Wild Abandon

Take your shoes off. Go outside. Feel the earth under your feet. Throw a tennis ball for your dog. Admire the trees and be thankful for the oxygen they give. Look up at the sky (not while driving … haha). Laugh uncontrollably. If there’s even the slightest chance of getting something that will make you happy, risk it.

Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, those with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world a better than you found it.

It just might be time to live with wild abandon.

Be good to yourself and each other. Namaste’

 

Look for Signs

A few years ago, I started looking for signs. But not your basic street signs. I’m talking about signs that the Universe provides when you ask for them.

Try this experiment:

Ask for something small to start with, like seeing a red flower, a butterfly, or a certain color of car, etc., as you go about your daily life. Put a time limit on it, like 48 hours or even further out, but don’t make it too far in the distance or you might forget you asked and when it shows up, you won’t recognize it. Remember, we have to have “eyes to see.” Is it coincidental that my blog is named Eyes to See? You decide.

I have lots of instances where the Universe has provided. One day I asked to see a yellow butterfly, so I simply asked and went about my business. The next day I had to go to the supermarket and was walking down the cookie aisle when there it was!

Printed right on the package of Oreo cookies was a huge yellow butterfly!!!

What’s the lesson here? Be specific in your request. Maybe I should have asked to see a real live butterfly??? But hey, the Universe answered my call, didn’t it? The key here is to ask and then let go of “how” it’s going to show up. Just look for the signs!

(And who created the Universe? The One who sees all, knows all and loves all. He is also the One who said, “Ask and ye shall receive.)”

reginaarnold.com

 

 

 

Pennies from Heaven

On my recent visit to Tucson, something happened that proves the Universe obliges us and that what we focus on expands.

My Mom lives in a residential care home and hates the food there so every day when I went to see her, I would stop at the grocery store to bring her some goodies.  She loves sweets and even though I know they’re not good for her, I brought them anyway. She’ll be 92 next month and I believe that she deserves to have anything that makes her happy.

One night while reading from Pam Grout’s book, E-Cubed, I decided to try one of the experiments. It’s called Pennies from Heaven and it goes like this: in the next 72 hours be aware of Pennies from Heaven. Most people discount pennies as seemingly worthless, but they represent abundance in its many forms.  So I set my intention to consciously put them on my radar.  The next day my Mom asked me bring her a Coke, among other things, from the store. When I reached into the cold case to grab the Coke, there was a penny just laying there.  I picked it up and let out a big “woo hoo!”  People stared but I didn’t care.  There was a Penny from Heaven!  Proof that the Universe obliged my intention.

After I had swiped my credit card to pay for the groceries, the clerk asked if I had a member card.  I said no, so he told me I could use his to get the discounts on the items I purchased.  OK, cool, I thought.  What happened next blew me away.  He gave me $10.20 back in cash. What???  I thanked him and put it in my pocket, still baffled by what had just happened.

Out in the parking lot I noticed there was a woman standing in front of my rental car smoking a cigarette. A homeless man walked up to her and asked if she had a cigarette he could have.  She told him she didn’t have one to spare.  So he asked her if she could spare some change because he was hungry.  She told him she couldn’t help him. Without even thinking, I blurted out “I can.”  I pulled out the $10 bill I had been given and gave it to him.  He looked me square in the eye and said, “God blesses you.”

I will never forget him or the events that took place in the space of just a few minutes … serendipity.  God put me in the right place at the right time.  A blessing for that man and me.  It wasn’t my job to know what he was going to do with the money.  But it was my job to share a blessing.  Both of us felt God’s grace.

I got in the car and looked skyward to say my thank you’s and saw the palm trees.  I love palm trees so I took this photo, knowing that every time I see a palm tree, I am grateful for my Pennies from Heaven experience.

But it didn’t stop there.  When I got back home from Tucson, I had coffee with my neighbor and was relating all of this to her.  As we were talking, I set my coffee cup down on the table, and there was a penny.  Wow!  Neither of us had seen it there when we first sat down. We were both speechless and just burst out laughing at the wonder of it all. And then when I got back to my house, as soon as I put down my purse and keys, the music station hubby and I usually listen to played … you guessed it  … Pennies from Heaven.  I kid you not.  Life is full of magic.  Go find it.  Namaste’

Regina (Reggie) Arnold is a “flunked retirement” entrepreneur, co-author of The Art & Science of Recruiting, an award-winning photographic artist, and photo blogger.

 

Some of What I’ve Learned

It seems to me that life is the best teacher and, as my readers know by now, I believe there are no “accidents.”  Everything that happens to us holds an opportunity for evolutionary advancement.  Will we recognize it?  I didn’t use to.

Now it’s different.  I’ve learned some things I want to share with all of you …

• I’ve learned that I’d rather have peace than drama
• I’ve learned that out of chaos and confusion, there’s always some clarity
• I’ve learned that forgiveness is the key to a peaceful life
• I’ve learned that it’s just as easy to take the high road as it is the low road – but only if I ask my ego to take an alternate route
• I’ve learned that no matter what … life is a temporary assignment, so I’d better make the best of it
• I’ve learned that what goes around comes around
• I’ve learned that a good attitude is worth its weight in gold

That’s all for now.  Have to make dinner but I’m wishing you all a beautiful, love-filled weekend.

This photo is the most popular one at my gallery, so I thought it might be fun to turn it into one of those motivational posters.  The phrase below it really has nothing to do with the flowers, but hey, I’m tired of coloring within the lines 🙂 Namaste’

Burning Question

While on my trip and just being a tourist, I decided to do a little street photography and this is one of the images.  The background was somewhat busy and we were being bustled along by a crowd, so I didn’t have a lot of time to take the shot.

What struck me was that this Rabbi looked like the kind of person you could ask your most burning question to and he would be happy to engage with you.

What would YOUR question be?  Namaste’

 

Ye Olde Bicycle Rack

This is a bicycle rack in front of a restaurant that I’ve been to often and never even noticed it.  Normally I park in a different spot but today there it was … right in front of me.  The designer made it look somewhat old and yet new because the handlebars look like a 10-speed.  Photographing this made me think of my first bicycle when I was about eight years old.  It was the classic Pee Wee Herman style with fenders, fat tires and all, and I absolutely loved that bike!  Me and my bike spent many happy days riding the brick streets of Marysville, Kansas (yes, that’s where I hail from originally).

My best friend and I would play chicken and unfortunately for me, no one chickened out so my front fender got rather crinkled a few times.  I would take it to my Grandpa; he would scold me, but then pound out the dents.  (I, to this very day, think I had the best Grandpa in the entire cosmos).  We had an arrangement … he wouldn’t tell my Mom if I promised to stop playing chicken.  Uh, that didn’t work out so well, but that’s a story for another day – lol!

I wish I still had the bike but if I close my eyes, I can see it plain as day, feel my feet on the pedals and the vibration of riding on those brick streets.  I knew where every crack in the bricks was and how to swerve around them.  Wow!  What a feeling!  Namaste’

 

 

Let the Magic Commence

Tonight I waited for a while to see what would show up even though I had already taken my shot for today.  I’m glad that I waited.  My favorite time of day is when the sun starts to sink in the sky, creating a magical dreamscape with the clouds.  The sun sets; the moon rises.  And the palm tree got a haircut!  Well, that’s not so romantic but I know she doesn’t feel so shaggy and I imagine she can feel more of the breeze now.

Goodnight, all you beautiful people.  Namaste’

 

I Want to Be More Like Matt

There’s this really cool guy out there, traveling the world, breaking down barriers through humor, love and dance.  Take a look:  The Unstoppable Matt

As for today’s photo, a little Friday humor is in order.  This is called “Getting My Ducks in a Row.”  The weatherman says we might get some rain this weekend.  Color me as happy as these ducks!

I’m off to get a cup of  java now. Happy Friday and Namaste’

About Tomorrow …

 Yeah we all shine on, like the moon, and the stars, and the sun.~ John Lennon

Tomorrow is World Liberation Day and the super moon of 2012.  So what exactly is World Liberation Day?  Millions of people around the world will gather and visualize the liberation of our planet and her inhabitants … healed ecosystems, abundance, and freedom from every kind of oppression for all of humanity.  I plan to be outside tomorrow night and do the same thing.  Something else that I’m going to visualize is how I would like my own life to be from this point on.  The key to this whole visualization thing for me is to not only see it in my mind, but to feel the feelings associated with it.

I think it’s pretty cool that there will be a lot of us watching the super moon tomorrow night at the same time around the world.  How’s that for a connection?  Might be the perfect time to take a few deep breaths and just BE. The moon will officially turn full on Saturday, May 5, at 11:35 p.m. EDT. And only 25 minutes later the moon will also arrive at perigee, its closest approach to Earth — a distance of 221,802 miles (356,955 kilometers) away.  The effect of this coincidence is a stunning skywatching sight called the “super moon.”

In fact, this month’s perigee is the closest of any perigee in 2012 (they vary by about 3 percent, because the moon’s orbit is not perfectly circular). The result will be a 16 percent brighter-than-average full moon accompanied by unusually high and low tides this weekend and into the new week.  In contrast, later this year, on Nov. 28, the full moon will closely coincide with apogee, the moon’s farthest point from Earth. [Amazing Supermoon Photos from 2011]  I think I’ll be setting up my tripod early tomorrow night to see what kind of an image I can get as it comes up over the Catalina mountains.

As for today’s photo, if I could post one of me doing the happy dance, I would, but instead you’re getting this box of tissues.  Why?  Because my imagination took a mini-vacation to the moon, and this is what came to me when I realized that I no longer have to tote this box around to catch my runny nose.  All gone.  Color me happy!   Namaste’

The Cheesecake Event – What to Choose!

Today you get two for the price of one.  My husband and I decided to “ditch school” and just go have some fun.  So it was off to one of our favorite restaurants, The Cheesecake Factory,  for some lunch and dessert.  Yeah, I know you’re probably asking “what happened to your low-carb eating plan?”  The answer is “not today.”

We had the best waiter who provided us with stellar service and a pleasant dining experience.  After lunch we strolled the mall, did a little shopping and stopped in at the pet store.  A great Saturday.  I guess we could have stayed home and done our weekend chores, but why?  They were still here when we got back.  It seems the chore fairy didn’t show up at our house today but life is still good.  Namaste.

The top one is Tuxedo cheesecake and the bottom one is pineapple upside-down cheesecake. Can you guess which one I chose?