When you are called to do something by a higher power, you cannot allow ego to divert your path. Once your own ego trickles in, instead of becoming purely a vessel for the mission you’ve been given, the message and the purpose becomes distorted. Getting where you need to go will become more difficult. Truth becomes cloudy. Your vision will not be as clear. If ego takes over completely, the mission will fail. Let go of your ego, and instead have true confidence and faith, and commit to your mission, whatever it may be right now.
Being Present
In a fast paced, information overloaded world, it can be difficult to “be in the present” sometimes. We are constantly worrying about the future, as well as the past. One of the most important steps of being “in the present” is being able to differentiate the present from thoughts of the future and past. As simple as that sounds, we often do not categorize these three things, so it becomes one big, jumbled, chaotic mess with no real grasp on time, which means no real grasp on reality.
If you’re just starting to realize that separating these three things (Present, Future, Past) is something you have not been doing, it’s time to do that now, right now, at this very moment, before you move forward with the rest of your life. If you’ve never done that before, you may be scratching your head trying to figure out what that means, and how to go about it. Keep in mind that it is a process, and you may not master it right away. We’re talking about breaking bad habits and rituals that you might have been practicing for years, without even realizing it. Here are some ways to start being in the present:
- Breathe.
It starts off this simple. Sometimes we don’t pay attention to our own breathing. When we are filled with anxiety or worry, we often take short breaths that are only making the negative feelings feel worse because we aren’t at the very least giving our bodies adequate oxygen to process whatever we are thinking about. So instead of mindless, short breaths, take in deep breaths, concentrating only on feeling the air fill your lungs, and think about the oxygen that is coming into your body, allowing you to live, and to think. Continue to take deep and cleansing breaths, with only the awareness of how you feel. - Fix your posture.
Try visualizing aligning the chakras, by creating a straight line from each chakra from the base to the top of the crown. This will help clear out any negative energy that may be settling in bad posture. - Put instant value in what you are grateful for right now, in this moment.
Instead of focusing on the future or the past, which is often negative memories or thoughts, stop and instead think about everything you are truly grateful for in this moment of your life. You will instantly start to feel more positive and less anxious. - Take a walk or a moment to stretch, or if you can, go for a jog or bike ride! Engaging your physical body in the present moment, and concentrating only on that, will help you enjoy the present and take you out of the anxiety filled frame of mind of the future and past.
These are some quick tips if you’re just starting to realize how much time you spend in the future or past, and how little time you actually spend in real time-the present, which is absolutely crucial to truly living life.
I will be writing much more on this topic, as it is one of my biggest struggles. I’m a natural born worry wort, and I realized how much of my life I wasn’t spending in the present moment, and these present moments quickly became my past moments, in which I would exist in and ask, why didn’t I enjoy this moment when it was actually happening? Yoga helped me practice “being in the moment” and started the mental shift of the practice of being present. I will be writing more about that in a future post. 🙂
Painting at The Drawlers
Hey everyone,
Instead of doing New Years Resolutions the same way I’ve done for pretty much every year since I was 13, I decided that I didn’t want to systematically write a laundry list this year. Don’t get me wrong, it’s helped me in the past. I always get closer to my overall goals every year, but it’s too slow moving for me at this point, and I need to manifest things quicker. So I just decided to put my goals into action, and just draw and paint again, without guilt of not getting other things done, like laundry and dishes. Those things get done anyway, because I will eventually run out of underwear, and need a mug to drink coffee out of, and I’ll do it.
This year I’ve made a conscious decision to pick up where I left off when I graduated art school, and create art that is truly part of myself. It’s time now, and it was meant to happen now, and not earlier. I’ve picked up so many things along the way. Found out a lot of things about myself, seen, heard and connected to the Divine Consciousness (interpret that how you will) and have so much positivity and beauty to manifest into my art.
I started The Drawlers last year, but haven’t done much with it…until now. This will be my most busy site this year. I have been non stop drawing and painting in the last two weeks. It’s been amazing! The ideas, the visions, they are constant flowing through me. So expect to see some fun stuff! Click the video below to view what I’ve been doing, and make sure to follow TheDrawlers.com!
Another Sleepy Saturday: 3 Things
I’m sleepy partly because I fell asleep before 9PM last night and then woke up at 3AM super hungry! I ate some leftover Thai food and proceeded to watch some “Fresh Off the Boat” on Hulu for a while, then went back to sleep around 5:30AM. Feeling quite disoriented, here are my 3 things I’m obsessed with this week:
1. Fresh Off the Boat
Of course this is going to be in this post! Not sure what I would have done when I woke up this morning if Hulu didn’t have new episodes of this show. Probably watched something else, but I love this show! Since I’m mostly Asian and there really isn’t much Asian representation on television that isn’t horribly stereotyped, this show is refreshing…and relatable for me, even though I’m not Taiwanese. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you must. Also, Tim Heidecker (from “Tim and Eric, Awesome Show, Great Job!”) had a cameo as the main character, Eddie Huang’s teacher in one of the episodes I watched last night about a mix tape. I’ll probably watch that one again with the kids.
2. Chirashi Bowls
This particular Chirashi bowl was from I Love Sushi on Victoria Blvd in Ventura, CA, across the street from the Courthouse. I was on lunch from Jury Duty. If you’ve never had a Chirashi bowl, get one!
3. This GIF:
Sleepy Saturday: 3 Things
Today for whatever reason, I was (am) very, very sleepy. No matter, some things must go on, like the 3 Things blog post! Here are 3 things I’m loving this week
1. My New Glasses!
They are Penguin brand, red, and fantastic! The first pair of glasses I’ve ever put on and was like, OMG I LOVE THEM. So, I’m pretty happy! If you need a good Optometrist and are in the Ventura County (or even LA county) area, check out Dr. Rogers, he is the best!
2. Scrunchies
That’s right, I love them. Truth be told, I never really fell out of love with them. With the resurgence of all things 90’s, these babies are back and better than ever! They are so comfy and easy on the hair follicles! I will be making a line of scrunchies for my shop at Heavenly Skull!
3. This DIY Behind the Sofa Table
I’ve been looking up ways to make small spaces more livable and this idea kept popping up. I want to make one!
Saturday Series: 3 Things
Hi everyone! Thanks for checking back in with me on my newest Saturday blog, 3 Things! Here are 3 Things I’m obsessed with this week:
1. My “Paz y Amor” Shirt from ShopMiVida.com
Translating from Spanish to English as “Peace and Love,” it’s something we all could use more of. The style of this shirt along with the very cool papel picado inspired graphics of the shirt fit my style perfectly. You must follow their instagram @shopmivida since they post beautiful pics and flash sales there.
2. My Diet is Better Than Yours
This show with no other than Insanity’s Shaun T as the host, is really addicting (we’ve been binge watching it on Hulu anytime we get a chance) and extremely informative. With different contestants all wanting to find the best plan for themselves to lose weight, and several different trainers touting their plans as the best, it is a competition for all. My personal favorite has been The Wild Diet, which reminded me that I was doing the Ketogenic diet for a while, then got derailed because some personal issues that I’m not dealing with anymore. I remembered that it was working really well for me, and it was easy for me. So I’m back on it! I’m feeling great and not craving so many unhealthy things. More on that later!
3. Peppermint Tea
Organic Peppermint tea of course! This hot drink is great for the digestive system and has a calming, soothing effect that is perfect for bedtime. I also drink it at work after eating a snack or when things get hectic, to soothe my mind. In addition to the taste being minty and refreshing, inhaling the fresh, peppermint scent is instant aromatherapy. If you haven’t tried drinking peppermint tea on a regular basis, I highly recommend it!
New Saturday Blog Series: 3 Things
It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I’m back! Once again, life got derailed, but did it really get derailed? Isn’t that a huge part of life? Isn’t that how we grow and learn? Like a phoenix rises through the ashes, we transform many times throughout life if we allow ourselves to. I am currently learning how to let go, not be bitter or angry about this part of life, and embrace all of its many marvelous benefits.
All that being said, it’s time I start posting here again! A weekly blog I’ve been wanting to do for a while is “3 Things.” It’s any 3 things I choose that week that I am obsessed with or have discovered and want to share with the world. Here are my “3 Things” this week:
1.”Modern Man” by Arcade Fire
I know it’s not a new Arcade Fire song, but I have not been able to stop listening to it. It has been on loop, as the entire album “Suburbs” has been. While I have heard the album before, this week in particular, it’s like I’ve rediscovered it all over again. It speaks to me on a completely different level that it never could have before going through this current molting process.
2. Pitted Dates with Dry Roasted Salted Almonds
Seriously, this was an accidental discovery at work. I had a separate bag of pitted dates and a separate bag of dry roasted salted almonds. They were both almost empty and I didn’t want to have two half empty bags on my desk, so I combined the two. What happened next was a party in my mouth. Seriously, the way Remy in Rattatouille got when he combined two different foods that went together, and the fireworks were bursting in his mind? That’s what happened. The warm sweetness of the dates paired perfectly with the nutty, salty almonds. The best ratio was about 3-4 almonds per date eaten at the same time. Seriously, try it and tell me how you like it!
3. Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential by Caroline Myss
I was a bit skeptical, as I try to always be when it comes to spiritual reads, but the more I read on, the more eye opening this book was and continues to be. I borrowed it from the library, but I need to buy my own copy because I need to write in and all over this book. Remember that whole molting, rising out of the ashes thing I was talking about? This book truly has had a huge part in opening my mind and awakening all the parts of me that needed to be at this time of my life. Whatever stage you are in your life, I encourage you to pick up this book. I’m not being paid to promote this at all, just as an FYI. It has truly touched me and allowed me to open my mind and heart where I felt lost and angry.
Well, that’s it for now. Thanks for reading my first “3 Things” post. If you decide to check out any of the 3 things I post about, I’d love to hear feedback. If you have things that you recommend, please share! I’d love to hear about it!
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