Category: growth

growth

Astrology and Life Goals

Lisa

I was always interested in astrology. I had limited access to information when I was kid, but I still thought it was fascinating. I had my first reading by a professional astrologer when I was college, and I was blown away. I figured she must be psychic, because I couldn’t see how she could know so much about me from this piece of paper (my natal chart).

I went back to learn more about myself and ask her astrology questions. I devoured books and learned how to cast charts. I’d offer to look at anyone’s chart that would let me and I eventually became a professional astrologer. My business thrived, though I decided not to make it my primary source of income. It’s been a part time thing over the years. I’ve loved seeing clients and learned a lot from them. I’m at a time in my life now though where I am enjoying (feasting) on uncommitted time. I find myself retired from any kind of work that requires me to be somewhere at a specific time, or to do anything by a certain date. It’s amazing and is something I have been working towards for a long time.

My interest in astrology continues, so I’ve gotten back into blogging, teaching and I’ve added astrology shirts to this site. I used to teach classes offline, but keeping with my new found freedom, my classes now are online. I create them at home, at my pace. Once published, students take them at their pace. I love the Internet.

Getting to this place once seemed so far away, and then I blinked, and here I am. Now I find myself wanting to slow down time. I’m not rushing to get anywhere. My attention is focused on my life now, and when I think back to all the times in my life when I was most content, that’s what I was doing.

Long term goals are valuable and worth checking in on, but no matter how far away they seem the time to get there goes so fast. Be sure to spend it living and loving fully.

growth

My love affair with Brussels sprouts

Lisa

I crazy love Brussels sprouts. Now.

I thought I didn’t like them. I don’t remember if I tried them and didn’t like them, confused them with something else I didn’t like, or decided as a child I wouldn’t like them and the thought turned into a fact. It’s possible I made an uninformed decision to not like them.

I recently had some and after the first one I was blown away. I love vegetables and wondered how I managed to go this long believing I didn’t like them. I still have a lot to learn about myself.

brussels-sprouts-bunch-cabbage-41171

As with any new love, I’ve been binge eating them. I’m making a decision to back off a little, rather than eat them to death. I tend towards food ruts, so I’m mixing it up and adding them into the rotation.

I’m in this relationship for the long run.

growth

My dad bought me orange shoes

Lisa

When I was a little girl my dad bought me orange shoes. We were in Kmart and they were in one of those bins where the pairs of shoes are connected with a white plastic string. They had a buckle on them and were a reddish orange. To me, they looked just like Dorothy’s shoes, those magical ruby slippers. They caught my eye, I pulled them out of the bin, and slipped them on.

OMG.

I really wanted them. I took a few steps (hard to do since the shoes were connected) and I could hear a tap from the heals. I loved that sound when I was a kid. I loved shoes that made noise, like women’s high heels. Even then, I knew that they didn’t really look like Dorothy’s shoes. The resemblance was vague at best. There was just something about them that felt magical to me, something that felt like those ruby shoes. Some part of me thought I would be magical in those shoes.

ruby-slippers

I asked my dad if I could have them and he said yes. He bought them and when we got home, my mom was horrified. I don’t think she liked them (she had such great taste) and I suspect she also started wondering something like “what will she wear them with.” Money was tight so blowing it on hardly to be worn shoes was not a good idea.

I don’t remember much of the conversation and in truth, my mom wasn’t really upset. It was that sort of eye-roll what did you do now kind of thing. What I do remember, as vividly as if it were yesterday, was my dad saying this, “… but honey, every girl needs a pair of orange shoes.”

Pretty cool, huh?

I was talking with someone recently about growth … about how we learn, grow, discover who we are through our experiences in life, and also how those same experiences can prompt us to pile on camouflage masking our true nature, our best self. I’ve been thinking about that little girl in the orange shoes. Thinking about my younger self and about how great she was whatever my insecurities then might have been. I’ve been looking to her as a muse and a teacher. I’m realizing I have a few things to learn from her and that I miss her.

I also miss my dad, the guy that bought me those shoes, and my incredible mom that let me wear them any time I wanted.

So many of us have lessons we need to un-learn from our childhood. Do you ever think about what you need to embrace?

Have a beautiful day and wear your orange shoes.

growth

Metamorphosis

Lisa

There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly. ~R. Buckminster Fuller

Butterflies hatch from a chrysalis, a stage in the life of a butterfly. It’s actually the hardened outer skin of a butterfly pupa. A cocoon is an external structure that is spun from silk and surrounds the pupa of many moths.

When people talk about the transformational imagery of butterflies, they usually make references to cocoons. Remember the movie, Cocoon? Maybe cocoon sounds less clinical than chrysalis, although chrysalis is a pretty word. Anyway, cocoons have become symbolic of transformation. Sometimes it’s just to rest, like being holed up on a rainy day under blankets and watching movies or reading books, emerging more rested and able to get back into life. Other times it’s on a bigger scale. Coming out of the cocoon can mean moving out on our own, changing careers, achieving personal growth.

As a self-help junkie, I love the transformational symbolism of butterflies. This little egg grows, outgrows it’s skin a few times, then becomes a gorgeous butterfly. What’s not to love about this? While I haven’t always felt like a beautiful butterfly, I can say that every time I have come through a difficult challenge or pushed myself to make change, I do feel better about myself. I feel stronger and happier and more at peace with my life. There’s beauty in that. Change isn’t always easy, and endings can be painful. The butterfly imagery always gives me hope.

Last year was really hard for me. My mom died. She was such a big part of my daily life. I miss her so much and spent a lot of last year in a cocoon, healing from the loss. I accept that it was her time, and I’m glad that she had a peaceful exit. Her body had become an inhospitable place for her spirit. She is free from it now, an ethereal butterfly.

Are you in the middle of change? If you need a nudge, check out this t-shirt on amazon. Maybe it’s your time to leave the cocoon.

Yes, I know technically I should have used “chrysalis.” 😀

Have a beautiful day.

What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly. ~Lao Tzu
cocoon-woman-placeit

growth

Do we need a sarcasm font?

Lisa

I was a very sarcastic young person. Especially in junior high. I think I was drawn to it for the humor and creativity. I prefer believing this versus thinking I was a jerk. It feels true to me, because I was also kind and compassionate. I didn’t understand then why I was so sarcastic, other than for humor. I believe I was vaguely aware of some mental stimulation, but otherwise I had no answer to the question, “why are you so sarcastic?

Though I meant no malice, I learned that it wasn’t always received as intended and year by year I toned it down. I improved my filters, didn’t always say what I was thinking, and became a bit more sensitive to timing. Decades later I still enjoy it though I feel I indulge with sensitivity.

I once read a summary of a study that showed people were more creative after giving and receiving sarcastic remarks. One of the explanations offered is because it requires decoding contradictions. That makes perfect sense. Sarcasm requires making quick connections. I got to thinking about my past and sent some love to my quick-thinking younger self. It helped me understand her a little better.

Sarcasm is fun, though sometimes tricky in a text or online communication. Comments can feel harsh without a smile or warm tone of voice. Adding an emoji doesn’t always help. I suppose a sarcasm font could make a difference, but wouldn’t that take some of the fun out of it? Having the moment of realization is part of the humor. Maybe instead people just need to trust each other more.

What do you think?

Setting: Sarcasm ON t- shirt available at Amazon