Staying in Appreciation

Wow, I've been busy. Let's see. I am appreciating having a schedule at the school. I really like to know where I'm going and what I'm doing on a daily basis. Having a bit of a routine is very helpful for me. I'm also working at Kona Boys, doing some tours and working in the shop some. Now that Brock is back I hope my shop hours will be minimized. I also have two other projects going, working with Awakening Adventures and Bob has been exciting. It's very exciting to think that my job may be to travel around and go kayaking or snorkeling or boating or hiking with people. We are in the website development phase right now which is nice and the website is going to look very good.

Today I'm appreciating my first full day off in a long time. I feel quite exhausted and I hope I can rejuvenate soon. I hope that I feel more of a balance between work and play here soon. I think the Ironman really threw me off last weekend.

Over the last couple of weeks my mom and I have been nonviolent communication buddies which has been very helpful. Thanks mom! Just having that practice more in the forefront of my mind has been great, and then having a daily resource has been even better.

In a little over a week my mom will be coming out to visit and I'm getting excited. I've started creating a list of things that would be fun to do while she's here. Jon will also be here for a day so that will be fun too.

I've also wanted to compile a list of things I can do to up my mood whenever I'm feeling down or lonely. A few things I know make me happy are foraging for fruit, picking flowers, writing my blog, yoga/stretching, reading a book, listening to Abraham.

Last week my friend Nicole showed me the house they want to move into and want me to join them. I took some pictures...


Front Door


Dining Room and Sunroom in background


Kitchen


The Royal Sun Room


Sunken Living room


Sunken Living room


Bathroom


1st Room/Office overlooking Pool & View


2nd Room overlooking Courtyard/Garden

There is a 3rd room but I didn't get a picture of it...essentially like above room.


Master Bedroom


Master Bedroom


Master Bathroom


Courtyard


Guest Cottage


Guest Cottage


Guest Cottage Bathroom


Kids Playing in the Pool

There is also a hottub off the master bedroom and views from Kealakekua Bay to Hookena...spectacular.

Misha...You are an Ironman!

okay well not really...but it is fun to say.

If you haven't noticed, I haven't been around very much this past week. I've been busy! Here's a quick run down...

- I start my job at the school. It's been very good. 3 hours a day, a 1/2 hour with each kid...teaching ABC's and sounds...no problem. Total cuties.

- I've also been working at Kona Boys a bit so that's taken up a bunch of my time. Tours are still going great...just the other day I saw that huge...I mean HUGE eel again. That guy is awesome.

- This last weekend I was paid to ride my motorcycle around in the Ironman Triathlon and take a cameraman on the back of my bike to film the race. WOW! It was awesome.

I got matched with a French guy who was filming for Chanel 4 on British TV. Apparently they do a 30 minute adventure based show. We were following two particular racers...a man who is a pro athlete and came in 31 or 32nd in the race. And a woman who is an accountant and I think they were covering her as a special interest piece. I don't know her place but she finished at about 8pm. So it was a long day for us.


Eric drinking chicken broth.


Here is Eric wondering where Carolyn is...


Here he is filming her going through the water station.


Here we are having a beer after a long day.

My job was to ride slowly along the side of the bicycle riders no closer than 10 feet but keeping up with them. Then we would go far up and then wait for our rider to catch us and he would film. Then we'd ride up again. It was amazing. He would stand up on the back or lean over the side to get low shots. I was very tired by the end of the day.

The day before I had gone to the orientation for the riders and they said I really needed to change out my front tire...which I knew but couldn't find someone to actually switch it out for me. But one of the guys, Ray, said he would do it for me that night. We ended up switching it out in the lobby of the Outrigger.




You can see the lobby check-in desk down at the end of the photo.

I was able to take Ray out for dinner on Sunday night. He turned out to be one the coolest guys I've met in a long time. We had a great time at the Kava Bar. He went back to Denver today.

Corny

I just made this!



I'm very happy with my first creation. So cute. I bought a book on t-shirt alternations and it made it much easier. This one is made out of two shirts. The side panel says "Do I make you corny baby?" Iowa. Totally silly.

I can't wait to make a whole bunch for people and myself.

Today was my first day of training at school. I did some tours last week. Last night I went and saw The 11th Hour, the movie by Leonardo DiCaprio about global warming. It was very inspiring. I definitely recommend everyone see it...it's even better than An Inconvenient Truth. We had a meeting about it at GreenSource afterward and came up with some great ideas for how we can make some changes ourselves. Like, I'm recycling old t-shirts into new clothes. I really like the idea of voting with your dollar and choosing to buy products made organically. There were some staggering statistics, especially about the amount of waste we produce. I really feel called to create awareness around waste. First, I have to get my own waste under control. One thing about Hawaii, you have to take your garbage to the dump...so you actually see where your waste goes and you can see how much waste you're creating. I think I do pretty well but I hope to do better and recycle more. They also talked about creating products that are "cradle to cradle" instead of "cradle to grave". Very interesting idea.

Another idea I had was compact, portable plate and utensils which could include a "to go" container inside the idea. They could be super cute and then when you go to a cafeteria or take out place you could use your own instead of using disposable plates and utensils.

searching, searching

Yah, so better feeling thoughts...where did they go.

It's so funny how quickly the tides can shift and then it just feels like you're paddling against the current. I so just want to go with the current.

I think I started paddling when I got a little too obsessed with running into a particular cute boy that I keep flirting with around town. No speaking, just smiling and waving and randomly running into each other. At first I was totally letting it all go and just enjoying it for what it is...a sweet flirtation. I told myself if there comes a moment when things feel right to talk to each other then it will happen...no worries.

But then...I kept seeing him everywhere. We'd smile and wave at the coffee shop, at the beach, at the grocery store, on the highway. Yes, this is a small town. Now, I kind of know what he's into and where he goes and now...oh yes, now I can actually potentially find him when I want to. That is when my paddling against the current began.

My strategy has been to go down to the beach where I know he paddles in the afternoons. Seemingly innocent...it's a place I go often...but I am going during times that are a little bit out of my flow...and therefore I am having things happen that are not good. Like a dog nipped my toe down there the other day. While snorkeling, my mask isn't working properly, there's a guy yelling at people on the beach. Things like that...little annoying things like that...that build up and create a general feeling of annoyance...and frustration that I did all this to try to see some guy who I don't even know will be down there or not and who I've never even talked to before. Now I'm feeling like a stalker and a looser.

Okay dokey...so where do I go from here. Better feeling thought, better feeling thought. I like having random flirtations with a cute guy around town. I know I'll run into him again at some point. It would be nice if we could have a conversation so I can know if I actually like him or not. I don't have to make anything happen, my life is unfolding beautifully at it's own pace.

I'm also noticing that this all came from a small desire to run into him and actually talk to him. However, there were actually 2 times when I could have sucked it up and created conversations and I didn't. I was telling myself it wasn't the right time, I wasn't feeling so great...too tired, or whatever. There was one day when I was having my best day yet and I saw him and he didn't see me. I could have gone over there and talked to him then, but I didn't...I wanted him to see me and come to me. What's that all about? It's about rejection, being shy, not knowing what to say, feeling a bit like a stalker.

It's amazing how this has affected my general state of well being. It's interesting to me how I can get fixated on one particualar person or thing instead of staying focused on my more general state of being happy where I'm at and still fully desiring a partner or whatever it is I'm wanting. I know when I stop fixating on it...that is when it will come.

Okay, that was helpful...thanks for listening.
me

It's Working!

My little experiment is working. I've definitely been able to catch my thoughts that are not helpful to me and move them to better feeling thoughts and that has brought me more and more wonderful things coming. For example, I've been having too much fun in the last couple of days to even write in my blog...that's a good sign. However, I do want to keep this up as a daily discipline since I know this is one of the most powerful ways I create my reality.

So, let's see, on Wednesday I took Dana, my new house mate, to the airport so I had access to her car on the way back. I decided I'd stop a few places along the way to see if I could find some larger items that I can't usually pick up when I'm on the motorcycle. So I ended up finding an awesome art store where I picked up some collaging supplies. I also stopped by K-Mart for the first time. There I found a few things I was looking for including a small bookshelf, but the big jackpot was when I stopped by Ross and found a mirror and a stool that I had been looking for. And the stool was the same as I had just seen in a furniture store that cost $77 on sale and at Ross it was $30. I love it. I was also able to stop at the fabric store and get some thread for my sewing machine. All this seems quite mundane I know, but having access to the car and then finding everything I have been needing for awhile was a miracle.



I also started my yoga practice which felt really good. Day two of yoga I was actually sore in my arms since I had also gone kayaking that day too. I had a nice tour with a couple and I took some pictures while we were out. I also got a new shirt from Harry...the guy who runs the kayak shop at the water. It was a little bigger than I like so it gave me the first opportunity to use my sewing machine. Horray, now I have a shirt that I actually like.

I also spent a lot of time getting ideas for things I want to make off the internet yesterday. I think I actually was dreaming about all the stuff I want to sew. I woke up with an idea for a dress...I am getting excited about this!

I also got a call from the coordinator for the Iron Man photographers and it looks like I will get to ride and international photographer around on the back of my bike during the Iron Man. That's happening on October 13th. I'm pretty freaking excited about that.

I had dinner with Keith, Nicole and Aleia and had a very nice time connecting with them. They would like me to join them at the Leadership Boot Camp in late November. It sounds exciting and I'd like to check into it more. Maybe I'll just be traveling all of November. That would be fun.

I finalized my tickets for Los Angeles and have talked to Emilie so we'll get to visit quite a bit while I'm there.

The other day I choose a card from the Osho deck...it was Adventure:

Adventure really has nothing to do with plans and maps and programs and organization. The Page of Rainbows represents a quality that can come to us anywhere - at home or in the office, in the wilderness or in the city, in a creative project or in our relationships with others. Whenever we move into the new and unknown with the trusting spirit of a child, innocent and open and vulnerable, even the smallest things of life can become the greatest adventure.

I love that card.


This is what happens when I work...dolphins jump out of the water in celebration of seeing me!

Sleeping is good

Yesterday I finished a wonderful book called "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell...it's about the power of thinking without thinking. Toward the end he summed up his finding beautifully by saying that he has found that when we need to make a minor decision about something not very important, the most information is best. When we need to make a major decision like a mate or business deal our first impression is one of the best indicators of the outcome. Too much information and we get bogged down. He has some really compelling stories and research findings in this book. I read this book in a week and I love when I get engrossed in a book like that. I got so excited about "Blink" that I bought his other book "The Tipping Point" about how an idea takes off.

I had some trouble sleeping last night because we have a little kitty visitor here trying to adopt us. Much like Squishy she's very persistent and a super cuddle bug when she wants some food. Though I'd love to have her here, I'm not sure what my landlord would feel about that and a cat is a bit of a responsibility that I'm not willing to take on at this point here. Needless to say I napped all afternoon.

I'm very grateful for my new computer, my new waterproof watch, the upcoming trip to LA to go to Manifesting a Rich Wife...I mean Life convention. I am trading with Bob for helping him create his website and marketing materials to go to this conference. I'm most excited to see Lynne Twist, the woman who wrote "The Soul of Money", however there are many good speakers lined up for this conference.

Tomorrow I want to play with my sewing machine...I need thread. I also want to do some yoga.

Inspirational cards for today:

Abraham-Hicks says: I will reach of the best feeling thought I have access to.
It is not my responsibility to convince anyone of anything.

Osho Deck: I pulled the Past Lives card...it's a major arcana XVIII, "This is a wake-up call; the events in your life are trying to show you a pattern as ancient as the journey of your own soul.

The Hawaiian Oracle: Chicken! Drawing the bird of rainbow feathers means you are transforming into your pure self...I like that.

Day One

Aloha wonderful people. Here is the first blog of my 100 day challenge. My intention in this blog is to focus on all the wonderful things that I create daily and be in wonderful appreciation of them. I thank you for celebrating with me and I hope that you are inspired by what you read and create wonderful things in your life too.

These last two days have been most inspiring as I prepare to consciously create my next three and a half months. My intention is to be happy wherever I'm at in the moment. To find the better feeling thought in whatever my situation. Last night provided me with some wonderful inspiration and contrast. I went to a sound meditation lead by Kahealani. She leads this meditation every Sunday and it's very wonderful. We start by moving our bodies around, warming up the "instrument". Then we start sounding or toning which means lots of weird sounds, some pretty and some not so pretty come out, whatever needs to come out does. Afterward we watched a movie called "Touch the Sound" about a def woman who is a world renown percussionist. This movie was incredibly inspiring. I am so inspired by people who know their passion so fully. I also long to find that passion in myself. I know it's in there. I also got some good information from what she said about her relationship with her father. It deepened my understanding of my motivations in life and gave me something to look into deeper. I am so grateful to people who are living their dreams so passionately.

Today my housemate and I went to Ho'okena. First of all, my housemate has agreed to be my partner in helping me stay focused for my 100 day challenge. I feel like it's going to be so helpful to have someone at the house who is in alignment with me. She's been great and today she drove me to the beach. I love being driven around in a car. I've so started to appreciate cars now that I don't have one. One thing I want to manifest in this 100 days is a car...definitely. Maybe I'll write more about that later.

While at the beach I was given an opportunity to choose my feelings carefully. There was a huge party of kids in one of the campsites who had brought a stereo system and started to play electronic music super loud...it was about 8:30am. At first I was annoyed that they were being so inconsiderate of the others on the beach who may have wanted a peaceful beach experience. Then I realized I could choose something new. So I decided to just enjoy the mini-rave that they were putting on. It brought me back to BurningMan and appreciating all expression everywhere. They were just having fun and celebrating, dancing and juggling.

Later at home I decided to go down and pick some fruit. I found about 15 good Lilikoi's on the road! Lilikois are PASSION FRUIT! What a wonderful omen to this new venture I'm beginning.


Now I'm getting ready to go have dinner with my housemate. She's cooking me dinner too! We're celebrating my 1st day of the 100 day challenge! How wonderful is she.

My inspiring cards of the day:

In my appreciation I offer no resistance. -Abraham-Hicks
Anything I can imagine being, doing, or having - I can be, do or have. -Abraham-Hicks

Source - Ace of Fire: This card reminds us that there is a vast reservoir of energy available to us. And that we tap into it not by thinking and planning but by getting grounded, centered and silent enough to be in contact with the Source. - Osho Tarot Deck

Hawk - Like 'Io, who dips gracefully as he soars, find the courage to speak your truth and live your beliefs, without alienating others. Now flap your wings slowly and move into the light. - The Hawaiian Oracle Tarot Deck