soul

Advice from a Tree

Aside

This morning I wanted to start off on a serious note.  This is just one example of what happens when you live up to your potential and choose to follow your passions.  Please take ten minutes to watch this feature on Pat Summitt, former Tennessee Volunteer’s Women’s Basketball Coach.  She was a pioneer in women’s sports as well as just an awesome reminder that no matter what life throws at you with the right attitude, holding integrity through your actions, and following your heart will propel you into greater success than what you can imagine.  I admire what she as well as so many others have done in fighting for equality in media coverage, attendance and most of all giving women and equal shot at sports.  They have qualities that are appealing and should be shown.  http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8158231

I always try to look for the good in people.  I try to see what makes them tick and normally the first thing I see is their potential.  Sometimes it is deceiving when you are enamored with this immense amount of dreams without being grounded in the reality that this person is the only one that is able to choose to live up to their potential.  It all falls back in their court.  When they start walking down the stagnant route and lounging lazily along the course of their life sometimes it takes someone to come along and nudge them. Some are responsive while others are annoyed.  All the while others might not be receptive of anything because they aren’t there yet.  It is so very important on this journey to get on the right path and choose to live up to our potential and make our dreams come to life!  We owe it to ourselves.  We owe it to this world to give others what we have to offer.

If we are to live up to our own potential, then we must learn to prioritize and detach.  As we detach, certain things start standing out as priority and the rest doesn’t really matter.  Prioritizing.  We start to witness the beauty and of goodness rather than the heavy negatives to which hold us back from our potential.  When we simply take a step back from our initial human reaction, we can clearly see what needs to happen verse reacting and causing unnecessary grief.  Observe.  Listen.  We need to listen to what God is speaking to us and allow Him to work through us.  As we learn how to let God guide us in this path for the search of potential and passions that lie deep within the core of our soul, we too find our very place in this world for inspiration, desire, and ultimately living our life as we ought to be living.

If we choose not to live up to our potential, sometimes that is the hardest thing to understand for those of us who have crossed that difficult barrier.  It is a scary place to make such a life changing decision yet, with the right conditions, nurturing, and attitude even the seed in rocky soil will be transformed and enlightened!

What is your potential?  Do you recognize it?

CatMan

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Age gracefully……

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As a woman, I feel this extreme pressure to constantly feel like I need to look younger.  Tone up, if you will.  Make sure that I am in “perfect” condition for everyone.  Sure we all might feel like we are at our best when we look our best, but where do we draw our line?

I am young.  I am happy with my body as far as I recognize I have my problem spots and I know what I need to do to get them back in shape.  It is MY responsibility to get my body to the shape that makes me feel the best…not someone else’s expectations of “you should be as skinny as a rail, 100 lbs, your stomach’s getting pudgy work it out, you should wear make-up to the gym because heaven forbid you actually run into someone you know there, oh and your hair…um yes…grow it longer because short hair it just isn’t what women should do…it makes you look like a mom.”  I am tired of the pressure frankly.

Why is it so hard for people to face their music?  Why are we dragging our feet? Why do we feel like we have to look younger all the time?  Why is it so hard to find a wrinkle and be proud of it?  Well maybe it is a sign of people’s lack of appreciation for their age.  Do you fully embrace where you are at in the present moment?  Do you say, thank you for making me 25 years old at this very moment in time?  Or maybe your 10 or 70 years old in some cases!  No regrets, right?

To me, it is a lack of personal gratitude and appreciation for life’s journey when we force ourselves to “look” younger.  We start off as children and we “wish we were older” always….then we hit a point where we wish we could go back to that innocence.  We sit there and wish our lives away.  Seems rather silly doesn’t it?

I want to offer a little bit of “natural” solutions to looking and feeling younger (not found in a bottle of anti-aging cream or diet pills).  In no particular order:

1.  Surround yourself with people who care about you.  They support you.  They genuinely love you.

2.  Smile more.  If you smile for no good reason, I guarantee you will find a reason.  Plus, smiles brighten other’s days.  It might actually change someone’s bad day into good!

3.  Never actually act your age.  My good ol’ friend Herb taught me that.  Surround yourself by young people and you will forever feel connected and youthful.

4. Make sure that you wash your face, brush your hair and don’t smell like body odor.  One of the best ways to feel good about yourself is just simply keep good hygiene.

5. Try to make a point of doing one random act of kindness for someone daily.  When you give your effort and time to others it really pays back.  That little act could mean the world to someone.

6. Keep in touch with your friends.  Keep in touch with those who are distant old friends more so.  Just call to see how they are doing.  It makes a world of difference in your appreciation of that person in your life as well as talking about your past times keeps you youthful.

7. Talk to people of all ages.  There is someone always that has either been in your shoes, is walking your walk right now, or will be in the future.  Learn what they did, are doing, or what they might do to make the situation a little better.

8. Keep things in perspective always.  Is this really a big deal?  Is this really something that I need to worry about?

9.  Take care of our body, mind, and soul and seek balance always.  If you need to work out more to keep yourself in balance, then do what YOU have to do…keep your mental and physical health in check always.  Remember no one is perfect, so find what works for you!

10.  Pray daily and keep your God and creator at the center of your focus.  He will point you in new and amazing (sometimes amusing…) directions which will keep your mind off the aging process.  🙂  This part is the liberating part!

11. Love others genuinely with all your heart.  Keep your pride down and really work on looking past one another’s flaws.  It makes life so much better!!

I would like to end with this article I came across that I think will shed some light upon how to embrace growing older…http://www.psychologies.co.uk/news/how-to-embrace-growing-older/.

How are you going to embrace where you are at and in this very present moment?  How are you going to embrace this aging process that people consistently fighting today?

❤ The CatMan

Shift in Focus. Adjust Perception. Change in heart.

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‎”When one focuses too much on the negative, all they see is road blocks. When one focuses on the positive, that is where one finds hope…” (me)

 

It is so easy to allow ourselves to be drug down by the muck surrounding us or listen to others that are only trying to bring us down.  Unfortunately, it is harder to be a leader than it is just to allow us to be sucked in to the abyss.  It is so easy to listen to the negative bringing us down….then we crash…If we ever expect to make it past tomorrow’s muck we must be willing to change our focus and stop listening to the outside noise.  Focus on what is good.  Focus on what we have going for us and focus on hope.  Hope is a key component to this whole situation.

One way I like to ensure that I don’t become a dirty muck pie is to visually wipe myself clean (literally take my hands and fling off the negative) and affirm myself often.  I constantly need to remind myself exactly what my purpose is.  Without affirmation, we can lose focus.  Something simple would be “I am a vessel to which God uses for His Good Works.”  I also like to personally make take my focus deep inside of me and allow God to transform from the inside out.  Think about it, this takes YOU out of it and allows Him to work His magic.  “Send my mind, body and soul into light and love” is another great affirmation.

Human’s are naturally imperfect.  We will always have flaws.   By taking us out of the mix, we are able to recognize we are a tiny part of this bigger picture.  It is amazing to understand what your purpose is and to fall in line with the circle of life!  Each little purpose that we all have is apart of a bigger entity.  We might be small, but the purpose of the small is equal of importance to the bigger picture’s results!  Without the little parts, the picture will never be fully complete!

Next key component…adjust your perception and do not make anything bigger than what it is.  You own that girl….or guy?!   This is a true test of inner peace when you can keep everything in check.  You spill coffee and it goes down the front of your shirt…take a deep breath and embrace it.  We have all been there and you know what?  Starbucks has a shirt with a “printed coffee stain” down the front of it!  You can get that for the bargain of $80 at your local department store.  Someone cancels on you, again.  OK.  Not a big deal!  That is life–so what are you going to do now?  Maybe go on a walk, or find a little cafe’ close and just observe!  Life is good remember.  It’s not the end of the world.

Now we are focused.  Everything is in check and balanced, so now what?  Now we have to make the most important change!  Change in our heart will not just happen overnight.  It takes time to get ourselves back to a state that is more enjoyable.  Let me explain….http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eefP4bG2EkI&feature=related

When we were children, we had very little to worry about and things seemed relatively easy.  Something happens to our heart as we grow up to be adults where we allow the muck of the world to steal our innocence.  Now it seems we are always stressed, always on the go, and always rushing without really taking time to smell the roses.  This is definitely a problem.  When this situation gets to this point, we are really missing out on living.  Those little things as a child we so dearly loved are now buried under adult junk.  UH OH…now what?  A change of heart is needed to keep in balance.

Start simple.  “Live simply so that others might simply live.” (Mother Teresa) Learn to notice everyone on the street, yes even the weird ones.  The people who are the most interesting are the one’s (usually) last noticed.  Dare you to talk to one!  (Oh did your mother tell you not to talk to strangers?  Well it’s fine now, you’re an adult!)  Learn to ask people questions when you don’t understand.  Learn how to give your time and knowledge to helping others succeed.  Hey they might thank you later!   Learn to get back to that child like innocence and you might just find yourself living an even more incredible life.  Take the ownership back and start living life with a purpose!

❤  CatMan  🙂

We need love

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Dear __________,
In order to be a great husband, wife, parent, friend, daughter, assistant or being in any relationship for that matter one has to be able to be completely selfless.  What I have learned in working with Herb and thru this period of my life (much of which has switched to contemplative) is selflessness and surrendering one’s desires and wants is the first step to happiness.  Giving yourself up for others allows one to see this world from another person’s side.  Being able to look, see, hear, feel, and taste what others do is an amazing feat.  Helps us keep ourselves in check and is humbling.  What a precious gift so easily overlooked.  It makes you understand just how blessed we are.  We need these reality checks often.
When you understand what other’s views are you are able to relate on other levels to humanity as a whole, you can connect other’s with similar standpoints, make more connections between subject matter, and connect with other’s better.  For one who has issues to commitments and has issues with putting other’s first before their own want’s–It’s a matter of need vs. want.  Peace comes from with in the deep core of one’s soul.  Peace comes from balance and if one is out of balance it will never come to be.
Thought to leave you all with:  If we are not balanced and peaceful, then how can we ever expect there to be world peace?  What can we do to find that peace and pass it along in our own world?  Do we need love?  What can you do today to find peace and obtain love?
Begin with you and radiate with great light!
xoxo
CatMan

Get out of your box!

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MEMO: TO ALL

SUBJECT:  GET OUT OF YOUR BOX!

I cannot tell you anything truly about the meaning of random acts of kindness.  I have had now 2 realizations today thru written letters.  How beautiful the words, message, and thought.  Never underestimate what getting out of your box will do for a soul or any person involved.  Those random acts of kindness made me smile bigger than receiving a big cake with my name on it!  Now that’s powerful.

If someone does something that is extraordinary…then you should tell them.  If  you love someone…then you should tell them.  If someone makes you laugh unexpectedly thru the course of the day to the point of tears….recognize it!   I know it’s out of people’s normal thinking to go out of their way for someone but, you never know what that one little act of kindness/compassion or whatever has on a person.  You never know what someone is going thru or what kind of day they have had…maybe that one-act makes their day!  WEEK! or even YEAR!

 

 

 

For those whom it is not in your nature to reach out:  this is for you!  What do you have to lose?  Who cares if people think your weird.  It’s about loving connections.  Loving others, helping others, and who cares!  OH yeah!  They care!  🙂  It is OK to reach out!  IT IS OK!  “Come on in!  The water is fine!!”

One appreciative random act of kindness lover,

CatMan

PS: Today has been one crazy and productive day.  I just kind of hit a brick wall…sigh.

 

“Only Prettier” according to Miranda Lambert…..

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So relationships are something that we can all agree on…if you are in the wrong one it can just be so toxic to the spirit, soul, and over all emotion/passion for life.  Why is it so hard to set all crap aside and just get to know someone for who they are?  Pride, selfishness, and over all doubt gets in the way of anything real being experienced.  Is it really necessary for a person to have so many issues that they can’t figure out who they are then attempt to love someone when they can’t love themselves first?  That is so backwards!

A lot of you might know that a year ago this last December (so like 14 months-ish?) I got out of a very toxic relationship with a man, Doubting T, who did exactly as described above: couldn’t selflessly love himself first and in return how could I ever EVER expect him to love me in a healthy manner?  Now don’t get me wrong, there were many red flags from the start.  I didn’t feel like I could share my whole self without being called self-righteous.   I felt like a part of me died….that’s because it did!  I was so blinded because I cared so very much for a man who just didn’t have it in him to love me the way I should be loved.  Toxic as Britney Spears might sing…

We have all been there.  I learned a lot about life because of that experience.  I learned to listen to my gut.  I learned to always be yourself, and those who love you for you will accept that.  If you can’t accept that then you will never fully appreciate them.  You can’t always listen to your heart because it has a check and balance system with your gut and in return that is something that will need to be discerned.  I can honestly say that I have finally have found my peace.

A few months back when he started dating a new girl, I still had a lot of hurt and loose ends.  I had a lot of anger still at that point that literally took me months to work through.  Miranda Lambert’s CD Revolver got me thru much of that.  I can say later this past summer I was in “Crazy Ex-GF” mode…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2VZZ-17DHw&feature=related.  No joke.  I didn’t think I was ever going to move past this stage.  BUT to my surprise I did.

I am tired of investing the time in someone who can’t even be a friend to me at this point.  I can’t hold it against him.  His new girl won’t let him be friends with me and even though he promised me we would never get to this point.  He broke that promise.  And that kind of hurt.  I am kind of a ‘word is your bond’ type girl…so you can imagine the type of emotion and hurt involved there.  I just yesterday forgave him for that.  I am completely at peace I must say.  I feel accepting of whatever  happens I cannot change that (Serenity Prayer).  I have peace in my heart and soul.  My spirit feels released from the clutches of the hurt and I feel like a bird released from a long 2 years of entanglement.  I feel like my personal self-development has only blossomed.

I have been blessed with great friends of both sexes that have helped cut down the ivy and vine work that had captured my spirit and soul and release the CatMan that everyone was used to seeing.  They helped release the part of me that had been smothered and for that I am eternally grateful!  Today was one of those days where a friend helped a sister out big time.  🙂

For months now I have had a printer that Doubting T gave me thinking that we might be able to utilize at work.  Well it didn’t end up working with our system…so we sent him a note and said “hey what do you want us to do with this?  do you want to pick this up?”  His response was indifference.  OK.  Fine.  So what did I do?  I loaded that thing in my little bug and called Laugh-a-lot and we ventured out to do one thing.

ANOTHER CatMan Original: This is my proof...evidence if you will...

Return the printer to its rightful owner.  LET ME TELL YOU….2 itty-bitties should not be lugging this piece of work in high-heels across a walk way that hadn’t been cleared.  We grunted, strained, and laughed mostly but we eventually got it in the door!  Never underestimate the will power of 2 very determined beautiful women!  20 minutes later, damage was done.  In my mind, I kept saying this was only a printer…only a printer…haha WITH LEAD ATTACHED TO IT!  hehe.

 

I had a wonderful day today.  I spent time with a friend who really matters and makes my life better just by being in it!   As Laugh-a-lot put it best, “…omg that was hilarious! You are the salsa to my burrito….and that really means a lot. Comes from the heart.”  🙂  She really gives a shit about me!  THAT’S HUGE!

As I reminded my dear friend Super Woman, “I actually give a shit about you” is a club is open and you have to find members and keep them near and dear to you.  🙂  Anyone interested in joining???

 

A CatMan original: Here is my make shift card....until my other one makes it to my home. 🙂

Here’s where I am at currently:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoAIpQIsq5Q

 

Day…..4.

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Not to complain…but TODAY marks day 4 with no clear voice.  I never thought the irony would exist!  The person that talks the most has no voice!  Oh the agony….ha not really just no voice.  I feel great.

I went to a seminar on Saturday that was utterly so uplifting to my soul and spirit.  I learned a lot about myself in regards to a deeper sense.  Ever just have one of those moments where you just know that you’re supposed to be there?  That was definitely one of those!

I met a lady named J.J.  It was a lovely conversation, lovely material and really got me thinking.  After it, the light bulb went off!  I forgot to let the dog out!  Oh man, this was not good.  As I remembered halfway thru the seminar, it was all I could focus on!  Ahh was the dog going to relieve himself on my new rug?  Or would he wait?  I was terrified!  It’s not like I can call the dog to see what he is doing or HOW he was doing…sigh.  My heart rate started rising, sweat started to form on my top lip, and I was breathing quite heavy….what was I going to do?

Well, I realized at this point that there was only about an hour left so I tried to just pay attention to the speaker.  5 min later….this was my internal dialogue…..”Oh gosh, it will take me 25 minutes to get home and if I leave in the next half hour then that will leave me enough time to be there to let him out.  But what do I do if he lets lose on my new carpet…ugh..I don’t like cleaning!  Lordy, well maybe I could duck out early…but if I do, how soon is too soon without being rude?  Oh I just don’t know what to do…”  Well finally I just stopped abruptly stood up (I don’t even want to fathom what the speaker thought) and just walked out.  At this point I was a one track mind with a mission of saving my carpet from urine!

I scurried out the door looking like a mad woman.  Ran to my car, mind you it’s icy out and I was at risk of falling.  I skidded across the ice and fell flat on my butt.  Thank goodness I have padding, so I bounced back up and was soon on my way.  Thru the streets, around the corner I flew.  I wrote a song to explain the rest!

(Sung to the tune of “Jingle bells”)  http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/elf/jinglebells.htm

Maestro please!

Driving on the streets, in a Bug so nice and sweet, Oh speeding thru the lights, crying all the way (bah, ha, ha!).

Beeps and honks blare loud, as I run 3 red lights, oh this really isn’t fun, trying to beat the pee!

OHHH….I forgot, I forgot, I forgot the dog!  Oh what  a stress, if he messed my carpets up tonight, OHHH….I forgot, I forgot, I forgot the dog!  Oh what a stress, and a mess if that dog goes in the house!

Sirens from behind, sliding on the ice, almost home for sure, and still nothing to suffice!  Finally pulling in, all hell behind me, and  as I bust thru the door I see that pub all sad and I….

OHHH…I forgot, I forgot, I forgot the dog!  Oh what a stress, if he messed my carpets up tonight, OHHH….I forgot, I forgot, I forgot the dog!  Oh what a stress, and a mess if that dog goes in the house!

So I walked in the door, just in the nick of time, as that little pub dashed out, to mark it on the line!  He looked with a big sigh, as he finished up his thing, he turned around and ran inside because it’s very cold…

OHHH…I forgot, I forgot, I forgot the dog!  Oh what a stress, if he messed my carpets up tonight, OHHH….I forgot, I forgot, I forgot the dog!  Oh what a stress, and a mess if that dog goes in the house!

All in all, things were taken care of and the dog didn’t relieve himself on my rug.  🙂  So LG, life’s good!

CatMan