Thursday, March 31, 2011

re-forming habits

My parents were in town last week. As a result I did a lot less gym time. Now, that my parents have left I'm finding it difficult to get back in the habit of going to the gym.
I do it grudgingly.

Tip of the Day: Don't give up your good habits. They are hard to recover.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

a matter of taste vs. creation

I read a great quote today in Daphne Gray-Grant's recent newsletter about writing. I thought I would share it.

"In matters of taste, there is no dispute."

Our unique tastes are as individual and distinct as our DNA - no two people are quite alike. Yet in a digital era where we are bombarded with the tastes of others, it can be difficult to identify our own unique tastes.

I think one of the most valuable things we can each do is nurture and develop our tastes. This will guide us in spirit, work, purpose and creative pursuits.

As beginners our creations will never live up to our tastes.
No one tells us this when we begin pursuing our creative endeavors.

Ira Glass explains this in an interview about storytelling.




Tip of the Day: Even if your own work does not live up to your unique tastes, keep creating!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Mindful Monday :: letting go of attachments

I've been thinking about my attachments today. As much as I would like to think I am free of them, I am not convinced that I am.

Most people are attached to their:

1) Things
2) Habits
3) Thoughts
4) Identity/ Way of being

An awareness of your attachments in these four areas is the first step towards detachment.

The next part is hard; you actually need to start detaching.

Detaching from things is easy, is perhaps
the easiest, but not without it's difficulties.

The art of detaching from thoughts and habits requires continual effort.

And last, but not least, detaching from an outdated identity is not only frightening for the self, but frightening for loved ones and friends.

Thought of the Day: what are you most attached to?

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Food Friday :: a toast to your health

We have so much control over what we put in our mouth in this country. Yet so many of us make poor choices. Why? I think their may be only one answer: self-justification.

We constantly justify our actions even when they may be harmful.

Thought of the Day: hat have you justified to yourself lately?

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Making friends with death & dying

For now I know that I am not dying any faster than the moment that has just passed us by. Dramatic, don't you think?

Yet so true. We are all headed towards our death.

And my answer is, as I make peace with knowing that one day I will in fact die, is not to shout louder, but to go inwards.

Thought of the Day: Are you among the noise makers or are you quietly listening?

Hallelujah

Today is a day for rejoicing. A day of health and a day of peace. I am thankful for the good news that I do not have to worry anymore!

Tip of the Day: Be grateful!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Wasteful Worrying

Over the last few months I have been worrying about something- the kind of worry that just sits in your mind turning backflips and such.

I am waiting for an answer, an ok. In my mind once I get the "ok" I can move on with the rest of my life. This is built up big time in my mind.

However today, I realized (once again), that after this worry comes and goes, a new worry, while perhaps not as heavy, will hold my mind hostage once again.

Whether I get my "ok" or not for this particular worry, what I need to remind myself moving forward, is to practice non-worry no matter what comes my way in this journey that is my life.

For me non-worry is cultivating a peaceful state of mind. I do this through meditation, writing and intentional prayer.

Tip of the Day: Practice non-worry

Monday, March 21, 2011

mindful monday :: not what you are doing but who you are being

Intention for today:
to focus on who I am being rather than what I am doing.

This so hard to do. Each day I find myself caught in a web of doing. I wrote the intention above earlier today. And then, on my lunch break as I was reading The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila, I came across the line, "God does not have need for doing. God has more need for being."

May I carry this intention with me daily. Especially as I know I will forget it minute by minute as I find myself frustrated with inanimate objects, the mundane chores in my life and the trivial worries that occupy my mind and thoughts.

Thought of the Day: who are you being?

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

let go of disbelief and belief alike

Yesterday, I learned a thing or two about the parodox of belief and experienced a true miracle - a gift of love, for no other reason other than I was able to release my beliefs and disbeliefs.

I wish I could share this in a better way. But for now my simple words will have to do. What I can say, is that when you release what you absolutely believe in and don't believe in, there is a space, and in that space there is a key. A miracle unlocking key. And it is beautiful.

Pyschically, it is easy to hold onto a lot of beliefs and disbeliefs. I'm learning to release these and that has opened a space within to love and live like never before.

Thought of the day: What beliefs do you cling to?

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

taking the time :: a poem

taking the time 
to sit with you and see you
to touch you and kiss you
to love you
taking the time

Monday, March 14, 2011

Mindful Monday :: Surrendering

Today I surrender my body and mind to the universe and I fill myself with love and prayers for the people of Japan.

In light of all the tradgedy that occurred in Japan, Carolyn Myss recently wrote the following in a newsletter: 

"The fear, pain, and grief of the thousands of people is unimaginable. We learn from this tragedy once again that the life we awaken to each morning may well be completely different by the end of the day. We kid ourselves by telling ourselves that we are in charge of the length of our lifetime. We are not.

We must learn from this event in Japan that we can be with the Japanese community of people through prayer, through e-mail, through FB in an instant. We are truly learning an enormous cosmic truth: We are one."

So easy to forget, how quickly life can change....

Thought of the Day: A prayer for those who are suffering

Friday, March 11, 2011

just because you are vegan, doesn't mean you are healthy

I have been mostly vegan for a little over three months. For the most part, it has been pretty easy. However this doesn't always mean that eating vegan is healthful; it is very easy to snack on chips, vegan versions of pizza and mac and cheese, soy chai lattes, gluten-filled fake meats on messy sandwiches smeared with vegansise and earth balance and the list goes on.
What is harder to do is eat healthy fruits and veggies and whole grains.

I find that when I start my day ofF with some fruit, yougurt and cereal, it is much easier to continue eating healthful throughout the day. However, when I start my day off with a bagel and tofutti I just end up craving junk and sugar for the rest of the day.

Tip of the Day: Start your day off with a piece of fruit.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

When Life Get's in Your Way

One of the lessons I got out of the process of writing a book was a lesson in: “How to achieve your goal, when life get’s in your way.”  For me, life is my 9-5 day job, my two hour bus commute each day, the time I spend reading blogs online, watching movies, paying bills, hanging out with friends, cooking meals, thinking about what to bring to a party…the list goes on. 

All of these things are distractions and take up a lot of my time. However I realized that by re-prioritizing some of these things, I do have  spare time that can be used creatively.
I have to consciously remind myself, many times a day, that I want to spend my spare time writing, reading and moving around/ exercising.  I hope eventually this becomes a habit, but for now it is an active process. 
 Thought of the Day: What are you doing in your spare time?

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Inspiration

I'm so inspired by the girls in my art group! We are all taking on new challenges, inspiring one another and holding one another accountable. Suzy just celebrated her birthday and started a blog. KC wrote a novel in a month and is now starting the editing process and blogging everyday. Kris has committed herself to doing art everyday, finish her undergratuate degree and work out everday. Jen is rocking the art scene in Portland and Ericka runs a successful blog, quit her day job to pursue art full time and is creating her own artist residency in Hong Kong via Kickstarter.

These women are amazing! And I think our stories are important. We are holding one another accountable, supporting each other and celebrating our small victories. We are each DOING SOMETHING about our dreams and living life a little more honestly.

Thought of the Day: In the end, it doesn't matter what others are doing, what matters is what you are doing.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Doing stuff and Fat Tuesday

Over the weekend my ebook, Reach, was published.
I cannot tell you the thrill I received to see my work published on ebookling.

What is special about that book is that I wrote it for myself and not for any future hope of a reward. Nope, my only hope is that someone is inspired by it.

On another note tonight is fat Tuesday, I have determined to give up alcohol for lent. This will be heard as I am a social drinker, but I will endure.

Thought of the day: another day cone by; are you happy?

Monday, March 7, 2011

Mindful Monday and Doing Something

I am very excited to announce the launch of my ebook Reach: How I decided to write and publish and ebook in a little over 48 hours. I will be publishing it on this blog soon. I can't wait to share it!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

No one tells you what to do

Have you ever sat around and realized that no
one is telling you what do, i.e. whether to exercise, to eat healthy.. That no one is holding you accountable besides yourself? You have to be that person.

Thought of the Day: So what are you waiting for?

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Another Day

Another day of life gone by. This is it. There is no one who will tell you what to do. Don't wait for permission. Do what you need to do. Hold yourself accountable. See ya later, I'm going for a walk.

-Kat

Tip of the Day: Don't wait for permission from someone else.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

From the Heart

"Work is not a curse or a misfortune, as some people think, but rather, if it comes from the heart it is love made visible."
- The owner of Nicholas Restaurant in Portland, OR (a fabulous Lebanese Restaurant)


This quote is beautiful and relevant. So many of us are out of touch with our heart. We have separated heart from mind and are therefore disconnected from our work.

Each day I try to put a litle bit more of my heart into my work and life. The problem is, I've been trained to rely on my mind which is a faulty machine when it is not aligned with my heart.

Sometimes it feels as if I've lost all connection with my heart, but then occasionally I'm reminded of all the love I have to give and my mind is silent. It is for these moments I live for. They serve as a reminder to try and reconnect as often as I can.

Tip of the Day: Let your heart guide you