REVERB10: ELABORATING ON THE JOYFUL EASE OF A CAT NAPPING in 2011

Hallelujah for a new year and new opportunities! In 2011, Hallelujah is expecting to continue celebrating LIFE with the JOYFUL EASE of a CAT NAPPING! And e x t e n d i n g that way of BEING into the ALLness of EVERYthing!

What are 10 ACTIONS or THOUGHTS to achieve the JOYFUL EASE of a CAT NAPPING? Let’s playfully propose or compose answers to this question!

1. DO NOT JUDGE—Remember from Natalie Goldberg’s writing workshop: “Not Good. Not Bad. Just is.” (Read her book, Writing Down the Bones for joyfully strengthening your writing muscle!)

2. LAUGH—HO HO HA HA HA! Practice frequent, regular laughing which lowers blood pressure, boosts the immune system, and burns calories! (Check out Dr. Kataria and Laughter Yoga for information about laughing.)

3. CREATE EVERY DAY—No matter what, HAVE COFFEE with HALLELUJAH at dawn. If one has time for a morning drink, one has time to draw, paint, or write. Morning creations are surprising. (I write about my journey as a spiritual art pilgrim in my blog, Coffee With Hallelujah.)

4. RECEIVE LOVE and APPRECIATION—Soak in the LOVING VIBES from everyone around me. Welcome it with open arms. Say THANK YOU. (I learned how to say “thank you” to the appreciators of my art through working with creativity coach extraordinaire, Lesly Fredman. As silly as it might seem, I used to diminish my art in the face of a compliment!)

5. LISTEN with my EARS—Open my ears to hear myself and others. We speak LIFE’s POETRY. Words can be as exciting and thrilling as they are challenging to understand!

6. LISTEN with my WHOLE BEING—Accept with knowing patience the messages I receive from others’ expressions, postures, and overall energy. Speak to them based on this listening.

7. THE KEY WORD is FUN—Replace the word “work” with the word “fun.” For example, Instead of saying, “I’m working on this drawing,” I will say, “I’m having fun making this drawing.”

8. EXPERIENCE PLEASURE REGULARLY—Instead of being a Spartan, gleefully try new media and infinite colors of pink, open my tongue to delightful tastes, my body to luxurious stretches, walks, and massages, my mind to books on philosophy of spirit and art, and my heart to loving YOU, you fellow pilgrim.

9. USE the EXPRESSION “I WANT” COURAGEOUSLY—Trust that the GREAT MYSTERY wants me to want. Experiencing APPETITE with the knowledge of fulfilled GRATIFICATION is JOYFUL indeed. Even unfulfilled WANT is enlivening.

10. BREATHE LOVE—Embrace the LOVE that surrounds me with AMAZEMENT and APPRECIATION. Give love to myself, my Chiboogamoo and family. Give love to my dear friends and students. And yes, give love to YOU, pilgrims, and the GREAT MYSTERY!

Hallelujah to REVERB10 for giving me this opportunity to think about THOUGHTS and ACTIONS to ELABORATE ON THE JOYFUL EASE OF A CAT NAPPING in 2011.

Soul Blog with Hallelujah on December 28^th’s REVERB10 PROMPT: Achieve. What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today.