Monday, November 30

PART 5 GOOD LUCK, BAD LUCK, WHO KNOWS?

What I came away from this past weekend was an amazing adventure and refreshed perspective on life.

But mostly, because no one was available, it became clear to me that my children… while always welcoming towards me…. have lives of their own and it was about time that I got one too!

Sometime back, I had taken a trip up the west coast, into the Pacific Northwest and back down through central California. I explained to my shaman, "It felt like I was taking a net and somehow embracing the whole area. It seemed like I was tucking all the children in bed. They were all fine…. It was now time for me to be fine as well. Pursuit my dreams and goals."

That was two years ago and I found that I was being reminded of that lesson AGAIN! My Higher Guidance was saying, "Everyone is fine… are you? Everyone has a journey. It's not yours to live or to analyze." When I can stop living my life through my children, I have the freedom to live my own life…. and that's scary!

Monday, November 23

PART 4 GOOD LUCK? BAD LUCK? GRATITUDE

It seems appropriate, this being the week of Thanksgiving, to pause and look at life from perhaps another set of eyes. Seeing things from another angle… a new perspective can turn what appears to be Bad Luck into Good Luck!

First and foremost, we need to let go of control! Scary huh! But once we can let go of how we think things should be and say yes to how they are, then we are free to live in a state of gratitude. And when we can be in gratitude… for everything... we begin to live life filled with passion and joy.

Secondly, if we can stay living in the moment, there can be nothing but gratitude because we have no expectations and no regrets and so it is easy to be grateful for everything… just how it shows up. We can begin to turn what could be perceived as Bad Luck into Good Luck! It's all a matter of perspective.

I'm grateful for YOU!

Monday, November 16

PART 3 GOOD LUCK BAD LUCK - PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Good Luck? Bad Luck? Who Knows? … Public Transportation! Good Luck!

I found my way to the information booth in the airport and asked how I could get to the Big OC, via public transportation.

"You can take the city bus to the train station downtown," the older women said with a smile. "You can catch it right out Door 19. It's just over there," she said as she pointed in the direction I should go. Oh, What Good Luck! Next stop Amtrack Train Station! The bus stopped right across the street from the station and I was grateful I had checked my bag, something I never do! Hummmm…Good Luck? I boarded the bus, found my seat when a family speaking only spanish boarded. After a period of time, it was apparent they didn't have the correct change and so I offered them $5, which I happened to have. Good Luck?  They gratefully accepted and the other passengers applauded. I've been there! Not speaking the language and not understanding the protocol.

With just my backpack, I walked towards the station and I could see a sign… too far away… what did it say?  …Trains down for maintenance during the month of October!... Oh What Bad Luck! Many  questions later, I discovered that they had employed the services of luxury bus lines that would take me non-stop to the Big OC for $22! And it was leaving straight away… As I sat in the front seat high above the traffic we whizzed by all the traffic, I thought… "Oh What Good Luck!"But wait… Who Knows?

Quickly after arriving at the station in Irvine, I found there were no city buses running. Bad Luck? Then I remembered my daughter had told me about Uber and I had recently downloaded the mobile app. I punched a button on my phone in within three minutes, an enchanting young college student picked me up and we had a delightful conversation.  All for only $20! One text to my daughter and the garage door magically opened and I spent the afternoon with puppy at the beach. It was also her birthday weekend and so I was able to celebrate with her, in person!  Oh What Good Luck!…Who Knows? (to be continued)

Monday, November 9

PART 2 GOOD LUCK? BAD LUCK?

"Good Luck… Bad Luck… Who Knows"…the farmer whose horse ran away exclaimed! The whole town thought he had Bad Luck and then his horse brought back a beautiful mare! Good Luck? Bad Luck? Who Knows? Sometimes it's simply a matter of perspective.

Not enough seats on the airline… Good Luck? Bad Luck? Who Knows? I could go back home…with the safety of a seat… or I could give it up and begin a new adventure! Adventure it is! Good Luck? Who Knows?

Two of my children lived in SoCal and after a couple of phone calls, I realized that I was on this adventure alone! No one was available to pick me up at the airport and there were zero seats on any flights to Tucson from San Diego, Orange County or LAX until Monday, and I now had a job to be back to by then.

"Oh… What bad luck! I should have stayed on the plane!" (One could have thought!)

"What the fuck?"… crossed my mind for a hot second and then I remembered… "Hey, you've got this! It's just like in 2009 when you got rid of everything that didn't fit into a 22" suitcase and backpack… including my car… and you relied on public transportation, traveling where the doors opened and many times in countries that didn't speak English!"  (Read more in my latest book, A Year in a Suitcase!)

I gave myself a little pep talk. "You've got this! At least you know the language!"  I proceeded to the information desk and asked how could I get to the Big OC via public transportation. Good Luck? Bad Luck? Who Knows? (to be continued)



Monday, November 2

GOOD LUCK BAD LUCK… WHO KNOWS? Part 1

My priest/professor friend used to tell me a story of Good Luck, Bad Luck. It was of a farmer whose horse had run away. The town cried…"Oh what bad luck you have!" He simply replied… "Good Luck, Bad Luck… Who knows?"

That's the theme around this series of posts. Good Luck, Bad Luck… its all a matter of perspective.

I recently traveled back from a trip to the midwest and there were more people than seats on my flight home.

One of the common things for airlines to do today… well at least Southwest Airlines… is to overbook seats in assurance all seats are filled at take off.

I remember being very irritated with this practice when they first began to implement it. I remember taking my mother to the airport for a flight and as we stood in this really long line, it was clear they had more people than seats! "Oh,What Bad Luck!"

Since then, they seem to have perfected their technique and I have learned to use it to my advantage… "Oh What Good Luck!" Last year I volunteered my seat and had enough flight credit to take a trip to Puerto Rico with my daughters, where we met Evolve to Live's first official recipient, we were able to support, as he made necessary changes in his life so that he could support his family in Columbia.

So this time, when I found myself in So Cal, (San Diego), and it was clear there were more people than seats, I took a proactive approach and asked if they needed volunteers…."Yes! But there are no more seats to Tucson the rest of the weekend!" "Let me think about it!"

So I decided to turn what could have been perceived Bad Luck… into Good Luck! I used my own philosophy of Why Not? And said Yes to the opportunity that presented itself. "Oh… What Good Luck!"…… or was it?