Why Ask Why?

Imagine if you deliberately paused for just a moment before choosing to take action and asked yourself why? What paths would change in your life? Today I paused before choosing angry words and instead I chose to express pain. Each action becomes more deliberate and has more meaning when we pause for even a millisecond to evaluate our choice. I choose my actions and my reactions and when I remember to choose consciously I lessen the drama and heighten the quality.

Power Animals! Who'd A Thunk It?

I have been a creature lover since... the beginning of time! I love all creatures except for mosquitoes (sorry mosquitoes!). Once, when I was very young, I was strolling down the street with my family in Provincetown, MA when suddenly they realized I was no longer walking with them. (In those days this was not quite as alarming as it would be today.) My family backtracked and found me in a biker-y bar hugging a Great Dane. I saw him and just walked right in and latched on without so much as backwards glance! Also, I have always talked to creatures. Not like an animal communicator, I just talk to them. I like to think they get the drift but, if nothing more, I suppose that they feel my respect and love. It is my wish that every creature feel these things. Anyway, as usual, I digress and digress and...

If you've followed either of my blogs you will note that eagles come up quite often. I have a whole mess of em living near me and flyin' around above me. I see them pretty much every day now. I find that I actually feel incredibly strong feelings of love, gratitude, peace and joy when I see them. I also feel power surging through my being. Not wild raw power but what I can only describe as graceful liquid power. Often times I will see them when I am doing my yoga practice on the grass and it's like drinking a power drink. Seriously. I am not certain if my words do the experience justice. Alas! I only have my words to convey my feelings!

So, the other day several eagles came flying across the lake and I stopped to gaze upon their glory. I was pondering my infatuation with these majestic creatures and it occurred to me that eagles really and truly are my power animal! My mom had a boutique for many years that sold Native American art and 'stuff' and I've read plenty of books that include references to and stories about such things, so power animals are not a new concept for me. However, until I had this experience I honestly never really understood how real they actually are. I do indeed get power from seeing them. Whether they are 30 feet away or a mile I get the same intense jolt every single time I see them. It's very difficult to take my eyes away from them. Now, as much as I love creatures, I've never had this reaction before. I mentioned my revelation to my dad and he said that this had occurred to him as well.

Lately I see eagles almost everywhere I go, so far, in about a sixty mile radius. I see them pretty much every time I drive. Two or three times I've had one pause for like five to ten seconds directly above my head. They truly are masters of the wind! Sometimes they fly through the yard only twelve feet or so off the ground which is very cool. Finally, I'm sure this is not as fascinating for y'all as for me, one time I had one land on a tree close by. Amazingly I'd remembered my camera, which I grabbed and walked as closely as I could get to him/her (there was a fence between us). I talked to the beauty and snapped photos for about ten minutes. (That's him/her to the right.) I figured that eagles must be making some kind of a massive comeback but I looked online and so far I've found no information supporting an eagle boom.

I decided to write a little something about my experience so I jumped online and googled power animals and found a lot of interesting info. My favorite site is Shamanism ~ Working With Animal Spirits Core. They have a list of animals and their particular wisdom. It's a beautiful site and quite informative as well. Here is what the site says about Bald Eagle;

Bald Eagle's Wisdom Includes:

• Swiftness

• Strength

• Courage

• Wisdom

• Keen sight

• Illumination of Spirit

• Healing

• Creation

• Knowledge of magick

• Ability to see hidden spiritual truths

• Rising above the material to see the spiritual

• Ability to see the overall pattern

• Connection to spirit guides and teachers

• Great power and balance

• Dignity with grace

• Ability to see the "big picture"

• Connection with higher truths

• Intuitive and creative spirit

• Respect for the boundaries of the regions

• Grace achieved through knowledge and hard work

It's pretty cool. I actually do have really keen sight. When I go to the eye doctor they tell me to read until I can't read anymore and then they always stop me and tell me to stop showing off! I've been told my insight ain't too bad either! And as for the rest of the list, well, I definitely have the capacity for all of them and I would certainly like to cultivate those qualities and fully realize and embrace their potential in myself! What a truly wonderful life!

Through my further research on the subject I found out that we may have several power animals looking out for us and they can change over time. When we disconnect from one we may form a new bond with a new friend! I remembered having feelings similar to my eagle 'infatuation' with Pelicans, oddly enough! And at that time a Pelican landed about a foot away from me and just sat there for about ten minutes. I felt so incredibly privileged but I did not consider the possibility that he was a messenger or helper. Duh! So, today, I clicked on Pelican and here's what it said;

Pelican's Wisdom Includes:

• Proper use of abundance
• Control of ego
• Recovery from loss
• Ability to float through emotions
• Ability to return from the edge of extinction

I was going through a very difficult time with my (now) ex-husband when Pelican came to call. We were having some money troubles and I was beginning to see that he had some very serious personality issues that I'd not realized before. It's hard to explain but when I read this list the whole Pelican experience made sense to me. I still love Pelicans and I hope that they will always be here to help me out! So there you have it, gang, power animals are very real... So if you see a creature and have a strong emotional response, check out Shamanism ~ Working With Animal Spirits Core. They might have something very interesting to convey!

Be the Change!

I recently had an interesting conversation with a bellhop in Austin,Texas. We were discussing politics and the condition of our government. He spoke quite a bit about all of the changes that needed to be made and how our politicians were to blame for not fixing these things. As he spoke it occurred to me that people say this all the time, they complain that our politicians are doing nothing to change the things that we want changed. Well as I see things it's the people, myself included, who are not doing what is necessary to change things. Change comes from an exchange of ideas, it comes from inner resolve and from daily actions. Change does not come from simply voting for the guy who makes the best speeches or who looks good on paper. For the love of Pete, people, change comes from growth and learning. If you want a change then you best be prepared to walk your talk. If you want the world to be a better place then you better start with your very own little universe, my friend. Even better, start with your own body! Eat healthier food, exercise and learn how to be emotionally healthy. Be an example for your friends and family. Treat others the way that you wish to be treated. In fact, start treating yourself the way you wish to be treated! "Be the change that you want to see in the world!" ~ Mahatma Gandhi. I really don't think that it could be stated with a whole heck of a lot more clarity than that, folks.
We all need to buck it up and become our own role models. That's how we can change this country. People, much like animals, learn from example. What would you think if I told you that you should really quit smoking while I puffed away on my pipe? Don't we do this sort of thing all the time. I know that I sure as heck do. Where as I can honestly say that I really started changing my eating habits from watching my friends and family becoming almost exclusively organic food shoppers. And that is in fact probably one of the best examples I could give. Many people are changing their diets in the same way. That has changed not only our local grocery stores but also the huge corporations. Walmart now carries organic produce and products. In fact, they carry Newman's Own, another fantastic example. Who'd a thunk it?
So if you get the urge to complain about things that you are not happy about in this world... Well, perhaps you might consider what small or large action you can take, in your life, to counterbalance those things. Be the change, people. There is no better or faster way to get there. Oh and also remember that we all live in glass houses so please put the stones down.
My rockin' cool girlfriend, Monty, made a simple gesture recently that was absolutely brilliant in my mind. She was speaking to a friend of hers about their kid's education. Her friend said that she wanted her son's education to be... and she raised her hand up high, gesturing high level and a cut above. Monty, dang I love her so much, said, "Well, I want my son's education to be..." and she threw her arms wide in a gesture of expansion and inclusion. Right on, girl! How fantastic would this world be if more parents thought like that. Just imagine...
And on the subject of education, I recently watched a brilliant show on the Sundance Channel called Iconoclasts. In one of the episodes they filmed Mikhail Baryshnikov and Alice Waters hanging out together and discussing... stuff. Alice Waters started a program called The Edible Schoolyard in Oakland, CA. The mission of the Edible Schoolyard at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School is to create and sustain an organic garden and landscape that is wholly integrated into the school's curriculum and lunch program. It involves the students in all aspects of farming the garden – along with preparing, serving and eating the food – as a means of awakening their senses and encouraging awareness and appreciation of the transformative values of nourishment, community, and stewardship of the land.
Okay, I have to say that Alice Waters is super fabulous in my book. A couple of things that she said, in Iconoclasts, really hit me. The first thing was about the shopping habits of this day and age. We don't mind spending inordinate amounts of time and money on shopping for clothing, cars and so called luxury items. Yet somehow we want our food shopping to be fast, convenient and cheap. We will put things in our bodies that are of the lowest quality to save time and money. Believe me I ain't throwin' any stones here, I'm as guilty as the next culprit. (Although I have made some changes in the past few years.) Alice preaches eating fresh, local and seasonal foods whenever possible. I can't argue with that. She also spoke about buying from people or companies that have similar values to your own. Well gee, that actually used to be the norm, right? Food for thought!

Here are some pertinent links:

Looking for some way to help? Charity Focus is designed to enable inspired people to contribute in meaningful ways to the world around us. Find your calling @
http://www.bethechange.org/

Interested in finding out more about Alice Waters and Edible Schoolyard?
http://www.edibleschoolyard.org

Looking for greener choices? Here are some consumer guides to help you out:
http://www.voiceyourself.com - Woody Harrelson's how to be a better person site. Fantastic!
http://www.greenerchoices.org - From Consumer Reports - To help you go green!
http://www.newdream.org - Conscious Consumer Home - Green and Socially Aware!

You might be interested to know how Mikhail Baryshnikov is contributing to the arts.
http://www.baryshnikovdancefoundation.org/