Springtime

The vibrancy of springtime pulsates the earth.  Every living thing feels the urgency to respond.  Flowers, trees, grass, even weeds naturally respond to the beckoning call.  Likewise, mankind responds to the summons.

Our attitudes are lighter, our outlooks become happier, our thoughts seem to sway to ideas of fancy.  We, as humans, go through a physical change in that our body is awaken to the possibilities around us.  This awareness stimulates and increases our energy level and we begin to imagine our “perfect selves.”  When we imagine what we can be, it is only a short road to accomplishing that goal.

During springtime our bodies and minds “click” and the energy flow is complete.  So that the flow within each section interacts with the other and the “infinity” cycle is whole and complete.  If you have ever experienced a natural high after walking or running or completing a challenging exercise you have known this feeling.  It is as if your body is giving you a shot of adrenaline.  This is the vibrancy of springtime – earth and mankind pulse together.

So, if you have any project that has been weighing on your mind or idea that has rattled around in your brain, now may be the perfect time to put them into action.  Your body and mind are working together to propel you forward.  Take advantage of the natural forces and become a force of your own.   Remember, always obey the speeding laws…

Authors

Attending the authors showcase at a local library yesterday was an exciting event. Friends of the Library, writers groups, local arts councils, big box retails and over 70 local authors were all present to make the day a roaring success.  The project was partially funded by the Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.  This means that “all hands were in” to sponsor this celebration of local acknowledgement of writing talent.

This brings up the question. Does anyone read anymore?  Well, that question was quickly answered not only by the enthusiastic turnout of independent authors but the presence of internationally known author, Sylvia Day.  She flew in from England to attend the event.  She was warmly received by the general public and authors as well.   Her gracious attitude extended not only to greeting her fans at a book signing but offering “inside” information on her extremely successful career.

From her point of view, writers and authors are divided into two categories – plotters and prancers.  A plotter outlines the book in every aspect before the writing begins.  Each chapter is outlined with a storyboard approach.  The paragraphs are detailed and “bullet” statements are used to determine each step that each character will take in their development. A graph may be used to outline how each character interacts with the others.  This process is continued until the entire story is complete and the ending is known and written – on the storyboard.

The prancer writes in a totally different fashion.  This writer imagines ideas of the story and has vague images of how the plot will develop with only a simple knowledge of each character. As the “prancer” approaches the task of authoring a story, they let each character develop their own style.  The writer is simply seen as a “tool” that the characters use to tell their story.  It is as if the author is only needed to sit in the chair and move their fingers over the keyboard so that the characters can get their story put down on paper.

Life often reflects these writing styles.  Some people need to plot out their every move, must know every option, look at every pathway before making decisions in their life.  Others, simply wake up each day and have no idea what lies ahead of them – they just do what comes their way – what feels good.

I guess the key is to first decide which kind of “writer” you are in life and then design your life or just take life as it comes…

“Does It Fit”

I recently read an article about a women shopping in retail stores for clothes that fit.  This woman is a “real woman” who possesses all the curves and crevices that women possess.  I’m not talking about an overly large woman or an obese female just an average woman in today’s society.

open Baltic sea at the sunset

You guessed it.  Most of the retail stores possess a wide variety of the latest chic attire posed in the most alluring positions.  However, the majority of sizes range from “0” through “10.” These clothes are gorgeous and alluring – the jeans attractive, the blouses feminine and the dresses appealing to the feminine form.  The color for this spring seems to be coral and blue with a trim of black and white.  In the right combination, this presents a very crisp and clean combination.

The search for the “proper” fit lead this woman into sizes that rose above size 10.  This is where the shopping trip gets interesting.  Believe it or not, the average American woman – or any woman – wears a size larger than 10. Sorry, I digress for a moment.  Anyway, these “larger than life,” woman do buy clothes and they probably earn their own money with which they buy these clothes.  So, we have a dilemma – where do women find chic, professional clothes that fit well if they wear larger than a size “10?”

I suggest that “we” as a society are too focused on the size of the garment and may want to concentrate on the “fit.”  Do we feel good in the dress when we wear it?  Do we like the way it looks from the back when we look in the mirror?  Do the pants make us look fat?  Does the zipper bulge when we struggle to fasten the dress?  Do the buttons pop off of the waistband?

Next time you go shopping in a retail store, don’t look at the size marked on the tag hanging from the sleeve of the garment.  This will be a very great temptation for you.  It will go against every thing you have ever been taught since childhood.  You will be fighting every fiber in your body and brain to counteract years of social conditioning.  Possibly, you will even break out in a sweat.  Your hands may tremble and you may feel weak.  I say resist, resist, resist.  Simply pick the garment that “fits” you and the one that make you feel comfortable.  This is a challenge that you can handle and one that fits nicely into a very healthy life style – both physically and mentally.

 

 

Stress Response

Today’s environment is stressful.  The pace of life is fast, multiple options compete for our precious time, our attention span seems to be shortened as we age, and instant gratification is expected.  We are even told how to manage our sleep – dark, quiet room with no electronic distractions.

Often we feel as though someone has set us down in the middle of a raging tornado and said: “Now function at your peak, have a positive outlook and soothe your inner beast.” We are expected to not respond to the tornado but we must acknowledge its presence.  We must understand that the power of the whirlwind could easily destroy us but we pretend that the raging surge isn’t literally dancing at our doorstep.

It’s understood that eventually we will be part of the tornado but somehow the destructive force of the beast won’t affect us – because everyone will eventually be part of the beast.  The stress of today’s society causes constant adrenaline releases.  This hormone surging through our body sets our internal rotations moving at warp speed.  Much like the driver of a car rotating the tires at a high speed without forward movement of the vehicle.  We are psyched-up with no where to go.

Every organ in our body responds as though we are cave men in the Neanderthal period of civilization trying to defend our cave from the attacking bear.  We must instantly kill the animal or turn and run or we will be killed, ourselves. Every tissue in our being, every organ in our body in geared toward our survival and we must answer that call.

However, there is no bear and we are no longer in our Neanderthal period of civilization.  So, we still have our survival response.  Thankfully, we can use that process.  We use it to motivate and move our body.  We develop a routine of regular exercise that is compatible with our life style.  We use our brain to compile information to regulate our waking and sleeping routines.  These routines monitor our bodily systems and provide us with appropriate feedback to the incoming stimulus of the outside world.

When we encounter the approaching tornado, and we will, the coping mechanisms that we employ will help us to survive when we are sucked into the whirling cycle – staying calm in a stressful world.