yoga pants
                            Travel comfortably in yoga pants

I only saw the movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants once. It’s not that I didn’t like it; I just haven’t seen it multiple times, as is my routine when I find a movie I love. It’s memorable to me as a bigger, surreal connection with all women everywhere and especially travelers everywhere as we seek to move our bodies from place-to-place as easily and comfortably as possible.

We do, after all, connect on an earthly level.

We all have bodies going through this human experience. Wearing pants is something MOST of us have in common. I suppose there are still people in the Outback of Australia, in the deep rain forest, and in Scotland, of course, that don’t wear pants. Then there is the cast of Naked and Afraid and Survivor that don’t wear pants. But please humor me; the majority of us do.

Hence the expression: we all put our pants on one leg at a time.

Translation: we are all the same.

That was one theme of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Each lady put the pants on, one leg at a time, but their experience in the pants was uniquely their own. As is everyone’s—a unique journey where we can only imagine walking a mile in someone else’s pants and shoes.

It reminds me of the world of yoga where each of us, as we step one leg at a time into our yoga pants, and one foot at a time onto our mats, has a unique heart/mind/body experience. My yogi teacher is fond of saying, “We meet ourselves on our mat daily.” Each day brings a new journey, whether our travels take us around town or around the world.

As my own travels continue to take me coast-to-coast, I hope I’m considerate and kind, honoring the human being in front of me and the journey we all take. I hope I smile and nod and engage and play along. I hope I see and honor all people.

I hope I let the small, uncomfortable human failing fall to the side. I hope I often support and bring courage to those that have misplaced theirs. I vow to honor every person, in every pair of pants in front of me.

I vow to see the commonality in all of us. I vow to honor both brotherhood and sisterhood of the traveling pants. I vow each time I don my traveling yoga pants that I reflect the light that is in each of us. Wearing comfortable pants helps!! I suggest yoga pants to everyone.

Namaste

#loquaciouslindee

rainy day at airport A rainy day delay helps grow patience.

I try too hard sometimes. Like right now. I’m trying to get home.

If I had just waited the weather out, I’d probably be boarding my Seattle flight to Denver right now, arriving home by 5. Well, land at 5:00 which puts me home at 7 p.m. But instead, I listened to the Weather Channel, got a 30 minute flight delay notice, checked Raindar, saw a HUGE storm over Seattle.

Then I read of tornados in Portland, checked Raindar again, boarded my flight to Seattle just to be grounded for an hour and a half and then dumped in the terminal to wait it out. After checking Raindar again, I called Travel.

Thanks goodness I have a go-to person at the office; I didn’t have to stand behind fifty other people trying to find a different way out. John swiftly and graciously got me down the road 90 miles to the closest airport, and a guaranteed flight to Salt Lake City, then home to Denver, arriving by 10 p.m. Weather looked good. It was guaranteed.

So now I’m at the Pasco airport, waiting, watching the planes go by, listening to their Seattle flight being called, and wondering, would I be on that Seattle-to-Denver flight home right now, if I hadn’t been proactive and found myself a different route home.

¯_( )_/¯

Who knows. I should stop trying so hard, pushing so much. I think that’s the “lesson,” if there is one.

I seldom sit down and enjoy, relax, just be. I’m doing something 90% of the time I’m not sleeping. That usually involves pushing hard to make money to pay the bills. I need to let more come to me. I’d better reread the book The Law of Attraction, by Ester and Jerry Hicks.

In lieu of that, I’m just going to sit here awhile, very still, very quiet and think good thoughts. Okay, first I’m going to finish this blog, then sit here, very quietly, thinking good thoughts. I’m going to slow down, enjoy the travel day, and get home when I get home. There is no problem I have to deal with, everyone is taken care of, my sweetheart is waiting for me. And he’ll be there when I get there.

Hmmm, maybe being proactive and pushing too hard wasn’t such a bad thing. It gave me time to sit down and write after all, and that always helps me let the good in.

Oh, I just heard someone say their flight was cancelled into Seattle earlier today and now they are waiting for another!

Vindicated!!! Keep on pushin’!

#LoquaciousLindee

When did being Politically Correct become a bad thing?!

Donald Trump has denounced political correctness and has built a campaign disparaging and belittling others: Hispanics, Muslims, the Black and Asian cultures, Women, the Republican Party…and the list goes on. He wears being mean, nasty, snarky, and politically INcorrect as a badge of honor, something to be proud of. But what’s wrong with being politically correct?!

Being politically correct is simply being respectful and polite; two words that are not in Trump’s vocabulary or mindset. “Respectful and polite” are attributes strong leaders emanate—even if they disagree with or see differently than the person they are speaking to or working with. It’s not necessary to be in complete agreement on issues when respect is present. Polite, respectful conversation can lead to compromise and win-win situations for all.

But when being “politically correct” is beyond a leader’s mental capacity, when polite conversation has ceased and the conversation has turned to condescending, belittling language, we all lose. The person or group who’s being verbally attacked with politically incorrect language feels victimized; and the attacker, the bully has weakened our position as a nation that acknowledges, appreciates, and embraces people or cultures that can help build a brighter future for us all.

I don’t profess to know the politics of Dear Abby, Emily Post, or Miss Manners, but each of these women made a name for herself by being polite and sharing her perspective and advice with readers. I doubt any of them would say it’s okay to mock and minimize another person or culture. And, if they heard Donald Trump today, they’d probably suggest charm school. (Too bad he can’t take his millions and millions of dollars and buy some manners.) In lieu of charm school, read this most excellent article by Sara Altschule at Bustle.com, 8 Etiquitte Tips That Will Make You Seem More Classy. All these suggestions are “politically correct” and easy to follow

I have a choice, you have a choice, we all have a choice: whether we use politically correct language or not. But truly, what can it hurt? Don’t you want to be acknowledged and respected? Isn’t this a simple common courtesy that is simple to extend to each other? All politics and beliefs aside.

We’re all in this together, whether we acknowledge it or not. H2H. Human to Human. So why not be respectful? Why not be politically correct?

#LoquaciousLindee

The word of the day is Patience.

For a cute reminder of the letter-of-the-day, watch Sesame Street’s tribute to the letter “P.”  Believe me, you’ll need patience to deal with today’s political scene. Especially Donald Trump.

The P word I want to focus on is Patience. Why? Because everyone wants it and I have it. At least in this moment I have it. It comes and goes; it’s fleeting, like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the quicker it leaves.

How is it I have it? Because “All things in God’s time.” That’s the Christian version. The Wiccan version: “As above so below.” New Agers would say: “All is well in all of creation.” The uncommitted might say “It is what it is.”

I have to believe everything is as it should be, because the alternative approach—to not believe–is living in fear.

Right now, Donald Trump is ravishing our nation. His reality-show presidential bid is getting exactly what he wants—ratings! He wants to win at all costs. But what he believes is repugnant. Disgusting, to use his favorite word. What he believes, his ideas for the nation, will cause calamity. He’ll put a target on our back.

We’ll be living in fear. A world where Trump is going to build our military and use it as a threat over other nations, leverage for when he needs to negotiate hard. He wants to go back to religious persecution. He points his fat fingers at people and says they are ISIS. He’s making this up as he goes. It’s like watching a WWF Smack-down match.

I’d say he’s a pig, but that’d be insulting to the pig. He’s a racist, a troll, a thug, and ironically exactly the opposite of what he wants to be. This man is a loser.

Trump is inciting violence. He brags that he could shoot someone and people would still love him. His rhetoric is so disturbing, calling people that don’t believe what he believes “bad.” So anyone who opposes what Trump thinks is “bad, a very bad person.” He says he’s a “unifier,” but his “us against them” mentality is empowering people to strike out. His crowd is turning ugly. As ugly as he is.

How do I know that Trump creates hate? Because his fans hate others. And because I hate him.

I don’t hate very often. I’m smarter, bigger, and better than that. I listen, I accept, and I believe we can all get along. We all come to this universal truth in our own time. Some never get to that understanding. Trump supporters obviously are not there. Neither is Trump.

That means I have to have patience, and belief, that people will come around; they’ll come to see, hear, and understand the maliciousness in his speech, his words. If they continue to watch him, hopefully they’ll see through the celebrity and see the monster.

President Obama says he’s not worried, he has faith; faith in the American people, that they won’t elect Trump. We’re smarter and better than that, Obama says. I choose to believe the same, and have patience that the American people will envision a better world than the one Trump presents. That people will act better than to follow Trump’s encouragement–to beat up those that don’t stand with him.

As I watch his nasty hate-filled face plastered on the TV, I choose to turn the channel, and watch Sesame Street, where P is the letter and Patience is the word.

And believe that “All is well in all of creation” if I just have Patience.

And that’s the word of the day. Patience.

#loquaciouslindee

I’m implementing a Mishap Management Plan. That means I’m being proactive; I’m preparing for trouble before it happens.

I’m a First Class Girl Scout, the equivalent of an Eagle Boy Scout. “Be Prepared,” was a part of my high school education. I was a Brownie in Kindergarten and worked my way through Juniors, Cadets, and finally to Seniors in my Senior year of high school. I earned over 50 badges, patches, and pins on topics such as: hospitality, sewing, cooking, camping, hiking, and first aid. Earning Girl Scout badges gave me information, skills, tools, and most importantly, confidence.

I was a Brownie in 1966; a Senior in 1980. It’s was a different world, a safer world, in my mind. That’s probably my perspective and age talking, but while I’m writing this, California just experienced another mass shooting at a government agency. Over 20 fatalities…this is so sad. And scary. Even more so today, a girl needs to be prepared.

In 2009, the Girl Scouts addressed that by adding the Emergency Preparedness Patch which they developed in conjunction with FEMA’s Citizen Corps. Their motto: Don’t be scared; be prepared.

Life is unpredictable, but with proper training—the right Girl Scout patch–and the right attitude, I can handle anything with grace, strength, and humor. With that in mind, I’ve created my own Mishap Management Patch so I can travel the country confidently knowing I’ve compiled the information I’ll need if I “trip and fall.”

Here are 8 Mishaps that could ruin a girl’s day—unless she was prepared:

  1. Missed flight
  2. Car accident or break down
  3. Lost or stolen wallet
  4. Lost or stolen phone
  5. Lost or stolen computer or locked out of an account
  6. Got hurt or sick
  7. Pulled over
  8. Someone’s got a gun

Follow along and create your own Mishap Management Plan.

Here is the information you’ll need to gather. Store information in your phone, on your laptop, on a thumb drive, and online. Consider carrying printed copies of the information as well.

 

  1. Missed flight
  • Company Contact (trainer) #:
  • Company Emergency travel #:
  • After hours emergency travel #:
  • Traveler card customer service #:
  • Download company travel app:
  • Download airline apps:

 

  1. Car accident or car break down
  • Driver’s license:
  • Registration: hard copy
  • Proof of insurance: card and app
  • Download insurance app:
  • Insurance: Progressive Report a Claim:
  • Insurance: Progressive Roadside Assist:
  • Traveler card customer service #:
  • Download Car Rental app

 

  1. Lost or stolen wallet
  • $40 in cash stash
  • Copy of driver’s license
  • Report bank and credit cards stolen: numbers in PW doc and home
  • Report to police

 

  1. Lost or stolen phone
  • Trip tickets and itineraries printed
  • Google maps printed
  • Important contacts: #s in PW doc
  • Backup:
  • Facebook as alternative contact method

 

  1. Lost or stolen computer or locked out of important account
  • Dropbox: training files and PW doc
  • Thumb drive: training files and PW doc
  • Email myself PW doc
  • Report to police
  • Serial #:
  • Serial #:
  • Last Pass app

 

  1. Got hurt or sick
  • Insurance:
  • Doctor:
  • Dentist:
  • ICE info on phone
  • Update my will

 

  1. Got pulled over
  • Driver’s license:
  • Registration: hard copy
  • Proof of insurance: card and app
  • Download insurance app:
  • Rental car papers
  • National Car app
  • Attorney #:

 

  1. Someone’s got a gun
  • Drop back; observe
  • Locate nearest exit
  • Locate nearest police or security officer
  • Leave

 

Hopefully I won’t be experiencing ANY of that above situations. But if I do, I’ve thought about it, prepared for it, and should come out unscathed—lookin’ and feelin’ fine.

So, there you have it, an outline for creating your own personal Mishap Management Plan. All you need to do now is fill in the blanks and collect the information.

Motivational speaker Brian Tracy says, “Prepare for the worst and then expect the best.” Basically, figure out the worst case scenario and then do everything within your power to make sure that worst case scenario doesn’t happen. Laying this solid foundation helps me feel capable and comfortable. It allows me to walk forward with faith, knowing I can handle whatever is coming my way.

And now, with all of our business taken care of, let’s look forward to what’s next! But that’s a different list. Stay tuned.

#loquaciouslindee

I find myself worrying about my dad today. He’s 82, in the hospital, and recovering from surgery. This is day 24.

The time for worry should be over. He’s made it through the tough part, the surgery; now, he’s just waiting for all the vital organs to wake-up. He’s on the mend. But I find myself worrying regardless.

Regardless, being the key. Regardless of looking at the situation logically and calmly, I’m looking past the good news and dwelling on the bad. That’s what worry is: a thought of bad things unwanted.

So instead of focusing on my feelings or thoughts of my dad’s recovery, I’ve begun thinking about what I’m worried about. “I’m worried” has become “I think.” If I’m free to truly think anything I want—and of course I am—in this case, today, I’ve been thinking about all the bad things that could happen. What would happen if I focused on the good? I wonder.

I wonder when Dad will be released from the hospital? I wonder what his faithful nurse, companion, and wife–aka MOM–are doing right now? I wonder how he’s getting through his Father’s Day in the hospital?

I worry, I think, I wonder. All questions of what will happen in the future. Bad, neutral, good. For me, thinking, focusing-in on my thoughts, expectations and outcomes makes it easier to think positively, optimistically, and hopefully.

We know things in life will go wrong, but why not focus on what could go right?

Why worry when you can wonder?

 

 

I’m in a “universal time-out.” I’m flat on my back, unable to put pressure on my spine due to searing back pain. No more work or play. Time to be still. Time-out.

I didn’t have a lot of things I had left to do this week. I accomplished a lion’s share, a whole pride of lions’ share of activities this week already: rearranging and spring cleaning my small place, two hot power fusion yoga classes, a dozen laps around the lake outside my house. All of that after two hours of hand-snapping fresh asparagus–after a twenty hour car ride to and from Iowa! I like to get things done, and I’d checked more than a few items off the to-do list.

And, I was just thinking last evening how strong I felt. I was trouncing my horseshoes opponent solidly 7 to 1.  Hmmm, could have been the horseshoes that put me over. Those lucky shoes were a bit harder than usual to heave. And in hind-sight, not such a great idea. Just thinking about them sets my back aflame.

So now, it is time to rest, and time to write.

There certainly are benefits from being in a universal time-out. I hadn’t updated my blog in months. I guess those horseshoes were lucky after all. I’m lucky to have this time, time to recover, and time-out.

#LoquaciousLindee

I’m reading Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispernza.

Dr. Joe’s a master at simplifying quantum physics so we can understand HOW energy creates our realities. I’m half-way through the book and I’m excited to get to the “how to” exercises. (There are a few realities I’m planning on creating.)

As Yoda would say, “You must unlearn what you have learned.”Breaking the Habit is teaching me why my heart, mind, and body hang on to past experiences—especially the hurts—and continue a feedback loop of stinkin’ thinkin’ (#stinkingthinking) that cripples my progress forward. Dispernza refers to it as “re-mind”;when your mind plays the same story again and again.

“The difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.”Who said that?

Dipernza’s view is that change creates quantum surprises (#quantumsurprises). And quantum surprises are the Universe’s way of honoring your intention. But you can’t be too specific. You have to anticipate in thought and with feeling specifically what you want, but then you have to let the Universe fill the need.

Break the habit of old thoughts, become very clear in your intent, and stand back and let the energy fall together.

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might get what you need.”

That was Mick. 😉

#loquaciouslindee

For more thoughts on moving forward, read Don’t Quit Now; Do It Now.

Let me interrupt this normally scheduled writing session to pass along this message of hope. H-O-P-E.

Hold On Pain Ends.

I’ve never heard this acronym before. I’m seeing it tonight for the first time. Hold On Pain Ends. It stopped me in my tracks. I stumbled on this quote tonight in a random google search. No, I wasn’t searching for hope. And I’m not in a depression or funk. I’m busy as crazy, doing what I love, and loving doing it, crazy as that sounds.

I actually clicked my way to it with a “quotes about Pinterest” search. Mixed in with quotes about the social media platform, Pinterest, were quotes that were also being posted on Pinterest.

There have been times in my life that hope has eluded me. And without hope, I wasn’t able to move forward in love and joy, or at all. I was stuck. Without hope, I was sad and depressed. And in pain.

“The sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar there’ll be sun.” We all know that song quote. It’s so popular and relevant that the song is being heard by a whole new generation with the remake of the comic strip, book, broadway musical, and now movie, Annie. It’s such a beautiful message—of hope. Things will get better.

I wrote once that H-O-P-E stands for Hold On People Everywhere. That’s still valid. Hope is a waiting game. A game of patience, where sometimes you think the pain will never end. HOPE knows there are better days ahead. Pain-free days.  Little Orphan Annie says it could be as early as tomorrow!

Let’s HOPE (hold on pain ends) it will be soon; because HOPE (hold on people everywhere) is good for us all. 
 
#LoquaciousLindee
Help Open People’s Eyes. Be part of the State of the Union movement. 

Another perspective…You’re trying too hard.

With Christmas 2015 around the corner, I can’t wait to see what the folks at Westjet have in store. It’ll be hard to beat last year’s heart-moving, hope-igniting story, but can’t wait to see them try. Click this link for five minutes of cheer: Westjet Christmas Miracle.

Oh, and if Santa asks me what I want for Christmas? College tuition for the kids. And world peace. 🙂