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Anything Cute Beautiful Things

$228 million? Me?

lotteryticket

Yesterday, at a bank, while waiting for some assistance, a stranger also waiting for a customer service banker asked me,

“Are YOU THE winner of the lottery!?”

This gentleman asked, not jokingly, but seriously, so I was taken aback.

???

me: “Ummm…hah?” totally dumb-founded confused … “what?”
He: “I thought YOU could be that lottery winner.” finally getting the mistaken identity …thinking… oh, wow …WISH!
me: “why? Did someone win in this town?”
He: “Yes, a big one – didn’t you hear about it?”
me “No, I’ve never bought a lottery ticket in my life – How much did she win?”

He: “$228 million jackpot!

Whaatttt??!!!!

Whatever possessed him to think I could actually be such a winner of fortune? It’s INSANE!
Insane – the way David Chang, Chef of Momofuku would say… just Insane!!! Me?

I guess this interaction made me think about the image I project. I wondered:

DO I look like a 200+million $ Jackpot lottery winner?

According to the local news, the winner turns out to be a man and he “told the California Lottery he has no plans for the money yet.
‘I just want to be a normal man,’ is what he said. It is reported that the winner chose the annuity payment option which will give him the full $228,467,735 jackpot paid out over 30 years.

*** So now the question is – should I be flattered to think that someone actually thought that I could be that

LUCKY?

And if you were the winner of a jackpot, what would you do?
How would you spend that ?
Would you want to be just a normal person or ?
It’s interesting to note that lottery winners are not necessarily leading a more fulfilled or happy life. Really.

Categories
Beautiful People Beautiful Places Beautiful Rituals Beautiful Things

If I create from the heart, nearly everything works;
if from the head, almost nothing.

― Marc Chagall

I was going to mention how much I love Chagall’s colors in all his images… it’s exactly as he says – there’s a vibration, energy you feel from his painting because the colors speak, the hues sing to our heart…nourishing our soul.

Color is all. When color is right, form is right. Color is everything, color is vibration like music; everything is vibration.

― Marc Chagall

Everything IS vibration…
In yoga-speak – there’s PRANA:)
& when you stand before his ORIGINAL painting… it’s amazing how you can feel it even after his physical passing…L O V E <3

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Beautiful People Beautiful Places Beautiful Things

Intentions create the energy of the space. When there’s collective intentions, the energy is palpable. As an observer, it is visible. The quiet calm glow that’s rather oozy – sloooooow progression.

I am struck by it each time I make an offering of that space to be shared…I feel the calm, peaceful “energy” that re-surges as I look around and I see a human re-fueling station. I don’t mean fuel as in food and water but us humans require more than the minimum sustenance of food, water and shelter to “re-fuel”. We harness energy 2-ways; By working-out & by working-in. Both are needed and complement each other.

My intention is to make the space safe and place of nature…We can’t always get-away to connect with nature; Our daily commitments mean we cannot always escape to the beach or to the mountains – and for some, workplace is life, your home (now employers want you at workplace all the time so all the perks – espresso machine, tea bar, salad bar… the gym with round-the-clock yoga…everything provided for – you can work longer hours!) but we can with the power of our own mind – connect with nature; connect with your own truth – in an urban mini-“spa”, a sacred space, because anyplace you practice “metta”, a Buddhist concept of compassion, kindness … benevolence… is SACRED.

Intentions in a Christian sense or in any religion is probably similar to a prayer, and setting an intention is a kind of an “affirmation” that gives validity and a horse-power to your desires. It does not have to go on a moral high ground UN-ish like “world peace” – it can focus solely on you – a desire for a transformation even on a micro, Nano-level…from within.

Here are some intentions you can try…or custom make one for yourself – it can be a fun exercise – let it become an affirmation.

– My body has its own wisdom and I trust that wisdom completely.
– Today I choose to honor my beauty, my strength and my uniqueness.
– I love the way I feel when I take good care of myself.
– Today I put my full trust in my inner guidance.
– I allow the universe to bless me in surprising and joyful ways.

If you are going through tough times, this may be challenging but soften your gaze, look within and find the fire again…may hope and faith guide you…and as Judith H. Lasater taught us, exercise this technique:

“be RADICALLY present”.

If you can memorize mantras in Sanskrit, this should come easily:) … Chanting mantras has a different effect and a purpose but affirmations may come more easily to you – Realizing that we all have so much on our plate – sometimes it’s hard to digest all but even digest just a portion provides nourishment – it need not be a Grande super-size portion – you may come to see what I mean by re-kindling your own inner-fire that resides in your belly – it just takes a spark or sometimes, just far reaching oxygen (“breath”)so that the flames rise up to warm your heart…

Haaahhhh, BIG sigh- stretch:)

Gratitude for the space filled with collective intentions.