I'm a huge blog stalker, which I've mentioned on here before. I love reading other peoples' blogs and finding out about their lives . . . it just fascinates me.
So a few nights ago I discovered hisgiantmistake.com. It's the blog of a woman named Cleo, who discovered her husband was having an affair, and the journey that discovery has taken her on thus far. She writes beautifully and she talks a lot about finding herself, loving herself, and paying attention to the signs that are all around us in our lives. It's really just a beautiful blog, full of hope and optimism.
I found myself really moved by it, because I'm most definitely on a self-discovery-figure-out-my-life kind of journey right now. Cleo talks a lot about signs and in a way I think I was supposed to find her blog at this point in my life. So much of what she said was just comforting and uplifting to me and I'm grateful for her words.
So grateful that I emailed Cleo, and told her how much I enjoyed her blog and how inspired I was by her. I mentioned that I thought I was supposed to find her blog and I told her how I came to be on my own journey--about being dumped before my wedding and all that.
And to my surprise, she wrote back! And it was one of the best emails I've ever gotten. She thanked me for reading and writing, and told me that I dodged a bullet. It was just all so sweet and encouraging, and then this:
"This experience is going to create such a rich layer of beauty inside of you. I just know it."
Isn't that lovely? I think it's probably the most inspirational thing anyone has said to me since the break up, and I am holding onto those words.
I just love it. It's fantastic that people can connect to each other via blogs. Seriously, I love it.
And if you have a chance, check out Cleo's blog. It's awesome.
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
9.19.2012
9.15.2012
Saturday Lessons
1. The mall can be a great diet motivator. Wandering around and seeing tons of cute jeans/shirts/sweaters/boots makes me want to work harder at getting in shape. (I know I don't really need to lose weight to wear boots, but the boots can be a reward for losing weight!)
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2. Don McClean's "American Pie" is an excellent workout song. That song is like 9 minutes long, so when you start a 20 minute workout with it on, by the time it's over, you're about halfway through. And I usually tell myself that I have to get through 4 songs. So when 1 song gets you halfway through your workout, it makes it feel like it's going faster than it is. (And I feel like a genius for realizing this).
3. This is more just a realization than a lesson, but tonight I thought of an advantage of working out here instead of at A.F. A.F. has cable TV's on their cardio equipment that you can plug your ear buds into, and that's lovely, but let me tell you, there's nothing more painful during a workout than seeing ads for Olive Garden, Red Lobster, IHOP, etc. Seriously a horrible thing. So even though I don't love the workout room here at least I don't leave it every night with severe cravings for things I shouldn't eat.
(And if you're wondering, yes, I caved a few times in Kingman and stopped at McDonalds or Carl's Jr. on the way home from the gym. And yes, I see the irony/stupidity in that).
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4. Y'know how guys complain about girls who are always saying they're cold? I'm totally one of those girls. Tonight I was sitting in my chair in sweatpants and my sweatshirt, and Jerbs was at her computer in a tank top and panties. Sigh.
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5. Sometimes the words of a complete stranger can be the most meaningful thing you've heard in a long time. And that's amazing. I'll post more on that later.
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2. Don McClean's "American Pie" is an excellent workout song. That song is like 9 minutes long, so when you start a 20 minute workout with it on, by the time it's over, you're about halfway through. And I usually tell myself that I have to get through 4 songs. So when 1 song gets you halfway through your workout, it makes it feel like it's going faster than it is. (And I feel like a genius for realizing this).
3. This is more just a realization than a lesson, but tonight I thought of an advantage of working out here instead of at A.F. A.F. has cable TV's on their cardio equipment that you can plug your ear buds into, and that's lovely, but let me tell you, there's nothing more painful during a workout than seeing ads for Olive Garden, Red Lobster, IHOP, etc. Seriously a horrible thing. So even though I don't love the workout room here at least I don't leave it every night with severe cravings for things I shouldn't eat.
(And if you're wondering, yes, I caved a few times in Kingman and stopped at McDonalds or Carl's Jr. on the way home from the gym. And yes, I see the irony/stupidity in that).
---------------
4. Y'know how guys complain about girls who are always saying they're cold? I'm totally one of those girls. Tonight I was sitting in my chair in sweatpants and my sweatshirt, and Jerbs was at her computer in a tank top and panties. Sigh.
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5. Sometimes the words of a complete stranger can be the most meaningful thing you've heard in a long time. And that's amazing. I'll post more on that later.
7.16.2012
The Hummingbird Story
This story is probably going to be a little weird and gross to people but whatever.
First let me say that I watched and read The Velveteen Rabbit a lot as a kid. If you've never read it it's a really depressing kids' book about a little boy who gets a stuffed rabbit for Christmas. The fancier toys don't really like the stuffed rabbit, and a kind rocking horse tells the rabbit about being real vs being a toy. A toy becomes real when its owner really and truly loves it. Eventually the rabbit becomes the little boy's best friend and he gets shabbier and shabbier. Then the little boy comes down with scarlet fever, and the rabbit is in his bed during the whole ordeal. Once the boy recovers the doctor orders all of his clothes and bedding and things burned to avoid spreading the disease--including the rabbit. But the rabbit falls out of the trash pile and avoids being burned, and he cries a real tear because he's so sad about the little boy having thrown him out. Then a fairy comes and turns him into a real rabbit, and he gets to live happily ever after with the other real rabbits in the forest.
This story affected me deeply as a child. It made me cry and it made me believe that all of my toys had souls, and would be sad if they were thrown out. (This is why I have such an extensive stuffed animal collection . . . because I really can't throw them away).
Anyway. I also believe that all real animals have souls and should be properly laid to rest, which brings me to my actual story.
The other day Jerbs and I were walking along the sidewalk in between Pita Jungle and Wildflower, and we saw a dead hummingbird. I have never seen a hummingbird up close, and this one was so tiny and bright, and his neck was broken. It made me so sad. I decided he needed a better resting place than a sidewalk. So I scooped him up with a bag I had in my purse and I put him in one of the big flower pots nearby. So this little hummingbird had a beautiful resting place in the flowers and it made me feel like I'd done a good deed.
Then a few days ago Jerbs randomly told me that in Aztec lore, the heaven that Aztec warriors go to is different than the heaven other Aztecs go to. The normal Aztec heaven is just heaven, but the Aztec warrior heaven is all flowers, and the warriors live on there as either butterflies or hummingbirds. So the Aztecs believe that hummingbirds hold the spirits of their warriors.
I think that is so beautiful! And what made it even more beautiful was when Jerbs explained that there are two kinds of Aztec warrior. One is the actual Aztec warrior. But the Aztec also consider women who die in childbirth to be warriors, which is awesome.
So I like to believe that little hummingbird I gave a beautiful spot to was the spirit of a woman who died in childbirth, and that I helped her spirit to move on and feel free.
Like I said, I know that anyone who reads this will think I'm gross for just touching random dead animals, and crazy for thinking all that about souls and resting places and spirits.
But to me it was a really beautiful thing and it makes my heart happy.
First let me say that I watched and read The Velveteen Rabbit a lot as a kid. If you've never read it it's a really depressing kids' book about a little boy who gets a stuffed rabbit for Christmas. The fancier toys don't really like the stuffed rabbit, and a kind rocking horse tells the rabbit about being real vs being a toy. A toy becomes real when its owner really and truly loves it. Eventually the rabbit becomes the little boy's best friend and he gets shabbier and shabbier. Then the little boy comes down with scarlet fever, and the rabbit is in his bed during the whole ordeal. Once the boy recovers the doctor orders all of his clothes and bedding and things burned to avoid spreading the disease--including the rabbit. But the rabbit falls out of the trash pile and avoids being burned, and he cries a real tear because he's so sad about the little boy having thrown him out. Then a fairy comes and turns him into a real rabbit, and he gets to live happily ever after with the other real rabbits in the forest.
This story affected me deeply as a child. It made me cry and it made me believe that all of my toys had souls, and would be sad if they were thrown out. (This is why I have such an extensive stuffed animal collection . . . because I really can't throw them away).
Anyway. I also believe that all real animals have souls and should be properly laid to rest, which brings me to my actual story.
The other day Jerbs and I were walking along the sidewalk in between Pita Jungle and Wildflower, and we saw a dead hummingbird. I have never seen a hummingbird up close, and this one was so tiny and bright, and his neck was broken. It made me so sad. I decided he needed a better resting place than a sidewalk. So I scooped him up with a bag I had in my purse and I put him in one of the big flower pots nearby. So this little hummingbird had a beautiful resting place in the flowers and it made me feel like I'd done a good deed.
Then a few days ago Jerbs randomly told me that in Aztec lore, the heaven that Aztec warriors go to is different than the heaven other Aztecs go to. The normal Aztec heaven is just heaven, but the Aztec warrior heaven is all flowers, and the warriors live on there as either butterflies or hummingbirds. So the Aztecs believe that hummingbirds hold the spirits of their warriors.
I think that is so beautiful! And what made it even more beautiful was when Jerbs explained that there are two kinds of Aztec warrior. One is the actual Aztec warrior. But the Aztec also consider women who die in childbirth to be warriors, which is awesome.
So I like to believe that little hummingbird I gave a beautiful spot to was the spirit of a woman who died in childbirth, and that I helped her spirit to move on and feel free.
Like I said, I know that anyone who reads this will think I'm gross for just touching random dead animals, and crazy for thinking all that about souls and resting places and spirits.
But to me it was a really beautiful thing and it makes my heart happy.
6.28.2012
Confession: Glee
I have to confess that since Saturday, I've been watching Glee on Netflix. I swore up and down that I'd never watch it and I really thought I'd hate it, but . . . I actually kind of love it.
On the episode I watched tonight they did a song that's originally by Sammy Davis Jr. that I'd never heard before, and one of the lyrics was: "I can't be right for somebody else if I'm not right for me."
It kinda hit home because it kinda fits my current situation. I can't be right for Corey--or anyone--until I'm right for me. Which in my case means getting a strong, sincere handle on my bipolar disorder, to the point that I can function as just a normal human being.
I hope I can get there.
On the episode I watched tonight they did a song that's originally by Sammy Davis Jr. that I'd never heard before, and one of the lyrics was: "I can't be right for somebody else if I'm not right for me."
It kinda hit home because it kinda fits my current situation. I can't be right for Corey--or anyone--until I'm right for me. Which in my case means getting a strong, sincere handle on my bipolar disorder, to the point that I can function as just a normal human being.
I hope I can get there.
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