Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The world is a great place!

I read a book called, “Same Soul, Many Bodies” by Brian Weiss a few years ago. Brian Weiss is an expert on past lives. I attended a couple of his workshops and they were always extremely insightful. In this particular book, he talked about what people saw when he hypnotized them to the future.

I remember distinctly the opening of the book, where he mentioned that in the future the Middle East will be uninhabitable to humans. I remember thinking to myself that might happen with all the wars that erupt in that part of the world. It is very sad for me to think about that being that I am from Lebanon.

Predictions of Nostradamus 2012

The other day, I was watching “Nostradamus, 2012” on the history channel. It was talking about Nostradamus’ predictions and how a particular date in 2012 was going to be extremely ominous based on the alignment of the solar system or something along those lines.

To me it sounded like the movie was saying that it was actually the end of days. It actually scared me enough to turn it off. Although, I do readings, I don’t like predictions of this nature.

I have thought about it since I watched the few minutes of it which was about a month ago. I’ve also been thinking about the countries in the Middle East and all their unrest. I’ve been thinking about Japan and how it has been hit by a horrible natural disaster and how that might be compounded by a man-made disaster. If you watch enough news, you’d think the end of days was coming.

I refuse to believe it!

I’ve finally decided though that I am not going to believe any of it. I would like to look at it as a renewal. Maybe 2012 will mark something significant, but I am sure that it will be followed with something extremely incredible.

There are so many great people out there who are raising the vibration of the planet. For whatever reason, we are exposed to sad news more than the good news, but the awesome news is out there if we want to listen to it.

The world is a great place!

Anytime, I go pick up my boys from school and watch all the kids on the playground, I think the world is good. If we have kids like these growing up in the world, then all is good. When you see people recycling or helping an animal or helping their neighbor, there’s no other way but to feel that the world is good. Anytime, I go to the mountains and soak in their beauty, I remember all is good in the world.

I loved the movie, “The Blind Side.” It’s probably one of my all-time favorites. I love the line in the movie where Michael Oher says that his mom used to tell him to close his eyes anytime she was doing something she didn’t want him to see. Then she would tell him to open his eyes and that the world was a good place.

I feel life is going to happen. The moon is going to be close to the Earth and cause upsets in tidal waves. At the same time, when disaster happens, the world is going to respond and send relief to wherever it needs to go.

There were two little girls selling lemonade yesterday and all their proceeds were going to the aid of Japan. The world is a great place!

Your thoughts … I’d love to hear them

You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com

Doing my part!
Mary

Thursday, March 24, 2011

The winds of change

When I lost the baby a couple of years ago, we had her cremated. At the time, it didn’t feel good to do nothing with the body and a burial just seemed a little too much.

For the past month or so, I’ve been feeling the need to scatter the ashes. I just feel like that cycle is done and it’s now time for us to move on.

I would avoid looking up at the shelf where I had them stored and I just felt like holding on to her just didn’t seem right for either one of us.

Heading to the park

My husband came home for lunch this past Monday and we went to the park to scatter the ashes. It was a weird walk to the park. I had so many emotions working that I didn’t know where to start with them all.

It was a beautiful day with sunny blue skies and a slight wind. It was also the first day of spring. I thought to myself that it was truly symbolic of what it is I wanted to feel.

Spring is about rebirth and renewal. That’s how I wanted to feel. I wanted to let her go so that she can do whatever it is she needed to do and I wanted a new page turned for myself.

I couldn’t help but realize that I held some anger and resentment towards this baby. After all, I had so many messages to have another child. I felt like I was duped, because otherwise why would I be at the park scattering ashes and not at home playing with a baby.

My husband said a few nice words and asked if I wanted to do the same. I said no, I just wanted to be done with it. I thought to myself, I’m probably going to have to revisit this issue again someday, but for right now, taking this step was good enough.

All the emotion finally hit me

It was only after I got home about an hour later that all the emotions hit me. I called my friend whose mother had lost a baby as well. She completely understood my emotions and listened to me cry my eyes out.

I dried my eyes, threw some water on my face and went to get my boys from school. That is the life of a mother after all; you just sometimes need to get on with it, regardless of what it is you are feeling.

The wind’s effect

The wind had grown stronger by this point. I’ve always thought the wind aggravated me. It just does something to me that I can’t explain. I get irritable and cranky.

It’s only after I read my friends blog about her feeling the same way about the wind that I realized, I wasn’t alone in all this.

According to another friend’s explanation, “Strong west winds produce positive ions, which if you look it up are irritating. (Versus negative ions that are found by waterfalls - pleasant and peaceful.) Some cultures have even forgiven certain lawbreaking activities during these winds."

I had to think about that statement later. Maybe that was the cause of the extreme anger and irritability I was feeling later that day.

Another friend commented that maybe the wind will carry the spirit of those who have died to heaven quicker. I thought about that as well. Maybe the wind that day was an indication of Isabella’s spirit finally leaving completely and going back to heaven where it belongs.

Is it a coincidence I ended up with a really bad cold on Tuesday morning? I don’t think so. There was definitely some purging to do and here it is.

Yet among it all, plenty to celebrate

There was definitely a lot to celebrate this week though. My son’s birthday was on Tuesday. My big boy just turned eight. He is such a great kid.

Him and his brother truly bring joy to my heart like I never thought possible. He wanted his dad’s excellent chicken tacos for dinner and of course, I had to get some fabulous desserts to top that evening off.

Your thoughts … I’d love to hear them

You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com

Looking forward to a smoother road ahead!
Mary

Monday, March 21, 2011

Morning Peace

Happy Spring everyone! I love this time of year. We just planted what can be planted in our garden, the weather is beautiful on a daily basis and we’re starting to see more of our neighbors who have been hibernating for the winter.

One hour of peace

I started this trend about a month ago waking up a good hour before anyone else does in the house. I got the idea from a class I attended at our Waldorf School. The teacher was talking about allowing yourself that time in the morning to wake up in peace prior to having to make breakfast, pack lunches, get kids ready for school and get them out the door to go to school.

I have to say that this past month has been the most peaceful month I’ve had in a while. I get out of bed leisurely, I make myself a cup of tea and a little breakfast, I write a blog post, check my email or just sit there and meditate totally unhurried. It also allows me the opportunity to check my calendar and plan for my day accordingly.

I have been on the simplify kick lately. A simple solution to the chaos of the morning is to allow myself more time in the morning. As a result of that, I go to bed earlier in the evening and that has resulted in a great night of sleep almost every night. My husband has been going to bed earlier as well and that has allowed him the opportunity to work out in the morning. A work out for him is essential but he could never find the time for it.

Opportunity to look for the Morning Star

As a kid, my dad used to wake me up right before sunrise so that we could look at the Morning Star together. The Morning Star is the planet Venus. At times, when it’s a clear morning, I can look out the window and see the Morning Star shining brightly in sky. Every time I see it, I send a little love towards my dad and tell him I miss him. That has also been a wonderful experience to have in the morning.

Balance, peace and tasty breakfasts!

I feel this hour in the morning has brought such peace and balance to our household. Everyone is a little happier in the morning without that sense of urgency and rush.

Not to mention, breakfast has been a lot more elaborate due to the extra time too! On the menu this morning: omelets, turkey bacon, strawberries and cantaloupe. YUM!

Your thoughts … I’d love to hear them

You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com

Loving the opportunity to hear the birds chirping this morning as I was about to publish this post!
Mary

Thursday, March 17, 2011

The inter-connectedness of us all

I’ve been thinking a lot about Japan lately. My heart goes out to all the people who have been affected by the disasters happening.

I was reading the news the other day quoting one politician saying that we need to halt all development of nuclear plants in the United States until we see the outcome of what happens in Japan. Two sentences later, another politician was quoted saying that we shouldn’t base domestic policy on something that happened in Japan.

Us and them?

I started thinking about the idea of us and them. I thought about how there is no us and them. Anything that happens anywhere in the world affects us one way or another; it could be as simple as the fish we eat or the stock market that we have our money in or as big as knowing someone who has been affected by the disaster.

I watched a video this morning on CNN about a Japanese student studying English in California. She comes from the town that was hit by the tsunami. She has been scouring the internet for days hoping to find out that her family has survived.

Finally, a friend calls to tell her that they saw a you-tube video of her sister holding up a sign saying that they have all survived. The sign was meant for this young woman living in California. Think of all the American friends this young woman has and how they have been living her nightmare with her. Think of her host family and the anxiety they have been feeling for her.

You may watch the video by clicking on the following link:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/15/california.student.japan/index.html?hpt=C1#

We are all connected. We are all affected by everything that goes on anywhere.

The Seventh Generation inspiration

I love the quote, “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations” from the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy. This is the inspiration for Seventh Generation products; I actually read it on one of their cleaning bottles for the first time.

The choices we make today affect our children and their children for generations to come. Therefore, we need to be very thoughtful in what we choose to hand over to them.

I heard one older Egyptian woman saying that it was her generation’s fault that her kids are having to revolt and demand their freedom. She went on to say that it was her generation’s responsibility to ensure a democracy, but they didn’t.

Your thoughts … I’d love to hear them

You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com

Paying closer attention to the choices I'm making!

Mary

Monday, March 14, 2011

Get rid of it!

I’ve been feeling the energy of the clutter on the sides of our house and in the garage the entire winter now. I can’t tell you why, but all that stuff that’s just sitting there collecting mud from the snow has been getting to me.

It’s not something I can throw out myself. My husband told me to make a list and we would tackle it this weekend. It’s like the “gods of less clutter” were on my side yesterday. My friend called to see if the boys could come over for a play date. Magically, we had a few hours open up in the afternoon to minimize.

De-cluttering … ahh what a feeling!

We started with the tool sheds that were holding so much stuff that either wasn’t working or broken. We pulled out a huge trash can and just started tossing stuff away. All the extra space in the sheds now was able to hold the items that were needed but were sitting out.

Next we moved into the garage where the bikes just sat there in the middle of the way. My husband bought hooks to mount the bikes onto the wall. My mountain bike that has now been replaced by my “happy” bike (my cruiser) needed to be moved out of the way. The trailer that we have for "the day we are going to pack our picnic" also got mounted out of the way.

The Halloween items that were just sitting there finally got put up. The goodwill items got dropped off. The empty boxes got recycled. Helmets, gloves, bats, balls and the list goes on, all got put away where they belong.

Such relief when all that stuff is gone

The energy of all that clutter being in my way every which way I turned was really getting to me. It’s like I felt suffocated every time I went through our garage. I walked into it this morning feeling such relief. That light, energetic feeling you get after a major purge is so awesome.

Consume it first

I decided a few months ago when I did a huge purge inside the house that I wasn’t going to get rid of stuff just to replace it right away. It’s made such a huge difference in our house.

Normally, by now, I would have bought my kids a ton of new shorts, t-shirts, shoes and whatever else they wouldn’t really need for about three months. This year, I’m saying, we’ll wait to see what they really will need and then we’ll go out to get it.

That idea works for the refrigerator, the freezer, the pantry, clothes and toys and so on. Consuming what we have and then replacing, has made such a difference than the other way around.

Your thoughts … I’d love to hear them

You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com

I think my next project is round two of my closet!
Mary

Friday, March 11, 2011

It turned out for the best!

I am the ultimate recycler. My passion is the environment and I will recycle even the smallest scrap of paper in hopes of that helping in the big scheme of things. I have two recycling bins that get filled to the rim every other week.

My recycling bin disappeared

A couple of weeks ago, one of the bins grew legs and walked off. I was so upset by that. I called the city thinking that the recycling guys took one of my bins. The lady on the phone assured me that it wasn’t the city that took my bin back. She said that this happens a lot. People just take recycling bins. It seems nuts to me, they are free to get after all.

Anyway, I put in my order to get another bin and was informed it would take about six weeks. I had a plan for all my extra recyclables though; I was going to take them to Walmart’s bin. I do that a lot around the holidays or when we have huge boxes and such.

Wasted aggravation

It turned out that I didn’t need to do any of that. My new bin showed up two weeks later and it was double the size of the old bin. It actually turned out to be better for me! With the size of the new bin, I never have to take my extra recyclables anywhere. I had to think about the wasted aggravation I spent on this.

There’s an expression in Arabic that I will butcher with the translation, that says, “Don’t hate anything evil or bad, just in case it turns out for your best.” My mother says that to me every time I am in a situation that I feel is not the best. It seems like things do ultimately turn out for the best.

I am going to think of this recycling bin every time something bothers me. I will always say, “Maybe it’s for the best.”

Your thoughts … I’d love to hear them

You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com

Loving my super huge recycling bin!
Mary

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

It's your breakfast - don't apologize for it

I went out to breakfast with a few of my friends the other morning. One of my friends was trying to custom order her breakfast all the while apologizing to the waiter. His response, which I thought was brilliant, was, “It’s your breakfast, don’t apologize for it.” I looked at my other friend and told her that was going to be my next blog post.

Isn’t that awesome? You waited in line to get into this place, you are paying for your meal, therefore the least you can expect to have is your breakfast the exact way you’d like it to be. In the big scheme of life, does it really matter if I substitute goat cheese for the feta that was supposed to come with my omelet?

What else are we compromising?

I started thinking about how many other compromises we may make on account of trying to go with the flow or not be so difficult. I heard someone say the other day, “Even if you live 100 years, that’s still not a whole lot of time.” It may feel like an eternity if you’re living life compromising and never doing what you want. It will feel like a blink of an eye when you are in the driver’s seat of your life.

I’m not going to make this post too huge because I think I’ve pretty much made my point. I have become more of a minimalist lately anyway, believing that less is more. That may have to be my next post!

Your thoughts … I’d love to hear them

You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com

I love goat cheese on my omelet!
Mary