What are we really looking for?
Submitted by admin on June 29, 2009 - 11:28 am
Bonjour!
Or at this point in Washington D.C. . . . Bonsoir! I’m a little late in posting today; the writing bug has struck me again. Not that I’m complaining. After staring at a blank computer screen for over a month there has been a flood of thought, memories and improvements coming to the story. I’ve completely restructured the first chapter, much to it’s improvement and delight, and I couldn’t be happier.
Maybe it was the weekend at the National Art Gallery that got me inspired again. Any other art junkies out there? I know I have got to be one of the biggest nerds alive that the ballet and art galleries get me this excited, perhaps quilting or needle point will overtake me next, but I can’t help it. I just love it. When I see those softly curved women made out of the hardest marble or feel like I’m in a landscape thanks to all the texture and richness of a canvas – it just inspires me. Probably because I’m the least artistic person alive. I could no sooner draw a stick figure, then paint a whole landscape, so something about these men and women who can think and express themselves in that medium is fascinating to me! It’s the same thing with music. I can’t sing, play an instrument, write a note, nothing! But I love, love, love music and respect the hell out of people who can write it, sing it, play it and compose it. What a gift art is!!
So maybe art is my muse, stirring up in me the only thing I can do, which is write . . . sort of. Ha ha! But I am loving writing, loving and cringing as I write about the last year (OMG did I really act like that? Say that? truly painful!) but I wouldn’t have it any other way. How do we learn if not through our big, giant screw-ups and break downs? How else would I know what I do want to be without experimenting with all the avenues of careers I definitely DO NOT want to do! How else could I write about heart break had I not been blessed enough to have an amazing moment of love? What am I really looking for if I’m not living all the questions?
So this little Duchess is grateful! Thank God for art, for music, for dancing and love. I think maybe that is what I’m really looking for; well that and a job and house in Los Angeles – now that I’m getting the gears going to return. Another great example of learning what you do want by living what you don’t. Los Angeles is home. I had to leave it to know how badly I want it. It’s nice to be really certain of where you want to be – and I’m grateful I had the freedom and flexibility to leave it for a while to know for sure. I have no expectations – just opening myself up to the possibility that life will show me the way to where I belong . . .
Happy Monday to you searchers and seekers out there! May you live your way into the answers that resonate for you and your highest life.
“My heaven is within me. Without that inner contentment, even a paradise on earth can become a hades.” — Paramahansa Yogananda
Diana and I feeding the fawn. National Art Gallery, Washington D.C.
Black Holes
Submitted by admin on June 26, 2009 - 2:46 am
Bonjour!
I have completed something so monumental, so big, that the sheer absence of this project in my life (as I moved it out of my space where it has been created, held and now finished) must look energetically like a black hole surrounding me. You know, like in Titanic when the ship is sinking and everyone has to row as fast and as far away from the ship as possible before if goes under because the sheer amount of water and energy it displaces due to its massive size creates a vortex of suction; pulling in everything around it.
Ladies and Gentlemen . . . the first completed draft of my book, query letter and book proposal.
Yes, after months of writing, hundreds of pages of work, tens of thousands of words all strung together . . . last night, post midnight – I was done with an entire first draft.
I will not attempt to convey the incredible lightness of my being right now. It’s only a first step – now comes the editing, submitting, more editing, publishing and selling millions and millions of copies (hee hee!) but it’s is a phase of my life and a content of work completed. I have honestly never done something this challenging, involved or time consuming in all my life. You know why more people don’t write books? Because it’s freaking hard!
So I’ve been walking around like a zombie, hardly sleeping and sort of dazed thinking, “Now what . . .” as that boheamth of a project is out of my space and onto the next phase . . .
Oh – and MJ died? What the hell?! And Farrah on the same day? What a crazy day yesterday was . . . can’t believe the King of Pop died. Man.
Well I’m taking a weekend of rest – tomorrow going to a Wounded Warriors BBQ for combat veterans wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan and then Sunday up to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. Yes – Delaware. “Hi . . . I’m in Delaware.”
Hope you have a beautiful and inspired weekend and I’ll see you back here on Monday. Until then, I liked this little prayer they handed out during my father-in-law’s memorial mass this week. Thought it was a nice way of thinking about our challenging times and trusting in the strength of a more divine power (call it God, the Universe, Source – whatever resonates with you).
“I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will wend. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. . . I will trust you always for though I may seem to be lost, I will not be afraid because I know you will never leave me to face my troubles alone.” –Thomas Merton
Betty getting ready to be naughty and bark. You can see she's about to do it . . .
The Mentalist
Submitted by admin on June 24, 2009 - 4:21 am
Bonjour!
Has anyone seen those tv ads for the Mentalist? Is that not the worst tv title ever? May be a good show but it’s a terrible name.
Looking to do some mental tricks of your own? I’m leading a guided meditation call tomorrow night. Many of you have already signed up, which is really cool and I’m excited to go through the exercise with you. If you haven’t, feel free to sign up here and the call in details will be emailed to you.
http://www.mcssl.com/app/contact.asp?id=153881
It’s back to work time around here. The last four days were packed back-to-back and so not much was accomplished. It’s kind of funny to me how much I love this kind of work. I am so used to having a corporate job where the only thing that saved me was being busy or having co-workers, but the work itself did not exactly satisfy my soul. But this writing and Duchess work is awesome. I love it. Can’t wait to see where it takes me next. I think the best part is that I get the chance to interact with so many fabulous people.
So today’s dose of inspiration will be a little blurb about meditation. I really am a huge believer in it. Meditating has given me the ability to instantly transform stress, fear or anxiety into a sense of calm. Whenever (for whatever reason) I get that gut tightening icky feeling of stress in my stomach, I retreat for five or ten minutes to meditation and I can always find a way to release that stress and tension and feel better. It really works for me and has made my life exponentially better! Give it a whirl!
“When a problem thwarts you – when you find no solution and no one to help you – go into meditation. Meditate until you find the solution. It will come. It is the secret of success.” – P. Yogananda
Walking in Pisa, Italy.
Ladies and Gentlemen, The President
Submitted by admin on June 23, 2009 - 2:55 am
Bonjour!
Well it was a fairly big weekend for this little Duchess as Friday night I attended the Television Correspondent’s Dinner with none other then President Obama. He was the keynote speaker and was hilarious, charismatic, articulate . . . in short – the man is a wonderful speaker. He had the room laughing and gasping and eating out of his hand. When I sat back to think about it the next day I realized . . . that’s pretty cool! I mean having dinner with the President (and 1,000 + other people mind you!) is pretty damn cool.
Then Saturday came the real treat for me which was the Bolshoi performing on tour at the Kennedy Center. Le Corsaire was awesome – pirate ships, storms, ship wrecks, ballet sword fighting – pretty good stuff. One of the solo ballerina’s fell too – which was definitely once in a lifetime. I had never seen a dancer fall and this is the Bolshoi after all. But the performance was really great – I love the ballet and to see it performed by a fabulous company is amazing.
All in all it was a pretty eventful weekend.
This is my last week in D.C. before I head back to the mile high city to spend the remainder of the summer with my family. Things seem to be rolling along quite well. I’m finding that the more I stay focused on what I’m doing today, right here – right now, the happier I am. One problem I majorly had to overcome in the last year was my propensity to relive every moment of the past and try to predict or map out every move of the future. I was pretty much exclusively checked out of “the now.” When I let that go and just come back to where I am in this moment – things seem much happier and there’s less need to guilt over past moves or worry about future ones.
I have a plan but I’m not so in love with it that I can’t adapt and change as the mood strikes me . . which reminds me of my absolute favorite Pearl Jam lyric:
“I’ll ride the wave where it takes me.”
Down in the Metro - taking the Red Line to dinner.
Ladies and Gentlemen . . . Is it? Could it? Can it be?
It is!! President Obama delivering the night's speech.
Friday I’m in LOVE!!
Submitted by admin on June 19, 2009 - 4:43 am
Bonjour!
Some days I’m just happy for no reason at all. It’s a hell of a lot better then bitchy for no reason at all – which certainly happens often enough. But today the day just started off great and I’m thinking of all the things I really love and am happy about . . . Examples:
- Twitter. I’m sorry but how cool is it that I can follow my favorite friends, great museums (like The Getty), my favorite publisher (Louise Hay), my favorite charity (Best Friends of Animals), my favorite comedian (Eddie Izzard), some great women’s groups (like Single Minded Women, Ladies Who Launch, Step Up Women’s Network), the best chef and Food Network personality (Giada Delaurentis) and even the Dalai Lama and President Obama. Twitter is cool – and addictive and I love all the cool stuff I learn.
-My niece: She is fricking hilarious. Not intentionally – she just cracks me up, eight is a great age. I’m just getting off the phone with her and she is the best.
-My work: It’s really cool doing what I love. It’s even cooler when I get emails and phone calls from women saying that my coaching has improved, changed, or made their lives better. It’s fantastic.
Okay – there we go. Some things I love and am happy about today.
Now I’m off to grab a mani/pedi before this National Correspondence dinner tonight. President Obama is the key speaker so I’m excited to get to see him in person! Wahoo!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend – whatever plans you have! Here’s a little quote to take you through to Monday.
“The end of your comfort zone is where your real living begins.”
Another one of my favorite things: My Golden Bitch - Betty!!
Single Minded Women
Submitted by admin on June 18, 2009 - 2:31 am
Bonjour!
Still at the beach in Outer Banks, North Carolina – so not a good Internet signal! Thought I’d capitalize on a brief moment of wifi to send you today’s Duchess Digest article on SingleMindedWomen.com
Check it out!
Also – doing my first ever guided mediation next week . . . It’s free . . . want to join in on the call?
Details will be up tomorrow!
http://singlemindedwomen.com/blog/
Oops! Missed it again! Damn!
