Sunday Inspiration // My Favourite Mantra

omnamahshivayaOm Namah Shivaya. Greetings to she who I am becoming/With greatest respect I honour my heart.

Just my favourite mantra, scrawled onto the first page of a new journal, and covered with glitter (of course).

What’s inspiring you this evening?

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Update: I just Googled this mantra for the first time and this is definitely not the most literal translation, but it’s still my favourite and it speaks to me the most. :)

 

Inspiration // You Deserve It.

frankzappaI’ve been thinking lately about how strange it is to have someone tell you they envy your life. Partially because when you’re in the midst of it, it’s easy to get caught up in the grind of daily life and blind yourself to how enviable it all appears (and is!) But what I really find strange is that there seems inherent in their words, an assumption that I’m lucky and that’s why I have the life I lead.

They want to quit their jobs, travel the world, dive into creative projects, and sing about it online. But they can’t. Because then they wouldn’t get the promotion or the house with the white picket fence or it would interrupt their education goals…

Sorry, but I’m calling bullshit. 

Sure, there’s a certain privilege built-in to the choices I make. But if you’re reading this in a developed country with a high-speed wireless connection while you seep a double-whip frappa-whatever, I bet you’ve got the same power of choice that I do.

And babe, it is your choice. Society, your grandma, your first grade teacher, and your next-door-neighbour might be telling you have to zig. But, if you want to, you can always zag. Ultimately, you’ll get the life you choose.

Sure, you can’t have it all – or at least not all at once. Many of my friends have added more fancy letters to their names while I’ve been embracing my nomadic existence. And the comfort of a place to call my own isn’t always conducive to this gypsy lifestyle. But there’s no one path to a happy, fulfilled life.

So, make each step your own. Choose it because it’s what you want, because it lights  you up inside and makes your soul sing. And maybe later on you’ll choose something different. But you’ll never have to lament what you missed out on while you were living someone else’s choices. Because you’ll always end up with the life you deserve, the one you chose.

All of these thoughts have been swimming around in my head but, as usual, Frank Zappa said it better.

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Frank Zappa portrait via Lyneth Morgan.

Inspiration // Ron Swanson says…

Parks and Recreation consistently has me in stitches every single week and I love each of the characters in their own way. Even Ron’s gruff, no-nonsense, redneck-American manner is somehow charming. He was particularly hilarious in this week’s episode, offering sage advice as a guest on the Pawnee Today talk show. His monologue had be in hysterics, but I think there might be some words of wisdom hidden in there as well…

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What has been making you laugh this week? And are you a Ron Swanson fan? I’d love to hear!

xx S.

 

Inspiration // “I do not find life boring.”

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“The one thing that is maybe young about me is I’m never bored. I’m bored when I’m with people who are boring. I’m never bored when I’m with myself, when I’m alone. I do not find life boring. If I were here by myself I’d find it interesting. There’s a billion interesting things going on. I’m bored if I can’t think. I don’t necessarily mean profoundly – I mean use my mind. It’s what I hate about the theatre. The people are talking, sometimes they’re singing, people are too close to me, it’s a hard place to think. Whereas the subway is a very good place to think. It’s never dull.”

- Frank Leibowitz, Acne Paper, Issue 14

I know Fran Leibowitz has a bit of a reputation for being a negative Nancy and a grouchy old curmudgeon, but I can’t help loving and looking up to her. She seems so certain of who she is and completely unashamed of expressing it. As self-centered as it may sound, this quote in the most recent issue of Acne Paper really struck a chord. As much as I love visiting friends, socializing, and meeting new people, sometimes my own company is exactly what I need – at least I know it will never be boring.

xx S.

Sunday Inspiration // Dance When You’re Broken Open

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“Just” a poem to start your Sunday morning because sometimes, curled up with a big mug of coffee and your favourite blanket, you find the words you’re looking for have already been penned. You just get to soak them in, letting them light a fire in your heart, and watching as they breathe new life into your dreams…

Dance when you’re broken open.
Dance when you’ve torn the bandage off.
Dance in the middle of fighting.
Dance in your blood.
Dance when you’re perfectly free.
Struck, the dancer hears a tambourine inside her,
like a wave that crests into foam at the very top,
Begins.
Maybe you don’t hear that tambourine,
or the tree leaves clapping time.
Close the ears on your head,
that listen mostly to lies and cynical jokes.
There are other things to see, and hear.
Music. Dance.
A brilliant city inside your soul!

–Rumi

What’s making your soul sing today? Happy Sunday!

xx S.