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Doing The Thing Big
Here we are again, May 25, 2012
Random ideas that may be very useful:
Life is like a riptide ~ we can fight it and struggle, or relax and go with the flow.
Feeling sorry for someone does not help them. It focuses on the smallest part of them. Faith is believing in what we do not see. We all have a divine spark. Grow faith in this. Focus on that BIGness in yourself and others and watch things change.
Disease happens when we are at odds with ourselves (pretty hard to find a wide scale cure for that). The cure is to reverse the cycle of being at odds with oneself. The cure will come for each individual inside them. Hating the disease does not help. It just builds another wall of blame. Take responsibility. Learning to be kind to yourself is a simple start in healing.
Be your own best friend today,
Dana
Random ideas that may be very useful:
Life is like a riptide ~ we can fight it and struggle, or relax and go with the flow.
Feeling sorry for someone does not help them. It focuses on the smallest part of them. Faith is believing in what we do not see. We all have a divine spark. Grow faith in this. Focus on that BIGness in yourself and others and watch things change.
Disease happens when we are at odds with ourselves (pretty hard to find a wide scale cure for that). The cure is to reverse the cycle of being at odds with oneself. The cure will come for each individual inside them. Hating the disease does not help. It just builds another wall of blame. Take responsibility. Learning to be kind to yourself is a simple start in healing.
Be your own best friend today,
Dana
Doing Your Thing
Greetings! May 19, 2012
This time...fall in love with yourself!
But wait -- Isn't self-love selfish? Yes. It is constructively selfish, and it is time.
It is said that if we just spend 20 minutes a day focused on learning something, we can master it. My gentle challenge to you is to spend that time learning about yourself.
Why?
I believe that for anything you want: love, forgiveness, approval, safety, happiness, health, even riches...
You must start with you.
"Love thy neighbor" -- How can I love my neighbor if I can't love myself?
"Forgive & forget" -- Can I forgive another if I don't forgive myself first?
If you think it is better to give than to receive, start giving to yourself what you long for. Start softening yourself to allow and receive what your giving to you. This will create a foundation inside you for the best philanthropy the world has ever seen.
What do you think? I would love to hear from you...
Do Your Thing with Love,
Dana
This time...fall in love with yourself!
But wait -- Isn't self-love selfish? Yes. It is constructively selfish, and it is time.
It is said that if we just spend 20 minutes a day focused on learning something, we can master it. My gentle challenge to you is to spend that time learning about yourself.
Why?
I believe that for anything you want: love, forgiveness, approval, safety, happiness, health, even riches...
You must start with you.
"Love thy neighbor" -- How can I love my neighbor if I can't love myself?
"Forgive & forget" -- Can I forgive another if I don't forgive myself first?
If you think it is better to give than to receive, start giving to yourself what you long for. Start softening yourself to allow and receive what your giving to you. This will create a foundation inside you for the best philanthropy the world has ever seen.
What do you think? I would love to hear from you...
Do Your Thing with Love,
Dana
Doing The Thing with Death / Hospice
Good Day! May 4, 2012
I hope you are well and happy.
Here is what I'm learning about death and life through my hospice work...
~ Facing death helps us live more fully.
~ It may be the biggest growth process in life.
~ Death is the ultimate 'Letting go' / Surrender (which always feels really good).
~ Death is harder if you are still carrying baggage. The more bags, the harder it is.
[ Fear is a very heavy piece of baggage and may contribute greatly to dementia ]
~ Facing death can bring out the best in people.
~ The death process holds potential for expansion, growth, power, even pleasure.
It is an honor for me to be part of this process with people. Maybe the most important thing I am learning that I want to share with you is:
Let's experiment with and start using all this information while we are still in
the vibrant process of living.
Much love, health, wealth and happiness to you,
Dana
I hope you are well and happy.
Here is what I'm learning about death and life through my hospice work...
~ Facing death helps us live more fully.
~ It may be the biggest growth process in life.
~ Death is the ultimate 'Letting go' / Surrender (which always feels really good).
~ Death is harder if you are still carrying baggage. The more bags, the harder it is.
[ Fear is a very heavy piece of baggage and may contribute greatly to dementia ]
~ Facing death can bring out the best in people.
~ The death process holds potential for expansion, growth, power, even pleasure.
It is an honor for me to be part of this process with people. Maybe the most important thing I am learning that I want to share with you is:
Let's experiment with and start using all this information while we are still in
the vibrant process of living.
Much love, health, wealth and happiness to you,
Dana
Doing The Thing with Self-reliance
Hello, April 7, 2012
When something 'happens' to someone, it triggers me to handle any unresolved parts of myself.
We have very dear friends who seemed like the happiest of families / wife, husband and little one.
Just recently, something happened to the wife. Her husband (and best friend since junior high) told her he no longer wanted to be married. She had no idea there was anything wrong.
What this did to her:
devastation, loss, heartbreak, and all that goes with it...
What hearing this did to me:
shock, disbelief, and probably some of the same emotions that she felt on a much smaller scale. I asked myself, "What would I do if this happened to me?"
But as usual I am here to convert anything I think is negative into its opposite. I can't help it. It is just what I do. I am here to learn through joy or heartache.
Here is what I am learning from this news:
~ People in our lives come and go (sometimes like my father did), not on our timing, but on theirs.
~ We may temporarily or permanently lose a parent, friend, spouse, or child.
~ There are no guarantees coming from anyone else.
~ ~ ~ But, the best part of all this is you have yourself! ~ ~ ~
This story highlights the critical importance of "Doing The Thing" which means to build a relationship so strong with yourself that you can count on you for anything.
Even if it feels like your world is falling down around you, you can count on the relationship you've built with yourself to keep you going with faith in the process of self-reliant living.
In Unconditional Love,
Dana
When something 'happens' to someone, it triggers me to handle any unresolved parts of myself.
We have very dear friends who seemed like the happiest of families / wife, husband and little one.
Just recently, something happened to the wife. Her husband (and best friend since junior high) told her he no longer wanted to be married. She had no idea there was anything wrong.
What this did to her:
devastation, loss, heartbreak, and all that goes with it...
What hearing this did to me:
shock, disbelief, and probably some of the same emotions that she felt on a much smaller scale. I asked myself, "What would I do if this happened to me?"
But as usual I am here to convert anything I think is negative into its opposite. I can't help it. It is just what I do. I am here to learn through joy or heartache.
Here is what I am learning from this news:
~ People in our lives come and go (sometimes like my father did), not on our timing, but on theirs.
~ We may temporarily or permanently lose a parent, friend, spouse, or child.
~ There are no guarantees coming from anyone else.
~ ~ ~ But, the best part of all this is you have yourself! ~ ~ ~
This story highlights the critical importance of "Doing The Thing" which means to build a relationship so strong with yourself that you can count on you for anything.
Even if it feels like your world is falling down around you, you can count on the relationship you've built with yourself to keep you going with faith in the process of self-reliant living.
In Unconditional Love,
Dana
Do The Thing Healing & PTSD
Hello, March 18th, 2012
My husband and I had a meaningful dinner with friends last night.
Mixed into a fascinating conversation about Armor (Chapter 4 in "Doing The Thing")
and how it gets in our way, our friend mentioned the extremely high rate of suicide in
Veterans.
I've been studying Post Traumatic Stress Disorder off and on for years in my work of helping people heal from traumatic injuries. In one small article I read about PTSD and Healing, it said, "If the doctor does nothing more than listen to a patient, the patient will be better."
Upon awaking this morning, I thought of a non-profit organization that is dedicated to this cause. Maybe one exists, but in light of the problem, we can do more.
Maybe it is as simple as paying more attention to ourselves / how we are feeling, and to the people around us and how they feel about life. If you can...
~ Be there quietly to listen with non-judgment when someone needs to talk.
~ Talk if you need to express what your heart longs to say.
We all have experienced trauma in our lives. It's time to speak up and time to listen with compassion and love. We can get better every day.
In Well-being,
Dana
My husband and I had a meaningful dinner with friends last night.
Mixed into a fascinating conversation about Armor (Chapter 4 in "Doing The Thing")
and how it gets in our way, our friend mentioned the extremely high rate of suicide in
Veterans.
I've been studying Post Traumatic Stress Disorder off and on for years in my work of helping people heal from traumatic injuries. In one small article I read about PTSD and Healing, it said, "If the doctor does nothing more than listen to a patient, the patient will be better."
Upon awaking this morning, I thought of a non-profit organization that is dedicated to this cause. Maybe one exists, but in light of the problem, we can do more.
Maybe it is as simple as paying more attention to ourselves / how we are feeling, and to the people around us and how they feel about life. If you can...
~ Be there quietly to listen with non-judgment when someone needs to talk.
~ Talk if you need to express what your heart longs to say.
We all have experienced trauma in our lives. It's time to speak up and time to listen with compassion and love. We can get better every day.
In Well-being,
Dana
Doing The Thing with Anger Now
Hello, February 11, 2012
When someone messes with you, you get mad. Anger is designed to help you get back to feeling good again / to solve problems.
Expressing anger in a healthy way is about feeling valuable enough to stand up and say "Hey, treat me right!", or to get fired up enough to start solving a challenging problem that is in your way.
We are here to be creatively / successfully human.
New anger helps us be this in the moment.
Here are the 2 main lessons:
~ growing into knowing your worthiness
~ standing up for yourself
As you grow into knowing your worthiness, it is easier to treat yourself with respect. As you do this it becomes easier to stand up for yourself. Others start treating you with more respect. It becomes a beautiful cycle. Try it!
Is it possible that instead of bullying being the problem, the problem is shared by those who can't productively use their anger to stand up for themselves.
And, it is not just the kids who need to learn this. We all have these challenges.
Kids deal with bullying at school. You may deal with bullying at your work or even in your home.
Since most of us have not been trained in how to use our anger in a healthy way, small steps may be needed to re-raise yourself to do this. Practice with yourself or with a friend / role play before you tackle the intimidating people or problems in your life. Go back and review earlier blogs in this series. It is understandable to feel fear even thinking about standing up for yourself in tough situations. If too much fear is in the way, start with releasing the fear to find your courage. What would you do if you weren't afraid to do it?
We will see a decline in everything we consider "bad", from bullying to Cancer, as we get to know our worthiness and learn to stand up for ourselves.
What are your thoughts on anger?
If you had a chance to attend a class on healthy anger, would you go?
Do The Thing with Love,
Dana
When someone messes with you, you get mad. Anger is designed to help you get back to feeling good again / to solve problems.
Expressing anger in a healthy way is about feeling valuable enough to stand up and say "Hey, treat me right!", or to get fired up enough to start solving a challenging problem that is in your way.
We are here to be creatively / successfully human.
New anger helps us be this in the moment.
Here are the 2 main lessons:
~ growing into knowing your worthiness
~ standing up for yourself
As you grow into knowing your worthiness, it is easier to treat yourself with respect. As you do this it becomes easier to stand up for yourself. Others start treating you with more respect. It becomes a beautiful cycle. Try it!
Is it possible that instead of bullying being the problem, the problem is shared by those who can't productively use their anger to stand up for themselves.
And, it is not just the kids who need to learn this. We all have these challenges.
Kids deal with bullying at school. You may deal with bullying at your work or even in your home.
Since most of us have not been trained in how to use our anger in a healthy way, small steps may be needed to re-raise yourself to do this. Practice with yourself or with a friend / role play before you tackle the intimidating people or problems in your life. Go back and review earlier blogs in this series. It is understandable to feel fear even thinking about standing up for yourself in tough situations. If too much fear is in the way, start with releasing the fear to find your courage. What would you do if you weren't afraid to do it?
We will see a decline in everything we consider "bad", from bullying to Cancer, as we get to know our worthiness and learn to stand up for ourselves.
What are your thoughts on anger?
If you had a chance to attend a class on healthy anger, would you go?
Do The Thing with Love,
Dana
Doing The Thing with Old Anger
Hello again! January 29, 2012
Who really wants to spend time with anger!?
I do, and you may want to too.
Here's why:
~ We want to be happy and healthy.
~ We want to have fun, joy, pleasure.
~ We want abundance of all that is good.
If old anger is inside us, and not able to get out, it stops our fun and our health. If new anger arises and we don't express it constructively, the same thing happens. This weakens us.
But remember...anger is not bad. Anger is not the problem. Misunderstanding anger, and using it in an armored, destructive way is the problem.
Look at yourself with curiosity and make self-discovery a priority. One idea here is to see yourself as a boiling kettle that needs to let off steam so it doesn't explode. You can safely drain bits at a time to help you feel better emotionally and physically.
When you drain your anger make sure you are being safe and kind to yourself and all around you. Most of these anger releasers I do alone. I try not to direct them at anyone. We want to get our anger out / not take it out on others.
Here are solutions that I have used and do use to safely drain old armored anger:
[ These ideas may sound strange to you. They did to me at first. I have had training with this, so now it seems normal, helpful and healthy to me. Take it slow. Pay attention to how you feel about what you are doing. Let your feelings be your guide to do what works for you. If you feel like it's not right for you, try a different approach]
* Yell * Stomp around * Bite a towel (like a dog playing tug-of-war) * Punch pillows
or a punching bag * Swear * Pelvic thrusts * Make ugly faces * Let your eyes
glare * Throw a "2yr old" tantrum * Kick box
When I feel tension in my jaw, It may prompt me to release some stored anger in there.
You can get to know your body well enough to feel where the anger is stuck.
Try to always be aware of how your eyes are feeling. If they feel stuck / blocked / confused, wait until you feel some freedom and clarity in your eyes before doing more with anger. In our armored world, it is normal to fear anger. If you feel afraid of this anger, try seeing the fear in your eyes in a mirror. You are safe. If you can allow this fear to move on, it will help your process.
Dealing with this old stored up anger is different than dealing with new anger that comes up today or tomorrow. Next time let's talk about that too, because it all blends in together.
Please feel free to ask questions about any of this, or share what you are going through. We are learning every day.
Getting back to pleasure,
Dana
Doing The Thing with Anger
Hello, January 28, 2012
Anger has a bad rap.
In the last blog we touched on how anger may relate to peace, and that anger can be used as a constructive force instead of a destructive one.
Anger as a pure natural emotion is designed to get us back to feeling good again.
It is a constructive force, even creative.
When a baby cries because he is hungry or wet, it is not the expression of grief. The baby is crying to express a discomfort and is making a forceful attempt to get her needs met and get back to feeling pleasure.
Anger and other emotions store up in our bodies as stress which turns into tension, pain and disease if they aren't expressed in clear, healthy ways. This is armor.
It is no wonder that anger has a bad reputation. We fear it -- because most of the examples we see are examples of destructive armored anger. It is expressed toward the self as guilt or depression, and expressed toward others as resentment, coercion, bullying and violence.
More than anger management; we need safe ways to get the anger out / to drain it.
Can you feel your body holding onto some of this armor?
Do you want to feel better?
What can you do to express your old armored anger?
Start with a desire to get to know yourself better, and next time I will share some specific tools that have helped me. In the meantime know that you can be in charge of your emotions and your health.
Do The Thing courageously,
Dana
Anger has a bad rap.
In the last blog we touched on how anger may relate to peace, and that anger can be used as a constructive force instead of a destructive one.
Anger as a pure natural emotion is designed to get us back to feeling good again.
It is a constructive force, even creative.
When a baby cries because he is hungry or wet, it is not the expression of grief. The baby is crying to express a discomfort and is making a forceful attempt to get her needs met and get back to feeling pleasure.
Anger and other emotions store up in our bodies as stress which turns into tension, pain and disease if they aren't expressed in clear, healthy ways. This is armor.
It is no wonder that anger has a bad reputation. We fear it -- because most of the examples we see are examples of destructive armored anger. It is expressed toward the self as guilt or depression, and expressed toward others as resentment, coercion, bullying and violence.
More than anger management; we need safe ways to get the anger out / to drain it.
Can you feel your body holding onto some of this armor?
Do you want to feel better?
What can you do to express your old armored anger?
Start with a desire to get to know yourself better, and next time I will share some specific tools that have helped me. In the meantime know that you can be in charge of your emotions and your health.
Do The Thing courageously,
Dana
Peace
Greetings, January 18th, 2012
Around Christmas time I experienced a profound and lasting (for about 2 weeks) sense of Peace. With it came thoughts like, 'I have everything I need.'
At this same time I became highly aware of how many distractions we have in our lives that pull us in different directions. They pull us away from Peace.
I believe that distractions are covering up the Peace that lives in the core of us.
One morning I awoke at the height of this Peaceful feeling. I was inspired to spend the day weeding out distractions like clutter around my home and on my computer.
That very morning I discovered that my email had been hacked. After going through the steps to recover my security, I went back into my email to find that everything was gone; all my files empty and no more contact list.
I know how to get angry when I am, but I truly felt this as a blessing in disguise. I felt a sense of relief, a fresh start. I know that Peace is still at my core (and yours too!), but the distractions are creeping in again. It's possible that the biggest one is our thoughts and how they take us away from all the amazing things we are: Peace, Love, Creativity and Complete Well-being.
Anger is one of the most misunderstood emotions that can help us get back on track / back to ourselves. I think we can learn to use our anger constructively instead of destructively. Let's talk about that piece of the puzzle next time and see if we can get closer to feeling Peace of mind and body more often.
"Doing The Thing" can help you get back to yourself. Find it on Amazon, B&N, area stores and on my website www.doingthething.com.
Yours in Peace,
Dana
Around Christmas time I experienced a profound and lasting (for about 2 weeks) sense of Peace. With it came thoughts like, 'I have everything I need.'
At this same time I became highly aware of how many distractions we have in our lives that pull us in different directions. They pull us away from Peace.
I believe that distractions are covering up the Peace that lives in the core of us.
One morning I awoke at the height of this Peaceful feeling. I was inspired to spend the day weeding out distractions like clutter around my home and on my computer.
That very morning I discovered that my email had been hacked. After going through the steps to recover my security, I went back into my email to find that everything was gone; all my files empty and no more contact list.
I know how to get angry when I am, but I truly felt this as a blessing in disguise. I felt a sense of relief, a fresh start. I know that Peace is still at my core (and yours too!), but the distractions are creeping in again. It's possible that the biggest one is our thoughts and how they take us away from all the amazing things we are: Peace, Love, Creativity and Complete Well-being.
Anger is one of the most misunderstood emotions that can help us get back on track / back to ourselves. I think we can learn to use our anger constructively instead of destructively. Let's talk about that piece of the puzzle next time and see if we can get closer to feeling Peace of mind and body more often.
"Doing The Thing" can help you get back to yourself. Find it on Amazon, B&N, area stores and on my website www.doingthething.com.
Yours in Peace,
Dana
Do The Thing Power Series 3
Happy New Year! January 1, 2012
If I were to teach a class on Power/God training, it may start with a discussion on what power or god means to you. Even though we tend to blanket things together, everyone has their own perception and attitudes about these 2 grand topics.
I suspect many people are intimidated by power because the word conjures images of power struggles, ugly politics, power-suits, corporate greed and war. These are examples of armored power.
As my intimidation of power has given way to open-minded curiosity, the word power brings images like a new-born baby, Jesus, the sun, and Peace.
I feel my power when I feel:
~ Happy
~ Connected to everyone and everything
~ God-like
~ at Peace inside myself no matter what is happening around me
~ Completely responsible for my life
~ Self-sovereign = I am in charge of my thoughts and emotions instead of them
running me. Plus, no blame. I blame no one for "making me" mad.
You have divine power. You are divine power. It is not about money or control or influence. It is about awareness of yourself, and how you interact with yourself and all around you.
My life has been a process of going from fearing my power and running from it. {=living life in the passenger's seat}...to learning about my power and facing it {=living life in the driver's seat}. Through this process it has been very important for me to remember that I am the driver of my life only.
Here is what can help us with our power:
Self-awareness ~ See yourself as a cool science project and be fascinated by what you can learn about your body and psyche. Just learning how to breathe and relax more fully has helped me access my power and embrace it in a safe feeling way.
Simplifying life ~ There are so many distractions like TV, news, fear/worry, focusing on others problems, advertisements, competition, pettiness, guilt. These keep us from getting to know our power. Step by step, eliminate what you can.
Face your fears ~ start with small steps and practice. Make mistakes. It's okay. It helps me to say to myself, "If you weren't afraid to do -----, what would you do?"
Courage feels really good. Practice courage. It accelerates your power.
Sexuality ties in with Power in a big way. Begin to question how your body and more specifically your pelvis is connected to your power. Feel it. Move it. Healthy sex is a connector. Doing The Thing with your sexuality is a topic unto itself we can explore down the road.
Take some quiet time for you. Breathe. Tune in to your amazing core. There is no one in the world like you. Be kind to yourself. Allow at least 15 minutes a day with your passion and build on that time. Whether it's walking in nature, cooking, playing a sport or instrument, helping others or just discovering who you are...what feels good to you is your divine power.
And remember, don't always believe what you think!
Sometimes things we think are wrong with us, (body or psyche) may be improvements in the making. They may be adaptations to our ever changing environment. So instead of focusing on what you think is a problem, ask yourself what opportunity you are being presented with to greater express the powerfully unique being that you are!
What do you want to talk about in the coming year? What are your fears, hopes, visions and plans?
How will you live your Divine Power in 2012?
In Love,
Dana
If I were to teach a class on Power/God training, it may start with a discussion on what power or god means to you. Even though we tend to blanket things together, everyone has their own perception and attitudes about these 2 grand topics.
I suspect many people are intimidated by power because the word conjures images of power struggles, ugly politics, power-suits, corporate greed and war. These are examples of armored power.
As my intimidation of power has given way to open-minded curiosity, the word power brings images like a new-born baby, Jesus, the sun, and Peace.
I feel my power when I feel:
~ Happy
~ Connected to everyone and everything
~ God-like
~ at Peace inside myself no matter what is happening around me
~ Completely responsible for my life
~ Self-sovereign = I am in charge of my thoughts and emotions instead of them
running me. Plus, no blame. I blame no one for "making me" mad.
You have divine power. You are divine power. It is not about money or control or influence. It is about awareness of yourself, and how you interact with yourself and all around you.
My life has been a process of going from fearing my power and running from it. {=living life in the passenger's seat}...to learning about my power and facing it {=living life in the driver's seat}. Through this process it has been very important for me to remember that I am the driver of my life only.
Here is what can help us with our power:
Self-awareness ~ See yourself as a cool science project and be fascinated by what you can learn about your body and psyche. Just learning how to breathe and relax more fully has helped me access my power and embrace it in a safe feeling way.
Simplifying life ~ There are so many distractions like TV, news, fear/worry, focusing on others problems, advertisements, competition, pettiness, guilt. These keep us from getting to know our power. Step by step, eliminate what you can.
Face your fears ~ start with small steps and practice. Make mistakes. It's okay. It helps me to say to myself, "If you weren't afraid to do -----, what would you do?"
Courage feels really good. Practice courage. It accelerates your power.
Sexuality ties in with Power in a big way. Begin to question how your body and more specifically your pelvis is connected to your power. Feel it. Move it. Healthy sex is a connector. Doing The Thing with your sexuality is a topic unto itself we can explore down the road.
Take some quiet time for you. Breathe. Tune in to your amazing core. There is no one in the world like you. Be kind to yourself. Allow at least 15 minutes a day with your passion and build on that time. Whether it's walking in nature, cooking, playing a sport or instrument, helping others or just discovering who you are...what feels good to you is your divine power.
And remember, don't always believe what you think!
Sometimes things we think are wrong with us, (body or psyche) may be improvements in the making. They may be adaptations to our ever changing environment. So instead of focusing on what you think is a problem, ask yourself what opportunity you are being presented with to greater express the powerfully unique being that you are!
What do you want to talk about in the coming year? What are your fears, hopes, visions and plans?
How will you live your Divine Power in 2012?
In Love,
Dana
