Happy New Year -Hop Into Your New LIfe

Happy Frog Year

 Our inner and outer worlds  are colliding right now. If you find yourself slammed with too many things that are going awry then it is time to slow down and sip your tea.  If you don't like what you are seeing then it is time to change it. If you like it , then keep doing what you are doing. Feel the feelings, they are your GPS to your New Year.

Invisible Warriors

What if we are all invisible warriors. We get up every morning and we  do the very best that we can.

Frog Sighting

We cope with health, employment, housing, taxes, children, parents etc. We don't even notice how many small challenges we face every day. We simply muster through them.

Kindnesses and Small Frog Wishes

small frog wishes

My Husband and I went to see the movie, St. Vincents last night. It is the story of  the relationship between an aging Vietnam Veteran, Bill Murray and his 12 year old neighbor, Jaeden Liberher told in a candid, sometimes painful and always heart felt manner.

And the Turtle Smiled

Turtle Wisdon

I wonder how we forgot all that we are. I wonder why we insist that we are weak, powerless and un knowing. When we forget who we are, we start getting distracted by everything that is going wrong in the world. Then we take a breath and remember that we are all enough.

Finding Compassion for Self

Sacred  Frog Flower

So what do you do if you do not have any idea about how to be compassionate to yourself. In fact, it might be such a foreign concept that it seems ridiculous to even think about it........

Compassion For Self

Gold Frog

Have you noticed that things and people seem to be falling apart?  We are witnessing a world that doesn't make any sense. So how do we cope with our own dramas and nightmare stories using life sustaining and loving strategies.

Overwhelming Response To Are You Normal Yet Is No........

warty toad

 I believe that we are all a bit quirky and we have been trained to smooth out the wrinkles and eccentricities. I feel that we do this at great cost to ourselves and our health.The question is how do we know that we are being de-wrinkled. Everyone is certainly different, for me it has been the presence of pain in my body.

Are you Normal Yet?

Rainbow Frog

I have frequently heard others say that I am different, weird, awesome, unusual, quirky, interesting, even an alien, etc. At times, I have resented their labels and at other times agreed.

Take Back Your Life Right Now

Frog Sense

There is too much conflicting  information about how to take care of ourselves. We have been told that we do not know what is best for us. We were told to eat plenty of butter and then plenty of margarine and now we are back to butter.  We have adjusted our sleep schedule according to what the latest specialist has to say. As a consequence we have been sleep deprived. Oh yes, what about sun exposure, we have reduced it so much that we are depressed.

Sacred Recipe- Berbere Spice

Hanging On

This is a followup to the blog post about the movie Sacred Science. The Movie Link
If you have not watched it yet, there is still time. Many of you have watched it already and enjoyed it.
We are all on a healing journey whether we know it or not.  Often it is a more enlightening journey if we are conscious of where we might be going.

A Ball Cap For A Frog

Ball Cap for a Frog

I loved painting this frog. He seemed silly and quite wise to me. Sometimes, the wisest thing that we can do is to be silly.
I am including a Ted Talk link that shares silly  inventions that will bring a smile to your face. A Ted talk about silly and then smart inventions.

Sacred Science

Blue Eyed Frog

Spiders, Ayahuasca, Shamans, healing, cancer and spiritual journeys are all found in the movie titled Sacred  Science. This is a true story  of 8 men and women from all over the world  as they travel their own road to healing in the Amazon Jungle. I  believe  that we can heal ourselves in many different ways. This is a powerful way if you are called to it.

California Dreaming

My husband and I just went out to Ojai, California for a family wedding. The forecast was for a heat wave caused by Santa Anna desert  winds. Of course, it was to be an outdoor wedding and reception.

Eucalyptus Fairy Tree

Since I have not visited California for the past twenty years, I was really excited to go and it was amazing.

Telling the Truth and Dancing

Singing Frog

It is hard to read today's news . There is a strong presence of doom and gloom wherever we look. Schools are facing hard times. Teachers are not happy with their curriculums and students are acting out.  Many people are not happy with their jobs and looking for a better fit. Many adults seem to think that helping people is the road to happiness.

Spiritual Warriors- Living Out Of The Box

Frog Breath

From a very young age, I have  felt that I have been able to see the larger picture. Some people are just naturally good with the details and I have been much better with seeing the vastness. So today, I would like to suggest that my blog posts are leading you to become spiritual warriors.

Thank you

Fairy Frog Of Blog Writing

I just wanted to take a moment and say a big Thank You for reading my blog. I had over 300 readers of my blog this week and that is a first for me. I have had an ambivalent relationship with writing for writing since I was in college. I had one of those english professors that cared more about grammar and style than substance. I stopped writing  publicly at that point and kept  personal journals for years.

Courage Zone - Living Out Of The Box

Courage Zone

 When we tell the truth about what is going on, we shift out of our comfort zone and into the courage zone of being.  The comfort zone is oh so safe and filled with daily rituals and practices that we do automatically. However, the courage zone means that we make mistakes, get scared and may not know what the next step is.......

Nothing Is As It Seems- Living Out Of The Box

Frog Princess

Every day I wake up with different takes on the world around me. For some time, I have been feeling that nothing is as it seems. Perhaps we are all part demon and part princess. The worst news can often assist us to make the best changes and the best news can move us into lethargy and depression. 

Change your Story, Living Out Of The Box

Slow and steady

I have been talking about how anger can be transformative but I have not shared how to achieve that. So if you are willing to change your story, please read on. For many of you, you may already know about Tapping, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or Faster EFT.  They all work.

Anger - Part 2- Living Out Of The Box

Toad Prince

  Anger is a complicated emotion. it can move things and people or completely destroy both. Most of the time, we do not like to talk about anger.

How Hot Can it Get-Living Out Of The Box

breath of fire

It is easy to get really angry. these days.
Are  watching or listening to the news  regularly?
Are you watching violent television shows?
Are you running from work to home and back to work without taking care of yourself?
Are your kids so angry that they are acting out?
Do you find yourself at the doctor's office often?
Are you  often irritated while driving your car ?
Are you yelling at your dog too much?

All We Need Is Love -Living Out Of The Box

Flower Power

All we need is love is  so simple and yet we don't get it. Everything can be healed with love. When the time comes to leave the planet, the only thing that will really matter is how much you loved and were loved. How do you feel right now? Are you loving enough?

Mirroring - Living Out Of The Box

Rainbow Dragonfly

What if everything that we experience is a lesson or mirror for us. I shared the story in Brian Weiss' book in the last blog post.  I did not really understand fully why I was  so focused on that story and then I got it.

Another Lemon Story-Living Out Of The Box

Gloucester Sunset

I know that some of you are thinking, not again with the lemons. Please bear with me. Yesterday, I was reading Dr. Brian Weiss' new book, titled  Miracle Happen- The Transformational Healing Power of Past Life Memories by Dr. Brian Weiss. In the book one of his students shares this vision of meeting  her Masters or Spiritual Guides.

What are Lemons Anyway? - Living Out Of The Box

"Courageous Fear"

I know that it is hard to imagine that everything that we experience has a positive and negative side.  It is possible that things are changing so much that  our lemons or "lessons" are no longer what they were even a couple of months ago.

Making Lemons Out of Lemonade - LIving Out Of The Box

wolf dream

When I first wrote the previous blog, I actually sent it out with this title. Then I realized my "mistake" and changed it. Perhaps, my unconscious mind had actually put up the correct title.  How many times do we have amazing opportunities and we still find them to be lemons.  Here's to finding as many lemons as you can and seeing the opportunities within them.
The Wolf painting came within in a dream  a couple of nights ago.......

Making Lemonade Out Of Lemons -Living Out Of The Box

Stone Men

In a previous post, I shared that our vacation plans changed at the last minute. We had an opportunity to see what would unfold if we did not hold onto the old plans. Well, we were thrilled with the change.

Clearing- Living Out Of The Box

frog mover

I just painted "Frog Mover" this morning. I was inspired by the symbolic meaning of  frogs. When we notice frogs, we are guided to clear out old negative energy.

Flexibility-Living Out Of The Box

We had been planning to go to Beaufort, South Carolina for a two week vacation since early winter. We were going to leisurely enjoy the beautiful coastal area and check out the local turtles, herons, etc. Well that all changed yesterday. We no longer  had a place to stay. Our reservation did not exist. I was really startled and then settled down with the following thoughts going through my mind.

Embracing Change- Living Out Of The Box

Holding on

My husband and I saw Chef in the movie theatre last night. Neither one of us had heard of the movie but it looked intriguing.  I read on moviefone  that it was about re-finding passion and great Latin music. And it was good.  The protagonist had been beaten down into cooking things that he hated and he was miserable. The rest you will have to find out for yourself.......

Stained Glass Reflections- Living Out Of The Box

Reflections

While I was up in Maine over the weekend, my sister  Robin, her friend Sara and I were talking about life and what is important to us right now. Sara asked each of us where in the world we would most like to visit?

Grandhog's Day Over and Over - Living Out Of The Box

Frog Legs

Everyday, we wake up and think about the long list of things that we need to do. Whether it is going to work, getting the kids spring clothes,  mowing the lawn or  fixing meals. We figure these things out daily. What we forget to place on our list is our physical body.  Somehow, we imagine that our bodies will magically heal without paying attention to them.

Cynicism or Prayer - Living Out Of The Box

Rainbow Frog

I just saw the new movie Heaven is Real. It is a true story about a 4 year old boy who  visited heaven while he was on the operating table. He did not technically die according to the medical staff  but  he did remember many amazing and "unbelievable"things about his celestial journey.

Expect the Unexpected- Living Out Of The Box

Lynx Tree fairy

My friend, Natalie, and I  were walking through a beautiful local county park today and we happened to see  a pile of just cut logs from two big trees.  I truly believe that every tree is a live sentient being and houses fairies.
 I was so pleased to see several  beautiful images on the cut wood. The lynx tree fairy is one of the images. The fairies were quickly disappearing and I am glad that I was able to photograph some of them. What do you see in the wood's surface?

Meeting your Dark Side-Living Out Of The Box

Frogness

We hate to say the truth about our failures. We like to pretend that we have always met with success and happiness. I don't believe that is true. True happiness seems to come out of finding our way out of darkness.

Finding Our Intuition Through Art and Other Creative Things- Living Out Of The Box

Frog Dreamer

"When we grow older and can no longer summon our parents by crying, we have to learn to find the inner resource with which we can love ourselves unconditionally. This inner resources comes to us through intuition". This is a direct quote from  Giora Carmi's book "Opening Intuitive Flow Through Artwork".

New Parenting / Grandparenting Blog- Dragonfly Parenting

I am a Toad

I am so grateful for all the readers of this blog. I am sincerely grateful for your heartfelt comments about this posts. I love that the frogs have developed a life of their own and bring in their own unique wisdom
I have decided to write another blog specifically focusing upon parenting strategies.

Are You Lazy or Just Being Creative?-Living Out Of The Box

Frog Reveries

When was the last time that you took a nap? Or the last time that you simply looked up at the clouds to see what shapes you could find ? Or the last time that you simply sat down to look at the birds at your bird feeder? I would  guess that if you did any of these things recently, you felt incredibly guilty about them.

Telling the Truth- Living Out Of The Box

Frog Truth

After you have decided that you are a hero, the next challenge is to tell the truth about your current situation. For example, a client said that he was feeling really sad and disconnected from his life. He could not get out of the funk for days and he could not say what was wrong. Then one day, he told the truth, I hate my job. Just saying it aloud, he  began to change his future.

Are You A Hero or a Coward? - Living Out Of The Box

frog eyes

I watched an interesting movie last night called "One Fall". James Bond, the" anti healer", falls off a two hundred foot cliff and survives. In fact, he does more than that, he  develops  powers that can heal the very sick. However, he struggles with greed and pervasive grouchiness and has trouble getting it right.

Tricks and Treats on Our Life Journey - Living Out Of The Box

Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter  is one of those treats. Rob writes a weekly astrological forecast that is funny, quirky, interesting and usually very accurate. I love reading my forecast and it often gives me food for thought about the week to come. The weekly newsletter includes a general summary of the week, links to awesome happenings in the world and then the monthly forecast for your astrological sign.

frog  walk

The following paragraph is the introduction to this weeks forecast:

" Act as if the universe is a prodigious miracle created for your amusement and illumination. Assume that secret helpers are working behind the scenes to assist you in turning into the gorgeous masterpiece you were born to be. Join the conspiracy to shower all of creation with blessings."

I hope that you will enjoy your forecast for this week as well.
Rob Brezsny's astrological forecast

Do You Have Too Many Choices? - Living Out Of The Box

Frog Thoughts

As you are probably aware by now,  there are  many techniques that you can use to begin to Live Out Of The Box. So how do you choose which one works best for you?  It can be an overwhelming decision.  I have been getting great feedback about this series and I am very grateful for the response.
However, I  am curious if  you are wondering  how to choose which technique is the right one for you?

Do The Best That You Can - Living Out Of The Box

I have shared several techniques for Living Out of the Box. Have you successfully

Sedona Healing 

made some changes yet?  If you have, is it hard to be consistent with the new habits?  I definitely have changed some things and yet  I still  get really twisted up about not being perfect.   I am a master at second guessing myself. I can do it especially well when I am tired, cranky, hungry and the moon is in the wrong phase:) Really, I can do it at  anytime.   I know all of the right words to say to others but sometimes it just does not work for me . So what do you do when  it is 11:00 PM  and my **"Tornado mind" is working over time.

What do you see in your Future? - Living Out Of The Box

Dragonfly Looking Over The Edge

Like the dragonfly looking out onto his world, I wonder what you see coming up on the horizon. Perhaps, 2014 is the year of getting what you really want. Perhaps you can no longer blame others for your unhappy life. It is time to really begin to see that you have a great deal of control over what will transpire over the next 10 months.

Slow Down - Living Out Of The Box

Frog Song

We are tired of being held back by the snow, ice, rain, illness, lack of opportunity etc and yet maybe there is a reason for the slow down.
We hate to stop, think and feel but perhaps we need to take the time right now. So if you are stuck inside, pull out something that you think about doing but don't have the time.. Perhaps, you have an art project, scrap booking, a great book or movie, give yourself to permission to enjoy it. Or if you have a favorite song , allow yourself to ribbit like the frog:). or the  "Happy Song" from Despicable Me soundtrack

Are There Elephants in Your Living Room? - Living Out of the Box

Healing Elephants?

How many elephants are in your life right now?  You know the image of that huge lurking elephant that no one wishes to address and yet it clouds everything that happens. Is it overlooking an affair?  Or perhaps  your son is smoking too much marijuana?

Changing a Habit - Living Out of the Box

Metamorphosis

Are you tired of complaining that you are paying for a fitness membership that you hardly use?  It takes three weeks to change a habit? Are you ready to try it. Lot of folks believe that you can make big changes all at once and that is just not true. It is better to start with one small, doable change and follow through with that action daily for three weeks. At the end of three weeks, the habit will be learned and it will give you a tremendous sense of satisfaction.

Do You Believe in Fairies? LIving Out of the Box

Believe in Fairies

I know that you are probably thinking why would I want to do that. Well there are so many reasons why I think that you might want to:
1- you want to believe in magic and don't know how to start.
2. you think that they are beautiful and would love to see one in your garden.
3. your children already believe in them.
4. they can be of tremendous help growing flowers and shrubs  in your garden.
5. they love to have fun and we could all use more play in our lives.

I am afraid that I am getting well- Living out of the Box

dragonfly healing

We have heard the message that thoughts become things for years. I do believe that this is  true. Have you recently been guilty of saying any of these thoughts?
I am afraid I am getting sick.
I am afraid I am getting depressed.
I am afraid that I will never feel good again.
Sometimes just changing one word around can make a difference.

Animal Totems- Living out of the Box

ICE CIRCLE

Did you know that the mouse  signifies true courage and the rabbit is the reminder to stop worrying.  I often use animal totems as a way to reconnect back to nature and my true self. Animals have been used as powerful symbols since the beginning of time. Taking the time to step outside of ourselves and our busy lives is mind altering. When we are in nature, we remember to breathe more slowly, smell the roses and walk with care on the earth.