Donate to help this blog continue

Thursday, November 27, 2014

“CHRIST”MAS IS FOR SHOPPING SPREES…

P1030788
(© 2014 Kimberly D Miller – Farm in Allegany, Oregon)
I have a question for those of you who do not believe in Jesus, and I ask this because I have never understood the practice…why do you celebrate Christmas? It seems that most people really do not understand what Christmas is all about.  Has no one watched, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” recently? For the life of me I will just never understand the need to commercialize this holiday.  This is the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and yes, he wants us to give unto one another, but with our hearts and our love.  He means for us to love each other the way he does and give of that love freely to others.  He meant for us to give kindness and help to those we love and those in need the way he would, not go into debt buying an espresso machine for Aunt Sally.  I am guilty of this frame of mind as well because we were brought up getting everything we wanted for Christmas and were never really told of the meaning of the holiday.
It pisses me off when I walk into a store to buy something I need and am slapped in the face with all the Christmas bling (which is already up at Halloween ~ don’t even get me started on that).  I mean okay, decorate a little, maybe a week or so before Christmas, but they go way overboard and all in the name of pushing that sale down our throats and promoting the idea that Christmas is about nothing more than buying tons of presents for one another.
Another thing, what is with this “black Friday” crap?  Really?  They have to make one big shopping day before Christmas followed by one big sale after?  People get all excited and practically climb over the top of one another after standing in line all night in front of WalMart.   First of all the term “black” in front of a word usually denotes something bad, i.e. the “black” death.  What a horrible phrase yet, ironically fitting.  People are killing the spirit of Christmas and they don’t even care.  I wish I could get the message across to this capitalistic society to freaking relax, close all businesses for 2 or 3 days, enjoy Christmas with your loved ones and exchange kindnesses, even homemade gifts, as opposed to buying so many things that, let’s face it, people really don’t even need in the first place.
How many of you have or know kids who absolutely HAVE to HAVE certain things each year for Christmas, so you spend a lot of money granting their Christmas wishes and a week later those toys or items are long forgotten.  My son was that way when he was young because it was all about the hunt and the conquest. He quickly got over that when I showed him the kids whose names were on an angel tree in the mall requesting things like pants and shoes because they needed them so badly.
This year I am hopeful that anyone reading this will make the decision to honor the birth of Jesus on his special day and share only love, time and kindness (even a few homemade gifts (few being the operative word)), with the people in their lives as well as kindness to those you know of who are too proud to ask for help.  The stores will not go out of business if everyone doesn’t shot-til-they-drop, and if you absolutely need something there are sales throughout the year and the internet. 
Whatever holiday you honor, it is my sincere hope that you understand why you honor it and do so of your own free will because that is the only way it will ever really mean anything.

MY THANKSGIVING GIFT TO MYSELF…TREK TO WATERFALLS

While I have just moved to a new state and don’t really know anyone, I decided that the coolest way to spend Thanksgiving this year was to treat myself to something I have been wanting to do since I arrived.  There are two tremendous waterfalls out in the woods here where I am living, but because the road slid off a while back you have to hike in.  I walked about 6 miles round trip, and I loved it.  I have posted my very amateur videos below along with the shots I took of the falls.  I have not experienced anything this beautiful since the birth of my son.  What a privilege it is every time I get to experience the grandeur of God’s cathedrals here on earth.

Silver Falls, Allegany, Oregon–© 2014 Kimberly Miller



Silver Falls, Allegany, Oregon–© 2014 Kimberly Miller

P1030788P1030793P1030795P1030798P1030801
 
 
 
 
P1030803P1030804
P1030815P1030827P1030832P1030833

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

THERE IS NO “I” IN TEAM…LOL

P1030646PICTURE I TOOK OF HACETA HEAD LIGHTHOUSE © 2014 – KIMBERLY MILLER

It seems I constantly encounter the saying, “There is no ‘I’ in team,” and other such jewels of wisdom and, because I love words, I can appreciate the spirit in which they are created.  I love to take sayings like these and twist them around sometimes just for comedic value, for example, while it is true that there is no “I” in team, it is also true that if you scramble the letters you will definitely find the word “me” in team. 

I also love to find spirituality and meaning in words like the fact that the word “time” contains both the words “I” and “me,” one right after the other, which leads me to the thought that “I” must always make “time” for “me.” 

Words are not only powerful, but they also contain hidden meanings, most of which fly right over the tops of our collective heads.  As you can well imagine I am a big fan of crosswords puzzles, anagrams, hidden words, scrambles, Scrabble, Boggle and any other game involving words and, because I am on a life-altering journey of self-discovery, I thought it would be fun to see how many words that are special to me and my life contain the words I and/or me.

The word “I” resides precisely in the middle of the word “faith,” which means to me that I have or should have faith.

The word “I” also resides precisely in the middle of the word “believe,” which means to me that I believe in me and I believe in the power of God and the angels.

The word “I” can be found twice in the word “spiritual,” which means to me that I am a spiritual being and that I will live spiritually.

The word “me” is in the word “realm,” which means to me that I shall exist  in this realm and any other realm that I am chosen to reside in.

The word “me” is right at the beginning of the word “empathy,” (backwards, but there) which means to me that it is important for me to have empathy for others and them for me.

I could go on like this all night but I am sure by now you see where I am going.  Find words that mean something to you in your life, in your personal growth and spirituality, and see what’s inside of them; what they mean to you personally.  There is a reason why you gravitate to particular words and/or sayings and if you set those definitions for yourself, they will mean even more because let’s face it, they’re in your life for a reason.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

THANKS…GIVING…GIVING…THANKS

How wonderful it is to have the chance to experience life here, in this realm, on this planet at this time.  I know that our society has set aside one day a year to be thankful and, growing up I learned that it was based mostly on the story of the pilgrims coming to this land…blah, blah, blah, but I just don’t see it that way anymore.  I was brought up that way, but now I understand on a much deeper level that we need to be thankful every minute of every day for the love, opportunities, answered prayers and other wonderful things that are bestowed upon our lives.  When you are outwardly thankful and grateful for everything in and about your life, you will be amazed at how much more comes your way.  If you are ready to receive all good and wonderful things in your life, open your heart, soul and mind and pour out the gratitude for what you already have. 

Whatever you have, be it physical gain, monetary gain, spiritual or emotional gain, it is in your life now by plan, not by chance.  You have attracted these things to you by your actions, be they good or bad.  Who you are and what you believe in have SO much effect on what comes your way and your actions regarding how you deal with what you attract, dictate what what is yet to be.

So, while you are sharing your day of thanks this year with the people you care about, please try to incorporate this act into your daily life because none of us have the right to be here and be happy all the time, we just have the honor.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

A DAY ON THE JOB…

One of the nicest things about getting a new life are the new opportunities and new surroundings.  The new job I have finds me in the beautiful surroundings of an Oregon forest complete with waterfalls and rivers.  I just had to take these three, short videos as I was in awe of just how beautiful it is there.

KEEP IT TO YOURSELF FOR YOUR HEALTH…

20141114_055741

Habits can be hard to break and, let’s face it, some of them we don’t really want to break, but in the long run, if you want to grow spiritually and emotionally, there are some that will be necessary to break.

Okay, so in the past I have written a couple of posts about not gossiping and keeping your judgments to yourself, but it would appear that judging others is actually quite a bad habit that SO MANY people need to break if they are to heal and grow.  Why do so many of us feel the need to judge?  I was guilty of this habit as well, but I try now to see the good and positive things in people and, if they have traits that I feel judgmental about, I am turning that urge into saying nothing and keeping it to myself and working on why I would care about judging them either way.  I realized how pathetic I was being when I would run to, call, or relay in any manner to a friend or acquaintance, my recent judgments about a person we both knew.  So much energy is wasted with gossip and remember, what you put out into the universe will come back to you or at you, threefold.  We have to consider that some people are sad inside or negative or very insecure or have had bad things happen to them and they don’t come off well to others or appear just downright mean.  Who are we to judge them when we probably have walked in their shoes at one time or another but may have better coping skills than others in social situations.

Does it make us feel like we are better than the people we judge?  Does it give us some kind of validation while at the same time making us feel that we have invalidated the person we put down?  I’ve had people make all kinds of judgments about me, not as a person, as 99% of them had never taken the time to get to know me nor would I let them, but based on the way I look or certain things they’ve heard me say or do at work.  Better still, things other people have told them, i.e. their own judgments about me.  Wow, how shallow can we be!  People don’t seem to realize that these malicious judgments, also known as gossip, can really stunt your own personal, spiritual growth and while you are being judgmental you are just basically showing others how insecure you are. 

There are many quotes about judging other; the bible, of course says, “Judge not , lest ye be judged,” which is one of my favorites because it covers two things at once, i.e. that if you judge others, others will judge you and, what you put out there will come back at you.  There is also a quote that says, “What people say about you behind your back is none of your business.”  While I concur with that statement, the part I have a problem with is someone’s need to talk behind your back unless, of course it’s about plans you all have together or events from your day together.  If you trash someone behind their back and do it often, ask yourself this question, “Why do I keep this person in my life?”  It’s obvious that your low opinion of this person means you are not a fan, so why do you keep them around, sucking good and positive energy from your soul, leaving you stressed and drained?  Obviously we can’t help who we work with sometimes and we can’t always escape our family members, but we can have control over just how far we let them into our lives and how much we make them a part of them.  Just because you’re related to someone does not mean you have to get along or even force yourself to like them.  Just because you work with someone you don’t really care for, doesn’t mean you have to let them into your personal life or even try to like them if you don’t.  You can agree to disagree and keep business to just business and not be so insecure that you need to talk about what you feel is wrong with them to others. 

If you ever want to get the stress out of your life, it is up to your and you alone, to break this bad habit.  I guarantee you the most-loved individual in a workplace, group of friends or family, is the one about which other people will say, “I love that fact that she never has an unkind thing to say about anyone.”  That is a person who is looked up to, respected, popular and loved for being brave enough to be him or her self, and letters other be themselves, and who has grown spiritually and emotionally, exponentially. 

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

LET’S GET SUBLIMINAL…

In college I did a paper on the way the advertising industry has spent years tweaking our minds with subliminal messaging.  What is subliminal messaging you may ask?  The definition I found on the internet defines it as: existing or operating below the threshold of consciousness; insufficiently intense to produce a discrete sensation but influencing or designed to influence mental processes or behavior: subliminal advertising.  In other words, it is a way of planting words and/or suggestive images into ads to ensure that your sub-conscious mind will take their bait and ultimately buy their product, hence the girl sitting on the hood of the cool hot rod in the hot rod magazine.  This picture is plain and simple, just a simple stream of ketchup being poured onto a simple hotdog, but closer look reveals that it is actually a tongue licking a hotdog.  Even if you didn’t consciously pick up on it at first, your subconscious mind would retain that message and use it the next time you came in contact with a hotdog and/or ketchup:

Some little-known trivia about the first Camel cigarette packs; the picture of the camel on the pack was originally anatomically correct.  This was supposed to get the smoker’s subconscious mind to relate smoking to sex and thereby make the cigarettes irresistible. 

The reason this subject came to mind today was because I happily rediscovered one of my favorite websites for positive affirmation and it uses subliminal messaging…quite effectively.  I swear when I watch the videos geared toward loving yourself and being strong and independent, It doesn’t take long before I start feeling better and better about myself and my life.  Sometimes I feel the effects within the same day. 

I wanted to pass this website along to anyone who may benefit from it as it has done wonders for me.  When you watch the videos, make sure you gaze only at only the pictures on the screen and ignore any feint words flashing in the background as that is how it works its wonders. 

Here is the link: http://www.subliminal-videos.com/dlownsers/content/watchthem/watchtem.php

Get positive people…get subliminal!!! 

Monday, November 10, 2014

S.T.R.E.S.S...


Stress is a major topic of concern these days and rightfully so.  It has been statistically proven to be the number one factor linking together multiple causes for disease and accidents as well as a host of other negative incidents throughout our lives.  Stress is defined by Merriam Webster as: 


a : the burden on one's emotional or mental well-being created by demands on one's time.
So, as I sat and studied this ominous word staring at me from the computer screen, I decided to make it into an acronym based on how it has affected my life and how it ultimately led to my insanity.  This was my result:
    Steadily
     Taking
     Responsibility 4
     Every
     Single
     Situation
I now have an acronym defining the way I used to live my life.  This was a great exercise for me and I heartily recommend that everyone give it a try.  Think about what causes the most stress in your life and make an acronym out of it.  Write it on a post-it and stick it to your computer or on a mirror; some place your frequent during the day.
The root of stress is caused by two factors, first a colossal lack of time management and second, the inability to know how to prioritize.  Life is time. We are born with a predetermined amount of time on this earth and any time spent in stressful, negative situations is time wasted, which results in stress.  I think that we all know deep down inside, that we waste time on things that don't make us happy, and we do them anyway, i.e., jobs we settle for because the money is good but that don't really fulfill us, relationships we stay in because we don't feel we are strong enough to leave them and move on, negative habits we don't think we can change for the better, etc.  Think of your life and ask yourself what you could do that would really make you gut-wrenchingly happy, no matter how difficult you think it would be to manage, and DO it!!!  
Now let's talk about priorities...healthy priorities.  We need to understand that just because we have been programmed to believe that happiness comes from working for the government to pay for a roof over our heads and food and clothes and cars and bills, doesn't mean it is what life is meant to be.  I believe countries like Italy have the right idea. They work, but they take as much time as they want during a day to nap, eat, make love, spend time with families and friends and relax.  They put those things above money and greed and they are healthier because of it.  They don't call us "crazy Americans" for no reason.
In my research I found some ways to manage stress and I wanted to share them.  I visited the Time Thoughts website and they suggest the following:
"Take up a new hobby or sport. Find something that you like to do and turn it into a hobby. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it distracts your mind from the pressures of the day. You could join a social group and meet people with the same passions.
Help out with a charity. Charities are always looking for volunteers to help with events and collecting. Find a charity that you are passionate about and donate a few hours to helping them in the community. You might meet people with more serious problems than yourself in which case you may see that things could be a lot worse!
Get physical. Doing physical jobs like gardening or DIY can be a great way to vent pent up energy and frustrations. This will relieve stress and improve the look of your home.
Exercise your stress away. Any physical exercise causes the brain to release chemicals called endorphins that elevate mood and calm the nerves. Getting fit and healthy also decreases the chances that you will suffer from a serious stress-related illness in the future. Join a running or cycling club and forget about work and family for a few hours a week.

Alternatively, if you don’t fancy anything physical why not try one of the following:
Deep breathing and muscle relaxation
This is a relaxation technique in which you concentrate on controlling your breathing and the tension in your muscles. By consciously contracting a specific set of muscles while you inhale and then fully relaxing the muscles as you exhale you can systematically relax the whole body. Concentrating on relaxation will also distract your mind from the stresses of the day.
Take time to read
It doesn't matter what you read as long as it takes you away from your life for a while and allows you to experience some other world. Novels and autobiographies are particularly good for diverting your thoughts away from the stresses and worries of the day.
Learn to meditate
The art of meditation is easy to learn and as it allows you to suspend your thoughts for a period of time it is great for forgetting about the pressures that you are under.
Vacation away
Take a vacation and don’t leave a contact number! Go somewhere that suits you and really let your hair down. It doesn’t matter if you hire a log cabin in the middle of nowhere or whether you have a fortnight in Ibiza as long as you forget all about your everyday life while you’re there. You will come back refreshed and ready to face the stressful parts of your life head on.
Most of these techniques for relaxation are quick and easy to do so that they can be done on a daily basis. Don’t let your stresses build up otherwise even the best relaxation methods won’t be able to help."
I also came to understand that more important than planning what to DO during a day, is planning what NOT to do.  Plan NOT to take on other peoples' problems...plan NOT to look any further into the future than the moment in front of you...plan NOT to set your goals so high that you feel you let yourself down...plan NOT to take on more than you know you can comfortably handle, and so on.
B+(be positive)...take baby steps...learn to live stress free.


Sunday, November 2, 2014

VIDEO OF MY BEST SUNDAY IN OREGON...SO FAR!

I am not the best cinematographer but I did try to capture the area that I most enjoy spending time in and during this time there were these great surfing dudes out there to watch.  The rock I am standing on is a reef that jets way out into the ocean and there are tide pools to study and on the left, a bank of rocks with crashing waves and on the right is the jetty where the large ships and barges enter and exit the bay.  I love that they call this place the "bay area" because I spent so many years in the San Francisco bay area.  I had the most reflective, spiritual day I  have had in a long time and I wanted to share the sound of the waves and the beauty I was so blessed to enjoy today.


















Saturday, November 1, 2014

BE THE CHANGE...


In the ever-wise words of Ghandi, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Now, while I agree these are words to live by, I also believe it to be imperative that you first Be the change you want to see in you.  I realize more and more, day after precious day, how fundamental it is that you know you, without a shadow of a doubt, before you take on anything outside of your world. We all live spherically inside our own, comfortable planes of existence, much like a subdivision in a city or town. We have our circle(s) of friends, our work world, our play world and our realities and, while there is no such thing as perfection, we all try to be the best possible versions of ourselves that we know how to be.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of conversing with a friend on this topic who always manages to shed new light into my world.  

My continuing journey toward my personal regeneration is based upon becoming the most positive version of myself I can be to create the most positive results and ultimate joys life can offer.  Having had so many alcoholic and often-negative people in my life, it has been difficult to overcome the tendencies toward negativity that were instilled into me.  Determination in this endeavor however, is key.  My positive self-talk and deepening faith is finally coming to the point that, with practice, will become second nature.  This is who I have always wanted to be.  Expect the negative, and you will receive it. Put negative words and thoughts out there and that is what will come your way. My friend taught me to use only positive words in my self-talk, i.e., instead of saying or thinking, "I do not have heart disease," use words like, "I am heart-healthy." If you use negative words in stating the positive change, you are still putting negativity out there.  


Stop asking why.  The answer to that question will always be...why not.  I am a deep thinker and because of that have spent most of my life asking why this happened or why that won't happen or didn't happen.  Why is a word that cannot be addressed in life because it is what it is.  Things are as they are meant to be. Asking why does not change a situation, it only causes you stress.  Even if you can find the answer to the why in question, you may not like the answer and still you will be stressed. 


Have faith. Be thankful. Move forward. I find that whenever I say thank you, and I say it out loud with my words and my actions, I receive more of the same positive results. Be the change you want to see in you and you WILL be the change you want to see in the world.