Satisfied Soul

There is this wonderful little magazine I get every month called The Daily Word. It has a little affirmation, a few paragraphs of explanation, and a simple, inspiring bible reference. What amazes me about the Daily Word is how often it just addresses every little concern I have almost every day!

This weekend was one of those... you know, challenges. I had been feeling anxious about things, unsettled and distracted. There are a million plans I have for the year and so many things I want to see be a success. But, Monday morning comes, I get my little book out and what do you know... "Satisfied Soul" is my phrase for the day and what a perfect intervention at a perfect time:

"Instead of continually thinking of what I need or want, I give thanks for what I have already been given."

As I was pondering this delightful phrase... "Satisfied Soul" (I feel like the wind is blowing over a great, misty landscape everytime I say it!), I remembered another thought that got me through a particularly difficult time in my life, when I was so anxious for change I was about to burst:

"I have the patience of 10,000 years."

Our minister said this once, when talking about change. It's along the same lines as "Letting Go" and not trying to force things into place. Whenever I say that phrase in my head, I feel a rush of absolute peace, and interestingly enough, a sense of knowing that everything is going to be okay. I don't need to try to fix it now. When the time comes, I will know exactly what to do.

And so, my Satisfied Soul reaches out to other souls who might need a little peace... a little bit of knowing that everything is going to be okay. If you're a praying person, please offer up a prayer for these two lovely ladies. If you're not a praying person, maybe just an affirmation of positive healing energy for them:

BJ at Sweet Nothings for her surgery and 3 other very ill patients that passed her in the hospital
Kat at Just a Beach Kat who is hoping she won't need surgery on her hand

May blessings, peace and satisfaction surround your heart and settle on your soul! May you have the patience of 10,000 years! May you know that everything, yes - everything, is going to be okay...

(P.S. The above picture was taken on a walk we took this weekend. See more on Sunniviews!)

Mystery of the Monkey Coconut Solved

I have cracked the mystery of the monkey coconut! As you may have read on my State Fair entry, I purchased a scrumptious pina colada in a monkey coconut that can be used as a bank once you're finished with the drink. Everyone who has seen the monkey coconut has fallen in love with it and it now seconds as a sort of Budda in my office. Whenever we get frustrated or stressed out, we rub monkey coconuts head gently and chant, "oh, Have-Fun-Monkey-Coconut, give us patience!". MC also keeps my Zeldaloo's Mermaid company - this lovely little treasure I purchased at an etsy.com fair while visiting New York.

So, my sister saw a picture of monkey coconut and was dying to have her own. What a great Christmas gift it would make! I started searching the internet and found a few on ebay but they were way too pricey. I thought about calling the fair organizers and seeing if I could get a hold of the people who ran the booth. Then I had an even more brilliant idea and called the 800 number printed on the bottom of my treasured little coconut!

As it turns out, the monkey coconut can be purchased from Topshelf Marketing, a Drinkware Catalog. But you can't buy just one. Oh no, minimum purchase is 36 MC's for $4.50 each. I tried to think of 36 people in my life who might actually want a Have Fun Monkey Coconut for Christmas. Then I wondered if anyone might want to go in on a purchase with me. Since I had trouble with that, I wondered if I could resell them on ebay for a profit. Honestly, they appear to be a hot ticket item.

So, as I continue to debate the purchase of the monkey coconut, take a gander for yourself - here is the link. And if anyone out there has any other connections to reasonably priced monkey coconuts, I'd be grateful for the info!

SMILE...

Like the ripples that are created from a pebble dropped into a lake, it's amazing what one smile can do in this life. Not just the smile that I wear, that seems to lift my own spirits, but the smiles that I give to others, in the grocery store, at the mall, in the parking lot.

Have you ever noticed the complete change in demeanor of someone who smiles? It's like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders, like light that shines from their skin. Sometimes someone will come toward me with a scowl, a frown, they are so serious I wonder what on earth could be the matter. You smile at them and they smile back and suddenly the stranger becomes a friend. You see them in a totally different way. They are no longer mean and distant, but kind and understanding. The transformation is so interesting.

For the past few years I've really been working on trying to be a more open and friendly person. I find that it creates a more peaceful atmosphere around me and around others. I hold open the door for someone, I drive with patience and courtesy imagining that my friends and family are in the cars around me, I look a cashier in the eye and say thank you - and really mean it. I leave big tips.

I'd like to think that these small practices are having a ripple effect. I'd like to think that the woman I allowed to go in front of me at the store will feel a little warmth inside. That maybe it will carry over on the road while she's driving and prevent a car accident. Or the man I just waved into a parking spot when we came to it at the same time will lighten up just a little bit. That maybe he'll go home that night and have the urge to give his wife a hug.

We have enough problems in this world to contend with. If we work on being a little bit nicer to each other, I wonder what kind of wonderful place we could create.

So - that's my quest. Laugh more. Smile more. Stay calm. Try to understand instead of react.

Be the light I wish to see in this world.