Act Like How You Want to Feel

For the longest time, I used to think that positive upbeat people were the product of good parenting, extra cash, or born on the right day. What was I missing? Whatever it was, I did not have it. Looking in all the wrong places for so many years, and it was right in front of me. Just look in the mirror and smile ....taking yourself too seriously puts off a negative vibe. I thought that I had a great excuse why not, since I've had two strokes leaving me with facial weakness and numbness. Bullshit! Even smiling with a kooky, crooked smile is infectious and immediately relaxes others and they will laugh with you....and not at you. Give it up and go over to a mirror and smile, we are all soon dead and it is so hard to smile with a mouthful of dirt.

A by-product of relaxing the self, is one carries less tension in their body. Today in yoga class, I smiled at myself(not out of pride) and whenever I slipped from a pose laughed. After class finished, a woman came up to me who is constantly negative, smiling and said her new nickname for me is "rubber band man." That was a change for her, so it helps others.

A Smile Always Works

loosely translated:
Handle every stressful situation like a dog.
If you can't eat it or root it... Piss on it and walk away! 

That miracle

What if I told you one of the great things that meditation brings you is the ability to see small miracles in the world. That is, things that you are too busy or angry to possibly experience. Yesterday, it was a handsome straight man who was returning to his seat at the bar after smoking outside. I was standing by his stool while ordering a quick beer before going to a friend’s house. I was near his seat, paying the bartendress her tip, he walked towards me smiling, while saying, I paid for him. It was just a friendly joke just to show he was not hostile, that made me comfortable. His smile was that miracle. It was nothing more than this.

Today a friend, called to invite me to join him in getting old political art we produced 17 years ago. We made history and now our work is held hostage in a historical society. Fancy that! And while there, I joked they should have a freezer for our remains, which will all too shortly be there. Gay cryonics on display with disco music playing, a revolving disco ball and the atmospheric scent of Armani. I’m there already, just missing a few more mothballs. Going through history that was not in our own closet, but in the collection of an important historical society gives me a sense of purpose when I saw the art we had originally produced, contained there. We spent time laughing and talking about what brought us to this point. I have been letting life happen to me, with no or little expectations and I am happily pleased. Today, was one of those examples.