Listen to your gut, follow your heart

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Michelle

“The only real valuable thing is intuition.” – Albert Einstein

I always listen to my gut. It helps me make important decisions regarding relationships, life choices, and health questions. It prompts me when I’m unsure of what to do, or gives me that queasy feeling when something is wrong. The reason we have “butterflies in our stomach” and go with our “gut reaction” is because our gut is our second brain. After many years of research we discovered the stomach is the enteric nervous system / ENS which sends signals to the brain affecting emotions, influencing memory, learning, and decision making. Over 95 percent of the body’s serotonin is made there – which accounts for why we crave comfort food.

You can find lots of interesting information on the internet about this topic and books like The Second Brain by Michael Gershon, one of the first neurobiologists who discovered ENS. Personally, I find it fascinating to know what I feel to be true is proven scientifically! Listening to our heart and gut go hand-in-hand. Tuning in to their signals not only helps us make the right decision, it can actually save our life. Critical times to pay attention to what they’re trying to tell us are:

Health issues – See a doctor if you feel something is wrong. Pursue a second opinion if you think a diagnosis isn’t in line with how you feel.
Stress / danger – Think about why your stomach is upset around certain people or situations. What is it telling you to do – Stop? Run?
Values, dreams, goals – what do you feel in your heart is the right thing to do? What makes you happy? I saw a great exercise on Facebook from Healing Light: “Make a list of things that make you happy. Make a list of things you do every day. Compare the lists. Adjust accordingly.”

Listen to your gut and follow your heart. Here are more tips for how to use your intuition to make decisions.

Dancing in the face of adversity

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Michelle

“I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean, Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens, Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance, And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance … I hope you dance.” – Lee Ann Womack

Every now and then, we might envy someone who looks like they’re living “the good life.” Many times we know people, friends, and have no idea of things they endured or are dealing with at this moment. It’s why the saying, “Be kind to everyone because you never know what battle they’re fighting” is so meaningful.

Even when things are going good, they can change in an instant. It’s the dynamic course of life. I’ve been there … rolling along, basking in the light like a cat in the sun thinking, “Oh, this is great – I finally made it through the obstacle course.” Then Bam! I hit another speed bump.

I’m dealing with one of those bumps right now. Everything we know and read teaches us to stay positive and trust all will be ok. Just before I posted this, I read Pam Grout’s newsletter and laughed at her fitting theme: “Let’s get out our leg warmers and dance our asses off.” She talked about the tremendous power of our words – whatever we believe and say out loud will be “seconded by the great universal energy.”

So, as I prepared for a challenging appointment this morning, I grabbed my Gratitude earrings and dabbed on Believe perfume to set in all good intentions. I coasted down PCH past the guy in a white cap, gloves and shimmering gold jacket twirling on the sidewalk waving to cars whizzing by. He’s said to be a cross between Michael Jackson and a yacht captain. He loves to entertain on the same corner where his notorious predecessors have been greeting people since the 19^th century. I’ve been told he’s homeless, but he chooses to show up on his vintage bicycle every morning and dance in the face of adversity. His enthusiasm is encouraging.

Letting the Light in

Posted on May 28, 2015 by Michelle

Three times today to three different people, I quoted Leonard Cohen’s lyrics: “There’s a crack in everything. It’s how the light gets in.” This message is profound for the world we live in today where wrinkles are blasted with botox, old buildings are torn down to build new, irregular things discarded as “damaged.” We are led to believe everything must be perfect – free of blemishes, weathering, and cracks.

I find it refreshing the truth is imperfections give us character, fortitude, and courage to face challenges knowing all we have already overcome. Cohen’s lyrics are based on Zen beliefs where nothing is perfect. Everyone and everything need light to survive. Imperfections allow the light in to nourish and help us survive and thrive.

Wabi-sabi represents a Japanese world view based on the acceptance of imperfection. Interestingly, in Leonard Koren’s (not Cohen) book Wabi Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets, and Philosophers he notes, “Wabi-sabi is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It is a beauty of things modest and humble. It is a beauty of things unconventional.”

My mother was an artist and created two statues. When I moved them to the studio where I write, I noticed the female’s wing was cracked. Not being an artist myself, I wondered how I would fix it. Then I realized I didn’t need to “fix” her because everyone and everything has cracks. The androgynous statue: Sahu Atman meaning Sands of Time is made of found objects and mixed media recycling old, used and broken bits and pieces of prior times. In the artist’s statement she explained, “The severed arm is indicative of the wounds we all experience over time and our ability to move forward in the face of adversities.”

Imperfections are what make us unique, humble, and compassionate. They bring awareness – letting the light in.

Why Does Buddha Laugh

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Michelle

When the Dalai Lama came to California a couple of years ago, I listened to his lecture via a webcast. He spoke about peace, compassion, and global leadership while chuckling frequently throughout the lecture. I thought it was funny (unusual) he would laugh during a talk on serious subjects, but his laughter contagiously made me laugh.

Another time, I had the privilege of attending an event with Deepak Chopra and Eckhart Tolle both I admire as spiritual teachers. Knowing of Eckhart’s difficult past, I expected him to have a serious tone. He surprised and amused me by his elf-like laugh after each profound message.

Later I learned laughter is a sign of enlightenment – a blissful state where worries of the world are released, transcending you into a sense of joyfulness. Once free from the conventional world, you can see the world in a new way. Embrace it with sincerity and compassion. The jovial expression of the Laughing Buddha, known as Bu-dai playfully encourages us to enjoy laughter of optimism.