."
5. Now... ignore your thoughts. That's right. Because as soon as you start painting this picture, your thoughts are going to whisper, "Hmmmm.... how do you think you can buy a house on your salary? ... and who is this husband fellow? ... and honey, tomatoes aren't going to grow in the shade."
6. Count your blessings!  OK, so you don't own a house yet - this means that you have a lot of other things to be grateful for:  financial freedom, the ability to travel, no lawn duty, extra time and money.  So celebrate all that you have and give gratitude to the Universe, to God, to karma, or whatever it is that you believe in.  You have a lot more than you may realize.
7. Stay busy. Sometimes there are clear-cut action steps that will move you closer to your wish, dream, goal or desire.  At other times, when you exhaust everything you know to do, you must simply let go and focus on your attitude.  That means taking notice when a negative thought meanders by (and it will) and finding your own special medicine to stop it in its track. The best trick I know is to do something, anything, productive.  Do sit ups, send out a resume, call a friend and ask how THEY are doing, make a card and send it, lend a helping hand, go for a run.  Then, even while you wait, you will have strengthened friendships, thrown out good juju, and maybe even tightened up those abs a little bit.  I'm just sayin'.

I for one am a born dreamer. I've always wanted life to look a certain way - I've wanted to be smiling, to be happy and healthy and peaceful. To have wonderful people in my life to love and to be loved by.  And I believe that desire is one of the most glorious gifts of being human - it is literally how we create our lives.  If you don't like your current situation, change something. If you see something over there that calls to your soul, take one feeble step, then another towards it.

And then, when you are hot on the trails of a long burning dream and you can literally smell the heat coming off it - you will know that you have enjoyed the entire path to getting there.  Now that is living!

Friends... I hope you leave rubber on the tarmac!
- Brandy


PS - The interview finally took place over lunch several hours later than expected.  I met four of their team members - and I think it is safe to say that I got the job.  A freelance project for a great marketing and events firm that will keep me busy and in good company "while I wait."  Hmmmmm.... is that whistling I hear?



As promised - positive books and web sites:
TUT.com  (sign up for the daily "messages from the Universe" - you'll love them!)
happiness-project.com (great articles on bringing more happy into your day)

Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
The Path to Love by Deepak Chopra
Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Please let me know your favorite "feel good" books and sites!

Floating... Like it's my Job

These days, it could be said that I'm working my tan like it's my job. I know... you're rolling your eyes.  How unfair to mention this when most of you are working full-time, running around after kids, or somehow balancing the dizzying combination of the two.  But bear with me for a moment.

The tan is just the by-product of a new daily "workout" at the lake.  And the new daily workout is the product of a hamstring injury that has summarily sidelined almost everything that I love to do:  running, walking, biking, hiking and even yoga.

I understand that this is temporary - yet having found no real cause for the pain, it is disconcerting. With the help of a chiropractor and a physical therapist, I have spent the last several months being x-rayed, adjusted and stretched like a contortionist.  I estimate I've spent roughly 3,000 minutes in Gumby-like positions or sitting on an ice-pack. Oh my god.

Here's the interesting thing, though:  I hurt more now than before.

This is especially troubling because I've always believed that if I just work a little harder, do that extra project, or go the extra mile -- well then, I can make anything better.  But this morning, after a long and lovely swim, I balanced myself on my water noodle like an old lady and began to think about a new action plan.  How about... I stop trying.  How about I let go, stop the painful PT, and simply allow my body to find its best way to heal and its right way to be.

Instantly, the ego reacts.  You mean, accept my body exactly as it is in this moment?   Flawed?

Yep.

And then deeper questions: You mean, accept my Self exactly as I am at this time?  Accept that I'm in the exact right place - hunting for work, living at my parents' house and dealing with a hitch in my giddy-up?

Yes.

And with that yes and that acceptance comes the big lesson.

It is a choice to either believe that swimming is a poor substitute for activities that I'd rather be doing - or to revel in one of the greatest delights of summer.  I've loved to swim ever since the summer of 1982, when my sister and I learned to crawl, breaststroke and backstroke in the chilly lake near our grandparents' house in Wisconsin - the one with the slimy green ropes and the marginally scary instructors with long-voweled accents. Unquestionably one of the best summers of my life.

Today, the water still holds such magic - the rhythm of the strokes, the meditative breath, the feeling of sleek weightlessness mixed with bursts of power, the utter freedom of it.  And now I get to swim every day.

I won't stop wanting to run - and I won't stop believing that I'll be back on the trails soon.  But I will stop thinking that I'm not really living until I'm pounding the road in my Asics.  I can choose to hold the dream while enjoying the hidden blessings, lessons and joys of right now. 

So often, we feel like we're waiting for something else to happen:  waiting for the house to sell, waiting for the next job or a better relationship, waiting for the economy to pick up or for life to slow down, or in this case, waiting for a hamstring to heal. But while all of this waiting is happening - so is LIFE. 

I'm aware that I am enjoying one of the most beautiful times on my path so far.  This summer is not simply a stepping stone to what's next, but a series of moments and memories that fill up the soul - movies and ice-cube fights with my nephews, getting "made up" by my four-year-old niece, lake days, motorcross nights, catching up with dear friends, and the day-to-day delights of spending time with my mom.  It's the gift of time... time to dust off old dreams and goals and to create new visions for the future.

There will certainly be moments when we all must must prepare for a slow long-distance crawl - or perhaps a mad dash for the raft.  But there are other times, like now, when we can simply turn onto our backs and float - soaking in the sunshine and feeling the body buoyed by we know not what.  This is trust.  This is acceptance.  This is knowing that we are, at all times, in the just right spot.

I hope that you are diving in - enjoying every breath, every kick, every stroke.  Life is short - and so full of possibility... so swim deep!

PS - I know where some floaties are if you need them.