[caption id="attachment_2668" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="That's me clutching my uke"]
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Little changes are easy; turning off the water while I brush my teeth, putting food scraps in the composting bin, turning off the car engine before I roll up the windows, take off my seat belt and gather up my things... that's the effortless stuff that can add up to big change for everyone. And I have to say, I enjoy finding these small simple ways of being good to the earth and making conscious choices about how I live. "It all adds up" I always think.
The thing is, small conscious changes do more than that. They help us step back and think about everything we're doing. Are we being ourselves? Are we doing what we want to be doing? Are we sleep walking through life or really living it? I recently found this little picture of me with a uke- funny how full circle life can be! The more I think consciously about these little things the more I start to become myself again and remember what I love; painting, being creative, making music, being around people, being loved, being fit...
[caption id="attachment_2680" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="I painted the Beautitudes on this 40ft wall for one of my favorite clients- yep, that writing is all hand painted. I also painted the gate and several other rooms in this beautiful house"]
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When Decorative Painting was my main business, most of those things were in my life. Being there in a room with just a ladder and a few basic tools felt great, even at the end of a long physically exhausting day. As I reach back to bring things in my life that I loved and let go of the things that didn't serve me well, this idea of meditation keeps coming up. Painting was very meditative for me, but I don't want to go backwards in my business. I want to Make Room for More.
So, I'm on a 30-day quest to meditate the old fashioned way and see how this practice brings back everything I love while helping me stay firmly planted in the beautiful present where I belong. I started yesterday and made it 8 1/2 minutes before my leg started flinching as if I was about to fall asleep. baby steps! I used to dread starting new routines, but all the little changes I'm making are opening me up to bigger things. I'm actually excited about this!
Join me if you'd like. We'll go 'til November 3rd and report on our findings together. I know I'm on to something, small changes have made that very clear. It's time for the big stuff now. ommm...