The General
Now Playing: Annie Lennox - album "Diva"
Topic: Living on Purpose
Thursday 6:45pm 21Sept06

I got an email today from the General. He is the husband of a woman that I became friends with when I worked for the Life Coach. The General is an older man (at least half a dozen years older than me) with a child's heart. His wife had told me about his dreams and if they worked they'd be rich. I admired the General because he often puts on this Calvary costume and actually goes out in the streets with it on. When he's in costume, he is the General.

How many adults do you know that have the guts, the self assuredness and whatever else they'd need to do that?

The General is the most enthusiastic person I've ever met. He wholeheartedly believes in his dreams. He knows that it's just a matter of time before his dreams become reality.

In his email he told me that he and his wife are moving out to LA. His dream has hit pay dirt. Because of it, they will also be setting up a development company for Canadian talent and entrepreneurs.

You've gotta believe and keep doing whatever it takes to get out there. That's a message to me.

EY

Spark People
Topic: Living on Purpose
A cool free offering I got from one of my online writing groups...

http://www.sparkpeople.com

You can set up your goals, lose weight, track your fitness goals etc.

I signed up with it last night to track my arthritis goals specifically, and writing goals obviously.

Check it out.

EY

Best Foot Forward
Mood:  down
Topic: Living on Purpose
Saturday 7:14pm 12Aug06

How can I put my best foot forward when my feet are in pain?

I got the results of my foot xrays yesterday and I have arthritis in my big toes. That result affected me deeply. I walk everywhere and the thought that my feet will get progressively worse is upsetting. I did no writing last night and instead hit the books. I looked through my herbal notes and homeopathic notes for any signs of an Holistic approach. My doctor prescribed me Celebrex for the pain and when I asked him if acupuncture would help, he gave a resounding No!

I was not impressed. I think I need a doctor that practices both Eastern and Western medicine. My doctor knows that I hate taking drugs. He was the one that insisted that I should take Paxil for my depression. I never took it.

In my notes, there wasn't anything for arthritis specifically but info for Osteo-Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

It is interesting how many things are related to diet. I'm going to have to get strict about my diet and treat my body more like a 42 year old and less like a 22 year old. I've known that for awhile but sometimes it's hard to change some of those bad habits.

I've reached the precipice in my life. I've approached that time where I have to put my money where my mouth is or better yet walk the talk. When you choose a religion you know that you will have to forsake the bad behaviours that don't fall in line with being a good Christian, or a good Muslim, or a good Buddhist. I've known for awhile that I would have to reach a point in my journey where I would have to commit whole heartedly to my beliefs in living an inspired life. I love walking the line. I like drinking alcohol and the feel of swear words in my mouth. I like eating healthy and indulging in junk food when it's available. I love being disciplined and goofing off for hours at a time. But my body isn't as happy with what I do to myself as the instant gratification of indulgence. My mind isn't as happy with the amount of time that I goof off when I don't know how much time I really have. None of us know. My spirit isn't as balanced after the use of alcoholic stimulants when I know that disciplined meditation and prayer will bring me to the heights I can only dream of.

In one of Wayne Dyer's talks, he discusses how a mentor told him, "If you want to reach the heights that this practice will take you you're going to have to give up alcohol." Or something like that.

If I want to reach the heights that my journey can and will take me, I'm going to have to get my stuff together.

I went to the Taste of the Danforth today and chomped on all the goodies with a last hoorah fervor. I walked past Ottway and was handed a plastic bag that read, Arthritis and Joint Pain? Get the most advanced, affordable and effective liquid formula on the market! The stuff is called Nutri-Flex and it has Glucosamine Sulfate (for lubrication), Hydrolyzed Gelatin (reparative), MSM (pain relief), Devil's Claw (anti-inflammatory), Turmeric (anti-inflammatory) and Bromelain (anti-inflammatory). I bought it. In my notes Devil's Claw was mentioned and I was originally going to buy that at my herb guy but since the Nutri-flex was staring me in the face, like a sign, I decided that I'd try that for now.

I also came across a laser place that treats arthritis and offers both acupuncture/Traditional Chinese medicine, Homeopathy and nutritional counseling. It's out of my way but definitely an option.

I'll be trying some weird things in the coming months: Liver cleanse, detox diet, dietary changes, and strict restrictions.
Our feet are our direction, they take us where we want to go. Because I always question any type of illness, What do I not like about my direction? What do I need to change about my direction?
Arthritis, in my notes, is about self-devaluation. I've been writing a lot about my value lately. The value of an empathetic person, the value of a happy hard worker, my value to my friends etc etc.
What do I need to do to show my value to myself?

How do I put my best foot forward while I work through this pain?

EY

Baby Steps - Dreams
Mood:  cool
Topic: Living on Purpose
I've decided I have multiple personalities:

I'm living my life like a 20 year old starting out for the first time. I never quite got myself organized enough when I was in my twenties but I've learned a lot over those two decades. So I've decided on a do over.

Financially, I'm a 20 year old that had the kind of parents that gave strong, sound advice on what to do as in save the maximum amount allowed into RRSP's (Registered Retirement Savings Plans for my American readers), save up for your purchases, donate 10% to charity. For those of you who don't do this, it really does make a difference in your peace of mind. When you can give, you open yourself to receive. When you save, you know you're taken care of. When you save up for your purchases, you appreciate what you have.

In love, I may still be a teenager - the teenage virgin who isn't ready to go all the way. The teenage virgin who wants to take her time, who wants a boyfriend that understands that she's a virgin so he won't rush her. She wants the kind of boyfriend who will wait 8 months if he has to without mentioning it, asking for it, pushing for it. A boyfriend who by his silence lets her know that it has to be her decision when it happens. She has to be the one to say, to announce, "I'm ready."

It's about giving her "precious" self to the right boyfriend not to any boyfriend. That's the concept of having a do over. Clearly I'm not a teenage virgin nor do I sleep around but I am picking and choosing what it is that works for me. Instead of beating myself up for not achieving the milestones that "normal" people my age have reached.
In love, it's waiting before I give over my preciousness ( my heart, my self, my body) to someone.

A man with patience is sexier than one who coerces, or makes you feel obligated or makes you feel guilty. Sexiness is in the patience, knowing that it doesn't come easy and that the wanting is more than just sexual. It's just so much better after the anticipation, I think.

In my writing, I'm going back to beginner's mind. I'm going back to where everything about your new interest is fascinating and you look in all areas to learn, reading voraciously, making people that you meet characters, looking for the story in every incident.

When you see people as potential characters you find them fascinating, you want to know what makes them tick, what's their back-story. How did they become who they are now, what drives them? With beginner's mind, every aspect of life becomes interesting because every aspect of life pushes you to investigate more out of curiosity and relates back to the writing.

I have the imagination of a child with unreasonable dreams. I am able to imagine being a Billionaire writer if I want to. A child's dreams are unreasonable only to adults because the child is far removed from the realization of that dream but with baby steps all things are possible. With a child's imagination we are taken out further than what seems possible right now but that's how dreams begin right? The unreasonableness of belief is based on your current reality and makes it impossible for anyone to ever see that it can become what you want it to become. That's why people, adults, friends tell you, "Don't dream so big. Why don't you try a lesser goal? Why don't you become a nurse instead they need nurses more than writers. Are you sure you can deal with the rejection? Are you sure you can handle that?"

With baby steps, persistence, an unwavering belief and a multiple personality, all things are possible.

EY

Living an Inspired Life
Writing2Live

Why Do I Cry?
Mood:  not sure
Topic: Living on Purpose
Sunday 21May06 10:43pm
Why do I cry when I see others do well? It's about a person living their purpose.

I can watch a singer perform and get all teary eyed. I can watch the Olympics and ball my eyes out as an athlete wins a medal. Sometimes it's only a bronze but knowing the back story that got that athlete to the bronze over takes my emotions.

It's about purpose. There's something about watching a person and knowing, witnessing them living their purpose that affects me. It inspires me. It makes me wonder what the world would be like if we all lived our purpose, if I truly lived my purpose. All anyone really has to do is persist through all the odds. Just because we know our purpose doesn't mean we'll be without obstacles.

I cry because these people have persisted through some obstacles that other people couldn't live through, they've persisted and I'm watching the culmination of that persistence. It's beautiful and inspiring and it makes me weep...


EY
Living an Inspired Life & Writing2Live