The Power of Dancing Naked and Letting Go

I danced naked on the sidewalk. Ran circles around my naked daughter, Franki.

Let’s back up a little….

We’d just finished swimming and had come inside to dry off. I stripped my bathing suit, wrapping a towel around me. Franki, bottoms off, top on, said she was cold, so I suggested she take her wet top off and wrap a towel around her as I had.

As we walked toward our front porch to hang our suits up to dry, she threw her towel and exclaimed, “Let’s have a naked dance party”!!

I laughed and answered, “Sure, go ahead”! (As in, "You can if you want to, but I'm not doing that.")

Spontaneous dance parties aren't unheard of around here but me dancing naked is.

This gal was determined to get that towel off of me and get me dancing.

“Come on, mama...let’s do it!!!!”, she excitedly exclaimed.

No neighbors within sight. No sound of vehicles coming up our long gravel driveway; six-foot-high ornamental grasses surrounding me - offering cover, and yet, I hesitated as my eyes darted left, then right and off into the distance.

Freedom, Ingredients for life, Outlook on LifeChristine MeyerJuly 15, 2016Comment

Let The Things You Didn't Plan Unleash You

Several weeks ago while on our way to get ice cream, my daughter and I found ourselves slam-dunk in the middle of a very long traffic jam. There was little or no movement and no way of knowing how long we’d be there.

When we set out on our journey, I hadn’t planned on idling for two hours on the freeway en-route to ice-creamy deliciousness that was just-a-short-distance away. Neither did I plan on Franki (my daughter) having to pee during this extended standstill. What to do?

No toilet in sight. No movement forward. No way to pull off the side of the road.

This little event was not planned…..

I didn’t plan on my mother leaving when I was a young child.

I didn’t plan on divorcing my husband of 15 years, moving to another country and ending up in Pennsylvania.

I didn’t plan on getting pregnant, having a child, or having a girl. (I really thought I'd be more suited to having a boy).

I didn't plan on have an emergency c-section (I had a home birth planned)!

Ingredients for life, Freedom, Following Your PathChristine MeyerJuly 8, 2016Comment

Perspective. Perception. Interpretation.

It’s a beautiful morning. The sun isn’t up yet, but I’m seeing in my mind’s eye what the landscape looks like because I’ve driven this road often. I know that the leaves are brilliant hues green lifting up overhead as I get closer to the mountainside. The view is breathtaking in the daylight, even though I can't see it right now. I feel alive and in-tune. I’m rockin' out to some tunes as I drive with my thoughts and loving how the other drivers on the road are responsive and moving out of my path in perfect time. I’m really enjoying the thrill of driving a little faster this morning.

In front of me, my husband and daughter, and behind me someone else is following - all of us on our way to the same destination. I’m eager, excited, content, and I’m enjoying this motorcade very much.

Upon our arrival, my perspective is intact. This was fun! As we all got out of our respective vehicles, the person who’d been following us exclaimed, “That drive was horrendous!”

Same drive. Same flow of traffic. Same road. Same scenery. Same houses.

Very different perceived realities.

Freedom, Beliefs, Ingredients for lifeChristine MeyerJuly 1, 2016Comment

Can You Dare?

Many of us forego good for great; awesome for roarsome; magnificent for phenomenal; outstanding for astonishing.

When I was thinking about leaving my first husband, I feared that I was being stupid. I doubted that I could do it and I didn't know if I should. I didn't know where I was going, let alone the steps to take toward what I wanted. I feared I was leaving a man and a relationship that were really great and would possibly never realize the more that I was reaching for.

I had stability and a thriving business with my husband. We had an exquisite home that was often the hub of gatherings for our friends and family. We traveled frequently and money was ours to spend freely. We got along, had fun together and respected each other; I loved this man.

So why would I want to leave when I had it so good? It didn't make sense to me.

There was nothing fundamentally wrong with our relationship and nothing that I could say was a "deal breaker".

There was nothing I can say that I needed to run away from.

But I did feel a sense that I wanted to run toward something more.

Did I dare want more than what I had? (I made myself wrong for wanting more for a long time).

Did I dare go from really good to roarsome?

Was this even possible???

Following Your Path, Outlook on Life, FreedomChristine MeyerJune 24, 2016Comment

You're Right Where You're Supposed to Be

To the guy who thinks he just delivers medical prescriptions to homes...you're saving people's lives.

To the gal who thinks she's just a waitress at the local diner...you're making someone's day with your smile.

To the young lady who thinks she should have taken violin lessons when she was a little girl...you didn't want to do it anyway.

To the local garbage pickup guy who thinks he's not good enough to do anything else... you're helping beautify someone's place.

To the hair stylist who thinks she's just doing hair...you're promoting self-love.

To the factory worker who thinks he's just pushing buttons...you're helping build something that's going to benefit a lot of people.

To the dedicated mom who takes her kids to school every day and thinks she should be doing something more important than that...

Ingredients for life, Following Your Path, FreedomChristine MeyerJune 17, 2016Comment

You Can Always Tell A Different Story

We all like to tell stories; the stories of our lives... It's how we relate to one another, bond and make forever friends, isn't it?

We embellish them here, flower them up there, tell the truth-as-it-is for the sake of accurate and actual accounts. We provide the sequence of unfolding events along the way, dragging up all the good, the bad and the ugly parts that got us to where we are and made us the person that we are now.

While it may make for a good story, what you think and talk about and how you feel about it - becomes.

You're always creating your now (because it's now and you're having the experience of it now as you're telling it) and you're also pre-paving a future reality.

So if you're going to recount events (tell stories) about your past, present or future, make light of the bad and the ugly - or leave it out altogether.

You don't have to emphasize the struggle to affirm your worthiness.

Outlook on Life, Ingredients for life, Following Your PathChristine MeyerJune 10, 2016Comment

If Only You Were Different - I Would Like You So Much More

Imagine you have a dog. He's a lovely dog, mostly. You enjoy having a dog around, yes you do. It's comfortable and it has it's perks - like companionship and someone to play with. "Having a dog around is a good thing", you think.

Now imagine that you'd like your dog so much more if he didn't insist on being fed at a certain time, or if he were less selective about his food. You'd also like him more if he stopped whining and didn't bark like a dog. If he didn't leave muddy paw prints on your floor and dog hair on your clothes you'd be so much less annoyed - let alone hogging the (your) bed and the snoring at night while you're trying to sleep.

In other words, if he would change just a little here and a little there, and if he would alter this and adjust that - you'd be so much happier with him. If he were less like a dog and more who-you-want-him-to-be, your world would be so much better, wouldn't it?

Is that kind-of how you feel about your mate/partner/boyfriend/girlfriend?

Outlook on Life, RelationshipsChristine MeyerJune 3, 2016Comment

Be Here, NOW

Can you be right where you are?

Not trying to grow your list or get more likes and followers.

Not trying to make anything happen, or make someone hear, understand, respect or regard you.

Not trying to make your kids do something other than what they're doing or listen to you when they're not.

Not trying to be thinner than you are now and not trying to figure out what's coming next.

Ingredients for life, Freedom, Following Your PathChristine MeyerMay 27, 2016Comment

Inside Job

Everyone wants a sense of control over their own life. There's no one you know who would say (and really mean it), "Here, you be in charge of me and my life. I'm done."

While that notion of someone swooping-in, taking-charge and taking-care-of things for you seems attractive at times (maybe often), if someone else were actually in-charge and you had no choice or creative control over any of it, you'd soon feel trapped and resentful of the one you'd put in-charge.

We were all born with a clear knowing that we're free. Free to choose; free to feel; free to create our own reality - our life and how we perceive it. We were all born knowing that we personally get to decide what we want and that it could be uniquely tailored to our requests.

The illusion that you're not in-charge of you and your life and that something can assert itself into your experience creates a sense of vulnerability and loss of control.

Christine MeyerMay 20, 2016Comment