I’ve been thinking a lot about change lately. I usually am really good with change and love taking on new ideas. The change I’ve been pondering is a little different this time. It’s more about the seasons and how they affect our moods, rhythms and ideas.
Summer is winding down
I received an email from a friend of mine yesterday where the opening line was, “Hope summer went well and was fun and everyone is back to their regularly scheduled routine!!” Summer is about being laid back, having fun, not being on a schedule and so on. It is a time to unwind and be carefree.
During the summer, I never worry about schedules and routines. I just want my family to totally decompress. I never had to pack a lunch box for anything and honestly, that felt great! Towards the end of any school year, I’m always ready to stop packing lunches and having to worry about time schedules and all that.
Fall allows us the opportunity to start going within
The beginning of a school year represents the time of year where we start thinking about all we want to do in the next few months. A routine has been established for us and now we just need to figure out what to do with all the time. Think about school zones, they force the driver to slow down and pay attention to his surroundings.
Fall is right around the corner, the weather is getting somewhat cooler, garden vegetables are starting to wind down and I’m canning like crazy. There is such significance to canning zucchini, tomato sauce and peppers. It’s more than just saving some veggies for the winter, rather I feel it’s a time to preserve what we have and save it for later.
This is the time to begin the process of going within so that we can understand what it is we’d like to do. My friend’s email was about getting revved up on your yoga practice again. It may be the time to start that diet and exercise routine you’ve been putting off because summer is just so much fun and you don’t want to be bothered with it. It may be the time to write that book you’ve wanted to write. It may be the time to really get serious about finding that job and the list goes on.
Taking care of the light
We have a festival at the Waldorf School that my kids go to known as the Lantern Walk. The Lantern Walk takes place in November as the weather is getting colder and the days shorter. The kids create their own lanterns that are always so amazingly beautiful. We all gather at the school right when it’s getting dark to share a potluck meal together. Amazing soups, breads, apple cider and cookies make for an amazing feast. Then we go out with our children and the lanterns to walk around the neighborhood in silence. We end up at a local park where the kids sing songs in hushed voices.
I love this evening more than any other. I probably don’t know the true meaning of this night but for me, it represents an evening of being in silence and going within. It represents that light in the lantern being the light within us. That little light is enough to keep us going throughout the dark, cold winter. I love the significance of the light within. We all have that light within and tending to it is a must.
What am I going to get myself into?
At this point, I’m starting the process of going within. I am realizing what I’d like to sign up for as volunteer activities at school, what exercise program I’d like to take on and how to go about expanding my business. I like to do a check of how I’m performing as a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. I love this time of year. I’m looking forward to the leaves changing color and how that will affect what I ponder next.
Your thoughts ... I'd love to hear them
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com
Off to help with the Sally Foster fundraiser at school. Have I mentioned that I love wrapping paper!
Mary
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
I may have to practice what I preach
I've been a little discombobulated lately. I think it’s a combination of school starting for my kids, my husband being out of town quite a bit and me hurting my back. I was trying to reach for an overhead while playing tennis when I twisted my back and then landed on it twisted. It’s the pain that is constant and just wears me out.
My son’s prayer to Jesus a couple of night’s ago was, “Dear Jesus, please help mommy to calm down so that we can have some peace” or something along those lines. I had to laugh because there’s nothing like a seven year old putting me in my place.
Spiraling somewhat …
I had to go to my room after that comment and regroup. By the end of the day, my back hurts so bad that I just want an ice pack to numb the pain and a box of tissues so that I can cry. I realized that part of my stress is the lack of a meditation routine that is reliable.
Towards the end of summer, my kids’ demands become more pronounced and urgent in their minds. The first few weeks after school is out, they are content to play with their toys quietly while I meditate or get things done. These last two to three weeks, that certainly has not been the case. They constantly bickered and fussed over anything and everything. I have to say, it was really starting to get on my nerves. I found myself spiraling somewhat out of control.
A Reiki session – the perfect remedy
I love having energy work done on me. My friend came over yesterday and gave me a full Reiki session. I had never had one done before and I have to say it was fantastic. She is super intuitive, so together we were getting all sorts of great messages. It was such an aligning and balancing experience, I finally feel like my old self again.
Your thoughts …
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com
Meditation every day, here I come!
Mary
My son’s prayer to Jesus a couple of night’s ago was, “Dear Jesus, please help mommy to calm down so that we can have some peace” or something along those lines. I had to laugh because there’s nothing like a seven year old putting me in my place.
Spiraling somewhat …
I had to go to my room after that comment and regroup. By the end of the day, my back hurts so bad that I just want an ice pack to numb the pain and a box of tissues so that I can cry. I realized that part of my stress is the lack of a meditation routine that is reliable.
Towards the end of summer, my kids’ demands become more pronounced and urgent in their minds. The first few weeks after school is out, they are content to play with their toys quietly while I meditate or get things done. These last two to three weeks, that certainly has not been the case. They constantly bickered and fussed over anything and everything. I have to say, it was really starting to get on my nerves. I found myself spiraling somewhat out of control.
A Reiki session – the perfect remedy
I love having energy work done on me. My friend came over yesterday and gave me a full Reiki session. I had never had one done before and I have to say it was fantastic. She is super intuitive, so together we were getting all sorts of great messages. It was such an aligning and balancing experience, I finally feel like my old self again.
Your thoughts …
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com
Meditation every day, here I come!
Mary
Friday, August 13, 2010
23 years ago ...
I've written about my dad so many times in my blogs, I'm sure you've realized how much of an influence he was and still is in my life. I love my dad so much and miss him so much all the time. He passed away 23 years ago on August 14, 1987. It seems like it was such a long time ago and yet I remember the details of that day as if it were yesterday. I was 13 years old at the time and thought the world of my dad. I can’t say that it came as a shock to me that he passed away since I’d been having feelings about it happening for about six years prior to the actual day.
I totally knew it was going to happen …
I have always been intuitive and I believe one of my earliest memories of getting a “hit” was knowing that my dad would pass away. I actually remember being about seven playing in the sand and I just knew. It made me sad for a whole lot of years. I never was able to tell anyone my feelings or fears because I didn’t know how to describe them myself. About two months before he passed, I would hear a voice in my ear telling me that it would happen. I remember moving my head and expressing, “NO!” Yet the feeling never went away.
My dad was the coolest!
I must’ve cried for four years non-stop every single day. I remember being in an extreme state of sadness all the time. My dad was the coolest. He was the dad who would leave work to oil my roller skates. He called the school principle once and told him that we all needed to go on a field trip to check out the icicles that had formed on the trees along the median right by our school. It was one of the most incredible sights I’ve ever seen until this day.
I have memories of my mom and dad holding hands and taking an evening walk together every day. He was always helping someone or doing something for someone. He was the guy who made the salad in our house. He always made a great lemon, olive oil and garlic sauce to go with it, we call that “zoom” in Arabic and he always scooped the zoom for me in pita bread to eat at the end because I loved it so much.
While in Lebanon this past summer, I went to go visit my aunt (my dad’s sister) who had just suffered a stroke. While sitting there, her husband asks her to look at me and tell him who she saw. He told me that whoever knew my dad would know that I was his daughter because I looked so much like him. He told my brother and me that he had lost a lot of people in his life, but only two people’s passing had affected him greatly, one of which was my dad. He told us the he has a picture of my dad in his home so that he could remember to live his life with the highest ethical standards and morals because that is what my dad represented to him. I felt honored to listen to my uncle talk about my dad in such a fantastic way. I am always eager to hear stories about my dad, because I was so young when he passed away.
I have accepted it but it doesn't mean I like it
I read a book called, “Healing Grief” by James Van Praag about four years ago. I highly recommend this book to anyone dealing with grief of any kind. It helped me move through the phases of grief with my dad to a much healthier one which is where I am at right now. I don’t know that I’ll ever be fully “over it” or healed, but I can say that I have accepted his passing but I miss him all the time especially the night before the anniversary of his passing.
I miss you and love you dad more than words can express! I am patiently waiting for the huge bear hug that only you could give.
Mary
I totally knew it was going to happen …
I have always been intuitive and I believe one of my earliest memories of getting a “hit” was knowing that my dad would pass away. I actually remember being about seven playing in the sand and I just knew. It made me sad for a whole lot of years. I never was able to tell anyone my feelings or fears because I didn’t know how to describe them myself. About two months before he passed, I would hear a voice in my ear telling me that it would happen. I remember moving my head and expressing, “NO!” Yet the feeling never went away.
My dad was the coolest!
I must’ve cried for four years non-stop every single day. I remember being in an extreme state of sadness all the time. My dad was the coolest. He was the dad who would leave work to oil my roller skates. He called the school principle once and told him that we all needed to go on a field trip to check out the icicles that had formed on the trees along the median right by our school. It was one of the most incredible sights I’ve ever seen until this day.
I have memories of my mom and dad holding hands and taking an evening walk together every day. He was always helping someone or doing something for someone. He was the guy who made the salad in our house. He always made a great lemon, olive oil and garlic sauce to go with it, we call that “zoom” in Arabic and he always scooped the zoom for me in pita bread to eat at the end because I loved it so much.
While in Lebanon this past summer, I went to go visit my aunt (my dad’s sister) who had just suffered a stroke. While sitting there, her husband asks her to look at me and tell him who she saw. He told me that whoever knew my dad would know that I was his daughter because I looked so much like him. He told my brother and me that he had lost a lot of people in his life, but only two people’s passing had affected him greatly, one of which was my dad. He told us the he has a picture of my dad in his home so that he could remember to live his life with the highest ethical standards and morals because that is what my dad represented to him. I felt honored to listen to my uncle talk about my dad in such a fantastic way. I am always eager to hear stories about my dad, because I was so young when he passed away.
I have accepted it but it doesn't mean I like it
I read a book called, “Healing Grief” by James Van Praag about four years ago. I highly recommend this book to anyone dealing with grief of any kind. It helped me move through the phases of grief with my dad to a much healthier one which is where I am at right now. I don’t know that I’ll ever be fully “over it” or healed, but I can say that I have accepted his passing but I miss him all the time especially the night before the anniversary of his passing.
I miss you and love you dad more than words can express! I am patiently waiting for the huge bear hug that only you could give.
Mary
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
"I would never want to deprive anybody of the learning experience of losing"
I just finished reading Andre Agassi's book Open. It is a fantastic book and captivated me from the first chapter. I really could not put it down; I took every opportunity I had to read it. I finished the book in less than a week and its almost 400 pages.
I enjoyed seeing him evolve as a person
A lot of people I’ve talked to it didn’t like how negative he was about playing a game he was amazing at. He talks a lot about hating tennis throughout the book, but that didn’t bother me at all. I felt that he was a troubled person trying to do the best he could in the situation he was in.
I empathized with him having to do something he didn’t totally enjoy because he was good at it and didn’t feel like he had an alternative. I enjoyed seeing how he evolved with from being a confused or maybe lost boy, to a rebel teenager, to an adult, all the while trying to find himself. I loved the fact that he ultimately channeled his passion into building a K-12 charter school for underprivileged kids. I find that to be an incredible quality to admire.
Career ups and downs
He had a lot of ups and downs in his career. He went from being number one in the world to not being ranked, back to being ranked and etcetera. During one of his upward slopes, he beat a guy in the first round of the 2005 US Open in 61 minutes. The following is word for word from the book:
“Reporters say it was a massacre. They ask me if I feel bad about beating him.
I say: I would never want to deprive someone of the learning experience of losing.
They laugh.
I’m serious.”
You would have to have read his book to appreciate how great that was to come out of him.
I’ve never really thought about losing being an ultimate win
Agassi talked a lot about his tournament losses and how they shaped and affected him. I’ve thought about that line a lot and I believe it to be really true. I feel losses make us exponentially better. The losses could be sports related as were those mentioned in Agassi’s book, but they could also be life losses or any other kind.
I believe that at the heart of every loss there is a win for us if we can see it. I feel that losing sometimes allows us the opportunity to see how much we really had wanted something and therefore appreciate it when we do win. It may also make us work harder and give it our all. I belong to a tennis league and I always joke that the social hour is so much more fun after a win, but I can’t deny the benefits of losing as well.
Your thoughts ... I'd love to hear them
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com
Going to give it my best at tomorrow night’s match!
Mary
I enjoyed seeing him evolve as a person
A lot of people I’ve talked to it didn’t like how negative he was about playing a game he was amazing at. He talks a lot about hating tennis throughout the book, but that didn’t bother me at all. I felt that he was a troubled person trying to do the best he could in the situation he was in.
I empathized with him having to do something he didn’t totally enjoy because he was good at it and didn’t feel like he had an alternative. I enjoyed seeing how he evolved with from being a confused or maybe lost boy, to a rebel teenager, to an adult, all the while trying to find himself. I loved the fact that he ultimately channeled his passion into building a K-12 charter school for underprivileged kids. I find that to be an incredible quality to admire.
Career ups and downs
He had a lot of ups and downs in his career. He went from being number one in the world to not being ranked, back to being ranked and etcetera. During one of his upward slopes, he beat a guy in the first round of the 2005 US Open in 61 minutes. The following is word for word from the book:
“Reporters say it was a massacre. They ask me if I feel bad about beating him.
I say: I would never want to deprive someone of the learning experience of losing.
They laugh.
I’m serious.”
You would have to have read his book to appreciate how great that was to come out of him.
I’ve never really thought about losing being an ultimate win
Agassi talked a lot about his tournament losses and how they shaped and affected him. I’ve thought about that line a lot and I believe it to be really true. I feel losses make us exponentially better. The losses could be sports related as were those mentioned in Agassi’s book, but they could also be life losses or any other kind.
I believe that at the heart of every loss there is a win for us if we can see it. I feel that losing sometimes allows us the opportunity to see how much we really had wanted something and therefore appreciate it when we do win. It may also make us work harder and give it our all. I belong to a tennis league and I always joke that the social hour is so much more fun after a win, but I can’t deny the benefits of losing as well.
Your thoughts ... I'd love to hear them
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com
Going to give it my best at tomorrow night’s match!
Mary
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
I still don't know how I feel about it ..
My son is in tennis camp this week. He is seven years old playing like a 12 year old. He’s doing amazingly well. He loves playing matches, he loves hitting the ball hard with his friends, his serves are amazing, his net game is fantastic … it really is such a joy to see. The only problem is that he’s got so many emotional issues to go with that fantastic game, that I don’t know how to deal with him half the time.
He’s so complex, who knows what he’s thinking?
I constantly joke that I need to go back to school and earn a psychology degree to deal with my son. He has been a challenge from day one. He’s super smart and extremely talented in everything he does, but he’s wound up so tight, we fear he may explode one day.
I embarrass my son, really?
My other little guy had a play date today with one of his buddies. We had to take that little guy to swim lessons and wait for him to finish. We thought that we’d go watch some tennis while waiting. It just so happened that my oldest and his team were on break while we were there. My oldest looked visibly disturbed. I asked him if something was wrong and his answer was, “Well, I don’t know if I want to tell you because your feelings might get hurt.” That’s when I realized that he was embarrassed by me. He didn’t want me sitting in the same area he and his friends were, and he certainly didn’t want me talking to him at all. He eventually told me all that, so I decided to move. I decided to move because I didn’t want to deal with it right then and there. I wanted him to go back to his lesson without falling apart, because he had started crying already.
I still don’t know how I feel about it?
I was very upset to say the least. I thought to myself, “If he doesn’t want me around at seven, what’s in store for me when he’s 14?” I’m writing this over 12 hours later and I still don’t know how I feel about it. When we came home, I explained to him that it wasn’t nice to be embarrassed by your mother. I told him that he was to value his parents and grandparents, not feel like he didn’t want them around. He’s displayed such behavior before around my mother as well. He said that he felt bad about it and he was sorry, but I’m not sure I believe him. I’m not sure that if I come around tomorrow during his tennis lesson, he won’t be the same exact way.
Appreciation is not demanded
Part of me feels like we can’t make people appreciate us or respect us. Respect and appreciation are earned or given, not demanded. Maybe I just have to wait for the day that he loves having me around, regardless of what crowd his hanging around with. Or maybe, I should give him the silent treatment for a couple of days to make him come around. Hmmm ... something to think about.
Your thoughts … I'd love to hear them
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com
Going to bed a little sad tonight,
Mary
He’s so complex, who knows what he’s thinking?
I constantly joke that I need to go back to school and earn a psychology degree to deal with my son. He has been a challenge from day one. He’s super smart and extremely talented in everything he does, but he’s wound up so tight, we fear he may explode one day.
I embarrass my son, really?
My other little guy had a play date today with one of his buddies. We had to take that little guy to swim lessons and wait for him to finish. We thought that we’d go watch some tennis while waiting. It just so happened that my oldest and his team were on break while we were there. My oldest looked visibly disturbed. I asked him if something was wrong and his answer was, “Well, I don’t know if I want to tell you because your feelings might get hurt.” That’s when I realized that he was embarrassed by me. He didn’t want me sitting in the same area he and his friends were, and he certainly didn’t want me talking to him at all. He eventually told me all that, so I decided to move. I decided to move because I didn’t want to deal with it right then and there. I wanted him to go back to his lesson without falling apart, because he had started crying already.
I still don’t know how I feel about it?
I was very upset to say the least. I thought to myself, “If he doesn’t want me around at seven, what’s in store for me when he’s 14?” I’m writing this over 12 hours later and I still don’t know how I feel about it. When we came home, I explained to him that it wasn’t nice to be embarrassed by your mother. I told him that he was to value his parents and grandparents, not feel like he didn’t want them around. He’s displayed such behavior before around my mother as well. He said that he felt bad about it and he was sorry, but I’m not sure I believe him. I’m not sure that if I come around tomorrow during his tennis lesson, he won’t be the same exact way.
Appreciation is not demanded
Part of me feels like we can’t make people appreciate us or respect us. Respect and appreciation are earned or given, not demanded. Maybe I just have to wait for the day that he loves having me around, regardless of what crowd his hanging around with. Or maybe, I should give him the silent treatment for a couple of days to make him come around. Hmmm ... something to think about.
Your thoughts … I'd love to hear them
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com
Going to bed a little sad tonight,
Mary
Monday, August 2, 2010
Why worry about the fish?
We were at a fantastic birthday party the other night. My friend is turning 40 this Christmas Day, so decided to celebrate her half-birthday in July. They had a Christmas tree, gourmet turkey sandwiches (which were incredible!) and a fabulous Christmas tree shaped cake. She wanted her night to be special and it truly was.
Her mom had put together a slide-show of pictures of her throughout her life. It was fantastic to see pictures of her when she was a baby and then pictures of her babies. It made me think about the circle of life and how it is truly continuous.
My husband is the “ultimate environmentalist?”
My husband was talking to some other friends, while I was hanging out with a different group. He comes back to tell me that he got accused of being “the ultimate environmentalist.” I was very proud of him and told him that’s the greatest compliment. Apparently, they had been talking about the oil spill in the gulf and offshore drilling. One of the guys, a big oil guy, told my husband that we need to worry about people getting to work, not the fish. Obviously, my husband wasn’t of the same opinion.
Humans depend on one another for survival
I’ve really thought about that statement for a couple of days now. I thought about how my friend was a baby and now has babies herself. I thought about the fact that we are all inter-connected and how we all depend on each other to exist. I thought about how, “It takes a village to care for a baby.” I feel that no human can truly survive on their own. We are all dependant on one another. Each of us has a role that we play and if we don’t, then it will absolutely affect humanity.
Humans fully depend on the environment
We are not only dependent on each other though. We are 100% dependent on our environment. We breathe the air, eat the food and drink the water. Everything that is needed for our survival comes from our environment. If we’re polluting our oceans with oil, ultimately that oil is getting ingested by us. One way or another, that circle will come full-circle right back on our plates.
Yes, I’m still on the environmentalist kick, but hey, when things make me think, you usually hear about it.
Your thoughts ... I'd love to hear them
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com
Extremely thankful for the clean water I will use to water my vegetable garden!
Mary
Her mom had put together a slide-show of pictures of her throughout her life. It was fantastic to see pictures of her when she was a baby and then pictures of her babies. It made me think about the circle of life and how it is truly continuous.
My husband is the “ultimate environmentalist?”
My husband was talking to some other friends, while I was hanging out with a different group. He comes back to tell me that he got accused of being “the ultimate environmentalist.” I was very proud of him and told him that’s the greatest compliment. Apparently, they had been talking about the oil spill in the gulf and offshore drilling. One of the guys, a big oil guy, told my husband that we need to worry about people getting to work, not the fish. Obviously, my husband wasn’t of the same opinion.
Humans depend on one another for survival
I’ve really thought about that statement for a couple of days now. I thought about how my friend was a baby and now has babies herself. I thought about the fact that we are all inter-connected and how we all depend on each other to exist. I thought about how, “It takes a village to care for a baby.” I feel that no human can truly survive on their own. We are all dependant on one another. Each of us has a role that we play and if we don’t, then it will absolutely affect humanity.
Humans fully depend on the environment
We are not only dependent on each other though. We are 100% dependent on our environment. We breathe the air, eat the food and drink the water. Everything that is needed for our survival comes from our environment. If we’re polluting our oceans with oil, ultimately that oil is getting ingested by us. One way or another, that circle will come full-circle right back on our plates.
Yes, I’m still on the environmentalist kick, but hey, when things make me think, you usually hear about it.
Your thoughts ... I'd love to hear them
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com
Extremely thankful for the clean water I will use to water my vegetable garden!
Mary
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Do your part
I’ve been thinking a lot about the environment lately. I have recycled for years and some would say I’m a little nutty about it. I buy only eco-friendly products regardless of what it is: shampoo, soap, household cleaning products, aluminum foil, water bottles … should I go on? I take quicker showers than ever before in efforts to conserve water. I limit soaking in a bath-tub to being a luxury of once every month or so, even though it’s something I totally love to do. I set my washer to the eco-cycle, not really knowing what that does entirely. I brought back empty shampoo bottles from Lebanon so that I can recycle them here because there’s not a facility to do so there. I use my shopping bags for everything; I actually can’t remember the last time I used a paper or plastic bag from a store. I drill all these ideas into my husband and kid’s heads all the time. However, I feel it’s still not enough.
A pristine ocean to swim in
Lebanon sits along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. My husband loves the ocean, so we took the opportunity to go to the ocean while he was there. He loves the way the salt water makes him feel and he absolutely loves swimming around in it. When I lived in Lebanon, which was about 17 years ago, the water was extremely polluted and it was unheard of to go in it. That was a concern of mine this time around, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the water was super clean at the first beach we went to. It was so nice to go in there and play around as a family. The kids loved going “wave hunting” with their dad and had a blast in that pristine water.
Plastic bottles don’t really belong in the ocean, do they?
The second time we went to the beach, my experience wasn’t quite the same. We found a lot of trash floating around in the water. My kids made their dad take a plastic bag full of trash out of the water. It wasn’t so polluted that we didn’t feel like being in there, but there was definitely some plastic floating around here and there. My kids now were “trash hunting” instead of wave hunting, so that “the fish in the ocean could have a safe place to live” as I was informed by two concerned boys. I am very proud of them to say the least!
I took out a plastic bag that had been ripped in half, a plastic bottle, a snorkel piece and a few more miscellaneous items. I thought about the fact that none of these plastic things had deteriorated at all. If you were to put a paper towel in the water, I’d bet it would start breaking down within a few minutes of those waves crashing on it.
Oprah’s show on “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch”
I thought to myself, it is totally up to you, me and the rest of humanity to take care of our Earth. I remembered watching an Oprah special where they talked about “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch” which stretches from the coast of California to Japan, and it's estimated to be twice the size of Texas. This is believed to be the biggest garbage patch and it’s in our ocean! You can find the article at http://www.oprah.com/world/Ocean-Pollution-Fabien-Cousteaus-Warning-to-the-World. Read it and prepare to be shocked, angered and appalled. This is a quote from this article, “Experts say plastic trash has already killed millions of sea birds and marine mammals. In one case, pieces of plastic and a cigarette lighter were found in the stomach of a dead albatross.” Can you imagine that? A cigarette lighter in the stomach of a bird! That to me is unacceptable and inexcusable.
It’s up to you and me to do our part in conserving the environment
I have been saddened by all that trash we took out of the ocean since the day we did it. I feel like we can totally turn things around if we were to be a little more thoughtful in the way we do things. I’m sure no one intentionally throws a plastic bottle into the ocean, but the negligence of leaving it on the sand for the waves to take it in, may be just as bad.
I have made another pact with the environment and that is to be 100% eco-friendly from now on. There are three things in my household that are not eco-friendly that I can think of right away and they are: trash bags, sandwich baggies and my husband’s shampoo. Those will be eliminated immediately regardless of how disgruntled my husband will get from bio-degradable trash bags and organic hair products. We all have to do this together to save our planet. I’m all in, are you?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com
Ordering cloth sandwich bags!
Mary
A pristine ocean to swim in
Lebanon sits along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. My husband loves the ocean, so we took the opportunity to go to the ocean while he was there. He loves the way the salt water makes him feel and he absolutely loves swimming around in it. When I lived in Lebanon, which was about 17 years ago, the water was extremely polluted and it was unheard of to go in it. That was a concern of mine this time around, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the water was super clean at the first beach we went to. It was so nice to go in there and play around as a family. The kids loved going “wave hunting” with their dad and had a blast in that pristine water.
Plastic bottles don’t really belong in the ocean, do they?
The second time we went to the beach, my experience wasn’t quite the same. We found a lot of trash floating around in the water. My kids made their dad take a plastic bag full of trash out of the water. It wasn’t so polluted that we didn’t feel like being in there, but there was definitely some plastic floating around here and there. My kids now were “trash hunting” instead of wave hunting, so that “the fish in the ocean could have a safe place to live” as I was informed by two concerned boys. I am very proud of them to say the least!
I took out a plastic bag that had been ripped in half, a plastic bottle, a snorkel piece and a few more miscellaneous items. I thought about the fact that none of these plastic things had deteriorated at all. If you were to put a paper towel in the water, I’d bet it would start breaking down within a few minutes of those waves crashing on it.
Oprah’s show on “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch”
I thought to myself, it is totally up to you, me and the rest of humanity to take care of our Earth. I remembered watching an Oprah special where they talked about “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch” which stretches from the coast of California to Japan, and it's estimated to be twice the size of Texas. This is believed to be the biggest garbage patch and it’s in our ocean! You can find the article at http://www.oprah.com/world/Ocean-Pollution-Fabien-Cousteaus-Warning-to-the-World. Read it and prepare to be shocked, angered and appalled. This is a quote from this article, “Experts say plastic trash has already killed millions of sea birds and marine mammals. In one case, pieces of plastic and a cigarette lighter were found in the stomach of a dead albatross.” Can you imagine that? A cigarette lighter in the stomach of a bird! That to me is unacceptable and inexcusable.
It’s up to you and me to do our part in conserving the environment
I have been saddened by all that trash we took out of the ocean since the day we did it. I feel like we can totally turn things around if we were to be a little more thoughtful in the way we do things. I’m sure no one intentionally throws a plastic bottle into the ocean, but the negligence of leaving it on the sand for the waves to take it in, may be just as bad.
I have made another pact with the environment and that is to be 100% eco-friendly from now on. There are three things in my household that are not eco-friendly that I can think of right away and they are: trash bags, sandwich baggies and my husband’s shampoo. Those will be eliminated immediately regardless of how disgruntled my husband will get from bio-degradable trash bags and organic hair products. We all have to do this together to save our planet. I’m all in, are you?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com
Ordering cloth sandwich bags!
Mary
Monday, July 26, 2010
Solitude and Silence
My husband and kids went up to the mountains yesterday. I couldn’t go with them because I had scheduled a few things that I couldn’t get out of. I had a reading scheduled for that morning and then I was going to catch up on household items. As they were leaving, I had the idea of spending the next two hours in complete silence. I wasn’t going to talk on the phone, listen to music or watch television. I wanted to see what being in complete silence would do with my mind chatter.
It’s amazing how noisy total silence can be
It was amazing how noisy I felt it was although there wasn’t a peep in the house. My mind was racing; I was thinking of all the things I was going to accomplish after my reading and in the next few days. I was feeling more frazzled which totally defeats the purpose of meditating and going within.
I meditate all the time, so being in silence for 20 minutes is something I am completely used to. What was different this time? I believe my trip to Lebanon was the culprit. I realized that Lebanon is very noisy. My seven year old son said, “Mom does everyone honk their horn every second they are driving?” It is true; people honk their horns all the time while driving. During the day, you’ll always hear noise from construction sites and during the evening hours, there are always fireworks or music or something going on. I had a headache every day while I was there and I'm not one to ever get headaches.
Meeting the Yogi
About 10 days into my Lebanon trip, while driving, I thought to myself that I’ve allowed all this noise and chaos get to me. I thought that I really needed to up my meditation game so that I can achieve that calm regardless of what was going on around me. That same day, I met a tennis pro on the court who turned out to be a yogi as well. He was obviously very intuitive. He wanted to teach me everything he knew in the five minutes we spoke together.
He taught me various energy work techniques geared towards directing that energy within. He told me to rub my hands together and then cover my eyes with the palms of my hands. This will send the energy created by the friction within to nourish my soul. He told me to stand in front of a white wall in silence and allow that wall to break down any unnecessary and unwanted thoughts swirling in my head. I found his ideas very interesting and did apply the palm energy one already. It was such a fantastic feeling that I do it all the time now. I have yet to stand in front of a white wall though.
Working through the noise
While in silence, I remembered how calm the yogi was in Lebanon. I remembered that he didn’t let the chaos and noise get to him. I decided to remain in silence and work through it. It worked. Eventually, after about 40 minutes of being in complete silence, my mind let go. It stopped its chatter and I was able to just be. I felt this intense release. It was amazing. It was no surprise to me that later on that afternoon, I took a three hour nap rather than folding laundry and making dinner.
I'm on a spiritual cleanse
I've decided to try the "solitude and silence" meditation at least once a week. Just like I've had to go on somewhat of a food and drink cleanse after my trip, I am also going on a spiritual cleanse. So far, I'm finding it very releasing and relieving.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. 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’ll be facing that wall soon!
Mary
It’s amazing how noisy total silence can be
It was amazing how noisy I felt it was although there wasn’t a peep in the house. My mind was racing; I was thinking of all the things I was going to accomplish after my reading and in the next few days. I was feeling more frazzled which totally defeats the purpose of meditating and going within.
I meditate all the time, so being in silence for 20 minutes is something I am completely used to. What was different this time? I believe my trip to Lebanon was the culprit. I realized that Lebanon is very noisy. My seven year old son said, “Mom does everyone honk their horn every second they are driving?” It is true; people honk their horns all the time while driving. During the day, you’ll always hear noise from construction sites and during the evening hours, there are always fireworks or music or something going on. I had a headache every day while I was there and I'm not one to ever get headaches.
Meeting the Yogi
About 10 days into my Lebanon trip, while driving, I thought to myself that I’ve allowed all this noise and chaos get to me. I thought that I really needed to up my meditation game so that I can achieve that calm regardless of what was going on around me. That same day, I met a tennis pro on the court who turned out to be a yogi as well. He was obviously very intuitive. He wanted to teach me everything he knew in the five minutes we spoke together.
He taught me various energy work techniques geared towards directing that energy within. He told me to rub my hands together and then cover my eyes with the palms of my hands. This will send the energy created by the friction within to nourish my soul. He told me to stand in front of a white wall in silence and allow that wall to break down any unnecessary and unwanted thoughts swirling in my head. I found his ideas very interesting and did apply the palm energy one already. It was such a fantastic feeling that I do it all the time now. I have yet to stand in front of a white wall though.
Working through the noise
While in silence, I remembered how calm the yogi was in Lebanon. I remembered that he didn’t let the chaos and noise get to him. I decided to remain in silence and work through it. It worked. Eventually, after about 40 minutes of being in complete silence, my mind let go. It stopped its chatter and I was able to just be. I felt this intense release. It was amazing. It was no surprise to me that later on that afternoon, I took a three hour nap rather than folding laundry and making dinner.
I'm on a spiritual cleanse
I've decided to try the "solitude and silence" meditation at least once a week. Just like I've had to go on somewhat of a food and drink cleanse after my trip, I am also going on a spiritual cleanse. So far, I'm finding it very releasing and relieving.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. 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’ll be facing that wall soon!
Mary
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
What a trip!
I just came back from being in Lebanon for two weeks. I was born in Saudi Arabia but I am Lebanese. I lived in Saudi for 11 years, then in Lebanon for seven and then the US for 17 so far. I consider the US to be my home, but Lebanon is where I am from and will always be a strong part of who I am. I hadn’t been back in seven years, so it was something I was definitely going to do this year. I took my boys and made the trek half-way across the world on my own. My husband followed us to stay the last few days of the trip.
Lebanon was awesome!
It was fantastic to be back in Lebanon. My family is huge. My aunts, cousins and friends were over constantly. We had fantastic dinners on our balcony which overlooks Beirut and the Mediterranean Sea. My eight month old niece was there and we looked forward to playing with her every day. I took my boys to see Jeita Grotto which is nominated to be of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Check out the website at www.new7wonders.com . It is absolutely fascinating! We went to water parks, beaches, dinners and kids play areas. I went out with my husband and friends to over-crowded, smoky clubs that played amazing music until four o’clock in the morning. We got up the next day at 8 a.m. and took my boys to the beach. We were there Lebanese style!
I still have a lot of meditating to do!
I realized how much work I still had to do on maintaining my calm though. Driving in Lebanon is extremely stressful. People drive fast and don’t obey any traffic signs. My brother made me laugh when he said that traffic signs and speed limits are merely suggestions of what you need to do. No one is ever given a ticket for anything. People pass you although it’s a blind curve, they may pull up behind you going 90 miles an hour while flashing there lights for you to move over, they may drive the wrong way on a street because it’s more convenient for them, they may park their car anywhere they feel is suitable regardless of how much it congests traffic, should I go on?
Needless to say, I lost my cool more that once while driving. I actually flipped a lady off and went into a cussing rage for a minute or so before realizing that I had two stunned boys sitting in the back seat wondering what just happened to their mother. I realized that the topic of conversation was the traffic anywhere I went for at least the first 15 minutes. I heard of seven fatalities due to speeding while I was there.
At first, people driving nuts and the lack of respect for any lines drove me nuts. I was in line to buy my boys ice cream when a lady steps to the front of the line to buy her groceries. I called her out on it because darn it, I am American and that is just not acceptable. She actually yelled at me saying that all it took was a minute and what’s the big deal. I was somewhat stunned that she actually felt that it was her right to do so. It actually took me over an hour to get my son a burger at the water park because so many cut the line in front of me. That’s the kind of stuff that sends me over the edge.
I eventually did take a chill pill
I have blogged about my boundary contract several times before. While in Lebanon I realized that “boundaries” or lack of them, I should say, is everywhere. People stand really close to one another, they have no problem smoking and puffing in your face, it’s totally cool to cut any line and so on. However it’s the lack of boundaries that makes a security officer hold my sleeping son while I’m going through security to help me out. And the same quality that makes people go out of their way to invite you over for dinner and not take no for an answer. Lebanese people in general are warm, caring and loving. While at the airport, an older gentleman went and got my boys some water because he felt bad for them.
I had to take a chill pill and realize that this is a country that has been through decades of war and if the by-product was a little bit of chaos, well then that’s a big so what. I told my cousin, it’s easy for me to be calm and centered in Colorado, the challenge is to maintain in amongst the chaos. Clearly I failed. It always has to start with me. I’ll bet if I didn’t let the traffic get to me so much, I wouldn’t have had as many instances with it.
I love Lebanon!
It’s good to be home, but I miss Lebanon; I miss my family, I miss my friends, I miss the late-night dinners, I miss the beaches and water parks and I miss the great food at every street corner. I love everything about Lebanon. I do have to say that I don’t miss the chaos of driving. The next time I go back which hopefully will be really soon, I will start off with a better attitude. Hopefully, I’ll be able to maintain my “Colorado calm” throughout the entire stay.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com
Back to meditating!
Mary
Lebanon was awesome!
It was fantastic to be back in Lebanon. My family is huge. My aunts, cousins and friends were over constantly. We had fantastic dinners on our balcony which overlooks Beirut and the Mediterranean Sea. My eight month old niece was there and we looked forward to playing with her every day. I took my boys to see Jeita Grotto which is nominated to be of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Check out the website at www.new7wonders.com . It is absolutely fascinating! We went to water parks, beaches, dinners and kids play areas. I went out with my husband and friends to over-crowded, smoky clubs that played amazing music until four o’clock in the morning. We got up the next day at 8 a.m. and took my boys to the beach. We were there Lebanese style!
I still have a lot of meditating to do!
I realized how much work I still had to do on maintaining my calm though. Driving in Lebanon is extremely stressful. People drive fast and don’t obey any traffic signs. My brother made me laugh when he said that traffic signs and speed limits are merely suggestions of what you need to do. No one is ever given a ticket for anything. People pass you although it’s a blind curve, they may pull up behind you going 90 miles an hour while flashing there lights for you to move over, they may drive the wrong way on a street because it’s more convenient for them, they may park their car anywhere they feel is suitable regardless of how much it congests traffic, should I go on?
Needless to say, I lost my cool more that once while driving. I actually flipped a lady off and went into a cussing rage for a minute or so before realizing that I had two stunned boys sitting in the back seat wondering what just happened to their mother. I realized that the topic of conversation was the traffic anywhere I went for at least the first 15 minutes. I heard of seven fatalities due to speeding while I was there.
At first, people driving nuts and the lack of respect for any lines drove me nuts. I was in line to buy my boys ice cream when a lady steps to the front of the line to buy her groceries. I called her out on it because darn it, I am American and that is just not acceptable. She actually yelled at me saying that all it took was a minute and what’s the big deal. I was somewhat stunned that she actually felt that it was her right to do so. It actually took me over an hour to get my son a burger at the water park because so many cut the line in front of me. That’s the kind of stuff that sends me over the edge.
I eventually did take a chill pill
I have blogged about my boundary contract several times before. While in Lebanon I realized that “boundaries” or lack of them, I should say, is everywhere. People stand really close to one another, they have no problem smoking and puffing in your face, it’s totally cool to cut any line and so on. However it’s the lack of boundaries that makes a security officer hold my sleeping son while I’m going through security to help me out. And the same quality that makes people go out of their way to invite you over for dinner and not take no for an answer. Lebanese people in general are warm, caring and loving. While at the airport, an older gentleman went and got my boys some water because he felt bad for them.
I had to take a chill pill and realize that this is a country that has been through decades of war and if the by-product was a little bit of chaos, well then that’s a big so what. I told my cousin, it’s easy for me to be calm and centered in Colorado, the challenge is to maintain in amongst the chaos. Clearly I failed. It always has to start with me. I’ll bet if I didn’t let the traffic get to me so much, I wouldn’t have had as many instances with it.
I love Lebanon!
It’s good to be home, but I miss Lebanon; I miss my family, I miss my friends, I miss the late-night dinners, I miss the beaches and water parks and I miss the great food at every street corner. I love everything about Lebanon. I do have to say that I don’t miss the chaos of driving. The next time I go back which hopefully will be really soon, I will start off with a better attitude. Hopefully, I’ll be able to maintain my “Colorado calm” throughout the entire stay.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com
Back to meditating!
Mary
Monday, June 28, 2010
Your Happy Place
I attended an Abraham-Hicks workshop last Saturday that was truly amazing. It left me uplifted and energized. Esther Hicks channels an entity known as Abraham the entire duration of the workshop. They mostly have brought forth teachings and books on the Law of Attraction. Throughout the workshop they referred to something called "the vortex" which I simplify as being “your happy place.”
Go To Your Happy Place Often
It is a necessity to go to your happy place as often as you can. The thought is that when you’re in your happy place, you will be vibrating at a higher energy level. This in turn will bring to you more positive and joyous experiences.
Try to remember at all times that we are energy beings and what we send out, is exactly what we receive. Sure things happen in life that pull you away from feeling good, but as long as you’ve made that commitment to yourself to feel good, then you will go back to your happy place sooner rather than later.
Create Your Experiences
My five year old son constantly says to me, “He made me do it!” and my response always is, “No one can make you do anything, it is always your choice as to how your react to something.” I want him to grow up feeling empowered with the knowledge that he is the creator of all his circumstances.
We are creators of everything and victims of nothing. We can choose to get our feelings hurt if someone speaks to us rudely or we can choose to say, “Too bad for them that they feel the need to talk to someone this way, however I am not leaving my happy place because of that interaction.” It really doesn’t matter what the circumstance may be, we always have the choice of how to deal with it and to remain in our happy place.
Take a step back
Esther Hicks brought forth a concept that I hadn’t considered before. She said that when we manifest we need to be in that happy place or vortex as she refers to it. How can you solve a problem when you’re in the midst of it? It’s the idea of taking a step back and looking into the situation with an open mind. We always come up with a better solution when we “sleep on it” anyway. I find that if I ever make a decision in the heat of the moment, I will most likely regret it later.
It’s nice to think that we have all the time in the world and there’s really no rush on anything. How true is that? We have all of eternity to get our stuff done so we might as well take our time and enjoy the ride.
Stop and smell the roses!
Speaking of enjoying the ride, why not take our time figuring out what we’d really like to have and enjoy the process of getting there? I found myself getting a little uptight these past couple of weeks. It turns out that I truly need to just sit outside in my garden and do nothing every morning otherwise I don’t feel whole. I was so busy with my schedule and that of the kids’, that I didn’t have time to just be, and that was making life feel out of control.
Take the time to meditate, appreciate all the blessings in your life, compliment someone, admire works of art, be in nature, pet your dog, hang out with friends, and the list goes on of ideas on how to stay in your happy place.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. 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 being in my happy place!
Mary
Go To Your Happy Place Often
It is a necessity to go to your happy place as often as you can. The thought is that when you’re in your happy place, you will be vibrating at a higher energy level. This in turn will bring to you more positive and joyous experiences.
Try to remember at all times that we are energy beings and what we send out, is exactly what we receive. Sure things happen in life that pull you away from feeling good, but as long as you’ve made that commitment to yourself to feel good, then you will go back to your happy place sooner rather than later.
Create Your Experiences
My five year old son constantly says to me, “He made me do it!” and my response always is, “No one can make you do anything, it is always your choice as to how your react to something.” I want him to grow up feeling empowered with the knowledge that he is the creator of all his circumstances.
We are creators of everything and victims of nothing. We can choose to get our feelings hurt if someone speaks to us rudely or we can choose to say, “Too bad for them that they feel the need to talk to someone this way, however I am not leaving my happy place because of that interaction.” It really doesn’t matter what the circumstance may be, we always have the choice of how to deal with it and to remain in our happy place.
Take a step back
Esther Hicks brought forth a concept that I hadn’t considered before. She said that when we manifest we need to be in that happy place or vortex as she refers to it. How can you solve a problem when you’re in the midst of it? It’s the idea of taking a step back and looking into the situation with an open mind. We always come up with a better solution when we “sleep on it” anyway. I find that if I ever make a decision in the heat of the moment, I will most likely regret it later.
It’s nice to think that we have all the time in the world and there’s really no rush on anything. How true is that? We have all of eternity to get our stuff done so we might as well take our time and enjoy the ride.
Stop and smell the roses!
Speaking of enjoying the ride, why not take our time figuring out what we’d really like to have and enjoy the process of getting there? I found myself getting a little uptight these past couple of weeks. It turns out that I truly need to just sit outside in my garden and do nothing every morning otherwise I don’t feel whole. I was so busy with my schedule and that of the kids’, that I didn’t have time to just be, and that was making life feel out of control.
Take the time to meditate, appreciate all the blessings in your life, compliment someone, admire works of art, be in nature, pet your dog, hang out with friends, and the list goes on of ideas on how to stay in your happy place.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. 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 being in my happy place!
Mary
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