A Lesson in Anatomy

I have noticed many friends having trouble with their health. I've also been exploring, yet again, the possibilities that losing a job has presented in my life. I think I'm being called as a physician of the Universe; was it Socrates who said "physician heal thyself"? I think I've been steered to ways to do that, heal myself. The evidence speaks to me through the documentaries I've recently watched and the friends I've recently seen in pain. I've been successful with everything except smoking (despite my recent increased distaste for, and discomfort with it)...why is that.

Kidney location and pain

A very young, good friend recently started Chantix to quit smoking. What a fabulous drug! Effective for my friend, a pack a day smoker, in the first week. Too bad she had an allergic reaction that almost killed her. Chantix resulted in a heart attack and severe kidney infection. Ironic that taking the thing that will stop you from killing yourself slowly, can actually kill you quickly. 3 out of 4 people I know who have tried Chantix had an experience that made it not worth taking; experience worth dying slowly for.

Left Brain Stroke

Another person I care about very much, only 7 years older than me, had a stroke yesterday. She's very scared and I'm scared for her, but I know she will be okay. Her right side brain functions were effected; paralysis in the right arm and leg and partial in the motor speech skills. She's very active, and self motivated, and this will serve her well in her difficult and lengthy recovery. I've invited her to stay with me because she should not be alone and her place has too many stairs. Maybe she'll motivate me. I know she'll break records in her recovery. She's not a smoker, no bigger a drinker than I, not overweight, walks every morning, rain or shine. It can happen to anyone; is there a point to trying to be healthy?

Osteoporosis doesn't happen "naturally"

Notice the woman is gray haired? Do you think it only happens when you get old? If you are a woman? Do you think it happens no matter what? If you say "yes" to any of those questions, you are wrong. How does a 24 year old girl have osteoporosis?! Depoprevara for more than one year; that is all it took. She hasn't had children yet; how the HELL is she going to bear children eventually?! Just because a woman can only rely on herself to control her body, and her future, by delaying pregnancy until she's ready, is it worth taking birth control, is it worth being with a man who doesn't even consider this possibility? It tears me up in so many ways that this beautiful young woman must deal with an "old" woman's disease. Boys, grow up, take responsibility for your own sexual commitments, and wear condoms or get a vasectomy (they ARE reversible); better yet, don't have intercourse until you are ready to have a baby. Stop making women carry the weight of the world on our shoulders... it is quite literally breaking our backs.

Can you guess what this is?
Loneliness. But it looks like depression. Notice the posture, especially how the knees are drawn close to the chest. If you google images for "loneliness", the posture is overwhelmingly the same. Loneliness... all of my friends suffer more from that word than anything else. It is more damaging than their kidney infections, osteoporosis, and even more damaging than their strokes. The interesting thing I observe about the "posture" of loneliness is that it guards the chest, the heart, and all the chakras are wrapped up, like an egg. A protective shell on the outside, yet still fragile and crackable; the skin as the albumen, the protein, the builder of muscle; the deepest interior and most vital organ, the muscle we call the heart. The manner in which we protect our heart, is the same manner that gives us loneliness...we block. We block our heart with our knees bent a barrier to our our chest, our heart, and with our heels pulled into our sexual organs, another block, I think to our soul. Yet we expose our skin, a contradiction and invitation at the same time. We invite people to break the skin, but refuse to lower our protective hard bones, heels and knees. We hope that a brave soul will negotiate their way to our heart, with careful and kind manipulation, despite our guarded self protection. Ironic, this same description is applicable to conception. Loneliness is the biggest killer, yet the easiest to cure. Open up!

My loneliness looks like this. Facing the sun, rising or setting, walking toward the strength and longevity of the centuries old oak, in the distance that is only half as far as I've been and half way to where I'm going. A strong point of light, just at the tips of my fingers. Am I catching the light? Am I emitting the light? Both! There are days that I am human, and then days where I'm strong enough to practice being supra human. I feel strangely calm...somewhat melancholy. Namaste my loves, my friends, my childrens' hope.

Crack Me Up!

Put a "chink in your armour", "break out of your shell", "take a leap" or get "pushed over the edge" to remove the mud and dung and clay that surrounds you, hiding the "golden buddha" you really are!

I've mentioned before in this blog a web site, RealGrowth.Com which sends me inspirational (and too often commercial promotions) and thought provoking news letters. Today's inspiration was a video by Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the ......) which tells the story of the clay buddha. I'm sharing it here with you

I can't believe it has been 10 days since my last post...though I don't know why I'm surprised! My last post was titled "Procrastination...I'm an Expert!"  I've been dealing with a lot of snow, and NOT dealing with even more since I hurt my back in the process of dealing with it. I dealt with the 2 1/2 day power outage by making this necklace. What do you think?

I've been working on my circle in my ETSY shop. I've started my educational research again which I must complete and submit by the end of May (I've had the last 10 months already and have been "thinking" on it!) I've been nursing my son at home for the last week (flu). I've sold some beads and I've made beads for a custom order that weren't right for her but will be right for someone else don't you think?

 

I've also been thinking about making more beads and jewelry and starting a new shop just for jewelry. Do you think I should start a new store, or add my jewelry to my bead inventory?

I think the next jewelry I should make should be something using the beautiful beads I won in the weekly drawing at Beading Deal of the Day, and the amazing beadable hair accessories I won from participating in the blog partners contest for Rings & Things.

The next jewelry I WANT to make is for the prize won by a subscriber at my new blog, BEADS of Thought (my mind a bead, not a boulder, at a time). My new blog is less about beads and more about the random thoughts I have during the day. I wanted to recognize that I am procrastinating posting on this blog because I've been collecting so much info that I want to share, that it became too overwhelming and time consuming to post here. I want to post here more often, so I created a space that makes it okay not to be so verbose and informational and visual, thus freeing me of another reason to procrastinate...how's THAT for personal growth!?

I've been watching a lot of movies lately and posting about them on my other blog. I'm not very good at remembering movie titles and actors, but they always leave me with words I want to remember. I love words and they often come from the most unexpected places; who would have thought "The Hot Chick" (all about the powers of earrings!) was quotable!?

"You are the only one that make my heart beat faster and slower at the same time." If you think you haven't found that "one" you might consider that they are much closer than you are looking; you just haven't kissed your best friend yet!

Technology of Thought

Techology is the answer. To what? To better feelings about my bead business. To better feelings and more intimacy with friends. To new inspirations, artistic and emotional. To scholarly pursuits. To education for all. To safety. To global unity, and as we embrace technology, we resort to the ancient standby of prayer. As we pray knowingly for all in our worlds, we pray subconsciously that technology will continue to lift us, and not be our downfall as we fear.

We interrupt this insight with a message from our rerun of Nip Tuck, courtesy of instant que and Net Flix. OMG, a woman just stuffed a man with a machine that fills teddy bears!

I've listed new beads in my ETSY shop.

My shop is doing well regarding exposure. I love ETSY's social circle format. I'm meeting a lot of new artisans and they are encouraging to me.

I love my FaceBook too; another example of technology's positive influence. With the recent earthquake in Japan, I'm getting to know more about the people in my life through their discussions and deep insights into morality, ethics, religion, and more. I'm glad I know the people I do, and through the social media I'm getting to know more about them than I otherwise would or could. Lampwork Etc. was my first real exposure to the magic of social networking, and I've made very special life long friends there as well.

My social network friends encourage many facets of my life. Bead making is one example. I made a lot of new beads this week; check out my album on FaceBook.

As I start to think about the time I took to make beads, in spite of the guilt I felt for not working on my research, I realize even more how technology plays a part in my life. If I hadn't been making beads, I would not have thought about technology. If I hadn't been thinking about technology, I would not have realized the most obvious object of the research I was supposed to be doing. When I realized I should do my research on the implementation of the iPad in special education, I also realized that subconsciously I WAS working on my research!

So, today's lesson is to embrace technology, your friends, your passion, your craft, and your subconscious work; guilt is a waste of time and masks the work you do in the background of your mind.

Have "Bright" Faith!

Well, after a lonely weekend I decided to take Monday off and make beads, without question. This decision came after reading Danielle LaPorte's White Hot Truth article, "On bright faith and why falling in love is uncool". If you want to know more about me, read it! You will probably find out more about "you" in the process. I love Danielle LaPorte's newsletter/blog; she inspires me to personal growth EVERY time I read it. She's on Facebook too; go check her out.

"Bright faith is primal to creativity. Bright faith is essential to falling in love--with people,with causes, with your own unfolding self. Bright faith can be unnerving, slightly embarrassing, and awkward. We are trained to resist it, and we do so at the cost of innovation and the passion we crave." When I read this I had a little more appreciation for who I am when I'm having an exciting moment, and it gave me permission not to resist who I am at the expense of the innovation and passion I crave. So, I made beads.

My bestest friends have been asking me for specific beads. Joely wants a Buddha, Doug wants anything made by me, and Isaac wants ... well, other than to stay my baby boy, he loves anything I do or make for him. Doug loves everything Pink Floyd and Egyptian. Joely is pretty specific. I showed Isaac the beads that came out of the kiln this morning; it's a good thing his favorite is the one not made with other people in mind!

The Buddha was fun to make; he's the second one I've ever made. I love making sculptural beads; they dissolve all my worries. The scarab was made on a whim and I love it, but I'm afraid it will break when I take it off the mandrel (had problems remembering to keep it warm!) It has an eye of Horus (a bad one) on the back.

The bicone bead was an experiment that didn't work but gave me another idea for technique. It was Isaac's favorite and I'll string it for his Valentine's gift. And I know just the beads I'd use from Rings & Things; and they're having a free shipping deal right now!

These bicone vaseline glass trade beads (I have a lot left over from using some in my virtual necklace)! They're perfect for Isaac because he loves the color, it looks great with the celadon dots on the bead, and they glow in the dark!

I knew I'd find a use for these Mirage "mood" beads! They are the perfect shape and color for the scarab, which is made with green and blue dichroic glass.

Designing the necklace for the Buddha bead makes me want to keep it for myself! I envision tons of silver for a Tibettan look, heavy, with a tassel type pendant focal. How about this Karen Hilltribe Pendant to hang below my Buddha?

I have fun sharing my growth with you, and hopefully inspiring you with what inspires me. Please let me know that you are having fun too; subscribe to my blog by clicking on the right banner, and all comments are more than welcome!