149. Green Eggs And Ham No More

You may have a limit on how long you will be able to make green eggs and ham. After all, regular ham and eggs might find offense being referred to in any way as “green“. What about Kermit?? Will he have to stop singing his song about being green? What about his relationship with Miss Piggy? I am guessing that someone finds that offensive?! I mean, a frog and a pig?? Come on! That just isn’t right, is it??! Well, I guess they did split up a few years ago, but, they are always on again, off again, right?

The world is changing. Change is tough. Sometimes change is needed. It’s good. It is necessary to life. Life is all about change. Sometimes, people go overboard, and change feels stupid. You can never, I mean, NEVER, make enough changes to make everyone happy! Does that mean we shouldn’t bother to make any changes? No. However when you are changing the gender of a potato in a game, maybe you have gone too far?

We have changed Aunt Jemima. Uncle Ben’s, Mrs Butterworth’s, Cream of Wheat, Land O’Lakes, and Eskimo Pie. I’m sure there are others. Now, Mr. Potato Head, is just Potato Head? Dr. Suess books are next, with some deemed too racist, or at least the artwork is too racist, and certain stories will no longer be published. No, Green Eggs and Ham isn’t one of them. I can pretty much promise, that if Dr. Suess drew characters for his books that are now viewed as racist, that was not his intention. They probably weren’t viewed that way at the time. Would he change them if he were here to do it? We will never know for sure, but I’m guessing he would. Like any other piece of history, when times change, things like books, and the products we use stay the same, that’s why they are a part of our history! Should they change as well? Should they be left alone and used as a tool to learn from? Well, that is the $20,000 question. The current trend is to change every little thing that someone somewhere might find offensive. So, quick, buy up all the old product you can find, because it might be worth a pretty penny one day! I guarantee those Dr. Suess books, no longer published, are going to become collectibles. Although, there are so many out there, it may be awhile before you see any money on your investment. Isn’t that what it’s all really about anyway? Money. I don’t think these companies really care about their customers feelings that much, unfortunately. What they care about is, are those customers buying the competitions product instead of theirs because they find it more appealing? Or because theirs hasn’t changed its logo or name in fifty years?

I would guess that maybe, just maybe, what we truly oppose about all these changes are what they represent to use as individuals. Those logos and brands are a part of our history, of how we grew up. They are a part of our memories. It’s as if someone is suddenly telling us that how we were raised and how we grew up is suddenly wrong. We don’t like that when it comes to fond memories. It doesn’t feel very good. No one finds it offensive that there are now laws and regulations about seat belts in cars and trucks, when many of us grew up without either using them, or even having them available in our parents cars. But, mess with our favorite pancake syrup, or a childhood game, and you are going too far! Every kid should grow up playing with a potato labeled as Mister, with a fake mustache to match his gender! Syrup from a container not shaped like an African American woman just isn’t the same! ….Really??

Believe me, the world will not stop spinning just because we make what may initially feel like stupid changes. If it makes someone happy, or feel better, or feel less made fun of, or whatever the case, then isn’t that a good thing? I know, I know… I just said we can’t make enough changes to make everyone happy.. And that is true, but let’s not live in the past either. Well, enjoy your green eggs and ham, or your Chick O’ Stick, or your Oreo, or whatever it is you enjoy while you can, before someone decides it’s labeled or pictured in a bad way. Change is inevitable. Try to remember, it’s usually a good thing.

148. Drop The Drama, Mama

We could all use less drama in our lives. It comes from everyone and everywhere. It sometimes comes from the places you would least expect it. I was in a birding group on Facebook. Suddenly, I found myself deep in a discussion about cats that live outside and whether or not this so called, “non native” species should be euthanized to save the precious bird population. It was the administrators view that you cannot like outdoor cats and birds at the same time. If you have an outdoor cat, or tolerate their existence, then you are a bad person who does not like birds. All I wanted to do was look at pictures of birds! I left that group and found another one that hopefully has less drama associated with it.

What is it about people that draws us to conflict and drama?! It’s difficult to get away from. It sometimes seems to be in our nature to stir up conflict. We aren’t happy when things are going smoothly. Always waiting for the other shoe to drop. We seek out the drama. In the back of my mind, I knew I shouldn’t read the post titled, ” You cannot love birds and outside cats at the same time”, or something to that effect. I knew reading it would not make me feel good, but I went down the rabbit hole anyway! That little voice in my head was right, it always is. All I had to do was scroll down and not read the post. But, could I do that? I opted for a little drama.

Television networks are making millions of dollars (if not billions) on the drama found in the everyday lives of people. Reality TV is a huge market. People watching has always been an enjoyable pass time of society. Seeing this type of show reminds me that my life is pretty good, not the train wreck that others seem to be living.

Choosing the thoughts that make us feel good is the key to dropping the drama. When you let in thoughts that make you feel bad, you draw in more of the same. Thinking thoughts that make you feel good allows you to control your point of attraction. You are attracting more of what feels good to you. You are creating your own reality. The less attention you give to the problems and drama of other people, the less you muck up your own reality with a bunch of stuff that doesn’t make you feel good! .

147. Be Positive

Okay, I went with the theme song from one of my favorite new sitcoms on my post this week, instead of just a regular song. The video is a little weird, but I like the catchy tune. Now, on with the post….

Did you realize that your mind is chatting away, almost constantly? It rarely ever takes a brunch! Ok, so that was just a test to see if your mind was paying attention. I was going for the word, break, instead of brunch. But, really… our minds just go on and on. Some people call it talking to yourself. Whatever you call it, it probably needs to be reeled back in a bit. If you start paying attention to what your mind is saying, it can be eye opening. For example, my brain complains… A LOT! I mean, if I let it. I have to have help with every little thing (due to living with ALS). That means that I have someone else doing everything for me, the way that they think it should be done, not the way I necessarily would do it. So, I find my mind commenting on everything. Things like moving me with a patient lift kind of get done on auto pilot, because it happens so often, day after day, week after week, month after month… you get the idea. So, it doesn’t always (or ever) go smoothly. Just like other monotonous things, like taking my pills and supplements. Today, I swear, every single time my husband gave me a pill, he hit my front tooth with his fingernail! Every time! My brain had fun with that one… Why does he have to smack my tooth every time?!? Is he doing that on purpose? That can’t feel great on his fingernail. Does he even know he’s doing it?!?

On, and on, my mind goes. If I let it, it points out everything in my day. It’s not always negative. I watch the birds outside my window., and my mind chats away…. Wow! That cardinal is really pretty! Such a bright red! Come on woodpeckers…Can’t you all just get along!? When our minds gravitate to the negative thoughts, that’s where we get into trouble. Negative thoughts just flowing through our brains, sometimes on a loop, over and over and over again. Try to pay attention to what your mind is chatting away about. You might be surprised by what you’ll hear. How do we constantly think, and not even realize we’re doing it? Oh, you think you know every thought that crosses your mind… But, you don’t. Not until you really start paying attention. So, try it one day. May be not even a whole day, just for an hour or two. Really pay attention to what you’re thinking about.

Once you catch yourself with negative thoughts, see if you can change them, or flip them around a little. For instance, if I think, Don’t hit my tooth again! I could turn it around to, Just bypass my teeth. That has the same basic meaning but it has more of a positive message , rather than a negative one. Some people believe that if you concentrate on what you want, rather than what you don’t want, you have a much better chance of getting it. In fact, if you think about what you don’t want, chances are, that’s what will continue to happen. The trouble is, it’s sometimes hard to flip your thoughts to the positive, unless you really pay attention. I have tried it. For example, I have been stuck waiting on someone to come and help me do whatever it is that needs doing, and I would usually concentrate on what I need done. Example: I am burning up…. I need to pull a blanket down. Or, my legs are killing me… I really need to move them. Instead of thinking about what I want, I try to think about how I will feel when I have the blanket moved… The coolness I will feel, the relief of not being so hot… The relief of my legs being moved, how they will feel when that happens. Some people would call it coincidence, but whenever I concentrate on how I will feel in having what I want, instead of what I want, it seems to come to me faster. Plus, bonus, I’m not concentrating on what is bothering me, so it doesn’t bother me as much! You can do it! Reel in those random thoughts and make sure your mind is thinking positive. Just like the song says, “It’s your prerogative to be positive!“

146. Believe In 2021

I am imagining that everything will suddenly change on January 1st, 2021, and life will somehow be better than it was in 2020. Will that actually happen? Who knows, if enough people believe, we might just make it happen.

Sometimes called, The Tinkerbell Effect, it’s the notion that if enough people believe in something, it comes to fruition. I am quite sure that never ever before have so many people, all over the world, wanted change so much before. We are all tired of quarantines and masks, and so many new ever changing rules about where we can go and what we can do. People from every country, big and small, all over the world are ready for 2021 to begin and change for the better to come to us all. Perhaps the hopes and wishes of so many people will be enough for a miraculous change to come. I’m not just talking about the end of a virus. I’m talking about a change for the better in the way people treat other people. A change in what we know to be important in our lives.

The law of oneness states that we are all connected. What one person thinks can effect anyone or everyone else. The law of attraction states that like attracts like. What you believe or expect, you will draw to you. So, when we have millions of people expecting 2021 to be a better year, it just has to happen! Ask and ye shall receive.

Mark 11:24  

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

So, have a Happy New Year! Lets all pray that 2021 will be a good year, expect it to be and… so it will be!

145. Follow The Light

She did it again. One of my favorite authors, Pam Grout, in lesson 121 of her Course in Miracles Experiment, advised her readers to follow the light. Her interpretation of The Course in Miracles Lessons are easy to understand and spot on. No matter what the problem, the answer should be to follow the light. If you are mad at someone, stop and look for the light in them. It might big or it may be tiny, but, it will be there. If things aren’t going your way, don’t waste time on worry and wondering what will happen. Just look for the goodness of the situation and follow the light. Whatever the plight, look for the light to find the answer.

https://astronomy.com/news/2020/12/jupiter-and-saturn-will-form-rare-christmas-star-on-winter-solstice

All those years ago, wise men did just that. They followed the starlight to find a baby boy who would be called, Savior. No matter what your religion or beliefs, the event known as the Christmas Star, is special. It is visible every twenty years. However this year on December 21st, the planets Jupiter and Saturn will be within .01 degrees of each other, forming what people call the Bethlehem or Christmas Star. This hasn’t happened, making it as bright and visible, since 1226 A.D. There is something momentous about this particular star being so vivid in this year of all years, 2020. The year that will go down in history, for any number of reasons. Whether you believe that the virus is not real, or a scheme, or a political move, or a health scare that has killed thousands of people all over the entire world, this year will be one for the history books. No matter what you believe, it seems like we are being shown the light in a way that everyone the world over will be able to see and know that we are never alone, never forgotten, never without hope and love. All we need to do is look for and follow the light.

144. One Minute Every Hour

This year perhaps more than ever before its important to have an attitude of gratitude. Remembering all that we are grateful for can make a difference no matter what situation you are facing. The answer to every problem is love and gratitude. One of my all time favorite authors, Pam Grout, says she uses gratitude like duct tape. I’m guessing that means, everywhere, and for any situation.

My naturopathic doctor suggests that his patients practice gratitude. He says that when you are engulfed in negativity, worried about covid19 (or whatever you obsess over) and maybe finding yourself watching the news constantly, it effects your bodies ability to work properly. Our system sort of freezes up like a deer in headlights. He suggests that we change our focus and bring gratitude into our lives. One way to do that is to take sixty seconds out of every waking hour to think about what you are grateful for. Take a few deep breathes to help shift your focus and concentrate on what you are grateful for. It’s easy to do, and you can do it absolutely anywhere. No one needs to know, unless you want them to. You don’t have to close your eyes. You don’t have to sit in a certain position or chant anything. No yoga pose required. Just focus. There is a Universal Law that says that whatever you appreciate in your life, God will bring more of into your life. If you want more of the good stuff, think about it more often! I think that is an excellent idea. I’ve been trying to do it. So far, I am remembering far less than every hour. Maybe I will ask Alexa for reminders.

So, give it a try this holiday season. You could bring some great things into your life by the new year. Do it for the rest of this month, and you will be on your way to forming one of the best habits you could ever have!

143. I’ll Believe It When I See It

I’ll believe it when I see it.  I’m sure you’ve heard that saying.  You’ve probably even said it yourself, I know I have.  It makes sense, right?  Somebody mentions something you don’t think will ever happen, and ” I’ll believe it when I see it”, pops into your head.  But, is that the best idea?

I suppose if you don’t really care one way or the other, that’s one way to go.  Just wait and see what happens.  But, if you’re at all rooting for said thing to happen, then you probably should believe it will happen.  The chances of it happening skyrockets when you believe it before you see it.

My _____ (fill in body part here) is killing me!  I would bet that you’ve said that one at some point in your life. I know I have, more times than I can count!  Obviously, if you’re still here, it wasn’t killing you.  It hurt,  a lot.  So, why do we say or think something like that?  Habit, is probably the number one reason.  You heard it somewhere and it stuck in your head only to be repeated over and over again (just like, I’ll believe it when I see it).  You should try to switch up those thoughts that are set on repeat and replace them with thoughts that you really want to happen.  At the very least, try something more true and less dramatic, like,  I am feeling a lot less comfortable than I would like to be.  Or, I wish my_____ ( fill in body part))  felt better.  Clearly not as much fun, but it is accurate, and you aren’t telling your brain that your body is killing you.  It can make a big difference to your brain what words you use.  The Curable App would suggest that you use a totally different, and even silly, word to describe your pain.  I started trying to use the word, fuzzy.  My back feels so fuzzy today!  It tricks your brain into processing the pain differently.  I have to say, when I do remember to use that word, fuzzy, then my pain lets up a bit.  I don’t know if it’s all in my head… LOL.. but, it kinda works.  Picture me, yelling at my legs and hips… “I said, FUZZY!! FUZZY!!  Not pain”!  The Curable App would say that while my pain is very real, it is also all in my head.  I don’t know that I totally get it, but I’m beginning to understand the theory.   If you are interested in alternative pain relief, they have a great new podcast that is really interesting and helpful called, Tell Me About Your Pain.  

The point is, watch those thoughts that float around in your head!  They are tricky little suckers!  Negative thoughts are the masters of disguise!  They show up as sayings you’ve heard all of your life, like, I’ll believe it when I see it.  Maybe they make you think you are upset with someone, and you are just going over what they did to you in your mind… remembering!  Remembering tricks your brain into reacting as if the situation was happening all over again. Can you say, stress?!!  Negative thoughts show up as doubt… Oh, THAT will never happen for me!  Negative thoughts are filled with fear… What if..??!  They pop into your mind when you least expect it!  So, try not to give them the opportunity to show up.  Fill your thoughts with positivity and gratitude.  Love.  Faith.  Hope.  Anything and everything good!  When you do that, negative thoughts have no room and are forced to disappear.

142. A Pandemic…No Big Deal

I think I’m handling the whole pandemic pretty well. I really didn’t have a moment when I totally freaked out. Well, maybe just a moment… but, it was not even a full minute… seconds at best. Maybe that’s because once you have been told your life is going to end, a pandemic just isn’t that scary. That is on a good day for me. On a bad day, I would say it’s even worse for me because I already have a serious illness I’m trying to survive, and now I have to try and survive something else too!!?! Really?!?!! I mean, I have ALS. I was told I had 2-5 years to live… 22 years ago!!! Well, that proves that doctors don’t know everything! I think the average person is figuring that out now, as doctors initially knew very little about how to treat people with Covid19. Thankfully they know more now than they did months ago, but still the treatments aren’t enough to save everyone. I am hoping this whole pandemic leads us into discussions about our immune systems, and the state of the food we all consume, and how little nutrition it holds, as compared to fifty or even twenty years ago. In a world that works as it was created to work, we would not need a vaccination for anything. Our bodies were created to be able to fight off any virus, and heal from injury. Really. It’s just that we humans got in the way of that. The things we have done to improve our food is huge. All in an attempt to make things better. By using pesticides to make our fruits and vegetables grow better and faster, we have poisoned the food we eat and killed off most of the nutrients. We have created chemicals to put in food and create food-like substances that not only hold no nutritional value, but are bad for you to consume. We have so called healthy vegetarian burgers that are made from plants that use chemicals to make them taste like meat. Did anyone stop to think that plants aren’t supposed to taste like meat?? We have fast food real meat burgers that are made from cows that have been fed pesticide covered grains and hay and injected with drugs to make them grow bigger and keep them healthier to be processed into our burgers faster. All of this weakens our immune systems, and provides us with bodies that are already working overtime just trying to keep us going, so they are ill-equipped to fight off a serious virus.

I can barely breathe on a good day, and I can’t breathe if I even lie down. I use a machine to keep me breathing as I sleep. I am a definitely at greater risk of getting sick, so this pandemic has drastically effected the way I live my life. I don’t go anywhere right now, I mean nowhere! I sadly made the decision to not even attend my cousins funeral, because I didn’t want to take the chance on catching the virus. I have not entered a store since January. I don’t know how strong my immune system is, so I’m not taking any chances. I know my immune system could definitely be better, and I’m working on amping it up. I hope you all are too, with your own immune systems. If you are living with a serious illness, you are at higher risk that Covid, or any virus, will affect you more severely than it would a healthier person. Unfortunately, many people who are healthy, don’t see the need to wear a mask. They think they feel fine, so why bother (you can have the virus and not know it). They think if they get sick, they will survive, they will be fine. That is probably true for many people, they will be fine. There are many people out there who don’t quarantine when they have Covid19. They may for a few days if they feel bad enough, but that ends when they have to run to the store, or just have to get out of the house! They will wear a mask, so what does it matter?!? My husband went to the store just the other day and overheard someone talking about how they just tested positive. That person, going out after recently testing positive is why this is spreading like wildfire, in my opinion. If you have tested positive, please stay home for 14 days after your positive test! If you are healthy, then please wear your masks when you are around anyone outside your home, because you don’t know the health of those around you. One tiny microorganism passed from you to them could be deadly for them or for someone they live with or come in contact with. Because people don’t wear masks and don’t quarantine, I can’t go anywhere. I have basically been at home sitting in my chair, using my computer and watching TV day after day, week after week, month after month since the whole pandemic started. So, I understand how badly you want to go out to eat dinner, how you just want to wander through the aisles of your local Walmart and shop. How bad your hair and nails look. Believe me, I know! You are sick and tired of this virus. Well, me too! So, I do what I can. I take my vitamins, I try to keep my attitude tuned into a stream of positive thoughts. I have two bridal showers and two weddings that I am planning on attending next year. Both of my daughters are getting married! If you all do your part to keep us ALL healthy, I would really appreciate it!!

141. Feel Better

The best thing you can do to feel good is to make your way up the emotional scale. Where ever you are starting out, if it is below love and joy, you just need to slowly, within yourself, work your way up to joy, love and happiness.

The Abraham-Hicks Emotional Guidance Scale

Abraham-Hicks has come up with a series of emotions that will help you work from feeling bad to feeling better about whatever you are experiencing. If you find where you are emotionally on the scale, and then try and find thoughts that feel just a tad bit better about it.

1.	Joy / Appreciation / Empowered / Freedom / Love
2.	Passion
3.	Enthusiasm/Eagerness/Happiness
4.	Positive Expectation/Belief
5.	Optimism
6.	Hopefulness
7.	Satisfaction – Contentment
8.	Boredom
9.	Pessimism
10.	Frustration/Irritation/Impatience
11.	Overwhelmed
12.	Disappointment
13.	Doubt
14.	Worry
15.	Blame
16.	Discouragement
17.	Anger
18.	Revenge
19.	Hatred/Rage
20.	Jealousy
21.	Insecurity/Guilt/Unworthiness
22.	Fear/Grief/Depression/Despair/Powerlessnes

Example ( Just an example, not necessarily reflecting my own thoughts): Let’s say, I am fearful about who will win the Presidential election. That would put me at the bottom of the scale (#22. Fear). I would have a sort of discussion with myself, or think to myself about that fear, and slowly work my way up to feeling better about it.

I feel powerless over who will be in charge of the US. I am fearful of the outcome, I feel insecure about the future. I feel rage about those who don’t believe as I do, I feel angry that they don’t see things like I do. I am discouraged that they can’t understand my point of view. I’m worried about what will happen if my candidate does not win. I doubt that the other candidate would be able to handle the job, I wonder what will change? I feel overwhelmed by all of the news right now. I am tired of waiting for an answer, does it even matter who wins? I’m so sick of all of it! I’m looking forward to having it over. Just finish counting already! I hope it goes my way, but even if it doesn’t, at least we could move on. No matter what happens, it’s only four years. Then we can start all over again! We are still surviving! Even through a pandemic. Most of us are still here, and the world is still marching on. Life as we know it has changed dramatically, but it is still going. I’m done thinking about this, I am done, I will be fine, no matter who wins, no matter what happens. I am looking forward to tomorrow. I am not going to wait until I find out who wins to be happy. I will be happy no matter who wins. I am a survivor. I will be fine no matter what. Enough of this, I’m doing something I enjoy. I don’t know why I wasted a minute on this, I will only spend my time on happy, joyful thoughts! Time to message my kids, time to have some cake, time to listen to some good music, watch a fun movie, and be free of bad thoughts! Yeah!! Life is good!

140. Fine As Frog Hair

It’s time to vote! I’m telling you just in case you have missed all the television political ads. In case you aren’t on social media, you didn’t watch the debates, you have been in quarantine lately… Oh, wait! LOL That’s literally everyone! But, really, I hope everyone in the US is going to vote, even though it doesn’t matter who wins. We’ll be fine, no matter who wins. Really. Well, I will be anyway. It’s up to you if you will be okay or if you will let the world drag you down with it.

You can be happy and everything will go your way, no matter what is going on in this world. It’s all depends on you and your attitude and your thoughts. If there are fewer jobs out there, but you believe with everything you have in you that you will find your dream job, then you WILL find your dream job! If you want to be a lawyer, you will need to help yourself by going to law school, and just believing in yourself… and it will happen! No matter what you want, it can be yours. I know, I know… I am saying this, but I obviously don’t have everything I want ( health). Well, I know it’s true, and I’m working on it!

Putting aside the fact that you can be happy and satisfied with life no matter what is going on around you. Stop for a moment and think about all you have lived through so far. For starters, if you are reading this, then you have, so far, survived a pandemic! Who would have guessed they would be able to say that?! I’m guessing many of you have survived divorce. Maybe broken bones and maybe even a severe accident of some kind. Maybe you’re a cancer survivor. Maybe you were or are in the military, and you have been to war and lived to tell the story. Many, many people have survived horrendous situations and come out the other end to have thrived and become happy and healthy people!

I know someone who has survived being raised by an absent mother, survived the loss of her mother, sister, and husband. She has survived numerous car crashes, a ferry boat accident, and a plane crash, and a bomb scare. She was almost shot, she almost drowned. She is Meredith Grey of the TV show, Grey’s Anatomy. She isn’t real, you might be thinking? I also know of someone who was placed in an orphanage when she was young, along with her siblings after her parents split up. She was sent out at different intervals to stay with people in the community, and did work for them in return for her stay (a little like an indentured laborer, I would say….). She never saw her mother again after she went to the orphanage. She lost touch with her sister years after they were grown and out on their own and never saw her or heard from her again. She lost two children, one of whom drowned when he was a toddler. The other child lost due to having all of her teeth removed for dentures (poor dental hygiene in the orphanage), the baby/ pregnancy would not survive the procedure due to the medication used in those days. She lived through WWII and through the depression. Her son served in Vietnam and made it home, but in many ways was not the same person when he returned as he was when he left. She lost her husband, she lost many friends, and family members. I could go on. She was a very real person. The saying, life is stranger than fiction comes to mind. She was a very happy and healthy person, until late in life, who lived to be over 100 years old!

So, when you think about it, what are we worried about? We all have things we have lived through that were tough. I have survived when I was told by a neurological specialist that I would not live past the year 2003! I know I will survive no matter who wins this presidential election. Surviving four years with someone in office that we do not agree with is nothing compared to what we have already survived! And if your chosen candidate wins, then congratulations! That is just icing on the cake you already have. Know that we will be fine, fine as frog hair. Believe it!