Clouds have cleared, sun is shining, fruit is blossoming on the vine

Resources (from "365 Tao" #119 for Northern Hemisphere)

          Use a mirror in difficult times:

          You will see both cause and resolution.

When faced with adversity, you must ask whether you have done anything to bring misfortune upon yourself. If the present difficulties are the unforeseen outcome of events that you yourself set in motion, then it is necessary both to learn from your mistakes and to search for any possible way to correct it. If the difficulties are due to character flaws, then the solution should be resolved, and the basic fault must afterwards be eradicated.

     The wonderful part of all this is that the resources for resolving our problems are also within us. When we watch athletes in competition and they outperform even their own high standards, we often say that they reached deep down and were able to give something extraordinary. When we are in the midst of our own confrontations, we must be the same way. We need to reach deep within and use the utmost of our abilities to overcome our obstacles. This is one manifestation of our continuing efforts at self-development.

     When confronted with problems, we have all the more power to respond. When we triumph, we have even more confidence and facility to handle future problems. Therefore, meet life head-on. Maintain your self-cultivation, move forth to confront difficulties, and accumulate the momentum that success will give you.

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The past few days have been a difficult transition but today I feel the cloud of worry & doubt lifting. I'm sitting at my desk looking outside at the sunshine and Simpsons clouds drifting by and realize how fortunate I am.

A little inspiration from Bob Marley - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mACqcZZwG0k

          Rise up this mornin'; smiled with the risin' sun.
          Three little birds pitch by my doorstep
          Singin' sweet songs of melodies pure and true; sayin',

          "This is my message to you-ou-ou."

I had a breakthrough at my most recent session, or rather in preparation for it. I'd stayed home from work and was feeling pretty down but somehow when I stepped into the shower to get ready, a wave of relief came over me. I said to myself out-loud that things were going to get better and easier. I have so many talents, skills, knowledge, experiences, insight, wisdom, beliefs, motivations, gifts to give and receive. I have so many people that care about me and want me to be happy and I am so thankful for them.

The reading from 365 Tao seems almost prescient to how I'm feeling today. I just wanna hug those that have stood by me through this tough time. I also know that the mind is a powerful thing and is where this sense of well-being is coming from. I feel stronger each day and feel good about the steps I have taken to confront my issues and feel confident that the proactivity will translate into other areas of my life.

I'm especially excited to resume making music with my friend Cheryl. Her moving here to Portland comes at a good time. I just bought a new mic from Trade Up Music on SE Division (one of my favorite music stores) and surprisingly, I found a boom mic stand at Best Buy (I know, go figure; it's like a mini-Guitar Center inside the Cedar Hills store). I've been experimenting with different sounds on the MicroKorg with the tracks that I have from way back on the VS 880. Stay tuned for the output of the sessions & demos. You might even see me out there (in Portland, that is) at an open mic night. This was recorded for a friend but it's me doing a Beck cover with apropos lyrics.

Anyway,  enough said :)

how about something funny? .... I could watch this over and over..

Dramatic chipmunk - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw 

Have a great day!