Attention, Attention: How Vital is It?

I saw the new version of Chorus Line tonight and absolutely loved it. It's all about attention - how much attention is paid to the 1000 who auditioned to get in the show. These young people have really spent years getting ready for these grueling auditions, at which some lose and some win. You see the agony and the ectasy. It's a very emotional movie, for it's so well done, that you feel the pain and the elation of the dancers. I cried several times, sometimes from hurt and other times from joy.

Most of these kids have known from childhood that they wanted to be dancers. Perhaps, their parents knew before them., recognized something in them and supported their being able to grow to professionalism. That took immense attention for everyone: the hours spent in taking lessons, driving to lessons, driving home from lessons, shopping for shoes and costumes, having massages when necessary - to name jut a few of the required activities. It actuallybecomes a full time job. One young woman talked about how much her mother loved to dance, but when her mother married her father, he forbade her to dance and put an end to her passion. So her mother's passed that passion on to her daughter. This is not common. Also heard," If it weren't for you, I would have been a famous dancer!"One dancer's father was one of this country's best professional dancers who started his own dance troupe. His name was Jacques La Boise.

When you're a dancer, you have to pay attention to your entire body which includes your feet, your legs, your upper torso - all of you really. It's an everyday thing of practice and more practice and healing the physical hurts and pain.

Actually a dancer's body is his art form; he has no other product. Their stamina, their physical prowess is amazing and memorable to watch. When they can't dance anymore, who are they?
That is one of the questions asked.

I would highly recommend this movie; it comes out in April.

We're already in the middle of March!!!

March, the name and the month, is special for me. It's my birthday month, and it also happens to be my last name. Wonder if there's a coincidence there?

I start celebrating the first day of March, which seems like it was yesterday, and already it's the twenty-second...I know people who won't celebrate their birthdays, don't want to, and I feel that I have to make up for them. I think that's a real pity, for that's the day we were born, arrived on this planet to make a difference ...when we can commit to being in integrity, being authentic and choose to heal ourselves and the planet. Celebrating is good!

Some people still have to learn to receive, to let others acknowledge them. Childhood memories creep in here, and if early birthdays were stressful, adults tend to shy away from wanting to do anything about their birthdays. When birthdays fall on or near Holidays, there are stories...memories which live forever...I have collected lots of stories about that phenomeon!!!

My, my soap box is really turned on tonight. I think I have some extra vetting energy because I took myself to my favorite deli tonight and was totally disappointed in everything I ordered - even commented to the waitress, who shared that other patrons felt the same way - no flavor whatsoever...I finally took a piece of their rye bread, always terrific, and dipped it in Russian dressing -that was fabulous. I could put Russian dressing, Thousand Island, on almost anything, and it tastes better. That must be from my mid-west Detroit roots.

I've been on a movie prowl lately and have seen three good ones: I Love You, Man, Everlasting Moments (Swedish) and Two Lovers. I guess I'm exhibiting spring fever behavior. The first movie is a wonderful stab at explaining male bonding/friendship which for so many has become so suspect...actually...I really liked that movie.

Spring: Time for flowers...lots...makes me feel honored and cared for; my balcony garden is looking good!

I've been motivated to write much more lately, to complete my long-awaited book and to get some product ready for Web site - I've got cheerleaders in residence who are really pushing me, as they think my work is vitally important, timely and needs to be out there - this really helps. I am grateful.

Just heard mega rain outside and as I love to sleep in the rain, after reading the Sunday New York Times, I think it's time to head off to bed. Another week has come and gone; I am always running out of time these days - lots on my plate - making me very happy and challenged. Good to feel creative.

Hope all's well all over the world tonight, especially with all my family and friends scattered here and there. I shall send them extra positive attention through the air waves...

Amazing Attention for Me and for a Portugese Dog

I am very curious this morning. I've visited my Web site and observed that certain visitors stay for many minutes and do not leave their e-mail addresses, so they can receive up-to-date messages from me - a newsletter - an offering - a meditation. Others stay for a nano-second; I sincerely wish I could talk with them, especially the ones who stay around. What more could I share? I just hope that this is not the way of the world - a one way communication system.

Interacting with others is a must for me, either in person or, at least, on the telephone. I want to hear their voice, see their eyes, feel their energy. I don't text. Oh, I can. I just have to turn on my thumbs. But that just isn't enough for me.

A friend and I saw "I Love You Man", a new movie, last night which dealt with many male friendship issues and did it thoughtfully and very well, I thought. My friend and I talked about how we both felt about all this texting, wondering if the next step in all this non-personal communication will be having a chip implanted in our heads: a frightening and dismal thought.

There is a very fine science-fiction book which already describes living that way. It's called "He, She, and It." Scary. Are we headed that way?

But why do I want to tell you about the Portugese dog? Because I saw one this morning, and I heard that the Obamas are considering this breed for their family. It's hypoallergetic, is very loving, is very cute, and also needs lots of attention. They repeated that word over and over again as that's the bottom line - like any family member. This one particularly needs to learn who's the leader! Other family members need other kinds of attention; everyone does not need the same kind. Family's really work well, when they determine exactly what the needs are for each member, as they're all different....a novel thought!

I personally need time to see, because I am so very visual; there are musical souls in the song world, the world of orchestra s, the composing worlds. And there are physical souls who are in the sports world, dance world, hiking world. We all know them.

I "tank up" in museums, shopping in special stores, walking in visually gorgeous places, reading wonderfull illustrated books, looking at the sunset, and beyond. When I go into a new home, I always first look out the window. I am a trained hand-weaver, love to make collages and have even painted in San Torini once, which was the most of the best....

We've got to discover what turns us on and share that information with the people we care about, so they can support us in getting the specific kind of attention we need!
I guess it's time to step down from my soap box!!!

The Full Moon is Here!

Yesterday a friend and I spent the entire day in Santa Barbara, attending a Women's Networking Festival. The ride along the ocean was grand, as it was a gorgeous day and there was little traffic. I feel so lucky to have the freedom to spend days like this.

The Universe was doing its work with me, as I met exactly the women I was supposed to - funny how that works. Great women. Long day. New info about drinking alkaline water to stay healthy and keep disease away. I plan to put lemon juice in my filtered water daily now, as that provides enough alkaline, though they now have miraculous water machines to do the trick. People are awed by their new energy, fitness and healing through their new alkaline habit.

We ended our trip by having a great dinner in Malibu to celebrate her upcoming birthday. Our birthdays are meant to be celebrated - all of them - I find it very sad when people don't want to celebrate theirs anymore, because I know "The Attention Factor" is involved here. I also know that lots of kids never had a real chance to celebrate themselves as they grew up and when their parents couldn't or wouldn't celebrate them, it's left lingering damaging patterns. Kids whose birthdays fall near Holidays have major stories to tell about their disappointments, when their special days morphed into the holidays: Valentine's Day, Christmas, Easter, etc. I've even heard Mothers and Daughters fight over the re-telling of celebrations. Lingering memories.

Birthdays are special and the more of us who continue to honor our friends are family are spreading positive and loving energy onto our Planet.

So. Let's honor the full moon, too, and the gyrations it seems to bring. That's why I am writing today, to ground myself, to hopefully give myself the attention and energy to work on some life details I need to today. I'd rather be walking at the beach...or going to a movie...or....and the change in DST time has thrown me into a minor jet lag, additionally! Perhaps, spring fever is setting in.

My mind keeps rejecting those details. However, I am finding more and more that when I make lists of the things I need to do and check them off one by one, I feel more empowered and creative. How easy that sounds and how easy it writes. Simply, I want more and more of those feelings!

Diamond Alignment

Last week I encountered Diamond Alignment, which is an on-line meditation which really gives you a bolt of fresh energy within 6 minutes - it also gives you an uninterrupted 6 minutes to yourself - really refreshing and unusual these days.

I am grateful ...joyful... and thrilled to have this new tool in my repertoire for a positive "time-out" --- the source for this doesn't even know I am writing this today - I wonder if she'll ever find out how really grateful I am to her for taking the time to create this....her name is Jacqueline Joy...She lives in Carmel and is one of the lovelies women I have met this past year .... and she arrived with a totally fabulous story.

Bucky Fuller used to speak about processional events--- you're going down one road and suddenly you make a 90 degree detour which turns out to be exactly where you were headed in the first place. He too was a most exciting person to be around...I think my life is encountering lots of these events lately... One never really knows, does one?

I am thinking of all the special folk I have met lately, sometimes because I followed my intuition, sometimes the Universe intervened...I look forward to meeting more and more special folk.
I know there are many out there...

An Intense Week Followed by Re-Entry at Home!

I had a fabulous opportunity last week to participate in a Speakers' Intensive given by Teri Hawkins at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon. There were eight of us, all ages, from all over. I got there before my two other housemates and unpacked while I was watching the Oscars. Arriving around 5pm from the airport, I was immediately awed by the crisp, clear air, which felt so good.

The week started at 9am on Monday. The first exercise had to do with forgiveness! Over and over Teri told us that it's vital to spend time daily before retiring forgiving ourselves. That is another way of paying attention and taking the time to give ourselves what we need to heal some of our guilts and jettison some of our baggage.

And that was only the very beginning. Every day was packed with more exercises, more self-revelations, more connections. It was like an adult summer camp of the best order for me. I loved it all. I loved being with a group who bonded together over meals and participating with each other. We told our stories and learned to tell more stories.We grew inside, we grew in relating to our fellow attendees, we grew to be better speakers. I was outed about my age and my quirkiness...they laughted at me and declared me to be one very funny lady - far funnier that I am conscious of...I am getting it, finally.

I am allowing myself time now for reflection, to reorganize my home and my thoughts, before I undertake a new speaking direction.

While the snow was piling up in New York, I was expressing my gratitude for living in warm, sunny California and for giving myself that wonderful week of learning, of being, of growing...now to create a viable, meaningful, financially rewarding journey.