This one is about choices…

My daughter told me, as all of these crazy diagnoses dropped into my life and choices had to be made, “Whatever decision you make, is the right one.”

Do feel free to jot that down.  It applies to every choice. We might look back and berate ourself for a choice.. people unfortunately do that constantly. People imagine how they would respond differently to a situation after the fact,  how they would make a different choice… but the truth is, we do not and cannot know what the alternate choices might have brought about. They did not exist. They were not meant to exist. If they were, they would have existed.

We can consider our options as we make choices in a similar situation. We might make new choices. But we are not the same person we were the first time we made the choice. The new choice will be right for the current time, but not back then.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people stopped berating themselves, with that loop tape playing havoc in their head, and simply believed that?  And believed that when given the option to make a choice, their past experience and current wisdom will lead them to making the right choice?  We can only call it a ‘wrong choice’ if we have imagined some outcome that did not happen. But.. was that imagined outcome really supposed to happen? It didn’t.. so, apparently not.

And so, for me, the statement: “Whatever decision you make is the right decision” is very freeing.

One Minute Self Discovery in a Mug

Part 1. Time ~20 seconds: 

Why is your favourite mug your favourite? If you have more than one favourite, what’s the common theme?

Example: My favourites all remind me of special stories in my life. Either ones I’ve made with messages from the faeries or ones gifted to me.. from Disneyland!

Part 2.  Time ~ 40 seconds:

Write a sentence as if you are the mug beginning with “I am…

♫  Hum de dum ♫ I’ll have a sip of tea while you finish..

~~~~~~

We had some fun on facebook when I posted this activity.

Kate:  I only drink coffee out of the Bunnykins mugs

The message she discovered from her mug:   “I retain a sense of childlike wonder” 🙂

Michael Topic: My favourites have bears on them.

The message: “Mine says that I am strong, kindly, but prefer to remain unmolested. :D”
(click Michael’s name to see his awesome blog “Creative Ideas for Starving Artists”)

Hope Mikal:  I have two favourite mugs. One is inherited from Jordan’s grandfather, it is a piece of art. It looks like a old man with a beard and a fish is jumping which makes the handle. My second one is a to go mug with a special little tea steeping part attached, it is pretty and green. I get excited to use it! =)

The message:  “I am a good friend.”
(click Hope’s name to reach her Hope-Full Universe Artist’s page)

Una Connor:  I rotate mugs often, break them and try not to get too attached. However, I see a theme:  it’s comfort, and convenience, does it hold enough to completely fill my bladder, does it touch my lips just so? Will I end up with yet another coffee stained shirt and lap? There are so many options, and not one can look like the other or I hide them away in the back pantry until it’s mate or sibling gets broken.

The message: Mine says “I like to reinvent myself and strive for perfect imperfection while trying to maintain some kind of dignity in a world that doesn’t often acceprt different.”   (click Una’s name to see her unique artworks and book)

And my mugs’ messages:  “I am full of messages that are simple yet when really heard, magical. I am the pause when fully sipped brings a chance to believe in more. I am the imagination made practical and drinkable.”

Oh, I like my mugs. They are wise.

If you’d like to share what your mug has to say… please do!!!

 

A pen, the back of my hand, a bookstore.. and redirecting my life.

I hadn’t gone into the bookstore with the plan of redirecting my life.  It just happened that way. One of those series of synchronistic moments that lead you to … well, in this case… not only an ‘aha’ or twelve for me, but an awesome exercise in self discovery for everyone.

My original purpose was to see if any novels leaped out at me yelling, ‘Read me! Read me!”  That helped… I had walked in with the intention of being open to noticing.

I walked past the gardening section and thought, “Wow, I don’t ever buy gardening books anymore.”  At one time it was a passion of sorts, and I do like to play in the dirt.. but I’d probably be just fine if someone else planted the dirt.  That was curious.

I could feel the little niggling naggling thoughts that have semi-consciously nagged me each spring ( ‘why don’t you put more effort into the gardens?  You used to love the gardens!”)  simply bow out graciously.  My gardening interest was no longer worthy of a new book and that’s okay.

A smile curled onto my face as I let go the nigglenaggles, and realized I was beginning an adventure in the bookstore.

And so I asked myself,

           “What no longer captures your interest?”

           “What DOES capture your interest?”

I even asked,

“What has never captured your interest?”

I wandered through the book store making a list on the back of my hand:

What books no longer capture my interest?

tournament ski boats, waterskiing,  dog training, creativity, self-development, visual art, pottery, home renovating, technology.

That’s rather curious since these things, other than the interest in dog training and home renovations, ‘define’ me.

What REALLY captures my interest and excites me?

quantum physics, science of mind, travel (as always), writing, games, hiking, camping, wilderness survival, paddleboarding, maybe kayaking,  outdoor maps, tall ships

What has never interested me?

magazines about organizing closets.  (Just in case I’ve ever felt guilty about my closets, I now know I can let it go and acknowledge it’s ‘not my thing.’)

I left the store with a new backroad hiking map book. AND a great basic guide to backpack camping. When I’m out in the woods,  which is often, I realize there’s a lot I don’t know. I was practically skipping out of the store excited about learning more.

BUT what about those things that define me?

I walked out of the store knowing, again, how important it is for me to finish my own book.. my crazy true story about creativity and life.  I don’t need to read any more books in those areas right now. I simply want to trim the current 350 pages to a more readable and concise and flowing 150.  Maybe tips from those ‘organizing closets’ magazines might be helpful. Ha!

I walked out of the store with a plan to sell my lovely and precious tournament boat.

That’s big. Trust me, this is a REALLY big decision for me. But dynamics have changed, and the bookstore adventure confirmed I’m as crazily excited about paddleboarding and other outdoor adventures as I once was as my ‘most- obsessive- and- insanely- passionate- waterskier- ever” self.

I had a bunch more discoveries.. but really, how long can a post get? The point though is that ‘what lights my fire’ is essential for me, through the ups, downs, thick and thins, crazy wonderful and crazy-making moments in life.  Sometimes we need to give ourself permission to notice that we are ever evolving and what worked in the past is allowed to shift to something new.

So.  All you need to get clear on your direction is a pen and your hand and a little visit to the bookstore.  Napkins, or even a notebook could work as well as the back of your hand.  Arrive delightfully open to discovery and armed with the three questions above.

Wishing you many aha’s as you  let go what isn’t serving you well.. and welcome what is right for you right now!  I wonder if you’ll be as surprised at the absolute clarity and as excited as I am from my discoveries!

The Easter Treasure Hunt!!

You did it!!!

{THe OOPS Factor: for those of you who got this post before you even knew what was going on… OOPS!  Thought I had everything covered.  I’m modelling that imperfection is okay?!     The Treasure hunt officially begins on my facebook page..  You can start here: https://www.facebook.com/musingsandmud}

Now, to continue….

Simply post the phrase you came up with in the comments section and you’ll be entered to win a $20 gift certificate from the Book Depository.. Any book, free shipping world wide!   That’s fun, yes?

The draw will be made via an internet draw contraption graciously provided by Random Draw.

Thanks for treasure hunting!  May your Easter and your life be full of all sorts of magical moments.  Oh, and please do tell us about the magic in your life! Not required to be entered in the draw, but really.. I did this so you could all meet and get to know each other.   ~smile~

And again, Huzzah!!

Janet

In the works is a crazy wild wonderful blog tour which will be full of cool prizes, and connect kindred spirits with some of the finest creative, compassionate, inspiring bloggers I know. If you’d like to learn more, or if you’d like to be one of the wild and wonderful bloggers participating, please subscribe to this blog to keep updated.

Do What A Four Year Old does…

“Writing is important because it helps me hear
what my mind is saying.”
Evalee Charlton       Age 4

My 4 year old granddaughter said this as she ‘wrote’ lines and lines in her notebook.

She and I agreed that it would be nice also to share this drawing.

I say, Go do what a four year old does.