In a effort to live more consciously, we just got our baby chicks to have a little bit of farm life in the city.   We should have eggs in about 6 months!  They are so cute and I really enjoying loving on these sweet creatures. When I look at them, I can’t help but think back to science class and learning abut imprinting.  I remember learning about how geese imprinted on the first creature they see after they hatched. And there’s no changing it!   (If you are a Twilight fan this may ring a bell too.)

Today, it made me then start thinking about conditioning.  This is totally learned.  So, while I was not there for their birth, I’m trying to condition them to not peck me when I go in their coop.  I want them to like to be picked up and think of humans as friendly.  I want them to welcome me into their surroundings.

So, like these baby chicks, ultimately we need to uncondition ourselves to the things we want to change about ourselves.  Maybe you have heard the term neuroplasticity to describe the human mind.  We always have the ability to change an unwelcomed habit.

Whatever it is, we have the ability to mold our actions in another direction. We just need to start the change. I have always heard it takes 2 weeks of doing something to make it a habit. Some studies say longer. I say make it small. If you want to stop eating meat, stop one type of meat for 2 weeks.  If you want to detox, eliminate 1 food for 1 week before you eliminate them all.  If you want to exercise more, start walking for 10 minutes a day and work up to 30. Baby steps are big.  It took years if not a lifetime to form the habit you want to change. You are most likely not going to change it overnight!  Be patient with yourself.  Condition yourself like you would a small baby chick! 🙂

Konrad Lorenz and his geese demonstrating imprinting.

Practice saying this in your head before you walk in the room to meet someone.  The energy should always shift! 🙂

Isn’t it funny how evil is always trying to overcome the good in all the movies?

Recently I threw my middle son a Star Wars birthday party.   Doing all my Jedi research and learning to speak more like Yoda, I came across some great Yoda quotes.  I always liked Yoda, but realized He was one enlightened Jedi Master.

As i have watched the Star Wars  movies as an adult, I picked up some spirtual lessons within the movie. They seem to have a Buddhist trend to me. Of course the theme was to use the force to overcome the dark side.  Could the force just be another name for spirit? Could Darth Vader really be the real dark side or our shadow side?According to Wookieepedia Yoda was one of the most renowned and powerful Jedi Masters in galactic history. He was known for his legendary wisdom, mastery of the Force and skills in lightsaber combat.

Teach us your wisdom, you must. Hmmmmmmm.

Below are a few of his quotes.  Next to them are quotes from other spirtual leaders that they reminded me of.

Named must your fear be before banish it you can.  (reminds me of the Shadow work Debbie Ford talked about)

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. (Mariann Williamson talks about there are two main kinds of thoughts-love or fear.  Love leads to love and fear leads to anger)

Try not. Do or do not. There is no try. (We Need to Dare Greatly-Brene Brown)

Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not. Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed that is. Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose. (Buddhist 4 Noble Truths)

Always pass on what you have learned. (When you learn, teach. When you get, give. Dr. Maya Angelou)

Always in motion is the future. (Be Here Now-Ram Dass)

You will find only what you bring in. (Only what we are not giving can be missing in any situation-Mariann Williamson)

Having recently read Man’ s Search For Meaning from Victor Frankl, the great Austrian psychologist, I was touched by another remarkable story of survival. He credits his survival to his logotherapy theory which he put to test the 3 years he was held captive in concentration camps during the holocaust. He ultimately believed his own life had a purpose which was to help others find theirs.

Part of the theory is …..
Despair =Suffering – meaning

Suffering sometimes called dukkha is always happening according to the Buddhist First Noble Truth. Happiness is transitory; actually everything is. If we can look at our suffering as a lesson and find a meaning for it, despair will cease.

On of my largest lessons for this came with the diagnosis of nasal cancer for our dog, Leia. It was earth and mind shattering. She was only 5 years old at the time. It catapulted me into research for alternative therapy over radiation which only promised up to a year survival, was pricey, and was painful. But with divine guidance, she miraculously survived 5 years with the alternative treatments. The meaning came almost immediately into the journey when I realized the new path this was taking me down. One of my favorite quotes is “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” I started to learn so much. This door open opened the next which lead down a new path and so on. From the beginning of that journey, I have said one day I shall write a book about what my dog’s cancer taught me about life. In this case the meaning infinitely outweighed all the mental and physical suffering. There was so much learned from this great teacher.

As my husband’ business conference started to wind down on a Thursday night, the attendees and their significant others began shedding  their business mentality and moving into a more relaxed state.  We all sat around in the slightly awkward Monkey Bar, the drinks poured for everyone around me, and Mr. DJ played some typical early hour music .   After a couple hours of the smooth cocktails and “Get Down Tonight”, people were moving furniture out into the hall and shaking their “junk in the trunk” to Pharrell’s “Happy” !   As I sat back and watched (and jumped in to my favorite songs every now and then), I realized how dancing is such a sense of freedom.  People from all walks of life were  just singing and dancing to  “playing that funky music white boy” and “She hit the floor”!  As a watched (and chuckled at some including my husband), I realized several drinks and the perfect wedding reception portfolio of dance songs creates the perfect cocktail of self-confidence!  You forget where you are, who you are with, and your age.   You might as well be at a college frat party strutting the dance floor to “Dancing Queen” because you are the dancing queen for this party!  So, as Lee Ann Womack’s lyric go, “if you have a chance to sit it out or dance” at your next activity, “I hope you dance!” Yea, your back may hurt in the morning, but the fun (and stories to tell) you will have!

What are you putting on for protection? Not all SPF is the same.  The numbers can be quite confusing and give a false “burn prevention” security.

An SPF of 15 protects from 93%of the UVB rays (burning rays) and SPF 30 and SPF 60 protects from 97% and 98% respectively.  These have no protection against the UVA rays which are known to penetrate deeper and lead to premature aging.  Also, the higher the SPF, the more chemicals are needed which ultimately could be harmful to your health and you are increasing your coverage by only a small percentage.

The FDA is not allowing any waterproof labels.  Now products will be labeled with “sweat and water resistant”.  Despite the products not changing, these give about an hour protection.  Then they must be reapplied.  And to get initial protection they need to be applied 20-30 minutes before the activity. They need to dry on the skin in order to be able to offer their protection.

I personally recommend and look for brands with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the main ingredient.  These are physical blocks that typically deflect or scatter the rays.  Chemical sunscreen ingredients are often added to get broader protection to a physical based sun block.  I personally do not like total chemical sunscreens.  Ultimately, they are all chemicals.  I think spray/aeresoal sunscreen should be banned!  Peronally, I gag when people use them around me.  Imagine what a child is inhaling we you are spraying them.  They are getting chemical sunscreen in there little lungs!  I suggest the rash guards for large body surfaces.  Second, you assume you are getting aerosol SPF on your skin.  If there is a slight breeze.  Oops! No sunscreen for you! It is too easy to miss an area.

Check out this site for safe sunscreen recommendations…http://www.ewg.org/2014sunscreen/about-the-sunscreens/?search=Search+for+your+sunscreen…&brand_id=3767&mineral=on

“What you resist, persists,” is one of my favorite quotes.  I have seen it attributed to several people.  So, I am not sure where to pay homage for one of my personal mantras.  Repeating this to myself during frustrating times has been helpful, but it came to a new spin when the Disney movie Frozen came out this year.  Being a mom of little ones, I have seen this movie an watched youtube videos at least a dozen times.  I do really like the movie and really love watching my boys belt out the songs!  Every time the song “Let It Go” comes on, it reminds me of the quote.  When you fight what really is gong on, BAD CRAP happens like freezing the world and people think you perform sorcery.  When you let it go and go with the flow, you can build an amazing ice castle and become the prettiest of the Disney Princesses yet! So, now I just sing the chorus line when things annoy me.  Thanks for getting on the new age train Disney! 🙂