Trip The Light Fantastic: Never Lose Hope

There is no doubt that life presents us with unmitigated challenges on a daily basis. However, what we choose to do with these adversities makes all the difference in the world. There is absolutely nothing etched in stone that tells us how to deal with hardship, pain and loss. There is no written manual that states how one loss outweighs another loss. There is no written manual that declares that our pain is less or more that another person's pain. Still, there is no written manual on how to survive this earthly plane. There may never be getting over it. Yet, there is getting on with it.

Our true reclamation into living again is through our pain. I know that sounds incredulous! Despite the years we are all great at stuffing our pain inward, the universe has this remarkable way of providing all of us with brilliant opportunities to seize that pain.

I am not asking anyone not to feel their sadness and happiness concurrently. I am not asking anyone not to have expectations that are unreasonable. I am not asking anyone not to sometimes feel discouragement and a sense of helplessness. What can be done is for all of us to feel that mass confusion, that disappointment and that pain and manifest it into a more generous and loving gesture. Despite the paradoxical and harrowing emotions we feel, we are given the opportunity to be able to reclaim and reestablish a very deep and very loving connection to ourselves and to others. Without this rekindling, we all deny what is deeply fundamental to all of us: Living a more human centered way of living, a way that touches the very springs of our soul. Living life fully and being touched by it makes our heart sing. In the midst of surviving everyday, doing, making everyone else's life manageable, it is easy to forget our own life.

It is time to awaken! As our daily pulse of living and trusting becomes more vivid, we must rally with ourselves as opposed to rallying against ourselves. We cannot change what we will not acknowledge. In essence we all have this inherent ability to commit to the openness of our heart, despite our pain. Such a choice enables us to live on purpose. Like pain, hope is boundless. We can affirm from our soul a sense of great empowerment to embrace the pain and participate in it without harsh criticism. Ultimately, we will feel more integrated, more supported and more constructive. Pain will bring us far. It will offer faith, trust and hope. More importantly, pain is a wonderful reminder that being vulnerable lets us see that we are still alive.

Live now. The greatest thing we have is life and where there is life, there is hope. Have hope for the human spirit. Never underestimate the power of it. It is okay to stand alone with ourselves and share the sunlight as much as we share the rain. We can share the contradictions of life as much as we can share the splendor of it. In our worst nightmares, we can be easily enveloped by our losses. Yet, in our sweetest dream, we can be blessed by the gifts of them. In order for us to live we must risk the pain. I know how difficult. As we wake up, we will gently grasp and gather the threads of our lives with a dignified hope. In closing, trip the light fantastic.

Trip The Light Fantastic: Truth Or Dare!

Hop scotch, jump rope, jacks, scribbled chalk on sidewalks, home-made play dough, grass-stained knees, spin-the-bottle, scavenger hunts, pajama parties, jiffy-pop popcorn, root-beer floats, make your own sundaes, Nancy Drew Mysteries, bell-bottoms, Twister, Candy Land, where did they all go?

I live in one of the most sophisticated cities in the world. It is a melting pot of eclectic personalities, diverse cultures, countless languages, brilliant artists, divine culinary eateries, best-dressed professionals, chic fashion, famous personalities, superb universities, dilettantish dog-walkers, etc, etc. Despite the allure this city affords, there seems to be an incredible lack of genuine connection.

I get it. We need our blackberrys, our ipods, our cell phones, our lap tops, our digital notepads, our GPS transmitters, our roll-em-up keyboards, our eye clops mini projectors, our pogo digital cameras, our MP3 players, our noise-canceling headphones, our pen scanners for copious note takers, our skype wi-fi phones, our bipedal humanoid robot gadgets, our portable media players, our picture taking binoculars, the list goes on.

I get the fact that with all this high tech stuff, we are seemingly able to connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime. Yet, the truth of the matter is that such connection really does not promote connection of the heart. We are so in our comfort zone texting, emailing, i-chatting, aim-ing, skyping, we have lost connection. In fact, I consciously promise myself everyday when I traverse the streets of the Big Apple, I will not tune out. Yet, when the fifth person bumps into me because he or she has her head down clicking fingers on that digitalized phone, I want to rage. I know, I am just as much a culprit as anyone else is.

Let's be frank. How many of you are bold and bona-fide sincere enough to express your true feelings to another individual without your handy devices? How many of you take accountability for your actions being congruent to your words without your handy paraphernalia stuck to your hip or your ear? How many of you get out of dates, appointments, places you may not want to be, and be culpable for how your behavior may impact someone else because you decided to flick a switch instead of committing to face-to-face contact?

This is what I propose: I dare you to put away all your stuff, call someone up and invite them over for a home-made meal, write a letter on real paper to someone who needs to know they are valued, and stuff it in their coat pocket when they are not looking, put some flowers in someone's underwear drawer, bake real-live cookies, wrap them up and bring them over to someone you care about or do not even know, and do not rely on online convenience, offer a hug because you can, say thank you, listen with honest intent and mean it, open the door for someone, find humor instead of anger in a pending situation, don't focus on the outcome, don't make inexcusable excuses, and just follow through with indebted gratitude in your heart.

The truth: I will host a jack and jump-rope party for all of you who can abide by this simple premise: Dare yourself to be loving and kind and for one hour a day, no use of electronic devices!

Trip the light fantastic!

Trip The Light Fantastic Me-Day!

Today I decided to have a me day, without reservation, no deadlines, no commitments, no filling my pipeline with business calls, no nothing. Today was a day to merely be cognizant, to be fully conscious and to stay awake and delight in merely being in the moment. The fact that I am a Sagittarius stretches me beyond that comfort zone, merely because most Sags like everything the day before yesterday. In fact we are considered visionaries and when we have a vision we also want that vision to manifest quickly. Yet, given our impatient posture, the Universe has a brilliant way of of saying not yet. For a Sag, that can be agonizing! For me, patience is a lesson of the soul and yes I am learning!

Instead of resisting the Universe's plan, I decided to acquiesce to my new-found moment of being in the moment. It is quite humbling because everything we want control over we have no control over. What a wonderful humility check. My allegiance was to the moment. In honoring that allegiance, my Me-Day was jammed packed with gentle subtleties that delighted my soul.

I run into Elmo, a buoyant English Bulldog sitting on a park bench, smiling his funky grin, his bottom tooth stuck over his top lip. Squealing in delight, he recognizes my voice as he grunts profusely, lapping my face with his enormous licks. Gratitude pouring out of my heart and unconditional love from Elmo is a perfect start to my morning.

Proceeding to the other side of the block, Paris, a brilliant-minded, homeless gentleman, sits in front of the bagel store reminiscing with the locals. Many consider Paris unscrupulous. I consider Paris a gift. We exchange bits of conversation and at the end, we smile. I grab his hand and tell him what a pleasure it was to see him. He nods his gentle acknowledgment.

I decide to treat myself to a Pedicure, a treat I rarely give myself. I walk 5 blocks to my favorite little, no frills nail salon. As soon as I enter all the lovely Mamacitas hug me! They call everyone Mommees. Hugs shared, I indulge my tired feet in a whirlpool of warmth and suds, only to be barraged with unconditional love. My feet tickle with delight and my toes dance, painted in luscious red. I over tip and why not?

Leaving, I notice how brilliant the sun is, no clouds, a perfect blue sky, despite the tinge of coldness stingy my face. I smile and I continue my walk. A craving came over me to sniff the smell of one single flower. I decide to stop at the local flower merchant, the only one in town. Walking in, Peaches screams. An enormous white Parrot watches me, informing me in a big way that I better make my decision quickly. She is indeed the center of attention. After all, it is her home. With that in mind, I choose a single yellow Lily, bathed in exquisiteness.

With my flower lovingly wrapped, I begin my walk back to my home. Harboring depthless breaths, and aided with her cane, I glimpse Anne in front of me, toiling laboriously on the sidewalk. She has too much pride to ask for help. Respecting her, I merely observe the arduous trek she makes without judgment and I smile hello. She smiles back.

Pressing the elevator button, I wait patiently for the lift to stop on the ground floor. I suppose I could walk the 7 flights, but I decide to allow myself the luxury of convenience. Flower in hand, I press #7. Up I go! As the door enters I hear a tap, tap, tap. Baby fingernail tips tap the floor. I glance around. Bubbles, in her awkward puppiness stance rushes ferociously toward me. Kneeling down, I accept her kisses and offer them back to her. A pints-size mix of chihuahua and goodness know what, all she knows is love. What a blessing. She runs into the elevator with her owner to start her day!

These moments, priceless! Trip the light fantastic!