Blast from the Past: How Reconnecting to Old Passions Can Rejuvenate, Re-energize, and Rock Your World

I just got back from Tucson where I had the distinct pleasure of indulging in one of my favorite teenage pastimes – enjoying the sights and sounds of British pop band Duran Duran. Every time I see them or hear them, I’m reminded of my absolute obsession with them back in the 80’s. The hair, the guy-liner, the pouty lips, the provocative lyrics and videos. I was a definite Duranie back in the day.

And reconnecting to those memories helps me remember some good things about growing up. Like the first time I saw them in concert and my mom allowed me to go on my own. Or when my step-father sent me a gift of red, teardrop earrings in the mail, signed by keyboardist Nick Rhodes. Or the hunt for band memorabilia in every record store, drug store, and novelty store. My obsession with Duran Duran as a teen helped me find focus, passion, independence, and possibilities. But in a good way. Now every time I see them and hear them, I’m reminded of those feelings, and it helps me reconnect to my teenage self.

Now before you judge me for my obsession, I want you to think about an obsession you have (or had). What good things came from that obsession? What good memories do you have? Who else was involved? How do you feel when you think about it all?

We can learn so much from our past about who we are, who we were, and who we longed (and long) to be.  Reconnecting to an old passion can help us recalibrate and remember good times, good feelings, good friends, etc. It can help us remember what may have gotten buried over the years by obligations and responsibilities – all the shoulds and have-to’s.

I challenge you to reconnect to one of your old passions and see what happens. As for me, I’ve still got a little ringing in my ears and my voice is a little hoarse, but it seems like a small price to pay to get back in touch with one of the things that got me through some tough years.

Photo: Duran Duran © by Jason Persse

Book Review: Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao by Wayne Dyer

For over two decades, I’ve followed the work of Dr. Wayne Dyer, author and speaker. His work focuses on self-improvement, specifically on how to shift your perspective and thoughts to feel more centered, balanced, and happy. For sure, his work has helped shape not only who I am personally but my calling to do this same type of work with clients.

In his book, Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao, Dyer explores the ancient teachings of Lao-tzu, who dictated 81 verses of text that provide guidance on living a balanced and moral life. Dr. Dyer spent a year living with each of the 81 verses, exploring them in his own life and writing about them.

The book holds 81 chapters, each devoted to one of the teachings.  Dyer provides an interpretation or Lao-tzu’s teachings as well as practical advice on how to practice each of the teachings. He encourages readers to sit with no more than one chapter a day to fully take in the words and suggestions for putting that lesson into practice.

Each chapter touts a wonderful life lesson, a nugget of wisdom passed down through the ages. Examples of the lessons in this book include living:

• Creatively
• With Inner Conviction
• With Constancy
• Without Attachment
• From Greatness
• Calmly
• In Obscurity
• Beyond Appearances
• Beyond Judgment
• By Letting Go
• By Being Here Now
• By Bending
• Without Resentments

The advice Dyer provides includes tips like:

• Being silent and listening to your thoughts
• Trusting yourself
• Being aware of what is going on around you
• Practicing forgiveness
• Learning from the wisdom of children

If ever there was a “how-to” manual for how to live, this is it.  I highly recommend this book as part of any good self-help collection.

Top 10 Songs About Breaking Down

Life is a roller coaster of emotions as I deal with my mom’s death and all that comes with it – settling her estate, selling her home, going through her things, and OH YEA…grieving. Since music is so important in my life, I thought I’d list my top 10 songs about breaking down. While you may not be going through the same type of breakdown, we all have our moments from time to time. Enjoy my top 10 favs. And feel free to add a comment below with any other suggestions for songs to cry by.

1. Start of the Breakdown by Tears for Fears

2. Small Blue Thing by Suzanne Vega

3. Breathe Me by Sia

4. Black by Sarah McLachlan

5. Coming Undone by Korn

6. Come Undone by Duran Duran

7. This Woman’s Work by Kate Bush

8. Gravity by John Mayer

9. Let go by Frou Frou

10. Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel

Isn’t Life Delicious?

Juicy. Poignant. Bitter. Sweet. What other words can you think of to describe this journey called life we’re all on?

I love words, phrases, mantras, affirmations, anything that touches on one or more of the senses and draws me in. For some reason the term “isn’t life delicious” popped into my head recently. Have you ever heard that before? This was a slogan on a TV commercial for Lifesavers candy back in the 1980’s/1990’s (watch the video below). And a catch phrase that resurfaces for me from time to time, especially during profound change. So it wasn’t surprising when it came back to me recently as I am definitely dealing with some profound personal changes right now.

One of the things I love about that phrase is the images and metaphors it evokes. Life as something to be devoured, savored, and enjoyed. How many times do we look at life or our circumstances (family, jobs, responsibilities) as anything less than delicious? Possibly foul tasting and repulsive, putrid, or any other negative description you can think of? I think many of us have a tendency to focus on what tastes bad and discount the simple delicacies of life.

Each time I say this phrase, either out loud or silently to myself, I can’t help but smile. It’s a reminder to shift my perspective and not take things too seriously (which is something I often need to be reminded of).

So, how delicious is your life right now? Here’s some ideas to help you taste the yumminess, rather than the ickiness:

1. Write a list of all the good things that happened to you today. They don’t have to be big things or necessarily important things. Make a goal of writing at least 5 things, then 10, then 15, and so on. It may be challenging at first, but it will get easier the more often you do it. Once you complete your list for the day, say all the good things aloud, then say thank you.
2. When someone around you is complaining for the sake of complaining, look them in the eye, smile, and say “isn’t life delicious?” They may just smile with you.
3. Create some yumminess for yourself by engaging in something you truly enjoy, something that you generally find delicious. One of the things I do on a regular basis is get a massage. It helps me slow down, relax, and be in the present moment, all required for tasting the deliciousness.
4. Spread the deliciousness around. Do something to add flavor to someone else’s life. It could be a family member, friend, colleague, or stranger. It could be something big or small. Get creative with it.

I’d love to hear how you created a more delicious life. Leave a comment below.

Laughing: The Best Medicine?

I dare you to watch this video and not laugh. I can’t do it. There’s just something about this man’s laughter that is pure and infectious. And did you know that laughter has a ton of healing benefits? It can help relieve stress and tension, lighten your mood, lift your spirits, connect you with others, etc. For more information about the healing benefits of laughter, please see “Laugh Your Way to Stress Relieve and Creativity.”

Laugh Your Way to Stress Relief and Creativity

“A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your step as you walk the tightrope of life.” ~William Arthur Ward

When is the last time you had a good laugh? I’m talking tears streaming down your cheeks, belly-aching, hold your breath kind of laughter. How did you feel after laughing like that?

Research has shown several benefits of laughter for both our physical and emotional health. Laughter helps us by:

• Providing a physical release of tension. Have you ever felt relieved, lighter, less stressed after a good laugh? That’s because your body automatically tenses and releases several muscles, from your abdominals, shoulders, etc. This tension and release allows our bodies to let go of physical tension, which can lead to a release of emotional tension as well. When we have less tension, we can be more creative because we are more receptive to the flow of creative energy.
• Distracting us from the seriousness we can get focused on when we’re feeling stressed. Have you noticed that when you are overwhelmed or stressed you get more serious? It’s hard to have fun and be creative when we’re worried. Laughter helps by providing some much needed levity and distraction from the seriousness of life we can get caught up in.
• Helping change our perspective. Have you ever been so angry that you did or said something that you later found rather funny? We all have. Allowing ourselves to see humor in unexpected places can help us realize that things are often not quite as serious as we make them out to be. We may also find some inspiration from those serious-turned-funny moments.
• Connecting us with others. Laughter can be contagious and create an instant bond between strangers, acquaintances, or friends. Studies show that the more connected we feel with others, the better able we are at dealing with stressful situations. And when we are more connected with others, it can help us work better and be more creative in getting stuff done.

So where do you find humor? Think of times in the past (situations, people, things) that have prompted a good laugh. Make a list because it’s easy to forget when you’re overwhelmed. Keep that list handy in times of stress as a reminder of what to do to lighten things up. Here’s some other ideas where you might find some laughter:

• T.V. and Movies: Laughter may be as close as your favorite sitcom or a DVD collecting dust on a shelf. You can also rent your favorite comedies from your local DVD rental place, through a rental mailing service, or online through your DVR service.
• Comedy Club: Find a local comedy club to take in the laughs of local or touring professional comedians. If there isn’t one near you, you might try community theaters, colleges, or universities, which sometimes showcase comedy productions.
• Friends: Spend time with friends you can be silly with. You may find humor reliving memories from the past or make new memories by playing board games, DVD games, charades, or making up your own. Good friends can also help point out the humor in your life where you may have a tough time seeing it.
• Photos: Take a stroll down memory lane by looking through old photo albums or scrapbooks. You may be reminded of a funny thing or two.
• Comic Strips: Peruse the Sunday paper to find humor in the “funny” section. You can even clip out your favorites and hang them where you can see them regularly to remind you to find the humor.
• Jokes: Go to the library or bookstore and start reading through the joke books.
• To see the power of laughter in action, watch the video “Bodhisattva in metro” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKnY8tBLG3g

I encourage you to use laughter as a way to not only let go of the seriousness of life and relieve stress, but also to get more creative. Having fun is a great way to tap into creativity, and ultimately to the healing power you have within yourself.

I’d love to hear what you found funny (and inspiring). Leave a comment below.

Photo: Laughing at Dean © by wickenden