In one of my meditations this week, I spoke about quieting the body and the mind in order to pay attention to the world around us. Really, just being able to LISTEN UP. And I tend to share things that I need to hear myself. There is so much clutter in the world around me, that it's important to be able to let go of the distractions and just listen.

I am at the home renovation stage where I need to make lots of decisions. Well, get multiple estimates and then make decisions. There are lots of options out there and it can be overwhelming. I try to keep this in mind as engaged couples reach out to me.

Today is the first rainy day in a while. I really want to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and watch movies all day. However, I need to keep moving as I have too much to do.

This entire year, I've been climbing uphill. Okay, take that back. I've been climbing uphill for the last 2 years. I have been working my tushy off so I'm set up for a bit of ease. Not coasting downhill or anything, but ease.

There are many symbols of fall and they are all quite relevant in my life, currently. Change, Mystery, Protection, Comfort and Letting Go. The last one - letting go - holds a regular place in my meditation practice, and the first one - change - is pretty much a constant in my life. However the middle 3 are very powerful, yet I don't consider them as often.

I have to be honest and say that I'm tired. I really don't have much to share, or perhaps I cannot find the words to express. Yeah, I'm just tired.

I always write my Weekly Lists before the blog post introduction. My final DESIRE was originally - To let go of the disappointment that others rarely give as much as I do, but to keep giving anyway! Yes, I did start singing the song from Frozen. Then I quickly stopped because my nephew HATES that song.

My life is all about being ready...ready and waiting. In the past it was Atlanta traffic and being on hold for acting gigs. Now in New York, it's all about subway delays and waiting for responses from wedding couples.

It's hard to believe that I have been writing and posting my gratitude list for SEVEN years now. My weekly lists have quite a history!

Last month was Plastic-free July. I have abstained from lots of things that I could not easily or cheaply find NOT wrapped in plastic. So if I wanted a it, I had to make it!

I have seen such adversity lately, that I really don't know how I've managed to get through the day. But in all honestly, they really are just #firstworldproblems. I have food to eat and while my landlord is doing their darnedest to evict me, I still have a roof over my head. But solving these problems have certainly made me stronger!

This week has been full of daily challenges. I'm not talking about my regular issues, and there HAVE been lots of that this week. I am talking about a number of tasks that I am attempting to do in a relatively large number of topics.

In yoga, we fully exhale the breath in order to take a full breath in. It's all about creating a clean slate. With my apartment, I originally wanted to do only the bear minimum in terms of updating. However my friend Carlos and my mother encouraged me to do a full gut renovation. Clean slate. Nothing like taking the walls down to the studs and building everything back up again fresh, to get a new perspective.

In my grad school thesis, I talked about laughter being like running water. You can allow it to flow, just as you can add things to censor and stop it from pouring out. Or perhaps it's more like riding the wave.

Yesterday I went to an event for wedding industry professionals and not only was there food and drink, dancing and a photo booth, there were two guys offering Spirit Animal readings. I mean, these days I am looking for guidance anywhere I can find it.

Lately, I have been repeating a version of the phrase, "I can't." Sometimes it's "I just can't" other times it's "I can't do it." In any case it's time to rewrite the narrative. Have you ever seen that video where someone talks negatively to their plant? If not, you should look it up.

With all of the craziness in my life, I have been all about letting go. I had the opportunity to take not one, but TWO aerial yoga classes this week. In both classes, they stressed the idea that "in order to fly, you have to let go." 

I have long been a supporter of the 3 Rs - reduce, reuse & recycle, however, there are challenges with goodness. My need/desire of #environmentalism mostly butts up against the ease of disposability, and the high cost of more zero waste options. See there are challenges with goodness? I WANT to do these things, but they take time and money!