Tuning into synchronicity & what shocked the heck out of me yesterday

Did you ever notice how connected things in our lives can be?

I think the phrase "everything happens in our lives for a reason" is getting a bit overplayed. However, I do see examples of interconnected experiences in my life, WHEN I let myself be open to it. Sometimes the reason is not clear right away and other times it hits me over the head.

I came home Thursday night having had a challenging week thus far, and my husband suggested I call of friend of mine to get together the following day. She's always up for something fun, he reminded me, and her positive attitude may be just what you need to finish up the week.

Sure, I said. But didn't do anything about it.

The following morning I ran in to her, and another friend, getting ready to have breakfast. They invited me to join them and it was the perfect serendipitous encounter and exactly the mood booster I needed.

Two days later I was thinking ALOT about an old friend whom I had spoken to in years (a long and complicated story). I'm not sure what brought that on, but I began to wonder if I should find a way to get in touch.

A few hours later my phone rang with an unfamiliar number on the display. I was floored to answer to find that very friend on the other end of the line which began an hour long conversation to catch up.

Intuition? Serendipity? Synchronicity? I'm not sure.

Sometimes events seem to be random occurrences, coincidence.

But upon a closer look, synchronous happenings can reveal to us that there is a greater connectedness at play and the universe gives us exactly what we need when we open ourselves to receive.

This requires that we begin to pay attention, listen and trust.

Who knows what will happen next? Maybe I should buy a lotto ticket today!


-

The Empty Pickle Jar

I can't believe it's already hump day and I have yet to post a blog this week.  Had some big stuff going on, but perhaps my pickle jar was just a little too full and I have to remind myself not to sweat the small stuff (and it's mostly small stuff). 

Thanks to one of my beautiful customers for sharing this....

The Empty Pickle Jar

What an important reminder!

 You can also check out my friend Kevin Briody sharing a similar message with his song Walnuts and Rice


Remember it's mostly small stuff.......and maybe have pickles and walnuts for lunch!

A magnificent life is all in your perspective

Yesterday during my morning email exchange with one of my best pals she mentioned a few things that had happened that morning (and BTW I learned this morning that her day went from bad to worse). If I had been having the same kind of day I might have been inclined to get back in bed and pull the covers over my head.

Don't you just wanna do that sometimes?


When I said as much to her she replied:


The sun is shining and I have a magnificent life.  Those were mere inconveniences.

As always she inspires me and I try to learn by her example.

Another friend is going through an extremely rough time.  His terminally ill child has taken a turn for the worse.  Yet he has still taken the time to text me to welcome me home and inquire about my trip.  I often wonder how he gets through each day with such a positive outlook, knowing the reality he is living.

He is also choosing a magnificent life.

I'm lucky to have so much inspiration around me.  You do too, just took around. 


 

Dance is univeral. Dance is Joy.

I've been dancing as long as I've been walking.

My long time friend Beth & I before a dance recital

I performed the entire score of A Chorus Line (among many other musicals) nightly in my bedroom throughout my high school years.

So it's no surprise that my choice for fitness is Jazzercise, a dance based fitness program, or that I've been teaching it for twenty-two years.

Last week, I had the pleasure of teaching dance (with a mix of Jazzericse) in Yamaronsa, a village in Ghana Africa with the Yale Alumni Service Corp.  My class even had the opportunity to dance for the King on our final day celebration.   Last year I participated with the same group in rural China.  While a markedly different experience, dance was once again a unifying force, transcending our different languages. 

Dancing gives me joy.  I've watched it do the same for people of all ages, backgrounds, all shapes and sizes.

The children I danced with last week have little by our standards. Things we take for granted like electricity, hot water (or any water somtimes), shoes...are not daily staples in their lives.

Yet put on the music and they LOVE to dance.  They get lost in the music. They are rich in enthusiasm and they are content. While I initially found that same contentment difficult to access without a hot shower and a place to charge my iPhone.

These children are full of joy and smiles, unaware of what they lack, but fully present in what they have.

The clip above captures some of my beautiful students demonstrating their own moves (I'm partial to the adorable creature in pink sequins, she was always a standout!)

And upon my return I received the clip below from my friend and customer Sandra.  It makes me smile every time I watch it.

Dance is universal.

Dance is joy.

Enjoy.

Connecting and disconnecting

One thing about being away, especially traveling to a third world country, is that you become very disconnected to what's happening at home. I text and email occasionally, but I'm completely removed from the day to day. No longer checking my email every ten minutes, a sparse quick moment on Facebook to post a pic or two, that's IF I'm able to get on the Internet at all. Some days it's just not possible.

We adjust easily because frankly there's really very little time leftover and it doesn't always coincide with the WiFi cooperating when there is a window of time.

But it's not a bad thing to disconnect. It's actually kind of freeing,

As disconnected as we might be away from home, the more connected we become with the people here, both those whom we are traveling with and those we are serving.

During our cultural orientation we learned the first value of importance here is communality. Here there is a mindset to commune rather than separate and a belief in social capital, what goes around comes around.

In fact, chatting with some of the business team yesterday, they encountered some resistance trying to show how the merchants can differentiate themselves to sell more, or to have a customer choose their Kenke stand over their neighbors. But why, they wonder, we are a community.








Disconnecting to connect.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad