Meanderings And Other StuffCamille Strate (1,088)    Camille Strate    JoyZAChoice The Myth of Perfection ~ Is It Really Possible?Posted Thursday, June 26, 2008 (10 days 4 hours ago.) Viewed 375 times. - Lacking nothing essential to the whole: complete of its nature or kind. - Being in a state of undiminished or highest excellence: FLAWLESS. As a 'wordsmith', it often happens that I spend time with the dictionary on my desk, open and ready for my curiosity. I love words. I particularly love the art of eloquence. Most of all, I am a stickler for using the proper words to say what I mean. And in this case, the word 'perfect' is one that has been nagging me for a while. I wonder if it's really possible. FLAWLESS? Is there really such a thing as flawless? A snowflake perhaps? Or a synthesized diamond? Real diamonds always have flaws. Always. Even the best of the best have some flaw somewhere. So, if perfection is about being flawless, is it realistic to believe that any Being could possibly achieve such a thing? Here's where the fun begins. 
Permalink Comments (1) In The Absence of 'Normalcy', Do We Grow or Shrink?Posted Monday, June 23, 2008 (13 days 6 hours ago.) Viewed 244 times. It has been said that if you're not growing you're dying. I've often wondered about that adage and why, at times, it seemed to disturb me so much. Now, after many changes have occurred in my life, I realize the truth of the adage as well as the beauty of it. Growth comes in many forms. And even when we fight change, once we get on with it, it usually turns out to be a magnificent blessing. I, for one, have always welcomed change. But this time around, I was quite resistant. Mostly because of my current physical 'obstacles'. Otherwise, I'd have been thrilled with the prospect. But I digress. When I found out I had to make some pretty major changes, I was, at first, feeling overwhelmed with dread. Why now? Why does it have to happen when I'm so utterly reliant on others? WHY? WHY? WHY? I spent about a day and a half on the 'why' part. Then, right when I thought I was going to lose my mind, I had this little epiphany. I asked myself, "why NOT?". Why not now? Seems to me that now is as good a time as any for a big change. So how about you just go with the flow and stop all this blubbering? How about you embrace this opportunity for what it is and just TRUST? How about you just dive right in and let the river carry you? So....I let go of the 'why's' and took a deep breath. Next thing I know, all sorts of wonderful things started falling into place. Phone calls came in. I got offers from various sources I'd never even considered. I had people showing up to help and offer their support in many different ways. And before I knew it, the change took place and it was as easy and seamless as I could've imagined (fact is, I could NOT have imagined how easy it was!). The short of all this is that time and time again, just as soon as I 'let go' of my resistant thoughts, everything takes care of itself. As soon as I say "YES!" to Source, all the rest is a piece of cake. A big, giant piece of yummy chocolate cake with fresh blackberries and whipped cream on top! Change is wonderful! And it only takes our allowing them to make it so. We don't have to control every little thing. Fact is, the less we try to control, the easier things are. Control is an illusion. There is really very little we have control over. But the one thing we DO have control over is our perspective. Our attitude. Our puny human mind-set. The ways in which we choose to view what's going on is utterly up to us. Once we choose to let go and just ride the wave, all manner of marvelous Life is possible. There really isn't anything 'hard' about it. In fact, it's really quite easy. Change is the nature of Life. EVERYTHING changes all the time. This is GOOD, not something to fear. If there were no change, think of how little we would progress. Think of how boring Life would be. The fact that nothing ever stays the same is something we might like to celebrate, not dread. So, the next time you're faced with change, rather than fighting it or worrying over it or wondering 'why', just LET GO. Make up your mind to trust that Source knows what's best for you. Put on your happiest smile and KNOW that it's all for the best. It usually is....if you'll just let it be.
Permalink Comments (4) When Opportunity Knocks...Answer The Door!Posted Wednesday, June 04, 2008 (32 days 7 hours ago.) Viewed 63 times. Life is such a crazy adventure. Just when you think you've got all your ducks in a row...all of a sudden everything gets turned upside down. There you are, sailing along on that calm sea...and BAM! a big ol' wave comes out of nowhere. Thank goodness for life vests! I've never really considered living outside the USA. Even when I was in Italy, as much as I adored being there I couldn't imagine living anywhere but the states. It's that whole distance thing. What with family and close friends, I just never thought I could live across the ocean. But then, something came up and is forcing me to reconsider. What WOULD it be like to live in another country? Would the benefits outweigh the distance? Would it be worth the trouble? And, most importantly, one must consider how often something like this actually arises. I mean, how many times have YOU been offered to work in a foreign country? Lots to think about, indeed. I've been weighing all this for some time now, and given the fact that I love Italy as much as I do, it's really not been an easy decision. It's so far away from my family! Even though most Italians speak fairly good English (at least in the big cities, that is), there's still the language thing. Being Italian, and having spoken it as a child, I'm sure it won't be all that difficult to learn. Even when I was there (for a mere 2 weeks), by the time I left I was speaking almost entirely in their language. So, that part isn't such a big deal as the DISTANCE. It's a very long flight from here to there...and the whole flying thing is such a pain in the butt too. So, am I resisting because it's not really what I want? Or is it because it's such a huge change. I mean...this is one hell of an opportunity, right? I suppose the whole reason I'm compelled to even attempt this little piece is so I can get some clarity in my own head. Writing seems to do that for me. When things are all jumbled, if I write it out they seem less so. And the bottom line is this: opportunity is knocking BIG TIME. Do I answer the door or do I let it slide? I think we tend to avoid such big changes, especially as we get a bit older. It seems to be such a natural thing for humans to avoid change. Even if the change is going to be for a higher good, we still tend to shy away from it. I can't help but wonder why I would do such a thing (avoid the change and disregard the opportunity) when I know in my heart that things like this don't just 'happen'. It's no coincidence that I'm being offered this opportunity right now. And I'm not blind to the timing part either. So...what's the problem? Okay...here's the deal. I have critters. And I have family. And I love them all. Sure, I can take the critters with me, but not my family. So the real issue here is whether or not I have the courage to live 'across the pond' for the next 3 years and perhaps miss them terribly. The words from my favorite Tom Robbins book ring in my head: Real courage is about stretching conciousness and rethinking thoughts and suffering change Real courage is risking one's cliches. Whether or not I have that kind of courage remains to be seen. But, if it turns out I do, then maybe you'll be reading my future missives in Italian! Are you up for that?
Permalink Comments (1) Sage Advice From An Angel Among Us ~ Gracious Guidance Is A Great Blessing!Posted Tuesday, May 27, 2008 (40 days 8 hours ago.) Viewed 685 times. The older I get, the more I appreciate the 'little things' in my Life. You know, stuff like people who 'get' who you are. People who love you 'anyway', even when you're being a stubborn pain in the rear. People who, no matter WHAT, will patiently listen and then offer perspectives you might otherwise not see. I am blessed to have several people like this in my world. And every time they 'show up', I'm still amazed at how blessed I truly am. I have one such person who is, for lack of better word, my 'sage'. She's one of those people who've gone through more than any one person should ever be asked to go through. Still she remains kind, patient, and unconditionally loving. She is the one I call when the going gets tough. She is the one who I know, without question, will provide little pearls of kind wisdom to guide me back to my Self. She does it without telling me 'what' to do. She guides, she doesn't push. She does this because she's known me all my life and knows that I can be, at times, quite obstinate. So, rather than saying, "You know, what you should do is....", instead she simply offers a view from outside the forest. Never ever does she say 'should'. Smart lady. During a recent conversation, while I was asking about something that was really stumping me, she let me go on and give her the details of this particular conundrum. She listened with great patience until, finally, I paused. Before she said anything else, she asked, "are you done?". I said I was. She then went on to remind me of things that I do know...things I've learned the hard way in recent years, and then she said, "you know, you're really just tired. It's been a great challenge, I know. And I know you're really trying to stick to your principles. All of this is good. But now, now that you've tried so hard, maybe what you might like to do is just take the day off. Turn off the phones. Stay off your computer. Lock the doors and draw the curtains. Watch some funny movies. Read. Meditate. REST. Things will look differently in a day or two. Don't worry. The world will still be there when you've refilled your tank." As usual, this simple yet profound perspective was exactly what the doctor ordered. I giggled at how simple it really was. Yet, without her saying so, I'd have never thought to do just that. She offered one more thing before we got off the phone. She said, "get something to write with. Put it on your bathroom mirror or the fridge. And leave it there for the next 2 days. Ready?" I said I was. Here's what she told me to write: Dear Olivia, Take the day off. I gotcha covered. Love, God I laughed out loud. Simple. Yet utterly profound. And you know something? Every time I looked at that note, I laughed out loud again. For 2 days I looked at that tiny little note and it made me grin from ear to ear. Because sometimes we forget. Sometimes we think that we have to do it ALL and do it alone. Truth is, we never do. We're always wrapped in the arms of Great Love. We're always surrounded by this Love, never working alone. Just remembering this makes everything easier. It makes me feel lighter. It makes me dance in the music that is gratitude. It makes my Life rich with Love and Grace and Joy. To her, my beautiful sister, I am forever grateful. Camille Olivia Strate is an author, Critter Keeper, and founder of a new Non-Profit called The RAJA Project (visit her site for more info). She spends much of her time with her beloved animals, her greatest connection to Source. When she's not writing, she can be found in the garden or on a trail, soaking in the marvels of Mother's offerings. Her latest book, "Whispers" is now available in eBook format. Hardcopy to follow soon! Visit her personal site at http://www.joyzachoice.com
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