Got Some Bags For Sale, but Can't Give E'm Away Posted by Mahriana (Mah-ree-au-nah) , Friday, January 21, 2011 at 5:47 PM, in

"Bag Lady"

Bag lady you gone hurt your back
Dragging all them bags like that
I guess nobody ever told you
All you must hold on to
Is you, is you, is you

One day all them bags gone get in your way
One day all them bags gone get in your way
I said one day all them bags gone get in your way
One Day all them bags gone get in your way

So pack light
Pack light
Pack light
Ooh ooh

Bag lady you gone miss your bus
You can't hurry up
Cause you got too much stuff
When they see you comin
Niggas take off runnin
From you it's true oh yes they do

One day he gone say you crowdin my space
One day he gone say you crowdin my space
I said one day he gone say you crowdin my space
One day he gone say you crowdin my space

So pack light
Pack light
Pack light
Ooh ooh

Girl I know sometimes it's hard
And we can't let go
Oh when someone hurts you oh so bad inside
You can't deny it you can't stop crying
So oh, oh, oh
If you start breathin
Then you won't believe it
You'll feel so much better
(So much better baby)

Bag lady
Let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go
Ooh, ooh
Girl you don't need it
I betcha love can make it better
Betcha love can make it better
Betcha love can make it better
(Need someone to love you right)
Betcha love can make it better
(I betcha love, betcha love)
Betcha love can make it better
Betcha love can make it better
Betcha love can make it better
Betcha love can make it better
(I betcha love, betcha love)
Betcha love can make it better
(I betcha love, I betcha love, oh)
Betcha love can make it better
Betcha love can make it better
(Oh...)
Betcha love can make it better...

Bag lady, hmm
Let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go

Girl you don't need that, hmm

How to go with the flow without being swept out with the tide Posted by Mahriana (Mah-ree-au-nah) , Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 6:52 PM, in Labels: And So It Is, Beliefs, Inner Peace, Peace, Self Preservation

Resolved to have a peaceful and fulfilling day today. Instead of meticulously planning out every detail of my day from first light to glorious night, I decided to let this day flow through me and around me. I'd come to the conclusion that  the lack of order and intention in my world was responsible for my epic fail in inner peace 101. But, that is precisely the opposite of what's going on. In reality, constant worry about what might happen (anxiety) and inability to manifest tranquility because of that fear (procrastination and fear), has turned my life into one big WHAT IF? Everyone can relate to "what ifs" syndrome, but few of us every examine the effects (and affect) that kind of thinking has on our ability to make peace within ourselves and in our world. Some truisms come to mind as ironically relevant illustrations of this point:

That Which Does Not Kill Us Makes Us Stronger

A cheerful frame of mind, reinforced by relaxation... is the medicine that puts all ghosts of fear on the run.

What you think means more than anything else in your life. More than what you earn, more than where you live, more than your social position, and more than what anyone else may think about you.

In addition to examining the literature, I'm adding some personal tips for beginning this journey to inner peace.

1. Cultivate an AND SO IT IS Attitude
There is a replacement or supplement (however you choose to look at it) for the traditional prayer ending, Amen that many people in the spiritual community practice. "And So It Is" is symbolizes the fact that what you've prayed for and/or meditated on is already part of the Universe. It is believed that whatever we send out in prayer, action ,and intention comes back to us (what goes around comes around-it's worded differently in every religion, but the essence remains the same). If we talk do, talk about, think about, and simply BE about positive things for ourselves and others, there is at least a better chance that those things will come into existence. Even if you don't believe that believing can make things come into being, isn't it much better to have positive things on your mind than the "what ifs" or "whoa is mes?"

2. Resolve to change the things that you can, acknowledge and let go of the things you absolutely cannot 


As much as I am the first one to believe in personal power to transform our own minds and external situations, there are those things that we simply CAN NOT change, no matter how hard we try or punish ourselves. Letting go of the unchangeable and superfluous aspects of our being allows for more time to focus on the things that we can change. Letting go is not always giving up when it gives us the opportunity to attend to what matters most.

The Serenity Prayer:

[Your Higher Power],

Grant me the serenity;

To accept the things I cannot change;

The courage, to change the things I can;

And the wisdom, to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace...

So that I may be supremely happy in this life

And supremely happy

Forever and ever in the next.

AND SO IT IS

Occupying your mind with positive activities seems easy enough, but the net gains are priceless. No activity is too small or "insignificant." Don't think that collecting stamps or watering your garden are not worthy spiritual building activities because they aren't yoga or meditation. Incorporating things into your life in that enrich and "Serenitize" YOUR BEING is the most important factor.

Daily Om: Learning to Pause


3. Don't feel forced to (blindly)*  follow anyone else's guidelines or prescription for a happy life.
There are many times in our lives when we feel unable to address an issue on our own. Perhaps we don't have the necessary experience to inform us about a solution. Or, we seek the guidance of someone who can not only provide information, nut can also serve as a support system along our journey (Think Dorothy trekking along the yellow brick road with the Tin Man, the Lion, and The Scarecrow). However, blindly and insecurely following the instructions of others simply because we doubt our own abilities or because that person seems to know about something or in general than we do, can lead to unwelcome consequences.
     Remember that you are more powerful than you may be able to imagine, accept (right now), or can understand (at this moment). This power comes from your ability to make things happen within yourself and in the world around you
     ex. you may feel like a servant to BIG business or the government, but if you start writing letters of complaint about faulty products or practices, and use your sincerity and voice to organize others, you can change the way that business does business, or whether it does business at all. At the very least, you will influence a change of policy for your local branch of that BIG business.

*People you know, trust, and who have genuine experience with the goals that you seek to accomplish are great resources. CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and support can greatly enhance your journey.

4. Eradicate Toxic Relationships!
This part of the post got deleted, so I will rewrite it later. Thanks for understanding :)

These are things that I've come to learn along my journey to inner peace, and I am definitely still learning and experiencing. Therefore, this post will be something to revisit. I hope this helps.

You alone decide what inner peace means and looks like to you. So, at the end of the
 day, nothing else matters besides making every day count in your book (Oh how I love truisms).

AND SO IT IS...

Who's afraid of the big bad Wolf? (Pig Psychology) Posted by Mahriana (Mah-ree-au-nah) , Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 11:49 PM, in Labels: Ego, Filthy Animals, Pig Psychology, The Big Bad Wolf, Triumph over defeat

A sudden obsession with the developmental psychology of relationships and maturity (also the intersection of both or the lack thereof), has led me down a Willy Wonka-esque (the genius original 1971, not the devastatingly overstated remake) rabbit hole of research and discussion. I've spent a significant amount of time contemplating the significance of childhood development, fairy tales, and ego progression in the formation of attitudes, defense mechanisms. In plainer terms, why people sometimes suck at making relationships work or why a lot of us are walking around with unsolved "issues." I'm not talking about why we can't secure the man or woman of our dreams and make them see everything from "our well-developed, 'superiorly' intelligent, unselfish points of views." I'm talking real issues like how toxic relationships manifest between parent and child, and later on with friends, lovers, authority figures, food, other addictions, etc. Just as I'd thought my obsession was moving towards a truly relevant, uncharted territory of enlightenment into the human condition, a Google search brought me back down to Earth where my body is temporarily under forced separation from my soul I belong. Take the satirical journey into why we're all filthy animals...in one way or another:

...since the three little pigs represent stages in the development of man, the disappearance of the first two little pigs is not traumatic; the child understands subconsciously that we have to shed earlier forms of existence if we wish to move on to higher ones. In talking to young children about "The Three Little Pigs," one encounters only rejoicing about the deserved punishment of the wolf and the clever victory of the oldest pig-not grief over the fate of the two little ones. Even a young child seems to understand that all three are really one and the same in difference states-which is suggested by their answering the wolf in exactly the same words: "No, no not by the hair of my chinni-chin-chin!" If we survive in only the higher form of our identity, this is as it should be.

PiG PsyChoLogY

One for the yellow brick road:

We Don't Need Another Hero Posted by Mahriana (Mah-ree-au-nah) , Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 10:34 PM, in

OUT OF THE RUINS
OUT FROM THE WRECKAGE

CAN`T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE THIS TIME

WE ARE THE CHILDREN

THE LAST GENERATION
WE ARE THE ONES THEY LEFT BEHIND

AND I WONDER WHEN WE ARE EVER GONNA CHANGE
LIVING UNDER THE FEAR, TILL NOTHING ELSE REMAINS

WE DON`T NEED TO KNOW THE WAY HOME
ALL WE WANT IS LIFE BEYOND...

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING

WE CAN RELY ON

THERE`S GOTTA BE SOMETHING BETTER OUT THERE---LOVE AND COMPASSION
THEIR DAY IS COMING
ALL ELSE ARE CASTLES BUILT IN THE AIR

AND I WONDER WHEN WE ARE EVER GONNA CHANGE

LIVING UNDER THE FEAR TILL NOTHING ELSE REMAINS

ALL THE CHILDREN SAY
WE DON`T NEED ANOTHER HERO
WE DON`T NEED TO KNOW THE WAY HOME
ALL WE WANT IS LIFE BEYOND...

SO WHAT DO WE DO WITH OUR LIVES?
WE LEAVE ONLY A MARK

WILL OUR STORY SHINE LIKE A LIGHT
OR END IN THE DARK?

GIVE IT ALL OR NOTHING

WE DON`T NEED ANOTHER HERO
WE DON`T NEED TO KNOW THE WAY HOME
ALL WE WANT IS LIFE BEYOND...

How to shave my head Posted by Mahriana (Mah-ree-au-nah) , Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 3:01 PM, in

"One of the best decisions I've ever made."

How I did it: After many months of planning and consideration, I woke up one morning and asked my boyfriend to take me to his barber shop to get a haircut. He replied with a smile, "that's great, how short." To which I replied, "REAL short, like bald short, I'm ready." He was more excited than I was and said, "it's about time, you've been talking about this for months, let's go!"

When we arrived at the barber shop, a serious but friendly looking man recognized and greeted my boyfriend, flashing me a smile and a "it's so nice to finally meet you." After a friendly and comforting exchange of words, I expressed to him that I was going bald, as clean as he could get my dome. He was absolutely delighted to show me his skills on the straight razor-25 years in the making. I'm 25 years old, so I thought of it as he's been training all my life for this very moment ;) As he used the level 1 clippers to get as much of the length of my hair off before the shave, I looked in the mirror and started to feel a few tears forming in my eyes. Ideas about how people would treat me and what they would think about me ran through my brain as quickly as a bullet train. For a moment, the thoughts were overwhelming. I closed my eyes and felt all the pieces of my insecurity fall to my shoulders and onto the ground. After it was all over, I opened my eyes again to find that I had a perfectly shaped head for baldness!

Lessons & tips: Try your best to do this for YOU. Don't do this for anyone else, as a means to punish yourself or others, or let the idea of not fitting in detract you.

Resources:

• Personal Resolve for Change
• Equally crazy boyfriend
• Skilled, witty, and open-minded Barber

It took me 1 day.

It made me feel Cool

See more progress on: shave my head

How to do cardioke. Posted by Mahriana (Mah-ree-au-nah) , at 2:43 PM, in Labels: Cardioke, Dance Your *ss Off, Fun

"Billy Blanks Jr. and Sharon Blanks Cardioke is a fun and almost effortless way to get a full body, kick your behind work out."

How I did it: While sitting on the couch bemoaning my lack of energy and insatiable appetite for everything post-holiday sweetness, I was browsing through the OnDemand section on my DVR (digital video recorder) sports and fitness menu listings. My cable provider offers free previews of exercise videos on the OnDemand fitness channel. Looking for something new and exciting, I perused the new and most popular listings and stumbled upon Bill Blanks, Jr.'s Cardioke. According to the description, one would "Dance, Sculpt, and Sing with Cardioke, from Billy Blanks Jr., the son of famed Tae Bo fitness guru, Billy Blanks. This unique fitness program combines breathing techniques, cardio dance, and body sculpting plus karaoke!" How could I turn down such an eclectic opportunity?

I ran in the bedroom, threw off my pj's and exchanged them for a loose fitting t-shirt, some sweat pants and some sneakers. At first, the moves in this video might seem corny and simplistic, but after a few minutes, the burn really sets in. Most of the moves are simple looking, but I had to sit back and watch for a while to really follow along. Also, I found that the more I let go and got into the groove, the easier the moves were to follow.

The genius addition of karaoke to this work out program really allowed me to get into "the zone." You know, the zone in which you are singing and dancing so hard that it wouldn't matter who might walk in the room. They would be so mesmerized anyway by your involvement, that soon the entire household, or neighborhood even, would be cardioking (sp?) in your living room along with you. Sooo worth it.

Lessons & tips: No matter how much you think you know or how simplistic some of the moves or instruction might seem, please do follow them. You will notice that when you do, your heart rate and cardio levels increase, and you get in "the zone." Remember, "don't judge yourself," Simple, but perfectly stated.

Resources: DVR cable subscription, loose t-shirt, sweat pants, running sneakers, Water!!

It took me 1 day.

It made me "Jumpstarted"

See more progress on: do cardioke.

Genesis Posted by Mahriana (Mah-ree-au-nah) , Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at 1:36 PM, in Labels: Change, Conditional, New Year, Resolution

What's your New Year's resolution? Although the beginning of a New Year is in reality just another day in our lives, its symbolic representation of genesis can not be denied. Our perception of renewal is therefore always just a year away. For some of us, the idea of every single day offering a chance to start completely anew, seems implausible, incredible, and ridiculous. But, the idea of transformation within the time span of 365 days, offers relief, reprieve, hope, and solace. Why do we view change in such distant and conditional terms? Are we afraid that change is in actuality happening around us whether we premeditate it or not? Do we just need time, time to get it together, time to be ready, time to recognize what must and can be done? 

The idea of 365 days to change is actually counter intuitive if you think about it deeply. A 360 degree turn ends you up right back where you started, plus five and you've actually only begun the revolution. Why not instead make the New Year's resolution for 180 days? That way, our 180 degree turn would end up in a complete about face from our original position. Right? 

I'd love to be the eternal optimist, truly seeing change happening on a dew drop in the morning on a blade of grass, or in the cadence of a child's laughter. For now I am taking it 365 days at a time, waiting for change to come. Yes, I'll still be attacking those resolutions like a house burglar at 3am, like the LSAT, or a White Macadamia Nut cookie...starting with 1. Live EVERY SINGLE DAY as if it is truly an opportunity to manifest change. If luck and blessings collide in my favor, it's only a matter of 365...or rather 180...days.

Although I prefer things sans preservatives...

My New Years Resolutions Preserved On-line

Before-2010

After-2011