Hear Me Universe #59. Loves Good Wine

Someone brilliantly coined, “life’s too short to drink cheap wine.” If I’m going to consume the sugars and calories from a glass of wine, it’s going to be worth it.  I enjoy everything about the experience of drinking a glass of wine: the bouquet of fruits, herbs, grass, tobacco, toast, vanilla, or chocolate; the crispness of a summer white glass; the aftertaste that, in a good wine, will persist in its fruitiness or spiciness; the tannins of reds, mild and firm. Drinking a glass of wine alone allows me to enjoy the richness and beauty of it, but drinking a good wine with someone shares the experience, making it all the more fun.

Hear Me Universe #58. Loves the Beach

I don’t know that I’ve ever met another human who doesn’t love the beach, but I wrote #58 to be intentional and damn clear: share walks along the sand with me, watch the sun rise and set over the ocean in my arms, marvel at the magical rhythm of the tides, and find joy in the beauty of a simple sea shell.I had not seen the ocean until I was in high school. Growing up in the land-locked Midwest was a factor in that, but growing up on a farm from which vacations were not taken was the real reason. From that first visit to the West coast of Florida, where I put my feet in the ocean for the first time, I knew I'd dwell by the sea for days of my life. Raising my own children, I took them to the ocean every, single year for over 20 years. I wanted them to witness the endlessness of the tides and find joy in the nothingness of a day by the sea.In 2010, Craig and I were married on the beach, early one morning, with the ocean as our backdrop and the sun as our beacon of what was possible. He sang "Green Eyes" during our wedding, perfect lyrics for the setting: Honey you are the seaUpon which I floatAnd I came here to talkI think you should knowThat green eyesYou're the one that I wanted to find...

Hear Me Universe #57. Is Disciplined

Maybe the word, “disciplined,” is a trigger for some, but for me, it’s a liberating term. I believe that being disciplined—yes, doing the work—is sowing the seeds of a greatness that I truly want and am willing to make effort in order to experience what I can visualize on the horizon. Being disciplined is a precursor to feeling accomplishment. Being disciplined sends a signal to the universe that says, “this is important to me and I’m giving it my time, my attention, my effort, and my focus.” I named my desire to be in partnership with someone who sees discipline as a tool that serves a purpose and loves the celebration that follows the effort.

Hear Me Universe #56. Spiritual

I left organized religion several years ago. I didn’t have a fallout. It wasn’t an overt rejection. I just stopped being a part of something that I felt no need for in my life. I let it go. I felt it wasn’t serving me and I wasn’t engaged in it—so religion and I just parted ways. I did feel like I’d lost something, but I wasn't quite sure what.What I began to practice was finding my own answers, defining my own beliefs, and living according to my own compass. I sought answers from many religious traditions, read more widely than every, and allowed my yoga practice to open the channel to within.  It felt hard at times, because anytime you’re creating something from nothing, you just don’t know what you don’t know. Going from not knowing, to experiencing, to learning, to defining my own beliefs has been my spiritual journey. And, what I know for sure, is the journey never ends, and that's the beauty of our divinity. For all the Truth I know today, I am still seeking a fuller connection to the Divine.I wrote #56 to invite a match to my open-hearted way of learning what this life is about, not through a narrow doctrine, but through living a life that is aligned to your own heart. I desired a deeper understanding of why we're here, who we are, and how I can live this life with unbridled passion. Sharing my life with another soul who is a seeker of All That Is is exactly what I called to me. 

Hear Me Universe #55. Committed to a Spirit of Self-improvement

When I was a teacher, I witnessed thousands of teenagers demonstrate this spirit of self-improvement. Students arrived in my English classroom with different talents, and nearly all of them left with more ability, deeper knowledge, and sharper skills. English class required students to read widely, write often, and talk about both reading and writing. It’s a course that demands metacognition, and my class was challenging. And, students who showed up daily, worked steadily, practiced through their assignments were successful.At the end of each academic year, I’d have my students review their major writings from the course (a portfolio, giving a long-term view) and write about what qualities they saw growing in their writing. This reflection nearly always resulted in a sense of achievement and pride—they could tangibly SEE how they had improved as writers.What if we each did an annual reflection of self-improvement? When we look at the longer view, I believe we see more than if we continue to look at only waves that have crashed violently. What if we look to see the ripples of our own amazing lives, content with where we are and committed to rise again?

Hear Me Universe #54. Knows Contentment

My love list to the universe was written at a time when I was making contentment a companion of mine. I wrote my list in 2008, three years after my 22-year marriage ended. I was 44 years old, and contentment had been slowing emerging as a dominant desire: to be present with what is and to be totally fine. And, when I was present with what is and NOT totally fine, I had learned that it was time to take action, to rebalance what had gone awry so that contentment would live within again. I cultivated contentment through solitary activities, like running long mileage and practicing yoga and reading books that took me far away. It was the first time in my life that I was just being with me and getting to like it. I took my first meditation classes, which shined a spotlight on my monkey mind and helped me love the chaos  that I was trying to quite. So, “knows contentment” made my list, as I desired a match to the state of being serene, still, and whole.What activities or practices do you use to create contentment in your life?