365 Inspiration—106: Stars

"If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years how man would marvel and stare."—Ralph Waldo Emerson

I got out of my class tonight and looked up at the clear sky and saw a crescent moon and quite a number of stars. I live in the city, so it's not always so easy to see the stars.

Whatever is going on in my evening, looking up at the stars or moon always brings me back to the greater picture. Things that I might be worried about or stressed about suddenly seem so small in comparison to the endless stars and space that are overhead.

Looking at them for a few minutes makes me forget what I was thinking, wondering or worrying about in the first place.

It's easy to get caught up in the details of our day and forget how really small those details are in the greater scheme of things.

The stars were my inspiration this evening. They made me realize how small we all really are, but how vast we are if you include us in all that space!

This made me happy today and it set me free.

Did you see the crescent moon this evening? Did you see the stars?

365 Inspirations—105: And the Winner is........

"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."—Theodore Roosevelt

Okay, I'm a little late in all my promises, I know! It's something I plan to work on this year. I tend to over commit, but I DO usually meet all my commitments, just not always in the timeframe I've allowed myself!

Back in February, I promised a free copy of my book Lessons from the Monk I Married, a personal letter and a gift to a person who followed and left a comment in the comment section of my blog. That person also had to let me know about someone who inspires them. Here's the original post.

Well, I received a number of comments and inspirations! I finally put all the names in a hat and chose KIRSTY, who has a number of blogs on her blogger profile, to be the recipient of my book, letter and gift. Kirsty left this comment:

Hi, 

Thank you for your generous offer. I'm definitley interested to read your book.

Who is my inspiration? My daughter actually. Just a few minutes with her and I've got a huge smile planted on my face. She brings the inner child out in me and is abundant in her love and free with her emotions. She's been the one to open up my heart and help me be fun, loving and free.

Cheers
Kirsty

I will be contacting her directly to find out how to send her these gifts.

And now a question for you:

Have you ever won anything in your life? What was it? 

365 Inspirations—104: Just Write

"I just write what I wanted to write. I write what amuses me. It's totally for myself. I never in my wildest dreams expected this popularity."—J.K. Rowling

I've been thinking lately that I'm too busy to keep this blog, but then I remind myself that writing everyday is one of my goals. Also, writing about inspirations everyday helps me see that there are, in fact, wonderful things in my life. That my life, as it is, is just right.

Right for now.

Just right.

And all I really need to do each day is "just write".

It doesn't need to be a masterpiece. It can just be a simple thought, idea or observation.

Today the things that seemed "just right" were these:

• Lying in the sun with my husband
• Having lunch, coffee and a walk with a friend who has just returned from several years overseas
• Taking a walk with another friend who is about to get married and have a baby
• The sun, the sun, the sun
• Blossoms everywhere
• The smell of fresh cut grass
• The comfort of home and silence
• Writing in my office, writing room, sanctuary

I think it's easy to forget all the wonderful things that are right in front of me and how easy it really is to just write. You don't need to think too much about it or try to shape it. 

Just put your hands on the keyboard or pick up a pen....

and write....

365 Inspirations—103: Community

“Everybody is a story. When I was a child, people sat around kitchen tables and told their stories. We don't do that so much anymore. Sitting around the table telling stories is not just a way of passing time. It is the way the wisdom gets passed along. The stuff that helps us to live a life worth remembering.”—Rachel Naomi Remen 

The weekend has been FULL of community. I have met so many people and gone to events where I saw people face to face. It's been interesting. So much of my life is online these days with my daily blog and keeping up with e-mails, etc. It's been nice to meet, talk to and feel people in person.

On Thursday, I met my writing group, on Friday morning I met a friend for a walk and lunch, on Friday night I met another writer friend and teacher and Saturday (today) I went to a bridal shower AND met with about 10 friends from my husband's yoga community at our house.

I usually don't meet many people on the weekend, so this was a lot of interaction. I will say that perhaps we need MORE face to face communication because I think it makes a difference in the quality of our lives!

Me with my friend Chaya, a bride and mother to be!

Maybe not a whole weekend of it, but at least a little bit on a regular basis. I don't think online communication can ever substitute for person to person communication. I think I want more of that in my life.

I want to return to a simple life that is free from technology. Do you think that's possible?

I sometimes entertain the idea of living in a community of like-minded friends and sharing our passions, cooking, meals, ideas, etc. Everyone would have their own space, but we could come together whenever we wanted to and if we needed to be alone, that would be fine too.

Anyway, whatever happens, it was good to connect with people today in person.

I'm going to now rest.

Do you meet with a community regularly? Do you often meet friends and or group members face to face?

365 Inspirations—102: Fresh Cut Flowers from the Yard

"There are always flowers for those who want to see them."—Henri Matisse

Our back yard is full of pink and red tulips and daffodils. It's that time of year again. Long ago, someone planted a bunch of tulip bulbs and it's like Holland in our backyard!

Today I had planned to meet a friend for a walk and lunch at my house after.

I contemplated buying a bouquet of flowers and then thought That's ridiculous, look at how many flowers there are in your backyard. You can easily make your own arrangement.

So that's what I did. I got out my scissors and cut these beauties! It makes such a difference in my mood to have fresh flowers in the house. Of course, my husband is allergic to pollen and usually can't tolerate any flowers, but he seems to be better this year!

After my friend and I came back from our walk, we noticed that the tulips had completely opened up. They seemed to be practically talking to us!

They are still beautiful even when they are opened.

Do you like to cut fresh flowers from your yard or garden and put them in your house? 

365 Inspirations—101: Change

flower in crater on Big Island of Hawaii

“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny.”—Paulo Coelho 

Change is my inspiration tonight. I'm going through some changes. There are a lot of unknowns and I don't know where this path will lead. I'm feeling called to write a few books. One of the books I plan to write has come to me in a dream and my husband even dreamed about something related to my dream last night.

I want to follow these intuitive impulses. I want to embrace change, even though it is scary to do so. It's not the safe route and usually not the easiest route that brings us the most growth.

I'm ready for this change and I'm ready to embrace these unknowns in my life. I'm ready to hear these callings and I'm open to new ideas.

I'm sorry I can't elaborate more on this change specifically. I just know it is there. I don't know how long I will continue to post here, but I'm here now.

Is change causing your life to go in a different and/or new direction? Are you embracing those changes in your life?

365 Inspirations—100: One Hundred Tins of Tea on the Wall

"The lights are much brighter there
You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares and go
Downtown, things'll be great when you're
Downtown, no finer place for sure, Downtown, everything's waiting for you."—Petula Clark

I made it to post 100. As soon as I finished my class at 9:40pm, I headed STRAIGHT for the BRIGHT LIGHTS of the grocery store to celebrate. I needed a transition from 5 solid hours of teaching. Good thing Central Market is opened until 11pm!

To treat myself for making it this far, I allowed myself to choose a few of my favorite items for my little celebration. Not only is my class over, but my week of teaching is over. I teach a full load on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and have Thursday and Friday off.

I headed over to the refrigerated drink section and picked out a D.T. Dave's Kombucha. Have you ever had Kombucha? I think I could make an entire post on Kombucha and its health benefits. It's live, fermented tea and has loads of naturally occurring probiotics and antioxidants. My friends who live out in the countryside make it. Fermented anything is so good for digestion. The Kombucha I drink tastes great too. My favorite is Cosmic Cranberry. It contains organic, raw Kombucha tea and pure, unsweetened cranberry juice. It's not sour, because natural sugars form during the fermentation process. I LOVE it. Makes me feel so GREAT!

I also picked up a few Amy's Samosa wraps for later and a few sushi rolls. I love Futomaki and Inari sushi. I lived in Japan for two years, so, needless to say, Japanese cuisine is one of my favorites. I couldn't help myself, I also bought some 72% dark chocolate. What's a celebration without a little dessert?

I browsed through the health and body section of the grocery store. Let me tell you, this isn't really your typical grocery store, it's a LIFESTYLE. They have meditation cushions, incense, soaps, shampoos, vitamins, candles, essential oils, bubble bath—you name it!

Finally, as I headed towards the check-out line, I paused in the tea section. This isn't any ordinary grocery store tea section either. This store has 100 tins of tea on the wall (or more). And since I'm on post 100, I thought the title was fitting! Not only do they have teas, but they have all kinds of gadgets to make the very best pot of tea.

Since our home is full of tea, I passed on buying any. It's amazing what one trip to the BRIGHT LIGHTS of our local grocery store can do for me. Just walking in there makes me feel rejuvenated. 

I had my little celebratory snack and now I'm going to go read a book and sink into the bathtub!

Do you have a favorite store or shop that you love to go to?

365 Inspirations—99: Volunteers

Do you volunteer for anything or have you ever been a volunteer? Today I'm grateful and inspired by my volunteers. I'm an ESL teacher with over 100 students this quarter. I don't know how I could do it without the people who so graciously volunteer their time in my classes.


One class typically has 35 plus students in it. That's a lot to handle for one teacher, but the volunteer program at my college is very well organized and the coordinator always asks me if I need volunteers in my classes.

Long ago, I didn't think I needed them and thought I could do everything myself. These days, I am realizing that I could use some help because my classes are so big.

It feels good to help people who need it, so I know the volunteers get something from it too. I know I certainly do.

Last week I had a skills lab class with 40 students and only one other assistant. We needed more help and weren't able to get to everyone in class.

Today, I had a volunteer in my regular class who agreed to stay on for an extra 30 minutes for my lab class. Even that extra 30 minutes made such a difference.

Sometimes I think we feel we don't want to help because there's not much we can do or that the short amount of time we have to do something for someone else won't make a difference.

I believe that ever minute makes a difference. Just the intention of wanting to help another person can make a difference.

Have you ever been a volunteer or have you ever helped anyone out who needed it?

365 Inspirations—98: The Earth

"It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small."— Neil Armstrong

I saw this video today via a friend's Facebook page. It put so many things into perspective for me. We are all so small and fragile.

We are all in this together. Loving, working together and sharing is really what it is all about. Here's the video link...


http://www.upworthy.com/some-strange-things-are-happening-to-astronauts-returning-to-earth?g=3&c=fea

Please check it out!


What makes you see the bigger picture of life? Do you often get caught up in details or are you a big picture person?

365 Inspirations—97: A Day of Getting Organized

“Out of clutter, find simplicity."—Albert Einstein

 I had quite a few events this weekend and am behind a bit in getting organized, paying bills, prepping for class and doing blog posts for guests whose stories will appear here.

There were a few people who wanted to meet today, but I seriously needed a day to just straighten the piles of stuff that were in my office. I had no idea what pile the bills were under. It took me a long time just to do that.

So I've paid the bills and now my office is somewhat organized. At least is was better than what it looked like before ( It looked like the aftermath of a hurricane!).

I tend to put things off and try to overextend. I want to meet everyone and do everything, but I am slowly learning that less is really more and I'm going to work on that this year.

I want to get rid of the sheer volume of paper in my house. I'm an ESL teacher and writer, so this is tricky.

I'm finding I need more space to myself. For the vacation I have between spring and summer quarters, I plan to go on an extended solo writing retreat to my family's lake house. I really have missed uninterrupted time to myself for writing, meditating and just being.

I'm so looking forward to that time.

Right now I am doing my best with the time I have to put things in order. Tomorrow is another long day and I didn't get blog posts arranged for several people who will appear on this blog.

Well, I still have 298 days left in the year, so I'll get it done!

Are you an organized person? Do you tend to put things off?

365 Inspirations—96: The Gift of Life

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”—Kahlil Gibran

 I've known Lena (she goes by Helena now, but I still call her Lena) since elementary school. We have known each other for over 30 years! Instead of growing apart as the years have past, we have grown together.

We've shared a lifetime of experiences. We've traveled in China, Mongolia, Japan and Korea together. She was in my wedding in South Korea. We've shared all of our secrets and even though we may be doing different things with our lives, we always support each other and encourage each other to live a full life and follow our dreams.

Today we had a small gathering of friends at my house to celebrate the fact that she is going to have a baby.

But this was no ordinary baby shower.

My best friend is having a baby for a friend who cannot. She is a surrogate mother. It wasn't easy for me at first to understand this beautiful and selfless gift she is giving to a family who longs for a child but is unable to do so on their own.

She is giving the gift of life and I don't know many people who would do that for a friend. In fact, I don't know anyone.

So even though my initial reaction might have been surprise and shock and a need to protect my dear friend, seeing and understanding more about what she is doing makes me so proud of her.

She is doing this because she has gotten so much from her beautiful twins and wants her friend to be able to experience that joy too!

Today we offered blessings to the child. I wrote a poem and shared a few quotes. We offered beads for a necklace, lit candles, danced and created art together. Everyone brought a dish and we shared a meal together.

I feel very proud and honored to be a friend of Lena's. I was happy to have this small, intimate gathering of friends at my house. I know this baby is already blessed because my dear friend is carrying him.

She is also a precious light and gift in my life.

Helena and I at my book launch party one year ago.

Do you have best friend who you share things with? What inspires you about your friend?

365 Inspirations—95: Cooking for a Party I'm Hosting

"We labor to make a house a home, then every time we're expecting visitors, we rush to turn it back into a house."—Robert Brault

Today was an extremely busy day. A friend I hadn't seen in a long time suddenly appeared at my front door this morning, so we had tea together and chatted. I also met a friend for lunch!

I went to the grocery store to get ready for a party I'm hosting for a friend tomorrow. I meant to clean the house today, but got sidetracked and gardened instead.

It felt good to get my hands dirty and dig up weeds and tidy up the garden. I tried to mow the lawn with the push mower, but my husband came home and did a more thorough job with the lawn mower. We have this huge camellia tree in our front yard and it's dropping bright pink petals everywhere. They are so beautiful that I didn't really want to rake them up, but they were starting to form a huge pile at our front door.

After hanging out in the yard for quite some time, I finally ventured into the kitchen and began cooking. I made a spicy lentil and sausage soup, two quiches, a fruit salad and I sliced veggies for a veggie and dip tray. While I was cooking, I also cleaned out the fridge.

Needless to say, I'm now pooped, but haven't really cleaned yet for the event. People are coming over at 12:00pm tomorrow, so I guess I'd better get up a little earlier than I usually do and get to work ^_^!

I like having people over because it gives me a reason to clean my yard and house, otherwise I tend to get lazy about it and put it off. Hosting a dinner or party is a great way to get things in order!

Do you ever have a party at your house or people over for dinner? Do you think it helps you to get organized?

365 Inspirations—94: A Day Alone

"Language... has created the word 'loneliness' to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word 'solitude' to express the glory of being alone."—Paul Tillic

I spent the day alone. It was good for me. I feel I'm going to need more days like today. I needed a day to have the option of doing absolutely nothing.

I did that until mid-morning and then I went out and bought party supplies for a friend's party I'm hosting at my house on Saturday. I also bought food.

I didn't hurry with these tasks. I took my own sweet time. Now I'm back home and resting. My husband will be home from his yoga class soon. He also spent the day on his own in downtown Seattle at the library and a few other places.

Even though I love spending time with my husband, I think it's good for couples to have time apart. It helps, sometimes, to be in silence and hear what is happening inside.

I'm teaching a full load Monday-Wednesday, but this quarter I have Thursday-Sunday off. Those three days I'm working are pretty packed and my schedule is quite tight, but it's worth it to have a chunk of time off to pursue my writing again. Not just blog writing, but book writing!

I'm working on a second book. I'll let you all know more about it later. I plan to run off on a few solo writing retreats in June and September....but for now I'm going to read a book and go to sleep.

Have a good Thursday everyone...

Do you like spending time alone?

365 Inspirations—93: Celebrating a Milestone

Event at Edmond's Bookstore in WA

"At the end of a life, it's not the safe and comfortable things we've done that we'll remember. It's the times we risked everything to follow our hearts or make a change for the better."—Katherine Jenkins

One year ago today my book was born. I'm celebrating that today because it was a very important milestone in my life. I had to face all my fears to do it. I had to cut through all the red tape of people who told me it couldn't be done. 

In 2010, I was blogging 365 Lessons while simultaneously writing my memoir, Lessons from the Monk I Married. During that year, with the support of encouraging people I met through my blog and other places, I was able to face many fears. Keeping a blog helped me keep going with my dreams.

How do you do something you really want to do? How do you face all your fears and move forward?

Sign for my book event on window of Well Read Bookstore in New Jersey

In my case, the book wouldn't let me be. It came to me in my meditations, dreams, daily life. It wouldn't let me ignore it. 

It seemed to have a mind of its own. It wanted to be born.

I had editors, publishers, friends and family tell me it wouldn't work. Some people told me it was a crazy pipe dream.

Book Reading at Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle

Signing books at Powell's Bookstore in Oregon

Of course that only propelled me to keep going. It only added more fuel to the small fire that was burning inside of me.

At one point, an editor said to me, "Only 5% of all books written get traditionally published and you are an unknown author."

I didn't say, "Oh shoot, never mind then," and go back to my safe and comfortable life. I didn't put my tail between my legs and run away, I didn't even blink an eye.

I looked at her unflinchingly and said, "I have a feeling I'm going to one of the 5%."

I don't know where this force came from, all I know is that there was no turning back. I was going to go all the way with this. I felt it in the core of my being. This story, my story, would be read by many people. My hope was that the people who read my book would also be able to go forth with their own dreams and have the courage to follow their own hearts.

I'm happy to announce that, a year later, the book has been read and has received great reviews nationally and internationally and will soon be translated into Croatian and Chinese for starters!

Book event at Book Passage in Marin County, CA. 

But riight now, a year later, I don't feel as strong as I did then. I'm not sure where that fire went, but I know it's not completely gone. The coals are still burning and I'm bound to feel those flames again.

I'm celebrating today because I want to remember how all of this felt. It felt like a dream, but it was very real.

This is not something unique that happened to me, it can happen for each one of us. It's not an easy road to one's heart. You have to sometimes step on thorns, whack through jungle bushes and trees and often times you can't even see where you are going. It's scary and so easy to fall back into what might be comfortable and known, even though we know it isn't our true path.

But if you keep putting one foot in front of the other in the direction your heart is telling you to go and you don't look back, you will arrive. Stay focused. 

Also, if you do reach a milestone on your path, celebrate it! Remember what got you there and remember that you can always rekindle that fire.

Are you taking steps towards what your heart is telling you? Have you given yourself space to hear what your heart has to say?

365 Inspirations—92: A Really HUGE Magnolia Flower

"Learn to...be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not."—Henri Frederic Amiel

Even if I've had a bad day, I can always find something that made me smile or stop and pause or see things in a different light. To be quite honest, today was a hard day.

 I think the world presents us with exactly what we need to see and experience. 

Today it was a really HUGE Magnolia flower in the Washington State Arboretum that made me stop. The flowers are all in full bloom and my husband and I drove straight to the park shortly after we woke up. When I saw this flower, I just sat there in awe staring at it.

It was speaking to me. It was telling me to make a statement and live my dreams. It was telling me to speak up and hang on (all the other flowers had already fallen from the tree). 

It was larger than life and it made a statement by simply being there. 

Lately I've felt I may not be on the right path. I can't really explain. I've been ignoring something I need to do. I haven't been listening completely to my heart. I haven't been completely myself.

Perhaps I'm just tired, but I think it's really more than that.

I feel like I want to run away.....and I want to simply "be".

Like this flower that was high up in the tree.....speaking directly to me.

Good night friends...

Oh, and one more thing....a QUESTION for you........

Have you ever felt like you need to change something in your life? Did you listen to that feeling and did you follow through with it?