This Stuff is Really Working!!!

You guys, I'm freaking out right now!!! You know the 5 Minute Meditations I have been doing the last few weeks? Well, THAT STUFF WORKS! And REALLY fast!! (Reference to "Bad Teacher," anyone? Anyone?) I cannot believe how awesome it is to witness all of this happening, and know exactly the source of the changes and greatness that I'm seeing before me and feeling inside! It's like a great mystery of great life has been uncovered!

So, if you're not up-to-date on what I'm talking about, go ahead and click on over to here, here, or here, and you can learn a little about these 5 Minute Medi's I'm doing. In short, I meditate for 5 minutes a day, focusing all my thoughts and energy on sending love to my students, and another 5 minutes, focusing it all on gratitude. And seriously, the changes in and around me have been too amazing not to comment on!

In the last update post I wrote, I mentioned that I didn't think they were really working, because I saw a group of the guys from the most difficult class, and they just laughed out loud, a lot, because of the way I was dressed, and how I had my hair. I figured the meditations weren't really having the influence I'd hoped or expected, but was determined not to give up. Instead, I cranked it up! SO MUCH MORE LOVE! Muahaha! And yet, I continued not to have class with the groups I'd been focusing most of my love on. It was so strange! Kind of like a backwards result, or like all the love I was sending out was just coming back to me and God was showing His grace (keeping me out of the class). But that could only last so long, and on Monday, I realized I was going to "face them" two days in a row, and so I have.

On Tuesday I finally had class with one of the groups, after about four weeks without seeing them (in the classroom). I tried to supress and deny all old thoughts I had about them, and focus on the fact it was, somehow, magically, going to be great. And while I was really optimistic about it, my insides were still a little reluctant to walk into the room.

I used my walk to work as a motivational time for myself, and gave thanks for the opportunity to face them. After all, what good were these meditations if I didn't ever see the students in the classroom? Could I really say I was trying to make it better, if I fist pumped every time I was told I didn't have class with them? Not even! So I decided I would take advantage of the class to crank it up even more, and make it an opportunity to look into their faces, and speak love straight into their souls. And I did!

When I walked into the room, I made eye contact with as many of them as I could, smiled, said hello, and went to my place in the front of the class. The class went really well, actually, and one of the boys who has always been sending out great amounts of "dark energy", and been one of the biggest sources of hardship with this group, was actually looking at me the entire hour with a sort of admiring look on his face. I couldn't believe it! (Though, I did start to think, maybe I've been sending too much love to him, and he's starting to feel it in a romantic way. Haha) And in the moments when the class started to feel out of control, the moments where before I'd usually slip into a place of thinking, "Can I please get out of here!?", I instead looked from one face to the next, focused on it, and said, "I love you." I went around the room at least four times that hour repeating this, and when I started to feel blown away by their lack of respect, I just remembered all the love I've been sending them, and couldn't feel anything but sympathy and kindness towards them. It was amazing.

The next day I also had class with them. This time, in one of the worst possible hours I have in my entire schedule. They do not respect the teacher at all, and each hour is an endless stream of talking, joking, and acting their age in a time when it's not appropriate to do so. This was the Big Kahuna, and I was ready for it! (Well, mostly.)

The moment I walked into the class, this same boy who used to look at us with looks of loathing, but had been admiring me the day before, said, "Allison, you look very pretty today," in perfect English.

(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) 

I WAS FREAKING OUT! It was so, so, so hard for me to try and contain my laughter, smiles, and shocked expression. Is this really happening? Am I seriously witnessing this right now?? Is this really the result I'm getting from these meditation?? AMAZING! Hahahaha.

I still can't believe how fast this stuff has worked, nor how it's worked! I knew the power of the mind was impressive, and that we can change everything around us with our thoughts, but to actually be consciously practicing it, seeing it, feeling it, observing it, and know exactly why it's happening, it's incredible. I cannot stress enough how important and life-changing this practice is. Seriously. Just do it.

And even though they were just as disrespectful to the teacher as they usually are, our interactions (theirs and mine) were filled with smiles, laughs, and warm feelings. Actually, it goes even further than that... the teacher would be speaking, they wouldn't really be listening, but then when I was asked to explain something, somehow they kind of all slipped into silence. They paid attention, were interacting with me unlike they used to do, and were involved for a moment. I have goosebumps all over just writing this, because really, it's so beautiful. It's so amazing what love can do. This practice has changed my entire life, and more importantly, is changing these kids' lives!

The whole hour was such an incredible insight into the affects these meditations are having. Instead of glaring at them, I smiled at them with kindness and understanding, instead of thinking about how unbelievably rude and/or spoiled they are, I thought about how much I love them and long for their awakening, and instead of leaving the classroom ready to hit walls, run home, strip off my clothes and do some yoga to calm down (which I've had to do before), I walked out smiling and feeling light, excited for the next time we have class.

This is truly amazing, I am so grateful for this practice.

Having a hard time? Try meditating love on it five minutes a day.
Feeling a lack of anything? Try meditating on feelings gratitude for what you have for five minutes a day.
You cannot practice this and not see positive results. It works, it's real. This is no hocus pocus. This is your life, and you deserve to love it and feel like you're thriving. Make it happen!

I love you

<3

5 Minute Meditations

I started doing 5 Minute Meditations as part of my Daily Practice a week and a half ago, and wanted to write a little update about how they're manifesting, because truly, it's been quite a crazy result. If you aren't sure what I'm talking about, you can check out more information here or here, and if you're just tuning in now, I'll fill you in really quickly.

Each day, I sit down, set a timer for 5 minutes and 30 seconds, and meditate. I do one meditation centering my mind and feelings around love, which I send to my students and coworkers, and then I do another 5 Minute Meditation of Gratitude. The gratitude one is simply me praying profuse thanks to God for whatever comes to mind. Sometimes I sing it, sometimes I say it as poetry, sometimes if I'm having a hard time mustering anything specific, I simply say, "I am so grateful," or "I love you," over-and-over again. The intention here, is to practice what I've believed for many years now: that the power of the mind is greater than anything else we've been given, and thoughts can change everything. So, I'm putting it to the test, to see what can/will happen if I meditate love and gratitude for five minutes apiece. And I've gotta be honest, the results so far have been a huge surprise!

In the high school, I have two groups that are particularly difficult to try and teach/interact with, and another couple that have some shining students in their midst. But when I say shining, I don't mean that their light is so bright and beautiful. Instead, it's the shining look of f-you they wear on their faces, and their light is burning quite bright with arrogance and cockiness. For that, it can be difficult to tap into the love I know is there inside.

Some days, it's really hard to believe I can find the love in me that deserves to be sent to them. And believe me, it does deserve to be sent. I am a firm believer in that those who are the hardest to love, are the ones that need it most. Also, since I have been that age before, though it may have been a decade ago, it all still feels fresh enough for me to understand that they are just lost, confused, and overly-influenced by media and the fairly close-minded society that surrounds them. So how can I really hold it against them? They're just living from a place that is not their true essence, and will hopefully awaken someday.

I don't really have a strict method for doing the 5 Minute Meditations. They might be more effective if I did them at the same time, in the same sequence, every day, but that's not really how I live my life, so it's not really how they've happened. I try to always do the 5 Minute Meditation of Love in the morning, and it's even better if done before the high school has started. I think that once they are in school (a place they seem to hate) and surrounded by their peers, their energy and attitude kicks up a couple notches, and it's harder for me to access the unlimited reserve of love that's within me. Especially since I live so close to the school, I don't doubt that their energy and mine can too-easily penetrate one another's from this distance. (And now I'm actually really curious to know what the other teachers observe/feel when they're with the group I'm meditation love towards at that moment. Hmm... would be pretty cool to find out!)

As for the 5 Minute Meditation of Gratitude, sometimes I do it before the Love one, to get me in a great mental state, sometimes after, sometimes at night, and sometimes not at all, because I've spent most of my day in moments of over-flowing gratitude, and feel it's been done in its own way. But I think the gratitude one is even more important than the love one, because when you are living from a place of gratitude, you appreciate all the things that are good in your life, which causes more to come about, and when you are noticing all the beauty around you, it's hard not to be full of love.

What I've observed so far is this:

• I am much happier, and when I see students who have that "I am so cool and don't care about you or anything because I'm hot" look on their face, it's easier to not tense up inside, because I just think about my practice. 
• For example: Just yesterday, I saw a group of boys from the most draining group, and some of the cockiest, I'm-the-cool-est, everyone else is ugly, lame and stupid-est ones, and they started laughing at me, because I had my hair in a ponytail on top of my head, like I always do when I wear a ponytail, and was sporting a Pocahontas scrunchy I've had since I was a child, purple tights, combat boots with striped socks pulled up to my mid-calf, a black dress, and a bright blue polyester coat I got at a second-hand shop in Brussels, that is also, literally, from the 80's. (I have spent a lot of time getting laughed at, judged, and criticized by Jr. high/high schoolers this year.) And yeah, at first, when I saw them, my instinct was to put on my attitude/tough, I'm-the-boss face (we tend to match that which we see), drop my smile, and not engage them. But instead of glaring at them, I just decided to keep my smile on, and walk by. (Not smiling directly at them probably wasn't the best way to handle it, but I didn't want to entangle my energy with theirs. I was in a great mood!) But after I'd walked by and been thoroughly laughed at, I processed the, "Are you kidding me, are you seriously that rude and insecure you little sh--," emotions, I just thought about the love I've been sending them, and while I felt a little defeated that it clearly doesn't seem to be working (I'd expect we'd share some smiles, not judgment), I felt better, knowing that at least my emotional/mental/energetic state is in a positive place. And, I even felt a little sympathetic for the kid, because I know he's just going through a tough age, and probably, will have a bit of a tough life, because he is really good-looking, and that usually means high levels of insecurity and self-imposed expectations for yourself and others, as well, his actions just mean he is not happy with himself or his life. So it became hard to be pissed at them for all the trouble they cause us teachers, and easier to just be glad that I'm a happy, loving, smiling person. And that's the whole point with these things anyways: To elevate and take your State of Being to such a good place, that the things that bothered you before, start to lose their grip, till they die off completely.
• Everything in my life seems to be falling into better alignment. The books I'm reading, the quotes I see, the messages that I get from everything around me, they all are starting to tell me the same things, on the same days, and usually, within short periods of time from one another.
• Because I'm focusing "so much" energy on love and gratitude, even when I enter a class that's not behaving so well, I care a lot less, because I'm in such a great mood, I don't care that their hormones are trying to run interference on my day, and then the class actually ends up going a lot better than I would have expected/it would have a couple weeks ago. (Related to the first bullet.)
• I haven't had any classes with a couple of the groups I try to focus most of my love on. It's incredible. I thought I was going to be softening them up, preparing myself energetically, and enter the classes to discover that, "Wow! All of a sudden, we're great together!" but instead, I just haven't entered with them. The teacher has a quiz, the class is on a field trip, the teacher needs to switch hours, they've got more field trips, any number of things have been happening to "keep me" from having class with them. This whole time, I've been trying to send love and gratitude out, and God just keeps the love coming back around, and giving me more to be grateful for. Who knew!

So, in short, I highly recommend taking up this practice if you have any sort of struggle in your life. It can be directed at anything, not just particular people. Your job, your town, any part of your circumstance can benefit and improve simply from sitting down, setting a timer, and Being silent or singing, focusing all your energy and thoughts on love and gratitude. Even if you feel full of detest for whatever it is, this will help! You know the saying, "Fake it till you make it"? Well, that's what we're doing here! And it works! And truly, you'll be amazed to see and feel how much love is locked up inside of you. Once you start to release it, it won't be able to stop. So let's break down those dams, and let the love flow!

Write me if you need any help, you have any questions, or you just want to say hi. I'm going to try and figure out how to use the camera on my computer so I can make some guided meditation videos, and then I'll share the links here. :) I hope you have an amazing day, night, afternoon, whatever, wherever, and smile and shine through everything that's going on!

I love you, I'm happy to exist with you!

Blessings, Love, Light & Wonder,

-Allison <3

Well That Was Fast!

Ok, so I've just gotta take a moment here to give some major props to God, the power of love, the power of thought and manifestation, all good forces and wonder in the world, and maybe brag a little bit...

I've been doing the 5 Minute Meditations of Love & Gratitude (part of My Modified Daily Practice) for only three days now, but already, I'm reaping rewards and seeing the results! And while they're not exactly manifesting in the ways I'd imagined, they're affect is undeniable and glaringly obvious.

Here I talked about the whole 5 Minute Meditation idea, where it came from, and why I'm doing them, so I won't get into in this one. I'm short on time, I've already said it, and this post is mostly just to update you all on the progress and process, and tell you of the wild ways this is already working in my life. I will however do a quick recap on what it means...

The 5 Minute Meditations are a time when I sit and meditate for five minutes, with a timer, and concentrate fully on Love, then reset the timer, and concentrate fully on Gratitude. The Love one is love I direct to my students, coworkers, anyone that is involved in my workplace, and especially directed at the groups that are more "difficult". The Gratitude one is directed to God, and it's simply me running through things I'm grateful for, and speaking thanks to Him. It's always a bit different, and today to switch it up, I said it all in my head as a poem. I loved it. (And have decided to do the 5 Minute Meditation of Gratitude before the Love one, because when we are in a state of thanks, it makes love come more easily and naturally. So I figure my love will be even better if it's first charged with gratitude.:)

Anyways, like I said, this morning was only the third time I've done them, and just now, I read a text from the teacher I'm supposed to work with tomorrow, telling me the group we have at the first hour (8:15, the dreaded early hour) is on a field trip and won't be there, so I don't need to show up that early. But not just that, the group we should have in the fifth hour (12:14-13:45) is going to be taking a quiz that will take up most of the class, so there's no point in me going to that either! SAY WHAT!?! I'm freakin' out!

I freak out, because the second group I'm supposed to be with tomorrow is easily the most difficult group to deal with on an energetic level. So the fact I've been sitting in silence and speaking love into their souls the last few days, and now won't even see them, is strangely awesome, not a result I would have expected, and also, perhaps a sign I'm not quite ready for all that.

It's possible that God is giving me this extra time off, to deepen and continue this practice, so when I am with them next I have had more than just a few days under my belt. A lot can change and happen in three days, but five months of hardships can't be undone in just 18 minutes (in this particular case). So, thank You, God, for this little break and chance to keep up with it before I step into the ring again (something I shouldn't even say, because simply making a comment like that demonstrates I'm considering it battle, which will only cause it to be/remain the same). And thank you, Love, for coming back around to me!

I knew that this probably wouldn't change their behavior so much, but as Captain Jack Sparrow said, "The problem isn't the problem. The problem is how your attitude about the problem." So, I've been sending deep love to all of their conflicted teen souls, and the whole time, it's been getting ready to come back around to me and give me an unexpected day off work! Amazing!

Thank you, All There Is 

<3

Update on 11/03/2015:

I just got home to read some messages from another teacher I'm meant to have two hours with tomorrow, and she forgot I was supposed to be with her, and has an exam in the classes, so I don't start at 8:15, but instead at 12:45. Seriously...this is unreal. Meditate Love onto anything that's giving you a hard time, it cannot persist if you do. That I swear!

Blessings, Love, Light & Wonder to all you magical Beings out there,

I adore you, I cherish you, I love you

-Allison :)

I Finally Know Why I'm Here

I am here because it's not where I would choose to be. I am here because where I work isn't where I would choose to work. I am here because so much of what takes up and requires most of my time and energy isn't what I would choose to dedicate it to. I am here, because so much of my life right now isn't what I want. And if none of that makes any sense, and you're wondering why on Earth I'm overflowing with gratitude right now in spite of having just said that the town in which I live isn't where I want to live, or the work I'm doing isn't the work I want to be doing, and you're wondering how in heck I'm thanking God profusely for it all in this moment, then you have stepped into my shoes and are sharing the same train of thought that was running round in my head for the last months, but no longer is. No longer is, as of about three minutes ago.

In previous posts and conversations I've mentioned that in one of my jobs I have some particularly hard groups, and the classes don't go so well. They've been torturous in some ways, and have taken a major toll on my energy, my mental health, and my overall state of Being. This has caused a ripple effect, and instead of living in a state of gratitude, I started to live in a state of dread. Getting out of bed in the morning was nearly impossible, and on most occasions, I just wanted to run away. I'd imagine just walking off and never looking back, and feel so deeply inside of me that life would be much happier that way. My face must have portrayed it, and my actions certainly did. I just didn't care about anything I was doing, and was certain I was just going through the motions, living entirely without passion or purpose. I guess I could say I was a bit depressed, and I know I could say I was bitter, angry, and disgusted with everything around me, but worse, in me.

All the while I've known and believed in the power of thought, and figured I could make some drastic changes if I simply applied my mental energy to thinking well of these groups or students, but haven't been strong enough to muster the energy to do it. I didn't know where to start, because, to be honest, the negative and adverse emotions/thoughts/feelings I had towards them were too strong and constant, and well, I just didn't want to. Satan had me strung up, and he wasn't about to let me off that easy. When facing this adversity a couple times a week, each week, there isn't much time in between battles to recover, gear up, get strong, and be loving when entering the next. It's a perpetual cycle, that while there are lag moments, it never really stops. Kind of like the washing machine. But finally, a break came! I've had some time and I have finally implemented a practice I decided I wanted to take on in order to test the power of the mind, and see some positive changes occur: 5 minutes a day of meditating love on these students and groups. Ya know, just to see what would happen..

Just moments before I started this post, I finished my first Five Minute Meditation, and moments before that, I decided to one-up it, and follow the Five Minutes Meditation of Love, with five minutes of meditating on thoughts/feelings of gratitude. So I set a timer for 6 minutes, allowing myself one extra minute to settle in, do an introduction, and begin; and stopped myself when I heard it buzzing. Then, I said some closing comments (everything done mentally), opened my eyes, and restarted the timer, this time shifting into Thankful Mode.

In just those 12 minutes, my entire life and perspective on my situation changed.

The love that I felt when picturing my students' faces was pure, was real, and was not a love I knew I could project on them considering how our time spent together goes. It overcame all the dark energy I felt before, and there was no doubt in my mind that I love them. I love them, because God fills me with love, and His Love is unconditional (a love I pray to have as best I can as a human). I invited the whole high school into my heart, and told it I was enveloping it in my love -- God's Love. I imagined certain groups, certain students, and spoke powerful amounts of love, understanding, and acceptance into them. It was a real love, and now that I've felt it and sent it to them, I know I can make it happen when I look into their eyes our next hour. And then, just like that, while I was still heating up, *buzz, buzz, buzz,* time to stop. And I did.

In the book I recently read, Choose Yourself, by James Altucher, he says that when we're working on something, it's good to stop when we're really excited about it (he's talking about writing a book, but it can apply to anything). He thinks that if we stop what we're doing while we're just starting to get really psyched up about it, it'll make it easier for us to return to it the next day. So, I'm applying this principle to these meditations, even though I didn't want to stop.

It would have been so easy for me to keep going. Love is an endless fountain and flow, so is our energy, so once it gets going and flowing, wow, it's really hard to stop it! But I want to be looking forward to the next Five Minute Meditation, and go straight to my mat excitedly, so I didn't let myself keep going for more than 30 seconds after the timer went off. Then I shifted gears.

I firmly believe, that if we give thanks for the good things in our life we will attract more of them. I also firmly believe, that we can trick ourselves into loving something we don't really love if we give thanks for it. What it is doesn't necessarily change, but our State of Being/Thinking/Feeling does, and well, that actually does change everything else that comes with it. So, during my Five Minute Meditation of Gratitude, I focused a lot of my thanks on this place I'm in, Écija, and my job.

Écija is a small town in Andalucía, an hour from Sevilla. It's a beautiful, historic town, and there are a lot of good people here, but as I've mentioned before, it's not my place. It and I do not mesh as well as we could, and it was incredibly hard for me to come here, after having spent an amazing year and a half in Sevilla, a city that suits me so well. But I came, and have been trying to love it as much as I can since. Or have I?

I spent a lot of time here not appreciating it, and finding it even harder to love it, because I am still working in a high school, and to leave a city that's been ranked one of the top five cities in the world to visit/live in (Sevilla), well, pretty much any transition is tough. I'd wanted to stay in Sevilla and assist in a primary school, change up the scene a bit, learn a new way of teaching, be around a different age group, and definitely, leave high school. (I mean, can you blame me? How many years do YOU want to spend in high school? My experience was relatively great, but it's still high school, and four years are enough.) But, it's not what God had in mind, and I've spent a lot of my time here questioning why this is what He chose for me instead. I trust God 100%, and know he doesn't make mistakes, but in light of my struggles at work, I just couldn't figure out what it was He had in mind for me this year. Until now.

Just now, during my Five Minute Meditation of Gratitude, God revealed to me why I am here, and I am SO grateful!

It's not because He wants me to change anything here, that's just going to be a ripple effect of my colorful, foreign presence; it's not because He wants to torture me, it's not because He wants me to feel like I'm wasting a year I could be using to volunteer and travel, nor any of the other pessimistic things I've been thinking. Simply put, it's because the largest factors of my daily life (where I live and the work I'm doing) are not what I want. Confusing? It was for me at first too, but let me explain...

He chose this situation for me, to give me a huge opportunity to put into practice and master all the practices, thoughts, and things I've been learning over the last years: Be Here Now, Give Thanks, Love Through Everything, Emit Your Own Frequency, Accept As Is, Be Your Best Self (all the time).

I'm here, because without this situation, I'd be in one that I am in love with, and these practices would flow freely from me, but that's not what really counts. It's easy to live and love in the now, accept and give thanks for what is, and Be My Best Self when things are going my way and what surrounds me fills me with love. What's not easy, is to apply all of this, to do all of this, to Be all of this, when the largest targets of time and energy are in contrast to what I want. (This applies to all of us.:)

He brought me here, to give me the chance to really practice what I preach, and watch what happens. He's giving me a chance to take a break from the fairly easy life I've had, and struggle with some stuff a bit. Wrestle with some alligators and figure out how to smile and give thanks the whole time I'm doing it! I've spent so long knowing all these things, and freely, easily practicing them while I travel, meet new people, do this, or do that, but those are all things that light my fire, they're my passions. It's important to apply these practices and Be my best self in these moments, but it comes naturally. Now, here, in this place, in these situations, it does not come naturally in the least, and that's why He's brought me here: to do it anyways, or at least, figure out and practice how to do it anyways.

Now, when I say thanks to Him for bringing me here, for this being my life and circumstance, it's not something I'm saying simply hoping to make it come true. I'm not just saying it because I believe I can trick myself into feeling it, or expect it to magically change something around me. No. Now when I give thanks for Him bringing me here, I can say it with passion, because I finally know why I'm here! It has been revealed, and it's awesome! It's just another great chance in life to improve myself, and set myself up for an even brighter future!

I can't wait to keep up with this practice, and keep you guys informed of the results I'm seeing and feeling from it. This is going to be an amazing way to finish out my time here in Spain, and an incredible way to set myself up for an even more wondrous pattern than I expected before!

I hope that if you're facing adverse circumstances, you can perhaps embark on this practice and journey with me. We can support each other, tell each other how we're feeling, and keep each other mindfully living. On those days we don't feel like meditating anything beautiful, we can remind each other of how beneficial this practice is, and how important it is to keep up with it. Let's be here for one another, and be amazed by the results we see from it! Get in touch with me anytime you need, I'm here for you, I love you.

I send you all my love and gratitude, and wish you a very happy Sunday!

Blessings, Love, Light & Wonder,

Allison :)

Unexpected Appointments

My church back home is doing a 40-day prayer challenge that goes along with a book called, Drawing the Circle. Each day, there's a devotional you read, and then you pray. You journal, think, talk, and it's supposed to be an amazing 40-day experience, that can actually change the course of your entire life. My mom asked my family if we wanted to all do it together. I'm here in Spain, my sister is in Santa Barbara for college, and my parents in Stockton, she thought it would be a really cool thing for us to do together so we can be closer in spite of the distances between all of us. So we started it exactly one week ago today, and it's been really cool so far!

Last Thursday I had a little break in between classes at the high school, and decided to go to El Nuevo Rupert, a bar that's close to the school, to have a coffee, a Semana Santa donut (pastries and treats can be quite seasonal or holiday specific here), and hang with God to do my devotional/meditation/prayer. So after ordering my coffee and donut, which casually turned into two when he just put them on my plate, in spite of me only ordering one (que pena, what a shame), I went to sit at a table and get down with my Papa God!

There happened to be two other people in this little outdoor seating area, both at their own tables alone. I'm not quite sure how the conversation got started between the elderly lady and I (it's Andalucia, so I'm really not surprised), but I mentioned that I was coming to sit out here because it was so loud inside, and I was going to do some meditation. After returning to the table with my Americano, the older man at his table asked me what kind of meditation I was doing, and I told him about what it was, and we began talking. And in the maybe 10-15 minutes that we spent talking, we covered such a range of topics, and it was an encounter that left me feeling so full of love, light, and confidence in the path I'm on.

We talked about where I'm from and what I'm doing here, and I told him that I love Sevilla so much, but I'm also kind of ready to try somewhere new. He then proceeded to tell me all about his son, who lived in China for a number of years, spent a year traveling around the world, did a year traveling the United States, and an array of other places and things, including his own time spent living in China, how the people are, and other facets of his life. I told him about my plans to work two jobs for another year, and then take a year to travel the world and do volunteer work. He told me that when I go to Asia, I'm going to stay there for a very long time, and I agreed. And I told him that I wanted to experience as much of the world as I possibly could, and he told me he knew I would.

His faith in me and the plans and ideas I have for my life, after just knowing me for 10 minutes, was astonishing, and gave me such a lift. He believed in me, and could tell just by meeting me, that everything I said I wanted and was going to do, was going to happen. It's not everyday people support you when they hear about your plans to spend most of the next five years of your life with nothing more than a backpack and heart full of love. But he did. And he gave me the greatest gift anyone possibly could: heartfelt support and understanding.

We mostly talked about travel, and how important it is, but we also talked a bit about life, learning, and really living a happy, full life. And by the time we bid our a' dues, I was so, so happy that I hadn't let the "I just came here to meditate and now this man won't stop talking to me" thoughts conquer the moment. I remained open, and kept myself fully, 100% in the moment, and it was such a marvelous decision, that led to a truly blessed moment. Upon our good-byes, he told me he was going to leave me with his final words, which, as they came into my conscious space, were well-received and magnificent,

"Open heart. Open mind. Travel a lot, as much as you can. You're young, and have a lot of life to live. There's a lot to see in the world. There are a lot of good people who can teach you a lot of things and show you things you didn't know before. And always, stay in touch with your family."

 

And after he left, and I opened my devotional book to begin, I began to laugh, as I read that the concept of the day's devotional and prayer was about appointments that God makes for us. Each step is established by God. He makes appointments for us, but it's up to us to keep them. I'm so happy I don't have to sit here and wonder what would have happened if I'd talked to that man instead of shutting him out to do my devotional. It was a truly blessed morning and moment. Thank you <3

 

Blessings, Love & Light to you all!

 

As well as deep hopes that you all remain open to all that happens in your life. There's a blessing to be found in every situation, whether we see it immediately, or not. Stay in the moment, always

Be Here Now

<3

Newest Desire

So anyone that knows me well, or not-so-well, or anyone that reads this blog regularly, has probably grasped by now that I am, like many women, completely unsure of what I want in life. I do not know what I want to other than a) help people, b) spread the word of God, c) travel, d) write, and e) photograph, and I have been graduated from college for almost a year now. (Can we talk about where that time went!?! Unbelievable!) But I recently have been getting much more into yoga and pilates, and am thinking I might like to become certified in these practices, and open up my own studio somewhere down the line.

I took my first yoga class during my sophomore year of college (2008) at the gym I was going to, and didn't think much of it at the time. It was a great way to relax, but my balance and land skills weren't the best after I quit playing land sports, and I was still playing water polo and drinking heavily at the time, so something as calm as yoga didn't really match up with my mentality. I loved it after an intense spin class or other type of cardio workout, but never thought I would become a practicing yogi. I was way too ADD to do something as slow and centralized as yoga, or so I thought.

Since I have graduated and not been forced to learn, I have this thirst for knowledge and desire to actually learn things. I've mentioned before that I would love to go back to school and study something I am actually interested in like health/fitness/nutrition. My current favorite idea is one where I go back to school and study these things, while practicing yoga, meditation, and pilates, so I can open up my own yoga/pilates studio, and offer nutrition counseling and personal training. It would also force me to work out, which seems to be about the only times it actually happens..when my body starts to shape-shift into something I don't recognize or desire, or someone else is making me.

Of course, this is just another idea of something I think I might enjoy doing right now, but if you know me, I'd hope you think I would make a good fitness instructor (loud, motivating, but in an encouraging way, and energetic). The human body has always fascinated me, and even though anatomy and physiology are difficult courses, I've always loved them when I've had them, or exposure to different aspects of them. This would also fulfill my desire to help people. Helping them be healthy and live in a more conscious and calm state would be very gratifying, and it would also help me to stay in the kind of mentality that I want to be in at all times -- calm, centered, thankful, positive, and joyful. Also, there are lots of conferences, studies, and gatherings for yoga/meditation/pilates, so I could fulfill my need to travel and explore.

There are so many things I want to do in my life, and I think it is time that I really get out there and start making them happen, because I have no idea if Spain is going to happen for me. The latest update on Spain, other than my flight being rescheduled for the 9th of January, is that I might not be able to go in January at all. The school cannot make that decision, and has to check with the local school authorities that run the international program. So, all my plans and ideas about Spain could take a bit of a 90* turn at some point. (Explanation as to why a 90* turn instead of 180* turn coming after I learn more myself.)

Today's Thought: I have no idea if Spain is going to happen for me, so I've gotta start thinking of some back-up plans. I have no idea where my path leads, but I'm looking forward to the journey, and the destination. And I have nothing to worry, stress or fear in all of this, because where ever I end up will be perfect, and where I am supposed to be.